Beijing
Executions over tainted milk: Two dairy executives were put to death in China this week for selling contaminated milk that killed six babies and sickened hundreds of thousands of children last year. Authorities said Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping sold more than 3 million pounds of powdered milk laced with melamine, a chemical additive that creates the appearance of higher protein levels. Nineteen others convicted in connection with the contamination received lesser punishments. The scandal, which broke last summer, panicked Chinese parents and crippled China’s dairy industry, leading to the recall of Chinese milk products across the globe.
Mindanao, Philippines
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Political massacre: A brutal massacre left 46 dead on the island of Mindanao this week. The victims were riding in a convoy, on their way to register the name of Ismael Mangudadatu as a candidate for governor, when they were ambushed by dozens of armed men. Among the dead were members of Mangudadatu’s family as well as lawyers and journalists. Political analysts suggested clan rivalry, a mainstay of local politics, may have been a motive for the attack. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared a state of emergency in two provences of Mindanao and pledged to find the killers, saying no one was “untouchable.”
Bariyapur, Nepal
Mass animal sacrifice: A quarter-million animals were slaughtered this week at a festival honoring Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power. The festival is held every five years in Hindu communities around the world. The Nepal gathering is the largest, attracting Hindus from the neighboring Indian state of Bihar, where animal sacrifice is outlawed in many areas. Following the ritual slaughter—mostly of buffaloes, goats, chickens, and pigeons—the meat was taken back to villages for local feasts. The meat of animals consecrated to Gadhimai is said to protect Hindus from evil. Animal-rights activists reportedly encouraged pilgrims to substitute coconuts and other fruits for the sacrifice, but met with little success.
Tehran
War games: Iran began large-scale war games this week, conducting a practice run against simulated attacks on its nuclear sites. The exercises followed Iran’s retreat from a multinational agreement to ship Iran’s uranium abroad for supervised processing into fuel for use in nuclear medicine. President Obama threatened to respond to Iran’s rejection of the agreement with new, tougher sanctions. “We have begun discussions with our international partners about the importance of having consequences,” he said. But it is unclear if Russia and China would support a tougher line. Obama said the U.S. would develop a package of “potential steps we can take that will indicate our seriousness.”
Cairo
Rage at Algeria: In a rare move, the Egyptian government permitted public demonstrations this week, enabling Egyptians to vent their anger against Algeria following two World Cup qualifying matches between the countries. After Egypt won the first game at home, Algerian fans attacked Egyptian businesses in Algeria. Egypt formally protested and recalled its ambassador from Algiers. Following the second game, in which Algeria’s victory eliminated Egypt from further competition, Egyptian newspapers published lurid headlines about bloodthirsty, machete-wielding Algerian mobs. “The regime is just allowing people to vent,” said Hisham Qassem, a journalist and human-rights activist. “It’s a very good national distraction” from anger against their own government.
