Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Senators Kerry, Biden and Hagel in Islamabad for Pakistan's Monday
parliamentary elections. Photo Courtesy of Zack Baddorf

• A New Day in Pakistani Politics?
• US to Shoot Down Own Spy Apparatus Due to Safety Concerns
• Obama and Clinton Look to Texas, Ohio Primaries on March 4th
• Voters in Hawaii Make Their Mark
• Separatists in Nepal Seek to Form Autonomous State Within the Country

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US to Shoot Down Own Spy Apparatus Due to Safety Concerns

The United States Government is planning to shoot down it's own malfunctioning spy satellite in the next couple of days by firing a missile from a navy ship located somewhere in the north Pacific. The stated goal of the mission is to destroy one thousand pounds of a poisonous gas on board the satellite that officials say could injure and kill people on the ground when the object falls to earth. But critics of the plan are questioning the official story, and worry if this event is an escalation of the militarization of space. Eric Klein has more:

Obama and Clinton Look to Texas, Ohio Primaries on March 4th

Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton now move on to the next phase of the 2008 presidential campaign, after Obama received a huge win in Wisconsin. He beat Clinton in every demographic, including her strongholds of working class white voters. Meanwhile, both candidates are highlighting their plan for trade on the campaign trail. FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

Voters in Hawaii Make Their Mark

For the first time in the history of Hawaii, voters are having a say in the national presidential election, where 29 delegates from the third smallest state may have a role in determining the Democratic party's nominee in August. Anne Keala Kelly reports from one of the precincts that handed Senator Barack Obama a landslide caucus victory.

A New Day in Pakistani Politics?

President Bush today called Monday's parliamentary elections in Pakistan a "victory for the people" and a "victory on the war on terror.'' He said he hoped the new government will be "friends of the United States."

So far, unofficial results published by Pakistani media show a majority of the 268 national assembly seats going to the Pakistan's opposition parties, with the Pakistan People's Party in control of 88 seats, the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif holding 65 seats, and the ruling party of President Pervez Musharraf securing just 42 seats. The government says it will release official election results on March 1st. From Islamabad, Zack Baddorf reports.

Separatists in Nepal Seek to Form Autonomous State Within the Country

For the past eight days southern Nepal has been in the grip of an indefinite shutdown. Organized by communities of Indian-origin that are popularly called Madhesis, the purpose is to pressure the Nepalese government to concede to the Madhesis six-point charter demands.

The group's major demand is the carving out of an autonomous Madhesi state within Nepal with the ultimate right to self determination. The Nepalese government has refused to concede this demand contending that if could affect the very integrity and sovereignty of the country.

The government has agreed to grant adequate representation to the Madhesi in the army, parliament and all spheres of power. But this is not enough to satiate the Madhesis and they have resorted to the indefinite shutdown causing massive upheaval in the mountainous country, and threatening the very prospect of the upcoming April 10th constituent assembly poll. PC Dubey in Kathmandu files this report: