A federal judge ruled that inmates in Maricopa County jails are often housed in unsanitary conditions with inadequate food and health care. The ruling came more than 30 years after a lawsuit to reform jails was filed.

U.S. District Judge Neil Wake ordered in his ruling on Wednesday that anyone who was housed in intake units for more than 24 hours must be provided with a bed and mattress. Access to working sinks and toilets and care that meets their medical and mental health needs must also be met he ruled.

Washington, Oct 25: Results of two recent polls have revealed that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will get
75-80 percent of Jewish votes in the Nov 4 polls.

The Jewish community has been traditionally voting for Democratic candidates.

A Gallup tracking poll of 564 Jewish registered voters, taken over the first three weeks of October, found Obama leading Republican John McCain by a 74-22 percent margin, a 13-point increase for the Democratic nominee since July when he led 61-34 percent.

Washington - USB flash drives are hot - and the demand continues to grow. Consumers are snapping up flash drives at a rate of almost 40 million per quarter, according to Santa Clara Consulting Group, and manufacturers big and small - from specialist companies like Lexar to giant electronics behemoths like Toshiba - are getting in on the market.

Los Angeles - The moribund Los Angeles River seems to mark a line of indifference. Shops on Cesar Chavez Avenue emit odors of goats' heads, gizzards and tongues, but the scent of the upcoming US presidential election cannot be easily perceived.

East LA has its own rhythm, different from the rest of LA and, indeed, from the rest of the country.

An estimated 96 per cent of the residents have Latino roots. The daily Los Angeles Times once wrote that East LA is to Mexican- Americans what Harlem is to African Americans.

Nairobi - US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama's stern face stares out from the back of a rickety Matatu - a commuter minibus - as it swerves through traffic in Kenyan capital Nairobi, the slogan "The Real Change" plastered alongside the image.

By the side of the road a workman digs a trench, his "Obama 08" cap shading his eyes from the sun, while in a nearby bar, patrons chug down Senator beer, a cheap brew that has been nicknamed Obama beer.

Washington - The United States officially endorsed the NATO membership of Croatia and Albania, with President George W Bush on Friday signing an agreement already ratified by Congress.

The White House signing ceremony attended by the Croatian and Albanian ambassadors and other dignitaries followed a meeting between Bush and NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

The accession of the two countries was approved at a NATO summit in July and requires the approval of all 26 existing members.