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.'

After eight years in which Egypt felt unappreciated and bullied by the Bush administration, Egyptian officials were gleeful about Cairo's selection last week for the president's address to the Muslim world. They said that IT PROVED EGYPT REMAINED THE CAPITAL OF THE ARAB WORLD and that it eased concerns that Washington might undermine its Arab allies in exchange for a grand deal with their rivals in Iran.

"The aptest choice was Cairo," the Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Abul Gheit, told the state-owned daily newspaper Rose Al-Yousef. "IT IS THE CAPITAL OF MODERATION IN ISLAM AND THE CAPITAL OF CULTURAL SWAY IN THE ARAB AND MUSLIM WORLDS."

Still, President Obama's decision to address a deeply skeptical Arab audience from Cairo is fraught with potential land mines, according to political analysts, human rights advocates and government officials. He has selected an authoritarian state where political and economic reform has stalled under President Hosni Mubarak, 82, who has been in power for nearly 30 years.

People here want results, a challenge made all the more complicated for Mr. Obama by recent regional developments: the splintering of the Palestinian leadership; the empowerment of militant groups like Hezbollah and Hamas; lingering anger over Israel's offensive in Gaza; and the aggressive foreign policy of Iran. Still, THERE WILL BE AN EXPECTATION THAT MR. OBAMA DRIVE REAL CHANGES, initially by having Israel freeze settlements, dismantle checkpoints and open the crossings to Gaza, officials here said.

The King yesterday sidestepped reports that he had been asked by the Americans to clarify the Arab proposals on making East Jerusalem the capital of a Palestinian state and the Palestinian right of return, the two most contentious issues in Israel. Mr Netanyahu has frequently said these were not negotiable.

JERUSALEM WAS NOT AN INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM BUT AN "INTERNATIONAL SOLUTION", he insisted. A symbol of conflict for centuries, it was now desperately needed to become a symbol of hope. And hinting at the Arab demand for international control of the old city, he said that Islam, Christianity and Judaism should make it a "PILLAR FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS CENTURY".

He sensed a lot more understanding in these times of cultural and religious suspicions that "JERUSALEM COULD BE THE BINDER THAT WE NEED". The Pope's visit, he said, was timely. HIS SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE WITH A MESSAGE OF PEACE sent a signal of hope to back up the reconciliation that politicians in the region were planning. "It is all part of one major effort."

He saw Mr Netanyahu's meeting with President Obama next week as the turning point: "A lot is on his shoulders as he goes to Washington." THE KING SAID THAT MR OBAMA WAS COMMITTED TO THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION, WHICH HAD TO BE IMPLEMENTED NOW.

In a direct appeal to the Israeli public, he said they could either do a deal THAT WOULD LEAD TO PEACE AND RECOGNITION BY THE 57 MUSLIM COUNTRIES — A THIRD OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION; or they could maintain "Fortress Israel" for another ten years, which would be a calamity for everyone. The alternative was bleak — war, death and destruction. The King added: "THIS IS A CRITICAL MOMENT."

Obama makes repeated allusions to his own biography, which is not only rooted in the Christian world. "I HAVE MUSLIMS IN MY FAMILY. I HAVE LIVED IN A MUSLIM-MAJORITY COUNTRY," is something he has said many times. His core message to the Muslim world, which he reiterated on his recent visit to Turkey, is that the US "is not at war with Islam."

HOWEVER THIS POLICY OF DÉTENTE HAS LED TO AN INCREASE IN TENSIONS WITH ISRAEL. From his first day in office Obama made it clear to the government in Jerusalem that HE WOULD NOT BE CONTINUING GEORGE W. BUSH'S OVERLY FRIENDLY POLICY. Now Obama wants to revive it and he is doing so by keeping his distance from Israel. THE OUTING OF ISRAEL AS A NUCLEAR POWER was just the pinnacle of a strategy that is aimed at giving America back its capability to act in the Middle East.

THE WHITE HOUSE HAD ALREADY MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT WOULD BE MAKING DEMANDS ON THE ISRAELIS. The new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should make sure there is a complete halt to the building of settlements in the West Bank. During his recent visit to Turkey, Obama declared that the US "STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE GOAL OF TWO STATES, ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, LIVING SIDE BY SIDE IN PEACE AND SECURITY." Ever since, relations between the US and Israel have become decidedly frosty. Israeli Environment Minister Gilad Erdan even went so far as to say that "Israel does not take orders from Obama." THE OLD FRIENDS HAVE NEVER SEEMED SO FAR APART.

There are, however, many who find it difficult to understand the harsh tone toward Jerusalem and the more indulgent one toward Tehran. US historian Jeffrey Herf, who has close ties to the US Democrats, says THAT THE POLICY THE WHITE HOUSE IS PURSUING IS BOTH "NAÏVE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS."