Passport : Tom Ricks : Dan Drezner : Stephen Walt : David Rothkopf : Marc Lynch
The Cable : Madam Secretary : Shadow Govt. : The Argument : The Call
Morning Brief
Morning Brief: Rockets from Lebanon
Top Story
At least three rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel, possibly suggesting the opening of a second front in the Gaza war. No group has yet claimed responsibility and Hezbollah claims to be investigating the matter. The Lebanese government quickly condemned the attack. Israel responded with five artillery shells but called it an "isolated event."
Israeli aircraft continued to pound Gaza after a three-hour ceasefire ended yesterday. The International Committee of the Red Cross has attacked Israel for neglecting wounded civilians. The killing of 40 at a UN school compound on Tuesday continues to provoke outrage.
The U.S. added its support to the Egyptian-French peace proposal currently on the table.
Europe
Talks to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute are going nowhere.
The United States is pushing Britain to accept released inmates from Guantanamo Bay.
Computer-maker Dell will cut jobs in Ireland in favor of less expensive Poland.
Asia
Pakistan's defense minister was fired after telling reporters that the surviving Mumbai attacker was Pakistani.
A corporate fraud scandal involving a major software manufacturer has schocked India.
A Chinese democracy activist was sentenced to six years in jail.
Africa
The U.S. will lead a new international anti-piracy force off Somalia.
Ghana's new president was sworn in.
Nine gay men were sentenced to eight years in jail in Senegal.
Americas
Mexico's Felipe Calderon unveiled a $150 million stimulus plan.
Contrary to earlier reports, Hugo Chavez will continue donating fuel to poor people in the United States.
Blagojevich nominee Roland Burris may get his senate seat after all.
Middle East
Turkish police are holding 30 in an alleged coup plot.
Turkish authorities are holding a suspicious package sent from Iran to Venezuela.
A roadside bomb killed six Iraqi soldiers.
U.S. Presidential Transition
George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and the three surviving former presidents met for lunch at the White House.
A partisan showdown may be brewing over attorney general nominee Eric Holder.
Morning Brief: A temporary reprieve
Top Story
Israel halted its military operation in Gaza for three hours in order to allow aid to enter the territory through "humanitarian corridors." This is the first planned daily cease-fire, though the BBC reports that there were at least two airstrikes during the first minutes of the pause.
After an attack on a U.N. school yesterday killed 30 people, Israel is mulling an Egyptian proposal for an indefinite cease-fire, which has been backed by the United States and Europe. At the same time, Israeli leaders are considering a "final push" into Gaza's urban centers to bring the operation to its conclusion.
Europe
Gas supplies continue to fall throughout Europe as Ukraine and Russia failed to resolve their pricing dispute. Twelve European countries are now completely without gas from Russia.
Greece's finance minister was fired in an effort to calm public opinion over the country's economic slump.
U.S. Presidential Transition
Obama is working to assuage congressional concerns over his controversial CIA director pick, Leon Panetta.
After days of silence, Obama finally commented on Gaza, calling the loss of civilian lives a "source of deep concern."
Obama named CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta as surgeon general.
Asia
China detected its first bird flu case of 2009.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari called for more aid, but not more troops, from allies in the fight against terrorism.
Indian PM Manmohan Singh said that Pakistan authorities "must have had" a hand in the Mumbai attacks.
Middle East
Al Qaeda deputy commander Ayman al-Zawahiri released a message blasting Barack Obama and the Egyptian government for their silence on Gaza.
Iraqi Shiites have turned the holiday Ashura into a show of force after recent attacks on Shiite pilgrims. Women were barred from a major Shiite shrine in Baghdad due to security concerns.
Americas
Venezuela expelled its Israeli ambassador to protest the invasion of Gaza.
Blagojevich appointee Roland Burris was blocked in his attempt to be sworn in as Illinois senator.
Gunmen attacked a TV station in Northern Mexico
Africa
The U.N. proposed a "Green Zone" style safe zone for aid workers in Somalia.
Congolese rebels have given a vote of confidence to embattled commander Laurent Nkunda.
The hostages taken by pirates from a French ship off the coast of Nigeria over the weekend were freed.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Advertisement
Morning Brief: No let-up in Gaza
Top Story
Perhaps, as Anne Applebaum suggests, it's time to stop referring to the Isreali-Palestinian situation as a "peace process."
U.S. Presidential Transition
In a surprise move, President-Elect Obama chose former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta as CIA director.
Obama arrived on Capitol Hill to lobby for his $800 billion stimulus package.
Bill Richardson's withdrawal and Roland Burris's nomination are providing the transition with some unwanted drama.
Middle East
The U.S. opened its biggest embassy ever in Baghdad.
