Morning Brief, Wednesday, February 20
2008 U.S. Elections AFP/Getty Images Barack Obama won his 9th and 10th nominating contests in a row in Wisconsin and Hawaii, while John McCain rolled on toward the nomination. Next up: Ohio and Texas on March 4. Here is the latest AP delegate count: Obama: 1,319 (of 2,025 needed to win) Clinton: 1,245 McCain: 942 ...
2008 U.S. Elections
AFP/Getty Images
Barack Obama won his 9th and 10th nominating contests in a row in Wisconsin and Hawaii, while John McCain rolled on toward the nomination. Next up: Ohio and Texas on March 4.
2008 U.S. Elections
Barack Obama won his 9th and 10th nominating contests in a row in Wisconsin and Hawaii, while John McCain rolled on toward the nomination. Next up: Ohio and Texas on March 4.
Here is the latest AP delegate count:
Obama: 1,319 (of 2,025 needed to win)
Clinton: 1,245
McCain: 942 (of 1,191 needed to win)
Huckabee: 245
Asia
U.S. President George W. Bush judges Pakistan’s elections as “fair,” but his administration is still working to secure a power-sharing arrangement for Pervez Musharraf. The winning opposition parties say they want to hold discussions with militants in the tribal areas, and their leaders have called on Musharraf to step down.
After a slow response, Beijing’s PR machine is gearing up to defend China from Stephen Spielberg’s accusation that it is not doing enough in Darfur.
Wal-Mart plans to outsource more of its IT to India.
Middle East
Russia’s Gazprom has reportedly reached an agreement to produce oil and gas in Iran.
Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr is threatening to lift his militia’s ceasefire.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry ordered a roundup of beggars and the mentally disabled in a bid to prevent their use as suicide bombers.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is rejecting calls to declare independence unilaterally — at least for now.
Europe
NATO troops have temporarily sealed the border between Kosovo and Serbia after angry Serbs destroyed two checkpoints.
In a move sure to pique the Chinese, Taiwan recognized Kosovo.
Liechtenstein is under pressure to be more transparent with its banking rules.
Elsewhere
Oil prices closed at over $100 a barrel Tuesday for the first time (in nominal terms), sending shares lower in Asia.
Mexico’s war on drugs appears to be escalating.
Armenia’s current prime minister has likely won the presidency.
Martin Wolf says that Nouriel Roubini’s scenario of a “financial pandemic” is frighteningly plausible, though not inevitable.
Today’s Agenda
- The U.S. military may take the first shot at an errant spy satellite.
- U.S. President George W. Bush is in Ghana, where he said the “purpose” of the establishment the new Africa Command is not more U.S. troops or new bases.
- The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis is expected to land today.
- The Vatican’s number two official is visiting Cuba.
Yesterday on Passport
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