RAMZI HAIDAR/AFP/Getty Images

Top Story

Hezbollah fighters have taken over the Muslim section of Beirut in Lebanon's ongoing sectarian strife. Eleven people have been killed in the fighting so far.

Middle East

Israeli PM Ehud Olmert admitted to taking cash from an American businessman during the 1990s but says he will not step down unless indicted.

Contradicting earlier reports, the man arrested in Mosul yesterday is not al Qaeda in Iraq commander Abu Ayyub al-Masri, according to the U.S. military.

Asia

Burma's government said they would be happy to accept aid for cyclone victims, but don't want foreigners working in the country to distribute it.

The cyclone continues to drive up global rice prices.

The U.S. dropped former Guantanamo commander, General Jay Hood as its proposed military envoy to Pakistan after protests from the local media.

Japan has just joined the military space race.

South America

Bolivia will hold a vote of confidence in President Evo Morales.

Chile's volcano may continue to erupt for weeks or months, experts say.

Africa

South African president Thabo Mbeki is in Zimbabwe to hold talks on resolving the election crisis, though it's not clear whether he even plans to talk to the opposition.

A Harvard study said money for AIDS prevention in Africa is being wasted.

Europe

EU foreign ministers will visit the breakaway Georgian province of Abkhazia this weekend to try to diffuse the crisis there.

The UK's ruling Labour Party has the lowest approval rating in British history.

U.S. Campaign

The Barack Obama campaign is shifting gears and preparing to attack John McCain.

Hillary Clinton has vowed to fight on, and controversially touted her appeal to working-class white voters.

Today's Agenda

• London's newly elected mayor Boris Johnson will meet with New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.
• Dmitry Medvedev will preside over Russia' victory day celebrations.

Yesterday on Passport

• Burma is still waiting
• City on Steroids
• Lebanese unrest turning back the clock

AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Top Story

The Burmese junta is finally allowing the UN to deliver food aid to those devastated by Saturday's cyclone. U.S. groups are still blocked from entering the country. The Burmese government is reporting nearly 23,000 dead but a top U.S. diplomat said the number may be far higher.

Middle East

Hezbollah members continued to clash with government supporters amid a called general strike that the New York Times is calling Lebanon's "worst political crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war."

Unsurprisingly, Jews and Palestinians have very different feelings on Israel's independence day.

According to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, present-day Iran is ruled by a Shiite imam who died over 1000 years ago.

U.S. Election

After disappointing results in North Carolina and Indiana, Hillary Clinton was forced to loan her campagin $6.4 million.

More superdelegates appear to be breaking Obama's way.

Would Obama have won Indiana without Rush Limbaugh?

Europe

Returning Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi formed a new cabinet in Italy. The anti-immigrant North League party took several key posts.

Vladimir Putin was sworn in as Russia's new prime minister, one day after stepping down as president.

The U.S. urged Russia to "back down" in its confrontation with Georgia.

Asia

The Olympic flame reached the summit of Mount Everest.

India and Pakistan both tested nuclear-capable missiles.

Global Economy

The World Bank blasted the U.S. for funneling its corn production into biofuels while global food prices continue to rise.

Africa

Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony will meet with mediators this weekend. He's still holding out on signing a peace deal to end Africa's longest-running civil war.

A South African observer mission said that Zimbabwe is currently "too violent" to hold a planned runoff election.

South America

The region surrounding the Chilean volcano that erupted last week has been completely evacuated.

 Today's Agenda

• Celebrations continue for Israel's 60th anniversary.
• The world remembers V-E day.

Yesterday on Passport

• This Week in China
• Israel celebrates 60 years of independence
• Saddam: Ruthless dictator or delicate blossom?

Top Story

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Barack Obama carried North Carolina by 14 points and lost narrowly to Hillary Clinton in Indiana, by 23,000 votes. "If anything, Mrs. Clinton's hopes for overtaking Senator Barack Obama dwindled further on Tuesday night," writes Adam Nagourney for the New York Times. "We now know who the nominee is going to be," NBC's Tim Russert proclaimed (video), noting that Clinton had canceled most of her Wednesday public appearances.

Publicly, she vowed to fight on, saying, "It's full speed on to the White House." But it would appear that she didn't pick up enough votes or delegates to remain viable, and her campaign is running out of money.

Europe

Dmitry Medvedev formally took power in Russia, vowing to "protect civil and economic freedoms" as the new president.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy doesn't want Tony Blair as EU president.

