US suspends diplomats' travel in Iraq, security firm under scrutiny; 170,000 Iraqi families have fled homes due to conflict; NYT online now free...

19 September :: US suspends all road travel outside Baghdad 'Green Zone' by its diplomats in Iraq, after Iraqi gov't prohibits private military firm Blackwater from providing security or operating in Iraq, amid allegations Blackwater agents fired "indiscriminately" on civilians with no apparent provocation; BBC reports Blackwater operations difficult to trace, company claims to have "come under fire"... Israel cabinet officially declares Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, a "hostile entity", meaning it can now impose harsh economic sanctions on the territory; Hamas accuses Israel of "collective punishment" of civilian population... Iraq population migrating in ways that reshape country's ethnic and sectarian make-up; migration data from survey by Iraqi Red Crescent organization show "in Baghdad alone there are now nearly 170,000 families, accounting for almost a million people, that have fled their homes in search of security, shelter, water, electricity, functioning schools or jobs to support their families"... Burmese ruling military junta (which has renamed country Myanmar) has fired teargas into crowd of 1,000 Buddhist monks demonstrating against totalitarian regime in Sittwe; nationwide call for religious boycott of military junta led to demonstrations in numerous other cities, as lay people, some Muslims, joined protests; regime closed the Shwedagon Pagoda, the nation's holiest shrine, to prevent dissidents from organizing religious groups there; Pagoda was to be visible center of campaign for monks to refuse alms from anyone tied to the regime... IHT reports "The New York Times will stop charging for access to its Web site, except for some of its archives, effective at midnight Tuesday, reflecting a growing view in the industry that subscription fees cannot outweigh the potential advertising revenue from increased traffic on a free site"; move comes as media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, still in talks to finalize purchase of DowJones, said to be suggesting removing all fees for online access to the website of its flagship publication, the Wall Street Journal...