The latest news on Republican debate, John Edwards, Economy, Trade agreements, Homeless in Columbus, Wages in Iowan, Baptists, Soldiers and vets, Afghanistan, Lebanon war report, Iraq, Saudi women's rights, Native people, Iran, Kenya, Gandhi, Editorial, and Opinion.

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Republican debate. Accusations fly at Republican debate "John McCain and Mitt Romney carried their bitter Florida clash into California, each impugning the other's honesty in a hot-tempered debate as they sought to attract voters casting ballots in five days in a coast-to-coast array of primaries and caucuses. " McCain vs. Romney on Iraq "The Iraq war again emerged as a flash point between Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in a debate, after McCain accused Romney of supporting timetables for withdrawing U.S. troops from the battlefield." McCain, Romney snipe at each other "The race for the Republican nomination narrowed to a sharp-edged duel between Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, cresting in an often acerbic debate that included sustained attacks on each candidate's record, credibility and even integrity."

John Edwards. John Edwards ends presidential bid "He launched his campaign in the hurricane-ravaged quarters of New Orleans and traveled through Appalachia, talking about poverty and railing against corporate greed and financial disparities." Edwards Exacts Pledge as He Leaves "Edwards said that Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama "have both pledged to me and, more importantly, through me to America, that they will make ending poverty central to their campaign for the presidency. This is the cause of my life, and I now have their commitment to engage in this cause."

Economy. Rival stimulus plan gains traction "An alternative economic stimulus package picked up momentum in the Senate on with new GOP support, potentially complicating the bid to quickly pass legislation to pump billions of dollars into the ailing economy." Showdown Nears on Stimulus Bill "With bipartisan support, the Senate Finance Committee approved a $157 billion economic stimulus plan that rivals the measure fashioned by President Bush and House leaders, setting up a Senate showdown today that could determine who will receive rebates from the federal government and how quickly the checks will arrive."

Trade agreements. Bush pushes three trade agreements "Declaring that "free trade means good-paying jobs for Americans," President Bush used the nation's largest helicopter manufacturer as a backdrop to pressure Congress to pass three trade agreements that are among the top priorities of his final year in office."

Homeless in Columbus. Workers search high and low in homeless count "volunteers and staff members scoured the city during the Columbus Community Shelter Board's fourth annual Point-in-Time count of area homeless. It's a tricky, high-stakes exercise in finding people who don't necessarily want to be found."

Wages in Iowa. Revised 'prevailing wage' bill exempts rural cities, counties "Legislation that would force schools, cities and counties to pay average union wages for contract labor is gearing up for a Statehouse comeback with a list of revisions that advocates say will help win over rural lawmakers."

Baptists. Carter opens Baptist meeting in Georgia "Former President Carter called divisions among Christians a "cancer" in the church, as he opened a meeting meant to unite moderate Baptists across racial and theological lines and show their tradition goes beyond conservative Southern Baptist beliefs."

Soldiers and vets. Soldier Suicides at Record Level "Suicides among active-duty soldiers in 2007 reached their highest level since the Army began keeping such records in 1980, …. Last year, 121 soldiers took their own lives, nearly 20 percent more than in 2006." Battle Concussions Tied to Stress Disorder "About one in six combat troops returning from Iraq have suffered at least one concussion in the war, injuries that, while temporary, could heighten their risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder,researchers are reporting."

Afghanistan. Afghanistan report warns of 'failed state' "A panel of U.S. diplomatic and military experts says more troops and better coordination are needed to secure the country in the face of a resurgent Taliban." Afghanistan 'may be failed state' "Two independent reports from Afghanistan's former Nato commander warned today that the country risks becoming a "failed state" due to the continuing violence and economic instability." Six years after invasion, the Taliban is on the rise "Despite the presence of more than 50,000 U.S. and NATO troops throughout Afghanistan, the Taliban has taken back control of vast rural areas during the past year and now has a foothold just outside Kabul." NATO vows to find more troops for Afghanistan "NATO pledged yesterday to help Canada find the additional troops and equipment for Kandahar that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has set as a key condition for extending the mission of the Canadian Forces."

