NPR 2008-08-25

A US Navy destroyer docked at a port in the former Soviet 1 Republic of Georgia today, loaded with more than 50 tons of emergency supplies for the tens of thousands of people forced to flee their homes by the fighting with Russian forces. GOP Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana was in the Georgian capital Tbilisi today. He said the aid shipment will not be the last. "It's a part, at least of trying to bring about stability and a great sense of humanity which Americans care and we are attempting to display that everyday and we will be for quite some time. " Georgia's defense 2 minister said with the arrival of the US relief supplies, people there will feel safer because in his words they are not alone in facing Russian aggression 3.

A suicide bomber 4 wearing a vest packed with explosives detonated a blast during a celebration in western Baghdad today. The BBC's Crispin Thorold reports the explosion killed at least 21 people and injured more than two dozen others.

The attack happened at the home of a tribal 5 Sheikh just outside the Iraqi capital. Scores of people had gathered for a dinner organized by an anti-al-Qaeda group. The dead include women and children. The injured have been taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Fallujah where mosques 6 are calling on people to donate blood. The militia 7 that was targeted was from the Tribal Awakening 8, Sunni gunmen, who are now fighting against al-Qaeda rather than alongside them. The movement's helped to reduce violence in Iraq. It is a continual target for Sunni insurgents 9. The BBC's Crispin Thorold reporting.

On the eve of the start of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, the Convention Credentials 10 Committee voted to restore full voting rights to Michigan and Florida today, putting to rest a controversy 11 that was once a key point of contention 12 between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. More from Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta in Denver.

The two states had their votes reduced by half as punishment for jumping ahead of other states to host January primaries. They were challenging the early influence of Iowa and New Hampshire. Party leaders say it's time to put the controversy to rest, and focus on winning in November. But US Senator Carl Levin of Michigan says he is not giving up the fight to shake up the schedule of primaries and caucuses 13 to give states like his a bigger voice. "The system will not be changed unless there is some folks who take up the cudgels, take up the cause to change this New Hampshire-Iowa domination. " But he says that will have to wait until after the November election. The apparent Democratic nominee 14 Barack Obama has called for a commission to look into how the party nominated its presidential candidates. For NPR News, I'm Rick Pluta, in Denver.

A jetliner that reported technical problems shortly after taking off from the capital of Kyrgyzstan today crashed. About 70 people were killed, nearly two dozen survived. In Guatemala, a small plane crashed, killing 15 10 people, at least half of them Americans.

This is NPR News from Washington.

Gasoline prices have dropped 15 cents a gallon over the past two weeks. The average price nationally for self-service regular is now $3.70 a gallon. Industry analyst 16 Trilby Lundberg cites two reasons for the change. "The drop comes from lower gasoline demand, because of high price and from lower profit margins 17, for both refiners and gasoline retailers 18. " Lundberg says gas prices typically decline at this time of year as the summer driving season ends.

The Summer Olympics have ended in Beijing today. The closing day included more medals for the US team, but China finished with far more gold medals than any other country. NPR's Howard Berkes has more from Beijing.  

China had worked its athletes hard for an impressive showing at the hometown Olympics and they responded with 51 gold medals, 15 more than the United States. The US won more medals overall, and more in a non-boycott Olympics in more than a century. The American men's basketball team won gold today by beating Spain in a game that was tougher than expected. The so called "Redeem 19 Team" won the first major international victory for American basketball in eight years. The American men's volleyball team beat Brazil for its first gold medal in the sport in 20 years and the first medal of any kind since 1992. And the men's water polo team wasn't expected to make the medal round, but ended up winning silver, in a loss to Hungary. Howard Berkers, NPR News, Beijing.

The White House says eight American activists 20 were deported 21 from China during the closing ceremonies. They had been arrested and released for trying to stage protests concerning Tibet. The US embassy issued a statement expressing disappointment that the Olympics had not brought more openness and tolerance 22 to China.