NPR 2010-04-05

From NPR News in Washington, I’m Rebecca Sheir.

This year, Easter falls on the same day for the Eastern and Western churches. Thousands of Christian 1 pilgrims celebrated 2 the holiday in Jerusalem today. NPR’s Lourdes Garcia-Navarro was there.

I’m standing 3 in front of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher 4 which is thought by the Christians 5 to be the site where Jesus was crucified and was ultimately resurrected, so it is the holiest site for Christian in the world. And of course Easter is the most important day, and so people have come from all over, as they do every year, to mark this occasion at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. And inside the church, there are ceremonies marking Easter from many different denominations 6, with Orthodox which are also marking Easter today, Catholics also marking Easter today. It’s a very festive 7 occasion and people are wearing their Sunday best and people that I’ve spoken to say they’re very excited to be here in the Holy Land for such an important occasion.

NPR’s Lourdes Garcia-Navarro reporting from Jerusalem.

Chinese state television says nine workers are safe after being trapped in a flooded coal mine for more than a week. More than 150 miners were trapped when workers broke a wall into an abandoned shaft 8 and flooded the mine in northern China. Roughly 3,000 people have been working around the clock to pump out water.

Three powerful explosions have killed at least 30 people and wounded hundreds in central Baghdad today. As NPR’s Quil Lawrence reports, the apparent targets were embassies and diplomats 9.

Iraqi police said men wearing suicide vests, driving explosive-laden cars infiltrated 10 some of the most heavily secured neighborhoods in Baghdad. They hit the Iranian Embassy, the Egyptian Embassy and a street near the Syrian and German embassies. The bombs detonated within minutes of one another and could be heard for miles. Iraqis are bracing 11 for a violent post-election season after last month’s nationwide poll left two front-running political blocs 13 divided along sectarian lines. Neither bloc 12 has enough seats in parliament to form a government alone, and then negotiations 14 over forming a coalition 15 government are expected to last months. Neighboring Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia have been criticized for interference in Iraqi politics, one possible motive 16 for today’s bombs. Q1il Lawrence, NPR News, Baghdad.

Two bombs exploded in the Russia’s southern region of Dagestan today. No one was hurt in the attack which, security officials say, is connected to bombings in Dagestan and Moscow last week that killed more than 50 people.

Since a massive earthquake devastated 17 Haiti in January, the US Border Patrol says it has arrested more than 100 people from the Caribbean nation for allegedly entering Vermont from Canada. Officials say they’ve caught 114 Haitians who crossed the border illegally. Lawyers assigned to represent the Haitians say many are coming to the US to be with relatives and loved ones after the quake killed family members in their home country.

The Pakistani military...tomorrow night’s NCAA Championship Game against Duke. Center Matt Howard hit his head on the floor last night.

This is NPR.

Germany’s defense 18 minister is announcing a thorough investigation 19 into the friendly fire clash that left six Afghan soldiers dead in northern Afghanistan. NATO and the Afghan Defense Ministry 20 also are launching investigations 21 into what happened Friday night. The incident occurred the same day three German troops died and eight were wounded in heavy fighting with insurgents 22.

Hundreds of Egyptian workers and their supporters demonstrated in Cairo yesterday for a raise in minimum wage. As NPR’s Peter Kenyon reports from the Egyptian capital, the wage has remained unchanged for the past 26 years.

The demonstration 23 outside political offices in downtown Cairo was peaceful and not especially large. But political analysts 24 say it may be a sign that labor 25 unions are attempting to emerge as a force in the run-up to parliamentary elections this year and presidential balloting 26 next year. An Egyptian court has ruled that the government must take rising consumer prices into account when setting the minimum wage, but the court did not set a fixed 27 amount. The wage has been approximately seven dollars a month since 1984. The protesters call for a large raise to over 200 dollars a month. Two years ago, labor activists 28 won significant concessions 29 for rural textile workers and others. But an attempt to revive the labor movement with a general strike last spring failed in the face of heavy security measures by the government. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Cairo.

Pastors 30 around Rhode Island are trying to comfort residents of the rain-drenched state. Three days of rain in the past week caused the worst flooding the state has seen in at least 200 years. The National Weather Service says the flooded Pawtuxet River is expected to be back within its banks by tonight.