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00:05:01 –

Google adds bike lane with latest mapping feature

Associated Press

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) -- Google is adding a bike lane with its latest online mapping option. The new bicycling directions available on Google Maps Wednesday supplement the guidance already provided to motorists and pedestrians. The biking directions initially will be available only for the United States. Google spent the past six months tweaking its mapping service so it could recommend routes that would steer bicyclists away from big hills and heavily congested streets. The new feature makes Google the first major Internet mapping service to provide bicycling directions. Google's mapping service is the most popular in the U.S., with more than 55 million visitors in February, according to comScore. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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00:05:02 –

Stephenson leads Cincinnati over Rutgers

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lance Stephenson celebrated being selected Big East Rookie of the Year by making the deciding free throw with 1.8 seconds to play, leading Cincinnati to a 69-68 opening-round victory over Rutgers on Tuesday night. Stephenson had 13 points - 10 in a 4-minute span of the second half - nine rebounds and five assists to lead the 11th-seeded Bearcats (17-14) to their first ever victory in the Big East tournament and a second-round matchup against sixth-seeded Louisville on Wednesday. Mike Rosario had 26 points to lead the Scarlet Knights (15-17). Rosario tied the game at 68 with a 3-pointer with 15 seconds to play. Stephenson drove to the hoop and was fouled with 1.8 seconds left. He made the first free throw, then intentionally missed the second, not leaving Rutgers with enough time to get off a good shot. Cincinnati had lost its previous three games in the tournament. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcas...

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00:05:02 –

Minority births on track to outnumber white births

Associated Press

33.71%

2.58

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Minorities make up nearly half the children born in the U.S., part of a historic trend in which minorities are expected to become the U.S. majority over the next 40 years. In fact, demographers say this year could be the "tipping point" when the number of babies born to minorities outnumbers that of babies born to whites. The numbers are growing because immigration to the U.S. has boosted the number of Hispanic women in their prime childbearing years. Minorities made up 48 percent of U.S. children born in 2008, the latest census estimates available, compared to 37 percent in 1990. "Census projections suggest America may become a minority-majority country by the middle of the century. For America's children, the future is now," said Kenneth Johnson, a sociology professor at the University of New Hampshire who researched many of the racial trends in a paper being released Wednesday. Johnson explained there are now more Hispanic women of prime childbearing age who t...

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00:25:02 –

China February exports jump 45.7 percent

Associated Press

29.75%

2.78

BEIJING (AP) -- China's exports rose in February in a new sign of growing global demand that could help persuade officials to let the Chinese currency rise. Exports were up 45.7 percent over a year earlier, the Chinese customs agency reported Wednesday, beating analyst forecasts of 35 to 40 percent growth. Imports surged 44.7 percent, the agency said, reflecting growing demand in China as it emerges from the global crisis. "China's trade is extending its recovery," said Zhu Jianfang, an economist for Citic Securities in Beijing. "Exporters are getting more orders these days." February's growth rate was boosted by comparison with last year's weak trade amid the global downturn and came despite the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday, when many companies shut down. Zhu said the data increase chances the government might allow China's currency, the yuan, to rise in value. Beijing has held the yuan steady against the dollar for 18 months to help Chinese exporters but is under pressure from...

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00:25:02 –

Senators-Oilers Sums

Associated Press

Ottawa 0 1 3-4Edmonton 0 1 0-1First Period-None. Penalties-Potulny, Edm (holding), 9:08Whitney, Edm (cross-checking), 10:30Carkner, Ott, major (fighting), 14:35Stortini, Edm, minor-major-misconduct (instigator, fighting), 14:35Alfredsson, Ott (hooking), 16:33Horcoff, Edm (boarding), 18:33.Second Period-1, Edmonton, Pisani 3 (Johnson, Horcoff), 4:27. 2, Ottawa, Kelly 12 (Alfredsson, Spezza), 16:18. Penalties-Regin, Ott (boarding), 17:57Brule, Edm (tripping), 19:00.Third Period-3, Ottawa, Cullen 14 (Karlsson, Alfredsson), 8:24 (pp). 4, Ottawa, Fisher 21 (Kelly, Karlsson), 9:50. 5, Ottawa, Michalek 22 (Alfredsson, Spezza), 13:09 (pp). Penalties-Pouliot, Edm (delay of game), 7:50Peckham, Edm (hooking), 11:14Whitney, Edm (cross-checking), 13:01Ruutu, Ott (roughing), 14:56Comrie, Edm (tripping), 15:42Lee, Ott (holding), 19:46.Missed Penalty Shot-Comrie, Edm, 17:43 first.Shots on Goal-Ottawa 13-12-14-39. Edmonton 7-8-4-19.Power-play opportunities-Ottawa 2 of 9Edmonton 0 of 4.Goalies...

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00:25:04 –

Curbing derivatives might hurt, not help, Greece

Associated Press

26.32%

NEW YORK (AP) -- Derivatives have become a dirty word. The complex financial products helped blow up the U.S. housing market. They all but sank AIG. Now European officials want to crack down on a derivative called a credit default swap. It's an insurance-like product that they say has worsened Europe's debt crisis and could bankrupt Greece. Hold on, many experts say: Credit default swaps - contracts that insure debt -have actually prevented Greece's debacle from worsening. Without them, they say, investors would be less willing to buy Greece's debt. It would likely need a bailout to run its government and service its huge debt. That could threaten Europe's economic rebound. "If we get to a point where we've had enough with credit default swaps, then I think Greece will have serious problems," said Darrell Duffie, a finance professor at Stanford University. Sellers of credit default swaps agree to pay the buyers if the debt goes bad. With swaps, investors who lend to countries by bu...

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00:35:01 –

Tasmanian devil colony shows immunity to cancer

Associated Press

56.56%

3.91

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) -- Australian scientists said Wednesday that the discovery of a genetically distinct colony of Tasmanian devils may save the species from being wiped out by a contagious cancer that has decimated the population. So far, the colony in northwestern Tasmania state has proven immune to the face cancer that has ravaged the iconic animal - made famous worldwide by their Looney Tunes cartoon namesake, Taz. "We think these devils may be able to see the cancer cells as foreign and mount an immune response against them," lead researcher Kathy Belov said. "We think more animals might survive in the wild than we initially thought." The furry black animals spread a fast-killing cancer when they bite each other's faces. It causes grotesque facial tumors that eventually prevent them from feeding and can affect their internal organs. Devil Facial Tumor Disease was discovered in 1996. Since then, the numbers of Tasmanian devils have plummeted by 70 percent. Last spring, Aus...

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00:35:01 –

Dalai Lama: China aims to annihilate Buddhism

Associated Press

84.51%

DHARMSALA, India (AP) -- The Dalai Lama said Wednesday that Chinese authorities had rebuffed all his efforts to reach a compromise over Tibet and had instead engaged in systematic repression as part of a plan to "annihilate Buddhism" there. The Tibetan spiritual leader sounded angry and resigned as he delivered his annual address from exile in India marking the 51st anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing has demonized the Dalai Lama and accused him of fighting for independence for Tibet, which China says is part of its territory. The Dalai Lama says he only wants some form of autonomy for Tibet within China that would allow his people to freely practice their culture, language and religion. The dispute turned violent two years ago, when anti-government protests erupted in Tibet and China cracked down on the region. The Dalai Lama said Chinese authorities were conducting a campaign of "patriotic re-education" in monasteries in Tibet. "They are putting...

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00:40:06 –

Law Bars Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi From Elections

NY Times

34.06%

Filed at 12:08 a.m. ET YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Myanmar's military rulers have barred pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from running in upcoming elections and may force her own political party to expel her under a new election law unveiled Wednesday. The Political Parties Registration Law, published in official newspapers, excludes anyone convicted by a court of law from joining a political party and may push Suu Kyi out of her National League for Democracy. Aung Thein, a lawyer who has defended activists in the country, called the law ''absolutely undemocratic and unfair.'' And the head of an U.S.-based activist group described it as a slap in the face for the international community, which is calling for free and fair elections in the Southeast Asian nation. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention, was convicted last August of violating the terms of her house arrest by briefly sheltering an American who swam uninvited to her...

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01:00:06 –

Tasmanian Devil Colony Shows Immunity to Cancer

NY Times

59.14%

3.91

Filed at 12:32 a.m. ET ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) -- Australian scientists said Wednesday that the discovery of a genetically distinct colony of Tasmanian devils may save the species from being wiped out by a contagious cancer that has decimated the population. So far, the colony in northwestern Tasmania state has proven immune to the face cancer that has ravaged the iconic animal -- made famous worldwide by their Looney Tunes cartoon namesake, Taz. ''We think these devils may be able to see the cancer cells as foreign and mount an immune response against them,'' lead researcher Kathy Belov said. ''We think more animals might survive in the wild than we initially thought.'' The furry black animals spread a fast-killing cancer when they bite each other's faces. It causes grotesque facial tumors that eventually prevent them from feeding and can affect their internal organs. Devil Facial Tumor Disease was discovered in 1996. Since then, the numbers of Tasmanian devils have p...

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01:00:11 –

Dalai Lama: China Aims to Annihilate Buddhism

NY Times

88.76%

Filed at 12:30 a.m. ET DHARMSALA, India (AP) -- The Dalai Lama said Wednesday that Chinese authorities had rebuffed all his efforts to reach a compromise over Tibet and had instead engaged in systematic repression as part of a plan to ''annihilate Buddhism'' there. The Tibetan spiritual leader sounded angry and resigned as he delivered his annual address from exile in India marking the 51st anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing has demonized the Dalai Lama and accused him of fighting for independence for Tibet, which China says is part of its territory. The Dalai Lama says he only wants some form of autonomy for Tibet within China that would allow his people to freely practice their culture, language and religion. The dispute turned violent two years ago, when anti-government protests erupted in Tibet and China cracked down on the region. The Dalai Lama said Chinese authorities were conducting a campaign of ''patriotic re-education'' in ...

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01:05:01 –

Aid group attacked in northwest Pakistan 5 dead

Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Gunmen attacked the offices of an international aid group in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, killing five people working for the organization, police said. The attackers hurled grenades during the attack on World Vision, a large Christian humanitarian group, in Mansehra district. The dead were all Pakistanis, said police official Mohammad Sabir. Islamist militants, who are strong in northwestern Pakistan, will be suspected in the attack. They have killed other people working for aid groups in Pakistan and issued statements saying such organizations were working against Islam. Many foreign aid groups have been working in Mansehra district, helping rebuild it after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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01:05:01 –

Report: NKorea to replace top diplomat in Geneva

Associated Press

54.47%

4.86

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea plans to replace its top diplomat in Switzerland who is believed to be a key manager of leader Kim Jong Il's alleged secret funds stashed overseas, a news report said Wednesday. Ri Tcheul, North Korea's ambassador to U.N. agencies in Geneva, is to step down as early as late this month following about 30 years of service in Switzerland, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unidentified diplomat in Bern. The 75-year-old Ri is one of Kim's closest associates, believed to have managed the leader's illicit money in secret bank accounts in Switzerland, the report said. There was no word on who will succeed him, Yonhap said. South Korea's Foreign Ministry and the National Intelligence Service - the country's main spy agency - said they could not confirm the report. Kim is believed to have stashed away billions of dollars in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries to finance the North's weapons programs, buy lavish gifts ...

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01:05:01 –

Garon, Blue Jackets beat Ducks 5-2

Associated Press

4.5

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Jakub Voracek scored during Columbus' first power play and set up another second-period goal by Fedor Tyutin to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night. Mathieu Garon made 36 saves one night after relieving Steve Mason, who gave up four goals on 12 shots against Los Angeles in the first period of a 6-0 loss. Derek Dorsett scored his fourth goal of an injury-plagued season and the Blue Jackets got power-play goals from Antoine Vermette and Derick Brassard in the final 1:58. Columbus bounced back from Monday's effort in which they recorded only 11 shots. Columbus snapped a five-game losing streak despite the absence of leading scorer Rick Nash (lower body), who was scratched for the first time this season. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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01:05:01 –

Osmonds return to stage after death of Marie's son

Associated Press

5.5

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Marie Osmond has returned to her Las Vegas Strip show, saying singing is the way her family is coping with the death of her 18-year-old son. The Donny & Marie show at the Flamingo Las Vegas hotel resumed Tuesday night, one day after the siblings attended a family funeral for Marie's son Michael Bryan. Marie Osmond dedicated an opera song to Bryan, whom she called her "angel." Police in Los Angeles have said Bryan died of an apparent suicide after jumping from the eighth floor of an apartment building. Autopsy and toxicology results are pending. Police say Bryan left a note but have provided no details about its contents. Bryan previously used his adoptive father's last name, Blosil, but Utah court records show his name was legally changed. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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01:05:02 –

Senators score 3 in 3rd period, top Oilers 4-1

Associated Press

82.07%

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Chris Kelly had a goal and an assist, and Matt Cullen, Milan Michalek and Mike Fisher also scored for the Ottawa Senators, who snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. The Senators scored three times in the third period, matching their total during their post-Olympics skid. Daniel Alfredsson added three assists. Fernando Pisani had the lone goal for the Oilers, whose two-game winning streak ended. Edmonton, which owns the NHL worst record, is six points behind Toronto. The Senators, who outshot Edmonton 39-19, had the bulk of the early scoring opportunities, but Oilers goalie Jeff Deslauriers stood tall. He helped killed a two-man Ottawa advantage when he stopped Alex Kovalev and Michalek. Edmonton's best chance of the first came with just over two minutes left when Brian Lee hauled down Mike Comrie. The Oilers forward was awarded a penalty shot, but Senators goalie Brian Elliott made the save to keep...

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01:05:02 –

7-year-old calls 911, saves family from attack

Associated Press

4.2

NORWALK, Calif. (AP) -- A dramatic 911 call reveals a terrified 7-year-old boy begging emergency dispatchers to send police to his California home where three armed robbers were threatening his parents. The boy called emergency operators early Tuesday after the gunmen broke into the Norwalk home. He said he was hiding in a locked bathroom with his younger sister while the suspects threatened his mother and father at gunpoint. On the recording, he begs the operator to send police quickly, "a lot of them... And soldiers too." When the suspects broke into the bathroom and grabbed the boy, he screamed and told them he called 911. The suspects fled without taking anything. Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Pat Maxwell says the boy's brave actions helped avoid a tragedy. The three men remain at large. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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01:05:02 –

Roy has 19 in Blazers' 88-81 win over Kings

Associated Press

35.24%

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Brandon Roy scored 19 points and hit a clinching jumper with just over two minutes left, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to an 88-81 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. The Kings pulled to a 74-all tie in the final quarter, but Roy's jumper with 2:07 remaining made it 85-78 and all but sealed it for the Blazers, who have won five straight against the Kings. Tyreke Evans had 18 points for the Kings, who have lost three straight overall. Carl Landry finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Roy added eight rebounds for Portland. Nicolas Batum and Andre Miller each scored 14 points. Marcus Camby returned after sitting out the Blazers' last game, a 118-106 loss at Denver, with a sprained left ankle. Portland acquired Camby in a trade with the Clippers last month to help Juwan Howard at center in the absence of Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla. The Blazers lost both their big men to knee injuries earlier this season. Portland opened the fourth qua...

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01:20:08 –

Aid Group Attacked in Northwest Pakistan 5 Dead

NY Times

Filed at 1:04 a.m. ET ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Gunmen attacked the offices of an international aid group in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, killing five people working for the organization, police said. The attackers hurled grenades during the attack on World Vision, a large Christian humanitarian group, in Mansehra district. The dead were all Pakistanis, said police official Mohammad Sabir. Islamist militants, who are strong in northwestern Pakistan, will be suspected in the attack. They have killed other people working for aid groups in Pakistan and issued statements saying such organizations were working against Islam. Many foreign aid groups have been working in Mansehra district, helping rebuild it after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake....

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01:20:11 –

Report: NKorea to Replace Top Diplomat in Geneva

NY Times

56.34%

4.86

Filed at 12:59 a.m. ET SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea plans to replace its top diplomat in Switzerland who is believed to be a key manager of leader Kim Jong Il's alleged secret funds stashed overseas, a news report said Wednesday. Ri Tcheul, North Korea's ambassador to U.N. agencies in Geneva, is to step down as early as late this month following about 30 years of service in Switzerland, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unidentified diplomat in Bern. The 75-year-old Ri is one of Kim's closest associates, believed to have managed the leader's illicit money in secret bank accounts in Switzerland, the report said. There was no word on who will succeed him, Yonhap said. South Korea's Foreign Ministry and the National Intelligence Service -- the country's main spy agency -- said they could not confirm the report. Kim is believed to have stashed away billions of dollars in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries to finance the North'...

