CNN 2008-07-25

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Hello, I am Naamua Delaney at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Here is a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

 Berlin is giving Barack Obama a very warm welcome. The German capital is the first European stop on the Democratic presidential candidate's international tour. Obama has already met with several top German officials including Chancellor¹ Angela Merkel. They discussed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the global economy and climate change. Obama began his tour in the Middle East and tomorrow he moves on to France and Great Britain.

Well, back here in the United States. John McCain visits another battleground state. The Republican candidate is campaigning in Ohio where his focus is on health care. Later today, he takes part in a cancer summit in Columbus. It's being hosted by cycling great and cancer survivor² Lance Armstrong. And the McCain campaign has just announced that tomorrow the senator will meet with the Dalai Lama in Colorado.

Once a hurricane, Dolly is now a rain maker³, dumping up to 20 inches on South Texas and northern Mexico. A lot of people who evacuated⁴ the Gulf⁵ Coast are back home. Recovery teams are sizing up the damage. President Bush has declared part of South Texas a major disaster area. Across the border, the flood waters are dropping and most of the power is back on. No deaths have been reported.

Well, the International Olympic Committee banned Iraq from competing in next month's Beijing Games because of what, it says, is ongoing⁶ political interference by the Iraqi government. An Iraqi Olympic Committee official tells CNN it received letters confirming this. The official says the seven Iraqi athletes who were going to China are disappointed.

And the federal minimum wage goes up 70 cents starting today at now $6.55 an hour. This is the second of three scheduled increases. The next bump happens in July, 2009.

Well, those are your headlines this hour. Do stay with CNN for more on these stories and of course the other news of the day.