The World
By Alex Altman, Harriet Barovick, Gilbert Cruz, Kate Pickert, Tiffany Sharples, M.J. Stephey, Claire Suddath
1 | Tokyo Japan Searches for a New PM Yasuo Fukuda resigned as Japan's Prime Minister amid widespread discontent over his inability to shepherd legislation through the nation's deadlocked parliament. When he took office less than a year ago, Fukuda was expected to bring stability to Japan, the world's second largest economy, following the resignation of his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, after 12 months on the job. The ruling party's secretary general, Taro Aso, is the front runner to succeed Fukuda, with Yuriko Koike emerging as a possible challenger. The party will vote on Sept. 22.
The Contenders
Yuriko Koike A protege of popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Koike is touted for her foreign policy expertise and has served as both Environment Minister and Defense Minister
Taro Aso A conservative former Foreign Minister, Aso favors increasing government spending to kick-start Japan's sputtering economy
2 | Ohio A Spike in Teen Suicides A sharp increase in the teen-suicide rate in 2004 was largely sustained in 2005, according to a new study. Some worry that warnings of a link between antidepressants and youth suicide is actually fueling the trend by dissuading at-risk teens from taking medication. Alcohol, access to guns and suicides among teenage U.S. troops were also cited as possible factors in the spike.
[This article contains a complex diagram. Please see hardcopy of magazine.]
Suicide Rate for Americans Ages 10-19
Deaths per 100,000 people
(SOURCE: CDC)
3 | Bangkok Antigovernment Protests Grow Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej declared a state of emergency in the capital after antigovernment protesters clashed with the regime's backers, leaving one dead and dozens injured. Samak, whom critics denounce as a proxy for former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, vowed to weather the demonstrations, even as protesters occupied his offices and the nation's election commission recommended that his party be disbanded.
4 | Russia Suspicious Shooting Magomed Yevloyev, a journalist known for his scathing criticism of the government, was killed while in police custody in the volatile southern region of Ingushetia. Authorities called the shooting accidental, but media-watchdog groups denounced it as part of what they say is a pattern of silencing dissent. At least 13 journalists in Russia have been slain in contract-style killings since 2000.
Anna Politkovskaya Acclaimed Novaya Gazeta investigative reporter, murdered in 2006 Three suspects charged
Paul Klebnikov Editor of Forbes magazine's Russian edition, murdered in 2004 Unsolved
5 | Iraq Returning Anbar to The Iraqis On Sept. 1, U.S. military commanders handed over control of Anbar province to Iraqi forces, a major sign of progress in a region that has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers since the war began. The move puts 11 of the nation's 18 provinces under Iraqi control. Yet the transition of Anbar, once a stronghold of al-Qaeda and the heartland of Iraq's Sunni insurgency, also underscores the changed nature of the U.S. role in Iraq. Though President Bush roundly rejected nation-building when he took office eight years ago, ensuring a stable government in Baghdad is now a cornerstone of U.S. operations.
[This article contains a complex diagram. Please see hardcopy of magazine.]
IRAQ Anbar
Provinces handed over to Iraqi control
6 | India STILL STRANDED Rescue workers estimate that half a million people remain stranded almost two weeks after monsoon rains caused the worst flooding in northern India in nearly 50 years. Government and humanitarian agencies are struggling to feed the hundreds of thousands of evacuees, especially those in Bihar, above, the country's most populated and poverty-stricken state.
7 | Brazil Spymasters Suspended President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva suspended the directors of the Brazilian intelligence agency, ABIN, following allegations that it had tapped the phones of several government officials. Silva has called for an investigation into the scandal, which broke after a Brazilian newsmagazine published the transcript of a telephone conversation between Brazil's Supreme Court President and a Senator.
8 | California The Browser Wars, Part II Search giant Google unveiled Chrome, a new Web browser designed to compete with Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Still in the beta-test stage, Chrome sports some spiffy new features--bundled tabs, an address bar merged with a search box--but faces a tough fight from Explorer, which claims roughly 75% of the browser market.
9 | Georgia Schools Earn an F The Clayton County, Ga., school system became the first in the U.S. in almost 40 years to lose its accreditation, six months after a regional agency demanded that the Atlanta-area district reform its dysfunctional school board. Many colleges require a diploma from an accredited high school, leaving 50,000 Clayton County students in limbo unless the district turns itself around by next fall.
10 | Cyprus Together Again? The latest in a decades-long series of reunification talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots began on this Mediterranean island Sept. 3, and with both sides' leaders taking moderate positions, hopes are high for a resolution this time. A brief recap of the divided nation's contentious history:
1963: Three years after achieving independence from Britain, Greek and Turkish communities clash.
1974: After a failed coup attempts to unite the island with mainland Greece, Turkish forces occupy northern Cyprus.
1983: Turkish Cypriots declare their portion of the island a breakaway republic.
2004: Greek Cypriots vote down a U.N.-led reunification plan.
2008: In April a major thoroughfare in the capital Nicosia, which separates north from south, reopens.
* | What They're Eating In Britain: The bite of food inflation has more Brits turning to cheap tins of grub. Sales of baked beans, a staple of postwar rationing years, have increased 12% in the past year--to a record $530 million. Across the pond, Americans are experiencing a similar canned-food trend: sales of Spam are up more than 10%.