World

Carnage in Cairo as Egypt Cracks Down On Protests

BY ASHRAF KHALIL

After issuing repeated warnings, Egyptian security forces on Aug. 14 raided two protest sites in Cairo that for weeks had been occupied by the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi. Carnage followed. Inevitably, police and Islamists accused each other of firing the first shots, but the majority of the protesters were unarmed. By day’s end, the official death toll had exceeded 200 and was climbing fast. The violence also spread to other parts of the country.

The crackdown had been coming since July 24, when General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, the military chief, called for backers of the military-led government to stage rallies in support of using force against “terrorists,” his euphemism for pro-Morsi groups. International appeals for restraint only temporarily stayed al-Sisi’s hand.

The interim government says the crackdown will allow it to start preparing for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held sometime next year. But the clashes could mark the start of a long period of unrest and military rule. Already, there is dissent among those who backed the military coup against Morsi. Interim Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei, a noted liberal, resigned after the government announced a monthlong state of emergency. Perhaps the Nobel laureate sees a future for Egypt that looks uncomfortably like its past: the last time a military-led government declared a state of emergency–in 1967–it lasted, with one 18-month break, for almost 45 years.

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Explainer

How Africa Developed A Drinking Problem

According to the World Health Organization, Africa has the world’s highest proportion of binge drinkers. Here are some reasons why:

HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT

A significant share of Africa’s teenagers and young adults don’t have jobs–about 65% in Kenya, for example–and are not educated about the dangers of alcohol abuse.

LAX LAW ENFORCEMENT

Many countries have laws restricting the sale of alcohol to minors, but critics say stronger policing is needed to ensure that vendors obey them.

MOONSHINE MAYHEM

Poor Africans have historically made their own booze, using dangerous ingredients like battery acid and methanol to increase its potency.

SWIRLING MULTINATIONALS

Major brewers like Diageo and SABMiller are starting to target Africa’s rising middle class, spending billions on ads and manufacturing.

Roundup

When World Leaders Go Undercover

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg recently disguised himself as an Oslo cabdriver to learn how voters–some of whom were reportedly paid to participate–really felt about his government ahead of Sept. 9 elections. But he’s hardly the first political figure to go incognito.

HAROUN AL-RASHID

According to legend, the 9th century Caliph donned civilian garb and walked through the streets of Baghdad to learn about his subjects.

HENRY V

In Shakespeare’s Henry V, the King disguises himself as a regular soldier to mingle with his troops and gauge their morale before battle.

PAVEL BEM

Prague’s former mayor posed as an Italian tourist to verify claims that local taxis were ripping off foreigners.

PRINCE WILLIAM

The heir to the British throne once spent a night sleeping on the streets of London to experience firsthand the hardship of homelessness.

RICHARD CODEY

In 2012 the former governor of New Jersey donned a beat-up hat and a fake beard to investigate Newark homeless shelters.

An ‘Id to Remember

LIBYA

Men dressed in folk costume ride horses during ‘Id al-Fitr in Benghazi on Aug. 9 to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The holiday this year was marked by the closings of U.S. embassies and consulates across the Middle East, Africa and Asia because of threats that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was planning an attack–with Yemen as the perceived target. The attack never materialized.

GERMANY

$1,330

Reward offered for finding a large snapping turtle thought to have attacked a boy in an Irsee lake

ZIMBABWE

‘Those who can’t stomach the defeat, you can commit suicide.’

ROBERT MUGABE, Zimbabwean President, to supporters of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, after Mugabe bested him in the July 31 vote

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Archaeologists in Guatemala unearthed a large, well-preserved stucco frieze depicting Maya gods and leaders

SCANDAL

Oprah alleged racism after a Zurich shop clerk said a $38,000 handbag was “too expensive” for her; the store called it a misunderstanding

SPORTS

The World Athletics Championships in Moscow were marred by low attendance