 |
 |
 |
 |
World News Once a Week |
|
 |
 |
| Published Thursday, August 7, 2008 |
|
 |
|
| Reuters/Rupak De Chowdhuri: An Indian volunteer makes AIDS-awareness symbols. |
Issue 111
Although we've reached the dog days of summer, the news has yet to take a break. While the US anthrax investigation dominated the headlines last week — sensational as a true-crime beach read — HIV/AIDS activists eschewed la playa to tackle the health crisis at a global conference in Mexico. And in Beijing, government officials are surely looking forward to a post-Olympics vacation, as domestic unrest and disgruntled journalists
continue to raise questions about China's social policies in advance of the Games.
For those of you who are reading Activate while on holiday, we also dug up some hopeful news to keep you in the mood. Conservationists
may play hooky today after an "ape census" found almost twice as many gorillas in the Congo as originally estimated. Meanwhile, NASA's Phoenix lander had a first taste
of Martian water, delighting armchair astronomers and astrophysicists alike. The question for those looking to plan their next escape: in
the near future, will we rocket to the Red Planet for a little R & R?
- Eli Dvorkin |
|
|
 A Note on Our Sources |
|
|
|
| Top Stories |
 |
Anthrax suspect commits suicide; case closed?
|
|
A government microbiologist committed suicide last Tuesday, shortly after becoming the FBI's chief suspect in the 2001 anthrax-letter attacks. The scientist, Bruce Ivins, worked at an Army bio-defense lab, where he helped to develop an anthrax vaccine and wrote numerous
papers on the bacillus anthracis pathogen. While some observers viewed Ivins' suicide as an admission of guilt, others questioned whether less-grueling investigative methods might have prevented his death.
As journalists begin sifting through the FBI's evidence, some critics contend that the bureau rushed to accuse Ivins after a previous suspect was exonerated. The attacks — which followed 9/11 by a matter of days — killed five people (who handled contaminated envelopes) and introduced the threat of biological terrorism to the national stage.
|
 BACK TO TOP |
New fears — and hopes — for the AIDS crisis
|
|
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that domestic HIV rates are 40% higher than previously expected, with 56,300 new infections reported in 2006. Scientists attribute the disparity to upgraded testing
technology that allows for more accurate and timely diagnoses. Recent global statistics, which suggested a decline in new
cases, may in fact be inaccurate, as these new detection systems are not yet widely available.
However, revived interest in the epidemic may lead to new prevention and treatment strategies. Researchers are exploring whether
the preventative use of antiviral drugs could greatly reduce susceptibility to HIV infection, while the ongoing International AIDS Conference gathers world leaders to target key issues surrounding the disease.
|
| BACK TO TOP |
|
|
Olympic forecast: cloudy, with a chance of oppression
|
|
With the lighting of the Olympic torch on August 8, China's coming-out party will finally begin. But in the run-up to the
games, the country faces nagging questions about everything from ethnic clampdowns to media rights. Most prominently, a bombing
that killed 16 policemen in the country's Xinjiang province has shifted the minority-suppression spotlight from Tibetans to
the Uighurs, a Muslim group that the government has long eyed warily.
Meanwhile, in the Olympic Village, journalists bemoaning their still partially restricted Internet access meditated on whether China has followed up on its promises for a more open society. Whatever the country's social fate, one thing may just clear up in time: the skies over Beijing.
|
| BACK TO TOP |
|
|
| Newswire |
|
|
|
| Politics |
|
Bangladesh moves back toward democracy
Bangladeshis hit the polls on Monday, for the first time since a political crisis in early 2007 ended with the army-backed installation of a caretaker government. This week's peaceful vote bodes well for
the full restoration of the country's democracy.
| BBC | Al Jazeera |
Republican registration on the decline
Regardless of which candidate leads in the polls, Democrats are winning the race to register voters: since 2005, the party has marked steady increases on the voter rolls,
while Republican numbers have dwindled. This shift may make red-state contests strikingly more competitive.
| New York Times | MSNBC |
Guantánamo trial ends in split decision
Salim Ahmed Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's former driver, was found guilty of providing material support for terrorism, but acquitted
on charges of conspiracy. It's the first decision to emerge from a post-9/11 military court system that has been marked by legal setbacks.
| New York Times | Washington Post |
|
| Science & Technology |
|
Phoenix sips Martian H2O
NASA's Phoenix lander has identified water on Mars, marking the first time that the molecule has been detected and analyzed
on the Red Planet. Due to the spacecraft's unusually trouble-free mission, NASA recently extended its extraplanetary stay until September 30.
| Guardian | Boston Globe |
Gorilla population on the rebound?
