npr--2020-01-10--Spirit AeroSystems, A Major Supplier Of Boeing's 737 Max Jets, Lays Off 2,800 Staff

Jet parts maker Spirit AeroSystems announced Friday it was laying off thousands of employees , the latest impact of the halt in production of Boeing 's troubled 737 Max planes .
The Wichita-based company said the staff cuts will affect roughly 2,800 employees .
It said it came to the decision because it is unclear when Boeing will resume making the once in-demand aircraft .
Boeing 's Max planes have been grounded worldwide since March , following a pair of deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed a combined 346 people .
News of the Spirit AeroSystems layoffs comes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internal documents , including emails from employees mocking staff at the Federal Aviation Administration and showing disdain for architects of the jetliner .
One email said , `` This airplane is designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys . ''
Spirit AeroSystems calls itself a `` significant supplier '' to the Max program , building parts including thrust reversers , wing components , engine pylons and the entire fuselage .
The company added `` the MAX represents more than 50 percent of Spirit 's annual revenue . ''
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step given the uncertainty related to both the timing for resuming 737 MAX production and the overall production levels that can be expected following the production suspension , '' Spirit AeroSystems President and CEO Tom Gentile said in a statement .
`` We are taking these actions to balance the interests of all of our stakeholders as a result of the grounding of the 737 MAX , while also positioning Spirit to meet future demand . ''
Boeing announced last month it was suspending production of its 737 Max as of January .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not plan to layoff or furlough Boeing workers who build the plane , but would reassign them .
But as NPR has reported , the cease in production was expected to reverberate throughout Boeing 's extensive supply chain .
Spirit AeroSystems said this week it was seeking voluntary layoffs , according to Nadya Faulx , a reporter at member station KMUW .
She tells NPR , `` In addition to work on the 737 , Spirit also builds parts for the Boeing 787 , and 767 , and parts for various Airbus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spirit AeroSystems also plans additional smaller layoffs at its plants in Tulsa and McAlester , Okla. , later this month .
Spirit AeroSystems said late last month , it had received a directive `` to stop all 737 MAX deliveries to Boeing '' effective at the start of the new year .
Three days after that announcement , Boeing ousted CEO Dennis Muilenburg , citing the need `` to restore confidence in the Company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators , customers , and all other stakeholders . ''

Spirit AeroSystems, A Major Supplier Of Boeing's 737 Max Jets, Lays Off 2,800 Staff
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ted S. Warren/AP Ted S. Warren/AP
Jet parts maker Spirit AeroSystems announced Friday it was laying off thousands of employees, the latest impact of the halt in production of Boeing's troubled 737 Max planes.
The Wichita-based company said the staff cuts will affect roughly 2,800 employees. It said it came to the decision because it is unclear when Boeing will resume making the once in-demand aircraft.
Boeing's Max planes have been grounded worldwide since March, following a pair of deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed a combined 346 people.
News of the Spirit AeroSystems layoffs comes a day after Boeing released a batch of internal documents, including emails from employees mocking staff at the Federal Aviation Administration and showing disdain for architects of the jetliner.
One email said, "This airplane is designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys."
Spirit AeroSystems calls itself a "significant supplier" to the Max program, building parts including thrust reversers, wing components, engine pylons and the entire fuselage. The company added "the MAX represents more than 50 percent of Spirit's annual revenue."
"The difficult decision announced today is a necessary step given the uncertainty related to both the timing for resuming 737 MAX production and the overall production levels that can be expected following the production suspension," Spirit AeroSystems President and CEO Tom Gentile said in a statement.
"We are taking these actions to balance the interests of all of our stakeholders as a result of the grounding of the 737 MAX, while also positioning Spirit to meet future demand."
Boeing announced last month it was suspending production of its 737 Max as of January. The company said at the time it did not plan to layoff or furlough Boeing workers who build the plane, but would reassign them.
But as NPR has reported, the cease in production was expected to reverberate throughout Boeing's extensive supply chain.
Spirit AeroSystems said this week it was seeking voluntary layoffs, according to Nadya Faulx, a reporter at member station KMUW.
She tells NPR, "In addition to work on the 737, Spirit also builds parts for the Boeing 787, and 767, and parts for various Airbus jets at multiple facilities worldwide."
Spirit AeroSystems also plans additional smaller layoffs at its plants in Tulsa and McAlester, Okla., later this month.
Spirit AeroSystems said late last month, it had received a directive "to stop all 737 MAX deliveries to Boeing" effective at the start of the new year.
Three days after that announcement, Boeing ousted CEO Dennis Muilenburg, citing the need "to restore confidence in the Company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers, and all other stakeholders."
David Calhoun, Boeing's new chief executive, starts on Monday.


npr--2020-01-10--Chinese Virologists Are Fighting A New Outbreak. Here's What They're Looking For

Chinese Virologists Are Fighting A New Outbreak .
Here 's What They 're Looking For A new strain of coronavirus has been discovered in China .
Health officials think it 's the likely culprit in a pneumonia outbreak in the central city of Wuhan , where 59 people have been diagnosed with mysterious viral lung infections since early December .
Chinese researchers say they sequenced the new coronavirus 's genome from one patient 's samples , and matched it to fourteen other people in the outbreak .
The cases appear to be linked to a large seafood market in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for meat .
Experts think those infected probably touched or ate animals carrying the virus .
They then developed symptoms including fever , breathing issues and lesions on their lungs .
The coronavirus family includes six other strains known to infect humans .
All of them share a signature look under a strong microscope : a circle with spikes coming off the surface , ending with small blobs — hence the `` corona . ''
`` Kind of looks like the peaks of a crown , '' says Carolyn Machamer , a virologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University School of Medicine .
Four of those strains cause common colds , and two — SARS and MERS — have caused major pandemics .
So how concerned should you be about this new disease ?
Virologists watching the outbreak are asking three main questions to assess the severity of this coronavirus , on the scale of sniffles to severe threat : Chinese authorities say the virus does not transmit easily between people .
Since health workers treating patients do n't seem to have gotten sick , it 's reasonable to believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Vineet Menachery , a virologist at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston .
Still , it 's too early to conclude that this new coronavirus does n't spread between people at all .
How easily a virus spreads among people depends on several factors , such as how well it replicates in a person , and where in the body the infection is located .
`` If it 's in the nose or the upper airways , it potentially could be breathed or coughed out easier , '' compared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frieman , a virologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine .
The SARS virus spread readily through close person-to-person contact .
The SARS pandemic originated in southern China in 2002 , infected more than 8,000 people globally and caused some 800 deaths before the outbreak ended the following year .
MERS , which emerged in 2012 in Saudi Arabia , appears to spread less easily between people , but to be more lethal .
To date , it 's infected around 2,500 people and caused around 850 deaths .
As of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported seven critical cases , but no deaths from the virus .
Some patients have been treated and discharged .
The fact that people seem able to fight off the infection and recover is a good sign , says Machamer , at Johns Hopkins .
`` It 's a serious-enough infection , but not like SARS or MERS , '' she says .
Health authorities are monitoring the patients in Wuhan and their close contacts to help manage the outbreak .
Earlier this month , authorities closed the seafood and live animal market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and investigations .
It 's a step from the post-SARS playbook on containing outbreaks .
`` Viruses that emerge from animals need some time to become an epidemic strain , '' says Menachery .
`` The faster you find them , the faster you limit the spread . ''
He says that closing live markets in China and implementing strict quarantine procedures helped end the SARS outbreak globally .
Still , until the source of the infection is found , there 's no guarantee that the problem has been contained .
No new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Machamer says it 's possible that animals from the same infected population have been sold at other live markets .
According to the WHO , Chinese authorities are currently investigating the cause and monitoring for additional cases .
On the `` scared or not scared '' scale , Frieman says his concern level for this outbreak is at a 3 out of 10 .
All signs point to a nonlethal infection that does n't spread easily between people .
But if the number of cases increase , or people start dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And if the virus shows signs of mutating to become easily transmitted between people , he says virologists will become very concerned — that 's a historic warning sign for pandemics .

