Politics

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Syrians on motorcycles look at the rubble of a destroyed house after it was hit by an airstrike that killed six people in the town of Tal Rifat, on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

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President Obama greets supporters at a campaign event Wednesday in Denver. He is scheduled to make campaign stops Thursday in Colorado Springs and Pueblo during his two-day visit. (Associated Press)

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** FILE ** In this Aug. 8, 2012, file photo, all shapes and sizes of drones fascinate visitors at the Association of Unmanned Vehicles Systems International conference in Las Vegas. (Martin S. Fuentes/Special to The Washington Times)

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Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Republican, effectively ended his presidential bid in May without having won the popular vote in any state, but has an intensely loyal following leading up to the nominating convention. (Associated Press)

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There are nine current and former governors scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention but Sarah Palin isn’t one of them. The press is eager to frame the situation as a mystery, an allegory, a rift among Republicans. (Houston Chronicle via Associated Press)

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In early 2010, a boy led the hard-line Islamist al-Shabab fighters as they conducted military exercise in Somalia. The country’s continuous violence appears to have increased recruiting efforts of young fighters, who are easily indoctrinated. (Associated Press)

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Free Syrian Army soldiers hold their weapons during clashes with government forces in the southwest district of Salah al-Din in Aleppo, Syria, last week. Syrian troops launched a ground assault Wednesday on the besieged northern city of Aleppo, but activists said rebels were fighting back in a battle for the city. (Associated Press)

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D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray, here speaking at the reopening of renovated New York Avenue Recreation Center and Playground, is said to be planning to offer a bill to reform the way political donations are made to city candidates for political office. (Ryan M.L. Young/The Washington Times)

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Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III brings elite speed, a strong arm and a sharp mind to an offensive scheme replete with misdirection in the backfield. But the rookie also has gone through growing pains in training camp. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

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The Chinese frigate Dongguan, “the bully that ran aground” in the words of one Philippines official, was temporarily grounded near disputed Half Moon Shoal. (Philippines Government)

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The Qurtoba conference hall is damaged in June demonstrations by Sudanese university students and citizens in Khartoum, the capital. The government of President Omar Bashir conducted a campaign of fear in retaliation to what it called acts of sabotage and attempts to destabilize Sudan. The regime’s tactic has been to quickly quash any protest movements. Protesters and their families reportedly have been rounded up in the middle of the night, kept isolated and beaten in jail. (Associated Press)