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Aug 03 2009

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21:30:14 –
Google launches rare ad campaign to sell more apps
Associated Press
43.32%
3.42
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Google Inc. is so well known that it has become a synonym for search, making advertising unnecessary. Getting businesses to buy Google's online suite of office applications requires a little more elbow grease and marketing muscle. In a rare commercial campaign, Google is leasing billboards along major highways in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Boston this month to promote a bundle of business applications that sells for $50 per worker annually. A different message will be displayed each weekday through August, starting with Monday morning's commute. Google has been peddling its "apps" package since 2007, but only recently realized it needed a more aggressive sales pitch. "People don't necessarily think of Google when it comes to how we can help companies," said Michael Lock, director of sales and operations for Google's enterprise division in North America. For now, Google doesn't plan to advertise its business applications in other offline media like ma...

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21:30:15 –
Official: Bomb kills 10 in western Afghanistan
Associated Press
59.15%
6.19
KABUL (AP) -- An official says a bomb targeting a police convoy in western Afghanistan has killed 10 people and wounded 20 including civilians. Western Region Police spokesman Raouf Ahmedi says the explosion Monday in Herat was remote controlled. The attack comes as Afghans gear up for a presidential election later this month and as the country battles a raging Taliban insurgency. The militants are strongest in the country's south but attacks do occur elsewhere including the relatively calm west. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. KABUL (AP) - Three American soldiers died in a complex militant ambush in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, raising NATO's two-day August death toll to nine and continuing the bloodiest period of the eight-year war for U.S. and allied troops. The U.N.'s representative in Afghanistan, meanwhile, called for peace talks with the Taliban's top leadership, saying deals with local militant commande...

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21:30:16 –
Bratz maker introduces new doll line
Associated Press
51.72%
3.13
NEW YORK (AP) -- MGA Entertainment Inc. is going to need to muster all the moxie it has for its latest launch. MGA is rolling out a new line of dolls called Moxie Girlz as Mattel Inc. plans to take over MGA's former marquee product, the saucy Bratz dolls, following a four-year legal struggle. With more modest apparel and figures than Bratz, you can think of Moxie Girlz as Bratz lite, and MGA is banking on the line to keep it afloat. MGA Entertainment began developing Moxie Girlz, targeted at girls ages 6 to 10, last year. The line was inspired by the recession and the changes in families' lifestyles that came up in focus group discussions, says Paula Garcia, vice president of product design and development. "We wanted to make the doll a reflection of the consumer herself, not lavish, expensive, material things," she said. "The fashion is 'everyday' fashion as opposed to very lavish fashions." Early sales of Moxie Girlz, which started appearing in some Target and Wal-Mart stores on ...

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21:30:16 –
Lengthy to-do list for Jackson hearing
Associated Press
40.89%
2.25
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The handlers of Michael Jackson's probate and guardianship cases have a full slate at a hearing meant to tackle a number of estate and family issues. At least one major hurdle was cleared last week with a custody agreement between Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and Deborah Rowe, the biological mother of the singer's two oldest children. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff has deferred hearing arguments or making rulings on several motions brought by attorneys for Katherine Jackson and the two men who have temporary control of the pop icon's financial matters: attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain. Jackson's estate has been described in court documents as having an estimated value of more than $500 million, but its actual current worth is about $100 million, and could increase in value to $200 million or more with some financial restructuring, according to a person briefed on the matter. The person was not authorized to speak ...

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21:30:18 –
Future tech on show at 36th SIGGRAPH
Associated Press
30.5%
2.29
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- If you pull on my ear, will I follow you anywhere? Yes, say researchers at University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo. And along complex paths. Even when directed from a distance. Their ear-tugging navigator looks like a bug-shaped hat and may be the oddest gizmo among nearly three dozen in the "Emerging Technologies" area of SIGGRAPH '09, the 36th international conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques that starts Monday. The conference, which runs through Friday, also includes an animation festival, game design and animation workshops and contests, a studio, an art show, and other showcases and exhibits. The 33 "Emerging Technologies" exhibits include a click-and-drag graphical editor to tell robots how to perform complex tasks such as folding clothes; an umbrella that moves as if you were fending off a downpour of rain, spaghetti or toy snakes; and a virtual reality floor that designers say can feel like walking on snow. The ear navigator,...

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22:30:14 –
Pakistan Christians shut schools to mourn killings
Associated Press
0%
5.82
ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Pakistan's Christian leaders say they have closed their schools and colleges across the Muslim-majority country for three days to mourn and protest the killings of eight of their religious brethren. Hundreds of Muslims stormed a Christian neighborhood in Gojra city on Saturday, burning dozens of houses. Six Christians were burned to death and two died of gunshots. The violence was prompted by allegations that some Christians had desecrated a Quran. Bishop Sadiq Daniel says the Christians' want to register their anger and concern peacefully. He said Monday that the government must "bring all perpetrators of the crime to justice." A spokesman for Pakistan's president said a judicial panel will probe the incident. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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22:30:15 –
Aussie family sues KFC after daughter becomes ill
Associated Press
0%
3
SYDNEY (AP) -- An Australian family sued KFC on Monday, claiming their daughter became brain damaged and crippled after eating a chicken wrap tainted with salmonella. Their lawyer told the New South Wales state Supreme Court in an opening statement there was no doubt that Monika Samaan, then 7, developed salmonella poisoning from a chicken wrap bought from a KFC outlet in Sydney in 2005. "There is little or no doubt that chicken was reported by all scientists, at the time of these unhappy events occurring, as being the source of that salmonella," lawyer Anthony Bartley said. Officials for KFC, which is operated by Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum Brands Inc., could not immediately be reached for comment. The girl, now 11, attended court in a wheelchair. Bartley said she had acquired spastic quadriplegia and an intellectual disability since the poisoning. Bartley said the court would hear "disturbing and quite unsettling" evidence about the practices in KFC kitchens during the trial. ...

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22:30:16 –
Study finds rise in student injuries in gym class
Associated Press
87.14%
3.38
CHICAGO (AP) -- Injuries to American children during physical education classes increased by 150 percent from 1997-2007, a new study finds, a possible drawback to a movement encouraging more vigorous exercise in schools. Yet that may have less to do with lively gym programs than with lack of adult supervision, experts said. A decline in school nurses and larger class sizes could be to blame, said the study's senior author Lara McKenzie of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. "Children got hurt by running into equipment or having contact with structures or other persons," McKenzie said. "They had heat stroke, fainting and heart palpitations." Boys had more cuts and broken bones than girls. Girls were more likely to suffer strains and sprains. While the benefits of physical education classes outweigh the risks, McKenzie said, "being healthy doesn't have to hurt." The study, based on hospital reports of phys ed injuries, was released Monday and appears in the September ed...

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22:30:17 –
Bomb blast kills 12, mostly Afghan civilians
Associated Press
67.48%
6.52
KABUL (AP) -- A remote-controlled bomb targeting a police convoy killed 12 people Monday in western Afghanistan, a day after three American soldiers died in a complex militant ambush in the country's east. The bomb blast Monday occurred in the city of Herat. Ten civilians and two police officers were killed, said Noor Khan Nekzad, a spokesman for the Herat provincial police chief. About 20 people were wounded, he said. Sunday's attack on the soldiers raised NATO's two-day August death toll to nine, continuing the bloodiest period of the eight-year war for U.S. and allied troops. The U.N.'s representative in Afghanistan called for peace talks with the Taliban's top leadership, saying deals with local militant commanders as proposed by Britain's foreign secretary would not be enough to end the violence. Kai Eide's call is another indication that parts of the international community favor reaching out to the top echelons of the radical Islamist movement in their attempts to bring peac...

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22:30:18 –
Magnitude-5.1 quake shakes off waters of Guam
Associated Press
0%
5.75
HAGATNA, Guam (AP) -- A moderate earthquake has struck in waters off the island of Guam, but there are no reports of any damage or injury. The U.S. Geological Survey says in a preliminary report that the magnitude-5.1 quake struck at 11:47 a.m. local time Sunday at a depth of about 21 miles. It was centered about 100 miles southwest of Hagatna and 230 miles southwest of Saipan. A dispatcher from the Guam Police Department says there have been no reports of injuries or damages on the island. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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22:30:18 –
Oil jumps above $70 on optimism demand to recover
Associated Press
41.67%
4
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Oil prices jumped above $70 a barrel Monday in Asia on investor expectations a recovering global economy will boost crude demand. Benchmark crude for September delivery was up 73 cents to $70.18 a barrel by midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Friday, the contract rose $2.51 to settle at $69.45. Oil prices seesawed last week before surging Thursday and Friday as investors bet that crude demand, which has been tepid this summer, will eventually pick up as the economy improves. "Optimism for economic recovery is fighting the weak fundamentals, and right now the optimism is holding the upper hand," said Victor Shum, an energy analyst with Purvin & Gertz in Singapore. Crude also has followed gains in global stocks. Most Asian indexes were up in early trading. Prices may test an eight-month high of $73.23 a barrel in the coming days, but dismal consumer sentiment in the U.S. will likely weigh on demand and send prices back...

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22:30:19 –
Search begins for missing Indonesian plane
Associated Press
0%
1.5
JAKARTA (AP) -- Search planes hunted Monday for an aircraft carrying 16 people that is believed to have crashed in eastern Indonesia. Four planes were flying close to the route that the Twin Otter was taking before it lost contact with flight controllers Sunday over the remote Papua region, said Air Force Col. Suwandi Mihardja. No trace of the small plane has been found, he said. The missing plane was on a 50-minute journey from Sentani, a major airport in Papua, to the town of Oksibil. Indonesia, a nation of more than 18,000 islands, has seen a string of air crashes in recent years. In 2007, the European Union banned all Indonesian carriers from landing in the bloc. It recently lifted the ban on four of the airlines, including Garuda, the country's flag carrier, saying standards had improved. Much of Papua is covered with impenetrable jungles and mountains. In the past, crashed planes there have never been found. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materi...

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22:30:19 –
Chargers' English eager to show he belongs
Associated Press
37.43%
2.5
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- After sprinting toward the ball carrier Sunday, Chargers linebacker Larry English would make a beeline to three-time Pro Bowler Shawne Merriman, to hear what the knowledgeable veteran had to say. "I know for one that he was in the same position as me a few years back," said English, the team's first-round pick. "So he knows what I am going through firsthand." A show of hands would reveal many were surprised English became a Charger. He was a pass-rushing dynamo at Northern Illinois, and the Chargers already had two players who love pestering quarterbacks: Merriman and linebacker Shaun Phillips. But English is here - after signing his contract Saturday - and eager to show he belongs. "It was good for the first day to get a chance to go full speed," English said after Sunday's practice. "And with the pads, it is always fun and a high-energy day, and we got some work done. Now it gets fun." Merriman relished his role as respected mentor. "It's my job to keep pushing ...

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23:30:13 –
Bomb blast in Afghanistan kills at least 10
Associated Press
65.73%
6.29
KABUL (AP) -- The Taliban killed at least 10 people and critically injured a local police chief in western Afghanistan's main city on Monday with a remote-controlled bomb hidden in a trash can, officials said. The bomb was set on a crowded street near a fruit market in Herat. It killed 10 civilians and two police, according to Noor Khan Nekzad, a spokesman for the Herat provincial police. The attack appeared to target the police chief for nearby Injil district who was driving into town, said Raouf Ahmedi, the top police spokesman in western Afghanistan. He said the district chief, Mohammad Issa, was being transferred to a NATO-run hospital in critical condition. Ahmedi said only 10 people were killed in the blast, including a woman, a young girl and six men. There was no immediate explanation for the different police counts. At least 30 people were injured in the blast, which blew windows out on a 100-meter (yard) radius, he said. A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said the g...

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23:30:15 –
Massive turnout for Aquino cortege in Manila
Associated Press
55.56%
4.82
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Masses of mourners yelled her name as former President Corazon Aquino's body was escorted Monday through rain-soaked streets to Manila Cathedral, along a historic avenue that 23 years ago became the site of a "people power" revolt against a dictator led by the woman in a yellow dress. Tens of thousands left their offices, schools and homes and converged on streets and overpasses with clumps of yellow balloons, waving yellow ribbons and showering confetti on Aquino's flag-draped casket carried on a flatbed truck bedecked with flowers. Yellow became a symbol of the nonviolent mass uprising that forced Ferdinand Marcos from power in 1986. As sunshine rays broke through the clouds, a man on a bicycle released four doves. Manila's notorious traffic came to a standstill as drivers rolled down windows and put out their hands flashing Aquino's trademark "L" sign for "laban," or "fight" in Filipino, her slogan in the campaign that toppled Marcos' 20-year repressi...

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23:30:16 –
Asia markets edge higher as banks gain
Associated Press
47.62%
3.77
TOKYO (AP) -- Asian stock markets edged higher in tepid trading Monday after the world's biggest economy shrank less than expected in the second quarter and banks rose on improving earnings. Underpinning the modest gains was a U.S. government report Friday that showed the contraction in the U.S. economy slowed to 1 percent in the second quarter, adding to hopes the recession is nearly over. The data also beat expectations with analysts forecasting a 1.5 percent drop. Banks led the region's rise following better-than-expected earnings from some big lenders and on optimism that financial institutions are bouncing back from the financial crisis. Japan's market bucked the regional trend despite the rally in financial stocks with the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average down 11.31, or 0.1 percent, to 10,345.52 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 128.26, or 0.6 percent, to 20,701.59. Elsewhere, South Korea's Kospi gained 0.6 percent, Australia's benchmark advanced 0.8 percent and China's Shan...

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00:00:27 –
Venezuela Still Aids Colombia Rebels, New Material Shows
NY Times
48.74%
5.43
CARACAS, Venezuela — Despite repeated denials by President Hugo Chávez, Venezuelan officials have continued to assist commanders of Colombia’s largest rebel group, helping them arrange weapons deals in Venezuela and even obtain identity cards to move with ease on Venezuelan soil, according to computer material captured from the rebels in recent months and under review by Western intelligence agencies. Enlarge This ImageLeonardo Munoz/European Pressphoto AgencyNew evidence points to collaborations between members of the Venezuelan government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. A Colombian soldier inspected the area after an aerial bombardment against the FARC in July. RelatedTimes Topics: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) | Colombia | Hugo Chavez | Venezuela Enlarge This ImageThomas Coex/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesPresident Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, left, appearing with Foreign Minister Ni...

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00:00:30 –
Pakistan Valley Tries to Heal, and Fears Dark Battles Ahead
NY Times
70.93%
5.39
MINGORA, Pakistan — Schools have officially reopened. Soldiers stand guard at checkpoints and have established a semblance of order. Many thousands have returned here to a town that is mostly intact, if still under a military presence. MultimediaSlide ShowA City Struggling for Calm RelatedHate Engulfs Christians in Pakistan (August 3, 2009)Times Topics: Taliban | Swat Valley Enlarge This ImageMichael Kamber for The New York TimesA Mingora resident sat on the ruins of his home, where his four children were killed May 15 in what he and others said was a military airstrike aimed at the Taliban. More Photos » The New York TimesThe Pakistani military fought the Taliban in Mingora. More Photos > But Mingora, a battle-scarred city in the Swat Valley, remains tense. Pakistan’s efforts to restore normalcy — a vital test of the government’s resolve to stand up to the Taliban — waver betwee...

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00:00:34 –
Israel Evicts Palestinians From Homes
NY Times
51.79%
3.95
JERUSALEM — Israeli security forces evicted two Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem early Sunday after the families lost a long legal battle to remain in the contested properties, furthering a plan for Jewish settlement in the predominantly Arab area. RelatedDiplomatic Memo: U.S. to Push Peace in Middle East Media Campaign (August 3, 2009) The move, days after senior American officials visited Jerusalem to press for a settlement freeze, prompted sharp international criticism. Later Sunday, the Israeli police said they had evidence to support indicting Israel’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, on charges including taking bribes, laundering money and committing fraud. Mr. Lieberman, who denied wrongdoing, has been the subject of various police investigations for 13 years. The police said they had passed their conclusions to the attorney general, who will decide whether to press charges. If Mr. Lieberman is indicted, he will b...

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00:00:37 –
Hate Engulfs Christians in Pakistan
NY Times
54.99%
5.67
GOJRA, Pakistan — The blistered black walls of the Hameed family’s bedroom tell of an unspeakable crime. Seven family members died here on Saturday, six of them burned to death by a mob that had broken into their house and shot the grandfather dead, just because they were Christian. Related6 Christians Killed in Riots in Pakistan (August 2, 2009)Pakistan Valley Tries to Heal, and Fears Dark Battles Ahead (August 3, 2009)Times Topics: Pakistan Enlarge This ImageMohsin Raza/ReutersWomen on Sunday mourned relatives killed in Gojra, Pakistan. The New York TimesAttacks began in Gojra over a claim that a Koran had been defiled. The family had huddled in the bedroom, talking in whispers with their backs pressed against the door, as the mob taunted them. “They said, ‘If you come out, we’ll kill you,’ ” said Ikhlaq Hameed, 22, who escaped. Among the dead were two children, Musa, 6, and Uma...

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00:00:40 –
U.S. Weighs Iran Oil Sanctions if Nuclear Talks Are Rejected
NY Times
31.25%
4.35
The Obama administration is talking with allies and Congress about the possibility of imposing an extreme economic sanction against Iran if it fails to respond to President Obama’s offer to negotiate on its nuclear program: cutting off the country’s imports of gasoline and other refined oil products. RelatedTimes Topics: Iran's Nuclear Program The option of acting against companies around the world that supply Iran with 40 percent of its gasoline has been broached with European allies and Israel, officials from those countries said. Legislation that would give Mr. Obama that authority already has 71 sponsors in the Senate and similar legislation is expected to sail through the House.In a visit to Israel last week, Mr. Obama’s national security adviser, James L. Jones, mentioned the prospect to Israeli officials, they said.The White House refused Sunday to confirm or deny the contents of Mr. Jones’s discussions. But other administration officia...

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00:00:44 –
TSONJIN BOLDOG JOURNAL; Genghis Khan Rules Mongolia Again, in a P.R. Campaign
NY Times
40.6%
4.22
TSONJIN BOLDOG, Mongolia — Jesus Christ looms over Rio de Janeiro, a quartet of American presidents gazes from the face of Mount Rushmore and Lenin keeps watch over St. Petersburg. But if there were a global contest to honor larger-than-life men on a colossal scale, Mongolia might just vanquish them all — again. RelatedTimes Topics: Mongolia The New York TimesA monument in Tsonjin Boldog is the latest effort to show off an old khan. Genghis Khan, the legendary horseman who conquered half the known world in the 13th century, has returned to the steppes of Mongolia, and this time he charges admission.About an hour’s drive from Ulan Bator, Mongolia’s drab capital, the khan first appears on the horizon as a twinkling speck, rising on the plains like a shimmering mirage. As one approaches, he takes the breath away: a 131-foot-tall giant on horseback, wrapped in 250 tons of gleaming stainless steel. Visitors can even take an elevator and em...

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00:00:47 –
China Arrests 319 People in Unrest in Xinjiang
NY Times
77.98%
5.35
BEIJING — Chinese security officials have detained an additional 319 people whom they suspect of taking part in the unrest in the far western region of Xinjiang, the official media reported Sunday. The arrests, according to the Xinhua news agency, came days after 253 other people were taken into custody, most of them Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking, predominately Sunni Muslim minority that the Chinese government has blamed for much of the killing last month in the city of Urumqi. “Every suspect, without any exception, will be arrested and punished according to the law to root out any hidden danger,” Xinhua said. It added that many of those detained in recent days had been turned in by people outraged by the violence, which claimed 197 lives, nearly two-thirds of the victims Han Chinese. “It aroused the feelings of local residents, and they had more initiative in exposing those suspects and provided a huge amount of clues,” Xinhua said.The police have not r...

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00:00:50 –
DIPLOMATIC MEMO; U.S. to Push Peace in Middle East Media Campaign
NY Times
22.82%
2.64
WASHINGTON — George J. Mitchell likes to remind people that he labored for 700 days before reaching the Good Friday accord that brought peace to Northern Ireland. So the fact that Mr. Mitchell has shuttled back and forth to the Middle East for the last 190 days without any breakthroughs, he said, does not mean that President Obama’s push for peace there is stalled. Enlarge This ImagePool photo by Dan BaliltyPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel met with George J. Mitchell, left, the Obama administration’s special envoy to the Middle East, for several hours last Tuesday in Jerusalem. RelatedIsrael Evicts Palestinians From Homes (August 3, 2009)Times Topics: George J. Mitchell But while the negotiating has continued — mostly in closed-door sessions with few comments for the press, in keeping with Mr. Mitchell’s close-to-the-vest style — reports in Israel, in particular, have focused on the claim that the Obama...

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00:00:53 –
Iran Broadcasts Confessions by 2 Opposition Figures on Trial
NY Times
34.12%
4.46
BEIRUT, Lebanon — A day after Iranian authorities began a mass trial of more than 100 government opponents, state television broadcast a chilling segment in which two defendants — both prominent reform figures — said they had “changed” since being arrested, and disputed widespread claims that their publicized confessions had been coerced through torture. RelatedTimes Topics: Iran NYT_VideoPlayerStart( { playerType : "article", videoId : "1247463781587" } ); The segment was broadcast shortly after a Tehran prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, who is running the trials, released a statement warning that anyone criticizing the trial as illegitimate, as many opposition figures have done, would also be prosecuted. The two steps reflected an intensified effort to intimidate Iran’s opposition movement before President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is inaugurated for a second term on Wednesday. Opposition supporters ma...

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00:00:56 –
U.S. Pilot’s Remains Found in Iraq After 18 Years
NY Times
41.07%
5.08
WASHINGTON — Navy officials announced early Sunday that Marines in the western Iraqi province of Anbar had found remains that have been positively identified as those of an American fighter pilot shot down in the opening hours of the first Persian Gulf war in 1991. U.S. Navy, via Associated PressCaptain Michael Scott Speicher RelatedTimes Topics: Michael Scott Speicher NYT_VideoPlayerStart( { playerType : "article", videoId : "1247463781799" } ); The Navy pilot, Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, was the only American missing in action from that war. Efforts to determine what happened to him after his F/A-18 Hornet was shot down by an Iraqi warplane on Jan. 17, 1991, had continued despite false rumors and scant information.Conflicting reports from Iraq had, over the years, fueled speculation that the pilot, promoted to captain from lieutenant commander in the years he was missing, might have been taken into cap...

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00:00:59 –
Arrests in Bank Robbery Create a Rift Between Iraqi Officials
NY Times
61.11%
4.73
BAGHDAD — A political spat broke out between two top Iraqi officials on Sunday over who might have been involved in a brazen bank robbery in Baghdad, a day after authorities announced that three members of Iraq’s presidential guard had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the heist. As the politicians bickered, shocked residents asked whether the robbery would have occurred if American soldiers were still patrolling the streets.One of Iraq’s two vice presidents, Adel Abdul Mahdi, admonished the Interior Ministry on Sunday for revealing that the robbery last Tuesday had been masterminded by two senior officers of the guard assigned to protect him. He also said the ministry was trying to claim credit for apprehending the suspects and recovering the stolen money, when in fact he had led the efforts.“This success in carrying out the duty to stop organized crime was ruined by nothing other than politicking,” Mr. Abdul Mahdi said in a statement.For...

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00:01:02 –
Malaysian Arrests Put in Question Vow of Rights
NY Times
65.38%
5.06
BANGKOK — Soon after coming to power four months ago, Najib Razak, the Malaysian prime minister, vowed to temper the country’s repressive laws and respect civil liberties though they have often been ignored. But Malaysia’s honeymoon of liberalism hit the rocks over the weekend, when the police broke up a large rally in Kuala Lumpur, arresting nearly 600 people and reaffirming the governing party’s longstanding policy of zero tolerance toward street protests.Opposition parties, which organized the rally, were calling for the repeal of a law that allows the government to jail its critics indefinitely without charge. The opposition is also pressing the government to expand an inquiry into the recent death under mysterious circumstances of a political aide after a late-night interrogation by anticorruption officials.News services estimated that the rally on Saturday, which was broken up by thousands of police officers using tear gas and water cannons, drew abo...

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00:01:04 –
9 Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
NY Times
100%
7.57
KABUL, Afghanistan — Insurgents killed nine American and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan over the weekend, underscoring the alarming increase in the sophistication and frequency of roadside bomb attacks that contributed to making July the deadliest month of the allies’ eight-year campaign against the Taliban. Three American soldiers were killed on Saturday in Kandahar Province, and three more were killed on Sunday in Wardak Province. Two Canadian soldiers were also killed Saturday in Kandahar, and a French soldier died Saturday after a gun battle with guerrilla forces north of Kabul. The deaths in the first two days of August followed 75 American and NATO troop deaths in July, a number that surpassed the highest previous monthly casualty toll by almost two-thirds, according to figures compiled by icasualties.org, a Web site that tracks military fatalities. Summers have traditionally been the most lethal fighting months in Afghanistan, as many Taliban fighters and other g...

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00:01:07 –
Russia Accused of Altering Border
NY Times
52.94%
5
MOSCOW — Georgia accused Russia of attempting to take a small wedge of additional territory on Sunday on the boundary of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, amid mounting tension days before the anniversary of last year’s five-day war. RelatedRussia Accuses Georgia of Raising Tension After Report of Attack in South Ossetia (August 2, 2009)Times Topics: Russia | Georgia Shota Utiashvili, a spokesman for Georgia’s Interior Ministry, said Russian reconnaissance teams entered the village of Kveshi in the disputed region in an attempt to move the boundary several hundred yards to a strategically better position. Though Russian border guards have been deployed on South Ossetia’s boundary with Georgia since April 30, he said, they have been reinforcing it gradually. Press officers for the separatist government of South Ossetia could not be reached for comment. Steve Bird, a spokesman for the European Union Monitoring Mission, said patrol...

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00:01:10 –
Bomb Is Said to Kill 12 in Western Afghanistan
NY Times
69.31%
6.29
KABUL (AP) -- The Taliban killed at least 10 people and critically injured a local police chief in western Afghanistan's main city on Monday with a remote-controlled bomb hidden in a trash can, officials said.The bomb was set on a crowded street near a fruit market in Herat. It killed 10 civilians and two police, according to Noor Khan Nekzad, a spokesman for the Herat provincial police.The attack appeared to target the police chief for nearby Injil district who was driving into town, said Raouf Ahmedi, the top police spokesman in western Afghanistan.He said the district chief, Mohammad Issa, was being transferred to a NATO-run hospital in critical condition.Ahmedi said only 10 people were killed in the blast, including a woman, a young girl and six men. There was no immediate explanation for the different police counts. At least 30 people were injured in the blast, which blew windows out on a 100-meter (yard) radius, he said.A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said the group had ...

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00:01:13 –
Search Begins for Missing Indonesian Plane
NY Times
0%
1.5
JAKARTA (AP) -- Search planes hunted Monday for an aircraft carrying 16 people that is believed to have crashed in eastern Indonesia.Four planes were flying close to the route that the Twin Otter was taking before it lost contact with flight controllers Sunday over the remote Papua region, said Air Force Col. Suwandi Mihardja.No trace of the small plane has been found, he said.The missing plane was on a 50-minute journey from Sentani, a major airport in Papua, to the town of Oksibil.Indonesia, a nation of more than 18,000 islands, has seen a string of air crashes in recent years.In 2007, the European Union banned all Indonesian carriers from landing in the bloc. It recently lifted the ban on four of the airlines, including Garuda, the country's flag carrier, saying standards had improved.Much of Papua is covered with impenetrable jungles and mountains. In the past, crashed planes there have never been found....

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00:01:16 –
Pakistan Christians Shut Schools to Mourn Killings
NY Times
0%
5.82
ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Pakistan's Christian leaders say they have closed their schools and colleges across the Muslim-majority country for three days to mourn and protest the killings of eight of their religious brethren.Hundreds of Muslims stormed a Christian neighborhood in Gojra city on Saturday, burning dozens of houses.Six Christians were burned to death and two died of gunshots.The violence was prompted by allegations that some Christians had desecrated a Quran.Bishop Sadiq Daniel says the Christians' want to register their anger and concern peacefully. He said Monday that the government must ''bring all perpetrators of the crime to justice.''A spokesman for Pakistan's president said a judicial panel will probe the incident....

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00:01:19 –
Canada Extradites German Businessman Schreiber
NY Times
100%
4.83
MUNICH (AP) -- Businessman Karlheinz Schreiber was expected in Germany on Monday to face charges related to a party financing scandal surrounding former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, after losing a decade-long fight to avoid extradition from Canada.Bavaria's state Justice Ministry said the 75-year-old would arrive in Munich Monday morning aboard a flight from Toronto, and would then be taken into custody in Augsburg, where prosecutors accuse him of bribery and tax evasion.Schreiber, a former arms-industry lobbyist, is viewed as a key figure in a corruption scandal that engulfed Kohl after he left office.Allegations that Schreiber gave a cash donation to the former treasurer of Kohl's Christian Democrats, Walther Leisler Kiep, in 1991 triggered a scandal that deepened with Kohl's 1999 admission that he had personally accepted off-the-books -- and therefore illegal -- donations from supporters.Kohl was Germany's chancellor from 1982 to 1998.The Christian Democrats currently head Germany's gove...

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00:01:22 –
Bomb Kills 12, Wounds 26 In West Afghanistan
NY Times
0%
5.44
HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A roadside bomb killed at least 12 people and wounded 26 in the western Afghan province of Herat on Monday, a security official said.A woman and child were among those killed in the blast and the district police chief was seriously wounded, security commander for Herat, General Esmatullah Alizai, said.The Taliban, who have vowed to disrupt this month's presidential election in Afghanistan, were behind the attack, a spokesman, Qari Mohammad Yousuf, said. The district police chief, Khoja Issa, was the target, he added.Violence in Afghanistan has spiked in the past month as the United States and its NATO-led allies have boosted troop numbers to secure restive areas of the country ahead of the August 20 vote.Three Americans were among five foreign troops killed in Afghanistan on Sunday.(Reporting by Sharafuddin Sharafyar; Writing by Golnar Motevalli Editing by Nick Macfie)...

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00:01:24 –
Iran's Leader to Approve Ahmadinejad's Presidency
NY Times
55.56%
5.91
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader will formally approve the second-term presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday after a disputed election that leading reformists say was rigged to ensure the incumbent's victory."The official ceremony will start in a few minutes," state radio reported. The ceremony is closed to foreign media.Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has endorsed the election result and demanded an end to protests during which at least 20 people were killed.Moderate defeated candidates Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi say the next government will be illegitimate. Iranian officials deny any fraud in the election, in which the hardline Ahmadinejad was declared to have won 63 percent of 40 million votes cast, against 34 percent for Mousavi.Ahmadinejad will be sworn in by parliament on Wednesday.He then has two weeks to submit his cabinet list to the mostly conservative parliament, which may object if he names only members of his inner circle.The aftermath of the ...

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00:01:27 –
Aussie Family Sues KFC After Daughter Becomes Ill
NY Times
0%
3
SYDNEY (AP) -- An Australian family sued KFC on Monday, claiming their daughter became brain damaged and crippled after eating a chicken wrap tainted with salmonella.Their lawyer told the New South Wales state Supreme Court in an opening statement there was no doubt that Monika Samaan, then 7, developed salmonella poisoning from a chicken wrap bought from a KFC outlet in Sydney in 2005.''There is little or no doubt that chicken was reported by all scientists, at the time of these unhappy events occurring, as being the source of that salmonella,'' lawyer Anthony Bartley said.Officials for KFC, which is operated by Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum Brands Inc., could not immediately be reached for comment.The girl, now 11, attended court in a wheelchair. Bartley said she had acquired spastic quadriplegia and an intellectual disability since the poisoning.Bartley said the court would hear ''disturbing and quite unsettling'' evidence about the practices in KFC kitchens during the trial....

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00:01:30 –
Massive Turnout for Aquino Cortege in Manila
NY Times
57.14%
4.82
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Masses of mourners yelled her name as former President Corazon Aquino's body was escorted Monday through rain-soaked streets to Manila Cathedral, along a historic avenue that 23 years ago became the site of a ''people power'' revolt against a dictator led by the woman in a yellow dress.Tens of thousands left their offices, schools and homes and converged on streets and overpasses with clumps of yellow balloons, waving yellow ribbons and showering confetti on Aquino's flag-draped casket carried on a flatbed truck bedecked with flowers. Yellow became a symbol of the nonviolent mass uprising that forced Ferdinand Marcos from power in 1986.As sunshine rays broke through the clouds, a man on a bicycle released four doves. Manila's notorious traffic came to a standstill as drivers rolled down windows and put out their hands flashing Aquino's trademark ''L'' sign for ''laban,'' or ''fight'' in Filipino, her slogan in the campaign that toppled Marcos' 20-year repres...

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00:01:32 –
China Says Another 319 Detained Over Xinjiang Riot
NY Times
65.34%
4.96
BEIJING (AP) -- Police in western China have detained another 319 people suspected of being involved in deadly ethnic unrest between Muslim minority Uighurs and the dominant Han Chinese community last month, a state news agency said.Police in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, said the detentions were made in the city and elsewhere in the far western region, based on information given by the public or obtained in investigations, the official Xinhua News Agency reported late Sunday. It did not say how many of those detained were Uighur or Han Chinese.The detentions came in addition to earlier announcements by the government that more than 1,600 people have been detained over the July 5 riots in Urumqi that started when police stopped a protest by the Turkic-speaking Uighurs. The Uighurs smashed windows, burned cars and attacked Han Chinese. Two days later, the Han took to the streets and staged retaliatory attacks.The fighting was China's worst ethnic violence in decades.Xinhua said Urumq...

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00:01:36 –
Under the Veil, Nip and Tuck Makes New Saudi Faces
NY Times
27.61%
2.67
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Does Islam frown on nose jobs? Chemical peels? How about breast implants?One of the clerics with the answers is Sheik Mohammed al-Nujaimi, and Saudi women flock to him for guidance about going under the knife. The results may not see much light of day in a kingdom where women cover up from head to toe, yet cosmetic surgery is booming.Religion covers every facet of life in Saudi Arabia, including plastic surgery. Al-Nujaimi draws his guidelines from the consensus that was reached three years ago when clergymen and plastic surgeons met in Riyadh to determine whether cosmetic procedures violate the Islamic tenet against tampering God's creation.The verdict was that it's halal (sanctioned) to augment unusually small breasts, fix features that are causing a person grief, or reverse damage from an accident. But undergoing an unsafe procedure or changing the shape of a ''perfect nose'' just to resemble a singer or actress is haram (forbidden).''I get calls from ma...