CDC To Screen For New Strain Of Coronavirus At 3 U.S. Airports
Enlarge this image toggle caption FG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images FG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Updated on Jan. 17 at 2 p.m.
Three U.S. airports will begin screening passengers from Wuhan, China, for symptoms of the new strain of coronavirus — named 2019-nCoV — that has been discovered in China.
Health officials in China say the virus is the culprit in a pneumonia outbreak in the central city of Wuhan, where more than 40 people have been diagnosed with mysterious viral lung infections since early December. Two cases have been identified in Thailand and one in Japan from travelers who had recently come from Wuhan. Two deaths have been reported in Wuhan.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the announcement on Friday. Screening for symptoms will begin when direct flights from Wuhan arrive at JFK in New York on Friday night and at San Francisco's SFO on Saturday. The third airport, LAX in Los Angeles, does not have direct flights landing from Wuhan but will screen arriving passengers who initially flew out of Wuhan.
The outbreak was announced in China on Dec. 31. Chinese researchers say they sequenced the new coronavirus's genome from one patient's samples and matched it to others in the outbreak.
Some, but not all, of the cases appear to be linked to a large seafood market in the city, which also sells live animals for meat. Experts think the infection probably came from people touching or eating animals that carry the virus. These individuals then developed viral symptoms including fever, breathing issues and lesions on their lungs.
The coronavirus family includes six other strains known to infect humans. All share a signature look under a strong microscope: a circle with spikes coming off the surface, ending with small blobs — hence the "corona."
"Kind of looks like the peaks of a crown," says Carolyn Machamer, a virologist and cell biologist at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Four of those strains cause common colds, and two — SARS and MERS — have caused major pandemics. So how concerned should you be about this new disease?
Virologists watching the outbreak are asking three main questions to assess the severity of this coronavirus, on the scale of sniffles to severe threat.
1) Is it contagious?
Chinese authorities say the virus does not transmit easily between people.
Since health workers treating patients don't seem to have fallen sick, it's reasonable to believe that the virus doesn't spread efficiently, says Vineet Menachery, a virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
The ease of person-to-person spread rests on several factors, including how well the virus replicates in a person and where in the body the infection is located.
"If it's in the nose or the upper airways, it potentially could be breathed or coughed out easier" compared with a deeper lung infection, says Matthew Frieman, a virologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
The SARS virus spread readily through close person-to-person contact. The SARS pandemic originated in southern China in 2002, infected more than 8,000 people globally and caused some 800 deaths before the outbreak ended the following year.
MERS, which emerged in 2012 in Saudi Arabia, appears to spread less easily between people but to be more lethal. To date, it has infected around 2,500 people and caused around 850 deaths.
2) Is it lethal?
Chinese health authorities have reported two deaths from the virus in Wuhan: a 61-year-old man, described as a frequent visitor to the market, died last week, and a 69-year-old man, who became ill on New Year's Eve, died Wednesday.
About a half-dozen patients were in critical condition. Other patients have been treated and discharged.
The fact that people seem able to fight off the infection and recover is a good sign, says Machamer of Johns Hopkins.
"It's a serious-enough infection, but not like SARS or MERS," she says.
Health authorities are monitoring the patients in Wuhan and their close contacts to help manage the outbreak.
3) Is it contained?
So far, three cases of coronavirus have been confirmed outside of China, in travelers from Wuhan. Two Chinese tourists in Thailand and a Japanese man who returned from a trip to Wuhan were all confirmed to have the coronavirus. The World Health Organization says it's "not unexpected" for cases to be found elsewhere and called on other countries to monitor for signs.
Earlier this month, authorities closed the seafood and live animal market linked to the pneumonia cases for cleaning and investigations. It's a step from the post-SARS playbook on containing outbreaks.
"Viruses that emerge from animals need some time to become an epidemic strain," says Menachery. "The faster you find them, the faster you limit the spread."
He says that closing live animal markets in China and implementing strict quarantine procedures helped end the SARS outbreak globally.
CDC emphasizes that the risk of spread to the general American public is low but it will add about 100 staff to the three U.S. airports where screening will take place at its quarantine stations. Specimens will be collected from suspected cases and sent to CDC to confirm the diagnosis.
As more information about the virus comes to light, CDC says it will "reassess entry screening measures and could scale activities up or down accordingly."
On the "scared or not scared" scale, Frieman says his concern level for this outbreak is 4 out of 10. Signs point to an infection that's not very lethal and doesn't spread easily between people.
But until the source of the infection is found, there's no guarantee that the problem has been contained.
Several of the cases appear to be in people who did not visit the market that was closed, suggesting that animals from the same infected population may have been sold at other live markets or that, in some cases, it can spread between people.
If the number of cases increase, or more people start dying, he'll worry more. And if the virus shows signs of mutating and becomes easily transmitted between people, he says, virologists will become very concerned — that's a historic warning sign for pandemics.


npr--2020-01-10--Northern Ireland Parties Plan To Restore Power-Sharing After 3-Year Hiatus

Northern Ireland will return to the power-sharing agreement that collapsed three years ago , as its two major parties – the nationalist Sinn Fein and the pro-U.K. Democratic Unionist Party – agreed Friday to a draft deal that would give Northern Ireland a new regional government .
The deal was brokered by the governments of Ireland and the U.K. '' We have successfully delivered a new style of politics and a new assembly , '' Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle O'Neill said Friday , as she posted a video of the party faithful giving a standing ovation to her and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the plan for a new shared government came together Thursday , Democratic Unionist Party Leader Arlene Foster said , `` This is not a perfect deal and there are elements within it which we recognize are the product of long negotiations and represent compromise outcomes .
There will always need to be give and take . ''
With the deal in hand , the Northern Ireland Assembly will meet on Saturday , according to the DUP 's Gordon Lyons .
The two parties had been facing a Jan. 13 deadline to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold new elections .
And in the wake of lackluster showings in December 's general election , many analysts said voters were showing signs of being fed up with both the DUP and Sinn Fein , and with uncertainty over funding for schools , health care and other services .
Welcoming the deal , U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said via Twitter , `` This is a great step forwards for the people of Northern Ireland and for restoring public confidence in stable devolved Government and delivering much needed reforms to public services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiercely opposed to each other , '' NPR 's Frank Langfitt reports from London .
Referring to the end of the previous deal , he says , `` Their governing arrangement collapsed over an unrelated green energy scandal . ''
Langfitt adds , `` The deal to restore it includes official recognition of the Irish language — a sign of how powerful the issue of national identity remains . ''

Northern Ireland Parties Plan To Restore Power-Sharing After 3-Year Hiatus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images
Northern Ireland will return to the power-sharing agreement that collapsed three years ago, as its two major parties – the nationalist Sinn Fein and the pro-U.K. Democratic Unionist Party – agreed Friday to a draft deal that would give Northern Ireland a new regional government. The deal was brokered by the governments of Ireland and the U.K.
"We have successfully delivered a new style of politics and a new assembly," Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle O'Neill said Friday, as she posted a video of the party faithful giving a standing ovation to her and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald.
As the plan for a new shared government came together Thursday, Democratic Unionist Party Leader Arlene Foster said, "This is not a perfect deal and there are elements within it which we recognize are the product of long negotiations and represent compromise outcomes. There will always need to be give and take."
With the deal in hand, the Northern Ireland Assembly will meet on Saturday, according to the DUP's Gordon Lyons.
The two parties had been facing a Jan. 13 deadline to provide Northern Ireland with a new government or hold new elections. And in the wake of lackluster showings in December's general election, many analysts said voters were showing signs of being fed up with both the DUP and Sinn Fein, and with uncertainty over funding for schools, health care and other services.
Welcoming the deal, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said via Twitter, "This is a great step forwards for the people of Northern Ireland and for restoring public confidence in stable devolved Government and delivering much needed reforms to public services."
"The two parties are fiercely opposed to each other," NPR's Frank Langfitt reports from London. Referring to the end of the previous deal, he says, "Their governing arrangement collapsed over an unrelated green energy scandal."
Langfitt adds, "The deal to restore it includes official recognition of the Irish language — a sign of how powerful the issue of national identity remains."


npr--2020-01-10--Ukrainian Plane Crash In Iran: Here's What The Available Evidence Shows

Ukrainian Plane Crash In Iran : Here 's What The Available Evidence Shows On the same night that Iran launched a ballistic missile strike against bases used by U.S. troops in Iraq , a Ukrainian jetliner crashed near Tehran , killing all 176 people onboard .
Iranian authorities have said the plane suffered a mechanical failure , but the U.S. and other Western governments believe it was shot down , possibly by mistake .
`` The evidence indicates the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile , '' Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a news conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been unintentional . ''
Trudeau cited Canadian and other intelligence sources .
Here 's what the publicly available evidence shows .
The plane was relatively new , and the flight initially appeared routine The Boeing 737-800 aircraft was delivered to Ukraine International Airlines in 2016 , according to Flightradar24 , which tracks commercial aviation in real time .
A report from Iran 's Civil Aviation Organization indicates that the initial minutes of the flight were routine .
The plane departed from Tehran 's Imam Khomeini International Airport on Wednesday at 6:13 a.m. local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It made a right turn and was climbing when air traffic control lost contact five minutes later .
At the time , the plane was at an altitude of about 8,000 feet and traveling northwest .
The nine-member crew , which included an instructor , was experienced , according to the airline .
They did not communicate an emergency .
It appears the plane turned to the east , possibly in an attempt to return to the airport , before crashing .
Do n't see the graphic above ?
Click here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on high alert , and military sites were nearby Just hours before the incident , Iran had launched long-range ballistic missiles into Iraq toward bases hosting U.S. personnel .
`` The Iranians have been very clear that they were preparing for American retaliation , '' says Fabian Hinz , a researcher with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey who tracks Iranian missile systems .
`` In such a situation , usually your air defense systems would be on high alert . ''
Hinz says the area where the Ukrainian plane went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a missile research center operated by Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps .
These are `` definitely sites that will be targeted in an all-out war , '' Hinz says , and as such , they would have been heavily defended on the night of Iran 's strike in Iraq .
Hinz adds that air defense units might also be defending Tehran 's airport itself , `` which is ironic if you think about it . ''
Video shows what appears to be a missile strike The video first appeared in Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the social network Telegram .
It shows an object streaking skyward and striking something in a massive explosion .
Researchers with the online investigative group Bellingcat were able to pinpoint the location from which the video was shot , in the town of Parand .
`` There is a construction site with a few very distinct buildings , '' says Aric Toler , the group 's lead researcher on Eastern Europe and Eurasia .
The camera appears to be pointing in the correct direction , showing the missile coming from the north or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sensitive Iranian facilities , and what is likely the aircraft coming from the south or east , where the airport is located .
Toler says the time it takes for the sound of the blast to reach the viewer also provides a clue .
`` If you 're watching a storm , you can count how far away the lightning is , based on how long the thunder takes , '' he says .
`` It 's the same thing with a missile explosion . ''
The delay between flash and boom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles from the viewer , a good match for where the flight was expected to be .
`` It is exactly the right distance and path to where the flight path was , '' Toler says .
The New York Times , which first reported on the video , says the person who captured the video started filming after hearing `` some sort of shot fired . ''
NPR was not able to reach people with direct knowledge of the video .
Western governments probably have other evidence The U.S. has satellites that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launches all over the world , according to Brian Weeden , a former Air Force officer now with the Secure World Foundation , a nonprofit that studies security issues in outer space .
`` Their primary mission was detecting signatures from large rockets , like intercontinental ballistic missiles and space launches , '' he says .
`` They 've never really talked about the ability to detect heat from other sources , but there were always hints that they could detect things smaller than a giant space rocket , '' Weeden says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. can detect the launch of a smaller anti-aircraft missile or the explosion from the aircraft being hit .
Weeden says the U.S. also can detect radars used by anti-aircraft batteries from space .
The U.S. military may have also intercepted communications among Iranian forces .
Similar communications were released by Dutch investigators after an international investigation concluded that a Russian anti-aircraft battery shot down a Malaysian airliner in 2014 .

