LOS ANGELES (AP) — Teenage vampires and orphans of many ages are squaring off at the MTV Movie Awards: "Twilight" and "Slumdog Millionaire" are both up for six awards Sunday, including best movie and best kiss, at the ceremony honoring the best in film from the past year as voted on by viewers.
Other best movie contenders at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif., are "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man," and "High School Musical 3: Senior Year."
Up for best kiss are the lip-locks of Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy in "Wanted"; Freida Pinto and Dev Patel in "Slumdog Millionaire"; James Franco and Sean Penn in "Milk"; Paul Rudd and Thomas Lennon in "I Love You, Man"; and Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron in "High School Musical 3."
The ceremony will be hosted by Andy Samberg and feature musical performances from Kings of Leon and Eminem. The MTV Generation Award, the ceremony's highest honor, will be presented to Ben Stiller. Two new categories are set to debut at this year's show: best song from a movie and best WTF moment, which honors the most jaw-dropping movie moment of the year.
Other golden popcorn trophies will be awarded in such categories as best villain, best comedic performance and best fight. In addition to handing out awards for movies from the past year, MTV is promising to debut new footage from upcoming films "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "New Moon" and "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" during the ceremony.
Presenters scheduled to hand out golden popcorn trophies Sunday include Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Denzel Washington, Cameron Diaz, Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock, Sienna Miller, Channing Tatum, Bradley Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Danny McBride, Will Ferrell, Leighton Meester, Jonah Hill and Lil Wayne.
by the associated press
AdBrite
AdBrite
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Recent cases of abortion violence
A look at recent cases of abortion-related violence:
_ May 31, 2009: Prominent late-term abortion provider George Tiller is shot and killed in a Wichita church where he was serving as an usher. The gunman fled but a city official said a suspect is in custody.
_ April 25, 2007: Authorities say Paul Ross Evans placed a homemade bomb in the parking lot of the Austin Women's Health Center in Texas. A bomb squad disposes of the device, which contained two pounds of nails. There are no injuries.
_ Oct. 23, 1998: Dr. Barnett Slepian is fatally shot in his home in a suburb of Buffalo, N.Y. Militant abortion opponent James Kopp is convicted of the murder in 2003 and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
_ Jan. 29, 1998: A bomb explodes just outside a Birmingham, Ala., abortion clinic, killing a police officer and wounding several others. Eric Rudolph later pleads guilty to that incident and the deadly bombing at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He justifies the Alabama bombing in an essay from prison, writing that Jesus would condone "militant action in defense of the innocent."
_ Jan. 16, 1997: Two bomb blasts an hour apart rock an Atlanta building containing an abortion clinic. Seven people are injured. Rudolph is charged by federal authorities in October 1998.
_ Dec. 30, 1994: John Salvi opens fire with a rifle inside two Boston-area abortion clinics, killing two receptionists and wounding five others. Sentenced to life without parole, he kills himself in prison in 1996.
_ Nov. 8, 1994: Dr. Garson Romalis, who performs abortions in Vancouver, Canada, is shot in the leg while eating breakfast at home.
_ July 29, 1994: Dr. John Bayard Britton and his volunteer escort, James H. Barrett, are slain outside a Pensacola, Fla., abortion clinic. Barrett's wife, June, is wounded in the attack. Paul J. Hill, 40, a former minister and anti-abortion activist, is later convicted of murder and sentenced to death.
_ Aug. 19, 1993: Dr. George Tiller is shot in the arms as he drives out of parking lot at his Wichita, Kan., clinic. Rachelle "Shelley" Shannon is later convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
_ March 10, 1993: Dr. David Gunn is shot to death outside Pensacola, Fla., clinic, becoming the first U.S. doctor killed during an anti-abortion demonstration. Michael Griffin is convicted and serving a life sentence.
by the associated press
_ May 31, 2009: Prominent late-term abortion provider George Tiller is shot and killed in a Wichita church where he was serving as an usher. The gunman fled but a city official said a suspect is in custody.
_ April 25, 2007: Authorities say Paul Ross Evans placed a homemade bomb in the parking lot of the Austin Women's Health Center in Texas. A bomb squad disposes of the device, which contained two pounds of nails. There are no injuries.
_ Oct. 23, 1998: Dr. Barnett Slepian is fatally shot in his home in a suburb of Buffalo, N.Y. Militant abortion opponent James Kopp is convicted of the murder in 2003 and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
_ Jan. 29, 1998: A bomb explodes just outside a Birmingham, Ala., abortion clinic, killing a police officer and wounding several others. Eric Rudolph later pleads guilty to that incident and the deadly bombing at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He justifies the Alabama bombing in an essay from prison, writing that Jesus would condone "militant action in defense of the innocent."
_ Jan. 16, 1997: Two bomb blasts an hour apart rock an Atlanta building containing an abortion clinic. Seven people are injured. Rudolph is charged by federal authorities in October 1998.
_ Dec. 30, 1994: John Salvi opens fire with a rifle inside two Boston-area abortion clinics, killing two receptionists and wounding five others. Sentenced to life without parole, he kills himself in prison in 1996.
_ Nov. 8, 1994: Dr. Garson Romalis, who performs abortions in Vancouver, Canada, is shot in the leg while eating breakfast at home.
_ July 29, 1994: Dr. John Bayard Britton and his volunteer escort, James H. Barrett, are slain outside a Pensacola, Fla., abortion clinic. Barrett's wife, June, is wounded in the attack. Paul J. Hill, 40, a former minister and anti-abortion activist, is later convicted of murder and sentenced to death.
_ Aug. 19, 1993: Dr. George Tiller is shot in the arms as he drives out of parking lot at his Wichita, Kan., clinic. Rachelle "Shelley" Shannon is later convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
_ March 10, 1993: Dr. David Gunn is shot to death outside Pensacola, Fla., clinic, becoming the first U.S. doctor killed during an anti-abortion demonstration. Michael Griffin is convicted and serving a life sentence.
by the associated press
Park fence at WWI memorial
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The group that runs the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City wants to encircle the memorial grounds with fence as part of a security upgrade to protect the monument and National World War I Museum. But some park department officials don’t think it’s a good idea.
"We don’t fence parks,” said Park Commissioner Angie Stackhaus. "I’m vehemently opposed to a fence. It violates (the original) design and it’s just not necessary.”
The Liberty Memorial is a national historic landmark that sits on 47.5 acres of land across from Union Station and is home to the World War I Museum. Memorial officials say a fence would help keep out undesirable activity. They also say the memorial is a potential terrorist target.
That notion gets scoffs from some park officials who say if someone wants to terrorize the monument, a fence isn’t going to prevent that.
Memorial officials want to add the fence, cameras and improved lighting as part of a $1.4 million security project. Sandra Aust, chairwoman of the memorial’s grounds committee, said she doesn’t like fences in general but thinks the city needs to be realistic.
"We have a wonderful asset that we’ve invested more than $100 million in preserving and enhancing,” she said.
"We have a responsibility to look at what we need to do to make sure it is secure and protected.”
by the associated press
"We don’t fence parks,” said Park Commissioner Angie Stackhaus. "I’m vehemently opposed to a fence. It violates (the original) design and it’s just not necessary.”
The Liberty Memorial is a national historic landmark that sits on 47.5 acres of land across from Union Station and is home to the World War I Museum. Memorial officials say a fence would help keep out undesirable activity. They also say the memorial is a potential terrorist target.
That notion gets scoffs from some park officials who say if someone wants to terrorize the monument, a fence isn’t going to prevent that.
Memorial officials want to add the fence, cameras and improved lighting as part of a $1.4 million security project. Sandra Aust, chairwoman of the memorial’s grounds committee, said she doesn’t like fences in general but thinks the city needs to be realistic.
"We have a wonderful asset that we’ve invested more than $100 million in preserving and enhancing,” she said.
"We have a responsibility to look at what we need to do to make sure it is secure and protected.”
by the associated press
Premier rule remains tenuous
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Saturday that his efforts to restore democratic freedoms and the rule of law to Zimbabwe have so far failed.
The former opposition leader took his Movement for Democratic Change into a coalition government with longtime autocratic President Robert Mugabe in February to end the country’s deadlock and economic collapse.
But Tsvangirai gave his party’s annual convention a bleak assessment of Zimbabwe’s situation and said that hard-liners backing Mugabe were frustrating progress.
"Our people do not live free from fear, hunger and poverty,” he said.
There was only limited freedom of movement and expression, he said.
His comments reflected the tensions wracking the so-called unity government. But despite the unhappiness, Tsvangirai has so far shown no sign that he will pull his party out of the coalition. Tsvangirai had been frozen out of office, until Mugabe was forced to enter the unity government.
Tsvangirai and more than 1,000 delegates to the two-day convention wore red T-shirts emblazoned with a new slogan: "Together to the end. Marching to a New Zimbabwe.”
Money sought
Tendai Biti, Tsvangirai’s finance minister, has appealed for $8 billion to rebuild the shattered economy. But most donors and investors have insisted more reforms and the rule of law be in place before they commit funds.
Tsvangirai told his party loyalists Saturday the adoption of hard currency as the country’s legal tender halted world-record inflation of 500 billion percent in the now abandoned local currency.
More humanitarian aid was also being received to restore health services and collapsed utilities.
by the associated press
The former opposition leader took his Movement for Democratic Change into a coalition government with longtime autocratic President Robert Mugabe in February to end the country’s deadlock and economic collapse.
But Tsvangirai gave his party’s annual convention a bleak assessment of Zimbabwe’s situation and said that hard-liners backing Mugabe were frustrating progress.
"Our people do not live free from fear, hunger and poverty,” he said.
There was only limited freedom of movement and expression, he said.
His comments reflected the tensions wracking the so-called unity government. But despite the unhappiness, Tsvangirai has so far shown no sign that he will pull his party out of the coalition. Tsvangirai had been frozen out of office, until Mugabe was forced to enter the unity government.
Tsvangirai and more than 1,000 delegates to the two-day convention wore red T-shirts emblazoned with a new slogan: "Together to the end. Marching to a New Zimbabwe.”
Money sought
Tendai Biti, Tsvangirai’s finance minister, has appealed for $8 billion to rebuild the shattered economy. But most donors and investors have insisted more reforms and the rule of law be in place before they commit funds.
Tsvangirai told his party loyalists Saturday the adoption of hard currency as the country’s legal tender halted world-record inflation of 500 billion percent in the now abandoned local currency.
More humanitarian aid was also being received to restore health services and collapsed utilities.
by the associated press
Web fame
LONDON — She gave a final curtsey, a shimmy of her hips, and walked off stage, leaving the winners to perform an encore.
But it’s unlikely that finishing second on "Britain’s Got Talent” on Saturday night to a dance troupe called "Diversity” will be the end of Susan Boyle’s showbiz dream.
The 48-year-old church volunteer became an Internet phenomenon after she auditioned for the television talent show, her show-stopping vocals combining with her frumpy appearance to make her a must-see on YouTube.
For the finals, she returned to the song that made her famous, "I Dreamed a Dream” from "Les Miserables.”
She appeared more polished and animated than in previous performances, but seemed uncomfortable during banter with the judges after her song. Judge Simon Cowell said Boyle had a rough brush with fame, but that she was "a nice, shy person who wants a break.”
The week leading up to Saturday’s performance had been a tumultuous one for Boyle. She lost her cool during a confrontation with two reporters, and the police intervened. Asked about her plans after the show, she told broadcaster ITV she hoped to get an album out, and will "just play it by ear.”
"She lost because people didn’t bother voting for her because they thought she was going to win it,” lamented 21-year-old Gordon Mackenzie.
"I didn’t vote for her because I thought everyone else would.”
by the associated press
But it’s unlikely that finishing second on "Britain’s Got Talent” on Saturday night to a dance troupe called "Diversity” will be the end of Susan Boyle’s showbiz dream.
The 48-year-old church volunteer became an Internet phenomenon after she auditioned for the television talent show, her show-stopping vocals combining with her frumpy appearance to make her a must-see on YouTube.
For the finals, she returned to the song that made her famous, "I Dreamed a Dream” from "Les Miserables.”
She appeared more polished and animated than in previous performances, but seemed uncomfortable during banter with the judges after her song. Judge Simon Cowell said Boyle had a rough brush with fame, but that she was "a nice, shy person who wants a break.”
The week leading up to Saturday’s performance had been a tumultuous one for Boyle. She lost her cool during a confrontation with two reporters, and the police intervened. Asked about her plans after the show, she told broadcaster ITV she hoped to get an album out, and will "just play it by ear.”
"She lost because people didn’t bother voting for her because they thought she was going to win it,” lamented 21-year-old Gordon Mackenzie.
"I didn’t vote for her because I thought everyone else would.”
by the associated press
Putting Pressure on against N. Korea
SINGAPORE — North Korea’s progress on nuclear weapons and long-range missiles is "a harbinger of a dark future” and has created a need for more pressure on the reclusive communist government to change its ways, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Saturday.
He said the North’s nuclear program does not "at this point” represent a direct military threat to the United States. However, the North’s efforts pose the potential for an arms race in Asia that could spread beyond the region, he added.
At an annual meeting of defense and security officials, Gates said past efforts to cajole North Korea into scrapping its nuclear weapons program have only emboldened it.
Patience wears thin
North Korea’s yearslong use of scare tactics as a bargaining chip to secure aid — only to later renege on promises — has worn thin the patience of nations negotiating with them, he said.
"I think that everyone in the room is familiar with the tactics that the North Koreans use. They create a crisis and the rest of us pay a price to return to the status quo ante,” he said in a question and answer session after his speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
"As the expression goes in the United States, ‘I am tired of buying the same horse twice.’ I think this notion that we buy our way back to the status quo ante is an approach that I personally at least think we ought to think very hard about. There are perhaps other ways to try and get the North Koreans to change their approach.”
The statements were echoed by the South Korean defense minister and even China, North Korea’s strongest ally. They reflect fears in the region that last week’s nuclear and missile tests by North Korea could spiral out of control and lead to fighting.
by the associated press
He said the North’s nuclear program does not "at this point” represent a direct military threat to the United States. However, the North’s efforts pose the potential for an arms race in Asia that could spread beyond the region, he added.