The European Commission is suing Italy over the trash problem in Naples.

Asia

The death toll in Burma could climb to 80,000, according to one estimate. The junta is now allowing the U.N. to deliver some aid supplies.

The Olympic torch could reach the top of Mt. Everest soon.

Chinese President Hu Jintao wants the Dalai Lama to show "sincerity."

China and Japan reached a major deal promising a "new starting point" between the two countries.

Global Economy

Oil prices could hit $200 a barrel by year's end, Goldman Sachs predicts.

The global food crisis is the product of "human greed," according to the head of South Africa's development bank.

Middle East and Africa

Tensions are flaring in Beirut, where Hezbollah supporters blockaded streets across the city Wednesday and rival youths threw rocks at one another.

The LA Times looks at the problem of Moqtada al-Sadr.

Israeli PM Ehud Olmert is in big political trouble.

Today's Agenda

U.S. President George W. Bush gives the keynote address at the Council of the Americas' Washington conference.

Nicaragua is hosting a regional summit on high food prices.

Yesterday on Passport

• Tuesday Map: Burma’s cyclone aftermath
• Khatami: We are terrorists
• Georgia and Russia ‘very close’ to war?

Top Story

ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Voters in Indiana and North Carolina will choose between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama today. According to the latest polls, Clinton leads in Indiana and Obama is ahead in North Carolina. Adam Nagourney explains what today's contests mean and lays out three scenarios for how they might play out.

The last polls close at 7 p.m. ET in Indiana and at 7:30 p.m. ET in North Carolina.

Global Economy

Oil prices surged past $120 a barrel Tuesday for a second straight day.

Google both caused and helped kill Microsoft's bid for Yahoo. But Jerry Yang says Yahoo is still open to a deal.

Are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac vulnerable? Government officials are getting nervous.

Asia

The cyclone in Burma may have killed as many as 15,000 people or, by another estimate, as many as 50,000.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is stepping in to help Asian countries with the food crisis. India's finance minister wants to ban the trading of food futures, a proposal the ADB dismisses as a "political gimmick."

A virus known as hand-foot-mouth disease has killed 26 children in China and infected nearly 12,000.

Middle East and Africa

Kenya is struggling to recover from its post-election ethnic strife.

Somalia is not recovering.

Iran is suspending talks with the United States over Iraq. Time says the evidence that Iran is supplying Shiite militias is thin.

Kuwaitis are losing confidence in democracy.

Europe

Switzerland's largest bank, UBS, plans to cut some 5,500 jobs.

Siberia's Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake, is warming faster than anyone expected.

With Dmitry Medvedev set to take over as Russia's president, NPR reviews Vladimir Putin's record.

Today's Agenda

Russia and the United States are expected to sign a civilian nuclear cooperation accord today.

Chinese President Hu Jintao heads to Japan for a highly anticipated state visit.

It's Irish PM Bertie Ahern's last day on the job.

Yesterday on Passport

• An open letter to Stephen Colbert
• Eddie Izzard for EU president
• Baghdad rocks Cinco de Mayo

Top Story

AJ Mast/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama dueled each other on Iran and gas taxes on the Sunday morning talk shows. With big primaries coming up Tuesday in North Carolina and Indiana, Obama is reportedly trying hard not to let his frustration with the campaign boil over.

The candidates are reconsidering ethanol, which they have supported.

Asia

Hundreds of thousands of Burmese people are homeless after a deadly cyclone struck the Irawadday delta. But the junta is vowing to push ahead with next Saturday's national referendum on a new constitution.

Thailand wants to form an OPEC-style cartel for rice. Asian governments fear rising food prices could wipe out the anti-poverty gains of the last 10 years.

China and envoys of the Dalai Lama agreed to another round of talks, even as the Chinese state press accused the Dalai Lama of "monstrous crimes."

Americas

Brazil is having trouble exporting its ethanol.

The first (legal) personal computers have gone on sale in Cuba. The Internet is still largely off-limits, though.

In an unofficial vote, one Bolivian province opted overwhelmingly for autonomy.

Middle East and Africa

Iraq's first lady was nearly killed in a bombing attack in Baghdad.

Iraq's government claims to have "concrete evidence" that Iran is stoking violence in Iraq. The United States also accuses Lebanon's Hezbollah of training Shiite militants.