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01:25:02 –

Lakers snap 3-game skid on Bryant's late jumper

Associated Press

3.5

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kobe Bryant hit a 17-foot fallaway jumper with 1.9 seconds left, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter to snap their three-game losing streak with a 109-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. Chris Bosh hit a 3-pointer with 9.5 seconds left to tie it for the Raptors, who outplayed the defending champions for most of the first three quarters before losing on another big shot by Bryant, who scored 14 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter. Bryant got the ball on the wing, eluded Antoine Wright's defense and moved nearly to the baseline for a graceful jumper. Wright's failed desperation shot set off a celebration for the Lakers, who haven't lost four straight since April 2007. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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01:25:02 –

Taliban talks likely on Karzai agenda in Pakistan

Associated Press

75.47%

4.21

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- What role Pakistan plays in any peace effort aimed at the Taliban is likely to rank high on the agenda during Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to Islamabad on Wednesday. Pakistan has made it clear it wants a part in so-called "reconciliation" efforts between the Taliban and the Afghan government, but many Afghans resent Pakistani involvement in their affairs and question its true motives. Still, Pakistan's history of links to the Afghan Taliban, a group it supported when it controlled Afghanistan, could make Islamabad an indispensable player. In recent weeks, Pakistan also has reportedly arrested several Afghan Taliban leaders who were hiding on its soil. The military has confirmed that those held include Afghan Taliban No. 2 Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. What's still unclear is exactly why the arrests were made, with some analysts speculating Pakistan is trying to guarantee itself a seat at the negotiating table. Pakistan has long tried to influence Kabul so t...

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01:25:02 –

Biden's West Bank tour clouded by settlement plans

Associated Press

3.4

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Israel's new plan to build 1,600 homes for Jews in east Jerusalem is overshadowing Vice President Joe Biden's visit to the West Bank. Biden is to hold talks Wednesday with Palestinian leaders in an effort to ease their doubts about the latest U.S. peace efforts. The talks are almost certain to address Israel's announcement of new construction plans. Israel's refusal to halt such building on war-won land has infuriated the Palestinians and undermined their faith in the U.S. as an effective mediator. Biden rebuked the new plan as the kind of step that undermines the trust needed at this time. The announcement was an embarrassing setback for Biden after a day of warm meetings with senior Israeli officials. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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01:25:03 –

Taliban claim suicide attack on NATO-Afghan base

Associated Press

100%

6.59

KHOST, Afghanistan (AP) -- The Taliban claimed responsibility Wednesday for a suicide bombing inside a NATO-Afghan base in eastern Afghanistan that killed two international service members. A Taliban operative wearing an Afghan police uniform infiltrated the base Tuesday night and detonated his explosive vest next to a group of soldiers who were warming their hands beside a fire, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press by phone. U.S. troops command most of the eastern area bordering Pakistan, but a NATO statement on the attack did not confirm if the small base was American or the nationalities of those who died. A number of others were wounded in the attack, the military alliance said. The attack was a reminder of the increasing sophistication and reach of insurgents - who have expanded attacks against targets like the capital and heavily guarded military outposts even as NATO forces have started to take back some of their strongholds in the south. In December...

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01:30:02 –

Massa seeks to divert attention from harassment allegations

CNN

4.57

New York (CNN) -- Embattled former Rep. Eric Massa sought Tuesday night to turn attention away from sexual harassment allegations swirling around him in the wake of his resignation. "I am leaving (the House of Representatives) because I have to fight simultaneously a potential reoccurrence of cancer, the Democratic leadership, and a health care bill that's going to destroy this country ... and a belief that my party has become what it campaigned against," he told CNN's "Larry King Live." Massa, a New York Democrat, announced last Wednesday he would not seek re-election because of health concerns and he denied reports that he had harassed one of his Capitol Hill staff members. Two days later, he said he would resign effective Monday. The first-term congressman has said he learned of a House ethics investigation into his conduct after deciding to retire....

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01:30:02 –

India's upper house passes pro-women bill

CNN

...

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01:35:01 –

Gates checks out Afghan army training exercises

Associated Press

5.8

POLE CHAKI TRAINING BASE, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was watching Afghan army recruits go through training Wednesday. Gates visited a dust-blown training ground in Kabul province where Afghan soldiers come for weeks of training under U.S. and British instruction. British Brigadier Simon Levy told Gates that if NATO countries contribute more trainers, the project to expand the Afghan army will keep pace. The goal is to reach 134,000 trained forces this fall. The Pentagon hopes the Afghans will soon ease the load on U.S. forces. Gates watched as Afghan troops dealt with a simulated roadside bomb explosion. The defense secretary stood on an embankment above the road as Afghan soldiers leapt out of a convoy, tended to casualties and contained the explosive. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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01:35:01 –

Aid group attacked in northwest Pakistan; 5 dead

Associated Press

100%

5.06

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Suspected militants armed with grenades attacked the offices of an international aid group in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, killing five people working for the organization, police said. The attack targeted World Vision, a large Christian humanitarian group helping survivors of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in Mansehra district. The dead were all Pakistanis and included two women, said police official Mohammad Sabir. Al-Qaida, the Taliban and allied groups are strong in northwestern Pakistan, but Mansehra lies outside the tribal belt next to Afghanistan where the militants have their main bases. Extremists have killed other people working for foreign aid groups in Pakistan and issued statements saying such organizations were working against Islam, greatly hampering efforts to raise living standards in the desperately poor region. The aid groups are seen by the militants as a challenge to their authority in regions under their influence. They often employ women an...

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01:40:05 –

Taliban Claim Suicide Attack on NATO-Afghan Base

NY Times

100%

6.59

Filed at 1:15 a.m. ET KHOST, Afghanistan (AP) -- The Taliban claimed responsibility Wednesday for a suicide bombing inside a NATO-Afghan base in eastern Afghanistan that killed two international service members. A Taliban operative wearing an Afghan police uniform infiltrated the base Tuesday night and detonated his explosive vest next to a group of soldiers who were warming their hands beside a fire, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press by phone. U.S. troops command most of the eastern area bordering Pakistan, but a NATO statement on the attack did not confirm if the small base was American or the nationalities of those who died. A number of others were wounded in the attack, the military alliance said. The attack was a reminder of the increasing sophistication and reach of insurgents -- who have expanded attacks against targets like the capital and heavily guarded military outposts even as NATO forces have started to take back some of their stro...

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01:40:06 –

Biden's West Bank Tour Clouded by Settlement Plans

NY Times

3.4

Filed at 1:16 a.m. ET RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Israel's new plan to build 1,600 homes for Jews in east Jerusalem is overshadowing Vice President Joe Biden's visit to the West Bank. Biden is to hold talks Wednesday with Palestinian leaders in an effort to ease their doubts about the latest U.S. peace efforts. The talks are almost certain to address Israel's announcement of new construction plans. Israel's refusal to halt such building on war-won land has infuriated the Palestinians and undermined their faith in the U.S. as an effective mediator. Biden rebuked the new plan as the kind of step that undermines the trust needed at this time. The announcement was an embarrassing setback for Biden after a day of warm meetings with senior Israeli officials....

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01:40:08 –

Bali Bombing Suspect Confirmed Dead in Police Raid

NY Times

84.66%

6.17

Filed at 1:12 a.m. ET JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- A top-ranked Southeast Asian militant wanted for planning the deadliest terrorist attack in Indonesia's history has been killed in a shootout with police at an Internet cafe, the president confirmed Wednesday. Dulmatin, a 39-year-old Indonesian trained by al-Qaida in Afghanistan who goes by one name, was wanted for the suicide bombings that tore through two Bali nightclubs popular with Westerners in 2002, killing 202 people. He has been one of Southeast Asia's most wanted fugitives and was thought to have fled to the Philippines. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono used a speech to officials in the Australian capital of Canberra on Wednesday to confirm speculation that Dulmatin was one of three suspected militants killed in two coordinated raids the day before on Jakarta's southwestern outskirts on the country's main island of Java. ''Today we can announce to you that after a successful police raid against the terrorist hi...

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01:40:09 –

UK PM Brown Warns Of Bumpy Economic Road Ahead

NY Times

76.39%

3.27

Filed at 1:20 a.m. ET LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sees risks to the economic recovery and says it is not the moment to change course as he prepares for an election by June. Brown, the former finance minister, will set out his views on how he thinks a recovery can be assured and future growth created in a speech at Thomson Reuters offices in Canary Wharf later on Wednesday. "We are at a turning point, a crossroads, for our domestic economic recovery -- and for the global economic governance that will shape the next decades for us and our children, and for families and children all across the world," Brown will say, according to advance excerpts from his speech. ""The stakes are high. We dare not risk the recovery," Brown will add. "We have got through this storm together but there are still substantial risks ahead. There will be bumps in the road. And I believe the only way to overcome them is by displaying the same strength and ...

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01:50:03 –

Five killed in attack at charity in Pakistan

CNN

...

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01:50:04 –

Graduates rally for embattled school

CNN

83.5%

3.81

Central Falls, Rhode Island (CNN) -- Graduates of the nation's most vilified high school descended upon campus Tuesday evening to support the school's fired teachers. They also had a message for President Obama: Don't bash our school. "He doesn't know us. He doesn't know the teachers. He doesn't know the students," said Nikko Calle, 21, a graduate of Central Falls High School in 2006. "I think it's a real outrage what's happening here." Nearby, Ashley Delgado, 19, stood on the school's steps clutching a sign that read: "Dear Obama, I supported you, your causes, goals and beliefs. Why aren't you supporting mine?" A firestorm has erupted in this Democratic stronghold in recent weeks after 93 teachers, support staff and administrators at Central Falls High School were fired for the low performance of the school, which graduated just 48 percent of its seniors last year. The firings will go into effect at the end of the school year. Teachers can re-apply, but n...

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02:00:03 –

Taliban Talks Likely on Karzai Agenda in Pakistan

NY Times

79.32%

4.21

Filed at 1:20 a.m. ET ISLAMABAD (AP) -- What role Pakistan plays in any peace effort aimed at the Taliban is likely to rank high on the agenda during Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit to Islamabad on Wednesday. Pakistan has made it clear it wants a part in so-called ''reconciliation'' efforts between the Taliban and the Afghan government, but many Afghans resent Pakistani involvement in their affairs and question its true motives. Still, Pakistan's history of links to the Afghan Taliban, a group it supported when it controlled Afghanistan, could make Islamabad an indispensable player. In recent weeks, Pakistan also has reportedly arrested several Afghan Taliban leaders who were hiding on its soil. The military has confirmed that those held include Afghan Taliban No. 2 Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. What's still unclear is exactly why the arrests were made, with some analysts speculating Pakistan is trying to guarantee itself a seat at the negotiating table. Pakistan has ...

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02:00:04 –

India's Congress Faces Turmoil Over Women's Bill

NY Times

30%

3.33

Filed at 1:31 a.m. ET NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's ruling Congress party officials met on Wednesday to douse a political standoff over a contentious womens' quota bill after two of its allies quit and left the government less elbow room to pass economic legislation. Already under fire over issues such as food inflation and a proposed hike in fuel prices, India's coalition government has been hit by turmoil trying to push through legislation reserving a third of parliamentary seats for women. The bill angered two of Congress' partners -- the regional Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) -- which withdrew support and on Wednesday began mobilizing support for a possible parliamentary vote against the government. Though the Congress-led coalition still has a majority, the stand-off may prove a distraction for a government trying to push through key economic legislation, including the budget for 2010-2011. "We are talking to everyone, everything is ...

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02:00:07 –

Christian Aid Group Attacked in Pakistan

NY Times

5.06

Filed at 1:28 a.m. ET ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Suspected militants armed with grenades attacked the offices of an international aid group in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, killing five people working for the organization, police said. The attack targeted World Vision, a large Christian humanitarian group helping survivors of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in Mansehra district. The dead were all Pakistanis and included two women, said police official Mohammad Sabir. Al-Qaida, the Taliban and allied groups are strong in northwestern Pakistan, but Mansehra lies outside the tribal belt next to Afghanistan where the militants have their main bases. Extremists have killed other people working for foreign aid groups in Pakistan and issued statements saying such organizations were working against Islam, greatly hampering efforts to raise living standards in the desperately poor region. The aid groups are seen by the militants as a challenge to their authority in regions under their i...

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02:00:10 –

Gates Checks Out Afghan Army Training Exercises

NY Times

5.8

Filed at 1:33 a.m. ET POLE CHAKI TRAINING BASE, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was watching Afghan army recruits go through training Wednesday. Gates visited a dust-blown training ground in Kabul province where Afghan soldiers come for weeks of training under U.S. and British instruction. British Brigadier Simon Levy told Gates that if NATO countries contribute more trainers, the project to expand the Afghan army will keep pace. The goal is to reach 134,000 trained forces this fall. The Pentagon hopes the Afghans will soon ease the load on U.S. forces. Gates watched as Afghan troops dealt with a simulated roadside bomb explosion. The defense secretary stood on an embankment above the road as Afghan soldiers leapt out of a convoy, tended to casualties and contained the explosive....

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02:05:05 –

Animal activists target Calif. sushi restaurant

Associated Press

2.4

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) -- Federal agents are investigating a high-end Santa Monica, Calif., sushi restaurant, following a video sting orchestrated by the producers of the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove." U.S. attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said Tuesday that Santa Monica's The Hump restaurant is under investigation for serving slices of the endangered Sei whale. Film director Louie Psihoyos (sih-HOY'-ahs) says two animal activists used a tiny video camera to record a $600 "omakase," (oh-mah-KAH'-zee) or chef's choice, meal. They pocketed a sample and sent it to an Oregon State University professor who confirmed it was whale. The team visited the restaurant three times since October, once sitting at the bar to observe preparation and once with federal agents. An attorney for The Hump declined to comment on the allegations. --- Information from The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be publis...

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02:10:03 –

Child abuse scandalizes Catholic institutions in Germany

CNN

...

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02:25:01 –

Gates: Some troops could leave Afghanistan early

Associated Press

46.69%

5.33

POLE CHAKI TRAINING BASE, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says some of the U.S. forces involved in the Afghanistan surge could leave the country before President Barack Obama's announced July 2011 date to begin withdrawal. Without giving specifics, Gates says, "It would have to be conditions-based." Gates raised the possibility of some early withdrawals during a visit to a base where Afghan recruits are trained by U.S. and British instructors. Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said his troops are eager to take on the responsibility for defending the country, but give no indication of when that might be possible. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. POLE CHAKI TRAINING BASE, Afghanistan (AP) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was watching Afghan army recruits go through training Wednesday. Gates visited a dust-blown training ground in Kabul province where Afghan soldiers come for wee...

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02:31:02 –

China's Ansteel sees iron ore benchmark deal in April

Reuters

14.62%

1.4

BEIJING (Reuters) - A deal on benchmark iron ore prices is expected to be reached in April, the president of China's Anshan Iron & Steel Group said on Wednesday, but urged the big ore suppliers to be more reasonable in their demands. ChinaNegotiations in 2009 between the big miners and mills broke down when Chinese buyers failed to win bigger discounts than Japanese and South Korean rivals and many market watchers had expected long and potentially fruitless talks for the 2010 contract.With spot iron ore prices trading at double last year's contract price, analysts are looking for rises from 65 to 80 percent -- levels that few think China will find palatable."I am not taking part in the negotiations but a result should come out by April 1 -- it is almost mid-year and if a price hasn't come out by then, it isn't normal," Zhang Xiaogang said.The head of China's fourth biggest steel producer, also known as Ansteel or Angang, refused to put a figure on how much the price would in...

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02:35:01 –

Chinese editor punished for bold editorial

Associated Press

28.57%

BEIJING (AP) -- A Chinese newspaper editor said he has been punished for co-writing a bold editorial demanding reform of China's unpopular household registration system, which critics say discriminates against farmers and other rural poor. Zhang Hong, a former deputy editor with the Beijing-based Economic Observer, said in a letter posted on the Wall Street Journal's Web site that he was "punished accordingly" for the March 1 editorial carried by 13 Chinese publications. "Other colleagues and media partners also felt repercussions," Zhang wrote. He did not say if he was dismissed from his post but added in the letter, dated Tuesday, that he is now an "independent commentator." Such direct and public criticism of government policy by China's media is highly unusual. While many Chinese publications have sharpened their reporting on controversial issues to help draw readership, editorials tend to hew closely to Communist Party lines. The editorial was particularly daring because it ca...

