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Violence continues in Xinjiang province (in pink on the map), where a gang of Uighurs killed two police officers and wounded five others last Wednesday. Police responded by shooting six suspects Saturday.

The officers killed Wednesday were also Uighur, underscoring the division in Xinjiang between Uighurs on both sides of the conflict. A perceived failure to share the fruits of an oil boom in the region has fueled Uighur resentment toward Beijing, but some have sought employment in security forces or local government.

The death toll in the spate of attacks has reached 39, and the thousands of security troops deployed in Xinjiang to keep peace during the Olympics are not likely to be leaving any time soon.

General

An earthquake in southwestern China killed at least 38 people and downed 180,000 homes Saturday. Officials say it was not an aftershock of the May 12 earthquake in the same region. Premier Wen Jiabao warned of further hardship in Sichuan as winter approaches.

China plans to launch its third manned spacecraft by the end of the month.

Politics

Village laws for the recall of local officals, an experiment in democracy, are proving difficult to enforce.

Police in Beijing have reportedly harassed the 73-year-old mother of an Olympic protestor.

Economy

Iraq's cabinet approved a $3 billion oil-service deal with the Chinese National Petroleum Company.

Cheap Chinese lanterns are catching on in Egypt during Ramadan, to the dismay of local craftsmen.

Chinese officals say the appreciation of the renmibi does not need to be accelerated, to the dismay of the United States.

A jury in Las Vegas convicted two former Bank of China officials on charges of racketeering and fraud.

Environment

Enjoying blue skies and clear roads, Beijing residents want the emergency pollution measures enacted for the Olypmics to stay for good.

Taiwan

Thousands marched in Taipei Saturday to protest President Ma Ying-jeou's efforts to improve relations with the mainland.

China Moment

Beijing's Central Propaganda Department banned criticism of China's soccer team, which had a disappointing showing during the Olympics.

MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP/Getty Images

Silvio Burlusconi's appearance with Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi over the weekend seemed to be a historic first: the Italian prime minister formally apologized and agreed to offer financial compensation for decades of colonial occupation. An elaborate ceremony -- complete with the repatriation of an ancient statue of Venus that had been relocated to Rome -- marked the signing of a "friendship and cooperation agreement" between the two countries.

Yet it wasn't a completely altruistic measure for the Italians, who stand to benefit from their "reparations" to the former colony:

“We have written a page in history. Now we will have fewer illegal immigrants leaving from the coast of Libya and coming to us, and more Libyan oil and gas,” declared Mr Berlusconi, according to Italian reports

Indeed, the $5 billion Italy will pay in annual installments of $200 million will largely come in the form of investments in Libyan infrastructure. While the agreement marks the first time a former colonial power offered compensation to an Arab country, special economic ties between former colonies and mother countries are, of course, nothing new.

The question now is whether Italy will follow suit with its other, less resource-rich, former colonies like Ethiopia and Eritrea.

I can't link directly to her press release (the Alaska governor's office Web site is, regrettably, down) but earlier this month Sarah Palin apparently liked some material in Obama's energy plan:

“I am pleased to see Senator Obama acknowledge the huge potential Alaska’s natural gas reserves represent in terms of clean energy and sound jobs,” Palin says in the release. “The steps taken by the Alaska State Legislature this past week demonstrate that we are ready, willing and able to supply the energy our nation needs.”

Politico's Ben Smith also noted at the time that Palin was less enthused about Obama's plan to tax oil company profits, which is somewhat strange, considering that she's instituted a similar tax in Alaska.

Michael Conti/AFP/Getty Images

A cursory search for Sarah Palin's foreign policy credentials comes up with, well, nothing. It seems that John McCain figures he's got that avenue covered, and has picked Palin to please the conservative base, add some youth to the ticket (she's 44), and reach out to female voters.

More importantly for McCain, one of Palin's strengths may be energy. She's in favor of drilling in ANWR, but has been careful to consider environmental concerns. An interview from July reveals some potential Republican talking points on energy independence:

Alaskans are frustrated because there is opposition in Congress to developing our vast amount of natural resources. We want to contribute more to the rest of the United States. We want to help secure the United States, and help us get off this reliance of foreign sources of energy."

