The latest news on G20 summit, Head of GM out, Immigration, Help at church, Employee Free Choice Act, Cuba, Afghanistan, Sudan/Darfur, Iraq, Opinion.

G20 summit. Obama at G-20 summit: Popular president, unpopular plan "But as Obama makes his presidential debut on the diplomatic stage at the Group of 20 summit in London this week, he faces leaders from both Europe and Asia who have rejected some of his most important proposals for rescuing the global economy, including his call for more stimulus spending." Obama Will Face a Defiant World on Foreign Visit "Despite his immense popularity around the world, Mr. Obama will confront resentment over American-style capitalism and resistance to his economic prescriptions when he lands in London on Tuesday for the Group of 20 summit meeting of industrial and emerging market nations plus the European Union." Obama flies into protests and discord on first trip to Europe "It won't be a love fest when Barack Obama sits down with other world leaders for talks on the world economic crisis at his European debut as president of the United States this week, and meanwhile, on the streets of London, throngs of protesters are planning to vent their outrage at bankers, bailouts and bonuses." Further G20 meeting could be necessary, hints Downing Street "The prime minister's spokesman said that the G20 summit, which will take place on Thursday, was being seen as part of a "process" and that it was a process "nearer to its beginning than its end".

Head of GM out. GM Chief to Resign at White House's Behest "The Obama administration has forced the longtime head of General Motors to resign and said yesterday that it would withhold additional federal aid to the auto industry unless the ailing companies undertake changes they so far have been unwilling or unable to make." U.S. forcing GM chief out "The Obama administration is taking another bold step into government management of the crumbling economy, forcing out the head of General Motors Corp. as part of a sweeping plan to reshape the American auto industry and extend additional money to GM and Chrysler to give them more time to restructure." Feds declare GM, Chrysler not viable, refuse more aid "President Barack Obama on Monday will reject requests for almost $22 billion in new taxpayer bailout money for General Motors Corp. and Chrysler, saying the car makers have failed to take steps to ensure their viability."

Immigration. Delay in Immigration Raids May Signal Policy Change "Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has delayed a series of proposed immigration raids and other enforcement actions at U.S. workplaces in recent weeks, asking agents in her department to apply more scrutiny to the selection and investigation of targets as well as the timing of raids," Immigration cases piling up for years "The nation's immigration courts are now so clogged that nearly 90,000 people accused of being in the United States illegally waited at least two years for a judge to decide whether they must leave, one of the last bottlenecks in a push to more strictly enforce immigration laws."

Help at church. More people going to church for help "Pleas for help - spiritual and financial - are flooding U.S. churches, from tiny congregations to megachurches, as recession woes seep into the pews, a survey finds."

Employee Free Choice Act. Union Bill's Declining Chances Give Rise to Alternatives "With the prospects for a landmark pro-union proposal looking increasingly shaky in Congress, senators in both parties are seeking other ways to reform labor laws, potentially reshaping what many expected to be a defining showdown of Barack Obama's presidency."

Cuba. Momentum Grows for Relaxing U.S. Policy on Cuba; Bill Would Lift Travel Ban "Roughly a year after Fidel Castro stepped aside and handed much of the responsibility for leading Cuba to his brother Raul, there is new momentum in Washington for eliminating the ban on most U.S. travel to the island nation and for reexamining the severe limitations on U.S.-Cuban economic exchanges."

Afghanistan. President Barack Obama says Afghan troop escalation won't be open-ended "Invoking a lesson of Vietnam, President Barack Obama said Sunday that stepped-up military operations in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda and its Taliban allies do not represent "an open-ended commitment of infinite resources," and that success will require vigorous diplomatic and development efforts there and in neighboring Pakistan." Afghanistan still dangerous, PM says "A new U.S. commitment to Afghanistan will give a needed boost to Canada's troops there, but it won't stem the casualties, Prime Minister Stephen Harper warned." Afghans Pin Hopes on Spring That Could Instead Bring More Violence, Deeper Rifts "Like the roadside nurserymen selling rosebushes and plum saplings here under dark, still-wintry skies, Afghans are pinning improbable hopes for deliverance on spring. But the season could instead yield more insurgent violence, deeper divisions among Afghan leaders and sharper tensions with Western military forces." In Afghanistan, strategy focuses on building trust "The additional troops Obama is sending to Afghanistan will focus not on battling Taliban insurgents face-to-face, but on improving security in far-flung villages such as Bakwa by winning the trust of the local population, one farmer at a time."

Sudan/Darfur. Sudan's president, wanted by an international court, welcomed in Qatar for Arab summit "Qatar's leader embraced Sudan's president in a red-carpet welcome Sunday as he arrived to attend an Arab Summit in his most brazen act of defiance against an international arrest warrant on charges of war crimes in Darfur." Arab League urged to back Bashir "Arab leaders have been urged to reject an international arrest warrant against President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan for war crimes in Darfur." Defiant Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir attends Arab summit "Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes in Darfur, defied the international community last night by showing up at an Arab summit already bitterly divided over Iran and other Middle East issues." Arab leaders address key issues "At the opening session of the 21st Arab League summit on Monday, the leaders called for a unified approach towards Israel's new government, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and the financial crisis."

Iraq. In Iraq, 2 Key U.S. Allies Face Off "A new and potentially worrisome fight for power and control has broken out in Baghdad as the United States prepares to pull combat troops out of Iraq next year." Sons of Iraq movement suffers another blow "A moderate Sunni paramilitary leader allied with the Americans was detained by Iraqi forces, his deputies said Sunday, in an illustration of how the Shiite-led government has humbled a nationwide movement that emerged two years ago to help end the Iraqi insurgency." The end of Britain's military role in Iraq "Striking up Glorious Victory, a Royal Marines band marched into the grounds of an Iraqi base in Basra yesterday to open a farewell feast that marks the beginning of the end of Britain's military mission in Iraq."

Opinion. Why Notre Dame Should Welcome Obama (Kenneth L. Woodward, Washington Post) "Obama is not coming to Notre Dame to press a pro-choice agenda but to address issues that affect all American citizens, including Catholics. He will be speaking to students who, like other Americans, gave him a majority of their votes. He will receive an honorary degree because it is the custom, not as a blessing on any of his decisions."