Morning Brief, Friday, September 7

Terrorism

Sporting a darker, shorter beard, Osama bin Laden is supposedly releasing a new video in time for September 11.

Middle East 

Gen. David Petraeus can accept the withdrawal of one brigade of U.S. troops starting in January, the New York Times reports. But Republican leaders in Congress are declaring troop withdrawals "off the table."

Charles Krauthammer hails the partitioning of Iraq.

Asia 

During an unusual exchange with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, U.S. President George W. Bush said the Korean War will end "when Kim Jong Il verifiably gets rid of his weapons programs and his weapons."

A court in Pakistan ordered the arrest of Shabaz Sharif, the brother of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif. The two brothers say they will return to Pakistan on Monday.

President Bush accepted Chinese President Hu Jintao's invitation to attend the controversial 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Europe

Many European cities are holding "White Night" arts and music extravaganzas.

Having defeated a trademark squatter, Starbucks is finally doing business in Russia.

Elsewhere 

Mortgage foreclosures reached record levels in the second quarter of 2007, driven by tanking real estate markets in California, Florida, Nevada, and Arizona. Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan likened the current climate in the markets to that of 1987.

The U.N.'s food and agriculture chief warned of "social tension" in developing countries from rising food prices.

South Africa, Argentina, India, and Brazil are undermining global trade talks, the U.S. trade representative said.

Facing the HIV epidemic, many African tribes are reconsidering their opposition to circumcision.

Today's Agenda

• Polls are open for Morocco's parliamentary elections, and Islamist parties expect to do well.
• Pope Benedict XVI is in Austria for a three-day trip.
• Finland hosts the finals of the 12th Air Guitar World Championships.
• The Rugby World Cup begins in France as a boycott by major media organizations continues.

Yesterday on Passport

• Here come the blonde, blue-eyed terrorists?
• Royal families on their way out? Think again.
• Where they'll be dancing in the streets on 9/11