The pontiff drove to Jesus' traditional birthplace of Bethlehem, crossing through towering concrete slabs Israel has erected to wall off the West Bank. Standing alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, he acknowledged Palestinians' desire for security and self-rule in a trip that came a day after he came under fire from Israeli critics who contended he failed to adequately express remorse for the Holocaust. "MR. PRESIDENT, THE HOLY SEE SUPPORTS THE RIGHT OF YOUR PEOPLE TO A SOVEREIGN PALESTINIAN HOMELAND IN THE LAND OF YOUR FOREFATHERS, SECURE AND AT PEACE WITH ITS NEIGHBORS, WITHIN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BORDERS," the pontiff said.

The pope also called for Palestinian independence when he arrived in Israel on Monday for his high-profile Holy Land pilgrimage. Israel's new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in the audience, says the Palestinians aren't ready to rule themselves and so far has resisted international pressure to declare his support for a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The pope, who has described himself as a "pilgrim of peace," has been forced to navigate a host of political land mines as he makes his way through Israel and the West Bank - his first visit to the region as the head of the Roman Catholic church. BEFORE THE POPE ARRIVED, RESIDENTS EXPRESSED HOPE THAT THE POPE WOULD USE HIS MORAL AUTHORITY TO SUPPORT THEIR QUEST FOR INDEPENDENCE. "Our pope is our hope" read posters hung around the town, which was also dotted with the yellow and cream flags of the Vatican and red, black, white and green Palestinian flags.

In the Nazi extermination camps, prisoners scratched their names onto stones and scribbled them on pieces of paper or wood, and then buried them. They knew that they would not survive. But they wanted their names to live on.

It is for the same reason that the names of those murdered in the Holocaust are preserved at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. Pope Benedict XVI, who visited the Hall of Remembrance there on Monday, added his own words of remembrance. "I have come to stand in silence before this monument, erected to honor the memory of the millions of Jews killed in the horrific tragedy of the Shoah. They lost their lives, but they will never lose their names."

THE POPE'S SPEECH, THOUGH, FELL FLAT. Immediately following his visit, the Yad Vashem Council released a statement expressing disappointment with the pope's comments at the monument. "He did not mention that it was the Nazis who did the murdering, nor a word of his personal participation in the feelings of pain and sorrow," said Yad Vashem Council Chairman Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau immediately after the speech. "Even the phrase '6 million' wasn't there. Not to mention that he didn't say 'I apologize.'"

CRITICISM DIDN'T JUST COME FROM ISRAEL, EITHER. In Germany, the Central Council of Jews in Germany blasted the pope for failing to more clearly distance himself from the Society of St. Pius X and the Holocaust denial of SSPX Bishop Richard Williamson. "What should one think of a public call to fight against anti-Semitism when he himself doesn't act and doesn't take consequences," said Stephan Kramer, general secretary of the Central Council. Council President Charlotte Knobloch said "I expected clearer words from the pope at Yad Vashem."

BENEDICT REMAINED TRUE TO HIS MANUSCRIPT, reading it, word for word, in a quiet voice. But at the same time, he rattled off the sentences as if unaware of the impact of his words, swallowing and mumbling important words, as if he were reading a manuscript meant for someone else or, even more distressingly, as if he were unaware of what he was reading. It was not a powerful moment. THERE WERE NO SPARKS.

He said many cattle were dying from the lack of water, and that this was contributing to nearly half the population suffering from malnutrition. Mr Bowden said humanitarian assistance to Somalia needed to start "increasing dramatically". He said that Somalis were not currently dying of starvation but SOME 3.2 MILLION OF THE POPULATION NEEDED LIFE-SAVING FOOD ASSISTANCE. "We're now facing a drought in Somalia that is worse than people have seen for at least a decade," Mr Bowden said.

"Roughly 45% of the [Somali] population is suffering from moderate malnutrition." SOME 1.1 MILLION PEOPLE IN SOMALIA HAVE BEEN DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMES because of conflict in recent years. Since the weekend thousands of civilians have fled fierce fighting in the capital Mogadishu between Islamist militants and the government.