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02:40:08 –

Chinese Editor Punished for Bold Editorial

NY Times

29.66%

Filed at 2:13 a.m. ET BEIJING (AP) -- A Chinese newspaper editor said he has been punished for co-writing a bold editorial demanding reform of China's unpopular household registration system, which critics say discriminates against farmers and other rural poor. Zhang Hong, a former deputy editor with the Beijing-based Economic Observer, said in a letter posted on the Wall Street Journal's Web site that he was ''punished accordingly'' for the March 1 editorial carried by 13 Chinese publications. ''Other colleagues and media partners also felt repercussions,'' Zhang wrote. He did not say if he was dismissed from his post but added in the letter, dated Tuesday, that he is now an ''independent commentator.'' Such direct and public criticism of government policy by China's media is highly unusual. While many Chinese publications have sharpened their reporting on controversial issues to help draw readership, editorials tend to hew closely to Communist Party lines. The editori...

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02:40:12 –

Gates: Some Troops Could Leave Afghanistan Early

NY Times

50.21%

5.33

Filed at 2:06 a.m. ET POLE CHAKI TRAINING BASE, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says some of the U.S. forces involved in the Afghanistan surge could leave the country before President Barack Obama's announced July 2011 date to begin withdrawal. Without giving specifics, Gates says, ''It would have to be conditions-based.'' Gates raised the possibility of some early withdrawals during a visit to a base where Afghan recruits are trained by U.S. and British instructors. Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said his troops are eager to take on the responsibility for defending the country, but give no indication of when that might be possible. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. POLE CHAKI TRAINING BASE, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was watching Afghan army recruits go through training Wednesday. Gates visited a dust-blown training ground in Kabul pr...

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02:40:16 –

Bomber's Death Deals Fresh Blow to Indonesia Militants

NY Times

62.89%

6.48

Filed at 2:07 a.m. ET CANBERRA/JAKARTA (Reuters) - A suspected mastermind of the Bali bombings was killed in a police raid in Indonesia in the latest blow to an Islamist militant movement in the world's most populous Muslim country. Dulmatin, who once trained with al Qaeda in Afghanistan, was one of three militants killed in a shootout with police at an Internet cafe, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Wednesday. "Today I can announce to you that after a successful police raid against the terrorists hiding out in Jakarta yesterday, we can confirm that one of those that was killed was Dulmatin, one of the top Southeast Asian terrorists," Yudhoyono said in a speech in Australia's parliament house in Canberra. The series of police raids that led to Dulmatin's death will be seen as a coup in Indonesia's fight against Islamist radicals ahead U.S. President Barack Obama's visit March 20-22. But analysts said Dulmatin's emergence in Indonesia...

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02:50:02 –

Myanmar bars Suu Kyi's election participation

CNN

...

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03:05:02 –

Nationalized UK bank Northern Rock back in profit

Associated Press

30%

2.67

LONDON (AP) -- Nationalized mortgage lender Northern Rock said Wednesday that it returned to profit in the second half of 2009 as interest income rose and losses on loans fell. Northern Rock said it posted a statutory profit of 466.7 million pounds ($696 million) in the second half, following a loss of 724.2 million in the first half of 2009. For the full year, Northern Rock reported a pretax loss of 257.5 million pounds ($384 million), down from a loss of 1.355 billion pounds in the previous year. Loan loss impairment charges rose to 1.05 billion pounds from 894 million pounds in 2008. "Loan loss impairment charges are expected to remain high during 2010, relative to historic norms, but below the level recorded in 2009," the company said. The results were the last for the old company, which on Jan. 1 was split into two units: Northern Rock PLC, which expects to return to profit, and Northern Rock (Asset Management) PLC which holds the company's riskiest assets. During 2009, Northe...

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03:05:02 –

Nigeria: Soldiers open fire on youths

Associated Press

7.3

JOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Witnesses say soldiers in a Nigerian town at the center of a spate of religious killings opened fire on a crowd of youths that had surrounded a cattle truck driving after curfew. A nurse told The Associated Press on Wednesday that at least two were killed and five others injured in the shooting in the central Nigerian city of Jos. The nurse says the youths feared the truck had weapons. Sustained automatic weapon fire could be heard throughout the city on Tuesday night. The truck, which only had cattle, sat off to the side of the Tundun Wada neighborhood, its windshield a spider web of bullet holes. An Army colonel prevented AP reporters from seeing the dead. More than 200 people have died in villages around Jos after violence between Christians and Muslims. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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03:05:02 –

On `Idol,' Bowersox shines; 3 sink in judges' eyes

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- If the "American Idol" judges hold sway over viewers, contestants Katie Stevens, Paige Miles and Katelyn Epperly should be nervous about making it into the top 12. The three received uniformly negative comments from the Fox TV show's judging panel after performing Tuesday night, while the other five female singers all hit high notes. Simon Cowell called soulful Crystal Bowersox the contestant to beat. The eight male semifinalists will perform Wednesday, with the top six vote-getters from the men's and women's groups to be announced Thursday. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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03:05:02 –

Aid group attacked in northwest Pakistan; 6 dead

Associated Press

100%

5.39

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Suspected militants armed with grenades attacked the offices of an international aid group helping earthquake survivors in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing six employees and wounding several others, police and the organization said. All the victims of the assault on World Vision, a large Christian humanitarian group, were Pakistanis. Extremists have killed other people working for foreign aid groups in Pakistan and issued statements saying such organizations were working against Islam, greatly hampering efforts to raise living standards in the desperately poor region. Many groups have scaled down operations in the northwest or pulled out altogether. The attack took place in Ogi, a small town in Mansehra district, which was badly hit by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. "We are deeply sorry we've lost staff members who were locals who were deeply committed to improving lives in Pakistan," said James East, a World Vision spokesman. Two women were among the six...

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03:11:00 –

Strong China trade data make case for firmer yuan

Reuters

25.45%

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese exports and imports grew faster than expected in February, underlining the momentum behind the world's third-largest economy and reinforcing the case for a rise in the yuan.Economists cautioned against over-interpreting the figures, skewed because of the timing of the long Lunar New Year holiday, but said the basic message was one of gathering strength that would justify a firmer exchange rate to nip inflation in the bud.Exports jumped 45.7 percent in February from a year earlier, following a 21.0 percent rise in January, while imports surged 44.7 percent after record growth of 85.5 percent in January, the General Administration of Customs said on Wednesday.Jun Ma, chief China economist at Deutsche Bank in Hong Kong, said the data cemented his view that exports in 2010 could surge 30 percent, dwarfing Beijing's forecast of an 8 percent rise."Obviously, it will translate into stronger pressure for exchange rate reform and it will also add inflationary press...

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03:25:02 –

UK's Brown warns of new economic woes

Associated Press

4.13

LONDON (AP) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warns that the U.K. may suffer another economic downturn, including a possible dip back into recession. In a speech Wednesday Brown will say "there are still substantial risks ahead, there will be bumps in the road," according to excerpts released in advance. Brown will insist that because of such risks he'll stick to a policy of holding off public spending cuts until economic growth and jobs are secured. Some economists believe growth figures due to be released next month may show Britain's economy has contracted once again, just six months after emerging from recession. Such data could thwart Brown's chances of winning a national election, which must be held by June 3. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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03:25:02 –

On `Idol,' Bowersox shines, 3 sink in judges' eyes

Associated Press

29.47%

2.57

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- If the "American Idol" judges hold sway over viewers, contestants Katie Stevens, Paige Miles and Katelyn Epperly should be nervous about making it into the top 12. The three received uniformly negative comments from the judging panel after performing Tuesday night, while the other five female singers all hit high notes. Stevens' version of "Breakaway" sounded close to karaoke, Randy Jackson said, while fellow judge Kara DioGuardi suggested that the 17-year-old from Middlebury, Conn., does not know herself as an artist yet. Epperly, 19, of West Des Moines, Iowa, seemed like she was just "going through the motions" on her version of "I Feel the Earth Move," DioGuardi said. Cowell compared her performance to request night at a restaurant, but added that he did like her full, curly locks that evoked the song's composer, Carole King. Miles, of Houston, sang "Smile" and came in for the harshest drubbing. Jackson told her the song was "way too big" for her. Ellen DeGen...

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03:25:02 –

Obama pushing on health care end game

Associated Press

39.01%

3.73

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama has chosen a suburban St. Louis high school to make his closing argument for a health care overhaul, pushing a new anti-fraud plan as he cranks up the pressure on skittish Democratic lawmakers to act fast. Obama is to speak Wednesday at St. Charles High School, his second health care address in three days. His speech comes as congressional Democrats stand on the brink of delivering the president a dramatic success with passage of his sweeping overhaul legislation - or a colossal failure if they can't get it done. Business groups that oppose the legislation are also stepping it up, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announcing a coordinated campaign to spend as much as $10 million on ads, starting Wednesday, saying, "Stop this health care bill we can't afford." Leaders in the House and Senate are waiting for a final cost analysis from the Congressional Budget Office in the next day or so that will allow them to start counting votes - and twis...

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03:25:02 –

Highlights of Senate jobless aid bill

Associated Press

2.75

Highlights of Senate legislation extending unemployment insurance and expired tax breaks: -Tax relief: Extends through 2010 a variety of popular tax breaks that expired at the end of 2009, including an individual income tax deduction for sales and property taxes, and a business tax credit for research and development. Extends a variety of energy and alternative fuel tax credits. Cost: $26 billion. -Unemployment assistance: Extends through Dec. 31 unemployment assistance for the long-term jobless and a 65 percent health insurance subsidy for the unemployed. Cost: about $76 billion. -Medicare payments: Gives doctors a seven-month reprieve from a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments that would otherwise go into effect April 1. Cost: $7 billion. -Farm aid: Helps farmers affected by heavy rains, floods and other weather-related disasters. Cost: about $1.5 billion. -Pension funding relief: Gives pension plans additional time to make up for recent stock market losses. -Flood insurance: Extends...

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03:25:02 –

Senate to pass jobless aid, business tax breaks

Associated Press

46.69%

2.67

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Legislation blending help for the jobless with popular tax breaks for businesses and individuals is slated to pass the Senate Wednesday over protests from conservatives who say it adds too much to the $12.5 trillion national debt. But compassion for the jobless and the political power of an annual package of tax breaks is likely to produce a bipartisan vote to pass the measure, even though it would add more than $130 billion to the budget deficit over the next year and a half. The bill would provide unemployment benefits of up to 99 months in many states for people mired in joblessness as the economy slowly recovers from the worst recession in decades. The measure easily cleared a procedural hurdle Tuesday by a 66-34 vote, with eight Republicans voting with Democrats to break a GOP filibuster. The measure illustrates the great extent to which direct help for the jobless and the poor makes up a large portion of Democrats' election-year agenda on jobs - and threate...

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03:25:02 –

Official: Pope brother's apology 'wonderful sign'

Associated Press

3.67

BERLIN (AP) -- A top Catholic prelate in Germany says an apology from the pope's brother for abuse of students in the 1960s should be seen as a "wonderful sign" that the church plans to get to the bottom of the allegations. Karl Juesten, the liaison between Catholic bishops and the German government, told ZDF television Wednesday that the Rev. Georg Ratzinger's apology to the victims was an act of courage. He says: "It is certainly not easy for such a man to publicly apologize." Ratzinger, the older brother of Pope Benedict XVI, says he knew of allegations of physical abuse at an elementary school and apologized for doing nothing about it. But Ratzinger says he was unaware of allegations of sexual abuse at the Regensburger Domspatzen boys choir before he led it. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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03:25:03 –

AP-GfK Poll: Obama more popular than Congress

Associated Press

35.61%

3.89

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans have come to detest Congress ever more deeply as it nears the end of a nasty fight over health care. But more than half still back President Barack Obama, a bright spot for a Democratic Party counting on its leader to help stave off expected losses in elections this fall. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll found that fewer people approve of Congress than at any point in Obama's presidency. Support has dropped significantly since January to a dismal 22 percent as the health care debate has roiled Capitol Hill. Neither Republicans nor Democrats are safe; half of all people say they want to fire their congressman. Conversely, Obama's job-performance standing is holding fairly steady at 53 percent. And over the past two months, the Democrat has gained ground on national security issues, specifically the subsiding Iraq war and the escalating Afghanistan war, as he has spent most of his time - at least publicly - on domestic matters like the economy and hea...

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03:25:03 –

Behind the scenes, crafting the US no-fly list

Associated Press

31.31%

3.65

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It starts with a tip, a scrap of intelligence, a fingerprint lifted from a suspected terrorist's home. It ends when a person is forbidden to board an airplane - a decision that's in the hands of about six experts from the Transportation Security Administration. The no-fly list they oversee constantly changes as hundreds of analysts churn through a steady stream of intelligence. Managing the list is a high-stakes process. Go too far in one direction and innocent travelers are inconvenienced. Go in the other direction and a terrorist might slip onto an airplane. It could take minutes to put a name on the list. Or it could take hours, days or months. That's because the list is only as good as the nation's intelligence and the experts who analyze it. If an intelligence lead is not shared, or if an analyst is unable to connect one piece of information to another, a terrorist could slip onto an airplane. Officials allege that's just what took place ahead of the attempt...

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03:25:03 –

Dozen same-sex couple tie knot in DC

Associated Press

44.75%

1.69

WASHINGTON (AP) -- At least a dozen couples tied the knot in the District of Columbia on the first day same-sex ceremonies were legally allowed, and many more unions were on the way. The district on Tuesday became the sixth place nationwide where gay couples can legally get married, joining Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Rebecca and Delia Taylor picked up their license Tuesday morning and a minister friend immediately married them outside the courthouse. The couple said they long ago exchanged rings and considered themselves married. Still, they were grinning. "We've referred to each other as wives," Rebecca Taylor said. "It's just a legal document, so if anything happens to one of us, we have rights." Courthouse spokeswoman Leah Gurowitz says 42 couples picked up licenses from the marriage bureau on Tuesday, and 12 returned them signed with that date, indicating they were wed. Couples have 10 days to return their license after getting married, however...

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03:25:03 –

Meatpackers say inspection cuts are shortsighted

Associated Press

2.33

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Farmers and small meatpackers in Indiana say they are worried the state's plan to lay off some meat inspectors to save money could hurt one of the state's few growing industries. Their fears highlight a dilemma lawmakers in many states face as they struggle to balance budgets: How deeply do they cut programs essential to growing businesses that could generate new tax revenues? The Indiana Board of Animal Health announced in January it would cut its inspection program in half but backed off after complaints poured into lawmakers' offices. It now says a lesser number will be let go. Meatpacker Steve Beutler says his payroll grew from 15 to 20 workers last year, and any layoffs are bad news for him and other business owners who hoped to continue expanding. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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03:25:04 –

Report: States team up on new academic standards

Associated Press

29.56%

1.33

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Governors and state education leaders are proposing a new set of standards to define what should be taught in the nation's public schools, The Washington Post reported Wednesday. The new benchmarks, to be announced Wednesday, are meant to replace standards that vary widely from state to state. They would cover English and math from kindergarten through high school. For example, the Post reported, fourth-graders would be expected to know the difference between prose and poetry. Eighth-graders would be required to explain a proof of the Pythagorean theorem. There is no required reading list, but books are recommended for different grades. Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and Antoine de Saint-Exupery's "The Little Prince" are among the fourth-grade picks; 11th-grade recommendations include Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye." The proposal was drawn up by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chie...

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03:25:04 –

Texas ed board set to take 1st vote since primary

Associated Press

39.37%

2.5

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Texas' state education board, rocked by primary elections that may push the influential panel's far-right leanings toward the center, is set to take its first vote on a new social studies curriculum that could reverberate in classrooms nationwide. The board - long led by social conservatives who have advocated for ideas such as teaching Texas children more about the weaknesses of evolutionary theory - has worked on, and squabbled about, the social studies standards for months. The board's ultimate decisions affect the textbook content around the country because Texas is one of publishers' biggest clients. A three-day meeting beginning Wednesday is the first since voters in last week's Republican primary handed defeats to two veteran conservatives, including former board chairman Don McLeroy, who lost to a moderate GOP lobbyist. Two other conservatives - a Republican and a Democrat - did not seek re-election. All four terms end in January. McLeroy, a 10-year bo...

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03:30:01 –

Out of the closet but stuck in his voting pattern

CNN

...

