Bush to Promote Peace, Regional Dialogue During Visit to Mideast
President Bush will mix symbolism and substance during a five-day, three-nation trip to the Middle East that will place considerable emphasis on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and an array of issues from Lebanon to Iraq and Afghanistan.The president travels to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt May 13-18. Bush is marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel and also is commemorating the 75th anniversary of U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia.  He will travel to the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for one-on-one meetings with seven Muslim leaders and will deliver addresses to the Israeli parliament -- the Knesset -- and at the World Economic Forum in the Middle East. (more)

Burma Aid Is About Saving Lives, Not Politics, Rice Says
The death and destruction in Burma is not a matter of politics, it's a matter of saving lives, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "And it should be a matter that the government of Burma wants to see its people receive the help that is available to them," she says. The United States and other nations, the United Nations, international relief agencies and nongovernmental organizations are prepared to bring considerable resources to the victims of Burma's Cyclone Nargis and its aftermath,  Henrietta Fore, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said May 8 at a Washington briefing. (more)

Democracy Transforming the Americas, Says Rice
Democracy has transformed the Western Hemisphere over the past decade, forming a strong foundation for far-reaching partnerships across the region, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. “Our different countries represent many different traditions and many different cultures, but we are defining a common future,” Rice said May 7 at the 38th Annual Conference of the Americas.  “A common future grounded in common values: freedom and equality, human dignity and social justice.” (more)

Big Win in North Carolina Expands Obama’s Lead
Primary voters in Indiana and North Carolina put Democrat Barack Obama closer to his party’s presidential nomination, despite a loss in the May 6 Indiana primary. With few nominating contests left and Obama’s lead growing, political experts predict it will be difficult for Hillary Clinton to earn the nomination. In a speech celebrating his victory in the North Carolina Democratic primary, Obama congratulated Clinton “on what appears to be her victory in the great state of Indiana,” but hours later political experts questioned whether the Illinois senator had congratulated her prematurely. (more) 

The Path to the 2008 Presidential Nomination
Arizona Senator John McCain has earned the 1,191 pledged delegates he needs to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee, but the race to amass a majority of delegates in the Democratic contest continues. McCain will not become the official Republican Party nominee until his party's delegates cast their votes at the Republican National Convention in September. (more)

Education Summit Advances U.S. Commitment to Global Development
Partnerships among U.S. and foreign institutions of higher education, the private sector and foundations are the key to innovation and global development and can help meet growing demand for food, water, health and energy, according to participants in a two-day summit on these issues. “Each of your institutions has an important role to play in the future of the world’s youth, particularly in countries where young people are searching for alternatives to the lure of violent extremism. Together, we can unleash a combined power to counter the purveyors of hate, to give young people hope, and to lift up impoverished communities around the globe,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said April 30, the second day of the Higher Education Summit for Global Development. (more)