The World
By Alex Altman, Gilbert Cruz, Alyssa Fetini, Kate Pickert, Bill Powell, Tiffany Sharples, M.J. Stephey, Claire Suddath
1 | Philippines Fleeing a Resurgent Conflict Clashes between the Philippine government and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front have forced more than 130,000 people to flee their homes, creating an imminent refugee crisis. The conflict reignited after the Philippine Supreme Court delayed a peace agreement between the two sides.
2 | Mauritania Junta Seizes Control Other nations reacted swiftly following an Aug. 6 military coup that toppled the democratically elected leadership of this impoverished West African state. Both France and the U.S. vowed to eliminate nonhumanitarian aid, while the African Union suspended Mauritania's membership until a constitutional government is restored.
3 | London A Return To Exile Claiming he had been the target of an assassination plot and could not expect to receive a fair trial in his homeland, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra fled to Britain to avoid prosecution on corruption charges. Ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006, Thaksin spent nearly 18 months abroad before returning to Thailand in February, when his political allies regained power. The telecommunications tycoon, who bought England's Manchester City soccer club during his last stint in exile, leaves behind about $2 billion in frozen assets.
4 | Washington Back to School--If You Can Rising default rates and a cut in federal subsidies for lenders are making private student loans more difficult to obtain, with lenders like Citigroup and Wachovia reducing their loan offers just weeks before the start of classes. In addition, more than 120 lenders have dropped out of the federal loan program since last summer.
[This article contains a complex diagram. Please see hardcopy of magazine.]
Amount of Financial Aid Lent to Students
$60 billion Federal loans 107% increase Private loans 989% increase
SOURCE: COLLEGE BOARD
5 | Bolivia A Moral(es) Victory President Evo Morales notched more than 60% of the vote in an Aug. 10 recall referendum, a decisive win that grants the leftist leader a mandate to pursue his controversial agenda for South America's poorest nation. Morales, a former coca farmer and an ally of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, is expected to continue reforms aimed at redistributing resources to Bolivia's poor indigenous majority.
6 | Montana Coal for The Crow The Crow tribe, whose land in southeastern Montana sits atop one of the nation's largest coal reserves, signed a 50-year deal with Australian-American Energy Co. to build a $7 billion plant to convert coal to liquid fuel--the first of its kind in the U.S. Tribe chairman Carl Venne says the economic boon couldn't come at a better time: "People have to realize, this is one of the poorest counties in the whole nation." And while environmental groups may protest the plan, coal still generates more than half the country's electricity.
[This article contains a complex diagram. Please see hardcopy of magazine.]
Sources of U.S. Electricity in 2007 (in thousands of megawatt-hours) SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Non-methane gases 15,414 Petroleum 65,708 Hydroelectric 248,312 Nuclear 806,287 Natural gas 893,211 Coal 2,020,572
7 | Kashmir TURMOIL RETURNS At least 13 Muslim demonstrators were killed Aug. 12 when Indian forces opened fire on a crowd protesting the Hindu-led blockade of a major highway. The deaths occurred a day after a separatist leader was killed during similar clashes. The violence--some of the worst to break out in the disputed region between India and Pakistan in two decades--was the latest sign of growing tensions between Muslims and Hindus over a land dispute earlier this year.
8 | Mexico City Fighting the Kidnappers Officials are working to crack down on corruption and kidnappings after police officers were implicated in the abduction and murder of a 14-year-old from a prominent Mexico City family. The federal government is creating five 24-hour anti-kidnapping centers, while the city's mayor will launch a hotline to field tips. President Felipe Calderon has proposed sentencing kid-nappers to life.
9 | Detroit Motor City's Embattled Mayor The legal troubles of Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, 38, have gone from bad to worse. The details of his decline:
AUG. 29, 2007 Under oath, Kilpatrick denies an affair with chief of staff Christine Beatty
MARCH 24, 2008 After romantic text messages surface, both are charged with perjury, obstruction of justice and conspiracy
AUG. 7, 2008 The mayor spends a night in jail after violating the terms of his bail with a July trip to Canada
AUG. 8, 2008 Kilpatrick gets two felony charges of assaulting police
AUG. 12, 2008 He is absolved of a possible second bail violation
AUG. 14, 2008 The mayor and Beatty are arraigned
SEPT. 3, 2008 Governor Jennifer Granholm is to hold hearings before deciding whether to oust Kilpatrick from office
10 | Utah Arch No More The gravity and erosion that created Arches National Park brought down one of its most famous landmarks on Aug. 4. Wall Arch, shown before and after, was the first major span to fall in 17 years.
What They're Wearing in China No wonder the Beijing crowd was oohing Kobe Bryant's slam dunks in the U.S. basketball team's 101-70 rout of China. According to the NBA, Kobe's is the most popular jersey there this year; Yao Ming's shirt just made the Top 10.
Best-Selling NBA Jerseys in China
1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
3. Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
4. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
5. Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
6. Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards
7. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
8. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
9. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
10. Yao Ming, Houston Rockets