Daily News Digest

The latest news on Obama and Biden, the Olympics, Back to school, the Democratic convention, Kosher ethics, Homelessness in L.A., Pakistan, Russia-Georgia, Israel-Palestine, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Darfur, Iran, and Abortion

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Democratic convention. Party Unity Tops Agenda For Democrats “Sen. Barack Obama launched a four-day tour of battleground states Sunday to coincide with Monday's opening of the Democratic convention and its ambitious agenda of selling Obama to a national audience, presenting a forceful case against Republican rival John McCain and unifying a party still recovering from a bruising primary.” 'Part celebration and part anxiety' “Striving for unity and spoiling for a fight with Republicans, Democrats from across the country gathered Sunday on the front edge of the Rocky Mountains for a history-making convention tinged with concern over a presidential race grown closer than many expected.” Democrats look to bridge the Clinton-Obama divide “There's no doubt that Barack Obama will be his party's nominee. But lingering concerns over whether Hillary Clinton's supporters will follow him colored much of Sunday, the eve of the Democratic National Convention.” Democrats' interfaith service opens convention with outreach to diverse religious believers “At the first official event Sunday of the Democratic National Convention, a choir belted out a gospel song and was followed by a rabbi reciting a Torah reading about forgiveness and the future.”

Obama-Biden. Obama Calls His Pick, Biden, Both a Statesman and Fighter “Sen. Barack Obama introduced Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. as his vice presidential running mate here on Saturday, embracing him as a "statesman with sound judgment" who had never forgotten his humble roots or lost his fundamental decency.” Obama’s Pick Adds Foreign Expertise to Ticket “In Mr. Biden, Mr. Obama selected a six-term senator from Delaware best known for his expertise on foreign affairs — Mr. Biden spent last weekend in Georgia as that nation engaged in a tense confrontation with Russia — but also for his skills at political combat.”

Back to school. As Food Costs Rise, So Do School Lunch Prices “Prices on some school lunch lines are going up this fall as school officials, like many others, struggle to pay higher prices and delivery fees for staples like bread, milk, fresh fruit and vegetables.” Leaving the learning at home “Once seen by many blacks as something only whites do, home schooling has steadily gained momentum in the black community in the past eight years and is expected to continue to grow, say home school experts.” A Teacher on the Front Line as Faith and Science Clash “With a mandate to teach evolution but little guidance as to how, science teachers are contriving their own ways to turn a culture war into a lesson plan. How they fare may bear on whether a new generation of Americans embraces scientific evidence alongside religious belief.”

Kosher ethics. Rabbis Debate Kosher Ethics at Meat Plant “An immigration raid at the nation’s largest kosher meatpacking plant has opened a wide rift among Jewish leaders over the company’s ethical conduct and led to new interest in a campaign to create wage and safety standards for workers producing kosher food.” Culver wins praise for rebuking meat plant “Leaders of a controversial meatpacking plant cried foul Sunday after [Iowa] Gov. Chet Culver denounced the company, but several business and political experts said the governor's words were justified.”

Homeless in LA. Finding L.A.'s hidden homeless “Los Angeles County has more homeless people -- estimated at roughly 73,000 on any given night -- than any other metropolis in the country. It also has a topography in which dense urban areas frequently brush up against tiny pockets of wilderness. For those without houses, this landscape offers many opportunities for ingenious solutions -- aeries beneath bridges, riverbed encampments, ad hoc tree houses with million-dollar views -- to the problem of where to sleep.”

Olympics. 'The best Olympics ever' -- now what? “Inviting the world for a big party also shined an international spotlight on China's dark corners and its lingering concerns about its surprisingly fragile political structure. When the afterglow fades, China will be faced with a host of problems that it has put off addressing.” Olympic facade couldn't hide China's flaws “The world will remember China's marvelous facilities: the Bird's Nest, one of the most visually tantalizing stadiums in history; the incredible Water Cube, a building whose walls danced like our Northern Lights every evening; and a passel of stadiums that were wonderfully built and - unlike in Athens - nearly full every night and day. But what of the people displaced by the Chinese government, forced to relocate to make room for all of these beautiful buildings? Where did they go?” Was holding the Olympics in Beijing the right decision? “Everyone agrees that the games were a technical success, the venues beautiful and the competition exciting. But debate continued as the games ended about whether the International Olympic Committee had honored the Olympic spirit by awarding the games to a country led by an authoritarian government with little taste for dissent or transparency.”

Pakistan. Pakistan coalition in major split “Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says his PML-N party is pulling out of the country's multi-party governing coalition.” U.S. debates going after militants in Pakistan “Any Pentagon support for more direct action in Pakistan would be a significant shift for military brass, who for months have resisted a push from other parts of the U.S. government, primarily counter-terrorism officials within the CIA, who have favored large-scale covert operations to go after the Al Qaeda leadership.”

Russia-Georgia. Russia accused of violating ceasefire “Georgia said yesterday that it would appeal to the international community this week to pressure Russia to end its "occupation", adding that Russian troops were now digging in across the country in violation of the ceasefire deal.” Russia votes to recognise Georgia breakaway “Russia's parliament voted unanimously to recognise the independence of Georgia's two breakaway regions today in a direct challenge to the West.” Despite Pullout, Russia Envisions Long-Term Shift “As the Russian Army withdrew most of its forces from Georgia, it was becoming ever more clear on Friday that Moscow had no intention of restoring what once was — either on the ground or diplomatically.”

Israel-Palestine. Israel frees jailed Palestinians “Israel has released 198 Palestinian prisoners in what it calls a goodwill gesture to bolster Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.” US secretary of state lands in Israel to push ME peace process “US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged Monday that it will be difficult to reach a year-end target for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, but said the two sides and the United States remain committed to that goal.” ANALYSIS / On verge of Rice visit, Israel and PA far from peace accord “Nine months have passed since the Annapolis conference, which was held at the behest of Rice and where the participants promised to "make every effort" to reach a settlement by the end of 2008. Any attempt to redeem that promise will take place in the shadow of a political crisis in Israel.”

Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's MDC wins key position “Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has won the vote for parliament speaker, the clerk of parliament has said.” Zimbabwean media threatened “Another day, another death list. Despite having an arsenal of anti-press laws at his disposal, the leader of Zimbabwe's junta, Robert Mugabe, has resorted to using brute force and the threat of assassination to silence the independent media.”

Afghanistan. 89 Afghan civilians die in coalition airstrike “President Karzai accused Afghan and US led coalition forces yesterday of killing at least 89 civilians in an attack in the western province of Herat in what could be one of the worst cases of “collateral damage” in Afghanistan since 2001.”

Darfur. Sudan 'kills refugees in Darfur' “Sudanese troops have opened fire inside a Darfur refugee camp, leaving 27 people dead, a rebel group has said. Some 100 government trucks surrounded the Kalma camp, home to some 90,000 people who have fled their homes in Darfur,”

Iran. Chief Cleric of Iran Defends President “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme religious leader, responded to mounting domestic criticism of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with a strong statement of support, praising his internal policies and his dogged defense of the country’s nuclear program.”

Abortion. Mexico City Struggles With Law on Abortion “When Mexico City’s government made abortion legal last year, it also set out to make it available to any woman who asked for one. That includes the city’s poorest, who for years resorted to illegal clinics and midwives as wealthy women visited private doctors willing to quietly end unwanted pregnancies.”