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Front Page: India Nuclear Deal Approved, Suicide Bombers Strike End of Ramadan, Vice Presidential Debate Tonight

CitizenSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:56:41 -0700

India Nuclear Deal Approved:
In addition to passing the Bailout Bill last night which caused the European markets to rise, the US Senate voted 86-13 to approve a nuclear deal with India. The vote moves to end a 30-year ban on nuclear trade with India. The deal gives India access to civilian nuclear technology which critics say will expand its nuclear industry without having to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Suicide Bombers Strike End of Ramadan:
In Baghdad as Muslims marked the close of Ramadan, suicide bombers attacked two Shi'ite mosques during morning prayers, killing at least 20 people. The attacks were part of a second wave of violence this week culminating in the Id al-Fitr feast. No one has claimed responsibility but some in the crowd believe Sunni extremists were to blame.

Vice Presidential Debate Tonight:
Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden face off in their only debate tonight in St. Louis, MO. The event starts at 9 p.m. ET and will be moderated by PBS's Gwen Ifill. The debate has been much anticipated and we'll be gearing up for it today, as well as here tonight live-commenting during the debate.

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Front Page: Chinese Milk Toll Rises, Embassy Attack Kills 16, House Passes Offshore Drilling

CitizenSugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:00:40 -0700

Chinese Milk Toll Rises:
Twenty-two brands of Chinese baby formula have been found to contain toxic levels of melamine. The tainted milk has sickened 6,200 babies and killed three, the toll five times higher than previously announced. Those diagnosed with "acute kidney failure" numbers 158, and the Chinese health minister says they will all receive free health care.
Embassy Attack Kills 16:
An attack by Islamist militants on the US Embassy in Yemen has left 16 people dead. The second strike on the highly secured compound in six months, a group called Jihad in Yemen has claimed responsibility. Fierce gunfire erupted after a suicide bomber detonated a car at the entrance. The embassy spokesman said, "We are very aware that there is a continuing threat here and we are continuously reevaluating our security status."
House Passes Offshore Drilling:
The US House of Representatives passed legislation this morning that lifts the ban on offshore drilling and opens much of the coastline to exploration. The vote was 236-189 in favor of the plan which gives individual states the option to explore between 50 and 100 miles from their shores, and completely opens areas 100 miles out.

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Front Page: Spanish Plane Crash Possible Cause, Pakistan Suicide Attack Kills 60, Rice Surprise Visit to Iraq

CitizenSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:56:58 -0700

Spanish Plane Crash Possible Cause:
The plane that crashed in Madrid yesterday and killed 153 people, including two babies and 20 children, had reported an overheated air intake valve before the first attempt at takeoff. The problem was reported and the equipment turned off to fix it. It's not known if this is the only factor in Spain's worst air disaster in almost 25 years.

Pakistan Suicide Attack Kills 60:
Killing 60 and wounding dozens more, a suicide bomber attacked Pakistan's largest military munitions plant. The Pakistan Taliban has claimed responsibility. The violence comes amid political uncertainty in the country following the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf earlier this week.

Rice Surprise Visit to Iraq:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice surprised Baghdad with a visit to discuss the future of US forces in Iraq. Amid negotiations over the timing of the final withdrawal of US forces, reports suggest that a compromise draft agreement of the plan is being considered by both governments. RIce will meet with Prime Minister Nouri Maliki during her visit.

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Front Page: Suicide Blasts Rip Iraq, Olympics Sold Out, Arrest in Tennessee Church Shooting

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 07:03:57 -0700

Suicide Blasts Rip Iraq:
Suicide Bombers struck twice in Iraq, leaving 47 dead and 240 injured. In Baghdad as Shia pilgrims paraded through on their way to a shrine, female bombers detonated leaving 25 dead. The pilgrimage will bring more than 1 million worshippers. In Kirkuk, a suicide bomber hit a crowd of Kurdish protesters, killing 22. Iraqi security forces have been deployed.

Olympics Sold Out:
Despite continuing problems with pollution, the events for the Olympics events in Beijing are all sold out. This could be the earliest the Games have reached capacity. Some tickets for events in other cities are still available. 6.8 million tickets have been sold so far — in Athens in 2004, only two-thirds of the tickets sold.

