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Sunni Arab negotiators in Iraq are so far rejecting the constitutional draft presented to the National Assembly Monday. Their largest concern is about the terms under which Iraq will be a federation. And some Iraqis fear the document will lead to a country dominated by Shiite clerics.

Nigeria produces so much oil that just the possibility of trouble there affects world markets. Prices first approached $60 a barrel after this summer's threat to the U.S. consulate. Oil first hit $50 last fall after another news item from Nigeria. A Niger Delta rebel ordered all oil companies out of the country.

The American company Chevron faces disruptions -- big and small -- in its oil operations on a regular basis. The source of the trouble is a Niger Delta population that says it is not benefitting from the oil industry. Locals say the government and multinationals are colluding to keep the spoils for themselves.

The Energy Department says the United States depends on Africa for 18 percent of its petroleum imports. That percentage is growing rapidly. The biggest African producer is Nigeria. The fight is on in Africa's most populous country to grab a share of the money generated by the energy industry.

Despite an extended deadline, there is little visible progress toward a constitution for Iraq. While some involved say a resolution is near, others cite "profound" differences between competing groups.

The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, is a familiar face to many Iraqis -- some say too familiar. As the constitution is being drafted, there are concerns among Iraqis that Khalilzad's omnipresence is a sign of excessive U.S. influence.

Members of a parliamentary committee in Iraq say they can draft the country's new constitution by the Aug. 15 deadline. Committee members face intense pressure from the United States to meet the deadline. So far, sectarian and religious differences have plagued the work of the drafting committee.

In the wake of the London bombings, New York City officials have begun random searches of subway passengers. Some New Yorkers are taking it in stride, but a civil liberties group is raising legal questions saying that the search policy gives a false sense of security.

As British authorities hunt suspects in two attacks on the London transit system, they are distracted by a fiasco. Saturday, authories said a man shot dead by plainclothes police officers at a subway station Friday was a 27-year-old Brazilian not connected to the bombings. Brazil's goverment wants an explanation.

The civic miracle has happened in a dozen American cities over the decades. Neighbors across those cities have joined each other to demand reform. The miracle has typically begun small and quiet, within neighborhoods in Portland and Denver, Phoenix and St. Louis, Atlanta and Baltimore.