NPR 2010-11-28

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone.

A Somali-born teenager is accused of plotting mass murder at a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon. As NPR's John Burnett reports, an undercover agent has provided phony explosives to the young man.

Federal agents say the suspect tried to detonate a dummy 1 bomb, six drums full of inert 2 explosives provided by an FBI undercover agent. Nineteen-year-old Mohamed Osman Mohamud was arrested Friday at 5:40 p.m. at a Portland train station after he dialed a cell phone that he thought would detonate the bomb. He reportedly yelled "God is great!" in Arabic and resisted arrest as he was taken into custody 3. An FBI agent said the threat was very real, but the public was never in danger. An FBI affidavit 4 says he planned the attack since June, when a federal agent learned that Mohamud had been e-mailing an "unindicted associate" in Pakistan. If convicted of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, Mohamud could get life in prison. John Burnett, NPR News.

Anger and sadness in South Korea as citizens there grieved those lost in a North Korean attack earlier this week. And as NPR's Doualy Xaykaothao reports, there are calls for tougher action against the North.

They wore their military fatigues 5 and put white cloths around their heads, shouting "Let's go. Let's go." The naval 6 activists 7 are upset that South Korea's military did not respond faster and stronger in retaliation 8 for North Korea's shelling at Yeonpyeong Island. Meanwhile, another protest took place, a more peaceful one denouncing North Korea's attack. Earlier in the morning, a funeral for two South Korean marines was televised. Some 600 mourners attended the service. A marine 9 commander during a speech to the audience said his forces would retaliate 10 1,000 fold for the North's attack. Pyongyang issued new warnings today, saying its military will turn the South into a 'sea of fire' if the joint 11 military exercises between the US and South Korea violate the North's border. For NPR News, I'm Doualy Xaykaothao in Incheon.

Retailers 12 are a bit more optimistic this holiday shopping season after online spending spiked 13 to 16 percent on Black Friday, according to a web research group called Coremetrics. It's called Black Friday because the holiday shopping surge could move retailers into profitability or the black. Overall, analysts 14 expect this to be the strongest buying season in three years.

In Dublin, early snow and slush didn't discourage protests against anticipated austerity measures. Spending cuts and tax hikes are required to meet the terms of a bailout for Ireland's feeble economy. Officials there say Ireland's 2010 deficit 15 is running at 32 percent of GDP. That is the highest in Europe since World War II.

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South African President Jacob Zuma calls his trip to Zimbabwe to try to smooth over tensions in the country's ruling coalition 16 very successful. As Vicky O'Hara reports, Zuma has been playing the role of mediator 17 between Zimbabwe's president and its prime minister.

The ANC has dominated South African politics since the end of apartheid. Much of its power stems from its strong alliance with the Labor 18 Federation 19 and Communist Party. That alliance has fractured in recent months. The Communist Party and unions say Zuma and his allies have feathered their nests while ignoring the poor. Some of Zuma's most vocal 20 critics are members of the ANC's militant 21 Youth League. Its leader Julius Malema challenges the government to take a more radical 22 economic approach. Malema has called for nationalizing the lucrative 23 mining industry. As Zuma opened the party conference in Durban, he called for unity 24 within the alliance. He also attacked those within the ANC, whom he described as putting their own interests ahead of the party. For NPR News, I'm Vicky O'Hara, Johannesburg.

American troops are still on track to leave Iraq by the end of next year, that according to Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who's forming Iraq's next government. The Iraqi official is telling reporters today that forces there are capable of assuming full responsibility for the country's security. Right now, there are roughly 50,000 US troops in Iraq.

The Taliban claiming responsibility for a deadly suicide attack near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. Several officers were killed.