The latest news on the Housing Plan, Attorney General - Dialogue on Race, African-American Genealogy, Latinos in Prison, Black Colleges, Obama to Canada, Gordon Brown Meets Pope, Clinton in Indonesia, Afghanistan, Nuclear Weapons, Iran, Israeli Election,

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Housing plan. Obama Proposes Package to Stave Off Foreclosures "President Obama unveiled a foreclosure-prevention package Wednesday that would pour more than $75 billion into arresting one of the root causes of the nation's economic spiral by helping as many as 9 million homeowners obtain more affordable mortgage terms." $275 Billion Plan Seeks to Address Crisis in Housing "President Obama announced a plan on Wednesday to help as many as nine million American homeowners refinance their mortgages or avert foreclosure, saying that it would shore up housing prices, stabilize neighborhoods and slow a downward spiral that was 'unraveling homeownership, the middle class and the American Dream itself.'" Obama's mortgage plan up against fast-rising defaults "The housing plan unveiled by President Obama on Wednesday goes further than any previous effort to break the vicious cycle of declining home values, rising mortgage defaults and frozen credit that triggered the country's worst recession since the 1930s."

Attorney General - dialogue on race. U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. urges dialogue on race relations "Eric H. Holder Jr., the nation's first black attorney general, issued a provocative call to action to Americans in and out of government, saying the United States is 'a nation of cowards' that urgently needs to begin confronting the issue of race relations before it polarizes the country even further." Holder: U.S. cowardly on race matters "A forceful Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday called the United States 'a nation of cowards' when it comes to race and vowed the Justice Department would assume a greater role in fighting racism and other discrimination."

African-American genealogy. Called back to Africa by DNA "Particularly since Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities had their DNA tested in a 2006 PBS documentary, African Americans are increasingly using science to supplement oral histories and traditional genealogical research to find their roots."

Latinos in prison. Study Shows Sharp Rise in Latino Federal Convicts "Latino convicts now represent the largest ethnic population in the federal prison system, accounting for 40 percent of those convicted of federal crimes, according to a study released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan research organization." In 2007, 40% of all sentenced federal offenders were Latino, report says "Driven by a crackdown on illegal immigration, Latinos now make up by far the largest percentage of offenders sentenced in federal courts, according to a study released Wednesday."

Black colleges. Economy Hits Hard on Black Campuses "But historically black institutions have two significant disadvantages when it comes to weathering hard times: smaller endowments, which mean heavier reliance on tuition and fees, and a higher proportion of disadvantaged students who are now facing a credit crunch when they apply for loans."

Obama to Canada. Obama's climate policy a positive change, Harper says "Barack Obama's presidency is ushering in a new era of North American co-operation against climate change after George W. Bush's inaction held back Canada's ability to tackle greenhouse-gas emissions, Stephen Harper says." Nafta Looming Over Obama's Canada Trip "With Canadians up in arms over 'Buy America' provisions in President Obama's economic recovery package, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper warning the United States not to back away from its international treaty obligations, Mr. Obama, who will make a day trip to Ottawa on Thursday, is no longer emphasizing the idea of reopening Nafta."

Gordon Brown meets Pope. Gordon Brown meets the Pope to discuss global financial crisis "Mr. Brown will be received in private audience by Pope Benedict, who is keen to impress on the Prime Minister that the flow of aid to poor countries in the developing world must be kept up."

Clinton in Indonesia. Clinton visits Indonesia, urges partnership "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told Indonesians on Wednesday that she wanted to open a 'robust partnership' with their fast-growing country, President Obama's boyhood home." Clinton praises Indonesia democracy "Hillary Clinton, the U.S. secretary of state, has praised Indonesia's transformation from an autocracy to a vibrant democracy." North Korea 'ready for war with South' "North Korea said today that it was ready for war with the South, hours before Hillary Clinton's arrival in Seoul on the latest leg of her maiden tour as U.S. secretary of state."

Afghanistan. U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Says Troop Level of 60,000 Will Be Needed for 3 to 4 Years "The United States will have to keep about 60,000 troops in Afghanistan for at least the next three to four years to combat an increasingly violent insurgency, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said yesterday, warning that 2009 will be 'a tough year.'" More troops may be needed in Afghanistan, U.S. commander says "A day after President Obama ordered additional soldiers and Marines to Afghanistan, the top U.S. commander there said Wednesday that he may need still more troops in coming months to bolster an intensified war effort that could last as long as five more years." Additional U.S. forces face 'tough year' in Afghanistan "One day after President Barack Obama authorized another 17,000 more soldiers and Marines for Afghanistan, the top military commander there predicted a 'tough year' ahead, saying there likely would be more attacks on U.S. forces as they move into places where they haven't been before." Canadian troops at crossroads in Afghanistan "With security getting worse and thousands of new American troops preparing to deploy to southern Afghanistan, Canada's mission here is at a crossroads, the incoming military commander said Thursday." U.K. 'has no plan' to boost Afghanistan troops "David Miliband applauded yesterday the deployment of 17,000 extra U.S. troops to Afghanistan but said that Britain had no plans to increase its military presence in the country."

Nuclear weapons. Japan, Australia urge U.S. to cut nuclear threats "The Obama administration is planning a series of 'game-changing' moves on global nuclear disarmament, according to members of a commission sponsored by Japan and Australia."

Iran. Iran refusing to co-operate with nuclear inspectors, says U.N. "The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog will report that Iran is continuing to obstruct its investigation into allegations of past work on nuclear weapons but the country's uranium enrichment program was expanding more slowly than expected."

Israeli election. Netanyahu PM bid wins key support "Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Israel's right-wing Likud party, has won the backing of a leading far-right party for his bid to become PM." Netanyahu-Lieberman is 'bad combination' for U.S. "Daniel Kurtzer, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel, said Tuesday that a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu that also included Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman would be a 'bad combination for American interests.'"

Pakistan. Pakistani Accord Appears Stalled "A controversial, closely watched peace agreement designed to end Taliban violence in the scenic Swat Valley hung in limbo Wednesday amid criticism in Pakistan and rising concern in Washington." Violence still a threat despite Sharia deal "Waving black and white flags and chanting 'God is great!' thousands of men marched through the streets of the main town in Swat Valley yesterday, led by a hardline cleric who called for peace in return for the enforcement of Islamic law."

Tibet. China Adds to Security Forces in Tibet Amid Calls for a Boycott "Chinese officials have significantly increased security forces across Tibet in the face of a grass-roots movement to boycott festivities during the coming Tibetan New Year, according to residents of the region and recent visitors." Buddhists in Tibet warned about demonstrations "Amid rising official anxieties about a renewed outburst of the anti-Chinese unrest that swept Tibetan areas last March, the Buddhist association of the Himalayan region has revised its constitution to ban separatist activities."

Opinion. Viewpoint: A word of caution to Obama (Desmond Tutu, BBC) "I make no apology for talking and writing, in the U.K., about a foreign leader. But expectations of him are so high and attention worldwide is glued to his every step as he reaches the end of his first month in office. He is the story of the moment. I am obviously referring to Barack Obama." What would Galbraith say? (Richard Parker, Boston Globe) "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's debut last week of his $2.5 trillion rescue plan sent Wall Street into a tailspin - and raised new concerns about the Obama administration's savvy - when it became apparent that this was The Plan That Wasn't One.