the latest news on Pakistan, Iran, Gaza, Racial income gap, Iraq, Catholic bishops, Farm bill Health insurance, Non-profits orgs, Egypt, Supreme Court, and selected Op-Eds.

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Pakistan . Bhutto widens rift with Musharraf "As she was placed under house arrest for the second time in five days, Bhutto hardened her criticism of the man with whom she had been negotiating a power-sharing deal, calling on him to resign." U.S. to Send Special Envoy to Confront Musharraf "The Bush administration is dispatching a high-level envoy to Pakistan to tell the Pakistani president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, face to face that the United States will not be satisfied with his plan to hold elections unless he first lifts emergency law," Musharraf's Army Losing Ground in Insurgent Areas "Across much of Pakistan on Monday, the government was firmly in command -- squelching protests, blacking out television stations and picking up dozens more political prisoners to add to the thousands already in jail. But in vast stretches of the country's rugged and wild northwest -- heartland of the Islamic extremist insurgency -- President Pervez Musharrf 's army did not have any more control than it did when the military-led government imposed emergency rule nine days ago."

Iran . 'UK will lead tough Iran strategy' "Gordon Brown declared last night that Britain "will lead" the international campaign to stop Iran's nuclear programme, calling for new sanctions on oil and gas investments in the Islamic republic if it fails to comply with UN resolutions." Britain Takes Tougher Stance on Sanctions Against Iran "Britain will push for a worldwide ban on foreign investment in Iran's oil and gas industry and other financial sanctions unless two reports due this month show that the Tehran government is ready to abandon efforts to acquire nuclear weapons," Ahmadinejad steps up rhetoric "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, raised domestic tensions over the country's nuclear policy to higher levels yesterday by labelling his opponents "traitors" who are working for the west and threatened to expose them in a political witch-hunt."

Gaza . 6 Palestinians Killed in Gaza at Fatah Rally "At least six Palestinians were killed and more than 100 wounded here on Monday when a rally by the relatively pro-Western Fatah movement to mark the third anniversary of the death of its founder, Yasir Arafat, ended in armed clashes with its rival, Hamas." Six die in clashes in Gaza "The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, accused the rival Hamas movement of a "heinous crime" yesterday after six people were shot dead and dozens more injured during a rally in Gaza city." Fatah activists seized "Hamas rounded up dozens of Fatah activists in the Islamist-ruled Gaza Strip after its secular rival drew more than 200,000 supporters to a rally that ended in gunfire that killed seven people,"

Racial income gap. Middle-Class Dream Eludes African American Families "Nearly half of African Americans born to middle-income parents in the late 1960s plunged into poverty or near-poverty as adults, according to a new study -- a perplexing finding that analysts say highlights the fragile nature of middle-class life for many African Americans." Income Gap Between Families Grows "Decades after the civil rights movement, the income gap between black and white families has grown, says a new study that tracked the incomes of some 2,300 families for more than 30 years."

Iraq . US Military Reversing Iraq Troop Surge "The first big test of security gains linked to the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq is at hand. The military has started to reverse the 30,000-strong troop increase and commanders are hoping the drop in insurgent and sectarian violence in recent months -- achieved at the cost of hundreds of lives -- won't prove fleeting." 'Hidden Costs' Double Price Of Two Wars, Democrats Say "The economic costs to the United States of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so far total approximately $1.5 trillion, according to a new study by congressional Democrats that estimates the conflicts' "hidden costs"-- including higher oil prices, the expense of treating wounded veterans and interest payments on the money borrowed to pay for the wars."

Catholic bishops. Cardinal Is Catholic Bishops' President"Chicago Cardinal Francis George, a defender of Catholic orthodoxy with extensive experience in Rome, was elected Tuesday as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops." Bishops' draft says Iraq situation 'unacceptable, unsustainable'"Citing an alarming political and partisan stalemate in Washington, a draft statement discussed by the U.S. bishops Nov. 12 again laid out a moral framework for a transition in Iraq." Pope Will Visit D.C. In April "Pope Benedict XVI will visit Washington for three days in April, a Vatican spokesman announced yesterday, the first time a pope will be in the capital since 1979."

Farm bill. Senate's Farm Bill Includes $10 Billion in New Aid "Thanks to the application of a little last-minute budgetary magic, the farm bill before the Senate this week authorizes about $10 billion in new subsidies, price guarantees and disaster aid in the next decade, even as farmers report near-record profits."

Health insurance. Traditional pensions are almost gone. Is employer-provided health insurance next? "The percentage of people with health insurance through their employers - traditionally the way most people get coverage - is continuing to shrink, raising anxiety among workers and invigorating a debate about whether insurance should be tied to jobs."

Non-profit orgs. Campaigns raise stakes on nonprofits "Some major political players are expected to shift their money away from traditional campaign entities in favor of an old standby: the nonprofit. By giving to nonprofits, donors are unfettered by contribution caps that apply when they give directly to candidates. They also can be assured of anonymity."

Egypt . Human rights activists condemn religious discrimination in Egypt "Citing a long list of chilling testimonials, human rights groups called on the U.S.-backed Egyptian government to stop discriminating against converts from Islam and members of some religious minorities who want their faiths reflected on their national identity cards."

Supreme Court. Death-penalty cases on hold pending Supreme Court review "On Oct. 30, however, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the execution of a Mississippi murderer until it concludes a review next year of whether lethal injections constitute cruel and unusual punishment. And even before that, many states - including Texas and Missouri, two of the leaders in state-sanctioned killings - had imposed de facto moratoriums." Case Touches a 2nd Amendment Nerve"Both sides in a closely watched legal battle over the District of Columbia's strict gun-control law are urging the Supreme Court to hear the case. If the justices agree - a step they may announce as early as Tuesday - the Roberts court is likely to find itself back on the front lines of the culture wars with an intensity unmatched even by the cases on abortion and race that defined the court's last term."

Op-Ed. The Can't-Win Democratic Congress (EJ Dionne, Washington Post) "Democrats in Congress are discovering what it's like to live in the worst of all possible worlds. They are condemned for selling out to President Bush and condemned for failing to make compromises aimed at getting things done."