NPR 2008-02-19

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Paul Brown.

European Union Ministers are to meet today to determine how to react to Kosovo's declaration of independence yesterday and the UN Security Council plans to meet again. A number of countries in Europe are uneasy about Kosovo's newly declared independence. Among them is Spain which says it will not recognize the move. Jerome Socolovsky has more.

Many Spaniards generally believe their country is a step away from the slippery slope of disintegration 1. They see the former Yugoslavia as their nightmare scenario 2. Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernández de la Vega already made it clear on Friday that Spain does not support Kosovo's declaration of independence. One commentator's calling it a "Pandora's box". But in the Basque region, the self-ruled government is welcoming the declaration. A spokeswoman says Kosovo offers a lesson on how to resolve separatist conflicts peacefully. Since the 1960s, the Basque group ETA has killed more than 800 people in its fight for independence. The Spanish government has rejected the regional government's proposal for a referendum on self-determination. For NPR News, I'm Jerome Socolovsky in Madrid.

A suicide car bomb targeting a Canadian convoy 3 in southern Afghanistan has killed at least 8 Afghan civilians 4. This attack comes a day after the deadliest suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan since the Taliban was toppled in 2001. The death toll 5 in that attack has now surpassed 100.

President Bush continues his visit to Tanzania today. He handed out anti-malaria bed nets in the northern part of the country saying the US is behind efforts to eradicate 6 the disease. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Kenya to back mediation 7 efforts to end the political crisis there and the violence that has claimed more than 1000 lives. Rice wants Kenya's president and the opposition 8 to share power, this follows December's disputed presidential vote which the opposition claims was rigged. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports from Nairobi.

Washington's considerable diplomatic weight to try to end the political deadlock 9 in Kenya has been welcomed by the mediator 10 Kofi Annan. Pressure from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should help the former UN Chief who's trying to get Kenya's rival politicians to agree a power sharing deal and a grand coalition 11 government favored by President Bush. However, Kenya's Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula warned that his country would not accept any agreement imposed from the outside. "Should just be amended 12 to our country, we have our constitution, we have laws, whatever agreement we reached must not be illegal, must not be unconstitutional, and mustn't be dangerous to the people of Kenya." The minister said no one should put a gun to anyone's head. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Nairobi.

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Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama met with former Democratic rival John Edwards in North Carolina yesterday. Obama and fellow candidate Hillary Clinton have been seeking an endorsement 14 from Edwards. Wisconsin holds Democratic and Republican primaries tomorrow and Hawaii holds its Democratic caucus 15. Chuck Quirmbach of Wisconsin Public Radio reports.

Obama's campaign says a winter storm in Wisconsin forced the cancellation 16 of an event near Green Bay and the Illinois Democrat 13 went to meet with Edwards. Obama says the 2 talked about issues like reducing poverty and helping 17 working and middle-class Americans. "So it was a wide ranging conversation, there wasn't any clear objective. Obviously we will love to have John Edwards's support, but I said that the day after he dropped out. This really was just a chance for us to share ideas." Obama says if he is the Democratic nominee 18, he would look at John Edwards as a possible running mate or eventually for other posts. Senator Hillary Clinton remained in Wisconsin and will campaign here today while Obama splits his time between Wisconsin and Ohio. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Quirmbach in Milwaukee.

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain is widely expected to pick up an endorsement from former president George H. W. Bush today. McCain is to meet with Mr. Bush in Texas and hold a rally tomorrow. Meanwhile, McCain's lone 19 remaining rival for the Republican nomination 20, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said again yesterday he is in the campaign to stay and all the way to the party convention if necessary. Wisconsin holds its Republican and Democratic primaries tomorrow.

U.S. stock markets are closed for Presidents Day today. In Europe, stock prices rose in early trading.

I'm Paul Brown, NPR News in Washington.