Iran's supreme leader appeared to reject the latest package of Western incentives designed to convince the Islamic republic to end its nuclear program.

The U.N.'s Food and Agricultural Organization ought to be scrapped, according to the president of Senegal.

Europe

Rome's new mayor was elected thanks to an unlikely coaltion of fascists and Jews, the Financial Times reports.

A remotely detonated bomb in Chechnya killed five police.

Global Economy

A top White House official warns of growing restrictions on foreign investment in G8 countries.

Microsoft walked away from its bid for Yahoo.

Today's Agenda

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Israel for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders that have been overshadowed by Israeli PM Ehud Olmert's corruption scandal. President Bush visits next week.

The last group of domestic Olympics tickets are on sale in China.

Happy Cinco de Mayo.

Top Story

Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images

The odds that Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic nomination may have improved, the New York Times reports, but the numbers are still in Barack Obama's favor.

Europe

Results from the local elections in England and Wales are trickling in, and they are bad news for Gordon Brown and the Labor Party. No word yet on London, where conservative Boris Johnson seeks to defeat Labor's Ken Livingstone.

The euro's "bull run" may be coming to a close as growth slows in the eurozone.

U.S. President George W. Bush is pushing Europeans to embrace genetically modified crops.

Global Economy

ExxonMobil's oil production slid by 10 percent in the first quarter, even as the company chalked up record profits of nearly $11 billion.

Things are looking up on Wall Street.

Asia

China allowed actress and Darfur activist Mia Farrow to enter Hong Kong, where she renewed her call for a boycott of the Olympic opening ceremonies. The torch relay went OK today, however.

Representatives of the Dalai Lama are heading to Beijing soon.

Taiwan misplaced $30 million in foreign aid.

Middle East and Africa

Twin suicide blasts killed at least 35 people in Iraq's Diyala province.

An explosion at a mosque in northern Yemen killed 6 people and wounded 35 others.

Ousted Liberian dictator Charles Taylor had been stashing $5 billion in U.S. banks.

The official results in Zimbabwe are in: President Robert Mugabe with 43.2 percent and challenger Morgan Tsvangirai with 47.9 percent. A runoff is likely.

Americas

President Bush is calling for $770 million in food aid.

"DC Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey has killed herself. More here.

Americans are buying small cars at record rates.

Today's Agenda

President Bush speaks about the economy in St. Louis, Missouri; Vice-President Cheney heads to Oklahoma.

Macedonia is hosting a Central European summit.

Yesterday on Passport

• Five years after ‘Mission Accomplished’
• Former NBA star becomes humanitarian hero
• The miseducation of Christopher Hill

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 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

• Facebook’s power in the Arab world
• State Department: Al Qaeda gaining strength
• More reactions to ‘Think Again: The Peace Corps’

Top Story

FILE; FAROOQ NAEEM/AFP/Getty Images

Top Pakistani politicians are meeting in Dubai today to hash out a last-minute deal on reinstating judges ousted by President Prevez Musharraf last fall. If the talks fail, the fragile coalition that won election in February could well collapse. So far, the new government's chief accomplishment has been making U.S. officials extremely nervous.

Global Economy

U.S. President George W. Bush said he has no "magic wand" to stem high gas prices and pointed to congressional inaction on ANWR and refinery regulations. Democrats accused Bush of rehashing old ideas.

The Washington Post has a good series about the global food crisis. There's a global fertilizer shortage now too, the New York Times reports.

Asia

Ten North Koreans were killed in the Israeli raid on a Syrian nuke plant, Japanese NHK TV reports.

Some Chinese exporters want to be paid in euros.

Ten foreign reporters in China say they have received anonymous death threats over their Tibet coverage.

Food inflation is bad news for Hindu gods.

Middle East and Africa

That extra U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf? Just a "reminder" to Iran, says Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

April has been the deadliest month for U.S. troops since Sept. 2007.

Mauritania says it has nabbed five al Qaeda members.

Europe

The EU is calling on Russia to show restraint toward Georgia, where tensions are heating up.

Americas

Mexican President Felipe Calderón's plans to overhaul the ailing state oil company Pemex are meeting stiff resistance.

Colombian officials say they've killed a notorious drug lord.

2008 U.S. Elections

Barack Obama sharply denounced his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Despite his troubles with Wright, Obama is winning support on Capitol Hill.

Thomas Friedman slams the candidates for pandering on gas taxes.

John McCain debuted his healthcare proposals.

