Morning Brief: Double attacks in Afghanistan

Asia

• Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso dissolved parliament and scheduled new elections for next month, despite forecasts that his Liberal Democratic Party is likely to lose.
• Foreign ministers have gathered in Thailand for the annual ASEAN summit. 
• The terrorism trial of the surviving Mumbai attacker has been adjourned after his surprising confession yesterday. 

Middle East

• Israel is planning to remove 23 illegal settler outposts from the West Bank in one day. 
• The Iraqi city of Ramadi has declared a state of emergency after a double bombing this morning. 
• Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in on his way to Washington to meet with President Obama. 

Europe

• Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili unveiled a series of democratic reforms, including a reduction in presidential powers, ahead of a visit from U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. 
• Biden met with Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko to reaffirm U.S. support for Ukraine.  
• Spain's foreign minister will make a historic visit to the disputed territory of Gibraltar.

Americas

• Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.
• Honduras's interim government has sent a lobbying team to the United States to win support for their cause. 
• The U.S. is now offering a $50 million reward for the capture of leaders of Mexico's gulf cartel.  

Africa

• Sudan has lodged a complaint against Chad with the U.N. security council for launching raids inside its territory. 
• Shabab rebels looted two U.N. compounds in Somalia. 
• The NGO Global Witness criticized western mineral firms for fueling unrest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.