Morning Brief, Tuesday, November 13

Asia

ARIF ALI/AFP/Getty Images

Benazir Bhutto is back under house arrest after the former Pakistani prime minister pressed ahead with plans to lead a protest march from Lahore to Islamabad. She is now calling for President Pervez Musharraf to resign.

U.S. private-equity firms are finding big profits in China.

Japan’s new prime minister sees limits to what Japan’s military can do on a global level. In any case, he’s got his hands full with a rapidly rising yen right now.

South Korea is looking to put together a conference with North Korea, the United States, and China to formally end the Korean War.

Europe

Russia’s Black Sea oil spill is having disastrous ecological consequences.

European Commission chief José Manuel Barroso pledged that Europe would be the world leader in energy efficiency and conservation.

Germany’s vice chancellor has resigned for “family reasons,” potentially putting Chancellor Angela Merkel’s fragile ruling coalition in jeopardy.

Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy agreed on a common approach to sanctions and diplomacy toward Iran. The Brits, meanwhile, are calling for even tougher sanctions.

Middle East

A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said, “We believe that sanctions, especially unilateral sanctions, are of no help,” referring to the U.S.-led push for sanctions on Iran. 

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is in Beirut, where he seeks to resolve Lebanon’s political impasse.

In the Gaza Strip, Hamas is detaining Fatah activists involved in organizing yesterday’s memorial rally for Yasir Arafat, at which some seven people were killed by gunshots.

Turkey has launched new airstrikes on targets inside Iraq.

Elsewhere

A new report by congressional Democrats estimates the full tab for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to be about $1.5 trillion when “hidden costs” are taken into account.

High oil prices have begun dampening demand, the International Energy Agency said in its November oil report. Saudi Arabia has already appeared to rule out an increase in OPEC production quotas.

Al Gore is signing up with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the legendary Silicon Valley venture-capital firm. 

Today’s Agenda

• The International Red Cross holds a conference on Iraq.
• Denmark holds parliamentary elections.
• Nicolas Sarkozy speaks before the European parliament in Brussels, while back in France rail workers are preparing to strike.

Yesterday on Passport

• An Iraq wonk smackdown
• How to get a job in the foreign-policy world
• King of Spain tells Chavez to “shut up”