Latest update: 08/03/2010

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"US: Happy end for Iraq?"

In today’s international press review, we focus on the parliamentary elections in Iraq.

IN THE PAPERS

By Aurore Cloe DUPUIS

The Parliamentary elections in Iraq have made the front page of many international newspapers today, including The Wall Street Journal, the Independent and Le Figaro.

Despite the wave of violence that killed dozens of people on Sunday, turn out was high...That’s mostly because Sunnis didn’t boycott the elections, unlike in the last Parliamentary elections in 2005.

USA Today gives us two different views about the situation in Iraq. The first opinion piece says Iraq will have a “happy ending, bind together Iraqi people, resolve differences and clear the way for the US to leave in an orderly manner, after a torturous seven year venture.”

On the other hand, the second opinion piece says that Iraq will only achieve peace and stability once US troops get out of the country.

Meanwhile, The International Herald Tribune writes about a new American technique to win the trust of the local population. 40 young women will be deployed next month to accompany men on patrol in the Helmand province. Their mission: assess the population’s need for aid and gather intelligence.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. The China Daily talks about the so-called “work widows”, who are thought to be the poorest people in the country.

And finally, USA Today wonders why “The Hurt Locker” won best picture at the Oscars.

Elena Casas Montanez

Presenter

28/05/2012 - IN THE WORLD PAPERS

'The children of Houla will be forgotten'

Is the Houla massacre Syria's Srebrenica? And what, if anything, can the international community do about the situation now? We also look at the Irish town where they have gone back to spending punts.

28/05/2012 - IN THE FRENCH PAPERS

Cannes: Love conquers all

It's all glitz and glamour on the French front pages - with critiques of Cannes dominating the news. We're also looking at why the established parties got left out of the race in Henin-Beaumont - and what the Pope's butler saw.

25/05/2012 - IN THE WORLD PAPERS

Racism in Israel: 'the price of incitement'

Violence against African migrants this week in Tel Aviv has sparked angry debate in Israel. Haaretz is accusing members of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party of "incitement". That - and the latest on the Facebook IPO fiasco - is the focus for this look at the world's papers this Friday 25th May, 2012.

(2) comments

25/05/2012 - IN THE FRENCH PAPERS

Air France: over-staffing and a jackpot bonus

The French press looks at the latest bad news for the economy. Air France is restructuring and layoffs are certain. Libération asks: what can the new left-wing government do? This as Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui-en-France reports on union anger that a former Air France CEO could, despite the economic crisis, get a "jackpot" bonus. That's the focus for this Friday, 25th May 2012.

23/05/2012 - IN THE WORLD PAPERS

'Egypt's revolution now seems light years away'

Today we focus on the Egyptian elections - will the military be the real winners? We're also looking at Quebec's student protests, and the race to save this year's Parmesan.

Comments (1)

Catch-22

by Anonyme - 11/03/2010 - 02:19

This is a Catch-22 situation for the United States and Iraq. Without the United States there, the country will end up like Vietnam, but with the United States present, there is still strife. The degree of violence has been lowering since the Americans first arrived, and democracy is slowly taking shape. What we can take heart in is knowing that the generation of Iraqis, who were six or seven and now approaching voting age, will really be able to usher in the democracy/republic the U.S. had initially hoped to achieve when it first toppled Saddam Hussein's regime.

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