NPR 2012-03-17

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The jury deliberated for two days before finding Dharun Ravi guilty of invasion of privacy and bias² intimidation³. Ravi's college roommate, Tyler Clementi, committed suicide in 2010 several days after Ravi used his webcam to spy on Clementi kissing another man in the freshmen⁴ dorm room they shared. Ravi's lawyer described the incident as a stupid prank⁵ gone wrong and denied his behavior was motivated by Clementi's sexual orientation⁶. But in the end, the jury convicted Ravi on most of the charges. Dharun Ravi faces several years in prison, and he could be deported⁷ to his native India, even though he has lived legally in the US since he was a young boy. Joel Rose, NPR News, New York.

 

The US Army sergeant⁸ accused of slaughtering⁹ Afghan villagers last weekend is headed back to the US, and he is expected to be held at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. The soldier's attorney is raising concerns about his client's multiple tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan while refuting claims that the soldier was dealing¹⁰ with marital¹¹ problems. We have more details from NPR's Martin Kaste. 

 

The soldier's civilian¹² attorney, John Henry Browne, calls the reports of family strife¹³ nonsense. He also says there is no evidence alcohol was a factor. But he does acknowledge his client may have been under stress. The 38-year-old had already served three tours of duty in Iraq, and Browne says the deployment¹⁴ to Afghanistan was a blow.

 

“He and the family were told that his tours in the Middle East were over, and then, literally¹⁵ overnight, that changed.”

 

Browne also says on the day before the massacre¹⁶, his client witnessed a fellow soldier suffer a grievous injury to his leg. Martin Kaste, NPR News, Seattle.

 

Warning that he is at the end of the rope over civilian deaths and injuries in his country, Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused the US of not sharing information about how the American soldier allegedly carried out that attack. Karzai has demanded that all NATO troops pull out of rural villages. White House says President Obama telephoned Karzai, and that both leaders agreed to talk further about the Afghan leader's demand.

 

A Syrian revolt is reportedly brewing¹⁷ outside the capital for the first time in weeks as activists¹⁸ gather for yet another funeral. A group of men gathering¹⁹ in Idlib, one of the cities targeted in the military's crackdown. The UN estimates thousands of people have been killed since the start of the uprising in Syria a year ago. 

 

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was down 20 points at 13,233; NASDAQ down one at 3,055; S&P 500 up two.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Belgium is observing a national day of mourning. Bells chimed in unison²⁰ this morning as millions of people observed a moment of silence for the 28 people killed in a tunnel bus crash Tuesday in Switzerland. Most of the victims were children.

 

It was like a scene out of one of George Clooney's movies, handcuffed and hauled away. But today it was the really deal. He and others trespass²¹ on Sudanese embassy property in full glare of the media to protest the region's ongoing²² violence and the African government's blockade on relief.

 

“Immediately, we need humanitarian²³ aid to be allowed into the Sudan before it becomes the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.”

 

Clooney was also on Capital Hill this weekend, met with President Obama about stepping up international help.

 

Final approval from the International Monetary²⁴ Fund or the IMF means Greece is now assured of getting its second bailout from international lenders. Teri Schultz reports though they are warning Athens it must do more to get back on its feet.

 

Greece's second rescue worth 170 billion dollars will let it escape bankruptcy²⁵ for now. But monitors from the European Union, the IMF and the European Central Bank, known as the Troika, have just released their quarterly report. It indicates that even if Greece follows through on the reform pledges made to obtain this lifeline, the government probably won't be able to support itself once the money runs out in 2015. Troika spokesman Matthias Mors says further austerity measures will be needed regardless of the population's vigorous opposition²⁶.

 

“There’s no alternative to it. It is not possible to continue with an uncompetitive economy.”

 

The Troika report says in particular, Athens needs to work on ending tax evasion²⁷ and cutting bureaucracy for businesses. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Brussels.

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