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00:01:39 –
Filipinos Mourn Aquino, ‘People Power’ President
NY Times
63.16%
4.06
MANILA — Thousands of Filipinos lined up outside a Catholic school here on Sunday for a last glimpse of Corazon C. Aquino, the woman they credited with ushering in democracy nearly a quarter-century ago, ending two decades of dictatorial rule. Enlarge This ImageAlanah M. Torralba/European Pressphoto AgencyFilipino mourners waited in line in spite of rainfall for the public viewing of former President Corazon Aquino's remains. RelatedTimes Topics: Corazon C. Aquino Enlarge This ImagePool photo by Dennis M. SabanganFilipinos paid their last respects to Mrs. Aquino at the De La Salle school gym in the Manila suburb of Mandaluyong on Sunday. Enlarge This ImageRomeo Ranoco/ReutersPeople wore yellow shirts and held up the "Laban," or fight symbol, for Mrs. Aquino at her wake. Enlarge This ImageJoseph Agcaoili/Associated PressA Filipino boy and his mother looked at wreaths for Mrs. Aquino's wake, in Mandaluyong. ...

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00:01:42 –
Nigerian Death Toll Rises to 700
NY Times
73.56%
5.5
MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA — The Nigerian authorities disregarded dozens of warnings about a violent Islamist sect until it attacked police stations and government buildings last week in a blood bath that killed more than 700 people, Muslim clerics and an army official said. Enlarge This ImageSunday Alamba/Associated PressWomen at a church prayed for peace after violence in recent days in Maiduguri, Nigeria. More than 50 Muslim leaders repeatedly called the police, local authorities and state security to urge them to take action against Boko Haram sect militants but their pleas were ignored, Imam Ibrahim Ahmed Abdullahi said. “A lot of imams tried to draw the attention of the government,” Mr. Abdullahi said, drawing nods from the several other Muslim scholars sitting with him as he spoke Saturday in the battle-ravaged city of Maiduguri. “We used to call the government and security agents to say that these people must be stopped from what t...

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00:10:14 –
Search resumes for missing Indonesia plane
CNN
0%
3.71
JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Rescue planes were dispatched on Monday to look for an aircraft with 15 people on board that disappeared shortly after takeoff in eastern Indonesia. Three of the four rescue planes came back without any leads, said Nikmatullah, director of operations for Merpati Nusantara Airlines. One rescue plane was still searching, he said. The Cessna plane lost contact Sunday about 15 minutes after departing from Jayapura. It was headed to Oksibil, about 175 miles (280 kilometers) to the south. It had 13 passengers on board, including two babies, Nikmatullah said. "We have notified the families of those on board and we are coordinating with the military, the search and rescue team," Nikmatullah said. "We are going to move forward with the search and rescue effort with our full capacity."...

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00:10:16 –
Group urges Burundi to drop new law against homosexuality
CNN
51.89%
3.18
(CNN) -- A human rights group urged Burundi to reverse a law that makes homosexuality illegal, saying it risks worsening the harsh treatment of gays in the eastern Africa nation. In March, people in Burundi demonstrate in favor of a measure banning homosexuality. It became law in April. The new law makes "sexual relations with persons of the same sex" illegal and punishable by up to two years in prison, Human Rights Watch said in a recently released report. It was enacted just as the gay, lesbian and transgender community had started to mobilize and call for equal treatment, a...

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00:30:18 –
Clinton to tackle African hot spots
Associated Press
86.42%
4.79
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton embarks Monday on a seven-nation tour of Africa to affirm the Obama administration's commitment to tackling trouble spots across the continent from Somalia and Zimbabwe to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia. Clinton kicks off the 11-day trip - her longest overseas journey to date as the top U.S. diplomat - in Kenya where she will address an African trade and development forum, meet top Kenyan officials and see the beleaguered president of lawless Somalia's interim government. Kenya, the homeland of President Barack Obama's late father, is struggling to overcome political and tribal divisions laid bare in early 2008 after disputed elections between the incumbent President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga. Obama, on a visit to Kenya in 2006, had urged Kenyans not to let those differences mar their democratic development, and U.S. officials say Clinton will repeat that message with Kibaki and Odin...

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00:30:19 –
Analysis: Some health care numbers don't tally
Associated Press
33.72%
4
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Some of President Barack Obama's health care numbers don't seem to add up. And that's complicating his efforts to pass his top domestic priority. Obama could be falling into the same trap that snagged George W. Bush when he was pushing private accounts for Social Security as part of his "ownership society" in 2005. Bush's claims that the proposal would help shore up Social Security's long-term finances were hard to document mathematically and wound up feeding greater public skepticism. Obama claims his health effort will not dig the nation deeper into debt and over time will help reduce deficits. He has vowed to not sign any health bill that raises deficits. But even the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says that none of the health plans pending on Capitol Hill would control long-term spending, and that ones with the elements Obama wants would add around $1 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years. Furthermore the CBO said an administration-backed in...

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00:30:20 –
Wyoming joins western states in growing oilseeds
Associated Press
40.16%
2.73
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- Wyoming's agriculture industry is looking at the oilseed crops camelina, canola and sunflowers as part of an effort to diversify farming and produce the seed stock for biofuel. Researchers are testing Wyoming's ability to grow oilseed crops, which are already getting attention in nearby states such as Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Oil made from the crops can be useful as biofuel, cooking oil and in products such as natural deodorizers and lubricants. "Our development with oilseeds, compared to all of our western neighbors out here that border Wyoming, we're significantly behind where they're at," said Donn Randall, of the Wyoming Business Council's Agribusiness Division. "But that may not be all bad. We'll let everybody else make mistakes." Farmers became interested in oilseed crops as an alternative fuel when gas prices were high but are now looking at them as way to create a new market for Wyoming producers and economic development in rural communi...

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00:30:21 –
Plague kills 2nd man; China seals off entire town
Associated Press
44.67%
5.92
BEIJING (AP) -- A second man has died of pneumonic plague in northwest China, in an outbreak that prompted authorities to lock down a town where about a dozen people were infected with the highly contagious deadly lung disease, a state news agency said. The World Health Organization office in China said it was in close contact with Chinese health authorities and that measures taken so far to treat and quarantine people were appropriate. The man who died Sunday was identified only as 37-year-old Danzin from Ziketan, the stricken town in Qinghai province, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Danzin was a neighbor of the first person who died, a 32-year-old herdsman whose name was not given. Another 10 people, mostly relatives of the first deceased man, were infected and undergoing isolated treatment in hospital, Xinhua said in a report late Sunday. The town of 10,000 people has been sealed off and a team of experts was sent to the area, the local health bureau said Sunday, warning t...

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00:30:22 –
Bomb blast in Afghanistan's west kills 10
Associated Press
72%
6.22
KABUL (AP) -- The Taliban killed 10 people and critically injured a local police chief in western Afghanistan's main city on Monday with a remote-controlled bomb hidden in a trash can, officials said. The bomb was set on a crowded street near a fruit market in Herat. It appeared to target the police chief for nearby Injil district who was driving into town, said Raouf Ahmedi, the top police spokesman in western Afghanistan. He said the district chief, Mohammad Issa, was being transferred to a NATO-run hospital in critical condition. Local police officials had initially reported 12 dead in the explosion. But the head of the regional health department, Doctor Ghulam Said Rashid, confirmed there were 10 killed: a woman, a young girl, six men and two police officers. Rashid and Ahmedi said 30 people were injured in the blast, which blew windows out on a 100-meter (yard) radius. A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said the group had targeted the police chief. The Interior Ministry,...

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00:30:24 –
SKorean envoy to meet US officials over NKorea
Associated Press
71.71%
5
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea's nuclear envoy will meet key U.S. diplomats in charge of North Korea policy in Hawaii this week to talk about how to handle the communist country in the wake of its latest nuclear and missile tests, his office said Monday. Envoy Wi Sung-lac plans to meet U.S. special envoy Stephen Bosworth and Ambassador Sung Kim, a State Department official in charge of ongoing nuclear talks on North Korea, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Their discussions will be a brainstorming session aimed at finding ways forward, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Pyongyang has said it won't return to the six-nation talks, but it has strongly indicated it is interested in one-on-one negotiations with Washington. The six-nation talks bring together China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the United States. The United States says it can talk bilaterally with the North, but only within the six-nation framework. As a way to pressure North Korea to return to the negotiatin...

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00:30:24 –
Iran's Ahmadinejad to be endorsed for 2nd term
Associated Press
0%
2
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's Supreme Leader is to formally endorse Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president, a step leading up to his inauguration in parliament. But the country's opposition and moderates - including former president Hashemi Rafsanjani - say they'll boycott Monday's ceremony in defiance of an election they decry as fraudulent. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's endorsement ahead of Ahmadinejad's inauguration on Wednesday comes amid growing criticism of Iran's cleric-led system. Authorities have ruthlessly suppressed opposition protests, jailing hundreds of protesters and putting more than 100 on trial on charges of plotting to topple the regime. The opposition maintains Ahmadinejad stole the June 12 vote from opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi through massive fraud. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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01:00:34 –
SKorean Envoy to Meet US Officials Over NKorea
NY Times
78.6%
5
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea's nuclear envoy will meet key U.S. diplomats in charge of North Korea policy in Hawaii this week to talk about how to handle the communist country in the wake of its latest nuclear and missile tests, his office said Monday.Envoy Wi Sung-lac plans to meet U.S. special envoy Stephen Bosworth and Ambassador Sung Kim, a State Department official in charge of ongoing nuclear talks on North Korea, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Their discussions will be a brainstorming session aimed at finding ways forward, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Pyongyang has said it won't return to the six-nation talks, but it has strongly indicated it is interested in one-on-one negotiations with Washington. The six-nation talks bring together China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the United States.The United States says it can talk bilaterally with the North, but only within the six-nation framework.As a way to pressure North Korea to return to the negotiating table,...

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01:00:37 –
Iran's Ahmadinejad to Be Endorsed for 2nd Term
NY Times
0%
2
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's Supreme Leader is to formally endorse Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president, a step leading up to his inauguration in parliament.But the country's opposition and moderates -- including former president Hashemi Rafsanjani -- say they'll boycott Monday's ceremony in defiance of an election they decry as fraudulent.Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's endorsement ahead of Ahmadinejad's inauguration on Wednesday comes amid growing criticism of Iran's cleric-led system.Authorities have ruthlessly suppressed opposition protests, jailing hundreds of protesters and putting more than 100 on trial on charges of plotting to topple the regime.The opposition maintains Ahmadinejad stole the June 12 vote from opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi through massive fraud....

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01:00:41 –
Plague Kills 2nd Man; China Seals Off Entire Town
NY Times
46.43%
5.92
BEIJING (AP) -- A second man has died of pneumonic plague in northwest China, in an outbreak that prompted authorities to lock down a town where about a dozen people were infected with the highly contagious deadly lung disease, a state news agency said.The World Health Organization office in China said it was in close contact with Chinese health authorities and that measures taken so far to treat and quarantine people were appropriate.The man who died Sunday was identified only as 37-year-old Danzin from Ziketan, the stricken town in Qinghai province, the official Xinhua News Agency said.Danzin was a neighbor of the first person who died, a 32-year-old herdsman whose name was not given. Another 10 people, mostly relatives of the first deceased man, were infected and undergoing isolated treatment in hospital, Xinhua said in a report late Sunday.The town of 10,000 people has been sealed off and a team of experts was sent to the area, the local health bureau said Sunday, warning that anyo...

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01:00:44 –
Iran Leader Approves Ahmadinejad Presidency - TV
NY Times
0%
4.33
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader formally approved the second term presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday after a disputed election that leading reformists say was rigged to ensure the incumbent's victory."The official ceremony was held and Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) approved Mr. Ahmadinejad's presidency," the Arabic language al-Alam state television said.Khamenei has endorsed the June 12 election result and demanded an end to protests during which at least 20 people were killed.Moderate defeated candidates Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi say the next government will be illegitimate. Iranian officials deny any fraud in the election, in which the hardline Ahmadinejad was declared to have won 63 percent of 40 million votes cast, against 34 percent for Mousavi.Ahmadinejad will be sworn in by parliament on Wednesday.He then has two weeks to submit his cabinet list to the mostly conservative parliament, which may object if he names only members of his inner ci...

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01:00:49 –
China Says Uighur Leader's Children Condemn Mother
NY Times
72.19%
3.71
BEIJING (Reuters) - China ratcheted up pressure on exiled Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer on Monday, saying two of her children and her brother had written letters condemning their mother for orchestrating last month's ethnic riots.China has repeatedly blamed Kadeer, once a successful businesswoman who now lives in exile in the United States, for triggering the deadly July unrest in the strategic and energy-rich northwestern region of Xinjiang."Because of you, many innocent people of all ethnic groups lost their lives in Urumqi on July 5, with huge damage of properties, shops and vehicles," Xinhua news agency quoted one of the letters as saying.Xinhua said the letter explicitly blamed Kadeer and the exiled World Uyghur Congress, which she leads, for the unrest.Kadeer, 62, has denied all the allegations made by the Chinese government against her.In Xinjiang's worst ethnic violence in decades, Uighurs on attacked Han Chinese in the regional capital of Urumqi after police tried to break up ...

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01:00:53 –
Myanmar Activist Awarded Asia's Nobel Prize
NY Times
66.67%
4.11
MANILA (Reuters) - An activist from Myanmar who was tortured by the military as a student and now runs an NGO probing infrastructure projects is among this year's winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, its committee said Monday.Also cited for the award, Asia's equivalent of the Nobel, were two Chinese men, an Indian, a Filipino and a Thai woman.Ka Hsaw Wa of Myanmar, co-founder of EarthRights International, was recognized for "dauntlessly pursuing non-violent yet effective channels of redress, exposure, and education for the defense of human rights, the environment and democracy," the committee said.Yu Xiaogang of China was given the award for raising concerns about dams in his country and advocating social impact assessments in all such mega-infrastructure projects.Ma Jun, also of China and a former journalist, was awarded for publicizing environmental issues in China, including naming over 10,000 companies violating emission standards.Indian Deep Joshi, who has management and engineer...

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01:00:56 –
Roadside Bomb Kills 12 In Afghanistan's West
NY Times
74.5%
5.46
HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A roadside bomb attack claimed by the Taliban killed at least 12 people in west Afghanistan's most important city on Monday, officials said, amid worsening security before a presidential poll this month.The remote-controlled bomb may have been aimed at a local police chief but killed mainly passers-by when it went off during rush hour near a blood bank in Herat, a relatively peaceful city near the Iranian border and an important commercial center.Violence has escalated across Afghanistan before the August 20 presidential poll, seen as a key test for Washington and Kabul. Nine foreign soldiers, including six Americans, were killed in Taliban strongholds in the south and east at the weekend.The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the election and have called on Afghans to boycott the ballot, the second direct vote for president since the Islamists were toppled in 2001.Among those killed in Monday's blast were a woman, a 12-year-old girl and two policemen, said pr...

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01:01:02 –
Iran Leader Approves Ahmadinejad Presidency: TV
NY Times
0%
4.33
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader formally approved the second term presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday after a disputed election that leading reformists say was rigged to ensure the incumbent's victory."The official ceremony was held and Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) approved Mr. Ahmadinejad's presidency," the Arabic language al-Alam state television said.Khamenei has endorsed the June 12 election result and demanded an end to protests during which at least 20 people were killed.Moderate defeated candidates Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi say the next government will be illegitimate. Iranian officials deny any fraud in the election, in which the hardline Ahmadinejad was declared to have won 63 percent of 40 million votes cast, against 34 percent for Mousavi.Ahmadinejad will be sworn in by parliament on Wednesday.He then has two weeks to submit his cabinet list to the mostly conservative parliament, which may object if he names only members of his inner ci...

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01:01:08 –
Iran’s Supreme Leader Approves Ahmadinejad Presidency
NY Times
0%
4.33
TEHRAN, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader formally approved the second term presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday after a disputed election that leading reformists say was rigged to ensure the incumbent's victory. "The official ceremony was held and Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) approved Mr. Ahmadinejad's presidency," the Arabic language al-Alam state television said. Khamenei has endorsed the June 12 election result and demanded an end to protests during which at least 20 people were killed. Moderate defeated candidates Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi say the next government will be illegitimate. Iranian officials deny any fraud in the election, in which the hardline Ahmadinejad was declared to have won 63 percent of 40 million votes cast, against 34 percent for Mousavi. Ahmadinejad will be sworn in by parliament on Wednesday. He then has two weeks to submit his cabinet list to the mostly conservative parliament, which may object if he names only members of ...

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01:20:23 –
FACTBOX: Japan election pledges: How the main parties differ
Reuters
59.03%
2.35
(Reuters) - The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which has vowed to pay more heed to consumers than firms and break bureaucrats' grip on policy, leads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in voter opinion polls ahead of an August 30 election. Following are key pledges by both parties. INCREASE HOUSEHOLD INCOME VIA CHILDCARE, OTHER STEPS DPJ - Pay families 26,000 yen ($275) per month for each child from April 2011. Scrap fees for public high schools. Gradually end highway tolls and abolish a decades-old surcharge of about 25 yen per liter on gasoline and other car-related taxes to achieve 2.5 trillion yen in tax cuts. LDP - Boost average disposable household incomes by 1 million yen within 10 years. Gradually lower preschool education fees for children aged 3 to 5 and eliminate them within three years. ECONOMY, EMPLOYMENT DPJ - Bring down the corporate tax rate for small and mid-sized firms to 11 percent from...

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01:30:19 –
Iran's Ahmadinejad endorsed for 2nd term
Associated Press
0%
1
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's supreme leader has formally endorse Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for second term as president in a step leading up to his inauguration in parliament. State television broadcast images of the ceremony Monday with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei giving the president his seal of approval. The country's opposition leaders and moderates boycotted the gathering in protest over the election they claim was fraudulent. State media reported that former presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami as well as defeated pro-reform candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi did not attend. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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01:30:19 –
World markets edge higher as banks, autos gain
Associated Press
42.9%
3.77
TOKYO (AP) -- World markets edged higher Monday after the world's biggest economy shrank less than expected in the second quarter and banks rose on improving earnings. Underpinning the modest gains was a U.S. government report Friday that showed the contraction in the U.S. economy slowed to 1 percent in the second quarter, adding to hopes the recession is nearly over. The data also beat expectations with analysts forecasting a 1.5 percent drop. Surveys showing that manufacturing in the world's No. 3 economy China is expanding provided more evidence of economic revival and lifted Chinese shares to a 14-month high. Banks led Asia's rise following better-than-expected earnings from some big lenders and on optimism that financial institutions are bouncing back from the financial crisis. Auto stocks also rose strongly. Japan's market bucked the regional trend despite the rally in banks and car makers with the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average down 4.36 points, or less than 0.1 percent,...

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01:30:20 –
Matt Kemp, Dodgers beat Braves 9-1
Associated Press
21.82%
2.67
ATLANTA (AP) -- Matt Kemp homered and matched a career high with five RBIs to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night. Kemp had three hits, including a three-run homer in the fifth and a two-run single in the eighth as the Dodgers outhit the Braves 19-5. Andre Ethier and James Loney also had three hits. Chad Billingsley (11-6) threw five scoreless innings before leaving with a cramp in his right hamstring. Billingsley gave up only two hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in five innings. Jair Jurrjens (9-8) gave up four runs on a season-high 10 hits in five innings for Atlanta. Billingsley's left knee appeared to buckle as he followed through on a pitch in the fifth inning, but he finished the inning. There was no immediate word on the severity of the injury. The NL West-leading Dodgers, who matched their season high with 19 hits, won two of three against the Braves to conclude a 3-4 road trip. The Braves have lost four of their last six....

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01:30:20 –
Obama officials: Taxes may rise to pay health care
Associated Press
31.5%
2.5
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two of President Barack Obama's economic heavyweights said middle-class taxes might have to go up to pare budget deficits or to pay for the proposed overhaul of the nation's health care system. The tough talk from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers on Sunday capped a week that brought rare good news for the economy: The worst recession in the United States since World War II could be on the verge of ending. Even so, officials appeared willing to extend unemployment benefits. Geithner and Summers both sidestepped questions on Obama's intentions about taxes. Geithner said the White House was not ready to rule out a tax hike to reduce the federal deficit; Summers said Obama's proposed health care overhaul needs funding from somewhere. "There is a lot that can happen over time," Summers said, adding that the administration believes "it is never a good idea to absolutely rule things out, no matter what." During ...

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01:30:21 –
NATO's new secretary-general takes up post
Associated Press
0%
3.4
BRUSSELS (AP) -- Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has started work as NATO's new secretary-general, part of a team assembled by President Barack Obama to lead the war effort in Afghanistan. He was greeted by senior alliance officials as he arrived at NATO headquarters. He did not speak to reporters. Fogh Rasmussen is due to outline his priorities, including naming a group of eminent persons who will draft NATO's new strategic concept. The mission statement will reflect the alliance's new role outside Europe, its traditional area of focus. His predecessor, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer who stepped down last week, has repeatedly warned that the war in Afghanistan represents a crucial test for the 60-year-old alliance. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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01:30:21 –
Lawyers emerge as the winner in Ford settlement
Associated Press
38.72%
5.29
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The lawyers were paid millions of dollars. Ford Motor Co. put behind it a costly lawsuit connected to the Explorer rollover scandal of the 1990s. And the judge closed out a complex case that clogged the Sacramento County Superior Court's overburdened calendar for more than seven years. Everyone seemingly got some tangible benefit - except for nearly all of the 1 million consumers covered by the class action lawsuit filed in their name. None of the consumers got money, only discount coupons toward new Ford purchases. Few used them. The practice of settling class action lawsuits by doling out discount coupons rather than cash has come under fire from tort reform activists and others who complain that such lawsuits mainly benefit the lawyers - and even the companies being sued - at the expense of their clients. Sacramento County Superior Court Judge David De Alba authorized the settlement of a class action that lawyers argued could be worth as much as $500 millio...

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01:30:22 –
2nd murder trial starts for rapper C-Murder
Associated Press
0%
5.25
GRETNA, La. (AP) -- The long-delayed second murder trial of Corey Miller, who gained fame as the rapper C-Murder, is set to begin Monday. Miller, the brother of rapper Master P, is charged with second-degree murder and faces a mandatory life sentence if convicted of killing 16-year-old Steve Thomas during a brawl in a New Orleans area nightclub in 2002. Miller was convicted in 2003, but the judge granted a new trial after finding prosecutors improperly kept the defense from seeing criminal background information on three witnesses. Miller, who spent most of his time since the last trial on house arrest, has been in the East Baton Rouge Parish jail since pleading no contest in May to two counts of attempted second-degree murder in a 2001 incident at a nightclub there. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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01:30:22 –
Massa leaves hospital in Hungary, on his way home
Associated Press
100%
2.57
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -- Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is on his way home to Brazil, nine days after suffering a life-threatening crash during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Hungary's defense ministry, which oversees the AEK military hospital where Massa was being treated, confirmed his departure on Monday. "Thank God, I'm feeling very well," Massa said Sunday in a statement. "I only have a bit of swelling in the region of my left eye. I'm anxious to return to Brazil and continue the recovery process." Massa is expected to arrive in Sao Paulo on Monday evening, accompanied on a private jet by his wife, Raffaela, who six months pregnant with their first child, and family doctor Dino Altman. The 28-year-old Massa underwent surgery on multiple skull fractures after he was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tire barrier on Aug. 25. Massa will be transported in a helicopter from Sao Paulo airport to a local hospital, where he is expe...

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01:30:23 –
Clinton to tackle African trouble spots
Associated Press
86.42%
4.79
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton embarks Monday on a seven-nation tour of Africa to affirm the Obama administration's commitment to tackling trouble spots across the continent from Somalia and Zimbabwe to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia. Clinton kicks off the 11-day trip - her longest overseas journey to date as the top U.S. diplomat - in Kenya where she will address an African trade and development forum, meet top Kenyan officials and see the beleaguered president of lawless Somalia's interim government. Kenya, the homeland of President Barack Obama's late father, is struggling to overcome political and tribal divisions laid bare in early 2008 after disputed elections between the incumbent President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga. Obama, on a visit to Kenya in 2006, had urged Kenyans not to let those differences mar their democratic development, and U.S. officials say Clinton will repeat that message with Kibaki and Odin...

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02:00:31 –
Iran's Ahmadinejad Endorsed for 2nd Term
NY Times
0%
1
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's supreme leader has formally endorse Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for second term as president in a step leading up to his inauguration in parliament.State television broadcast images of the ceremony Monday with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei giving the president his seal of approval.The country's opposition leaders and moderates boycotted the gathering in protest over the election they claim was fraudulent.State media reported that former presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami as well as defeated pro-reform candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi did not attend....

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02:00:37 –
China Seals Off Entire Town After Plague Kills 2nd Man
NY Times
47.02%
5.92
BEIJING (AP) -- A second man has died of pneumonic plague in northwest China, in an outbreak that prompted authorities to lock down a town where about a dozen people were infected with the highly contagious deadly lung disease, a state news agency said.The World Health Organization office in China said it was in close contact with Chinese health authorities and that measures taken so far to treat and quarantine sickened people were appropriate.The man who died Sunday was identified only as 37-year-old Danzin from Ziketan, the stricken town in Qinghai province, the official Xinhua News Agency said.Danzin was a neighbor of the first person who died, a 32-year-old herdsman whose name was not given. Another 10 people, mostly relatives of the first deceased man, were infected and undergoing isolated treatment in hospital, Xinhua said in a report late Sunday.The town of 10,000 people has been sealed off and a team of experts was sent to the area, the local health bureau said Sunday, warning ...

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02:00:40 –
NATO's New Secretary-General Takes Up Post
NY Times
100%
3.5
BRUSSELS (AP) -- Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen started work on Monday as NATO's new secretary-general, part of a team assembled by President Barack Obama to lead the war effort in Afghanistan.He was greeted by the alliance's top civilian and military leaders as he arrived at NATO headquarters. He did not speak to reporters.His predecessor, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer who stepped down last week, has repeatedly warned that the war in Afghanistan represents a crucial test of the power and relevance of the 60-year-old alliance.Fogh Rasmussen is due to outline his priorities later Monday, including naming a group of eminent persons who will draft NATO's new strategic concept, officials said. The concept -- basically the alliance's mission statement -- will reflect NATO's new role outside Europe, its traditional area of focus.The group will likely consist of well-known individuals from various sectors of society. Madeline Albright, the former U.S. secretary of state, will likely be i...

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02:00:50 –
Ex-Khmer Rouge Medic Testifies in Cambodia Trial
NY Times
60.42%
5.2
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- A former medic at the most notorious Khmer Rouge prison in Cambodia told a genocide tribunal he treated people with missing fingernails and toenails, saying Monday that hundreds of prisoners died from torture wounds.Sek Dorn, 48, testified at the trial of Kaing Guek Eav -- better known as Duch -- who headed the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh. Up to 16,000 people were tortured under Duch's command and later were taken away to be killed during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 rule. Only a handful survived.''There were many prisoners who were wounded and died. There were probably hundreds,'' Sek Dorn said.He told the court he was assigned to distribute medicine and clean wounds of the detainees for a year, along with three other medics who were also in their teens.''The majority of them had wounds and sores on their bodies, especially on their backs and their heads. Some of their fingernails and toenails were missing,'' he said. ''They were wounded by torture.''Sek Dorn...

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02:10:13 –
Iranian supreme leader endorses Ahmadinejad for president
CNN
40%
3.25
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's supreme leader endorsed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a second term in office on Monday, state-run Press TV reported. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be sworn in as president of Iran on Wednesday. Under Iran's constitution, the incoming president must receive the supreme leader's approval before being sworn into office. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's endorsement is the first step in that process. Ahmadinejad will be sworn in as president Wednesday in a ceremony to be held in parliament. The incumbent was declared the winner of the June 12 election with almost two-th...

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02:10:15 –
Pirates release Malaysian tugboat after seven months
CNN
0%
5.44
(CNN) -- Somali pirates have released a Malaysian tugboat and 11 crew members after holding them for more than seven months, an international business group reported Monday. The tug taken by pirates on December 16 has been released and is en route to a "safe location," according to ICC Commercial Crime Services -- the anti-crime arm of the International Chamber of Commerce. The ICC said it will not release additional information until the boat and crew have reached their destination and are out of harm's way. Don't Miss Piracy upswing expected off SomaliaSomali pirates release German ship It was unclear whether a ransom had been paid and it was not immediately known when the ship was released. The waters off Somalia are rife with pirate activity, despite i...

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02:20:46 –
WITNESS: Aquino's "people power" swept up reporters, too
Reuters
0%
3
Maggie Fox has been a correspondent for Reuters for 19 years. Before she joined the company she worked as a journalist for the U.S. Mutual Radio news network in Manila in 1986 when Corazon Aquino challenged Ferdinand Marcos for the presidency, won, and proceeded to lead the peaceful revolution that made him relinquish power. Following the death of Aquino on Saturday at the age of 76, Maggie Fox shares her recollections of the "people power" marches that marked these tumultuous months. ...

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02:21:12 –
China seals off town after plague kills two
Reuters
43.1%
3.6
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has sealed off a remote far-western town of 10,000 people after two people died of pneumonic plague, state media said Monday, but the World Health Organization said such outbreaks were nothing new. Another 10 people had contracted the disease in the ethnically Tibetan region of the sparsely populated province of Qinghai, Xinhua news agency said. The town of Ziketan and the surrounding region had been closed off, the Health Ministry said. China experiences periodic outbreaks of plague, which is typically spread by rodents and fleas, is airborne and can spread easily between people. But the WHO said it was not unduly concerned. "This is not new," said Beijing-based WHO spokeswoman Vivian Tan. "There have been sporadic cases reported over the years. We're not surprised that it's come up. We're in constant contact with the authorities to make sure things are under control." She also said the fact that the o...

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02:21:14 –
Q+A: What is plague and what are its various forms?
Reuters
66.81%
5.38
HONG KONG (Reuters) - China has sealed off a remote western town of 10,000 people after two people died of pneumonic plague. Below are some facts about plague: WHAT IS PLAGUE? - Plague circulates mainly among small animals and fleas. It is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and can also infect humans. It is transmitted between animals and humans by the bite of infected fleas, direct contact, inhalation and rarely, ingestion of infectious materials. Plague can be a very severe disease in people, with a mortality rate of between 30 and 60 percent if left untreated. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BACTERIA? - Y. pestis is easily destroyed by sunlight and drying. Even so, when released into air, the bacterium can survive for up to one hour. It is endemic in many countries in Africa, the former Soviet Union, the Americas, and Asia. WHAT ARE ITS SYMPTOMS? - Infected persons usually start with "flu-like" symptoms after an ...

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02:21:15 –
Ethiopia jails Canadian ONLF rebel for life
Reuters
0%
5
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - An Ethiopian court jailed a Canadian man for life on Monday after he was convicted of membership in a separatist rebel group fighting for independence for an ethnically Somali part of the country. Bashir Ahmed Makhtal, who was born in Ethiopia but had travelled to Canada as a refugee and became a Canadian citizen in 1994, was found guilty last week on three charges related to membership of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). ...

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02:21:20 –
Pakistan court adjourns leaving Lashkar founder free
Reuters
58.82%
3.58
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's Supreme Court adjourned an appeal hearing on Monday to decide whether to re-arrest the founder of a militant group said to have been behind the attacks on Mumbai last November. Hafiz Saeed, who headed Lashkar-e-Taiba before moving to its charity front, was detained in the wake of the Mumbai attacks after a U.N. Security Council resolution put him on a list of people and organizations supporting al Qaeda. The Lahore High Court, to India's frustration, freed Saeed in June due to a lack of evidence against him. Pakistan has appealed against Saeed's release, but ministers have said India should furnish proper evidence against him. Peace talks between the nuclear armed rivals were suspended as tensions flared in the days after the Mumbai attacks, but last month they agreed to re-start dialogue, without resuming the peace process. India wants Pakistan to punish the culprits for the slaughter of 166 people in Mumbai ...

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02:21:22 –
Somali pirates free Malaysian tug after ransom
Reuters
48.31%
3.2
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Somali pirates have released a Malaysian-owned tugboat that had been held for more than seven months and its 11 Indonesian crew after a ransom was paid, a maritime official said. The tugboat was towing a barge back to Malaysia from Mukallah in Yemen when it was seized off the Yemeni coast on December 16 last year. "MT Masindra 7 and her 11 Indonesian crew were released last night after a ransom was paid," Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarer's Association told Reuters on Monday. The amount paid could not be immediately established. "The crew is said to be safe and sound. She is now steaming out to safe waters," said Mwangura. Gangs of Somali pirates in the shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe have made millions of dollars in ransom payments from ships hijacked in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden. Foreign navies patrolling the waters off Somalia have been unable to stem attacks on merchant ships and find t...

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02:30:18 –
Ryan, Gonzalez feed off each other's intuitions
Associated Press
38.69%
2.38
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) -- Tony Gonzalez has a hard time believing Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is only entering his second NFL season. "He's definitely ahead of the curve," Gonzalez said of his new Atlanta teammate. "I'm very impressed by him. All the hype, it's real and it means something when you step out here on the field." Gonzalez will practice Monday for the first time in full pads since the Falcons traded for him on April 23. A 12-year veteran with 10 Pro Bowl invitations, Gonzalez doesn't exactly look forward to the first day of wearing pads every summer. But the chance to play alongside Ryan, The Associated Press 2008 NFL offensive rookie of the year, excited him enough to agree to a trade from Kansas City, the only team he's played for. Simply put, Gonzalez considers Ryan the missing link to longtime goals still unaccomplished: winning a playoff game, a conference championship and a Super Bowl. Ryan's ability to read defenses quickly, run the no-huddle and throw accura...

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02:30:19 –
Funk provides another big moment for senior golf
Associated Press
40.34%
3.42
CARMEL, Ind. (AP) -- Fred Funk's eye-popping performance at the U.S. Senior Open has provided the latest boost of energy for senior golf. Less than a month after Tom Watson's second-place finish at the British Open got golf fans buzzing, Funk set a tournament record by finishing 20-under par to win by six strokes Sunday. He shot a 7-under 65 on the final day at Crooked Stick to beat Hale Irwin's previous record set in 2000 by three strokes. "Any time any of the guys go out there and have a great week, it shows how great the game is because you don't have to be 30 years old to compete," Funk said. Coming off a playoff loss to Loren Roberts last week in the Senior British Open, the 53-year-old Funk broke the event mark of 17-under set by Hale Irwin in 2000 at Saucon Valley. Records fell early and often at Crooked Stick, a respected course designed by Pete Dye. Greg Norman, Joey Sindelar, Dan Forsman and amateur Tim Jackson all tied for the course record Thursday with 66s. That record...

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02:30:19 –
Matthew wins one for golfing moms at British Open
Associated Press
60.69%
3.14
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP) -- Catriona Matthew won one for golfing mothers with her three-stroke victory Sunday in the Women's British Open at Royal Lytham. Playing just 10 weeks after giving birth to her second child, Matthew held on to her overnight lead with a 1-over 71 in the final round. She finished with a 3-under total of 285. The 39-year-old Scot said she was not planning to have any more children. "Maybe I should have started sooner," she said. Matthew was in labor for four hours, much shorter than for her first child, and coming back to the game was easier. She felt her victory was terrific news for women with two children. "Well 39, it sounds old, but I don't feel that old. Hopefully I've still a few more years in me," Matthew said. "I feel as if I'm playing as well as I've ever played." Both children were with her this week and her husband caddied for her. "I think the difficult time will be when they start school and we'll reassess what we do then," she said. "But ...