Today's Agenda

The U.S. Federal Reserve will announce its decision on cutting interest rates.

The U.S. State Department releases the 2007 country reports on terrorism. Something to watch: Will North Korea still be on the list of state sponsors?

Irish PM Bertie Ahern will address the U.S. Congress.

The Olympic torch arrives in Hong Kong, with 100 days left before the Beijing Games. Local authorities planned ahead, deporting seven potential troublemakers.

Yesterday on Passport

• Australia’s water woes
• Where are all the young GOP realists?
• Tuesday Map: The not-so-free rice game

Top Story

David McNew/Getty Images

Oil prices could soar as high as $200, the head of OPEC warned Monday. Some analysts wonder if we're living in a world of permanently higher oil prices. Shell and BP just announced record profits for the first quarter, but non-OPEC production appears to have plateaued in recent years.

2008 U.S. Elections

On the stump in Indiana, Hillary Clinton is wielding the gas-tax issue against Barack Obama.

Global economy

The United Nations is setting up a high-level task force to deal with the global food crisis. World Bank President Robert Zoellick expects prices for corn and rice to remain high.

Americas

Hugo Chávez + dairy farming = disaster.

Mexico's latest craze? "Virtual kidnapping."

For nearly three decades, U.S. farmers have been steadily shunning wheat in favor of more profitable crops.

Europe

The European Commission is threatening to censure Britain for its budget deficit.

Poland's foreign minister thinks the election of Dmitry Medvedev is "a hopeful development."

Inflation has ticked up to 3.2 percent in the eurozone.

French prisons are full of Muslims.

Middle East and Africa

Former Saddam deputy Tariq Aziz faces trial in Iraq.

Zimbabwe's opposition has reunited to claim a majority in Parliament.

New photographs of Iran's nuclear facilities at Natanz are fascinating experts.

Saudi Arabia's new sovereign wealth fund will be only $5.3 billion to start.

Asia

A suicide bombing near Jalalabad, Afghanistan, has killed at least 15 people.

A Chinese court has jailed 17 Tibetans for their role in the Lhasa riots.

Singapore is struggling to convince its young people to mate early and often.

Many Chinese students in the United States are angry about their country's portrayal in the media.

Today's Agenda

Luxembourg is hosting preliminary talks on a new EU-Russia agreement.

U.S. President George W. Bush welcomes Kai Eide, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan, to the White House.

Italy's new parliament is meeting for the first time.

Yesterday on Passport

• What We’re Reading
• McCain’s crackpot ideas
• Apple’s history of violence

Top Story

MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images

Afghan President Hamid Karzai survived his fourth assassination attempt and his first in the capital city. The sophisticated attack, likely carried out by Taliban insurgents, came as Karzai was celebrating "Mujahedin Day" in Kabul. The Taliban says it received help from sympathizers inside the security forces.

Asia

A North Korean officer has defected to South Korea.

China's Olympic athletes are making big bucks on sponsorship deals.

The Olympic torch ran into trouble in South Korea, but North Korea rolled out the red carpet.

Global Economy

Now is not the time to give up on biofuels, the International Energy Agency warns, even though they may help cause high food prices.

A refinery strike in Scotland is pushing oil prices to nearly $120 a barrel.

Europe

Outgoing Russian President Vladimir Putin will hand over power slowly, the head of a Kremlin-backed think tank says.

Russia is combating a worsening inflation problem.

The British military is going green.

Middle East and Africa

Fighting and demonstrations are roiling Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood.

Evidence of attacks on the Zimbabwean opposition is increasing. Some recount results could be ready as early as tomorrow.

Many U.N. peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo were up to no good, the BBC alleges.

Americas

Raúl Castro plans to raise state pensions by as much as 20 percent.

A mysterious drug-related shootout in Tijuana, Mexico, left 15 dead.

The U.S. mortgage industry is fighting proposed new regulations.

Today's Agenda

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is visiting Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka this week. Top of his agenda? The proposed Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline.

Top U.N. officials are meeting in Switzerland to discuss the global food crisis.

The Czech foreign minister is visiting the United States. Other EU foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is visiting Tunisia.

Top Story

DIETER NAGL/AFP/Getty Images

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said high food prices had become a "global crisis" and urged immediate action. The International Monetary Fund is considering helping 10 mostly African countries who have requested financial support to deal with the problem. Wheat prices have actually reached a six-month low, but rice is a different story. Even San Francisco is experiencing shortages and skyrocketing prices.

