Baghdad – Recently, there has been an outbreak of cholera in Baghdad. So far it is believed to have infected over 7,000 people and seems to be spreading at an alarming rate. This epidemic has spread over the north of Iraq and has begun to spread to the south as well. The war in Iraq has compounded the problem because it has displaced so many people that many are living in unhealthy conditions. At this point, the government is doing very little, and with Iraq in the state that it is in, that is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Pakistan – The beginning of October marks the presidential elections for the country of Pakistan. Many people are urging the current president, General Pervez Mucharraf not to run for re-election because he is currently in charge of the Pakistani army. This is a point of much controversy among the people of Pakistan. Whether or not he is allowed to run is contingent upon the decision of Pakistan’s Supreme Court next week.
Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe’s two conflicting political parties have finally approved changes in their constitution to allow for both parliamentary and presidential elections for the following year. Though president Robert G. Mugabe gave up some of his power to the legislature, there is still a lot of debate over the amount of power that is still in his possession. Despite these small changes, the main political party, ZANU-PF is still in control and dominates the political system of Zimbabwe.
Source: newyorktimes.com
Mikaela Brown 
Sophia Hunter 
Jayme Fisher