Iran is offering "protection" for embattled Nobel Prize-winning human rights activist Shirin Ebadi.
The Iraqi shoe-thrower's trial has been postponed.
Europe
Russia is continuing to reduce the flow of gas into Ukraine.
Riot police were attacked by gunmen in Greece.
A Moroccan immigrant was elected mayor of Rotterdam.
Asia
A Chinese media report warned of spreading civil unrest throughout the country in 2009.
The Taliban has been doing some creative accounting with its casualty figures.
Sri Lankan authorities are close to bringing Tamil Tiger territory under control.
Americas
Hugo Chavez says a referendum to remove his term limits will apply to governors and mayors as well.
The anti-kidnapping expert kidnapped in Mexico last month has vanished without a trace.
Rod Blagojevich's nominee for Obama's senate seat, Roland Burris, is on his way to Washington for tough questioning.
Africa
Robert Mugabe plans to form a government in February, without the agreement of opposition parties.
Angola closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo to prevent an Ebola outbreak.
Kenya's ruling coalition is fraying.
Photo: David Silverman/Getty Images
Morning Brief: Gaza: Day 10
Top Story
Israeli troops poured into Gaza on Sunday, effectively dividing the territory in two. Despite the capture of what Israel referred to as Hamas launching facilities, rockets continued to fly into Southern Israel. It's possible that Israel's aims now go beyond quieting the attacks, to the complete removal of Hamas from power in the territory, though Israeli officials deny that they intend to occupy Gaza for a significant period of time. More than 500 Palestinians -- a quarter of them civilians, according to the UN -- have died in the fighting so far.
Protests against Israel's actions have swept through Europe and the Middle East. With presidential elections fast approaching, Iranian hardliners might be the biggest winners from the fighting. Meanwhile, the U.S. presidential transition could complicate efforts to seek a peace agreement. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Czech foreign minister have been leading the negotiation efforts.
U.S. Presidential Transition
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson withdrew himself as a nominee for commerce secretary because of an ongoing investigation into his finances.
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine will take over for Howard Dean as chairman of the Democratic National Comittee.
Barack Obama is keeping quiet about the situation in Gaza.
Middle East
The run-up to provincial elections in Northern Iraq has been marred by violence.
Dozens were killed by a suicide bomber at a Shiite pilgrimage site in Baghdad.
Turkish planes bombed Kurdish rebel sites in Northern Iraq.
Iranian authorities are cracking down on opposition leaders ahead of presidential elections.
Africa
Opposition candidate John Atta Mills narrowly won Ghana's presidential election.
A ship belonging to a French oil company was seized by gunmen in Nigeria's Niger Delta.
Two foreign journalists were freed by kidnappers in Somalia.
Asia
China's industrial output fell for a third consecutive quarter.
Earthquakes in Eastern Indonesia killed several people.
Sri Lanka continues to attack Tamil Tiger rebels after capturing the group's de facto capital.
Europe
Russia completely halted gas supplies to Ukraine because of an ongoing pricing dispute. Countries throughout Eastern Europe are feeling the pain.
British PM Gordon Brown defended his handling of the economic crisis.
The New York Times reports that European leaders may be willing to work with Barack Obama on relocating Guantanamo detainees and new sanctions against Iran.
Americas
Comedian Al Franken was declared the winner in Minnesota's long-contested senate election. The head of Denver's public school system was named to replace Colorado Sentaor Ken Salazar, who is joining Barack Obama's cabinet.
Don't expect a stimulus package in the next month, says House Majority leader Steny Hoyer.
There's tough work ahead for Puerto Rico's new governor.
Photo: Uriel Sinai/Getty Images
Morning Brief: Surging into Afghanistan
Top Story
The United States is aiming to send 20,000 to 30,000 additional troopsto Afghanistan before this summer, according to Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Three thousand will be sent next month. Most of the troops will be sent to bolster struggling European forces in southern Afghanistan.
Though he stressed that progress had been made by the troops already there, Mullen said, "We may have overstated the focus on the ability of the centralgovernment to have the kind of impact that we wanted given the historyhere in Afghanistan."
Gen. David McKiernan said he hopes the additional troops will allow international forces to reach a "tipping point" against the Taliban that will allow aid and development groups to do their work. At the same time, NATO forces will begin a strategy of reaching out to local tribal leaders, to enlist them in the fight against the Taliban. This is a central aspect of the "clear, hold, and build" strategy that now-CENTCOM Commander David Petraeus employed in Iraq.
So far, NATO has avoided discussions of actually arming local militias for fear of destabilizing the government in Kabul. Though as one NATO diplomat said, "Getting weapons in Afghanistan is not a problem."
Middle East
The Iraqi government is rushing to find a way to allow non-U.S. troops to stay in the country next year after Parliament rejected a law that would do so.
