The World
By Alex Altman, Harriet Barovick, Gilbert Cruz, Andrea Ford, Alyssa Fetini, Kate Pickert, Frances Romero, M.J. Stephey, Claire Suddath
1 | Washington Investigating Gonzales A special prosecutor has been appointed to probe charges that former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and his staff improperly fired nine U.S. Attorneys in 2006. Gonzales, a close ally of President Bush's, resigned last year over the firings, which opponents said had been politically motivated. A Justice Department report cited an uncooperative White House for the gaps in its investigation--which the special prosecutor should fill. Gonzales and others could face criminal charges.
2 | Austria Right Foot Forward The moderate voices that have dominated Austrian politics since the end of World War II were quieted on Sept. 28. The country's two far-right parties, campaigning on anti-E.U. and anti-immigration platforms, made unprecedented gains in the national parliamentary elections, taking almost 30% of the vote. Both the Freedom Party and the Alliance for the Future of Austria have been tainted by accusations of neo-Nazism and xenophobia. Analysts, however, credit their success less to a tilt toward extremism than to widespread frustration among Austrians with the ruling moderate parties. The shaky coalition has proven unable to reach agreements on key economic and social issues.
3 | U.S. Cheap Food Gets a Boost As the economy tanks, companies that specialize in inexpensive food products see an opportunity:
MAGICALLY DELICIOUS! General Mills recently announced that cereal sales were up 10% in the last quarter, a boon that the company attributes to more Americans' eating breakfast at home to save money.
OH, YEAAHH! Kool-Aid's most recent TV ad ended with the tagline "Delivering more smiles per gallon." Second-quarter sales were up, which "speaks to the value that Kool-Aid represents," says a spokeswoman.
MMM, MMM, GOOD A new Campbell's Soup and Kraft Singles marketing campaign is coming soon, with the slogan "Warm hearts without stretching budgets." Campbell's stock rose on Sept. 29 as the Dow Jones dropped 778 points.
4 | Helsinki After Killings, a Crackdown In the wake of a second school shooting in 10 months--which claimed 11 lives at a trade school 180 miles (290 km) northwest of the capital--the government announced it will move to tighten Finland's lax gun laws by submitting amendments to Parliament that would restrict licensing and deepen background checks. The nation's strong hunting tradition has spurred one of the world's highest rates of gun ownership.
[This article contains a complex diagram. Please see hardcopy of magazine.]
U.S. 89
YEMEN 55
SWITZERLAND 46
FINLAND 45
SERBIA 38
Firearms per 100 civilians (SOURCE: SMALL ARMS SURVEY, 2007)
5 | Somalia Dangerous Plunder Pirates patrolling Somalia's lawless waters hijacked a freighter carrying tanks and high-grade weaponry and demanded $20 million for its return. As U.S. warships surrounded the vessel--the 26th seized off the Somali coast this year--a pirate spokesman vowed the group would withstand the siege.
o Pirate attacks in 2008 o Suspected hijacked vessels, Sept. 14-17
(SOURCES: ICC INTERNATIONAL MARITIME BUREAU; U.N. INSTITUTE FOR TRAINING AND RESEARCH)
6 | Pakistan TAKING FLIGHT Afghan workers are preparing shelters for the estimated 20,000 Pakistanis who have fled into eastern Afghanistan amid a military crackdown in the Bajaur region, where government troops are clashing with Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. Pakistani officials say coalition troops battling the Taliban on the Afghan side of the border must do more to stop the flow of rebels into Bajaur.
7 | India Temple Tragedy Early on Sept. 30, as 12,000 worshippers gathered in the city of Jodhpur for the start of a nine-day Hindu religious festival, a sudden panic caused a stampede that killed at least 200 people and injured at least 60 more. An official said a wall had collapsed near the Chamunda Devi temple and alarmed revelers; other reports blamed a bomb scare and a group trying to cut in line.
8 | Arizona Preaching Politics Calling it "Pulpit Freedom Sunday," 33 pastors in 22 states risked their churches' tax-exempt status by delivering sermons on Sept. 28 about presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. Organized by Arizona's Alliance Defense Fund, the campaign protests a 1954 federal law that forbids pastors from endorsing politicians during worship. A church-state separation group immediately filed complaints with the IRS.
NESTLE Hong Kong Milk powder
HEINZ Hong Kong Baby cereal
UNILEVER Hong Kong Macau Lipton milk tea powder
PIZZA HUT Taiwan Cheese packets
CADBURY Taiwan Hong Kong Australia Chocolate
MR. BROWN U.S. Coffee and tea products
NABISCO South Korea Ritz-cracker cheese sandwiches
WHITE RABBIT U.S. Germany New Zealand Britain Candy
MARS Indonesia M&M's and Snickers
LOTTE KOALA Hong Kong Australia Canada Cookies
9 | China FOOD FEARS GONE GLOBAL The impact of the melamine-tainted-milk scandal has spread beyond China's borders, with major multinational brands testing or recalling their products. Several firms, including Heinz, say their actions are only precautionary, while Mars Inc. has questioned the accuracy of the Indonesian government's tests of its candy. Meanwhile, the parents of a 1-year-old boy have filed a rare lawsuit against a Chinese manufacturer, claiming its milk powder had sickened their son.
10 | Washington Low Marks for Nursing Homes More than 90% of nursing homes have been deficient in meeting one or more federal requirements, and the worst offenders were for-profit facilities, according to a new report by the Department of Health and Human Services. The report, which spanned 2005 to 2007 and covered some 15,000 homes, said about a quarter provided a "substandard quality of care." In Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington, D.C., 100% of homes had deficiencies. The lowest rate was in Rhode Island (76%).
[This article contains a complex diagram. Please see hardcopy of magazine.]
FOR PROFIT 93.5 NOT FOR PROFIT 88.4 GOVERNMENT 90.5
Percentage of nursing homes with deficiencies by type of ownership, 2007
(SOURCE: HHS INSPECTOR GENERAL)
* | What They're Watching in Pakistan: Footage of the Sept. 24 meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin (in which Zardari called Palin "gorgeous" and said he'd like to hug her) has been must-see TV on local networks and has drawn tens of thousands of viewers on YouTube. While some laughed off Zardari's behavior--one station ran the clip with a romantic Urdu ballad sound track--many called it unbecoming of a head of state. One mosque leader issued a fatwa against him, calling his gushing un-Islamic.