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03:35:01 –

In rare case, Pa. woman accused of aiding terror

Associated Press

61.58%

5.29

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- An indictment against a suburban Philadelphia woman accused of recruiting jihadist fighters online and moving to Europe to try to kill a Swedish artist is a rare case of an American woman aiding foreign terrorists, authorities say, and shows the evolution of the threat of terrorism. Colleen R. LaRose agreed to murder the artist, marry a terrorism suspect so he could move to Europe and martyr herself if necessary, the indictment filed Tuesday said. LaRose, who called herself JihadJane online, is "one of only a few such cases nationwide in which females have been charged with terrorism violations," said U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Dean Boyd. LaRose, 46, of Pennsburg, Pa., has been held without bail since her Oct. 15 arrest in Philadelphia. Authorities said the case shows how terror groups are looking to recruit Americans to carry out their goals. "Today's indictment, which alleges that a woman from suburban America agreed to carry out murder overseas and...

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03:35:01 –

Letterman: Case against producer handled properly

Associated Press

61.31%

3.71

NEW YORK (AP) -- From the start, David Letterman made sure the story of a $2 million shakedown attempt over his sex life was one he narrated himself. It was the comic, not prosecutors, who broke the news of the case, which spurred him last fall to acknowledge affairs with women on his staff. After former television producer Robert "Joe" Halderman pleaded guilty Tuesday to a blackmail attempt driven by debt and jealousy, Letterman seized the moment again. The late-night icon's lawyers were at the courthouse with a statement from him, and he weighed in on his show with praise for prosecutors and police. "It was handled professionally, skillfully and appropriately," he said. Letterman may be hoping the same is said of his own handling of the case, which at first dealt a blow to his image as a nice guy, if perhaps a little cranky. Halderman, 52, pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny, acknowledging he threatened to destroy Letterman reputation by airing his workplace dalliances - us...

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03:35:01 –

Ohio State shooter complained bosses were unfair

Associated Press

69.69%

5.65

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio State University janitor who shot two supervisors, one fatally, and then killed himself had complained that he was being treated unfairly, though records show he slept on the job and was late to work during his probation. Nathaniel Brown was days away from losing his job when he opened fire with two handguns early Tuesday in a maintenance building at the nation's largest university, police said. No students were hurt. Brown, 51, had a criminal history that included serving about five years in prison on a charge of receiving stolen property, records show. He lied about it on his job application, and it wasn't immediately clear whether Ohio State had completed a background check on him. Ohio State released documents from Brown's personnel file showing that supervisors complained he was tardy, slept on the job and had problems following instructions. The university sent him a letter March 2 informing him that his employment was to end Saturday. Brown had...

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03:40:04 –

Zhang Hong’s Letter About His Editorial

NY Times

28.13%

3.05

This letter, by Zhang Hong, a Chinese journalist who was fired after writing an editorial that criticized China’s household registration system, was released Tuesday to selected Chinese and foreign journalists and translated by the New York Times Beijing bureau. RelatedEditor Is Fired After Criticizing Chinese Registration System(March 10, 2010) After the 13 newspapers jointly published the editorial “Request for Representatives at the Two Meetings to Hasten Reform of the Household Registration System,” major repercussions ensued, and there have been many guesses about the back story behind the publishing of this editorial. As a party involved, I think it is necessary to publicize the context of this event through the appropriate media at a proper time. Some have commented that this event should be written in the history of journalism. Personally I don’t see such profound significance; however, to be responsible to our readers, I w...

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03:40:06 –

Aid Group Attacked in Pakistan

NY Times

100%

5.39

Filed at 2:53 a.m. ET ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Suspected militants armed with grenades attacked the offices of an international aid group helping earthquake survivors in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing six employees and wounding several others, police and the organization said. All the victims of the assault on World Vision, a large Christian humanitarian group, were Pakistanis. Extremists have killed other people working for foreign aid groups in Pakistan and issued statements saying such organizations were working against Islam, greatly hampering efforts to raise living standards in the desperately poor region. Many groups have scaled down operations in the northwest or pulled out altogether. The attack took place in Ogi, a small town in Mansehra district, which was badly hit by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. ''We are deeply sorry we've lost staff members who were locals who were deeply committed to improving lives in Pakistan,'' said James East, a World Vision spo...

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03:40:07 –

Official: Pope Brother's Apology 'Wonderful Sign'

NY Times

3.67

Filed at 3:20 a.m. ET BERLIN (AP) -- A top Catholic prelate in Germany says an apology from the pope's brother for abuse of students in the 1960s should be seen as a ''wonderful sign'' that the church plans to get to the bottom of the allegations. Karl Juesten, the liaison between Catholic bishops and the German government, told ZDF television Wednesday that the Rev. Georg Ratzinger's apology to the victims was an act of courage. He says: ''It is certainly not easy for such a man to publicly apologize.'' Ratzinger, the older brother of Pope Benedict XVI, says he knew of allegations of physical abuse at an elementary school and apologized for doing nothing about it. But Ratzinger says he was unaware of allegations of sexual abuse at the Regensburger Domspatzen boys choir before he led it....

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03:40:10 –

Nigeria: Soldiers Open Fire on Youths

NY Times

7.3

Filed at 3:00 a.m. ET JOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Witnesses say soldiers in a Nigerian town at the center of a spate of religious killings opened fire on a crowd of youths that had surrounded a cattle truck driving after curfew. A nurse told The Associated Press on Wednesday that at least two were killed and five others injured in the shooting in the central Nigerian city of Jos. The nurse says the youths feared the truck had weapons. Sustained automatic weapon fire could be heard throughout the city on Tuesday night. The truck, which only had cattle, sat off to the side of the Tundun Wada neighborhood, its windshield a spider web of bullet holes. An Army colonel prevented AP reporters from seeing the dead. More than 200 people have died in villages around Jos after violence between Christians and Muslims....

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03:40:12 –

Head Of Egypt's Al - Azhar Dies In Saudi Arabia: Report

NY Times

3.5

Filed at 3:26 a.m. ET DUBAI (Reuters) - Egyptian religious leader Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, the head of al Azhar, has died on a visit to Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera television reported on Wednesday, quoting its correspondent. Al-Azhar, one of the most prominent seats of Sunni Islamic learning in the Muslim world, has schools, universities and other educational institutions across Egypt. (Writing by Cynthia Johnston)...

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03:50:02 –

Sheen returning to '2 and a Half Men' after rehab stint

CNN

...

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03:51:02 –

Head of Egypt's al-Azhar dies in Saudi Arabia: report

Reuters

3.5

DUBAI (Reuters) - Egyptian religious leader Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, the head of al Azhar, has died on a visit to Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera television reported on Wednesday, quoting its correspondent. Al-Azhar, one of the most prominent seats of Sunni Islamic learning in the Muslim world, has schools, universities and other educational institutions across Egypt. World(Writing by Cynthia Johnston) World...

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04:00:05 –

Egypt's Top Muslim Cleric Dies of Heart Attack

NY Times

5.17

Filed at 3:43 a.m. ET CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's state-owned news agency says the country's top Muslim cleric has died of a heart attack during a visit to Saudi Arabia. Sheik Mohammed Sayed Tantawi was 81 years old. He was the grand sheik of Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's pre-eminent theological institute. His moderate views rankled hard-liners. Most recently, he infuriated conservatives late last year by barring women from wearing the full face veil known as the niqab at Al-Azhar University. That step was part of the intensifying struggle between the moderate Islam championed by the state and a populace that is turning to a stricter version of the faith. The Middle East News Agency said he died Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, where he had attended a religious ceremony....

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04:00:06 –

China Tells US to Do More on Climate Change

NY Times

44.2%

3.63

Filed at 3:44 a.m. ET BEIJING (AP) -- China told the United States on Wednesday to make stronger commitments on climate change and provide environmental expertise and financing to developing nations. China's top climate change negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, acknowledged the current U.S. administration's greater stress on greenhouse gas reductions, but said its pledges thus far fall short of expectations. ''So we hope the United States will do more ... we hope the United States will not shift the responsibility for taking more active action to other countries,'' Xie told a news conference on the sidelines of China's annual legislative session. Xie said he understands that legislation has to work its way through the U.S. Congress and said Beijing wanted dialogue to achieve ''fruitful results'' at a climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico, in December. ''We're willing to have such dialogue and cooperation and join with the rest of the international community in making positi...

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04:00:14 –

Cambodia to Preserve Khmer Rouge Sites for Tourism

NY Times

5.91

Filed at 3:47 a.m. ET PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- Cambodia will preserve 14 sites at the last bastion of the murderous Khmer Rouge, including the home of their leader Pol Pot, as tourist attractions, an official said Wednesday. Following Cabinet approval last week, the sites at Anlong Veng will be protected from destruction by local people and illegal encroachment, provincial Gov. Yim Phana said. Anlong Veng, about 185 miles (300 kilometers) north of Phnom Penh, fell to government forces in 1998 after nearly 20 years of fighting. The Khmer Rouge regime, under which an estimated 1.7 million people died from execution, disease and malnutrition, was toppled in 1979 but its guerrillas fought on in the jungles, with Anlong Veng becoming their last stronghold. Yim Phana said the 14 sites include homes belonging to Khmer Rouge leaders, an ammunition warehouse and the grave of Pol Pot, who died in 1998. Once a remote town, Anlong Veng is now connected by good roads to nearby...

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04:00:18 –

Iran's Ahmadinejad In Afghanistan, Gates Departs

NY Times

100%

4.53

Filed at 3:39 a.m. ET KABUL (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived on Wednesday for a visit to Afghanistan, after Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said he was wary of Tehran's influence in the country. With careful timing that Gates described as "clearly fodder for all conspiratorialists," Ahmadinejad arrived in Kabul just before Gates departed at the end of his own three-day visit. Earlier this week, Gates accused Tehran of playing a "double game" in Afghanistan, professing support for President Hamid Karzai's government while trying to undermine the U.S.-led military effort that protects it. Speaking to reporters before departing on Wednesday, Gates said he had told Karzai Washington wanted Kabul to have "good relations with all of its neighbors." "But we also want all of Afghanistan's neighbors to play an up front game dealing with the government of Afghanistan." Washington, which will have 100,000 troops in Afghanistan by the end...

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04:05:02 –

BA, American, Iberia to cede airport slots

Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) -- EU regulators say British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia are offering to give away take-off and landing slots at London and New York airports to soothe European Union antitrust concerns. The European Commission said Wednesday it is asking other airlines whether the offer to free up slots at London Heathrow, London Gatwick and New York's John F. Kennnedy airports would allow rivals to start routes from those airports to New York, Boston, Dallas and Miami. If rivals are supportive, regulators say they would move to make the three airlines' offer legally binding and drop an antitrust case that could have racked up millions of euros (dollars) in fines for the companies. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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04:05:02 –

Iran leader: US playing `game' in Afghanistan

Associated Press

KABUL (AP) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says it's the United States that is playing a "double game" in Afghanistan, fighting terrorists that it helped to create. At a press conference in the Afghan capital, Ahmadinejad was asked to respond to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who earlier in the week accused Tehran of "playing a double game" by trying to have a good relationship with the Afghan government while undermining U.S. and NATO efforts by providing some support to the Taliban. Tehran says it supports the Afghan government and denies allegations that it helps the Taliban. Ahmadinejad said the U.S. "themselves created terrorists and now they say they are fighting terrorists." The Iranian leader spoke at a news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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04:05:02 –

World stocks little changed as China exports surge

Associated Press

21.05%

2.5

HONG KONG (AP) -- World stock markets were little changed Wednesday even as surging Chinese exports pointed to a pickup in global trade. Asia's major indexes were mixed as many markets fluctuated for the second day in a row and European stocks opened without conviction in either direction. Oil prices hovered near $81 a barrel, while the dollar logged small gains versus the yen and the euro. News that Chinese exports soared nearly 46 percent in February from a year earlier highlighted recovering demand as the world economy shakes off last year's recession. At the same time, the report was stronger than expected and reinforced worries the government would intensify measures to prevent overheating in the world's fastest-growing major economy. China's moves to put the brakes on its economy, including restrictions aimed at excessive bank lending, have rattled markets worldwide in recent months. "It should give the government more confidence to step up their tightening measures," Andy Xi...

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04:11:00 –

UK proposes tougher steps on disclosing bankers' pay

Reuters

1.67

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will on Wednesday propose to force banks to reveal how many of their staff earn top wages, in steps that go further than previous proposals, financial services minister Paul Myners said. WorldThe government's Walker review on bankers' pay had previously laid out proposals for such moves."This will include proposals for narrower disclosure bands than Walker proposed, starting with salary packages below the one million pound floor that he suggested," Myners said in a speech in London."We will consult on the idea, but as the Chancellor (finance minister Alistair Darling) has said -- most people are convinced that far more disclosure is important."The proposals are expected to include a requirement to publish how many staff earn aggregate salaries, starting with 500,000 pound bands between 500,000 pounds and five million pounds, followed by increments of one million pounds.(Reporting by Matt Falloon; editing by Patrick Graham) World...

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04:11:01 –

Hundreds protest to demand Nigeria leader appears

Reuters

61.48%

3.07

ABUJA (Reuters) - Hundreds of Nigerians gathered in the capital Abuja on Wednesday for a march to the presidency to demand the appearance of ailing leader Umaru Yar'Adua, two weeks after he returned from a Saudi hospital. WorldThe 58-year-old leader has not been seen in public since being flown back after three months of treatment in Jeddah for a heart condition. There have been no announcements on his health but presidency sources say he remains in intensive care.His return while still too frail to govern raised fears that his inner circle of aides, led by his wife Turai, would fight to maintain their influence over Africa's most populous nation and seek to undermine Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.A power struggle at the top of the OPEC member nation of 140 million people could bring paralysis in government decision-making, threatening an amnesty program in the oil-producing Niger Delta and stalling momentum on reforms.Several hundred people, many wearing T-shirts with "Sav...

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04:11:01 –

U.S. and UK patent offices plan work sharing deal

Reuters

25.1%

1.67

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. and British patent offices are working on a plan to have patent examiners in the two countries share research as a way to reduce a several-years backlog of applications, the two agencies said on Wednesday. WorldCompanies -- especially high tech ones -- have complained about the length of time it takes to get a patent, an average of three years in the United States and four years in Europe, according to data from the two offices."At the USPTO, we have already undertaken substantial reform of our system for processing patent applications. Work-sharing is an important feature of this reform," said David Kappos, head of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in a statement.Britain's Minister of State for Intellectual Property, David Lammy, said he hoped "to reduce unnecessary duplication of work and maintain quality between patent offices."Since companies often file very similar patent applications in several countries, the final agreement might, for e...

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04:11:02 –

U.S. watchdog says Kazakhstan violating OSCE values

Reuters

31.95%

2.6

ALMATY (Reuters) - A U.S. media group has criticized Kazakhstan for effectively banning an opposition newspaper, saying the move violated the core values of Europe's main democracy watchdog, chaired by Kazakhstan this year. WorldDistribution of the main opposition Respublika newspaper was halted in February after a court ruled a story published by the paper last year had triggered a bank run on deposits of Kazakhstan's BTA Bank.The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based press freedom watchdog, in a statement late Tuesday, described the ruling as "shameful.""The ongoing politicized prosecution of the independent weekly contradicts the mission and core values of the OSCE," said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Coordinator Nina Ognianova in a statement."We call on Kazakhstan's courts to overturn this shameful ruling and allow Respublika ... to function without fear of harassment."Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said it could not immediately comment on the CPJ statement.A court...

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04:20:07 –

U.S. Watchdog Says Kazakhstan Violating OSCE Values

NY Times

31.65%

2.6

Filed at 3:52 a.m. ET ALMATY (Reuters) - A U.S. media group has criticized Kazakhstan for effectively banning an opposition newspaper, saying the move violated the core values of Europe's main democracy watchdog, chaired by Kazakhstan this year. Distribution of the main opposition Respublika newspaper was halted in February after a court ruled a story published by the paper last year had triggered a bank run on deposits of Kazakhstan's BTA Bank. The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based press freedom watchdog, in a statement late Tuesday, described the ruling as "shameful." "The ongoing politicized prosecution of the independent weekly contradicts the mission and core values of the OSCE," said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Coordinator Nina Ognianova in a statement. "We call on Kazakhstan's courts to overturn this shameful ruling and allow Respublika ... to function without fear of harassment." Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said it could not i...

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04:20:10 –

Hundreds Protest to Demand Nigeria Leader Appears

NY Times

60.98%

3.07

Filed at 3:57 a.m. ET ABUJA (Reuters) - Hundreds of Nigerians gathered in the capital Abuja on Wednesday for a march to the presidency to demand the appearance of ailing leader Umaru Yar'Adua, two weeks after he returned from a Saudi hospital. The 58-year-old leader has not been seen in public since being flown back after three months of treatment in Jeddah for a heart condition. There have been no announcements on his health but presidency sources say he remains in intensive care. His return while still too frail to govern raised fears that his inner circle of aides, led by his wife Turai, would fight to maintain their influence over Africa's most populous nation and seek to undermine Acting President Goodluck Jonathan. A power struggle at the top of the OPEC member nation of 140 million people could bring paralysis in government decision-making, threatening an amnesty program in the oil-producing Niger Delta and stalling momentum on reforms. Several hun...

