Anti-American riots
The week's news at a glance.
Jalalabad, Afghanistan
Newsweek this week retracted a report that sparked deadly rioting across Afghanistan and Pakistan. In a brief article published on May 1, the magazine cited an unnamed source as saying U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had flushed a Koran down the toilet to humiliate inmates. After the report was published, anti-American demonstrations quickly spread from a Jalalabad university to Kabul and other areas. At least 10 protesters were killed. Newsweek said that because its original source had backed away from the Koran claim, it was retracting the story. Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the unrest shows that Afghanistan remains highly fragile. “The enemies of Afghanistan are still active,” he said. “They do not want Afghanistan to have a strategic relationship with the international community.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Selfies ban in art galleries: a sign of the times?
Talking Point Priceless art has been damaged by visitors desperate to take a snap with star attractions, leading some galleries and museums to start fighting back
-
Quiz of The Week: 21 – 27 June
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?
Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?