NPR 2012-03-05

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“Iran is isolated³, its leadership divided and under pressure. And by the way, the Arab Spring has only increased these trends as the hypocrisy⁴ of the Iranian regime is exposed, and its ally, the Assad regime, is crumbling⁵.”

 

At the same time, the president cautioned that too much loose talk of war recently has only helped Tehran and driven up the price of oil. Tomorrow at the White House, President Obama hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks. 

 

Large numbers of people are feared dead in the Republic of Congo after a series of massive explosions at a military base. The blasts were caused by a fire at a munitions⁶ depot⁷ in the capital Brazzaville. The BBC's Peter Biles has more.

 

The explosions, five or six in all, were heard around Brazzaville and across the Congo River in nearby Kinshasa. Buildings were destroyed, and people fled their homes in panic. A smoke hung over Brazzaville. Local television broadcast appeals for medical staff to rush to hospitals. This appears to be an accident. State radio said the blasts were the result of a fire in the arms depot of a military base. The casualty toll⁸ has still to be established. But initial reports say that 200 people may have died. 

 

The BBC's Peter Biles reporting from Brazzaville.

 

Mitt² Romney is heading into Super Tuesday with a win in the non-binding straw poll in Washington state. The poll was held at Republican Party precinct caucuses⁹ this weekend. And as NPR's Martin Kaste reports, turnout was impressive.

 

Back in 2008, only about 13,000 people participated in Washington's Republican caucuses. This year, that figure was closer to 50,000. One of those newcomers was Ron Paul supporter May Palmer, who says if her candidate weren’t in the race, she wouldn't be involved in the Republican Party.

 

"I would be so far removed. I’d be like on a boat to borrow something. Now, I am here just because I am in support of Dr. Paul because of his constitutional consistency¹⁰ and his love for liberty, for you and for me." 

 

The straw poll doesn't actually award any delegates. That happens this summer at the Republican state convention. Martin Kaste, NPR News, Seattle.

 

Two trains running on the same track collided head on in southern Poland this weekend. Sixteen people died; dozens were injured. The crash near Krakow is that nation's worst train disaster in more than two decades.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Nearly a year ago, hackers¹¹ stole the personal date of 77 million users of Sony's PlayStation Network. Now as Larry Miller¹² reports, it’s revealed hackers struck Sony Music, stealing Michael Jackson's entire back catalog, including a wealth of unreleased material, including duets with Freddie Mercury and Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am.

 

London Sunday Times says hackers downloaded more than 50,000 of Jackson's digital music files from Sony in the biggest cyber-attack yet on a record company. The Times says Sony confirms the hacking¹³ but it wasn't made public because customer data wasn't stolen. Sony paid the Jackson estate 250 million dollars for ten new albums. The Times says everything was compromised, and Sony only discovered the theft during routine monitoring of Jackson fan sites and hacking forums¹⁴. After the hackers were reportedly traced to UK computer addresses, Sony informed Britain's serious crime agency. Two men were in court last week charged with the hacking. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

 

The preserved heart of St. Laurence O’Toole is missing from Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. It was secured in a heart-shaped wooden box and kept in a square iron cage since the 13th century. Nuala Kavanagh is director of operations at the cathedral.

 

“We’re just, we’re devastated¹⁵, and we just can't believe this. It's been in the cathedral for nearly 1,000 years, and it's been a site of pilgrimage for people all over the world. It's a sacred relic¹⁶ that we hold very dear.

 

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

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