NPR 2008-02-17

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Craig Windham.

 President Bush's in Tanzania, second stop on a five-nation trip to Africa. The trip is part of an administration effort to highlight successful U.S. policies on the continent. Mr. Bush threw his support today behind a power-sharing arrangement to end the political crisis in Kenya, and he's set to discuss the problems there and in Chad and Zimbabwe in discussions with the new chairman of the African Union. Earlier today, in Benin, Mr. Bush praised that country's president. "And we will not be standing 1 here, if you and your government was not committed to your people, now you mentioned some of the dollar, money we were spending with you, but those dollars come with great compassion 2 and we care when we see suffering." After Tanzania, Mr. Bush will visit Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia.

 A suicide car bomber 3 detonated a blast that killed at least 37 people in Pakistan's volatile 4 tribal 5 area today, two days before the country's parliamentary elections, dozens of others were injured. It was the third large election-related bombing in Pakistan in recent weeks. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

 The authorities in Pakistan have long feared these will be violent elections and they have been proved right. Within the last week, the government has deployed 6 more than 80,000 troops and paramilitary forces around the country. This didn't prevent a suicide bomber from driving up to an election office and detonating his car amidst a crowd outside. It happened on the last day of campaigning for the elections for Pakistan's Parliament and provincial 7 assemblies. The bomber struck outside the local headquarters of Benazir Buhtto's Pakistan People's Party in Parachinar in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan. Officials say many of the victims were supporters of Bhutto who was assassinated 8 late last year. The area has a history of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, but it's not yet clear this was a factor. Philip Reeves, NPR News, Lahore.

 At least 8 people were killed early this morning when a car plowed 9 into a crowd that was watching an illegal drag race in Maryland. NPR's David Nogueras has that story.

 Police say a crowd of people had gathered along a stretch of road in Akaki, Maryland, just 20 miles south of Washington D.C. Prince George's County police corporal Clinton Copeland says after the initial crash, a tractor trailer may have also hit some of the wounded as he tried to avoid the accident. "The southern one was one of the most terrific scenes that I have seen in my career, and it just it's...I mean... I'm pretty much at a lost for words." At least 4 people were transported to hospitals including the driver who ran the vehicles involved in the alleged 10 drag race. David Nogueras, NPR News, Washington.

 Astronauts from the Space Shuttle Atlantis and crew members from the International Space Station worked today to outfit 11 a new laboratory module 12 that's been attached to the orbiting outpost. Atlantis is scheduled to land on Wednesday to clear the way for the military's effort to shoot down a disabled spy satellite.

 This is NPR News from Washington.

 Police in Illinois say, Steven Kazmierczak, the gunman who killed 5 students at Northern Illinois University before taking his own life spent two days before the attack at a motel near the campus. A search of the room reportedly turned up empty containers of Red Bull and Gatorade, cigarettes, cold medicine as well as a laptop computer and a duffle bag with the zippers 13 glued shut. School officials say the rapid response to the incident probably saved lives. Police arrived in less than two minutes after the shooting began. Kazmierczak had more ammunition 14 and one of his four weapons had not been unholstered.

 Employees at a Michelin tire factory in eastern France that is slated 15 to be shut down have locked two managers in an office there and are holding a tire burning vigil. Eleanor Beardsley reports from Paris.

 French television is showing scenes of a tire burning vigil out front of the plant in Toul, France whose closure will put nearly a thousand people out of work. On Friday the French tire maker 16 Michelin reported a 35 percent surge in 2007 net profits. Its sales in 2007 were some $23,000 billion. And that is why employees say they are protesting the closure of their factory. They say the hugely profitable company owes something to its loyal employees as well as its shareholders 17. The workers took two managers hostage Friday and said they planned to keep their protest going through the weekend. A French state mediator 18 held talks with the unions on Saturday in an effort to ease tensions. Despite the plant closing, Michelin says it plans to maintain a strong industrial base in West Europe in France and in North America. For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Paris.

 The administration's warrantless eavesdropping 19 authority expires at midnight. President Bush has been criticizing the House for failing to renew the program, but lawmakers say the president rejected an offer to extend the current law temporarily.

I'm Craig Windham.