The Week V. 1030

What happened The European Union faced the worst political crisis in its history this week after Greece voted decisively against accepting the terms of a eurozone bailout deal. Sunday’s referendum saw 61.3% of voters reject the austerity measures. The Syriza-led government in Athens hailed the surprise result as a victory for democracy over economic “terrorism”. But with Greek banks running perilously low on cash, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras hastened to show that he was still prepared to reach a compromise with creditors, replacing his outspoken finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, with a more emollient candidate. EU leaders had insisted last week that a “No” vote would spell Greece’s certain ejection from the euro. But after conferring on Monday, the leaders of Germany and France said the door was still open to…

What happened David Cameron promised to make a decision on airport expansion by the end of the year, following the publication of an independent report which backed the building of a third runway at Heathrow; this would considerably increase the airport’s capacity – by nearly 700 flights per day. The Government-appointed panel, chaired by Sir Howard Davies, said that its decision in favour of Heathrow had been “clear and unanimous”, because of the huge economic benefits it would bring. But Davies set a list of conditions for expansion, including a ban on night flights, and legally binding noise limits; and said that Gatwick remained a “credible” alternative. Though welcomed by business leaders, the report caused cosiderable consternation among senior Tories, including Zac Goldsmith, a possible candidate for mayor of London,…

Controversy of the week In the wake of the massacre of 30 British tourists in Tunisia, David Cameron “talked tough”, said James Rubin in The Sunday Times. He described Islamic State (Isis) and its affiliates across the world as an “existential threat”, and promised a “full-spectrum response”. At present, though, Britain offers nothing like the full spectrum: as Defence Secretary Michael Fallon pointed out last week, it is absurd that British pilots are authorised to attack Isis in Iraq but not in Syria – even though Isis controls territory on both sides of the border. The current prohibition on air strikes in Syria dates back to the Commons vote in 2013, when Labour and rebel Tory MPs rejected a proposal to intervene militarily against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. But owing…

The Hague, Netherlands Anti-police riots: There were violent scenes in The Hague last week when hundreds of people took to the streets to protest against the death of a Caribbean tourist in police custody. Mitch Henriquez, a 42-year-old businessman and father of three, from the island of Aruba, died of asphyxiation hours after being held in a chokehold and pinned down by five officers as he left a UB40 concert. Early reports that he had been carrying a gun proved unfounded. Demonstrators gathered outside a police station on Monday, the first of four nights of protests in the poor and mainly immigrant Schilderswijk district. Police were pelted with stones and fireworks, and doused in petrol. Local residents then defied a hastily imposed ban on public assembly in the area, leading…

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Cosby drugging case: The comedian Bill Cosby has admitted under oath to buying sedatives with the intention of giving them to women with whom he wanted to have sex, according to court documents unsealed this week following a demand from the Associated Press. Cosby (left), 77, made the admission in 2005 during a civil case, which was settled for an undisclosed sum, brought by a woman who accused him of drugging and raping her. Over the past few months, some 40 women have accused Cosby of similar assaults going back decades, but no charges have been brought, owing partly to the statute of limitations. Greeleyville, South Carolina Church burnings: A church with a predominantly black congregation was burnt to the ground in Greeleyville, South Carolina last week; it…

Waite’s words of comfort It is almost three decades since Terry Waite was kidnapped by Islamists in Beirut, says Cole Moreton in The Mail on Sunday. The former envoy for the Archbishop of Canterbury spent almost five years in solitary confinement, much of it blindfolded and chained to a radiator. He would sometimes hear the cries of other prisoners being executed – and at one point he thought he was next. “They came into the cell and told me I had five hours to live,” he recalls. “I actually went to sleep. The body shuts down to give you respite from what is happening. They came back, undid my chains, took me into the next room and asked if I wanted anything. I was still in a blindfold. I said…