Another distraction for McCain? It was reported today the 17-year-old daughter of John McCain’s running mate, Alaska governor Sarah Palin, is five months pregnant and out of wedlock. The news came while many eyes were already focused on FEMA’s response to Hurricane Gustav along the Gulf Coast, pulling even more attention from the Republican National Convention, which began today. It also sparked a discussion in both camps over how much importance the media should place on it and whether it might affect Palin’s performance or McCain’s campaign for the presidency. McCain’s rival, Barack Obama, appeared on TV to agree that it was a private matter and should be left alone.

Iraq regains control of Anbar. The U.S. officially relinquished control of the region, which includes Fallujah, the site of the biggest battle in the 5-and-a-half year war. American troops will play backup and let Iraqi military and police lead the way, bringing the total to 11 of 18 provinces that the war-torn nation will take responsibility for securing. Anbar once held the grisly distinction of being the center of the Sunni insurgency and being the location for a quarter of the American death toll. Both Americans and Iraqis at a festival celebrating the handover expressed surprise at the turnaround, according to the New York Times.

Google is releasing its own Web browser. Google Chrome is supposed to be available on Tuesday and marks a new challenge to arch-rival Microsoft, which has attempted to usurp some of Google’s prominence on the Web by developing its own search engine and trying to buy Yahoo, Inc. With the expectation of a Google cell phone (gPhone or an iPhone, take your pick), the stakes are as high as ever as the digital titans duke it out. But with Google controlling about two thirds of the search market and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer being used by 75% of Web users (not to mention the market dominance of Microsoft’s Windows operating system), is anyone else wondering what’s happened to free-market competition? It’s still a relevant question: uniformity makes it easier on consumers but denies healthy competition.

E.U.: Watch it, Russia. Russia’s handling of a conflict with Georgia over South Ossetia, which wants independence from Georgia, drew a unanimous warning from 27 members of the European Union after a one-day emergency summit today. According to The Economist, the E.U. previously had threatened Russia with “decisions on the continuation of discussions on the future of relations”–an empty threat in mangled English that would have made George Orwell cringe. Whether the current threat has any bite remains to be seen.