NPR News 2010-06-27 加文本

NPR News 2010-06-27

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Pam Coulter.

Homing in on global security challenges at their Toronto summit, leaders of the eight wealthiest nations urged Iran to stop its nuclear saber-rattling, and NPR's Jim Zarroli says the G8 also condemned North Korea's recent attack on a South Korean ship.

US officials hoped they could persuade the other countries to issue a strong statement, but a draft copy of the communique falls somewhat short of that. It condemns North Korea's attack on the ship which killed 46 sailors last March. The draft also calls on Iran to respect the rule of law, virtually identical to last year's wording, and it calls on Afghanistan to report on how much progress it's made on handling its own security needs when it attends a conference in July. Jim Zarroli, NPR News, Toronto.

The summit also now expands to include a total of 20 nations. US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said the leaders must work together to keep the global economic recovery on track.

Under pressure from US and NATO authorities, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has given another speech condemning corruption, war profiteering and narcotrafficking. NPR's Corey Flintoff has more on the address in Kabul.

Karzai told a gathering of Afghan leaders that he is cracking down on the corruption that has pervaded his administration. He said he's called on government anti-corruption officials to review the incomes of all government officials and their families to look for illegal sources of wealth. That wealth is on display in Kabul, the Afghan capital, where many officials and others connected with the government have built huge and garish mansions. Karzai has spoken out against corruption in the past, but Western officials say he's done little to follow up. Karzai said the review will also apply to his half-brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, who is known as one of the most powerful men in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, and has been frequently accused of corruption, a charge he denies. Corey Flintoff, NPR News, Lashkar Gah, southern Afghanistan.

June has become the deadliest month of the nearly nine-year-old Afghan war for coalition forces. A US military member and two other NATO troops were killed by roadside bombings today. Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen is in Kabul, trying to reassure Afghan officials following the change in command that ousted General Stanley McChrystal. Admiral Mullen assured them the new NATO commander will pursue the same war strategy.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, a key architect of the wars at Iraq and Afghanistan, is undergoing tests at a Washington hospital this weekend. The 69-year-old Cheney, who's had a long history of heart problems, fell ill yesterday.

And forecasters say, for now, tropical storm Alex has not headed toward the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but that could change. The storm could force the evacuation of thousands of cleanup workers.

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Soccer matches are sometimes marred by hooliganism, and police in South Africa say they've beefed up security for today's World Cup match between England and rival Germany. Vicky O'Hara has details from Johannesburg.

South African authorities say there have been no specific threats against the match in the city of Bloemfontein, but they say security for both teams is a high priority. A national police spokeswoman says officers from Germany and England will work with South African authorities both in and outside the stadium. The second round of the World Cup whittles the remaining 16 teams down to eight. Soccer fans speak of an England-Germany match as a replay of the Battle of the Bulge. The rivalry between the two countries goes back years. England lost to Germany in the semifinals in 1990, but England defeated Germany in extra time in the World Cup final in 1966. The other second round match today pits Argentina against Mexico. For NPR News, I'm Vicky O'Hara in Johannesburg.

The US team is playing Ghana for the right to move on to the quarterfinals. Right now, they are tied at one apiece, former President Bill Clinton among the spectators.

There've been all kinds of complaints about the soccer ball being used at the tournament, and officials now concede there may be something wrong with it, but soccer's ruling body says they'll deal with it after the tournament.

And an arbitration panel says Goldman Sachs must pay more than 20 million dollars to investors who say the investment bank should have known the collapsed Bayou hedge fund was a Ponzi scheme. Arbitrators say Goldman is liable for the money deposited in Bayou accounts.

I'm Pam Coulter, NPR News in Washington.