The latest news on Iraq-US, Katina foreclosures, Immigration, Prison re-entry, Papal visit to US, Iraq, Iran, Colombia, Zimbabwe, Mideast, Opinion.

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Iraq-US. Congress To Hear Of Gains In Iraq "In a reprise of their testimony last September, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker plan to tell Congress that security has improved in Iraq and that the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has taken steps toward political reconciliation and economic stability." Few see Petraeus testimony changing much in Congress "Army Gen. David Petraeus' congressional testimony this week is likely to generate plenty of sound, fury and analysis in Washington, but not much change in America's policy in Iraq." Testimony by General Will Test Candidates for President "Three presidential candidates and two very different views of Iraq will be on full display as Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Baghdad, testifies before the Senate in a marathon session of war and White House ambitions." Secret US plan for military future in Iraq "A confidential draft agreement covering the future of US forces in Iraq, passed to the Guardian, shows that provision is being made for an open-ended military presence in the country."

Katina foreclosures. Katrina victims face foreclosure "Foreclosures have hit nearly every pocket of the U.S. hard, so mortgage problems are everywhere. But they've hit particularly hard here because so many Gulf Coast residents have set aside so much of their incomes and financial aid for repairs made necessary after Hurricane Katrina."

Immigration. Challenges Arise to Border Fence Project "Securing the nation’s borders is so important, Congress says, that Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, must have the power to ignore any laws that stand in the way of building a border fence. Any laws at all."

Prison re-entry. U.S. Shifting Prison Focus to Re-entry Into Society "The strategy will get a major boost this week. President Bush is to sign the Second Chance Act in a public ceremony on Wednesday, making rehabilitation a central goal of the federal justice system. In a sign of how far the pendulum has swung, the measure passed Congress with nearly unanimous bipartisan support."

Papal visit to US. U.S. visit will give pope a defining moment "When Shepherd One lands outside Washington, D.C., on April 15, the jet carrying Pope Benedict XVI to a six-day visit in the USA will deliver a complex and surprising man."

Iraq. Fighting intensifies in Iraq's capital "Three more U.S. troops were killed Monday as Iraqis struggled to bury their dead amid fierce street battles between Shiite Muslim militias and Iraqi and American soldiers in the nation's capital." Sadr calls off mass rally "officials loyal to the cleric said Iraqi security forces at roadblocks were turning back people attempting to head to Baghdad for the protest." Crackdown on Militias May Add to Instability in Iraq "A crackdown on the Mahdi Army militia is creating potentially destabilizing political and military tensions in Iraq, pitting a stronger government alliance against the force that has won past showdowns: the street power wielded by the radical cleric Moktada al-Sadr." Cleric Sadr increasingly isolated "In his latest confrontation with the U.S. military and the Iraqi government, the renegade Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr has found himself politically isolated and at risk of losing the support of many ordinary Shiites."

Iran. Iran installs 6,000 centrifuges "Iran has begun installing 6,000 new centrifuges at its uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, the country's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, announced on state television." Iran expands uranium enrichment program "Iran already has about 3,000 centrifuges operating, according to international inspectors. Ahmadinejad said that his country had begun installing 6,000 more. Arms control experts estimate that 3,000 centrifuges, operating continuously and at top capacity for one year, can produce enough highly enriched uranium for one nuclear bomb."

Colombia. Bush Backs New Trade Pact With Colombia "President Bush announced that he is sending a Colombian free-trade agreement to Congress, moving toward a confrontation with Democrats and labor unions that he could lose during a hotly contested election year." Bush Sends Congress Colombia Trade Pact "Congress is getting a controversial U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement from President Bush and must vote on it within 90 legislative days." Bush urges pact on free trade "President Bush sent Congress a free-trade pact with Colombia, forcing the issue onto the public stage at a time when free trade is unpopular with voters, concerned over the slumping economy."

Zimbabwe. Old Anger Over Land Is Mugabe's Weapon "Since the March 29 ballot, Mugabe has warned that opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will evict black peasants and allow white farmers to return if he wins a second-round vote." High Court in Zimbabwe Delays Ruling on Vote "The High Court of Zimbabwe delayed a decision on whether to force the government to release the results of the March 29 presidential election, prolonging an impasse that seemed to be growing increasingly acrimonious at each turn."

Mideast. Middle East Peace Talks Resume "The Israeli and Palestinian leaders, meeting here after a break of almost two months, agreed Monday that peace talks would continue from now on without interruption, despite concerns on both sides about the about the situation on the ground,"

Opinion.

When a Kennedy remembered King (Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune) "Forty years after his assassination, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. has been dead for more years than he was allowed to live. That milestone brings more media attention than usual to the April 4 anniversary of his death and the urban riots it touched off. But, amid painful memories, this year's anniversary reminds me of a significantly uplifting moment, brought to the world by one of that year's presidential candidates, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy."