NPR 2009-12-29

The Obama administration is promising 1 a review of the airport security procedures after the Christmas day attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight. A Nigerian man suspected of trying to detonate explosives on the plane bound for Detroit has been released from the hospital into the custody 2 of Federal marshals. A court hearing is scheduled for tomorrow as the White House seeks to head off Republican criticism. The ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, accused the Obama administration of being too lax in responding to the threat of terrorism on US soil.

Homegrown terrorism, the threat to the United States, is real. I think this administration has downplayed it. They need to recognize it, and identify it. It is the only way we are going to defeat it.

Hoekstra was on Fox News Sunday. There was another scare on the flight to Detroit today, but the FBI says the man did not pose a security risk. WDET's Rob St. Mary has more.

 Two days after a Nigerian man tried to detonate the device onboard a plane bound for Detroit, another man became disruptive and was arrested. The incident occurred onboard the same Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit that was attacked on Christmas Day. Robert Fo Conna was the wing counter executive.

He was not responding to commands, especially of the flight's crew and at that point of the radio that in. He would not exit the bathroom and of course there is a real heightened sensitivity about these subsequent circumstances.

 Subsequent interviews by investigators 3 determining the businessman became ill during the flight. Passengers were detained for about four hours as the authorities investigated. For NPR News, I'm Rob St. Mary in Detroit.

 The United States is condemning 4 Sunday's violence in Iran. The US says it's offering its support to the victims of the crackdown which witnesses and opposition 5 websites say it left at least five people dead including the nephew of an opposition leader.

 Thailand has started to repatriate 6 thousands of ethnic 7 Hmong asylum 8-seekers to neighboring Laos despite of objections by international rights groups and US officials. Doualy Xaykaothao has more on the story.

 In northern Thailand, soldiers with shields and batons 9 are forcibly deporting 10 more than 4,000 Hmong back to Laos. The hill tribe people have been living in makeshift Thai camps for the last five years. Many seek political asylum fearing prosecution 11 in Laos because of a history of fighting alongside American forces during the Vietnam War. A spokesman for the US State Department said forced returns of persons entitled to protections is inconsistent with international practice. The UN urged Thailand to call off the expulsions and Human Rights Watch in New York called the eviction 12 appalling 13. But a Thai government spokesman said they have assurances from Laos that the Hmong will be safe back in their home country. For NPR News, I'm Doualy Xaykaothao.

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A one year anniversary of the war in Gaza was marked by Palestinians Sunday. Shear 14 Franco reports from Jerusalem.

 Palestinians marked the anniversary of Israel's offensive in Gaza with sirens and a moment of silence. Thirteen Israelis were killed during the three weeks’ conflict. Officials in Gaza say as many as 1,400 Palestinians were killed. Although Israeli officials insist the count was lower and that many of the dead were militants 15. Thousands of Palestinians are still displaced as Israel's embargo 16 on the Gaza's strip bans construction materials from entering the coastal 17 area. Israel launched the wars in response to Palestinian rocket attacks on its southern communities. The relative quiet since the war has caused many Israelis to announce operation was a success. In Israel, the anniversary passed largely unnoticed with none of the major people dailies marking the day in their news pages. For NPR News, I'm Shear Franco in Remora.

 A church in Arizona is holding prayer vigils for a Korean-American missionary 18 who was believed to be detained in North Korea. Activist 19 in South Korea say Robert Park illegally entered North Korea from China on Christmas Day with a letter urging North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to step down and free political prisoners. There's been no word from him since the state department, and the US embassy in Beijing say they are aware of the incident but have no details.

China says a hijacked 20 Chinese cargo 21 ship and its 25 sailors have been rescued. The ship was seized two months ago by pirates operating off the coast of Somalia. The official Xinhua News agency says the crew was rescued early Monday but did not say whether a ransom 22 was paid or if the ship was retaken by force. A statement from the Foreign Ministry 23 gave no details of how the crew was recovered.

I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News.