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The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began Friday, at the end of a week in which at least one U.S. soldier was killed every day. With intense fighting in the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, some question what effect the holiday will have on peace efforts. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

A Defense Department official says insurgent attacks against Iraqis and U.S.-led forces are up 25 percent since Ramadan began last week. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said insurgents receive some funds from outside Iraq. Hear NPR's Eric Westervelt.

The chief U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq says Saddam Hussein posed a diminishing threat when the United States invaded. The official, Charles Duelfer, found that Saddam had the desire but not the means to make nuclear weapons. Hear NPR's Mary Louise Kelly and NPR's Melissa Block.

President Bush begins a two-day mission to Canada, downplaying disagreements between the U.S. and its neighbor over Iraq and trade issues. His trip is the first official visit by a U.S. president in nearly 10 years. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

Iraq's Interim Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, says he's given the order for U.S. and Iraqi forces to launch an offensive on Fallujah. Marines have seized control of two strategic bridges and a hospital in the first stage of the long-anticipated invasion of the city. Hear NPR's Anne Garrels and NPR's Renee Montagne.

Sen. John Kerry heads to hotly contested Florida Friday, still questioning why nearly 400 tons of explosives are missing from a storage facility in Iraq. President Bush, traveling in the Midwest, argued Thursday that the facts on the disappearance are not yet known. Hear NPR's Scott Horsley and NPR's Don Gonyea.

The American Civil Liberties Union has secured the release of more government documents that detail alleged abuse by U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The papers include allegations of beatings and mock executions. According to an internal Army investigation report, photos taken of a mock execution were intentionally destroyed.

Federal researchers say the painkiller naproxen, sold over the counter as Aleve, has been linked with a 50-percent higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. Arthritis sufferers have been switching to naproxen after warnings that the drug Celebrex also carries added risk of heart attack and stroke. NPR's Richard Knox reports.

More than 6,000 police departments around the country now use tasers, the electronic stun guns that have been hailed as an alternative to lethal force. But Taser International, which makes the weapons, is facing questions about the safety of its products, and the accuracy of its sales reports. NPR's Laura Sullivan reports.

A classified cable written by the CIA's outgoing station chief in Baghdad, the contents of which were reported in The New York Times, paints a bleak future for Iraq. The message predicts more violence, both for U.S. troops and clashing Iraqi factions. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly reports.