The latest news on Benedict XVI visit, Presidential primary, Justice Revival, Veterans sue, Immigration, Iraq war funding, TV analysts & Pentagon, Food crisis, Paraguay, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Hamas & Israel, and Op-Ed.

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Benedict XVI visit. Pope Ends Visit With Yankee Stadium Mass "Before a crowd of nearly 60,000 people at Yankee Stadium, Pope Benedict XVI ended his first visit to the United States as leader of the Roman Catholic Church with a reminder to the faithful that "obedience" to the authority of the church," Flock praises pope as visit ends "Pope Benedict XVI boarded the chartered plane dubbed Shepherd One last night and headed back to the Vatican, concluding a dramatic six-day trip to the United States that introduced him to a wary public and surprised many with his repeated attention to the clergy sexual abuse crisis." 'Build a future of hope' "Pope Benedict XVI ended his first U.S. pilgrimage, completing a mission aimed at renovating and rebuilding the troubled Roman Catholic Church in the United States" At ground zero, a prayer for peace "Eighty feet below street level, surrounded by cranes, backhoes, pipes, and jagged rock, Pope Benedict XVI asked God to "bring peace to our violent world" and clasped the hands of survivors and relatives of those who died here on Sept. 11, 2001." In Speech, Pope Urges Promotion of Human Rights "Benedict XVI, who was a young German prisoner in the war that forged the United Nations, addressed that body Friday as pope, insisting that human rights - more than force or pragmatic politics - must be the basis for ending war and poverty."

Presidential primary. Pa. voters weigh change vs. tradition, Obama vs. Clinton "Pennsylvania has two kinds of Democratic voters: traditionalists … and boat-rockers …. Who turns up at the polls on Tuesday will decide the outcome of Pennsylvania's bitter primary battle." Trailing in Pennsylvania, Obama Sharpens Tone "Senator Barack Obama sharpened his tone against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as the six-week Pennsylvania primary contest raced to a close," Obama Sharpens His Tone "Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton traded accusations of negative campaigning as they headed toward a critical showdown in the Pennsylvania primary."

Justice Revival. The Justice Revival: Faithful aim to aid poor, as Jesus did "The revival, … is a call to walk the walk and dig into issues about which Jesus preached, such as helping the poor." Revival's faithful take good will onto streets "About 2,000 people -- many of them teenagers, college students and young adults -- took to the streets of Columbus yesterday for community-service projects that put their Christian faith into action."

Veterans sue. VA suit goes before court "The federal Department of Veterans Affairs isn't doing enough to prevent suicide and provide adequate medical care for Americans who have served in the armed forces, according to a class-action lawsuit that goes to trial today."

Immigration. Lack of skilled workers will lead to fiscal crisis, experts say With baby boomers preparing to retire as the best educated and most skilled workforce in U.S. history, a growing chorus of demographers and labor experts is raising concerns that workers in California and the nation lack the critical skills needed to replace them." U.S. economic slowdown likely to bring Mexican workers north "As the U.S. economy heads south, Mexicans may have to head north." Arizona's Immigration Two-Step "Traumatized by a tidal wave of illegal immigrants, Arizona last year enacted the nation's most pitiless law to punish employers who hire undocumented workers. Now state lawmakers, having proved that they mean business -- even if it means killing off businesses -- are reconnecting with reality: They want to import Mexican workers."

Iraq war funding. War Funding Bill Will Put Pelosi's Strength to the Test "… tough stands also have raised expectations among antiwar activists and some lawmakers on the larger issue coming in the next two weeks: funding for the war in Iraq."

TV analysts & Pentagon. Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon's Hidden Hand "Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration's wartime performance,"

Food crisis. Food crisis may slow growth, says UN "The UN secretary general issued a gloomy warning yesterday that the deepening global food crisis, in which rapidly rising prices have triggered riots and threatened hunger in dozens of countries, could have grave implications for international security, economic growth and social progress."

Paraguay. 'Bishop of the poor' takes power in Paraguay "Late last night, Fernando Lugo, a mild-mannered leftist who quit the clergy three years ago, saying he felt powerless to help Paraguay's poor, was announced as the winner of the elections after some uncertainty." After six decades, Paraguay's ruling party loses presidency "Thousands of people rushed into Asuncion's streets Sunday night as Fernando Lugo's victory became clear. For nearly all Paraguayans it was the first change of government control they'd seen in their lifetimes."

Iraq. Rice backs Iraqi crackdown on militias "The US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, backed Iraq's crackdown on militias in a visit to Baghdad yesterday, where the worst fighting in weeks erupted after the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr threatened all-out war." Rice, in Iraq, lashes out at Muqtada Sadr "After long treating radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr and his Mahdi Army militia gingerly, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ridiculed him as a man who asks his followers to fight to the death while he resides in safety in Iran." Civilians Suffer in Sadr City's Daily Gun Battles "The militias have concentrated their fire on Iraqi and American forces and generally avoided shooting at civilians, whom they have sought to use as their power base. But as the fighting has intensified, civilian casualties have increased."

Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe opposition: 10 people die in postelection violence "An opposition leader said Sunday that 10 people have been killed in violence since last month's disputed presidential election and 3,000 families have been forced from their homes." Zimbabwe election recount delayed "The outcome of a partial recount of last month's disputed elections in Zimbabwe has been delayed." Human Wave Flees Violence in Zimbabwe "…in what South Africa's biggest daily newspaper is calling "Mugabe's Tsunami," a wave of more than 1,000 people every day who are fleeing Zimbabwe across the Limpopo to escape into South Africa."

Hamas & Israel. Hamas 'will accept Israel' - Carter "Former US President Jimmy Carter has said that Hamas is prepared to accept the right of Israel to "live as a neighbour next door in peace"." Carter: Hamas will accept Israel's right to live in peace "The former president insisted Hamas would not undermine efforts by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to reach a peace deal with Israel." Hamas considers unilateral cease-fire "The Hamas leadership in Gaza and Damascus met in Damascus yesterday to discuss former U.S. president Jimmy Carter's proposal for a unilateral cease-fire for a week or two."

Op-Ed. Our Favorite Planet(NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF, New York Times) "None of the presidential candidates focus adequately on climate change, for this will be one of humanity's great tests in the coming decades - and so far we're failing."