NPR 2011-06-06

Agricultural officials say they think an organic farm in northern Germany was the source of the deadly E. coli outbreak that has sickened more than 2,000 people in Europe. Twenty-two people have died. Investigators 1 traced the bacteria to beansprouts but say other kinds of sprouts 2 from that farm may be implicated 3.

Israeli troops fired on pro-Palestinian demonstrators today, trying to force their way into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Syrian state television is reporting at least 18 people were killed. Israeli military official Avital Leibovich says the soldiers had no choice but opened fire.

"We verbally warned them. We shot warning shots into the air. When this failed, we had to direct some fire to their feets in order to try and protect our fence. This is the border fence between Israel and Syria."

Several hundred protesters have gathered to mark the 44th anniversary of the 1967 Middle East war.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague says he feels inspired after meeting with Libyan leaders yesterday in Benghazi. Hague told the BBC he's convinced the rebels are committed to democracy. Larry Miller 4 reports.

Secretary Hague says he discussed with rebel leaders a political road map for a post-Gaddafi Libya.

"There needs to be such a plan, and it's only in an embryonic 5 stage for Libya to stabilize 6 the situation after Gaddafi, but we're also encouraging the National Transitional Council to put more flesh on their proposed transition — to lay out in more detail this coming week what would happen on the day that Gaddafi went — who would be running what."

Hague says once Gaddafi falls, a peacekeeping force might be needed to help bring order in Libya with the African Union, the most likely contributor. He insists British troops won't be part of it. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Police in Pakistan say a bomb exploded at a bakery in the northwest part of the country today. At least 18 people were killed, and 35 others were wounded.

Some people battling floodwaters in the Missouri River say the Army Corps 7 of Engineers should have released water long before the flooding was a problem. Gary Ellenbolt reports.

Officials with Corps of Engineers say releases from dams on the Missouri River are projected at an average of rainfall, but the Northern Plains have gone through the wettest period in more than a century. Colonel Robert Ruch with the Corps of Engineers says the system of dams on the Missouri is operating as designed.

"And that the system wasn't here. You know, as somebody asked me this question the other day in the lower basin, and they said where would the water be, and I pointed 8 to the blocks that are miles apart. I said it would be across this entire flood plain. So, you know, this is happening in the past, but the system is operating as designed right now."

The Corps of Engineers plans daily releases from dams on the Missouri over the next few days. Several cities along the river in South Dakota have gone through voluntary evacuations. For NPR News, I'm Gary Ellenbolt in Vermillion, South Dakota.

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It was 30 years ago today that medical officials recognized the illness that would come to be known as AIDS. NPR's Sonari Glinton reports it grew into a health care crisis that continues today.

On June 5th, 1981, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported five gay men in Los Angeles had a rare form of pneumonia 9. It was usually associated with those who had weakened immune systems. They were the first recognized cases of what would later be known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome 10 or AIDS. Three decades later, more than 30 million people have died from the disease. Six hundred and seventeen thousand of them in the US. Another 33.3 million people are living with AIDS or HIV, the virus that causes it, and more than a million are infected here in the US, though an estimated 20% don't know it. Health officials say that's evidence the AIDS crisis is far from over. Sonari Glinton, NPR News.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is due in court in Manhattan tomorrow. The former head of the International Monetary 11 Fund is charged with trying to rape 12 a hotel maid. He's expected to plead not guilty.

The Miami Herald 13 reports the US Marshals Service raised more than 400,000 dollars yesterday by selling personal property belonging to disgraced financier Bernard Madoff. The auction 14 will benefit people who lost money investigating in his Ponzi scheme. Some of the successful bidders 15 say that they plan to resell their items for a profit, such as on eBay. Other bidders said they wanted a piece of history by owning something that had once belonged to Madoff. One purchaser paid 200 dollars for 14 pairs of Madoff's underwear.

I'm Nora Raum, NPR News in Washington.