The latest news on the Economic Stimulus, Financial Bailout, Abortion, Truth Commission, Global Crisis, Activist Detained, Israeli Election, Iraq, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Iran, and Select Op-eds.

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Economic stimulus. Barack Obama sternly urges Congress to pass economic stimulus "In a sharp rebuke to Republicans who have sought to whittle down and redirect his stimulus plan, President Barack Obama declared Monday that quick and massive government action is vital to repair 'a gaping hole in our economy' that could lead to a long-term catastrophe." Obama Says Economic Crisis Comes First "President Obama declared last night in his first prime-time news conference that the task of saving and creating jobs is more important than cultivating the bipartisan cooperation he promised to bring to Washington, and he pressed his case for the massive economic stimulus plan working its way through Congress." Obama Says Failing to Act Could Lead to a 'Catastrophe' "President Obama took his case for his $800 billion economic recovery package to the American people on Monday, as the Senate cleared the way for passage of the bill and the White House prepared for its next major hurdle: selling Congress and the public on a fresh plan to bail out the nation's banks." Today marks a new day for government's role in economy "The Senate's likely approval of an $838 billion economic-stimulus plan Tuesday will signal a decisive new expansion of the government's role in the economy." Senate to Vote Today on Stimulus Bill "With little margin for error, the Senate overcame a key parliamentary hurdle yesterday to move a massive economic stimulus bill one step closer to becoming law and set the stage for potentially tumultuous negotiations with House leaders over the final shape of the legislation."

Financial bailout. New Bailout May Top $1.5 Trillion "The gravity of the financial crisis confronting the Obama administration will come into stark focus today when officials unveil a three-pronged rescue program that may commit up to $1.5 trillion in public and private funds, and possibly more, lawmakers and other officials said." Will Treasury's new bailout be better than the first one? "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner rolls out the Obama administration's bank-rescue plan on Tuesday, hoping to restore vigor to the banking sector and create a wave of new lending to reverse the nation's deep economic slump."

Abortion. Democrats take a go-slow approach on abortion law "Democrats on Capitol Hill say that although they are committed to reversing several Bush administration policies on abortion rights and family planning, they may hold off on pursuing the kind of expansive agenda feared by social conservatives."

Truth commission. Leahy Proposes Panel To Investigate Bush Era "The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday called for a 'truth commission' to investigate controversial actions of the Bush administration, including the politically inspired firings of U.S. attorneys, the treatment and torture of terrorism suspects and the authorization of warrantless wiretapping."

Global crisis. Economist has fix for global crisis: invest in poor nations "The World Bank's chief economist on Monday proposed an alternative approach to digging the world out of the financial crisis, saying that the United States, China and other countries should invest in the development of poor nations, because eventually those countries would become customers."

Activist detained. Gaza activist detained in Egypt "A German-Egyptian activist has been detained north of Cairo during a rally in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Philip Rizk has been an outspoken activist on Palestinian issues and lived in Gaza for two years." Van Spirits Away Protester in Egypt, Signaling Crackdown on Criticism Over Gaza "State security came for Philip Rizk on Friday night. He had just finished a six-mile protest walk with about 15 friends to raise support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip when he was detained for hours and then hustled into an unmarked van and driven off. He has not been seen or heard from since."

Israeli election. Netanyahu poised for comeback in Israel poll "Israelis choose a new government today with Binyamin Netanyahu, the Likud leader, expected to return to power for another chapter in his colorful and controversial career." As Israelis Head To Polls, Anxiety And Fatigue Rule "Israel's military has just trounced its enemies in the Gaza Strip. It has been more than a year since an Israeli civilian was last killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber. The economy, while showing signs of strain, has weathered the global downturn better than most." Disillusioned Israelis go to the polls "Israelis trudged to the polls today to elect a new government for the fifth time in 10 years, following a campaign mired in voter apathy, confusion and disillusionment with the country's politicians." Obama's Mideast policies face their first test in Israel "President Barack Obama's promise to seek Middle East peace aggressively faces its first test Tuesday, not at the negotiating table or on the battlefield, but at the hands of Israeli voters."

Iraq. Suicide bomber kills 4 U.S. soldiers in Iraq "A suicide bomber detonated his car bomb near a U.S. Army patrol Monday in the northern city of Mosul, killing four soldiers and their Iraqi interpreter. They were the first American military deaths blamed on hostile action since Jan. 18, and the attack was the worst since May, when four troops also died in a single incident." After Iraqi Elections, Next Big Test Is Acceptance "Iraq's provincial elections on Jan. 31 passed with strikingly little mayhem, raising hopes that democracy might take hold. But in Anbar, as in other volatile provinces, the results that were supposed to augur peace have instead fueled tensions, raising the specter of violence among those vying for political power."

Afghanistan. The Taliban in Pakistan Are Raising U.S. Fears "Even as C.I.A. drone aircraft pound Al Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal region, there is growing concern among American military and intelligence officials about different militants' havens in Pakistan that they fear could thwart American military efforts in Afghanistan this year." U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman says no more than 30,000 more troops will be sent to Afghanistan "No more than an estimated 30,000 additional troops will be sent to Afghanistan as the U.S. ramps up forces there, the nation's top military officer told soldiers Monday." Miliband: troops in an Afghanistan 'stalemate' "Britain and her NATO allies in Afghanistan are stuck in a stalemate with the Taliban, David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, admitted yesterday."

Zimbabwe. Mugabe goes back on deal over activists "President Robert Mugabe's regime has reneged on an agreement to release dozens of opposition activists, who have been abducted and severely tortured to extract false confessions of terrorism, before tomorrow's swearing in of a power-sharing government in Zimbabwe." Zimbabwe 'aid dependence growing' "Humanitarian groups are warning that more than half the people in Zimbabwe will be dependent on food aid by the end of the year."

Iran. Iranians rally to mark revolution "Thousands of Iranians chanting anti-U.S. slogans have rallied in the capital Tehran, celebrating 30 years of the Iranian revolution." Ahmadinejad says Iran ready for U.S. talks "The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, opened the door today to the prospect of talks with the U.S., less than 24 hours after Barack Obama said face-to-face discussions could take place within months." Khomeini revered as Iran's revolution hits 30 "As Iran marks the 30th anniversary of its revolution on Tuesday, the ayatollah's defiant spirit still towers above all." After 30 years, talk shifts from revolution to democracy "In rural Iran, as agrarian-centered life erodes and attitudes toward government change, some wonder what the Islamic Revolution brought them, especially as they see some sections prospering."

Commentary. You Can Cap The Pay, But The Greed Will Go On (Rakesh Khurana and Andy Zelleke, Washington Post) "With business executives seemingly oblivious to the nation's crisis, it's easy to see the appeal of capping exorbitant pay and wild spending. But corporate America's problem is more fundamental than that. Since roughly the mid-1980s, the American public corporation has been run primarily for the purpose of creating vast wealth for its senior executives."