NPR News 2012-11-18 加文本

NPR News 2012-11-18

From NPR News in Washington, I’m Korva Coleman.

Air raid sirens went off in Tel Aviv earlier today. Israeli military says its rocket interception system brought down a rocket headed for the city. There are no reports of injuries. Israel bombarded Gaza in a series of overnight air strikes in response to militant rocket launches into Israel. The air strikes have killed at least 39 Palestinians and three Israelis. NPR’s Anthony Kuhn reports from Gaza City.

Children picked through the rubble of Hamas official Mahmoud Abusala’s house, which was leveled in an Israeli air raid. Other attacks destroyed Hamas police headquarters and the office of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Visiting Gazans(Tunian口误), Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem and his delegation called on Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza one day after Egypt’s prime minister paid a similar visit. Militants launched around 60 rockets from Gaza at Israel on Saturday. Israel says militants have launched around 700 rockets at it in the four days since the conflict escalated. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Gaza City.

President Obama goes to Thailand Sunday, the first stop on his Southeast Asian tour. Douglas Baction reports from Bangkok Thailand is expected to announce it will join negotiations for a strategic trade agreement.

The pact called the Trans-Pacific Partnership is intended to bolster trade between Southeast Asia and the United States. Currently 11 countries on both sides of the Pacific are negotiating the agreement which backers say will generate tens of billions dollars in global income gains. Mr. Obama’s trip is part of his administration’s Pivot to Asia. Washington seeks to re-balance its military and economic interests there. Earlier this week, Washington and Bangkok signed a new defense cooperation agreement updating an old pact. For NPR News, I’m Douglas Baction in Bangkok.

President Obama will also visit Myanmar, the country also known as Burma, during his trip. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says there are signs of progress there. Clinton says with fledgling pro-democracy reforms, Myanmar can look forward to improved relations with the United States.

“The United States is responding not just with growing diplomatic engagement, but also with new economic ties that we believe will help encourage further political and market reforms, and thereby improve stability over time.”

Clinton spoke in Singapore today. She is expected to join the president in Thailand tomorrow.

Two people are still missing from yesterday’s explosion and fire aboard an oil rig platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Coast Guard ships are searching. Reports say the blast began after workers used a torch to cut open an oil line. The Coast Guard says there is an oil sheen on the water, but that’s apparently leftover oil on the platform. Officials say this is containable. It will not be like the Deepwater Horizon accident in 2010.

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French politicians and business leaders have reacted angrily to British weekly magazine The Economist for its cover story this week. It describes the French economy as the biggest danger to Europe’s currency. NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley reports The Economist called France a ticking time bomb in the heart of Europe.

Showing a bundle of baguette loaves with the dynamite fuse burning down, The Economist warned that France was a bigger danger to the euro currency than debt-stricken countries Italy, Spain and Portugal. The respected right-leaning British weekly said high taxes on businesses were eroding the country’s competitiveness, and that both French leaders and voters were dangerously behind on much needed economic reforms. Far-left French Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg said the Economist was known for exaggerations and French bashing. And even capitalist-minded business groups said the magazine’s claims were completely exaggerated. Socialist President Francois Hollande has now made reducing the French deficit and making French companies more competitive his top priority, to the point where left-leaning voters and unions have called him a traitor. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

President Obama urged Congress to pass legislation to make sure less affluent Americans don't see tax increases at the New Year. Mr. Obama used his weekly media address to talk about the “fiscal cliff.” This raises taxes on everybody and imposes spending cuts. In the Republicans' weekly response, New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte says the “fiscal cliff” cannot be averted unless lawmakers seriously address entitlement programs, such as Social Security.

Football Hall of Famer and former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka is hospitalized. He’s recovering from a minor stroke. Ditka says he wants people to know he’s ok.

I’m Korva Coleman, NPR News.