The Republican National Convention held in St. Paul, Minnesota ended Thursday with Senator John McCain (R-AZ) named as the official Republican presidential nominee. The four-day event featured speeches by President George W. Bush, Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, and newly-announced Republican vice presidential nominee, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Asif Ali Zardari, widower of slain former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was chosen as the new president of Pakistan on Saturday. A member of the Pakistan People’s Party, Zardari was elected by members of Pakistan’s federal and provincial parliaments just over nine months after his wife was assassinated in a suicide attack.
In a news conference on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced the U.S. government has taken control of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The two companies’ top executives have been removed, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates the two companies, will manage Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on a temporary basis.

Roger Federer won his fifth straight U.S. Open on Monday, beating out British player Andy Murray. Federer now has 13 Grand Slam titles, one behind record holder Pete Sampras. He joins Sampras and Jimmy Connors as a five-time winner of the U.S. tournament, but neither American won for five successive years. Federer is also the first man ever to win five consecutive titles at two Grand Slams – the U.S. Open and Wimbledon.

Hurricane Ike hit Cuba on Monday, prompting the evacuation of some 900,000 Cubans from their homes. Forecasters said it could head towards Louisiana or Texas later this week.