Ukrainian Plane Crash In Iran: Here's What The Available Evidence Shows
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mazyar Asadi/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Mazyar Asadi/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty
On the same night that Iran launched a ballistic missile strike against bases used by U.S. troops in Iraq, a Ukrainian jetliner crashed near Tehran, killing all 176 people onboard. Iranian authorities have said the plane suffered a mechanical failure, but the U.S. and other Western governments believe it was shot down, possibly by mistake.
"The evidence indicates the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a news conference Thursday. "This may well have been unintentional."
Trudeau cited Canadian and other intelligence sources. Here's what the publicly available evidence shows.
The plane was relatively new, and the flight initially appeared routine
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft was delivered to Ukraine International Airlines in 2016, according to Flightradar24, which tracks commercial aviation in real time. A report from Iran's Civil Aviation Organization indicates that the initial minutes of the flight were routine. The plane departed from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on Wednesday at 6:13 a.m. local time (9:43 p.m. Tuesday ET). It made a right turn and was climbing when air traffic control lost contact five minutes later. At the time, the plane was at an altitude of about 8,000 feet and traveling northwest.
The nine-member crew, which included an instructor, was experienced, according to the airline. They did not communicate an emergency. It appears the plane turned to the east, possibly in an attempt to return to the airport, before crashing.
Loading...
Don't see the graphic above? Click here.
Iran's air defense forces were likely on high alert, and military sites were nearby
Just hours before the incident, Iran had launched long-range ballistic missiles into Iraq toward bases hosting U.S. personnel. "The Iranians have been very clear that they were preparing for American retaliation," says Fabian Hinz, a researcher with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey who tracks Iranian missile systems. "In such a situation, usually your air defense systems would be on high alert."
Hinz says the area where the Ukrainian plane went down is near several military sites, including a missile research center operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These are "definitely sites that will be targeted in an all-out war," Hinz says, and as such, they would have been heavily defended on the night of Iran's strike in Iraq.
Hinz adds that air defense units might also be defending Tehran's airport itself, "which is ironic if you think about it."
Video shows what appears to be a missile strike
The video first appeared in Iranian social media and eventually began circulating through the social network Telegram. It shows an object streaking skyward and striking something in a massive explosion.
YouTube
Researchers with the online investigative group Bellingcat were able to pinpoint the location from which the video was shot, in the town of Parand. "There is a construction site with a few very distinct buildings," says Aric Toler, the group's lead researcher on Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The camera appears to be pointing in the correct direction, showing the missile coming from the north or west, the direction of some of the sensitive Iranian facilities, and what is likely the aircraft coming from the south or east, where the airport is located.
Toler says the time it takes for the sound of the blast to reach the viewer also provides a clue. "If you're watching a storm, you can count how far away the lightning is, based on how long the thunder takes," he says. "It's the same thing with a missile explosion."
The delay between flash and boom shows the explosion took place some 2 miles from the viewer, a good match for where the flight was expected to be. "It is exactly the right distance and path to where the flight path was," Toler says.
The New York Times, which first reported on the video, says the person who captured the video started filming after hearing "some sort of shot fired." NPR was not able to reach people with direct knowledge of the video.
Enlarge this image toggle caption ©2020 Maxar Technologies ©2020 Maxar Technologies
Western governments probably have other evidence
The U.S. has satellites that can detect the heat signatures of missile launches all over the world, according to Brian Weeden, a former Air Force officer now with the Secure World Foundation, a nonprofit that studies security issues in outer space. "Their primary mission was detecting signatures from large rockets, like intercontinental ballistic missiles and space launches," he says.
"They've never really talked about the ability to detect heat from other sources, but there were always hints that they could detect things smaller than a giant space rocket," Weeden says. He believes it's likely that the U.S. can detect the launch of a smaller anti-aircraft missile or the explosion from the aircraft being hit. Weeden says the U.S. also can detect radars used by anti-aircraft batteries from space.
The U.S. military may have also intercepted communications among Iranian forces. Similar communications were released by Dutch investigators after an international investigation concluded that a Russian anti-aircraft battery shot down a Malaysian airliner in 2014.


npr--2020-01-10--U.S., Iran Trade Accusations And Denials Amid Tangled Jetliner Probe

The question can be phrased simply : What happened to Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 ?
Answers , more than two days after the airliner carried 176 people to their deaths near Tehran , have proven much more difficult to come by amid a globe-spanning tangle of accusations , denials and generally heated rhetoric .
`` We do believe that it 's likely that that plane was shot down by an Iranian missile , '' U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a news conference Friday , echoing an assertion made one day earlier by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike `` may well have been unintentional . ''
During Friday 's news conference , Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced new sanctions on the Iranian government for a separate attack on Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops .
That missile strike , which came within hours of the Ukrainian plane crash , followed the U.S. drone strike that killed a prominent Iranian general .
Pompeo said the Trump administration planned to `` let the investigation play out '' before deciding whether to pursue further measures against Iran for the alleged missile strike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation , he noted that he had been in touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Pompeo 's counterpart in Canada , which saw 63 of its citizens killed in the crash .
Mnuchin added that the Treasury Department plans to issue waivers on sanctions to allow the National Transportation Safety Board — and any other individuals or agencies `` that can help facilitate the investigation '' — to work with Iran on the probe .
`` When we get results , '' Pompeo said , `` I 'm confident we and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Prior to those comments , Ali Abedzadeh , head of Iran 's Civil Aviation Organization , pushed back against the claims of a missile strike during a news conference of his own Friday .
He told journalists that he did n't want to speculate — but `` what is clear to us , '' he added , `` and what we are certain about , is that this plane was not hit by a missile . ''
And he called on the U.S. to publicize the evidence behind its assertion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iran on Thursday , and Iran has also invited specialists from the NTSB and Boeing to support the probe .
Though some analysts and journalists have questioned the Iranian commitment to getting answers , saying authorities there quickly bulldozed the crash site and deposited the wreckage in a separate location .
The diplomatic barbs traded by the U.S. and Iran on Friday represent yet another point of conflict between the two countries .
There were the violent protests targeting the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad last week , which American officials said were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days later , came the U.S. drone strike near the Iraqi capital , which claimed the lives of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis .
Earlier this week , Iran launched missile strikes on military bases used by U.S. troops in Ain al-Assad , northwest of Baghdad , and in Irbil .
Those missile strikes , which resulted in no American casualties , unfolded right around the time that a mysterious set of circumstances unfolded near Tehran 's international airport .
It was there , southwest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jetliner turned around not long after takeoff , apparently seeking to return before going down .
Besides the dozens of Canadians aboard the flight , the plane also carried 82 Iranians and 11 Ukrainians , as well as passengers from other countries .
Kyiv has sent a contingent of Ukrainian investigators , who arrived Thursday in Iran .
And Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said at a news briefing Friday that the team had received the Iranians ' full cooperation — including access to the plane 's `` black box '' flight data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a phone call with Pompeo , expressed gratitude Friday for the `` valuable support of the U.S. in investigating the causes of the plane crash . ''
`` Information obtained from the U.S. , '' he added , `` will assist in the investigation . ''
Others have waded into the diplomatic fray .
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that `` we have no reason to not believe '' the U.S. and Canadian assertions that the plane was downed by Iranian air defense systems .
And Russia 's first deputy representative to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chipped in to express the country 's resistance to that position , pointing out that the U.S. has so far `` refused to provide any satellite or intelligence data to shed some light on the incident despite numerous appeals from Russia . ''
Tangled as the situation may be , at least one answer feels fairly assured : It will take a while to find any satisfying answers .

