Daily News Digest

The latest news on China earthquake, Burma storm, Presidential primary, Immigration, Campaign ads, Budget, Bio-engineered crops, Hagee apologizes, US military, Colombia, Mideast, Lebanon, North Korea, Editorial, and Op-Ed

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China earthquake. China quake toll close to 15,000 "Nearly 15,000 people died in the devastating earthquake that hit China's Sichuan province, the official Xinhua news agency has reported." China says 26,000 are buried in earthquake rubble "Chinese state media today said almost 26,000 people remained buried in earthquake debris, with another 14,000 missing." China quake rescuers face tough going "Rescue workers facing a rising death toll and heavy rains dug for survivors of China's worst earthquake in decades, as people throughout the country searched for loved ones, medical help, water and food." A Rescue in China, Uncensored "the rescue effort playing nonstop on Chinese television is remarkable for a country that has a history of concealing the scope of natural calamities and then bungling its response."

Burma storm. Foul Weather Adds to Burma Misery "As yet more drenching rain battered survivors of Burma's deadly cyclone, foreign relief supplies continued to arrive at a pace aid workers said was still far too slow to help most of the suffering." Myanmar Government Still Blocking Relief "Further deliveries of small-scale aid arrived in Myanmar on Tuesday - a darkly clouded and rainy day in Yangon and in the south - but international aid experts and diplomats here in the main city expressed concern that the government may not be up to delivering it," U.N. struggles over how to help nations that reject aid "Myanmar's cyclone and China's earthquake highlight a question that the U.N. often struggles with: what to do when a country's people need outside help but the government rejects it."

Presidential primary. Clinton Handily Defeats Obama in West Virginia "Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton routed Sen. Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary yesterday, scoring one of her most lopsided victories of the long campaign even as she continued to battle overwhelming odds in her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination." Clinton: Race isn't over "Following her victory, she was defiant and clearly still spoiling for a fight, calling on uncommitted delegates and superdelegates to come her way. "I can win this nomination if you decide I should," she said to raucous applause." Clinton 'determined' after win in W. Va., but does it matter? "Clinton coasted to an easy victory in West Virginia, but with just 28 delegates at stake, Obama remained in the lead in every category: states won, delegates pledged, superdelegates declared, and the nationwide popular vote."

Immigration. Immigration arrests at Iowa meat plant total 390 "Immigration arrests at the Agriprocessors Inc meat plant in Postville, Iowa, totaled 390, making it the largest number of such arrests at a single U.S. location," Attorneys report on condition of detainees "Conditions are satisfactory inside the makeshift detention center where federal officials are holding detainees from the Postville raid, according to lawyers who are now getting their first access to their clients."

Campaign ads. Obama, McCain Aim to Curb '527s' Sen. Barack Obama's top fundraisers have asked his campaign donors to refrain from contributing to liberal independent political organizations in hopes of controlling the tone and message of the general-election campaign.