An "ape census" counts 125,000 western-lowland gorillas in the Congo — more than double previous population estimates for the endangered species. Though some experts remain skeptical of the study's methodology, the results are cause for celebration among conservationists.
| National Geographic | Times, UK |
|
| Blogosphere |
|
From al-Qaeda with love
In a new book, journalist Ron Suskind alleges that the White House forged a note linking al-Qaeda to Saddam Hussein. Kevin Drum recounts a pattern of similar schemes on issues ranging from anthrax to Iran,
while Reason's blog connects the revelation to Watergate.
| Kevin Drum (Washington Monthly) | Hit & Run (Reason) |
Newspapers: going once, going twice
The New York Times noted a dearth of buyers for several newspaper companies, despite their bargain prices. The Newsosaur links the crisis to
a loss of faith among publishing families, while media consultant Juan Giner sees a future in less competitive markets.
| Reflections of a Newsosaur | What's Next |
|
|
| The Week in Pictures |
|
Click to see the full-size image and caption.
 Reuters/Jason Lee
 Reuters/Mohammed Salem
 Reuters/Aly Song
 Reuters/Ali Hashisho
 Reuters/Jo Yong-hak
|
*Unless otherwise noted, all photos are courtesy of Reuters.
|
|
|
| |
BACK TO TOP |
|
|
| Local Stories |
|
|
Remembering a dissident in the new Russia
|
 |
| Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin |
|
Russian agitator and Nobel Prize-winning author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, 89, passed away this week in Moscow. Though his influence waned in post-Soviet Russia, politicos like Vladimir Putin still
laud the role of Solzhenitsyn's staunchly anti-Stalinist works in the decline and collapse of the USSR.
| New York Times | Christian Science Monitor |
Drugs and corruption mar Guinea-Bissau
Government corruption and an escalating cocaine trade are shaking up the tiny African country of Guinea-Bissau. The nation's justice minister and attorney general received death threats last week, following the the arrests of five South
American alleged drug smugglers against the wishes of several senior politicians.
| BBC | Voice of America |
Troops deployed on the streets of Italy
The Italian Ministry of Defense deployed more than 3,000 soldiers nationwide, in an effort to reinforce domestic security at a time when rising crime rates and illegal immigration have rankled many citizens. However, detractors perceive the measure
as a civil-rights blow.
| Guardian | Deutsche Welle |
|
| BACK TO TOP |
|
|
|
|
|
| Masthead |
|
Managing Editor
Benjamin Hart
Deputy Editor
Eli Dvorkin
Contributing Editors
Jennifer Chen
Nick Earhart
Doug Levy
Andrew Phillips
Jess Sauer
Production
Adda Birnir
Tom Starkweather
Andrew Steinmetz
Publishers
Mark Mangan
Sascha Lewis
Design
Groundwave Design Corp.
Production Design
Jonathan Rahmani
|
A Note on Our Sources
A login may be required to view some of the news stories we link to. We try to keep this to a minimum, but it's impossible
to avoid entirely as we strive to link to the most authoritative sources.
It should also be noted that we don't expressly endorse the views of any of the publications or websites that we link to.
We try to provide as many varied and quality sources as we can in order to present you with the full story.
Contact Us
If you'd like to respond to our editors about a story published here, or comment on the magazine's content more generally,
please email feedback.
If you see a smart news story that you think should be included in Activate, email a link to articles, and our editors will consider it.
Every week, Activate presents one exclusive media partner. Click for more information about advertising opportunities on Activate and across all Flavorpill publications.
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.
[more » ]
In addition to this weekly roundup of world news, Flavorpill publishes a series of online magazines, covering ART, BOOKS, MUSIC, and cultural events in NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, CHICAGO, and LONDON. Coming soon: STYLE/DESIGN and FILM. Subscribe now.
|
|
|
| BACK TO TOP |
|
| © 2008 Flavorpill Productions LLC. All rights reserved. |
 |
|
 |
