NPR 2008-11-29

Indian commandos are reportedly still trying to root out terrorists from their last holdout in Mumbai. Gunfire and explosions have been rocking the landmark 1 Taj Mahal Hotel. The death toll 2 over the past three days is now some 150 but estimates vary. A father and daughter from Virginia are among the foreigners who've been killed, so was a Brooklyn-based rabbi and his wife. They were found dead inside a Jewish center by Indian commandos who stormed the building yesterday. The militant 3 assault on Mumbai is threatening the relationship between India and Pakistan. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Relations between India and Pakistan have never been good, but they have been improving in the last several years. The United States has welcomed this, not least because it wants Pakistan to concentrate on the increasing threat posed by Islamist militants 4 along its western border with Afghanistan, rather than India, its neighbor to the east. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has blamed militants based outside India for the Mumbai attacks, remarks that Pakistani is assumed to direct at them in their intelligence services. This issue's arisen at a bad time when Pakistan's reeling from economic crisis and a wave of Islamists violence. Pakistan's condemned 5 the Mumbai attacks and hotly denies involvement. Today Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani called his Indian counterpart and promised full support in combating terrorism. Philip Reeves, NPR News, Mumbai.

Many shoppers are expressing caution and say they have scaled back because of the weak economy. But they were out in force this Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. In Modesto, California, shoppers were lined up well before dawn at the city's main mall. Bob Hensley of member station KXJZ reports.

Shoppers first had to find a parking place at the Vintage Faire Mall. They then had to contend with lines that snake through stores. Ark Martin found himself in a lengthy 6 line but it was worth it because he saved a bundle on a hard-to-find electronics game. "The Wii games save about $150, so it worked out good.” His wife Sholin was all smiles too. "I found a half carat heart diamond pendant for 65% off, so I was excited.” Regal Ben Breslau arrived early and spent three hours shopping, but left with only a couple of baseball caps. "I was looking for, like electronic surf.  But no, I don't really find anything. The deals weren't really that good. I don’t think it was all worth of getting up. “Some shoppers struggled because they had so many bags to carry. An equal number departed with only a single item or nothing at all. For NPR News, I'm Bob Hensley in Modesto, California.

It's not clear shopping frenzy 7 had anything to do with the deadly shooting today at a Toys "R" Us store in Palm Desert, California. Two people are reportedly dead. This morning on Long Island, New York, a Wal-Mart employee was trampled 8 to death after shoppers broke the store's door down.

Wall Street ended the week with gains today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average up 102 points and NASDAQ 3. 5 points up.

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Ethiopia has announced that it will withdraw its troops from neighboring Somalia by the end of the year. The decision could signal the end for Somalia's internationally backed transitional government. NPR's Gwen Tompkins reports.

Ethiopia has been critical to the survival of Somalia's transitional government since late 2006. That's when Ethiopia dispatched forces to beat back an Islamic group that had taken over Somalia's capital. Since then, the Ethiopians have been waiting for the transitional government to stop squabbling among themselves and forge a unified 9 government. But that day has not come. The Ethiopians have also been waiting for backup. The African Union sent fewer than half of the troops promised and the United Nations says Somalia must stabilize 10 some months before it can send peacekeepers. In the interim 11, the Islamists have regrouped and are waging an insurgency 12 that has won back territory in southern Somalia. It is doubtful that Somalia's transitional government can stand alone against the Islamists. Gwen Tompkins, NPR News, Goma.

The World Health Organization is describing water and sanitation 13 problems in Zimbabwe as huge and says nearly 10, 000 cases of cholera 14 have been reported and more than 400 people have died. Humanitarian 15 groups have begun delivering food to unpaid 16 hospital employees so they won't log a leave rather to look for a meal. Zimbabwe is suffering from three years of failed harvest, hyper inflation and sanctions while a political crisis has the government at a standstill.

The UN's top human rights officials are calling for a halt to violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Navi Pillay says UN investigators 17 should be given unhindered access to investigate abuses. More than 250, 000 people have been driven from their homes since fighting erupted in August.