The World Bank slammed Israel's new checkpoint plan for the West Bank.
Iraq began a new prosecution of "Chemical" Ali Hassan al-Majeed, who is already sentenced to death.
Iranian authorities raided and shut down the human rights organization run by Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi.
Asia
China is blocking Internet access to the New York Times. The specific reason is unknown.
Japan's economic outlook is increasingly bleak. Auto-giant Toyota is facing severe cutbacks.
Accused arms dealer Viktor Bout testified at his extradition trial in Bangkok.
Americas
Canada is rolling out a $3.3 billion bailout package for Detroit automakers to keep Canadian plants open.
Colombia's Farc rebels are planning to release six hostages in the next few days.
Nine decapitated corpses were found in southern Mexico.
Europe
Russia approved an extension of presidential terms from four to six years.
Belgium's government collapsed after a failed attempt at a bank bailout. The country's king and political leaders are running out of options.
Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko called on President Viktor Yuschenko to resign over allegations of currency speculation.
Africa
The African Union is holding crisis talks on Somalia.
Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe says that despite the country's new unity government, he will not budge on the controversial policy of seizing of white-owned farms. A U.S. envoy said that the United States would not support any government that included Mugabe.
World Economy
Markets in Europe and Asia fell, partially due to slumping car sales.
Oil rose to $43 a barrel with news of the U.S. auto bailout.
Repairs began on the severed underwater cable that disrupted Internet access for millions in the Middle East and Asia last week.
U.S. Presidential Transition
Obama announced a special task force to address the concerns of the American middle class. It will be led by Vice President Joe Biden.
Harvard physicist John Holdren will be Barack Obama's top science advisor.
Obama took off for a vacation in Hawaii.
Today's Agenda
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visits Russia.
The European Union-Brazil summit kicks off in Rio de Janeiro with Nicolas Sarkozy in attendance.
Happy Hanukkah.
Photo: John Moore/Getty Images
Morning Brief: Ceasefire ends
Top Story
A six-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza ended today. Three Qassam rockets were fired into Israel on Friday morning, following nine on Thursday. An Israeli government source told Haaretz, "if Hamas doesn't come to its senses and calm the situation, there will be no choice other than an Israeli military response."
In fact, neither side had completely followed through on the terms of the ceasefire, with Israel blocking shipments of food into Gaza and Palestinian rocket attacks continuing throughout the truce. However, Ethan Bronner of the New York Times believes that while the truce was fundamentally flawed, "given each side’s refusal to acknowledge the other’s legitimacy, another such accord of winks and nods seems the likely outcome of any coming negotiations."
U.S. Presidential Transition
Bill Clinton released a list of donors to his foundation, which includes big donations from governments in the Middle East and some well-known business figures.
Obama's invitation to conservative pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his swearing-in has drawn protests from gay rights groups.
Middle East
Rival politicians are accusing Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of ordering this week's arrests in order to bolster his own political position.
A judge said that shoe-thrower Muntadar al-Zaidi was beaten while in custody.
Three German hostages captured in Yemen this week, were released.
Asia
The Taliban is stepping up its attacks on goods bound for Afghanistan from Pakistan.
A debate over a free trade agreement with the U.S. in the South Korean parliament descended into a literal brawl.
South Korea brought its last troops home from Iraq.
Americas
Venezuela's assembly seems likely to eliminate presidential term limits.
8,000 sugar industry workers were laid off in Jamaica.
Mark Felt, the informant "Deep Throat" of Watergate fame, died at the age of 95
Europe
Russia's Gazprom threatened to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine if it does receive an additional $1.2 billion by the end of the year.
A Russian general also said the country would halt some of its new missile development if the United States agreed to scrap its planned missile defense shield.
Parmalat founder Calisto Tanzi was sentenced to 10 years in jail for fraud.
A UN court dismissed alleged Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic's claim that he was offered immunity by U.S. ambassador Richard Holbrooke.
Africa
Ethiopia missed a deadline to begin withdrawing troops from Somalia.
Abductions of opposition leaders are making power-sharing talks impossible in Zimbabwe.
Today's Agenda
Barack Obama will announce California Rep. Linda Solis as secretary of labor and ex-Dallas mayor Ron Kirk as trade representative.
Photo: David Silverman/Getty Images
Morning Brief: Thwarted coup or power grab?
Top Story
The New York Times reports that 35 Iraqi interior ministry officials have been arrested over the past few days for attempting a coup. The officials, including four generals, had allegedly been planning to reconstitute Saddam Hussein's Baath Pary. The officials were arrested by an elite counterterrorism unit that reports directly to prime minister Nuri al-Maliki. According to the Times, "the involvement of the counterterrorism unit speaks to the seriousness of the accusations."
