One Week Later....

Clinton: tough arithmetic

In  Cheesesteak stalemate, we said that the most likely outcome of the Democratic Party's presidential primary in Pennsylvania was a solid Clinton victory, well short of the blowout she needs.

• Clinton's victory, by just under 10 percentage points, gives her, by current estimates, a nine-delegate gain, leaving her still lagging by at least 131 convention votes. (AP)
• Mathematically, she cannot win enough delegates in the remaining primaries to clinch the nomination. Her fate will rest on her ability to persuade undeclared superdelegates that only she can beat John McCain. (Globe and Mail)

Carter blasts Rice

In Diplomatic disappointment, we wrote of a forthcoming flurry of diplomatic activity on the two Bush administration 'legacy' issues in the Middle East: Iraq and the 'peace process'.

• Former US President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday accused Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of being untruthful over remarks made about his controversial meeting with the Islamist Hamas group. (AFP)

Paraguay: end of an era

In Paraguay: end of an era, we wrote that the presidential elections could bring an end to 61 years of rule by the Colorado Party

• Former Bishop Fernando Lugo won the presidential elections. Lugo had received 40.8% of the vote, to 30.8% for Blanca Ovelar of the Colorado Party and 22.0% for former General Lino Oviedo. Ovelar recognised the defeat, which ends six decades of Colorado rule.
• Lugo will face huge obstacles to government, given his political inexperience and continued Colorado dominance of the Senate: despite comparisons between Lugo and other non-traditional left-of-centre leaders such as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Lugo will not take office in a context in which traditional parties have been terminally weakened, and his room for manoeuvre will be limited. (read more..)

Political Masterstroke

The World Next Week Political Masterstroke award goes to Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who has abolished the names of days and months introduced by his predecessor. Former President Saparmurat Niyazov had named January after his own honorific -- Turkmenbashi, or Father of the Turkmen. Due to popular demand, the Turkmen calendar will revert to its Turkic and Russian-language names. (BBC)

Analytica™

Worthy of note, or news to us.

Gaza fuel crisis

The UN says it will have to suspend humanitarian work in Gaza within hours unless it receives fresh fuel supplies. (BBC)

Zimbabwe weapons ship

A ship that was transporting weapons to Zimbabwe is now returning to China. (BBC)

And finally…

The Ford Motor Company on Thursday said it earned $100 million in the first quarter, following a loss in the same quarter last year. (NYT)