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02:30:20 –
Alexandra the Great! Filly defeats boys in Haskell
Associated Press
27.85%
4.18
OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) -- The fans cheered when Rachel Alexandra walked onto the racetrack before the Haskell Invitational. After this fabulous filly rolled to another victory over the boys, beating Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird by six lengths over a sloppy track, the fans cheered even louder. This was a day the queen of racing became king. All hail Rachel Alexandra, the Great. "I can't tell you how amazing it is that everybody everywhere asks me about Rachel," the filly's trainer Steve Asmussen said. "I think it's fantastic and Rachel is very deserving of the admiration." Although pouring rain turned Monmouth Park's main track into slop, it did not deter Rachel against six colts in the $1.25 million race. With Calvin Borel aboard, the 3-year-old sensation swept past the leader Munnings around the far turn and finished a length short of the Haskell record margin of seven lengths set by Bluegrass Cat in 2006. As Rachel crossed the finish line, Borel saluted the crowd. "This filly ...

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02:30:20 –
New Red Sox lineup puts up big numbers against O's
Associated Press
20.53%
1.83
BALTIMORE (AP) -- A transplanted veteran and a talented rookie have added muscle to an already potent Boston Red Sox lineup. When the Red Sox obtained Victor Martinez in a trade with Cleveland on Friday, they also summoned outfielder Josh Reddick from Double-A Portland. Although the latter move was clearly overshadowed by the acquisition of the hard-hitting Martinez, it seems as if the kid also has some power. Martinez had a career-high tying five hits and four RBIs, Reddick hit his first major league homer, and Boston reached season highs in runs and hits Sunday in a 18-10 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Eight different players had multiple hits for the Red Sox, although no one was as productive as Martinez, who singled in a run in the second inning, got two hits in a seven-run fourth, singled in the sixth and added an RBI double in the eighth. "Boy, he swung the bat great. Immediate impact," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "I think you're seeing one of the better hitters in th...

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02:30:21 –
New GI Bill tops Obama's agenda
Associated Press
0%
2.83
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The first new GI Bill since the 9/11terror attacks tops President Barack Obama's agenda. The president is scheduled to attend a rally Monday morning at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., to celebrate the implementation of the bill, which provides veterans with comprehensive educational benefits. The Veterans Affairs Department began distributing tuition payments to schools participating in the program over the weekend. In the next decade, $78 billion is expected to be paid out. Later Monday, Obama welcomes the emir of Kuwait, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, to the White House. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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02:30:23 –
Georgia says Russia trying to seize more land
Associated Press
57.42%
6.33
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- Georgia accused Russia on Monday of trying to take more territory outside the breakaway province of South Ossetia as tensions rose before the first anniversary of the Russian-Georgian war last summer. Georgia's Foreign Ministry said Russian troops entered the village of Kveshi near South Ossetia on Sunday and erected posts marking a new border. It said the Russian action followed South Ossetian separatists' statements about planning to seize control over swaths of land near the province. "It's very alarming that as the first anniversary of the Russian aggression against Georgia comes close, Russia and its puppets are deliberately inciting tensions and behave defiantly," the ministry said in a statement. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Alexei Kuznetsov would not immediately comment on the situation. Steve Bird, a spokesman for the European Union's observer mission in Georgia, said the monitors were following the situation closely. He said the Russian bord...

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02:30:23 –
Deliberations to continue in Jefferson's trial
Associated Press
0%
3.25
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- A jury is scheduled to resume deliberations in the corruption trial of a former Louisiana congressman who had $90,000 hidden in his freezer. Deliberations in the case of William Jefferson didn't reach a verdict last week. The 12-member jury is to resume work Monday. Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans, is accused of receiving more than $400,000 in bribes and soliciting millions more in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa. Jefferson's attorneys say he was acting as a private business consultant and his actions did not constitute bribery under federal law. In August 2005, FBI agents searched Jefferson's Washington home and found the cash hidden in his freezer. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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02:30:23 –
Missing Navy pilot found buried in Iraq desert
Associated Press
60.27%
5.18
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Navy pilot Michael "Scott" Speicher was called the first casualty of the 1991 Gulf War. But his true status was a mystery, and the Pentagon didn't know whether he was dead or missing. For nearly two decades, Speicher's family, from outside Jacksonville, Fla., pressured the Defense Department to find an answer. Finally, the Pentagon announced Sunday that his remains had been found. Shot down over west-central Iraq on a combat mission on Jan. 17, 1991, Speicher was declared killed by the Pentagon hours later. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney went on television and announced the U.S. had suffered its first casualty of the war. But 10 years later, the Navy changed his status to missing in action, citing an absence of evidence that Speicher had died. In October 2002, the Navy switched his status to "missing/captured," although it has never said what evidence it had that he ever was in captivity. More reviews followed, without definitive answers. His story never waned in ...

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03:00:34 –
Nigerian Police Probe Clashes That Killed 700
NY Times
0%
5
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) -- Police in northern Nigeria say they're investigating how a homegrown Islamist sect unleashed a wave of violence that left more than 700 people dead in clashes last week.Borno state police spokesman Isa Azaza says police are holding 20 men suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect. He says some of the men were seized with gunpowder, vats of acid, aluminum containers for bomb-making, assault rifles and black-and-white flags with Arabic inscriptions.Azaza said the group was well organized in its attacks on police stations and government installations.The city of Maiduguri was calm Monday morning, with police conducting street patrols.The radical group sparked the violence with a July 26 attack on a police station in Bauchi. Violence quickly spread to three other northern states....

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03:00:38 –
Bomb Blast in Afghanistan's West Kills 10
NY Times
81.55%
6.19
KABUL (AP) -- A remote-controlled bomb exploded Monday in western Afghanistan's main city, killing 10 people and critically wounding a district police chief -- the main target of the attack.The bomb went off on a crowded street near a fruit market in Herat. It injured 30 people, said Raouf Ahmedi, the top police spokesman in western Afghanistan.The target was Mohammad Issa, the police chief for nearby Injil district, who was driving into town. He was transferred to a NATO-run hospital in critical condition, Ahmedi said.Local police officials initially reported 12 dead. But the head of the regional health department, Dr. Ghulam Said Rashid, confirmed 10 were killed: a woman, a young girl, six men and two police officers.Ahmedi said the blast blew out windows in a 100-yard (meter) radius and several casualties were fruit vendors. Witnesses said the bomb left a one-yard (meter) wide crater in the street and damaged two police vehicles.A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said the grou...

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03:00:45 –
Pakistan Court Adjourns Leaving Lashkar Founder Free
NY Times
58.82%
3.58
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's Supreme Court adjourned an appeal hearing on Monday to decide whether to re-arrest the founder of a militant group said to have been behind the attacks on Mumbai last November.Hafiz Saeed, who headed Lashkar-e-Taiba before moving to its charity front, was detained in the wake of the Mumbai attacks after a U.N. Security Council resolution put him on a list of people and organizations supporting al Qaeda.The Lahore High Court, to India's frustration, freed Saeed in June due to a lack of evidence against him. Pakistan has appealed against Saeed's release, but ministers have said India should furnish proper evidence against him.Peace talks between the nuclear armed rivals were suspended as tensions flared in the days after the Mumbai attacks, but last month they agreed to re-start dialogue, without resuming the peace process.India wants Pakistan to punish the culprits for the slaughter of 166 people in Mumbai and dismantle the "infrastructure of terrorism."...

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03:00:48 –
Israel's Lieberman Says Will Quit if Indicted
NY Times
35.09%
3.8
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday he would quit if Israel's attorney-general adopted a police recommendation to indict him on corruption charges.Lieberman, who has denied any wrongdoing, heads the ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party that has drawn allegations of racism from Israel's Arab citizens."As far as I am concerned the watershed will be the final decision by the attorney-general following a hearing," he said in broadcast remarks."If after the hearing, the attorney-general decides to press charges, undoubtedly at that moment I will resign."After a nine-year-long investigation, police recommended on Sunday that Attorney-General Menachem Mazuz indict Lieberman on several charges, including bribery, money laundering and obstruction of justice.The investigation was conducted mostly while Lieberman held other government posts. It focused on the transfer of millions of Israeli shekels to shell companies and accounts belonging to people close to...

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03:00:52 –
Georgia Says Russia Is Trying to Seize More Land
NY Times
56.68%
6.07
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- Georgia accused Russia on Monday of trying to take more territory outside the breakaway province of South Ossetia as tensions rose before the first anniversary of the Russian-Georgian war last summer.Georgia's Foreign Ministry said Russian troops entered the village of Kveshi near South Ossetia on Sunday and erected posts marking a new border.It said the Russian action followed South Ossetian separatists' statements about planning to seize control over swaths of land near the province.''It's very alarming that as the first anniversary of the Russian aggression against Georgia comes close, Russia and its puppets are deliberately inciting tensions and behave defiantly,'' the ministry said in a statement.Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili told The Associated Press the Russian border guards erected border posts several hundred meters (yards) away from the administrative border of South Ossetia.Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Alexei Kuznetsov w...

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03:00:55 –
Israel Police Bust Fraudsters With Alleged US Ties
NY Times
0%
4.67
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli police say they have broken up an Israeli-American crime ring specializing in tax fraud and money laundering.Police say a joint investigation with federal authorities in the U.S. has ended with the arrest in Israel of an unspecified number of suspects, some of them American citizens.A police statement Monday said the suspects defrauded the U.S. government of tens of millions of dollars in tax returns and deposited them in Israeli bank accounts.They are being held on charges of money laundering, fraud, forgery and a number of tax offenses.In late July, U.S. authorities arrested over 40 people in New Jersey in a separate corruption case that included charges of laundering money through Israeli charities....

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03:00:58 –
Temperature Drop Helps Spanish Island Battle Fires
NY Times
0%
4.7
LA PALMA, Canary Islands (AP) -- A Spanish environmental official says lower temperatures are helping firefighters battle two forest fires that have raged on La Palma in the Canary Islands for four days.Julio Cabrera says one fire in the west of the island has been brought under control while he hopes another in the east could be contained later Monday.He says overnight efforts to extinguish the blazes were helped by a temperature drop of about 20 degrees C (36 degrees F) from the near 45 C (113 F) when the fires started Friday.Cabrera says no town or village is directly threatened by the fires and no new evacuations are planned for the moment. About 4,000 people were evacuated from some areas Saturday....

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03:01:05 –
Ethiopia Jails Canadian ONLF Rebel For Life
NY Times
83.77%
5.5
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - An Ethiopian court jailed a Canadian for life on Monday after he was convicted of membership of a separatist rebel group fighting for independence for an ethnically Somali part of the country.Bashir Ahmed Makhtal, who was born in Ethiopia but had travelled to Canada as a refugee and became a Canadian citizen in 1994, was found guilty last week on three charges related to membership of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)."The court has decided against the death penalty which is the maximum penalty for the charges," Judge Adem Ibrahim said at the Federal High Court in capital Addis Ababa. "The court sentences the defendant to life in prison."Bashir, who left Ethiopia aged 11 and does not speak the local Amharic language, did not react as the sentence was read. His lawyer, Gebreamlak Gebregiorgis, told Reuters he would appeal against both the conviction and sentence next week.Ethiopia denounces the ONLF -- which wants independence for the remote eastern Oga...

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03:01:09 –
WITNESS: Aquino's "People Power" Swept Up Reporters, Too
NY Times
60%
4.88
Maggie Fox has been a correspondent for Reuters for 19 years. Before she joined the company she worked as a journalist for the U.S. Mutual Radio news network in Manila in 1986 when Corazon Aquino challenged Ferdinand Marcos for the presidency, won, and proceeded to lead the peaceful revolution that made him relinquish power. Following the death of Aquino on Saturday at the age of 76, Maggie Fox shares her recollections of the "people power" marches that marked these tumultuous months.By Maggie FoxWASHINGTON (Reuters) - It was a brilliantly sunny morning in March of 1986. Several dozen foreign journalists were up on the roof of the Manila Hotel looking down in disbelief at the shouting sea of yellow before us.We were in the middle of a remarkable revolution. Cory Aquino, a soft-spoken, unglamorous, motherly figure, was about to drive out of office the powerful and corrupt Ferdinand Marcos -- without any bloodshed.We didn't know it, but we, the journalists, were part of the story. Tens o...

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03:01:15 –
Somali Pirates Free Malaysian Tug After Ransom
NY Times
48.31%
3.2
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Somali pirates have released a Malaysian-owned tugboat that had been held for more than seven months and its 11 Indonesian crew after a ransom was paid, a maritime official said.The tugboat was towing a barge back to Malaysia from Mukallah in Yemen when it was seized off the Yemeni coast on December 16 last year."MT Masindra 7 and her 11 Indonesian crew were released last night after a ransom was paid," Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarer's Association told Reuters on Monday. The amount paid could not be immediately established."The crew is said to be safe and sound. She is now steaming out to safe waters," said Mwangura.Gangs of Somali pirates in the shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe have made millions of dollars in ransom payments from ships hijacked in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.Foreign navies patrolling the waters off Somalia have been unable to stem attacks on merchant ships and find themselves overstretched given the vast expanses of seas ...

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03:01:19 –
Pakistan Shifts Pearl Murder Convict to Karachi
NY Times
66.23%
5.1
HYDERABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - A British-born Islamist militant sentenced to death for the killing of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl has been moved to a prison in Karachi due to concerns over his security, officials said on Monday.Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, or Sheikh Omar, was sentenced to death in 2002 for his role in the killing of Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped in Karachi in January 2002 while researching a story on Islamist militants. Pearl was later found beheaded.Sheikh Omar, once an undergraduate student at the London School of Economics, was being kept at the central prison in Hyderabad, a city 160 km (100 miles) north of the southern city of Karachi, before being moved on Sunday."He has been transferred to Karachi due to some security concerns," Allaudin Abbasi, the deputy inspector general of prisons in Hyderabad, told Reuters.He did not elaborate. But other officials said the security situation at the Hyderabad prison had deteriorated recently, and that...

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03:01:22 –
China Seals Off Town After Plague Kills Two
NY Times
43.1%
3.6
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has sealed off a remote far-western town of 10,000 people after two people died of pneumonic plague, state media said Monday, but the World Health Organization said such outbreaks were nothing new.Another 10 people had contracted the disease in the ethnically Tibetan region of the sparsely populated province of Qinghai, Xinhua news agency said.The town of Ziketan and the surrounding region had been closed off, the Health Ministry said.China experiences periodic outbreaks of plague, which is typically spread by rodents and fleas, is airborne and can spread easily between people.But the WHO said it was not unduly concerned."This is not new," said Beijing-based WHO spokeswoman Vivian Tan. "There have been sporadic cases reported over the years. We're not surprised that it's come up. We're in constant contact with the authorities to make sure things are under control."She also said the fact that the outbreak had occurred in a remote part of the country "should hel...

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03:21:29 –
Iran leader approves Ahmadinejad presidency
Reuters
50.1%
4.46
By Parisa Hafezi TEHRAN (Reuters) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei formally endorsed the second term presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday after a disputed election that plunged Iran into its worst crisis since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The results, which leading reformists and moderate defeated candidates Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi said were rigged to ensure victory for the hardline Ahmadinejad, led to violent protests and deep schisms within Iran's clerical and political elite. Leading opposition figures and two former presidents, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, who backed Mousavi in the vote, were not at the ceremony although they had attended such events in the past, Iranian media reported. "The official ceremony was held and Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) approved Mr Ahmadinejad's presidency," al-Alam state television said. Ahmadinejad will be sworn in by parliament on Wednesday. H...

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03:30:12 –
China steps up campaign against exiled Uighur
Associated Press
61.54%
4.13
BEIJING (AP) -- China stepped up its campaign against exiled Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer on Monday with the release of a letter it says was penned by close relatives in China blaming her for last month's deadly riots in her native Xinjiang. A friend and associate of Kadeer based in Germany said the letter was fake. A day earlier, Xinjiang police announced they had detained another 319 people suspected of being involved in the deadly ethnic unrest in Urumqi between Muslim minority Uighurs and the dominant Han Chinese community last month, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. At least 1,600 people were detained shortly after the July 5 riots that erupted when police stopped a protest by the Turkic-speaking Uighurs. The Uighurs smashed windows, burned cars and attacked Han Chinese. Two days later, the Han took to the streets and staged retaliatory attacks. The fighting was China's worst ethnic violence in decades. The government says 197 people were killed and more than 1,700 w...

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03:30:12 –
Humana 2Q profit jumps 34 percent as premiums rise
Associated Press
0%
1
NEW YORK (AP) -- Health insurer Humana says second-quarter profit rose 34 percent on higher premiums from the company's Medicare and commercial insurance programs. Profit rose to $281.8 million, or $1.67 per share, from prior year earnings of $209.9 million, or $1.24 per share. Revenue jumped 8 percent to just under $7.9 billion from $7.35 billion. Wall Street forecast profit of $1.64 per share on $7.77 billion in revenue. Medicare Advantage premiums rose 19 percent to $4.15 billion during the quarter, while commercial unit premiums rose 1 percent to $1.87 billion. Looking ahead, the Louisville,Ky.-based company expects full-year profit between $6.10 and $6.20 per share, while analysts expect $6.12 per share. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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03:30:13 –
AP analysis: Foreclosures stabilize in key states
Associated Press
33.41%
3.27
Even as Americans suffer rising unemployment, foreclosure rates in three states hit hardest by the housing bust - California, Arizona and Florida - stabilized in June, offering hope that the worst of the real estate crisis is over, according to The Associated Press' monthly analysis of economic stress in more than 3,100 U.S. counties. The latest results of AP's Economic Stress Index show foreclosure and bankruptcy rates held steady from May in some states. Yet mounting unemployment is hampering an economic recovery in some regions, especially the Southeast and industrial Midwest. The AP calculates a score from 1 to 100 based on each county's unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy rates. The higher the score, the higher the economic stress. The average county's Stress score rose to 10.6 in June, up from 10 in May, mainly because of rising unemployment. In June 2008, the average county's Stress score was 6.7. The pain was lower then because the economy was still expanding. In fact, the...

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03:30:14 –
40 killed in Zimbabwe bus crash
Associated Press
0%
5.8
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwe state radio says a crowded bus slammed into a truck on a stretch of highway notorious for accidents, killing 40 people and injuring another 30. Monday's radio report said the bus swerved to avoid another stationary truck on the southbound highway 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Harare on Sunday. The crash was close to the site of the accident in which Susan Tsvangirai, wife of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, died in March. In May, 30 people died in a bus crash on the same stretch of highway. Bus accidents are common in Zimbabwe and are blamed on excessive speed, poor maintenance of vehicles, worn tires and poor roads. Routine road repairs have stopped amid the nation's economic meltdown. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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03:30:14 –
HSBC 1H profit down 57 percent
Associated Press
33.41%
2.43
LONDON (AP) -- HSBC Holdings PLC, the world's fifth-largest bank in terms of assets, reported a 57 percent fall in first-half profit as provisions for bad loans increased, one symptom of the world recession. The bank said first-half net profit was $3.35 billion compared to $7.7 billion in the first half of 2008. Loan impairment charges and other credit risk provisions were up 40 percent to $13.9 billion in the first half. Still, the results were better than expected and HSBC shares were up 5.5 percent to 639 pence on the London Stock Exchange. The company announced a dividend of 18 cents per share, down from 57 cents a year earlier. HSBC, like Barclays PLC, has not turned to the British government for a bailouts. HSBC raised $18 billion in a rights issue in March to bolster its balance sheet. "By attracting core deposits, we have maintained a conservative advances-to-deposits ratio, which was 79.5 percent at the end of the period," said Chief Executive Michael Geoghegan. "Although ...

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03:30:17 –
NATO chief: More UN, EU help needed in Afghanistan
Associated Press
62.5%
3.65
BRUSSELS (AP) -- NATO's new Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance needs more international help from the United Nations and European Union to secure and rebuild Afghanistan. Fogh Rasmussen says "NATO will do its part, but cannot do it alone" in Afghanistan. The ex-Danish Prime Minister took up his post as the alliance's top civilian official on Monday. Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance "must expand" its coordination with other international organizations and aid groups working in Afghanistan "to win the peace" there. NATO has about 64,000 soldiers in Afghanistan - half of them Americans - where they are struggling to contain a rising Taliban insurgency. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. BRUSSELS (AP) - Anders Fogh Rasmussen started work on Monday as NATO's new secretary-general, part of a team assembled by President Barack Obama to lead the war effort in Afghanistan. Fogh Rasmussen, the former Da...

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03:30:17 –
Report: California must adapt to changing climate
Associated Press
58.37%
3.73
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Even if the world is successful in cutting carbon emissions in the future, California needs to start preparing for rising sea levels, hotter weather and other effects of climate change, a new state report recommends. It encourages local communities to rethink future development in low-lying coastal areas, reinforce levees that protect flood-prone areas and conserve already strapped water supplies. "We still have to adapt, no matter what we do, because of the nature of the greenhouse gases," said Tony Brunello, deputy secretary for climate change and energy at the California Natural Resources Agency, who helped prepare the report. "Those gases are still going to be in the atmosphere for the next 100 years." The draft report to be released Monday by the California Natural Resources Agency provides the state's first comprehensive plan to work with local governments, universities and residents to deal with a changing climate. A final plan is expected to be re...

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03:30:18 –
Belgian police recapture 1 of 3 escaped convicts
Associated Press
0%
4.4
BRUSSELS (AP) -- Belgian authorities say they have recaptured a convict who escaped twice in as many weeks, including once from a Bruges prison by helicopter. The convict, Abdelhaq Melloul-Khayari, is believed to have carried out a bank robbery with two others after they made their break from the Bruges high-security prison two weeks ago. Police say the convict had euro20,000 ($28,543) on him in cash when he was arrested Monday morning in Brussels. Melloul-Khayari had been sighted and detained by police on a train to Paris on Saturday, but managed to escape back to Belgium. The three are all convicted bank robbers and have been described as dangerous criminals by police. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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03:30:18 –
Owen Wilson? Nope, just Redskins' K Shaun Suisham
Associated Press
33.67%
3.07
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- Sitting in an ice tub after practice, the NFL's most off-target kicker in 2008 was keeping his usual cool. The topics of conversation: his reputation as the quietest player on the Washington Redskins roster and his new Hollywood nickname. "Do you think I'm quiet?" Shaun Suisham said to defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery, who was sharing the tub. "You're not quiet at all. Just laid-back," Montgomery answered. "Relaxed. Owen Wilson." Owen Wilson? Yep, that's what some teammates are calling Suisham these days - because Montgomery thinks the Canadian kicker sounds like the actor from Texas. "I was sitting home watching 'Marley & Me,'" said Montgomery, snapping his head as if he were doing a double take. "And I said, 'Is Suisham in there or something?'" "I'll take what I can get," Suisham replied with a shrug. The 27-year-old Ontario native was called some less flattering things a year ago - inaccurate and inconsistent, to name a few - during a season in which he l...

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03:30:20 –
Ahmadinejad gets key endorsement as Iran president
Associated Press
47.52%
4.17
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's supreme leader formally endorsed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for second term as president Monday in a ceremony that sought to portray unity among the country's leadership but was snubbed by prominent critics of the disputed election. After Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave his official seal of approval, he received an awkward kiss on the shoulder from Ahmadinejad. It cleared the way for Ahmadinejad to take the oath of office Wednesday in parliament, where many pro-reform lawmakers have echoed the claims of fraud in the June 12 election. The ceremony with Khamenei showed the deep political divides confronting Ahmadinejad and his backers among the ruling clerics. The event was boycotted by two former presidents - Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami - as well as defeated pro-reform candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi, state media reported. Iran's main state TV channels did not offer live coverage of the ceremony in an apparent effort by the countr...

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04:00:31 –
NATO Chief: More UN, EU Help Needed in Afghanistan
NY Times
65.13%
3.65
BRUSSELS (AP) -- NATO's new Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance needs more international help from the United Nations and European Union to secure and rebuild Afghanistan.Fogh Rasmussen says ''NATO will do its part, but cannot do it alone'' in Afghanistan. The ex-Danish Prime Minister took up his post as the alliance's top civilian official on Monday.Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance ''must expand'' its coordination with other international organizations and aid groups working in Afghanistan ''to win the peace'' there.NATO has about 64,000 soldiers in Afghanistan -- half of them Americans -- where they are struggling to contain a rising Taliban insurgency.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.BRUSSELS (AP) -- Anders Fogh Rasmussen started work on Monday as NATO's new secretary-general, part of a team assembled by President Barack Obama to lead the war effort in Afghanistan.Fogh Rasmussen, the former Dan...

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04:00:34 –
40 Are Said to Be Killed in Zimbabwe Bus Accident
NY Times
0%
5.8
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwe state radio says a crowded bus slammed into a truck on a stretch of highway notorious for accidents, killing 40 people and injuring another 30.Monday's radio report said the bus swerved to avoid another stationary truck on the southbound highway 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Harare on Sunday.The crash was close to the site of the accident in which Susan Tsvangirai, wife of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, died in March. In May, 30 people died in a bus crash on the same stretch of highway.Bus accidents are common in Zimbabwe and are blamed on excessive speed, poor maintenance of vehicles, worn tires and poor roads. Routine road repairs have stopped amid the nation's economic meltdown....

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04:00:42 –
Iran Leader Approves Ahmadinejad Presidency
NY Times
50.49%
4.46
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei formally endorsed the second term presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday after a disputed election that plunged Iran into its worst crisis since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.The results, which leading reformists and moderate defeated candidates Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi said were rigged to ensure victory for the hardline Ahmadinejad, led to violent protests and deep schisms within Iran's clerical and political elite.Leading opposition figures and two former presidents, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, who backed Mousavi in the vote, were not at the ceremony although they had attended such events in the past, Iranian media reported."The official ceremony was held and Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) approved Mr Ahmadinejad's presidency," al-Alam state television said.Ahmadinejad will be sworn in by parliament on Wednesday.He then faces the hard task of forming a cabinet that will be acceptable t...

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04:00:47 –
Belgian Police Recapture 1 of 3 Escaped Convicts
NY Times
0%
4.4
BRUSSELS (AP) -- Belgian authorities say they have recaptured a convict who escaped twice in as many weeks, including once from a Bruges prison by helicopter.The convict, Abdelhaq Melloul-Khayari, is believed to have carried out a bank robbery with two others after they made their break from the Bruges high-security prison two weeks ago.Police say the convict had euro20,000 ($28,543) on him in cash when he was arrested Monday morning in Brussels.Melloul-Khayari had been sighted and detained by police on a train to Paris on Saturday, but managed to escape back to Belgium.The three are all convicted bank robbers and have been described as dangerous criminals by police....

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04:00:52 –
CORRECTED: Roadside Bomb Kills 12 In Afghanistan's West
NY Times
73.34%
5.46
(Corrects death toll in paragraph 7 to 12, not 10)By Sharafuddin SharafyarHERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A roadside bomb attack claimed by the Taliban killed at least 12 people in west Afghanistan's most important city on Monday, officials said, amid worsening security before a presidential poll this month.The remote-controlled bomb may have been aimed at a local police chief but killed mainly passers-by when it went off during rush hour near a blood bank in Herat, a relatively peaceful city near the Iranian border and an important commercial center.Violence has escalated across Afghanistan before the August 20 presidential poll, seen as a key test for Washington and Kabul. Nine foreign soldiers, including six Americans, were killed in Taliban strongholds in the south and east at the weekend.The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the election and have called on Afghans to boycott the ballot, the second direct vote for president since the Islamists were toppled in 2001.Among those killed in ...

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04:00:59 –
China Steps Up Campaign Against Exiled Uighur
NY Times
63.32%
4.13
BEIJING (AP) -- China stepped up its campaign against exiled Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer on Monday with the release of a letter it says was penned by close relatives in China blaming her for last month's deadly riots in her native Xinjiang.A friend and associate of Kadeer based in Germany said the letter was fake.A day earlier, Xinjiang police announced they had detained another 319 people suspected of being involved in the deadly ethnic unrest in Urumqi between Muslim minority Uighurs and the dominant Han Chinese community last month, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.At least 1,600 people were detained shortly after the July 5 riots that erupted when police stopped a protest by the Turkic-speaking Uighurs. The Uighurs smashed windows, burned cars and attacked Han Chinese. Two days later, the Han took to the streets and staged retaliatory attacks.The fighting was China's worst ethnic violence in decades. The government says 197 people were killed and more than 1,700 were inju...

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04:01:03 –
A Closer Look at Plague and How It Is Spread
NY Times
55.05%
6.83
Chinese officials have sealed off a town of 10,000 in Qinghai province where a dozen people have been infected with pneumonic plague and two have died. A look at the disease:-- Pneumonic plague is the deadliest and least common form of the disease.-- Plague is an animal disease that circulates mainly among small animals like rats and mice, but the bacteria can also infect humans.-- It can be effectively treated with antibiotics, but if left untreated plague can kill up to 60 percent of the people it infects.-- Humans are infected when they are bitten by plague-carrying fleas, if they have close contact with infected surfaces or if they inhale the bacteria.-- Pneumonic plague can be directly spread between humans since the bacteria is airborne and can easily be inhaled by those in close contact with infected patients.-- Containing an outbreak usually includes measures like quarantines and isolation.-- The most common type of plague is bubonic plague, also known as ''Black Death,'' that ...

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04:10:12 –
At least 26 hurt as airliner hits turbulence
CNN
0%
4.67
(CNN) -- Severe turbulence shook a Continental Airlines flight Monday, injuring 26 passengers -- four seriously -- and forcing the aircraft to divert to Miami, Florida, an airport fire official said. There were 168 passengers on Flight 128, which was originally headed from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Houston, Texas, according to Lt. Elkin Sierra of the Miami-Dade Fire Department. Ambulances and other vehicles were lined up on the runway to treat and transport the injured passengers when the plane landed at Miami International Airport at about 6 a.m. ET. The Boeing 767 hit turbulence about 50 miles north of the Dominican Republic at about 38,000 feet, according to an official with the Federal Aviation Administration. Those injured suffered from a variety of injuries, including bumps, bruises, neck pain and back pain, Sierra told CNN's "American Morning." "The airline will decide whether or not to leave the uninjured passengers on the aircraft and continue the flight or dis...

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04:10:13 –
Victims of Nigerian clashes buried in mass graves
CNN
100%
4.77
LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- About 780 people killed in clashes with Islamic militants in the northeast Nigerian area of Maiduguri have been buried in mass graves, an aid official said Monday. Children who hid in a police office while Islamic radicals took villagers hostage stand in Maiduguri. The Red Cross urged an environmental agency to bury them as soon as possible because of the dangers of so many bodies being exposed to northern Nigeria's heat, said Mohammed Zannah Barma, secretary of the Red Cross in Borno state. About 3,600 people were displaced in the attacks, Barma said, adding that almost all of them have been returned to their residencies. The organization is working w...

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04:10:14 –
Israel minister: I'll quit if indicted for corruption
CNN
47.46%
4.29
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel's foreign minister will resign from the post if he is indicted on corruption charges, he said Monday. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, left, has been the focus of a corruption investigation. Israeli police Sunday recommended charging Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman with a slew of crimes following a lengthy corruption probe. Investigators "believe there is sufficient evidence to charge him with the crimes of bribery, fraud, obstruction of justice, harassing a witness, breach of trust and money laundering offenses," th...

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04:10:15 –
Commentary: It takes courage to end recession
CNN
21.34%
2.82
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Brad Baugh lives in Savannah, Georgia, where he buys and renovates houses. He told me two things the other day that exposed a great opportunity in this treacherous recession -- and that may even shine a light on our way out of it. The first thing he told me didn't surprise me: he's not buying anything. It's not that he can't find good deals; he showed me several reasonably priced buildings he'd like to buy. The problem is the bank. Here's the painful part: Even the bank thinks the deals are good. It's just that, for the moment, they've stopped issuing loans. See, they're still afraid they might not survive this recession. They're collecting on old loans, recapitalizing the bank. It's not that they don't want to do the deal. It's just that they don't feel secure enough to spend the money investing in it. Better to be safe. Which means the bank won't make money on new loans. And Brad won't buy and renovate the building. And the seller won't sell the house. And the eco...

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04:10:17 –
Kenya shuns calls for independent tribunals on post-vote violence
CNN
69.96%
6.12
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Kenya's plan to use its judiciary to try perpetrators of post-election violence reneges on an earlier pledge to use an independent tribunal, Human Rights Watch said Monday. Residents of a Nairobi slum shout during clashes between rival groups in January 2008. The fighting, which flared after the 2007 elections, killed more than 1,300 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. It started after the main opposition candidate disputed the results, sparking some of the worst violence in the nation's history. A commission formed to investigate concluded that the n...

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04:20:30 –
Pakistani Christian schools shuttered over killings
Reuters
73.24%
4.46
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani missionary schools closed on Monday for three days to mourn the deaths of seven Christians burned alive in clashes with majority Muslims in a small Pakistani town at the weekend, a top priest said. Four women and a child were among those killed in the violence that broke out in Gojra in Punjab province on Saturday, after Muslims torched Christians' homes following unsubstantiated allegations some of them had desecrated the Koran. Some 40 homes were burned down in total. Government officials have said preliminary investigations showed there was no desecration of the Koran and that a "rumor" was being exploited by anti-state elements to create chaos. Police have registered a complaint against some government officials and over 800 unidentified men, as Christian leaders demanded justice for those behind the killings. "Christian schools will remain closed for three days from today to mourn the death of innoc...

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04:30:14 –
Cambodia bans 'Miss Landmine' beauty pageant
Associated Press
60.61%
5.38
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- The Cambodian government said Monday it will not allow a "Miss Landmine" beauty pageant to take place later this week, calling it an insult to the disabled. "The land mine beauty contest would make a mockery of Cambodia's land mine victims," said government spokesman Khieu Khanarith. "The government does not support this contest." The Ministry of Social Affairs sent a letter to the pageant's organizers Friday informing them of the ban and saying the contest would damage "the dignity and honor of our disabled." The contest was scheduled to be held this Friday. The Ministry of Social Affairs was supposed to be one of the pageant's partners, along with the Ministry of Women's Affairs and other groups, according to the pageant's Web site. The Miss Landmine site says the pageant's goal is to empower its participants and other disabled people and raise awareness about the dangers of land mines. The Web site shows photos of the 20 Cambodian contestants, all in...

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04:30:14 –
Mich. 3-yr.-old drowns at Ohio water resort
Associated Press
0%
3.5
SANDUSKY, Ohio (AP) -- Authorities say a 3-year-old Michigan boy who drowned at a northern Ohio water park was found face down in a children's pool. Hassan Itani, of Dearborn, was pulled from the outdoor pool at Kalahari Resorts water park in Sandusky and taken Sunday afternoon to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Capt. Paul Sigsworth of the Erie County Sheriff's office called the death a "tragic accident." Coroner Brian Baxter said the mother momentarily lost sight of her son, who didn't know how to swim and was playing with an older brother around the pool, which ranges from 3- to 4-feet in depth. Kalahari spokeswoman Carrie Leum said in a statement that park employees were "deeply saddened" by the toddler's death. She says the park is cooperating with law enforcement. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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04:30:15 –
Pilot's family getting closure on 18-year ordeal
Associated Press
52.33%
5.13
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A spokeswoman for the family of Navy pilot Michael "Scott" Speicher (SPYK'-uhr) says it will continue seeking on its own to learn how he died, now that his remains have been found. Cindy Laquidara said the first emotion the family felt was "overwhelming sadness" when notified of the discovery of Speicher's remains in the Iraqi province of Anbar. He was the first known U.S. casualty of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Interviewed on NBC's "Today" show Monday, Laquidara said the family appreciates the efforts of many who pushed the search for Speicher for 18 years. She said it the 33-year-old pilot "was on the ground" after ejecting from his plane and the question is "how long." Laquidara said "we have to do our own investigation" in cooperation with the Navy. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. WASHINGTON (AP) - Navy pilot Michael "Scott" Speicher was called the first casualty of the 1991 Gulf War. But hi...