Maliki's opponents, particularly Sunni political leaders, accuse him of using the arrests to consolidate power. Prominent followers of the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have also been detained in recent months.
Middle East
OPEC agreed on the deepest cuts in oil production ever, in order to balance supply with flagging demand.
Iraqi lawmakers held an angry session of parliament to debate the fate of shoe-thrower Muntazar al-Zaidi. According to Prime Minister Maliki, al-Zaidi has apologized for embarassing him.
Russia is offering to sell 10 warplanes to Lebanon.
Americas
Barack Obama plans to close the Guantanamo Bay prison within two years of becoming president.
The LA Times profiles a mysterious Tijuana crime lord.
Alleged fraudster Bernard Madoff is under house arrest in New York.
U.S. Presidential Transition
Barack Obama was named person of the year by Time magazine.
Obama selected former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack as secretary of agriculture and Colorado Senator Ken Salazar as secretary of the interior.
Africa
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the time is not right to send peacekeeping troops to Somalia. China is a sending a naval fleet to battle pirates.
Former Rwandan army colonel Theoneste Bagosora was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 1994 genocide.
Dozens of children were killed by poison medicine in Nigeria.
Asia
India's cricket team pulled out of a planned tour of Pakistan for political reasons.
The last Japanese troops left Iraq.
South Korea will launch a $15 billion bank bailout fund.
Europe
NATO and Russia are planning their first high-level meetings since the war in Georgia
New clashes broke out between police and anti-government protesters in Greece.
German business confidence is at its lowest since the early 1980s.
SABAH ARAR/AFP/Getty Images
Morning Brief: Brits to pull out of Iraq
Top Story
In a surprise visit to Iraq, PM Gordon Brown confirmed earlier reports that British forces would pull out of Iraq by the end of July, 2009. Speaking with Iraqi PM Nuri al Maliki, Brown said, "The role played by the UK combat forces is drawing to a close." There are currently 4,100 British troops stationed around Basra.
Britain had been working to negotiate a deal to keep its troops in Iraq beyond the end of this year. Five smaller countries including Romania, El Salvador, and Estonia have also been "tacked on" to the British agreement.
At its height, Britain's Operation Telic involved 100,000 soldiers, and 178 have died in the conflict. While Brown was making his announcement in Baghdad, a nearby car-bomb explosion killed 18.
Americas
World stock markets had mixed reactions to the Fed's decision to cut interest rates to almost zero.
Countries throughout Latin America are launching stimulus plans to boost their slumping economies.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says the government is working quickly on a plan to bail out the auto industry, using the $700 billion financial-sector stimulus fund.
The recount in Minnesota's governor's race continues to get more complicated.
Middle East and Africa
Muntadar al-Zaidi appeared in court and admitted to throwing his shoes at President Bush. There's still no confirmation of his brother's claims that Zaidi has been mistreated in prison.
Eleven Qassam rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel, two days before a six-month ceasefire was scheduled to end.
The U.N. Security Council gave international forces the authority to pursue Somali pirates on land.
Asia
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari says there's still no evidence the Mumbai attackers came from Pakistan.
Voters in the embattled Indian state of Kashmir went to the polls for state elections.
Government forces launched a heavy assault on rebel bases in Sri Lanka.
China sentenced two people to death in the western region of Xinjiang for an alleged terror plot during the Olympics.
Europe
The European Parliament endorsed a package of bills intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020.
Anti-government protests continued in Greece, though the violence has died down since last week.
Three prisoners from Guantanamo Bay were released home to Bosnia.
U.S. Presidential Transition
Ths Bush administration has prepared a series of emergency-planning memos for Barack Obama's team.
Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack was chosen as secretary of agriculture.
Obama has appointed a record number of Hispanics to his cabinet.
Today's Agenda
OPEC oil ministers meet to plan for a 2 million barrel cut in oil production.
Obama is expected to name Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar as his secretary of the interior.
Photo: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
Morning Brief: World's banks reel from Madoff fallout
Top Story
The fallout of New York trader Bernard Madoff's alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme is being felt throughout the global financial system. Major banks in the Netherlands, Spain, Britain, and Japan stand to lose millions, having invested in Madoff's fund, or lent money to clients who did. Spain's Santander faces some of the biggest losses with nearly over $3 billion in exposure to the scam.
One major U.S. hedge fund had nearly half its assets invested with Madoff. The Madoff fraud may also prove catastrophic for Jewish organizations and charities who had invested heavily with him.
The financial world was blindsided by the arrest of Madoff, a fixture of the New York financial world, though the Wall Street Journal reports that some analysts had been sounding the alarm about him for years. As one fund manager told the Financial Times, "This was the train wreck that happened in broad daylight."
