To the Point
The Presidential Campaign Goes Global
This year's presidential campaign is the first when both candidates have campaigned overseas. But Barack Obama's foreign excursion has gotten a lot more attention than John McCain's. Also, frightening moments for Qantas travelers at 29,000 feet, and Iraqi politics and the Olympic Games.
By Warren Olney • • 1h 0m ListenThis year's presidential campaign is the first when both candidates have campaigned overseas. But Barack Obama's foreign excursion has gotten a lot more attention than John McCain's. Will this week's foreign spectaculars generate confidence that a first-term Senator can handle a changing world? Will they backfire with voters who value experience over celebrity and think "America First?" Also, frightening moments for Qantas travelers at 29,000 feet, and Iraqi athletes have been barred from this summer's Olympic Games amid questions about what happened to 24 members of that country's Olympic Committee.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy (R) and Barack Obama talk together at the end of their press conference on July 25 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Obama arrived from Germany after drawing 200,000 cheering fans to an open-air speech in Berlin aimed at burnishing his foreign policy credentials. Photo: Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images
In this episode
3 storiesHole in Fuselage Forces Qantas Jet to Land
At an altitude of 29,000 feet, passengers on Qantas Flight 30 heard a loud bang and saw debris fly through the cabin. After a controlled descent to a lower altitude, the jet changed course from Hong Kong to Melbourne and landed safely in Manila. Micheline Maynard is aviation correspondent for the New York Times .
Read the story6 minThe Presidential Campaign Goes Global
Barack Obama's trip this week has been choreographed for the cameras: the meetings with kings and prime ministers; the helicopter over-flight with the commanding general; the prayer at the Western Wall; and, of course, yesterday's address to 200,000 people in the heart of Berlin. But could saturation coverage of Obama produce a backlash?
Read the story37 minIraqi Athletes Barred from Olympics
The International Olympic Committee has announced that it's " very unlikely " athletes from Iraq will be allowed to complete in this summer's games. An archer, two rowers and a weightlifter are among those who won't be going along with supporters and trainers. What does this have to do with the disappearance of Iraq's Olympic Committee?
Read the story5 min
