Morning Brief: Send in the troops?

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Zimbabwe's opposition leader is calling for international peacekeepers, writing in the Guardian, "We do not want armed conflict, but the people of Zimbabwe need the words of indignation from global leaders to be backed by the moral rectitude of military force." The United States says it will ignore the results of Friday's election, which the opposition is boycotting.

Decision '08

Barack Obama and John McCain are duking it out on energy policy.

Global Economy

Biofuels are fueling poverty, according to Oxfam.

Price increases for chemicals and steel herald further rises in inflation.

Americas

The state of Florida is buying a huge chunk of the Everglades from the largest U.S. producer of sugarcane.

High gas prices are destroying the suburban dream.

Brain drain is hollowing out the U.S. military.

Middle East and Africa

Israeli PM Ehud Olmert managed to avert the Labor Party's bid to dissolve the Knesset by promising to hold intraparty elections.

The Gaza truce is already under fire.

U.S. diplomats are considering opening an interests section in Tehran.

Asia

Attacks are up 40 percent in eastern Afghanistan, according to an alarming new Pentagon report.

South Korea is set to resume importing U.S. beef.

Half of the world's malicious Web sites are in China.

Europe

In a long interview with Reuters, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev struck a different tone than his predecessor.

Italy's senate has passed a law critics call the "Berlusconi bill."

Today's Agenda

South African President Thabo Mbeki is skipping an emergency regional meeting on Zimbabwe.

U.S. President George W. Bush hosts Iraq's President Jalal Talabani at the White House.

The Open Market Committee of the U.S. Federal Reserve announces its moves on interest rates. Markets expect no change this time.

Jackie Chan is touring East Timor on behalf of UNICEF.

Yesterday on Passport

• PowerPoint slides of doom
• Ten articles Obama should read
• Tuesday Map: Dying to tell the story