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04:30:15 –
US futures up sharply, reflect gains overseas
Associated Press
45.45%
2.4
NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stock futures are sharply higher, buoyed by broad gains in overseas markets fueled by fresh signs the global economy is on the mend and solid reports from European banks. The combination is giving investors a burst of optimism. In other signs of investors' growing confidence, safe-haven assets like Treasurys and the U.S. dollar are falling, while oil and other commodities prices are rising. Barclays PLC said its first-half net profit increased 10 percent on stronger earnings from its investment banking division. Still, losses from bad loans rose as consumers in both the U.S. and Britain had trouble repaying debt. Meanwhile, in the U.S., health insurer Humana Inc. said its second-quarter profit rose 34 percent on higher premiums. Investors are awaiting more reports from companies such as Marathon Oil Corp. and Tyson Foods Inc. as well as data on the manufacturing and construction industries. Later in the day, following the close of trading, reports from homebui...

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04:30:16 –
Turbulence injures 26 on flight, diverted to Miami
Associated Press
0%
1.67
MIAMI (AP) -- Fire rescue officials in Miami say four people were seriously injured when a Continental Airlines flight from Rio de Janeiro experienced turbulence. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesman Elkin Sierra says 26 people were injured Monday. Four are in serious condition. Another 22 with bumps and bruises are in stable condition. Miami International Airport spokesman Marc Henderson says Continental Flight 128, which was traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Houston, was diverted to Miami. He says 168 people were on board. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen says the plane landed safely at 5:30 a.m. The plane reported hitting severe turbulence at 4:30 a.m. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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04:30:16 –
EU probing alleged Balkan organ trafficking
Associated Press
0%
4.33
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) -- Europe's top human rights watchdog is launching a probe into Serb allegations that ethnic Albanian guerrillas kidnapped Serb civilians during Kosovo's war, removed their organs and sold the body parts on the black market. Leading the probe is Dick Marty, a Swiss senator representing the Council of Europe. He is expected to meet top Serbian judiciary and war crimes officials during his two-day visit to Belgrade starting Monday. Serbian officials say up to 500 Kosovo Serbs vanished without a trace during the 1998-99 war. They claim at least some of them may have had organs removed. Ethnic Albanian officials deny the claims. They say the allegations are part of Serbian propaganda against Kosovo's independence, declared last year with Western backing. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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04:30:18 –
World markets up on manufacturing recovery hopes
Associated Press
30.43%
3.36
LONDON (AP) -- World stock markets mostly rose Monday after economic data around the world encouraged hopes that the end of the recession is in sight and that some of the world's biggest economies may actually start to grow again in the third quarter. In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 76.62 points, or 1.7 percent, at 4,684.98 while Germany's DAX jumped 92.71 points, or 1.7 percent, to 5,424.85. The CAC-40 in France was 52.61 points, or 1.5 percent, higher at 3,478.88. Earlier in Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 223.93, or 1.1 percent, to 20,807.26 but Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average down 4.36 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 10,352.47. Chinese shares hit a 14-month high Monday after two surveys showed the country's manufacturing is expanding. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 50.53 points, or 1.5 percent, to close at 3,462.59 - the highest since May 19, 2008. Surveys in Europe pointed to an improving trend too and investors are hopeful th...

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04:30:19 –
Barclays bank 1H net profit up 10 percent
Associated Press
33.77%
2.62
LONDON (AP) -- Banking group Barclays PLC said Monday that first-half net profit increased 10 percent on stronger earnings from its investment banking division, although losses from bad loans rose steeply and consumers in the U.S. and Britain had more trouble repaying credit-card debt. Net profit for the six months ending June 30 was 1.888 billion pounds ($3.16 billion), compared to 1.718 billion pounds in the previous year. The result cheered investors in the battered banking sector and shares rose. Impairment charges for bad loans increased 73 percent to 3.9 billion pounds, and unpaid credit card bills in the United States and Britain, both symptoms of the recession, also hit earnings. Barclays said a third of the increase was due to currency movements and methodology revisions, with the remainder attributed to the recession. Revenue net of insurance claims was up 37 percent to a record 16.25 billion pounds. Barclay shares were up 6.6 percent at 322 pence on the London Stock Exch...

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04:30:20 –
Saltalamacchia, Feldman lead Rangers over Mariners
Associated Press
29.71%
3.54
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Scott Feldman put his worst start of the season in his rearview mirror. Feldman pitched seven strong innings, Jarrod Saltalamachia broke a tie with a two-run homer in the seventh, and the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Sunday night. On Wednesday, Detroit knocked Feldman around for six runs and 10 hits in 2 1-3 innings of a 13-5 Tigers victory. This time, Feldman (10-4) was a whole lot better, allowing two runs and five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. "There was nothing good to take from it so I just tried to forget about it, go out there tonight and pitch better," Feldman said. "I had better command of my fastball and my off-speed stuff too. Everything was a lot better." Feldman extended his career-best win total and assumed the team lead in victories as the Rangers won for the 11th time in 14 games. Feldman left a tie game, and the offense set him up for the decision. Nelson Cruz led off the seventh with a single off reliever Jack ...

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04:30:21 –
Israeli foreign minister to resign if charged
Associated Press
54.3%
4.67
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel's foreign minister promised Monday to step down if he is charged after police recommended that he be indicted for a string of alleged corruption offenses. Police say they have enough evidence to charge Avigdor Lieberman with accepting bribes, fraud, money laundering and other offenses. The country's attorney general must now decide whether to indict him, and that could take months. Speaking at a press conference he called to respond to the police recommendation, which was announced Sunday, Lieberman said he did nothing wrong. "If I had to do it again I would do precisely the same thing," he said. Lieberman said he doubted he would be charged, but if he is, "There is no doubt that I will step down at that moment." The police investigation centered on millions of dollars that allegedly reached Lieberman through fictitious companies he set up. Police say the investigation began in 2006 and covered events as far back as 2000. Police say Lieberman faces a combin...

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04:30:21 –
Lou Dobbs challenges his own CNN network
Associated Press
30.24%
4.79
NEW YORK (AP) -- He's become a publicity nightmare for CNN, embarrassed his boss and hosted a show that seemed to contradict the network's "no bias" brand. And on top of all that, his ratings are slipping. How does Lou Dobbs keep his job? It's not a simple answer. CNN insists it is standing behind Dobbs, despite calls for his head from critics of his reporting on "birthers" - those who believe President Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States despite convincing evidence to the contrary. The "birthers" believe Obama was born in Kenya, and thus not eligible to be president. Dobbs' work has been so unpopular that even Ann Coulter has criticized him. Dobbs has acknowledged that he believes Obama was born in Hawaii. But he gives airtime to disbelievers, and has said the president should try to put questions fully to rest by releasing a long version of his birth certificate. He's twice done stories on his show after the public leak of a memo from CNN U.S. President Jon Klein saying...

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04:30:24 –
Survey: China manufacturing improved in July
Associated Press
26.09%
2.5
BEIJING (AP) -- China's manufacturing expanded in July at its fastest rate in a year as domestic demand offset sluggish exports, a survey showed Monday, highlighting the importance of Beijing's huge stimulus in driving Chinese growth. Hong Kong brokerage CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets said its monthly purchasing managers index, or PMI, rose to a 12-month high of 52.8 on a 100-point scale where numbers above 100 indicate an expansion. That was up from June's 51.8. "Manufacturing activity continues to accelerate and, importantly, orders growth is being driven by the domestic economy," said CLSA economist Eric Fishwick in a statement. "Export prices lag, another sign of China looking inwards for growth." The survey echoed a report Saturday by the state-sanctioned China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing that showed manufacturing expanding for a fifth month following the plunge in global demand for Chinese goods. China's economic growth accelerated in the latest quarter to 7.9 percent ove...

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05:00:35 –
Ahmadinejad Gets Key Endorsement as Iran President
NY Times
33.45%
4.29
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's supreme leader formally endorsed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for second term as president Monday in a ceremony that sought to portray unity among the country's leadership but was snubbed by prominent critics of the disputed election.After Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave his official seal of approval, he received an awkward kiss on the shoulder from Ahmadinejad. The meeting cleared the way for Ahmadinejad to take the oath of office Wednesday in parliament, where many pro-reform lawmakers have echoed the claims of fraud in the June 12 election.The ceremony with Khamenei showed vividly the deep political divides confronting Ahmadinejad and his backers among the ruling clerics. The event was boycotted by two former presidents -- Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami -- as well as defeated pro-reform candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi, state media reported.Iran's main state TV channels did not offer live coverage of the ceremony in an apparent effort b...

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05:00:40 –
Cambodia Bans 'Miss Landmine' Beauty Pageant
NY Times
66.12%
5.38
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- The Cambodian government said Monday it will not allow a ''Miss Landmine'' beauty pageant to take place later this week, calling it an insult to the disabled.''The land mine beauty contest would make a mockery of Cambodia's land mine victims,'' said government spokesman Khieu Khanarith. ''The government does not support this contest.''The Ministry of Social Affairs sent a letter to the pageant's organizers Friday informing them of the ban and saying the contest would damage ''the dignity and honor of our disabled.''The contest was scheduled to be held this Friday. The Ministry of Social Affairs was supposed to be one of the pageant's partners, along with the Ministry of Women's Affairs and other groups, according to the pageant's Web site.The Miss Landmine site says the pageant's goal is to empower its participants and other disabled people and raise awareness about the dangers of land mines.The Web site shows photos of the 20 Cambodian contestants, all in ...

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05:00:48 –
Teen Charged After Moviegoer Attacked With Bleach
NY Times
0%
4.33
LONDON (AP) -- British police say they have charged a 16-year-old boy with assault after he allegedly splashed bleach on a woman who had asked him to be quiet during a movie.The woman confronted a group of teenagers at a late July screening of ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' in Leeds, about 190 miles (300 kilometers) north of London.West Yorkshire Police say the bleach attack occurred at a restaurant where the woman and her family went to after the movie. She was treated in hospital.The teenager was remanded in custody after a court appearance Monday....

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05:00:51 –
Metal Leak at China Chemical Plant Leaves 500 Sick
NY Times
95.24%
5.36
BEIJING (AP) -- More than 500 villagers in central China have been found to have high concentrations of a dangerous metal in their bodies after a series of leaks from a chemical plant, state media reported Monday.Of the nearly 3,000 villagers living near the Changsha Xianghe Chemical Plant in Hunan province's Zhentou township, 509 people were found to have high concentrations of cadmium and 33 were hospitalized over the weekend, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Cadmium is used to make batteries.The chemicals may have been leaking for months before two villagers, since found to have excessive levels of cadmium, died in May and June.Two senior environmental officials were suspended and the head of the chemical plant was detained Saturday. That followed protests last week by nearly 1,000 residents complaining that deadly pollutants were being discharged from the factory into water that irrigates rice and vegetable fields, according to Xinhua.Calls to the Liuyang city governme...

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05:01:01 –
Nigerians Count Cost After Uprising By Islamic Sect
NY Times
90.43%
5.59
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Samuel Yunana's father, Fayam, was taken from his home, stabbed in the side of the stomach and told to convert to Islam. When he refused, his throat was slit.Fayam was among more than 700 people killed in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri during an uprising last week by a radical Islamic sect which wants sharia (Islamic law) imposed across Africa's most populous nation.Followers of Boko Haram, which means "Western education is sinful," attacked government buildings, police stations, prisons, schools and churches during five days of rioting before soldiers and police put the uprising down.As a prison warder and a Christian living near the sect leader's compound, Fayam was a particular target."He was taken from his house by Boko Haram. They stabbed him and he was losing blood," Yunana told Reuters, pointing to a roundabout in front of a dilapidated railway terminus where his father was dragged."They insisted he was to convert to a Muslim. He refused, ...

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05:10:16 –
Swiss push for meeting with U.S. hikers detained in Iran
CNN
44.76%
3.31
(CNN) -- Swiss diplomats are trying to meet with three American hikers being held in Iran, the Swiss Embassy in Tehran said Monday. Ahmed Awa, on th...

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05:10:17 –
Afghan candidate's bicycle campaign for president
CNN
51.98%
4.09
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Every morning, Sangin Mohammed Rahmani says goodbye to his wife, gets on his bicycle, and sets out alone on a bumpy, unpaved Kabul road that he hopes will lead him to the presidency. Presidential candidate Sangin Mohammed Rahmani out campaigning on his bicycle. "This is going to be my vehicle to success," he says, patting his bicycle, as he pushes it down a rutted, garbage-strewn street. "With my bicycle and my mobile phone, I can solve all the problems of the people." In a crowded field of 41 Afghan men and women running for president in ...

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05:30:21 –
John Lennon biopic to close London Film Festival
Associated Press
0%
1.33
LONDON (AP) -- London Film Festival organizers say this year's event will close with the world premiere of a new film about John Lennon's formative years in Liverpool. "Nowhere Boy" depicts Lennon at age 15 and follows his relationship with his estranged mother, Julia, and with his Aunt Mimi, who raised him. It is the first feature from visual artist Sam Taylor-Wood and stars newcomer Aaron Johnson as Lennon, Kristin Scott Thomas as Mimi and Anne-Marie Duff as Julia. The 53rd London Film Festival opens Oct. 14 with Wes Anderson's animated feature "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and runs to Oct. 29. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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05:30:22 –
Tennant to bring his `Hamlet' from stage to TV
Associated Press
0%
2.8
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- "Doctor Who" star David Tennant is bringing his portrayal of Hamlet from the stage to the small screen. Tennant won critical acclaim for his performance in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2008 production of "Hamlet." PBS said Sunday the TV adaptation will air in 2010 as part of its "Great Performances" series and will include Patrick Stewart in the cast. Tennant is taking on another role for the Public Broadcasting Service: This fall, he'll debut as host of "Masterpiece Contemporary." The series returns Oct. 25 with "Endgame," a drama about the final days of apartheid in South Africa, starring William Hurt and Jonny Lee Miller. PBS announced that the film will open in select U.S. theaters starting Oct. 30. --- On the Net: http://www.pbs.org/ © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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05:30:23 –
Tyson Foods 3Q profit jumps as chicken sales rise
Associated Press
33.9%
1.8
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) -- Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat maker, said Monday that its third-quarter profit surged on solid chicken sales following a prior-year period hammered by skyrocketing grain costs. The Springdale-based company earned $134 million, or 35 cents per share, compared with $9 million, or 3 cents per share, a year earlier. Earnings from continuing operations were $127 million, or 33 cents per share, compared with a loss of $3 million, or a penny per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, whose estimates normally exclude one-time items, forecast profit of 22 cents per share. The year-ago period was hurt mostly by grain costs to feed chickens, which rose $140 million in that quarter. In contrast, grain costs fell $91 million in the current quarter. Sales for the period ended June 27 dipped 3 percent to $6.66 billion from $6.85 billion, missing Wall Street's estimate of $6.68 billion. Revenue was hindered by declines in beef and pork sales, but chicken s...

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05:30:23 –
US futures up sharply, extending gains overseas
Associated Press
29.24%
2.4
NEW YORK (AP) -- Fresh signs of healing in the manufacturing and banking industries are giving investors reason to try to extend a powerful July rally into a second month. U.S. stock futures are pointing to a sharply higher opening, rising about 1 percent, as gains in overseas markets feed the recent momentum on Wall Street that gave the market its best July in 20 years. World markets mostly rose as surveys in China and Europe showed manufacturing activity is improving. Investors are hoping that figures on the manufacturing industry in the U.S. released later Monday will reveal a similar trend. Positive reports on the European banking sector added to the day's upbeat news. Barclays PLC said its first-half net profit increased 10 percent on stronger earnings from its investment banking division. Still, losses from bad loans rose as consumers in both the U.S. and Britain had trouble repaying debt. In other signs of investors' growing confidence, safe-haven assets like Treasurys and t...

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05:30:23 –
SAfrica's Zuma to address Zimbabwe's problems
Associated Press
0%
3.67
JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- South Africa's president says the problems in neighboring Zimbabwe are "weighty" but can be resolved. South African President Jacob Zuma met for an hour Monday with Zimbabwe's former opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Zuma chairs the regional bloc that persuaded Tsvangirai and longtime Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to form their coalition in February. Tsvangirai has accused Mugabe's party of blocking reforms. Tsvangirai's party has called for a regional summit to try to resolve the coalition's problems. Zuma did not mention a summit Monday after meeting with Tsvangirai in Johannesburg. But he promised to talk with Mugabe and other regional leaders. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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05:30:24 –
PBS sets online cross-country adventure for kids
Associated Press
0%
1.13
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- PBS is launching an online cross-country adventure for children starring two brothers - who happen to be gophers. The Web-only "Wilson & Ditch: Digging America," produced by The Jim Henson Co., follows the furry siblings as they explore America and learn about its culture, history and geography. In addition to animated "webisodes," the Public Broadcasting Service's social studies project, announced Sunday, will include original video, interactive games and blogs, and podcasts. The site, aimed at children ages 6 to 10, will debut on pbskidsgo.org this fall. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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05:30:24 –
Prediction of violence by Karzai challenger probed
Associated Press
45.45%
3.94
KABUL (AP) -- Afghan authorities are investigating the campaign manager for the top challenger to President Hamid Karzai after a news report quoted him as saying street demonstrations will "turn bad" if his candidate loses the upcoming election, officials said Monday. Abdullah Abdullah's campaign manager, Abdul Sattar Murad, was quoted by the United Arab Emirates-based paper The National as saying that if Karzai wins the Aug. 20 vote "there will be a big demonstration, street demonstrations, and it will turn bad. The country will land in the middle of a crisis." Murad was also quoted as saying his team would not accept a Karzai win because Karzai can win only through "large-scale corruption." Murad told The Associated Press on Monday that the Interior Ministry contacted him about the comments but that he told the ministry he did not say them. However, The National told the AP it had a recording of the conversation and that all quotes were accurate. The story, which was published la...

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05:30:25 –
Mom: NY LaGuardia bomb scare suspect mentally ill
Associated Press
0%
3.89
NEW YORK (AP) -- The mother of the homeless man arrested on charges of causing a bomb scare at LaGuardia Airport says her son has a psychiatric disorder. Margie Jones tells the New York Daily News in Monday's editions that her son, 32-year-old Scott McGann, suffers from catatonic schizophrenia. Jones lives north of San Francisco in Willits, Calif. She tells the paper she's a school psychologist. McGann is accused of carrying a phony bomb into LaGuardia on Saturday. The scare shut down the airport for several hours and prompted an evacuation. McGann was arrested on charges including placing a false bomb in a transportation facility and making a terrorist threat. He is to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before his scheduled court appearance on Thursday. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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06:00:44 –
Prediction of Violence by Karzai Challenger Probed
NY Times
46.83%
3.94
KABUL (AP) -- Afghan authorities are investigating the campaign manager for the top challenger to President Hamid Karzai after a news report quoted him as saying street demonstrations will ''turn bad'' if his candidate loses the upcoming election, officials said Monday.Abdullah Abdullah's campaign manager, Abdul Sattar Murad, was quoted by the United Arab Emirates-based paper The National as saying that if Karzai wins the Aug. 20 vote ''there will be a big demonstration, street demonstrations, and it will turn bad. The country will land in the middle of a crisis.''Murad was also quoted as saying his team would not accept a Karzai win because Karzai can win only through ''large-scale corruption.''Murad told The Associated Press on Monday that the Interior Ministry contacted him about the comments but that he told the ministry he did not say them. However, The National told the AP it had a recording of the conversation and that all quotes were accurate.The story, which was published last...

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06:00:47 –
SAfrica's Zuma to Address Zimbabwe's Problems
NY Times
0%
3.67
JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- South Africa's president says the problems in neighboring Zimbabwe are ''weighty'' but can be resolved.South African President Jacob Zuma met for an hour Monday with Zimbabwe's former opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.Zuma chairs the regional bloc that persuaded Tsvangirai and longtime Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to form their coalition in February. Tsvangirai has accused Mugabe's party of blocking reforms.Tsvangirai's party has called for a regional summit to try to resolve the coalition's problems. Zuma did not mention a summit Monday after meeting with Tsvangirai in Johannesburg. But he promised to talk with Mugabe and other regional leaders....

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06:00:52 –
Somali Pirates Get $2.7 Million Ransom For German Ship
NY Times
0%
1.5
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali pirates holding a German ship with five Germans, three Russians, two Ukrainians and 14 Filipinos on board have received a $2.7 million ransom and are counting it before releasing the ship, a pirate told Reuters."We have taken $2.7 million ransom for Hansa, a German ship," pirate Abdi told Reuters by phone from Haradhere, a piracy haven."We are now dividing the money. We shall get down (off the ship) soon."The German-flagged container vessel Hansa Stavanger was captured about 400 miles off the southern Somali port of Kismayu on April 4.The release of the 20,000 tonne ship, owned by Hamburg shipping company Leonhardt & Blumberg, was expected last week but it was delayed after the pirates demanded a higher ransom.Earlier, a Malaysian-owned tugboat held for over seven months was released after a ransom was paid, with 11 Indonesian crew.Gangs of Somali pirates in the shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe have made millions of dollars in ransom payments from...

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06:10:14 –
What can I take to help with Vicodin withdrawal symptoms?
CNN
0%
0
...

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06:10:15 –
Forest fire rages in Spain's Canary Islands
CNN
75.8%
6
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A massive forest fire continued to burn out of control on Monday on the island of La Palma, part of Spain's Canary Islands, a regional government spokeswoman told CNN. Volunteers look on as a plane drops water on wildfires in La Palma Sunday. Some 600 firefighters are battling the blaze, backed by aircraft dropping water on the flames, spokeswoman Ana Vidal said. The small island is part of the Canary Islands archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morocco. Firefighters were able to contain the fire on La Palma's weste...

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06:10:17 –
Gates jokes: I offered to help officer's kids get into Harvard
CNN
73.47%
3.78
BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- In his first public appearance since the "Beer Summit" at the White House, Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates joked about his controversial arrest last month in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and said he likes police Sgt. James Crowley. Sgt. James Crowley and professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. sit for beers with the president and vice president Thursday. "I offered to get his kids into Harvard if he doesn't arrest me anymore," Gates said. Gates was speaking Sunday at the Martha's Vineyard Book Festival where he signed copies of his b...

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06:21:06 –
Palestinians seek end to trade dependence on Israel
Reuters
42.34%
2.82
By Erika Solomon RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - At Garden's grocery store in Ramallah, Dalia al-Khatib hands out fliers and showcases Palestinian goods for Intajuna ("Our Products"), one of many campaigns asking Palestinians to avoid Israeli products. But across town, an all-Palestinian crew of laborers heads home after a day of work on the nearby Jewish settlement of Adam, like some 30,000 other Palestinians who help build settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The contrast illustrates a Palestinian dilemma. After 40 years of occupation, their economy is tied to Israel's, so attempts to reduce its dependence clash with hard realities. Palestinians use the Israeli shekel as currency. From cars to shampoo, countless goods come from or via Israel. Most packaged foods and household products have a foreign or Palestinian counterpart, but fruit and vegetable vendors say they would be out of business without Israel, where most produ...

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06:21:43 –
Gazans debate Hamas "Islamization" signals
Reuters
66.96%
3.78
By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - Men cannot go topless on Gaza beaches, owners of clothes shops are told to remove mannequins displaying lingerie and some couples complain of being asked for marriage papers as they walk in the streets. Human Rights groups and critics say some in the Islamist Hamas group, which rules Gaza, are exerting pressure to impose Islamic law on the public at a time when others seek to engage with the Western world. Hamas, which wrested control of the Gaza Strip from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction in fighting in 2007, denies plans to impose Islamic laws. But Gazans say bearded men who identify themselves with the Ministry of Religious Affairs are advising people to follow Islamic values, stop smoking and stick to conservative forms of Muslim dress for men and women. "People from the Virtue Campaign of the Religious Affairs Ministry came and said mannequins were a provocative source of temptatio...

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06:30:16 –
Marathon 2Q profits plunge with oil prices
Associated Press
19.46%
1.5
NEW YORK (AP) -- Marathon Oil Corp. said Monday its second-quarter profit fell 47 percent from a year ago when crude barrels fetched twice the price. The results still beat Wall Street expectations, and shares rose 2.6 percent to $42.28 in pre-market trading. Houston-based Marathon said net income of $413 million, or 58 cents a share for the April-June period. That compared with earnings of $774 million, or $1.08 a share, in the same quarter last year. Adjusted for one-time items, second-quarter earnings totaled $251 million, or 35 cents per share, compared with $858 million, or $1.20 per share, in the second quarter of 2008. Quarterly revenue fell about 40 percent to $13.4 billion from $22.2 billion a year ago. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters predicted earnings of 53 cents per share, on revenue of $11.1 billion. Analysts typically exclude one-time items. Marathon said profits fell primarily from its exploration and production operations, which in the U.S. reported a $41 milli...

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06:30:16 –
Google CEO leaves Apple board as companies compete
Associated Press
38.34%
2.17
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) -- Google CEO Eric Schmidt has resigned from Apple's board of directors as the Internet search leader increasingly develops products that compete with Apple's core businesses, including the popular iPhone. Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs said Schmidt would have had to recuse himself from large portions of the company's board meetings to avoid potential conflicts of interest. "Therefore, we have mutually decided that now is the right time for Eric to resign his position on Apple's Board," Jobs said in a statement. Schmidt had been on Apple's board since August 2006. His resignation comes as the Federal Trade Commission is looking into whether Google's common ties with Apple might discourage competition. Just a few months ago, Schmidt expressed confidence that a government inquiry into his role on Apple's board won't find any evidence that the ties between the two companies throttle competition in mobile phones and elsewhere. He said in May, in a media session ahead ...

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06:30:17 –
MGM moves to 1Q loss on charges, less gambling
Associated Press
29.59%
2.4
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Casino operator MGM Mirage lost $212.6 million in the second quarter this year as it recorded hefty impairment charges and consumers gambled less during the recession. The results compared with profits of $113.1 million during the same period last year for the Las Vegas-based company, whose largest stockholder is billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian. The company said Thursday that it lost 60 cents per share for the period ending June 30, compared with profits of 40 cents per share during the same period last year. Revenue fell 22 percent to $1.49 billion from $1.9 billion but still met Wall Street's estimate. The latest quarter's results included 34 cents per share in impairment charges, and a loss of 11 cents per share related to $58 million in long term debt retirement. Analysts forecast a loss of 9 cents per share on $1.49 billion in revenue. MGM Mirage owns and operates 16 casinos in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan. It also has 50 percent investments in four o...

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06:30:17 –
Nevada Supreme Court to weigh OJ release on appeal
Associated Press
78.43%
3.58
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Lawyers for O.J. Simpson and a former golfing buddy hope to persuade a Nevada Supreme Court panel to spring the two men from prison while the justices review their convictions in a gunpoint hotel room heist. Simpson and convicted co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart won't be in a Las Vegas courtroom Monday for the 30-minute sessions allotted to their lawyers before a trio of justices from the state's only appellate court. Clark County District Attorney David Roger, who prosecuted the pair, will argue against release. The justices won't make an immediate decision, but it is rare for the state high court to hear oral arguments on bond and even more rare to grant release. Simpson, 62, is serving nine to 33 years for kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon in the September 2007 confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas casino hotel room. Stewart, 55, is serving 7 1/2 to 27 years. Simpson lawyer Yale Galanter has said Simpson won't flee if he...

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06:30:18 –
South Africa reports first swine flu death
Associated Press
0%
4.57
JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- Health officials say that a college student has become the first South African to die from swine flu. The 22-year-old male student from the University of Stellenbosch, near Cape Town, died July 28 after being sick for a week. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that the H1N1 virus was confirmed as the cause of death Monday. The student went to the campus clinic with flu symptoms but was later admitted to a private hospital. He was treated for pneumonia but did not recover. There have been more than 500 swine flu cases reported in South Africa since mid-June. Some schools in Johannesburg have temporarily closed after pupils tested positive for swine flu. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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06:30:18 –
Wife: Iran reform politician's confession forced
Associated Press
0%
4.33
BEIRUT (AP) -- The wife of a former Iranian vice president on trial for postelection violence says his televised "confessions" were made under pressure. Fahimeh Mousavi-nejad tells The Associated Press that the forcing of confessions shows the clerical rulers' weakness, saying, "they are completely disarmed." Her husband, former Vice President Mohammad Abtahi, is one of the top figures in a trial that began Saturday for around 100 people detained in the postelection crackdown. State TV aired footage of Abtahi admitting he fueled protests as part of a foreign plot to topple the government. The opposition says he and other detainees were coerced during weeks in prison. Mousavi-nejad says, "I personally believe what he has gone through has made him speak the way he has." © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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06:30:18 –
Tilda Swinton takes mobile film fest on the road
Associated Press
48.98%
2.83
LONDON (AP) -- Academy Award-winner Tilda Swinton is spending part of the summer hauling a mobile movie theater across the Scottish Highlands. Swinton and fellow film fans are transporting the movie truck through towns and villages for a traveling film festival. Most of the time they drive, but volunteers are pulling the 37-tonne (40 ton) truck for part of the journey on foot. Swinton said the foot slog - a tribute to movies and the Scottish landscape - was a "mad idea" that seemed appropriate. Swinton told Monday's edition of The Guardian newspaper that audiences in remote communities were hungry to for non-mainstream films and for an "experience of cinema" unavailable on DVD. The festival's schedule includes international road movies, from Preston Sturges' "Sullivan's Travels" to Fridrik Thor Fridriksson's "Cold Fever." War drama "Culloden" is being shown in the village where the 18th-century battle took place, and Akira Kurosawa's Japanese "Macbeth" adaptation "Throne of Blood" ...

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06:30:19 –
Molson Coors reports 2nd-quarter profit doubles
Associated Press
35.71%
1.75
DENVER (AP) -- Brewer Molson Coors said Monday its second-quarter profit doubled as it raised prices and cut costs, despite selling less beer. Meanwhile, profit at Molson's joint venture with SABMiller's U.S. unit - called MillerCoors LLC - rose 75 percent to $304.9 million. Molson, the Denver-based maker of Coors Light, earned $187.3 million, or $1.01 a share, in the three months that ended in June. That compares with earnings of $91.8 million or 49 cents a share, in the same period last year, before Molson Coors and SABMiller PLC formed their joint venture MillerCoors. Excluding one-time charges, the company earned $1.11 per share, higher than the 97 cents predicted by analysts. Revenue at Molson Coors Brewing Co. fell 1 percent to $2.49 million in the quarter, hurt by unfavorable foreign exchange rates. Worldwide the volume of beer sold fell 3.2 percent. The MillerCoors joint venture officially got under way last summer. Its aim was to cut costs and better compete against indust...

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06:30:20 –
Fatah commits to Israel peace talks in party draft
Associated Press
0%
2.83
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) -- The Palestinian Fatah movement says it will keep pursuing peace talks but reserves the right to resist Israeli occupation. The subject of the negotiations is part of the party's draft program to be discussed at Fatah's convention in the West Bank - the group's first in 20 years. The meeting starts Tuesday. The new program is being presented to more than 2,200 delegates for a vote. Fatah has negotiated with Israel off and on since 1993. The international community will closely watch the gathering. Fatah has been increasingly weakened but remains the West's only hope for delivering a Mideast peace deal. Fatah's 1989 program called for "armed struggle" against Israel. The new platform, published Monday, is vague on violence but stresses negotiations and civil disobedience. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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06:30:21 –
Wife of Kazakh ex-nuke chief demands open trial
Associated Press
73.73%
5.38
ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) -- The wife of the jailed former head of Kazakhstan's nuclear energy company demanded Monday that an open trial be held for her husband, who is accused of large-scale theft. Mukhtar Dzhakishev is the highest-profile businessman to be arrested in a recent crackdown on executives that has alarmed foreign investors in uranium-rich Kazakhstan, Central Asia's largest economy. He was jailed in May, just days after being fired as head of state-controlled Kazatomprom, and was charged with signing over more than half of the former Soviet republic's uranium holdings into his own name. Dzhakishev's wife, Zhamilya, also voiced concerns over her husband's worsening health in the high-security detention facility in the capital, Astana, and demanded that he be hospitalized. "He has lost a great deal of weight and is suffering from severe headaches," she said. She said lawyers appointed to represent her husband have been barred from meeting with him. Allegations that Dzhaki...

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06:30:21 –
Israel police bust fraud ring with alleged US ties
Associated Press
0%
4.38
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli police said Monday that they had broken up an Israeli-American crime ring specializing in tax fraud and money laundering in an operation codenamed "American Pie." Police said a joint investigation with U.S. authorities led to the arrest in Israel of seven suspects, some of them American citizens, with further arrests likely. The suspects defrauded the U.S. internal revenue of tens of millions of dollars and deposited the money in Israeli bank accounts, according to the police statement. Detectives told reporters that the chief suspect was 62-year-old Marvin Berkowitz who holds dual Israeli and U.S. citizenship. They said he obtained personal details of inmates in U.S. prisons and then used the data to falsify claims for income tax refunds in their names for the period before their arrests. Berkowitz and his alleged accomplices are being held on charges of money laundering, fraud, forgery and a number of tax offenses. In late July, U.S. authorities arrested...

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06:30:22 –
Ball in Senate's court on 'cash for clunker' sales
Associated Press
29.22%
2.89
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With the "cash for clunkers" program essentially running on fumes, the Obama administration served notice on the Senate that it must pour in $2 billion more to keep it on track. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood set the latest policy marker for the popular car-purchase program, saying Sunday that he thought the existing $1 billion pool would be exhausted by the end of the weekend. Only the Senate can help at this point; the House last Friday voted for the money to be put into the popular program, and the House members have left on their summer recess. The Senate is scheduled to start its vacation by week's end. "If we don't get the $2 billion from the Senate ... we would have to suspend the program next week," LaHood told C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" show. He said the administration "will continue the program until we see what the Senate does and I believe the Senate will pass this." "Any deal that is made (Monday) or the next day and that is in the pipeline, ... the ...

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07:00:33 –
Wife: Iran Reform Politician's Confession Forced
NY Times
0%
4.33
BEIRUT (AP) -- The wife of a former Iranian vice president on trial for postelection violence says his televised ''confessions'' were made under pressure.Fahimeh Mousavi-nejad tells The Associated Press that the forcing of confessions shows the clerical rulers' weakness, saying, ''they are completely disarmed.''Her husband, former Vice President Mohammad Abtahi, is one of the top figures in a trial that began Saturday for around 100 people detained in the postelection crackdown. State TV aired footage of Abtahi admitting he fueled protests as part of a foreign plot to topple the government. The opposition says he and other detainees were coerced during weeks in prison.Mousavi-nejad says, ''I personally believe what he has gone through has made him speak the way he has.''...

