The latest news on the Financial Crisis, Gordon Brown, Economic Stimulus, Main Street Crisis, Black Elected Officials, Zimbabwe, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Paraguay, South Africa and HIV/AIDS, and Select Op-eds.

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Financial crisis. U.S. Forces Nine Major Banks To Accept Partial Nationalization "The U.S. government is dramatically escalating its response to the financial crisis by planning to invest $250 billion in the country's banks, forcing nine of the largest to accept a Treasury stake in what amounts to a partial nationalization." U.S. Investing $250 Billion in Banks "The Treasury Department, in its boldest move yet, is expected to announce a plan on Tuesday to invest up to $250 billion in banks, according to officials." Bush: U.S. stake in 9 banks needed to preserve capitalism "President Bush unveiled Tuesday morning a comprehensive plan to rescue the nation's ailing financial system, confirming that the U.S. government will take ownership stake in nine U.S. banks and backstop virtually all lending in the country." Bush - bailout needed 'to preserve free market' "The U.S. Government is to spend up to $250 billion buying direct stakes in banks and other financial institutions under a controversial emergency plan which President Bush insisted today was 'not intended to take over the free market but to preserve it.'"

Gordon Brown. Brown's Experience Gives Him the Edge "Prime Minister Gordon Brown, given up in Britain as political flotsam just weeks ago, has emerged from the global financial crisis as a leader whose ideas are influencing policy from Europe to Washington." Financial crisis gives boost to Britain's Brown "With Europe and even the U.S. falling in line with his plan to stop the global financial meltdown, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown now looks like an international hero. Less than a month ago, he was nearly out of a job."

Economic stimulus. House Democrats Consider Large, New Economic Stimulus Package "With fears rising that the nation stands on the precipice of a prolonged recession, House Democrats are contemplating a huge infusion of public cash -- as much as $300 billion -- to stoke economic growth by creating public jobs and padding the wallets of struggling consumers." Lawmakers push dueling economic aid plans "House Democrats and Republicans offered competing economic aid plans Monday as they jockeyed for political advantage on addressing the crisis."

Main Street crisis. Authorities concerned that financial crisis can lead to suicides, violence "Across the country, authorities are becoming concerned that the nation's financial woes could turn increasingly violent, and they are urging people to get help. In some places, mental-health hot lines are jammed, counseling services are in high demand and domestic-violence shelters are full." Uninsured Americans turn to mobile clinics "Imagine having daily debilitating dizziness, near-blinding blurred vision and horrendous headaches -- and no remedy."

Black elected officials. Quiet Political Shifts as More Blacks Are Elected "Political analysts say such electoral gains are quietly changing the political landscape, increasing the number of black lawmakers adept at crossing color lines as well as the ranks of white voters who are familiar, and increasingly comfortable, with black political leadership."

Zimbabwe. Mbeki leads Zimbabwe crisis talks "South Africa's ex-President Thabo Mbeki is holding talks with Zimbabwe's political leaders to salvage last month's power-sharing deal." Aid agencies: 5m face starvation in Zimbabwe "Death is stalking Zimbabwe's children, as a potentially catastrophic famine gathers momentum. Aid agencies say that half the population, about five million people, face starvation, two-thirds of children are out of school and water shortages have led to deadly cholera outbreaks."

Iraq. Iraqi VP: U.S., Iraq won't reach accord on troops this year "Time's running out for reaching a security agreement with the U.S., and an accord is unlikely before the end of this year, Iraq's Sunni Muslim vice president said." Lacking an Accord On Troops, U.S. and Iraq Seek a Plan B "With time running out for the conclusion of an agreement governing American forces in Iraq, nervous negotiators have begun examining alternatives that would allow U.S. troops to stay beyond the Dec. 31 deadline, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials."

Afghanistan. Afghan insurgency spreads, attacks rise sharply: U.N. "The insurgency in Afghanistan has spread beyond Taliban strongholds in the south and east while the number of attacks in the country has reached a six-year high, a top U.N. envoy said on Tuesday."

Iran. Iranians riveted to U.S. presidential race "With only nine months to go before their own presidential voting, Iranians appear far more interested in the U.S. election than in their own, and many think the U.S. choice will deeply affect Iran." Public Stage for Iran's Ex-President Fuels Talk of Political Return "Former President Mohammad Khatami, a moderate under pressure by political allies to challenge President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in elections next year, held a high-profile event here on Monday that many saw as a possible first step in his return to the political arena."

Paraguay. Left-Leaning President's Election Gives Hope to Landless Paraguayans "Peasant farmers, emboldened by the election of Fernando Lugo as president in April, have been invading dozens of farms in the countryside. They say that Paraguayan land is being occupied illegally by Brazilian farmers, and that corrupt officials have allowed these outsiders to acquire land for decades."

South Africa-HIV/AIDS. South Africa signals a dramatic change on AIDS "South Africa's new health minister broke dramatically yesterday from a decade of discredited government policies on AIDS, declaring that the disease was unquestionably caused by HIV and must be treated with conventional medicine." SA minister calls for HIV vaccine "South Africa's new Health Minister, Barbara Hogan, has called for a renewed global effort to find a vaccine for HIV, which can lead to AIDS."

Commentary. The damage to Brand USA needs urgent repair (Francis Fukuyama, Times Online) "Yet even as Americans ask why they have to pay a mind-bending $700 billion to prevent the economy from imploding, few are discussing a potentially much greater cost to the United States -- the damage to America's 'brand.'"