Morning Brief, Tuesday, March 4

2008 U.S. Elections

J.D. Pooley/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton looks to be gaining steam ahead of today’s primaries in Ohio,  Texas, Vermont, and Rhode Island. Clinton has been stepping up her criticism of Barack Obama in recent days and the strategy appears to be helping her numbers. Dissent has begun leaking out of her campaign, however, and the delegate math is not in her favor.

John McCain could clinch the Republican nomination tonight.

Bad winter weather could depress turnout in Ohio.

Polls close at 7 p.m. EST in Vermont, 7:30 p.m. in Ohio, 9 p.m. in Rhode Island, and 9 p.m. in Texas, which also has a caucus that begins afterward.

Middle East

The U.N. Security Council approved a third round of sanctions on Iran. Russia, however, appears to have scuttled a Western attempt to get a complementary resolution from the IAEA.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is trying desperately to salvage the Middle East peace talks.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia arrested 56 men for plotting terrorist attacks that were at an “advanced stage.” Officials said the men were receiving instructions from al Qaeda #2 Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Iranians are worried their government will shut off Internet access during the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Asia

China’s military spending will grow this year by 18 percent, an amount the Chinese say is mostly due to salary increases and rising fuel costs. A new Pentagon report raises questions about this increase as well as a surge in computer hacker attacks from China.

China’s new economic stewards are inheriting slowing growth and worsening inflation.

Pakistan has suffered from four suicide bombings in the past five days, including an attack on the Naval War College in Lahore.

Asif Zardari, the Pakistan People’s Party chairman, is under fire for saying that relations with India should not be held “hostage” to the Kashmir issue.

Europe

IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn says the euro is overvalued and the European Central Bank is too powerful.

Analysts say Dmitry Medvedev is already signaling that he’s just as tough as Putin. Russia’s new president is capable of “ruthlessness,” some say.

A Norwegian pro-whaling group is urging people to eat whale meat for environmental reasons.

Elsewhere

Latin American countries appear to be siding with Ecuador and Venezuela in their dispute with Colombia. The Colombians accuse Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez of funding FARC to the tune of $300 million.

Oil traded at $103.95 Monday, a record in real terms. OPEC has no plans to raise production, however.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized the much-maligned U.N. Human Rights Council.

The British government is considering a ban on Zimbabwe’s sports teams.

Today’s Agenda

• Muslim leaders and Vatican officials are meeting in Rome to lay the groundwork for interfaith dialogue talks expected to take place this summer.
• Condoleezza Rice is due to meet with Palestinian leaders Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad as well as — separately — Israel PM Ehud Olmert.
• Barack Obama, John McCain, and Mike Huckabee are campaigning in Texas, while Hillary Clinton is focusing on Ohio.
• U.S. President George W. Bush is hosting King Abdullah of Jordan.

Yesterday on Passport

• Election fatigue open thread
• What We’re Reading
• Russia doles out Volgas for votes