Americas
The Illinois legislature may launch impeachment proceedings against Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
A U.S. Department of Justice report said that Mexican drug gangs pose the largest organized crime threat to the United States.
JKF's daughter Caroline Kennedy will seek Hillary Clinton's New York senate seat.
U.S. Presidential Transition
President-elect Barack Obama picked Chicago schools superintendent Arne Duncan as his secretary of education and officially rolled out his five-person energy team.
A grand jury is investigating contributions to Obama's commerce secretary-designate, Bill Richardson.
Middle East
Israel freed more than 200 Palestinian prisoners. The country also blocked a U.N. official who had accused it of war crimes from reentering the country.
Thousands of Iraqis demonstrated for the release of the journalist who threw a shoe at President George W. Bush.
Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami is considering running for president again.
The U.S. and United Arab Emirates finalized their nuclear cooperation deal.
Asia
A suspected U.S. missile strike killed two in northwest Pakistan.
Across east Asia, authorities are cracking down on graft.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, has formed a charter.
Europe
French police disarmed an explosive device at a Paris department store. An Afghan group has claimed responsibility.
A Nazi skinhead group allegedly responsible for 18 murders was arrested in Moscow.
Italian police made more than 100 arrests in an anti-mafia crackdown.
Africa
South Africa's former defense minister launched a new political party to challenge the African National Congress's dominance.
The U.N.'s special envoy to Niger has gone missing.
Someone took a shot at Zimbabwe's air force chief, a close ally of President Robert Mugabe.
Today's Agenda
The U.S. Federal Reserve meets. It is widely expected to cut interest rates.
The World Meteorological Organization will present its annual statement on the global climate.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to give an address on the global economy.
Photo: PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images
Morning Brief: 'Shoe bomber' bids farewell to Bush
Top Story
On a surprise visit to Baghdad, George W. Bush was forced to dodge a pair of flying shoes thrown at him by an Iraqi journalist during a press conference with Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki. After throwing the shoes, the man yelled, "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog." See photos and video here.
The journalist who threw the shoe, Muntather al-Zaidi, has become the talk of Baghdad, with thousands demonstrating for his release from jail. McClatchy reports that Zaidi had been deeply affected by the U.S. bombing of Baghdad's Sadr City.
Bush flew to Afghanistan early on Monday morning for one last meeting with President Hamid Karzai. This surprise trip to the region will likely be Bush's last.
Zaidi's protest has understandably grabbed headlines during the president's farewell tour, but a new 500-page government report detailing how $50 billion in U.S. taxpayer money was badly misspent during the reconstruction of Iraq may prove more significant to Bush's legacy.
Asia
Thailand's opposition leader will become prime minister after winning a vote in Parliament.
A newly released survey shows a grim outlook for Japan's economy.
British PM Gordon Brown visited India and Pakistan, offering help in fighting terrorism.
Daily flights have begun between Taiwan and China.
Europe
Greeks aren't happy with their government's response to last week's riots.
Angela Merkel seems unlikely to roll out further stimulus for the German economy in the near future.
Ireland will provide a €10 billion bailout fund for its banks.
Dozens of antigovernment protesters were arrested in Russia.
Middle East and Africa
A six-month ceasefire in Gaza comes to an end this week. Hamas's leadership may be divided over whether to extend it.
Meeting in Algeria, OPEC countries are considering cutting oil production by up to 2 million barrels a day
Somalia's president fired his prime minister.
Americas
Arrested New York "hedge fund" manager Bernard Madoff may have pulled off the largest Ponzi scheme in history. Some of the world's top banks were exposed to the scam.
Cuban leader Raul Castro made his first overseas trip to see his "nephew" Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.
A group of Russian warships visited Cuba for the first time since the end of the Soviet era.
Today's Agenda
A new round of anti-government demonstrations are planned in Greece.
Electoral College delegates meet to officially elect Barack Obama.
Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Morning Brief: The world economy braces for impact
Top Story
Countries around the world are rushing to boost their economies after a proposed $15 billion bailout for the U.S. auto industry died in the Senate. Up to 3 million jobs in the United States could be affected.
Japan announced it will expand its fund to recapitalize banks to $131.1 billion. After an unusually public tiff between Britain and Germany over stimulus measures, the EU agreed on a $264 billion plan to revive the bloc's economy.
Markets across Asia took a dive, with a long, painful day likely on Wall Street. Vice President Dick Cheney reportedly told Republican senators that a failed bailout would lead to "Herbert Hoover time."
Europe
Meeting in Brussels, EU leaders agreed to cut carbon emissions 20 percent by 2020.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon advocated a "green new deal" at the U.N. climate change summit in Poland.
Among the terror suspects arrested by the Belgian police on Thursday was a high-ranking female recruiter and spokesperson.
Asia
Visiting Afghanistan, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates called for an increase in troop levels.
