Today's news agenda: the pope, Uighurs, Somalia, and young entrepreneurs
This is what our reporters and editors are working on for posting today:
World news:
• The pope visits Jersulem's Al Aqsa mosque, third-holiest shrine in Islam, where met the grand mufti in a bid to improve Christian-Muslim relations. Ilene Prusher is finding that few are satisfied so far.
• Scott Baldauf is watching Somalia from Nairobi and sees the radical Islamist militia Al Shabab encircling the fragile moderate Islamist government in Mogadishu. Fighting has displaced tens of thousands.
• Ritt Goldstein in Sweden has newly released documents from the Swedish government revealing the intense behind-the-scenes pressure from China to prevent Sweden
from accepting a Chinese Uighur released from Guantanamo. Experts say the same powerplay is likely underway as Washington tries to convince Germany and Canada to take released Uighurs.
• Peter Ford is in China's Sichuan province a year after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed tens of thousands of people. He is looking at how life has changed.
• Matt Clark recently returned from Congo where he explored one of the world's most dangerous jobs – the rangers who try keep poachers from mountain gorillas.
In the US:
• The problem of soldiers who intentionally turn their weapons on their fellow troops is as old as war itself. Pentagon correspondent Gordon Lubold looks at whether the unique circumstances of the current wars – multiple deployments and long tours – make these episodes more likely, as combat stress mounts. Jane Arraf in Iraq is also watching for new information in the story of the US soldier who killed five fellow service members.
• The UN votes on new members of its much-maligned Human Rights Council – and the United States is asking to be on it. Howard LaFranchi is in New York covering the vote – which offers a peek at US standing at the UN under Obama.
• Congress correspondent Gail Chaddock is looking at why the pending credit-card legislation will take a year for the reforms to kick into effect.
• Ron Scherer is sorting through the impact that gasoline prices, the recession, the swine flu outbreak, and other considerations are having on the outlook for Memorial Day weekend travel – and the summer ahead.
• Faced with gloomy job prospects and armed with optimism, fresh ideas, and technological savvy, increasing numbers of college students and recent grads are creating their own opportunities by starting small businesses. Bridget Huber has reported this story.
• Jeremy Kutner has reported on pearls of wisdom from elders who lived through the Great Depression about how to prevail – or at least survive – in a severe downturn.