Later, she even comments on the vice presidential speculation, and once again brings up energy:

I think that any kind of national profile, if there is any elevation of that, it's for Alaska itself. People are looking up here (and saying) we need you as leaders for energy policy. We have a willingness to develop responsibly and supply the rest of the United States, and that's why we are being looked at. I just happen to be in a position of leadership where I get drawn into that."

She can boast about standing up to big oil, having won a state tax increase on oil company profits. But, like McCain's summer gas tax holiday, she's been prone to gimmicky energy strategies, such as a botched plan to offer $100-a-month energy debit cards to Alaskans.

As governor of Alaska, she hasn't had anything to say about national security. Her oldest son will deploy to Iraq next month, which puts her in the same position as her new rival, Joe Biden. Other than that, her only statements have been vague offerings of support for Alaska's national guard. And I don't buy the argument that because Alaska borders Canada and Russia, her experience as governor should count for something there.

I think it's safe to say McCain will handle national security for the ticket. He'll use Palin's credentials on energy to hammer away at a message that served Republicans well over the summer -- more drilling.

Sure enough, McCain's official statement seems to follow this exactly.

FILE; TEH ENG KOON/AFP/Getty Images

Dmitry Medvedev may have hoped the Shanghai Cooperation Organization would evolve from a loose security bloc into an anti-NATO counterweight, but so far things don't look like they're going in the Russian president's favor. 

On Thursday, Medvedev asked the group, which also includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, to back Russia's response to Georgian "aggression." Instead, while the group welcomed "Russia's active role in contributing to peace and co-operation in the region," it condemned the use of force and reaffirmed its support for the sovereignty of the countries involved:

The SCO states express grave concern in connection with the recent tensions around the South Ossetian issue and urge the sides to solve existing problems peacefully, through dialogue, and to make efforts facilitating reconciliation and talks," their statement said.

That China and the others spoke of respecting territorial integrity should come as no surprise. From its relations with Sudan abroad to its concerns with seperatists in Tibet and Xinjiang at home, China has long expressed a policy of non-intervention.

Russia, too, was often a strong opponent of Western interventions -- in Iraq and Kosovo, among others -- which makes its military action in Georgia all the more galling. Its Asian allies, though, haven't jumped on board. That, at the very least, should be a comforting sign for the West amid cries of a new Cold War.

For more on how Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia may backfire, check out FP's interview with regional expert and CIA veteran Paul Goble.

MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

We're still a year away from learning who will host the 2016 Summer Olympics. But, while Beijing is fresh in our minds, I thought it'd be high time to consider the lessons and legacies of the 2008 games with an eye on the future.

If we learned one thing from Beijing 2008, it's that the Olympics are a perfect pretext for a massive security crackdown. So why not award the 2016 games to a city that could actually use a massive security crackdown?  

The murder rate in the state of Rio de Janiero is down to 39 per 100,000, from a high of 64 per 100,000 people in the mid-1990s. That's still high, and one still encounters machine guns while browsing shopping stalls. Some think meditation may do the trick, but an Olympic effort to crack down on petty crime (not political opposition, mind you) could do wonders.

The other finalist host cities are Chicago, Tokyo, and Madrid. The United States recently hosted in 2002 and 1996, Japan in 2006, and Spain in 1992. South America has never hosted the Olympics. Considering Brazil's growing economic clout, the time seems to be about right to finally change that.

Plus, India is gearing up for a 2020 bid of its own. With Beijing 2008, Sochi 2014, Rio 2016, and New Delhi 2020, all of the BRICs would get the recognition they deserve as the 21st century's rising powers. 

Of course, it is important that Rio be truly ready. As my colleague Josh Keating argues in today's Web exclusive, hosting international sporting events can do more harm than good for a country's reputation. The 2010 World Cup in South Africa, for one, appears to be headed toward disaster. But Brazil insists that it successfully hosted the 2007 Pan America Games, and would have proper practice after hosting the 2014 World Cup. Here's hoping Rio gets a good look from the IOC next fall.

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JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

China passed the Olympic torch to Britain Sunday, bringing an end to a controversial Olympics marked both by spectacle and suppression. On the sporting field, China achieved its goal of winning the gold medal count. The United States, however, dubbed the games a "missed opportunity" for progress on human rights, and expressed disappointment that the Olympics didn't bring more "openness and tolerance" to China. In the face of diplomatic pressure, Chinese authorities freed eight Americans who had been detained for pro-Tibet demonstrations during the games. 

