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Alex Wong/Getty Images

Arizona Sen. John McCain accepted the Republican Party's nomination for president Thursday, speaking to an energized crowd in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

In a speech interrupted several times by anti-war protesters, McCain criticized the GOP and presented himself as the man to change Washington.

"Instead of rejecting good ideas because we didn't think of them first, let's use the best ideas from both sides," he said. "Instead of fighting over who gets the credit, let's try sharing it."

Pundits weighed in almost immediately. "His acceptance speech was as halting as Obama's was fluent," Slate's John Dickerson observes. McCain set himself a tough task, Peter Baker writes: "As a matter of history, it is easier to run as the opposition party if you actually are the opposition party." For the Wall Street Journal editorial board, "McCain reinforced for Americans his stellar leadership qualities." Dana Milbank pokes fun at the copious use of the word "maverick," an image E.J. Dionne says "has disappeared."

Doubts remain, meanwhile, about McCain's vice presidential pick. Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman is reportedly headlining a team of experts coaching Sarah Palin on foreign policy ahead of her upcoming debate with Democratic VP choice Joe Biden, roughly a month away.

Global Economy

Stocks fell Thursday on renewed fears about the U.S. economy.

Those fears appear justified, as today's jobs report finds that the U.S. unemployment rate soared in August to 6.1 percent, a level not seen in 4 1/2 years.

Americas

Five opposition governors in Bolivia threatened to cut off the country's gas exports if President Evo Morales doesn't meet their demands for more autonomy.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez moved to seize control of the fuel-transport business.

Tropical Storm Hannah is making it hard to reach Haiti's most desperate.

Asia

The United States may increase the use of cross-border raids in Pakistan, despite mounting political risks, officials say. U.S. forces have allegedly launched three such attacks in the past three days, though the Pentagon has not acknowledged its role. Pakistan's Parliament is outraged, calling for the Pakistani Army to "repel such attacks in the future with full force."

China admitted for the first time that some of its schools, many of which crumbled in the Sichuan earthquake, may not have been well-constructed.

Middle East and Africa

The United States has been spying on Iraq's PM Nuri al-Maliki, according to Bob Woodward's new book.

Top Pentagon officials are recommending the United States shift a small number of troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. The plan would leave about 146,000 troops in Iraq through June.

Iraq wants to buy F-16 fighter jets.

Europe and the Caucasus

Meeting with top leaders in Kiev, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney blamed Russia for Ukraine's political problems. So did Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko, who vowed to push ahead with his country's NATO bid.

Moscow blamed Cheney for encouraging Georgia's "dangerous ambitions."

Russia's central bank has had to intervene to shore up the tumbling ruble.

Weekend Agenda

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today's visit to Libya is "an historic moment." Indeed, it's the first such trip since 1953. Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi spoke fondly of the woman he calls "Leezza" last year, saying, "I support my darling black African woman."

Rice will also stop in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.

U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill is visiting Beijing to discuss the North Korea situation after Pyongang threatened to rebuild its reactor.

Angolans are voting for the first time in 16 years.

Jane Perlez profiles Asif Ali Zardari, who will likely become Pakistan's next president after Saturday's parliamentary vote.

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Vice-presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska wowed convention-goers with a hard-hitting speech Wednesday at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Calling herself "just your average hockey mom," Palin described her roots in small-town America and delivered a withering attack on Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee. "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities," she said in one of the speech's many applause lines.

Wednesday capped a brutal series of news cycles for Palin, who has faced intense scrutiny in the press for everything from her qualifications to her daughter's teenage pregnancy. Nonetheless, "a star was born last night," Bill Kristol writes in a glowing review of Palin's debut for the Weekly Standard. The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan predicts, "She is either going to be magic or one of history's accidents." John Dickerson of Slate warns that Palin should make Democrats very nervous.

Global Economy

Rising costs are eating into oil companies' profits. Poor guys.

Oil for October delivery is back up to $110 a barrel.