Asia

China agreed to hold talks with representatives of the Dalai Lama.

Interpol says there is a "real possibility" of terrorist attacks during the Beijing Olympics.

Pakistan's government insists it is close to a deal with tribal militants.

Middle East and Africa

In light of the White House's revelations about North Korea-Syria nuclear cooperation, the IAEA has vowed to investigate the U.S. claims. More here.

Hamas's proposed truce with Israel was swiftly rejected. Also, Israel's ambassador to the U.N. called former U.S. President Jimmy Carter a "bigot" for meeting with Hamas leaders.

Iraq's largest Sunni group is returning to the government after a nearly year-long boycott.

Zimbabwe's opposition clearly won the elections, a top U.S. envoy said. But armed police stormed the opposition's headquarters in Harare Thursday and arrested "hundreds of people."

Europe

In a 90-minute television appearance, French President Nicolas Sarkozy defended his increasingly unpopular domestic policies and offered some rare self-criticism.

Ireland's boom is bad news for the local pub.

2008 U.S. Elections

John McCain criticized Barack Obama for his stance on meeting with rogue leaders such as Kim Jong Il.

Global Economy

The financial crisis is far from over, warns Mohamed El-Erian, co-CEO of Pimco.

Today's Agenda

Today is World Malaria Day, and the United Nations is pushing a major malaria-control initiative for Africa. U.S. President George W. Bush is also planning a speech in Connecticut on this topic.

The Olympic torch is in Japan.

Russia's prime minister is visiting Ukraine.

Japan's prime minister is visiting Russia.

Yesterday on Passport

• Peace Corps advice: Don’t ‘get drunk and fall down in a ditch’
• Chinese sue CNN for $1.3 billion
• Global food shortages: a ‘silent tsunami’

KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty Images

Top Story

The White House today plans to go public with what it claims is video footage of North Koreans building a plutonium reactor in Syria. According to U.S. officials, the footage was supplied by Israeli intelligence prior to Israel's September 6 raid on a suspected nuclear site in the Syrian desert. Syria has preemptively denounced the disclosure, but an anonymous nuke expert described the video as "very, very damning" to the Washington Post. The key question, cautions analyst David Albright, is whether "the reactor is part of an active nuclear weapons program." Another important concern: How will the North Koreans react to these revelations?

Asia

China's strict new visa regulations have sent "thousands of foreign residents scrambling for black market documents," according to the New York Times.

The Pakistani militant leader accused of ordering former PM Benazir Bhutto's death is calling for a truce.

U.S. companies are having success outsourcing debt collection to India.

Middle East & Africa

A Chinese ship full of weapons that were headed for Zimbabwe is turning back without unloading. South African leader Jacob Zuma says it's too early, however, to enforce an arms embargo.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is lying about Hamas, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter insists.

The U.N. relief mission in Gaza is running out of fuel.

Americas

David Talbot looks at how the $100 laptop could transform Peru.

A map of climate zones on the back of seed packets is becoming fodder in the U.S. global warming debate.

On Capitol Hill, farm subsidies remain a sacred cow despite high food prices.

Global Economy

The food crisis is getting so bad, Sam's Club is limiting the sale of bulk bags of rice. It's not exactly West Africa, though.

"Oil is still cheap" at nearly $120 a barrel, according to Technology Review's Kevin Bullis.

Europe

French President Nicolas Sarkozy plans to consult the EU before deciding whether to boycott the opening cermonies in Beijing.

The Orthodox Chuch is becoming a "de facto official religion" in Russia.

Russia's forest fires are the worst in 30 years, according to state news agency RIA Novosti.

Today's Agenda

U.S. President George W. Bush welcomes Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to the White House.

The governing council of the European Central Bank meets today.

China's foreign minister is visiting Bangladesh.

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso meets with top Chinese officials in Beijing to talk trade.

Yesterday on Passport

• Ousted Iranian economic minister takes potshots at Ahmadinejad
• This Week in China
• Petraeus: top intellectual, next CENTCOM commander

2008 U.S. Elections

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton defeated Barack Obama by nearly 10 points in the Pennsylvania primary. The editorial board of the New York Times, which has endorsed Clinton, was not impressed with her campaign tactics.

Next up: Indiana and North Carolina.

Global Economy

Oil prices are nearing $120 a barrel. Saudi Arabia's oil minister blames a global lack of spare capacity for the tightness in the market.