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04:20:16 –

Iran Leader: US Playing 'Game' in Afghanistan

NY Times

Filed at 3:51 a.m. ET KABUL (AP) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says it's the United States that is playing a ''double game'' in Afghanistan, fighting terrorists that it helped to create. At a press conference in the Afghan capital, Ahmadinejad was asked to respond to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who earlier in the week accused Tehran of ''playing a double game'' by trying to have a good relationship with the Afghan government while undermining U.S. and NATO efforts by providing some support to the Taliban. Tehran says it supports the Afghan government and denies allegations that it helps the Taliban. Ahmadinejad said the U.S. ''themselves created terrorists and now they say they are fighting terrorists.'' The Iranian leader spoke at a news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai....

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04:20:20 –

Prominent Sunni Cleric Dies

NY Times

5.17

Filed at 3:42 a.m. ET CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's state-owned news agency says the country's top Muslim cleric has died of a heart attack during a visit to Saudi Arabia. Sheik Mohammed Sayed Tantawi was 81 years old. He was the grand sheik of Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's pre-eminent theological institute. His moderate views rankled hard-liners. Most recently, he infuriated conservatives late last year by barring women from wearing the full face veil known as the niqab at Al-Azhar University. That step was part of the intensifying struggle between the moderate Islam championed by the state and a populace that is turning to a stricter version of the faith. The Middle East News Agency said he died Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, where he had attended a religious ceremony....

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04:20:24 –

U.S. And UK Patent Offices Plan Work Sharing Deal

NY Times

24.79%

1.67

Filed at 4:02 a.m. ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. and British patent offices are working on a plan to have patent examiners in the two countries share research as a way to reduce a several-years backlog of applications, the two agencies said on Wednesday. Companies -- especially high tech ones -- have complained about the length of time it takes to get a patent, an average of three years in the United States and four years in Europe, according to data from the two offices. "At the USPTO, we have already undertaken substantial reform of our system for processing patent applications. Work-sharing is an important feature of this reform," said David Kappos, head of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in a statement. Britain's Minister of State for Intellectual Property, David Lammy, said he hoped "to reduce unnecessary duplication of work and maintain quality between patent offices." Since companies often file very similar patent applications in several...

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04:20:31 –

UK Proposes Tougher Steps on Disclosing Bankers' Pay

NY Times

1.67

Filed at 3:55 a.m. ET LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will on Wednesday propose to force banks to reveal how many of their staff earn top wages, in steps that go further than previous proposals, financial services minister Paul Myners said. The government's Walker review on bankers' pay had previously laid out proposals for such moves. "This will include proposals for narrower disclosure bands than Walker proposed, starting with salary packages below the one million pound floor that he suggested," Myners said in a speech in London. "We will consult on the idea, but as the Chancellor (finance minister Alistair Darling) has said -- most people are convinced that far more disclosure is important." The proposals are expected to include a requirement to publish how many staff earn aggregate salaries, starting with 500,000 pound bands between 500,000 pounds and five million pounds, followed by increments of one million pounds. (Reporting by Matt Falloon; editing b...

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04:25:01 –

UK budget due in 2 weeks, paving way for election

Associated Press

78.95%

LONDON (AP) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the government will lay out its budget plans on March 24, paving the way for a national election. The election must be held by early June at the latest, but the budget date suggests it will be held earlier. Brown, whose government is under intense pressure to clarify its plans for reducing ballooning debt, said Wednesday in London that the budget would be laid out "in two weeks' time." THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. LONDON (AP) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warns that the U.K. may suffer another economic downturn, including a possible dip back into recession. In a speech Wednesday Brown will say "there are still substantial risks ahead, there will be bumps in the road," according to excerpts released in advance. Brown will insist that because of such risks he'll stick to a policy of holding off public spending cuts until economic growth and jobs are...

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04:25:02 –

Nigerian soldiers open fire on youths; 2 killed

Associated Press

100%

6.09

JOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Soldiers opened fire on a crowd after curfew and killed two people, witnesses said Wednesday, just days after fighting between Christians and Muslims in the area left more than 200 dead including dozens of children. Hundreds of people swarmed the streets of Jos on Wednesday morning, where one truck's windshield was a spider web of bullet holes with the word "rejoice" scrawled on it. Residents had tried to stop the truck late Tuesday from entering the town after curfew late Tuesday, fearing it was carrying fighters or weapons. They have accused police and military of failing to provide security to the villages that were attacked Sunday morning. The military later arrived, asked the youth to leave, and then opened fire on them and the truck. Two were killed and five others were wounded, said Angela Ogobri, a nurse from a local hospital. An Army colonel prevented AP reporters from seeing the dead. The truck was later found to be carrying only cattle and baskets. A...

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04:25:02 –

Oil drifts near $81 amid mixed US inventory data

Associated Press

25.32%

1.67

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Oil prices drifted down to near $81 a barrel Wednesday in Asia after a report showed mixed evidence about U.S. crude demand. Benchmark crude for April delivery was down 38 cents to $81.11 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract lost 38 cents to settle at $81.49 on Tuesday. Oil has jumped about 17 percent since early last month on increased investor confidence in this year's global economic growth. But crude demand from the U.S., the world's largest consumer of oil, has remained sluggish. Crude inventories jumped last week by 6.5 million barrels, the American Petroleum Institute said late Wednesday. Analysts, eyeing a cold weather spell in much of the U.S. this month, had expected a drop of 1.6 million barrels, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos. However, inventories of gasoline and distillates fell more than analysts expected, the API said. The Ene...

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04:35:01 –

Swedish papers publish Prophet Muhammad drawing

Associated Press

4.88

STOCKHOLM (AP) -- At least three Swedish newspapers have published a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad with a dog's body after an alleged plot to murder the artist was unveiled in Ireland. The drawing was published Wednesday in Stockholm papers Dagens Nyheter and Expressen and the Malmo daily Sydsvenska Dagbladet. Sydsvenska Dagbladet says it printed the controversial drawing as part of its news coverage of the alleged plot to kill its creator, Lars Vilks. Expressen says it printed it for its news value and to take a stance for the freedom of speech. Irish police on Tuesday detained four men and three women in an alleged plot to kill the Swedish artist, who had received death threats from extremists after his drawing was first published in 2007. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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04:35:02 –

Runaway Prius driver: Brakes were 'almost burned'

Associated Press

32.79%

4.5

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) -- Before he called 911, James Sikes says he reached down with his hand to loosen the "stuck" accelerator on his 2008 Toyota Prius, his other hand on the steering wheel. The pedal didn't move. "My car can't slow down," he began when a California Highway Patrol dispatcher answered his call. Sikes, 61, rolled to a stop 23 harrowing minutes later, he and his blue Prius emerging unscathed but Toyota Motor Corp. suffering another big dent. Toyota has watched its reputation for quality crumble with recalls tied to risks that cars can accelerate uncontrollably or can't brake properly. Todd Neibert, the CHP officer who gave instructions to Sikes over a loudspeaker as they went east on mountainous Interstate 8 in San Diego County Monday afternoon, said he smelled burning brakes when he caught up with the Prius. The officer said he told Sikes to push the brake pedal to the floor and apply the emergency brakes as the Prius neared 85 mph. The car slowed to about 55 mph, a...

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04:35:02 –

Tajik court jails banned Islamic group members

Associated Press

3.5

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan (AP) -- Tajikistan's Supreme Court has sentenced dozens of people to prison terms for belonging to a banned Islamic organization. The court says 23 members of the Jamaat al Tabligh were ordered Wednesday to serve from three to six years in prison, and another 33 were ordered to pay fines up to $16,000. Officials say the trial was held at a detention facility in Dushanbe for security reasons. Jailing members of banned religious groups is common in this Central Asian nation, and some have accused authorities of exaggerating the danger of such groups as grounds for stamping out political freedoms. Tajikistan designated Jamaat al Tabligh an extremist group in 2006. Its members say it's a nonviolent, apolitical missionary movement. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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04:35:02 –

Brazil's Silva: A Rousseff win would KO machismo

Associated Press

45.27%

3.82

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) -- Brazil's president said his hand-picked candidate to succeed him in October's election would help do away with machismo by becoming the first female president of Latin America's largest and most influential nation. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Dilma Rousseff, currently his chief of staff, would carry on his legacy of boosting the economy while helping the poor. He rejected criticism that she isn't qualified because she has never been elected to office. "If Dilma wasn't capable, if she had problems, I wouldn't have proposed Dilma," Silva said in an interview. "I wasn't going to offer to the Brazilian people - who have treated me with exceptional affection - a person in whom I didn't have confidence." Rousseff, 62, was a Marxist as a young woman and received guerrilla training. She was jailed and tortured during Brazil's 1964-1985 military dictatorship. After being released, she became an economist and joined S...

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04:40:11 –

Tajik Court Jails Banned Islamic Group Members

NY Times

3.5

Filed at 4:25 a.m. ET DUSHANBE, Tajikistan (AP) -- Tajikistan's Supreme Court has sentenced dozens of people to prison terms for belonging to a banned Islamic organization. The court says 23 members of the Jamaat al Tabligh were ordered Wednesday to serve from three to six years in prison, and another 33 were ordered to pay fines up to $16,000. Officials say the trial was held at a detention facility in Dushanbe for security reasons. Jailing members of banned religious groups is common in this Central Asian nation, and some have accused authorities of exaggerating the danger of such groups as grounds for stamping out political freedoms. Tajikistan designated Jamaat al Tabligh an extremist group in 2006. Its members say it's a nonviolent, apolitical missionary movement....

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04:40:13 –

Brazil's Silva: A Rousseff Win Would KO Machismo

NY Times

47.01%

3.82

Filed at 4:24 a.m. ET BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) -- Brazil's president said his hand-picked candidate to succeed him in October's election would help do away with machismo by becoming the first female president of Latin America's largest and most influential nation. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Dilma Rousseff, currently his chief of staff, would carry on his legacy of boosting the economy while helping the poor. He rejected criticism that she isn't qualified because she has never been elected to office. ''If Dilma wasn't capable, if she had problems, I wouldn't have proposed Dilma,'' Silva said in an interview. ''I wasn't going to offer to the Brazilian people -- who have treated me with exceptional affection -- a person in whom I didn't have confidence.'' Rousseff, 62, was a Marxist as a young woman and received guerrilla training. She was jailed and tortured during Brazil's 1964-1985 military dictatorship. After being released...

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04:40:17 –

Nigerian Soldiers Open Fire on Youths; 2 Killed

NY Times

100%

6.09

Filed at 4:14 a.m. ET JOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Soldiers opened fire on a crowd after curfew and killed two people, witnesses said Wednesday, just days after fighting between Christians and Muslims in the area left more than 200 dead including dozens of children. Hundreds of people swarmed the streets of Jos on Wednesday morning, where one truck's windshield was a spider web of bullet holes with the word ''rejoice'' scrawled on it. Residents had tried to stop the truck late Tuesday from entering the town after curfew late Tuesday, fearing it was carrying fighters or weapons. They have accused police and military of failing to provide security to the villages that were attacked Sunday morning. The military later arrived, asked the youth to leave, and then opened fire on them and the truck. Two were killed and five others were wounded, said Angela Ogobri, a nurse from a local hospital. An Army colonel prevented AP reporters from seeing the dead. The truck was later found to be...

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04:40:19 –

Bomber's Death Fresh Blow to Indonesia Militants

NY Times

66.12%

6.57

Filed at 4:10 a.m. ET CANBERRA/JAKARTA (Reuters) - A suspected mastermind of the Bali bombings was killed in a police raid in Indonesia in the latest blow to an Islamist militant movement in the world's most populous Muslim country. Dulmatin, who once trained with al Qaeda in Afghanistan, was one of three militants killed in a shootout with police at an Internet cafe and a house nearby, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Wednesday. "Today I can announce to you that after a successful police raid against the terrorists hiding out in Jakarta yesterday, we can confirm that one of those that was killed was Dulmatin, one of the top Southeast Asian terrorists," Yudhoyono said in a speech in Australia's parliament house in Canberra. The series of police raids that led to Dulmatin's death will be seen as a coup in Indonesia's fight against Islamist radicals ahead of President Barack Obama's visit March 20-22. But analysts said Dulmatin's emerg...

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04:50:01 –

Dutch bishops launch child abuse investigation

CNN

...

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05:00:04 –

Swedish Papers Publish Prophet Muhammad Drawing

NY Times

4.88

Filed at 4:32 a.m. ET STOCKHOLM (AP) -- At least three Swedish newspapers have published a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad with a dog's body after an alleged plot to murder the artist was unveiled in Ireland. The drawing was published Wednesday in Stockholm papers Dagens Nyheter and Expressen and the Malmo daily Sydsvenska Dagbladet. Sydsvenska Dagbladet says it printed the controversial drawing as part of its news coverage of the alleged plot to kill its creator, Lars Vilks. Expressen says it printed it for its news value and to take a stance for the freedom of speech. Irish police on Tuesday detained four men and three women in an alleged plot to kill the Swedish artist, who had received death threats from extremists after his drawing was first published in 2007....

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05:00:05 –

UK Court to Rule on Russian Tycoon's Libel Claim

NY Times

6.5

Filed at 4:38 a.m. ET LONDON (AP) -- Britain's High Court is due to rule on a libel claim brought by self-exiled Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky against a Kremlin-owned broadcaster. The 63-year-old tycoon sued the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (RTR) for a show that accused him of masterminding the death of renegade Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko in London. Litvinenko died in November 2006 after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium. On his deathbed, he accused the Kremlin of poisoning him. An April 2007 show broadcast on RTR cited a mysterious figure, identified as ''Pyotr,'' as accusing Berezovsky of being behind the slaying. Berezovsky sued over the show, saying it was outrageous. The ruling is expected later Wednesday....

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05:00:06 –

Romania Declassifies All 1989 Revolution Documents

NY Times

6.17

Filed at 4:47 a.m. ET BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) -- The Romanian government will declassify all remaining secret documents relating to the country's 1989 anti-communist revolution. Prime Minister Emil Boc said the move would allow the truth to come out without endangering ''state secrets'' 21 years after the bloody uprising. The defense ministry said it would declassify over 8,000 pages of information pertaining to the revolution where late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was toppled and executed. More than 1,100 people died in the bloody revolt. Just two people have been convicted. The European Court of Human Rights ruled last year that all documents relating to the revolution should be handed over to an association of former revolutionaries who are seeking to find out who shot unarmed demonstrators in 1989....

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05:00:08 –

Dalai Lama Risks Chinese Ire to Back Uighurs

NY Times

51.99%

4.73

Filed at 4:33 a.m. ET DHARAMSALA, India (Reuters) - Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama voiced his support on Wednesday for an ethnic minority in China's troubled Xinjiang province, risking worsening further his fraught relations with Beijing. In an address marking 51 years since he fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, the Dalai Lama referred to Xinjiang as "East Turkestan," the name given to it by pro-independence exiles. The region is populated by an ethnic minority Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking largely Muslim people. "Let us also remember the people of East Turkestan who have experienced great difficulties and increased oppression," he told about 3,000 Tibetans in Dharamsala, the northern Indian hill town where he has lived for five decades. "I would like to express my solidarity and stand firmly with them." Chinese authorities in Xinjiang have waged a heavy-handed campaign against what China calls violent separatist activit...

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05:00:18 –

UN Report: Much of Somalia's Food Aid Diverted

NY Times

66.99%

4.57

Filed at 4:36 a.m. ET UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Much of the food aid intended for Somalia's poor is diverted to corrupt contractors, radical Islamist militants and local U.N. workers, according to a Security Council report. The findings, not yet made public, were first reported by The New York Times Tuesday. A UN diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because the report has not yet been released, confirmed to the Associated Press that ''a significant diversion'' of food delivered by the UN food program is being diverted to cartels who were selling it illegally. The report blames the problem on improper food distribution, the diplomat said. The Times said the report recommends Secretary General Ban Ki-moon open an independent investigation into the World Food Program's Somalia operations. The report also found regional Somali authorities to be collaborating with pirates and says that government ministers have auctioned off diplomatic visas, the Times reports. Acco...

