JIM LEHRER: Fidel Castro announced today he is stepping down as leader of Cuba after nearly half a century. His letter of resignation as Cuban president appeared in the Communist Party daily newspaper. He said he no longer has the strength to continue.
Castro is 81 years old, and he has been largely absent from public view since illness struck in 2006. His brother, Raul, has been carrying out presidential duties. He will be formally installed in the office this weekend. We'll have more on this story right after the news summary.
In the U.S. presidential campaign today, the candidates faced voters in three states. For Democrats, it was primary day in Wisconsin, caucus day in Hawaii. Republicans went to the polls for primaries in Wisconsin and Washington state.
Fidel Castro's resignation drew attention on both sides, as candidates called for change in a new Cuba.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), New York: Certainly the people of the United States would meet a new government to talk about what needs to happen if that new government takes some action that demonstrates they're willing to change. And so we're hoping that we'll see some evidence of that.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), Arizona: We have to be absolutely confident that the transition to a free and open democracy is being made before we provide that additional aid and assistance. Once that happens, I'm sure the American people will do whatever is necessary to help the people of Cuba.
JIM LEHRER: In Wisconsin, 74 Democratic delegates were up for grabs, with 20 more in Hawaii. In the Republican race, 56 delegates were being awarded.
Crude oil closed above $100 a barrel today for the first time. The price climbed sharply over U.S. tensions with Venezuela and a refinery blast in Texas. Oil gained $4.50 in New York trading to finish just over the $100 mark.
The news wiped out a rally on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 11 points to close at 12,337. The Nasdaq fell 15 points to close at 2,306.
In Pakistan today, the ruling party conceded defeat in parliamentary elections. The two main opposition parties won more than half the seats at stake, with most of the votes counted.
Followers of President Musharraf said they would abide by the results. But opposition leader Nawaz Sharif demanded Musharraf step down.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack urged cooperation and a continued fight against terror.
SEAN MCCORMACK, State Department spokesman: What we will urge is that those moderate forces within Pakistani politics who now have a seat at the table, so to speak, in winning seats in the parliament should band together, should work together for a few goals that are in the interest of Pakistan: broaden and deepen Pakistan's economic and political reforms, remain committed to fighting violent extremists.
JIM LEHRER: The official final results are expected on Wednesday.
The U.S. military reported today 10,000 Pakistanis have crossed into Afghanistan in recent weeks. They're trying to escape bombings in Pakistan's tribal northwest and fighting between government troops and militants.
Also today, one person died in a car bombing in southern Afghanistan. Attacks there since the weekend have killed at least 140 people.
There was trouble at the border today between newly liberated Kosovo and Serbia. Violence erupted as thousands of Serbs protested Kosovo's independence. We have a report narrated by Nick Paton Walsh of Independent Television News.
NICK PATON WALSH, ITV News correspondent: This is how some of Kosovo's Serbs reacted today to the symbols of a new state. Brought to this border post by 30 buses, we're told, they threw stones.
Serbian flags held high, and the property of a new Kosovar police force dispensed with. Bulldozers apparently used to dismantle a checkpoint that separates their Serbian enclave in the north of Kosovo from Serbia proper.
Police forced to hide nearby and call in NATO troops to restore order. It's what many feared: 48 hours after Kosovo drew new borders, some of it Serbs are trying to rub them out.
The European Union, divided among its members over this new state, flew in its foreign policy chief to make a show of support. Smiles, Kosovo playing down the violence.
HASHIM THACI, Prime Minister, Kosovo (through translator): This light incident will not damage the celebrations we've been having in the past days.
NICK PATON WALSH: Yet in Mitrovica, more visible anger against Western intervention. Three explosions overnight hitting U.N. vehicles, and NATO vehicles smashed up with sticks.
NATO troops in response closed these roads between Kosovo and Serbia. Nobody was hurt today. But worryingly, amid the wreckage, the Balkans again saw its borders disputed by force.
JIM LEHRER: The government of Serbia today applauded the attacks on U.N. border crossings.
President Bush made a new appeal today for action to stop the killings in Darfur. He spoke in Rwanda on day four of his trip to Africa. The president visited a museum about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, when at least 800,000 people were killed. He viewed pictures of the dead and laid a wreath in their honor.
Mr. Bush urged the world to prevent such crimes again. He said, "Evil must be confronted."
The U.S. Supreme Court today rejected lawsuits against surveillance without warrants. The American Civil Liberties Union and others challenged the terrorist surveillance program that began after 9/11. An appeals court ruled there's no evidence they were objects of eavesdropping. The high court let that ruling stand without comment.
It also refused to allow insurance suits by victims of Hurricane Katrina. A lower court ruled their policies did not cover flooding.
Police in Switzerland have recovered two impressionist paintings that were stolen nine days ago. The works, by Van Gogh and Monet, were found in good condition in a car outside a Zurich mental hospital. They're worth about $64 million.
The paintings were stolen from a private museum in Zurich. The museum director refused to say if a ransom was paid. Two other paintings are still missing.
Electronics maker Toshiba conceded defeat today in a battle over high-definition DVD formats. The company announced it will stop making players and recorders using its HD DVD technology. Toshiba's president said too many Hollywood studios and retailers chose the rival Blu-ray format made by Sony.
ATSUTOSHI NISHIDA, president, Toshiba Corporation (through translator): Warner Brothers, which had contract ties to receive HD DVD format support system, suddenly announced the policy change. Very unfortunately, it led to a big change in the market condition.
Although we are confident in the superiority of HD DVD format, we, in the position to manage a company, need to look logically and directly at the change in the current market environment.
