Harare, Zimbabwe
Will Mugabe share power? President Robert Mugabe has agreed to work out a power-sharing deal with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, representatives of both sides said this week. After representatives of the two men met in South Africa, they agreed in principle to create a government of national unity. But they differ over who should lead it and how long it should rule, and the talks were continuing. Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, drew international condemnation when, after blatantly trying to steal an election in March, he unleashed his militias on opposition forces, causing Tsvangirai to withdraw from a scheduled runoff vote. Some analysts believe Mugabe’s sudden willingness to negotiate could be a stalling tactic.
Baghdad
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Sunnis back in government: The main Sunni bloc rejoined the Iraqi government this week, nearly a year after pulling out of the Shiite-dominated Cabinet. It was a victory for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, who has been struggling to unite the various sectarian and ethnic groups into a governing coalition. Sunnis had been demanding more control over security; one of the six new Sunni Cabinet members will be deputy prime minister for security affairs. But Sunnis also suffered a setback this week: Provincial elections scheduled for Oct. 1 were postponed until late December because political bickering prevented the parliament from passing the necessary election law. The vote is intended to create regional councils that will dilute the power of the Shiite-led central government.
Moscow
Alliance with Venezuela: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met this week with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in Moscow, where the two leaders committed their countries to closer economic and military ties. Chavez said the closer relationship would “guarantee Venezuela’s sovereignty, which is currently being threatened by the United States.” Medvedev, though, avoided mentioning the U.S., saying only: “We think that it is our common task to achieve a more democratic, just, and secure world.” Venezuela already has contracts for Russian weapons worth $4 billion; contracts for submarines and missile systems worth another $1 billion are being negotiated.
Beijing
Public executions for Olympics: China has resumed public executions after a hiatus of several years, part of an effort to deter protests ahead of the upcoming Olympic Games. Authorities in western China bused in thousands of students and workers to witness the shooting of three ethnic Uighurs who had been convicted of plotting terrorist acts to disrupt the Games. “As the Beijing Olympic Games draw near,” said security official Yang Huanning, “a range of hostile forces are striving by any means and redoubling efforts to engage in troublemaking and sabotage.” The public executions are just one component in a massive, nationwide crackdown. Security for the Games includes anti-aircraft batteries, warship patrols, and 100,000 anti-terrorism troops.
Preah Vihear, Cambodia
Thailand claims temple: Cambodia this week asked the U.N. to intervene to prevent “an imminent state of war” with Thailand over ownership of an 11th-century Hindu temple. “Thai troops with artillery and tanks are building up along the border,” said Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, “constituting a very serious threat not only to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia but also to peace and stability in the region.” A long-running dispute over the border territory where the Preah Vihear temple is located sharpened in recent weeks, after UNESCO approved Cambodia’s application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. An international court in 1962 ruled that the temple site belonged to Cambodia, but Thailand has long disputed that ruling.
New Delhi
Nuclear deal is a go: The Indian government this week narrowly survived a no-confidence vote that could have killed a major nuclear energy deal with the U.S. The ruling party persuaded wavering lawmakers to vote its way by promising special perks and millions of dollars in funding for pet projects. The deal, which gives India access to nuclear fuel and technology in exchange for opening its reactors to international inspections, had attracted strong opposition from leftists, who feared it would make India overly reliant on Washington. But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that India, which imports 75 percent of its oil, urgently needs the nuclear aid to keep up its energy supply. India has been barred from importing nuclear fuel because it tested nuclear weapons and did not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