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05:05:01 –

OECD: gov'ts must cut deficits, boost regulation

Associated Press

65.75%

3.58

PARIS (AP) -- Rich countries must strengthen financial market regulation and bring down their oversized government deficits, two of the biggest new challenges to have arisen from the global economic crisis, the OECD said Wednesday. In a 30-nation report, the chief economist of the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said restoring public finances to health will be a "daunting task" for most OECD governments. There was no specific mention of Greece's fiscal crisis in the report entitled "Going for Growth", an annual overview of economic reforms, but the OECD recommended cutting social spending as a general tool to reduce government debt. Its policy prescriptions for Greece included reducing incentives for early retirement, privatization, and easing employment protection - measures that could be difficult to swallow for a public already balking at painful spending cuts. The Greek government is trying to reduce its deficit from 12.7 percent of gross domes...

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05:05:02 –

US official: Sudan's elections to be crucial test

Associated Press

5.33

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- A U.S. official says Sudan's upcoming elections must be as transparent as possible to prepare for a referendum on independence for the oil-rich south in 2011. U.S. Special Envoy Scott Gration said Wednesday that April's presidential and parliamentary polls would not be perfect but could still "reflect the will of the people." Sudan has been wracked by decades of war. A 2005 peace agreement ended the north-south conflict that killed 2 million people but by then the western Darfur region was at war. Southern oil provides most of Sudan's revenues but the region is severely underdeveloped. Southerners are widely expected to support independence in the 2011 referendum but disputed results could spark renewed fighting. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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05:05:02 –

Critics mixed on Lloyd Webber's 'Love Never Dies'

Associated Press

1.67

LONDON (AP) -- Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest musical extravaganza has received a mixed reception from London critics. Some say "Love Never Dies" - a sequel to "Phantom of the Opera" set in a Coney island fun fair - is a thrilling ride. Others think it lacks "Phantom'"s menace - and its magic. The Guardian newspaper said Wednesday the show has a seductive score but a lackluster story line. The Times agreed the plot was "dismally implausible." But The Independent gave it a five-star review, and The Daily Telegraph says it was Lloyd Webber's finest show since the original "Phantom." "Love Never Dies" is scheduled to open on Broadway in November, and in Australia next year. --- On the Net: http://www.loveneverdies.com © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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05:05:02 –

E.On 2009 net income up sharply to $11.4 billion

Associated Press

36.36%

2.2

FRANKFURT (AP) -- Germany energy company E.On AG said Wednesday that 2009 net income rose sharply to euro8.4 billion ($11.4 billion) partly as a result of the disposal of assets. E.On, based in Duesseldorf, earned euro1.3 billion in 2008. Revenue fell 6 percent to euro82 billion in 2009 from euro87 billion in 2008. It did not break out fourth quarter figures. One of the world's largest energy companies, E.On said it sold some generating capacity and a German high-voltage network during the year, which resulted in a gain of euro2.4 billion. The 2010 earnings before interest and taxes after special items could be up to 3 percent higher than the euro9.6 billion it earned in 2009, the company said. The central Europe business improved on efficiency measures, higher network charges, and the inclusion of results from a new French unit, E.On said. It posted an EBIT increase to euro4.8 billion from euro3.8 billion in 2008. The company said its U.S. Midwest business' 2009 EBIT of euro348 mi...

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05:10:02 –

Parents demand answers from Israel in bulldozer death

CNN

...

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05:11:03 –

FTSE up 0.2 percent; commodities gain, defensives weak

Reuters

22.77%

2.17

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's top share index edged 0.2 percent higher in early trade on Wednesday, echoing muted overnight moves in Asia and the United States, with weakness in defensive issues offset by gains in miners and oils.By 0926 GMT (4:26 a.m. ET), the FTSE 100 .FTSE was up 8.45 points at 5,610.75, having closed 0.1 percent lower on Tuesday.The index remains near its 18-month and around 60 percent above levels a year ago when the market hit a trough."Volumes are thin. People have been caught short of the market and are waiting for it to fall again before really going after it," said Alwyn Phillips, senior sales trader at IG Index.Banks were mixed, although the sector overall was buoyed by gains in heavyweight HSBC .HSBA.L, up 0.1 percent, while part-nationalized Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) and Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) added 3.1 percent and 2.3 percent respectively.But Barclays (BARC.L) fell 2.1 percent after the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people c...

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05:20:07 –

US Official: Sudan's Elections to Be Crucial Test

NY Times

5.33

Filed at 4:57 a.m. ET NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- A U.S. official says Sudan's upcoming elections must be as transparent as possible to prepare for a referendum on independence for the oil-rich south in 2011. U.S. Special Envoy Scott Gration said Wednesday that April's presidential and parliamentary polls would not be perfect but could still ''reflect the will of the people.'' Sudan has been wracked by decades of war. A 2005 peace agreement ended the north-south conflict that killed 2 million people but by then the western Darfur region was at war. Southern oil provides most of Sudan's revenues but the region is severely underdeveloped. Southerners are widely expected to support independence in the 2011 referendum but disputed results could spark renewed fighting....

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05:20:10 –

With Biden in West Bank, Settlements Cloud Talks

NY Times

30.38%

4.24

RAMALLAH, West Bank— Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived here on Wednesday to meet with Palestinian leaders as the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, expressed dismay at Israel’s announcement a day earlier that it planned to build 1,600 new housing units for Jews in East Jerusalem “It is damaging, for sure,” Mr. Fayyad said. “This is a moment of challenge to the efforts led by the United States to get the peace process going again. We definitely appreciate the strong statements of condemnation by the administration vis-à-vis this action. This definitely undermines confidence in prospects of the political process which we are all working very hard on.” Mr. Biden was due to see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas afterward. Hours after Mr. Biden vowed unyielding American support for Israel’s security here on Tuesday, . Mr. Biden condemned the announcement of the new housing as “precisely the kind of st...

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05:25:02 –

Obama to meet Haiti's president, fly to Missouri

Associated Press

2.2

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama meets with the president of Haiti Wednesday morning and later flies to Missouri for another gathering on health care reform. The president sits down in the Oval Office with Haiti's President Rene Preval (reh-NAY' preh-VAHL') before the two leaders make statements in the Rose Garden. Among those there to hear them will be members of Congress, Haitian-American community leaders and people and organizations involved in the earthquake relief effort. In the afternoon, Obama will be in Missouri to speak at a high school about health insurance reform. In the evening, he'll speak at a fundraising dinner in St. Louis for Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. The president will also give remarks at a grass-roots fundraising reception for McCaskill before flying home. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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05:30:02 –

Afghanistan gets vows of friendship from U.S. and Iran

CNN

...

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05:30:03 –

Archdiocese defends decision to deny children because of lesbian parents

CNN

80%

1.44

(CNN) -- The archdiocese of Denver, Colorado, is defending its decision not to re-enroll two children in a Catholic school in Boulder next year because their parents are lesbians. "The Church does not claim that people with a homosexual orientation are 'bad,' or that their children are less loved by God," wrote Archbishop Charles J. Chaput in an article to be published in Thursday's edition of the Denver Catholic Register. "Quite the opposite. But what the Church does teach is that sexual intimacy by anyone outside marriage is wrong; that marriage is a sacramental covenant; and that marriage can only occur between a man and a woman. These beliefs are central to a Catholic understanding of human nature, family and happiness, and the organization of society. The Church cannot change these teachings because, in the faith of Catholics, they are the teachings of Jesus Christ." He added people with a different understanding of marriage and family life "have other, ex...

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05:35:02 –

Oligarch wins suit against Russian broadcaster

Associated Press

81.48%

5.64

LONDON (AP) -- Self-exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky has won his libel case against a Russian broadcaster that accused him of masterminding the murder of a former Russian agent in London. The 63-year-old tycoon sued All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting (RTR) for a 2007 show that accused him of being behind the poisoning death of renegade Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko more than three years ago. Berezovsky, a friend and supporter of Litvinenko, said the allegation was outrageous. The court awarded him 150,000 pounds (about $225,000) in damages Wednesday. RTR boycotted the trial, claiming that the court had effectively robbed it of the opportunity to defend itself. The broadcaster last week demanded the case be thrown out. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. LONDON (AP) - Britain's High Court is due to rule on a libel claim brought by self-exiled Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky against a Kremlin-ow...

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05:35:02 –

German January exports up 0.2 percent on year

Associated Press

1.75

FRANKFURT (AP) -- Official data shows German January exports improved 0.2 percent compared with January 2009 but declined a sharp 6.3 percent from December. The Federal Statistical Office said Wednesday Germany exported goods valued at nearly euro64 billion ($86.76 billion) and imported goods valued at euro56 billion during the month. The Statistical Office says Germany exported nearly euro41 billion worth of goods to European Union states during January and over euro23 billion worth of goods to countries outside the EU. --- On the Net: http://www.destatis.de © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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05:40:12 –

Aid Group Attacked in Northwest Pakistan; 6 Dead

NY Times

100%

5.39

Filed at 5:28 a.m. ET ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Suspected militants armed with grenades attacked the offices of a Christian aid group helping earthquake survivors in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing six employees and wounding several others, police and the organization said. All the victims of the assault on World Vision, a major international humanitarian group, were Pakistanis. Extremists have killed other people working for foreign aid groups in Pakistan and issued statements saying such organizations were working against Islam, greatly hampering efforts to raise living standards in the desperately poor region. Many groups have scaled down operations in the northwest or pulled out altogether. The attack took place in Ogi, a small town in Mansehra district, which was badly hit by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. ''We are deeply sorry we've lost staff members who were locals who were deeply committed to improving lives in Pakistan,'' said James East, a World Vision spok...

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05:51:04 –

Stock futures signal higher open; Facet eyed

Reuters

29.2%

1.67

(Reuters) - Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.07 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.09 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.25 percent.Facet Biotech Corp (FACT.O) has agreed to be acquired by Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) for $27 a share, topping a failed hostile offer of $17.50 a share made last year by Biogen Idec Inc (BIIB.O). Shares of Facet traded in Frankfurt (FACT.F) were up 55 percent.Crude oil futures were steady, at $81.45 a barrel, as surging Chinese imports offset expectations for a gain in U.S. crude stockpiles.Year-on-year growth in Chinese exports and imports blew past expectations in February, apparently underlining the momentum powering the world's third-largest economy.The chief executive of Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) on Tuesday forecast a 3.4-percent increase in U.S. and global GDP in 2010, a forecast that is slightly higher than recent consensus estimates.U.S. economists raised their forecast for...

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06:00:09 –

Trial Begins Over Death of US Activist in Gaza

NY Times

3.63

Filed at 5:38 a.m. ET HAIFA, Israel (AP) -- The family of an American activist crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza is suing Israel. The parents of Rachel Corrie are seeking compensation from Israel's Defense Ministry for the death of their daughter in 2003. Arguments in the civil case opened in a Haifa court on Wednesday. The 23-year-old Corrie was trying to block the bulldozer from demolishing a Gaza home. The driver said he didn't see her, and the Israeli military has ruled her death an accident. Corrie was an activist with the International Solidarity Movement, which often sends foreign activists into volatile hot spots to assist Palestinians. The Corries unsuccessfully tried to sue Caterpillar Inc., the U.S. company that manufactured the bulldozer....

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06:00:25 –

In Paying for Sex Changes, Cuba Breaks From Past

NY Times

48.73%

3.73

Filed at 5:42 a.m. ET HAVANA (AP) -- Looking in the mirror used to make Yiliam Gonzalez sick to her stomach. ''I would see myself, and my body didn't match who I was,'' said the 28-year-old wedding pianist, who went by William before receiving a sex change under Cuba's universal health care system. Gonzalez is living proof of a small but remarkable transformation for the rugged revolution of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and a band of ever-macho, bearded rebels, who long punished gays and transsexuals -- but now are paying for sex changes. Standing six feet (183 centimeters) tall, with shoulder-length blonde hair, heavy makeup and an ID card still bearing a man's name, Gonzalez underwent the procedure in 2008. She was one of eight Cubans to do so through a program begun in 1988 -- then suspended for two decades, after many complained the communist government had better ways to spend its scarce resources. The operations have begun anew under President Raul Castro's daughter ...

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06:00:29 –

Brown Says UK to Maintain AAA Credit Rating

NY Times

53.28%

3.23

Filed at 5:38 a.m. ET LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday he believed Britain would maintain its coveted top credit rating and announced a pay freeze for top civil servants to help tame a record deficit. Setting out his economic plans weeks before an election, Brown said recovery remained fragile and that to change course now would risk plunging the country back into recession. His message contrasted with that of opposition Conservative leader David Cameron who is campaigning on a "time for change" slogan and wants to make a quicker start on cutting a deficit forecast to exceed 12 percent of GDP this year. "We face crucial decisions. Cut now at home -- fail to protect our frontline services, fail to invest in the growth sectors of the future -- and we could push our economy back into recession," Brown said in a speech at Thomson Reuters in London. He said cuts should only come once recovery was assured but added that markets s...

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06:05:02 –

UK's Brown paves way for election with budget date

Associated Press

57.55%

3.75

LONDON (AP) -- Britain's economic recovery remains fragile, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned Wednesday, as he paved the way for a national election by announcing the government's budget would be published in two weeks. In a pre-election swipe at the main opposition Conservative Party, Brown said it was too early to withdraw support for the struggling economy and offered a glimpse of the ruling Labour Party's plans by announcing a pay freeze for senior public employees. Brown's speech in London signaled a big shift in gears in unofficial campaigning for a general election that must by held by early June at the latest. Analysts said the announcement of the budget date as March 24 indicated that the rumored election date of May 6, favored because it allows the combination of local and national polls, was the most likely. The state of the British economy is expected to be a major factor in the campaign. It emerged hesitantly from an 18-month long downturn at the end of last y...

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06:20:15 –

Pope's Brother Praised for His Apology to Victims

NY Times

29.8%

3.22

Filed at 6:09 a.m. ET BERLIN (AP) -- An apology by the pope's brother for not doing anything to stop the abuse of students in the 1960s is a ''wonderful sign'' that the church plans to get to the bottom of the allegations, a top Roman Catholic prelate said Wednesday. Prelate Karl Juesten, the liaison between Catholic bishops and the German government, told The Associated Press that the Rev. Georg Ratzinger's apology to the victims was an act of courage. ''It is certainly not easy for such a man to publicly apologize,'' Juesten said. Ratzinger, the older brother of Pope Benedict XVI, says he knew of allegations of physical abuse at an elementary school in Germany decades ago and apologized for doing nothing about it. Ratzinger had first said he was unaware of any abuse, and Juesten said that others should now follow the 86-year-old Ratzinger's lead in coming clean. ''The other perpetrators should follow the example set by Mr. Ratzinger and apologize to the victims for ...

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06:25:01 –

First Iraqi vote results likely on Thursday

Associated Press

1.33

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi and UN officials say the first results from this week's parliamentary elections will likely be released on Thursday. Iraqi election officials said they had hoped to have some initial results from Sunday's vote to release on Wednesday but conceded they could now be delayed until Thursday. Ad Melkert, the top UN official in Iraq, said he expected the first results on Thursday. Melkert was at the Independent High Electoral Commission to observe Iraqi officials carrying out what he called "an honest process" of counting the vote. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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06:25:01 –

Ahead of the Bell: February budget deficit

Associated Press

27.57%

3.22

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Economists believe that the federal budget deficit through the first five months of the budget year is running at a record-breaking pace, with the February imbalance likely to climb to the highest level this fiscal year. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect the deficit for February will hit $222 billion, up by $28.1 billion from the imbalance in February 2009. The Treasury Department is scheduled to release the February budget figures at 2 p.m. EST Wednesday. If economists are correct about the big shortfall in February, it will push the deficit total since the budget year began last October to $653.14 billion, an increase of 10.7 percent from the deficit total for the first five months of the 2009 budget year. The deficit for all of 2009 hit a record $1.4 trillion and the Obama administration is forecasting that the deficit for this year will hit $1.56 trillion and will remain above $1 trillion for a third straight year in 2011. The deficit is being dri...

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06:25:02 –

Dutch fine Fortis for false information

Associated Press

45.98%

2.7

BRUSSELS (AP) -- Belgian insurer Fortis Holding said Wednesday that Dutch regulators fined it euro576,000 ($781,000) for giving incorrect information about the financial situation of Fortis bank, months before it nearly collapsed and sought government rescue. Fortis has the name and some of the assets and liabilities of what was once the largest bank in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It ran into funding problems in September 2008 and got a bailout from the three governments after piling on debt from a massive banking takeover. Belgium sold Fortis' core Belgian banking operations to France's BNP Paribas in 2008, leaving Fortis shareholders with the far smaller insurance operations, a host of legal liabilities and shares that had lost most of their value. The company said it would appeal a Feb. 5 ruling from the Netherlands' AFM that said Fortis made "incorrect or misleading" statements about its financial situation in June 2008 and should have gone public about its deterio...

