Russia stakes a claim on the North Pole. Iraq annexes Kuwait. The Croatian army sweeps into the rebel stronghold of Knin. This week, geopolitical faultlines fracture as nations attempt (and sometimes succeed) in rewriting borders. Farther afield, tensions flare as Iran vows vengeance following fatal clashes in Mecca, while al-Qaeda truck bombs devastate US embassies in East Africa. On the sporting stage, the Olympics kick off in spectacular style in China, and Usain Bolt leaves London awestruck with a record-breaking 9.63-second sprint. Explore all this and more in these front pages of The Independent.