Americas

People are returning to New Orleans, but Hurricane Ike and Tropical Storm Hannah are growing stronger.

Crime has cut Mexico's economic growth by 1 percent, according to its finance minister.

Argentina's move to pay back $6.7 billion in debt is just the first step, experts say.

Asia

Thailand's foreign minister has stepped down, but the prime minister insists he won't resign. Instead, he hopes to use a referendum to defuse protests.

A leaked letter from the U.S. State Department is causing a ruckus in India.

Pakistan's government is reading the riot act to U.S. Amb. Anne Patterson over what appears to be a botched raid in Pakistani territory.

"I will work to defeat the domestic Taliban insurgency and to ensure that Pakistani territory is not used to launch terrorist attacks," vows presidential frontrunner Asif Ali Zardari in today's Washington Post.

U.S. officials doubt that North Korea is really reassembling its reactor.

Middle East and Africa

Syria's Bashar al-Assad urged the West to solve its dispute with Iran peacefully. But French President Nicolas Sarkozy, visiting Syria, warns that Iran is risking an Israeli attack.

Turkey's president plans to visit Armenia this weekend.

Europe and the Caucasus

The Irish Republican Army is no longer a threat, according to an independent monitoring report.

Ukraine's president accused the prime minister, his erstwhile ally, of plotting a "political and constitutional coup."

BP has resolved its dispute with the partners in its Russian joint venture; CEO Robert Dudley will resign.

Today's Agenda

U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney, visiting Georgia, described Russia's invasion of Georgia "illegitimate" and reiterated the United States' strong support of Georgia's NATO bid.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group meets in Vienna to discuss the U.S.-India nuclear agreement.

The Washington Post previews John McCain's acceptance speech, which is tonight.

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Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Republican convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul began in earnest Tuesday night, with an array of political luminaries testifying to John McCain's character and his fitness to be commander in chief.

President George W. Bush, speaking from the White House, called the Arizona senator "an independent man who thinks for himself," adding, "If the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain's resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be sure the angry left never will."

Former Sen. Fred Thompson told McCain's life story and criticized the media "feeding frenzy" over would-be Vice-President Sarah Palin, saying, "Some Washington pundits and media big shots are in a frenzy over the selection of a woman who has actually governed rather than just talked a good game on the Washington talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit." Republicans at the convention have rallied to Palin's defense in response to growing criticism of her record.

But the star of the evening was Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who, explaining why an "independent Democrat" and former vice presidential nominee supports McCain, said, "Because country matters more than party."

Global Economy

$100 oil is within sight, but crude's downward slide could prompt OPEC to cut production quotas.

Americas

Argentina is promising to pay back nearly $7 billion in debt.

Huge areas of the Canadian ice shelf are breaking up, alarming scientists.

Asia

Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani is unhurt after an assassination attempt.

Pakistan claims it narrowly missed killing al Qaeda No.2 Ayman al-Zawahiri.

North Korea is reassembling its Yongbyon reactor, Kyodo News reports. The U.N., meanwhile, is boosting food aid to the Hermit Kingdom.

Middle East and Africa

U.S. troops could leave Baghdad as early as next July, Gen. David Petraeus told the Financial Times.

Abu Dhabi is pouring money into the Hollwood film business.

A plane carrying U.N. aid workers and staff has crashed in Congo.

Europe and the Caucasus

The Bush administration plans to announce a $1 billion aid package for Georgia.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is a "political corpse," according to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Russia's foreign minister plans to visit Poland next week. Expect fireworks.

Ukraine's pro-Western coalition is collapsing.

Today's Agenda

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is visiting Syria.

Peace talks begin in Cyprus.

U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney lands in Azerbaijan.

Palin speaks tonight at the Republican convention.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Gustav turned out to be less fearsome than many expected, but the hurricane did pour cold water on the start of the Republican National Convention in Minnesota, as Republicans scrambled to put together a low-key first day largely free of political rhetoric.

First Lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain led the way, calling on Americans to put aside partisanship and focus on helping those impacted by the storm. President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney canceled their appearances to supervise the federal government's response.

