Pro-Western country expected more than feeble diplomacy
New York Times Aug 11, 08 7:56 AM CDT
(Newser)
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As a haggard group of soldiers clambered into the flatbed truck, vacantly clutching Kalishnikovs, one explained the cause of their despair: “America and the European Union are spitting on us.” It’s an exceedingly popular sentiment in Georgia, the New York Times reports. The fiercely pro-Western nation had expected far more from its allies, who have instead focused on brokering a ceasefire.
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Phelps inches closer to eight gold medals
ESPN Aug 11, 08 3:23 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Jason Lezak pulled ahead in the final moments of the 400-meter freestyle relay to win a gold for the US men’s swimming team and push Michael Phelps one step closer to a record eight golds, ESPN reports. Lezak, 32, swam the fastest leg in history—46.06 seconds—finishing a mere .08 seconds before the second-place French as the US team set a new world record of 3:08.24.
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OLYMPICS
Dream Team wins Beijing preliminary game
Associated Press Aug 10, 08 2:40 PM CDT
(AP)
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The United States opened its campaign for Olympic basketball redemption today with a 101-70 rout of host China that had even the home crowd oohing and aahing. And fans including President Bush got what they came to see."I had five dunks in one game. That's because of the crowd. Last time I had five dunks in a game I was like 17," said Team USA's Kobe Bryant.
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2007 census reveals dramatic trend
USA Today Aug 7, 08 8:36 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The white population has declined in more than half of US counties, marking a dramatic shift in America's human landscape, reports USA Today. The data from the 2007 census, released today, reveals a continuing trend of immigration and growth within minority populations, coupled with slow or no growth among many white communities.
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UPDATED
Suspect sought to mislead FBI, released documents show
Associated Press Aug 6, 08 2:17 PM CDT
(AP)
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Army scientist Bruce Ivins is the sole person responsible for the 2001 anthrax attacks, and he had custody of highly purified anthrax spores with "certain genetic mutations identical" to the poison that killed five people, the Justice Department says. Ivins was unable to give investigators "an adequate explanation for his late laboratory work hours around the time of" the attacks, and he apparently sought to mislead investigators, according to an affidavit.
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ANALYSIS
Maliki's endorsement
of withdrawal timetable a stroke of luck
New York Times Jul 22, 08 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Presidential candidate Barack Obama's weeklong tour of seven countries has so far been fruitful, politically agile, and especially lucky, reports the New York Times . The Illinois senator's withdrawal plan received a timely endorsement from Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki, coinciding with President Bush's embrace of a "time horizon" for pulling troops out of the war-torn country.
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Delegate promises 'no chance' of suspension of uranium enrichment
Associated Press Jul 19, 08 7:40 AM CDT
(AP)
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Tehran has ruled out freezing its uranium enrichment program, casting doubt over the value of talks between Iran and six world powers less than an hour after they started. The Geneva talks—with the US in attendance for the first time—had raised expectations of possible compromise on a formula under which Iran would agree to stop expanding its enrichment activities, which can produce either fuel for nuclear power stations or the material used in warheads.
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OPINION
Time to show some leadership and stop coddling Mugabe
New York Times Jul 16, 08 10:03 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Critics of unchecked and amoral American power should be wary of prospective new world hegemons—especially China, Russia, and South Africa, Thomas Friedman warns in the New York Times . America's international popularity has plummeted under President Bush, but it's the more popular countries that have been acting unconscionably on the world stage.
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US-led resolution would have imposed sanctions, restrictions on Mugabe
Reuters Jul 11, 08 6:41 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Russia and China today threw out a UN resolution to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe for its violent presidential election, Reuters reports. Nine countries supported the US-backed sanctions, which would levied an arms embargo and restricted the travel and finances of officials, including President Mugabe. But five nations voted against it, calling the resolution unworthy of the UN Security Council.
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OPINION
Kick-starting economy means looking abroad, write Goldman chiefs
Financial Times (UK) Jun 27, 08 10:42 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Whether it's John McCain or Barack Obama, the next president will confront a global economic landscape unlike anything his predecessor confronted, write Robert Hormats and Jim O'Neill. In an op-ed for the Financial Times , the two Goldman Sachs executives explain that the new president's greatest challenge will be the rise of emerging economies, whose share of world GDP has doubled since George W. Bush took office.
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OPINION
McCain and Obama insulting Muslims to gain favor with Jewish voters
Los Angeles Times Jun 26, 08 6:05 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The presidential candidates are ignoring—even insulting—American Muslims in the hope of grabbing the Jewish vote, write Salam Al-Marayati and Steven B. Jacobs in the Los Angles Times . McCain and Obama have on several occasions snubbed Muslims, who seem to be the victims of modern McCarthyism—just substitute terrorism for communism. It's a "disturbing trend" that must stop, write the co-members of an interfaith peace group.
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Leftist coalition could sink government if
pact goes forward
Wall Street Journal Jun 25, 08 2:44 PM CDT
(Newser)
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A landmark deal between the US and India to share civilian nuclear technology faces uncertain prospects today after the Indian government announced it had failed to persuade a dissenting political group to back the pact, the Wall Street Journal reports. The White House has been pressing India to ratify the deal so it can go before Congress before President Bush leaves office.
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