A Lonely Path to Walk
1 | GREECE
The fate of the euro hung in the balance following an announcement by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou that he would put a proposed E.U. bailout of his debt-ridden country to a referendum. The product of laborious talks among leading European heads of state, the bailout would write off half of Greece's debt and lend Athens $140 billion, but it requires the Greeks to make deep cuts in public spending and in the pensions and wages of government employees. If Greece doesn't accept the deal--a likely outcome if the decision is left to a populace infuriated by austerity measures--the country may default on its debt, triggering a fiscal crisis that could implode the whole euro zone. For a Prime Minister facing dissent within his party as well as from the opposition, the referendum was a bid to win a popular mandate for the difficult path ahead. It may have backfired. At press time, Papandreou looked set to face a no-confidence vote in Parliament, while European markets tanked.
A First for Central Asia
2 | KYRGYZSTAN
Former Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev won a majority in landmark presidential elections for this small, landlocked nation. When he takes office next year, it will, hopefully, mark the first peaceful, democratic transfer of power in the history of Central Asia, a region still in the grip of post-Soviet authoritarian regimes and the competing interests of Russia, China and the West.
The Beat Goes On
3 | SOMALIA
Kenya's offensive against al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist militia in southern Somalia, intensified, with Nairobi warning of "continuous" attacks on 10 al-Shabab-held towns. Al-Shabab has a history of staging raids in Kenya, abducting tourists and setting off bombs in major cities. The weak Somali government tacitly accepted Kenya's incursion, but there's a risk the military campaign may strengthen local support for the Islamists. On Oct. 31, a Kenyan missile strike allegedly killed five and wounded dozens at a camp full of refugees fleeing the region's withering famine.
Will They Listen This Time?
4 | FRANCE
Antiglobalization protesters massed in Nice ahead of the G-20 summit in nearby Cannes. Holding aloft banners that read PEOPLE FIRST, NOT FINANCE, the demonstrators tapped into widespread resentment of the powerful institutions and politicians many hold responsible for the world's economic woes. But don't expect dignitaries in Cannes to be that aware of any protests: the posh resort town is on full lockdown by French police.
Time to Go, Or No?
5 | LIBYA
NATO heralded the formal end of its military operations in Libya a week after the country's interim leaders declared liberation from 42 years of tyranny under slain despot Muammar Gaddafi. Though intended only to protect civilian lives, the NATO mission enabled the rebels to overthrow the Gaddafi regime. But the job may not be done. Libya's new leadership wants NATO to remain, as a surplus of weapons and friction amid rebel factions threaten security.
Anatomy of an intervention
1,000 SORTIES
1,000 TARGETS
SOURCE: BBC