In his encounter at the Dome of the Rock with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammed Hussein, the Pope said common principles bind Islam, Christianity and Judaism. "Those who honor the one God believe that he will hold human beings accountable for their actions," Benedict said. "Undivided love for the one God and charity for one's neighbor thus become the fulcrum around which all else turns. This is why we work untiringly to safeguard human hearts from hatred, anger or revenge."

Tuesday's soothing words of unity and sweepingly symbolic itinerary were nevertheless overshadowed in part by the fallout from the German Pope's tumultuous first day in Israel. On Monday, Benedict's remarks at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial were a disappointment to some Jewish leaders for the lack of any mention of the Nazi perpetrators, expression of remorse or sharing of his own personal recollections of growing up in Bavaria. "SURVIVORS ANGERED BY BENEDICT'S LUKEWARM SPEECH," was the Page One headline in the Israeli daily Haaretz on Tuesday.

An evening ceremony in East Jerusalem to champion inter-religious dialogue was interrupted by an unscheduled diatribe by Palestinian Muslim cleric Sheikh Tasir al-Tamimi, who condemned Israel's attacks on Palestinians and its control over Jerusalem's holy sites. The diminutive and elderly Pope appeared a bit shaken by the outburst, and THE EVENT WAS CUT SHORT AS THE VATICAN DELEGATION QUICKLY LEFT THE MEETING HALL. Papal spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, who has been working overtime to react to events, called the Muslim cleric's actions a "direct negation of what dialogue should be" and expressed concern that such an incident could threaten to derail Benedict's mission of peace during his eight-day trip.

Still, perhaps as a sign of the growing tension over the trip, Lombardi himself added further misunderstanding. The typically affable Jesuit spokesman blasted media organizations for referring to Joseph Ratzinger's INVOLUNTARY MEMBERSHIP IN THE HITLER YOUTH, saying that "never, never, never" did the future Pope take part in the group. It was, however, later verified by reporters in the Pope's own writings when he was a Cardinal — and confirmed by Lombardi — THAT IN FACT BENEDICT HAD BEEN FORCED TO REGISTER IN THE ORGANIZATION FOR A BRIEF PERIOD.

Unfortunately for the Pope, the present is often as difficult to navigate as the past. On Wednesday he will visit the West Bank city of Bethlehem, where he will both pray at Jesus' birthplace and devote his attention to the Palestinian people and the suffering of their struggle for a homeland under Israeli rule. MANY HOPE THE POPE MIGHT INJECT NEW HOPE INTO THE STALLED PEACE PROCESS. OTHERS SIMPLY PRAY THAT HIS PRESENCE DOESN'T UNINTENTIONALLY MAKE THINGS WORSE.

The woman, who already had two daughters, requested an amniocentesis in order to allay concerns about possible chromosome abnormalities. At the same time, she also asked to know the foetus's gender.

Doctors at Mälaren Hospital expressed concern and asked Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare to draw up guidelines on how to handle requests in the future in which they "feel pressured to examine the foetus's gender" without having a medically compelling reason to do so.

The board has now responded that such requests and thus ABORTIONS CAN NOT BE REFUSED AND THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DENY A WOMAN AN ABORTION UP TO THE 18TH WEEK OF PREGNANCY, EVEN IF THE FOETUS'S GENDER IS THE BASIS FOR THE REQUEST.

CEO Fritz Henderson, on a conference call with reporters, said it was more probable that GM was headed for bankruptcy by June 1 — the US government-imposed deadline for the automaker to restructure or face bankruptcy. "It's more probable that we would need to accomplish our goals in a bankruptcy," Henderson said. "There's still a chance for it to be done outside a court proceeding."

A move by GM to leave Detroit would represent another blow for the economy of a region already reeling from the bankruptcy of Chrysler and the sharp downturn in auto manufacturing. GM purchased its glass-towered headquarter building known as Detroit's Renaissance Center last year for $625 million.

Before going into politics, Benjamin Netanyahu made his name as a skilled ambassador to the United Nations. But he will need every ounce of diplomatic finesse to deal with the conundrum he faces as Israel's new prime minister.