India unveiled new counterterrorism measures.
China's economic downturn is leading to rioting and civil unrest.
Taiwan's ex-president was indicted for accepting bribes.
Middle East
The U.S. plans to sign a nuclear cooperation deal with the United Arab Emirates, the first ever with a Middle Eastern nation.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni made an ill-advised statement that a Palestinian state would be a "national solution" for Israel's Arabs.
Iran may be reducing its support for Shiite groups in Iraq
Africa
The International Red Cross said Zimbabwe's cholera crisis may be getting better, though new cases continue to be reported. A prominent South African Anglican bishop referred to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as a "modern-day Hitler."
Eighty percent of Somalia's armed forces have deserted, according to the U.N.
Americas
Bank of America will cut more than 30,000 jobs.
Mounting personal debts may have led Rod Blagojevich to his crimes.
A wire service in Miami for Cuban immigrants sending remittances to the island may have stolen $189,000 from 502 customers.
Today's Agenda
Italy's main labor union holds a nationwide strike to protest Silvio Berlusconi's economic policies.
Photo: China Photos/Getty Images
Morning Brief: A time of cholera
Top Story
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe declared his country's cholera epidemic over while the WHO described it as worsening, saying that over 15,000 are now infected and another 60,000 at risk. They can't both be right. Zimbabwean refugees are also creating a cholera crisis in northern South Africa. The border region has been declared a "disaster area."
Mugabe's forces have also killed hundreds in a campaign against illegal diamond mining, according to the country's opposition. The Times calls on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to join other world leaders in condemning Mugabe.
U.S. Presidential Transition
Nobel prize-winning physicist Steven Chu is Barack Obama's pick for secretary of energy.
Former Clinton EPA Administrator Carol Browner is expected to be appointed White House "energy czar."
Sentate Republicans want to question former President Bill Clinton at his wife's confirmation hearings.
The president-elect is riding high in the polls.
Europe
Belgium arrested 14 al Qaeda suspects ahead of a planned EU summit.
Greece's riots entered a fifth night, though an uneasy calm now seems to have fallen over parts of the country.
Irish citizens will vote again next year on the stalled EU integration treaty they rejected in June.
Americas
The proposed bailout for the U.S. auto industry passed in the House.
Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. has been implicated in the Blagojevich bribery scandal.
The remains of hundreds of people "disappeared" during Argentina's dirty war were found in a pit.
Asia and Pacific
Indian investigators are turning their attention to homegrown suspects.
China arrested a prominent human rights activist for circulating an online petition.
North Korea nuke talks ended in a stalemate.
Austalian police busted a child pornography ring with operations in 70 countries.
Middle East
A suicide bombing in Kirkuk, Iraq killed 47.
Iran is outraged at comments made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy at a Human Rights Day event.
Saudi Arabia cut oil production more than expected last month. Further cuts are likely immiment.
Africa
The UN accused Rwanda of aiding Tutsi rebels in Eastern Congo. The New York Times reports on a massacre that occured with UN peacekeepers less than a mile away.
Somali pirates captured two Yemeni fishing boats.
Today's Agenda
Barack Obama will nominate former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle as secretary of Health and Human Sevices.
Golden Globe nominations are announced.
Photo: DESMOND KWANDE/AFP/Getty Images
Morning Brief: Anarchy in Greece
Top Story
As expected, the funeral of the teenager shot by police last week provoked a fourth day of rioting throughout Greece yesterday. Compounding the chaos, labor unions are also holding a general strike today in protest of the government's economic policies.
"The country has come to a standstill," said one union spokesman. Indeed, nearly all businesses and schools have been shut down and domestic and international flights have been grounded.
Americas
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested on corruption charges, including putting Barack Obama's senate seat up for sale. Profane recorded telephone conversations have shocked Blagojevich's supporters.
Congressional Democrats and the White House have reached an "agreement in concept" on a bailout plan for the U.S. auto industry. The deal would create a new "car czar" to manage the bailout and oversee the industry.
Mexican president Felipe Calderon said graft is hampering his government's ability to combat drug trafficking.
Asia
U.S. forces accidentally killed six Afghan police officers.
Pakistan arrested 40 suspected terrorists in a countrywide crackdown.
Indian police revealed a fifth suspect in the Mumbai attacks.
China will cut taxes and increase public spending to spur slumping domestic demand.
Middle East
The Times reports that Britain will pull almost all of its troops out of Iraq by next summer.
Violence in Iraq is at its lowest point since 2003 according to Gen. David Petraeus.
Iraqis applauded the manslaughter charges against Blackwater contractors for a 2007 shooting.
Africa
The African Union decided against taking tougher measures against Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe. The BBC has disturbing firsthand accounts of the country's cholera epidemic.
