Front Page: McCain Powder Not Dangerous, Iraq Withdrawal Agreed Upon, 200,000 Muslims Protest

CitizenSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:54:24 -0700

McCain Powder Not Dangerous:
Two of McCain's campaign offices received suspicious letters and white powder yesterday — the substance has been deemed not dangerous by police and fire officials. The Denver and Manchester, NH, offices reacted quickly to the letters with Denver return addresses. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist also received a letter with powder that has been deemed nontoxic.

Iraq WIthdrawal Agreed Upon:
The US has agreed to remove combat troops from cities by next June and from the rest of Iraq by 2011. The schedule, which the Bush administration calls "aspirational goals" rather than deadlines, depends on the stability of Iraq. Ending combat operations in Iraq in less than a year didn't seem possible even a short time ago.

200,000 Muslims Protest:
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims gathered in Indian Kashmir's main city today in the largest protest against Indian rule in two months of conflict. Long lines and huge groups of people prayed and spoke as part of the protest sparked in June in a land dispute. One protester said, "This is a freedom movement, a people's movement. We are united to fight India until we get freedom." 68,000 have died in Kashmir conflicts since 1989.

Front Page: Anthrax Scientist Commits Suicide, Dorm Collapse Kills 16, US Unemployment 4-Year High, Darfur Peace Mission

CitizenSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:56:30 -0700

Anthrax Scientist Suicide:
A top US biodefense researcher, who was of high interest to the FBI in connection with the spate of anthrax mailings following 9/11, has committed suicide. The Justice Department was seriously considering charges against the 62-year-old. The lab where he worked for 18 years was at the center of the FBI investigation into the anthrax attacks that killed five people.

Dorm Collapse Kills 16:
A three-story girls' dorm at a school in Turkey collapsed after a large gas canister exploded, killing at least 16 and injuring dozens. Most of the girls, aged 8 to 16 were asleep at the time. They were at the school to attend Koran classes during Summer vacation.

US Unemployment Four-Year High:
The US unemployment rate hit 5.7 percent in July, its highest level in more than four years. The economy lost 51,000 non-farm jobs, the seventh straight month of losses. Areas showing job growth: government, hospitality, education, and health services.
Darfur Peace Mission:
The UN Security Council renewed the mandate for peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region for another year. The decision came two hours before the mandate was set to expire, complicated by the ICC's move to indict Sudan's president for genocide. The United States abstained from voting over language added to the resolution would send the wrong signal to the Sudanese president. The Darfur conflict has left 300,000 dead.