At an annual meeting of defense and security officials, Gates said past efforts to cajole North Korea into scrapping its nuclear weapons program have only emboldened it.
Patience wears thin
North Korea’s yearslong use of scare tactics as a bargaining chip to secure aid — only to later renege on promises — has worn thin the patience of nations negotiating with them, he said.
"I think that everyone in the room is familiar with the tactics that the North Koreans use. They create a crisis and the rest of us pay a price to return to the status quo ante,” he said in a question and answer session after his speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
"As the expression goes in the United States, ‘I am tired of buying the same horse twice.’ I think this notion that we buy our way back to the status quo ante is an approach that I personally at least think we ought to think very hard about. There are perhaps other ways to try and get the North Koreans to change their approach.”
The statements were echoed by the South Korean defense minister and even China, North Korea’s strongest ally. They reflect fears in the region that last week’s nuclear and missile tests by North Korea could spiral out of control and lead to fighting.
by the associated press
Agency looking to better charter bus safety
SALT LAKE CITY — The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending charter bus companies develop better contingency plans to deal with crashes in remote areas.
The board sent recommendations Friday to the American Bus Association and the United Motorcoach Association. The list suggests detailed contingency plans and information about driving in remote areas without wireless telephone coverage.
The board says crashes such as the one near Mexican Hat, Utah, in January 2008, showed several ways safety could be improved. Nine died in the crash, and 43 others were hurt as they returned from a ski trip.
The board said the accident likely was caused by the driver’s fatigue.
The recommendations said the charter company, Arrow Stage Lines, should have considered overnight accommodations or provided relief drivers.
by the associated press
The board sent recommendations Friday to the American Bus Association and the United Motorcoach Association. The list suggests detailed contingency plans and information about driving in remote areas without wireless telephone coverage.
The board says crashes such as the one near Mexican Hat, Utah, in January 2008, showed several ways safety could be improved. Nine died in the crash, and 43 others were hurt as they returned from a ski trip.
The board said the accident likely was caused by the driver’s fatigue.
The recommendations said the charter company, Arrow Stage Lines, should have considered overnight accommodations or provided relief drivers.
by the associated press
Trade in China
WASHINGTON — Timothy Geithner’s first trip to China as treasury secretary comes during a vulnerable time for the Obama administration.
Mired in a brutal recession, the U.S. needs Beijing to buy more American goods, allow its currency to rise and make other moves to narrow an enormous trade gap. The U.S. also needs China’s help to confront any military threat from North Korea.
Yet Washington’s leverage has waned just as China’s power over the U.S. has grown.
China is now America’s biggest creditor. As of March, it held $768 billion of Treasury securities — about 10 percent of publicly traded debt.
The U.S. needs China’s money to finance U.S. budget deficits, which are soaring as Washington tries to end the recession and bolster the banking system. The administration estimates the budget deficit will hit $1.84 trillion this year.
Geithner, who left Saturday for meetings Monday and Tuesday with Chinese leaders, carried a goal of persuading the Chinese government to adopt policies that would transform its nation of savers into spenders.
The U.S. wants Beijing to rely more on domestic spending and less on exports to power the global economy. Experts say the shift would help rebalance world trade.
It also could hasten an end to the global recession and narrow America’s trade gap because the Chinese would buy more American products.
by the associated press
Mired in a brutal recession, the U.S. needs Beijing to buy more American goods, allow its currency to rise and make other moves to narrow an enormous trade gap. The U.S. also needs China’s help to confront any military threat from North Korea.
Yet Washington’s leverage has waned just as China’s power over the U.S. has grown.
China is now America’s biggest creditor. As of March, it held $768 billion of Treasury securities — about 10 percent of publicly traded debt.
The U.S. needs China’s money to finance U.S. budget deficits, which are soaring as Washington tries to end the recession and bolster the banking system. The administration estimates the budget deficit will hit $1.84 trillion this year.
Geithner, who left Saturday for meetings Monday and Tuesday with Chinese leaders, carried a goal of persuading the Chinese government to adopt policies that would transform its nation of savers into spenders.
The U.S. wants Beijing to rely more on domestic spending and less on exports to power the global economy. Experts say the shift would help rebalance world trade.
It also could hasten an end to the global recession and narrow America’s trade gap because the Chinese would buy more American products.
by the associated press
GM bankruptcy prospect could be settled this week
DETROIT — General Motors Corp.’s board of directors met for a second day Saturday to make the final decision on whether the automaker would complete its restructuring by filing for bankruptcy protection Monday.
The meeting’s outcome could not immediately be determined. GM and the Treasury Department, which has been guiding the automaker toward a rescue plan that will give taxpayers nearly a three-fourths company stake, went into secrecy mode.
GM’s bondholders had a 4 p.m. CST Saturday deadline to accept an offer to swap their $27 billion in debt for at least a 10 percent stake in a new GM. If the Treasury doesn’t get the amount of support it wants, bondholders could wind up with far less in bankruptcy court.
The Treasury Department had no immediate comment on the deadline passing, and company spokesman Tom Wilkinson said the automaker did not plan to make any statements Saturday.
GM took a huge restructuring step Friday when the United Auto Workers union agreed to a cost-cutting deal, and early Saturday, Germany’s finance minister said a plan was approved for Canadian auto parts maker Magna International Inc. to move ahead with a rescue of GM’s Opel unit.
But there was still much to do to beat the government’s Monday deadline to qualify for more aid. The company already has received about $20 billion in government loans and could get $30 billion more to make it through what is expected to be a 60- to 90-day reorganization in bankruptcy court.
by the associated press
The meeting’s outcome could not immediately be determined. GM and the Treasury Department, which has been guiding the automaker toward a rescue plan that will give taxpayers nearly a three-fourths company stake, went into secrecy mode.
GM’s bondholders had a 4 p.m. CST Saturday deadline to accept an offer to swap their $27 billion in debt for at least a 10 percent stake in a new GM. If the Treasury doesn’t get the amount of support it wants, bondholders could wind up with far less in bankruptcy court.
The Treasury Department had no immediate comment on the deadline passing, and company spokesman Tom Wilkinson said the automaker did not plan to make any statements Saturday.
GM took a huge restructuring step Friday when the United Auto Workers union agreed to a cost-cutting deal, and early Saturday, Germany’s finance minister said a plan was approved for Canadian auto parts maker Magna International Inc. to move ahead with a rescue of GM’s Opel unit.
But there was still much to do to beat the government’s Monday deadline to qualify for more aid. The company already has received about $20 billion in government loans and could get $30 billion more to make it through what is expected to be a 60- to 90-day reorganization in bankruptcy court.
by the associated press
Homes ready to be Built
NEW ORLEANS — The only thing keeping Gerard Rigney from getting back into his home is the FEMA trailer in his front yard.
It needs to vanish so his plumber can redo the piping into the house, which was damaged by Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters almost four years ago. After months of calls and letters from the Federal Emergency Management Agency saying his days in the trailer were numbered, he can’t wait to get rid of it.
"I’m grateful I had this. I would’ve been at the mercy of friends and strangers without it,” the 65-year-old stagehand said from his trailer’s front steps — a day before FEMA’s Saturday deadline for him and thousands of others to leave their federally issued travel trailers and mobile homes or face possible repossession.
Mobile home and trailer dwellers like Rigney were given several extensions to finish rebuilding homes or find permanent places to stay. Those who stayed on or past May 1 were given notices to vacate. And it appears the deadline is going to stick after FEMA told residents they would ask the U.S. Department of Justice to help get them out of the units.
With hurricane season beginning Monday, an estimated 3,400 households affected by those storms remain in trailers and mobile homes in Louisiana and Mississippi.
David Garratt, FEMA’s acting deputy administrator, told a House subcommittee on May 22 that it could take several months for any "evictions.”
FEMA has assured state officials the situation would be approached on a case-by-case basis. Agency spokesman Clark Stevens said FEMA is working with federal, state and local agencies to help residents transition into long-term housing.
by the associated press
It needs to vanish so his plumber can redo the piping into the house, which was damaged by Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters almost four years ago. After months of calls and letters from the Federal Emergency Management Agency saying his days in the trailer were numbered, he can’t wait to get rid of it.
"I’m grateful I had this. I would’ve been at the mercy of friends and strangers without it,” the 65-year-old stagehand said from his trailer’s front steps — a day before FEMA’s Saturday deadline for him and thousands of others to leave their federally issued travel trailers and mobile homes or face possible repossession.
Mobile home and trailer dwellers like Rigney were given several extensions to finish rebuilding homes or find permanent places to stay. Those who stayed on or past May 1 were given notices to vacate. And it appears the deadline is going to stick after FEMA told residents they would ask the U.S. Department of Justice to help get them out of the units.
With hurricane season beginning Monday, an estimated 3,400 households affected by those storms remain in trailers and mobile homes in Louisiana and Mississippi.
David Garratt, FEMA’s acting deputy administrator, told a House subcommittee on May 22 that it could take several months for any "evictions.”
FEMA has assured state officials the situation would be approached on a case-by-case basis. Agency spokesman Clark Stevens said FEMA is working with federal, state and local agencies to help residents transition into long-term housing.
by the associated press
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Iraqis express security fear
BAGHDAD — Three years ago, the U.S. thinned out its presence in Baghdad and Iraqi forces could not stem the tide of fighting. By the end of June, Iraq’s forces will again be in control of their cities — and many Iraqis wonder if they are up to the task.
Publicly, the U.S. military insists it has full confidence in Iraq’s army and police to cope with challenges after the June 30 deadline for U.S. combat troops to leave Baghdad, Mosul and other cities.
Privately, however, some U.S. and Iraqi officials acknowledge no one can say with certainty whether Iraqis can perform until they assume the responsibility.
Many Iraqis fear that Sunni and Shiite extremists are laying low waiting for the Americans to pull back and won’t wait long to mount a challenge.
"The current bloodshed acts proved that Iraqi forces are not ready yet,” said Haider Abbas, a Shiite teacher in Baghdad.
Although U.S. officials insist Iraqi forces are better, they still face problems with supplies and logistics which limit their ability to operate on their own.
More importantly, many fear the security forces, most notably the police, still are under the influence of political groups and would not enforce the law evenhandedly.
"The U.S. withdrawal will worsen the situation,” said Hamza Mehdi, 29, who owns an auto parts shop. "There are too many unresolved issues.”
by the associated press
Publicly, the U.S. military insists it has full confidence in Iraq’s army and police to cope with challenges after the June 30 deadline for U.S. combat troops to leave Baghdad, Mosul and other cities.
Privately, however, some U.S. and Iraqi officials acknowledge no one can say with certainty whether Iraqis can perform until they assume the responsibility.
Many Iraqis fear that Sunni and Shiite extremists are laying low waiting for the Americans to pull back and won’t wait long to mount a challenge.
"The current bloodshed acts proved that Iraqi forces are not ready yet,” said Haider Abbas, a Shiite teacher in Baghdad.
Although U.S. officials insist Iraqi forces are better, they still face problems with supplies and logistics which limit their ability to operate on their own.
More importantly, many fear the security forces, most notably the police, still are under the influence of political groups and would not enforce the law evenhandedly.
"The U.S. withdrawal will worsen the situation,” said Hamza Mehdi, 29, who owns an auto parts shop. "There are too many unresolved issues.”
by the associated press
Montana town offering to hold terror suspects
HARDIN, Mont. — On Capitol Hill, politicians are dead-set against transferring some of the world’s most feared terrorists from Guantanamo to prisons on U.S. soil. But at City Hall in this impoverished town on the Northern Plains, the attitude is: Bring ’em on.
Hardin, a town of 3,400 people so desperate that it built a $27 million jail years ago in the vain hope it would be a moneymaker, is offering to house Guantanamo detainees at the never-used institution.
Mayor Ron Adams said the jail could generate up to $300,000 a year for Hardin’s coffers if it were to open. That is about 20 percent of the town’s annual budget. It would also create more than 100 jobs.
The medium-security jail was conceived as a holding facility for drunks and other scofflaws, but town leaders said it could be fortified with a couple of guard towers and some more concertina wire. Apart from that, it is a turnkey operation, fully outfitted with everything from cafeteria trays and sweatsocks to 88 surveillance cameras.
"Holy smokes — the amount of soldiers and attorneys it would bring here would be unbelievable,” Clint Carleton said as he surveyed his restaurant, Three Brothers Pizza.
After Hardin’s six-member council passed a resolution last month in favor of taking the Guantanamo detainees, Montana’s congressional delegation was quick to pledge it would never happen.
Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer said this week that it is every state’s obligation to do its part in addressing terrorism. But he dismissed Hardin’s jail as not up to the task.
Some prison agencies, including the Montana Corrections Department, have said the jail does not meet their design and security standards, in part because of its dormitory-style rooms and lack of an exercise yard.
Some townspeople doubt it will come to pass.
"I saw on the news ... that there are only three prisons in the country that could hold them,” said Bill Moehr, 77, a former cattle ranch manager who lives next to the jail.
The amount of soldiers and attorneys it would bring here would be unbelievable,”
by the associated press
Hardin, a town of 3,400 people so desperate that it built a $27 million jail years ago in the vain hope it would be a moneymaker, is offering to house Guantanamo detainees at the never-used institution.
Mayor Ron Adams said the jail could generate up to $300,000 a year for Hardin’s coffers if it were to open. That is about 20 percent of the town’s annual budget. It would also create more than 100 jobs.
The medium-security jail was conceived as a holding facility for drunks and other scofflaws, but town leaders said it could be fortified with a couple of guard towers and some more concertina wire. Apart from that, it is a turnkey operation, fully outfitted with everything from cafeteria trays and sweatsocks to 88 surveillance cameras.
"Holy smokes — the amount of soldiers and attorneys it would bring here would be unbelievable,” Clint Carleton said as he surveyed his restaurant, Three Brothers Pizza.
After Hardin’s six-member council passed a resolution last month in favor of taking the Guantanamo detainees, Montana’s congressional delegation was quick to pledge it would never happen.
Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer said this week that it is every state’s obligation to do its part in addressing terrorism. But he dismissed Hardin’s jail as not up to the task.