Somali pirates apparently put down a hostage revolt on board the Ukrainian freighter they've been hoding since late September.
Europe
Ukraine's leaders came to an agreement on a governing coalition, meaning new elections will not be necessary.
A Lebanese student was sentenced to life imprisonment for plotting to bomb German commuter trains in 2006.
U.N. climate talks in Poznan, Poland ended with little progress made.
Today's Agenda
The U.S. Congress may vote on the $15 billion auto bailout.
Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari receives the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.
Condoleezza Rice is in Panama for trade talks.
Now on ForeignPolicy.com
- How to Kick Pirate Booty With Lt. Gen. Paul Van Riper
- Why Not to Engage Iran (Yet) By Geneive Abdo
Photo: ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images
Morning Brief: Nationalization for Detroit?
Top Story
Congressional Democrats unveiled a $15 billion plan to bail out the struggling U.S. auto industry. Under the plan, companies would have until March 31 to submit detailed plans for restructuring their operations. Congress and the White House are still negotiating details of the plan today, but they appear to be close to a resolution.
The plan involves a significant oversight role for U.S. government regulators and according to the New York Times' David Sanger, comes "perilously close to a word that no one in Mr. Obama’s camp wants to be caught uttering: nationalization."
Americas
Accused 9/11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, along with his four codefendents at Guantanamo Bay, offered to plead guilty to murder and war crimes.
Some 5,400 people were killed by drug violence in Mexico this year.
Tribune Co., the publisher of the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, filed for bankruptcy.
Asia
Pakistan will not hand over arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba militants to India.
In an upset, India's ruling Congress party won three state elections.
North Korea's need for food aid is increasing.
Japan's Sony Corp. is cutting 8,000 jobs.
Middle East
Five Blackwater guards were charged with killing 14 Iraqi civilians in a 2007 shooting.
Egypt's top cleric is under pressure to resign after he was photographed shaking hands with Israeli President Shimon Peres.
Israel's Likud Party is running a ticket of hardliners in upcoming parliamentary elections.
Africa
Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe accused the U.S. and Britain of planning an invasion of his country in response the current cholera outbreak.
Sudan's leaders are worried that Barack Obama will take a tougher line on Darfur.
Ghana's ruling party holds a slim lead in the country's election.
Europe
The EU is taking over peacekeeping operations from the U.N. in Kosovo.
Today's Agenda
The funeral of a teenager shot by police last week is expected to provoke more rioting in Greece.
President-elect Obama will meet with Al Gore in Chicago.
Now on ForeignPolicy.com
Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Morning Brief: Pakistan makes an arrest
Top Story
Pakistan arrested Zakiur ur-Rehman Lakhvi, operational leader of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, in connection with last week's Mumbai attack
Pakistani security forces raided a camp used by the group yesterday. The New York Times reports on the connections between LeT and Pakistani intelligence.
It was also revealed that a prank call to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari almost set off a war between Pakistan and India.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may be losing support from Indian voters.
U.S. Presidential Transition
Barack Obama picked retired Gen. Eric Shinseki to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Shinseki is best known as an early critic of the Pentagon's Iraq war strategy.
Appearing on "Meet the Press," Obama vowed tougher financial regulations and said the U.S. financial malaise would worsen before it got better. The president-elect reiterated his support of a bailout for the auto industry despite the fact that he believes company executives made "strategic mistakes."
Obama is largely staying out of the ongoing indusry bailout debates, perhaps saving his ammunition for a much larger stimulus plan. If passed, his plan would include the largest investment in U.S. infrastructure since the 1950s.
Asia
Militants near Peshawar, Pakistan, destroyed 150 U.S. military vehicles meant for service in Afghanistan.
Envoy Christopher Hill is in Beijing leading the Bush administration's last attempt at negotiations with North Korea.
Thailand's main opposition party is working to form a government.
Europe
The shooting of a teenager by police has set of widespread rioting in Greece.
Scheduled anti-pirate patrols off the coast of Somalia will be the first naval operations conducted under the aegis of the European Union.
Contaminated pork from Ireland may have reached up to 25 countries.
Middle East and Africa
Turnout was high in Ghana's national elections. The contest is going down to the wire.
Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak is spilling over into neighboring countries.
Ehud Olmert condemned last week's Hebron riots as a "pogrom" by Jewish settlers.
Blackwater guards suspected in a 2007 shooting will surrender to Iraqi authorities.
Americas
Eleven were killed in a shootout between drug traffickers and the police in Mexico City.
Canada's death toll in Afghanistan reached 100.Today's Agenda
The U.S. Senate will attempt to hammer out a bailout deal for the struggling auto industry.
9/11 suspect Khalid Sheikh Muhammed will appear at a pre-trial hearing in Guantanamo Bay. Victims' families will be in attendance.
