NPR 2008-11-09

The speaker of Iran's parliament is criticizing President-elect Barack Obama for saying it is unacceptable for that country to develop nuclear weapons. Iran's state radio compared the Senator's statement to the hard-line taken by President Bush. Roxana Saberi has more from Tehran.

Ali Larijani said repeating objections to Iran's nuclear program was what he called 'taking a step in the wrong direction'. The parliament speaker also said if Obama wants to build better relations with Iran, he must show that his policies represent a true change from those of the Bush administration. Larijani was responding to comments made by Obama in a news conference on Friday, when the President-elect said international efforts must be made to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Obama has said he would tighten 1 sanctions on Tehran, but he's also held out the possibility of direct talks with the Iranian leaders to resolve problems. For NPR News, I'm Roxana Saberi in Tehran.

The outer bands of Hurricane Paloma are hitting Cuba in the same area that's still rebuilding from two hurricanes earlier this season. Over a million people have been ordered to evacuate 2 their homes. NPR's Jason Beaubien has more from Mexico City.

The National Hurricane Center calls Paloma an extremely dangerous storm that could produce up to a 23-foot tidal surge when it makes landfall in Cuba. The system strengthened to a Category-4 hurricane as it moved over the Cayman Islands. Overall damage on the islands was reported as light. Cuba has issued hurricane warnings for much of the center of the country. The communist island has already been battered 3 this season by a series of hurricanes that caused billions of dollars in damages. Former President Fidel Castro writing in the state-run newspaper Granma on Saturday rejected any US hurricane assistance for Paloma, he instead called for lifting of U. S. sanctions against his country. Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Mexico City.

Three Islamist militants 4 who were convicted of carrying out the Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people six years ago have been executed by a firing squad 5 in Indonesia. The BBC's Lucy Williamson has the story.

The first reports came through at midnight that the three men had been taken from their cells and driven the short distance to the execution site somewhere on the prison island in front of me. There, in the darkness surrounded only by forest and a handful of witnesses they were shot through the heart by firing squad, a muted end for man who carried out Indonesia's worst terrorist attack and he spent the last few years in the glare of media attention and publicity 6. Lawyers for the three men have confirmed that death sentences have been carried out but there's been no official statement from the country's Chief Prosecutor 7. The BBC's Lucy Williamson.

Democratic Congressional leaders are urging the Bush administration to include struggling US automakers in the 700-billion-dollar financial rescue plan. In a letter to Treasury 9 Secretary Henry Paulson, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry 10 Reid said a healthy auto 8 industry is essential to the overall health of the U. S. economy.

This is NPR News from Washington.

Russian news agencies say at least 20 sailors and shipyard workers have died and 21 others were injured in an accident aboard a Russian nuclear-powered submarine. The report did not say where the submarine is located only that it was taking part in exercises and had a crew of 208 aboard. Media reports say the accident involved the failure of a fire extinguishing system in the front of the vessel 11, the nuclear reactor 12 is in the rear of the sub and was not damaged. Another Russian vessel is transporting crew members from the submarine to port.

A Canadian journalist is free after enduring nearly a month in captivity 13 in Afghanistan. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation says TV-reporter Melissa Fung appears to be in good health. Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto has more.

In a prepared statement, the CBC said it is not clear who had been holding Fung, several armed groups operate kidnap-rings in central Afghanistan including the Taliban. Fung was abducted 14 on October 12th in the Carg Lake refugee camp on the outskirts 15 of Kabul. She had been conducting interviews with Afghanistan families who had fled their homes to escape the fighting. The camp is a popular spot for journalists, many foreigners travel freely in the more secure Afghani capital, so Fung's decision to visit the camp without armed protection was not considered unusual. During weeks of negotiations 16 with the abductors, Canada's public broadcaster had requested a news blackout on Fung's status over fears for her safety. It is not said whether a ransom 17 was paid. Kidnapping has become one of the biggest sources of income for insurgents 18 in Afghanistan. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

A UN envoy 19 in the Democratic Republic of Congo says dozens of civilians 20 may have been executed there this week, some by rebel troops, others by pro-government militia 21. The group-Human Rights Watch says at least 26 people have been killed.