The latest news on China earthquake, Burma storm, Presidential primary, Immigration, Campaign ads, Budget, Bio-engineered crops, Hagee apologizes, US military, Colombia, Mideast, Lebanon, North Korea, Editorial, and Op-Ed

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China earthquake. China quake toll close to 15,000 "Nearly 15,000 people died in the devastating earthquake that hit China's Sichuan province, the official Xinhua news agency has reported." China says 26,000 are buried in earthquake rubble "Chinese state media today said almost 26,000 people remained buried in earthquake debris, with another 14,000 missing." China quake rescuers face tough going "Rescue workers facing a rising death toll and heavy rains dug for survivors of China's worst earthquake in decades, as people throughout the country searched for loved ones, medical help, water and food." A Rescue in China, Uncensored "the rescue effort playing nonstop on Chinese television is remarkable for a country that has a history of concealing the scope of natural calamities and then bungling its response."

Burma storm. Foul Weather Adds to Burma Misery "As yet more drenching rain battered survivors of Burma's deadly cyclone, foreign relief supplies continued to arrive at a pace aid workers said was still far too slow to help most of the suffering." Myanmar Government Still Blocking Relief "Further deliveries of small-scale aid arrived in Myanmar on Tuesday - a darkly clouded and rainy day in Yangon and in the south - but international aid experts and diplomats here in the main city expressed concern that the government may not be up to delivering it," U.N. struggles over how to help nations that reject aid "Myanmar's cyclone and China's earthquake highlight a question that the U.N. often struggles with: what to do when a country's people need outside help but the government rejects it."

Presidential primary. Clinton Handily Defeats Obama in West Virginia "Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton routed Sen. Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary yesterday, scoring one of her most lopsided victories of the long campaign even as she continued to battle overwhelming odds in her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination." Clinton: Race isn't over "Following her victory, she was defiant and clearly still spoiling for a fight, calling on uncommitted delegates and superdelegates to come her way. "I can win this nomination if you decide I should," she said to raucous applause." Clinton 'determined' after win in W. Va., but does it matter? "Clinton coasted to an easy victory in West Virginia, but with just 28 delegates at stake, Obama remained in the lead in every category: states won, delegates pledged, superdelegates declared, and the nationwide popular vote."

Immigration. Immigration arrests at Iowa meat plant total 390 "Immigration arrests at the Agriprocessors Inc meat plant in Postville, Iowa, totaled 390, making it the largest number of such arrests at a single U.S. location," Attorneys report on condition of detainees "Conditions are satisfactory inside the makeshift detention center where federal officials are holding detainees from the Postville raid, according to lawyers who are now getting their first access to their clients."

Campaign ads. Obama, McCain Aim to Curb '527s' Sen. Barack Obama's top fundraisers have asked his campaign donors to refrain from contributing to liberal independent political organizations in hopes of controlling the tone and message of the general-election campaign. … The McCain campaign has been less organized than Obama's in its efforts to counter the groups, but the senator from Arizona has made clear his antipathy toward them."

Budget. Top Democrat announces budget agreement "Democrats controlling Congress are leaving difficult decisions on automatic tax increases to the next president and the newly elected Congress under a freshly negotiated House-Senate blueprint for the upcoming budget year."

Bio-engineered crops. U.S. uses food crisis to boost bio-engineered crops "The Bush administration has slipped a controversial ingredient into the $770 million aid package it recently proposed to ease the world food crisis, adding language that would promote the use of genetically modified crops in food-deprived countries."

Hagee apologizes. Pastor John Hagee says he's sorry for anti-Catholic remarks "An evangelical pastor who backs John McCain tried to put his controversial remarks about the Catholic Church behind him, apologizing to the head of the Catholic League and expressing "deep regret for any comments Catholics found hurtful."

US military. Defense Secretary Robert Gates urges military to focus on needs in Iraq, Afghanistan "In a pointed admonition to Pentagon planners, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Tuesday that the U.S. military was afflicted with "next-war-itis" and must concentrate more on winning in Iraq and less on future conflicts that might never happen." Defense chief puts focus on present "The Pentagon must focus on current war demands, even if it means straining the armed forces and devoting less time and money to future threats,"

Colombia  14 Colombian paramilitary warlords extradited "The surprise move by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to authorize the extradition of 14 notorious paramilitary warlords Tuesday to the United States won applause from the Bush administration and was expected to push his sky-high popularity in Colombia even higher." Colombia Sends 13 Paramilitary Leaders to U.S. "Colombia's government extradited 13 top paramilitary warlords to the United States on Tuesday, effectively handing over the most brutal commanders of the country's once-fearsome paramilitary movement."

Mideast . Bush begins tour of Middle East "US President George W Bush has arrived in Israel to take part in celebrations for the country's 60th anniversary." Latest scandal could topple Olmert "As Bush returns to Israel today, Olmert's job looks less secure than ever. The latest blow is a corruption scandal that broke last week and threatens to paralyze a U.S.-backed peace process that is already limping."

Lebanon. Saudis sends sharp warning to Iran over Lebanon "Saudi Arabia sent Iran a sharp warning over Lebanon Tuesday, saying Tehran's support for Hezbollah will damage its relations with other Muslim and Arab countries."

North Korea. N Korea 'admits nuclear details' "A senior US diplomat says North Korea appears to have handed over full details of its plutonium production programme to the Americans." North Korea Documents Make Debut, at a Distance "The State Department, seeking to ward off criticism, kicked off a public-relations offensive on Tuesday by offering reporters a view - from a distance - of nuclear documents that senior officials said appeared to represent a complete accounting of North Korea's plutonium production."

Editorial

Raid a reminder of need for reform (Des Moines Register) "Such raids, though record in size, ultimately do little to resolve how this nation should sensibly regulate immigration levels or how it should address the 12 million illegal immigrants already in the United States, many with children who are U.S. citizens. Voters should make it clear in the 2008 elections that they expect their elected representatives to pass practical, humane reforms."

Op-Ed

Moral Scales in the Senate (Michael Gerson, Washington Post)"It is the nature of the Senate that the smallest of minorities can impede the work of the majority. But it takes a conscious choice -- an act of tremendous will and pride -- for members to employ these powers against an AIDS bill with overwhelming bipartisan support."