Republicans seem to love Sarah Palin: McCain has raised more than $10 million since he announced his running mate Friday. But reporters are swarming to report on everything from her 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy to her husband's 1986 DUI. It was all known in advance, the McCain team insists, but the steady drip of stories threatens to overshadow the convention.

Barack Obama, meanwhile, has gotten a modest post-convention bounce, according to USA Today and Gallup.

Global Economy

Google is introducing a new Web browser, Chrome, today in more than 100 countries.

Crude oil has fallen to below $106 a barrel.

Americas

The U.S. soccer team will play in Cuba Saturday in a World Cup qualifying match.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva suspended top intelligence leaders for allegedly spying on senior officials, politicians, and judges.

The search for valuable commodities is setting off land disputes in Canada.

Asia

Japan's PM Yasuo Fukuda has resigned. Taro Aso, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, is expected to replace him.

Thailand's prime minister has declared a state of emergency, but the army says it won't use force against civilians on his behalf.

Half a million people are stranded in Bihar, India, after floods devastated the populous state.

Middle East and Africa

Anbar province is now in the hands of the Iraqi government, but not everyone is happy about the shift in control.

Libyan leader Moammar al-Qaddafi embraced capitalism in an unprecedented speech. "The whole business of the conflict between Libya and the United States has been closed once and for all," he added.

Zimbabwe is still keeping tight control of foreign aid workers.

Europe and the Caucasus

The European Union is suspending its partnership talks with Russia over the latter's treatment of Georgia.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced a new, five-point foreign-policy doctrine.

The OECD expects Britain's economy to fall into recession this year.

Today's Agenda

Vice-President Cheney embarks on his trip to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Italy, and Ukraine.

South Africa hosts Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

Today's speaking schedule at the RNC has not yet been released, due to Gustav.

Top Story

STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images

In front of a crowd of 80,000 at Denver's Invesco Field, on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, Barack Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, becoming the first African-American nominated by either party. "Tears are entirely appropriate," writes the Washington Post's Eugene Robinson.

Top Story

EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

It's official: Barack Obama is the Democratic Party's nominee for president of the United States.

Former President Bill Clinton gave the Illinois senator an unqualified endorsement Wednesday night, declaring, "Barack Obama is ready to be president of the United States." "The master has arrived," Peggy Noonan writes of Clinton in today's Wall Street Journal.

"These times require more than a good soldier; they require a wise leader," said vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, criticizing John McCain's foreign-policy views.

McCain has picked his running mate, Politico and the New York Times report separately. He will notify his pick today and announce it at 11 a.m. Friday in Dayton, OH. The three most-mentioned names? Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and, less likely, Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman. Karl Rove reportedly urged Lieberman to withdraw his name from consideration, but he refused.

Global Economy

German Chancellor Angela Merkel again tops Forbes magazine's list of the world's most powerful women.

Even the mighty Toyota has lowered its global sales target for 2009.

Arctic sea ice has already melted to its second-lowest level since satellite recordings began.

Europe and the Caucasus

G7 countries condemned Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and called for support of Ukraine. The EU is considering sanctions.

Russia, meanwhile, apparently believes that August 8 was its 9/11. Russia is growing alarmed at the number of NATO ships in the Black Sea, which are ostensibly there for a humanitarian purpose. Moscow needs to "sober up," a senior U.S. official tells the Washington Post.

Americas

The United States could cut its fuel use in half by 2035, an MIT research team estimates.

Brazil and Argentina, South America's agricultural heavyweights, are responding to high food prices with opposite policies.

Former London Mayor "Red" Ken Livingstone has signed up as an urban-planning advisor for Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

Mexico is opening bidding for the largest infrastructure project in its history, a $4 billion new port in Baja.

Asia

Top U.S. military commanders met secretly Tuesday with Pakistani Army chief Ashfaq Kayani to fashion a common strategy for the border areas. On Wednesday, Pakistan claims its military killed nearly 50 pro-Taliban militants near the Afghan border.

