Search results for

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday echoed U.S. views that Iraqi elections can't be held before the July 1 transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis. Iraqi Shiites express disappointment, but many still want U.N. help in setting up elections before the end of the year. But the delay is welcomed by minority Sunnis, who fear Shiites could sweep an early vote. Hear NPR's Deborah Amos.

Reports suggest former Vermont governor Howard Dean will suspend his campaign for president Wednesday. Dean was once the perceived frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, but he's failed to win any of the 17 primaries and contests held so far. Dean may leave open the prospect of returning to the race. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and New York Times reporter Jodi Wilgoren.

Reformists and hardline clerics are arguing about how many Iranians actually turned out to vote in Friday's parliamentary elections in Iran. Reformers had called for a boycott, after the Muslim clerics who rule Iran disqualified 2,500 reformist candidates. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and NPR's Mike Shuster.

Iranian officials say misunderstandings about the scope of the investigation performed by the International Atomic Energy Agency have led inspectors to discover elements of Iran's nuclear technology program that it had failed to declare openly. NPR's Mike Shuster reports.

Delegate-rich Ohio is one of 10 states holding Democratic presidential contests March 2. Many Ohio voters say they're drawn to Sen. John Edwards' populist appeal. A win in the state could help Edwards stay in the race against frontrunner Sen. John Kerry. NPR's Linda Wertheimer reports.

In response to the crisis in Haiti, President George Bush held an unusual consultation session Wednesday night with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. It was the Caucus's first visit to the White House since the president's earliest days in office. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

In the latest sign of warming relations between the United States and Vietnam, the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation and the Vietnamese government agree to begin what may become the first nationwide survey of the bombs, mines and other munitions left over from the war. Ordnance from the conflict has killed an estimated 38,000 Vietnamese since 1975. NPR's Michael Sullivan reports.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani says he will accept a caucus-elected government in July if the United Nations guarantees direct elections will be held in Iraq by 2005. Sistani, Iraq's most prominent Shiite cleric, had previously insisted that elections take place by June 30, the date targeted by the United States for a transfer of power to an Iraqi government. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

Iraq's governing council approves an interim constitution that sets out government structures until a permanent constitution is drafted and ratified sometime next year. Agreement is reached after intense negotiations, two days past a Feb. 28 deadline. The temporary law strikes compromises on Kurdish autonomy, Islam's role in government and women's rights. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep.

The Bush administration proposes slashing $63 million in federal subsidies that help maintain air service to rural communities. The subsidy was due to expire 15 years ago, but powerful supporters in Congress have kept it alive. NPR's Howard Berkes reports.