Some prison agencies, including the Montana Corrections Department, have said the jail does not meet their design and security standards, in part because of its dormitory-style rooms and lack of an exercise yard.
Some townspeople doubt it will come to pass.
"I saw on the news ... that there are only three prisons in the country that could hold them,” said Bill Moehr, 77, a former cattle ranch manager who lives next to the jail.
The amount of soldiers and attorneys it would bring here would be unbelievable,”
by the associated press
Showering pictures brings up Questions
WASHINGTON — The Army says it’s investigating allegations that eight male soldiers took pictures and video of as many as 21 female soldiers in their unit showering at Fort Dix.
The photos were allegedly taken last fall, before the 266th Military Police Company of the Virginia Army National Guard shipped out to Iraq in December, officials said.
Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said Friday the Army is conducting a criminal investigation and that no charges have been filed.
Fort Dix spokeswoman Carolee Nisbet says the allegations are disappointing. She said most soldiers who train at the New Jersey installation before being deployed "live up to the Army values.”
The 266th is now serving in Basra.
A spokesman for the Virginia Army National Guard did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
by the associated press
The photos were allegedly taken last fall, before the 266th Military Police Company of the Virginia Army National Guard shipped out to Iraq in December, officials said.
Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said Friday the Army is conducting a criminal investigation and that no charges have been filed.
Fort Dix spokeswoman Carolee Nisbet says the allegations are disappointing. She said most soldiers who train at the New Jersey installation before being deployed "live up to the Army values.”
The 266th is now serving in Basra.
A spokesman for the Virginia Army National Guard did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
by the associated press
Iranian candidate wants economic sanctions to come to a stop
TEHRAN, Iran — The leading reformist challenger to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the Iranian presidential race said Friday his country’s ties with the U.S. could improve if Washington were to halt economic sanctions against Iran.
A suspension of the American sanctions imposed since 1995 would be a "positive sign,” Mir Hossein Mousavi said.
Mousavi has campaigned for the June 12 vote on the promise of a change in Iran’s foreign policy under hardline Ahmadinejad, who he says only isolated Iran further from the international community.
Mousavi’s remarks came as the candidates in the Iranian election are staking out their positions on the Obama administration’s offer of a dialogue with Iran.
Iran state television on Friday broadcast a campaign film produced by Ahmadinejad’s office that showed him inaugurating various nuclear facilities in the country. It also emphasized his commitment to helping the poor.
And conservative candidate Mohsen Rezaei said he was open to talks with the West on Iran’s nuclear program — the only candidate to do so. However, Rezaei is not considered a serious contender.
by the associated press
A suspension of the American sanctions imposed since 1995 would be a "positive sign,” Mir Hossein Mousavi said.
Mousavi has campaigned for the June 12 vote on the promise of a change in Iran’s foreign policy under hardline Ahmadinejad, who he says only isolated Iran further from the international community.
Mousavi’s remarks came as the candidates in the Iranian election are staking out their positions on the Obama administration’s offer of a dialogue with Iran.
Iran state television on Friday broadcast a campaign film produced by Ahmadinejad’s office that showed him inaugurating various nuclear facilities in the country. It also emphasized his commitment to helping the poor.
And conservative candidate Mohsen Rezaei said he was open to talks with the West on Iran’s nuclear program — the only candidate to do so. However, Rezaei is not considered a serious contender.
by the associated press
3 in U.S. could be looking at charges in Spain
MADRID — A Spanish prosecutor called Friday for international arrest warrants for three alleged former Nazi death camp guards living in the U.S., saying evidence shows they acted as accessories to genocide.
A final decision on whether to request the arrest and extradition of the three is up to Spanish Judge Ismael Moreno, who has been investigating since July at the request of a human rights group representing Spaniards who were held at Nazi camps.
Prosecutor Pedro Martinez Torrijos said Spain has jurisdiction under its principle of universal justice, which allows grave crimes committed elsewhere to be prosecuted in Spain, and because there were Spanish victims.
The suspects are Anton Tittjung, of Kewaunee, Wis.; Josias Kumpf, who lives in Racine, Wis.; and Johann Leprich, who lives near Detroit.
A fourth suspect in the Spanish probe — retired Ohio autoworker John Demjanjuk — has been deported to Germany.
Martinez Torrijos said that for the time being he will not seek Demjanjuk’s arrest but he does not rule it out in the future.
by the associated press
A final decision on whether to request the arrest and extradition of the three is up to Spanish Judge Ismael Moreno, who has been investigating since July at the request of a human rights group representing Spaniards who were held at Nazi camps.
Prosecutor Pedro Martinez Torrijos said Spain has jurisdiction under its principle of universal justice, which allows grave crimes committed elsewhere to be prosecuted in Spain, and because there were Spanish victims.
The suspects are Anton Tittjung, of Kewaunee, Wis.; Josias Kumpf, who lives in Racine, Wis.; and Johann Leprich, who lives near Detroit.
A fourth suspect in the Spanish probe — retired Ohio autoworker John Demjanjuk — has been deported to Germany.
Martinez Torrijos said that for the time being he will not seek Demjanjuk’s arrest but he does not rule it out in the future.
by the associated press
London’s clock rings for 150th birthday
LONDON — Defiantly low-tech yet accurate to the second, Big Ben is having its 150th birthday Sunday, its Victorian chimes carrying the sound of Britain into the 21st century.
The peals of London’s favorite clock are carried globally by BBC radio, and its 315-foot tower is one of the city’s most famous landmarks.
But getting inside and seeing Big Ben isn’t easy. Security measures mean few are granted admission, and those who are escorted in must climb 334 winding limestone stairs.
Catherine Moss, who took journalists on a pre-anniversary tour, said that in one year as a Big Ben guide, she had climbed the height of Everest three times over.
No special events are planned, aside from an exhibition opening Sept. 19 in the nearby parliamentary offices.
by the associated press
The peals of London’s favorite clock are carried globally by BBC radio, and its 315-foot tower is one of the city’s most famous landmarks.
But getting inside and seeing Big Ben isn’t easy. Security measures mean few are granted admission, and those who are escorted in must climb 334 winding limestone stairs.
Catherine Moss, who took journalists on a pre-anniversary tour, said that in one year as a Big Ben guide, she had climbed the height of Everest three times over.
No special events are planned, aside from an exhibition opening Sept. 19 in the nearby parliamentary offices.
by the associated press
North Korea could launch more missiles
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Friday vowed to retaliate if punitive U.N. sanctions are imposed for its latest nuclear test, and U.S. officials said there are increasing signs Pyongyang may be planning more long-range missile launches.
With tensions rising, the communist nation punctuated its barrage of rhetoric with yet another short-range missile launch — the sixth this week.
Perhaps more significantly, officials in Washington said there are indications of increased activity at a site used to fire long-range missiles.
The officials, spoke on condition of anonymity, also said an initial U.S. air sampling from near the underground test site was inconclusive.
They said the initial analysis doesn’t prove the North successfully completed an atomic reaction. At least one more test is coming, they said.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said the latest test launch was a surface-to-air missile designed to defend against aircraft or other missile attacks. It said the missile was believed to be a modified version of the Russian SA-5.
The nuclear test and flurry of missile launches, coupled with the rhetoric from Pyongyang that it won’t honor a 1953 truce ending the fighting in the Korean War, have raised tensions in the region and heightened concerns that the North may provoke a skirmish along the border or off its western coast — the site of deadly clashes in 1999 and 2002.
But officials said the border remains calm and Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington does not see the situation as a crisis warranting any more troops to augment the 28,000 U.S. forces already in South Korea.
"I don’t think that anybody in the (Obama) administration thinks there is a crisis,” Gates said.
by the associated press
With tensions rising, the communist nation punctuated its barrage of rhetoric with yet another short-range missile launch — the sixth this week.
Perhaps more significantly, officials in Washington said there are indications of increased activity at a site used to fire long-range missiles.
The officials, spoke on condition of anonymity, also said an initial U.S. air sampling from near the underground test site was inconclusive.
They said the initial analysis doesn’t prove the North successfully completed an atomic reaction. At least one more test is coming, they said.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said the latest test launch was a surface-to-air missile designed to defend against aircraft or other missile attacks. It said the missile was believed to be a modified version of the Russian SA-5.
The nuclear test and flurry of missile launches, coupled with the rhetoric from Pyongyang that it won’t honor a 1953 truce ending the fighting in the Korean War, have raised tensions in the region and heightened concerns that the North may provoke a skirmish along the border or off its western coast — the site of deadly clashes in 1999 and 2002.
But officials said the border remains calm and Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington does not see the situation as a crisis warranting any more troops to augment the 28,000 U.S. forces already in South Korea.
"I don’t think that anybody in the (Obama) administration thinks there is a crisis,” Gates said.
by the associated press
Obama urges to make plan's for hurricane season
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama urged residents of hurricane-prone communities Friday to take responsibility for their own safety and start planning now.
Hurricane season officially begins Monday.
"A lot of these plans are not complicated,” the president said after a disaster-preparedness briefing at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Individuals should be ready with a supply of nonperishable food, water, first aid kits and radios that will work in the rain, he said.
Forecasters are predicting a normal hurricane season, with four to seven hurricanes.
by the associated press
Hurricane season officially begins Monday.
"A lot of these plans are not complicated,” the president said after a disaster-preparedness briefing at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Individuals should be ready with a supply of nonperishable food, water, first aid kits and radios that will work in the rain, he said.
Forecasters are predicting a normal hurricane season, with four to seven hurricanes.
by the associated press
First lady Michelle Obama , visits garden helpers
WASHINGTON — It was time for Michelle Obama to return the favor.
She put out the welcome mat at the White House and is opening its doors to all types of visitors, schoolchildren especially. She even turned to some fifth-graders for help when she decided to plant a "kitchen” garden on a patch of the South Lawn.
These students have had a school-based garden for several years, and were excited to turn soil and plant crops with the first lady.
When visitors come and go from the White House, the first lady likes to respond by going to see them in "their space.”
So on Friday, she went to Bancroft Elementary School for a look.
Before slipping on the gardening gloves to help plant cucumber and red pepper seedlings, Michelle Obama listened as four students read from essays describing how much their relationship with her, their involvement with the White House garden, and her message about eating more fresh fruits and vegetables means to them.
"It has inspired us to eat better, work harder and grow more vegetables,” said fifth-grader David Martinez.
Involving the students in the White House garden was about more than just digging in the dirt, the first lady said.
"They’ve really learned some lessons about nutrition,” she said. "They’re making different choices because they’re a part of the process.”
by the associated press
She put out the welcome mat at the White House and is opening its doors to all types of visitors, schoolchildren especially. She even turned to some fifth-graders for help when she decided to plant a "kitchen” garden on a patch of the South Lawn.
These students have had a school-based garden for several years, and were excited to turn soil and plant crops with the first lady.
When visitors come and go from the White House, the first lady likes to respond by going to see them in "their space.”
So on Friday, she went to Bancroft Elementary School for a look.
Before slipping on the gardening gloves to help plant cucumber and red pepper seedlings, Michelle Obama listened as four students read from essays describing how much their relationship with her, their involvement with the White House garden, and her message about eating more fresh fruits and vegetables means to them.
"It has inspired us to eat better, work harder and grow more vegetables,” said fifth-grader David Martinez.
Involving the students in the White House garden was about more than just digging in the dirt, the first lady said.
"They’ve really learned some lessons about nutrition,” she said. "They’re making different choices because they’re a part of the process.”
by the associated press
Computer security
WASHINGTON — America has failed for too long to protect the security of its computer networks, President Barack Obama said Friday, announcing he will name a new cyber czar to press for action.
The president said the U.S. has reached a "transformational moment” when computer networks are probed and attacked millions of times a day.
The president assured the business community, however, that the government will not dictate how private industry should tighten digital defenses.
Corporate leaders and cyber experts, however, say they are concerned that the new coordinator will not wield enough power to force reluctant government agencies to put aside turf wars.
"Placing a strategy ‘czar’ in the White House will hinder Congress’ ability to effectively oversee federal cybersecurity activities and will do little to resolve the bureaucratic conflicts,” said Sen. Susan Collins, the top Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
by the associated press
The president said the U.S. has reached a "transformational moment” when computer networks are probed and attacked millions of times a day.
The president assured the business community, however, that the government will not dictate how private industry should tighten digital defenses.
Corporate leaders and cyber experts, however, say they are concerned that the new coordinator will not wield enough power to force reluctant government agencies to put aside turf wars.
"Placing a strategy ‘czar’ in the White House will hinder Congress’ ability to effectively oversee federal cybersecurity activities and will do little to resolve the bureaucratic conflicts,” said Sen. Susan Collins, the top Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
by the associated press
Polo match to end British Prince's Harry trip
NEW YORK — Prince Harry bowed his head in prayer at ground zero Friday "in admiration of the courage shown by the people of this great city” — as he wrote on a wreath he placed at the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack.
The 24-year-old prince is on his first official trip to the United States.
Greeted by New York Gov. David Paterson and Christopher Ward, executive director of the agency that owns the site, Harry arrived at the World Trade Center just after noon and spent about 15 minutes speaking to a half-dozen relatives of 9/11 victims.
Among them was Chip Callori, whose brother, Joseph Amatuccio, was killed on Sept. 11, 2001.
"It’s a very kind gesture on his part — for him to realize that this is a sad but important part of our history,” Callori said.
Early Friday afternoon, Harry formally named the British Memorial Garden in Hanover Square downtown to honor the 67 British victims of the terrorist attack. Later in the afternoon, Harry visited Manhattan’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where he toured a clinic that treats veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
His New York trip is to come today, when the prince is to participate in the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic, facing off against Argentinian polo player and heartthrob Nacho Figueras.
by the associated press
The 24-year-old prince is on his first official trip to the United States.
Greeted by New York Gov. David Paterson and Christopher Ward, executive director of the agency that owns the site, Harry arrived at the World Trade Center just after noon and spent about 15 minutes speaking to a half-dozen relatives of 9/11 victims.
Among them was Chip Callori, whose brother, Joseph Amatuccio, was killed on Sept. 11, 2001.
