NPR 2009-12-30

President Obama said today it’s clear that a systemic failure allowed an attempted attack in a passenger plane last week. A Nigerian man is suspected of carrying explosive device aboard Northwest Airlines plane Christmas day. It failed to detonate. Speaking in Hawaii where he and the first family are on vacation, the president said it’s clear the government needs to do a better job.

“There were bits of information available within the intelligence community that could have - and should have - been pieced together. We've achieved much since 9/11 in terms of collecting information that relates to terrorists and potential terrorist attacks. But it's becoming clear that the system that has been in place for years now is not sufficiently 1 up-to-date to take full advantage of the information we collect and the knowledge we have.”

The president said he’s ordered preliminary findings on the incident on his desk by Thursday and a comprehensive report in the coming weeks.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says the US plans for a missile defense 2 system in Eastern Europe are hindering a new strategic arms reduction treaty between the two countries. Jessica Gallaher has the details from Moscow.

Prime Minister Putin is urging Washington to share its missile defense strategy with Moscow as part of an information exchange under a new START pact 3. The Kremlin has remained wary 4 of Washington’s plans to put land and sea-based missiles in Eastern Europe. As a result, Putin says Russia must create a new generation of offensive weapons. Many analysts 5 expected a new missile deal to be reached during sideline talks at the Climate Summit in Copenhagen. The former president's comments contradicted President Medvedev’s announcement last week that a deal was closed at hand and show that the Prime Minister continues to shape the country’s foreign policy. Russia’s Constitution states that Medvedev should be making those types of decisions. For NPR News, I’m Jessica Gallaher in Moscow.

The S&P Case-Shiller Index reports the US home sales fell in October by more than 7% from a year ago, but they stay the same in October when compared to the previous months. NPR’s Tamara Keith reports.

The freefalling home value seemed to stop in the spring with prices slowly improving each month since. In October, though, prices didn’t budge 6. The chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor's says not to read too much into that. He said this isn’t necessarily a sign that home prices are about to take a second dip. The report shows home prices in October around the US were similar to what buyers paid in the fall of 2003. There are some bright spots. San Francesco, San Diego, Los Angeles and Phoenix 7 are all reporting several consecutive 8 months of positive returns. Las Vegas can't seem to get a break. Prices there have fallen for 38 months straight. Tamara Keith, NPR News, Washington.

The S&P fell one point today. The Dow was down one point and the NASDAQ dropped two points.

You’re listening to NPR News from Washington.

A fire at a major nuclear research facility in India has killed at least two people. It broke out at a chemical laboratory near Mumbai. NPR’s Philip Reeves reports.

The fire happened at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre on the outskirts 9 of the city of Mumbai. There was reportedly a loud explosion, then the laboratory filled with smoke. The center said firefighters put out the blaze in about 45 minutes. They recovered bodies believed to have been research students. These were charred 10 beyond recognition. A spokesman for the center said no nuclear reactor 11 was affected 12, and that the incident caused no radiation leak. India has 17 civilian 13 nuclear reactors 14 which provided about 3% of the country’s power. But it is expanding its nuclear capacity significantly. This is the second incident at the nuclear center in recent weeks. Last month, dozens of workers of an atomic power plant in southern India received medical treatment after drinking water in a cooler that was contaminated by a radioactive substance. Officials think this was a deliberate criminal act not an accident. Philip Reeves, NPR News, New Delhi.

NATO officials say a US soldier was killed in western Afghanistan today. According to an Afghan general, an Afghan soldier opened fire on foreign troops at an army base, killing 15 the American. Two Italian soldiers were wounded. The Afghan soldier was wounded when NATO forces returned fire. Violence in Afghanistan has reached its highest level since the war began eight years ago.

A gunman opened fire on a checkpoint in central Iraq today. Officials say at least four guards were killed. They were members of the Sons of Iraq or Awakening 16 Council, Sunni-dominated security forces backed by the government. The councils are now on the side of the government so have become the targets of militants 17 in Iraq.

I’m Nora Raum, NPR News in Washington.