Daily News Digest

The latest news on Slavery apology, Sen. Stevens indicted, Homeless, AIDS-Black America, AIDS-global, Al Qaeda, Iran Afghanistan, Trade negotiations, Israel, Palestine, Karadzic extradited, Chile, and Opinion.

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Slavery apology. House Issues An Apology For Slavery "The House yesterday apologized to black Americans, more than 140 years after slavery was abolished, for the 'fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow' segregation." House formally apologizes to black Americans for slavery, Jim Crow era "The House issued an unprecedented apology to black Americans for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow segregation laws."

Sen. Stevens indicted. Sen. Stevens Indicted On 7 Corruption Counts "Alaska's Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican senator in U.S. history, was indicted on seven charges of making false statements about more than $250,000 that corporate executives doled out to overhaul his Anchorage area house. "Stevens indictment likely to make a bad year worse for GOP " Ted Stevens' indictment on federal corruption charges is likely to become another symbol of all that voters find wrong with the Republican Party in a year in which Republicans were already expecting a drubbing in congressional races." Senator Charged in Scheme to Hide Gifts of Oil Firm "Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, a legendary political figure closely tied to the rough-and-tumble history of his home state, and who wields outsize influence over federal spending, was indicted on Tuesday on seven felony counts of failing to disclose gifts that he received from an oil services company."

Homeless. U.S. Reports Drop in Homeless Population "The number of chronically homeless people living in the nation's streets and shelters has dropped by about 30 percent - from 175,914 to 123,833 - from 2005 to 2007."

AIDS-Black America. U.S. Blacks, if a Nation, Would Rank High on AIDS "If black America were a country, it would rank 16th in the world in the number of people living with the AIDS virus, the Black AIDS Institute, an advocacy group, reported Tuesday." Efforts Against AIDS Among Black Americans Criticized "A prominent AIDS organization accused the federal government of doing too little to fight AIDS among black Americans, in whom the size and scope of the epidemic resembles that seen in many African nations."

AIDS-global. AIDS deaths down 10% in 2007 "The number of AIDS deaths worldwide dropped 10% in 2007 because of increasing access to treatment, as did the number of new infections in children, the United Nations reported Tuesday." UN: AIDS epidemic stable with fewer deaths, new infections and more people on medication "Fewer people are dying of AIDS, more patients are on HIV medication and the global AIDS epidemic is stable after peaking in the late 1990s."

Al Qaeda. Strategy Against Al-Qaeda Faulted "The Bush administration's terrorism-fighting strategy has not significantly undermined al-Qaeda's capabilities, according to a major new study that argues the struggle against terrorism is better waged by law enforcement agencies than by armies."

Iran. Strike on Iran still possible, U.S. tells Israel "Bush administration officials reassured Israel's defense minister this week that the United States has not abandoned all possibility of a military attack on Iran, despite widespread Israeli concern that Washington has begun softening its position toward Tehran."

Afghanistan. Afghanistan surpasses Iraq as deadliest spot for U.S. troops "With only 11 American troops killed so far in July, the month is likely to see the lowest American death toll in Iraq since U.S. troops invaded in 2003. Troop deaths in Afghanistan stood at 23, making July the first month when more Americans died there than in Iraq."

Iraq. U.S. auditor says funding for Iraqi rebuilding should cease "Rising production and skyrocketing prices could more than double the Iraqi government's expected bonanza in oil revenue this year, leading a top U.S. government auditor to call for an end to American funding of Iraqi reconstruction projects."

Trade negotiations. Trade Talks Crumble in Feud Over Farm Aid "International talks aimed at ushering in a new era of free trade collapsed in Geneva yesterday during a bitter split between developed and developing countries over the future shape of global commerce." Trade talks founder over poor farmers "Last-ditch talks to salvage a deal in the seven-year Doha round of global trade negotiations broke down dramatically in Geneva last night, after India, China and the US fell out over measures to protect poor farmers."

Israel. ANALYSIS: Israeli security forces losing control in the West Bank "Recent protests around the village of Na'alin in opposition to the separation fence seem to show a loss of control. The death of a 9-year-old, apparently shot by a Border Policeman, is the most serious turn of events so far."

Palestine. Rights Group Reports Torture by Palestinian Security Forces "Human Rights Watch says Palestinian security forces in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are responsible for human rights abuses including arbitrary arrests and torture."

Karadzic extradited. Karadzic Extradited to The Hague to Face War Crimes Charges "Radovan Karadzic, the former Bosnian Serb leader facing genocide and other charges for his role in the 1992-1995 Bosnian war, was flown here early Wednesday to face a U.N war crimes tribunal after the Serbian government ordered his extradition," Sarajevo and Srebenica top Karadzic charge sheet "The Bosnian Serb genocide suspect, Radovan Karadzic, will be charged with the most serious crimes in international law when he appears before a tribunal at The Hague tomorrow."

Chile. Chile faces its dark history by tracking down torture centers "As Chile and other countries wrestle with whether it's better to exhume their dark pasts or to leave them buried and try to move on, the current, elected government of President Michelle Bachelet, who herself was detained and tortured by the Pinochet regime, has moved to make that black period in Chile's history part of the country's national heritage."

Opinion. An AIDS Victory Up Close (Michael Gerson, Washington Post) "The bipartisan expansion of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) -- along with the President's Malaria Initiative -- is significant in a number of ways."