Morning Brief, Friday, June 23

Iraq 

The Iraqi government declares a state of emergency after unrest in a central Baghdad district and a bomb hits Basra. Saddam Hussein’s hunger strike ends rather quickly. The U.S. presence won't: the Senate refuses to set a date for an American withdrawal. President Bush, in Hungary, draws parallels between that country’s failed 1956 uprising and the Iraq struggle.

North Korean Missile 

Cheney pooh-poohs North Korea’s technical achievements and rejects calls for a preemptive strike even as the U.S. keeps up the diplomatic pressure. The normally chill Russians and Chinese are getting nervous, but Seoul somehow remains calm. The Christian Science Monitor examines what Iran is learning from the fracas.

Terrorism 

Police and FBI agents near Miami descend on alleged Sears Tower plotters. Saudi police kill six presumed al Qaeda supporters. For their part, Pakistani authorities detain a handful of suspects headed for Waziristan.

Big Business 

Thinking of buying Airbus’s new jumbo plane? The price just went up. Goldman Sachs has had a busy few weeks: it lost Paulson to the Treasury Department, wooed Zoellick from State, and is now bidding fiercely for a major British ports company. Mexican entertainment giant Televisa may soon try to romance Univision. 

Elsewhere 

Japan’s highest court won’t stop the PM’s controversial shrine visits. East Timor’s leadership is deadlocked, even as Australia warns that its troops won't stay forever. Venezuela promises it would behave well on the Security Council if elected; the United States isn't buying it. Somalia's transitional government agrees to recognize the Islamic militia controlling the capital.