The latest news on the Military Budget, Stem Cell Research, Health Care Crisis, Military Recruitment, Vatican Investigates LCWR, Amish Unemployment, Summit of the Americas, U.N. Conference Walkout, Israel-Palestine, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, India Child Slave

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Military budget. Gates tailors defense plan to win battles with Congress "Defense Secretary Robert Gates' plan to overhaul military spending practices and strategy signals a new Pentagon willingness to play hardball politics with lawmakers in Congress."

Stem cell research. Some Stem Cell Research Limits Lifted "The Obama administration announced Friday that it planned to lift some but not all federal financing restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research, drawing criticism both from abortion opponents and from scientists who had expected a more liberal policy." Compromise Rules Issued on Embryonic Stem Cells "The Obama administration issued guidelines limiting government-sponsored embryonic stem cell research to cells taken from excess fertility clinic embryos, a compromise based on its reading of public opinion about the cutting-edge science."

Health care crisis. Recession Leads to Health-Care Crisis in North Carolina "Recessions are tallied in numbers -- jobless claims, home foreclosures, plant closings and bailout dollars. Here at the HealthServe community clinic, Talbot, the medical director, tracks the recession in days -- the number of days that patients wait to see a doctor."

Military recruitment. Economy allows Army to be more choosy "The Army last month stopped accepting felons and recent drug abusers into its ranks as the nation's economic downturn helped its recruiting, allowing it to reverse a decline in recruiting standards that had alarmed some officers."

Vatican investigates LCWR. Vatican probes nuns' heterodoxy "The Vatican is investigating a Silver Spring-based umbrella group for nuns for deviating from Catholic doctrine after the group failed to toe the church's line on male priesthood, homosexuality and salvation being chiefly obtained through the Catholic Church."

Amish unemployment. Layoffs are driving change among the Amish "The Amish are defined by their religious beliefs, shunning automobiles, insurance and electricity in their homes. But some in hard-hit northern Indiana realize they can no longer avoid one modern idea: unemployment checks."

Summit of the Americas. Americas rivals see signs of hope "The Summit of the Americas has ended on an upbeat note, despite a lack of agreement on a joint declaration." Obama Closes Summit, Vows Broader Engagement With Latin America "President Obama concluded a summit of the hemisphere's leaders Sunday by articulating a broad new agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean, having gained momentum in his bid to repair relations with some of the region's shrillest critics of the United States." Obama defends greeting Hugo Chavez "Rebuffing criticism of the warm greetings he exchanged with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, President Obama said Sunday that the United States, with its overwhelming military superiority and need to improve its global image, could afford to extend such diplomatic 'courtesy.'" Obama Discusses Immigration with Central American Presidents "U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday displayed great receptivity to the proposals of his Central American counterparts on the question of immigration reform, several of the leaders said after their meeting."

U.N. conference walkout. Israel criticism sparks U.N. walkout "Dozens of delegates have walked out of a United Nations conference on racism after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, described Israel as a 'racist government.'" Ahmadinejad Speech Prompts Walkout at Racism Conference "Sharpening the dispute over the Iranian presence, Israel also recalled its ambassador to Switzerland for 'consultations' on Monday in protest against the conference and a meeting held Sunday between the Swiss president, Hans-Rudolf Merz, and Mr. Ahmadinejad." Boycott-hit racism forum to open "Israel has recalled its ambassador to Switzerland 'for consultations' amid ongoing controversy over an anti-racism conference being held in Geneva."

Israel-Palestine. PM backtracks: 'Peace talks without preconditions' "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not make Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state a condition for renewing negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, said a senior official in the Prime Minister's Bureau." Hamas 'killed Palestinians in Gaza' "Human Rights Watch today accused the Islamist movement Hamas of a campaign of killing and attacks against Palestinians in Gaza that has left at least 32 dead and dozens more seriously injured."

Iran. Iran plans fast appeal for U.S. 'spy' "The head of Iran's judiciary has ordered a 'quick and fair' consideration of an appeal against an eight-year jail sentence imposed on a U.S. journalist convicted of spying." Iran Judge Asks for Review Case of Jailed Journalist "Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, Iran's highest judge, issued a decree to the head of the Tehran court, calling on the appeal to be 'considered at the appeals stage in a careful, quick and fair way.'"

Pakistan. Extremist Tide Rises in Pakistan "A potentially troubling era dawned Sunday in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where a top Islamist militant leader, emboldened by a peace agreement with the federal government, laid out an ambitious plan to bring a 'complete Islamic system' to the surrounding northwest region and the entire country."

Iraq. Iraqi parliament elects new speaker, raising hope for unity "The election Sunday of a new leader of Iraq's parliament could aggravate the country's ethnic and sectarian tensions, or it could prove to be a major step toward easing the longstanding friction between Sunni and Shiite Arabs."

India child slaves. ANALYSIS: India's brisk trade in child slaves "Human Rights Watch has estimated that 15 million children have changed hands in India. Last year a U.S. State Department report said: 'India is a source, destination and transit country for men, women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation.'"

South Africa. Mandela boost for ANC supporters "Former South African president Nelson Mandela has made an unexpected appearance at the governing ANC party's final pre-election rally." Party's Rally Gets Boost by Mandela Before Vote "The A.N.C. is heading toward another landslide win in the vote on Wednesday, and the party's margin of victory was no doubt inflated further with the appearance of the living symbol of South Africa's liberation." Nelson Mandela smiles on candidate Jacob Zuma "Nelson Mandela's hobbling steps up to the stage at an African National Congress election rally Sunday were painfully slow, but they were a powerful political boost to president-in-waiting Jacob Zuma."

Opinion. An evangelical's plea: 'Love the sinner' (Jonathan Merritt, USA Today) "One of the mantras of evangelicalism over the past quarter-century regarding gay men and lesbians has been "hate the sin, love the sinner." If, however, you Google the public statements made by evangelicals regarding our gay neighbors, you'll uncover a virtual how-to manual on hating sin and little if anything about loving sinners." Afghan Women March, America Turns Away(Nader Nadery and Haseeb Humayoon, New York Times) "That is why President Obama's Afghanistan-Pakistan policy speech last month and his administration's related white paper are worrisome: both avoided any reference to democracy in Afghanistan, while pointedly pushing democratic reforms in Pakistan." Will Barack Obama Face Down the Gun Lobby? (E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) "I understand about swing voters, swing states, the priority of the economy and all that. But given Congress's default to the apologists for loose gun laws, it will take a president to make something happen."