The latest news on the Presidential Campaign, Abortion, Mortgage Help, Health Insurance, College Cost Rising, Soldier's Suicide, Daylight Saving Time, Congo, Colombia, U.S.-Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Mideast, and Canada.

Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »

Presidential campaign. Sense of urgency drives candidates to swing states "Their sense of urgency growing as the clock runs down, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain are spending their time - and their money - trying to win over the same voters in those few states still too close to call." A final push in most expensive campaign "An unprecedented $64 million worth of television ads in just the final week of the race will put an exclamation point on the most expensive presidential campaign in history." At Rallies of Faithful, Contrasts in Red and Blue "Supporters of Senators Barack Obama and Joseph R. Biden Jr. often look like Benetton-colored billboards, decked out for their candidates in Obama-Biden hats, T-shirts and buttons. Supporters of Senator John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin like logo merchandise, too, but tend more toward pompoms (yes, pompoms), homemade signs ('Pitbulls 4 Freedom'), flag pins, and chest paint."

Abortion. As abortion foes grow more intense, a new view surfaces "But the urgency of the bishops reflects an increasing concern about a new argument posed by some antiabortion intellectuals and organizations: that the legislative battle to outlaw abortion is hopeless and that antiabortion groups would be better off devoting themselves to preventing unwanted pregnancies and persuading pregnant women to carry their fetuses to term rather than trying to change the laws of the land."

Mortgage help. Treasury, FDIC Near Deal on Mortgage Aid "Negotiators for the Treasury and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. are nearing agreement on a plan to have the government guarantee the mortgages of millions of distressed homeowners in what would be a significant departure for the federal rescue program, which has so far directed relief exclusively to banks and other financial institutions." Government Said to Be Discussing Plan to Aid Homeowners "Senior Bush administration officials are discussing a plan that could help up to three million homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages to stay in their homes."

Health insurance. Women Buying Health Policies Pay a Penalty "Striking new evidence has emerged of a widespread gap in the cost of health insurance, as women pay much more than men of the same age for individual insurance policies providing identical coverage."

College cost rising. Cost of Higher Education Heading Up "College students and their parents should brace for sharp tuition increases as the widening economic downturn begins to hit campuses across the country, an organization of higher education officials said yesterday." Downturn Expected to Drive Tuition Up "Tuition costs rose slightly faster than the Consumer Price Index last year, and students received record amounts of financial aid, according to the annual reports on college pricing and student aid released Wednesday by the College Board."

Soldier's suicide. Army and Agency Will Study Rising Suicide Rate Among Soldiers "Conceding it needed outside help in figuring out why the suicide rate among service members was rising, the Army announced plans on Wednesday to collaborate with the National Institute of Mental Health in an ambitious five-year project to identify the causes and risk factors of suicide."

Daylight saving time. End of daylight saving time is good for the heart "Turning your clock back one hour for the end of daylight saving time could do your own ticker some good. Researchers have found a 5 percent drop in heart attack deaths and hospitalizations the day after clocks are reset each year to standard time, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine."

Congo. Ban Sounds Alarm On Intensifying Conflict in Eastern DR Congo "Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed his alarm at the escalating violence over the past 24 hours in the volatile east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), lamenting the "catastrophic" humanitarian toll the conflict is taking in the region." UN peacekeepers braced for full-scale war in central Africa "United Nations peacekeepers were braced for full-scale war in central Africa yesterday as Rwandan-backed rebels closed in on the Congolese city of Goma, sending government troops and civilians fleeing in panic." Embers of Rwandan Genocide Flare "An escalation of Congo's long-simmering conflict reached the gates of this provincial capital Wednesday as a rebel offensive sent tens of thousands of villagers fleeing toward the city and government soldiers left their posts."

Colombia. Colombia Fires 27 From Army Over Killings "The Colombian government on Wednesday fired 27 army officers and soldiers, including three generals, amid allegations that poor young men had been lured to the country's turbulent outback from slums in the capital and killed there by troops." Colombia Lists Civilian Killings in Guerrilla Toll "Julián Oviedo, a 19-year-old construction worker in this gritty patchwork of slums, told his mother on March 2 that he was going to talk to a man about a job offer. A day later, Mr. Oviedo was shot dead by army troops some 350 miles to the north. He was classified as a subversive and registered as a combat kill."

U.S.-Iraq. Senior Iraqi Leader Says Pact With U.S. Is Unlikely to Pass "A senior Iraqi political leader said yesterday he is 'doubtful' that a bilateral agreement authorizing U.S. forces to remain in Iraq after the end of the year would be approved by the Iraqi cabinet and parliament." Bush confident of Iraq troop deal "U.S. President George W. Bush has said he is confident a deal on the future of U.S. troops in Iraq will be approved despite amendments which Baghdad has requested." Iraqis Insist on Changes to Long-Delayed Security Pact With U.S. "The Iraqi government demanded changes on Wednesday to the long-delayed security pact with the United States. The amendments would ban American troops from using Iraqi territory to carry out attacks on other countries, further limit when the troops would have immunity from Iraqi laws and allow inspections of American arms shipments."

Syria. Syrians stage mass anti-U.S. protest "Hundreds of Syrian riot police surrounded the U.S. embassy in Damascus today as tens of thousands of protesters gathered nearby to denounce a U.S. raid that killed eight people near the Iraqi border." Syrians march in protest at U.S. raid "But the situation remained peaceful as the protesters filled the Youssef al-Azmi square and surrounding streets in the al-Maliki neighbourhood, with some Syrians forming circles and performing traditional dances."

Pakistan. Pakistan calls in U.S. ambassador over raids "Pakistan's government summoned the U.S. ambassador yesterday to demand an immediate halt to missile strikes on its territory in the latest sign of escalating tension between the supposed allies in the War on Terror." Pakistan Tells U.S. to Stop Airstrikes in Tribal Zone "The Pakistani government lodged a formal protest on Wednesday over American missile attacks on the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the nation's tribal areas and told the American ambassador the strikes should be 'stopped immediately.'"

Mideast. Quartet to meet in Egypt Nov. 8 to assess progress in Israeli-Palestinians peace talks "A senior Palestinian official said Wednesday the Quartet of Middle East peacemakers will arrive in Egypt on Nov. 8 to meet and assess progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks."

Canada. PM showcases experience, fresh faces "Prime Minister Stephen Harper will unveil a bigger-tent cabinet Thursday that showcases veteran hands in the all-important economic portfolios and draws upon newly elected MPs to address a lack of female representation around the decision-making table."