Behind Chinese labor scandal, dirt-poor children
Residents of Liangshan, a remote part of southwestern China, say abject poverty, drug abuse and a lack of jobs have driven many children to work in factories in coastal cities.

Obama adds superdelegates and labor voices
Senator Barack Obama all but erased Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's lead among national convention superdelegates Friday and won fresh labor backing as elements of the Democratic Party began coalescing around him.
- Clinton finds herself in cash-strapped effort
- In election commission moves, some see effort to aid McCain

In south Myanmar village, all is 'gone with the wind'
In the northern reaches of the Irrawaddy Delta, families are rebuilding their homes and the dead have been buried. But farther south, villagers struggle to repair their shattered lives.
- Myanmar holds vote on constitution
- UN briefly suspends food aid to Myanmar after shipment is seized
- Experts fear disease outbreaks after Myanmar cyclone
- Before cyclone hit, Burmese delta was stripped of defenses

Deal reached on truce in Sadr City
Shiite leaders in Parliament and in the Sadrist movement agreed to a truce that would end more than a month of bloody fighting in the Baghdad ghetto.

Pentagon official barred from aiding war-crime prosecution
In a blow to the Bush administration, a judge prohibited a Pentagon general who has been centrally involved in overseeing Guantánamo war crimes tribunals from any role in the first case headed for trial.

Moscow echoes with nostalgia as military parades through Red Square
Goose-stepping footfalls, echoing in front of shop windows bearing products from Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, captured the contrasts institutionalized during eight years of rule by former President Vladimir Putin.

Citigroup announces plans to sell $400 billion in assets
The ailing bank plans to shed assets including real estate, leveraged loans, complex debt tied to subprime mortgages, and structured investment vehicles.

High prices for staple foods dip, but volatile markets persist
The prices of rice, wheat, soybeans and several other foods have come down recently, a development that could ease some of the panic in global food markets.
- China faces Western problem of bulging waistlines

Last gasp for Olmert's political career?
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel has declared his innocence in yet another police investigation, but calls for his resignation are coming from left, right and center.

New Pakistani government frees Baluchi leader
A Baluchi nationalist leader who was one of the most prominent political leaders jailed by President Pervez Musharraf was freed Friday.
- U.S. military cancels general's assignment to Pakistan

Guinness brewery in Dublin to remain open
Diageo has decided to keep the historic Guinness brewery at St. James's Gate in Dublin open, but the company will shift a large part of its output to a new plant in the suburbs.

Kostunica warns of treason on eve of Serbian vote
A campaign rally for Vojislav Kostunica, the nationalist prime minister, underlined the stark choice Serbs face in elections that could draw Serbia closer to the European Union or drag it back into the isolation of the past.

Hints of a rift at OPEC about production
An oil official signaled for the first time in months that the oil cartel might increase its output if prices keep rising.
- Oil rises above $126 a barrel
- Higher fuel costs are pushing up airfares

Europe reluctant to set up a security doctrine
The European Union is not ready for a serious discussion about why the bloc needs a security doctrine because it would mean dealing with the issue of power.

Souren Melikian: In a changed world, million-dollar works continue to soar
The new reality of wealth was partly concealed this week by the huge numbers posted at Christie's on Tuesday evening, $277.27 million, and at Sotheby's on Wednesday evening, $235.33 million.

Clandestine workers step forward in French protests
Strikes by illegal immigrants working in restaurants have mushroomed into a broader protest, spreading fast outside the capital.