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TheEconomistApril3rd,2010page1of154Allthepartsofthiscopyaretakenfrom|Russiansecurityservicessaidthattwofemalesuicide-bombersblewthemselvesuponMoscow’smetrosystem,killing39people.Therewasnoclaimofresponsibility,butblameimmediatelyfellonIslamicinsurgentsfromRussia‘snorthCaucasusregion.VladimirPutin,Russia‘sprimeminister,vowedtodragthebombers―fromthebottomofthesewers‖.Twodayslater,twoexplosionskilledaroundadozenpeopleinthenorthCaucasusregionofDagestan.ThepresidentsofRussiaandAmericaconfirmedanagreementtocuttheirrespectivenucleararsenalsbyaboutathird.ThedealwasreceivedmorewarmlyinWashingtonthaninMoscow;SergeiLavrov,Russia‘sforeignminister,emphasisedthatRussiacouldwithdrawfromthearrangementifAmericapursuesplansforamissile-defenceshield.TheSerbianparliamentformallyapologisedforthe1995Srebrenicamassacreinwhichalmost8,000BosnianMuslimswerekilled.Itdeclinedtodescribethekillingsasgenocide.Meanwhile,JohnSheehan,aformersupremealliedcommanderofNATO,saidhisrecentstatementblamingthepresenceofopenlygayUNpeacekeepersformakingthemassacrepossible,waswrong.TheconservativecoalitionledbySilvioBerlusconioutperformedexpectationsinItaly’sregionalelections,winningfourofthe13regionsatstakefromtheleft-wingopposition.TheNorthernLeague,MrBerlusconi‘scoalitionpartner,didparticularlywell.PopeBenedictXVIremainedresoluteascriticismmountedoftheroleheplayed,whenacardinal,inthechild-abusescandalsengulfingtheCatholicchurch.InhisPalmSundaysermon,thepopesaidhisfaithhelpedhimavoidbeingintimidatedby―thepettygossipofdominantopinion‖.TheLargeHadronCollider,Europe‘snewlyrepairedparticleaccelerator,officiallyovertookAmerica‘sTevatronastheworld‘smostpowerful.Itcollidedtwostreamsofprotonsatanenergyof7teraelectronvolts,three-and-a-halftimesthepreviousrecord.TheEconomistApril3rd,2010page2of154DoneanddustedBarackObamasigneda―reconciliation‖billthatfixessomemeasuresintherecentlypassedhealth-careact.ThereconciliationbillwaspartoftheDemocraticleadership‘sparliamentarymanoeuvretoavoidafilibusterintheSenate.Meanwhile,thetwopartiescrankeduptherancouroverhealthcare,witheachaccusingtheotherofexploitingvoterangerontheissue.InabusyweekforareinvigoratedMrObama,thepresidentpreparedaplanthatwouldallownewdrillingforoilandgasoffAmerica‘seastcoast,fromDelawaretoFlorida,inwatersoffnorthernAlaskaandotheroffshoreareas,insomeplacesforthefirsttime.Environmentalistswerenotpleased.RallyingthetroopsBarackObamaflewunannouncedtoAfghanistanwhere,besidesvisitingAmericantroops,heheldameetingwithhisAfghancounterpart,HamidKarzai.AmericanofficialssaidhetoldMrKarzaihisgovernmenthadtodomoretorootoutcorruption.TheNationalLeagueforDemocracy,Myanmar’smainoppositionparty,whichwonanelectionin1990,announceditwouldnotregistertotakepartinanelectiontobeheldlaterthisyearbecauseitrefusestorecognisetheconstitutionunderwhichtheballotwillbeheld.Manyofitsleaders,includingAungSanSuuKyi,whoisunderhousearrest,areanywaybarredfromcontestingthepoll.Morethan40sailorsweremissing,and58rescued,whenaSouthKoreannavyshipsankoffNorthKoreaafteranexplosion.Adiverdiedsearchingthewreckage.ThedefenceministersaidtheexplosionmighthavebeencausedbyaminelaidbyNorthKoreaduringtheKoreanwar,from1950-53.Aftertwoweeksofmassanti-governmentdemonstrationsinBangkokbyred-shirtedsupportersofThaksinShinawatra,anexiledformerprimeminister,protestleadersheldtelevisedtalkswithAbhisitVejjajiva,thepresentprimeminister(above).ButMrAbhisitrejectedtheirdemandforanimmediatedissolutionofThailand’sparliamentandtalksbrokedownwithnoagreement.NarendraModi,chiefministeroftheIndianstateofGujarat,wasquestionedforseveralhoursbyapanelinvestigatingtheriotsinhisstatein2002,inwhichmorethan1,000people,mostlyMuslims,werekilled.MrModidenieschargesthatheandhisgovernmentconnivedinthepogrom.ThepeoplehavespokenThefinalresultsofIraq’sgeneralelectiongavetheIraqiNationalMovementledbyIyadAllawi,aformerprimeministerandsecular-mindedShiawithSunnisupport,91seatsoutoftheparliament‘s325,pippingtheincumbentprimeminister,Nurial-Maliki,whoseStateofLawalliancegot89.AShiareligiousfront,includingfollowersofMuqtadaal-Sadr,got70.ThetwomainKurdishpartiestogethergot43.VariousTheEconomistApril3rd,2010page3of154coalitioncombinationsarebeingmooted.Anewgovernmentmaytakemonthstoemerge.IsraelipoliticiansarguedoverthefalloutfromBinyaminNetanyahu‘srecentunfriendlyencounterinWashingtonwithBarackObama.TheAmericanpresident‘sadvisersweresaidtobehopingthatanewrulingcoalitionmightemergeinIsrael,withorwithoutMrNetanyahuasprimeminister.ThemutebuttonTheheadoftheCatholicchurchinVenezuelaaccusedPresidentHugoChávez‘sgovernmentofusingjudgesandprosecutorstopunishpoliticalopponents,afterGuillermoZuloaga,themajorityshareholderinGlobovisión,thelastremaininganti-governmenttelevisionchannel,waschargedwithmaking―offensive‖commentsaboutthepresident.Twooppositionpoliticianshavealsorecentlybeenarrested.Colombia’sFARCguerrillasreleasedtwosoldierstheyhadbeenholdi