GORI, GEORGIA - Russian troops began pulling out Thursday from Gori, the strategically key city where their presence raised fears that Russia would challenge a cease-fire agreement, Georgia's Interior Ministry said.
LONDON - The pound has fallen further against the dollar, hitting its lowest level in almost two years amid fears the UK will fall into recession. Sterling touched a 22-month low of $1.8619 in Thursday trading.
USA - White people are projected to no longer be in the majority in the United States by the year 2042 - eight years sooner than previous projections.
ZURICH - Switzerland's biggest bank UBS on Tuesday took another hit of 5.1 billion dollars in subprime-related asset writedowns, as its total damages incurred from the market crisis climbed to 42.5 billion dollars.
ISRAEL - Analysis of the war in Georgia points to a fight over a major oil route as the main reason for hostilities, but also to an Israeli connection.
UK - The Guardian reports on Home Office proposals published yesterday which will allow local councils, health authorities and hundreds of other public bodies to access details of everyone's personal text, emails and internet use.
EUROPE - Bruce Ackerman of Yale University argues on the Guardian online, "While the Irish referendum suggested an exhaustion of the centralising ambitions of recent years, the Russian invasion will generate a new centralising dynamic BASED ON MILITARY SECURITY.
BRUSSELS - EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels today to discuss the next steps following the cessation of hostilities in Georgia. Le Figaro reports that EU member states are "divided between firmness and moderation towards Moscow".
RUSSIA - Rarely have Russians had such cause to celebrate their hero. One minute Vladimir Putin was in Beijing mixing with Russian athletes on the opening day of the Olympics. Moments later he reappeared in the Caucasus, directing a victorious counter-attack against his arch-rival Mikhail Saakashvili, the Georgian President.
LONDON - Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has warned that next year will be a 'painful' one for Britain as the slowdown in the housing market deepens and the cost of living rises further.
USA - Banks' losses from the U.S. subprime crisis and the ensuing credit crunch crossed the $500 billion mark as writedowns spread to more asset types.
LONDON - The mass development of genetically modified crops risks causing the world's worst environmental disaster, The Prince of Wales has warned.
UKRAINE - Now that Russia has humiliated Georgia with a punishing military offensive, it may shift its attention to reining in pro-Western Ukraine, another American ally in the former Soviet Union.
BEIJING - The little girl who starred at the Olympic opening ceremony was miming and only put on stage because the real singer was not considered attractive enough, the show's musical director has revealed.
BEIJING - Chinese officials have admitted deceiving the public over another highlight of the Olympic opening ceremony: the picture-perfect schoolgirl who sang as the Chinese flag entered the stadium was performing to another girl's voice.