Nauru
The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru has been unable to contact the outside world since January, when its phone system broke down. Nauru, a nation of 12,000 inhabitants, was once a source of profitable phosphate mining. After the mines shut down, the island reinvented itself as a center for offshore banking—and, financial investigators say, for money laundering. Riots broke out after January elections, when former president Rene Harris refused to cede power to the winner, Bernard Dowiyogo. Many buildings burned down, including the telephone center and the presidential palace. Nauru’s diplomats abroad, cut off from their government, have no idea who is now in charge.
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.
-
Pope seeks inquiry on if Gaza assault is 'genocide'Speed Read In a book for the Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis considers whether Israel's war in Gaza meets the legal definition of 'genocide'
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in RussiaSpeed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
