NPR News 2013-06-29 加文本

NPR News 2013-06-29

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

President Obama is in South Africa, the second leg of his three-country tour through Africa. His arrival has prompted protests against US foreign policy including the war in Afghnistan. But NPR's Ari Shapiro reports Obama will be focusing in large part on young people.

The median age on the African continent is 17. That means millions of Africans will be ready to enter the workforce in the next decade. So President Obama's holding a town hall meeting Saturday with youth leaders in Soweto, with young people from other parts of the continent participating remotely. On the flight from Dakar to Johannesburg President Obama talked about incorperating the African continent into world markets. He said that stands to help Africa and the United States. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, Johannesburg.

President Obama's trip to South Africa is overshadowed by nationwide concerns over Nelson Mandela's health. He remains hospitalized in Pretoria in critical but stable condition. Outside people continue to pray in they own way. Salvation Army members sing a prayer for Mandela among a number of tributes shown to the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader. Obama says he's not sure he will visit Mandela out of concern that might interfere with the privacy of Mandela's family.

Mr. Obama's pressing House Republicans this day to vote in favor of the bipartisan immigration measure that passed the Senate yesterday. The bill's expected to run into heavier resistance in the House, where conservatives generally oppose citizenship for immigrants who enter the US illegally. The legislation that passed the Senate offers millions of undocumented immigrants a path to becoming legal residents. It also significantly steps up support for border security.

The father of Edward Snowden, the man who leaked word of the government’s surveillance of email and phone call data, says his son has broken the law, but he does not believe he is committed treason. NPR's Craig Windham reports Lonnie Snowden has told NBC's Today Show he thinks the former National Security Agency contractor is willing to return to the US and surrender to authorities under certain conditions.

Edward Snowden has been charged with violating US espionage laws, but his father says he does not consider his son a traitor.

“He has betrayed his government, but I don't believe that he betrayed the people of the United States.”Lonnie Snowden says he hasn't spoken to his son since April.

“I love him. I would like to have the opportunity to communicate with him. I don't want to put him in peril, but I'm concerned about those who surround him.”

Snowden believes his son is being manipulated by the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks, which has been trying to help him gain political asylum. Snowden says his son would turn himself in if prosecutors would agree not to impose a gag order or to jail him pending trial. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

Before the closing bell, Dow was down 118 points at 14,906. This is NPR News.

With all eyes on the fate of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, an even higher-profile figure now finds himslef the target of a federal probe. Retired Marine General James Hoss Cartwright is suspected of leaking information about a top-secret cyberattack on Iran's nuclear facilities, which was first disclosed in a New York Times artical in 2012.

Two former editors at the center of a phone-hacking scandal in Britain are forced to stand trial in September after they lost the battle today to get the charges against them dropped. Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson are among five people accused of conspiring to intercept the voice mail messages of celebrities and others in the pursuit of stories. They worked for Rupert Murdoch's News of the World. The tabloid was shut down in 2011.

Forward Anthony Bennett is surprise No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers made Bennett the first Canadian-born top pick in NBA history last night. We have the latest from NPR's Tom Goldman.

Few expected University of Nevada, Las Vegas freshman forward Anthony Bennett to start the annual draft cavalcade of young tall men in nice suits and goofy baseball hats. Even Bennett born in Ontario, Canada admitted he was as surprised as anyone else. But Cleveland like his athleticism and size: 6’8’’, 240 pounds and his offensive versatility. And truth be told, Bennett's selection really wasn't a surprise in the draft labeled underwhelming and lacking a consensus No. 1 pick going in. One of the favorites for the top spot, Kentucky center Nerlens Noel, was taken sixth by New Orleans and then traded to Philadelphia for all-star point guard June Holiday. Tom Goldman NPR News.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.