"It’s a very kind gesture on his part — for him to realize that this is a sad but important part of our history,” Callori said.
Early Friday afternoon, Harry formally named the British Memorial Garden in Hanover Square downtown to honor the 67 British victims of the terrorist attack. Later in the afternoon, Harry visited Manhattan’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where he toured a clinic that treats veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
His New York trip is to come today, when the prince is to participate in the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic, facing off against Argentinian polo player and heartthrob Nacho Figueras.
by the associated press
VA errors’ hearing scheduled in court
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A congressional panel will question Department of Veterans Affairs officials about mistakes that put patients at risk of possible exposure to HIV and other infectious body fluids at three VA hospitals.
The VA recommended more than 10,000 former VA patients in Miami, Fla., Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga., get follow-up blood checks. Five have tested positive for HIV and 43 have tested positive for hepatitis, according to the VA Web site Friday.
The U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs oversight and investigations subcommittee has set a June 16 hearing to look into what caused the problems and what the VA has done to fix them.
The subcommittee chairman, U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell D-Ariz., said Thursday that veterans who are testing positive for HIV and hepatitis, "whether it came from these improper procedures or not, the VA has a responsibility to take care of these patients.”
The VA’s initial December discovery of an equipment mistake at Murfreesboro led to a nationwide safety "step-up” at its 153 medical centers.
by the associated press
The VA recommended more than 10,000 former VA patients in Miami, Fla., Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga., get follow-up blood checks. Five have tested positive for HIV and 43 have tested positive for hepatitis, according to the VA Web site Friday.
The U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs oversight and investigations subcommittee has set a June 16 hearing to look into what caused the problems and what the VA has done to fix them.
The subcommittee chairman, U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell D-Ariz., said Thursday that veterans who are testing positive for HIV and hepatitis, "whether it came from these improper procedures or not, the VA has a responsibility to take care of these patients.”
The VA’s initial December discovery of an equipment mistake at Murfreesboro led to a nationwide safety "step-up” at its 153 medical centers.
by the associated press
Leno take's his show to Prime Time
BURBANK, Calif. — Jay Leno’s final "Tonight” monologue saluted his favorite comedy targets during his 17 years as host that ended Friday.
"Welcome to the exciting season finale of ‘The Tonight Show,’” Leno said as the audience gave him a standing ovation. "I want to thank all the people who (made) it possible: Michael Jackson, Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton.”
After noting that former Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush were taking part in a speaking engagement in Canada, Leno remarked wistfully: "I wish I had one more day.”
He’s moving to NBC’s prime-time schedule this fall. His new show represents a gamble, Leno said: "I’m betting NBC will be around in three months. That’s not a given.”
Leno leaves "Tonight” atop the late-night ratings, his run abbreviated by NBC’s decision five years ago to create a succession plan that gives "Tonight” to Conan O’Brien.
O’Brien, who takes over Monday, was Leno’s final guest, with James Taylor the last musical performer.
by the associated press
"Welcome to the exciting season finale of ‘The Tonight Show,’” Leno said as the audience gave him a standing ovation. "I want to thank all the people who (made) it possible: Michael Jackson, Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton.”
After noting that former Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush were taking part in a speaking engagement in Canada, Leno remarked wistfully: "I wish I had one more day.”
He’s moving to NBC’s prime-time schedule this fall. His new show represents a gamble, Leno said: "I’m betting NBC will be around in three months. That’s not a given.”
Leno leaves "Tonight” atop the late-night ratings, his run abbreviated by NBC’s decision five years ago to create a succession plan that gives "Tonight” to Conan O’Brien.
O’Brien, who takes over Monday, was Leno’s final guest, with James Taylor the last musical performer.
by the associated press
NKorea missile preparations
PANMUNJOM, Korea (AP) — Spy satellites have spotted signs that North Korea may be preparing to transport another long-range missile to a test launch site, South Korean officials said Saturday, as the U.S. defense secretary issued his harshest warning to the North since its recent nuclear test.
"We will not stand idly by as North Korea builds the capability to wreak destruction on any target in Asia — or on us," Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told a regional defense meeting in Singapore. He said the North's nuclear program was a "harbinger of a dark future," but wasn't yet a direct threat.
Since last Monday's nuclear blast, North Korea has test-launched six short-range missiles in a show of force and announced it won't honor a 1953 truce ending fighting in the Korean War.
The reclusive communist state appears to be preparing to move a long-range missile by train from a weapons factory near Pyongyang to its northeastern Musudan-ni launch pad, a South Korean Defense Ministry official said. Images of the movements were captured by U.S. satellites, said the official, who was not allowed to be identified when discussing intelligence matters.
North Korea will need about two weeks to complete the launch preparations, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unidentified intelligence official.
Officials in Washington said Friday they noticed indications of increased activity at the missile test site, but did not provide many details. They spoke on condition of anonymity because methods of gathering information about North Korea are sensitive.
Yonhap said the size of the missile was similar to a long-range rocket the North tested in April.
Experts have said the three-stage rocket has a potential range of more than 4,100 miles (6,700 kilometers), putting Alaska within its striking distance.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, said the North is likely to fire the missile shortly after the U.N. Security Council adopts a resolution criticizing its recent nuclear test.
A partial draft resolution — obtained Friday by The Associated Press — calls on all countries to immediately enforce sanctions imposed by an earlier U.N. resolution after the North's first nuclear test in 2006.
The sanctions include a partial arms embargo, a ban on luxury goods and ship searches for illegal weapons or material. They have been sporadically implemented, with many of the 192 U.N. member states ignoring them.
The draft would also have the Security Council condemn "in the strongest terms" the recent nuclear test "in flagrant violation and disregard" of the 2006 resolution.
China, which ignored the previous sanctions, has been unusually outspoken in its criticism of Monday's blast.
"As a close neighbor of North Korea, China has expressed a firm opposition and grave concern about the nuclear test," Chinese Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian said at the Singapore defense meeting.
North Korea says it conducted the nuclear test in self-defense. Its main Rodong Sinmun newspaper warned Saturday that it "will deal decisive and merciless blows at the enemies who desperately run amok to dare pre-empt an attack on it," according to its official Korean Central News Agency.
Despite the rising tensions, the atmosphere was calm Saturday at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the heavily armed Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas.
The area is a cluster of blue huts inside the 154-mile (248-kilometer) -long DMZ that is jointly administered by the U.S.-led United Nations Command and North Korea to supervise the cease-fire.
Some analysts say one of the aims of the North's nuclear and missile tests is to strengthen its regime and boost morale in the impoverished nation.
Rallies were being held across the country for citizens and soldiers who were celebrating the nuclear test, KCNA said Saturday. It said speakers offered their "ardent congratulations" to nuclear scientists and engineers for bolstering the country's dignity.
by the associated press
"We will not stand idly by as North Korea builds the capability to wreak destruction on any target in Asia — or on us," Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told a regional defense meeting in Singapore. He said the North's nuclear program was a "harbinger of a dark future," but wasn't yet a direct threat.
Since last Monday's nuclear blast, North Korea has test-launched six short-range missiles in a show of force and announced it won't honor a 1953 truce ending fighting in the Korean War.
The reclusive communist state appears to be preparing to move a long-range missile by train from a weapons factory near Pyongyang to its northeastern Musudan-ni launch pad, a South Korean Defense Ministry official said. Images of the movements were captured by U.S. satellites, said the official, who was not allowed to be identified when discussing intelligence matters.
North Korea will need about two weeks to complete the launch preparations, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unidentified intelligence official.
Officials in Washington said Friday they noticed indications of increased activity at the missile test site, but did not provide many details. They spoke on condition of anonymity because methods of gathering information about North Korea are sensitive.
Yonhap said the size of the missile was similar to a long-range rocket the North tested in April.
Experts have said the three-stage rocket has a potential range of more than 4,100 miles (6,700 kilometers), putting Alaska within its striking distance.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, said the North is likely to fire the missile shortly after the U.N. Security Council adopts a resolution criticizing its recent nuclear test.
A partial draft resolution — obtained Friday by The Associated Press — calls on all countries to immediately enforce sanctions imposed by an earlier U.N. resolution after the North's first nuclear test in 2006.
The sanctions include a partial arms embargo, a ban on luxury goods and ship searches for illegal weapons or material. They have been sporadically implemented, with many of the 192 U.N. member states ignoring them.
The draft would also have the Security Council condemn "in the strongest terms" the recent nuclear test "in flagrant violation and disregard" of the 2006 resolution.
China, which ignored the previous sanctions, has been unusually outspoken in its criticism of Monday's blast.
"As a close neighbor of North Korea, China has expressed a firm opposition and grave concern about the nuclear test," Chinese Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian said at the Singapore defense meeting.
North Korea says it conducted the nuclear test in self-defense. Its main Rodong Sinmun newspaper warned Saturday that it "will deal decisive and merciless blows at the enemies who desperately run amok to dare pre-empt an attack on it," according to its official Korean Central News Agency.
Despite the rising tensions, the atmosphere was calm Saturday at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the heavily armed Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas.
The area is a cluster of blue huts inside the 154-mile (248-kilometer) -long DMZ that is jointly administered by the U.S.-led United Nations Command and North Korea to supervise the cease-fire.
Some analysts say one of the aims of the North's nuclear and missile tests is to strengthen its regime and boost morale in the impoverished nation.
Rallies were being held across the country for citizens and soldiers who were celebrating the nuclear test, KCNA said Saturday. It said speakers offered their "ardent congratulations" to nuclear scientists and engineers for bolstering the country's dignity.
by the associated press
Friday, May 29, 2009
Cairo University prepares for Obama
CAIRO — Cairo University has postponed student exams set for Thursday and the Egyptian president’s security service took over the campus in anticipation that President Barack Obama will address the Muslim world from its main hall.
While the American Embassy in Cairo will not confirm the venue, Egyptian officials say Cairo University will be the site of Obama’s June 4 speech.
The campus, which has been at the center of pro-democracy protests, would provide Obama with a backdrop linked to liberal Arab learning.
"It is a symbol of liberalism in Egypt,” said Egyptian writer Ali Salem.
by the associated press
While the American Embassy in Cairo will not confirm the venue, Egyptian officials say Cairo University will be the site of Obama’s June 4 speech.
The campus, which has been at the center of pro-democracy protests, would provide Obama with a backdrop linked to liberal Arab learning.
"It is a symbol of liberalism in Egypt,” said Egyptian writer Ali Salem.
by the associated press
Dam worsens flooding
SAO PAULO — Raging torrents from a ruptured dam swamped a rural town in Brazil, killing a 12-year-old girl, leaving the town in dark and destroying at least 500 homes in a region already devastated by weeks of floods, authorities said Thursday.
Video footage showed water inundating the northeastern village of Cocal, home to about 25,000 people, after the dam failed Wednesday night.
"It was like a tsunami,” Piaui state Gov. Wellington Dias said.
Downpours have battered Brazil since April, causing floods and mudslides in a region extending from the Amazon rain forest to the Atlantic Ocean. Authorities say 54 people have been killed and more than 415,000 displaced.
Heavy rains in recent days swelled the reservoir behind the dam, the Piaui state government said. The floods also swept away crops and livestock.
by the associated press
Video footage showed water inundating the northeastern village of Cocal, home to about 25,000 people, after the dam failed Wednesday night.
"It was like a tsunami,” Piaui state Gov. Wellington Dias said.
Downpours have battered Brazil since April, causing floods and mudslides in a region extending from the Amazon rain forest to the Atlantic Ocean. Authorities say 54 people have been killed and more than 415,000 displaced.
Heavy rains in recent days swelled the reservoir behind the dam, the Piaui state government said. The floods also swept away crops and livestock.
by the associated press
Korean tension escalate
SEOUL, South Korea — The U.S. and South Korea put their military forces on high alert Thursday after North Korea renounced the truce keeping the peace between the two Koreas since 1953.
The North also accused the U.S. of preparing to attack the isolated communist country in the wake of its second nuclear bomb test, and warned it would retaliate to any hostility with "merciless” and dangerous ferocity.
Seoul moved a 3,500-ton destroyer into waters near the Koreas’ disputed western maritime border while smaller, high-speed vessels were keeping guard at the front line, South Korean news reports said.
Pyongyang, meanwhile, positioned artillery guns along the west coast on its side of the border, the Yonhap news agency said. The Joint Chiefs of Staffs in Seoul refused to confirm the reports.
The show of force along the Korean border comes three days after North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test and fired a series of short-range missiles.
The South Korea-U.S. combined forces command rates its surveillance alert on a scale to 5, with 1 being the highest level. On Thursday, the level was raised from 3 to 2, South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said. He said the last time the alert level was that high was in 2006, when the North conducted its first nuclear test.
Won said both militaries were raising their surveillance activities. South Korean media reported that the higher alert would involve increased monitoring of North Korea using satellites and navy ships.
by the associated press
The North also accused the U.S. of preparing to attack the isolated communist country in the wake of its second nuclear bomb test, and warned it would retaliate to any hostility with "merciless” and dangerous ferocity.
Seoul moved a 3,500-ton destroyer into waters near the Koreas’ disputed western maritime border while smaller, high-speed vessels were keeping guard at the front line, South Korean news reports said.
Pyongyang, meanwhile, positioned artillery guns along the west coast on its side of the border, the Yonhap news agency said. The Joint Chiefs of Staffs in Seoul refused to confirm the reports.
The show of force along the Korean border comes three days after North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test and fired a series of short-range missiles.
The South Korea-U.S. combined forces command rates its surveillance alert on a scale to 5, with 1 being the highest level. On Thursday, the level was raised from 3 to 2, South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said. He said the last time the alert level was that high was in 2006, when the North conducted its first nuclear test.
Won said both militaries were raising their surveillance activities. South Korean media reported that the higher alert would involve increased monitoring of North Korea using satellites and navy ships.
by the associated press
U.N. Officials to review war crime analysis
GENEVA — An independent U.N. human rights investigator said Thursday that the U.S. is failing to properly investigate alleged war crimes committed by its soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Although some cases are investigated and lead to prosecutions, others aren’t or result in lenient sentences, Philip Alston, the U.N. Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, said in a report.
