Morning Brief, Monday, April 7

Middle East

Conditions appear to be worsening in Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi forces battled with insurgents in Sadr City to stop the rocket attacks on the Green Zone. In total, three U.S. soldiers were killed in Baghdad on Sunday. Nuri al-Maliki is threatening to bar Moqtada al-Sadr and his supporters from elections unless the violence stops. The U.N. also says the country may be on the brink of humanitarian disaster.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood plans to boycott upcoming municipal elections.

Twelve Palestinian militants escaped from jail in Nablus.

2008 U.S. Elections

Controversial pollster Mark Penn resigned from Hillary Clinton's campaign.

John McCain plans to dial up the rhetoric on Iraq this week.

There's more Condoleezza Rice VP speculation around the McCain campaign, though both parties deny it's being considered.

Asia 

A Tamil Tiger suicide bomber killed Sri Lanka's highways minister and 11 others in Colombo.

Chinese officials denounced the Olympic torch protests and said there's no momentum for a boycott.

Nepal's Maoists are disrupting the country's election campaign according to the U.N.

Europe

The Olympic torch is making its way through hostile protests in Paris. The torch was briefly extinguished for its own protection.

George Bush and Vladimir Putin had a friendly meeting at the Black Sea resort of Sochi but still have some disagreements over the proposed U.S. missile shield.

In a landmark terrorism case, relatives of the victims of a 1998 IRA bombing are suing the alleged perpetrators.

Elsewhere

A Zimbabwe court delayed the release of presidential election results yet again. Mugabe loyalists are demanding a recount.

New Zealand became the world's first developed nation to sign a comprehensive trade agreement with China.

Astronomers have discovered a solar system that closely resembles our own.

Today's Agenda

• Israeli PM Ehud Olmert is meeting for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
• The Inter-American Development bank is holding its annual meeting.
• Pulitzer prizes will be anounced

Yesterday on Passport

• Putin the plagiarizer