NPR News 2011-01-18 加文本

NPR News 2011-01-18

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

Tunisia is under the rule of a temporary government established by the interim prime minister today in a bid to end a month of unrest that led to the president's downfall last Friday. Eleanor Beardsley reports that Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi also said the new government would release all political prisoners.

Interim Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi went on national television to tell the Tunisian people who would be part of their new caretaker government. For the first time in 25 years, there were opposition figures in the cabinet. But many representatives of the temporary government also included members of ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's political party. Many Tunisians say that's as if their people's revolution is being stolen. Demonstrators took to the streets earlier in the day, demanding that Ben Ali's ruling party be banned. Even though elections were promised within six months, some demonstrators said they would not accept Ben Ali's party as part of the new coalition. Security forces used water cannons and tear gas to break up the protest. For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Tunis.

An Iranian lawmaker says the sentence of death by hanging has been suspended in the case of a woman originally sentenced to be stoned to death for adultery. The reprieve was said to be in response to pleas from the woman's children, as NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Istanbul.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani made international headlines when one of her lawyers publicized her stoning sentence for adultery. The lawyer was forced to flee the country. But Iranian authorities suspended the sentence. Ashtiani was then accused of having a role in the murder of her husband, which also carried a death sentence. Iranian state TV and news agencies report that in a letter to the president of Brazil, an Iranian lawmaker said the hanging sentence against Ashtiani had been commuted. According to the letter, she faces ten years in prison. Brazil had offered Ashtiani asylum last year, an offer that was bluntly rejected by Tehran. Amnesty International says Iran executes more people than any country except for China. Peter Kenyon, NPR News.

Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords is still amazing her doctors barely more than a week after suffering a head wound during the shooting rampage in Tucson. NPR's Jeff Brady reports on the aftermath of two surgeries Giffords had over the weekend: a tracheotomy, and another to repair damage done to her right eye socket.

Doctors say both of the surgeries were successful and they say that within a few hours she was back and conscious and she was back at the baseline that she was at before. So she was opening her eyes periodically. She was interacting with people around her. They are still very positive about the pace of her recovery considering the injury she suffered during the shooting.

That's NPR's Jeff Brady. Giffords has been upgraded to serious condition. Earlier she was listed in critical. And today doctors announced that two more patients injured in the shooting are now listed in good condition.

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At a London news conference today, former Swiss banker Rudolf Elmer gave WikiLeaks two discs said to contain offshore bank details of 2,000 accounts, spanning at least 19 years and three banks. Larry Miller reports from London that Elmer has already spent time in prison for leaking similar information and he faces trial on Wednesday again in Switzerland for breaking its banking confidentiality laws.

Elmer says that as a banker, he has the right to take a stand against the system that permits secret and often illegal activity. He refuses to identify those on the discs but says they include politicians, business leaders, entertainers and multinationals from the US, UK and elsewhere. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange suggests what might turn up on the discs.

"Tax evasion to hide proceeds of criminal acts to engage in asset protection from people in countries where they are about to fall out of political favor."

WikiLeaks says it won't publish the information until it's verified, and also says that it'll give details to tax and fraud authorities. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Steve Jobs is again taking a leave of absence to focus on his health. The Apple founder and CEO notified employees today that while he will continue to be involved in major decisions, Tim Cook will be in charge of day-to-day operations. Cook had previously acted as CEO of Apple when Jobs took leave several years ago after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

US markets are closed for this federal holiday.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, Washington.