The U.S. economy has yet to hit bottom, Steve Pearlstein argues. "This year is a turning point" for the world economy, adds Martin Wolf.

Americas

The United States may be falling behind in education, but at least it is leading the world in prisoner production.

An 84-year-old New Jersey man stands accused of stealing U.S. nuclear secrets for Israel.

A cousin of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has been arrested.

Middle East and Africa

The "recount" results from Zimbabwe are trickling in, and state media is calling for a "unity government."

In a macabre twist on "Rosie the riveter," Iraqi women are increasingly taking on their dead or missing husband's roles.

The CIA plans to expose North Korea's nuclear ties to Syria.

Asia

The BBC reports "heavy fighting" in Sri Lanka between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels.

China continues its efforts to dial down its citizens' patriotic fervor.

Japanese exports to the United States are down sharply.

Europe

Despite all the talk about climate change, European countries expect to build about 50 coal-fired power plants in the next five years.

High food prices are prompting European officials to rethink their support for biofuels.

Is the mafia making a comeback?

Today's Agenda

Australia has beefed up security for today's Olympic torch run.

Japan is hosting top EU officials for a summit on the global economy.

Yesterday on Passport

• Chinese protests hit the West
• Lede of the day
• Tuesday Map: Africa’s Internet drought

2008 U.S. Elections

EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

At long last, the Pennsylvania primary is here. Democratic candidates Barack Obama and especially Hillary Clinton have been going negative in the final days. Here's what today's results might mean.

Global Economy

U.N. World Food Program Director Josette Sheeran is calling for action on global food prices. The G8 plans to address the issue at its summit in July. Price volatility is even hurting U.S. farmers.

The IMF wants oil producers to boost their investment in production capacity.

The Wall Street Journal's managing editor will reportedly resign due to editorial differences with new owner Rupert Murdoch.

Americas

Speaking in New Orleans, President George W. Bush and his Mexican and Canadian counterparts defended NAFTA.

Some U.S. women are seeing their life expectancy decline.

The U.S. military is looking for a few good... ex-convicts.

Asia

China's Shanghai Composite Index has lost half its value since October.

Concerns about a tainted Chinese-made blood thinner have reached 11 countries.

China condemned Paris's decision to make the Dalai Lama an honorary Parisian.

Samsung's chairman is stepping down after a tax scandal.

Middle East and Africa

Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is calling for international help, saying government security forces are waging a campaign of intimidation. President Robert Mugabe's people say it's a ploy to let foreigners take over.

Uganda rebels have kidnapped 350 people, according to Amnesty International.

Iraq's prime minister wants his neighbors to be more supportive. Maybe he should be more supportive of his own communities.

Sudan's all-important census is going forward. It could pave the way for elections in 2009.

Today's Agenda

U.S. officials are in North Korea to talk nukes.

Today is Earth Day.

President Bush meets with the North American Competitiveness Council in New Orleans. (Hat tip: On Deadline).

The U.N. Security Council discusses Darfur, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.

Yesterday on Passport

• May/June issue just dropped online!
• Cast your ballot for the world’s top 100 public intellectuals
• Salon: UN approaching the breaking point

Khaldoon Zubeir/Getty Images

Middle East and Africa

Radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is threatening "all-out war," Reuters reports.

Saudi Arabia is shelving plans to increase oil production, even though oil is pushing past $117 a barrel.

Hamas would accept a peace agreement along the 1967 borders, according to Jimmy Carter, provided Palestinians hold a referendum on the issue that includes exiles.

More than 1,000 people a day are fleeing Zimbabwe to South Africa.

Global Economy

The credit crunch doesn't seem to be bothering "high net worth individuals."

Americas

Paraguay's opposition pulled off its first win in more than 60 years.

2008 U.S. Elections

Behind in the latest Pennsylvania polls, Barack Obama is sharpening his attacks on Hillary Clinton. Voting is tomorrow.

Europe

Paul McCartney wants YOU to become a vegetarian.

The U.N.'s refugee agency has implicitly condemned Greece for its treatment of detainees.

Asia

Singapore's sovereign wealth fund sees a recession ahead.

High birth rates are bad news for the Phillipines.

Asian companies and consumers are turning increasingly to genetically modified food products.

Today's Agenda

President Bush is joining is Mexican and Canadian counterparts in New Orleans for his last North American Leaders' Summit.

