The US presidential and vice candidates have all touted so-called "clean coal" as an energy solution. The World's Jason Margolis takes a look at what the term actually means.

China confirmed for the first time today that it's joined the United States as the top emitter of greenhouse gases. Part of the reason is the country's heavy reliance on coal. The World's Mary Kay Magistad visited one province that's been labeled China's least energy efficient -- Ningxia.

Smokestacks in Ningxia

China's tainted milk scare was certainly not the first time the world has seen a food safety scandal...nor is it likely to be the last. Anchor Katy Clark talks with Bee Wilson, author of the book "Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, From Poisoned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee."

Coverage of the recent conflict between Russia and Georgia has...for the most part...placed Russia as the aggressor and Georgia as the victim. But as The World's Matthew Bell reports...recent accounts from the region may reveal a different story.

Georgia crisis

Iranian-American Haidah Sheikhvand campaigning for the Democrats

The U.S. presidential election is a hot topic in Los Angeles' Iranian-American community. Many people there are keen to see how the next President will transform relations with Iran. And that's expected to bring out a record number of Iranian-American voters. Reporter Daysha Eaton has the story.

The World's Quil Lawrence profiles U.S. Army Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Shrout who is putting counter-insurgency theories into practice southeast of Baghdad. It's complex and dangerous work.

Lt-Col Shrout ( 2nd from right) with Iraqi tribal elders

Web extra: Lt-Col Shrout describes how a deadly ambush unfolded in June

Today on The World: A look at how one U.S. army leader is putting counterinsurgency into practice in Iraq; why the presidential election is firing up Iranian-American voters in Los Angeles; and stories of contaminated food -- the dark history of food fraud.

The words "clean coal" have been uttered a lot on the campaign trail this year. A number of countries are in the race to come up with the technology, but as The World's Jason Margolis reports, an American company may be in the lead.

The World's Jason Margolis and Julia Kumari Drapkin take a look at clean coal:

PRI's The World: Clean Coal from Clark Boyd on Vimeo.

"Some Venezuelans - the wannabe Yankees - are praying for a continued drop in oil prices." So said Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez recently, acknowledging his government's dependence on oil revenues. So could the falling cost of oil threaten Chávez's political future, and boost the prospects of his opponents? The BBC's Latin America Analyst, James Painter, has sifted the evidence.

Ibrahim Abu Jayab lives in Gaza City. He uses his computer to call randomly-selected American households and he asks them to support Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Gaza conflict