Arrest in Tennessee Church Shooting:
A man who opened fire with a shotgun in a Knoxville, TN, church during a children's performance of Annie, has been captured. The attack left two dead and seven wounded. Police have charged Jim Adkisson with first-degree murder. The performance had just begun when he opened fire. One witness said she thought, "oh, my God, that’s not part of the play."

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Front Page: Guantanamo Secret Footage, Suicide Attack Kills Iraqi Recruits, Bush Press Conference

CitizenSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:06:43 -0700

Guantanamo Secret Footage:
A secretly filmed tape of a detainee being questioned at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay has just been released. The video shows 16-year-old detainee, Omar Khadr, being questioned by Canadian officials about events that led to his capture by US forces. The Canadian detainee is accused of throwing a grenade resulting in a US soldier's death in Afghanistan in 2002. In the video, he can be heard repeatedly chanting, "help me". The tape was released by Khadr's lawyers after a Supreme Court ruling that key evidence be released that would allow a full defense of the charges he's facing, and they're hoping the tape will cause PM Harper to demand that the US not prosecute Khadr.

Suicide Attack Kills Iraqi Recruits:
Two suicide bombers dressed as army recruits detonated at an Iraqi base this morning killing at least 35 Iraqi recruits and wounding 63. The bombers were wearing belts packed with explosives as they infiltrated a crowd of more than 200 recruits and exploded about 30 seconds apart in front of the headquarters of an Iraqi brigade where the recruits had gathered.
Bush Press Conference:
US President George W. Bush is set to speak in moments (10:20 a.m. ET) with an opening statement on steps he has taken to fix the economy. The White House said, "he will talk about the overall state of the economy," and, "the president will talk about steps his administration has taken to stabilize the housing and financial markets." The news conference is expected to overlap Barack Obama's proclaimed major policy address on Iraq, scheduled for 10:45 a.m.

Front Page: Heat Wave to Hit Fires, Bombing in Kabul Kills 40, Injuries in Running of the Bulls

CitizenSugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:55:19 -0700

Heat Wave to Hit Fires:
Firefighters in California brace for an impending heat wave set to make containing one of the 1,700 fires sparked since June 21, much harder. Cooler, damper weekend temperatures had helped firefighters working to bring the Santa Barbara fires under control are set to end, while 2,600 homes are still evacuated. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said yesterday the fires had burnt over half a million acres and killed one firefighter. Drought conditions combined with human encroachment into forest areas — bringing with them, carelessness, has stretched the fire season from four to six or seven months. Officials are having to prepare for the longer more intense season.

Bombing in Kabul Kills 40:
In what's thought to be the deadliest attack in Kabul yet, a suicide bomber has killed at least 40 people and injured 140 today at the gates of the Indian Embassy in the capital of Afghanistan. The attacker plowed a car into two Indian diplomatic vehicles as they entered the gates of the embassy before detonating. Witness say the blast wrecked several other cars and flung body parts and bloodstained pieces of clothing among the wreckage.
Injuries in Running of the Bulls:
At least nine have been injured and one killed during the running of the bulls festival in Pamplona, Spain. Four of the injured were foreign tourists. The nine-day festival that's been held since 1591, began yesterday and the run itself lasted four minutes. It's thought that 13 people have been killed during the controversial tradition since record keeping began in 1924.

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What Motivates Female Suicide Bombers?

LibertySugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:00:13 -0700

Last week's terrorist bombing in Iraq, carried out by a woman, made many of you question the logic behind suicide bombings. While men are still far more likely to be suicide bombers than women, more and more women are ready to die and ready to kill. Male or female, the endgame is always the same, but what leads them to a crowded square with a bomb strapped on is not.

Time magazine tells the story of Hasna Maryi, a suicide bomber who found her calling after her brother died en route to his mission when a fellow jihadis's belt prematurely exploded. She was devastated: he would never be a martyr. His only path to salvation, she decided, was for her to complete his mission. Religion was not her motive (she hardly cracked the Koran growing up), but redemption was.

Hasna's story is not an anomaly. Research findings reported in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism found female suicide terrorists were more motivated by personal reasons and more likely to be recruited through peer influence, exploitation, and self-promotion than men, who found their fury in religion and nationalism and were recruited through religious persuasion.

