Hundreds of angry demonstrators blocked traffic for hours Saturday to demand restoration of drinking water and electricity and clearing of rotting animal carcasses after this week's monsoon rains in western India. Officials said the death toll could reach 1,000.

When she began planning the Interfaith Hunger Convocation six months ago, North Texas Food Bank CEO Jan Pruitt wondered whether it could even be organized without offending someone. She soon discovered that Christians, Jews, Hindus and Muslims can agree on at least one thing: Fighting hunger is a holy undertaking. "We're more alike than we're different," Pruitt said. "There's a lot of commonness in what each religion tries to do, especially around the poor."