Wednesday's coverage: Mitchell to West Bank, Uighurs to Palau, Iran to vote

This is what we're covering today:

We've got a couple stories relating to US envoy George Mitchell meeting with Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas today. ...

• In Gaza, where residents are rebuilding their war-torn homes with mud, they are starting to grumble about Hamas. Erin Cunningham reports that only 23 percent would vote for the militant party today.

• Josh Mitnick in the West Bank looks at the withered Palestinian economy, based on a recent World Bank report and pegged to Mitchell's talks with the Palestinian leader.

In other world news ...

• Scott Peterson is seeing a highly engaged electorate in a lively campaign in Iran. Why Iranians are more energized in this presidential election than previous ones.

• Bob Marquand in Paris covers the Dalai Lama in Europe.

• Carol Huang on our world desk explains why Palau is taking 17 former Guantanamo detainees.

• Libya's leader, Muammar Qaddafi, makes a historic visit to Italy today. He wants investment. Italy wants more cooperation in keeping African migrants from reaching its shores. Anna Momogliano looks at whether this partnership can work.

In US news ...

• Howard LaFranchi reports on the UN moves to toughen sanctions against North Korea, even as the isolated nation escalates its threatening rhetoric.

• The Treasury Department declines to set caps on executive pay for companies that took federal money during the near-meltdown of the financial system. But the administration is backing legislation that will allow shareholders, for the first time, to give thumbs up or thumbs down on pay packages for individual CEOs. Mark Trumbull reports.

• When the US Supreme Court cleared the way for the reorganization deal between Chrysler and Italian automaker Fiat, it did not resolve any of the potentially significant legal issues raised by parties objecting to the deal. Warren Richey reports.

• Warren also is also looking at what the move of Uighur (Chinese Muslim) detainees from Gitmo to Palau means for Guantanamo and Obama policy.

• Might the Air France disaster have been the work of terrorists after all? Alexandra Marks reviews the evidence so far.

• Ron Scherer reports on new study showing that green jobs are growing at a much faster rate than other jobs.

• In today's Recession Road Trip installment, Bill Glauber writes from a tiny town that exerts a powerful pull over old-timers and newcomers alike.