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07:00:42 –
South Africa Reports First Swine Flu Death
NY Times
0%
4.57
JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- Health officials say that a college student has become the first South African to die from swine flu.The 22-year-old male student from the University of Stellenbosch, near Cape Town, died July 28 after being sick for a week.Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that the H1N1 virus was confirmed as the cause of death Monday.The student went to the campus clinic with flu symptoms but was later admitted to a private hospital. He was treated for pneumonia but did not recover.There have been more than 500 swine flu cases reported in South Africa since mid-June. Some schools in Johannesburg have temporarily closed after pupils tested positive for swine flu....

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07:00:48 –
Iran Leader Approves Ahmadinejad's Second Term
NY Times
49.41%
4.48
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader endorsed the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a ceremony boycotted by leading moderates in protest at a disputed poll that plunged Iran into its worst crisis since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.Two former presidents, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, who backed defeated candidate Mirhossein Mousavi, did not attend Monday's ceremony although they had been present at such events in the past, Iranian media reported."I am endorsing the presidency of this brave, hard-working and wise man as the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, in praise of Ahmadinejad who will be sworn in by parliament on Wednesday.Witnesses said dozens of riot police and Basij militia assembled at a central Tehran Square after the ceremony to prevent pro-Mousavi supporters from attending a planned protest at 2:30 p.m. British time. The gathering was announced by moderate websites.Other leading moderate figures joi...

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07:00:51 –
Israel Police Bust Fraud Ring With Alleged US Ties
NY Times
0%
4.38
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli police said Monday that they had broken up an Israeli-American crime ring specializing in tax fraud and money laundering in an operation codenamed ''American Pie.''Police said a joint investigation with U.S. authorities led to the arrest in Israel of seven suspects, some of them American citizens, with further arrests likely.The suspects defrauded the U.S. internal revenue of tens of millions of dollars and deposited the money in Israeli bank accounts, according to the police statement.Detectives told reporters that the chief suspect was 62-year-old Marvin Berkowitz who holds dual Israeli and U.S. citizenship.They said he obtained personal details of inmates in U.S. prisons and then used the data to falsify claims for income tax refunds in their names for the period before their arrests.Berkowitz and his alleged accomplices are being held on charges of money laundering, fraud, forgery and a number of tax offenses.In late July, U.S. authorities arrested over 40...

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07:00:56 –
Fatah Commits to Israel Peace Talks in Party Draft
NY Times
0%
2.83
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) -- The Palestinian Fatah movement says it will keep pursuing peace talks but reserves the right to resist Israeli occupation.The subject of the negotiations is part of the party's draft program to be discussed at Fatah's convention in the West Bank -- the group's first in 20 years. The meeting starts Tuesday. The new program is being presented to more than 2,200 delegates for a vote.Fatah has negotiated with Israel off and on since 1993.The international community will closely watch the gathering. Fatah has been increasingly weakened but remains the West's only hope for delivering a Mideast peace deal.Fatah's 1989 program called for ''armed struggle'' against Israel. The new platform, published Monday, is vague on violence but stresses negotiations and civil disobedience....

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07:10:14 –
Boating adventures in Alaska's Glacier Bay
CNN
31.35%
2.53
(Tribune Media Services) -- Try maneuvering a kayak through icebergs -- big ones, small ones, ones that look like alligators and flat-topped bergs that could spell trouble because they are mostly underwater. Humpback whales, harbor seals and more await visitors to Glacier Bay National Park. var CNN_Artic...

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07:10:16 –
'Ask Medicare' seeks to cut red tape for caregivers
CNN
40.3%
2.75
BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- Kim Mickens, 49, has always been the caregiver among her eight brothers and sisters. So when her mother, Delphine Mickens, was told she had Alzheimer's disease, Mickens took care of all the arrangements for her mother's care -- among them, she chose a nursing home not far from her place in Baltimore. Kim Mickens, right, moved her mother, Delphine, in with her after unsuccessful stints at two nursing homes. But Mickens didn't like the way her mother was treated, so she moved Delphine to a second facility. That one didn't work out either. Mickens eventually c...

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07:10:17 –
What to do when facing ethical problem at work
CNN
0%
0
...

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07:10:18 –
New NATO chief warns of Afghan 'terror Grand Central'
CNN
100%
4.67
(CNN) -- NATO will stay in Afghanistan "for as long as it takes," the military alliance's new leader said in Brussels, Belgium, Monday. Anders Fogh Rasmussen became NATO secretary general on August 1. "We will support the Afghan people for as long as it takes -- let me repeat that, for as long as it takes," said Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Danish prime minister who became secretary general on August 1. He said success in the country was NATO's top priority, "to help prevent Afghanistan from becoming again the Grand Central Station of international terrorism...

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07:10:21 –
Why blogging is good for your career
CNN
0%
0
...

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07:10:22 –
Team Kate gathers steam as 'Jon & Kate' returns
CNN
50.79%
2.79
(CNN) -- What a difference a few weeks can make. Despite a very public marital split, Jon and Kate Gosselin are continuing their family reality show. There was a time when fans of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" sympathized with Jon Gosselin, the seemingly beleaguered father of twins and sextuplets whose wife appeared to nag and belittle him before millions of viewers. Even when there were allegations of infidelity on Jon's part, some fans rushed to his defense with the justification that perhaps he was driven to it by wife Kate's behavior. But since the couple has announced their spli...

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07:10:24 –
Ahmadinejad may face bumpy 2nd term
CNN
56.58%
4.17
(CNN) -- Four years ago, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei kissed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the cheek before he was sworn in as Iran's new leader. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could be in for a rocky second term as Iranian president, analysts say. Song and prayer heralded a new start for Iran with the hard-line Tehran mayor, virtually unknown to the outside world in 2005. He promised to stamp out corruption and fight for justice. With time, the world came to know the Iranian leader with his signature beige jacket and combative -- often anti-Israeli -- rhetoric. Monday, Iran's supre...

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07:30:15 –
Kara DioGuardi returning as 'American Idol' judge
Associated Press
0%
1.33
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Fox network says Kara DioGuardi (KA'-ruh dee-oh-GWAHR'-dee) will be back for her second round as a judge on "American Idol." The Grammy-nominated songwriter joined original panelists Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul last season. Her arrival raised questions about the future of Abdul on the hit talent competition. Abdul is still negotiating for next year. "American Idol" starts its ninth season in January. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:30:15 –
Stocks extend gains after manufacturing report
Associated Press
0%
1
NEW YORK (AP) -- Another dose of good economic news is sending stocks higher. The Institute for Supply Management reports that while manufacturing activity slowed during July, it did so at the slowest pace in nearly a year. The ISM says its manufacturing index rose to a better-than-expected 48.9 from 44.8 in June. A reading above 50 indicates growth. And the Commerce Department has reported a jump in residential building during June that lifted overall construction spending for the second time in three months. The report provided new evidence that the housing sector may be recovering. Stocks were already rising before the reports, which sent the major indexes even higher. The Dow Jones industrial average is up 80 at 9,252. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up 10 at 998, while the Nasdaq composite index is up 17 at 1,995. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:30:15 –
Construction spending rises unexpectedly
Associated Press
23.81%
2.67
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Construction spending rose for the second time in three months in June as residential building increased, fresh evidence that the battered housing sector may be recovering. The Commerce Department said Monday that construction spending increased by a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.3 percent in June, defying analysts' estimates of a 0.5 percent drop. May construction spending was revised up to a 0.8 percent decline, from 0.9 percent. Still, June's $965.7 billion in spending was 10.2 percent below the year-ago level. A 0.5 percent rise in residential construction, which had fallen 3.1 percent in May after rising 1.5 percent in April, drove last month's overall increase. Public construction spending jumped 1 percent, the department said, the biggest increase since March. Federal government construction spending increased 1.9 percent, the most since December 2008, after falling 0.3 percent in May and plummeting 6.1 percent in April. The data follow reports from...

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07:30:16 –
Turbulence slams Continental jet, at least 26 hurt
Associated Press
30.93%
4.5
MIAMI (AP) -- A Continental Airlines jet carrying 179 people from Brazil to Texas hit severe turbulence over the Atlantic early Monday, injuring at least 26 - including four seriously - and forcing an emergency landing in Miami, officials said. One passenger said he felt Continental Flight 128 drop without warning while flight attendants were in the aisles, throwing some of them against the roof. Houston-based Continental said there were 168 people and 11 crew on the Boeing 767. The airline released a statement that said the fasten seat belt sign was illuminated at the time and that about 28 passengers were treated in Miami. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesman Elkin Sierra said four people were seriously injured aboard the Boeing 767 and another 22 were in stable condition with bumps and bruises. A total of 13 people were taken to hospitals. The plane was on a night flight from Rio de Janeiro to Houston. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the turbulence s...

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07:30:16 –
Ky. man to return to Wis. to face slaying charges
Associated Press
0%
6
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- A Kentucky man has agreed to return to Wisconsin to face charges he killed a couple nearly 30 years ago and dumped their bodies in the countryside. Edward W. Edwards said "I'll go," when Jefferson County District Judge David Armstrong Jr. asked Monday if he wanted to fight extradition. The 76-year-old Edwards appeared in court in a wheelchair with a cast on his left arm. He's accused of killing 19-year-old high school sweethearts Tim Hack and Kelly Drew, who disappeared from a wedding reception on Aug. 9, 1980. Two months later, searchers found their bodies a few miles from the reception hall. Wisconsin investigators arrested Edwards in Louisville on Thursday. He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:30:17 –
Conn. widow in cruise case plans to remarry
Associated Press
0%
1.75
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- A Connecticut woman whose husband disappeared from their honeymoon cruise in 2005 plans to remarry. John Hagel says his 29-year-old daughter, Jennifer Hagel Smith, plans to marry financial analyst Jeff Agne in the fall. George Smith of Greenwich was aboard a Royal Caribbean ship when he vanished somewhere between Greece and Turkey. His body never has been found. The FBI has investigated Smith's disappearance, but no one has been charged. George Smith's family is challenging a nearly $1.1 million settlement Hagel Smith reached with Royal Caribbean. Smith's disappearance followed a night of heavy drinking. The cruise line said his wife was found passed out on a floor far from their cabin. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:30:18 –
US manufacturing contraction slowest since August
Associated Press
0%
1.5
NEW YORK (AP) -- A private-sector index measuring the health of U.S. manufacturing declined last month at the slowest pace since August, as companies boost production to restock bare shelves. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, says its manufacturing index read 48.9, up from 44.8 in June. That's better than the 46.2 reading analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected. July was the 18th consecutive month of deterioration in manufacturing - a reading below 50 indicates contraction. But the pace of decline has been slowing since the index hit a 28-year low of 32.9 in December. The moderating decline in U.S. manufacturing mirrors improvements in the industrial sectors in China, Britain and Europe. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:30:20 –
Japan opposition says it's ready to stand up to US
Associated Press
52.72%
4
TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's main opposition party said Monday that if it comes to power in this month's elections it will confront the United States on key military and diplomatic issues, but still regard it as the Asian nation's most important ally. The Democratic Party of Japan is widely tipped to win the Aug. 30 vote and topple the Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled Japan for virtually all of the last 54 years. Japan, the world's second-largest economy, largely sets its own course in financial matters but over the decades has followed Washington's lead in broad areas of military and foreign policy. It relies on the U.S. for nuclear deterrence and hosts tens of thousands of American troops, as well as fighter jets and warships. Katsuya Okada, the secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, says it is time for Japan to become more independent and assertive. Okada, who would likely have a key role in the new government if the opposition party takes power, criticized what h...

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07:30:20 –
MGM moves to 2Q loss on charges, less gambling
Associated Press
29.59%
2.4
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Casino operator MGM Mirage lost $212.6 million in the second quarter this year as it recorded hefty impairment charges and consumers gambled less during the recession. The results compared with profits of $113.1 million during the same period last year for the Las Vegas-based company, whose largest stockholder is billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian. The company said Thursday that it lost 60 cents per share for the period ending June 30, compared with profits of 40 cents per share during the same period last year. Revenue fell 22 percent to $1.49 billion from $1.9 billion but still met Wall Street's estimate. The latest quarter's results included 34 cents per share in impairment charges, and a loss of 11 cents per share related to $58 million in long term debt retirement. Analysts forecast a loss of 9 cents per share on $1.49 billion in revenue. MGM Mirage owns and operates 16 casinos in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan. It also has 50 percent investments in four o...

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07:30:21 –
Suspect in Harvard shooting faces judge
Associated Press
0%
6.14
MEDFORD, Mass. (AP) -- A New York City man charged in connection with a fatal shooting at a Harvard University dormitory is scheduled to face a judge in Massachusetts. Jason Aquino is scheduled to be arraigned in Cambridge District Court on Monday on charges including murder and armed robbery. Prosecutors say the 23-year-old Aquino was one of three men involved in the shooting of Cambridge resident Justin Cosby on May 18 in a common area of Kirkland House. Cosby died the next day. Authorities say the three suspects intended to rob the 21-year-old Cosby of marijuana and cash. None of the four men was a Harvard student. Aquino was arrested in New York on Thursday and waived extradition. The two other suspects, both New York men, are also in custody. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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07:30:21 –
Kenyan leader reduces all death sentences to life
Associated Press
0%
5.67
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Kenya's president says all prisoners on death row will immediately have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. President Mwai Kibaki said in a statement Monday he made the decision because no death sentence has been carried out in the past 22 years, leading to more than 4,000 prisoners on death row. The president says he has directed government officials to study whether the death penalty has any impact on fighting crime. Kenya's 97 prisons are overcrowded, underfunded and understaffed. They were built for a population of about 15,000 but have an inmate population of more than 40,000. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:00:43 –
Kenyan Leader Reduces All Death Sentences to Life
NY Times
0%
5.67
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Kenya's president says all prisoners on death row will immediately have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.President Mwai Kibaki said in a statement Monday he made the decision because no death sentence has been carried out in the past 22 years, leading to more than 4,000 prisoners on death row.The president says he has directed government officials to study whether the death penalty has any impact on fighting crime.Kenya's 97 prisons are overcrowded, underfunded and understaffed. They were built for a population of about 15,000 but have an inmate population of more than 40,000....

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08:10:15 –
About 200 arrested in violence against Christians in Pakistan
CNN
100%
5.61
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- About 200 people have been arrested in a flare-up of anti-Christian violence in Gojra that left seven dead, a government minister said Monday. Rana Sana Ullah, Punjab's provincial law minister, told CNN that the paramilitary Rangers force was helping police and maintaining law and order. Seven people were killed and 20 injured Saturday when Muslim demonstrators set fire to houses in a Christian enclave and fighting broke out, authorities said. Police said the Muslims were protesting an alleged desecration of pages in the Quran, the Muslim sacred text, at a Christian wedding. At a news conference in Islamabad carried on local TV, Shehbaz Bhatti, federal minister for minorities, said an investigation determined there was no desecration of the Quran in village 95 Gill near Gojra City, and the allegations were baseless. He also said the government will rebuild all the burned houses. Bhatti told CNN that four women, two men and a child, all Christians, were eit...

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08:10:16 –
Robot band obsesses over online popularity
CNN
0%
0
...

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08:20:43 –
China eyes health care cure to rebalance economy
Reuters
49.09%
3.26
By Alan Wheatley, China Economics Editor -Analysis BEIJING (Reuters) - Guo Yonggang from Xian in western China suffered serious spinal injuries last year in an accident while driving an agricultural vehicle. His impoverished family scraped together 30,000 yuan ($4,400) for emergency treatment but cannot afford the additional 70,000 yuan for the surgery that might save the 20-year-old from permanent paralysis. Stories like Guo's, which was reported by state media, help explain the high savings rates that are one facet of the imbalances plaguing the world's third-largest economy. Households squirrel money away because China is too big and still too poor to provide comprehensive public services. People have to fork out for hefty school fees. They know they will get at best a flimsy pension. And, if they are unlucky, they could face catastrophic medical bills. So it is no wonder that between 1995, around which time state-owned firms...

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08:20:44 –
Iraq's Maliki promises Kurdish gas victims justice
Reuters
86.49%
5.81
By Sherko Raouf HALABJA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki promised Kurds Monday he would not rest until members of Saddam Hussein's government and military who ordered poison gas attacks on Kurdish villages were punished. Maliki, who met the largely-autonomous Kurdish region's president Masoud Barzani Sunday, is on a fence-mending mission to defuse a bitter dispute over land and oil, and improve relations between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Thousands of Kurds were killed in the gas attacks, including about 5,000 in an attack on the town of Halabja in 1988. "We will not give up, will not stop, will not be silenced, until a just verdict and punishment is found," Maliki said after visiting a Halabja cemetery where he spoke to gas attack victims and their relatives, while his guards distributed cash. Ali Hassan al-Majeed, a cousin of Saddam's known as "Chemical Ali" for his use of poison gas, is...

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08:20:45 –
Criticism grows over Colombia's U.S. military plan
Reuters
66.35%
5.29
By Hugh Bronstein BOGOTA (Reuters) - A plan to increase U.S. troops in Colombia is drawing opposition not just from left-wing populist leaders in the region but from the moderate governments of Brazil and Chile as well. The spreading criticism threatens to isolate Colombia from its neighbors as it combats a cocaine-funded insurgency. The government is expected to sign an expanded U.S. military pact this month after a final round of talks. Colombia, Washington's main ally in the region, says the plan is aimed at strengthening anti-drug efforts. But leftist Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez accuses the United States of setting up a military platform in Colombia from which to "attack" its neighbors. Chavez allies in Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua were quick to blast the plan as well. But Colombia was shocked late last week when Chile, a model of free-market policies, and regional heavyweight Brazil voiced concern about the deal as well. "I do...

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08:20:46 –
Rasmussen wants Afghans to take more responsibility
Reuters
62.5%
3.76
By Bate Felix BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO aims to hand over more security responsibilities to Afghan forces but will not set a timeline for pulling out its troops from Afghanistan, the new head of the alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said on Monday. Rasmussen 56, who took over as secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Saturday, faces many challenges but none more daunting than finding a winning strategy for the war in Afghanistan and improving relations with its former Cold War foe Russia. Afghanistan remains a priority and will require a comprehensive approach involving both military and civilian efforts to stabilize the country before elections this month, Rasmussen told Reuters in an interview. Rasmussen has to persuade reluctant European allies to commit more troops, money and other resources to Afghanistan. The recent rise in casualties, especially British, has led to greater public questioning of the reasons for NA...

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08:20:47 –
"Shiny phones, handsome boys" out, Taliban warn Afghans
Reuters
58.48%
5.53
By Sher Ahmad GHAZNI, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The Taliban have warned Afghans that possessing pictures of "unrelated women and handsome boys" was against Islamic law and owning "shiny new phones" runs contrary to their religious dignity. The Taliban have been posting "night letters" in the volatile southeastern province of Ghazni, reminding Afghans of their religious obligations and reiterating warnings that they will attempt to disrupt crucial presidential elections on August 20. In a restatement of the Taliban's austere interpretation of Islam, one letter warned people, especially the young, against using hi-tech gadgets such as cell phones with photography and video functions. "People with camera cellphones must not have pictures of unrelated women and handsome boys in their phones, which is against Islamic sharia," reads one letter, obtained by Reuters on Monday. Sharia is Islamic religious law. "People should think of their Afghan...

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08:20:48 –
Qaeda tells Obama conditional truce offer stands
Reuters
0%
5.14
DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri said an offer the militant group made to the previous U.S. administration of a conditional truce is still on the table for President Barack Obama. "If Obama wants to (reach) an understanding then he should respond to Sheikh Osama (bin Laden's) two offers," Zawahri said in an interview with al Qaeda's media arm As-sahab, posted on an Islamist website on Monday. "Obama is trying to sell illusions to the ... weak," Zawahri said of Obama's campaign to ease tension with Muslims increased by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "He is trying to say do not hate us .... but we will continue to kill you..." Bin Laden said in 2006 "we do not mind offering a long-term truce based on just conditions that we will stand by ... a truce which offers security and stability and the rebuilding of Iraq and Afghanistan which war has destroyed." The United States dismissed the offer, saying it "does not negot...

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08:20:49 –
Al Qaeda's Zawahri says wipe Israel from the map
Reuters
0%
5
DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri said Israel should be wiped off the map and described the Jewish state as a crime against Muslims. Zawahri also accused U.S. President Barack Obama of conducting a policy on Israeli-Palestinian issues that was bound to end in failure for the Palestinians, and said Obama wanted a Palestinian state that would serve as "an extension of the CIA." "Israel is a crime that should be removed," Zawahri said in an interview with al Qaeda's media arm As-sahab, posted on an Islamist website Monday. Al Qaeda leaders have often said that they would focus their holy war on Israel after the creation of an Islamic state in Iraq. Al Qaeda has no recognizable presence in Israel, or in the Palestinian Territories which are dominated by the Islamist group Hamas and the secular Fatah movement led by U.S.-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (Reporting by Inal Ersan, editing by Tim Pearce...

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08:20:50 –
Q&A: Abbas's Fatah holds long-awaited congress
Reuters
37.8%
5.64
(Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will chair a congress of his Fatah movement beginning on Tuesday in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. It will be the group's first congress since 1989 and the first on Palestinian soil. Here are some questions and answers about Fatah. Q - What is Fatah? A -The secular movement was launched in 1965 and has dominated Palestinian politics for decades, most of the time under the late Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004 and was succeeded by Abbas. Fatah received a severe blow in 2006 when rival Hamas, an Islamist movement, won parliamentary elections. A year later Hamas routed Fatah-backed forces in Gaza and drove them out of the enclave, effectively splitting the Palestinian national movement. Q - What is it trying to achieve? A - Fatah wants to end Israeli occupation of the West Bank, strike a peace agreement with Israel and establish a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, co-existing with...

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08:30:16 –
Obama administration presses Senate on 'clunkers'
Associated Press
25.54%
3.6
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate came under increasing pressure Monday to refuel the stalling "cash-for-clunkers" initiative amid uncertainty over how much money, if any, is left in the fund bankrolling the popular program. The Obama administration pushed for an additional $2 billion after serving notice over the weekend that the program could expire as early as this week unless the Senate acts, as the House did in voting overwhelmingly for the money last Friday. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has declined to provide a firm deadline, and the administration has seemed coy about just how long dealers would be reimbursed after saying Sunday that it would have to be suspended if the Senate fails to act. Fierce lobbying for keeping the program running came from several quarters. The National Automobile Dealers Association and the American International Automobile Dealers said they were contacting thousands of dealerships and encouraging them to bombard the Senate with phone calls and ...

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08:30:16 –
SEC: Ex-Kmart CEO should give up more than $22M
Associated Press
0%
3.67
DETROIT (AP) -- Federal regulators are seeking more than $22 million from the former head of Kmart Corp., who was found liable for misleading investors about the company's finances before a bankruptcy filing in 2002. In a court filing, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is asking a judge to punish Charles Conaway for "intentionally lying" to Wall Street and concealing information from Kmart directors. The SEC accused Conaway of failing to disclose that Kmart was delaying payments to suppliers to save cash in late 2001. In June, a federal jury in Ann Arbor, Mich., ruled in favor of the government. Conaway's lawyer, Scott Lassar (LA-sar), says there were no ill-gotten gains. A hearing is set for Sept. 16. Kmart now is part of Sears Holdings Corp. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:30:16 –
Michael Jackson's mother arrives for court hearing
Associated Press
0%
2.8
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A court official says Michael Jackson's mother will attend a hearing on who should raise the King of Pop's three children. Court Public Information Officer Allan Parachini says Katherine Jackson has arrived at a courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Mrs. Jackson and her son's ex-wife Deborah Rowe struck an agreement last week that calls for Mrs. Jackson to receive custody of the singer's children. A hearing on guardianship of the children, who range in age from 7 to 12, is scheduled Monday. A judge could grant Mrs. Jackson permanent custody of the children, who have been living at her home north of Los Angeles since her son's death on June 25. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:30:17 –
Cash for Clunkers boost Ford's July sales 1.6 pct
Associated Press
0%
2.8
DETROIT (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. says July sales rose nearly 1.6 percent over the same month last year as the government's wildly successful "cash-for-clunkers" program gave the automaker a significant boost. The Dearborn, Mich.-based company says it sold 158,354 light vehicles in July, compared with 155,866 vehicles in July 2008. Ford attributed its July sales rise to the clunkers program, which offers owners of old cars and trucks $3,500 or $4,500 toward a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle, if they scrap their old vehicle. Other automakers, which report sales later Monday, are expecting a boost from the program as well. Subaru of America says it expects a 30 percent sales increase. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:30:17 –
AP coverage of Hudson splashdown gets APME award
Associated Press
57.57%
4.81
NEW YORK (AP) -- AP's fast, multidimensional coverage of the splashdown of a passenger jet into the Hudson River has been honored for Deadline Reporting by the Associated Press Managing Editors Association. "The world expects The Associated Press to react well to breaking news, especially when it occurs in the main office's backyard," the APME judges said in making the award to AP's New York City staff. "But when a US Airways jetliner crash-landed in the Hudson River on January 15, the AP staff in New York really shone, producing a series of insightful, compelling and exclusive stories that demonstrated the power of the world's largest news organization." From the first alert at 3:51 p.m. until 11 p.m. the main story was updated 19 times. By then, AP also had produced sidebars, including profiles of the pilot and passengers, a reconstruction of the flight and the dangers birds pose to aviation, the judges noted. "It was a company-wide effort that included several powerful and exclu...

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08:30:19 –
APME announces awards for outstanding journalism
Associated Press
44.8%
4.14
NEW YORK (AP) -- An investigation into the spread of a deadly drug-resistant staph germ at hospitals in Washington state earned The Seattle Times a Public Service Award on Monday from the Associated Press Managing Editors Association. In "Culture of Resistance," the newspaper uncovered 672 deaths from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, that had been undisclosed to relatives and the public. The report also revealed that the number of patients treated each year for MRSA had increased from 141 to 4,723 in just 10 years. The Virgin Islands Daily News of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, won the small-circulation category for uncovering life-threatening corruption at the only cancer center in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. It is the newspaper's third straight Public Service award and sixth in 14 years. The newspaper reported that the hospital awarded its chief executive officer a record $750,000 in salary and benefits at the same time it wasn't paying bills for d...

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08:30:21 –
GM buyout offers falls short of goal, layoffs loom
Associated Press
34.31%
3.2
DETROIT (AP) -- About 6,000 General Motors Co. blue-collar workers have taken the latest round of early retirement and buyout offers, but it fell short of the company's goal, meaning more layoffs are likely. GM has about 54,000 factory workers and wants to end the year with 40,500, a cut of about 13,500. That means that about 7,500 too few workers took the offers, setting the stage for more layoffs. The automaker announced in June and July that it would close 15 U.S. factories employing about 22,000 workers by end of 2012. Spokeswoman Sherrie Childers-Arb said the number of layoffs has yet to be determined because some workers at closed factories could take open jobs at other factories. One of the closed factories in Michigan will be reopened to make a new subcompact car, while two others in Spring Hill, Tenn., and Janesville, Wis.., will close and be on "standby" in case sales rise and GM needs to reopen them. GM said in a statement that most of the workers officially left the com...

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08:30:22 –
Sector Snap: Casino operators in Macau
Associated Press
26.04%
1.2
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of casino operators with properties in Macau climbed Monday as July gaming revenue edged up in the Chinese enclave and Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd.'s new casino reported promising monthly results. The latest statistics indicate that Macau gaming revenue rose 3.1 percent in July, a marked improvement from June's 17 percent decline, JPMorgan's Joseph Greff said in a client note. The July results were likely helped by the waning of swine flu concerns, he explained. Greff said he still favors Las Vegas Sands Corp. "due to a likely announcement to a path of improving liquidity, the ability to (hopefully) cut more expenses out of the business and what is likely improving Macau market trends in the second half of the year." The Sheldon Adelson-led casino operator is probably getting an additional boost from a recent report that said the company is looking to raise $400 million in a bond sale. Shares of Las Vegas Sands added 59 cents, or 6.3 percent, to $9.94 in e...

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08:30:22 –
MEMC to appeal jury decision in BP Solar lawsuit
Associated Press
0%
4.5
NEW YORK (AP) -- MEMC Electronic Materials Inc., a maker of silicon wafers, on Monday said it intends to appeal the jury's decision that returned a verdict in favor of BP Solar International, in a lawsuit over a supply agreement between the two companies. The verdict awards damages of $8.8 million to BP Solar, the company said. In April BP Solar sued MEMC, alleging non-delivery of polysilicon powder under three-year supply agreement that MEMC said has never existed. BP claimed damages of up to $140 million. Polysilicon is a key raw material used in the production of solar cells. Shares of MEMC rose 50 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $18.12. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:30:23 –
Transcept rises on Purdue sleep aid license
Associated Press
30.96%
2.4
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of Transcept Pharmaceuticals Inc. rocketed Monday after the company said it licensed its insomnia treatment candidate Intermezzo to Purdue Pharmaceutical Products LP for up to $145 million, plus royalty payments. The agreement gives Purdue the exclusive right to sell the drug in the U.S. and negotiate for its approval in Canada and Mexico. Transcept retains the rights to the drug in all other countries, and it has the option to co-promote Intermezzo to psychiatrists in the U.S. In morning trading, shares of Richmond, Calif.-based Transcept jumped $3.75, or 64.7 percent, to $9.55. Earlier, they set a high of $10.49. The stock began trading in February and had ranged between $2.56 and $6.36. Intermezzo is intended to be taken in the middle of the night by people who wake up and then have difficulty getting back to sleep. Transcept said it could be the first prescription sleep aid approved for that purpose. The active ingredient in Intermezzo is zolpidem, which...

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08:30:23 –
UMW members re-elect Roberts as president
Associated Press
0%
0
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Cecil E. Roberts has won a new five-year term as president of the United Mine Workers of America. The union announced Roberts' re-election Monday. Daniel J. Kane was re-elected as international secretary-treasurer. Roberts has served as president of the mine workers union for 14 years. The union says he is the second-longest serving president in its history, after John L. Lewis. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:30:24 –
Arrest in death of Holocaust survivor, disco owner
Associated Press
0%
5.25
NEW YORK (AP) -- A New York City woman has been accused of strangling an 89-year-old disco-era nightclub owner, and investigators are searching for a man they say was also involved. Guido Felix Brinkmann's body was found in his bed with his hands bound Thursday. He had been asphyxiated. Investigators say he regularly invited younger women to his Upper East Side apartment for sex. Brinkmann's doorman told police a man and a woman went to the home the night before his body was found. The two were later seen in Brinkmann's car. Brinkmann was the former owner of a nightclub called Adam's Apple. He also was a Holocaust survivor who had been sent to Auschwitz. Thirty-year-old Angela Murray, of the Bronx, was arraigned Sunday on murder and robbery charges. Her attorney didn't immediately return a message. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:30:29 –
Mass. custody hearing for baby cut from womb
Associated Press
0%
1.43
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- Several people seeking custody of a Massachusetts baby cut from her slain mother's womb are headed to court to state their case. A hearing is scheduled in Worcester Juvenile Court on Monday afternoon to determine who should take care of the 4-pound baby girl. Her mother, 23-year-old Darlene Haynes, was found slain in her Worcester apartment last Monday. The baby was found two days later with 35-year-old Julie Corey at a New Hampshire homeless shelter. Corey is being held on $2 million bond on kidnapping charges. The baby is in the custody of Massachusetts child welfare officials. A spokesman for prosecutors said DNA tests are being done to establish paternity. Judge Carol Erskine is expected to rule Monday on who should get temporary custody of the baby. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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08:30:29 –
Cowboys waive Turkovich, sign Douglas
Associated Press
0%
0.5
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The Dallas Cowboy have waived injured tackle Michael Turkovich. The Cowboys, at training camp in San Antonio, on Monday also announced the signing of free agent tackle Andre Douglas from Temple. Terms were not released. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:10:14 –
Chivalry tips cause all kinds of outrage
CNN
0%
0
...

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09:10:15 –
Commentary: Cash for Clunkers is a clunker
CNN
36.27%
4.64
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Toward the end of last week, news spread rapidly that the Cash for Clunkers program was about to run out of money. Under this policy, adopted in June, consumers who own a car with low fuel efficiency can receive $3,500 - $4,500 from the federal government if they buy a new car with higher fuel efficiency. The goals of the program are to help the environment and to stimulate the auto industry. The program has been popular with consumers and car dealers. Congress initially allocated $1 billion to the program, and this funding was expected to last through November 2009. Yet the program apparently committed the entire $1 billion after only four days in operation, and many interested consumers have not yet been able to consummate a deal. Because the program is such a hit, President Obama and members of Congress have vowed to add funding. The House voted an additional $2 billion last week; the Senate may vote on Tuesday. Despite the program's popularity, C...

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09:10:16 –
Researchers identify new strain of HIV derived from gorillas
CNN
20.94%
2.83
PARIS, France (CNN) -- French researchers have identified a new human immunodeficiency virus, the first derived from gorillas, a report said Monday. A new virus is difficult to detect by tests because it is not closely related to the other three HIV variants. The three previous HIV variants came from chimpanzees. The new findings indicate that gorillas, in addition to chimpanzees, are likely sources of HIV, the researchers concluded in a report published in the weekly Nature Medicine journal. The new virus, called RBF 168, was detected in a 62-year-old woman who moved to Paris from the w...

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09:10:18 –
Magnate's failed rubber utopia
CNN
0%
0
...

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09:10:20 –
Jury mulling verdict in ex-congressman's corruption trial
CNN
47.81%
4.17
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- Jurors in the corruption trial of former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson began a third day of deliberations Monday, a U.S. District Court employee said. Ex-Rep. William Jefferson could face up to 235 years in prison if he's convicted on 16 counts. "I'm doing OK," Jefferson said inside the courthouse as he, his wife and other family members walked toward Courtroom 900, where the trial took place, and awaited a verdict. Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat, initially sat with his family in the courtoom's spectator gallery, then joined his attorneys at their t...

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09:21:15 –
Nigeria to vet clerics more closely after uprising
Reuters
85.39%
5.35
By Nick Tattersall and Ibrahim Mshelizza MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Religious leaders in northern Nigerian will vet Islamic clerics more closely to try to prevent a repeat of sectarian violence that killed close to 800 people, officials said on Monday. Borno state governor Ali Modu Sheriff told a meeting of religious and traditional leaders that lax monitoring had allowed radical preacher Mohammed Yusuf, whose Boko Haram sect staged a five-day uprising last week, to build a following. "A preaching board is to be reconstituted to ascertain that only qualified and reliable clerics would be allowed to preach in mosques and in other places," Sheriff told the meeting in the state capital Maiduguri. "It is to be regretted that the law which had been in place was not enforced. That laxity was what enabled Mohammed Yusuf to conduct his type of sermon and foment trouble without being cautioned." Gun battles raged for days last week as the s...

