NPR 2011-03-26

Syria is seeing one of its bloodiest 1 clashes between security forces and the opposition 2. In Daraa, troops opened fire on a crowd that set fire to a statue of Syria's late president. Casualty figures are uncertain. Large numbers of protesters also marched in other cities to demand political reforms. It was a similar scene across the Arab world. In Sana, Yemen, angry chants for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to leave. Across town, he told thousands of supporters that he wants to resign, but not until he's sure his successor is worth trusting. And in Jordan, at least one person is dead from the latest clashes with troops.

One of the most closely watched conflicts remains 3 in Libya, though, where leader Muammar Gaddafi reportedly said he would arm volunteers in the war against rebels and coalition 4 forces. Meanwhile, getting access to the wounded is nearly impossible. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports the International Committee of the Red Cross is among several groups struggling to reach anyone in need.

The ICRC, Doctors Without Borders and other groups have sent some medical aid into Misurata by sea, but those groups say that's hardly enough. They're calling on the Libyan government to allow urgent, unhindered access to deliver aid to the wounded and suffering in Misurata, Zawia and Ajdabiya. Simon Brooks 5, the ICRC's Libyan head of mission, says the Gaddafi regime continues to block access in violation 7 of the laws of armed conflict.

"We are told that there aren't these needs. We don't find that credible 8. And it's inconsistent with the facts. You know, that access needs to happen. It needs to happen today."

There are also thousands of Libyan civilians 9 displaced from the fighting in Ajdabiya, who are now camped out in a desert in poor conditions with little help from international aid groups. Eric Westervelt, NPR News, Benghazi.

In one of the largest settlements involving the Catholic Church, a Jesuit order in the Pacific Northwest will pay $166 million to victims of sexual abuse by priests, many of them working in boarding schools attended by American Indians and Alaskan natives. More on this from NPR's Martin Kaste.

The Society of Jesus, Oregon Province, the branch of the Jesuits covering the Northwest and Alaska, has been sued by so many people it went into bankruptcy 10 two years ago. That turned the 500 or so plaintiffs into creditors 11, and this deal is meant to settle that debt. John Allison, a lawyer for the victims, says the deal goes beyond money.

"There's a long list of promises the Jesuits have made to change the way they do business, to watch closely people that are assigned in our dear children. They'll make commitments to take public responsibility for what happened, which is extremely important, particularly to the native Americans who were sexually abused at these boarding schools."

The settlement still requires the approval of a bankruptcy court. Martin Kaste, NPR News, Seattle.

Before the close on Wall Street, Dow was up 50 points.

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Desperation is rising in Japan, where the death toll 12 from the earthquake and tsunami 13 two weeks ago is now above 10,000. As heard through an interpreter, Prime Minister Naoto Kan addressed his people about the state of a damaged nuclear power plant.

"The situation today at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is still very grave and serious."

The government says radioactive water found in one part of the plant may have come from a reactor 14 core, but still no hard evidence yet of a breach 15.

The West African regional bloc 6 is calling on the UN Security Council to strengthen the mandate 16 of UN mission in Ivory Coast. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports regional leaders say the UN peacekeepers should be authorized 17 to ensure power is transferred from the disputed leader to the internationally recognized president-elect.

After a two-day summit, the Economic Community of West African States says the crisis in Ivory Coast must not be forgotten. The chief executive of the organization James Victor Gbeho explains what ECOWAS is asking of the UN.

"We are inviting 18 the United Nations to take all measures within its bound to get President Gbagbo to cede 19 power to President Alassane Ouattara, and it must do so now, and take all necessary measures to protect lives in Cote d'ivoire at this time."

The regional bloc has threatened to use legitimate 20 force to remove Gbagbo, but says any military intervention 21 would require UN authorization 22. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Abidjan.

US stocks turned higher before the close. At last check, Dow was up 50 at 12,220; NASDAQ up seven at 2,743.