In eJournal USA (as in paid for by the US government, just a disclosure . . .) the article "Women As Victims and Victimizers" examines the complicated question of why? To find out,

Front Page: North Korea Declares Nuclear Program, Iraq Bombings, Immigration Raid

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:02:25 -0700

North Korea Declares Nuclear Program:
North Korea has submitted for inspection the long-awaited declaration of the extent of its nuclear program. Immediately after the move, the Bush administration announced it would remove the country, formerly on the "axis of evil" list, from the list of states who sponsor terrorism, as well as lifting commercial restriction on the country. President Bush said, "this can be a moment of opportunity for North Korea. If it continues to make the right choices it can repair its relationship with the international community."

Attack Kills 33 in Iraq:
At least 33 people have been killed in two massive bombings in Iraq today, including 18 people hit by a car bomb in the northern city of Mosul. The US military gave initial reports from Mosul saying that another 71 civilians and nine policemen were wounded. The second attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, killing the mayor and 14 senior members of an anti-Qaeda group. US commanders have said that Mosul is the country's last urban stronghold of al-Qaeda.
Immigration Raid Leads to 160 Arrests:
Federal immigration agents raided a used clothing plant in Houston, leading to 160 arrests, 70 percent of whom were women. The raid was the largest ever in the area, and the second major raid in Houston in the past two months. Two hundred immigration agents were involved in what was part of a yearlong investigation. A lawyer for the company said, “We want to abide by the law, and we're going to abide by the law. If we have an illegal employee, we don’t know it. No way. Tell us what the law is, and we’ll obey it.”

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Front Page: Zimbabwe Election Moves Forward, Female Suicide Bomber Attacks, Weather Slows Typhoon Rescue

CitizenSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:58:25 -0700

Zimbabwe Election Moves Forward: After withdrawing yesterday from the run-off election in ZImbabwe, Tsvangirai has said today that he will negotiate with his rival, sitting president Robert Mugabe, if the political violence stops. He said, "We are prepared to negotiate with ZANU-PF but of course it is important that certain principles are accepted before the negotiations take place. One of the preconditions is that this violence against the people must be stopped." Though at this point opposition leaders Tsvangirai has pulled out of the election, it will proceed as planned on Sunday. He says party militias have killed 86 of his supporters and more than 60 opposition supporters have been arrested.

Female Suicide Bomber Attacks: Yesterday, the latest attack in a wave of female suicide bombers killed 15 and wounded more than 40 others in central Baquba. Seven of the dead and 10 of the wounded were Iraqi police officers. The female bombing was the most devastating of four attacks in Diyala Province yesterday that left at least 25 people dead and close to 60 wounded. The bomber who struck the provincial capital was wearing a vest padded with powerful explosives and laced with small projectiles. The magnitude of the blast points to an increased sophistication of the bomb design, which witnesses described as unusually strong.
Weather Slows Typhoon Rescue: Rescue efforts in the capsized ferry accident in the Philippines yesterday were hampered by heavy wind and rains, leading hundreds of ferry passengers, including as many as 45 children, to be feared dead after the devastating typhoon. Rescuers found only a few survivors. The Red Cross reported that at least 137 people had been killed in the typhoon, not including six confirmed dead from the sinking of the ferry, which had been carrying more than 700 passengers and crew members when it went down on Saturday.

Front Page: Two Train Crashes, US Economy Grows, Suicide Bomb Kills 16 in Iraq

CitizenSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 07:00:17 -0700

Two Train Crashes: Two train crashes happened within hours of each other in Chicago and Boston yesterday. In Chicago, an elevated train derailed, leaving several people hurt. Then during rush hour in Boston two commuter trains collided and derailed killing the train driver and leaving several passengers injured. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the Boston crash. The 24-year-old driver died when one train slammed into the back of another.

