Morning Brief: Birth of the cool?
Top Story NASA A paper published in the new issue of Nature finds that, during the next decade, Europe and North America may actually cool. The long-term trend is still for warming, scientists stress. Middle East and Africa U.S. airstrikes killed al Qaeda’s top leader in Somalia. (The BBC, it should be noted, doesn’t necessarily consider ...
Top Story
Top Story
A paper published in the new issue of Nature finds that, during the next decade, Europe and North America may actually cool. The long-term trend is still for warming, scientists stress.
Middle East and Africa
U.S. airstrikes killed al Qaeda’s top leader in Somalia. (The BBC, it should be noted, doesn’t necessarily consider the guy al Qaeda).
“Senior government sources” in Zimbabwe say opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the presidential election by four points but didn’t command a majority, necessitating a runoff. Tsvangirai maintains he won outright.
Iraq is sending a high-level delegation to Iran to discuss the latter’s support for Shiite militias.
Population growth will destabilize weak states, especially in Africa, CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden fears. He also has much to say about China.
Asia
Al Qaeda may have been involved in Sunday’s assassination attempt against Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Pakistani leaders are still hashing out the judges issue in Dubai. It appears that Asif Zardari, head of the PPP and husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, doesn’t want to reinstate the chief justice for fear of being prosecuted again.
North Korean denuclearization appears to be moving forward in the U.S. Congress.
Europe
Europe’s middle class is getting squeezed by stagnant wages and high prices.
With the euro’s 10th anniversary approaching, a “north-south divide” is fracturing the eurozone.
The European Union hailed the Turkish parliament’s move to loosen a notorious law curbing free speech.
2008 U.S. Elections
The Jeremiah Wright fracas has hurt Barack Obama in the polls. Former DNC chair Joe Andrew endorsed Obama nonetheless.
Iran is complaining to the United Nations about Hillary Clinton’s rhetoric.
Americas
The U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point.
The U.S. economy grew by 0.6 percent in the first three months of this year.
Hispanics now comprise more than 15 percent of the U.S. population, according to new data from the Census Bureau.
Today’s Agenda
London is holding mayoral elections. Could May Day be the end for Red Ken?
German Chancellor Angela Merkel receives the Charlemagne Award for European Unity.
Yesterday on Passport
Blake Hounshell is a former managing editor of Foreign Policy.
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Henry Kissinger, Colossus on the World Stage
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The West’s False Choice in Ukraine
The crossroads is not between war and compromise, but between victory and defeat.
The Masterminds
Washington wants to get tough on China, and the leaders of the House China Committee are in the driver’s seat.
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