The latest news on Iraq-US troops, Housing, US-Colombia trade, Olympics, Catholic schools, Papal visit, Faith & Politics, MDGs, Zimbabwe, Israel-Palestine, North Korea, and Opinion.

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Iraq-US troops. Bush Backs Petraeus on Indefinite Suspension of Troop Pullout in Iraq "President Bush ordered an indefinite suspension of troop withdrawals from Iraq this summer but promised that the war "is not endless" Bush Signals No Further Reduction of Troops in Iraq "President Bush said that the senior United States commander in Iraq could "have all the time he needs" before reducing American forces there any further," Gates and Petraeus differ over troop levels in Iraq "But in a surprising show of public concern about an open-ended U.S. commitment, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a Senate hearing that he hoped to resume troop reductions soon after a "brief" 45-day pause this summer." Army Under Stress From Long Wars "U.S. soldiers are committing suicide at record levels, young officers are abandoning their military careers, and the heavy use of forces in Iraq has made it harder for the military to fight conflicts that could arise elsewhere."

Housing. Senate clears housing relief bill "After weeks of gridlock - and a presidential veto threat - the Senate passed a bipartisan housing package that Democratic leaders say President Bush will sign." Senate Approves Housing Relief Bill "The Senate moved to stabilize the battered housing market by approving a bill to provide tax breaks for home builders and other businesses, a $7,000 tax credit for buyers of foreclosed homes, $150 million for counseling borrowers and $4 billion for local governments to buy foreclosed properties." McCain Reverses Himself on Mortgage Position "Senator John McCain, who drew criticism last month after he warned against broad government intervention to solve the deepening mortgage crisis, pivoted and called for the federal government to aid some homeowners in danger of losing their homes,"

US-Colombia trade. U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement put on hold "The House on refused President Bush's demand to ratify a free-trade deal with Colombia, voting to delay consideration of the pact until after the November election." House Democrats defeat Colombia free-trade deal "A free-trade agreement with Colombia got swept away by Democratic presidential politics and concerns over domestic economic woes, with the House of Representatives handing the Bush administration a stinging defeat on a deal that had been touted as crucial to U.S. interests."

Olympics. McCain urges Bush to consider boycotting Olympic opening ceremonies "Republican John McCain called on President Bush to reconsider his decision to attend opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics, joining Democratic candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama in the opposition they expressed this week." Olympics chief: China games facing crisis amid protests "The International Olympics chief said that the Summer Games scheduled for August in China are in "crisis" amid protests following the Olympic torch, and the sense of emergency surrounding the games grew Thursday when China declared that it had smashed a Muslim terrorist ring that was plotting to kidnap Olympic athletes." Protests or not, Olympic torch officials plan to stay the course "Chinese Olympic organizers appear determined to plow on with their troubled international torch relay, hoping that cities in Latin America, Africa, and Asia will offer a warmer welcome."

Catholic schools. 'Crisis' with loss of Catholic schools "About 300,000 elementary and high school students have been displaced by the closure of more than 1,300 Catholic schools since 1990, mostly in cities, and this "crisis" should be reversed by church leaders,"

Papal visit. Pope Benedict will preach 'affirmative orthodoxy' in U.S. "Next week provides an opportunity for Benedict to establish his public image and steady the American church, as he makes his first visit to the United States since ascending to the papacy after John Paul's death three years ago."

Faith & Politics. Religious but not right "Have evangelicals abandoned the Religious Right for a more moderate center? Some say yes."

MDGs. Food shortages threaten gains against poverty "Soaring food prices have set back global poverty reduction by seven years, and the Group of Seven industrialized nations should move quickly to fill the United Nations' $500 million gap in emergency food assistance," Poor go hungry as rich fill their tanks "Rocketing global food prices are causing acute problems of hunger and malnutrition in poor countries and have put back the fight against poverty by seven years, the World Bank said yesterday." 50 nations failing goals on birth deaths "Among 68 countries considered a priority because of their high death rates, only 16 are on track to reach the MDG 4 on reducing child deaths in spite of increased funding from donor countries and an international effort to help."

Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Opposition Rejects Runoff "Zimbabwe's main opposition party decided that its presidential candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, would not take part in a runoff because it determined he had won the disputed election outright," Zimbabwe Candidate Asks Mbeki to Step In "The opposition leader who says he won Zimbabwe's presidential election is pressing South Africa's president to use his influence as a key regional leader to persuade President Robert Mugabe to step down," Mugabe rival 'meets SA president' "An MDC spokesman said the meeting had taken place on Thursday, in preparation for Saturday's regional summit on the outcome of Zimbabwe's March elections."

Israel-Palestine. Israeli tanks in Gaza incursion "Israel has sent tanks and bulldozers into the Gaza Strip after pledging to retaliate against a deadly militant attack on a fuel depot this week." PM to IDF commanders: Think of Palestinian suffering at roadblocks "Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has called on IDF commanders in the West Bank to understand that the roadblocks are causing suffering to the Palestinians, whose needs should be appreciated to avoid a worsening of relations between the two peoples."

North Korea . U.S. Ready to Ease Sanctions on N. Korea "The United States is prepared to lift two key economic sanctions against North Korea under a tentative deal reached with that country this week, which requires Pyongyang to acknowledge U.S. concerns and evidence about a range of nuclear activities,"

Opinion.

Poetry is essential to politics, and to us (Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor) "While observance of April's National Poetry Month might prompt a shrug from the throngs of Americans who no longer read poetry, John Adams never seemed to doubt that poetry mattered. And as the nation prepares to elect another president, Adams's views on the subject couldn't be more timely."