Reporters on the Job

November 13, 2007

Cricket Never Goes Off-air: World: Correspondent Shahan Mufti notes that even as the world focuses on turmoil in Pakistan, daily life there goes on (see story). "On Saturday in Lahore, when Pervez Musharraf announced military tribunals for civilians, I attended a "dholki" ceremony for an acquaintance's wedding at which the young folks of the family play the "dholki" drum and sing wedding songs that poke fun at the groom and his friends. And on Sunday, while Musharraf held a press conference, Pakistan played India in the ongoing cricket series in India. Everywhere I went during the day people were watching the game – not Musharraf. "The game provided some respite – but Pakistan lost, and a gloom descended over the city again."

THE WEEK AHEAD

TUESDAY, NOV. 13 Lahore/Islamabad, Pakistan - Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto plans to begin a "long march" motorcade protest from Lahore.Denmark – General elections.Dubai – Trial resumes in the case of a French teenage boy claiming that three United Arab Emirates nationals raped him after abducting him and another teenage friend in the Gulf Arab state.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 14 Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan's Supreme Court is expected to resume hearing into challenges to President Pervez Musharraf's election victory.Warsaw – Poland's new prime minister, Donald Tusk, will speak before parliament for the first time ahead of a vote of confidence.Tunis, Tunisia – Trial of Abdullah al Hajji Ben Amor, former Guantánamo Bay inmate sent back to Tunisia in June, on terrorism charges.

THURSDAY, NOV. 15Madrid – World Anti-Doping Agency to start their World Conference on Doping in Sport (to Nov. 17).NEW YORK - International Women Leaders Global Security summit (to Nov. 17). Link: http://www.sunnylandstrust.org/

FRIDAY, NOV. 16 Washington – Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda meets US President George W. Bush.

SATURDAY, NOV. 17 Kosovo – Parliamentary and local elections.

– Amelia Newcomb

Deputy World editor