A spokesman for the U.S. mission in Geneva, Dick Wilbur, said Alston’s conclusions and recommendations would be reviewed closely.
"We support the independence and work of all U.N. special rapporteurs and meet regularly with those who examine issues in the U.S., including Mr. Alston,” he said.
Alston, a New York University law professor, stressed he saw no evidence on a recent trip to Afghanistan that U.S. forces were committing "widespread” abuses.
The U.S. military has conducted dozens of investigations into misconduct by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, some of which have resulted in trials and convictions.
by the associated press
Although some cases are investigated and lead to prosecutions, others aren’t or result in lenient sentences, Philip Alston, the U.N. Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, said in a report.
A spokesman for the U.S. mission in Geneva, Dick Wilbur, said Alston’s conclusions and recommendations would be reviewed closely.
"We support the independence and work of all U.N. special rapporteurs and meet regularly with those who examine issues in the U.S., including Mr. Alston,” he said.
Alston, a New York University law professor, stressed he saw no evidence on a recent trip to Afghanistan that U.S. forces were committing "widespread” abuses.
The U.S. military has conducted dozens of investigations into misconduct by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, some of which have resulted in trials and convictions.
by the associated press
President Obama team to fight photo release
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration asked a federal appeals court Thursday to halt the release of disturbing images of detainee abuse, saying the photos could incite violence in Pakistan as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The court papers filed cite partially secret statements from two top U.S. generals, David Petraeus and Ray Odierno.
Such arguments have failed to sway the court in the past.
In the new filings, Petraeus, who oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, said the images could also lead to more violence in Pakistan because it deals with Taliban attacks.
The filings underscore just how worried U.S. officials are about the increasing violence in Pakistan.
While past arguments about the photos referred generally to the Middle East, Petraeus’ statement spends several pages discussing Pakistan’s recent struggles against militants and terrorism.
The photos were ordered released as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.
ACLU lawyer Amrit Singh said the new filing by the Obama administration "has no new arguments” and will be opposed. She also criticized the Obama administration for redacting parts of the generals’ arguments about the safety threats posed by the photos.
"It’s troubling to us that not only is the government withholding the photographs, but it’s also withholding its arguments for withholding the photographs,” Singh said.
by the associated press
The court papers filed cite partially secret statements from two top U.S. generals, David Petraeus and Ray Odierno.
Such arguments have failed to sway the court in the past.
In the new filings, Petraeus, who oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, said the images could also lead to more violence in Pakistan because it deals with Taliban attacks.
The filings underscore just how worried U.S. officials are about the increasing violence in Pakistan.
While past arguments about the photos referred generally to the Middle East, Petraeus’ statement spends several pages discussing Pakistan’s recent struggles against militants and terrorism.
The photos were ordered released as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.
ACLU lawyer Amrit Singh said the new filing by the Obama administration "has no new arguments” and will be opposed. She also criticized the Obama administration for redacting parts of the generals’ arguments about the safety threats posed by the photos.
"It’s troubling to us that not only is the government withholding the photographs, but it’s also withholding its arguments for withholding the photographs,” Singh said.
by the associated press
President Obama urges supporters to press Congress on health care legislation
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama warned Thursday that if Congress doesn’t deliver health care legislation by the end of the year the opportunity will be lost, a plea to supporters to pressure lawmakers to act.
"If we don’t get it done this year, we’re not going to get it done,” Obama told supporters by phone as he flew home on Air Force One from a West Coast fundraising trip.
Obama’s political organization, Organizing for America, invited campaign volunteers to a conference call to describe a June 6 kickoff for its health care campaign. The president’s message to his re-election campaign-in-waiting was simple: If volunteers don’t pressure lawmakers to support the White House’s goal on health care, Washington would drag its feet and nothing would change.
"The election in November, it didn’t bring about change. It gave us an opportunity for change,” the president said.
The plea came as lawmakers prepare for an aggressive schedule of work aimed at producing comprehensive health care overhaul bills in the House and Senate by August.
Committee hearings — and thereafter votes — will start next week after lawmakers return from a weeklong recess. Many Congress members spent the break holding town hall meetings and other forums with their constituents about health care.
by the associated press
"If we don’t get it done this year, we’re not going to get it done,” Obama told supporters by phone as he flew home on Air Force One from a West Coast fundraising trip.
Obama’s political organization, Organizing for America, invited campaign volunteers to a conference call to describe a June 6 kickoff for its health care campaign. The president’s message to his re-election campaign-in-waiting was simple: If volunteers don’t pressure lawmakers to support the White House’s goal on health care, Washington would drag its feet and nothing would change.
"The election in November, it didn’t bring about change. It gave us an opportunity for change,” the president said.
The plea came as lawmakers prepare for an aggressive schedule of work aimed at producing comprehensive health care overhaul bills in the House and Senate by August.
Committee hearings — and thereafter votes — will start next week after lawmakers return from a weeklong recess. Many Congress members spent the break holding town hall meetings and other forums with their constituents about health care.
by the associated press
Obama presses Israel, Palestinians on peace
WASHINGTON — Gingerly trying to advance Mideast peace, President Barack Obama on Thursday challenged Israel to stop settlement construction in the West Bank on the same day the Israelis rejected that demand. Obama pushed Palestinians for progress, too, deepening his personal involvement.
"I am confident that we can move this process forward,” Obama said after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House. The president said that means both sides must "meet the obligations that they’ve already committed to” — an element of the peace effort that has proved elusive for years.
Earlier in the day, Israel rejected blunt U.S. requests to freeze Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, a territory that would make up the Palestinian state, along with the Gaza Strip, as part of a broader peace deal.
Obama said he told Abbas the Palestinians must find a way to halt the incitement of anti-Israeli sentiments that are sometimes expressed in schools, mosques and public arenas.
The Palestinian leader said "we are fully committed to all of our obligations” under the peace framework known as the road map. Doing so, Abbas said, is "the only way to achieve the durable, comprehensive and just peace that we need and desire in the Middle East.”
The president refused to set a timetable for a Palestinian nation but also noted he has not been slow to get involved in meeting with both sides and pushing the international community for help.
"We can’t continue with the drift, with the increased fear and resentment on both sides,” Obama said. "We need to get this thing back on track.”
by the associated press
"I am confident that we can move this process forward,” Obama said after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House. The president said that means both sides must "meet the obligations that they’ve already committed to” — an element of the peace effort that has proved elusive for years.
Earlier in the day, Israel rejected blunt U.S. requests to freeze Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, a territory that would make up the Palestinian state, along with the Gaza Strip, as part of a broader peace deal.
Obama said he told Abbas the Palestinians must find a way to halt the incitement of anti-Israeli sentiments that are sometimes expressed in schools, mosques and public arenas.
The Palestinian leader said "we are fully committed to all of our obligations” under the peace framework known as the road map. Doing so, Abbas said, is "the only way to achieve the durable, comprehensive and just peace that we need and desire in the Middle East.”
The president refused to set a timetable for a Palestinian nation but also noted he has not been slow to get involved in meeting with both sides and pushing the international community for help.
"We can’t continue with the drift, with the increased fear and resentment on both sides,” Obama said. "We need to get this thing back on track.”
by the associated press
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Prince Harry going the Big Apple
NEW YORK (AP) — He's a 24-year-old Londoner whose grandmother offered to pay for his trip to New York.
On Friday, Prince Harry will start his first official visit to America, with plans including a stop at the World Trade Center site, meetings with wounded veterans and a polo match.
"Prince Harry is well known and respected in the United States for having deployed alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan," said Alan Collins, the British consul general in New York.
Third in line to the British throne, the red-haired prince is a much-watched member of the royal family on both sides of the Atlantic. His party-boy image, romantic escapades and brushes with scandal regularly make newspaper headlines. Several years ago, Harry had to apologize for wearing a Nazi swastika armband to a friend's costume party.
But the younger son of the late Princess Diana and Prince Charles plans, no doubt, to be on his best behavior representing his country's crown during his two-day New York visit.
His grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, is paying privately for Harry's travel and that of his staff, easing the young prince into his royal role. He's in line for the throne behind his older brother, William, and his father, Charles.
At midday Friday at the World Trade Center site, Harry is to meet with relatives of four people who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. They'll be joined by New York Gov. David Paterson and officials of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency that oversees development at ground zero.
"It's a testament to our loved ones that royalty from another country is coming and expressing interest," said Monica Iken, who lost her husband, Michael, a 37-year-old bond broker.
"When Harry goes to ground zero, he can see how much progress has been made at this construction site," said Iken, who founded September's Mission, a nonprofit organization devoted to building a positive legacy in the aftermath of Sept. 11.
Later Friday, the prince will formally name the British Garden in downtown Hanover Square to honor the 67 British victims of the terrorist attack.
Harry also will visit the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Manhattan, where he will tour the prosthetics facilities and a post-traumatic stress disorder clinic. He will be joined by Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.
A British soldier who lost both legs in an explosion in Afghanistan will accompany Harry on his American trip. Joe Townsend, 21, stepped on a Taliban anti-tank mine last year in Helmand Province, about the same time the prince was commanding troops nearby.
Harry is training to be an Army helicopter pilot and was the first member of the royal family to serve on the front line since his uncle, Prince Andrew, fought in the Falklands in 1982.
On Saturday, Harry is to participate in the only recreational event on his public schedule — the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic on Governors Island in New York Harbor, where he'll face off against Argentinian polo player and heartthrob Nacho Figueras.
The match will benefit American Friends of Sentebale, a U.S.-based charity that supports impoverished children in Lesotho, Africa, where the prince has worked and produced the documentary film "The Forgotten Kingdom."
Earlier Saturday, Harry is to see the Harlem Children's Zone, a community organization that offers families social and educational services. The prince will be accompanied by Sentebale's co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.
by the associated press
On Friday, Prince Harry will start his first official visit to America, with plans including a stop at the World Trade Center site, meetings with wounded veterans and a polo match.
"Prince Harry is well known and respected in the United States for having deployed alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan," said Alan Collins, the British consul general in New York.
Third in line to the British throne, the red-haired prince is a much-watched member of the royal family on both sides of the Atlantic. His party-boy image, romantic escapades and brushes with scandal regularly make newspaper headlines. Several years ago, Harry had to apologize for wearing a Nazi swastika armband to a friend's costume party.
But the younger son of the late Princess Diana and Prince Charles plans, no doubt, to be on his best behavior representing his country's crown during his two-day New York visit.
His grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, is paying privately for Harry's travel and that of his staff, easing the young prince into his royal role. He's in line for the throne behind his older brother, William, and his father, Charles.
At midday Friday at the World Trade Center site, Harry is to meet with relatives of four people who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. They'll be joined by New York Gov. David Paterson and officials of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency that oversees development at ground zero.
"It's a testament to our loved ones that royalty from another country is coming and expressing interest," said Monica Iken, who lost her husband, Michael, a 37-year-old bond broker.
"When Harry goes to ground zero, he can see how much progress has been made at this construction site," said Iken, who founded September's Mission, a nonprofit organization devoted to building a positive legacy in the aftermath of Sept. 11.
Later Friday, the prince will formally name the British Garden in downtown Hanover Square to honor the 67 British victims of the terrorist attack.
Harry also will visit the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Manhattan, where he will tour the prosthetics facilities and a post-traumatic stress disorder clinic. He will be joined by Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.
A British soldier who lost both legs in an explosion in Afghanistan will accompany Harry on his American trip. Joe Townsend, 21, stepped on a Taliban anti-tank mine last year in Helmand Province, about the same time the prince was commanding troops nearby.
Harry is training to be an Army helicopter pilot and was the first member of the royal family to serve on the front line since his uncle, Prince Andrew, fought in the Falklands in 1982.
On Saturday, Harry is to participate in the only recreational event on his public schedule — the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic on Governors Island in New York Harbor, where he'll face off against Argentinian polo player and heartthrob Nacho Figueras.
The match will benefit American Friends of Sentebale, a U.S.-based charity that supports impoverished children in Lesotho, Africa, where the prince has worked and produced the documentary film "The Forgotten Kingdom."
Earlier Saturday, Harry is to see the Harlem Children's Zone, a community organization that offers families social and educational services. The prince will be accompanied by Sentebale's co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.
by the associated press
Bush misses seeing servicemembers
BENTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Flying on Air Force One, eating meals prepared by the White House kitchen staff and drawing inspiration from his encounters with U.S. military personnel were among things former President George W. Bush missed since leaving office, he said Thursday.
The often-tearful meetings he had with relatives of fallen soldiers were "in some ways... very hard and in some ways, it was very uplifting," the Texas Republican said in a speech to The Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan at Lake Michigan College.
About eight people protested Bush's appearance outside the venue, carrying signs that called him a murderer and a traitor. The speech Thursday was one of the first made by the former president since leaving office in January.
Bush, the nation's 43rd president, spoke to 2,500 people about "the fog of war" that followed the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the economic downturn and his return to life as a regular citizen.
"It was a roller coaster of emotions, it really was," Bush said of the terror attacks. "I think about it now at times but I definitely thought about it every day as president."
He talked about the economy, blaming "a lack of responsible regulation" in the lending industry for the recession and said that the Federal National Mortgage Association, known as Fannie Mae, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., or Freddie Mac, shouldn't have engaged in certain financial practices.
"I don't want to sound like a self-serving guy, but we did try to rein them in," Bush said.
He also said he believes he was right to depose Iraq president Saddam Hussein and that it may lead to the spread of democracy throughout the Middle East.
The audience, which gave Bush a warm welcome at his arrival, cheered when he said he wanted to be remembered as a president who "showed up in office with a set of principles and he was unwilling to sacrifice his soul for the sake of popularity."
Mark Brewer, chairman of the state Democratic Party, disagreed.
"I think it takes a lot of gall for him to come into Michigan without acknowledging the damage that his policies have done to the state," Brewer said. He did not offer any specifics.
by the associated press
The often-tearful meetings he had with relatives of fallen soldiers were "in some ways... very hard and in some ways, it was very uplifting," the Texas Republican said in a speech to The Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan at Lake Michigan College.
About eight people protested Bush's appearance outside the venue, carrying signs that called him a murderer and a traitor. The speech Thursday was one of the first made by the former president since leaving office in January.