China's National Audit Office reports that the Chinese government misused or mismanaged at least $6.7 billion in public funds in 2007.

Middle East and Africa

Iraq could take control of security in Anbar province as early as Monday, allowing the U.S. Marine Corps to shift resources to Afghanistan. Also -- no joke -- Baghdad is planning to build a huge Ferris wheel.

Lebanon has indicted Libyan leader Moammar el-Qaddafi for kidnapping Sheikh Moussa Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who disappeared nearly 30 years ago.

More than 70 African migrants died when their makeshift ferry sank in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Sudanese hijackers have surrendered to Libyan authorities.

Today's Agenda

Al Gore and Barack Obama speak at the Democratic National Convention. It's the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech.

It's the second day of the 65th Venice International Film Festival.

Moscow hosts its 12th annual motor show.

Top Story

PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

Speaking Tuesday before the Democratic National Convention and a political press ready to pounce on any signs of lingering rancor from the primary season, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton told delegates she was a "proud supporter of Barack Obama" and urged her followers to vote for him.

"Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. You haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership," Clinton said. "No way. No how. No McCain."

Obama called the speech "excellent." But Michael Tomasky looks at what Hillary didn't say, and the McCain camp quickly noted that she never explicitly said that Barack Obama is ready to lead.

CNN reports that former President Bill Clinton, who speaks tonight, will not attend Obama's speech Thursday.

Obama will speak "from an elaborate columned stage resembling a miniature Greek temple," according to Reuters.

Global Economy

More people live in poverty than previously thought, the World Bank has found.

The Washington Post profiles the new generation of "hacktivists."

Americas

One of Cuba's most popular rock musicians has been arrested for "dangerousness."

Western counterterrorism officials are growing concerned about Hezbollah's activities in Venezuela.

Europe and the Caucasus

U.S. President George W. Bush said that Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia merely "exacerbates tensions and complicates diplomatic negotiations."

Europe's retired population is projected to rise sharply.

Asia

Anwar Ibrahim has won a seat in the Malaysian parliament.

China's economy is headed for a gradual slowdown, the Financial Times reports.

Carbon emissions from China's power plants will soon surpass those of the United States. Map and data here.

North Korea's threat to resume producing plutonium is technically feasible, analysts tell Reuters.

Political instability has sent Pakistan's stock index to its lowest level in two years.

Middle East and Africa

Iraq's president says the United States originally pressed to maintain U.S. troops in Iraq until 2015.

A day after opposition MPs heckled him in parliament, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe announced he was forming a government on his own.

Darfur rebels hijacked a Sudanese plane and are still holding its crew hostage.

Today's Agenda

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband is visiting Ukraine amid concerns that the former Soviet satellite could be a target of Russian "aggression."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao today to seek support for Russia's position in Georgia.

It's the birthday of former U.S. President Lyndon Johnson, who would have been 100 years old today.

The American Legion is hosting the second day of its annual convention, with scheduled appearances from Dick Cheney, Jim Webb (10 a.m.), and Barack Obama (11 a.m.). John McCain spoke yesterday, criticizing Obama for what he said was poor judgment on foreign policy.

Top Story

ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Would-be First Lady Michelle Obama, headlining the first night of the Democratic National Convention Monday, portrayed her family as the embodiment of the American dream. The speech "sought to humanize a couple that supporters fear may seem distant to many Americans," according to the Wall Street Journal.

"I come here as a mom whose girls are the heart of my heart and the center of my world. They're the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night," she began. She called upon American voters to listen to "our hopes instead of our fears" and said that her husband would make "an extraordinary president."

Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, still struggling to recover from brain cancer, made a surprise appearance in which he declared, "The work begins anew, the hope rises again, and the dream lives on." (Obama's speech | Kennedy's speech)

Decision '08

Barack Obama is fighting to keep an ad tying him to a 1960s radical off the air.

Authorities in Denver may have uncovered an assassination plot against Obama.

