NPR 2011-05-27

The former Bosnian Serb general accused of being the architect of some of the worst atrocities 1 in Europe, not seen since World War II, is under arrest. Ratko Mladic appeared in a Belgrade courtroom today, wearing a cap and appearing frail 2, as he was escorted by four guards. NPR's Philip Reeves reports the 69-year-old faces trial before the[口误] International Criminal Court in The Hague over genocide and atrocities in the Bosnian War in the 1990s.

Mladic has been on the run for years. Today, the world caught up with him. The news was announced by Serbia's President Boris Tadic. "On behalf of the Republic of Serbia, I announce that today we arrested Ratko Mladic." Mladic faces a stack of accusations 3 over his role as the Bosnian Serb military leader. He led the long siege of Sarajevo in which thousands of people died. Perhaps the most notorious crime against his name was the execution over several days of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995, the worst massacre 4 in Europe since the Second World War. Philip Reeves, NPR News.

Eight NATO service members in Afghanistan are dead. Seven of them are Americans. They were reportedly killed in a bomb blast while on foot patrol. Authorities say two Afghan policemen were also killed and as many were wounded in Kandahar province.

A day after the Libyan government offers a ceasefire, no evidence of violence subsiding 5 anytime soon, rebels and troops loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi trade rocketing gunfire today near Misrata, as world leaders meeting in Europe pledge to step up their pressure on Gaddafi to step down and put an end to Libya's civil war.

Officials in Joplin, Missouri are releasing names of people still unaccounted for. Since Sunday's tornado 6, which is known to have killed at least 125, more than 230 people are listed as unaccounted for. NPR's Sonari Glinton reports frustration 7 is growing, as survivors 8 try to find information about their loved ones.

Family members have expressed anger that they aren't allowed into the morgue to identify the bodies, and it's taking so long to do so. Don Bloom is with the Federal Mortuary Operations Response Team. He's calling for patience. "And our people are dedicated 9 in not being pushed into, to making rash decisions or speeding things up. That is why the process on our side takes a little bit longer than you feel it needs to." Bloom says workers are interviewing family members and gathering 10 DNA 11. Officials also say positively 12 identifying bodies has been made more difficult because one of Joplin's hospitals was destroyed, and with it, access to its medical records. Sonari Glinton, NPR News, Joplin.

Before the close, US stocks were up across the board.

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The latest influx 13 of unemployment claims ends three weeks of declines underscoring, troubles still plaguing the job market. In the Labor 14 Department's weekly update, we see number of people who applied 15 for insurance last week rose by 10,000 to a seasonally 16 adjusted 424,000, but a spokesman says data for offices are not citing the recent spate 17 of destructive weather in the Midwest and South as a factor in the claims' uptick.

Small cars are getting better marks for safety. Six of 13 have won a safety group's top rating. NPR's Giles Snyder reports it's a reversal from just a few years ago.

Small cars used to have a tough time earning top marks in crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which is funded by the insurance industry, but that's changing. None of 13 cars tested received a poor rating. The top picks include the Ford 18 Focus, Honda Civic 19, Hyundai Elantram, and the Lexus CT 200h Hybrid 20, Nissan Juke and Toyota Prius, but even though automakers have made improvements, chief research officer David Zuby says bigger cars still have the edge. "You still always have to worry about physics. Physics doesn't go away, and, you know, if you're more concerned about crash protection than fuel economy, a bigger, heavier car is a better choice." Still, with high gas prices, the new ratings could help make small cars attractive to safety-conscious drivers. Giles Snyder, NPR News, Washington.

The Obama administration is overhauling 21 or doing away with regulations that appear to hamper 22 economic growth. Regulations include a requirement imposed on gasoline stations to install devices that capture polluting vapors 23.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.