Lebanon war report. Report on war finds failures "An official panel that investigated Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon said that it had found "serious failures and shortcomings" by the government and the army in waging the campaign, but it did not assign specific blame to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert." Israeli panel faults 2006 war effort "An official panel of inquiry found that Israel's failure to win the 2006 war in Lebanon stemmed from "flawed conduct" and "serious failings" by its political and military leadership, but concluded that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert acted in what he thought was the country's best interest." Winograd report blames Israeli army "The investigation headed by Eliahu Winograd "found grave failings in the decision-making ... both on the military and political levels". PM: My name has been cleared "Feeling exonerated over his decision to order a major ground operation during the final 60 hours of the Second Lebanon War, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert characterized the Winograd Committee's report as "lifting the moral stigma off of me."

Iraq. U.S. Commanders in Iraq Favor Pause in Troop Cuts "Senior U.S. military commanders here say they want to freeze troop reductions starting this summer for at least a month, making it more likely that the next administration will inherit as many troops in Iraq as there were before President Bush announced a "surge" of forces a year ago." Permanent U.S. Bases In Iraq Unlikely "The US and Iraq are beginning to hammer out a security accord that will define their relationship for years to come, but it probably won't resemble the postwar agreements that have left thousands of American troops in places like Japan, Germany, or South Korea."

Saudi women's rights. Saudi Women See a Brighter Road on Rights "Buoyed by recent advances in women's rights, advocates for the right of women to drive in Saudi Arabia -- the only country in the world that prohibits female drivers -- say they believe the ban will be lifted this year."

Native people. For Peru's Indians, Lawsuit Against Big Oil Reflects a New Era "The Amazon region was once even more isolated than it is today, its people largely cut off from environmental defenders in Washington and other world capitals who might have protected their interests. Now, Indians have gained access to tools that level the playing field" Australia to Apologize to Aborigines for Past Mistreatment "The new government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says it will apologize for past mistreatment of Australia's Aboriginal minority when Parliament convenes next month, addressing an issue that has blighted race relations in the country for years." Sorry shouldn't be the only word "AN APOLOGY to the stolen generation should be addressed to more than just those people who were removed from their parents, should refer to the removal of indigenous children under modern laws, and should also consider white foster parents who were not told where children in their care had come from."

Iran. Iran president trumpets nuclear feats "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boasted that his country was nearing the "peak" of its efforts to unlock the secrets of the atom, and he again ruled out suspending the nuclear program." Ahmadinejad Sees Nuclear Energy in Iran by 2009 "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran said that his country would produce nuclear energy by next year"

Kenya . Kenya violence must stop, says AU "Africa is facing a genocide in Kenya and must make resolving the crisis a priority, the head of the African Union told the continent's leaders at Thursday's opening of a three-day summit." Talks delayed after MP shot dead "Kenya's rival politicians today postponed negotiations brokered by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan after the killing of an opposition MP." How Kenya's election was rigged "The spark for Kenya's firestorm of ethnic violence was lit inside a cavernous meeting hall in downtown Nairobi, where election officials over four days doctored vote counts, dismissed eye-popping irregularities and thwarted monitoring by independent observers to deliver a razor-thin victory to President Mwai Kibaki."

Gandhi. India remembers Mahatma Gandhi "India has paid homage to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the man who led the country's peaceful campaign for independence from Britain." Gandhi's ashes spread at sea "When the frail hands of Nilamben Parikh poured the copper urn bearing the last ashes of Mahatma Gandhi into the Arabian Sea, the silver-haired author was not just laying India's politician saint to rest but healing a generations-old rift in the family of the country's founding father."

Editorial. Worse than the partial report (Haaretz) Because they were so preoccupied with the final 60 hours of the war, and because of the fact that the Winograd Committee exonerated Ehud Olmert from an implied accusation that he decided on a ground operation at the last moment only in order to improve his political position, people seem to have failed to hear the extraordinarily serious remarks read out by Judge Eliyahu Winograd in his summarizing announcement to the public.

Opinion. A Matchup Starts to Take Shape (David S. Broder, Washington Post) Heading into Tuesday's unprecedented day of voting in two dozen states, a degree of order is finally emerging in the dramatic races for the presidential nominations of both parties.