Published every Thursday morning, Activate encapsulates the week's most important and engaging news stories.
Sign up for Activate.
|
|
New York City | Los Angeles | San Francisco | London | Chicago | Miami
|
||||
About Us |
Subscribe |
||||
Traverse the Web
|
Top Stories March 9, 2007NATO opens largest Taliban offensiveThis week NATO launched its largest operation against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, sending more than 4,500 troops into the lawless Helmand province. Officials stated that the assault is designed both to undermine the Taliban insurgency and to stem the tide of foreign militants streaming across Afghanistan's southern border. The province also serves as a hub for the opium trade, acting as a safe haven for traffickers beyond the reach of the government. The Helmand region is also home to the Kajaki dam, a powerful — and dormant — hydroelectric installation. As civilian casualties mount, the government and coalition allies view the rehabilitation of such vital infrastructure as essential, ensuring continued popular support for the fight. - ED Bush banks on social appeal to counter ChávezPresident Bush embarked on a five-country trip to Latin America, after pledging millions in financial aid to the region. Analysts view the trip as a veiled counterweight to the brashness of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who has stoked anti-American sentiment through oil handouts and fiery political rhetoric. Despite announcing a proposed energy partnership with Brazil, Bush's arrival in the country on Thursday sparked protest rallies from thousands. This is Bush's longest visit to Latin America, a region his administration has neglected since shifting focus to the Middle East. To shore up support in the poverty-mired area, Bush has shifted his policy strategy toward offering social aid, and away from free-trade initiatives. - CN Walter Reed scandal touches bitter nerveWidespread health-code violations and poor treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed and other US military medical centers led to the resignation of Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey last week. President Bush quickly appointed a commission, led by Bob Dole and Donna Shalala, to investigate the state of military healthcare. A recent Washington Post exposé of Walter Reed's squalid facilities, patient neglect, and adversarial process for obtaining benefits — particularly mental-health services for returning Iraq vets diagnosed with PTSD — forced the Army to respond. The conditions, said lawmakers, are partly a result of cost-cutting that failed to account for the length and severity of the United States' current military commitments. - CN |
|
|||
|
© Copyright 2008 Flavorpill Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved |
About | Contact | Press | Advertising | Subscribe | Unsubscribe | ANTI-SPAM/Privacy Policy | ||||