In the next few weeks, America is expected to publish the outlines of a new Middle East peace plan. The goal will be the creation of a Palestinian state based on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Mr Netanyahu, however, has not accepted the principle of Palestinian statehood, and his coalition is filled with Right-wing politicians who are bitterly opposed to the idea. A PUBLIC RIFT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND AMERICA OVER THE ENDGAME OF A MIDDLE EAST SETTLEMENT IS A REAL POSSIBILITY.

In short, behind their public displays of mutual regard, the American and Israeli leaders are about to begin a diplomatic fencing match – AND THE OUTCOME OF THIS POLITE, VEILED CONFRONTATION COULD DECIDE THE FUTURE OF THE MIDDLE EAST.

They are also urging people to shop anyone who drives flash cars or buys expensive items without the apparent means to afford them during the credit crunch.

The campaign, run with Crimestoppers, was launched by the force today under the title 'Too Much Bling? Give Us a Ring' with the aim of cracking down on those who live a lavish lifestyle on the profits of crime. Gloucestershire's Chief constable Dr Timothy Brain said: 'In the current time of financial uncertainty, those who live a lavish lifestyle with no discernable, legitimate income become even more apparent.'

But Tory MP and former Home Secretary Ann Widdecombe expressed disbelief at the move. She said: 'Is this a joke? If the police spent half as much time tackling crime and getting out on the beat as they do coming out with this ridiculous stuff, we'd all be better off. How are you meant to judge if someone buying a piece of jewellery can afford it?'

She also argued that THERE ARE FEW NATIONAL POLICY AREAS THAT ARE UNAFFECTED BY THE EU, and that under the Lisbon Treaty virtually no area would be outside the scope of EU decision-making. She gave as an example the NHS and the EU proposal for NHS funded cross-border health care. She said, "I bet you my wages that in 10-15 years, if this Directive goes through, we cannot have a generally tax-funded NHS system."

Heathcoat-Amory highlighted the "GRADUAL TRANSFER OF POWER AND AUTHORITY" TO THE EU FROM WESTMINSTER, WHICH HE SAID IS TAKING PLACE "WITHOUT VOTERS BEING ASKED". He argued it is only possible to understand what's happening in the regulatory field if we understand the "CONSTITUTIONAL REVOLUTION" that is taking place, whereby the UK is losing its ability to exercise self-determination.

Turning to the inadequate scrutiny of EU legislation in Westminster, David pointed out that THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT ONLY DEBATES ABOUT 5 PERCENT OF EU LEGISLATION overseen in the Commons Scrutiny Committee. He also said it amounted to a "scandal" that the Committee met in secret.

"We're trying to figure out which genes from the swine influenza virus to incorporate into corn so those genes, when expressed, would produce protein. WHEN THE PIG CONSUMES THAT CORN, IT WOULD SERVE AS A VACCINE," said Hank Harris, professor in animal science and one of the researchers on the project.

The project is a collaborative effort with Harris and Brad Bosworth, an affiliate associate professor of animal science working with pigs, and Kan Wang, a professor in agronomy, who is developing the vaccine traits in the corn. The corn vaccine would also work in humans when they eat corn or even corn flakes, corn chips, tortillas or anything that contains corn, said Harris.

The research is funded by a grant from Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute, and is their Biopharmaceuticals and Bioindustrials Research Initiative.

IT IS SIGNIFICANT THAT special U.S. envoy to the Persian Gulf, Dennis ROSS, DID NOT BRIEF ISRAELI OFFICIALS ON HIS TALKS WITH IRAN, as was customary during the tenure of former U.S. President George W. Bush. The Obama administration has kept Israel at arm's length vis-a-vis its Middle East policies, with fewer consultations and less message-coordination with Israeli diplomats – a fact that has not gone unnoticed by Arab media.

"Obama's people brief their Israeli counterparts in advance much less about security and Middle East policy activities than the Bush administration used to," said an official quoted late last week by Saudi Arabia-based English-language daily Arab News.

