NPR 2008-03-11

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Carl Kasell.

 A female suicide bomber 1 killed a prominent Sunni Arab tribal 2 chief in Iraq today. He headed the neighborhood security unit that was working with U.S. forces in northern Diyala province. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports.

 The neighborhood units known as Awakening 3 Councils have been partly credited for the sharp decline in violence across Iraq over the past nine months. Members of the councils have been targeted by al-Qaeda in Iraq because they have been working hand in glove with the U.S. Military, Ghadhban al-Karkhi was the leader of the Awakening Council in Kanaan, just southeast to the provincial 4 capital of Baquba. Iraqi officials said a female suicide bomber arrived at his house, asked to speak to him and then detonated her vest. It was a violent morning in Iraq generally. In northeast and northwest Baghdad, Iraqi officials reported a parked car bomb, an improvised 5 explosive device and a mortar 6 attack, a level of violence that is reminiscent of Iraq before there was a surge of U.S. troops here last year. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News, Baghdad.

 Democrat Senator Carl Levin of Michigan says voting by mail is the only practical way for his state to redo its January presidential primary. Both Michigan and Florida are looking for ways to have their delegates seated at the Democratic National Convention this summer. More from Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta.

 Florida is also considering redoing its primary by mail-in ballots 7. Michigan and Florida are not being counted because both states violated national party rules by pushing their primaries to the front of the election calendar. Levin says the states stand by their belief that Iowa and New Hampshire should not be allowed to dominate the front end of the presidential campaign, but he says Michigan and Florida are also anxious to ensure that their states and their delegates will help choose the nominee 8. "We're all working very, very hard at this, we believe very strongly in what we're doing here and we're gonna work hard to make this work one way or another." Levin was appearing on ABC's "This Week". He says Michigan and Florida are also ready for a fight on the convention floor if that's what it takes to get their delegates seated. For NPR News, I'm Rick Pluta in Lansing, Michigan.

 President Bush holds a White House meeting today with Poland's Prime Minister as he pursues a deal on a European missile defense 9. The president wants Poland to host the system's interceptor missiles, but Prime Minister Donald Tusk 10 is insisting in return a big package of aid to the Polish military. The Bush administration says it's open to modernization 11 but as a separate issue. Many Poles oppose the missile shield which angers neighboring Russia. Mr. Bush wants the system to protect Europe from the threat he sees in Iran. Two weeks ago the Czech Republic's leader met with the president but left without agreeing to host the system's radar 12 site.

 Japanese stock prices close lower today. The Nikkei average was down by nearly 2% to its lowest close since September of 2005.

 This is NPR News.

 In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy appears to have suffered major setbacks to his leftist opponents in local elections held yesterday. The defeats come less than a year after Sarkozy and his conservatives won elections. Frank Browning has a report from Paris.

 Overall, the socialist 13 left scored 47% in departmental and municipal elections against the right with 45%. Though the elections were mostly for town, city and departmental councils, they were regarded by most here as a referendum on President Sarkozy whose public approval rating has plummeted 14 lately. A solid victory from the left could further embolden 15 public employee unions to continue their regular strikes. Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë looked sure of an even stronger majority which could set him up as the socialist next presidential candidate. There were some conservative wins however. Sarkozy's 21-year-old son Jean won a council seat in suburban 16 Paris, while former Prime Minister Alain Juppé should be re-elected Mayor of Bordeaux. Runoffs are set for next Sunday. For NPR News, I'm Frank Browning in Paris.

 A winter storm has dumped a foot or more of snow in an area from Arkansas to Maine. The storm covered roads with snow in western New York and caused flooding, that closed roads in other parts of the state. Tens of thousands were left without electricity from the storm that also produced high winds and falling temperatures. Northern Maine got heavy snow; the southern part of the state had rain. There has been no widespread flooding there but more rain is in the forecast. The storm also dumped more than 20 inches of snow on Columbus, Ohio.

 I'm Carl Kasell, NPR News, in Washington.

hand in glove: closely connected with someone, especially in a bad or illegal activity
                     亲密地, 勾结着