U.S., Iran Trade Accusations And Denials Amid Tangled Jetliner Probe
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images
The question can be phrased simply: What happened to Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752? Answers, more than two days after the airliner carried 176 people to their deaths near Tehran, have proven much more difficult to come by amid a globe-spanning tangle of accusations, denials and generally heated rhetoric.
"We do believe that it's likely that that plane was shot down by an Iranian missile," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a news conference Friday, echoing an assertion made one day earlier by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The prime minister said the missile strike "may well have been unintentional."
During Friday's news conference, Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced new sanctions on the Iranian government for a separate attack on Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops. That missile strike, which came within hours of the Ukrainian plane crash, followed the U.S. drone strike that killed a prominent Iranian general.
Pompeo said the Trump administration planned to "let the investigation play out" before deciding whether to pursue further measures against Iran for the alleged missile strike on the jetliner. And regarding that investigation, he noted that he had been in touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Pompeo's counterpart in Canada, which saw 63 of its citizens killed in the crash.
Mnuchin added that the Treasury Department plans to issue waivers on sanctions to allow the National Transportation Safety Board — and any other individuals or agencies "that can help facilitate the investigation" — to work with Iran on the probe.
"When we get results," Pompeo said, "I'm confident we and the world will take appropriate actions in response."
Prior to those comments, Ali Abedzadeh, head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, pushed back against the claims of a missile strike during a news conference of his own Friday.
He told journalists that he didn't want to speculate — but "what is clear to us," he added, "and what we are certain about, is that this plane was not hit by a missile." And he called on the U.S. to publicize the evidence behind its assertion.
A team of investigators from Ukraine arrived in Iran on Thursday, and Iran has also invited specialists from the NTSB and Boeing to support the probe. Though some analysts and journalists have questioned the Iranian commitment to getting answers, saying authorities there quickly bulldozed the crash site and deposited the wreckage in a separate location.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Borna Ghassemi/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images Borna Ghassemi/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images
The diplomatic barbs traded by the U.S. and Iran on Friday represent yet another point of conflict between the two countries.
There were the violent protests targeting the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad last week, which American officials said were largely influenced by Iran. Then, days later, came the U.S. drone strike near the Iraqi capital, which claimed the lives of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Earlier this week, Iran launched missile strikes on military bases used by U.S. troops in Ain al-Assad, northwest of Baghdad, and in Irbil.
Those missile strikes, which resulted in no American casualties, unfolded right around the time that a mysterious set of circumstances unfolded near Tehran's international airport. It was there, southwest of the Iranian capital, that the Ukrainian jetliner turned around not long after takeoff, apparently seeking to return before going down.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Satellite image ©2020 Maxar Technologies via AP Satellite image ©2020 Maxar Technologies via AP
Besides the dozens of Canadians aboard the flight, the plane also carried 82 Iranians and 11 Ukrainians, as well as passengers from other countries.
Kyiv has sent a contingent of Ukrainian investigators, who arrived Thursday in Iran. And Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said at a news briefing Friday that the team had received the Iranians' full cooperation — including access to the plane's "black box" flight data recordings.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy, following a phone call with Pompeo, expressed gratitude Friday for the "valuable support of the U.S. in investigating the causes of the plane crash."
"Information obtained from the U.S.," he added, "will assist in the investigation."
Others have waded into the diplomatic fray.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that "we have no reason to not believe" the U.S. and Canadian assertions that the plane was downed by Iranian air defense systems. And Russia's first deputy representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, chipped in to express the country's resistance to that position, pointing out that the U.S. has so far "refused to provide any satellite or intelligence data to shed some light on the incident despite numerous appeals from Russia."
Tangled as the situation may be, at least one answer feels fairly assured: It will take a while to find any satisfying answers.


npr--2020-01-10--Marianne Williamson Suspends Presidential Campaign

Writer , entrepreneur and spiritual leader Marianne Williamson has ended her presidential campaign , months after garnering viral attention in early debates , earning curiosity but little support from Democratic voters .
`` The primaries might be tightly contested among the top contenders , and I do n't want to get in the way of a progressive candidate winning any of them , '' Williamson wrote in a letter to supporters .
`` As of today , therefore , I 'm suspending my campaign . ''
Williamson had consistently received low poll numbers , and last week , the author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The author and speaker qualified only for the first two Democratic debates this past summer but quickly rose to fame over the Internet , becoming the most-searched-for candidate during the July 30 CNN broadcast and gaining 17,135 new Twitter followers over the next day .
Williamson 's campaign revolved around several policies , including allocating $ 500 billion for reparations to African Americans and Native Americans , as well as other proposals for tackling economic inequality .
She advocated for the creation of several new governmental organizations , including a Department of Peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Williamson faced scrutiny over past controversial comments about vaccines and mental health , including in a contentious interview on CNN where she was challenged by Anderson Cooper over past comments criticizing the prescribing of antidepressants , which she later attempted to take back .
As an author for over 20 years , Williamson 's work has been recognized by Oprah Winfrey and featured on The New York Times bestselling list .

Marianne Williamson Suspends Presidential Campaign
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jose Luis Magana/AP Jose Luis Magana/AP
Writer, entrepreneur and spiritual leader Marianne Williamson has ended her presidential campaign, months after garnering viral attention in early debates, earning curiosity but little support from Democratic voters.
"The primaries might be tightly contested among the top contenders, and I don't want to get in the way of a progressive candidate winning any of them," Williamson wrote in a letter to supporters. "As of today, therefore, I'm suspending my campaign."
Williamson had consistently received low poll numbers, and last week, the author laid off her entire campaign staff.
The author and speaker qualified only for the first two Democratic debates this past summer but quickly rose to fame over the Internet, becoming the most-searched-for candidate during the July 30 CNN broadcast and gaining 17,135 new Twitter followers over the next day.
Williamson's campaign revolved around several policies, including allocating $500 billion for reparations to African Americans and Native Americans, as well as other proposals for tackling economic inequality. She advocated for the creation of several new governmental organizations, including a Department of Peace and U.S. Department of Children and Youth.
Williamson faced scrutiny over past controversial comments about vaccines and mental health, including in a contentious interview on CNN where she was challenged by Anderson Cooper over past comments criticizing the prescribing of antidepressants, which she later attempted to take back.
As an author for over 20 years, Williamson's work has been recognized by Oprah Winfrey and featured on The New York Times bestselling list.


npr--2020-01-10--Hungary Says It Will Offer Free Fertility Treatments To Counter Population Decline

Hungary Says It Will Offer Free Fertility Treatments To Counter Population Decline Hungary has announced that it will offer free in-vitro fertilization treatments , the latest major initiative to try to boost the country 's population numbers , which have been declining for decades .
Hungary 's nationalist right-wing prime minister , Viktor Orbán , said during an international news conference Thursday that IVF treatments would be provided for free starting Feb. 1 .
The government recently purchased six private fertility clinics , and Orbán said the fertility sector is `` of national strategic importance , '' as the Financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to immigration and has said that increasing national fertility rates is his preferred way to counter the population downturn and risk of labor shortages .
Fewer than 10 million people live in Hungary .
`` If we want Hungarian children instead of immigrants and if the Hungarian economy can generate the necessary funding , then the only solution is to spend as much of the funds as possible on supporting families and raising children , '' the prime minister was quoted as saying by the BBC .
Orbán has also introduced other dramatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last year , he said women who have four or more children will enjoy an income tax waiver for life , and that couples with three or more children are eligible to have certain loans forgiven .
During his wide-ranging remarks , Orban also said that bringing fertility clinics under state control would `` make what happens to the fertilized eggs fully transparent during the entire process , '' according to his office .
He added that fertility treatment in Hungary wo n't be run on a `` market basis '' anymore .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer any specific restrictions about who is eligible to receive free treatments .
It 's worth noting that IVF can be extremely costly .
In the U.S. , for example , the average patient undergoes two cycles of the treatment , which can cost a total of $ 40,000- $ 60,000 , according to fertility doctor assessment site FertilityIQ .
The costs are lower in many other countries .
European Union population projections estimate that the population in Hungary is likely to decline by about 11 % by 2080 .
The average annual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hungary is now less than half of what it was in 1950 , according to data from the United Nations .
A number of other European countries , such as Greece and Italy , have even lower birth rates .
At a demographics conference last September , Hungary 's speaker of parliament , László Kövér , stressed that `` having children is a public matter , not a private one . ''
In comments published by the Financial Times , he added that people who do n't have kids are `` not normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of death . ''
While Hungary 's government is staunchly opposed to allowing immigrants into the country , it is also dealing with major migration by Hungarians out of the country .
The Times reports that from 2008 to 2018 , some 1 million people emigrated .
According to Hungary 's Portfolio news site , about 1 in 7 Hungarian children are born elsewhere .

Hungary Says It Will Offer Free Fertility Treatments To Counter Population Decline
Enlarge this image toggle caption Zsolt Szigetvary/AP Zsolt Szigetvary/AP
Hungary has announced that it will offer free in-vitro fertilization treatments, the latest major initiative to try to boost the country's population numbers, which have been declining for decades.
Hungary's nationalist right-wing prime minister, Viktor Orbán, said during an international news conference Thursday that IVF treatments would be provided for free starting Feb. 1. The government recently purchased six private fertility clinics, and Orbán said the fertility sector is "of national strategic importance," as the Financial Times reported.
Orbán is fiercely opposed to immigration and has said that increasing national fertility rates is his preferred way to counter the population downturn and risk of labor shortages. Fewer than 10 million people live in Hungary.
"If we want Hungarian children instead of immigrants and if the Hungarian economy can generate the necessary funding, then the only solution is to spend as much of the funds as possible on supporting families and raising children," the prime minister was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Orbán has also introduced other dramatic measures to encourage Hungarians to procreate. Last year, he said women who have four or more children will enjoy an income tax waiver for life, and that couples with three or more children are eligible to have certain loans forgiven.
During his wide-ranging remarks, Orban also said that bringing fertility clinics under state control would "make what happens to the fertilized eggs fully transparent during the entire process," according to his office. He added that fertility treatment in Hungary won't be run on a "market basis" anymore.
The prime minister did not appear to offer any specific restrictions about who is eligible to receive free treatments. It's worth noting that IVF can be extremely costly. In the U.S., for example, the average patient undergoes two cycles of the treatment, which can cost a total of $40,000-$60,000, according to fertility doctor assessment site FertilityIQ. The costs are lower in many other countries.
European Union population projections estimate that the population in Hungary is likely to decline by about 11% by 2080.
The average annual number of births per 1,000 people in Hungary is now less than half of what it was in 1950, according to data from the United Nations. A number of other European countries, such as Greece and Italy, have even lower birth rates.
At a demographics conference last September, Hungary's speaker of parliament, László Kövér, stressed that "having children is a public matter, not a private one." In comments published by the Financial Times, he added that people who don't have kids are "not normal" and "stand on the side of death."
While Hungary's government is staunchly opposed to allowing immigrants into the country, it is also dealing with major migration by Hungarians out of the country. The Times reports that from 2008 to 2018, some 1 million people emigrated. According to Hungary's Portfolio news site, about 1 in 7 Hungarian children are born elsewhere.


