Reporters on the Job
from the March 27, 2008 edition
• What Comes Down Must Go Up: When Mark Rice-Oxley visited Heathrow's new Terminal 5, he was prepared for the architectural splendor, but not the teeming crowds. "Actually, it was extremely busy, even though it was two days from opening," he says. "There were hundreds of workers and BAA staffers frantically putting the finishing touches to the place. Krispy Kreme doughnuts was doing a roaring trade."
During his visit, Mark made note of some tips for the engineers. First: Double-check that the escalators go up and down where they're supposed to. "We got on one escalator, traveled halfway up to the second floor and turned the corner to get on the next one, but it was coming down at us," he says. "Someone needed to flip a switch somewhere."
• Local Influences: Yigal Schleifer says that a motion to shut down Turkey's ruling AKP party has gotten some ammunition from complaints about its activities at the local level. "Critics say that some local officials may be pushing the boundaries of the Turkish system," says Yigal. "Some municipalities have banned alcohol in certain areas or have distributed literature, such as marriage guides, that contain religious language. "
Yigal says there is a sense among critics that the party has not been as disciplined as it should on the local level. "Some people say the party has gotten a bit hubristic. So there's a bit of a sense that with this motion, yes, there's politics behind it, but that perhaps the AKP is reaping what it has sown."
– Amelia Newcomb
Deputy World editor
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