Morning Brief, Wednesday, October 31

Asia MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images China faces a massive fuel crunch caused by its heavy domestic subsidies of petrol and diesel. More than 100 brave monks have hit the streets again in Burma. Trust is breaking down between the U.S. and Pakistani militaries. Think Chinese toys are dangerous? Try Chinese chemicals. Middle East An Iranian news ...

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A petrol station attendant at work pumps gasoline at a PetroChina outlet in Shanghai, 29 October 2007. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, has attracted a record 3.3 trillion yuan (440 billion USD) in orders for its Shanghai initial public offering, state media reported. China's blue-chip companies are returning home to cash in on the massive boom in the nation's stock market, up more than 110 percent this year, after rising 130 percent last year. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

Asia

Asia

MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

China faces a massive fuel crunch caused by its heavy domestic subsidies of petrol and diesel.

More than 100 brave monks have hit the streets again in Burma.

Trust is breaking down between the U.S. and Pakistani militaries.

Think Chinese toys are dangerous? Try Chinese chemicals.

Middle East

An Iranian news outlet briefly picked up a satirical Maureen Dowd interview with Dick Cheney, in which the (fake) vice president says Iran has WMD.

Hillary Clinton became a punching bag for her rivals in Tuesday night’s Democratic debate, who accused the New York senator of enabling a war with Iran.

The U.S. military will now oversee State Department convoys in Iraq.

Europe

Authorities are treating as terrorism an explosion on a bus in southern Russia that killed at least eight people.

Rallies breaking out in support of a third term for Russian President Vladimir Putin smack of orchestration by the Kremlin.

Bad housing news may have the British economy taking a turn for the worse, Bloomberg reports. 

Elsewhere 

In a proposed new constitution, Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chávez wants to slash the standard workday from 8 to 6 hours.

Climate change is freaking out the global tourism industry.

Can personal outsourcing of everyday tasks work? The International Herald Tribune takes a look.

Are women taking over Latin American politics?

Mexico’s Catholic Church has condemned Halloween

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