npr--2020-01-10--Scores Of People In Puerto Rico Remain Without Shelter, Power Days After 6.4 Quake

Scores Of People In Puerto Rico Remain Without Shelter , Power Days After 6.4 Quake Thousands of people in Puerto Rico still do n't have permanent shelter three days after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake walloped the Caribbean island , killing one man and injuring nine people .
Millions still do n't have electricity .
The quake has displaced an estimated 2,000 people , according to the humanitarian organization Direct Relief .
Federal and local authorities are still assessing the damage from Tuesday 's temblor , one of more than 500 earthquakes that have shaken the U.S. territory since late December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Geological Survey .
In fact , one independent scientific organization that tracks earthquakes tweeted that a smaller quake , registering at magnitude 3.2 , hit Friday morning about 15 miles west of the port city of Ponce .
There are signs , however , that some semblance of normalcy is returning .
Puerto Rico 's electric utility , PREPA , tweeted Friday that roughly 80 % of its customers have their power back on .
Still , Puerto Rico 's governor , Wanda Vázquez , tweeted Friday that the government continues to gather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing and other aid to people impacted by the quake .
Celebrity chef José Andrés has mobilized his nonprofit World Central Kitchen to help serve meals for victims in Puerto Rico .
He said on Friday that the kitchen is in its third day providing food for those in need , saying in a video posted to Twitter , `` We are doing our best to make sure every need of everybody is covered . ''
President Trump declared an emergency in Puerto Rico on Wednesday , which expedites the flow of federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency assistance items .
The move came a day after the island 's governor declared a similar state of emergency , which among other things activated the National Guard .
As NPR reported Tuesday , the quake rocked the island at 4:24 a.m .
ET , triggering a tsunami warning that was later canceled .
The most extensive damage lies in the coastal communities stretching from Ponce and Guánica along the island 's southern coast .
People in that area are comparing the quake and the government 's response to the aftermath of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm that wreaked havoc on the island in 2017 and caused tremendous strain on Puerto Rico 's government .
Some quake victims are reportedly sleeping outside out of fear that their homes are unsafe and uninhabitable .
`` We have to remain outside because everything inside is destroyed , '' Brunilda Sánchez told The Associated Press .
The 84-year-old has been sleeping out in the open on a government-issued cot in Guánica .
`` We do n't know how long we 'll have to stay here . ''
And for many of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the power will come back on .
Several power plants on the island have been damaged by seismic activity .
Jose Ortiz , the head of PREPA , told CBS News on Thursday that a power plant in Guayanilla , roughly a 30-minute drive west of Ponce , `` will be out for probably over a year . ''
Ortiz told CBS that he has requested a specialized generator capable of producing 500 megawatts of electricity from FEMA , which is about half of what the plant could provide if it were @ @ @

Scores Of People In Puerto Rico Remain Without Shelter, Power Days After 6.4 Quake
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ricardo Arduengo /AFP via Getty Images Ricardo Arduengo /AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 8:30 p.m. ET
Thousands of people in Puerto Rico still don't have permanent shelter three days after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake walloped the Caribbean island, killing one man and injuring nine people. Millions still don't have electricity.
The quake has displaced an estimated 2,000 people, according to the humanitarian organization Direct Relief.
Federal and local authorities are still assessing the damage from Tuesday's temblor, one of more than 500 earthquakes that have shaken the U.S. territory since late December, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
In fact, one independent scientific organization that tracks earthquakes tweeted that a smaller quake, registering at magnitude 3.2, hit Friday morning about 15 miles west of the port city of Ponce. Later Friday, a 5.2 aftershock struck and caused additional damage.
There are signs, however, that some semblance of normalcy is returning. Puerto Rico's electric utility, PREPA, tweeted Friday that roughly 80% of its customers have their power back on. Still, Puerto Rico's governor, Wanda Vázquez, tweeted Friday that the government continues to gather information so it can get food, housing and other aid to people impacted by the quake.
Celebrity chef José Andrés has mobilized his nonprofit World Central Kitchen to help serve meals for victims in Puerto Rico. He said on Friday that the kitchen is in its third day providing food for those in need, saying in a video posted to Twitter, "We are doing our best to make sure every need of everybody is covered."
President Trump declared an emergency in Puerto Rico on Wednesday, which expedites the flow of federal dollars to go toward a range of emergency assistance items. The move came a day after the island's governor declared a similar state of emergency, which among other things activated the National Guard.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carlos Giusti/AP Carlos Giusti/AP
As NPR reported Tuesday, the quake rocked the island at 4:24 a.m. ET, triggering a tsunami warning that was later canceled.
The most extensive damage lies in the coastal communities stretching from Ponce and Guánica along the island's southern coast. People in that area are comparing the quake and the government's response to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, a devastating Category 4 storm that wreaked havoc on the island in 2017 and caused tremendous strain on Puerto Rico's government.
Some quake victims are sleeping outside out of fear that their homes are unsafe and uninhabitable.
"We have to remain outside because everything inside is destroyed," Brunilda Sánchez told The Associated Press. The 84-year-old has been sleeping out in the open on a government-issued cot in Guánica. "We don't know how long we'll have to stay here."
And for many of those without electricity, it's not clear when the power will come back on. Several power plants on the island have been damaged by seismic activity.
Jose Ortiz, the head of PREPA, told CBS News on Thursday that a power plant in Guayanilla, roughly a 30-minute drive west of Ponce, "will be out for probably over a year."
Ortiz told CBS that he has requested a specialized generator capable of producing 500 megawatts of electricity from FEMA, which is about half of what the plant could provide if it were fully operational.


npr--2020-01-10--Trump Administration Announces More Economic Sanctions Against Iran

The White House announced Friday it is imposing additional economic sanctions against Iran , including officials in the Iranian government .
The penalties , promised earlier this week by President Trump , `` will cut off billions of dollars of support to the Iranian regime , '' said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin .
The restrictions are a response to Iran 's missile attack on Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq , where U.S. and coalition service members are stationed .
There were no injuries in the attack , but some of its facilities were damaged .
Iran fired the missiles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike .
Speaking in the White House press briefing room alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , Mnuchin said Trump is issuing an executive order authorizing sanctions against `` any individual owning , operating , trading with or assisting sectors of the Iranian economy , including construction , manufacturing , textiles and mining . ''
In addition , Mnuchin outlined 17 specific sanctions against Iran 's largest steel and iron manufacturers , along with three entities based in the Seychelles and a vessel involved in the transfer of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council , the commander of the Basij militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps , and other senior leaders close to Iran 's supreme leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
The restrictions limit the targets ' ability to interact with the U.S. financial system , do business with Americans , access dollars in some cases or travel to the United States .
Pompeo said Iranian officials have carried out Khamenei 's `` terrorist plots and destabilizing campaigns across the Middle East and around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sanctions `` is to deny the regime the resources to conduct its destructive foreign policy , '' adding : `` We want Iran to simply behave like a normal nation . ''
These are just the latest sanctions the Trump administration has placed on Iran in an effort to punish Tehran for promoting instability and terrorist activities in the Middle East and to deter it from future attacks .
Trump abrogated America 's involvement with a multinational agreement concluded under President Barack Obama in which global economic pressure was relaxed in exchange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear fuel for a weapon .
Iran held to the terms of that agreement , but Trump and Pompeo objected to what they viewed as its generosity and what they called its failure to constrain Iran 's other malign activities and ballistic missile program .
So Trump walked away and reapplied sanctions and other restrictions with the aim of applying `` maximum pressure . ''
Iranian leaders have complained about what they called American duplicity and also mocked each new round of sanctions , arguing that past a certain point , such restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the sanctions are having their intended effect .
`` I think we have 100 percent confidence and we are consistent in our view that the economic sanctions are working , '' he said .
Without the sanctions , `` literally Iran would have tens of billions of dollars , '' which he said would be used to promote terrorist attacks throughout the region .
Pompeo said the sanctions have caused Iran `` big , challenging problems . ''
He suggested Iran must choose between underwriting groups such as Hezbollah or Hamas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have the opportunity to live the life they want and grow your economy ? ''