US Economy Grows: The Commerce Department reported today that economic growth was measured at a 0.9 percent growth rate. The growth was a slightly better pace in the first quarter, though still weak and hindered by cautious consumers hurt by housing, credit and financial problems. The growth was an improvement from the government’s initial estimate for the first quarter as well as the economy’s performance in the final quarter of last year — both saw 0.6 percent growth rate.
Suicide Bomb Kills 16 in Iraq: A suicide bomber detonated today in a crowd of police recruits in northwestern Iraq, killing at least 16 and wounding 14 others. The blast occurred in Sinjar, the town that also saw a series of suicide truck bombings that killed an estimated 500 people. No responsibility has been claimed for the latest attack, though some suspect al-Qaida in Iraq, backing up Iraqi claims that insurgents have fled to remote areas to escape a US-Iraqi offensive currently in Mosul, about 74 miles east of Sinjar.

To see a toe-curling picture of where the Chicago train derailed,

Front Page: Army Stealing Aid in Myanmar, Bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan, Farm Bill Passes

CitizenSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:59:21 -0700

Army Stealing Aid in Myanmar: Officials from several relief organizations say that the international aid being sent into Myanmar is being "stolen, diverted or warehoused" by the army. The members of the military junta told Thailand's prime minister they were in control of the relief operations and had no need for foreign experts. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon wants to send a senior UN official to inspect the relief effort in the ravaged country. To make matters worse, the US military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said there was a possibility that “a significant tropical cyclone” — another one — would form in the next 24 hours and head across the Irrawaddy Delta, the already hardest hit region.

Bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan: In an attack claimed by the Taliban, a suicide bomber wearing a burqa detonated by a police patrol at a crowded market in western Afghanistan today, killing at least 12 people and wounding 27 others, officials said. Yesterday, at least 20 people were killed and 35 others wounded in a suicide bombing at a Sunni funeral west of Baghdad. Police said the funeral was for the head teacher of a local school. The bombings occurred hours the announcement that Prime Minister Nouri Maliki was supervising an offensive against Sunni insurgents in the northern city of Mosul.
House Passes Farm Bill: The House approved a five-year, $307 billion farm bill with a solid bipartisan majority yesterday. Despite a veto threat from President Bush, the House voted 318 to 106 — more than the two-thirds needed to override a presidential veto — with 100 Republicans joining the Democratic majority in favor.

Front Page: Attack in Iraq, Lethal Injection, Ricin Arrest

CitizenSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:00:40 -0700

Attack in Iraq: No fewer than 30 people have been killed and many more injured in a suicide attack on a crowd of mourners in Iraq. The attacker detonated his explosives at a funeral near the city of Baquba, north of the capital, Baghdad. Officials said the funeral was for two brothers said to be leading figures in the Sunni Awakening Council, who may have died fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq militants. The Sunni Awakening Council works alongside the Americans and Iraqi government to fight al-Qaeda-linked insurgents. More than 50 people were killed in another Baquba attack just two days ago.

Lethal Injection: The US Supreme Court voted 7-2 yesterday to reject prisoners' challenges to the lethal injection procedure in Kentucky. The justices upheld the method saying the state's use of a three-drug combination does not violate the Constitution's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Many states put their slate of executions on hold waiting for the court's ruling and are now rushing to assign execution dates. The decision may particularly help Nebraska after the state's Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that its only method, electrocution, was unconstitutional.
Ricin Arrest: The man who was sickened by the deadly toxin ricin in his Las Vegas motel room was arrested upon his release from a hospital yesterday and charged with possession of the substance. The federal indictment says the man enjoyed experimenting with production of the substance derived from castor beans, calling it "an exotic idea," but had no specific intention to use it against anyone. An FBI agent said, “based on the results of our investigation, we don’t believe that the public was ever in danger nor do we believe that this was any terrorist plot.” The man is expected to be arraigned this afternoon.

Front Page: Dalai Lama Might Quit, 52 Dead in Iraq, Florida

CitizenSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:00:13 -0700

Moments ago, the Dalai Lama said he would resign as leader of Tibet’s government-in-exile if his stepping down would help quell the violence erupting in Tibetan protests. Earlier, the Chinese government blamed the Dalai Lama for orchestrating the demonstrations. Saying that he would stand behind only nonviolent quests for greater Tibetan autonomy, the Dalai Lama criticized China pointedly indicating that though they had met three out of four conditions to be a “superpower” — the world’s largest population, military prowess, and a fast-developing economy — he said, "Fourth, moral authority, that’s lacking.”

