NPR 2010-02-04

From NPR News in Washington, I’m Korva Coleman.

Attorney General Eric Holder 1 says he decided 2 to charge the suspect in civilian 3 court in the failed plot to bomb a jet on Christmas Day over Detroit. Holder's remarks about the case are on a letter sent to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. Holder notes the Bush administration used civilian court to convict more than 300 people on terror-related charges since 9/11.

A Pakistani scientist has been convicted in federal court of trying to kill Americans while she was being held in Afghanistan. Prosecutors 4 said FBI agents and US soldiers were trying to question Aafia Siddiqui when she fired a rifle at them. None were injured; she was hurt by return fire.

Toyota says it's looking into complaints about braking problems with the new Prius Hybrid 5. This occurs as the Transportation Department is contacting automakers to discuss accelerator linkages 6. And Toyota recalls millions of vehicles due to acceleration 7 problems. NPR's Paul Brown has more.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the government is investigating both mechanical and possible electronic problems in Toyota throttles 8, and he says while that's going on, the government will contact other companies. “Given what's happened to Toyota, our, our people are gonna, you know, look at that and consider it and talk to car manufacturers about that. It would just be the, the common-sense thing to do.” LaHood says Toyota didn't really move on its problem until US officials visited the company's headquarters in Japan. He characterized Toyota’s North American officials as possibly "safety deaf" to the issue until the visit. Toyota says it took appropriate action. A House committee has sent Toyota a letter, asking the company to clarify its response to problems with sticking accelerators. Paul Brown, NPR News, Washington.

The US Embassy in Pakistan confirms three US service members were killed and two injured in a bombing today in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province. From Islamabad NPR's Julie McCarthy has more.

In a statement, the American Embassy said those killed were US military personnel, who were in Pakistan to conduct training at the invitation of the Pakistan Frontier Corps 9. The five Americans were traveling in a convoy 10 when their bullet-proof vehicle was struck. The commandant of the Dir Scouts 11 who was traveling in the convoy told NPR that a suicide attacker detonated his bomb-laden car as the convoy passed. The area is a militant 12 stronghold, but the Pakistani army has insisted it had been cleared. The embassy said that the US personnel were in Lower Dir to attend the inauguration 13 of a school for girls that had been recently renovated 14 with US humanitarian 15 assistance. The deadly explosion occurred near another girls’ school and also claimed the lives of three young students. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Islamabad.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrials are down 17 points at 10, 279; the NASDAQ is up a point at 2,191.

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Illinois voters chose party candidates in the state’s primary election yesterday. One prize this fall will be the Senate seat currently held by Roland Burris and before him, President Barack Obama. In the election yesterday, Republicans tapped Congressman 16 Mark Kirk as their candidate for the Senate election; Democrats 17 chose Alexi Giannoulias.

France has switched its stance and now supports a ban on the global trade in bluefin tuna. Eleanor Beardsley in Paris reports the ban is to come into force within 18 months.

France today joined Italy in supporting a ban. The about-face will no doubt anger French fishermen, but it is a win for environmentalists concerned about the dwindling 18 stocks of the giant fish found mainly in the Mediterranean 19 Sea. Still, environmental group Greenpeace accused France of caving in to the short-term interests of industrial fishing by postponing 20 the ban for the next two fishing seasons. Environmentalists have warned that a prolonged delay to any ban would prove disastrous 21 to bluefin tuna stocks and could lead to the extinction 22 of the species. The European Union has come close to supporting a ban in the past, but Europe's fishing nations blocked such moves. The French announcement comes just weeks ahead of a European decision to put bluefin tuna on the endangered species list. Mediterranean bluefin tuna commands high prices in Japan where 80% of the catch is exported. For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Paris.

The International Criminal Court will reconsider a genocide charge against Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir. He already faces war crimes charges as well as accusations 23 of crimes against humanity for his role of the treatment of the residents of Darfur. They had been murdered, tortured, raped 24 and forced to flee their home. Sudan does not recognize the ICC.

I’m Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.