Britain, France and Germany are advocating the EU place new sanctions against Iran in light of its developing nuclear program. Leaders of all three countries said talks were not working and action is now needed to stop the country from possibly creating weapons and violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran claims their program is for civilian use authorized in the treaty, but has refused to comply with UN inspectors and is rumored to be enlarging its nuclear capacity. "This is not something for next year, we are talking about next weeks," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told Reuters. Canada recently closed its embassy in Iran and expelled the country’s diplomats from its soil.

U.S. stocks saw an upside to this morning’s disappointing monthly jobs data, with investors hopeful that the sluggish figures will force the Federal Reserve to stimulate the economy. The 96,000 jobs created in August fell short of expectations for the 125,000 jobs a month needed to keep the unemployment rate steady, putting pressure on both Obama and the Fed to act after next week’s Federal Open Market Committee policy meeting. In optimistic anticipation of the meeting, the Dow had its best day on the market since the end of 2007, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit respective four and 12-year highs.

Two quakes rattled the mountainous provinces in southwest China Friday, leaving 70 dead, over 700 injured, and forcing tens of thousands to flee. An estimated 20,000 homes were damaged in the remote area after two 5.6 magnitude quakes hit within 45 minutes of one another. The poor quality of the construction in these rural areas—where many house are built from mud and timber—has led to much more severe damage, but could make rescuing trapped civilians easier. In 2008 and 2010, China also suffered extreme quakes that killed thousands.

Now that convention season has come and gone, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are taking their campaigns on the road for the remaining 58 days until election day. There will be four debates, multiple state appearances, and millions spent on a flurry of new attack ads. Surveys are showing that only one in 10 voters is actually open to switching parties, but that isn’t stopping the new media and appearance barrage. For now, the two candidates remain virtually tied in nationwide polls, with Obama showing a slight lead in Florida and New Hampshire. Both campaigns say they will be focusing heavily on base voter turnout.

Two bombs exploded in the Syrian capital of Damascus Friday, killing at least five policemen and wounding others amid fresh clashes between the opposition and regime forces. The five confirmed casualties were a result of a motorcycle bomb, followed by a car bomb that blew up hours later near the Ministry of Information. The dual blasts come as opposition activists claim 55 people were killed in clashes across the country on Friday. Today’s reported violence aside, the head of the international Red Cross said earlier in the day that talks between him and Assad had been “positive.” UNICEF recently announced that 1,600 people were killed during the last week in August—Syria’s deadliest week to date.

American audiences weren’t the only ones charmed by Michelle Obama’s speech on the first night of the Democratic National Convention. Apparently, the Chinese are just as excited by the electrifying first lady. The country’s popular social networking site, Sina Weibo, showed the speech shared more than 20,000 times, with comments calling it inspiring and moving. One user wrote: “I’m not an American, so why, when I’ve finished listening to this speech, do I have such an urge to cry?” And that, Barack, is how it’s done.

Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. has returned home after almost a nine-week stay at the Mayo Clinic where he was reportedly being treated for bipolar depression, according to The Chicago Tribune.  Rumors swirled about a possible “mood disorder” after Jackson checked into the clinic on June 25th. Mayo officials put an end to the speculation after issuing a statement mid-August that he was being treated for “bipolar II depression.” Now that he’s relaxing at home in D.C. with his wife and kids, Jackson’s chief of staff Rick Bryant says he’s “hopeful”  the Congressman will return to work on Monday. With Congress set to formally convene on September 10^th, he’d be right on time.

Saw that one coming. Tennis powerhouse Serena Williams is moving on to Saturday night’s final round after beating Sara Errani 6–1, 6–2. “It’s really awesome, this is what I wanted and what I dreamed of all year,” Williams said after the match. Tomorrow night she will play Victoria Azarenka, and the odds are in her favor—Williams has a 9–1 record against her. Azarenka beat Maria Sharapova 3–6, 6–2, 6–4 Friday and will play Williams in her first U.S. Open final Saturday.

A quarter-century after his death, the provocative, fame-craving pop artist still makes headlines. In a statement this week, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts announced that they will be auctioning off the remainder of the artist’s estate at Christie’s this fall. The 20,000 plus pieces—valued at over $100 million—include silk-screen paintings, drawings, prints, collages, photographs and archival materials. The Chairman of the foundation, Michael Straus, says that the majority of the profits will be used to grow the already $225 multi-million dollar endowment which Warhol dedicated to the “advancement of the visual arts.”

Lindsay Lohan is suddenly getting all political on us—or on Twitter, rather. The actress voiced her opinion on tax reform in 140 characters Friday, responding to a tweet from President Obama that claimed he’d cut taxes “for those who need it: middle-class, families, small businesses.” LiLo then fired off a somewhat befuddling tweet, urging President Obama “to cut them for those listed on Forbes as ‘millionaires’ if they are not, you must consider that.” While it’s hard to tell why Lohan is suddenly so fired up on the subject, Forbes’s dig at her last week for spending $46,000 at Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont might have something to do with it. Or perhaps she’s suggesting Forbes’s celebrity-listed “millionaires” should receive tax cuts if they’re not millionaires after all, in which case Forbes should take the hint and recalculate Lohan’s net worth.

