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World News Once a Week |
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| Published Thursday, March 27, 2008 |
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| Reuters/Ahmad Masood: An man chants slogans during a protest in Kabul, Afghanistan. |
Issue 92
Presto change-o? While American voters agonize over candidates' promises for change, citizens in Asia put their words into action. Conciliation is on deck for Taiwan, which looks to spruce up its Beijing relations after years of looking the other way. Meanwhile, the Royals-Who-Rule club
lost a member as Bhutan's king was voted into the country's very first presidency. Cyprus – where tensions have long smoldered between Greek and Turkish interests – also sees new beginnings with upcoming re-unification
talks.
Activate is pleased to announce a change this week, too. We are thrilled to launch a new section called Blogosphere. Our goal is to reflect the changing tenor of news coverage and commentary. Blogs serve up what print
cannot, and whether you find them infuriating or enlightening, they are here to stay. Each week, we'll filter the gems from
the chatter on buzz topics from all over.
- Catherine New |
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| Top Stories |
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Bhutanese cast first-ever votes for former king
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Bhutan is the new democracy on the block, after citizens voted in their country's first-ever elections. The poll was mandated
by former monarch Jigme Singye Wangchuck, whose 2006 abdication allowed for a constitutional monarchy as part of his "gross national happiness" plan. Voters did not stray from Bhutan's ruling family, handing the royalist Peace and Prosperity party a landslide victory. Wangchuck's son (and current king) retained his position as head of state.
Despite the nearly 80% voter turnout, some worried that the transition will introduce political feuding and corruption into
Bhutan's cultural vocabulary. Meanwhile, Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees, for years subject to persecution, called the election a sham. (CN)
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Trouble in Sadr City
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It was a rough week in Iraq: as the US death toll hit 4,000, fresh violence signaled the end of a key ceasefire. Influential Shi'a cleric Moqtada al-Sadr — whose order to lay down arms in late 2007 was essential to the recent relative calm — has now called for a "civil revolt"
against Iraqi government crackdowns. His powerful Mahdi Army is battling US troops in Basra and other cities, and shelling
the Green Zone with rockets.
With local elections planned this fall, al-Sadr supporters fear attempts by rival Shi'a factions to marginalize their communities
and sabotage Sadrite candidates. The renewed bloodshed casts a sober outlook for the rest of 2008. (BH)
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Taiwan votes to strengthen mainland ties
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Relations warmed across the Formosa Strait this weekend, after Taiwanese elections swept pro-China candidate Ma Ying-jeou
into power. Ma's victory symbolizes a rejection of the outgoing Democratic Progressive Party's pro-independence posturing.
Although the mainland People's Republic of China still considers Taiwan a rebellious province, Ma hopes to woo Beijing — hitching his island to the PRC's explosive economy.
Saturday's ballots also included a referendum on UN membership, in which voters chose not to apply under the name of Taiwan.
The island has not been a member since 1971, when the designation of "China" transferred to the PRC. Meanwhile, two PRC pandas are Taiwan-bound in the surest sign of a diplomatic thaw. (ED)
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| Newswire |
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Uptick in Spain’s ETA violence
A police-station bombing and the assassination of a former politician in northern Spain have triggered fears that ETA, the militant Basque nationalist group, is planning
new, major attacks for the summer. ETA ended a ceasefire in June 2007. (CN)
| Washington Post | Guardian |
New hopes for united Cyprus
Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are moving to reunify their island nation, which has been divided since 1974. Officials
announced plans Monday to open the Ledra Gate, allowing citizens to pass between the Greek and Turkish zones of the capital, Nicosia. (ED)
| Today's Zaman | Greek News |
Motown blues: mayor indicted
Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, once a young hope for the Democratic party, could be facing prison. After incriminating text messages surfaced — suggesting an affair with an aide — Kilpatrick was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly
covering up the indiscretion. (BH)
| Detroit News | CNN |
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Mother issues face the Turing Test
A new online "psychologist," modeled after a pioneering AI program, charges $8 per hour to let you talk — er, type — while offering shrink-like prompts. The Dutch psychologists
behind MindMentor claim 47% of users reported "problem solved" after a session. (CN)
| Wired |
Now it's Sirius: DOJ says yes to radio merger
The Department of Justice cleared the merger of XM and Sirius, the only two satellite-radio services in the US. Regulators
ruled Monday that the unified company isn't a monopoly, because it would still compete with podcasts and other media. (BH)
| Washington Post | BusinessWeek |
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| Blogosphere |
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Barack on the hot seat
Blog reaction to Barack Obama's speech on race mostly fell into predictable patterns. Left-wingers called the address a brave approach to a hyper-sensitive issue, while
right-leaning writers thought Obama's treatment of pastor Jeremiah Wright was too little, too late. (BH)
| Digby | American Thinker |
Pork bug: mad cow's new competition
Following a report that MRSA — a drug-resistant killer bacteria — lurks in 10% of Canadian supermarket pork products, bloggers are making connections between the microbe, industrial pig farming, and the rise in community-acquired infections. (CN)
| Grist | Postman Patel |
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| The Week in Pictures |
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Click to see the full-size image and caption.
 Charles Platiau
 Erin Siegal
 Handout
 Anton Meres
 Vladimir Pirogov
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*Unless otherwise noted, all photos are courtesy of Reuters.
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| Local Stories |
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Dutch brace for new Islam controversy
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| Reuters/Ade Johnson |
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A US-based web host has pulled the plug on a site promoting an anti-Koran film by right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders. The film is expected to further stoke passions over Islam in the Netherlands. (ED)
| Radio Netherlands | Al Jazeera |
Pizza-lovers spooked by bad cheese
Naples' mozzarella makers rushed to reassure customers — and importers — that their wares are safe, after dioxins were found in the buffalo milk used to make the cheese. The Italian city's rubbish crisis is a possible source of the contamination. (CN)
| Times, UK | Independent |
Rebellion quelled in the Comoros
The Union of the Comoros, an archipelago nation off East Africa, invaded one of its own islands, Anjouan, on Tuesday. Goverment forces deposed 2001
coup leader Mohamed Bacar, who had refused to cede power after allegedly rigging last year's local elections. (BH)
| BBC | IRIN News |
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| Masthead |
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Editors
Anna Balkrishna
Eli Dvorkin
Benjamin Hart
Doug Levy
Catherine New
Contributors
Mark Mangan
Production
Anjuli Ayer
Morgan Croney
Andrew Steinmetz
Design
Nicholas Feldman
Jessica Bauer-Greene
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