Zuwarah, Libya
Tragedy hits illegal migrants: A small boat carrying up to 150 people attempting to illegally migrate from North Africa to Italy lost power and sank, killing all but one passenger, authorities said this week. The boat left Libya in early June carrying Egyptians, Tunisians, Somalis, and Bangladeshis who had reportedly paid an Egyptian trafficker $2,500 to $5,000 for passage. The sole survivor, an Egyptian, was rescued from the Mediterranean by a passing boat. The treacherous route to Italy has become popular among Africans trying to sneak into Europe. Hundreds drown every year in the attempt.
Harare, Zimbabwe
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Mugabe issues threats: In the clearest signal yet that he does not intend to relinquish power if he loses the June 27 run-off election, President Robert Mugabe said this week he is prepared “to go to war” for Zimbabwe. “We are not going to give up our country for a mere X on a ballot,” he said. “How can a ballpoint pen fight with a gun?” Mugabe is being challenged by Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been repeatedly detained and harassed since winning the first round of elections in March. International monitors say Mugabe has been inciting violence against his rivals and stealing food from aid workers to use as campaign bribes, but Mugabe blamed Tsvangirai’s party for such abuses. Tsvangirai’s top deputy was arrested for treason last week.
Cairo
Israel and Hamas call a truce: Israel and Hamas have agreed to a “mutual and simultaneous” truce in the Gaza Strip, Egyptian mediators announced this week. The deal is designed to end months of Palestinian mortar attacks and Israeli retaliations that have killed hundreds of people. If the violence subsides, a second phase of the plan would focus on the return of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas two years ago, as well as the opening of crossing points from Israel into Gaza in order to unblock supply routes. Although similar accords have failed in the past, Israeli officials said they were “cautiously optimistic” this time.
Rihab, Jordan
‘Oldest church’ found: Archaeologists announced last week that they had discovered the world’s oldest known Christian church, a cave in which the original disciples of Jesus hid after fleeing Jerusalem following the crucifixion. The 920-square-foot chamber lies beneath the St. Georgeous Church, which was built around A.D. 230–290. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Amman called the find an “important milestone for Christians all around the world.” But some archaeologists said there was not enough evidence that the site had actually been a church, rather than a storage cellar. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor of the French Biblical and Archaeological School in Jerusalem said Jordan has been known to hype archaeological finds to boost tourism.
Kandahar, Afghanistan
Taliban stages prison break: Taliban militants blew open the front gate of a prison in Kandahar last week with a truck bomb, and before the smoke cleared, some 1,000 prisoners had escaped. After the bomb blast, Taliban fighters poured into the prison, engaging police in a 30-minute gunfight as common criminals joined 380 Taliban insurgents in fleeing the compound. “It’s fair to say that the jailbreak has put a lot of people into circulation who weren’t there before,” said Mark Laity, a spokesman for NATO forces in Afghanistan. President Hamid Karzai threatened to send troops into neighboring Pakistan to defeat the resurgent Taliban if necessary. This week, NATO and Afghan forces redeployed near Kandahar after hundreds of militants captured several small villages nearby.
Beijing
Historic neighborhoods leveled: With the Summer Olympics approaching, Beijing has been demolishing thousands of centuries-old buildings and replacing them with modern storefronts designed to look traditional. More than 10,000 families have been pushed out of their homes in the Qianmen neighborhood, known for its narrow alleys (or hutongs), which served as a bustling marketplace in the imperial era. When Beijing placed its bid for the Olympics, it pledged to conserve the historic hutongs. But the games have attracted retailers such as Starbucks, Nike, and Apple, which has driven up demand for modern real estate—to the dismay of evicted residents. “It protects Chinese culture if you can look after your house and hand it down from generation to generation,” said former resident San Yunyu, “but things turned out another way.”
