NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2014-03-24

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European Central Bank council member Erkki Liikanen says so far only Ukraine and Russia are suffering financially from the conflict, sparing European markets for the time being. But Liikanen says the ECB is discussing potential negative consequences for Europe, noting it would be important for member states to share the financial cost if tougher sanctions are enacted² due to further incursions into Ukraine. Economist³ Megan Greene of Maverick⁴ Intelligence says European losses would be twofold—both from business being restricted and from Russian President Vladimir Putin's expected retaliation⁵ especially in the energy market.

 

“They will probably jack⁶ prices or cut supply, and that will hurt Europe significantly.”

 

But analysts⁷ say the risks are also forcing the EU to finally get serious about diversifying⁸ its energy supply. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Brussels.  

 

A mass trial of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s supporters got underway in a court south of Cairo today. From the Egyptian capital, Merrit Kennedy reports 547 people are facing charges.

 

It's the largest trial since Morsi was overthrown⁹ by the military last summer. After police caught hundreds of Morsi's Islam supporters in August, Egypt’s on a wave of attacks against security personnel and churches. The defendants¹⁰ in this trail are facing charges related to their violence, including murder, incitement¹¹ and damaging property. The government has arrested thousands of Morsi supporters and branded his organization, the Muslim Brotherhood¹², a terrorist group, although so far they've presented no evidence to link the group to the attacks. The brotherhood has repeatedly denied involvement in violence and says it is a peaceful movement. For NPR News, I'm Merrit Kennedy in Cairo.   

 

The search for the missing Malaysian Airlines jet has resumed in the southern Indian Ocean. Rescue teams from several nations have been scouring¹³ the area for days but haven't yet recovered anything. But Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says there are promising¹⁴ signs that crews are closer to finding out what happened.

 

“New China satellite imagery does seem to suggest at least one large object down there consistent with the object that earlier satellite imagery discovered.”

 

Two hundred and thirty-nine passengers and crew were on board the plane that was travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It's been missing for more than two weeks.

 

Master Card is investigating reports of a potential credit card breach¹⁵ at the California Department of Motor Vehicles. A Master Card spokesman says the company has sent out alerts to member banks. He says the breach is not with his company's systems. The DMV says law enforcement alerted it to a potential security breach.  

 

This is NPR News.   

 

The Washington Post and Boston Globe are reporting that the FBI agent involved in the fatal shooting of a Chechen man in Orlando has been cleared of any wrongdoing. But as Carmel Delshad of member station WNFE reports, State Attorney Jeff Ashton's office says those reports are premature¹⁷.

 

In a statement, State Attorney Jeff Ashton's office called the release of information inaccurate¹⁸ and unfair to the family of 27-year-old Ibragim Todashev and the officers involved in the incident. Todashev was fatally shot during an interrogation of the FBI agents regarding his friendship with Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Baylor Johnson of ACLU Florida says the news comes as no surprise to the organization.

 

“When you have law enforcement agencies investigating themselves, outcomes like this are all too predictable.”

 

Ashton's office says he will review additional documents and issue a final decision by Monday. For NPR News, I'm Carmel Delshad in Orlando. 

 

President Obama is urging Congress to boost economic opportunities for women. He's calling on lawmakers to address the lack of pay equity¹⁹ in the workplace and to raise the minimum wage.

 

“On average, a woman still earns just 77 cents for every dollar a man does. And too many women face outdated²⁰ workplace policies that hold them back.”

 

Speaking in his weekly address today, the president said that the economy has not caught up with the fact that women now make up almost half of the workforce²¹.

 

In China today, First Lady Michelle Obama told students that freedom of speech and free access to information make country stronger and should be universal rights. Obama spoke¹⁶ to students at Peking University in Beijing.

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