China now faces uncertainty over its economic future, hoping to avoid the infamous Olympic hangover. 

Politics

President Hu Jintao visited South Korea Monday, agreeing to expand ties between the two countries. 

Authorities blocked, then reinstated, access to iTunes because of an album titled Songs for Tibet.

The Dalai Lama alleged that repression worsened in Tibet during the Olympics. The spiritual leader canceled trips to Mexico and the Dominican Republic because of exhaustion.

Economy

Facing increasing costs, manufacturers are beginning to look outside China.

China overtook the United States as Japan's largest export market. 

Chinese companies are exploring ventures for oil in Iraq and copper in Afghanistan. 

The Bank of China is fighting allegations of supporting terrorism.

Environment

Air quality in Beijing is the best in 10 years, and a top environmental official expects the blue skies to continue.

The Olympics diverted water from thousands of farmers, causing a man-made drought that cost locals in Hebei province their homes and land. 

Taiwan

Prosecutors ordered the son and daughter-in-law of Taiwan's former president, Chen Shui-bian, not to leave the island. The former president, his wife, son, daughter-in-law and brother-in-law are all facing investigation for alleged money laundering. 

General News

Explosions at a chemical plant in Guangxi province killed 20 Wednesday. 

Tropical Storm Nuri showered Shanghai with its heaviest rains in 100 years.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Boris Johnson may have ruffled some feathers in Beijing by declaring London the "sporting capital of the world" and boasting about Britain inventing ping pong. But the London mayor still had some kind words for China after his Olympic visit.

Chinese bloggers and members of the Chinese media, on the other hand, did not take kindly to the performance of Britain -- and Johnson in particular -- during the Olympic changeover ceremony. One blogger blasted Johnson for not buttoning his suit jacket, while another said the mayor appeared "rude and arrogant" while interacting with his counterpart from Beijing. 

Some of the harshest words, however, were reserved for Jimmy Page and David Beckham:

Unfortunately, the singer and Jimmy Page are absolutely not famous enough to be known or recognised by millions of the Chinese audiences. As for David Beckham, he was supposed to kick the football towards the red circle in the centre of the Bird's Nest, in the end, just like any of his penalties at a football match, he totally missed it. 

Ouch. The Brits may not be rallying for Chinese press freedom anytime soon.

What do you do when you're an international pariah dependent on foreign food aid to feed a starving population? Why, develop a "special noodle" that delays feelings of hunger, of course!

Choson Shinbo, a pro-Pyongyang Japanese newspaper, reports that Kim Jong Il's new noodles, which pack more protein and fat than normal noodles, will be available soon:

When you consume ordinary noodles (made from wheat or corn), you may soon feel your stomach empty. But this soybean noodle delays such a feeling of hunger," it said on its website.

While it's nice to see North Korean scientists working on something other than nuclear weapons, a "special noodle" alone isn't going to solve the country's food crisis. It is fitting that, instead of tackling the root causes of the food shortage, the country instead found a superficial means to delay hunger.

To delve further into the mind of North Korea's Dear Leader, check out
"The Secret History of Kim Jong Il" in FP's Sept./Oct. issue, as well as the accompanying photo essay: "Inside the World of Kim Jong Il." (The former requires a subscription and the latter is free.)

It may not be the preferred measure by economists and policy makers, but the Canadian government has noticed an interesting trend among organized crime groups -- they, too, are ditching the dollar:

The weakened US dollar has fallen out of favor with organized crime groups to pay for drug shipments or to settle scores, a Canadian government report said Friday. And if the greenback continues its slide in 2008, as expected, more and more criminals are likely to exchange euros for illicit goods, said Criminal Intelligence Service Canada in its annual report.

The report also cites increasing incidence of "environmental crime" -- groups developing "underground markets for electronic waste and scarce natural resources." If nothing else, Canadian organized crime seems to be ahead of the curve. Money laundering and racketeering sound so 20th century.

President George W. Bush once called for the doubling of the Peace Corps. Barack Obama did too. Economic reality, however, may have the last word, as the declining dollar and rising energy and commodity costs have left the organization facing a budget shortfall:

Those factors "have materially reduced our available resources and spending power," Peace Corps Director Ronald A. Tschetter wrote in a July 22 letter to Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), a member of the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds the program. "Tough budgetary decisions must be made now in order to ensure a financially healthy agency next fiscal year," he added.

