NPR 2012-04-30

 The president’s counterterrorism adviser 1 says the US has so dismantled 2 al-Qaeda that the potential for a near-term strike on US soil seems slim. John Brennan spoke 3 on “FOX News Sunday.” He says the US remains 4 mindful of the threats that could accompany the impending 5 one-year anniversary of the killing 6 of Osama bin 7 Laden 8.

 
"We are not going to let down our guard, and we’re going to stay extra vigilant 9, in fact, during this period of time”
 
Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” Brennan said Americans in many locations overseas are advised to be vigilant ahead of the anniversary. Also today, Brennan was asked about the drama unfolding in Beijing involving Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng. He would not comment specifically but says the administration will do what’s appropriate. Secretary of State Clinton and Treasury 10 Secretary Geithner are heading to Beijing this week for a long-planned strategic and economic discussion. An advocacy group in Texas called ChinaAid says that Chen escaped from house arrest and is taking refuge at the US embassy in Beijing.
 
In Nigeria, an attack on a church service at a university campus has left 16 people dead. NPR’s Ofeibea Quist-Arcton says no group has claimed responsibility.
 
Details of filtering through that at least three explosions struck an older section of Bayero University campus in the historic northern city of Kano. Students were holding a Christian 12 church service at the lecture hall. A spokesman for Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency, Abubakar Jibril, said there was sporadic 13 gunfire, adding that rescue officials were initially 14 unable to reach the site because what he described as a terrorist attack was continuing. Northern Nigeria and in January Kano specifically have been hit by a wave of attacks by a radical 15 anti-government Islamic sect 11 known as Boko Haram. The name means “Western education is sinful.” Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Juba.
 
A racing 16 tragedy off the coast of California has left three people dead. A sailor who retrieved 17 two dead bodies said the yacht looked like it had been through a blender. We get more on this story from Bob Hensley of Capitol Public Radio.
 
According to the US Coast Guard, the dead and missing crew members are from the sailboat named Aegean, which was participating in the Newport to Ensenada International Yachting Race. Debris 18 and varnish 19 from the boat were found near the Coronado Islands off the coast of Mexico. Officials haven’t determined 20 what happened to the vessel 21 which had based in Redondo Beach, California. Two weeks ago, five crew members died after waves swept them off a yacht 30 miles from San Francisco. The Coast Guard has temporarily stopped issuing permits for races off the northern California coast until an investigation 22 into that incident has been completed. For NPR News, I’m Bob Hensley.
 
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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is in Myanmar, also known as Burma. It’s his first visit there since a self-described civilian 23 government assumed power. NPR’s Anthony Kuhn reports from Jakarta that Ban is the latest in a string of foreign dignitaries to observe developments there.
 
Ban has said that one goal of his trip is to acknowledge the country’s progress in democratic reforms, and that the UN is committed to helping 24 Myanmar push the reforms forward. Ban will meet President Thein Sein and opposition 25 leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and become the first foreign dignitary to address Myanmar’s parliament. Ban is also scheduled to visit the northern Shan State, where the UN helps Myanmar to eradicate 26 opium 27 poppies. Also in Myanmar is the European Union’s top diplomat 28 Catherine Ashton. The EU announced that it would suspend most of its sanctions against the Burmese government. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Jakarta.
 
Attention, soccer fans: Tickets for the soccer tournament at the London Olympics go on sale tomorrow in London before noon local time. Organizers are selling 1.4 million tickets. The sale lasts until May 6th. A couple of weeks after that, another million tickets will be made available.
 
Simple assault charges have been filed against the former Miss New Hampshire USA. Twenty-six-year-old Nicole Houde is accused of punching, kicking and biting her boyfriend.
 
The box office giant this weekend scored its points outside the US, while Disney’s “Avengers” premiered overseas with a reported 178 million dollars in ticket sales. 
 
“You were made to be ruled.”
 
The movie opens in North America next Friday.
 
I’m Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.