UPDATE: Obama’s Prayer Returned To Wailing Wall

 The yeshiva student who pried Barack Obama’s prayer note from the Western Wall has apologized.

Identified only by the first initial of his name, Aleph, and with his face obscured, the student went on television on Sunday to confess that he took Senator Obama’s note last week and passed it to the press.

The resulting coverage of Obama’s private, handwritten musings on hope and sin added to the mystique of his campaign visit to Israel but drew international criticism, including from leading rabbis who said Jewish morality had been compromised by the publication.

Obama has not commented on the incident.

Olympics — Extreme Pollution Dangerous For Athletes And Spectators

 The Olympics is less than two weeks away and despite the fact that the Chinese government has stopped traffic for the past two weeks and released rain clouds in hopes of ‘clearing the air’, pollution in Beijing remains extremely high. Visibility was down to half a mile in some parts, including the National Stadium, while the Athletes’ Village complex could not be seen from the nearby Olympic Green.

 Doctors have warned that the heavily polluted air in Beijing is dangerous not only for the athletes taking part, but also for spectators.

According to US doctors, people in certain risk groups who breathe high levels of pollution may be at an increased risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke within 24 hours of exposure. They also risk suffering blood clots in their legs on the plane home.