The death toll in yesterday's bombing in Karbala has risen to 52. The bomb exploded near the shrine of Imam Hussein, a pilgrimage centre for Shia Muslims, and is thought to have been detonated by a female suicide bomber. Overshadowing Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to Iraq, the incident was the deadliest of a number of recent violent attacks in which at least 78 Iraqis have died. Officials suspect al-Qaeda insurgents were responsible for the the bombing which occurred 50 miles south of Baghdad, but no group has stepped forward.
Florida has abandoned its plans for a mail-in primary reprise. Florida's Democratic Party said yesterday it would no longer advocate for a rerun of the state's invalid primary election and leave the decision on Florida's delegates up to the national party. Thousands of voters have sent in messages expressing this preference, leading the chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party to say, "The consensus is clear: Florida doesn't want to vote again. So we won't."

Front Page: Bush on FISA, Election in Iran, Afghan Bombing

CitizenSugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:58:30 -0700

President Bush spoke just moments ago from the White House regarding the battle in Congress over FISA. House Democrats introduced their own version of the bill this week in an attempt to bypass the original legislation passed in the Senate. Bush said, "The House bill would make matters even worse . . . the House bill may be good for class-action lawyers, but it's terrible for the United States." Citing the need for the intelligence community to have the appropriate tools to fight terrorism, Bush said, "Voting for this bill will make us less safe." He concluded, "they should not leave for their Easter recess without getting the Senate bill to my desk."

Iran is set to hold an election tomorrow amid mixed perceptions of the enthusiasm behind the contest. Bans have limited the contest severely, the official campaign only ran for one week — including one day which was a public holiday — and the election itself is being held less than a week before the country shuts down for the Iranian new year holiday of Norouz. The Islamic Iran Participation Front party, which held the highest number of seats in parliament four years ago, had all of their candidates revoked because they allegedly lacked Islamic credentials. True reform candidates haven't bothered even submitting their names. Nevertheless, State television has been broadcasting stirring music and pictures of happy voters.
Just hours ago, a suicide car bomb attack on a convoy of US troops also killed six Afghan civilians. The renewed violence left at least 15 Taliban fighters and policemen dead. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast, which detonated on the road to the capital's international airport. Four US troops also suffered minor injuries and 33 Afghans were wounded.

Headline: Two Bombs Kill 20 in Pakistan

CitizenSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:30:57 -0700

Massive suicide bombs killed at least 24 and wounded more than 200 when two separate suicide blasts ripped through a seven-story police headquarters and a house today. The attacks served to deepen Pakistan's mounting security crisis.

The explosions detonated about 15 minutes apart in different districts of the city of Lahore. They caused major damage to the Federal Investigation Agency building, exploding just as staffers were beginning their work day.

According to police, both blasts were suicide attacks. Authorities count at least seven suicide attacks in the three weeks since the Feb. 18 vote. The political party of Nawaz Sharif, the junior counterpart of the incoming coalition government, blamed military operations ordered by US-backed President Pervez Musharraf for instability in the country and called for him to resign. A party spokesman said, ''[Musharraf] has carried out indiscriminate operations in the tribal areas that have opened up new fault lines in Pakistani society.''

Just yesterday, Musharraf reinforced his intention not to step down. Do you think he should?

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Check This: Pakistan Suicide Blast Signals End of Musharraf?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:05:28 -0800

A suicide bombing yesterday was responsible for the death of the Pakistani army's surgeon general, Lt. Gen. Mushtaq Ahmed Baig. The bomber was disguised as a beggar and approached Baig's car in a crowded commercial area before detonating his weapon. Eight people were killed and another 35 people injured. This is the second attack targeting the army's medical corps in Pakistan in less than a month.

Here's the chilling part: the Pakistani Taliban declared a cease-fire only a few days ago. The question then, is the Taliban behind these attacks or are we now uncovering other militant groups operating in Pakistan? Adding to the chaos of the bombing, which killed the highest ranking official military officer to die in an attack in years, is the political limbo the country faces while Musharraf hangs on to his job. The newly elected opposition leaders have declared their intention to begin talks with Islamic extremists. To see how Musharraf stands dangerously in the way of that,