Republicans are trying in various ways to steal a little bit of Obama's limelight. For instance John McCain appeared on Jay Leno Monday evening, poking some fun at himself.

Global Economy

The dollar is gaining strength against the euro, and crude oil is falling below $114 a barrel.

European and Asian markets fell, while U.S. futures advanced.

Asia

North Korea is causing trouble again. The secretive, Stalinist state is threatening to rebuild its plutonium reprocessing facilities.

Pakistani presidential hopeful Asif Zardari has suffered from mental problems, court records show. And Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is in hot water for unauthorized contacts with Zardari.

Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim is likely to win a by-election that will return him to parliament after nearly 10 years.

Thousands of protesters rallied in Thailand to call for the resignation of PM Samak Sundaravej, whom they say is a stand-in for Thaksin Shinawatra.

Middle East and Africa

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticized Israel for building in settlement areas. She met with Israeli PM Ehud Olmert Tuesday.

Two Gulf Arab investors are considering purchasing Hummer from GM.

Europe and the Caucasus

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev decided to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as the Duma recommended. The Russian stock market fell on the news.

The British government has launched a "secret propaganda war" against al Qaeda, the Guardian reports.

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney heads to Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Italy next week.

German business confidence is swooning.

Today's Agenda

Singapore is hosting economic ministers from ASEAN.

Zimbabwe's new parliament meets for the first time, led by a speaker of parliament from the opposition.

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton speaks tonight at the DNC in Denver.

Top Story

John Moore/Getty Images

The Democratic National Convention begins today in Denver, Colorado. Adam Nagourney of the New York Times sees a party "nervous about Senator Barack Obama's prospects" and eager to put the divisive primary battle with Hillary Clinton behind it.

Not everyone is preaching unity, however: Politico reports on some residual feuding over Bill Clinton's speaking slot.

Obama will speak Thursday at Invesco Field, which seats 75,000 people. Marc Ambinder predicts the speech will be more "workmanlike" than soaring.

Here's the schedule of events and Christopher Buckley's mock version.

John McCain is keeping a light schedule but won't concede the week to Obama.

Global Economy

Some oil is finally flowing through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, helping to send oil prices down to around $114.

The world economy is slowing and credit markets are freezing up again. Krishna Guha finds the world's central bankers "caught between hope and despair."

The "global consensus on trade is unraveling," Larry Summers warns.

Europe and the Caucasus

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is vowing to reclaim South Ossetia and Abkhazia, currently under Russian control. Russia's upper house of parliament just voted to recognize the two breakaway regions' independence.

Russian media have portrayed the conflict in Georgia as "evidence that Moscow has regained its global dominance," according to the LA Times. Ukraine's president weighs in.

A U.S. Navy destroyer has landed in Georgia to provide humanitarian aid.

Asia

The Olympics are over, and China won the most gold medals with 51. Edward Cody calls the games a "victory" that may "empower" the Communist Party. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing is "disappointed" by China's treatment of protesters.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai fired two top military leaders after an errant U.S. airstrike that he said killed more than 89 innocent people. More here.

The Taliban is winning, according to Pakistani presidential hopeful Asif Ali Zardari.

Tensions are high in Kashmir after India arrested two leaders of the recent protests. Many Kashmiri Muslims are ignoring an imposed curfew.

Middle East and Africa

Zimbabwe arrested two opposition MPs in what opposition leaders say is a transparent attempt to win the speaker of parliament vote.

Iran's supreme leader has thrown his weight behind Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's bid for a second term as Iranian president.

Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, gave a rare press conference to dispel persistent rumors that he is ill.

Most internally displaced Iraqis in Baghdad are not returning to their homes.

Al Qaeda is evading a financial crackdown by keeping its costs low.

Today's Agenda

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is visiting Israel to breathe new life into the sagging peace process. Israel released 198 Palestinian prisoners, which helps some.

Lebanon's PM Fouad Siniora is visiting Baghdad to enhance bilateral ties with Iraq.

Nawaz Sharif is due to decide today about whether his party will stay in Pakistan's government.

