NPR 2009-09-27

The Obama administration reportedly plans to tell Iran's government in multinational 1 talks next week that it has three months to open its nuclear facilities to inspectors 2 and answer detailed 3 questions about its disputed nuclear program. The New York Times quotes administration officials as saying Iran will also be told to make its nuclear scientists available to be interviewed by the inspectors. President Obama says the international community is ready to insist on compliance 4.

"I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our European allies in condemning 5 Iran's program. In our meetings and public statements, President Medvedev of Russia and I agreed that Iran must pursue a new course or face consequences. All of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany have made it clear that Iran must fulfill 6 its responsibilities."

Mr. Obama speaking in his weekly radio and Internet address today.

The head of Iran's nuclear program says UN inspectors can visit its previously 7 secret new uranium enrichment facility but he did not say when. And a close aide to Iran's supreme 8 leader said today the site will be operational soon and will in his words “blind the eyes of the enemies”. Britain's government says it's committed to a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue but will not categorically rule out possible military action. Larry Miller 9 has more from London.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said no sane 10 person would attack Iran, then qualified 11 it by adding “without real concern”. Pressed by the BBC, Miliband refused to say whether military action was inconceivable. He said diplomatic pressure over Iran's nuclear program led by the US needs to have an opportunity to work. Miliband said that it’s essential that when Iran sits down with the UN Security Council and Germany next week, it takes concrete steps to address concerns and accept the offers on the table to prevent further action including sanctions. Meanwhile, Iranian state news agencies report the second uranium processing plant will begin operation soon. Israel's foreign minister called for an unequivocal response from western leaders. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is hosting a two-day summit of more than two dozen leaders from South America and Africa, looking for ways to strengthen their economic and political ties. The BBC's Will Grand reports.

Amid very tight security, more than 50 heads of state and government have descended 12 on the island, bringing with them hundreds of members of their entourages and local business leaders, all of them hosted by Washington's most out-spoken regional critic Hugo Chavez. But President Chavez says this meeting will be more than what he calls just another summit. “We want to mark the path for the next ten years”, he said, referring to intercontinental dialogue on poverty eradication 13, mining and energy resources, trade and agriculture.

The BBC's Will Grand on Margarita Island, Venezuela.

This is NPR News from Washington.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is characterizing as extremely productive her talks with representatives of Arab nations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. Clinton has been urging the nations to take steps toward normalizing relations with Israel while supporting the Palestinians.

A medical transport helicopter crashed late last night in South Carolina, killing 14 all three people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. NPR's Russell Louis has the story.

The pilot, paramedic and flight nurse all died in the accident. The crew had just dropped off a patient in Charleston and it was returning to Conway South, Carolina when it crashed near Georgetown. Texas-based Omniflight owned the helicopter and confirmed details of the accident to NPR. The crash comes amid heightened scrutiny 15 of the industry by the National Transportation Safety Board and Congress following nine accidents which killed 29 people last year. Earlier this month, the NTSB issued a series of sweeping 16 recommendations to try to make the emergency helicopter industry safer. Those included requiring night-vision goggles 17 and training pilots to be better prepared when inadvertently flying into bad weather. Russell Louis, NPR News.

Heavy rains are drenching 18 parts of Georgia today, even as volunteers and residents struggled to clean up from widespread flooding this week. Matt Sena is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He says the region is prone 19 to more flooding.

"It’s not gonna take very much, additional rain for anywhere to start seeing at least some minor 20 flood issues, the ground is still very, very wet."

Georgia's insurance commissioner 21 has raised the estimated cost of damage from the flooding this week in the state to 500 million dollars.