Morning Brief, Monday, July 10

Posted By Carolyn O'Hara Monday, July 10, 2006 - 12:29 PM Share

Iraq

Sectarian killings erupt in Baghdad, where gunmen pull Sunnis from their homes and cars and kill them in the street after a Shiite mosque was bombed over the weekend. Four more American soldiers are charged with the rape and murder of a young Iraqi girl and the killing of three members of her family in Mahmudiya. A fifth soldier is charged with dereliction of duty. Ahead of closing arguments, Saddam's lawyers boycott his trial until security for them is improved.

Russia

Top Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, who took responsibility for the 2004 Beslan school siege and the Moscow theater attack in 2002, is killed by Russian security forces.

That news no doubt pleases Putin ahead of this weekend's G8 meeting in St. Petersburg. But Putin is also getting some terrible press. Here's Garry Kasparov arguing that Russia is no democracy and Fred Hiatt on why Putin has become emblematic of a movement to halt the spread of democracy. Simon Tisdall argues in the Guardian that it would be a mistake to think the West can rein in Russia.

Israel/Palestine

Exiled head of Hamas insists on a prisoner swap in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Israeli PM Olmert refuses to agree to such a swap but reasserts his commitment to withdrawing from West Bank settlements.

Elsewhere

Japan wants an early UN vote on sanctions for North Korea, though the US favors continued diplomacy. Lopez Obrador files a formal challenge to the results of the recent Mexican election. Six Serbs go on trial for war crimes in the Hague. Twenty-five newspapers strike in Egypt to protest a new press law. Polish president appoints his twin prime minister. Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta is sworn in as prime minister in East Timor. A new magnetic memory microchip is unveiled and the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie sets a US box office record for opening weekend. And, oh yeah, Italy wins the World Cup.

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