The week at a glance...Americas
Americas
Ottawa
Gay teen suicide: The suicide of a gay teenager who wrote of being bullied at school has shocked Canada and delivered a blow to the “It Gets Better” Internet campaign intended to support gay youths. Jamie Hubley, 15, had tried to start a Rainbow Club to promote gay acceptance at his high school but was harassed and insulted. “I don’t want to wait three more years, this hurts too much,” he wrote in his last blog post. “How do you even know it will get better?” Hubley’s father, an Ottawa city councilman, had transferred Jamie from a Catholic school, where he was the only out student, to public school, but the bullying persisted.
Off the coast of Cuba
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Oil spill fears: The U.S. has raised concerns that a planned deepwater oil well in Cuban territorial waters could threaten the environment of the Florida coastline. A Spanish energy company is scheduled to begin drilling the well in December, using a Chinese-made rig, just 60 miles from the Florida Keys, in water that is even deeper than the site of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, which contaminated the Gulf Coast. If the Cuban well were to experience a similar blowout, the oil could be carried up the East Coast. And because of a trade embargo against Cuba, much of the new capping technology developed in the wake of the Deepwater spill would be unavailable to the Cubans. U.S. Coast Guard officials said they would inspect the rig before it reaches Cuba.
Caracas, Venezuela
Bolívar heir can’t run: In defiance of a ruling from an international human rights court, Venezuela’s Supreme Court this week ruled that opposition candidate Leopoldo López is banned from challenging President Hugo Chávez in next year’s election. López, a Harvard-educated economist and a descendant of South American hero Simón Bolívar, was accused of corruption during his time as mayor of Chacao, charges he said were trumped up as a pretext to quash his political prospects. Last month, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights agreed, ruling that López should be allowed to run. But Venezuela’s high court released a statement this week saying it won’t abide by that ruling. Chávez, who has ruled for more than 12 years and has cancer, plans to seek re-election.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - October 13, 2024
Sunday's cartoons - the swing of things, fear of facts, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 timely cartoons about climate change denial
Cartoons Artists take on textbook trouble, bizarre beliefs, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Kris Kristofferson: the free-spirited country music star who studied at Oxford
In the Spotlight The songwriter, singer and film-star has died aged 88
By The Week UK Published
-
The news at a glance...International
feature International
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature Youthful startup founders; High salaries for anesthesiologists; The myth of too much homework; More mothers stay a home; Audiences are down, but box office revenue rises
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The week at a glance...Americas
feature Americas
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance...United States
feature United States
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance
feature Comcast defends planned TWC merger; Toyota recalls 6.39 million vehicles; Takeda faces $6 billion in damages; American updates loyalty program; Regulators hike leverage ratio
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature The rising cost of graduate degrees; NSA surveillance affects tech profits; A glass ceiling for female chefs?; Bonding to a brand name; Generous Wall Street bonuses
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance
feature GM chief faces Congress; FBI targets high-frequency trading; Yellen confirms continued low rates; BofA settles mortgage claims for $9.3B; Apple and Samsung duke it out
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The week at a glance...International
feature International
By The Week Staff Last updated