The latest news on the military budget, Test Ban Treaty, Pre-school funding, Economy and killings, Same-sex marriage, Rwanda, Obama in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, North Korea, Israel, Gaza, and China

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Military budget. Gates's Cuts to an Array of Weapons Bring a Fight "Members of Congress and advocates for the armed services pushed back on Tuesday against Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates's plans to pare billions of dollars from a variety of Pentagon weapons systems, but others said that the cuts were prudent and that fights over them would be limited to several leading programs."

Test ban treaty. Biden to Shepherd Test Ban Treaty Vote "President Obama is planning to put Vice President Biden in charge of what is expected to be the difficult job of getting the Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty,"

Pre-school funding. Recession Stalls State-Financed Pre-Kindergarten, but Federal Money May Help "One of the most drastic expansions of public education in recent American history unfolded quietly in this decade, as dozens of states added free pre-kindergarten classes to their traditional kindergarten to high school offerings."

Economy and killings. Some Link Economy With Spate Of Killings "The factor underlying the violence, some experts think, is the dismal state of the nation's economy. Criminologists theorize that the epidemic of layoffs, the meltdown of storied American corporations and the uncertainty of recovery have stoked fear, anxiety and desperation across society and unnerved its most vulnerable and dangerous."

Same-sex marriage. Vermont OKs gay marriage "The Vermont Legislature voted Tuesday to permit same-sex couples to marry, making it the first state to legalize gay marriage through a vote of lawmakers rather than a court action." Vermont legalizes same-sex marriage "That it would be a tight vote was never in doubt, but the outcome was unclear until the roll call came to the end and Jeff Young, a gardener and freshman Democrat, switched his vote with a simple "yes" from his wooden desk in the chandelier-lit chamber." D.C. Council Votes to Recognize Gay Marriages Performed in Other States "The D.C. Council unanimously voted yesterday to recognize gay marriages performed elsewhere, joining a growing number of states to loosen restrictions on the unions."

Rwanda. Legacy of Rwanda's genocide: more assertive international justice "But perhaps Rwanda's most enduring legacy is found in the arena of international justice and peacekeeping. In The Hague and other venues, judges, prosecutors, investigators, and activists have begun to bring warlords and despots to justice. And organizations, such as the United Nations and the African Union, have asserted themselves more."

Obama in Turkey. Obama asks for cooperation, inclusion in Turkey "In a town hall meeting here this afternoon, President Barack Obama asked Turkish college students to lead the way in ending stereotypical views of Israelis, which he called harmful and "out of balance."

Iran. New nuclear talks offer for Iran "The six powers co-ordinating policy with Iran over its nuclear ambitions have moved to invite the Iranians for fresh talks on a diplomatic solution." Iran welcomes 'honest' talks with US "Iran's hard-line president said Wednesday that his country welcomes talks with the United States should the American president prove to be "honest" in extending its hand toward Iran, one of the strongest signals yet that Teheran welcomes US President Barack Obama's calls for dialogue." Biden warns Israel off any attack on Iran "Vice President Joe Biden issued a high-level admonishment to Israel's new government Tuesday that it would be "ill advised" to launch a military strike against Iran."

Iraq. In Baghdad, Obama Presses Iraqi Leader to Unite Factions "President Obama made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Tuesday, his first visit as commander in chief to the site of one of the two wars he inherited and must now see through to an end." It's time for Iraqis to take charge of their country, says Barack Obama "Barack Obama today told US troops it was time for Iraqis to take charge of the country as he made an unannounced visit to Baghdad." Full transcript: Obama addresses the troops "Inside the al-Faw Palace Baghdad, President Obama spoke to his troops serving in Iraq for the first time since he took office."

Pakistan. Pakistan: We need a Marshall Plan "Pakistani Ambassador Husain Haqqani Tuesday called for a $30 billion dollar Marshall Plan for Pakistan and Afghanistan over the next five years to fight al Qaeda, blunt anti-American sentiment and secure Pakistan from extremists bent on destabilizing its civilian government." Do U.S. drones kill Pakistani extremists or recruit them? "Concerns are growing among U.S. intelligence and military officials that the air strikes from unmanned drones are bolstering the Islamic insurgency."

India. US envoy to meet India officials "The US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan is set to meet Indian officials as part of an effort to build support for his country's strategy to tackle Taliban-linked fighters in the region." S Asia foes 'face common threat' "US envoy Richard Holbrooke has called for India, Pakistan and the US to work together to defeat Islamic militants. Speaking in Delhi, he said all three countries faced a "common threat".

North Korea. North Korean diplomat warns of 'strong steps' against UN security council "A senior North Korean diplomat warned yesterday that Pyongyang will retaliate with "strong steps" if the UN security council takes action against its rocket launch, insisting that his country sent up a peaceful satellite and not a missile."

Israel. Top Israeli diplomat: Don't rush us back to peace talks "Ultranationalist Avigdor Lieberman has been Israel's foreign minister for a week, and his blunt, undiplomatic style already is threatening to overshadow the new government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu." Obama team readying for confrontation with Netanyahu "In an unprecedented move, the Obama administration is readying for a possible confrontation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by briefing Democratic congressmen on the peace process and the positions of the new government in Israel regarding a two-state solution."

Gaza. Judge named to lead Gaza inquiry is known for fairness "Richard Goldstone, a quiet, self-effacing jurist from South Africa, agonized for days over the job offer: Unravel the accusations and counter-accusations of war crimes related to Israel's winter assault on the Gaza Strip."

China. China plans to bring basic healthcare to all "The Chinese Government has unveiled a 10-year plan aimed at bringing affordable medical services to even the poorest farmer and calming rising public anger about the state of the nation's healthcare."

Opinion.

Barack Obama wins respect of US military (Tim Reid, The Times of London) "Most of the military's senior officers, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have been impressed with Mr Obama because, they say, he strikes them as thoughtful and analytical, qualities that Mr Bush did not display in abundance."

Losing the 'war on terror' (Reza Aslan, Los Angeles Times) "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton let slip last week that the Obama administration has finally abandoned the phrase "war on terror." Its absence had been noted by commentators. There was no directive, Clinton said, "it's just not being used." It may seem a trivial thing, but the change in rhetoric marks a significant turning point in the ideological contest with radical Islam."