Morning Brief, Monday, November 5

Asia

ARIF ALI/AFP/Getty Images

Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency late Saturday, citing growing extremism in the country. Police in Karachi and Lahore have begun arresting and tear-gassing opposition lawyers and shutting down unsympathetic news outlets. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Musharraf’s move “highly regrettable” and the U.S. defense department suspended upcoming meetings with the Pakistani military. Former PM Benazir Bhutto slammed Musharraf’s decision.

PetroChina became the largest company in the world by market value on its first day of trading Monday, blowing past ExxonMobil with a market capitalization of around $1 trillion.

China’s lunar probe began orbiting the moon Monday.

The leader of Japan’s main opposition party suddenly resigned Sunday.

Taliban fighters have captured a third district near Afghanistan’s border with Iran.

Middle East

The PKK released eight Turkish soldiers in a bid to forestall a Turkish invasion of northern Iraq. Iraq’s government has vowed to crack down on the Kurdish militant group.

Analysts are struggling to understand the continued success of the Israeli economy. 

Egypt’s ministry of antiquities displayed King Tut’s face for the first time Sunday. 

Europe

Italy has begun deporting Romanians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a veiled dig at the United States, said that those seeking a “unipolar world” are trying to “divide our country”.

Kosovo’s prime minister says, “The time for a decision has come,” referring to his province’s bid to become an independent country.

Elsewhere 

Most people in 21 countries around the world are willing to make sacrifices to stop climate change, a new BBC poll has found.

Why is oil so expensive? Steven Mufson speculates for the Washington Post.

Amid low turnout, center-left candidate Álvaro Colom pulled off a stunning upset in Guatemala’s presidential election.

Hollywood writers have gone on strike to angle for a larger share of DVD and Internet royalties.

Today’s Agenda 

• Secretary Rice is in the West Bank for talks with Palestinian leaders. In her recent public statements, Rice has tried to lower expectations for an upcoming Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, MD.
• U.S. President George W. Bush hosts Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan at the White House.
• Poland’s prime minister is due to step down after losing the parliamentary elections in October.
• Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visits Moscow.
• The winner of the Prix Goncourt, France’s top literary award, will be announced tonight in Paris.
• Representatives from more than 70 countries are gathering in Brussels to review the Kimberly Process, an international effort to prevent trade in so-called “blood diamonds”.