Mr Miliband also argues that, "a referendum held once the Lisbon Treaty is in force and has been passed by all 27 countries - or some other mechanism to satisfy Tory scepticism about Europe - CAN ONLY HAVE ONE OUTCOME, NAMELY THE RENEGOTIATION OF THE TERMS OF BRITAIN'S MEMBERSHIP OF THE EU. THAT IS BECAUSE ONCE THE LISBON TREATY IS IN FORCE, IT NO LONGER EXISTS AS THE LISBON TREATY BUT IS CONSOLIDATED INTO THE FOUNDING TREATIES OF THE EU."

The Guardian reports that Conservative Party Chairman Eric Pickles has predicted that his party will win more than 40 percent of the vote in next month's local elections, but has said it would be hard to capture more than 36 percent of the vote for the European elections because of the electoral system. The paper suggests that if Labour comes in third in either of the elections, it may result in fresh moves to 'dislodge' Gordon Brown.

About five million people, or a quarter of the population of MEXICO CITY'S URBAN SPRAWL, WOKE UP THURSDAY WITH DRY TAPS. The drought was caused by the biggest stoppage in the city's main reservoir system in recent years to ration its depleting supplies. Government officials hope this and four other stoppages will keep water flowing until the summer rainy season fills the basins back up. But they warn that the Mexican capital needs to seriously overhaul its water system to stop an unfathomable disaster in the future.

It is perhaps unsurprising that the biggest metropolis in the Western hemisphere is confronting problems with its water supply — and becoming an alarming cautionary tale for other megacities. Scientists have been talking for years about how humans are pumping up too much water while ripping apart too many forests, and warning that the vital liquid could become the next commodity nations are fighting over with tanks and bombers. BUT IT IS HARD FOR MOST PEOPLE TO APPRECIATE QUITE HOW VALUABLE A SIMPLE THING LIKE WATER IS — UNTIL THE TAPS TURN OFF.

Paradoxically, the thirsty city was once a great lake, where the Aztecs founded their island citadel Tenochtitlan in 1325. When the Spanish conquerors took control they drained much of the water, laying the basis for the vast expansion of the metropolis across the entire Valley of Mexico. However, as the growing population continues to suck water out in wells, Mexico City is sinking down into the old lake bed at a rate of about three inches a year. This downward plunge puts extra pressure on water distribution pipes, which are now so leaky THEY LOSE ABOUT 40% OF LIQUID BEFORE IT EVEN REACHES HOMES.

The gang also fired air guns at a group of 15 French survivors, many dressed in the striped pyjama-style uniforms they wore as inmates. One suffered a head wound while another was injured by a shot in the neck. The four thugs managed to escape. Jewish leaders in Austria were appalled by the weekend scenes that marred events marking the 64th anniversary of the camp's liberation by American troops. An estimated 320,000 people were murdered or worked to death at Mauthausen and its outlying slave labour installations.

Jewish leaders condemned Saturday's incidents, which marred events marking the 64th anniversary of the camp's liberation by U.S. troops. Willy Mernyi, head of the Mauthausen Committee of Austria, said, "People come to remember the dead and pay their respects and are met with this kind of terror." Ebensee mayor Herwat Loidl condemned the modern-day Nazis, declaring: 'THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO GAIN A FOOTHOLD IN OUR COMMUNITY.' He called on Austrians with information as to the identities of the thugs to turn them in.

The appointment will cause dismay among the Christian churches. Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams raised concerns over the prospect of a Muslim head of religious broadcasting during a meeting with the corporation's director general Mark Thompson in March. It comes at a time of deepening worries among Christian leaders that THEIR FAITH IS BEING SIDELINED AND DOWNGRADED BY AUTHORITIES.

Both Dr Williams and Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu have made repeated public complaints over the INDIFFERENCE AND OCCASIONAL HOSTILITY TO CHRISTIANITY shown in Whitehall and from other authorities. The Church of England points out that 70 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION OF BRITAIN PROFESSES TO BE CHRISTIAN, BUT ONLY 3 PER CENT ARE MUSLIMS.

Christina Rees, a member of the Church's 'Cabinet', the Archbishops' Council, said: 'It is important that the Christian faith continues to receive coverage that accurately reflects its significance in the lives of most people who live in Britain, the overwhelming majority of whom regard themselves as Christian.'