Kanye West made veiled references to his love for Kim Kardashian in a song recorded as early as 2009, sources extremely close to the rapper tell TMZ. Kardashian was dating NFL star Reggie Bush at the time. In "Knock You Down," the main reference comes in the form of these lines: "You was always the cheerleader of my dreams / To seem to only date the head of football teams / And I was the class clown that always kept you laughing / We were never meant to be, baby we just happened." Later, Kanye says, "You should leave your boyfriend now." Apparently, say the sources, there are more Kanye-Kim references in other songs. Audiophiles, get hunting!

The U.S. added a disappointing 96,000 jobs in August, lowering the unemployment rate slightly to 8.1 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The U.S. needs to create roughly 125,000 jobs a month to keep the unemployment rate steady, and August's paltry numbers are a slide from the 141,000 added in July—and another disappointment after July's numbers were revised downward. Analysts said the slow growth sets the stage for the Federal Reserve to pump additional funds into the economy next week. The findings could come as a hit to President Obama two months before Election Day, as the economy has become a harsh reality in this election.

Well here’s one Kennedy who isn’t at the Democratic National Convention. Joseph Kennedy III won the Democratic primary on Thursday for Rep. Barney Frank’s seat. Kennedy, a grandson of Robert Kennedy, will face the winner of Thursday’s Republican primary. Kennedy, 31, worked as a prosecutor in Massachusetts and in 2006, he co-managed the final senate campaign of his late great-uncle, Edward Kennedy.

For all the hoopla over the word "God" in the Democratic platform, this may be more interesting. New York’s archbishop, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, closed the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night with a prayer that some thought had an anti-abortion message. “Thus do we praise you for the gift of life. Grant us to defend it. Life, without which no other rights are secure. We ask your benediction on those waiting to be born, that they may be welcomed and protected,” Dolan prayed, just after Obama's speech. Dolan delivered a similar prayer in Tampa at the Republican National Convention.

A U.S. military judge on Thursday ordered Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, who confessed to killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, must shave his beard—or else it will be shaved for him. Hasan has offered to plead guilty, but he has maintained he should keep his beard for religious reasons. The judge, Col. Gregory Gross, ruled that Hasan’s attorneys failed to prove Hasan has grown the beard for religious reasons. If the decision isn't successfully appealed, Hasan likely will be restrained by five military officers, videotaped, and shaved, with a medical professional on-hand to treat injuries.

A major report from the influential Institute of Medicine revealed Friday that America's health-care system wastes $750 billion every year—or about a third of every dollar spent. The waste mostly comes from unnecessary treatments, fraud, and complicated paperwork. "Yet American health care is falling short on basic dimensions of quality, outcomes, costs, and equity," the report concluded. Despite the ongoing political fight over health-care entitlement cuts, the report recommends a different money-saving approach: trim the fat. After all, that $750 billion in waste is worth 10 times more than Barack Obama and Paul Ryan's proposed annual Medicare spending cuts.

It was no Clinton speech, but President Obama's address at the final night of the Democratic National Convention did score some pundit praise. While MSNBC’s Chris Matthews called the speech "a home run" and his colleague Al Sharpton said "Barack Obama won the election tonight,” Democratic operative James Carville conceded that it "was probably not the best speech of the convention." Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer slammed the address as "one of the emptiest speeches I have ever heard on a national stage." The Daily Beast’s Michael Tomasky called the big speech “pedestrian and overconfident” without an “interesting thematic device, policy detail, or even one turn of phrase” although acknowledging that the crowd was swept away.

The terrifying mouse-born hantavirus claimed the life of a third person on Thursday, while the total number of those infected has reached eight—but officials warn that up to 22,000 could have been exposed the disease. A global health alert has been issued since as many as 2,500 of those exposed could live outside the U.S. The camps remain open, on the recommendation of public-health inspectors. Though a park spokesman said "we try to keep the rodents out," he added that "it's impossible to say every tent cabin is rodent-proof. That's impossible." Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome has no cure, inhibits breathing, and has a 36 percent fatality rate.

The fun's done. On Friday, Prince Harry began a four-month tour of duty in Afghanistan with the British Army. The pilot will command an Apache attack helicopter from a camp in Helmand, one of the war-torn country's most dangerous provinces. Both Prince William and Harry have served tours of duty abroad in the past, but Harry's was cut short in 2008, when an Australian magazine reported his whereabouts, compromising his and his unit's safety. This time, the prince's commander told The Guardian, he hoped the young soldier would be "left to get on with his duties." Harry’s been in the news lately after naked photos of him partying went viral—and even caused a reprimand from the military.

Two 5.6 magnitude earthquakes hit southwestern China early Friday, killing dozens and forcing thousands out of their homes. At least 150 people were injured, and according to state media, Chinese authorities have evacuated more than 100,000 people out of the area in the event of aftershock damage. The disaster comes as a sobering reminder of 2008, when earthquakes in the same region killed 87,600. Many of China's poorer areas are dotted with buildings that don't conform to construction standards, making them more at risk.