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09:30:18 –
Strikeforce signs top heavyweight Fedor
Associated Press
0%
3.75
NEW YORK (AP) -- Fedor Emelianenko has signed a promotional contract with Strikeforce, delivering one of the top pound-for-pound fighters to a company that is quickly raising its profile in the mixed martial arts industry. The Russian heavyweight became a free agent when the Affliction promotion collapsed following the failed drug test of Josh Barnett, who was supposed to face Emelianenko in the main event of a card last Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Emelianenko had been courted by the UFC, but decided to join Strikeforce because it was willing to co-promote with M-1 Global, which is part-owned by Emelianenko. UFC president Dana White has long had a policy of refusing to work with other promotions. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:30:19 –
Clinton seeks info from Iran on missing hikers
Associated Press
0%
5
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is appealing to Iran for information about three missing Americans believed to have been arrested by Iranian authorities last week on an ill-fated hiking trip in northern Iraq. Clinton said Monday that Swiss diplomats who represent U.S. interests in Iran are asking officials from the Iranian Foreign Ministry for details but have not yet gotten official confirmation of the trio's arrest. She asked that Iran determine the facts of the case and to "return them as quickly as possible." A Kurdish official said the three contacted a colleague to say they had entered Iran by mistake on Friday and were surrounded by troops. Iran's state television later said the Americans were arrested after they did not heed warnings from Iranian border guards. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:30:20 –
Changes in federal tax receipts
Associated Press
0%
0
Federal tax receipts are on pace for the biggest single-year drop since 1932. The annual percentage change for individual income taxes, corporate income taxes, Social Security taxes, and total tax receipts:---Year Income Corporate Social Security Total2000 14.2 12.2 8.1 10.82001 -1.0 -27.1 5.6 -1.72002 -13.7 -2.0 1.5 -6.92003 -7.5 -11.0 1.7 -3.82004 1.9 43.7 2.1 5.52005 14.6 47.0 8.0 14.52006 12.6 27.2 5.4 11.82007 11.5 4.6 4.4 6.72008 -1.5 -17.8 3.6 -1.72009 -21.9 -56.9 -0.04 -17.9---Sources: Office of Management and Budget, Treasury Department.Note: Tax receipts for the 2009 budget year are through June, and are compared to the same period in the previous budget year. Budget years run from October to September.© 2009 The Associat...

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09:30:23 –
Report: Former MetLife CEO expected to lead AIG
Associated Press
59.7%
3.6
American International Group Inc. is expected to name Robert Benmosche as its new CEO, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Benmosche is the former chairman and chief executive of MetLife Inc. He will replace CEO Edward Liddy, former CEO of Allstate Corp., who took over last fall after the government bailed out the New York-based insurer. An AIG spokesman declined to comment on the report. In May, Liddy said he would step down from the chairman and CEO roles at AIG. His announcement came at the same time the company said it would split the roles of chairman and chief executive, similar to what many other financial firms have done in recent months. AIG has said Liddy will remain as both chairman and CEO until replacements are found. The newspaper said AIG's board approved the selection of Benmosche Monday morning. The Journal cited unidentified people familiar with the discussion. "On the surface, if AIG is going to turn around its insurance business, it sounds like they are pulling...

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09:30:24 –
Tax revenues post biggest drop since Depression
Associated Press
21.76%
3.09
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The recession is starving the government of tax revenue, just as the president and Congress are piling a major expansion of health care and other programs on the nation's plate and struggling to find money to pay the tab. The numbers could hardly be more stark: Tax receipts are on pace to drop 18 percent this year, the biggest single-year decline since the Great Depression, while the federal deficit balloons to a record $1.8 trillion. Other figures underscore the recession's impact: Individual income tax receipts are down 22 percent from a year ago. Corporate income taxes are down 57 percent. Social Security tax receipts could drop for only the second time since 1940, and Medicare taxes are on pace to drop for only the third time ever. The last time the government's revenues were this bleak, the year was 1932 in the midst of the Depression. "Our tax system is already inadequate to support the promises our government has made," said Eugene Steuerle, a former Treas...

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09:30:25 –
July Auto Sales: Daimler
Associated Press
0%
1.5
NEW YORK (AP) -- German automaker Daimler AG said its sales in the U.S. fell by 24 percent in July, amid plunging sales of its Smart fortwo minicar and Mercedes-Benz luxury vehicles. BY THE NUMBERS: Sales fell to 17,646 vehicles from 23,292 in July 2008. Despite the decline, Daimler said July sales were the strongest this year. So far this year, sales are down 28 percent. THE DIVISIONS: Sales in the company's Mercedes-Benz USA unit fell 22 percent to 16,228 vehicles. Sales in its Smart USA division plunged 45 percent. TOP SELLER: In its first full month on the market, the 2010 E-Class topped July 2008 sales by 13 percent. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:30:25 –
Cash for Clunkers boosts Ford's July sales 1.6 pct
Associated Press
29.2%
3.17
DETROIT (AP) -- Lured by the government's cash-for-clunkers campaign, car and truck buyers started to return to Ford Motor Co. showrooms last month, with the automaker reporting its first U.S. sales increase in nearly two years. July sales of light vehicles rose 1.6 percent from the same month last year. Ford sold 158,354 vehicles, a 2.2 percent increase over last month and a sign that consumer fears that fueled the worst U.S. auto sales slump in a quarter-century may be easing. Retail sales - which exclude purchases made to government agencies and rental car companies - rose 9 percent. Ford's sales, led by the redesigned midsize Ford Fusion, and strong sales of the Escapes crossover vehicle and F-series pickup line, offered encouraging signs for industry analysts who have predicted a modest improvement in the second-half of the year. The wildly successful clunker program boosted Ford's sales despite concerns about whether it would be suspended during the final two sales days of th...

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09:30:25 –
Conn. Sen. Dodd pushes for health care reform
Associated Press
0%
3.67
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd says he'll be spending the month pushing for national health care reform, while dealing with his own health issues. Dodd announced last week that he has prostate cancer. On Monday, he and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius spoke to small businesses about the need for health insurance reform. Dodd joked that his prostate is now the best known in America. He says others deserve to have the same quality health care he receives from the government. He says he travel around the nation this month to get out that message. Dodd and Sebelius were greeted by a handful of protesters. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:30:26 –
Attack on police rocks busy Afghan street, 11 dead
Associated Press
89.8%
6.59
KABUL (AP) -- A Taliban bomb tore through a crowded street in western Afghanistan's main city Monday, killing 11 people, hurting dozens more and critically wounding the district police chief it targeted, officials said. The blast near a fruit market in the relatively peaceful city of Herat drove up a civilian death toll that already stands 24 percent higher than last year's. The United Nations blames most of the casualties on similar Taliban attacks on government targets in crowded areas where civilians take the brunt of the violence. Afghan police said the bomb was remotely detonated, killing a woman, a 12-year-old girl, seven civilian men, including several fruit vendors, and two police officers. Mohammad Issa, the wounded police chief from nearby Injil district, was transferred to a NATO-run hospital, said Raouf Ahmedi, the top police spokesman in western Afghanistan. Police said he had been driving into Herat when the bomb detonated along the road. Noor Khan Nekzad, a spokesman...

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09:30:26 –
Sugarland fans in for a sweet ride with TV special
Associated Press
33.9%
2.29
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Sugarland's Kristian Bush knows a live CD/DVD package and a network TV special might seem quaint at a time when singles rule and fans flock to YouTube, but he thinks they are a good way to show what the duo is all about. "I think performing live is one of the most exciting things we do," Bush said recently. "How do we spread that and share that excitement?" The CD/DVD set, "Live on the Inside," is available exclusively through Walmart stores beginning Tuesday and includes a 10-track live CD and 16-song concert DVD. A one-hour TV special taped in Lexington, Ky., "Sugarland: Live on the Inside," airs Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC. Bush said he and singer Jennifer Nettles made the deal with Walmart because the retail giant gives them the widest reach. "When your basic tenet is to reach as many people as you can and you're only dealing with two or three record stores anymore, you have to make a decision on who's going to best support that tenet," he said. "We did res...

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09:30:27 –
Lengthy to-do-list for Michael Jackson hearing
Associated Press
39.9%
3.63
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Administrators of Michael Jackson's estate have received his life insurance proceeds, according to court filings. Money designated for the King of Pop's three children has been received by a trust being handled by special administrators of the estate, according to the filings. The records, filed Friday, are redacted and don't indicate how much the policy paid out. They are meant to augment a petition to give the children a monthly stipend. Another filing indicates that Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, is also eligible for some benefits from the policy. The administrators are also seeking an allowance for Mrs. Jackson, 79, who has temporary guardianship of the children, who range in age from 7 to 12. She has been caring for them at her home north of Los Angeles since her son's death on June 25. At least one major hurdle was cleared last week with a custody agreement between Mrs. Jackson and Deborah Rowe, the biological mother of the singer's two oldest childr...

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09:30:27 –
American Airlines closes $276M private debt sale
Associated Press
0%
2.67
FORTH WORTH, Texas (AP) -- AMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines Inc., said Monday it has closed the sale of $276 million in senior secured notes. The notes are due 2016 and will yield 13 percent. Proceeds were used as cash collateral to refinance, in part, the outstanding $401 million of equipment trust certificates, which are scheduled to be paid in full on Oct. 15. Following the maturity of the certificates, the new notes will be secured by 12 of the 15 aircraft that secure the current notes, and the cash collateral will be released to the company. Once secured by the 12 aircraft, the new notes will have an initial loan-to-appraised value ratio of 65 percent. Shares of AMR fell 3 cents to $5.32. They have traded between $2.40 and $13.41 in the past year. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:30:27 –
Obama celebrates enactment post-9/11 GI Bill
Associated Press
74.07%
3.37
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) -- President Barack Obama said Monday a new GI Bill for those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan is an investment in both a new generation of veterans and the future of America. The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the most comprehensive education benefit offered to veterans since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the original GI Bill for World War II veterans in 1944. In the next decade, $78 billion is expected to be paid out under it. "We do this not just to meet our moral obligation to those who sacrificed greatly on our behalf, on behalf of the country," said Obama, speaking at a celebration rally at George Mason University. "We do it because these men and women must now be prepared to lead our nation in the peaceful pursuit of economic leadership in the 21st century." The maximum benefit under the law rolled out Saturday will allow every eligible veteran, serviceman and woman, Reservist and National Guard member to attend a public college or university for free for ...

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09:30:27 –
Sector Snap: Manufacturing rises after ISM report
Associated Press
47.24%
2.5
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of domestic manufacturing companies rose Monday after a private-sector report that the sector declined last month at the slowest pace since August. Production jumped to its highest level in more than two years as manufacturers worked to restock customers' bare shelves, the Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, said Monday. The Tempe, Ariz.-based group's manufacturing index read 48.9, up from 44.8 in June. That's better than the 46.2 reading analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected, on average. Dan Meckstroth, chief economist for Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, said the figures add "to a growing number of indicators that signal that manufacturing and the general economy is bottoming out and a recovery is coming this summer." While Capital Economics analyst Paul Ashworth largely agreed, saying the figures constitute more evidence that the recession ended around the middle of this year, he wondered about what will happen aft...

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09:30:28 –
Official: 185 killed in Sudan tribal violence
Associated Press
0%
5.55
CAIRO (AP) -- A local south Sudanese official says gunmen have attacked a group of displaced people camping near a river close to the Ethiopian border, killing 185 of them. The official, reached by telephone, says more than half of the victims of Sunday's attack were women and children. A flare-up of tribal clashes over cattle and territory in south Sudan has left some 1,000 people killed this year. Goi Yol said Monday that workers have so far counted 185 bodies, mostly members of the Lou-Nuer tribe. The dead included 12 soldiers assigned to protect the group. Yol blamed the rival Murle tribe for the attack. The two tribes have for years been engaged in tit-for-tat attacks, but women and children have increasingly been targeted recently. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:30:28 –
Manufacturing hopes lift world stocks
Associated Press
32.14%
3.23
LONDON (AP) -- World stock markets mostly rose Monday after upbeat manufacturing data and positive earnings from big British banks stoked renewed buying that sent the Standard & Poor's 500 index over 1,000 briefly for the first time this year. In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed up 74.10 points, or 1.6 percent, at 4,682.46 while Germany's DAX jumped 94.71 points, or 1.8 percent, to 5,426.85. The CAC-40 in France was 51.53 points, or 1.5 percent, higher at 3,477.80. And on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 74.82 points, or 0.8 percent, at 9,246.43 around midday New York time, while the broader S&P 500 index rose 9.49 points, or 1 percent, to 996.97, having earlier traded above the 1,000 mark for the first time since November. The optimistic start to the week, which began earlier in Asia, was largely due to a raft of better-than-expected manufacturing data. Those reports stoked hopes among investors that the global recession was running i...

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09:30:28 –
Correction: L.A. Open final
Associated Press
0%
0.5
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- In an Aug. 2 story about the L.A. Tennis Open, The Associated Press misspelled the last name of one of the players in the men's singles final. The player's name is Carsten Ball, not Bell. Sam Querrey defeated Ball in the final 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:30:29 –
Signs of healing in manufacturing lift stocks
Associated Press
47.75%
3.11
NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market is extending its summer rally as August brings more upbeat economic data. Better-than-expected reports on manufacturing and housing sent stocks soaring Monday. At one point during the session, the Standard & Poor's 500 index moved past the 1,000 mark for the first time since early November. The Institute for Supply Management said that while manufacturing activity slowed during July, it did so at the slowest pace in nearly a year. The private trade group said its manufacturing index rose to a better-than-expected 48.9 from 44.8 in June. A reading above 50 indicates growth. "We're past the worst of it on the manufacturing side, and we could even be getting back to growth by the third quarter of this year," said Jill Evans, co-portfolio manager, Alpine Dynamic Dividend Fund. Meanwhile, the Commerce Department reported a jump in residential building during June that lifted overall construction spending for the second time in three months. Analysts had...

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09:30:29 –
Man pleads not guilty in Ky. triathlon death
Associated Press
0%
5.67
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- A Kentucky man has pleaded not guilty to murder, drunken driving and other charges after police say he hit and killed a cyclist participating in a triathlon. Jefferson County Attorney spokesman Bill Patteson says 25-year-old Kenneth Yates entered the plea Monday. Police say Yates hit 47-year-old John Carr, who was bicycling in Louisville on Saturday as part of a triathlon at a state park. Police say Yates continued to drive but was stopped by an off-duty officer at a nearby intersection. Police say Yates resisted arrest and ran away, but his mother brought him back to the scene. Patteson says Yates asked for a public defender at Monday's hearing and the judge set bond at $250,000. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:30:29 –
Oil jumps on weak dollar, manufacturing strength
Associated Press
30.65%
2.75
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Oil and natural gas prices rose quickly Monday on the weakening dollar and new signs of life from manufacturers that suggest the recession may be loosening its grip. Benchmark crude for September delivery rose $1.73 to $71.18 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was the third straight day of substantial increases for the energy futures markets and the first time in a month that crude has traded above $70. Natural gas, a major source of power generation, spiked by 7 percent on a day when both China and the United States reported stronger manufacturing activity. Production from U.S. manufacturers jumped to its highest level in more than two years last month with new orders to stock retail shelves. The decline in manufacturing has been slowing since December and officials with the Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, said Monday that signs of growth in the sector could emerge as early as next month. Manufacturing i...

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09:30:30 –
Gunman, daughter among 3 dead in northwest Tenn.
Associated Press
0%
6.93
DYERSBURG, Tenn. (AP) -- Police say a northwest Tennessee man accused of abusing his teenager daughter shot her to death and killed her foster father before he committed suicide. Authorities identified the gunman Monday as 34-year-old Christopher Milburn of Dyersburg. A police news release says the attack happened about 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the home where Milburn's 15-year-old daughter had been placed by the state Department of Children's Services while the abuse claim was investigated. Police found the girl and 46-year-old Todd Randolph dead inside the home. Randolph's wife, Susan, also was shot but survived. The 45-year-old woman was released Monday from a Memphis hospital. Police found Milburn's body about a block away. He apparently died from a self-inflicted gunshot. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:30:30 –
Patriot Coal to close W.Va. surface mine
Associated Press
11.47%
1.67
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Another major U.S. coal mining complex has fallen victim to the slumping demand for energy. Patriot Coal Corp. said Monday it is closing its Samples mines and has told 314 workers they will lose their jobs Oct. 1. The St. Louis-based coal company said the sprawling West Virginia complex, which includes two surface mines, produces about 2.5 million tons of coal a year for electric utilities. The weak economy and low natural gas prices have combined to cut demand for coal, with government figures showing utilities are generating about 6.6 percent less electricity and amassing big stockpiles of coal this year. A string of big producers, including Peabody Energy and Arch Coal, have announced production cuts that the U.S. government estimates have trimmed output an estimated 7.7 percent. At that rate, 2009 production would decrease more than 90.2 million tons from last year. The production cutbacks have been accompanied by a string of mine closures by Patriot, ...

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09:30:30 –
NJ man charged with Web name theft, sale on eBay
Associated Press
0%
2
UNION, N.J. (AP) -- A northern New Jersey man is charged with stealing a prime piece of Internet real estate and reselling it for more than $100,000. Authorities say Daniel Goncalves, 25, of Union, hacked into the online account belonging to one of the owners of the P2P.com domain name. He allegedly shifted ownership to himself and resold the Web site address on eBay to professional basketball player Mark Madsen of the Los Angeles Clippers. Goncalves faces felony charges of theft by unlawful taking or deception, identity theft, and computer theft. State police say each of the three counts carried a maximum sentence of 10 years. They expect a formal announcement with additional information Monday afternoon. Goncalves, who did not respond to a reporter's phone calls, is free on a $60,000 bond. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:30:30 –
Wis. same-sex couples sign up as domestic partners
Associated Press
0%
2.57
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Same-sex couples in Wisconsin have started signing up for the state's new domestic partnership registry. Monday was their first chance to sign up and obtain dozens of the same legal protections as spouses. Fifty-six-year-old Janice Czyscon (SIZE'-kon) and her partner of 29 years, 57-year-old Crystal Hyslop, arrived at the Dane County offices in Madison at 5:12 a.m. and waited in the rain until the doors opened. Wisconsin is the first Midwestern state to enact protections for same-sex couples through legislation. Gov. Jim Doyle proposed the plan, and the Democratic-controlled Legislature approved it in the state budget. Some who want the law invalidated say it conflicts with the state's constitutional ban on gay marriage. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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09:30:53 –
Huge crowds honor Aquino cortege in Manila
Associated Press
55.56%
4.48
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Huge crowds reminiscent of the 1986 "people power" demonstration took to Manila's streets Monday to honor the passing of former President Corazon Aquino, who captured the hearts of Filipinos by ousting a brutal dictator and keeping democracy alive in the Philippines. The flag-draped coffin of Aquino, who died Saturday after a yearlong battle with colon cancer, was paraded atop a flatbed truck along the streets where the hundreds of thousands of protesters she inspired had faced down army tanks 23 years ago and toppled Ferdinand Marcos. Tens of thousands of mourners left their offices, schools and homes and converged on streets and overpasses, clutching yellow balloons, waving yellow ribbons and showering yellow confetti from high-rises on to Aquino's casket. Yellow was her signature color and the symbol of the nonviolent mass movement that ushered in an era of democracy after 20 years of authoritarian rule. Manila's notorious traffic came to a standstill...

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10:00:34 –
Official: 185 Killed in Sudan Tribal Violence
NY Times
0%
5.55
CAIRO (AP) -- A local south Sudanese official says gunmen have attacked a group of displaced people camping near a river close to the Ethiopian border, killing 185 of them.The official, reached by telephone, says more than half of the victims of Sunday's attack were women and children.A flare-up of tribal clashes over cattle and territory in south Sudan has left some 1,000 people killed this year.Goi Yol said Monday that workers have so far counted 185 bodies, mostly members of the Lou-Nuer tribe. The dead included 12 soldiers assigned to protect the group.Yol blamed the rival Murle tribe for the attack.The two tribes have for years been engaged in tit-for-tat attacks, but women and children have increasingly been targeted recently....

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10:00:38 –
Attack on Police Rocks Busy Afghan Street, 11 Dead
NY Times
94.02%
6.59
KABUL (AP) -- A Taliban bomb tore through a crowded street in western Afghanistan's main city Monday, killing 11 people, hurting dozens more and critically wounding the district police chief it targeted, officials said.The blast near a fruit market in the relatively peaceful city of Herat drove up a civilian death toll that already stands 24 percent higher than last year's. The United Nations blames most of the casualties on similar Taliban attacks on government targets in crowded areas where civilians take the brunt of the violence.Afghan police said the bomb was remotely detonated, killing a woman, a 12-year-old girl, seven civilian men, including several fruit vendors, and two police officers. Mohammad Issa, the wounded police chief from nearby Injil district, was transferred to a NATO-run hospital, said Raouf Ahmedi, the top police spokesman in western Afghanistan.Police said he had been driving into Herat when the bomb detonated along the road. Noor Khan Nekzad, a spokesman for th...

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10:10:15 –
Rob and Amber from 'Survivor' become parents
CNN
66.96%
2.47
(People.com) -- They survived two seasons apiece on both CBS's "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" and even their own FOX reality show, "Rob and Amber: Against the Odds." Now Amber and Rob Mariano are taking on their most daunting challenge yet -- parenthood. New parents Rob and Amber Mariano got engaged on 2004's "Survivor: All-Stars" season. Amber, 30, gave birth to daughter Lucia Rose on the Fourth of July at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, Rob, 33, told "People" exclusively. With a first name of Italian origin meaning "light of ...

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10:10:16 –
Stimulus money pays fishermen to snare lost nets
CNN
52.41%
3.95
ON PUGET SOUND, Washington (CNN) -- When commercial diver Kenny Woodside takes to the depths, he enters a world of murky low light and dangerous currents. ...

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10:10:17 –
3 gay priests on short list for Episcopal bishop posts
CNN
24.81%
2.2
(CNN) -- Episcopal churches in California and Minnesota moved toward appointing gay bishops over the weekend, less than a month after the denomination lifted a self-imposed freeze on promoting openly gay clergy into the top ranks of the church. Mary Glasspool, seen on the Web site of the Los Angeles Episcopal Diocese, is a candidate for assistant bishop. The Diocese of Los Angeles, one of the largest in the country, included a gay man and a lesbian on its short list for assistant bishop positions Sunday. A day earlier, the Diocese of Minnesota put a lesbian priest on its list of three candidates to lead the statewide religious community. The nominations seem likely to increase tensions in...

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10:10:19 –
12 die as blast targets Afghan police
CNN
0%
5.71
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A bomb attack against police in western Afghanistan killed 12 and wounded 32 on Monday, authorities said. The blast severely injured the police chief in the Injil district of Herat province, a spokesman for the province's security departmen said. Two of the chief's bodyguards were killed and another two were wounded, he said. Ten civilians were killed and 29 hurt, security officials said. The roadside bomb exploded as a vehicle carrying Issa passed by. Herat province is several hundred miles west of the Afghan capital, Kabul....

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10:30:24 –
Conn. police: Melee breaks out at ransom exchange
Associated Press
0%
2.56
GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) -- A family asked to pay a ransom to free three immigrant relatives showed up with baseball bats instead, sparking a melee involving 19 people, police said. The brawl happened in a shopping center parking lot Sunday morning in Greenwich. The family members, who live about 90 miles away in Willimantic, told investigators their relatives had been kidnapped in Texas, police said. They had agreed to meet the captors with ransom money, but showed up armed with baseball bats and rescued the three, police said. Greenwich police said they arrived to find a large group of men fleeing in four vehicles. The vehicles were later found. Police declined further comment. The kidnapping suspect and the three victims were being held for questioning on immigration violation charges, police said. The brawl followed an alert by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to area police describing a human-smuggling investigation. Citing the ongoing investigation, ICE decline...

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10:30:25 –
BofA pays $33M SEC fine for misleading investors
Associated Press
0%
1.67
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bank of America has agreed to pay a $33 million penalty to settle government charges that it misled investors about Merrill Lynch's plans to pay bonuses to its employees. In seeking approval to buy Merrill, Bank of America told its shareholders that Merrill agreed not to pay year-end bonuses without Bank of America's consent. But the Securities and Exchange Commission says Bank of America had authorized New York-based Merrill to pay $5.8 billion in bonuses. The bonuses amount to nearly 12 percent of the $50 billion Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America paid for Merrill. The SEC says Bank of America agreed to pay $33 million to settle the charges without admitting or denying the allegations. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:28 –
`Let's Make a Deal' returning; Wayne Brady to host
Associated Press
0%
0.5
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- The game show "Let's Make a Deal" is coming back to daytime television. CBS says that an updated version of the show will debut Oct. 5, with Wayne Brady as host. The network says that the premise of audience members trying to win cash and prizes by making "wacky deals" will be intact. Monty Hall, longtime host of the original "Let's Make a Deal," is a consultant on the new show. It will replace "Guiding Light," the soap opera that's ending its more than five-decade run Sept. 21. CBS programming chief Nina Tassler told the Television Critics Association that the change represents a "very tough transition" for the network, and that three game show pilots were scrutinized before "Let's Make a Deal" won out. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:31 –
LaHood confident Senate will rescue car program
Associated Press
0%
1.4
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is predicting the Senate will pass legislation adding $2 billion to save a financially strapped "clash-for-clunkers" car-buying program. LaHood said Monday that the program has been "wildly popular" and argued that it is good for the economy as well as the environment. In an interview broadcast on MSNBC, LaHood declined to discuss administration options if the Senate does not act before it goes on its summer recess at the end of the week. LaHood said, "We're encouraging senators to listen to their car dealers and the people they represent. If they do that, it will pass the Senate." © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:31 –
Lightning-sparked fires force Calif. evacuations
Associated Press
79.68%
5.4
REDDING, Calif. (AP) -- Dozens of residents remained evacuated Monday after a weekend lightning storm sparked multiple wildfires around Northern California. More than 600 firefighters were trying to protect 100 structures from the blazes in northeastern Shasta County. No injuries had been reported in that county. Crews also were fighting blazes in Lassen, Monterey and Tuolumne counties. The largest fire was a 4,600-acre blaze burning in Stanislaus National Forest in Tuolumne County, where three people were reported injured. More than 1,300 firefighters were battling that blaze, which was 40 percent contained, according to CalFire. Lightning sparked dozens of wildfires Saturday night and early Sunday, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Tammy Hay. In Shasta County, 160 miles north of Sacramento, fires burned more than 1,000 acres and were about 10 percent contained. Emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation Sunday for the community...

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10:30:31 –
China reports accusations against exiled Uighur
Associated Press
65.31%
5
BEIJING (AP) -- China on Monday released a letter it says was penned by close relatives of exiled Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer blaming her for last month's deadly riots in her native Xinjiang. An associate of Kadeer said the letter was fake. Kadeer, who lives in the U.S. state of Virginia, has denied organizing the rioting in which the government says 197 people were killed and more than 1,700 injured - China's worst ethnic violence in decades. Kadeer and the relatives cited in the letter could not be reached for comment Monday. A day earlier, Xinjiang police announced they had detained another 319 people suspected of being involved in the unrest last month in Urumqi between Muslim minority Uighurs and the dominant Han Chinese community, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. At least 1,600 people were detained shortly after the July 5 riots that erupted when police stopped a protest by the Turkic-speaking Uighurs. The Uighurs smashed windows, burned cars and attacked Han Chine...

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10:30:31 –
AP ENTERPRISE: Biggest revenue drop since 1932
Associated Press
21.67%
3.09
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The recession is starving the government of tax revenue, just as the president and Congress are piling a major expansion of health care and other programs on the nation's plate and struggling to find money to pay the tab. The numbers could hardly be more stark: Tax receipts are on pace to drop 18 percent this year, the biggest single-year decline since the Great Depression, while the federal deficit balloons to a record $1.8 trillion. Other figures in an Associated Press analysis underscore the recession's impact: Individual income tax receipts are down 22 percent from a year ago. Corporate income taxes are down 57 percent. Social Security tax receipts could drop for only the second time since 1940, and Medicare taxes are on pace to drop for only the third time ever. The last time the government's revenues were this bleak, the year was 1932 in the midst of the Depression. "Our tax system is already inadequate to support the promises our government has made," said...

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10:30:32 –
Repros shares fall, Proellex development halted
Associated Press
60.84%
4.38
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of Repros Therapeutics Inc. plunged Monday after the company said it is halting development of its experimental drug Proellex because of an increase in liver enzymes in patients. Meanwhile, the company said it is considering various financing alternatives to address its immediate needs. If the company can't raise funds, it may have to further cut costs, sell assets, or possibly sell the company. Repros shares plunged $1.24, or 49 percent, to reach $1.29 in afternoon trading. The stock has traded between $1.01 and $13.94 over the last 52 weeks. The drug is being studied as a potential treatment to reduce the amount of menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids, which are noncancerous growths of muscle fibers inside the uterus that can cause heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic soreness and pain during sex. The Woodlands, Texas-based company had already suspended development of a 50-milligram dose of the drug. The latest action also cuts out the 25-millig...

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10:30:32 –
Broad action on climate needed to achieve cuts
Associated Press
26.32%
3.86
WASHINGTON (AP) -- If global warming is to be addressed without breaking people's pocketbooks, no single answer will do the job, a research group tied to the electric utility industry says in a new study that concludes the problem must be attacked from many directions. The report released Monday says that needed greenhouse gas reductions can be achieved at a reasonable cost to electricity consumers if the problem is broadly addressed, including building new nuclear power plants, requiring coal plants to capture their carbon dioxide, expanding use of renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and putting more electric cars on the road. An aggressive pursuit of a wide range of new technologies could achieve the greenhouse gas reductions needed to contain climate change, while limiting the additional electricity cost to the average households to about $400 a year, the study estimates. The report does not analyze specific climate legislation being considered by Congress. But it att...

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10:30:32 –
Cardinal Health buys imaging company Biotech
Associated Press
0%
2.75
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) -- Cardinal Health Inc. said Monday it agreed to buy radiologic imaging company Biotech for an undisclosed amount. Biotech operates nuclear pharmacies and positron emission tomography cyclotrons, which will be added to Cardinal's national network. Nuclear pharmacies make and distribute radioactive dyes. Those dyes are used in PET scans, which can test for abnormal functions in the brain or heart. Cardinal Health said the acquisition is complete. Biotech operates four nuclear pharmacies in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. The company said it already has 160 nuclear pharmacies and 26 PET facilities. In afternoon trading, Cardinal Health shares dipped 12 cents to $33.18. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:32 –
AP sources: Gitmo cases to US prosecutors
Associated Press
39.68%
4.53
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Dozens of Guantanamo Bay detainee cases have been referred to federal prosecutors for possible criminal trials in the nation's capital, Virginia and New York City, officials told The Associated Press on Monday. The Justice Department's strategy of holding trials in East Coast cities could be a sharp departure from a Pentagon plan to hold all Guantanamo-related civilian and military trials in the Midwest. The politically volatile decisions about where and how to try Guantanamo Bay detainees ultimately will rest with President Barack Obama as he tries to meet his self-imposed January deadline for closing the island prison. Obama administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations, said Attorney General Eric Holder met privately last week with the chief federal prosecutor in each of the East Coast areas to discuss the preparations for possible indictments and trials in those districts. One o...

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10:30:33 –
Sheik Mohammed gets 6-month ban for horse doping
Associated Press
31.5%
3.38
GENEVA (AP) -- The International Equestrian Federation banned its president's husband - Dubai's Sheik Mohammed - from riding in endurance races for six months after his horse twice failed doping tests. Sheik Mohammed accepted the suspension based on his horse Tahhan's positive tests for a hypertension drug and the steroid stanozolol, equestrian's governing body said Monday. "Consistent with the FEI's strict liability approach to anti-doping rule violations, the panel has found Sheik Mohammed responsible for the doping of his horse," a tribunal panel said in a ruling published on the FEI's Web site. His ban runs through Oct. 3, and he was assessed $4,200 in fines and legal costs. The sheik's horse trainer, Abdullah bin Huzaim, admitted giving the horse drugs without the sheik's knowledge before the 74.5-mile desert races at Bahrain and Dubai. Bin Huzaim was banned for a year and fined. Sheik Mohammed's wife, Princess Haya of Jordan, is president of the FEI and has campaigned to clea...

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10:30:34 –
Urban Meyer gets raise to $4 million annually
Associated Press
0%
3
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida football coach Urban Meyer is getting a $750,000 raise. The school said Monday that Meyer signed a six-year contract worth $4 million annually, up from $3.25 million, after leading the Gators to two national championships in the last three seasons. The new deal also makes Meyer co-chairman of a university scholarship program. The Florida Opportunity Scholars Program was created by school president Bernie Machen to provide financial assistance to first-generation, financially disadvantaged students working toward bachelor's degrees. Meyer has committed $1 million to the program over the duration of his contract. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:34 –
China seals off NW town as plague kills 2nd man
Associated Press
30.69%
5.5
BEIJING (AP) -- China locked down a remote farming town after two people died and 10 more were sickened with pneumonic plague, a lung infection that can kill a human in 24 hours if left untreated. Police set up checkpoints around Ziketan in northwestern Qinghai province, where townspeople reached by The Associated Press by phone Monday said the streets were largely deserted and most shops shut. Authorities urged anyone who had visited the town of 10,000 people since mid-July and has developed a cough or fever to seek hospital treatment. On Sunday, a 37-year-old man identified only as Danzin became the second reported fatality from the outbreak. He lived next door to the first, a 32-year-old herder. The 10 sickened, mostly relatives of the herder, were undergoing isolated treatment in hospital, the local health bureau said. The World Health Organization office in China said it was in close contact with Chinese health authorities and that measures taken so far to treat and quarantine...

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10:30:36 –
Bengals QB Palmer back to practice
Associated Press
0%
4.4
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) -- Carson Palmer is practicing again with the Cincinnati Bengals after a case of bronchitis. Palmer missed two practices over the weekend and worked out with the team Monday. He said he's feeling better and has been told he's not contagious. Tight end Reggie Kelly hurt his left foot during practice and was on crutches afterward. The extent of the injury was not immediately clear. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:36 –
Fla. victim identified decades after her killing
Associated Press
0%
4.88
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- A woman found slain a quarter century ago in Florida has been identified after relatives read about her case on a sheriff's web site for unidentified victims. Officials in the Broward Sheriff's Office said Monday that the brother and sisters of Mary Ann Lambert led them to a positive identification of the woman's remains through the "Found and Forgotten" program. Lambert's body was found in a field in Pompano Beach in September 1983. She was 21 and police won't say how she died. Authorities say a key clue was a front tooth that Lambert chipped as a child growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y. Partial fingerprints that were resubmitted to a state lab in 2008 were also important. Detectives hope the break could help them solve the killing. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:36 –
Mrs. Obama agrees to chair first ladies' library
Associated Press
0%
1.5
WASHINGTON (AP) -- First lady Michelle Obama is becoming an honorary chairwoman of the National First Ladies' Library. She joins her predecessors, all of whom are serving as honorary chairwomen of the institution dedicated to the history of America's first ladies and their contributions to society. The library, based in Canton, Ohio, announced Mrs. Obama's new role on Monday. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:38 –
Judge approves monthly allowance to Jackson kids
Associated Press
0%
2.8
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A judge has approved a monthly allowance to Michael Jackson's three children. The amounts weren't disclosed at a court hearing Monday. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ordered the stipend approved retroactively to June 25, when the King of Pop died. Beckloff didn't approve the full amount sought by attorneys for the administrators of Jackson's estate. He approved 84 percent of the amount sought, citing concerns about duplicate expenses with a monthly allowance approved for Jackson's mother, Katherine. The allowances will be reviewed in six months. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:38 –
Mass. chemical leak sends 26 to hospital
Associated Press
0%
4.6
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) -- An official with the Massachusetts Fire Marshal's Office says six people fell unconscious and 26 people were transported to hospitals following exposure to unknown fumes at a trash disposal company. Ed Colleta, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, says at least one victim is in critical condition. Chief Paul Leger says firefighters responded to ABC Disposal Service Inc. in New Bedford just after 10 a.m. Monday to a report that something brought to the facility was making people sick. He said the victims were treated for respiratory problems. The victims were decontaminated by a hazardous materials team on site before being taken to hospitals. The cause of the chemical leak remains under investigation. Authorities say the leak was contained at the facility, about 50 miles south of Boston. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn mo...

