In late April the Swiss ambassador to Tehran arrived in Washington with a secret message for the small team in charge of Barack Obama’s outreach to Iran. The rulers in Tehran were getting ready to release the American journalist Roxana Saberi, who had been charged with spying
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Hezbollah choice at center of Lebanon vote
Lebanon goes to the polls on Sunday with the main choices a Hezbollah-backed alliance or the U.S-backed coalition to lead their government. U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday came at a critical time for Lebanon as it sits amid a power struggle between a weakened pro-Western government and a stronger pro-Syrian Hezbollah political bloc that has gained political momentum in recent years.
This Preposterous Week! Paul Slansky’s News Index
Baldwin, Paul •release from prison of after serving one-year term for stealing a can of beer is quickly followed by another arrest of — the 153rd — for assault Baron Cohen, Sacha •Eminem’s face is landed on by bare butt of during MTV Movie Awards, leading to days of babble about whether or not the stunt had in fact been planned, which — DUH! — it had Berlin, Alan David •firing of from position as aide to Pennsylvania state senator famous for being tough on sex crimes after arrest of for propositioning a 15-year-old boy on the Internet and discussing having sex with him while wearing animal costumes Blagojevich, Patti •tarantulas are dined on by Boyle, Susan •loss of in Britain’s Got Talent finals is not taken well by Breaking Bad •airing of brilliant season finale of — ending with plane crash over Albuquerque — coincides with plunge of Air France jet into the Atlantic Carradine, David •details of the passing of are apparently not for the squeamish Cheney, Dick •blame for 9/11 is placed by on Richard Clarke, who repeatedly warned about the danger of such an attack Cheney, Liz •absurdly Orwellian insistence of that father of never sought to link Iraq to 9/11 Coleman, Norm •imminent surrender of Epstein, Marcus •2007 assault on African-American woman — he stopped her on a Washington, D.C.
Guinea-Bissau killings raise coup fears
Two high-profile political officials linked to Guinea-Bissau’s recently assassinated president were killed Friday, according to a statement from the West African country’s interim army chief. The killings raised fears that a military coup may be under way
Key senator knows what it’s like to be called ‘racist’
When greeting Judge Sonia Sotomayor this week, Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama made sure to tell her something loud enough for the assembled reporters to hear. “You will get a fair hearing before this committee,” Sessions told President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee with emphatic gestures and tone.
In Germany, Obama cites family tie to Buchenwald camp
President Obama spoke emotionally Friday about his great-uncle’s role in liberating the German concentration camp at Buchenwald, noting that "it was a memory burned in him for quite some time." Obama is to visit the camp Friday afternoon.
Why the World Cares More About Somalia’s Pirates Than its People
A warning this week from the British aid group Oxfam that the humanitarian crisis in Somalia is the worst in Africa is not new. Last year, the U.N.
U.N. report alleges widespread killings by Kenyan police
A U.N. special investigator called for the resignation of top Kenyan officials and sweeping changes in the country’s security forces to end reported widespread killings by police across the African nation. “The special rapporteur concluded that police in Kenya frequently execute individuals and that a climate of impunity prevails,” Philip Alston said in a report a recently submitted to the U.N
Iran’s Presidential Debate: Will Ahmadinejad’s Attacks Backfire?
Iran’s voters had been anticipating a heated discussion in their country’s first-ever presidential candidates’ debate, but even then, Wednesday night’s showdown between incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and moderate challenger Mir-Hossein Moussavi was a rough-and-tumble affair that exceeded expectations. And the new season of televised politics could get even nastier
Obama’s speech draws mixed reviews in Middle East
Israelis and Palestinians had one thing in common Thursday: They hung on every word in President Obama’s wide-ranging speech on U.S.