NPR 2011-12-19

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More than 200 asylum² seekers--many from central Asia—are missing after their ship sank off the coast of Indonesia. NPR’s Anthony Kuhn reports from Jakarta the passengers were apparently³ trying to make it to Australia. 

 

Fishing boats searched for missing the asylum seekers in choppy seas off the island of Java. Local media say dozens have been rescued but bad weather and high waves are hampering⁴ the rescue effort. The fishing boat was carrying more than double its intended capacity of 100 people when it sank in rough seas. Most of the asylum seekers were Afghans with some Iraqis, Iranians and Turks as well. Indonesia is a popular transit⁵ point for asylum seekers and illegal migrants heading for Australia. Last month a boat capsized in the same area, killing⁶ eight asylum seekers. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Jakarta. 

 

There are still more than 800 people missing in the Philippines after a typhoon last week. The storm set off flash floods and landslides⁷ that swept entire houses near the sea. At least 650 people are confirmed dead. 

 

Tributes are pouring in for former Czech President and dissident leader Vaclav Havel, who died today at the age of 75 after a long illness. NPR’s Eric Westervelt reports. 

 

Jailed and hounded for his outspoken⁸ criticism and sly mockery of the Soviet-backed authoritarian⁹ regime Havel dubbed¹⁰ “Absurdistan”, the playwright¹¹ led a corps¹² of Czech artists, intellectuals and musicians who challenged the totalitarian state. The sometimes shy, quiet artist helped spark a mass, peaceful and successful uprising dubbed the “Velvet Revolution”. He later became his country’s first democratically elected president and helped guide the peaceful break-up of Czech-Slovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. German Chancellor¹³ Angela Merkel today wrote that Havel’s dedication¹⁴ to freedom and democracy is as unforgotten as his great humanity. She added that Germans owe him a debt of gratitude¹⁵ for his inspiration and work. Havel, a heavy smoker¹⁶, had been ill for a long time. He would still speak out on important issues, but had been frail¹⁷ and largely out of the public spotlight¹⁸ for much of the last eight years. Eric Westervelt, NPR News. 

 

The House is to vote tomorrow on a bill to extend the social security payroll¹⁹ tax cuts and jobless benefits by two months. The Senate passed it yesterday 89:10. But House Speaker John Boehner says that compromise isn’t good enough and Congress should write a new bill that includes spending cuts and lasts an entire year. 

 

“Ninety percent of those reductions, frankly²⁰, the president agrees with. So we can, we can find common ground. It’s just the usual, let’s just punt. Kick the can down the road, we’ll come back and do it later.” 

 

Boehner was interviewed on NBC’s "Meet the Press". 

 

This is NPR News. 

 

Egypt’s health ministry²¹ reports at least 10 people have died in three days of fighting between troops and protesters in Cairo. More than 400 people have been wounded. The demonstrators say the military leaders are mismanaging the transition from the rule of Hosni Mubarak overthrown²² 10 months ago. On its Facebook page, the ruling military is calling the protesters "hooligans" and claiming the violence is part of a conspiracy²³ against Egypt.  

 

A London newspaper is reporting Britain is drawing up emergency plans to remove its citizens living in Spain and Portugal if their banking²⁴ systems collapse²⁵ and people can't get their money out of those countries. Larry Miller²⁶ reports it’s being described as a “nightmare scenario”. 

 

About a million British live in Spain with 50,000 in Portugal. According to The Sunday Times, the British foreign office is increasingly concerned expats could be stranded²⁷ unable to withdraw cash or lose their homes if banks call in mortgages. The paper quotes sources as saying the Foreign Office is planning for the worst with thousands of penniless British leaving at airports with no way to get home. The contingency²⁸ plans reportedly include sending planes, ships and buses to evacuate²⁹ the expats. This comes as credit rating agency S&P downgraded 10 Spanish banks and Fitch warned a solution to the eurozone crisis is probably beyond reach. For NPR News, I’m Larry Miller in London. 

 

The Des Moines Register is endorsing³⁰ Mitt³¹ Romney for the Republican presidential nomination³². Editorial on today’s edition says the former Massachusetts governor is the best candidate to rebuild the economy. The Iowa caucuses³³ are the first contest in Republican nomination process, held in a little more than two weeks. 

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