The World
By Alex Altman, Harriet Barovick, Gilbert Cruz, Jackson Dykman, Kate Pickert, Tiffany Sharples, Claire Suddath
1 | Russia Unintended Consequences
The recent shooting war between Russia and Georgia continued to reverberate as Russia formally endorsed the independence of breakaway Georgian regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The clash has had repercussions elsewhere:
1 Unnerved by the conflict, global investors have bailed out of Russian companies, causing Russia's RTS stock index to plunge more than 6% since the invasion began.
2 A high-profile agreement between Russia and the U.S. to open up nuclear markets between the two nations is likely to be shelved.
3 If friction escalates between Washington and Moscow, the U.S. could find itself shut out of the International Space Station. After it retires the space shuttle in 2010, NASA will be dependent on Russian spacecraft until 2015.
2 | Iraq A Question Of Timing
U.S. and Iraqi officials continued to haggle over a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. soldiers, even as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared that any pact must grant Iraq full sovereignty and provide for the removal of American combat troops by the end of 2011. Despite Maliki's tougher negotiating stance--designed, observers say, to shore up support for the deal at home--U.S. officials insisted that any timetable would be contingent on the nation's security status. Both sides still expect to reach an agreement.
3 | Afghanistan
DAMAGE REPORT U.N. investigators said U.S. air strikes on an Afghan village killed some 90 civilians, including 60 children. The report fueled Afghan frustration over the high civilian death toll and prompted a U.S. investigation.
4 | Pakistan Unity Government Fractures
A week after Pakistan forced President Pervez Musharraf from office, its fragile five-month-old coalition government broke apart on Aug. 25, as its two main parties fought over the issue of reinstating a group of judges Musharraf had dismissed. The parties are lobbying for support from other factions in the government in advance of presidential elections scheduled for Sept. 6.
The Split
Nawaz Sharif Pakistan Muslim League--N
Wants the ousted judges reinstated and opposes Zardari's recently declared bid for the presidency
Asif Ali Zardari Pakistan Peoples Party
Fears judges could revive corruption charges against him; party holds most seats in Parliament
5 | Malaysia Anwar Resurgent
Oppostion leader Anwar Ibrahim won a seat in Parliament on Aug. 26 by a landslide, cementing his political comeback after spending six years in jail on a sodomy conviction that was later overturned. The former Deputy Prime Minister aims to form a new ruling coalition but must face trial on further sodomy charges, which he says were concocted by the government.
6 | Mississippi Raid Nets Hundreds
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained about 600 workers at a factory in Laurel on suspicion that they were illegal immigrants. It was ICE's largest raid at a single workplace; in May, agents descended on a kosher meatpacking plant in Iowa, arresting some 400 people. ICE arrested nearly 5,000 workers in 2007.
7 | Washington When Good Numbers Go Bad
The U.S. Census Bureau touted some optimistic news in its annual report on U.S. household finances, but ominous signs lurk behind the headlines. The 2007 data predate the full onset of the economic crisis, but some indicators warn of turmoil ahead:
INCOME
While most incomes remained flat, earnings for the richest Americans dropped, which often occurs just before or during a recession
$50,233 Median annual U.S. household income in 2007. The number has risen for three straight years
POVERTY
The poverty rate usually drops during periods of economic growth. That didn't happen during the post--2001 expansion
12.5% Percentage of Americans living in poverty, virtually unchanged from 12.3% in 2006
HEALTH INSURANCE
The percentage of people with private insurance continued to drop, while government insurance programs like Medicaid grew
15.3% Percentage of Americans lacking health insurance, down slightly from 15.8% in 2006
8 | Florida English Only, Ladies
In a first for a major sports body, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour will require players to speak English by 2009 or face suspension. Among the circuit's 121 foreign golfers from 26 nations--45 from South Korea alone--many back the policy, which the LPGA said would appeal to sponsors and fans and is "not meant to be punitive."
9 | Washington Objecting To Abortion
The Bush Administration announced a new regulation that would allow doctors to deny medical services on the basis of their religious or moral beliefs, overriding current state laws that require health-care workers to aid patients or refer them elsewhere. Opponents say the rule, which applies to 584,000 hospitals and clinics, could block patient access to everything from birth control to abortions to end-of-life care. The rule could go into effect after a 30-day comment period.
10 | Zimbabwe Mugabe Answers a Challenge
President Robert Mugabe reopened Zimbabwe's Parliament on Aug. 26 to the jeers and chants of opposition members reveling in the election of their candidate, Lovemore Moyo, to the key post of Parliament speaker and their first (razor-thin) plurality since Mugabe took power in 1980. In an attempt to reassert control over the poverty-stricken nation, Mugabe announced he would form a new government without the opposition party led by Morgan Tsvangirai, who bested the despot in March elections but sat out a June runoff vote, citing violent intimidation of his supporters. Power-sharing talks between the two parties have stalled.
* | What They're Eating In New York City:
After testing sushi from four restaurants and 10 grocery stores using a simple genetic-fingerprinting technique, two local high school students discovered that one-fourth of the samples were mislabeled; some lower-quality seafood was being passed off as top-grade fish. While their study was too small to indicate a trend--and the students, fearing lawsuits, wouldn't name names--the case has New Yorkers wondering what's between their chopsticks.