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06:25:02 –

Greek strike to shut down services Thursday

Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Greek unions say nationwide strikes will shut down all public services, closing schools, customs and tax offices, halting public transport and grounding flights for 24 hours. Greeks have been protesting the Socialist government's harsh austerity measures, designed to curb the country's massive debt and pull it out of an unprecedented financial crisis that has hammered the euro. The measures have cut civil servants' salaries, frozen pensions and increased taxes, including on fuel and general sales tax. Workers are to walk off the job from midnight Wednesday night. Journalists, teachers, state hospital doctors and air traffic controllers will be among those striking, while officers from the police, fire service and coast guard plan to join protest rallies. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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06:40:06 –

First Iraqi Vote Results Likely on Thursday

NY Times

1.33

Filed at 6:23 a.m. ET BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi and UN officials say the first results from this week's parliamentary elections will likely be released on Thursday. Iraqi election officials said they had hoped to have some initial results from Sunday's vote to release on Wednesday but conceded they could now be delayed until Thursday. Ad Melkert, the top UN official in Iraq, said he expected the first results on Thursday. Melkert was at the Independent High Electoral Commission to observe Iraqi officials carrying out what he called ''an honest process'' of counting the vote....

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06:40:19 –

Greek Strike to Shut Down Services Thursday

NY Times

Filed at 6:09 a.m. ET ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Greek unions say nationwide strikes will shut down all public services, closing schools, customs and tax offices, halting public transport and grounding flights for 24 hours. Greeks have been protesting the Socialist government's harsh austerity measures, designed to curb the country's massive debt and pull it out of an unprecedented financial crisis that has hammered the euro. The measures have cut civil servants' salaries, frozen pensions and increased taxes, including on fuel and general sales tax. Workers are to walk off the job from midnight Wednesday night. Journalists, teachers, state hospital doctors and air traffic controllers will be among those striking, while officers from the police, fire service and coast guard plan to join protest rallies....

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06:40:20 –

Brown Says UK to Maintain Triple AAA Credit Rating

NY Times

63.49%

4.5

Filed at 6:23 a.m. ET LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday he believed Britain would maintain its coveted top credit rating and announced a pay freeze for senior civil servants and military officers to help tame a record deficit. Setting out his economic plans weeks before an election, Brown said recovery remained fragile and that to change course now would risk plunging Britain back into recession. He drew on his experience last year when he chaired the group of 20 leading and developing nations during the global financial crisis. His message contrasted with that of opposition Conservative leader David Cameron who is campaigning on a "time for change" slogan and wants to make a quicker start on cutting a deficit forecast to exceed 12 percent of GDP this year. "We face crucial decisions. Cut now at home -- fail to protect our frontline services, fail to invest in the growth sectors of the future -- and we could push our economy b...

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07:00:02 –

Partial Iraq Vote Results Expected by Thursday

NY Times

23.72%

2.83

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s electoral commission is expected to announce partial results of parliamentary elections by Thursday, a United Nations official said, offering an incomplete picture of the vote that will nevertheless provide the broad outlines of the country’s political landscape. The results were initially expected Wednesday evening, but Ad Melkert, the United Nations special representative in Iraq, said he hoped the results would be released by Thursday. Iraqi officials did not immediately confirm the delay. “We hope that as soon as possible preliminary results can be made public because Iraqis have the right to know as soon as possible the outcome of their choice of election day,” Mr. Melkert told a news conference on Wednesday. Party officials have acknowledged that after Sunday’s voting, a relatively small number of seats may separate Iraq’s leading coalitions, a sign that negotiations to form a new government could be protracte...

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07:00:06 –

Oligarch Wins Suit Against Russian Broadcaster

NY Times

67.23%

5.5

Filed at 6:41 a.m. ET LONDON (AP) -- Self-exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky on Wednesday won a libel case against a Russian broadcaster that accused him of masterminding the murder of a former KGB agent in London. The 64-year-old tycoon sued All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting, known as RTR, over a show that alleged he was behind the 2006 poisoning death of renegade Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko. In the ruling Justice David Eady said ''there is no evidence before me that Mr. Berezovsky had any part in the murder of Mr. Litvinenko. Nor, for that matter, do I see any basis for reasonable grounds to suspect him of it.'' Eady awarded Berezovsky 150,000 pounds (about $225,000) in damages. Berezovsky, who was in court for the verdict, said in a statement he was pleased the court ''has unequivocally demolished RTR's claims.'' RTR did not take part in the hearings, and called the judgment illegal. Speaking from Moscow, the broadcaster's lawyer Zoya Matviye...

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07:00:09 –

Gates Keeps Up Pressure on Iran With Gulf Visit

NY Times

65.26%

4.47

Filed at 6:49 a.m. ET RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was keeping up the pressure on Iran on Wednesday, consulting with the United States' closest and most influential ally in the Persian Gulf about how to respond to Iran's disputed nuclear program. U.S. officials said Gates would discuss shared concerns over Iran's nuclear intentions and ballistic missile program during meetings with Saudi King Abdullah and senior leaders. Gates arrived in the Saudi capital after three days in Afghanistan. He nearly crossed paths with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was in Kabul on Wednesday for meetings with many of the same leaders Gates had just seen. Gates accused Iran of ''playing a double game'' in Afghanistan, and working to undermine the security U.S. forces are trying to help build. Afghanistan is just one of the places where the United States has a proxy fight with Iran, and the confrontation appears to be getting nastier. The Obama...

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07:00:17 –

Israel Allows UN Bomb Squad Into Gaza

NY Times

6.89

Filed at 6:37 a.m. ET JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel has allowed a U.N. bomb disposal unit into the Gaza Strip to defuse unexploded munitions left over from last year's fighting. The Israeli military says the sappers entered Gaza on Wednesday and will work for several weeks. The army gave no information on how many explosives litter the territory. Israel launched a fierce offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza in December 2008, aiming to stop Palestinian rocket attacks. The three-week operation killed hundreds of people and caused widespread damage. Israel has barred most foreign officials from entering Gaza since Hamas seized power there in 2007. Israel agreed this week to allow the U.N. secretary-general and the European Union's foreign policy chief into Gaza....

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07:00:19 –

Lawyers Ask UN to Help Missing Chinese Lawyer

NY Times

Filed at 6:45 a.m. ET GENEVA (AP) -- An international group of lawyers wants a U.N. human rights body to help an activist Chinese lawyer who has been missing for more than a year. The lawyers say the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention should declare the disappearance of Gao Zhisheng a violation of international law. They say Gao is being held without contact to the outside world. Gao is among China's most daring lawyers and has taken on cases involving the banned Falun Gong spiritual group. His case has drawn international attention for the unusual length of his disappearance, and for reports that he was tortured. The U.N. body has no enforcement powers. It could not be reached for comment Wednesday....

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07:00:21 –

Israel Apologizes for Embarrassing Biden

NY Times

34.84%

3.53

Filed at 6:39 a.m. ET RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Israel apologized Wednesday for disrupting the visit of Vice President Joe Biden with its announcement of 1,600 new homes in disputed east Jerusalem, but made clear it had no intention of reversing the order that has cast a shadow over the latest U.S. push for Mideast peace. As Biden held talks with top Palestinian leaders in the West Bank, Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai, whose office announced the new construction on lands Palestinians claim for a future state, said the problem was about timing, not substance. ''We had no intention, no desire, to offend or taunt an important man like the vice president during his visit,'' Yishai told Israel Radio. ''I am very sorry for the embarrassment. We need to remember that approvals are done according to law even if the timing was wrong. ... Next time we need to take timing into account.'' Biden's talks with the Palestinians on Wednesday were aimed in part to ease their doubts...

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07:05:01 –

Czech repair of famed Charles Bridge faces protest

Associated Press

45.13%

3.64

PRAGUE (AP) -- Built like a mighty fortress, Charles Bridge has survived floods and fires over the past 650 years. But conservationists are warning that the storied span linking Prague's two oldest neighborhoods might succumb to a different threat - renovation. There is no question the bridge, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, needs a makeover. The last major fix in the mid-1970s failed to achieve its goal of protecting it from rainfall and snow, and since then the Czech capital's miserable weather has left its mark. Several of the bridge's statues already are faux-Baroque copies - replacements of originals worn down by the weather. A glance at the worn and darkened surface of the sandstone blocks gives only a hint of the destruction wrought by moisture inside. Mayor Pavel Bem says the 222 million koruna ($11.7 million; euro8.6 million) renovation, commissioned by the city government, was urgently needed due to the bridge's "catastrophic condition" caused by water leaking into ...

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07:05:02 –

China Mobile investing $5.8B in Chinese bank

Associated Press

1.5

HONG KONG (AP) -- China Mobile Ltd., the world's biggest phone company by subscribers, said Wednesday it was investing $5.8 billion in a Chinese bank as part of a plan to develop mobile phone banking and business services. Under the agreement, China Mobile will pay 39.8 billion yuan ($5.8 billion) in cash for 20 percent of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, the cell phone company said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. The two companies plan to work together to develop mobile phone services involving customer payments, bank cards, money transfers and other so-called e-commerce businesses. Shanghai Pudong Development Bank is a mid-sized lender based in Shanghai. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:05:02 –

Stock futures inch higher ahead of opening

Associated Press

2.2

NEW YORK (AP) -- Investors are continuing to search for direction after two days of relatively flat trading. Stock futures are edging higher. A market surge that began a year ago appears to have run out of steam recently. Traders are no longer looking for just anecdotal evidence that a recession is easing like they were last year. Now they want to see signs of sustained economic growth. With little economic data released since last week's better-than-expected jobs report, investors haven't made any big moves. A report due out Wednesday is expected to show business inventories rose 0.2 percent in January. Dow Jones industrial average futures are up 9, or 0.1 percent, at 10,573. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures are up 1.00, or 0.1 percent, at 1,141.50, while Nasdaq 100 index futures are up 4.75, or 0.3 percent, at 1,906.00. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:05:02 –

Robert De Niro set to play Vince Lombardi in movie

Associated Press

2.83

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) -- Robert De Niro is set to play Vince Lombardi in an upcoming movie. ESPN announced Tuesday that the Academy Award-winning actor has agreed to play the Hall of Fame coach in the film it is developing with Andell Entertainment and the NFL. "Lombardi" will chronicle the years in which he transformed the Green Bay Packers from the NFL's worst team to league champions. It is tentatively scheduled to be released in 2012 during the weekend between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. Screenwriter Eric Roth, who won an Oscar for "Forrest Gump," has also signed on to the project. De Niro's Tribeca Productions will join the producing group. A director has yet to be chosen. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:05:03 –

World stocks flat but pound takes another hit

Associated Press

31.25%

2.78

LONDON (AP) -- World stock markets traded in a narrow range Wednesday as investors looked for renewed direction, while the British pound continued to founder following unimpressive industrial output figures. In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 1.23 point to 5,601.07 while Germany's DAX rose 8.72 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,894.61. The CAC-40 in France was 5.78 points, or 0.2 percent, higher at 3,915.79. Wall Street was also expected to open largely flat - Dow futures were down 2 points at 10,562 while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 futures fell 0.7 point to 1,139.80. The news earlier that Chinese exports soared nearly 46 percent in February from a year earlier did little to prompt any sustained buying in the Asian session. Though they stoked hopes that global demand was recovering, the figures reinforced fears that the Chinese monetary authorities may raise interest rates or reserve requirements for banks. Shanghai's main stock market actually ended...

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07:10:02 –

Women fliers honored 65 years after war efforts

CNN

52.77%

3.8

Washington (CNN) -- Some 65 years after their service, a group of former civilian women pilots whose unheralded work was key to helping the U.S. effort in World War II are being honored Wednesday with the Congressional Gold Medal. Fewer than 300 Women Airforce Service Pilots are still alive. About 175 of them, along with thousands of family members, have traveled to Washington for the ceremony at the Capitol. Jane Tedeschi is one of the WASPs who will be recognized. "I think it is wonderful. I think it really is," she told CNN, saying it's especially meaningful because "so many of us are still alive to get this honor." The Women Airforce Service Pilots was born in 1942 to create a corps of female pilots able to fill all types of flying jobs at home, thus freeing male military pilots to travel to the front. As part of the commemoration, the former pilots attended a wreath-laying ceremony Tuesday at the Air Force Memorial just outside Washington to remember their coll...

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07:10:03 –

Russian magnate wins libel case over poisoning report

CNN

...

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07:20:13 –

Libya Accepts U.S. Apology Over Diplomatic Row

NY Times

1.67

Filed at 7:05 a.m. ET TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya accepts an apology issued by the United States over their diplomatic row and wants to develop relations in all fields, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. The ministry "states that it accepts the apology and strong regret shown by the State Department," it said in a statement obtained by Reuters. The ministry said it "... welcomes resuming the exchange of visits between officials of the two countries and insists on its willingness to develop bilateral relations in all fields and within a framework of mutual respect." (Reporting by Ali Shuaib in Tripoli; Writing by Christian Lowe)...

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07:20:21 –

Gates Arrives in Saudi Arabia to Discuss Iran

NY Times

60.94%

3.86

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here on Wednesday for talks with the Saudi royal family that senior defense officials said would be focused on Iran. His visit follows recent trips to Riyadh by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as well as Gen. David H. Petraeus, the head of United States Central Command, and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The talks are to include discussions about United States military cooperation with Saudi Arabia in building up its air and missile defense. Mr. Gates is to provide an update to Saudi officials, who are intensely concerned about Iran’s nuclear program, on the American-led effort to impose new sanctions on Tehran. Mr. Gates is to meet with King Abdullah and Crown Prince bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud over dinner at one of the king’s desert camps. He arrived in Saudi Arabia from Afghanistan, where earlier on Wednesday he told an assembled phalanx of the Afgh...

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07:20:28 –

Czech Repair of Famed Charles Bridge Faces Protest

NY Times

45.98%

3.64

Filed at 6:57 a.m. ET PRAGUE (AP) -- Built like a mighty fortress, Charles Bridge has survived floods and fires over the past 650 years. But conservationists are warning that the storied span linking Prague's two oldest neighborhoods might succumb to a different threat -- renovation. There is no question the bridge, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, needs a makeover. The last major fix in the mid-1970s failed to achieve its goal of protecting it from rainfall and snow, and since then the Czech capital's miserable weather has left its mark. Several of the bridge's statues already are faux-Baroque copies -- replacements of originals worn down by the weather. A glance at the worn and darkened surface of the sandstone blocks gives only a hint of the destruction wrought by moisture inside. Mayor Pavel Bem says the 222 million koruna ($11.7 million; euro8.6 million) renovation, commissioned by the city government, was urgently needed due to the bridge's ''catastrophic condi...

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07:25:01 –

Hoyer says some trying to politicize Massa case

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is accusing "some people" of seeking to politicize the situation surrounding former Rep. Eric Massa, who resigned amid accusations of sexual harassment. The Maryland Democrat did not specify whom he was talking in an interview on NBC's "Today" show. He was asked whether he thought Republicans were trying to politicize the situation involving the resigned New York Democrat to strengthen opposition to the health care overhaul bill. House Republican Whip Eric Cantor, appearing on the same program, declined to directly address Hoyer's statement, saying "I think I'm a little taken aback and stunned by all of this." The Virginian said he believes "the American people are sickened by all of this." © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:25:01 –

OPEC raises 2010 oil demand forecast

Associated Press

3.67

CAIRO (AP) -- OPEC has raised its projections for oil demand growth this year by 100,000 barrels per day, but stresses that gains could be eroded if the U.S. government scales back on stimulus efforts before the country's economy fully recovers. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a report released Wednesday that world oil demand was projected to climb to almost 900,000 barrels per day, or 100,000 barrels a day more than its February projection. But the 12-member group that supplies about 35 percent of the world's crude cautioned that the recovery was tied to that of the global economy. It warned that demand growth could falter should governments scale back on stimulus efforts too quickly. OPEC is scheduled to meet March 17. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:25:02 –

Jennifer Hudson to perform 'One Shining Moment'

Associated Press

2.44

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jennifer Hudson will have her "One Shining Moment." The Grammy and Oscar winner will perform the song that plays each year at the end of the CBS broadcast of the NCAA men's basketball championship game. "The song inspires you," Hudson said in a release. "It moves you. It motivates you and helps you reach that goal and that dream." The network said Tuesday that Hudson will be the first woman to sing it. Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross have performed previous renditions. Hudson recorded the song in Los Angeles on Feb. 13. Her producer, Harvey Mason Jr., played for the Arizona team that reached the 1988 Final Four. The tune by folk singer David Barrett has been a March Madness staple since 1987, played over highlights of the tournament. Hudson, who won an Academy Award in 2007 for her supporting role in "Dreamgirls," performed at last year's Super Bowl. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewrit...

