NPR News 2012-08-18 加文本

NPR News 2012-08-18

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

South Africa police are facing a barrage of questions for how they could have allowed a neighbor dispute with striking miners to end in what's widely described now as a bloodbath with at least 34 deaths. Police maintain it was self-defence because the miners were armed. Now the widows have taken their husbands’ places at the site of the protest, northwest of Johannesburg.

The Taliban says it was behind today's attacks on coalition forces, including the deaths of two American troops in the western province of Farah. A new Afghan police recruit turned on them during a ceremony fueling the Taliban's claims to have successfully infiltrated Afghan security. But NATO spokesman German Brigadier General Gunter Katz says the Taliban are exaggerating.

“Most of the recent insider threat attacks this year were clearly primarily driven by personal grievances or stress situations, although some 10% we know are related to the insurgency.”

Halfway into the year, the number of attacks carried out by individuals wearing Afghan security uniforms is more than double what it was in 2011.

A federal district court has blocked a Florida law that would give voters in that state fewer days in which to cast early ballots for the November election. NPR's Pam Fessler reports the court said the change would make it more difficult for some minority voters to cast a ballot.

Florida is one of several states that's required to have any voting law changes cleared by the Justice Department because of a history of discrimination. In this instance, the state said it didn't need DOJ approval, so the case went to federal court. Late Thursday, the court said that it would not clear the state's plan, which would cut the number of early voting days from 12 to eight. The court said this change could hurt minorities who often take advantage of early voting. The court did say that the state can issue another early-voting plan that might not adversely affect minorities. That was a part of the decision that the governor’s spokesman called encouraging. Pam Fessler, NPR News, Washington.

A group of Philadelphia area parents is applauding news that their children will share proceeds from the sale of an overwhelmingly white swim club where they say they were racially discriminated against. They say the valley club in Huntingdon Valley took steps to prevent the children, most of whom are black or Latino from attending the club in 2009. Vet Masonite tells WPVI-TV that her son deserves a settlement because of what he’s been through.

“Till this day, my son has felt remorse about what happened. Every time we go into a club or to a pool, the first thing he asks is ‘are we members?’ And I say ‘yes, we are.’”

The bad publicity led the club to file for bankruptcy. It was sold last year to a Philadelphia synagogue for nearly 1.5 million dollars.

At last check on Wall Street, Dow is up 17 points.

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The founder of the controversial Unification Church in South Korea appears to be showing slight improvement at an area hospital, but he remains unconscious. Doualy Xaykaothao has more details from Seoul.

Ninety-two-year-old Rev. Moon Sun Myung appears to be breathing more stable now. And according to a church statement, his lungs are slowly recovering from complications related to pneumonia. The church has called on his followers to fast for three days beginning today. Moon, who is called “True Father” by church members, runs a multi-billion-dollar foundation that owns property and businesses around the world. Moon has also matched tens of thousands of couples and presided over Mass weddings. For NPR News, I'm Doualy Xaykaothao in Seoul.

Funerals are being held across Iraq a day after the country suffered one of its deadliest series of attacks since American troops withdrew last December. Officials say the death toll has reached 93. Shiite lawmaker Hakim al-Zamili accuses al-Qaeda of trying to strike fear in Iraqis and undermine the government's efforts to stabilize the country. Security has been stepped up across Iraq as people prepare to celebrate the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan this weekend.

In Syria, the violence continues, especially in Damascus and Aleppo, Syria's largest city. Local activists are saying more than 100 people have been killed today.

At last check on Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial Average up 20 points at 13,270 in trading of 1.4 billion shares; NASDAQ up 12 points at 3,075; S&P 500 gaining two.

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