World Watch

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Democratic Enough?
Rwanda In the first presidential elections since the 1994 genocide, incumbent leader Paul Kagame — the rebel general credited with ousting the Hutu government that orchestrated the killings, and who has led the country as part of a transitional government since 2000 — retained control with a 95% share of the vote. But while Kagame claimed "Rwanda is on the right path," defeated challenger Faustin Twagiramungu was quick to reject the ballot, claiming his campaign was stymied by intimidation

SIGNS OF THE TIMES All Change, Please One of the first things most African nations did at independence was to change their colonial-era place names to African ones. Not so in South Africa, where, to help keep the peace in the early days of black rule, most cities, towns and streets retained the old names of apartheid. When the mayor of Pretoria, Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, recently suggested renaming the city Tshwane, the area's name before the arrival of white settlers, white residents protested that the change would be costly and, according to a petition drawn up by students at the University of Pretoria, "show contempt for history." But a name change, says the mayor, is backed by many of Pretoria's black residents, who resent living in a city named for Andries Pretorius, a leader of the Afrikaners' march of settlement. Here's a look at other South African places where new names have been adopted or proposed. — By Simon Robinson OLD NAME: Pretoria NEW NAME: Tshwane Expect fierce resistance but eventual change OLD NAME: Johannesburg NEW NAME: Egoli The Zulu name is already used informally OLD NAME: Transvaal NEW NAME: Gauteng Sotho word meaning "Place of Gold" was adopted in 1995 OLD NAME: Pretoria NEW NAME: Tshwane Expect fierce resistance but eventual change OLD NAME: Kruger National Park NEW NAME: Mandela National Park Controversial at home, but may be popular with the tourists OLD NAME: Cape Town NEW NAME: Ikapa Despite pressure from hard-line nationalists, the change is unlikely

from government forces. By late last week, Twagiramungu had filed a petition with the country's Supreme Court seeking to nullify the vote. Independent observers confirm the arrest and disappearance of opposition figures in the runup to polling; a dozen Twagiramungu supporters were detained in Kigali on the eve of the poll for allegedly planning violent acts. But while E.U. observers acknowledged the elections were "not entirely" free and fair, they still called the ballot "an important step in the democratic process."

More Space For Safety
THE U.S. Seven months after the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its seven-member crew, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) issued stinging criticism of NASA, insisting that without sweeping reforms at the space agency, "the scene is set for another accident." The report slammed the agency's informal chain of command and its courting of greater risk in order to meet scheduling targets. NASA promised to comply fully with the findings.

Grim Reckoning
PERU The government-appointed Truth and Reconciliation Commission claimed at least 69,000 people died or disappeared during two decades of rebel and state-sponsored violence, almost twice the previous estimates. The commission blamed the Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path for more than half of the killings carried out between 1980 and 2000, and government troops for much of the rest. Most of the victims were Quechua-speaking peasants.

Nuclear Traces
IRAN The U.N.'s nuclear weapons watchdog confirmed that inspectors found particles of highly enriched uranium at a nuclear power plant south of Tehran. Iran claimed the weapons-grade samples originated from equipment imported onto the Natanz site, and says it will discuss letting the U.N. conduct snap inspections.

Souvenir Hunters
THE U.K. Thieves posing as tourists made off with a Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece worth around $50 million. The work, Madonna of the Yarnwinder, hung in the stairway of Scotland's Drumlanrig Castle. Insurers put up a $160,000 reward for the recovery of the work.

Deep Disaster
RUSSIA An aging Russian nuclear submarine sank in the Barents Sea, with the loss of up to 9 of its 10 crew members. The vessel was being towed to a scrapyard when pontoons supporting it broke away in a heavy storm, sending the sub down in 170 m of water. Navy officials claimed that the submarine's nuclear reactor posed no environmental threat.

Great Catch
THE SOUTHERN OCEAN An Uruguayan fishing vessel suspected of poaching the prized Patagonian toothfish from Australian waters was escorted back to Australia after armed fisheries officials boarded the ship following a three-week chase. The trawler has 85 tons of fish aboard; its crew could be fined up to $350,000 and spend 12 months in jail.

MEANWHILE IN FRANCE ...
Almost Poached
President George W. Bush's personal chef, Walter Scheib, got steamed when jokers from a French TV show — disguised as President Chirac's wife Bernadette and her secretary — tempted him to quit the White House for a job in Chirac's kitchens. The fake first lady told Scheib her husband could no longer stomach French food, and craved hamburgers.