Top Story

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Political junkies and Barack Obama supporters are waiting anxiously for the presumptive Democratic nominee to announce his running mate, which could happen any minute now. Keep your cellphones handy, folks.

Obama says he has picked his No.2, but will say only this about who it is: "I want somebody who’s independent, somebody who can push against my preconceived notions and challenge me so we have got a robust debate in the White House."

David Brooks hopes "Biden's the one." Could be: Andrea Mitchell reports that the Delaware senator is "gathering the clan."

Decision '08

What about McCain's veep choice? Two Republican sources tell Time's Mark Halperin that it's Mitt Romney. Take it with a grain of salt.

McCain's failure Thursday to remember how many houses he owns has spawned a fun debate over whether the Arizona senator married to the multi-millionaire heiress or the Harvard-trained lawyer is more in tune with "regular Americans."

Global Economy

Tensions between Russia and the West pushed oil prices up more than $5 Thursday. They've also devastated Russian markets.

Americas

A full 69 percent of Americans now say that controlling the border is more important than granting illegal immigrants legal status.

Rio de Janeiro is in a "real war" against criminal gangs and militias, according to the Brazilian state's governor.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon proposed new measures to combat a crime wave that has seen more than 2,500 Mexicans die in drug-related violence this year.

Asia

The International Olympic Committee is investigating whether Chinese gymnast He Kexin is too young for the Olympics.

Kashmir is boiling with anti-Indian rage.

Pakistan has scheduled its presidential election for September 6.

Middle East and Africa

Iraqi officials say they are "very close" to reaching a final agreement on the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops by 2011. But Bush administration officials stress that the goal is "aspirational," and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cautioned Thursday that "all of those stories in the newspapers... probably ought to be disregarded until we have an agreement."

The Iraqi government is cracking down on some Sunni allies of the United States.

Georgia

Today's the deadline for Russian troops to withdraw. Georgia sees "very little, if any, movement," but Russia insists everything is on schedule. "Peacekeeping" troops will likely remain on Georgian territory, however.

Famed Russian conductor Valery Gergiev led a requiem for South Ossetia's war dead in Tskhinvali Thursday. Some South Ossetians want to join Russia.

Peter Baker looks at how a more hostile Russia could hurt U.S. interests.

Today's Agenda

Obama is in Chicago; McCain is at his estate in Sedona, Arizona. Neither has public events scheduled. 

Many of you folks are probably already regular readers of the FP Morning Brief, which we put together each day to keep us all abreast of the latest and most important world developments.

After a few days of under-the-radar beta testing, we're ready to announce that now, you can get the Brief delivered to your in box each morning at around 9 a.m. by signing up for it here.

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Top Story

YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/Getty Images

Russia scoffed at NATO's warning Tuesday of the end of "business as usual," accusing the alliance of bias and ripping the "criminal regime" in Georgia. NATO did not specify what punishments might ensue if Russia doesn't comply with its requests.

The Kremlin did promise to withdraw troops by Friday, though Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (right) cautions in a Wall Street Journal op-ed this morning that this will happen only if "the parties to the conflict cooperate in good faith" (i.e. Georgia). Russia has also nixed a U.N. Security Council resolution on the matter.

Already, Russia appears to be annexing Georgian territory on behalf of South Ossetia and there are troubling reports of ethnic cleansing on both sides. Abkhazia, meanwhile, plans to call anew for independence.

The WSJ looks at what Russian's allies have said about the war.

Decision '08

Barack Obama is going on the attack. Speaking before the VFW convention in Florida Tuesday, he slammed John McCain's judgment on national security and declared, "I will let no one question my love of this country."

McCain, landing on an oil and gas rig off the coast of Louisiana, renewed his call for more offshore drilling.

The two candidates are tied in the polls; veep speculation has gone to eleven.

Global Economy

All eyes are on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as investors shy away from purchasing the mortgage giants' debt. Is a federal bailout inevitable?

U.S. inflation is growing at the fastest pace since 1981.

