NPR News 2011-11-28 加文本

NPR News 2011-11-28

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone.

In Cairo's Tahrir Square today, a light turnout among demonstrators one day ahead of parliamentary elections. In Alexandria, Egypt, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports, this will be the first such vote since former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was ousted.

Hundreds of protesters block traffic as they shout slogans against the ruling military council. Twenty-three-year-old Falah Mahmoud was one of many who say they're unhappy the generals are forging ahead with the elections.

"There's no one, there's no one suitable for my country so I'm not gonna vote tomorrow."

But others like 21-year-old Asmaa Mohamed say they plan on casting ballots. They're hoping to prevent an Islamist victory. The Muslim Brotherhood, which has a strong base here, is widely expected to win in many of the city's districts even though results for parties fielding candidates won't be known for weeks. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, NPR News, Alexandria.

All three young American students detained for several harrowing days in Egypt are back home in the U.S. One of them Derrick Sweeney, a 19-year-old Georgetown University student, says that he and the others were never on a roof throwing firebombs as Egyptian authorities had alleged.

"We were not on the building at all. That was very clearly just lies, 100%."

Sweeney says they were hit and threatened with guns and described his first night in custody as the scariest night of his life.

The leaders of France and Germany reportedly are said to propose what's being called a stability pact to help fight Europe's debt crisis. The plan would enforce budget discipline for a small group of mostly North European nations. It could be announced later this week. And from Paris, Frank Browning reports it could be implemented as early as next year.

The deal reported this morning in the German newspaper, the World on Sunday, appears to be a last-ditch effort both to reassure the global bond market over the stability of the euro and to enforce long-term fiscal prudence. The pact would avoid the cumbersome process of winning new treaty agreements from the whole European Union and it would in effect create a platinum-rated, mostly North European financial group within the 17-member eurozone. It would also provide a new special debt-management role for the European Central Bank. But while the pact would build a security fence around the rich EU nations, it's very unclear what the consequences would be for the functionally bankrupt countries in Southern Europe. For NPR News, I'm Frank Browning in Paris.

Great Britain's Prince William co-piloted a rescue helicopter over the Irish Sea today, retrieving two people after a cargo ship sank. The search and rescue mission was launched amid gale force winds which may have caused the cargo ship to sink. Eight people were on board the ship and one body's been recovered.

This is NPR News.

In Chicago hundreds of mourners are paying their respects to former Chicago First Lady Maggie Daley. The wife of former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley died Thursday night after a long battle with cancer.

The beginning of Advent this weekend will bring many Catholics to church only to find that the words and songs that they sing have changed. As NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports, this is the most significant change to the liturgy in more than 40 years.

After Vatican II the Mass was translated from Latin to English. That translation was done quickly and was always supposed to be revised. The new English translation is making its debut this weekend. It's a direct translation from the Latin, which makes it more poetic according to some, or more stilted and arcane according to others. New phrases like "consubstantial with the Father", formerly "one in being with the Father", are likely to cause initial stumbles. Many churches across the country have been trying to prepare their parishioners, but with a lot of Catholics reserving their worship for the Christmas season, there are sure to be newcomers who wonder what hit them. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, NPR News.

At the movies in first place for a second weekend in a row, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn–Part 1.

I Edward Cullen, take you Bella Swan.

For better, for worse.

To Love.

To Cherish…

The movie grossed $42 million over the three-day weekend. The Muppets debuted in second place taking in $42 million in ticket sales over Thanksgiving.

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.