Khartoum, Sudan
Daring rebel attack: Hundreds of Islamist rebels from Darfur launched an unprecedented strike against Sudan’s capital city last week, roaring across 400 miles of desert in a phalanx of pickup trucks. Government soldiers fought off the attack by the Justice and Equality Movement, leaving dozens of militia members dead. The government called the attack “a failure,” but rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim said it was only a first strike. “Don’t expect just one more attack,” he said. The rebels have battled government forces in Darfur repeatedly over the past five years, but have never before attacked heavily fortified Khartoum. Analysts said the group may have intended the move as a show of strength in advance of possible negotiations.
Moscow
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The tanks are back: For the first time since the Soviet era, Russia paraded heavy tanks, missile launchers, and other military hardware through Red Square in its annual Victory Day parade last week. “Our army and navy are getting stronger,” said Russia’s newly installed president, Dmitri Medvedev. “Just as Russia itself, they are gaining strength.” Former President Vladimir Putin, who is now prime minister, stood over Medvedev’s shoulder at the podium. Analysts said that while Medvedev’s rhetoric has been less belligerent than Putin’s, the military display may have been meant to signal that Russia does not intend to move away from Putin’s muscular nationalism. During the Cold War, the parade commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany was a showcase of Soviet military might.
Chengdu, China
Earthquake kills thousands: A 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck central China this week, devastating several small cities and killing at least 12,000 people. The quake, one of the deadliest in decades, leveled 80 percent of the buildings in Beichuan County. Several schools collapsed, trapping hundreds of students under rubble; damaged chemical plants spilled 80 tons of toxic liquid into the ground. “We will save the people,” said Premier Wen Jiabao through a megaphone at the disaster site. “As long as the people are there, factories can be built into even better ones.” China sent more than 50,000 soldiers and police to the ravaged area to aid in rescue efforts.
Basra, Iraq
Success for a mini surge: The Iraqi army has wrested Basra from the grip of the extremist Mahdi Army militia and restored a “fragile” normalcy, U.S. and Iraqi officials said this week. The gains came as a surprise to many residents, who felt the Iraqi army had stumbled badly when it launched an ill-planned raid on Basra two months ago and was forced to negotiate a truce. “The circle of fear is broken,” the owner of a restaurant told The New York Times, noting that he was now free to play pop music and serve alcohol. More than 30,000 Iraqi soldiers are deployed in the second largest city in Iraq, backed by advisors from the U.S. and Britain. The troops are manning checkpoints, and have routed death squads and “vice enforcers” from their strongholds.
Beirut
Hezbollah battles government: Hezbollah militants seized control of large swaths of Beirut and Tripoli last week, in the heaviest fighting since the end of Lebanon’s civil war 18 years ago. At least 80 people were killed and 250 wounded as the Shiite militias launched machine-gun and grenade attacks on the U.S.-backed Sunni government. “They simply are demanding that we surrender; they want Beirut to raise white flags,” said parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri. “This is impossible.” The fighting began after the government launched an investigation of Hezbollah’s private communications network, a move that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called “an act of war.” The government is being defended by loyal militias, as the Lebanese army has remained neutral in the conflict.
Jerusalem
Olmert investigated for bribery: Israeli police this week raided Jerusalem’s City Hall, searching for evidence of corruption against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Authorities said Olmert is suspected of illegally accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from a New York businessman during his 10-year tenure as mayor of Jerusalem. In a speech to the nation, Olmert acknowledged accepting campaign funds from financier Morris Talansky, but denied wrongdoing. “I look each and every one of you in the eye and say, I never took bribes. I never took a penny for myself.” He said he would resign if indicted, but not otherwise. Talansky also said he did nothing wrong. “Everything is okay,” he said. “I don’t understand what’s the big thing.”