The United Nations warns of rising "food neocolonialism."

Americas

Anti-government demonstrations in Bolivia's business capital turned violent when protestors clashed with supporters of President Evo Morales.

New technology is allowing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to compile data on citizens' border crossings that will be stored for 15 years.

Asia

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is visiting Afghanistan after the deadliest attack on French forces abroad since 1983. Taliban attacks are getting bolder in general.

Nawaz Sharif, angered over the fate of Supreme Court judges, threatened to pull his Pakistan Muslim League-N party out of the ruling coalition in Islamabad; a bombing killed at least 26 people in the tribal areas.

Kim Jong Il reportedly wants the Gumball Rally, a 3,000-mile international car race, to include the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas.

Middle East and Africa

Fresh car bomb attacks in Algeria killed 11 people, a day after an attack on a police academy killed 43.

Deal or no deal, Zimbabwe's parliament will convene next week.

Zambia's widely respected president died Tuesday at the age of 59.

Europe

Radovan Karadzic claims the judge in his U.N. war-crimes trial is prejudiced against him.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice inked the missile-defense deal with Poland.

Today's Agenda

John Githongo, Kenya's former anti-corruption czar (whom we interviewed in February), is heading home after three years of exile.

BP will begin testing the BTC pipeline.

U.S. President George W. Bush travels to New Orleans and Mississippi for the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Barack Obama might announce his running mate. Or not. It might be Biden. Or not.

Obama is in Virginia today, while McCain is campaigning in New Mexico. McCain's chief Senate allies, Joseph Lieberman and Lindsay Graham, have flown to Georgia.

Top Story

Uriel Sinai/Getty Images

Russian forces have seized control of the port in Poti, Georgia, and appear to be digging in along a buffer zone nine miles from South Ossetia. "Practically speaking there are so far no signs of withdrawal at all," Georgia's foreign minister told the Guardian, though Reuters reports that a column of armor was seen leaving Gori.

NATO foreign ministers are meeting today in Brussels to hash out a common position, but the alliance is divided over how to handle Russia and support Georgia. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, for one, wants to see "hard-headed engagement," but not an effort to isolate Russia. "It is essential that unity is preserved," stresses French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. Ronald Asmus hopes to see sped-up enlargement plans from NATO.

Russia has shut down trade links with Georgia, which depends heavily on its Russian economic ties.

Georgia is becoming a major subject of political debate in Ukraine, where many fear their country is Russia's next target.

Decision '08

Obama has "all but settled on" his veep choice, the New York Times reports. It's most likely either Delaware Sen. Biden, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, or Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.

John McCain will announce his No.2 on August 29, Politico reports.

Global Economy

Oil majors, despite record profits, face a crisis of declining production.

This just in: fuel subsidies are bad.

The Nikkei index fell 2.7 percent on renewed fears about the U.S. financial sector. "The worst is to come," warns former IMF chief economist Ken Rogoff.

Americas

Mexican peppers have been posing a problem at the border for months, a review of U.S. Food and Drug Administration records shows.

Hugo Chávez moved to nationalize the cement industry in Venezuela.

Cuba is considering an overhaul of its sprawling social-welfare system.

Asia

With Musharraf gone, Pakistan's ruling coalition is out of excuses: it must decide on his replacement, resolve the status of 60 ousted judges, and repair the economy. The acting president is Senate Chairman Muhammad Mian Soomro, a respected banker. Coalition leaders are holding talks today.

Ten French soldiers died fighting Taliban forces east of Kabul, Afghanistan; a suicide bomber killed 12 workers at a U.S. base in Khost.

As of Monday, China had not permitted any actual protests in the Olympic "protest zones." A Beijing Olympics spokesman explained, "China has its own style of democracy."

Middle East and Africa

Tensions are rising in Kirkuk, the "powder keg" of Iraq.

A bombing killed at least 43 people at a police training facility in Algeria.

Europe

German investor confidence is back up, surprising analysts.

A terror cell in Britain was plotting to attack the Queen, authorities say.