Bush, the nation's 43rd president, spoke to 2,500 people about "the fog of war" that followed the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the economic downturn and his return to life as a regular citizen.
"It was a roller coaster of emotions, it really was," Bush said of the terror attacks. "I think about it now at times but I definitely thought about it every day as president."
He talked about the economy, blaming "a lack of responsible regulation" in the lending industry for the recession and said that the Federal National Mortgage Association, known as Fannie Mae, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., or Freddie Mac, shouldn't have engaged in certain financial practices.
"I don't want to sound like a self-serving guy, but we did try to rein them in," Bush said.
He also said he believes he was right to depose Iraq president Saddam Hussein and that it may lead to the spread of democracy throughout the Middle East.
The audience, which gave Bush a warm welcome at his arrival, cheered when he said he wanted to be remembered as a president who "showed up in office with a set of principles and he was unwilling to sacrifice his soul for the sake of popularity."
Mark Brewer, chairman of the state Democratic Party, disagreed.
"I think it takes a lot of gall for him to come into Michigan without acknowledging the damage that his policies have done to the state," Brewer said. He did not offer any specifics.
by the associated press
Pittsburgh to host next G-20 summit
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh is known for steel. For sports. For smoke and smog. For a spectacular downfall. But not often for recovery.
For years, political leaders, community activists and ordinary residents tried to convince the world beyond its three rivers that this former industrial powerhouse was on the rise with an economy built on higher education, medicine and new technology.
From Sept. 24 to 25, it will get a chance to prove its point to the world leaders representing 85 percent of the world's economy. On Thursday, the White House announced that President Barack Obama decided to host the next Group of 20 economic summit in Pittsburgh as a way of illustrating what success can look like.
"This is Pittsburgh's chance to show visitors the world over a first-class time in our first-class city," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said in a statement.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama recommended Pittsburgh at the end of the group's April meeting in London, because the city "has seen its share of economic woes in the past, but because of foresight and investment is now renewed, giving birth to renewed industries that are creating the jobs of the future."
Once the American frontier, Pittsburgh emerged from the battles of the French and Indian War 2 1/2 centuries ago.
Strategically located to move goods from east to west, the city at the confluence of the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers became an industrial superpower, leaving a permanent stamp on steel, coal, glass and aluminum. Money followed, with industrialists from Andrew Carnegie to Henry Clay Frick pouring millions into the city, attracting bankers and culture.
Quaint neighborhoods grew along the rivers for the immigrants who poured into the area to work in the steel mills. Carnegie built museums and universities. Frick planted the seeds for a 561-acre park in his name.
The city's rise was followed by a just-as-spectacular fall.
Beginning in the 1970s and lasting through the 1980s, steel mills in the city and across western Pennsylvania shut down. Businesses and shops that fed off the industries followed suit.
The region lost 150,000 jobs in a decade. Residents fled, and the city's population shrank from 424,000 in 1980 to just over 311,000 today.
Neighborhoods deteriorated. Schools shut down. The city's confidence burst.
But with small, careful steps, the city began to climb out of the abyss in the early 1990s, investing in its universities and health centers.
Pittsburgh is not entirely in the clear — in 2003, the state declared it financially distressed and two quasi-governmental boards oversee its finances — but signs of improvement abound.
Smoke and smog are a thing of the past. The rivers have fish in them again and boats zip along the water, beneath bright, yellow bridges that attract the attention of tourists. An old rail line is now a bike trail connecting Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. A riverfront trail is rapidly developing.
The city's young waterfront convention center, one of the largest environmentally friendly buildings in the United States, will be the spot to showcase it all.
"Perceptions die hard. They really do. Unless people have actually been here and seen it for themselves, the image they have is probably of steel mills," said Dennis Yablonsky, executive director of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and a 56-year-old Pittsburgh native. "The decades of investments ... are starting to pay off."
by the associated press
For years, political leaders, community activists and ordinary residents tried to convince the world beyond its three rivers that this former industrial powerhouse was on the rise with an economy built on higher education, medicine and new technology.
From Sept. 24 to 25, it will get a chance to prove its point to the world leaders representing 85 percent of the world's economy. On Thursday, the White House announced that President Barack Obama decided to host the next Group of 20 economic summit in Pittsburgh as a way of illustrating what success can look like.
"This is Pittsburgh's chance to show visitors the world over a first-class time in our first-class city," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said in a statement.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama recommended Pittsburgh at the end of the group's April meeting in London, because the city "has seen its share of economic woes in the past, but because of foresight and investment is now renewed, giving birth to renewed industries that are creating the jobs of the future."
Once the American frontier, Pittsburgh emerged from the battles of the French and Indian War 2 1/2 centuries ago.
Strategically located to move goods from east to west, the city at the confluence of the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers became an industrial superpower, leaving a permanent stamp on steel, coal, glass and aluminum. Money followed, with industrialists from Andrew Carnegie to Henry Clay Frick pouring millions into the city, attracting bankers and culture.
Quaint neighborhoods grew along the rivers for the immigrants who poured into the area to work in the steel mills. Carnegie built museums and universities. Frick planted the seeds for a 561-acre park in his name.
The city's rise was followed by a just-as-spectacular fall.
Beginning in the 1970s and lasting through the 1980s, steel mills in the city and across western Pennsylvania shut down. Businesses and shops that fed off the industries followed suit.
The region lost 150,000 jobs in a decade. Residents fled, and the city's population shrank from 424,000 in 1980 to just over 311,000 today.
Neighborhoods deteriorated. Schools shut down. The city's confidence burst.
But with small, careful steps, the city began to climb out of the abyss in the early 1990s, investing in its universities and health centers.
Pittsburgh is not entirely in the clear — in 2003, the state declared it financially distressed and two quasi-governmental boards oversee its finances — but signs of improvement abound.
Smoke and smog are a thing of the past. The rivers have fish in them again and boats zip along the water, beneath bright, yellow bridges that attract the attention of tourists. An old rail line is now a bike trail connecting Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. A riverfront trail is rapidly developing.
The city's young waterfront convention center, one of the largest environmentally friendly buildings in the United States, will be the spot to showcase it all.
"Perceptions die hard. They really do. Unless people have actually been here and seen it for themselves, the image they have is probably of steel mills," said Dennis Yablonsky, executive director of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and a 56-year-old Pittsburgh native. "The decades of investments ... are starting to pay off."
by the associated press
National Spelling Bee 13-year-old Kansas girl wins
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cool and collected, Kavya Shivashankar wrote out every word on her palm and always ended with a smile. The 13-year-old Kansas girl saved the biggest smile for last, when she rattled off the letters to "Laodicean" to become the nation's spelling champion.
The budding neurosurgeon from Olathe, Kan., outlasted 11 finalists Thursday night to win the 82nd Scripps National Spelling Bee, taking home more than $40,000 in cash and prizes and, of course, the huge champion's trophy.
After spelling the winning word, which means lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics, Kavya received huge hugs from her father, mother and little sister.
Kavya was making her fourth appearance at the bee, having finishing 10th, eighth and fourth over the last three years. She enjoys playing the violin, bicycling, swimming and learning Indian classical dance, and her role model is Nupur Lala, the 1999 champion featured in the documentary "Spellbound."
Second place went to 12-year-old Tim Ruiter of Centreville, Va.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Thirteen-year-old Kavya Shivashankar (KAH-vee-ah SHI-vah-SHAN-kar) of Olathe, Kan., has claimed the title of the nation's top speller.
Kavya aced the word 'Laodicean' (lay-OD-uh-CEE-uhn) Thursday night to win the 82nd Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Kavya takes home more than $40,000 in cash and prizes.
Second place goes to 12-year-old Tim Ruiter of Centreville, Va.
A record 293 participants took part in the bee. The field was narrowed to 41 for the semifinals Thursday morning, then to 11 for the nationally televised finals.
by the associated press
The budding neurosurgeon from Olathe, Kan., outlasted 11 finalists Thursday night to win the 82nd Scripps National Spelling Bee, taking home more than $40,000 in cash and prizes and, of course, the huge champion's trophy.
After spelling the winning word, which means lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics, Kavya received huge hugs from her father, mother and little sister.
Kavya was making her fourth appearance at the bee, having finishing 10th, eighth and fourth over the last three years. She enjoys playing the violin, bicycling, swimming and learning Indian classical dance, and her role model is Nupur Lala, the 1999 champion featured in the documentary "Spellbound."
Second place went to 12-year-old Tim Ruiter of Centreville, Va.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Thirteen-year-old Kavya Shivashankar (KAH-vee-ah SHI-vah-SHAN-kar) of Olathe, Kan., has claimed the title of the nation's top speller.
Kavya aced the word 'Laodicean' (lay-OD-uh-CEE-uhn) Thursday night to win the 82nd Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Kavya takes home more than $40,000 in cash and prizes.
Second place goes to 12-year-old Tim Ruiter of Centreville, Va.
A record 293 participants took part in the bee. The field was narrowed to 41 for the semifinals Thursday morning, then to 11 for the nationally televised finals.
by the associated press
Sotomayor's views on abortion rights
WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the few things conservatives and liberals agree on when it comes to Sonia Sotomayor is that her views on abortion rights are a mystery — and one that must be solved before she can be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice.
Sotomayor's nomination has reopened a politically and emotionally charged debate over abortion that's energized interest groups on the left and right — all working to draw members, money and attention by ensuring the issue features prominently in the judge's confirmation hearings.
Unlike many liberal organizations that came out swiftly and enthusiastically to back Sotomayor, abortion-rights groups are withholding their support until she answers questions on the court's 1973 legalization decision and the principles behind it.
NARAL Pro Choice America has praised her experience and background but has stopped well short of endorsing her. "We look forward to learning more about Judge Sotomayor's views on the right to privacy and the landmark Roe v. Wade decision as the Senate's hearing process moves forward," the group's president, Nancy Keenan, said Tuesday, the day the nomination was announced.
She declined through a spokesman Thursday to comment further on the subject. The group is asking supporters to urge senators to ask Sotomayor about Roe and the right to privacy.
Neither abortion rights advocates nor foes take any comfort from the abortion-related cases on which Sotomayor has ruled as a federal judge — none of which were decided based on the principles or precedents underlying Roe v. Wade.
"I don't think anybody can draw a conclusion," said Charmaine Yoest, the president of Americans United for Life, which opposes abortion rights. "Given the fact that she has been so outspoken about the view that her personal opinions and personal characteristics come into play at the bar, that's very troubling to us."
On the opposite side, Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation, said: "We don't have enough information to take a position at this time. We're waiting to learn more about Judge Sotomayor's views on the constitutional right to privacy, including the right to choose."
The White House edged carefully around the issue Thursday in an animated question-and-answer session in which reporters pressed to know whether President Barack Obama had ascertained Sotomayor's views before nominating her.
Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, said the two discussed Sotomayor's "views on unenumerated rights in the Constitution and the theory of settled law" — both of which have been buzz-phrases for backers of the 1973 decision. In Roe, the court recognized a right to privacy even thought it's not spelled out in the Constitution. Abortion-rights backers consider the decision "settled law" — a kind of super-precedent that has survived long enough without major challenge that it shouldn't be reconsidered.
Obama was "very comfortable with her interpretation of the Constitution being similar to that of his," Gibbs said, declining to provide more specifics.
The White House says Obama didn't ask Sotomayor specifically about her view of Roe v. Wade or privacy rights, even though as a presidential candidate in 2007, he said, "I would not appoint somebody who doesn't believe in the right to privacy."
Gibbs said he had "no reason to believe" any White House aide asked Sotomayor those questions either.
Abortion is a perennial hot-button in Supreme Court confirmation hearings, drawing pointed questions from Republicans and Democrats alike. It's expected to play a prominent role in the debate over Sotomayor in part because the court has recently been closely divided on abortion questions.
In the latest such ruling — of major concern to abortion rights supporters — the court upheld a nationwide ban on a procedure its opponents call partial-birth abortion, a decision both sides said could pave the way for further restrictions. It was the first abortion ruling in which the court didn't require an exception to preserve a woman's health.
"On these sensitive high-stakes political issues, it's always a very delicate matter in the selection process — no president wants to have a litmus test," said Emma Coleman Jordan, a Georgetown University law professor and former Justice Department official who worked on Sandra Day O'Connor's 1981 nomination to the high court.
"There are ways to determine inclinations, but not through crude, direct questioning. ... The process is not as hamhandedly political as the interest groups try to make it out to be," Jordan said.
Obama's own pro-abortion rights stance has led many to assume that his chosen nominee would feel the same, but there's a history of presidents being unpleasantly surprised by their Supreme Court choices' positions. Retiring Justice David H. Souter, whom Sotomayor would replace if confirmed, was named by former President George H. W. Bush and was widely expected to support overturning Roe, but in 1992 he sided with a majority to uphold abortion rights.
Sotomayor's decisions give little clue about her views on the subject, although she has issued two rulings on unrelated legal issues whose results favored abortion rights opponents. In 2002, she dismissed a challenge by an abortion rights group to the so-called "Mexico City" policy of denying federal funding to organizations that provide or promote abortions. Two years later, she ruled that abortion rights protesters who had unsuccessfully tried to sue Hartford police officers for using excessive force against them should, in fact, get to go to court.
Neither case turned on the key questions of reproductive rights, privacy or Roe itself.
Some abortion rights supporters say they take heart in Sotomayor's reputation as a judge who respects precedent and exercises restraint in her rulings — a reputation the White House has worked hard to bolster.
"We're hoping and counting on her respect for past legal precedent as an encouraging sign, but we don't have any direct evidence," said Doug Laube of Physicians for Reproductive Rights. "Sure we're concerned, and I think most people who are on our side ... are concerned, but we're happy to take a wait-and-see attitude."
Conservatives, for their part, say there's at least a chance Sotomayor could be on their side.
"There's always the hope that she could be truly Justice Souter's opposite," said Yoest of Americans United for Life. "It gives me some consolation that they're concerned."
by the associated press
Sotomayor's nomination has reopened a politically and emotionally charged debate over abortion that's energized interest groups on the left and right — all working to draw members, money and attention by ensuring the issue features prominently in the judge's confirmation hearings.
