The latest news on Rice on race, Economy, Faith and justice, Deporting inmates, Iraq, President on Iraq, Zimbabwe, Nuclear weapons, Tibet, UK-France summit, Arab League, Israel-Syria, Pakistan.

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Rice on race. Rice hits U.S. 'birth defect' "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that the United States still has trouble dealing with race because of a national "birth defect" that denied black Americans the opportunities given to whites at the country's very founding."

Economy. Economy emerges as central election issue "The deteriorating economy took center stage in the presidential election as Democrat Barack Obama called for tighter regulation of financial markets and rival Hillary Rodham Clinton proposed more retraining for displaced workers, creating a sharp contrast with Republican John McCain over how much the government should intervene." Parties Differ on Whom Economic Aid Should Help "When an election campaign coincides with both a crisis on Wall Street and soaring home foreclosures across the country, the traditional ideological battles over "more government" or "less government" become blurred." Congress looking for broader fixes for U.S. economy "Spurred by the mortgage crisis and stress in US financial markets, Congress is ramping up to have its own say in how to revive the economy, even as the Bush administration warns against congressional overreach."

Faith and justice. Liberal evangelicals hope to link faith, social justice "An evangelical group that wants to reshape the movement's political reputation for being focused on opposing abortion and same-sex marriage hopes that a series of meetings stressing its roots in women's suffrage and abolition will help it break out of the mold."

Deporting inmates. 304,000 Inmates Eligible for Deportation, Official Says"At least 304,000 immigrant criminals eligible for deportation are behind bars nationwide, … That is the first official estimate of the total number of such convicts in federal, state and local prisons and jails." Deporting some immigrant inmates a big break for states "Programs in New York and Arizona aimed at cutting the prison sentences of certain immigrant inmates so they can be deported faster have federal officials urging other states to adopt similar policies."

Iraq. Iraqi leader threatens fight 'to the end' "As gun battles raged in the southern port city of Basra, parts of Baghdad and neighboring provinces, Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki in effect declared war on Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr's Mahdi Army, saying he'd fight the militia and never negotiate." Deeper into Iraq "U.S. forces were drawn deeper into Iraq's four day-old crackdown on Shi'ite militants, launching air strikes in Basra for the first time and battling militants in Baghdad." U.S. Armor Forces Join Offensive In Baghdad Against Sadr Militia "Thousands of supporters of hard-line cleric Moqtada al-Sadr poured into the streets of the Iraqi capital to protest an ongoing security crackdown against Sadr's militia," Attacks rage in Baghdad "In a sign of growing rage against the Iraqi and U.S. governments, tens of thousands of Shiites marched in their strongholds across Baghdad on Thursday to protest a crackdown on Shiite militiamen that has led to more than 125 deaths."

President on Iraq. Despite the Fighting in Basra, Bush Emphasizes Progress "The images from Baghdad and Basra bristled with explosions, burning buildings, angry street protests, rocket smoke wafting from the Green Zone. The words from Dayton were "remarkable" and "victory" and "rebirth." Bush plays up progress in Iraq but admits it's 'reversible' ""President Bush said Thursday that the yearlong increased U.S. troop deployment in Iraq had allowed the country to "restart political and economic life" and take on a greater role in its own reconstruction while building a modern democracy on "the rubble of three decades of tyranny."

Zimbabwe. Mugabe warned of Kenya-style revolt "Zimbabwe's opposition says it will bring the government to its knees with Kenya-style mass protests if President Robert Mugabe carries out extensive plans to rig tomorrow's presidential and parliamentary elections." Zimbabwe forces 'on full alert' 'Zimbabwe's security forces have been put on full alert amid fears Saturday's election could spark violence similar to that in recent Kenyan polls."

Nuclear weapons. Gates Orders Nuclear Inventory "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has ordered a complete inventory of the nation's nuclear arsenal and all associated components after the discovery last week that four secret nuclear missile parts had been mistakenly sent to Taiwan,"

Tibet. Monks Protest During Press Tour of China "Weeping and yelling, "Tibet is not free," a group of red-robed monks disrupted a carefully scripted tour for foreign journalists in Lhasa, Tibet's capital," Tibetan exiles stage Nepal demonstration"Tibetan protesters today scaled the walls of the UN compound in the Nepalese capital. Police detained 60 other exiles who were protesting outside the building in Kathmandu," Fallout From Tibet Is Test for China's Rulers "The riots in Tibet two weeks ago have turned into a major challenge to China's leaders, whose decision to use military force and restrict media access has cast a shadow over hopes for an unblemished Olympics this summer."

UK-France summit. Brown and Sarkozy pledge to form 'entente formidable' "At the end of the two-day state visit to Britain by President Nicolas Sarkozy, the Prime Minister, who traditionally takes a cautious line on Europe, was unusually outspoken on the subject following the French leader's pledge to work with Britain "at the heart of Europe".

Arab League. Mideast rift upstages Arab League summit "Syriais more isolated now than at any moment in recent history, publicly spurned by Egypt and Saudi Arabia - the traditional big Arab players - who are only sending low-level delegations to the prestigious gathering that opens Saturday." Beirut bloc urges pressure on Syria "Lebanon's ruling coalition on Thursday called for other Arab nations to pressure Damascus over what it sees as Syrian interference in its country's affairs."

Israel-Syria. Ben-Eliezer: Israel trying to revive talks with Syria "Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said Friday that Israel has been making efforts to bring Syria back to the negotiating table. Ben-Eliezer spoke just days after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted that Israel might be holding - or planning to hold secret talks with Syria."

Pakistan. U.S. pressure on Pakistan to attack militants may backfire "Top U.S. officials publicly questioned the plans of Pakistan's newly elected civilian government to negotiate with militants in the country's border region with Afghanistan and instead urged the continued use of military force." A Chill Ushers in a New Diplomatic Order in Pakistan"The visit by Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte turned out to be series of indignities and chilly, almost hostile, receptions as he bore the brunt of the full range of complaints that Pakistanis now feel freer to air with the end of military rule by Washington's favored ally, President Pervez Musharraf."