- Bush Proposes Food Aid: President Bush has proposed an additional $770 million in emergency food assistance to be sent to poor countries. The action is in response [1] to rising food prices resulting in social unrest in several nations. Days before, Democrats in Congress had called for an increase, and the speedy announcement highlighted how quickly the global food crisis had risen to the top of Washington’s agenda. President Bush said, “in some of the world’s poorest nations, rising prices can mean the difference between getting a daily meal and going without food." The $770 million would be included in next year’s budget, increasing total American food assistance to $2.6 billion.
- Labour Loses in UK: In what has been called a "big moment" for the Conservative Party, elections just held in the UK showed the Labour Party suffering its worst results [2] in at least 40 years. BBC research suggests Labour won 24 percent of votes cast in England and Wales, behind the Tories on 44 percent. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the results were disappointing and that "the test of leadership is not what happens in a period of success but what happens in difficult circumstances." Results should be announced later today in the race to be London mayor.
- Blast in Yemen: A blast this morning at the entrance of a mosque killed at least eight people and left 45 wounded. The mosque is in the Saada region of Yemen, the site of a Shiite rebellion. The Arabian peninsula country has been repeatedly hit by violence [3] in recent weeks. Two attacks in the capital Sanaa in March and April targeted US interests and responsibility was claimed by the local wing of al Qaeda.
