JIM LEHRER: A military conflict broke out today between Russia and the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. It began after Georgia launched an offensive to retake the breakaway province of South Ossetia.
The leader of that rebel enclave reported 1,400 people dead in the capital alone. Eyewitnesses said the city was devastated.
Russia sent convoys of tanks into the area to back up peacekeepers operating inside, and that prompted Georgia's president to accuse Russia of being at war with his country.
MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI, President of` Georgia (through translator): Georgia will not give up its territory or freedom. We have mobilized tens of thousands of reservists. This is continuing, and it is important for the motherland at such an important moment when the future of the motherland is being decided. Everyone should arm themselves and not be afraid.
JIM LEHRER: He also said troops who are fighting in Iraq would be called home.
In Moscow, the Russian president promised to defend his citizens living in the breakaway region.
DMITRY MEDVEDEV, President of Russia (through translator): Civilians are dying at the moment in South Ossetia -- women, children and old men -- and the majority of them are citizens of the Russian Federation. I, as president of the Russian Federation, am obliged, according to the constitution and federal law, to defend the lives and integrity of Russian citizens wherever they are.
JIM LEHRER: Late today, U.S. Secretary of State Rice urged Russia to halt any attacks and withdraw its forces from Georgian territory. We'll have more on the situation in Georgia right after this news summary.
The U.S. presidential candidates also voiced concern today about the Georgian conflict. Republican John McCain was in Iowa. He said the U.S. should convene an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council. And he called for an end to military action in Georgia.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), Arizona: Russia should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory. What is most critical now is to avoid further confrontation between Russian and Georgian military forces. The consequences of Euro-Atlantic stability and security are grave.
JIM LEHRER: Democrat Barack Obama urged both Georgia and Russia also to exercise restraint. In San Diego, Calif., en route to a vacation in Hawaii, Obama had this to say.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), Illinois: I wholeheartedly condemn the violation of Georgia's sovereignty. I think it is important at this point for all sides to show restraint and to stop this armed conflict. Georgia's territorial integrity needs to be preserved. And now is the time for direct talks between the various parties on behalf of stability.
JIM LEHRER: Also today, Obama's former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, stumped for him in Nevada. It was her first solo campaign stop for Obama.
The 2008 Summer Olympics opened today in Beijing, China. President Bush and about 80 other world leaders attended the spectacular opening ceremonies. It marked the first time an American president has attended the competition on foreign soil.
A fireworks display began and ended the ceremonies. About 91,000 spectators were packed into National Stadium, also called the Bird's Nest, and thousands more Chinese lined the streets nearby to watch. We'll have more on the Olympics later in the program tonight.
In Iraq today, police said a car bomb killed at least 21 Iraqis. The bomb went off in a crowded market in the northern city of Tal Afar. At least another 70 people were wounded.
Also today, a spokesman for Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said he would dissolve his Mahdi Army, but that's only if the United States withdrew troops according to a set timetable.
Defense Secretary Gates today endorsed a five-year plan to expand the Afghan army. It would cost $17 billion and increase the force by about 50,000 troops.
Attacks from Taliban militants have spiked in recent months, and American forces have faced a growing death toll. There are about 34,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the highest since the war began.
Back in this country, at least 13 people died today in a bus crash north of Dallas, Texas. The charter bus was carrying a Vietnamese Catholic group to a pilgrimage site in Missouri. The bus slammed onto its side and then skidded off the freeway in the early morning. Forty other passengers were injured. The bus driver was hurt, but survived the crash.
The price of oil fell today, driven lower by a jump in the U.S. dollar. Oil dropped nearly $5 in New York to a little over $115 a barrel.
And stocks were up on Wall Street today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 302 points to close at 11,734. The Nasdaq rose 58 points to close at 2,414. For the week, the Dow gained more than 3 percent, the Nasdaq more than 4 percent.
And that's it for the news summary tonight.