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07:30:02 –

Anti-Whitman Web site turns to public for dirt

CNN

...

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07:35:01 –

Portugal sells $1.34 billion worth of bonds

Associated Press

3.71

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- The head of Portugal's debt agency says a euro990 million ($1.34 billion) bond auction was oversubscribed, suggesting the government's austerity plan has eased market concerns about the country's high debts. Debt agency president Alberto Soares told The Associated Press the institution received bids worth euro1.58 billion ($2.15 billion) for the April, 2021 bonds at a rate of 4.17 percent Wednesday. "It went very well," Soares told The AP. The auction came two days after the minority Socialist government unveiled the broad outline of a four-year austerity plan. The package of measures is designed to allay fears Portugal could face similar problems to Greece where a budget crisis has triggered violent demonstrations and unsettled the European Union. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:40:03 –

Border Security Questioned in Indonesia

NY Times

45.01%

4.96

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The fugitive Islamic militant killed by Indonesian security forces traveled to Indonesia from the Philippines within the last few months, police officals said on Wednesday, an admission that raised concerns about the country’s ability to keep known terrorists from moving across its borders. They said the militant, Dulmatin, was a master bombmaker and a senior member of Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian terror network with links to Al Qaeda. Police officials have blamed Dulmatin for setting and triggering one of the bombs used in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia confirmed Dulmatin’s death on Wednesday during a visit to Australia; 88 of the people killed in the Bali blasts were Australians. “I can announce to you that after a successful police raid against the terrorists hiding out in Jakarta yesterday, we can confirm that one of those killed was Mr. D...

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07:40:19 –

Gates in Saudi Arabia to Discuss Iran

NY Times

60.94%

3.86

07:50:02 –

A treat from the Tuscan table

CNN

...

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07:50:03 –

Mayes: Vibrant piazza is center of life

CNN

...

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07:50:03 –

U.S. hikers held in Iran allowed to call home, families say

CNN

...

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07:50:04 –

'Tuscan Sun' author on Italy's pleasures

CNN

53.03%

1.71

(CNN) -- Many authors can move readers with their words, but Frances Mayes has the power to actually make readers move. As in pack up and start a new life thousands of miles away in Tuscany -- the enchanting northwest region of Italy known for its food, wine and scenic beauty -- just as she did 20 years ago. Mayes chronicled her decision to buy and restore a villa near the town of Cortona in "Under the Tuscan Sun," which became a best-selling book and the basis for the 2003 movie of the same name starring Diane Lane. The story inspired some fans to do much more than go out for an Italian meal. About 20 expats have bought homes near Mayes' beloved country house, Bramasole, after reading about her experiences, Mayes said. "I heard from somebody yesterday who said, 'I just read your books and I've never been to Tuscany, but I'm now planning to move there.' And I thought, oh no, please, don't blame me if it doesn't work out," Mayes said with a laugh. Her new book might ...

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08:00:10 –

Spain: Aid Worker Released

NY Times

Filed at 7:45 a.m. ET MADRID (AP) -- Spain's deputy prime minister says a Spanish aid worker kidnapped late last year in Mauritania by suspected Islamic militants has been freed, but two colleagues remain in captivity. Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega says Alicia Gamez was released Wednesday and is now on a plane to Barcelona. She says she had spoken to Gamez, and she is ''safe and sound.'' Gamez and two male colleagues from an aid group called Barcelona Accion Solidaria were kidnapped by gunmen Nov. 29 while delivering relief material to poor villages in Mauritania. Al-Qaida's North African offshoot claimed responsibility....

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08:00:13 –

High Stakes In China's Big Dig

NY Times

26.53%

3.87

Filed at 7:33 a.m. ET SHENYANG, China (Reuters) - In a tunnel deep beneath Shenyang's busy streets, Lu Ze flicked a switch and a lone light bulb revealed a cluttered concrete floor. Electric wires and metal pipes lay in a jumble. Tiles dangled from the ceiling. Dust hung heavily in the air. But Lu, a construction supervisor, was supremely confident that a train would be gliding past the very same spot by October, the first of 11 metro lines planned in this rustbelt city in northeastern China. "We've been working nearly every day for the past year and we will have it done on schedule. Then we'll get a month off and come back to work on the second line," he said with a weary grin. Shenyang's ambitions are vast in scale and yet commonplace in China. More than 30 cities have started building or have submitted proposals for entirely new metros. The five cities with existing systems are expanding them. And all of this is just part of a larger investment frenzy ...

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08:05:01 –

Swiss Re puts Chile quake insurance cost at $4-7BN

Associated Press

49.18%

3.83

GENEVA (AP) -- Swiss Reinsurance Co. said Wednesday that the strong earthquake in Chile last month will cost the insurance industry $4-7 billion, an estimate shared by its Germany-based rival Munich Re AG. Swiss Re said it is common practice for property owners in Chile to buy earthquake insurance, meaning the temblor would result in significant claims for property damage and disruption of business. The 8.8-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami killed more than 450 people and damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings. Zurich-based Swiss Re said it alone expects to make a pretax payout of $500 million for losses arising from the Feb. 27 quake. Munich Re expects to face claims of about euro400 million ($540 million) from the quake. It said it has sent several experts to Chile "to ensure swift and effective claims settlement." The quake would likely affect the price of its insurance cover, Munich Re board member Torsten Jeworrek said in a statement. Swiss Re also said it expe...

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08:05:01 –

Families: 3 Americans detained in Iran call home

Associated Press

2.6

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The families of three Americans detained in Iran for months say their loved ones have been allowed to call home for the first time. The families said in a statement Wednesday that they received the calls Tuesday. The three reported being well. The families called the conversations "a tremendous relief." The families say Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal (fuh-TAHL') were hiking in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region in July when they accidentally crossed the border into Iran. Bauer and Fattal are 27 and Shourd is 31. The families say Bauer and Fattal are being held in the same prison cell in Tehran. Shourd is alone in her cell but is able to meet with the other two daily. Iran says the three are spies. U.S. officials have called for their release. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:05:01 –

SAfrican top party: Song not about killing whites

Associated Press

3.25

JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- South Africa's governing party says a leading member didn't mean it literally when he sang about killing whites. African National Congress Youth League leader Julius Malema is often in the news for his fiery rhetoric and flashy lifestyle. Tuesday, South African media reported he led University of Johannesburg students in the song, "Shoot the boere, they are rapists." Boere is farmers in Afrikaans, the language of white South African descendants of early Dutch settlers. Afrikaners and others accuse Malema of inciting violence against whites. Ishmael Mnisi, an ANC spokesman, told The Associated Press Wednesday the song challenges those who do not want to see change in a society still divided by race. Mnisi says it is not "a call to kill people." © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:05:02 –

Spain: Aid worker in Africa released by militants

Associated Press

77.29%

3.13

MADRID (AP) -- A Spanish aid worker kidnapped late last year in Mauritania by suspected Islamic militants was freed Wednesday but two colleagues remain in captivity, the Spanish government said. Alicia Gamez, 35, is now on a plane to Barcelona after spending more than three months as a hostage, Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega told a hastily called news conference. She said she had spoken to the volunteer aid worker, whose full-time job is as a court clerk in Barcelona. "Alicia is safe and sound," the deputy premier said. Asked if a ransom had been paid, she said "there was no payment." Gamez and two male colleagues from an aid group called Barcelona Accion Solidaria were kidnapped by gunmen Nov. 29 while delivering relief material to poor villages. Al-Qaida's North African offshoot claimed responsibility. Fernandez de la Vega said the government is now concentrating on winning the release of the two remaining hostages, businessmen Roque Pascual and Albert Vi...

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08:05:02 –

Big Miami-Dade hospital system nears insolvency

Associated Press

5.25

MIAMI (AP) -- The major hospital network Miami relies on for trauma care is close to insolvency and could be cut off by suppliers. Executives for Jackson Health System surprised its governing board Tuesday by saying the nonprofit is near or already in a "death spiral" as it runs low on cash. Chief Operating Officer David Small says any day he could hear from a surgeon without enough supplies to operate. The hospital system is the only Level 1 trauma center set up to provide emergency care around the clock in Miami-Dade, which is Florida's most populous county and the 8th largest in the nation. The hospital system needs a $67 million advance from the county to avoid coming within a day and a half of operating cash by April 5. --- Information from: The Miami Herald, http://www.herald.com © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:20:11 –

SAfrican Top Party: Song Not About Killing Whites

NY Times

3.25

Filed at 7:55 a.m. ET JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- South Africa's governing party says a leading member didn't mean it literally when he sang about killing whites. African National Congress Youth League leader Julius Malema is often in the news for his fiery rhetoric and flashy lifestyle. Tuesday, South African media reported he led University of Johannesburg students in the song, ''Shoot the boere, they are rapists.'' Boere is farmers in Afrikaans, the language of white South African descendants of early Dutch settlers. Afrikaners and others accuse Malema of inciting violence against whites. Ishmael Mnisi, an ANC spokesman, told The Associated Press Wednesday the song challenges those who do not want to see change in a society still divided by race. Mnisi says it is not ''a call to kill people.''...

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08:20:18 –

German Catholic Bishops to Examine Abuse Claims

NY Times

27.43%

3.1

Filed at 8:06 a.m. ET BERLIN (AP) -- Top prelate Karl Juesten says the German Bishops Conference will lead an investigation into growing claims of abuse at Catholic institutions in Pope Benedict XVI's homeland of Germany. He told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the Bishops Conference will examine all claims of abuse, physical and sexual, across the country. More than 170 students at Catholic schools across Germany have reported being sexually abused and others have alleged severe beatings. The German abuse allegations are particularly sensitive because of Germany's ties to Benedict. The investigation will also include allegations surrounding the prestigious choir that was led by the pope's brother, Georg Ratzinger, from 1964 till 1994. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. BERLIN (AP) -- An apology by the pope's brother for not doing anything to stop the abuse of students in the 1960s is a ''wonderfu...

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08:25:02 –

German bishops to investigate abuse charges

Associated Press

23.26%

3.2

REGENSBURG, Germany (AP) -- The German Bishops Conference will lead an investigation into all allegations of the sexual and physical abuse of students in Germany, a top prelate announced Wednesday. That investigation will include examining allegations of sexual abuse at a choir once led by the pope's brother and looking into what, if anything, Pope Benedict XVI himself knew in his previous position as the archbishop of Munich, prelate Karl Juesten told the Associated Press. Juesten, the liaison between Roman Catholic bishops and the German government, also praised the pope's brother, the Rev. Georg Ratzinger, for apologizing to victims on Tuesday for doing nothing decades ago to stop the beating of students. More than 170 students at Catholic schools across Germany have said they were sexually abused years ago and others have made allegations of severe beatings. The German abuse allegations are particularly sensitive because Germany is the pope's homeland and because the scandals i...

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08:25:02 –

Ex-wife criticizes Mandela to UK newspaper

Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- A British newspaper's interview quoting Nelson Mandela's ex-wife bitterly criticizing the anti-apartheid icon has prompted outraged headlines in South Africa. In Tuesday's Evening Standard, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is quoted as saying the former South African president "agreed to a bad deal for the blacks." The governing African National Congress said Wednesday it would not comment until its leaders could discuss the article with Madikizela-Mandela. She was traveling Wednesday. Mandela and his second wife divorced in 1996, six years after he walked free following 27 years in prison. In recent years, she has often joined Mandela and his third wife at family gatherings, and spoke glowingly of him last month on the 20th anniversary of his release from prison. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:25:02 –

Biden says Palestinians deserve 'viable' state

Associated Press

30.21%

3.53

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has told the Palestinians that they deserve a "viable" independent state with contiguous territory. Biden's comments on Wednesday appeared aimed at reassuring the Palestinians of U.S. support a day after Israel announced plans to build 1,600 new homes in disputed east Jerusalem. The Israeli move has overshadowed Biden's visit, which is meant to promote U.S.-led peace negotiations that are set to begin in the coming weeks. At a news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Biden reiterated his condemnation of Israel's plan and urged both sides to refrain from actions that could "inflame" tensions. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Israel apologized Wednesday for disrupting the visit of Vice President Joe Biden with its announcement of 1,600 new homes in disputed east Jerusalem, but made clear it had no intention of rever...

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08:25:02 –

Percy Sledge among new names in Alabama music hall

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Entertainers lined up for the Alabama Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony March 25 in Montgomery include Percy Sledge and the Blind Boys of Alabama. Executive director David Johnson says those performing and being inducted also include Eddie Levert of the O'Jays, Mac Davis, Jamey Johnson, the Atlanta Rhythm Section and songwriter Mac McAnally. Sledge is from Leighton. The Blind Boys of Alabama were formed in Talladega. Levert was born in Bessemer. Davis is a Texan who recorded his first hits in Muscle Shoals. Johnson is an Enterprise native who grew up near Montgomery. The Atlanta Rhythm Section was formed by Dothan native Buddy Buie. McAnally is from Red Bay and tours with Jimmy Buffett. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:25:03 –

Bank of Hawaii offering coupons free online

Associated Press

0.5

HONOLULU (AP) -- Bank of Hawaii says it's come up with a way to generate more business for its clients. The bank has launched a free, online virtual coupon book that offers a wide range of deals in various categories, including automotive, clothing, dining, entertainment and travel. The coupons can be found at the bank's Online Marketplace. The senior vice president of the bank's Internet Department, David Oyadomari, says the coupons come from bank clients, and they can be used by anyone who prints them out. Oyadomari says with the current economic challenges, the bank wanted to use technology and the Internet to help its clients generate more business, while also providing the public a way to conveniently save money. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:25:03 –

Brown-Forman 3Q profit falls on higher expenses

Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The maker of Jack Daniel's whiskey and Korbel champagne says its fiscal third-quarter profit slipped, pinched by higher expenses. Brown-Forman Corp. also narrowed its full-year earnings forecast to account for a charge, sales trends and other items. Net income dropped 13 percent to $107.9 million, or 73 cents per share, for the three months ended Jan. 31. Excluding a trademark impairment charge of 7 cents per share, profit was 80 cents per share. That beat analysts' 70 cents-per-share estimate. Brown-Forman says selling, general and administrative expenses climbed to $131.5 million from $113.1 million. Sales grew 10 percent to $861.7 million, topping Wall Street's $817 million. Brown-Forman is based in Louisville, Ky. © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:30:03 –

Sunni Islam's top cleric dies

CNN

...

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08:31:05 –

Retaliation fears stalk Nigeria city after clashes

Reuters

69.81%

5.6

JOS, Nigeria (Reuters) - Sporadic shooting rang out overnight in the central Nigerian city of Jos and witnesses said at least one person was killed by soldiers enforcing a curfew days after attacks on three nearby Christian villages. WorldJos, which lies at the crossroads of Nigeria's Muslim north and Christian south, has been tense since raiders attacked the villages of Dogo Nahawa, Zot and Ratsat just south of the city on Sunday, violence in which hundreds are feared to have died.Fierce competition for control of fertile farmlands between Christian and animist indigenous groups and Muslim settlers from the north have repeatedly triggered unrest over the past decade.Retaliatory attacks are not uncommon and Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has put the security forces on red alert to try to prevent unrest from spreading to neighboring states at the heart of Africa's most populous nation."Last night until this morning everybody kept vigil. Nobody slept," said Felvis Aduba, a Jos...

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08:35:01 –

US aid group attacked in NW Pakistan; 6 dead

Associated Press

100%

5.21

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Suspected militants armed with grenades attacked the offices of a U.S.-based Christian aid group helping earthquake survivors in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing six employees and wounding several others, police and the organization said. All the victims of the assault on World Vision, a major humanitarian group, were Pakistanis. Extremists have killed other people working for foreign aid groups in Pakistan and issued statements saying such organizations were working against Islam, greatly hampering efforts to raise living standards in the desperately poor region. Many groups have scaled down operations in the northwest or pulled out altogether. The attack took place in Ogi, a small town in Mansehra district, which was badly hit by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. "It was a brutal and senseless attack," said Dean Owen, World Vision spokesman in Seattle, Washington. "It was completely unexpected, unannounced and unprovoked." Another spokesman said the group ...

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08:35:01 –

Genesee & Wyoming Feb. traffic falls 9 percent

Associated Press

1.5

Mar 10 2010

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