Trump Administration Announces More Economic Sanctions Against Iran
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
The White House announced Friday it is imposing additional economic sanctions against Iran, including officials in the Iranian government.
The penalties, promised earlier this week by President Trump, "will cut off billions of dollars of support to the Iranian regime," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The restrictions are a response to Iran's missile attack on Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq, where U.S. and coalition service members are stationed. There were no injuries in the attack, but some of its facilities were damaged.
Iran fired the missiles after the U.S. killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike.
Speaking in the White House press briefing room alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Mnuchin said Trump is issuing an executive order authorizing sanctions against "any individual owning, operating, trading with or assisting sectors of the Iranian economy, including construction, manufacturing, textiles and mining."
In addition, Mnuchin outlined 17 specific sanctions against Iran's largest steel and iron manufacturers, along with three entities based in the Seychelles and a vessel involved in the transfer of products.
Other targets of the sanctions include the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, the commander of the Basij militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and other senior leaders close to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The restrictions limit the targets' ability to interact with the U.S. financial system, do business with Americans, access dollars in some cases or travel to the United States.
Maximum pressure
Pompeo said Iranian officials have carried out Khamenei's "terrorist plots and destabilizing campaigns across the Middle East and around the world."
Pompeo said the goal of the sanctions "is to deny the regime the resources to conduct its destructive foreign policy," adding: "We want Iran to simply behave like a normal nation."
These are just the latest sanctions the Trump administration has placed on Iran in an effort to punish Tehran for promoting instability and terrorist activities in the Middle East and to deter it from future attacks.
Trump abrogated America's involvement with a multinational agreement concluded under President Barack Obama in which global economic pressure was relaxed in exchange for Iran's commitment not to enrich nuclear fuel for a weapon.
Iran held to the terms of that agreement, but Trump and Pompeo objected to what they viewed as its generosity and what they called its failure to constrain Iran's other malign activities and ballistic missile program. So Trump walked away and reapplied sanctions and other restrictions with the aim of applying "maximum pressure."
Iranian leaders have complained about what they called American duplicity and also mocked each new round of sanctions, arguing that past a certain point, such restrictions become meaningless.
Mnuchin insisted on Friday that the sanctions are having their intended effect.
"I think we have 100 percent confidence and we are consistent in our view that the economic sanctions are working," he said. Without the sanctions, "literally Iran would have tens of billions of dollars," which he said would be used to promote terrorist attacks throughout the region.
Pompeo said the sanctions have caused Iran "big, challenging problems."
He suggested Iran must choose between underwriting groups such as Hezbollah or Hamas, "or do you allow your people to have the opportunity to live the life they want and grow your economy?"


npr--2020-01-10--Australia's Wildfires Spark Disinformation Battle As They Take A Tragic Toll

Australia 's Wildfires Spark Disinformation Battle As They Take A Tragic Toll Australia is struggling to cope with deadly infernos and faces losing nearly a billion animals in the terrible bushfires — but in the midst of those tragedies , authorities are also battling hoaxes and misinformation , including false reports of widespread arson .
Many of the claims seek to suggest that arson , not climate change , was a key driver of the historic fires .
The hashtag # ArsonEmergency began trending shortly after the new year .
Queensland University of Technology researcher Timothy Graham says he identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to shift the narrative about the fires as being the work of dozens of criminals .
`` We studied about 300 Twitter accounts driving the # ArsonEmergency hashtag to identify inauthentic behavior , '' Graham said Friday in an essay for The Conversation , which he co-wrote with fellow researcher Tobias Keller .
`` We found many accounts using # ArsonEmergency were behaving 'suspiciously , ' compared to those using # AustraliaFire and # BushfireAustralia , '' they said .
`` Accounts peddling # ArsonEmergency carried out activity similar to what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as the coordinated behavior of Russian trolls during the 2016 US presidential election . ''
As for who mounted the social media campaign to push the arson narrative , Graham and Keller say that while software tools allowed them to identify bots and trolls , they were n't able to trace the bogus accounts to any specific people or entities .
While arson has historically been one of the causes of Australian wildfires , the country is facing an unprecedented bushfire disaster .
Since September , fires have now consumed an area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Hampshire combined .
And a new `` megafire '' was created Friday when two blazes joined — covering nearly 1.5 million acres , as NPR 's Scott Neuman reports .
The # ArsonEmergency campaign seems to have peaked around Tuesday , when thousands of tweets used the hashtag , Graham and Keller say .
Around the same time the bot campaign hit its crescendo , news stories about the wildfires also touted a police report in hard-hit New South Wales , where authorities recently announced that they have taken legal action against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But only a small fraction of those people face charges that might be construed as arson , and the figure also spans a period that began in late 2019 .
The NSW police said that while 24 people were charged with deliberately lighting bushfires , 53 faced legal actions — which include a warning — for not complying with a statewide ban on fires .
And the overall number also includes 47 people who were accused of not properly disposing of lit cigarettes or matches .
Conservatives in the U.S. also picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump 's son , Donald Trump Jr. , retweeting a post about the arrests in New South Wales .
Documenting a further convolution in the narrative , Australia 's ABC reports , `` Some of the misinformation includes the idea left-wing 'ecoterrorists ' are behind some fires . ''
On Friday , an employee of Rupert Murdoch 's News Corp in Australia raised concerns about the company 's coverage of the wildfires , accusing the publisher of newspapers such as The Australian and the Herald Sun of carrying out an irresponsible `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it unconscionable to continue working for this company , knowing I am contributing to the spread of climate change denial and lies , '' Emily Townsend , a commercial finance manager at News Corp , wrote in an all-staff email .
She added that the newspapers ' angles of coverage were `` not only irresponsible , but dangerous and damaging to our communities and beautiful planet . ''
Townsend told The Sydney Morning Herald she does n't regret that her email was leaked to the wider press .
And a News Corp executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the process of leaving the company , having resigned in December .
Beyond arguments over the impacts of climate change , Australia 's wildfires do have a real political aspect : Prime Minister Scott Morrison has frequently been criticized for his approach to the disaster , from his interactions with affected states to his recent vacation getaway to Hawaii as the raging fires destroyed communities back home .
On Friday , protesters vented their anger at Morrison and the government by holding a large demonstration in Sydney .
Experts say the intense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are related to a number of factors , from the destructive nature of wind-borne embers — which swirl high into the air and help fires spread rapidly and unpredictably — to building standards that allow houses to be constructed out of flammable materials and planning regulations that do n't enforce enough of a buffer zone around houses built in vulnerable areas .
Australia 's fires are spreading more quickly and ferociously because of prolonged drought and hot weather — both of which are exacerbated by climate change — are providing copious dry fuel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Criminology , most of the bushfires that are started by arson burn only around five hectares — a little over 12 acres of land .
The government crime agency says most arson fires are started by young people in disadvantaged areas .
The AIC lists these patterns :

Australia's Wildfires Spark Disinformation Battle As They Take A Tragic Toll
Enlarge this image toggle caption Wiktor Szymanowicz/Barcroft Media via Getty Images Wiktor Szymanowicz/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Australia is struggling to cope with deadly infernos and faces losing nearly a billion animals in the terrible bushfires — but in the midst of those tragedies, authorities are also battling hoaxes and misinformation, including false reports of widespread arson. Many of the claims seek to suggest that arson, not climate change, was a key driver of the historic fires.
The hashtag #ArsonEmergency began trending shortly after the new year. Queensland University of Technology researcher Timothy Graham says he identified troll and bot social media accounts that tried to shift the narrative about the fires as being the work of dozens of criminals.
"We studied about 300 Twitter accounts driving the #ArsonEmergency hashtag to identify inauthentic behavior," Graham said Friday in an essay for The Conversation, which he co-wrote with fellow researcher Tobias Keller.
"We found many accounts using #ArsonEmergency were behaving 'suspiciously,' compared to those using #AustraliaFire and #BushfireAustralia," they said. "Accounts peddling #ArsonEmergency carried out activity similar to what we've witnessed in past disinformation campaigns, such as the coordinated behavior of Russian trolls during the 2016 US presidential election."
As for who mounted the social media campaign to push the arson narrative, Graham and Keller say that while software tools allowed them to identify bots and trolls, they weren't able to trace the bogus accounts to any specific people or entities.
While arson has historically been one of the causes of Australian wildfires, the country is facing an unprecedented bushfire disaster. Since September, fires have now consumed an area larger than the states of Massachusetts and New Hampshire combined. And a new "megafire" was created Friday when two blazes joined — covering nearly 1.5 million acres, as NPR's Scott Neuman reports.
The #ArsonEmergency campaign seems to have peaked around Tuesday, when thousands of tweets used the hashtag, Graham and Keller say.
Around the same time the bot campaign hit its crescendo, news stories about the wildfires also touted a police report in hard-hit New South Wales, where authorities recently announced that they have taken legal action against more than 180 people for fire-related offenses. But only a small fraction of those people face charges that might be construed as arson, and the figure also spans a period that began in late 2019.
The NSW police said that while 24 people were charged with deliberately lighting bushfires, 53 faced legal actions — which include a warning — for not complying with a statewide ban on fires. And the overall number also includes 47 people who were accused of not properly disposing of lit cigarettes or matches.
Conservatives in the U.S. also picked up on the arson thread, with President Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., retweeting a post about the arrests in New South Wales.
Documenting a further convolution in the narrative, Australia's ABC reports, "Some of the misinformation includes the idea left-wing 'ecoterrorists' are behind some fires."
On Friday, an employee of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp in Australia raised concerns about the company's coverage of the wildfires, accusing the publisher of newspapers such as The Australian and the Herald Sun of carrying out an irresponsible "misinformation campaign."
"I find it unconscionable to continue working for this company, knowing I am contributing to the spread of climate change denial and lies," Emily Townsend, a commercial finance manager at News Corp, wrote in an all-staff email. She added that the newspapers' angles of coverage were "not only irresponsible, but dangerous and damaging to our communities and beautiful planet."
Townsend told The Sydney Morning Herald she doesn't regret that her email was leaked to the wider press. And a News Corp executive told the newspaper that Townsend was already in the process of leaving the company, having resigned in December.
Beyond arguments over the impacts of climate change, Australia's wildfires do have a real political aspect: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has frequently been criticized for his approach to the disaster, from his interactions with affected states to his recent vacation getaway to Hawaii as the raging fires destroyed communities back home. On Friday, protesters vented their anger at Morrison and the government by holding a large demonstration in Sydney.
Experts say the intense and widespread effects of Australia's wildfires are related to a number of factors, from the destructive nature of wind-borne embers — which swirl high into the air and help fires spread rapidly and unpredictably — to building standards that allow houses to be constructed out of flammable materials and planning regulations that don't enforce enough of a buffer zone around houses built in vulnerable areas.
Australia's fires are spreading more quickly and ferociously because of prolonged drought and hot weather — both of which are exacerbated by climate change — are providing copious dry fuel.
According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, most of the bushfires that are started by arson burn only around five hectares — a little over 12 acres of land. The government crime agency says most arson fires are started by young people in disadvantaged areas. The AIC lists these patterns:
"Communities with a high propensity for arson often have a high proportion of children under 15 and lower education levels, employment rates and household income than the national average (Muller 2009). Unfortunately, communities with this demographic profile are common on the outskirts of cities where there are opportunities for bushfire arson near at hand and consequently, the bulk of bushfire arson ignitions occur in this context."
NPR's Rebecca Hersher contributed to this report.


