NPR 2010-11-21

NATO leaders agreed today on a plan to transfer to the Afghan military the job of ensuring that nation's security. President Obama said the international force would start their process next year.

"We agreed that early 2011 will mark the beginning of a transition to Afghan responsibility, and we adopted the goal of Afghan forces taking the lead for security across the country by the end of 2014. This is a goal that President Karzai has put forward."After meeting with NATO leaders, President Karzai repeatedly thanked the member nations, troops and taxpayers 1 for their sacrifices. Alison Roberts reports from Lisbon Karzai is also discussing plans for comprehensive peace talks.

After expressing his gratitude 2, Afghanistan's president reiterated 3 his concerns about civilian 4 casualties resulting from foreign military operations. He expressed what he said was a unanimous desire among Afghans to launch a comprehensive peace process, a desire he said NATO leaders understood. But in an answer to a question about including the Taliban and former fighters in peace talks, he implied he does not now have NATO's full backing to do that.

"We are moving in the direction of peace talks under Afghan leadership understood and endorsed 5 by the international community."Karzai said his discussion with NATO leaders was a very friendly one on all issues. For NPR News, I'm Alison Roberts in Lisbon.

At least four people are dead after two explosions in eastern Afghanistan. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports from Kabul women and children are among the dead and wounded.

Afghan government officials said the apparent target of the first bomb was a checkpoint, where police were searching cars in Laghman province, 60 miles east of Kabul. The explosion wounded dozens. Among the dead were a child, a woman and an elderly man. The bomb was strapped 6 to a bicycle and possibly detonated by remote. The second bomb was also attached to a bicycle inside Laghman's provincial 7 capital of Mehtar Lam, according to the deputy governor. Laghman province is one of many surrounding Kabul that has seen an increased presence of Taliban insurgents 8 in recent years. Quil Lawrence, NPR News, Kabul.

A Christian 9 women sentenced to death for blasphemy 10 against Islam is asking the Pakistani president for a pardon. The mother of four small children told reporters today she had been wrongly convicted, saying the case has stemmed from a dispute with her neighbors over livestock 11. She was the first woman to be sentenced to death under Pakistan's blasphemy law, which critics say is used to persecute 12 religious minorities and to settle personal scores.

The Pope is saying the use of condoms may be morally justified 13 in some cases. The Vatican today released excerpts 14 of a new book by the Pope to be published next week. He says that condom use may be justified, if used by male prostitutes attempting to limit the spread of HIV, since contraception would not be a factor.

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The residents of the entire east bank of New Orleans are being told to boil their water. The order came early this morning after a brief power failure at a water purification plant caused by a large drop in water pressure. A superintendent 15 calls the advisory 16 precautionary and says that water quality has not been affected 17. This is the most widespread such order since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The spokesman for Los Angeles County courts denies claims that he was fired for leaking information to a celebrity 18 website. NPR's Carrie Kahn reports that Allan Parachini says he was let go for giving reporters access to legitimate 19 public records.

Parachini, a former journalist, has been in front of the cameras at LA courthouses for eight years, explaining the intricacies of Lindsay Lohan's and Paris Hilton's travails 20. He told the Los Angeles Times that rumors 21 that he had taken bribes 22 from the celebrity tabloid 23 TMZ.com are completely false. Parachini says in recent months he had clashed with court administrators 24 delaying reporters' inquiries 25 into information he believed to be pubic, such as judges' expense reports and employee salaries. Mary Hearn, who is currently taking over Parachini's old job, says she cannot comment on personnel issues, but did add that the court makes every effort to release information in the public domain 26. Carrie Kahn, NPR News.

The latest "Harry 27 Potter" movie brought in $61.2 million in its first day yesterday, putting it on track to out-earn the franchise's previous high, "Harry Potter and the Goblet 28 of Fire" in 2005. This one is "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1", based on the first part of the seventh and final novel in the series. "Part 2" is due out in July.