The U.N. climate conference in Poznan starts its second week. Progress has been slow so far.
Now on ForeignPolicy.com
The Top 10 Stories You Missed in 2008
Photo: SEZAYI ERKEN/AFP/Getty Images
Morning Brief: Employment blowout
Top Story
It looks like the makings of another ugly day on Wall Street.
Today's economic news: the latest U.S. employment report is the worst since 1974, with an estimated 533,000 jobs lost in November. Meanwhile, the latest U.S. retail sales figures are the worst in 35 years.
"This is a clear employment blowout," one analyst told Reuters. The U.S. unemployment rate has now climbed to 6.7 percent.
And in Germany, the world's export powerhouse, manufacturing orders have fallen off a cliff.
U.S. Presidential Transition
Former British PM Tony Blair weighs in on President-elect Barack Obama and Middle East peace.
Retailers are gearing up for big sales of Obama merchandise during inauguration week.
Former Cuban President Fidel Castro says he will meet Obama "anywhere he wants."
Americas
Canadian PM Stephen Harper has staved off a no-confidence vote -- for now -- by suspending Parliament.
Hospitals have become a battlefield in Mexico's drug war.
Detroit's Big Three auto executives are finding little sympathy on Capitol Hill.
Asia
New warnings of a possible hijacking threat have Indians rattled.
Newsweek's Fasih Ahmed visits the stronghold of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani militant group thought responsible for the Mumbai attacks.
Bangkok's airport is back in business.
Middle East and Africa
Calls are escalating -- from Archbishop Desmond Tutu to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Kenyan PM Raila Odinga -- for Robert Mugabe to step down as president of Zimbabwe. Mugabe isn't bending.
Tensions are growing in the West Bank after Israeli troops forcibly ejected some 250 extremist settlers from a building in the disputed town of Hebron.
Europe
In a record-breaking heist, thieves stole $100 million in merchandise from Harry Winston, one of Paris's elite jewelry shops.
Russian PM Vladimir Putin faced tough questions about the economy in an annual Q&A session with the public.
Liechtenstein, the tiny European tax haven, has agreed to cough up some of its banking secrets.
Weekend Agenda
Neel Kashkari, the point man for the U.S. Treasury Department's Troubled Assets Relief Program, gives an update on the banking rescue.
The Saban Forum, an annual dialogue between U.S. and Israeli officials, hosts a keynote address by U.S. President George W. Bush.
The U.S. Supreme Court considers a lawsuit alleging that President-elect Obama is not a U.S. citizen. "Legal experts say the appeal has little chance of succeeding," according to the Chicago Tribune.
News organizations expect the United States and Russia begin talks on renewing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. It expires this month.
Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Morning Brief: Zardari pledges 'strong action'
Top Story
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari promised U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice he would take "strong action against any Pakistani elements found involved in the attack" on Mumbai.
His government continues to deny any involvement, however, and has expressed skepticism about Indian claims that the attackers came from Pakistan.
"Pakistan is determined to ensure that its territory is not used for any act of terrorism," Zardari said, though analysts doubt Pakistan's civilian leadership has much control over the country's military and intelligence services, which in turn may have lost their hold over militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba.
"They've turned against the hands that once fed them," says Daniel Markey of the Council on Foreign Relations, adding, "[T]here appears to be evidence of continued complicity or at least passive relations between the Pakistani state and some of these groups."
U.S. Presidential Transition
Microsoft founder Bill Gates met with Vice President-elect Joe Biden yesterday, according to Marc Ambinder.
The New York Times looks into incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's banking ties.
The Washington Post rounds up reactions to President-elect Barack Obama's choice of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as commerce secretary.
Economy
Oil prices have sunk to $46 a barrel, a four-year low.
A record number of European companies are at risk of default, the Financial Times reports.
The U.S. Treasury Department is considering a deeper intervention into the mortgage market.
Americas
The U.S. government has released nearly $200 million in funding to help Mexico fight drug trafficking. The situation is out of control: Drug gangs in Ciudad Juarez are now shaking down schoolteachers for money.
Canadian PM Stephen Harper is fighting for his political life.
Hate crimes against Arab-Americans have steadily declined since 9/11.
Asia
In a turnabout, Chinese officials are now lecturing the United States about the need to stabilize the U.S. economy.
Thailand's popular king was too ill to deliver his traditional birthday speech.
On top of terrorism, India is grappling with a worsening economic downturn.
Middle East and Africa
Zimbabwe's cholera outbrook is a full-blown emergency, officials now admit. The death toll is at 565 and counting, accoring to U.N. figures.
Insurgent attacks in Iraq are at their lowest monthly level since the war began, according to the U.S. military.
Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki's bid to accumulate power is