Morning Brief, Tuesday, July 17

Middle East

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U.S. President George W. Bush promised more aid to the Palestinian government of Mahmoud Abbas and called for Arab states to make peace with Israel. 

Israeli cabinet ministers approved 256 Palestinian prisoners for release on Friday, in the hopes of bolstering Abbas.

What would happen in Iraq were the United States to leave? Thomas Ricks and Karen DeYoung explore likely scenarios for the Washington Post.

Europe

Britain is kicking four Russian diplomats out of the country, and Foreign Secretary David Milliband is reviewing bilateral relations "on a range of issues" in retaliation for Russia's noncooperation in the Litvinenko case. Russia threatens "serious consequences" for the British move.

A 46-year-old ex-cop in Siberia claims to be Jesus, and at least 5,000 Russians believe him.

Being an independent candidate for Turkey's parliament can be a dangerous business. 

Asia

The earthquake in Japan—which killed at least nine people yesterday—also knocked over around 100 barrels of nuclear waste at a nuclear power plant.

India's glaciers are in pell-mell retreat. 

Pakistan's government is looking to reinvigorate a shaky peace arrangement in the country's tribal areas. 

Elsewhere 

Migrant workers who go to the United States sometimes bring HIV/AIDS with them back to Mexico.

Somalia's fragile transitional federal government is failing its first key test. 

As expected, a draft resolution on sending U.N. and African Union peacekeepers to Darfur is hitting some snags in the Security Council. 

Today's Agenda

• India's national security advisor, M.K. Narayanan, is in Washington for discussions with senior Bush administration officials on moving the stalled the U.S.-India nuclear deal forward.
• Tony Blair arrives in Jerusalem for his "orientation" as Middle East envoy.
• Bashar al-Assad gets sworn in today for a second seven-year term as Syria's president.
• U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon meets with President Bush at the White House.
• Norman Borlaug, father of the "green revolution" in agriculture, wins the Congressional Gold Medal.
• The World Series of Poker holds its final round in Las Vegas. The prize: $8.25 million.

Yesterday on Passport

• South Korean farmers attack U.S. beef
• What We're Reading
• Bill Kristol's fantasy forest