Unlike many liberal organizations that came out swiftly and enthusiastically to back Sotomayor, abortion-rights groups are withholding their support until she answers questions on the court's 1973 legalization decision and the principles behind it.
NARAL Pro Choice America has praised her experience and background but has stopped well short of endorsing her. "We look forward to learning more about Judge Sotomayor's views on the right to privacy and the landmark Roe v. Wade decision as the Senate's hearing process moves forward," the group's president, Nancy Keenan, said Tuesday, the day the nomination was announced.
She declined through a spokesman Thursday to comment further on the subject. The group is asking supporters to urge senators to ask Sotomayor about Roe and the right to privacy.
Neither abortion rights advocates nor foes take any comfort from the abortion-related cases on which Sotomayor has ruled as a federal judge — none of which were decided based on the principles or precedents underlying Roe v. Wade.
"I don't think anybody can draw a conclusion," said Charmaine Yoest, the president of Americans United for Life, which opposes abortion rights. "Given the fact that she has been so outspoken about the view that her personal opinions and personal characteristics come into play at the bar, that's very troubling to us."
On the opposite side, Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation, said: "We don't have enough information to take a position at this time. We're waiting to learn more about Judge Sotomayor's views on the constitutional right to privacy, including the right to choose."
The White House edged carefully around the issue Thursday in an animated question-and-answer session in which reporters pressed to know whether President Barack Obama had ascertained Sotomayor's views before nominating her.
Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, said the two discussed Sotomayor's "views on unenumerated rights in the Constitution and the theory of settled law" — both of which have been buzz-phrases for backers of the 1973 decision. In Roe, the court recognized a right to privacy even thought it's not spelled out in the Constitution. Abortion-rights backers consider the decision "settled law" — a kind of super-precedent that has survived long enough without major challenge that it shouldn't be reconsidered.
Obama was "very comfortable with her interpretation of the Constitution being similar to that of his," Gibbs said, declining to provide more specifics.
The White House says Obama didn't ask Sotomayor specifically about her view of Roe v. Wade or privacy rights, even though as a presidential candidate in 2007, he said, "I would not appoint somebody who doesn't believe in the right to privacy."
Gibbs said he had "no reason to believe" any White House aide asked Sotomayor those questions either.
Abortion is a perennial hot-button in Supreme Court confirmation hearings, drawing pointed questions from Republicans and Democrats alike. It's expected to play a prominent role in the debate over Sotomayor in part because the court has recently been closely divided on abortion questions.
In the latest such ruling — of major concern to abortion rights supporters — the court upheld a nationwide ban on a procedure its opponents call partial-birth abortion, a decision both sides said could pave the way for further restrictions. It was the first abortion ruling in which the court didn't require an exception to preserve a woman's health.
"On these sensitive high-stakes political issues, it's always a very delicate matter in the selection process — no president wants to have a litmus test," said Emma Coleman Jordan, a Georgetown University law professor and former Justice Department official who worked on Sandra Day O'Connor's 1981 nomination to the high court.
"There are ways to determine inclinations, but not through crude, direct questioning. ... The process is not as hamhandedly political as the interest groups try to make it out to be," Jordan said.
Obama's own pro-abortion rights stance has led many to assume that his chosen nominee would feel the same, but there's a history of presidents being unpleasantly surprised by their Supreme Court choices' positions. Retiring Justice David H. Souter, whom Sotomayor would replace if confirmed, was named by former President George H. W. Bush and was widely expected to support overturning Roe, but in 1992 he sided with a majority to uphold abortion rights.
Sotomayor's decisions give little clue about her views on the subject, although she has issued two rulings on unrelated legal issues whose results favored abortion rights opponents. In 2002, she dismissed a challenge by an abortion rights group to the so-called "Mexico City" policy of denying federal funding to organizations that provide or promote abortions. Two years later, she ruled that abortion rights protesters who had unsuccessfully tried to sue Hartford police officers for using excessive force against them should, in fact, get to go to court.
Neither case turned on the key questions of reproductive rights, privacy or Roe itself.
Some abortion rights supporters say they take heart in Sotomayor's reputation as a judge who respects precedent and exercises restraint in her rulings — a reputation the White House has worked hard to bolster.
"We're hoping and counting on her respect for past legal precedent as an encouraging sign, but we don't have any direct evidence," said Doug Laube of Physicians for Reproductive Rights. "Sure we're concerned, and I think most people who are on our side ... are concerned, but we're happy to take a wait-and-see attitude."
Conservatives, for their part, say there's at least a chance Sotomayor could be on their side.
"There's always the hope that she could be truly Justice Souter's opposite," said Yoest of Americans United for Life. "It gives me some consolation that they're concerned."
by the associated press
Oklahoma Bigfoot ?
HONOBIA — Researchers believe a footprint they discovered over the weekend in the Kiamichi Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma is that of the elusive creature Bigfoot.
D.W. Lee, global director of the Mid-America Bigfoot Research Center, said the print was found about five miles into the woods. A cast was made of the print, which was 15 3/4 inches by 5 inches.
"The toes were clearly visible on the cast after it was lifted up,” Lee said.
Lee said crew members heard "vocalizations” in the woods, which they recognized as telltale mocking calls of Bigfoot.
He said a crew member was hit by a rock during a night hike just moments after two large animals were spied through a night scope walking across a logging road on two feet.
"A lot of people, it doesn’t really dawn on them when rocks land near them” that Bigfoot is responsible, Lee said.
Lee and his crew are evaluating hundreds of photos and hours of video recordings taken over the weekend. About 30 researchers spent Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday looking for evidence of the creature.
Was it real?
U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Scott Simmons said he has not been personally involved in any Bigfoot-seeking expeditions, but that people are capable of collecting and analyzing data and have been doing so for years as part of their fascination with the possibility of an unknown apelike species.
"I’m not going to tell someone they did not see or did see something,” Simmons said.
from the oklahoman
D.W. Lee, global director of the Mid-America Bigfoot Research Center, said the print was found about five miles into the woods. A cast was made of the print, which was 15 3/4 inches by 5 inches.
"The toes were clearly visible on the cast after it was lifted up,” Lee said.
Lee said crew members heard "vocalizations” in the woods, which they recognized as telltale mocking calls of Bigfoot.
He said a crew member was hit by a rock during a night hike just moments after two large animals were spied through a night scope walking across a logging road on two feet.
"A lot of people, it doesn’t really dawn on them when rocks land near them” that Bigfoot is responsible, Lee said.
Lee and his crew are evaluating hundreds of photos and hours of video recordings taken over the weekend. About 30 researchers spent Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday looking for evidence of the creature.
Was it real?
U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Scott Simmons said he has not been personally involved in any Bigfoot-seeking expeditions, but that people are capable of collecting and analyzing data and have been doing so for years as part of their fascination with the possibility of an unknown apelike species.
"I’m not going to tell someone they did not see or did see something,” Simmons said.
from the oklahoman
Jerusalem looking for ties with Arabs
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday urged Arab countries to make immediate moves toward normalizing ties with Israel and said he would offer "concrete” steps toward peace with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu made the plea during a debate in parliament that came as he tries to balance international pressure to make concessions to the Palestinians with internal calls from within his hardline coalition not to budge.
"We are prepared to make, and we will make, concrete steps for peace with the Palestinians,” he said. "We expect the Palestinians to make such concrete steps as well. And it would be good if Arab countries joined the peace effort and made concrete and symbolic steps toward normalization with Israel,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu made the plea during a debate in parliament that came as he tries to balance international pressure to make concessions to the Palestinians with internal calls from within his hardline coalition not to budge.
"We are prepared to make, and we will make, concrete steps for peace with the Palestinians,” he said. "We expect the Palestinians to make such concrete steps as well. And it would be good if Arab countries joined the peace effort and made concrete and symbolic steps toward normalization with Israel,” Netanyahu said.
3 to join space station on Friday
BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan — A Russian space capsule blasted off Wednesday into the afternoon skies of Central Asia on a mission to expand the permanent human presence in space.
The Soyuz craft carrying Canadian Robert Thirsk, Russian Roman Romanenko and Belgian Frank De Winne soared above Kazakhstan’s southern steppe to begin a journey to the space station.
The capsule is expected to dock with the space station sometime Friday.
Soyuz’s three astronauts will join the three crew members already on the station, forming a six-member permanent crew for the first time.
The Soyuz capsule will be hooked to the space station until it is used in the future by astronauts returning to Earth.
The station’s newest crew members will further consolidate the international credentials of the space station, which is currently occupied by American astronaut Michael Barratt, Russia’s Gennady Padalka and Japan’s Koichi Wakata.
Experts also say the enlarged crew will allow for greater advances in scientific research.
"The kinds of science, the amount of science — all of that is going to be expanded,” NASA spokesman Rob Navias said.
by the associated press
The Soyuz craft carrying Canadian Robert Thirsk, Russian Roman Romanenko and Belgian Frank De Winne soared above Kazakhstan’s southern steppe to begin a journey to the space station.
The capsule is expected to dock with the space station sometime Friday.
Soyuz’s three astronauts will join the three crew members already on the station, forming a six-member permanent crew for the first time.
The Soyuz capsule will be hooked to the space station until it is used in the future by astronauts returning to Earth.
The station’s newest crew members will further consolidate the international credentials of the space station, which is currently occupied by American astronaut Michael Barratt, Russia’s Gennady Padalka and Japan’s Koichi Wakata.
Experts also say the enlarged crew will allow for greater advances in scientific research.
"The kinds of science, the amount of science — all of that is going to be expanded,” NASA spokesman Rob Navias said.
by the associated press
Rains slow rescue efforts
CALCUTTA, India — Heavy rains caused deadly mudslides and slowed rescue efforts Wednesday after Cyclone Aila pounded India and Bangladesh, killing at least 191 people.
The cyclone destroyed thousands of homes and stranded millions of people in flooded villages before it began to ease Tuesday. The death toll will likely rise in both countries as rescue workers reach cut-off areas.
Soldiers have been deployed to take food, water and medicine to thousands of people stranded in flooded villages, Bangladeshi Minister Abdur Razzak told reporters Wednesday. In India rescuers evacuated more than 41,000 people by Wednesday, Dasgupta said.
The cyclone also caused damage in the Sundarbans, home to one of the world’s largest tiger populations. Conservationists expressed concern over the tigers’ fate.
by the associated press
The cyclone destroyed thousands of homes and stranded millions of people in flooded villages before it began to ease Tuesday. The death toll will likely rise in both countries as rescue workers reach cut-off areas.
Soldiers have been deployed to take food, water and medicine to thousands of people stranded in flooded villages, Bangladeshi Minister Abdur Razzak told reporters Wednesday. In India rescuers evacuated more than 41,000 people by Wednesday, Dasgupta said.
The cyclone also caused damage in the Sundarbans, home to one of the world’s largest tiger populations. Conservationists expressed concern over the tigers’ fate.
by the associated press
President Obama promotes stimulus, solar energy development
LAS VEGAS — President Barack Obama on Wednesday hailed solar energy as a cost saver for a major Air Force base, one stop on a Western trip devoted to raising political money and promoting his economic policies.
Obama’s aides had mocked reporters for making a fuss over his first 100 days in office, but the president was eager to assess the first 100 days of his $787 billion economic stimulus package.
It has "saved or created nearly 150,000 jobs,” he said, including "jobs building solar panels and wind turbines; making homes and buildings more energy-efficient.”
The White House job claims are difficult to verify because they are based on estimates of how bad the economy might have been without the stimulus rather than actual employment data.
Obama also announced more spending for renewable energy after touring a large field of solar panels at Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas.
The sun-powered cells provide a quarter of the base’s power needs, Obama said, speaking in a large hangar warmed by the desert heat.
Obama said more than $467 million in stimulus money will be used "to expand and accelerate the development, deployment and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the United States.”
by the associated press
Obama’s aides had mocked reporters for making a fuss over his first 100 days in office, but the president was eager to assess the first 100 days of his $787 billion economic stimulus package.
It has "saved or created nearly 150,000 jobs,” he said, including "jobs building solar panels and wind turbines; making homes and buildings more energy-efficient.”
The White House job claims are difficult to verify because they are based on estimates of how bad the economy might have been without the stimulus rather than actual employment data.
Obama also announced more spending for renewable energy after touring a large field of solar panels at Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas.
The sun-powered cells provide a quarter of the base’s power needs, Obama said, speaking in a large hangar warmed by the desert heat.
Obama said more than $467 million in stimulus money will be used "to expand and accelerate the development, deployment and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the United States.”
by the associated press
Web site,trying to help sick boy
MINNEAPOLIS — The family of a 13-year-old cancer patient who fled Minnesota with his mother because they objected to chemotherapy are using the Internet to raise money for expenses that could mount as he restarts the therapy today.
Attorney Calvin Johnson said Wednesday he understands the Hauser family has health insurance, but he set up a Web site — dannyhauser.com — because insurance would not cover legal bills and alternative medicines for Daniel Hauser’s illness.
Daniel has Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He received a single treatment of chemotherapy in February, but stopped after enduring the harsh side effects. The family preferred natural healing practices.
The Hausers have eight children, and the family is feeling financial and emotional pressure, the attorney said.
"Things are really, really tight for this family,” Johnson said.
He said he had no estimate of the family’s legal or medical bills. Money raised by the Web site will go to the family but will not be tax-deductible.
by the associated press
Attorney Calvin Johnson said Wednesday he understands the Hauser family has health insurance, but he set up a Web site — dannyhauser.com — because insurance would not cover legal bills and alternative medicines for Daniel Hauser’s illness.
Daniel has Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He received a single treatment of chemotherapy in February, but stopped after enduring the harsh side effects. The family preferred natural healing practices.
The Hausers have eight children, and the family is feeling financial and emotional pressure, the attorney said.
"Things are really, really tight for this family,” Johnson said.
He said he had no estimate of the family’s legal or medical bills. Money raised by the Web site will go to the family but will not be tax-deductible.
by the associated press
Afghan officials receive criticism
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan government quietly dumped more than 1,000 Shiite texts and other books from Iran into a river after a local governor complained that their content insulted the country’s Sunni majority.
