NPR 2012-06-03

 A judge in Cairo today ordered that Hosni Mubarak spent the rest of his life in prison. For his part in the deaths of hundreds of protestors, during the uprising that drove him from power last year. The former president sat stoneface and frowning as the judge announced the decision. Kimberly Adams reports Egyptians are expressing relief. 

From many people that I have talked to the this far, be happy that there was a conviction. He is going to ** judge penalty which a lot people wanted. Many people are just happy he was convicted. And they see that at least some kind of justice. Reporter Kimberly Adams in Cairo.
Mubarak was then flown by helicopter to a prison hospital, he is 84 and being held in the military hospital during the trial. 
 
 
Nato forces rescued four hostages held in a cave in northern Afghanistan, including a British woman and a Kenyan woman. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports all five kidnappers 1 were killed. The hostages were medical charity workers who had been brining aid to remote mountain communities in Badakhshan province when they disappeared on May 22nd. Ransom 2  demands followed shortly after. NATO officials said a team of soldiers were inserted by helicopter under cover of darkness, located the hostages in a cave and rescued them before dawn local time. The British and Kenyan women are now receiving aid from the UK embassy in Afghanistan. Officials in Badakhshan province said the kidnappers were criminals. NATO officials said the group had close linked to Taliban insurgents 4. The line between criminal and insurgent 3 activity is often blurry 5. Quil Lawrence, NPR News. Kabul.
 
 
Defense 6 Secretary Leon Panetta said today the US and China must learn to work better together for the benefit of the Asia Pacific region. He spoke 7 at a security conference in Singapore. Panetta said the US and China understand their conflicts but must improve their communications and military relationship. 
 
 
The recall election of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is only a few days away. NPR's David Schaper reports both the Republican incumbent 8 and the Democratic challenger Tom Barrett are stumping 9 with the help of national political heavyweights.
Campaigning downtown, Milwaukee with the city's mayor Tom Barrett, former President Bill Clinton evoked 10 decisive urgency.
This is a big deal. 
And Clinton blasted  what he called, Scott Walker's divid and conquer never compromise style.
That is what's wrong with America today. It is not the road back, it is a road to a dead end. 
At a factory in Milwaukee suburb, South Carolina governor Nikki Haley explained why she is campaigning for Walker. 
It's because he had the courage to go through the burn. He had the courage to take on even when it got ugly, and he never stopped. He never stopped.
Haley urged Wisconsin voters to reward Walker's courage with a victory on Tuesday. David Schaper, NPR News, Milwaukee.
 
 
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Officials in New Mexico report firefighters have now contained about 15% of the largest wild fire in state history. The blaze in the Gila National Forest is also the largest wildfire in the nation at this time. It's burnt more than 354 square miles. ** is a spokeswomen for the US forest service. She says the blaze spread quickly. 
This area has been in a drought for several years, though the fuels are extremely dry, the temperatures are extremely hot. 
The fire has destroyed a dozen cabins and eight outbuildings. 
 
 
An ambitious plan to build a four-billion-dollar convention center and casino in New York city has fallen through. The governor of New York says talks with the developer have stalled. NPR's Joel Rose reports.
Governor Andrew Cuomo wanted to put a casino in the nation's largest convention center, near the Aqueduct racetrack  and the JFK Airport in Queens. In his state to the state speech earlier this year. Cuomo said the plan would create tens of thousands of jobs. The Malaysian  gambling 11 company Genting was supposed to foot the bill. But in an interview with WOR Radio, Cuomo acknowledged that no longer appears likely.   
We had those conversations going on for a few weeks. The conversations haven't really worked out. 
Cuomo says the state is now having discussions with other gaming companies. He still plans to move forward with a constitutional amendment 12 to legalize casino gambling in New York. Joel Rose, NPR News.
 
 
New York city's Metropolitan 13 Museum of Art is being asked to give up to ancient statues that  have been a highlight of its southeast Asian collection for 20 years. The New York Times reports the Cambodian government says the figures were stolen around 1970, they date to the tenth century.