Go ahead, Texans, rev your engines. Texas will soon have the highest speed limit in the country—85 miles per hour—on a 41-mile stretch of road on Interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio. The Texas Transportation Commission approved the new limit, which will allow for a faster commute between two of the state’s largest metropolitan areas. While many can’t wait to tear through the open roads, safety experts have expressed concerns that higher speed limits lead to increased traffic fatalities. A spokeswoman from the Transportation Commission insisted the road had been tested for high-speed travel and that the speed-limit increase “will help reduce congestion” between Austin and San Antonio.

French police said on Friday that the grisly deaths of a family and a cyclist in the Alps may have been motivated by a money feud between two brothers. On Wednesday, a passing cyclist found the bodies of another cyclist shot in the head and Iraqi-born Saad al-Hilli, his wife, and his mother-in-law. A 7-year-old was found collapsed near the car and a 4-year-old girl was found alive hours later in the car.  Police now say the killings may have been prompted by "a dispute between the two brothers about money," a prosecutor told the AFP, and "the brother will have to be questioned at length."

A judge in Pakistan granted bail Friday to a teenage Christian girl who was arrested three weeks ago in Islamabad on blasphemy charges. Rimsha, who is thought to be about 14 years old, has been detained at a high-security prison since Aug. 16 after a mob accused her of burning pages of the Quran—a case that has renewed international scrutiny of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Blasphemy defendants are not typically granted bail, but a judge made an exception due to Rimsha’s juvenile plea. There are other reports that Rimsha is mentally disabled, after a doctor concluded that her “mental age appears below her chronological age.”

Imagine if Bill Clinton hadn’t been up against the Super Bowl champions. The former president’s big speech on Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention not only beat the same night of Republican National Convention, but also had more viewers than the New York Giants–Dallas Cowboys game. An estimated 25.1 million people watched the DNC between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. and just 20 million people watched the second half of the football game. The second night of the GOP convention had 21.9 million viewers. While there aren’t any numbers yet for President Obama’s speech on Thursday, he broke the tweets per minute record for a political event, with Twitter reporting 52,756 tweets in the minute following Obama’s speech.

Shocking the audience at last night’s Video Music Awards, Rihanna kissed ex-boyfriend Chris Brown on the lips—three and a half years after he beat her. Riri, 24, embraced Brown after accepting the Video of the Year award for her song “We Found Love,” fueling speculation that the notorious exes may be rekindling the flame. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey last month, a teary Rihanna called Brown, 23, “the love of her life.” In July, the couple reportedly spent time together on her yacht in the French Riviera.

Former Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter was released from a Philadelphia hospital Friday, having announced his cancer diagnosis last week and calling it “another battle I intend to win.” Specter, 82, was reportedly admitted to the hospital early last week after suffering “a big flareup” of the illness on Monday. The veteran legislator was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma a month and a half ago, having survived a brain tumor and fought off two bouts of Hodgkin’s disease since 2005. A statement from his son’s law firm confirmed his hospital release on Friday and said he is expected to return for additional treatments.

Funny guys finish last. New information emerged Friday regarding Jay Leno’s mid-August pay cut, widely circulated in the media.  According to a detailed report from NBC, the Tonight Show host took a whopping 50 percent cut in his salary—part of an attempt by the network to reduce the show’s enormous $100 million budget. NBC’s entertainment chief, Robert Greenblatt, explained that the show—while still lucrative—simply is not “the cash cow it was in the Johnny Carson days." Still, with a starting salary of $30 million per year, the $15 mil is probably enough to keep the six-foot comedian good and happy.

Does “Mission Accomplished” have another meaning we’re not aware of? In his first public interview since last week’s now-famous “invisible Obama” speech, Clint Eastwood said he “didn’t make up my mind exactly what I was going to say until I said it”—and the whole chair thing was decided backstage when “some fella kept asking me if I wanted to sit down.” Ahead of the speech, Eastwood said the only guidance he could give the Republicans was that “everything I would say would be nice about Mitt Romney.” “They vet most of the people, but I told them, ‘you can’t do that with me, because I don’t know what I’m going to say,” Eastwood told the Carmel Pine Cone newspaper.

In northern Iraqi town of Kirkuk, three bombings killed civilians leaving Shiite mosques on Friday. At one scene, two bombs exploded from a parked car, with another explosive detonating as rescuers rushed to the scene, killing eight. Three more bombs went off at two other mosques, injuring another 34. The city is a disputed area that is being claimed by a mix of Kurds, Sunnis, and Turkomen.

The Haqqani network, a brutal Taliban-linked militant group based in Pakistan, was officially designated a terrorist organization by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday. In a detailed report delivered to Congress, Clinton indicated that the Haqqanis, a Pashtun tribe who run an organization “comparable to a mafia group,” meet the criteria to be considered a terrorist organization. A rising terror threat for the past year, the group has been blamed for recent high-profile attacks in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan. A formal designation by Congress will likely happen in the next few days.