The move appeared to be an attempt by President Hamid Karzai’s U.S.-backed government to smooth over a potential thorn in relations between the Muslim sects.
But the government was facing condemnation Wednesday from Shiite leaders after news leaked a month after the dumping.
"It is a humiliation for all Shiites,” said Mohammad Akbari, a prominent Shiite member of parliament. He said a joint commission of Sunni and Shiite leaders should have reviewed any complaints about the books.
The dispute highlights the tension between Sunnis and Shiites in Afghanistan despite efforts to preach tolerance.
Shiites were persecuted under the largely Sunni Taliban regime that ruled the country until the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Since then, the two sects have settled into an uneasy coexistence, with the post-Taliban constitution giving Shiites the right to create some laws that apply only to them.
by the associated press
The move appeared to be an attempt by President Hamid Karzai’s U.S.-backed government to smooth over a potential thorn in relations between the Muslim sects.
But the government was facing condemnation Wednesday from Shiite leaders after news leaked a month after the dumping.
"It is a humiliation for all Shiites,” said Mohammad Akbari, a prominent Shiite member of parliament. He said a joint commission of Sunni and Shiite leaders should have reviewed any complaints about the books.
The dispute highlights the tension between Sunnis and Shiites in Afghanistan despite efforts to preach tolerance.
Shiites were persecuted under the largely Sunni Taliban regime that ruled the country until the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Since then, the two sects have settled into an uneasy coexistence, with the post-Taliban constitution giving Shiites the right to create some laws that apply only to them.
by the associated press
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
U.S. Troops could stay in Iraq 10 years
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is prepared to leave fighting forces in Iraq for as long as a decade despite an agreement between the United States and Iraq that would bring all American troops home by 2012, the top U.S. Army officer said Tuesday.
Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, said the world remains dangerous and unpredictable, and the Pentagon must plan for extended U.S. combat and stability operations in two wars.
He spoke to a dozen journalists and policy analysts from Washington-based think-tanks. He said his planning envisions combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for a decade as part of a sustained U.S. commitment to fighting extremism and terrorism in the Middle East.
Casey’s calculations about force levels are related to his attempt to ease the brutal deployment calendar that he said would "bring the Army to its knees.”
Casey would not specify how many combat units would be split between Iraq and Afghanistan. He said U.S. ground commander Gen. Ray Odierno is leading a study to determine how far U.S. forces could be cut back in Iraq and still be effective.
President Barack Obama plans to bring U.S. combat forces home from Iraq in 2010, and the United States and Iraq have agreed that all American forces would leave by 2012.
The United States currently has about 139,000 troops in Iraq and 52,000 in Afghanistan.
Obama campaigned on ending the Iraq war quickly and refocusing U.S. resources on what he called the more important fight in Afghanistan.
by the associated press
Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, said the world remains dangerous and unpredictable, and the Pentagon must plan for extended U.S. combat and stability operations in two wars.
He spoke to a dozen journalists and policy analysts from Washington-based think-tanks. He said his planning envisions combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for a decade as part of a sustained U.S. commitment to fighting extremism and terrorism in the Middle East.
Casey’s calculations about force levels are related to his attempt to ease the brutal deployment calendar that he said would "bring the Army to its knees.”
Casey would not specify how many combat units would be split between Iraq and Afghanistan. He said U.S. ground commander Gen. Ray Odierno is leading a study to determine how far U.S. forces could be cut back in Iraq and still be effective.
President Barack Obama plans to bring U.S. combat forces home from Iraq in 2010, and the United States and Iraq have agreed that all American forces would leave by 2012.
The United States currently has about 139,000 troops in Iraq and 52,000 in Afghanistan.
Obama campaigned on ending the Iraq war quickly and refocusing U.S. resources on what he called the more important fight in Afghanistan.
by the associated press
Roland Burris Fundraising vow is caught on tape
CHICAGO — A transcript of a secretly recorded phone call between the brother of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and U.S. Sen. Roland Burris was released in federal court Tuesday, a call in which Burris, then seeking the Senate seat, was recorded offering the Blagojevich campaign a campaign check.
"I know I could give him a check,” Burris said. "Myself.”
But in the same call, Burris tells Robert Blagojevich he is concerned he and Rod Blagojevich will "catch hell.”
"And if I do get appointed that means I bought it,” said Burris, D-Ill.
"And, and God knows number one, I, I wanna help Rod,” Burris says later in the call. "Number two, I also wanna, you know, hope I get a consideration to get that appointment.”
A federal judge on Tuesday gave prosecutors permission to turn over the recorded conversation to the Senate Ethics Committee, which has launched a review of Burris’ conduct prior to his appointment.
Burris’ attorney, Timothy Wright, denied Burris made the offer to be appointed to the Senate seat.
from the oklahoman
"I know I could give him a check,” Burris said. "Myself.”
But in the same call, Burris tells Robert Blagojevich he is concerned he and Rod Blagojevich will "catch hell.”
"And if I do get appointed that means I bought it,” said Burris, D-Ill.
"And, and God knows number one, I, I wanna help Rod,” Burris says later in the call. "Number two, I also wanna, you know, hope I get a consideration to get that appointment.”
A federal judge on Tuesday gave prosecutors permission to turn over the recorded conversation to the Senate Ethics Committee, which has launched a review of Burris’ conduct prior to his appointment.
Burris’ attorney, Timothy Wright, denied Burris made the offer to be appointed to the Senate seat.
from the oklahoman
America after Mexican cartels
NEW YORK — The Mexican drug cartels battling viciously to expand and survive have a powerful incentive: Across the border to the north is a market for illegal drugs unsurpassed for its wealth, diversity and voraciousness.
Homeless heroin addicts in big cities, "meth heads’ in Midwest trailer parks, pop culture and sports stars, teens smoking marijuana with their baby boomer parents in Vermont — in all, 46 percent of Americans 12 and older have indulged in the often destructive national pastime of illicit drug use.
This array of consumers is providing a vast, recession-proof, apparently unending market for the Mexican gangs locked in a drug war that has killed more than 10,780 people since December 2006. No matter how much law enforcement or financial help the U.S. government provides Mexico, the basics of supply and demand prevent it from doing much good.
The latest federal figures show that 114 million Americans have used illegal drugs at some point — and 8 percent of those, or 20 million people, are current users.
"It’s a drug dealer’s dream — sell it in a place where he can make the most money for the risk taken,” said Dr. H. Westley Clark, director of the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
"There’s a tremendous amount of denial until you’re face to face with it,” Clark added. "A substance abuser can be anybody. Everybody is at risk.”
The Mexican cartels are eager to feed this ravenous appetite. Mexico is now a major producer and distributor; its gangs control cocaine networks in many U.S. cities and covertly grow marijuana.
The Mexican government is fighting the cartels and working with U.S. authorities — but all parties are aware of the role played by the U.S. market.
"When the U.S. government turns up the pressure a lot, then is when you see a return to the old formula of saying (to Americans), ‘You also have corruption, you consume the drugs, you’re the biggest drug consumer in the world,’” said Jose Luis Pineyro, a sociologist at Mexico’s Autonomous Metropolitan University.
Gil Kerlikowske, a former Seattle police chief recently appointed by President Barack Obama as the U.S. drug czar, said the Mexicans "make an excellent point.”
"Our drug abuse causes problems elsewhere — our per capita consumption is very high,” said Kerlikowske, who argues that reducing demand through education and treatment is as vital as border interdictions in quelling Mexico’s drug violence.
by the associated press
Homeless heroin addicts in big cities, "meth heads’ in Midwest trailer parks, pop culture and sports stars, teens smoking marijuana with their baby boomer parents in Vermont — in all, 46 percent of Americans 12 and older have indulged in the often destructive national pastime of illicit drug use.
This array of consumers is providing a vast, recession-proof, apparently unending market for the Mexican gangs locked in a drug war that has killed more than 10,780 people since December 2006. No matter how much law enforcement or financial help the U.S. government provides Mexico, the basics of supply and demand prevent it from doing much good.
The latest federal figures show that 114 million Americans have used illegal drugs at some point — and 8 percent of those, or 20 million people, are current users.
"It’s a drug dealer’s dream — sell it in a place where he can make the most money for the risk taken,” said Dr. H. Westley Clark, director of the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
"There’s a tremendous amount of denial until you’re face to face with it,” Clark added. "A substance abuser can be anybody. Everybody is at risk.”
The Mexican cartels are eager to feed this ravenous appetite. Mexico is now a major producer and distributor; its gangs control cocaine networks in many U.S. cities and covertly grow marijuana.
The Mexican government is fighting the cartels and working with U.S. authorities — but all parties are aware of the role played by the U.S. market.
"When the U.S. government turns up the pressure a lot, then is when you see a return to the old formula of saying (to Americans), ‘You also have corruption, you consume the drugs, you’re the biggest drug consumer in the world,’” said Jose Luis Pineyro, a sociologist at Mexico’s Autonomous Metropolitan University.
Gil Kerlikowske, a former Seattle police chief recently appointed by President Barack Obama as the U.S. drug czar, said the Mexicans "make an excellent point.”
"Our drug abuse causes problems elsewhere — our per capita consumption is very high,” said Kerlikowske, who argues that reducing demand through education and treatment is as vital as border interdictions in quelling Mexico’s drug violence.
by the associated press
California’s marriage law Ramain's
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Supreme Court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday. It also decided that the estimated 18,000 gay couples who tied the knot before the law took effect will stay wed.
Demonstrators outside the court yelled "shame on you!” Gay rights activists immediately promised to resume their fight, saying they would go back to voters as early as next year in a bid to repeal the ban.
The 6-1 decision written by Chief Justice Ron George rejected an argument by gay rights activists that the ban revised the California Constitution’s equal protection clause to such a dramatic degree that it first needed the Legislature’s approval.
The court said the Californians have a right, through the ballot box, to change their constitution.
"In a sense, petitioners’ and the attorney general’s complaint is that it is just too easy to amend the California Constitution through the initiative process. But it is not a proper function of this court to curtail that process; we are constitutionally bound to uphold it,” the ruling said.
The justices said the 136-page majority ruling does not speak to whether they agree with the voter-approved Proposition 8.
The announcement of the decision set off an outcry among demonstrators who had gathered in front of the San Francisco courthouse awaiting the ruling.
A small group of Proposition 8 supporters also had gathered outside the court to hear the ruling.
by the associated press
Demonstrators outside the court yelled "shame on you!” Gay rights activists immediately promised to resume their fight, saying they would go back to voters as early as next year in a bid to repeal the ban.
The 6-1 decision written by Chief Justice Ron George rejected an argument by gay rights activists that the ban revised the California Constitution’s equal protection clause to such a dramatic degree that it first needed the Legislature’s approval.
The court said the Californians have a right, through the ballot box, to change their constitution.
"In a sense, petitioners’ and the attorney general’s complaint is that it is just too easy to amend the California Constitution through the initiative process. But it is not a proper function of this court to curtail that process; we are constitutionally bound to uphold it,” the ruling said.
The justices said the 136-page majority ruling does not speak to whether they agree with the voter-approved Proposition 8.
The announcement of the decision set off an outcry among demonstrators who had gathered in front of the San Francisco courthouse awaiting the ruling.
A small group of Proposition 8 supporters also had gathered outside the court to hear the ruling.
by the associated press
Jim Inhofe was opposed to nomination in 1998
WASHINGTON — In more than 14 years in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Jim Inhofe has yet to vote on a Democratic president’s nominee for the Supreme Court. He was still in the House when the Senate approved former President Bill Clinton’s two nominees, Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer.
But the Tulsa Republican has already voted against Sonia Sotomayor, who on Tuesday got the nod from President Barack Obama to succeed retiring Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter.
Inhofe was among 29 senators, all Republicans, who opposed Sotomayor’s nomination to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in October 1998.
Inhofe didn’t make a public statement about the nomination back then, but other Republicans had expressed concern about her "judicial activism.” A full Senate vote on her nomination was held up for months after the Judiciary Committee approved it.
On Tuesday, Inhofe said he had "great concern” about recent comments Sotomayor had made about "legislating from the bench.”
"In the months ahead, it will be important for those of us in the U.S. Senate to weigh her qualifications and character as well as her ability to rule fairly without undue influence from her own personal race, gender or political preferences,” he said.
Inhofe called Sotomayor’s personal life story — she was raised by her widowed mother in a public housing project in the Bronx — "truly inspiring” and said he looked forward to examining her judicial philosophy.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, who serves as a member of the Judiciary Committee, which will hold confirmation hearings on Sotomayor, said the federal appellate judge "deserves fair and open hearings and a dignified confirmation process.”
Coburn made clear in a brief statement that he’s looking for a justice "who will interpret the Constitution, not rewrite it based on ideology or personal opinion,” and he said senators’ views should be based on the nominee’s qualifications and "her commitment to interpreting the Constitution.”
from the oklahoman
But the Tulsa Republican has already voted against Sonia Sotomayor, who on Tuesday got the nod from President Barack Obama to succeed retiring Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter.
Inhofe was among 29 senators, all Republicans, who opposed Sotomayor’s nomination to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in October 1998.
Inhofe didn’t make a public statement about the nomination back then, but other Republicans had expressed concern about her "judicial activism.” A full Senate vote on her nomination was held up for months after the Judiciary Committee approved it.
On Tuesday, Inhofe said he had "great concern” about recent comments Sotomayor had made about "legislating from the bench.”
"In the months ahead, it will be important for those of us in the U.S. Senate to weigh her qualifications and character as well as her ability to rule fairly without undue influence from her own personal race, gender or political preferences,” he said.
Inhofe called Sotomayor’s personal life story — she was raised by her widowed mother in a public housing project in the Bronx — "truly inspiring” and said he looked forward to examining her judicial philosophy.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, who serves as a member of the Judiciary Committee, which will hold confirmation hearings on Sotomayor, said the federal appellate judge "deserves fair and open hearings and a dignified confirmation process.”
Coburn made clear in a brief statement that he’s looking for a justice "who will interpret the Constitution, not rewrite it based on ideology or personal opinion,” and he said senators’ views should be based on the nominee’s qualifications and "her commitment to interpreting the Constitution.”
from the oklahoman
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)