NPR News 2013-04-21 加文本

NPR News 2013-04-21

From NPR NEws in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman.

There was an emotional tribute today to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing at the city's Fenway park before the start of the Red Sox baseball game. NPR's David Schaper reports on how fan show their respects at the end of unsettling week in Boston.

Both inside Fenway park and a disport bar outside of it, Boston Red Sox fans cheered passionately and proudly for those introduced before the game. The team welcome Marathon volunteers and wounded survivals of Monday's blasts, as well as the citizens and first responders who tend to the injure. They observed a moment of silence for those hurt and killed in the events this week, and honored the police officers and federal angents who hunt down the bombing suspects and exchanged gunfire with them. Fans also continued a new tradition, begun a few days ago at the Boston garden, of singing the national anthem themselves without a solos. David Schaper NPR News, outside of Fenway park in Boston.

President Obama met his top national security officials today to discuss the bombings. The White House says he highlighted the need to continute gathering information to answer all outstanding questions behind the attacks.

Rescuers in southwestern China are pulling bodies and survivors from the rubble of villages in Sichuan province. A powerful earthquake struck the rural hill country. As the BBC's Martin Patience reports.

Rescuers are struggling to reach the worst-affected villages, the roads have been blocked by landslide. But in one city many people have already been pulled alive from the rubble. More than 6,000 soldiers and doctors have been deployed to the region, as part of the rescue operation. Sichuan province is no stranger to earthquake. Next month will mark the fifth anniversary of an earthquake that killed almost 90,000 people.

The BBC's Martin Patience reporting from Beijing.

According to officials gathered for a donors conference in Turkey, the Obama administration is planning to send new, none lethal military aid to Syrian rebels. NPRs Peter Kenyon reports from Istanbul.

Secretary of state John Kerry brought a new aid package to 11 country, friends of Syria conference here. As donors try to grapple with the steadily worsening crisis in Syria. Washington has resisted sending weapons to rebel fighters, even as armed islamist fighters have taken an increasingly prominent role in the fight against the regime of president  Bashar al-Assad. But as the US edges closer to a direct role in aiding the armed opposition. Russian has stepped up its criticism saying the assistance is only increasing the humanitarian disaster in Syria. The US aid will include medical supplies and cash. Peter Kenyon NPR NEws, Istanbul.

Reports from Syria, activists meanwhile said there has been new fighting between Syrian government troops and rebels near the country's border with Lebanon. A report says the area is valuable. It links the capital Damascus with an enclaves that's home to the Alawite community which supports the Syrian president. This is NPR.

Authorities continue to search for the cause of the blast at the fertilizer plant in the town of west Texas. 14 people were killed and 200 more were hurt by the explosion Wednesday night. Many homes were damaged. Now one official from west says some people will be allowed back to their houses. They'll still have to observe a curfew.

Tens of thousands of people flocked to Denver this weekend for what organizers are calling the nation's largest April 20 celebration. As NPR's Allison Keyes explains, people are smoking out across the nation in an appreciation of marijuana.

Yeah, that coughing could be due to the haze of smoke over parts of Denver where apart enthusiast holding the first celebration since Washington State and Colorado legalized marijuana. 61-year-old, Glenn Sarnacki of St. Louis,  says he is earned after a life time of work.

I'm retired, I raised three sons, I wanna come out and have some fun.

Last year  50,000 people came out for this event, and this year, is the nation's first Cannabis cup, where pot growers compete for awards. Nicole Hamer of New York is down for it.

I wanna come to make a history. You know, this is awesome.

Organizers say the rally is a statement about justice and freedom. Allison Keyes NPR News.

The nation weather service is predicting major flooding along the Mississippi river this weekend. There has been torrential rain in the middle west. Now rivers are rising in six states, high rivers are expected from Iowa through St.Louis.

The founder of USA Today has died. Al Neuharth launched the national daily publication in 1982. It featured bright graphics and short articles.  Neuharth ran the Gannet company, the owner of the USA Today.

I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.