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World News Once a Week |
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| Published Thursday, August 21, 2008 |
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| Reuters/Umit Bektas: Russian soldiers leave a base in western Georgia. |
Issue 113
Think Michael Phelps gets nervous carrying around eight gold medals? Then imagine Chinese hurdler-hero Liu Xiang after he tweaked his Achilles' tendon — the poor guy had to apologize to 1.3 billion people. High-stakes sports and presidential
politics aren't so different when it comes to tension; Barack Obama kept the wonks biting their nails over his VP pick (Joe Biden? Hillary Clinton? Jeremiah Wright?), while Chad's former leader must have felt faint after receiving a death sentence from abroad. Meanwhile, Pervez Musharraf sealed his own fate by resigning as president of Pakistan. And in a related story, the Taliban has taken advantage of its
neighbors' political chaos to mount a serious assault on French and American forces.
Spain's in the middle of a drought, but even un barcelonés wouldn't tough the filth floating in the ocean's burgeoning "dead zones." College students might, though, if they thought it'd get them buzzed. (It's that sort of attitude that university presidents
are hoping to change by urging a re-evaluation of the drinking age.) Elsewhere in the world of public health: your boss may eventually discriminate against you based on genetics. All hail progress!
- Benjamin Hart |
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| Top Stories |
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Russia-Georgia conflict cools, slightly
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Russian forces began a limited withdrawal from Georgia on Tuesday, marking a turning point in the two-week war that has left
hundreds of people killed or wounded and thousands displaced. Russia's tentative about-face comes three days after Moscow
and Tbilisi signed — under pressure from the European Union — a cease-fire agreement mandating a return to pre-conflict positions.
Although hostilities may be cooling, several major issues remain unresolved. If the shaky peace is to be maintained, Russia and Georgia will have to address the de-facto independence
of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Meanwhile, Poland — another former Soviet satellite state — has deepened the divide between
the Great Bear and the West by hastily agreeing to host a US-backed missile shield.
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Pakistan uneasy as Musharraf steps down
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Pervez Musharraf, who seized the Pakistani presidency in a 1999 coup, has resigned, rather than face impeachment charges. Musharraf, whose power has dwindled dramatically since his party took a beating in February's fraught elections, is hoping for an immunity deal that will allow him to leave the country peacefully.
It's an inauspicious moment for a political shake-up in Pakistan, as the country contends with economic strife and resurgent extremists along its border with Afghanistan. Musharraf's exit has already led to a power struggle between the country's prime minister,
Nawaz Sharif, and political rival Asif Ali Zardari over whether to reinstate judges Musharraf fired last year. Meanwhile, the US hopes to forge a better relationship with Pakistan's new leadership than it had with Musharraf.
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Taliban flexes muscle across Afghanistan
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The Taliban launched its largest offensive of the six-year-old war in Afghanistan this week, with coordinated assaults on the country's
main US base and a squad of French paratroopers outside Kabul. The attacks lend credence to fears that the Taliban is gaining strength this year, as troop levels waver and the war in Iraq consumes the majority of American military resources.
French president Nicholas Sarkozy traveled to Kabul on Wednesday in a bid to reassure both his own soldiers and Afghani president
Hamid Karzai that France remains committed to the struggle. Meanwhile, some US and NATO officials suggest that political instability along the Pakistani border has fostered the growth of the insurgency.
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| Newswire |
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Israel releases Palestinian prisoners
As Israel and Palestine seek continued peace negotiations, the Knesset voted to free 200 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli officials hope the move will aid negotiations for captured
Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, but Hamas continues to demand the release of Israel's 9,000 remaining Palestinian prisoners.
| Globe and Mail | Haaretz |
Exiled Chadian ruler sentenced to death
A judge in Chad sentenced former president Hissène Habré to death in absentia on Friday. Accused of overseeing more than 40,000 politically motivated killings during his eight-year
reign, Habré plans to combat the ruling from his exile in Senegal.
| International Herald Tribune | BBC |
Fiji fracas: coup leader boycotts summit
Fiji's self-appointed prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, backed out of this week's Pacific Islands Forum, raising suspicions over his commitment to democratic reform. Neighboring nations are seeking a timetable for open Fijian
elections, which Bainimarama has promised since taking power in a 2006 coup.
| New Zealand Herald | ABC, Australia |
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| Science & Technology |
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Genetic tests raise privacy concerns
As the scope of DNA testing expands, critics are concerned that employers and insurers may begin to discriminate based on hereditary predispositions.
Privacy advocates argue that tougher laws are required to safeguard genetic information before it is registered electronically.
| Scientific American | Sunday Herald |
Ocean's 'dead zones' evidence human folly
An article in Science highlighted the steadily worsening problem of oceanic dead zones, where nitrogen from man-made products pollutes the ocean, depleting the oxygen on which most marine life depends. Scientists
say that this global crisis will likely require government intervention to solve.
| Guardian | Globe and Mail |
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| Blogosphere |
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China's Olympic golden boy bows out
Champion Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang limped off the track before his first race at the Beijing Olympics, precipitating a torrent of tears on cheeks and keyboards. Commentators expressed
sympathy for one man saddled with the hopes of 1.3 billion fans.
| Rings (New York Times) | China Blog (TIME) |
After church forum, charges of campaign sinning
Barack Obama and John McCain joined each other at Saddleback Church for separate interviews moderated by mega-pastor Rick Warren. The event showcased stark contrasts between the candidates,
but the online buzz was all about whether McCain breached his "cone of silence."
| The Stranger | Wordyard |
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| The Week in Pictures |
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Click to see the full-size image and caption.
 Reuters/Jayanta Shaw
 Reuters/Kim Kyung Hoon
 Reuters/Michaela Rehle
 Reuters/Gary Hershorn
 Reuters/Yves Herman
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*Unless otherwise noted, all photos are courtesy of Reuters.
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| Local Stories |
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Spain riven by 'water wars'
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| Reuters/Gustau Nacarino |
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As Spain suffers from its worst drought in decades, politicians and environmentalists remain divided over the solution. Some
argue for redistributing water from wetter northern regions to the country's arid south, while others propose constructing
additional desalination plants.
| BBC | Chicago Tribune |
Court rules doctors cannot refuse care
The California Supreme Court ruled on Monday that doctors cannot cite religious beliefs as grounds for withholding care from gay and lesbian patients. The controversial
decision, which stems from a 2001 artificial-insemination lawsuit, bolsters the antidiscrimination policies outlined in the
state's Unruh Civil Rights Act.
| San Francisco Chronicle | ABC News |
Vote, then chug?
More than 100 college presidents have signed a statement calling for the reassessment of the drinking age in the United States. Educators who support lowering the age argue that campus binge drinking would be easier to address
without the stigma of illegality.
| Newsday | Baltimore Sun |
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| Masthead |
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Managing Editor
Benjamin Hart
Deputy Editor
Eli Dvorkin
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Mark Mangan
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Design
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Production Design
Jonathan Rahmani
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