The world at a glance . . . International

Beijing

China pans Guns N’ Roses: The new Guns N’ Roses album, Chinese Democracy, is a “venomous attack” on the Chinese nation, Chinese diplomats said this week. The long-awaited album—the rock band’s first since 1993—has been officially banned in China, while Guns N’ Roses’ website has been blocked. “If your great wall rocks,” lead singer Axl Rose declares on the title track, “blame yourself.” Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang was not impressed. “A lot of people don’t like this kind of music because it’s too noisy and too loud,” Qin said. Banning a foreign album is a largely symbolic gesture in China, which leads the world in production of pirated copies of DVDs and CDs.

Yangon, Myanmar

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Dissidents jailed: Myanmar’s ruling junta has sentenced more than 100 opposition activists to long prison terms, in a crackdown on protesters who took part in pro-democracy demonstrations last year. Brushing off international condemnation, courts in Myanmar convicted several high-profile defendants; a popular comedian known as Zarganar received a sentence of 45 years, while Ashin Gambira, the leader of the monks’ group that led last year’s uprising, got 68 years. The U.N., the U.S., and several European countries condemned the trials as a travesty of justice. “These brave democracy activists are peaceful citizens whose only crime was to challenge the regime’s illegitimate rule,” said U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood.

Bangkok

Protesters storm airport: Anti-government protesters took control of the Bangkok airport this week, forcing the cancellation of dozens of flights. The People’s Alliance for Democracy, which has been besieging government buildings since August, said its occupation of the airport would be the “final mass rally” to oust the “killer government.” The group says the government of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat is just a front for Thaksin Shinawatra, Somchai’s brother-in-law, who was ousted in a 2006 coup amid allegations of massive corruption. Thai analysts said the protesters were trying to force another military coup. But so far, the army has refused to rise to the bait, declining to try to take back government offices and staying away from the airport.

Sydney

Gay rights, except marriage: Australia this week gave gay couples the same rights as straight couples—except for the right to get married. The Senate amended nearly 100 health and tax laws to give gay couples the same access to each other’s property and inheritance that common-law straight couples enjoy. The reforms also confer parental rights on gay and lesbian couples with children. The ruling Labor Party, elected last year, pledged to eliminate discrimination against gays. But party leaders say they will not go so far as to legalize same-sex marriage. “It won’t be part of this government’s agenda,” said Attorney General Robert McClelland. “The Labor Party policy is firm that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

Kandahar, Afghanistan

Mutilating girls: Afghan police this week arrested 10 Taliban extremists who allegedly threw acid on several Afghan school girls because the militants oppose the education of females. The attack took place two weeks ago, when men on motorcycles rode up beside a group of girls and hurled battery acid at their faces. Six girls were badly burned and at least two were blinded. Police said the militants confessed to the attack, saying they considered it immoral for girls to attend school. The militants also reportedly said that a top Taliban official paid them based on the number of girls they burned. When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, from 1996 to 2001, girls and women were forced to stay home and could not work or study.

Harare, Zimbabwe

Mugabe snubs Carter: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe this week refused to allow three prominent members of the Elders, an international group of retired diplomats founded by Nelson Mandela, to enter the country. The three—former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and South African feminist Graca Machel—stayed in South Africa instead, where they criticized Mugabe for concentrating on a power struggle while his country faces a devastating food shortage and a cholera epidemic. Carter was one of Mugabe’s earliest allies; he hosted a White House reception for Mugabe after Zimbabwe shed white minority rule, in 1980. But Carter this week said Mugabe was shamefully allowing his people to suffer. “The crisis in Zimbabwe is much greater, much worse than we had ever imagined,” he said.