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10:30:38 –
Capital Product Partners shares fall on downgrade
Associated Press
16.26%
1.5
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of Greek oil tanker operator Capital Product Partners LP slipped Monday after an analyst downgraded the stock, saying the company's revenue will suffer as it renews contracts for a number of its vessels amid plummeting rates and ship values. Raymond James analyst Darren Horowitz cut the stock to "Underperform" from "Outperform." He said he expects the partnership's cash flow to be hit significantly as it looks to put 8 of its 18 vessels under new contracts though 2010. He said the market is now seeing "the worst fundamentals experienced in recent history." Horowitz said he expects the market might get even worse later this year and early in 2010 as a number of new vessels are scheduled to be delivered. "Overall, we are cognizant that a more flexible capital environment and stabilizing global economy may act to firm crude/refined product tanker fundamentals over time," he wrote in a client note. "However, the limited visibility as to the timing/magnitude of a...

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10:30:38 –
July Auto Sales: Volkswagen of America
Associated Press
0%
1.5
HERNDON, Va. (AP) -- Volkswagen of America Inc., a subsidiary of Wolfsburg, Germany-based Volkswagen AG, said Monday its July sales rose by less than 1 percent as its diesel cars posted strong sales and consumers took advantage of the government's Cash-for-Clunkers program. BY THE NUMBERS: Sales rose to 20,590 from 20,442 last year. So far this year, sales are down 14 percent to 117,598. TOP SELLER: The Jetta, with 12,078 sold. HOT MODELS: Herndon, Va.-based Volkswagen said models that burn diesel - Jetta, Jetta SportWagen and Touareg TDI - posted strong sales that now account for more than 30 percent of total sales. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:39 –
Line up: Cuts take hold in troubled Ala. county
Associated Press
0%
0.5
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- The first day of a major government cutback in Alabama's most populous county has been marked by lengthy waits for routine courthouse business. Long lines extending outside the building formed Monday at Jefferson County courthouses in Birmingham and Bessemer. People waited hours to do things like renew their car tags. Jefferson County's government offices are operating with 965 fewer workers than they had last week. That's about one-fourth of the county's work force. The employees were placed on leave because the county lost revenue from a key tax that was ruled unconstitutional. Members of the county's legislative delegation say they're working on a replacement for the tax, and Gov. Bob Riley says he will call a special session once there's an agreement. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:39 –
Iraq: Bomber kills 3 in latest attack in Anbar
Associated Press
90.25%
5.84
BAGHDAD (AP) -- A suicide car bomber struck a police checkpoint in a small town west of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least three people in the latest attack in a region that had once been a Sunni insurgent stronghold but later became key to a nationwide drop in violence. It was the seventh bombing in two weeks in Anbar province, leaving a total of 24 people killed since July 20. Persistent violence in Anbar and elsewhere in Iraq has heightened concern about the readiness of Iraqi forces to protect the people as U.S. troops begin pulling back. American forces retain a presence in Anbar province, which was the birthplace of a Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq that has been pivotal to security gains over the past two years. But the Iraqis are the ones in charge of security. Monday's bomber detonated his explosives at a police checkpoint in Saqlawiyah, a small highway town 45 miles (75 kilometers) west of Baghdad. A police official in nearby Fallujah said four civilians and three ...

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10:30:39 –
Ag futures jump, livestock prices mostly up
Associated Press
0%
0
CHICAGO (AP) -- Agriculture futures were up steeply Monday on the Chicago Board of Trade. September corn leapt 13 cents to $3.525 a bushel, while September wheat jumped 13.75 cents to $5.42 a bushel. Soybeans for November delivery soared 48 cents to $10.30 a bushel, and December oats traded up 7 cents to $2.19. Meanwhile, beef and pork futures were mostly higher on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. October live cattle gained 0.67 cent to 90.87 cents a pound, and September feeder cattle added 0.05 cent to $1.0260 a pound. August pork bellies jumped 1.15 cents to 63.40 cents a pound, but October lean hogs slid 0.55 cent to 53.35 cents a pound. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:40 –
Rapper Lumidee makes rare US music video in Cuba
Associated Press
46.38%
3.19
HAVANA (AP) -- It's well after midnight and the New Yorker is strutting down a crumbling sidewalk in impossibly high - red-sequined - heels, lip-syncing a few seconds of her rap while cameras roll for a music video. Almost inevitably, a misstep on Havana's cracked and uneven concrete sends her pitching forward. "Sorry, I'm going again," giggles singer and rapper Lumidee, regaining her balance and turning sharply on the same heel that nearly toppled her to head back down the block. "Yeah," director Michel Miglis yells from behind a camera perched on a second-floor balcony over her head. "And don't smile!" Best-known for her summer smash of six years ago, "Never Leave You" - think "Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh" - 24-year-old Lumidee has come to Cuba to finish a video for Iranian-born signer Arash Labaf's song "Kandi," to which she contributed rap solos. It's Labaf's third video in Cuba, but including Lumidee makes the production one of very few music videos filmed on the island to feature an Ame...

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10:30:40 –
Chairman of U of Ill. trustees resigns amid probe
Associated Press
0%
2
CHICAGO (AP) -- The chairman of the University of Illinois' Board of Trustees has resigned amid an investigation into the use of political clout to get underqualified students into the school. In a statement Monday, Niranjan Shah says he decided to submit his resignation after members of a state commission investigating the university's admissions practices said they think the trustees should step down. Shah is the second trustee to resign. Former chairman Lawrence Eppley quit last week. He says his resignation is effective in 90 days or sooner if his successor is in place. Gov. Pat Quinn appointed the commission after news reports revealed the school's Urbana-Champaign campus kept a list of politically connected applicants. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:40 –
Boyfriend wants baby cut from Mass. mother's womb
Associated Press
0%
1.38
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- A man who says he is the father of a baby who was cut from her slain mother's womb says he wants custody. A hearing is scheduled in Worcester Juvenile Court on Monday to determine who should get temporary custody of the 4-pound baby girl. Her mother, 23-year-old Darlene Haynes, was found slain in her Worcester apartment last Monday. The baby was found two days later with Julie Corey at a New Hampshire homeless shelter. Corey has been charged with kidnapping. Roberto Rodriguez, Haynes' estranged boyfriend, told The Associated Press outside Juvenile Court on Monday that he wants custody of the baby, as well as an 18-month-old girl he had with Haynes. The infant is in the custody of Massachusetts child welfare officials. DNA tests are being done to establish paternity. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:41 –
Openwave down 10 percent on analyst downgrade
Associated Press
42.19%
3
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of mobile technology software maker Openwave Systems Inc. fell more than 10 percent Monday after an analyst downgraded the shares on disappointing earnings results and an unclear turnaround plan. Shares were down 27 cents, or 10.3 percent, at $2.36 in midday trade Monday. Analyst Shyam Patil of Raymond James lowered the rating on Openwave to "underperform" from "market perform" and lowered his earnings estimate for fiscal 2010 to a penny-per-share loss, down from a penny gain seen previously. Patil also noted the shares had run up 484 percent from their 2008 lows. Aside from posting disappointing adjusted earnings on Thursday of break-even, versus analyst expectations for a profit of a penny per share, Openwave's profit margins shrank and revenue benefited from a delay in services from the previous quarter. Revenue is highly dependent on large deals with cell phone carriers for which visibility is limited, Patil said in a research note. Fair value for the sh...

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10:30:41 –
Sidney Zion dies; NY writer spurred medical reform
Associated Press
53.81%
4.75
NEW YORK (AP) -- Sidney Zion, a journalist whose family tragedy helped lead to changes in how many hours medical residents work, has died. He was 75. Zion, who had written for The New York Times, the Daily News and the New York Post, died Sunday at Calvary Hospital in Brooklyn. He had been suffering from bladder cancer, said his son, Adam Zion. In March 1984, Zion took his 18-year-old daughter, Libby, to New York Hospital because she was agitated and suffering from high fever. She died the next morning of cardiopulmonary collapse. Zion blamed doctors for her death, saying they had given her a painkiller that can react badly with an antidepressant she told doctors she was taking. He also charged that the hospital systematically overworked and undersupervised its young doctors-in-training. "That was the big fight of his life," Adam Zion said. Sidney Zion and his wife sued the hospital and the doctors in 1985. A jury returned a split verdict 10 years later, deciding that the hospital,...

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10:30:41 –
Dollar at lowest vs euro, pound since last fall
Associated Press
39.6%
2.5
NEW YORK (AP) -- The dollar tumbled broadly Monday, dropping to its lowest points since last fall against the euro, pound and other currencies, as signs of recovery emerged from data on manufacturing from around the world. Stocks jumped in Europe and the U.S. Bad signals from economic reports and poor earnings tend to help the dollar as investors seek safety, often in U.S. government debt; good news and stronger equities often correspond with a drop in the greenback's value and a surge in equities, emerging-market currencies and other "riskier" investments. "The enhanced prospects for growth has cast a pall over the U.S. dollar," said Brown Brothers Harriman currency analysts. The 16-nation euro soared to $1.4403 from $1.4250 late Friday, peaking at $1.4445, the highest point for the common currency since last September. The British pound, rocketed up to $1.6941 from $1.6686, hitting its highest level since last October at $1.6986. The dollar rose to 95.25 Japanese yen, meanwhile, ...

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10:30:42 –
Lions TEs miss practice
Associated Press
0%
5.83
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -- Detroit Lions tight ends Brandon Pettigrew and Casey FitzSimmons missed Monday's training camp practice with injuries that could keep them out a few days. Pettigrew, the 20th pick in the NFL draft, tweaked a quadriceps muscle Sunday afternoon before FitzSimmons suffered a high ankle sprain. He walked around the training facility Monday with a boot on his left leg. Coach Jim Schwartz said he didn't believe either injury was serious. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:42 –
Manning, Brown on field for Colts 1st practice
Associated Press
0%
1.5
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) -- Three-time MVP Peyton Manning and Donald Brown were on the field for the Colts' first training camp practice on Monday. Manning made it onto the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology field for the first time since August 2007. He missed all of training camp last season after having knee surgery. Brown, the Colts' No. 1 draft pick, practiced one day after agreeing to a contract with the Colts. Unsigned players are not permitted to practice. New coach Jim Caldwell said he was pleased to have everyone in camp on time, avoiding potential distractions. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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10:30:43 –
Somali pirates receive ransom for German ship
Associated Press
0%
4
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- A European Union naval spokesman says Somali pirates have received a ransom to release a German vessel they have been holding for more than three months. Morten Gramberg declined to give any other details about the ransom or when the Hansa Stavanger would be released. Hamburg-based shipping company Leonhardt & Blumberg could not be reached by telephone for comment and did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for details. Pirates captured the Hansa Stavanger on April 4. It has 24 crew members: five Germans, three Russians, two Ukrainians, two Filipinos and 12 Tuvalus. The pirates have conducted more than 100 attacks this year and are currently holding about a dozen vessels. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:00:44 –
Pakistan Court Adjourns, Leaving Lashkar Founder Free
NY Times
55.56%
4.53
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's Supreme Court adjourned an appeal hearing on Monday to decide whether to re-arrest the founder of a militant group said to have been behind the attacks on Mumbai last November.Hafiz Saeed, who headed Lashkar-e-Taiba before moving to its charity front, was detained after the Mumbai attacks after a U.N. Security Council resolution put him on a list of people and organizations supporting al Qaeda.The Lahore High Court, to India's frustration, freed Saeed in June due to a lack of evidence against him. Pakistan has appealed against Saeed's release, but ministers have said India should furnish better evidence against him.On Saturday, India gave Pakistan a new dossier of evidence to investigate the Mumbai attacks and to prosecute Saeed."I think whatever we have provided, according to our assessment, I think that is evidence enough to punish them and Saeed is one of those who is the main brains behind the attack," Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said in Ne...

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11:10:14 –
DioGuardi back on 'Idol' next season
CNN
32.86%
3.86
(CNN) -- "American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi will be back on the show next season, officials announced Monday. "Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi returns next season, but as third or fourth judge remains to be seen. The Grammy-nominated songwriter will return as a judge for the show's ninth season, which is set to premiere in January 2010, according to an announcement made by Fox, 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia. "American Idol" airs on Fox, and the other two companies oversee the popular talent competition. Despite less-than-glowing reviews of DioGuardi's judging las...

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11:10:16 –
Arrest made in death of Nazi concentration camp survivor
CNN
76.53%
5.47
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Bronx woman has been charged with murder and robbery in the death of an 89-year-old Nazi concentration camp survivor, and police said a man is still being sought in connection with the death. Felix Brinkmann dances at a 2008 birthday party. "He was not the kind of guy who had enemies," his son says. ...

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11:20:47 –
Israel's Netanyahu wins key parliament votes
Reuters
41.18%
2.86
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won parliament's support on Monday for a measure to privatize state land, and another law seen as potentially boosting the ranks of his right-wing ruling coalition. Netanyahu overcame right and left-wing opponents to win the vote to enable the sale of large swaths of public land by 2014 which would permit Israelis to buy rather than lease land on which their homes are built. After having threatened to fire any cabinet ministers who objected to the bill, Netanyahu struck a compromise with other opponents who had argued Israel should keep its national turf in the public realm, by pledging to limit how much land was sold. Parliament interrupted a summer recess to convene in special session to hold the vote, and also passed a separate measure to lower the quota of lawmakers required to form a recognized parliamentary faction. Just seven members of the Knesset, rather than the previou...

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11:30:16 –
Dozens of Gitmo cases referred to US prosecutors
Associated Press
32.31%
5
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Dozens of Guantanamo Bay detainee cases have been referred to federal prosecutors for possible criminal trials in the nation's capital, Virginia and New York City, officials told The Associated Press on Monday as a second strategy for trying the detainees emerged within the Obama administration. The Justice Department's strategy of holding trials in East Coast cities could be a sharp departure from a Pentagon plan to hold all Guantanamo-related civilian and military trials in the Midwest. The politically volatile decisions about where and how to try Guantanamo Bay detainees ultimately will rest with President Barack Obama as he tries to meet his self-imposed January deadline for closing the island prison. Obama administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations, said Attorney General Eric Holder met privately last week with the chief federal prosecutor in each of the East Coast areas to ...

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11:30:16 –
Obama to meet with Democratic senators
Associated Press
0%
4
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Democrats will meet with President Obama at the White House on Tuesday. Spokesman Robert Gibbs says the meeting is to discuss what has been accomplished during the first six months of the Obama administration, and the president's priorities going forward. The Senate breaks for its August recess on Friday. (This version CORRECTS earlier version to remove reference to 60 Democrats; two are independents; also, unclear how many will attend) © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:17 –
Triumphant Rachel Alexandra returns to Saratoga
Associated Press
0%
3.33
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) -- The trainer of horse racing's biggest star says it'll be two weeks before a decision is made on Rachel Alexandra's next start. The filly was back at Saratoga Race Course on Monday, a day after beating the boys a second time in the Haskell Invitational at New Jersey's Monmouth Park. Trainer Steve Asmussen says "we'll see how she acts on the track. With Rachel, she is the topic of conversation all the time." Among the races under consideration are the Travers on Aug. 29, the Personal Ensign on Aug. 30 and the Woodward on Sept. 5. All are at Saratoga. Rachel Alexandra beat Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird by six lengths in the Haskell. She also beat the boys in the Preakness on May 16. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:17 –
ATF worries about cartel grenades coming into US
Associated Press
46.04%
5.24
PHOENIX (AP) -- It was a scenario U.S. law enforcement had long feared: A fragmentation grenade from Mexico's bloody drug war tossed into a public place. Only the grenade thrower's bumbling prevented bloodshed in a south Texas bar - he neglected to pull a second safety clasp. But the act was proof that one of the deadliest weapons in Mexico's drug battle is a real threat to the U.S., and investigators are stepping up efforts to make sure it doesn't happen again. While Mexican drug violence has been spilling across the border in the form of kidnappings and killings, grenades are a particular worry because they can kill large numbers of people indiscriminately, and they are a weapon of choice among Mexican cartel members. "It's one thing to shoot someone - that's a very violent act. But to throw a grenade into a crowded bar or a crowded restaurant, that's a different type of criminal you are dealing with, a different mindset," said Bill Newell, special agent in charge of the U.S. Bur...

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11:30:17 –
Weyerhaeuser shares rise as earnings beat estimate
Associated Press
34.78%
1.5
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shares of Weyerhaeuser Co. rose Monday after the major U.S. timber producer reported second-quarter results that beat analyst estimates and topped the previous quarter's performance. The Federal Way, Wash., company reported Friday that, before one-time items, it lost 59 cents per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected, on average, an adjusted loss of 71 cents per share. Weyerhaeuser's second-quarter also beat the previous quarter's adjusted results of a loss of $1.25. In addition, the company forecast earnings growth for its pulp and wood products segments in the third quarter. Longbow analyst Joshua Zaret on Monday noted the improvements in a client note and added that Weyerhaeuser "has a strong balance sheet ... which we believe should see it through this downturn despite a cash burn" and that it has done well at cutting costs. He reduced his estimate of what Weyerhaeuser will lose this year to $2.20 from $2.25 and the amount it will lose next year to...

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11:30:18 –
3 reported critical after Mass. chemical leak
Associated Press
0%
4.78
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) -- Noxious fumes at a Massachusetts trash disposal facility have sent more than four dozen people to hospitals, including three in critical condition. New Bedford Fire Chief Paul Leger says firefighters responded to ABC Disposal Service Inc. just after 10 a.m. for a report that something brought to the facility was making people sick. He says the victims were treated for respiratory problems. The victims were decontaminated by a hazardous materials team on site before being taken to hospitals. One hospital says it received 33 patients, three of whom are in critical condition. Twenty-two more victims were taken to another hospital and are listed in good condition. The cause of the chemical leak remains under investigation. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:18 –
White House: Senate must save clunkers program
Associated Press
0%
1.5
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's chief spokesman says the popular cash for clunkers rebate program may not survive beyond Friday if the Senate doesn't provide a $2 billion cash infusion. The program ran out of money last week. The House voted to provide another $2 billion before leaving for summer break last Friday. But the Senate must also vote before its August vacation starts Friday. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the rebate program is up and running. He says anyone who wants to trade in a less fuel-efficient vehicle for a higher-mileage one should do so. But if the Senate fails to act by Friday, Gibbs says it's unlikely the program will be available next weekend and beyond. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:20 –
Baltimore medics mistakenly declare man dead
Associated Press
0%
6
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Baltimore police say a burglary suspect mistakenly declared dead by medics after he was shot by an officer laid on a convenience store floor for half an hour before anyone noticed he was still alive. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi (goo-lee-EL-mee) says 51-year-old Michael Quarles was shot early Saturday when he lunged at an officer with a long screwdriver. Guglielmi says the officer thought Quarles had a knife. Guglielmi says emergency medical technicians pronounced Quarles dead at the scene, then left. But officers noticed about 30 minutes later that Quarles was moving and called the medics back to the scene. Quarles was taken to a trauma center and remained in critical condition Monday. The medics have been reassigned until an investigation is finished. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:20 –
Dems vow health bill with or without Republicans
Associated Press
0%
3.8
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Democratic leaders are promising to push through a health care bill even if negotiations with Republicans fail. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday there are contingency steps that will be considered as a last resort. Among the possible steps is invoking a legislative procedure known as reconciliation. Such as step is problematic because of its strict limits on what would be allowed in the bill and what wouldn't. Three Democrats and three Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee face a Sept. 15 deadline to wrap up talks and come up with a plan. Four of five congressional committees have acted on health care legislation. Schumer complained that Republicans had been hindering work on a bipartisan health care bill. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:21 –
Cash for Clunkers boosts July US auto sales
Associated Press
22.27%
4.55
DETROIT (AP) -- Lured by the government's cash for clunkers campaign, car and truck buyers started returning to showrooms last month, as Ford Motor Co. reported its first U.S. sales increase in nearly two years and other major automakers said sales showed signs of stability. Overall, automakers are expected to turn in strong performances, most notably Korea's Hyundai Motor Co., which may pass Chrysler Group LLC and Japan's Nissan Motor Co. in sales for the first time in history. July sales, if converted to an annual rate, could top 10 million cars and trucks, the first month this year that sales rose above that depressed level. As recently as 2007, U.S. car and light truck sales topped 16 million vehicles, but the recession, tight credit and a lack of consumer confidence sent sales plunging late last year and during the first half of 2009. Ford, led by the redesigned midsize Ford Fusion, and strong sales of the Escape crossover vehicle and F-series pickup line, offered encouraging ...

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11:30:21 –
Deputy says bin-Laden truce offers still valid
Associated Press
58.63%
4.78
CAIRO (AP) -- Osama bin-Laden's deputy said in a video message released Monday that the al-Qaida leader's offers of a truce with the U.S. and Europe remained on the table, though he ridiculed President Barack Obama as "the new face of the same old crimes." In a video posted on an Islamic militant Web site, al-Qaida's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, scorned the American president over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the U.S. approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Nonetheless, al-Zawahri said "fair" truces offered by bin-Laden were still valid. In 2004, bin-laden offered a truce to European countries that do not attack Muslims. Two years later, he offered the American people a "long-term truce" without specifying the conditions, though in that same audio recording he also warned that his fighters were preparing new attacks in the United States. "These offers were dealt with impolitely but are still valid, and the offer is fair," al-Zawahri said. "But they (Americans) want...

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11:30:22 –
Boyfriend wants custody of baby cut from womb
Associated Press
62.76%
3.07
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- A man who says he is the father of a baby who was cut from her slain mother's womb said Monday that he wants custody of the baby girl. A Monday afternoon hearing was scheduled in Worcester Juvenile Court to determine who should get temporary custody of the 4-pound infant. Her mother, 23-year-old Darlene Haynes, was found slain in her Worcester apartment last Monday. The baby was found two days later at a New Hampshire homeless shelter with Haynes' former neighbor Julie Corey, who has been charged with kidnapping and is being held on $2 million bail. The infant is now in the custody of the state department of Children and Families. DNA tests are being done to establish paternity. Roberto Rodriguez, Haynes' estranged boyfriend, told The Associated Press outside court Monday that he wants custody of the baby and of an 18-month-old girl he had with Haynes. "I just want my two girls. That's all I want," Rodriguez said. Rodriguez, 24, declined to say who else may...

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11:30:22 –
Report: 560,000 fewer online job ads posted
Associated Press
21.9%
3.17
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Online job advertisements remained steady from June to July, but a national report shows over 560,000 fewer advertised vacancies last month compared with the same period a year earlier, a private research group says. The Conference Board released its monthly Help-Wanted Online Data Series report on Monday. Online job advertisements increased by a modest 700 in July. There were about 3.3 million ad vacancies last month, a 568,600 drop from July 2008. Since record monthly declines of 507,000 and 506,000 in December and January, online ad vacancies have leveled off. But there were over four unemployed people for every ad vacancy in July as the number of unemployed increased. And the monthly number of ad vacancies this year continues to be about 1.2 million below the average of 4.5 million in 2008, the New York-based research group said. June Shelp, economist for The Conference Board, said the online job figures and other indicators don't suggest a large bump in ...

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11:30:22 –
Liberian official wants to meet rape victim
Associated Press
59.22%
4.05
PHOENIX (AP) -- Liberia's deputy ambassador to the U.S. says he's coming to Phoenix in hopes of meeting with an 8-year-old rape victim, the four boys accused of attacking her, and their families. Edwin Sele told The Associated Press Monday he'll arrive in Phoenix on Wednesday. Sele says the Liberian government is concerned about the case. All the young people are Liberian refugees. He says he wants to meet with everyone involved to understand what happened. He also will meet with police, child-care workers and members of the Liberian community. Police say four boys, ages 9 to 14, lured the girl to an empty storage shed July 16, promising her chewing gum. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. PHOENIX (AP) - Leaders of Arizona's Liberian community said Sunday they're worried about stereotypes of the West African nation and potential backlash against its people in the aftermath of an 8-year-old girl's alleged rape by four...

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11:30:22 –
CBS exec has tart `D-girl' comment for Silverman
Associated Press
0%
1.67
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Ben Silverman is gone from NBC as entertainment chief but he's not forgotten by the industry. CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler was asked by reporters Monday about the departure of Silverman, who declared in a 2007 Esquire magazine article that he was a rare network executive and those who hold the job elsewhere are merely "D-girls." That's a dismissive Hollywood term suggesting development executives with minimal authority. "I'm really just a D-girl, so I wouldn't comment on that," Tassler said tartly during a Q-and-A session with the Television Critics Association. During Silverman's two-year tenure at NBC, the network remained mired in fourth place as he failed to launch new hits. Silverman has returned to his producing roots, starting a new company. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:23 –
Merck head of vaccines, infectious disease leaving
Associated Press
85.11%
3.08
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. (AP) -- Merck & Co.'s head of vaccines, Margaret G. McGlynn, is retiring effective Nov. 1, the drugmaker said Monday. McGlynn, 49, has been president of Merck's vaccines division since 2005 and, more recently, Merck Vaccines and Infectious Diseases. Previously, she served as head of U.S. Human Health, the company's marketing operation. "She decided that now was a good time to pursue many personal and professional aspirations," Merck spokeswoman Amy Rose said. Rose said no replacement has been named yet for McGlynn, who joined the company 26 years ago. McGlynn helped oversee a surge in new vaccine approvals the last few years that made the division increasingly important financially to Merck. Those included the blockbuster Gardasil, the first vaccine to prevent cervical and other sexually transmitted cancers, and RotaTeq for rotavirus. Merck's HIV drug Isentress also was approved during her tenure. However, the division has been plagued by manufacturing defi...

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11:30:23 –
FEMA to focus on children's needs during disasters
Associated Press
53.64%
1.86
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency is going to plan more broadly for children and their needs as the government prepares for disasters. "Children are not small adults," FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said Monday. Most disaster plans are crafted around adult populations, and people with specific needs - such as children - are often an afterthought, Fugate said in an interview with The Associated Press. A new FEMA working group will work with the congressionally mandated National Commission on Children and Disasters, created in 2007. The FEMA group will focus on specific guidance for evacuating, sheltering and relocating children; helping childcare centers, schools and child welfare programs prepare for disasters; and making disaster preparation part of the Homeland Security Department's grant programs. The working group's findings could mean changes to the country's blueprint for disaster response, known as the National Response Framework, Fugate said. The B...

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11:30:24 –
Custody of Jackson children granted to grandmother
Associated Press
40%
2.18
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael Jackson's mother has gained permanent custody of her late son's children during a hearing Monday that saw a last-minute objection by the pop icon's former dermatologist. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff made a series of key rulings during the morning portion of the Monday hearing, which was to reconvene after a short break. In addition to approving Katherine Jackson's guardianship petition, he also granted monthly stipends to the 79-year-old and the three young grandchildren she is now charged with raising. The ruling came after a few tense moments in which an attorney for Beverly Hills Dr. Arnold Klein, Michael Jackson's longtime dermatologist, raised nonspecific objections to the custody arrangements. The attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said they were based on the doctor's long-term relationship with the singer and his children. "Legally, he is not a presumed parent," Kaplan said. He said Klein, Jackson's longtime dermatologist, had co...

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11:30:24 –
After strong '08, Twins' rotation in rough shape
Associated Press
0%
3.63
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota's young starting pitchers exceeded expectations and propelled the Twins to the brink of the playoffs last season. This year, the rotation is holding the Twins back in an AL Central race that remains wide open. Minnesota had an off day Monday after being swept at home by the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend and giving up a total of 35 runs during the three-game series. The Twins are three games out of first place in the division, but the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox each traded for a front-line starting pitcher last week. Minnesota's winningest pitcher, Kevin Slowey, is out for the season with a wrist injury. Glen Perkins, Anthony Swarzak and Nick Blackburn were all hit hard by the Angels. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:24 –
EU says Somali pirates release German ship
Associated Press
0%
2
BERLIN (AP) -- A European Union naval spokesman says Somali pirates have released a German vessel after a ransom was paid. British Royal Navy Cmdr John Harbour says the ship, which had been held nearly four months, was released after the ransom was paid around lunchtime. He said by telephone Monday evening: "The Hansa Stavanger was released within the last two hours by the pirates who left the ship." "She put to sea on her own steam and she is continuing out to sea under the protection of European naval force units." He was reached at the headquarters of the EU's anti-piracy mission in Northwood, near London. He says EU forces had not yet boarded the vessel but that "the positive news is we have not heard of any casualties." He had no further details. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:24 –
WAC reprimands Hawaii coach for using slur
Associated Press
0%
1.2
HONOLULU (AP) -- The Western Athletic Conference is reprimanding Hawaii coach Greg McMackin for his derogatory comment while describing Notre Dame's chant before last year's Hawaii Bowl. The university already has suspended McMackin for 30 days without pay. He's volunteered to take an additional 7 percent pay cut from his $1.1 million salary. The coach also has apologized for using a gay slur during a media briefing last month at the WAC football preview in Salt Lake City. The WAC said Monday it reprimanded McMakin for violating the conference's sportsmanship code. The league says any further violations will result in a minimum one-game suspension. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:25 –
Jordan rejects US call to improve ties with Israel
Associated Press
0%
1.5
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Jordan is joining with Saudi Arabia in publicly rejecting U.S. appeals to improve relations with Israel to help restart Middle East peace talks. After talks here Monday with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said that incremental confidence-building measures the U.S. wants Arab states to take will not produce a resolution to the conflict. Judeh also criticized Israel for its refusal to halt construction of Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territory and said the Israelis should respond to a 2002 Arab peace offer. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:25 –
BofA pays $33M SEC fine over Merrill bonuses
Associated Press
23.17%
1.67
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bank of America Corp. has agreed to pay a $33 million penalty to settle government charges that it misled investors about Merrill Lynch's plans to pay bonuses to its employees, regulators said Monday. In seeking approval to buy Merrill, Bank of America told its shareholders that Merrill agreed not to pay year-end bonuses without Bank of America's consent. But the Securities and Exchange Commission says Bank of America had authorized New York-based Merrill to pay $5.8 billion in bonuses. That rendered the statement Bank of America mailed to 283,000 shareholders about the Merrill deal "materially false and misleading," the SEC said in a statement. Bank of America agreed to pay $33 million to settle the charges without admitting or denying the allegations. The settlement is subject to court approval. Bank spokesmen did not immediately return calls for comment Monday afternoon. Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America agreed to purchase Merrill in September, the same we...

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11:30:25 –
Former Citi CFO takes Bank of America job
Associated Press
0%
2
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Former Citigroup Chief Financial Officer Sallie Krawcheck is joining Bank of America to run the company's global wealth and investment management operations. Bank of America Corp. said Monday that Krawcheck is taking that role from Brian Moynihan, who will become head of consumer banking. Moynihan is succeeding Liam McGee as head of consumer banking. McGee is leaving the company after a nearly 20-year career. The Charlotte, N.C.-based bank has been struggling with internal issues, especially since CEO Ken Lewis' management ability has been questioned following BofA's acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co. The bank has received $45 billion in bailout funds, but it's not known when it will repay the government. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:25 –
UK police criticized for Muslim veiling exercise
Associated Press
0%
2.33
LONDON (AP) -- British police have been criticized for an exercise in which two female officers spent the day in full-body veils to learn about Islam. British media say the South Yorkshire Police dressed three female officers in conservative Muslim attire and sent them walking around the northern city of Sheffield as part of community-relations activity. A picture published on the Mail Online Web site showed two wearing niqabs - full-body black veil with eye slits. The photo showed a third wearing a black head scarf. Britain's Taxpayers' Alliance calls the exercise an "absurd diversion." It was unclear from the reports when the exercise took place. A message seeking comment from the police force late Monday was not immediately returned. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:26 –
White House: No final decision on detainee trials
Associated Press
0%
4.17
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House says no final decisions have been made on where in the U.S. suspected terrorists from the Guantanamo Bay prison will be transferred. Spokesman Robert Gibbs says the administration is still reviewing which detainees should be moved. President Barack Obama has ordered the prison closed by January. There are apparently two plans emerging on trials for Guantanamo detainees. Several senior U.S. officials say the administration is looking to send detainees to a state maximum security prison in Michigan and the military penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Other officials tell The Associated Press that the Justice Department is referring cases to federal prosecutors for possible criminal trials in the nation's capital, Virginia and New York City. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:26 –
Gov't counting on public shame to help loan effort
Associated Press
33.49%
2.73
WASHIGNTON (AP) -- The Obama administration wants to shame the mortgage industry into doing a better job of helping borrowers avoid losing their homes to foreclosure. By publishing the names of companies that are lagging behind in the government's plan to ease the housing crisis, officials are counting on public outrage to get the industry on track. The Treasury Department on Tuesday plans to report on the progress of loan servicers - companies that collect mortgage payments - that are in line for up to $50 billion in subsidies. "We want to go faster," said Michael Barr, the Treasury Department's assistant secretary for financial institutions. "There are a bunch of servicers that are lacking in performance. They have to lift their game." When the plan was launched in March, the government said it hoped to help up to 4 million financially distressed homeowners modify their mortgages to lower their payments. As of last week, just 200,000 homeowners were on track to get a modification...