npr--2020-01-10--Pelosi To Send Impeachment Articles To Senate Next Week; Trump Team Preps For Trial

Pelosi To Send Impeachment Articles To Senate Next Week ; Trump Team Preps For Trial House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , says she plans to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week , despite her ongoing concerns over how Republicans plan to conduct the Senate trial .
Pelosi plans to move ahead by transmitting the articles and naming impeachment managers who will present the House case in the Senate trial .
She said in a letter to House Democrats that she would consult with the caucus on Tuesday about next steps .
`` In an impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 'do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws . '
Every Senator now faces a choice : to be loyal to the President or the Constitution , '' Pelosi said in the letter .
Asked by reporters on Capitol Hill whether she thought the Senate trial would be `` fair , '' she said no .
Before opening arguments , the Senate still needs to pass a resolution on the trial rules and send a summons to President Trump .
The White House would then respond to the summons , paving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public trial .
The president 's legal team was still taking shape in recent days .
Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters Friday that White House counsel Pat Cipollone will take the lead , with two deputies from the counsel 's office and Trump 's private attorney Jay Sekulow also taking part .
`` We 're ready for it , '' Conway said of a Senate trial .
`` And our defense team will go on offense also .
This will be our first and best chance to lay out the president 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who led Trump 's defense in the Russia investigation , spent all day Friday at the White House , according to a person familiar with his schedule .
It 's not clear who else will be part of Trump 's impeachment defense team , but during the Clinton impeachment , the president was represented by a large team that included both White House lawyers and private attorneys .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , has so far refused to reveal the details of how he plans to manage the trial , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start the trial after Pelosi releases the articles .
McConnell has been working closely with Cipollone and other White House staffers on trial strategy and met with Trump earlier this week .
McConnell also announced earlier this week that Senate Republicans have the votes to approve rules for the trial without the help of Democrats , but he gave few specifics about what those rules would include .
McConnell has said he plans to follow the general outline established in the 1999 trial of President Bill Clinton .
Those rules , which were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House impeachment managers and the president 's lawyers each 24 hours of floor time to argue their case .
Senators then had 16 hours to ask questions — all before they could vote on calling new witnesses or submitting new evidence into the record .
`` The Senate has a unanimous bipartisan precedent for when to handle midtrial questions such as witnesses — in the middle of the trial , '' McConnell said Monday .
`` That was good enough for President Clinton , so it ought to be good enough for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Democrats say the Clinton comparison does not apply to Trump .
At the time , senators were considering re-calling witnesses who had already testified in the House .
Democrats now want to call four witnesses , including former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney , whom the White House blocked from participating in the House investigation .
`` Feebly , feebly , the majority leader has said this is just like Clinton , '' Pelosi told reporters on Thursday .
`` It 's exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't do a bipartisan agreement on how to proceed .
So , that 's very important .
But it 's not incidental to say but for the documentation and witnesses . ''
Some Republicans , like Sen. Susan Collins , have suggested that they may be open to calling a limited number of witnesses in the Senate .
Speaking to reporters in her home state of Maine , Collins said Friday that she is working with a small group of other Republicans on a potential plan for witnesses .
`` I am hopeful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to proceed with the trial that will allow the opportunity for both the House and the president 's counsel if they choose to do so , '' Collins said .
She did not provide further details on whom she is working with or which witnesses they are considering .

Pelosi To Send Impeachment Articles To Senate Next Week; Trump Team Preps For Trial
Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Updated at 3:49 p.m. ET
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says she plans to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week, despite her ongoing concerns over how Republicans plan to conduct the Senate trial.
Pelosi plans to move ahead by transmitting the articles and naming impeachment managers who will present the House case in the Senate trial. She said in a letter to House Democrats that she would consult with the caucus on Tuesday about next steps.
"In an impeachment trial, every Senator takes an oath to 'do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws.' Every Senator now faces a choice: to be loyal to the President or the Constitution," Pelosi said in the letter.
Asked by reporters on Capitol Hill whether she thought the Senate trial would be "fair," she said no.
Loading...
Before opening arguments, the Senate still needs to pass a resolution on the trial rules and send a summons to President Trump.
The White House would then respond to the summons, paving the way for the opening of the public trial. The president's legal team was still taking shape in recent days.
Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters Friday that White House counsel Pat Cipollone will take the lead, with two deputies from the counsel's office and Trump's private attorney Jay Sekulow also taking part.
"We're ready for it," Conway said of a Senate trial. "And our defense team will go on offense also. This will be our first and best chance to lay out the president's case as well."
Sekulow, who led Trump's defense in the Russia investigation, spent all day Friday at the White House, according to a person familiar with his schedule. It's not clear who else will be part of Trump's impeachment defense team, but during the Clinton impeachment, the president was represented by a large team that included both White House lawyers and private attorneys.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has so far refused to reveal the details of how he plans to manage the trial, including how long it will take to start the trial after Pelosi releases the articles. McConnell has been working closely with Cipollone and other White House staffers on trial strategy and met with Trump earlier this week.
McConnell also announced earlier this week that Senate Republicans have the votes to approve rules for the trial without the help of Democrats, but he gave few specifics about what those rules would include.
McConnell has said he plans to follow the general outline established in the 1999 trial of President Bill Clinton. Those rules, which were approved unanimously in the Senate, gave the House impeachment managers and the president's lawyers each 24 hours of floor time to argue their case. Senators then had 16 hours to ask questions — all before they could vote on calling new witnesses or submitting new evidence into the record.
"The Senate has a unanimous bipartisan precedent for when to handle midtrial questions such as witnesses — in the middle of the trial," McConnell said Monday. "That was good enough for President Clinton, so it ought to be good enough for President Trump. Fair is fair."
Democrats say the Clinton comparison does not apply to Trump. At the time, senators were considering re-calling witnesses who had already testified in the House. Democrats now want to call four witnesses, including former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, whom the White House blocked from participating in the House investigation.
Pelosi rejects that argument.
"Feebly, feebly, the majority leader has said this is just like Clinton," Pelosi told reporters on Thursday. "It's exactly not like Clinton in that he won't do a bipartisan agreement on how to proceed. So, that's very important. But it's not incidental to say but for the documentation and witnesses."
Some Republicans, like Sen. Susan Collins, have suggested that they may be open to calling a limited number of witnesses in the Senate. Speaking to reporters in her home state of Maine, Collins said Friday that she is working with a small group of other Republicans on a potential plan for witnesses.
"I am hopeful that we can reach an agreement on how to proceed with the trial that will allow the opportunity for both the House and the president's counsel if they choose to do so," Collins said.
She did not provide further details on whom she is working with or which witnesses they are considering.


npr--2020-01-10--Pakistani Author Comes Under Fire For Satirical Novel After Urdu Edition Is Published