Congress may still come to the rescue, but that may not necessarily be a good thing. FP readers will recall Robert L. Strauss's "Think Again: The Peace Corps" from April, where the former Peace Corps country director wrote that the Corps has "never lived up to its purpose or principles."

One of Strauss's solutions is for the Peace Corps to "concentrate its resources in a limited number of countries that are truly interested in the development of their people." Paring down the budget, therefore, may help the organization in the long run if the right calls are made.

To be sure, not everyone agreed with Strauss. With the new budget conditions in mind, it may be time to revisit the debate from earlier this summer.

Guang Niu/Getty Images

Last month, I blogged about the roundball diplomacy during the NBA's summer league in Utah, where Iran's national team was invited to participate as part of its preparations for the Olympics. The gesture was, by most accounts, a success, even though the squad subsequently went winless in Beijing.

Along the way, Iranian center Hamed Ehadadi piqued the interest of NBA scouts. The 7-2 Ehadadi averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds during the Olympics, capping the games with a 21-point, 16-rebound performance against a strong Argentina team, which faces the United States in the semifinals tomorrow.

Of course, as with all things Iran, there was a catch: The NBA informed its teams last week that it had "been advised that a federal statue prohibits a person or organization in the United States from engaging in business dealings with Iranian nationals." Ehadadi's NBA dreams had been dashed -- and it seemed like another missed opportunity for more roundball diplomacy.

Not so fast, however. The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control has now offered its stamp of approval, and NBA teams are free to sign Ehadadi, pending final approval from the league and OFAC. Ehadadi expects to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies:

I will undoubtedly join Memphis Grizzlies by the end of next week. I met Memphis' officials yesterday to discuss joining the team… I received many offers from European teams but just playing in the NBA is my dream. Hopefully, I can join Memphis as soon as possible without any problem.

Ehadadi may not turn out to be a star in the NBA, but chalk up another victory for roundball diplomacy. David Stern is far from a perfect commissioner, but his emphasis on making basketball a global game appears to be paying off. Even if, in some cases, it works too well.

Disappointing attendance in the country that helped birth "ping-pong diplomacy" is driving home a point that traditional tennis learned a long time ago: sex sells.

In a sport where women often wear baggy shorts and shirts, table-tennis officals think more form-fitting attire may help draw fans:

We are trying to push the players to use skirts and also nicer shirts, not the shirts that are made for men, but ones with more curves," International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) vice president Claude Bergeret said.

While I do love a good game of ping pong, maybe the problem is most people see table tennis as a hobby and not an Olympic sport. Then again, maybe Bergeret should have simply found a way to get Serbia's Biba Golic (above) into the Olympics this year.

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Remember how China promised to play nice and at least let protestors demonstrate in three specially approved parks? Authorities revealed that 149 people had submitted 77 applications to demonstrate during the Olympics. None were approved.

Chinese officials blamed the matter on technicalities ("The applicants have been told to apply again according to the proper procedures set down," a spokesperson said. "It does not mean their applications have been rejected.") Yet two elderly women who applied to protest were ordered to a year of reeducation through labor. One Hong Kong resident received word that he could protest once the Olympics were over.

Five Americans were arrested Tuesday after spelling out "Free Tibet" with LED lights in Olympic Park. Three others were detained in a seperate incident. On Friday, five Americans were detained then deported after hanging a 375-foot "Free Tibet" sign on the side of the state-run television headquarters.

More Olympics

As of Wednesday afternoon, China led the gold medal count with 45, but trailed the United States overall, 79 to 82. Chinese women have been key to their country's Olympic success.

Officials confirmed what FP readers already knew: the Beijing games are the most-viewed in Olympic history.

State media scrambled to massage the surprising withdrawal of superstar hurdler Liu Xiang. Liu, perhaps the most popular athlete in China, pulled out of the 100-meter hurdles after he said his foot "didn't feel right."

Environment

Environmental officials say pollution levels have met expected standards during the Olympics. Independent observers agreeed, but said the success was largely due to favorable weather.

U.S. consumers may feel the fallout of Beijing's efforts to curb smog, which made manufacturing more expensive.

