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World News Once a Week |
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| Published Friday, March 23, 2007 |
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| Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly: Shadows are cast in doorways on Gorée Island, Senegal |
Issue 40
Four years ago this week, "shock and awe" entered the American argot. Now, tolerance for the grim daily reports leaving Iraq
seems to be reaching a nadir, as the reverberations of worldwide protests were felt in the halls of Congress. A different Beltway drama is playing out
in the Supreme Court, where a student's free-speech case challenges a landmark 1969 First Amendment ruling that students do not "shed their constitutional rights… at the schoolhouse gate."
Constitutional matters weighed on Egypt, too, as hasty amendments proposed by President Mubarak brought outrage from the opposition party. In Pakistan, General Musharraf's removal of his
country's chief justice sparked nationwide riots.
Despite the disheartening news, there was also much to wonder at. The race to land the biggest bird in the sky, the Airbus A380, in the United States brought aerophiles to airstrips in Chicago and Los Angeles. And in Arizona, glass-bottomed tourism hit the roof some 3,000 feet above the Grand Canyon.
- Catherine New |
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 A Note on Our Sources |
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A dynamic collaboration between Budweiser Select and Flavorpill, Select Flavor harnesses the talents of up-and-coming artists and designers to interpret Select – a premier hand-crafted beer – and its
iconic crown through original artwork. Expect a new kind of creativity. Expect everything.
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| Top Stories |
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Four years on, a tense anniversary in Iraq
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At the four-year mark of the United States' invasion of Iraq, thousands protested the war worldwide, and the ripple effect of the conflict was evident from Baghdad to Washington.
A new BBC poll showed decreasing optimism among Iraqis — and increased mistrust of US military personnel stationed in the country — while
in neighboring countries a refugee crisis deepens, demanding international attention. Meanwhile, the Sunni insurgency unexpectedly proved a bigger threat than its Shiite counterpart in the aftermath of the
US troop surge. And stateside, President Bush pushed for more patience from Americans as he fights legislation that would advocate for US troop withdrawals by 2008. (BH)
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Judicial crisis deepens in Pakistan
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Supporters rallied this week against the suspension of Pakistan's chief justice. Critics allege that President Pervez Musharraf, who ordered the judge's removal, acted to prevent the Supreme Court from undermining his regime as he seeks a second term.
In an attempt to diffuse tensions, Musharraf promised that elections would continue and suggested that the chief justice may only be charged with "misconduct."
Opposition grew significantly on Tuesday, following the resignation of a Pakistani deputy attorney general in protest — the
highest-ranking official to step down in protest. Since the chief justice's March 9th suspension, eight judges have resigned
and thousands of lawyers have taken to the streets, sparking a public outcry. (ED)
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'Bong hits 4 Jesus' courts free speech ruling
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The Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday in the case of Morse v. Frederick, which considers whether a high school principal violated a student's First Amendment
rights when she suspended him for displaying a "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" banner at a school-sponsored event. The Supreme Court, which has traditionally sided with schools, has not heard a student
free-speech case in nearly 20 years.
Former independent counsel Kenneth Starr, arguing on behalf of principal Deborah Morse, says the case is about upholding the school's anti-drug policy, not free speech.
Plaintiff Joseph Frederick has received support for his case from a diverse cross-section of interest groups, including religious-rights advocates, the ACLU, and gay-rights organizations. (CN)
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| Newswire |
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| Politics |
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Opposition decries Egypt constitution changes
President Hosni Mubarak fast-tracked constitutional changes that he asserts will strengthen democracy and fight terrorism. Islamic opposition forces pledge to boycott next week's vote, claiming the measures grant excessive presidential power and ensure succession of Mubarak's son — a Washington ally — to office. (CN)
| International Herald Tribune | Daily Star Egypt |
Bush at impasse with Congressional Dems
President Bush said his advisers could speak with lawmakers about the White House's role in the recent scandal over the dismissal of eight federal attorneys, but not under oath. Congressional Democrats balked at the proposal, issuing subpoenas and prepping for a judicial fight. (BH)
| New York Times | Washington Post |
Former Thai PM charged with slandering king
Charges of lèse majesté and corruption await former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been exiled since his ouster last September by military coup. Thaksin's cabinet, wife, and brother-in-law are among
the 150 who face prosecution stemming from the government takeover. (CN)
| The Nation, Thailand | BBC |
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EU banks on massive merger
Britain's third-largest bank, Barclays, is courting Dutch bank ABN AMRO with a nearly $155 billion takeover bid. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the combined company would position itself on the shortlist
of the world's largest financial institutions. (CN)
| BBC | Telegraph |
Big bird has no US takers
While Lufthansa and Qantas duked it out to land Airbus' beleaguered jumbo A380 jet in the United States for the first time this week, no American companies indicated plans to invest in the 500-person
carrier, which also carries a $300 million price tag. (CN)
| San Francisco Chronicle | The Age |
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| Science & Technology |
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120-year-old math problem solved
A team of mathematicians and computer scientists has solved the most complicated Lie group, a mathematical structure invented by Sophus Lie in the 19th century to describe symmetrical objects. The Lie group E8 is symmetrical in 248 dimensions — of import to string
theory and particle physics. (GM)
| BBC | Scientific American |
Private rocket goes up, gets lost
A budget rocket developed by PayPal founder Elon Musk was lost minutes after launch, though Musk was positive about the mission. The rocket has garnered attention from private companies and NASA. Musk ultimately plans to launch a military-communications satellite with it. (BH)
| New York Times | Daily Tech |
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| The Week in Pictures |
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Click to see the full-size image and caption.
 Wolfgang Rattay
 Gustau Nacarino
 Karoly Arvai
 Stringer, Russia
 Brendan Read
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*Unless otherwise noted, all photos are courtesy of Reuters.
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| Local Stories |
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Mumbai slum dwellers reject free housing
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The Indian government is attempting to clean up Dharavi — Asia's largest slum — but its residents aren't eager to leave, despite pledged free relocation. Dharavi has become symbolic
of the historically poor country's growing pains as its economy rapidly expands. (BH)
| Christian Science Monitor | Kansas City Star |
Cute Knut will live, says Berlin Zoo
Despite ongoing controversy, the Berlin Zoo announced that it will not kill Knut, the media-adored polar bear rejected by his mother. Those who oppose the decision argue that animal infants abandoned in captivity must be exterminated to prevent human dependency. (CB)
| BBC | Der Spiegel |
Astronaut's small steps over Grand Canyon
Buzz Aldrin inaugurated the Hualapai tribe's newly constructed Grand Canyon Skywalk this week, a $30 million observation area extending 70 feet beyond the edge
of the chasm. It's hoped that the deck will double local tourist traffic. (AP)
| Washington Post | Salt Lake Tribune |
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| Masthead |
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Editors
Anna Balkrishna
Eli Dvorkin
Benjamin Hart
Catherine New
Contributors
Chelsea Bausch
Doug Levy
Gerry Mak
Mark Mangan
Andy Phillips
Jonathan Schultz
Production
Anjuli Ayer
Morgan Croney
Andrew Steinmetz
Design
Nicholas Feldman
Jessica Bauer-Greene
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About Us
Activate is an independent-thinking weekly news round-up produced by Flavorpill, a digital publishing company that filters cultural stimuli of all kinds.
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In addition to this weekly roundup of world news, Flavorpill also publishes ten other email magazines, covering ART, BOOKS, MUSIC, FASHION, and cultural events in six cities — NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, CHICAGO, MIAMI, and LONDON.
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