VOA News for 11 July 2013 - 20130711
Channel: ListenAndReadAlong
Date: 11/07/2013

Thanks to http://gandalf.ddo.jp/ for audio and text
VOA NEWS  Thursday July 11th, 2013
  From Washington, this is VOA news.  Egypt orders the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood leaders.  The Boston Marathon bombing suspect pleads not guilty.  I'm Ray Kouguell reporting from Washington.
   The top prosecutor in Egypt ordered the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood leaders, even as the country's interim prime minister is preparing to reach out to the group to form a transitional government.
  Arrest warrants have been issued for the Brotherhood's supreme guide Mohammed Badie, one of his deputies, and eight others.
  They are suspected of inciting violence that left more than 50 people dead earlier this week outside the headquarters of the Republican Guard.
   The United States continues to urge restraint by the military and all groups in Egypt.  The future of U.S. aid for Egypt is under consideration as White House correspondent Dan Robinson reports.
  Decades-old U.S. law requires that non-humanitarian aid be suspended to a country where a military coup has occurred.  Egypt currently receives about $1.5-billion in military and economic aid.
  The Obama administration refuses to attach any timeline to the process of determining whether the ouster of President Morsi was a coup.
  Press secretary Jay Carney said an immediate aid cutoff would not be in U.S. interests, adding there is an ongoing evaluation of what happened in Egypt and of "responsibilities under the law."
  Dan Robinson, VOA news, the White House.
   The U.S. State Department blocked a Syrian diplomat sent by President Bashar al-Assad's government from entering the United States and reaching the Syrian embassy in Washington.
  The State Department says a diplomat identified as Ali Daghman had his visa revoked.
  U.S. officials said earlier that Daghman was awaiting deportation from Washington's Dulles International Airport.
   The United Nations Security Council is expressing deepening concern that Lebanon's stability could be weakened by the growing impact of the Syrian crisis.
  VOA's Margaret Besheer has details.
  The 15-nation Security Council issued a statement urging Lebanon to recommit to its policy of dissociation regarding the Syrian conflict, as it copes with a mounting refugee crisis, cross-border fire, domestic sectarian tensions, and the direct participation of at least one Lebanese group in the Syria fighting.
  Lebanon is now hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees of any country.
  But despite the impact of the refugees, Lebanese Ambassador Nawaf Salam said the country will not close its borders.
  "Let me stress three   one, Lebanon will not close its borders; Lebanon will not turn back any refugee; Lebanon will continue to provide assistance to all Syrian refugees."
  Margaret Besheer, VOA news, the United Nations.
   Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev pleaded not guilty to all charges in connection with the deadly twin explosions at the finish line of the April 15th race.
  Tsarnaev entered the plea Wednesday in Boston federal court.  The charges against him include using a weapon of mass destruction.
  If he is convicted, Tsarnaev, who is 19 years old, will face the death penalty or life imprisonment.
  Three people were killed and more than 260 injured in the blasts.
   The chief executive of the rail line whose runaway train derailed last week in a small Canadian town, causing deadly oil tanker explosions, says the engineer failed to properly set the brakes when he parked it as his work shift ended.
  Edward Burkhardt of the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway company says the unnamed engineer has been suspended without pay.
  At least 15 people were killed and another 45 are reported missing.
   U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says Chinese cyber-theft of U.S. intellectual property must stop.
   Speaking at the State Department during annual high-level talks between the U.S. and China Wednesday, Vice President Biden said both countries will benefit from an "open, secure and reliable Internet."
   U.S. regulators are ordering the country's eight biggest banks to double their cash reserves in hopes of preventing another financial crisis like the one that led to world economic turmoil five years ago.
  Under the new requirement, the banks collectively might have to keep about $150-billion more in reserve as protection against loans, investments and other assets that fail.
   And South Africa's President Jacob Zuma says former President Nelson Mandela is "responding to treatment," although he remains in critical condition.
  President Zuma visited Mr. Mandela in a Pretoria hospital Wednesday evening.
   I'm Ray Kouguell, VOA news.  More on the Internet at voanews.com.