Economy

The Olympics haven't been a boon for China's stock market, which has tumbled 15 percent since Aug. 8.

Business is good, however, for Tsingtao beer.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said China is moving in the "right direction" on currency reform.

Rebuilding costs from May's Sichuan earthquake may total $147 billion.

Politics

Hua Gofing, who briefly ruled as Mao's successor, is dead at 87.

Things aren't looking good for ethnic unity.

Taiwan

Former president Chen Shui-bian, under investigation for money-laundering allegations, has been barred from leaving the island.

The Taipei zoo will receive two pandas as a gift from the mainland. The names of the two pandas, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, mean "unity" when put together.

China Moment

Chinese media speculate that Michael Phelps is actually Korean.

MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images

All the bluster of a "new Cold War" of late has been a bit much for my tastes. Recent developments in the Middle East, however, have been hard to ignore:

As Syria renews its Soviet-era close ties with Moscow, many here fear that the Middle East could once again become a theatre for the two great powers to exert their spheres of influence, militarily and politically, in the volatile region.

As Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visits Russia today seeking deals for new missile systems, he's been dutifully trumpeting the Kremlin's party line on Georgia. He accused the West of "total disinformation, distorting facts and attempts at international isolation" (and he would know a bit about international isolation) but also took aim at Israel's alleged role in the conflict in the Caucasus:

Moreover, the West and Israel continue to put pressure on Russia. ... I think that in Russia and in the world everyone is now aware of Israel's role and its military consultants in the Georgian crisis.

(Israel says its government does not sell arms to other countries but its private firms are free to do so.)

In the wake of recent indirect talks between Israel and Syria, it would be a shame for Russia's resurgance to ruin any potential progress. As an editorial in The Asia Times notes, the very same neoconservatives who want to escalate the showdown with Russia may be harming their interest in the security of Israel at the same time.

Nissan-Renault is finding itself in hot water for an advertisement for its new Tiida that recently aired on Israeli television. The ad, which depicts a group of Saudis attacking the fuel-efficient car, has drawn the ire of Arab states for its alleged racism:

It's my opinion that Nissan made a huge error by igniting these [racist] instincts," official Hani al-Wafa told MBC TV, a Saudi-run station headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "We need to apply punishments... against these things. In order for Nissan to keep its interests in the region, it must apologize."

Though a Nissan spokeswoman in Israel defended the spot as humorous, the company has apparently distanced itself from the ad and canceled the campaign, which had been developed by an Israeli marketing firm. Of course, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, the ad lives on online:

Nissan is not new to the risqué viral video business. The company may have gone too far with this one, although I'm not sure if there would have been such an outcry had the ad aired anywhere other than Israel.

For what it's worth, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is of Lebanese descent.

Emily Wax, reporting in today's Washington Post, thinks so. Considering the longtime rivalry between the two neighbors, this seems counterintuitive at first. But Musharraf, at the very least, was a known quantity for India. Despite his imperfections, the general-turned-president was a source of stability, and his resignation marks an uncertain future for India-Pakistan relations:

He was India's best bet in Pakistan. We will miss Musharraf," said A.G. Noorani, a constitutional lawyer and Kashmir expert. "If he had not fired his judges and gotten bogged down in domestic dramas, I believe we would have been able to make a significant breakthrough in a peace deal in Kashmir today."

Unfortunately, those "domestic dramas" took a decidedly undemocratic turn, and firing the judges was a desperate move to cling to power. The question now for the two countries is whether recent tensions had more to do with Musharraf's waning influence, or his undermining the civilian government by refusing to bow out. Hopefully it's the latter, but I'm not convinced.

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

Baseball may be on the way out as an Olympic sport, but observers anticipating the eventual clash of civilizations between the United States and China may have seen a sneak preview on the diamond Monday:

The U.S. beat China 9-1 in the Olympics Monday night, and it was awful. China’s pitchers hit five U.S. batters, sending one to the hospital. U.S. baserunners plowed over two China catchers, likely knocking one out of the Games.

While some reporters at the scene think "Our relations with China were nearly broken at the plate," I wouldn't go that far. After all, the manager of the Chinese team -- who was ejected from Monday's game -- is an American who has been helping establish the national pastime in China since 2003. Personally, I'm still more outraged about the Chinese gymnasts.