British Foreign Minister David Miliband meets with Pakistan's prime minister.

IAEA No.2 Olli Heinonen is in Iran to find out more about Iran's nuclear weapons programs.

Global Economy

ROMEO GACAD/AFP/Getty Images

Rising food prices are leading to the "worst crisis of its kind in more than 30 years," according to Columbia University's Jeffrey Sachs. Rice traders are beginning to panic.

The volume of world trade grew more slowly in 2007 than in 2006.

Asia

The United States may be willing to paper over differences with North Korea to preserve an agreement on plutonium. South Korea is considering setting up a new, permanent diplomatic channel to the North.

In a move that could smooth the way to a free-trade deal, South Korea agreed to lift import restrictions on U.S. beef.

The United States has no "coherent plan" for Pakistan's tribal areas, according to the GAO.

Middle East and Africa

Israel plans to build 100 new settlement homes in the West Bank. Talks with the Israelis have brought "no results," according to the Palestinian foreign minister.

The U.S. military is freeing thousands of (mostly Sunni) detainees in Iraq and building a wall in Sadr City. Al Qaeda's No.2 man says the U.S.-led war in Iraq is a "failure."

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to call on Arab states to protect Iraq from Iran's "nefarious influences."

The United States criticized Zimbabwe's neighbors for indulging Mugabe.

Europe

In a snub, British PM Gordon Brown met with the three presidential contenders before seeing U.S. President George W. Bush. Bush and Brown are in synch about Iran, though.

Russia's Gazprom inked a deal with Libya and may reach agreement to transport Nigerian gas to Europe.

Russia suffers from a massive shortage of skilled labor.

Americas

Mexican migrants are sending a lot less money home these days.

Farmers in Argentina stand accused of setting their fields on fire.

2008 U.S. Elections

The U.S. public's views of Iraq and the economy are heading south.

The new AP-Yahoo! poll finds growing support for Barack Obama in the primaries, but John McCain is making gains against either Democratic nominee.

Today's Agenda

The pope addresses the United Nations.

Robert Mugabe celebrates Zimbabwe's independence by bashing Britain.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visits Japan.

Yesterday on Passport

• Europe sees China as a bigger threat than the United States
• One in 5 Afghanistan, Iraq vets has PTSD
• Quotable: Bush’s neanderthal speech

2008 U.S. Elections

William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama held their 21st debate in Philadelphia last night. It was tense. The New York Times calls it "arguably one of Mr. Obama's weakest debate performances."

Americas

The pope loves the United States but fears the "subtle influence of secularism" creeping in.

The world was not impressed with President George W. Bush's climate speech. Meanwhile, British economist Lord Nicholas Stern says his influential report on climate change was not pessimistic enough.

Rio de Janeiro is suffering from a major dengue-fever outbreak.

Asia

The U.N. World Food Program expects a huge food shortfall in North Korea.

China is putting huge tariffs on fertilizer exports in a bid to keep domestic prices down. Indonesia is raising the price of subsidized rice. A major contributing factor to the food crisis? Australia's drought.

The Olympic torch protests reach India. A new Beijing museum about Tibet takes the Chinese viewpoint.

A bird-flu outbreak in South Korea could mean the slaughter of 3 million birds.

Middle East

A suicide bomber killed at least 45 people at an Iraqi funeral.

An errant Israeli tank shell appears to have killed a Reuters cameraman in Gaza during a day of bloody fighting.

Europe

A bomb claimed by Basque separatists injured seven police officers in northern Spain.

The U.S. subprime mortgage crisis strikes Germany.

Georgia is accusing Russia of trying to "annex" its territory.

Africa

Raila Odinga is now officially Kenya's prime minister.

Nigeria's oil output could fall by a third, an internal govenment report has warned.

Zimbabwe's opposition leader has been accused of treason for promoting "regime change." Well, duh.

Today's Agenda

The pope will say mass in front of 45,000 Catholics at the Washington Nationals' stadium today.

British PM Gordon Brown visits the White House.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visits Moscow.

The Middle East Quartet (remember those guys?) meets in Amman, Jordan.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is visiting the United States.

Yesterday on Passport

• The climate speech that wasn't
• Jimmy Carter wanted to meet with Islamic Jihad?
• The Boss backs Obama 

Americas

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Washington, D.C., Tuesday for the first papal visit to the United States since 1999. He was greeted warmly by U.S.