Front Page: Combat Tours Reduced, Olmert to Quit, Fewer Illegal Immigrants, Karadzic Due in Court

CitizenSugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:55:37 -0700

Combat Tours Reduced:
President Bush said in an appearance at the White House this morning that combat tours in Iraq will be reduced to 12 months from 15. He said, "we are now in our third consecutive month with reduced violence levels holding steady." With a deal on security close, it "relieves the burden on our forces." Five US soldiers died in Iraq this month compared to 66 in July 2007.

Olmert to Quit:
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced he will resign in September after his party chooses a new leader. Olmert is tangled in a corruption investigation, and the announcement heightens uncertainty in both the Middle East peace effort and the political legacies of both Olmert and Bush, who'd hoped for breakthroughs before leaving office.

Fewer Illegal Immigrants:
The number of immigrants in the US illegally has fallen by 1.3 million in the past year, an 11 percent fall since the peak last August. The report accompanying the census showed a "strong indication" that stricter enforcement by authorities played a major role in the reduction, though others say the shifting economy has made the US a less desirable location.
Karadzic Due in Court:
Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic will be charged with 11 counts of war crimes by the UN war crimes tribunal today. The exact charges will only be revealed in court; afterward he can enter a plea but doesn't have to. Karadzic had been on the run for 13 years before being captured in Belgrade last week.

Front Page: War Crimes Suspect Captured, US Ready to Cut Farm Aid, Bulldozer Attack

CitizenSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:56:02 -0700

War Crimes Suspect Captured:
Celebrations swept the streets in Sarajevo over the news that Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect, Radovan Karadzic, had been captured. He'd been hiding in Belgrade, Serbia, on the run for more than 10 years. Charged with using 284 UN peacekeepers as human shields, the UN says Karadzic's forces killed up to 8,000 in 1995 as part of a campaign to "terrorize and demoralize the Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croat population."

US Ready to Cut Farm Aid:
The US is ready to drop the maximum for farm subsidies to $15 billion a year to under pressure during talks for a global trade deal. The trade offer is hinged to other partners at the WTO also opening up their markets for agricultural and industrial goods. The ceiling for farm subsidies, freeing trade, is a key component of the deal.

Bulldozer Attack:
A bulldozer driver rampaged in Jerusalem today, crushing vehicles close to the hotel where Obama is expected to stay later today. The driver of the bulldozer was shot dead. Police are describing the incident, the second one in less than a month, as a "terrorist" attack. Officials say that 11 people were injured, and no one has yet claimed responsibility.