Pakistani Author Comes Under Fire For Satirical Novel After Urdu Edition Is Published Pakistani author Mohammed Hanif used to quip that the reason why his country 's intelligence officials had n't harassed him for lampooning a military dictator was because it could take them years to get the joke .
Now that A Case of Exploding Mangoes -- the award-winning satirical novel he wrote more than a decade ago — has been translated from English into Urdu , things have changed .
On Monday , men claiming to be from Pakistan 's Inter-Services Intelligence agency raided the Maktaba-e-Danyal publishing house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and demanding to know which bookshops were selling the novel , according to Hanif and the book 's translator , Syed Kashif Raza .
They said the men claiming to be from the intelligence agency , which is connected to the Pakistani military , returned Tuesday to take lists of book distributors and shops stocking the novel .
Hanif tells NPR the raid has left him feeling `` obviously anxious , angry and above all , helpless . ''
Human rights groups say the raid — which came days after Hanif , Raza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were being sued for defamation — is the latest example of censorship amid a growing squeeze on free expression in Pakistan .
Amnesty International called Monday 's raid `` an alarming sign that freedom of expression continues to be under attack in Pakistan . ''
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called it `` a craven attempt to stifle artistic freedom of expression . ''
The raid was notable because the target was a novel , says Rimmel Mohydin , Pakistan campaigner for Amnesty International .
`` I think it 's a sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pakistan , '' she says .
Targeting an internationally celebrated Pakistani writer underscores the military 's increasing brazenness , she says .
Hanif is one of the best-known Pakistani writers abroad , and yet his fame could not protect him .
`` This is quite alarming , '' she says .
Hanif 's novel was released by a London publishing house in 2008 to wide acclaim and was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize .
It revolves around the late Pakistani dictator Gen. Muhammad Zia ul-Haq , who transformed Pakistan into a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1980s .
Zia was killed in 1988 , along with the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan , in a mysterious plane crash .
A Case of Exploding Mangoes caricatures the pious Zia and includes scenes in which he is distracted by embarrassing itches and his wife storms out of their bedroom after he is pictured in a newspaper ogling the cleavage of a Texan oil heiress .
The title refers to a popular conspiracy theory that explosives were snuck onto Zia 's final plane ride in a box of mangoes .
An ISI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week 's raid , telling the Associated Press it was a `` cheap attempt to gain popularity by hurling false accusations on a national institution . ''
Pakistani military officials did not respond to NPR 's requests for comment .
Publisher Hoori Noorani declined to comment .
Hanif , who previously served in Pakistan 's air force and was awarded a top civilian honor from Pakistan 's government in 2018 , says writing the novel was his attempt to make sense of Zia 's dictatorship and the military .
By mocking them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You 're also in a way trying to humanize them . ''
Hanif wrote the book in English , which most Pakistanis can not comfortably read .
( He says it is his own preferred language for fiction ) .
When it was published , his friends worried he would face trouble .
`` What the hell are you thinking ? ''
he remembers them saying .
They expected authorities to punish Hanif for making fun of the military , Pakistan 's most powerful institution .
Army generals have ruled the country for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Human rights groups and Pakistani journalists say the military pushes reporters and media outlets to self-censor coverage that might be deemed critical of the institution , through direct and indirect means of intimidation .
But there was no backlash after the English edition of A Case of Exploding Mangoes was released , so about six years ago , Hanif handed over an Urdu manuscript to a Pakistani publisher — who sat on it , out of caution over what might happen if it were published .
Hanif ultimately took the manuscript to Noorani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in September .
Late last month , Hanif and Raza , the translator , say they and the publisher received legal notice of a defamation suit by Zia 's son , Ijaz ul-Haq , who did not respond to NPR requests for comment .
On Monday , the raid took place at the publisher 's office , and Hanif tweeted : '' A Case of Exploding Mangoes has been in publication for 11 years now .
Nobody has ever bothered me .
Why now ?
I am sitting here , wondering when will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World 's No 1 spy agency .
I am sure they have better things to do . ''
He believes the raids were connected to the defamation complaint .
`` Our hunch is that it was not a coincidence , '' he says .
He plans to challenge the defamation suit .
On Wednesday , the Urdu version of A Case of Exploding Mangoes was nowhere to be found on the shelves of several Islamabad bookstores , although the English version remained on sale .
Two booksellers , who requested anonymity because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they 'd run out of Urdu copies and their local distributor told them it would no longer be stocked .
Both told NPR they 'd had a stream of customers asking for the book , probably because of the controversy .
They said confiscating a novel was unusual , though authorities had occasionally tried to prevent the promotion or sale of nonfiction books critical of the military , like The Spy Chronicles , co-written by a former ISI chief , Asad Durrani .
Pakistani intelligence agents have n't confiscated a novel from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He acknowledged that an Urdu novel lampooning the military is not the same as one in English .
`` When the book is translated into Urdu , then common people understand , '' he said .
Hanif says although he believes the Urdu edition of his book is unofficially banned now , things could be worse .
In the past , Pakistanis have been disappeared after being suspected of activism against the state .
`` We are kind of relieved that they have n't abducted us , '' he says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

Pakistani Author Comes Under Fire For Satirical Novel After Urdu Edition Is Published
Enlarge this image toggle caption Diaa Hadid/NPR Diaa Hadid/NPR
Pakistani author Mohammed Hanif used to quip that the reason why his country's intelligence officials hadn't harassed him for lampooning a military dictator was because it could take them years to get the joke.
Now that A Case of Exploding Mangoes -- the award-winning satirical novel he wrote more than a decade ago — has been translated from English into Urdu, things have changed.
On Monday, men claiming to be from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency raided the Maktaba-e-Danyal publishing house in Karachi, confiscating about 250 copies and demanding to know which bookshops were selling the novel, according to Hanif and the book's translator, Syed Kashif Raza. They said the men claiming to be from the intelligence agency, which is connected to the Pakistani military, returned Tuesday to take lists of book distributors and shops stocking the novel.
Hanif tells NPR the raid has left him feeling "obviously anxious, angry and above all, helpless."
Human rights groups say the raid — which came days after Hanif, Raza and the book's publisher learned they were being sued for defamation — is the latest example of censorship amid a growing squeeze on free expression in Pakistan.
Amnesty International called Monday's raid "an alarming sign that freedom of expression continues to be under attack in Pakistan." The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called it "a craven attempt to stifle artistic freedom of expression."
Middle East 'A Case Of Exploding Mangoes' Gets Translated Into Urdu, Pakistan's National Language 'A Case Of Exploding Mangoes' Gets Translated Into Urdu, Pakistan's National Language Listen · 4:39 4:39
The raid was notable because the target was a novel, says Rimmel Mohydin, Pakistan campaigner for Amnesty International. "I think it's a sign of how much space has shrunk in Pakistan," she says. Targeting an internationally celebrated Pakistani writer underscores the military's increasing brazenness, she says. Hanif is one of the best-known Pakistani writers abroad, and yet his fame could not protect him. "This is quite alarming," she says.
Hanif's novel was released by a London publishing house in 2008 to wide acclaim and was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize. It revolves around the late Pakistani dictator Gen. Muhammad Zia ul-Haq, who transformed Pakistan into a more visibly religious society during his rule through the 1980s. Zia was killed in 1988, along with the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, in a mysterious plane crash.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images
A Case of Exploding Mangoes caricatures the pious Zia and includes scenes in which he is distracted by embarrassing itches and his wife storms out of their bedroom after he is pictured in a newspaper ogling the cleavage of a Texan oil heiress. The title refers to a popular conspiracy theory that explosives were snuck onto Zia's final plane ride in a box of mangoes.
An ISI official dismissed Hanif's claim about this week's raid, telling the Associated Press it was a "cheap attempt to gain popularity by hurling false accusations on a national institution." Pakistani military officials did not respond to NPR's requests for comment. Publisher Hoori Noorani declined to comment.
Hanif, who previously served in Pakistan's air force and was awarded a top civilian honor from Pakistan's government in 2018, says writing the novel was his attempt to make sense of Zia's dictatorship and the military. By mocking them, he told NPR in November, "You're also in a way trying to humanize them."
Hanif wrote the book in English, which most Pakistanis cannot comfortably read. (He says it is his own preferred language for fiction). When it was published, his friends worried he would face trouble. "What the hell are you thinking?" he remembers them saying.
They expected authorities to punish Hanif for making fun of the military, Pakistan's most powerful institution. Army generals have ruled the country for nearly half of its 72-year history. Human rights groups and Pakistani journalists say the military pushes reporters and media outlets to self-censor coverage that might be deemed critical of the institution, through direct and indirect means of intimidation.
But there was no backlash after the English edition of A Case of Exploding Mangoes was released, so about six years ago, Hanif handed over an Urdu manuscript to a Pakistani publisher — who sat on it, out of caution over what might happen if it were published. Hanif ultimately took the manuscript to Noorani of Maktaba-e-Danyal, who published 1,000 copies in September.
Late last month, Hanif and Raza, the translator, say they and the publisher received legal notice of a defamation suit by Zia's son, Ijaz ul-Haq, who did not respond to NPR requests for comment.
On Monday, the raid took place at the publisher's office, and Hanif tweeted:
"A Case of Exploding Mangoes has been in publication for 11 years now. Nobody has ever bothered me. Why now? I am sitting here, wondering when will they come for us. ISI is World's No 1 spy agency. I am sure they have better things to do."
He believes the raids were connected to the defamation complaint. "Our hunch is that it was not a coincidence," he says. He plans to challenge the defamation suit.
On Wednesday, the Urdu version of A Case of Exploding Mangoes was nowhere to be found on the shelves of several Islamabad bookstores, although the English version remained on sale.
Two booksellers, who requested anonymity because they were worried about angering the ISI, said they'd run out of Urdu copies and their local distributor told them it would no longer be stocked. Both told NPR they'd had a stream of customers asking for the book, probably because of the controversy.
They said confiscating a novel was unusual, though authorities had occasionally tried to prevent the promotion or sale of nonfiction books critical of the military, like The Spy Chronicles, co-written by a former ISI chief, Asad Durrani.
Pakistani intelligence agents haven't confiscated a novel from bookshops in decades, one bookseller said. He acknowledged that an Urdu novel lampooning the military is not the same as one in English. "When the book is translated into Urdu, then common people understand," he said.
Hanif says although he believes the Urdu edition of his book is unofficially banned now, things could be worse. In the past, Pakistanis have been disappeared after being suspected of activism against the state. "We are kind of relieved that they haven't abducted us," he says. "We are almost grateful for that."