NPR News 2013-03-12 加文本

NPR News 2013-03-12

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.

The cardinals who will decide who will succeed Pope Benedict have wrapped up their pre-conclave discussions. Vatican's spokesman Thomas Rosica says the section focused on the qualities next pontiff will need.

One of the themes that went through almost all of the presentations was that of the expectations and hopes for the new Pope a profile that has been addressed over the past presentations, but this morning was address particularly.

The conclave gets underway tomorrow, Sean O'Malley of Boston and Timothy Dolan of New York are among the US cardinals voting on a successor.

A Federal Jury has found former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick guilty of racketeering as WDET's Quinn Klinefelter reports the verdict comes after a nearly 6-month trial.

Prosecutors argued the Kilpatrick-ran Detroit's government like an organized crime syndicates, stealing millions of taxpayers' dollars to his friend contractor Bobby Ferguson, taking kickback and using his own father Bernard as a go-between. All three were on trail and the jury found the former mayor guilty of 24 of the 30 counts against him. Convicted Ferguson of racketeering, extortion and bribery. But found Bernard Kilpatrick guilty of only one tax charge. Jury said they reached the verdict late last Friday but wanted the weekend to sleep on their decision before rendering it publicly. The racketeering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. For NPR News, I'm Quinn Klinefelter, in Detroit.

Harvard University has offered a qualified apology for the way it handled an investigation into who leak news of the student cheating scandal last year. As NPR's Tovia Smith reports many young campus remain outraged that the university searched employee emails.

After news broke that more than 100 students may have traded answers or plagirized during finals last year, Harvard began investigating who leaked the story. Officials secretly searched the emails of 16 resident deans only the subject-lines and only accounts used for official university business. They ultimately discovered who leaked it but concluded it was an accident and let it go. Harvard officials say it a "fair question" why they didn't tell the deans their accounts were searched when faculty policy requires disclosure." And they apologize to those who feel their communication was "insufficient". But to some on campus that apology is insufficient for what they called a unconscionable intrusion of privacy. Tovia Smith, NPR News, Boston.

The White House says it's concerned by North Korea's threats of war. North Korean state media say Pyongyang wants to cancel the 60-year old agreement that ended the Korean War.The Obama Administration is warning the North that it'll achieve nothing by its threats. The Treasury Department meanwhile is imposing new sanctions against North Korean bank and an official there.

At last check on Wall Street for the Dow was up 50 points at 14,447; the NASDAQ was up 7; the S&P up 4.

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5 people are dead and 36 are wounded after a suicide attacker drove an explosive-laden car into a police station in northern Iraq. Officials say 2 policemen and 3 civilians were killed, and students from nearby school were among the wounded. So far no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Animal Rights activists are praising the European Union for banning animal testing in all phases of cosmetics production. But as Teri Schultz reports from Brussels, some producers say the so called cruelty-free measure will end up hurting business.

The website of the Humane Society International hails the EU move with fluffy bonnies expressing their happiness. The organization urges governments around the world to join Europe in prohibiting animal testing at every stage and with every ingredient in cosmetics and personal care products. EU official xx acknowledges while substitutes aren't available yet for 100% of testing practices. She believes producers should welcome the alternatives. They're not necessarily more expensive and some cases they could even be cheaper. But the trade group of Cosmetics Europe says there is a big gap between what's available and what's needed to ensure human safety without these testings. The group says the ban won't do much for animals walfare worldwide but will be painful for the European cosmetics industry. From NPR News, I'm  Teri Schultz, in Brussels.

One of the five men on trial for the rape and murder of a young woman in New Delhi has committed suicide behind bars. Police say Ram Singh who allegedly drove the bus during the December attack have been under suicide watch. Officials say his family suspected foul play. The 23-years-old victim was travelling with her friends when she was gang-raped and beaten by 6 men.

I'am Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.