Global Briefing, April 14, 2011: Dirty Words and Invisible Hands

  • Share
  • Read Later

War Crimes — The case against alleged WWII criminal John Demjanjuk could be derailed by a once-secret FBI report claiming the ID card used to prove he was a Nazi guard was actually forged, writes Tristana Moore from Berlin.

‘Moscow to Mecca’ —  North Caucasus, a territory which stretches from the Black Sea to the Caspian, is in “a state of simmering civil war,” reports the Economist.

Building Codes — Germany’s Spiegal Online grills Meinhard von Gerkan, a German architect that designed a museum near Tiananmen Square. “What do you gain from placing a showpiece building for the Chinese government in this horrible and historically burdened location?” the paper asks. “Who says that one should not be allowed to build there?” he replies.’ Great read.

Mubarak’s Future —  Egypt’s generals will probably keep Mubarak around as a whipping boy, predicts TIME’s Tony Karon. But the former dictator’s fate is of limited significance. “It is the transfer of power, not the fate of those driven from office, that defines a revolution,” he writes.

Dirty Words — ProPublica investigates profiteering and mismanagement in the aftermath of the BP oil spill. The company’s $16 billion cleanup helped a small number of people get very, very rich and gave us the word of the day: ‘Spillionaire.

Coalition Building — Although here is some support for supplying the Libyan rebels with weaponry, many would rather bomb Gaddafi’s forces and have the opposition figure its own way toward victory, finds Charles McDermid at an international meeting in Doha.

Invisible Hands — The Washington Post explores the mechanics of Chinese censorship, profiling editors and organizations that are trying to push back. It includes sample directives from the state (“All media are not to hype the salary increase given to the People’s Liberation Army”). Read about social media in China, here.

In Pictures —TIME features a photo essay about the ways in which commercial fishing threatens Chile’s small-scale fisherman.