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11:30:27 –
Specter appears poised for formal challenge
Associated Press
0%
2
WASHINGTON (AP) -- It appears that Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter is formally getting challenged in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary. Rep. Joe Sestak, a former Navy vice admiral, has scheduled five campaign stops throughout the state on Tuesday. At the first, at a VFW hall in his suburban Philadelphia district, he's expected to announce his candidacy. The announcement would not be a surprise. Sestak has already heavily campaigned in the state. The five-term senator in April severed his decades-long ties with the Republican Party. He said, in part, it was to avoid a primary challenge with former Rep. Pat Toomey, who nearly beat him in the 2004 primary. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:27 –
DNA-like technique may help nab fossil thieves
Associated Press
21.48%
2.5
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Looters who plundered one of Utah's newest troves of dinosaur bones got away with ribs, vertebrae and part of an ancient legbone they had to bust apart to remove. They also stole hidden scientific clues about the life of a young diplodocus dinosaur that roamed the area some 150 million years ago. "It's like pieces of a puzzle that are now gone," said Scott Williams, collections and exhibits manager at the Burpee Museum of Natural History, the Rockford, Ill.-based institution that has been digging at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management-owned site. The bones - and the thieves - from the site near Hanksville haven't been seen since the theft last fall. And, odds are, they won't. Stolen dinosaur bones and other fossils snatched illegally from federally owned land often disappear into living rooms, lucrative underground markets or expensive private collections. But a new forensic technique - something akin to DNA fingerprinting - could give investigators a long-sou...

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11:30:28 –
NY gov: We could redesign WTC without developer
Associated Press
0%
3.67
NEW YORK (AP) -- New York Gov. David Paterson has given World Trade Center site developer Larry Silverstein an ultimatum in talks over his ground zero lease. He says the site could be redesigned without Silverstein's buildings. Paterson wrote a letter Monday offering to have the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey help finance two of Silverstein's planned three office towers at the site. The agency has said Silverstein would have to put up over $600 million of his own money to receive financial backing for the second tower. A spokesman for the developer didn't immediately return a telephone call Monday. Paterson says he's asked the Port Authority to come up with new site designs that would let the Sept. 11 memorial and other public projects go forward without Silverstein, if needed. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:28 –
Administration: 'Clunkers' improving gas mileage
Associated Press
17.68%
2.25
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration appealed to the Senate on Monday to bail out the cash for clunkers rebate program, arguing it has already made striking gains in fuel efficiency and is a "wildly popular" economic boost. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood ducked when asked if the program will be suspended if the Senate does not vote to replenish coffers before lawmakers go on vacation later this week. Instead, he said "I believe the Senate will pass it this week." The administration said the average fuel economy of new vehicles purchased through the program is nearly 10 miles per gallon higher than for the vehicles traded in for scrap. LaHood said some 80 percent of the traded-in vehicles are pickups or SUVs, meaning many gas-guzzlers are being taken off the road, and the Ford Focus is a leading replacement vehicle. "The program is working the way Congress intended it to work," he asserted on MSNBC. But it was not intended to run out of money nearly so quickly, nor creat...

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11:30:28 –
Gibbs: No tax hike for middle class
Associated Press
0%
2
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House spokesman says President Barack Obama is committed to not raising taxes on U.S. families earning less than $250,000. Robert Gibbs restated that assurance Monday after two top White House officials suggested over the weekend that they could not rule out tax increases as the administration struggles to cut the budget deficit in half in the coming years. In appearances on TV network news shows Sunday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the White House was not ready to rule out a tax hike to lower the federal deficit. National Economic Council Director Larry Summers said Obama's proposed health care overhaul needs funding from somewhere. Gibbs said the president "has made a very clear commitment to not raise taxes on the middle class." © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:29 –
Tiger gives Buick Open a big boost
Associated Press
0%
3.83
GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) -- Tiger Woods' three-shot victory in the Buick Open has given the PGA Tour event a 167 percent ratings boost over last year, when Woods was recovering from knee surgery and did not play. CBS Sports said Monday its overnight rating was 4.0 with a 9 share, up from a 1.5 rating and a 3 share in 2008. It was the highest final-round rating for the Buick Open since it received a 4.3 with a 10 share in 2006, which Woods also won. CBS also saw overnight ratings increase 100 percent from the previous year when Woods won the Memorial and 200 percent when he won the AT&T National. He missed both tournaments last year because of surgery. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:29 –
Timberwolves sign center Hollins to offer sheet
Associated Press
0%
1
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed restricted free-agent center Ryan Hollins to an offer sheet, giving the Dallas Mavericks seven days to match the offer. Terms were not released. The 7-foot Hollins was selected from UCLA in the 2006 draft by Charlotte. He played two-plus seasons with the Bobcats before being traded to Dallas in January. Hollins has career averages of 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn calls Hollins an athletic center who should fit in well on the frontcourt with Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:30 –
Mexico arrests alleged drug operative
Associated Press
57.88%
6.44
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Police raided a church service in western Mexico and arrested a man known as "The Truck" who is suspected of moving a half ton of crystal methamphetamine into the United States each month, federal officials said Monday. Authorities detained Miguel Angel Beraza and another drug suspect after surrounding a church in Apatzingan in drug-plagued Michoacan state, said Ramon Pequeno, head of the Federal Police's anti-drug unit. About 40 others at the Mass were brought in for questioning. DEA Acting Administrator Michele Leonhart said Beraza is a high-ranking lieutenant in the La Familia drug cartel, and that his arrest is the result of the "resolute partnership" between the U.S. and Mexico. "Together with our Mexican counterparts, we will continue attacking the La Familia Cartel, which not only controls the methamphetamine supply in several U.S. cities, but also has been the source of unprecedented violence in Michoacan," she said. Beraza was in charge of the La Famili...

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11:30:30 –
Gates, Mullen went to Belgium for Afghan war talk
Associated Press
0%
5
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's top military advisers made a secret trip to Europe over the weekend to discuss the Afghanistan war. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' spokesman says he and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, got an interim report on security in Afghanistan from the top American commander there. Gen. Stanley McChrystal is putting together an assessment of the war that may include a request for additional U.S. forces and resources. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell says Gates wanted a face-to-face meeting to get a sense of that forthcoming report. Gates and Mullen flew Saturday to a U.S. air base in Belgium. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:30 –
Rain delays Monday's White House event for NASCAR
Associated Press
0%
2.5
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House meeting between No. 44 and No. 48 will have to wait a few weeks, thanks to turf problems elsewhere. Three-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson was among a group of NASCAR drivers who were to be honored by President Barack Obama at the White House Monday. But steady rain postponed Sunday's race at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania and that event was rescheduled for Monday. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the meeting with Obama has been rescheduled for Aug. 19. Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet was going to be parked at the White House. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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11:30:30 –
Sackless Chiefs make changes
Associated Press
0%
1.33
RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) -- Led by one of the best pass rushers of a generation, the Kansas City Chiefs were once one of the NFL's best teams at getting to the quarterback. The last few years? Not so much. On the same week the late Derrick Thomas will be inducted into the Hall of the Fame, the Chiefs begin training camp searching for a way to get some kind of pass rush. After setting an NFL record for fewest sacks in a season with 10, it can't get much worse. The Chiefs have retooled the defense, brought in new players, switched old players to new positions and hired a new defensive coordinator. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:00:38 –
Mexico Arrests Alleged Drug Operative
NY Times
62.28%
6.44
MEXICO CITY (AP) ---- Police raided a church service in western Mexico and arrested a man known as ''The Truck'' who is suspected of moving a half ton of crystal methamphetamine into the United States each month, federal officials said Monday.Authorities detained Miguel Angel Beraza and another drug suspect after surrounding a church in Apatzingan in drug-plagued Michoacan state, said Ramon Pequeno, head of the Federal Police's anti-drug unit. About 40 others at the Mass were brought in for questioning.DEA Acting Administrator Michele Leonhart said Beraza is a high-ranking lieutenant in the La Familia drug cartel, and that his arrest is the result of the ''resolute partnership'' between the U.S. and Mexico.''Together with our Mexican counterparts, we will continue attacking the La Familia Cartel, which not only controls the methamphetamine supply in several U.S. cities, but also has been the source of unprecedented violence in Michoacan,'' she said.Beraza was in charge of the La Famili...

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12:00:42 –
Deputy Says bin-Laden Truce Offers Still Valid
NY Times
63.16%
4.78
CAIRO (AP) -- Osama bin-Laden's deputy said in a video message released Monday that the al-Qaida leader's offers of a truce with the U.S. and Europe remained on the table, though he ridiculed President Barack Obama as ''the new face of the same old crimes.''In a video posted on an Islamic militant Web site, al-Qaida's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, scorned the American president over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the U.S. approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Nonetheless, al-Zawahri said ''fair'' truces offered by bin-Laden were still valid.In 2004, bin-laden offered a truce to European countries that do not attack Muslims. Two years later, he offered the American people a ''long-term truce'' without specifying the conditions, though in that same audio recording he also warned that his fighters were preparing new attacks in the United States.''These offers were dealt with impolitely but are still valid, and the offer is fair,'' al-Zawahri said. ''But they (Americans) wan...

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12:00:48 –
German Ship Hansa Stavanger Released - Pirates
NY Times
0%
1.5
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali pirates released the German-flagged container vessel Hansa Stavanger on Monday after receiving a ransom, pirates and a maritime official said."We are now in Haradheere town. We left the ship after we took the money," pirate Hassan told Reuters by telephone. "I believe it has sailed away."The pirates said earlier on Monday they had received a $2.7 million (1.6 million pound) ransom for the vessel, seized with 24 crew in April.Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarer's Association confirmed the release of the ship and its crew: "That's what we heard ... (the ship) is heading north."(Reporting by Abdi Sheikh and Abdi Guled; Editing by David Clarke)...

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12:00:51 –
6.9 - Magnitude Quake Hits Baja California: USGS
NY Times
0%
1.5
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Baja California in Mexico on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.The quake was 49 miles from Santa Isabel on the Baja California peninsula and was 9.3 miles deep, the USGS said....

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12:00:55 –
EU Warns Georgia, S.Ossetia Against Raising Tension
NY Times
62.78%
5.71
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union urged Georgia and South Ossetia Monday not to raise tensions around the rebel territory, calling for "unrestricted access" for EU monitors to both sides of its administrative boundary.Tension has escalated in the region after South Ossetia accused Georgian forces of firing mortars at it over the weekend. Russia warned Tbilisi it reserved the right to use force to defend civilians a year after their five-day war.The anniversary of the war falls this week, on August 7."The European Union notes with concern the recent accusations of shellings and other incidents on both sides of the South Ossetian administrative boundary line," current EU president Sweden said in a statement."The EU urges all sides to refrain from any statement or action that may lead to increased tensions at this particularly sensitive time," said the statement, issued on behalf of the EU's 27 countries. Sweden is EU president until the end of 2009."The EU further calls on all side...

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12:10:14 –
My airline is giving me the cold shoulder
CNN
32.61%
2.67
A: Icelandair shouldn't have charged your card twice, and it shouldn't have canceled your first set of tickets. Refusing to fix the error is one matter. But asking for an additional $100 to correct a mistake that clearly isn't yours -- well, that's just cold. Applying pressure to Icelandair was a good idea, but you might have also leaned on your credit card company. You should have been able to forward the cancellation letter to your credit card company to secure a prompt credit for the tickets. I've been there. I had to pay twice for a hotel room and when I tried to remove one of the charges, a company representative had no idea what to do. By the time I phoned my bank, it had sorted itself out. The phantom charge, which was nothing more than an electronic hiccup, had disappeared. Fortunately, federal law is on your side when it comes to these kinds of mistakes. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you're protected from charges that list the wrong date or amount or for goods and service...

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12:10:15 –
White House steadfast on pledge of no middle-class tax increase
CNN
22.37%
4.08
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House shot down concerns Monday that middle-class families may face a tax increase in order to combat rising deficits and a struggling economy. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says the stimulus plan is working, but tough choices may be ahead. "The president was clear during the campaign about his commitment on not raising taxes on middle-class families," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday afternoon. "I don't think any economist would believe that, in the environment that we're in, that raising taxes on middle-class families would make any sense.&quo...

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12:10:16 –
Al Qaeda No. 2 slams Obama's first months in office
CNN
54.35%
4.93
(CNN) -- Al Qaeda's second-in-command has accused President Obama of supporting a Palestinian state that would do the bidding of Israel. Ayman al-Zawahiri says on a recent tape, "Israel is a crime that needs to be wiped out." "Obama wants a Palestinian state that works as a branch for the Israeli government," Ayman al-Zawahiri said in a nearly 90-minute video called, "The Realities of Jihad and the Fallacies of Hypocrisy." The latest in a series of such videos was posted Monday on radical Islamist Web sites by al Qaeda's production company, As-Sahab Media. "Isra...

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12:10:17 –
How to stretch your food budget
CNN
34.41%
2.63
Eat more meatless meals. Meat accounts for the most expense at grocery store visits, so make one or two vegetarian dinners a week to cut costs. Dishes based on pantry staples such as rice, whole grains, beans, and legumes are protein-rich, filling, and inexpensive; add seasonal produce for crunch, freshness, and color. A bonus: Research shows eating more plant-based foods may lower your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. MyRecipes.com: Wheat berry salad with goat cheese Make a meal plan. This strategy may be the most challenging to consistently employ but can make the biggest dent in your budget. Sit down once a week and plan all the meals for that week, and then shop only for the items you need to prepare those meals. Allow for leftovers in your meal plan, and be realistic about how many nights you might eat out or be too busy to cook. Not only does this strategy cut down on the amount of food you buy at the grocery store, but it also decreases the amount of...

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12:30:21 –
Calif. man sentenced for drug role in teen's death
Associated Press
0%
6.5
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for selling hallucinogenic mushrooms to a teenager who was killed when she wandered naked into traffic. Steven Roman was sentenced Monday in Los Angeles after pleading guilty in April to felony drug charges. Prosecutors say the 31-year-old Westlake Village man sold psilocybin (sihl-oh-SY'-bin) mushrooms to teenagers at a Thousands Oaks condominium in 2004. One user, 17-year-old Victoria Nugent, walked naked onto U.S. 101 and was hit by a car. Roman was arrested last fall for allegedly selling the drug Ecstasy, but state charges in that case were dropped. Roman acknowledged his role in the 2004 death and apologized in court for Nugent's death. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:21 –
Southwestern Ill. town seeks bankruptcy protection
Associated Press
52.22%
4.7
WASHINGTON PARK, Ill. (AP) -- This decaying southwestern Illinois village best known for its strip clubs has filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in five years under the weight of mounting debt and the embezzlement of more than $440,000 by two village workers. The St. Clair County community of roughly 5,300 people filed for Chapter 9 protection last month in neighboring East St. Louis, citing assets of less than $50,000 and debt of more than $1 million. Chapter 9, which allows governmental units to restructure, is so rarely used that of the 1.2 million bankruptcy cases filed in U.S. courts over the year ending March 31, only seven were Chapter 9, according to Karen Redmond, spokeswoman for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. One notable recent case was 120,000-resident Vallejo, Calif., which filed last year after failing to overcome a $16 million deficit amid shrinking revenue and escalating labor costs for police and firefighters. Alabama's Jefferson Count...

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12:30:21 –
Post office looking at closing up to 1,000 offices
Associated Press
0%
2.5
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The postal service is considering closing as many as 1,000 local offices as it battles staggering financial problems. The post office has been struggling with a sharp decline in mail volume as people and businesses switch to e-mail both for personal contact and bill paying. The agency is facing a nearly $7 billion potential loss this fiscal year, despite a 2-cent increase in the price of stamps in May, cuts in staff and removal of collection boxes. Also on the block are branch offices across the country and postal officials sent a list of nearly 700 potential candidates to the independent Postal Regulatory Commission. More may be added, the postal service says. Those the current list of potential candidates can be viewed at http://www.prc.gov/Docs/63/63990/SBOC%20Full%20Study%20July%20List.pdf . © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:22 –
Rams' Long feels like a veteran
Associated Press
0%
1.4
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- After just a year in the NFL, Chris Long feels like a veteran. The St. Louis Rams' defensive end was the team's No. 1 pick last year and the second overall selection. He started all 16 games and had 57 tackles and four sacks - tied for second-most among NFC rookies. As he enters his second season, the Rams expect even bigger things from Long. So does he, saying that he's now more comfortable not only with what's expected of him on the field, but the off-the-field routine. The Rams opened training camp last week. The preseason opener is Aug. 14 against the New York Jets. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:24 –
Strong quake hits Mexico's Gulf of California
Associated Press
0%
4.57
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- A powerful earthquake Monday shook the fishing villages along Mexico's Gulf of California, prompting alarm as far away as Phoenix, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The U.S. National Earthquake Information Center said the 6.9-magnitude quake struck at 12:59 p.m. (1:59 EDT, 17:59 GMT) and was centered 331 miles (533 kilometers)southeast of the border city of Tijuana. Civil protection officials in the two states on either side of the quake - Baja California and Sonora - said there were no reports of damage or injury. The magnitude-6.9 quake came minutes after two others calculated at magnitudes 5.8 and 5.0, according to the earthquake center. The quakes were all centered in the middle of the narrow slice of sea between the Baja peninsula and Mexico's mainland, which should help cut down on its chances of causing major damage, said Don Blakeman, an analyst at the center. "It's going to be felt extremely widely and it's possible there may be...

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12:30:24 –
McCain to oppose Sotomayor for Supreme Court
Associated Press
0%
2.33
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican Sen. John McCain says he'll oppose Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor when the Senate votes on her confirmation this week. The Arizona senator calls Sotomayor a judicial activist who tried to walk back from that record during her confirmation hearings. He says President Barack Obama's nominee has used her position as a judge to try to change the law. McCain is one of several Republicans from states with heavily Hispanic populations to come out against Sotomayor, the daughter of Puerto Rican parents raised in a New York City housing project and educated in the Ivy League. McCain says Sotomayor's life story is inspiring and compelling, but he says that's not enough to qualify her for a position on the high court. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:24 –
Students develop cane with e-tags to guide blind
Associated Press
39.6%
2.67
DETROIT (AP) -- A cane equipped with the technology that retailers use to tag merchandise could help blind people avoid obstacles. An engineering professor and five students at Central Michigan University have created a "Smart Cane" to read electronic navigational tags installed between buildings to aid the blind in reaching their destinations more easily. "This project started as a way for me to teach students to see and understand the ways that engineering can be used for the greater good," said Kumar Yelamarthi, the professor and project leader. "We wanted to do something that would help people and make our campus more accessible." During the spring term, Yelamarthi and five senior engineering students tested the cane, which is equipped with Radio Frequency Identification technology, similar to what retailers put on products to keep them from being stolen. The Smart Cane contains an ultrasonic sensor that is paired with a miniature navigational system inside a messenger-style ba...

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12:30:24 –
Terror case in NC may involve classified material
Associated Press
54.88%
4.78
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A case against seven North Carolina terrorism suspects accused of plotting "violent jihad" may involve classified material that will raise national security issues if given to their defense attorneys, federal prosecutors said Monday. Prosecutors requested time to review the classified material and a hearing to discuss it, according to court documents. The government filed a motion under the Classified Information Procedures Act, which sets guidelines for the disclosure of sensitive information. "The United States believes that disclosure of this material will raise issues of national security that the Court should address if such material is to be provided to the defense," prosecutors wrote. Authorities have charged the men with plotting terrorist acts abroad. The indictment alleges that Daniel Boyd, 39, bought guns and led a group of men who were planning to kidnap, kill and maim people in other countries. The indictment names six others, including two of Boy...

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12:30:25 –
Suit dismissed over girl's death in SWAT shooting
Associated Press
0%
5.64
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a woman whose baby daughter was killed during a shootout between the girl's father and a police SWAT team in Los Angeles. Judge Rolf M. Treu ruled Monday there was not enough evidence to show the officers acted unreasonably during the July 2005 standoff in which 19-month-old Suzie Pena was shot in the head and died in her father's arms. Jose Raul Pena was armed and high on cocaine when he held her hostage at his used-car dealership in Watts. Both died after SWAT members stormed the office. Suzie's mother, Lorena Lopez, filed the lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department alleging wrongful death and negligence. The case was scheduled to go to the Superior Court jury this week after officers and police experts completed their testimony © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:25 –
Md. man gets stuck in 2nd-floor window, dies
Associated Press
0%
5.71
CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) -- Police in northwest Maryland say a 55-year-old man died after getting stuck in a second-floor window of his apartment. Police in Cumberland said Monday that Carson Corum may have been locked outside his apartment and tried to enter through the window. A neighbor saw a pair of legs dangling from the window Sunday but thought it was a prank and didn't immediately call authorities. The neighbor did call Monday and police found the man dead. Sgt. Charles Goldstrom says Corum's death appears to be an accident and the state medical examiner's office in Baltimore will determine the cause. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:26 –
Specter greeted with boos, cheers at town hall
Associated Press
0%
1.33
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Arlen Specter, who faced an antagonistic crowd at a weekend health care town hall, says the experience could be a sign of the tough road for overhauling the nation's system. The crowd booed, jeered and sometimes cheered Specter and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at a packed meeting with hundreds of people at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Specter says he thinks political organizations orchestrated some of the commotion, but that individuals with serious concerns were also there. He says August is shaping up to be a battleground month for health care, and it's likely other members could face similar crowds as they travel over the monthlong congressional recess. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:26 –
Treasury reduces 3Q borrowing estimate to $406B
Associated Press
0%
0
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Treasury Department says it will need to borrow $406 billion in the current July-September quarter, down from its April estimate of $515 billion. The projected borrowing, while significant, also is below the $530 billion it borrowed in the same period in 2008. Treasury officials say the reduced estimate is due to several factors, including large banks repaying $70 billion in bailout money in June. The department also says it expects to provide less assistance to the financial sector and to mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac than previously forecast. The Treasury says it expects to borrow $486 billion in the October-December quarter, down from $569 billion in the same period last year. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:26 –
Minn. mom: Son is 1 of 3 Americans missing in Iran
Associated Press
45.98%
3.42
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The mother of an American freelance journalist missing in Iran said Monday she is concerned for the safety and welfare of her son and two others. Shane Bauer's mother, Cindy Hickey, said her son is one of the three Americans believed to have been arrested by Iranian authorities last week on a hiking trip in northern Iraq. Hickey, who lives in Pine City, Minn., said she hopes the three return safely to the U.S. "Our family is concerned about the safety and welfare" of the three, Hickey told The Associated Press. She refused to comment further. A Kurdish official in Iraq has said the three contacted a colleague to say they had entered Iran by mistake on Friday and were surrounded by troops. Iran's state television later said the Americans were arrested after they did not heed warnings from Iranian border guards. One of the other two Americans has been identified as Joshua Fattal. Fattal's mother, Laura Fattal of Elkins Park, Pa., issued a brief statement on Sunday...

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12:30:27 –
UK bank earnings fuel talk of recovery
Associated Press
34.88%
4.33
LONDON (AP) -- HSBC Holdings PLC and Barclays PLC shrugged off the near-collapse of Britain's banking system to report combined profits of more than 5 billion pounds ($8.4 billion) on Monday, fueling talk of financial recovery and raising fears of a return of the banking bonus culture. The solid results from the pair, which shunned a government bailout at the height of the crisis last year, inspired an across-the-board rise in banking stocks. "It may be that we have passed, or are about to pass, the bottom of the cycle in the financial markets," said HSBC Chairman Stephen Green. HSBC, Europe's biggest bank by market value, posted first-half net profits of $3.35 billion, a 57 percent fall from a year ago - but better than expected by analysts. Barclays earnings for the same period came in at 1.89 billion pounds ($3.19 million), a 10 percent rise that was slightly under expectations but still accepted by investors as respectable given the difficult economic backdrop. Both banks doubl...

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12:30:28 –
Correction: More Ads on TV story
Associated Press
0%
1.5
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- In an Aug. 2 story about new forms of television advertising, The Associated Press erroneously reported, based on information from Cablevision Systems Corp., that viewers who tune into the Disney Video on Demand channel watch for an average 15 minutes. The cable company later said viewers spend an average seven to 10 minutes on the channel. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:28 –
Merck, insurance plans settle Vioxx suits for $80M
Associated Press
0%
4.8
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. (AP) -- Health insurers, unions and other private groups that paid for prescriptions for withdrawn painkiller Vioxx have an agreement with its maker to settle their claims for $80 million. Such third-party payers have filed about 190 claims against Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based drugmaker Merck & Co. They said they would not have covered Vioxx had they known about its risks. Merck said in a regulatory filing Monday that the company and the plaintiffs have agreed in principle to settle all outstanding claims. Merck took an $80 million charge for the settlement in the second quarter. The company still faces hundreds of lawsuits over Vioxx. It pulled the blockbuster painkiller from the market in 2004 because it doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:28 –
Linde's Q2 net down 38 percent
Associated Press
53.53%
3.18
FRANKFURT (AP) -- German industrial gas company Linde AG said Monday its net profit for the second quarter fell 38 percent, blaming one-time charges, a difficult market environment, and falling business volumes in the recession. The Munich-based company said its net profit in the April-June period fell to euro133 million ($189 million) from euro215 million in the second quarter 2008. Linde said the results were affected by gains a year ago and charges in the past quarter related to cost cutting efforts and divestments. Sales were down 17 percent to nearly euro2.8 billion compared with euro3.3 billion a year earlier, a factor it blamed on weaker demand from its customers amid the global financial and economic crisis. Despite the dip, chief executive Wolfgang Reitzle said Linde was "beginning to see occasional signs of a slight recovery in demand" among its gas business. Linde produces gases, including hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and argon, for the medical, industrial and scientific f...

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12:30:28 –
Nevada Supreme Court considers releasing Simpson
Associated Press
75.56%
3.53
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A trio of Nevada Supreme Court justices is considering whether to let O.J. Simpson and a former golfing buddy out of prison while the full court reviews their convictions for a gunpoint hotel room heist. Justice Michael Cherry didn't say at the end of a hearing Monday how long it will take for the three-member panel to rule on whether the former football star and convicted co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart should be allowed to post bond. Simpson and Stewart weren't in the courtroom, but their lawyers say they deserve to go free while they work to prove that they were denied a fair trial. Clark County District Attorney David Roger argued that a jury had spoken, and the two men should continue to serve their sentences for kidnapping and armed robbery. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. LAS VEGAS (AP) - Lawyers for O.J. Simpson and a former golfing buddy hope to persuade a Nevada Supreme Court pane...

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12:30:29 –
Official: Gunmen kill 185 in Sudan tribal violence
Associated Press
0%
5.55
CAIRO (AP) -- A local south Sudanese official says gunmen have attacked a group of displaced people camping near a river close to the Ethiopian border, killing 185 of them. The official, reached by telephone, says more than half of the victims of Sunday's attack were women and children. A flare-up of tribal clashes over cattle and territory in south Sudan has left some 1,000 people killed this year. Goi Yol said Monday that workers have so far counted 185 bodies, mostly members of the Lou-Nuer tribe. The dead included 12 soldiers assigned to protect the group. Yol blamed the rival Murle tribe for the attack. The two tribes have for years been engaged in tit-for-tat attacks, but women and children have increasingly been targeted recently. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:29 –
German retailer Metro 2Q net profit euro48 million
Associated Press
49.66%
3.45
FRANKFURT (AP) -- German retailer Metro AG made a net profit of euro48 million ($68 million) in the second quarter, rebounding from a loss a year earlier, while it said it remains focused on expansion despite the global economic crisis. The result for the April-June period compared with a net loss of euro453 million in 2008, when it saw charges from the realignment of its Real hypermarkets and Adler fashion stores. The Duesseldorf-based company, whose interests include the Kaufhof department store chain and electronics retailers Saturn and Media Markt, made money even as sales slipped 3.8 percent to euro15.3 billion in the second quarter from nearly euro15.6 billion last year, further evidence that consumers in Europe's largest economy are remaining frugal amid the recession. "In view of the massive economic crisis Metro Group stood its ground well," Eckhard Cordes, the company's chief executive said in the report, though he didn't give a specific overall outlook because of the unc...

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12:30:30 –
Pa. high court: Save records of judicial scandal
Associated Press
0%
4.33
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- The Pennsylvania Supreme Court now says it wants to preserve the records of thousands of juveniles who appeared before an allegedly corrupt judge between 2003 and 2008. The high court had wanted to destroy the records. That would have prevented northeastern Pennsylvania juveniles from pursuing federal claims against the judge and kept secret the extent of his misconduct. Attorneys asked a federal judge last week to order the preservation of more than 6,000 records as evidence in their lawsuit against former Judge Mark Ciavarella (shiv-uh-REL'-uh) and others in Luzerne County. The Supreme Court says it no longer objects to the records' preservation. Prosecutors say Ciavarella took millions of dollars to put juvenile offenders in privately owned detention centers. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:30 –
Lawmakers urge pardon for first black boxing champ
Associated Press
0%
3
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two Republican lawmakers are urging President Barack Obama to issue a posthumous pardon for boxer Jack Johnson, the black heavyweight champion who was imprisoned because of his romantic ties with a white woman. Arizona Sen. John McCain and New York Rep. Peter King wrote to Obama about the pardon in a letter obtained by The Associated Press. Congress has passed a resolution offered by the two lawmakers urging a pardon, which they call "long overdue." McCain and King say a pardon would remove a stain on the nation's history. The White House had no immediate comment on the letter. Johnson became the first black heavyweight champion 100 years before the nation elected Obama its first black president. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:30 –
A look at efforts to extend term limits worldwide
Associated Press
48.78%
3.82
The West African nation of Niger holds a referendum Tuesday that will end presidential term limits if passed. Referendums on term limits have been held worldwide in recent years. While they have failed in a handful of cases - including Honduras, Malawi, Nigeria and Zambia - most attempts have succeeded. Here is a look at some nations where there have been efforts to extend term limits: -ALGERIA: Algeria's parliament overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 2008, allowing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to win a third term in April. -BOLIVIA: Voters approved a new constitution in January that gives President Evo Morales a shot at remaining in office through 2014 if he wins elections scheduled for December. -CAMEROON: The National Assembly voted in 2008 to change the constitution to remove term limits despite a two-term limit in the 1996 constitution. The move enabled President Paul Biya, who has ruled since 1982, to stay in office. -CHAD: In June 2005, a successful referendu...

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12:30:31 –
Noxious fumes send dozens to hospitals in Mass.
Associated Press
65.67%
3.45
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) -- Noxious fumes at a trash disposal facility sent more than four dozen people to hospitals on Monday, including three who were listed in critical condition. Firefighters responded to ABC Disposal Service Inc. in New Bedford just after 10 a.m. for a report that something brought to the facility was making people sick, Fire Chief Paul Leger said. As many as 10 people lost consciousness after breathing in the fumes, authorities said. The victims were decontaminated by a hazardous materials team on site before being taken to hospitals. St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford said it received 33 patients, three of whom were critical. Twenty-six of those patients were brought in by bus, and they were listed in good condition, the hospital said. The hospital said symptoms included nausea, respiratory distress and dizziness. Twenty-two more victims were taken to Charlton Memorial Hospital in nearby Fall River and they were all listed in good condition. The fumes were ca...

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12:30:31 –
July Auto Sales: BMW
Associated Press
0%
1.5
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. (AP) -- BMW Group, which includes both the BMW and Mini brands, on Monday reported a double-digit sale decline for July, saying that it didn't get as much of a boost from the government's cash for clunkers program as other automakers. BY THE NUMBERS: BMW said its July sales dropped 27 percent to 21,253 vehicles. So far this year, BMW's U.S. sales are down 27 percent to 135,701. THE DIVISIONS: Sales of BMW brand vehicles dropped 32 percent to 16,381, while demand for Mini brand cars fell 3.8 percent to 4,872. TOP SELLER: Sales of BMW's 3 Series vehicles fell 29 percent to 7,992. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:32 –
Reds' Volquez has surgery, expected to miss a year
Associated Press
0%
2.6
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Reds right-hander Edinson Volquez is expected to miss a year after having reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. Volquez had surgery Monday to repair a torn ligament and other damage in his pitching elbow. The 26-year-old Volquez went 4-2 in nine starts before his elbow began bothering him. He has been on the disabled list since June 2. Volquez was the Reds' best pitcher last year, when he went 17-6 and was the team's lone All-Star. Cincinnati got him before the 2008 season in a trade with Texas for outfielder Josh Hamilton. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:32 –
THE INFLUENCE GAME: Biotech drug lobbying war
Associated Press
30.25%
3.63
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With the nation's $46 billion biological drug market at stake, the war between makers of the pricey biotech medicines and their would-be generic competitors has involved millions of dollars in lobbying, thousands in campaign contributions and uncounted visits to members of Congress. And one noteworthy letter. The note from the private National Health Council, sent to House leaders drafting health overhaul legislation, said the plea was on behalf of "the more than 133 million Americans living with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers." It urged lawmakers to protect the makers of high-technology biological medicines against early competition from lower-cost generic copycats. The letter did not mention that nearly $1.2 million of the council's $2.3 million budget in 2007 came from the pharmaceutical industry's chief trade group and 16 companies that sell or are developing the brand-name biotech drugs. The July 20 letter is an example of a fa...

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12:30:32 –
Niger president seeks more power in referendum
Associated Press
39.1%
3.55
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) -- His opponents are calling it a "slow-motion coup." Fighting to stay in power past the two-term limit, the leader of this uranium-rich desert nation has reversed promises to step down in December. Over the space of several months he has imposed rule by decree and dismantled parliament and the constitutional court, which opposed his plan and represented the last real checks on his rule. On Tuesday, a referendum could remove the last obstacle for President Mamadou Tandja - the constitution - replacing it with a new one that would enable him to remain with greatly boosted powers and grant him the right to rule a three-year transition with no election. Foes say this will complete the 71-year-old president's transformation from democrat to dictator. "He took the oath of office swearing on the Quran to protect our nation's democratic institutions," opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou said. "But instead, he is destroying them." Issoufou compared the moves to Niger's ...

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12:30:33 –
Chairman of U of Ill. Board of Trustees resigns
Associated Press
41.18%
2.86
CHICAGO (AP) -- The chairman of the University of Illinois' Board of Trustees resigned Monday amid an investigation into the use of political clout to get underqualified students into the school. Niranjan Shah said in a letter to Gov. Pat Quinn that he decided to step down after members of a state commission investigating the admissions practices said they believed the trustees should resign. Shah is the second trustee to do so, after former chairman Lawrence Eppley quit last week. "I am not in public service for self-aggrandizement and therefore have no interest in a protracted process regarding my role," Shah wrote. "My interest is solely in the vitality of the University of Illinois." The school's flagship campus at Champaign-Urbana has been at the center of a storm since the Chicago Tribune reported in May that the school maintained a list of politically connected students, known as Category I. The newspaper said some underqualified members of the list were admitted under press...

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12:30:34 –
Obama says Kuwait has been an 'outstanding host'
Associated Press
0%
4
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama says Kuwait has been an "outstanding host" for U.S. military stationed there during the war in Iraq and he looks forward to even stronger relations with the Persian Gulf nation. Obama commented Monday in the Oval Office before a meeting with the Amir, Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah. The U.S. military used Kuwait as a staging ground from which it led the coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003. Obama says he and the Amir planned to discuss important regional issues, including making progress toward peace between the Arabs and Israelis, the war in Afghanistan, joint counterterrorism efforts and Iran. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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12:30:35 –
NYC grand jury indicts Burress on weapons charges
Associated Press
100%
4.95
NEW YORK (AP) -- Former New York Giants star Plaxico Burress was indicted by a grand jury on weapons charges after shooting himself in the thigh at a Manhattan night club last winter, prosecutors announced Monday. The indictment charged the 31-year-old Burress with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said. Burress' former teammate, Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, was not indicted for his role in the incident. "A grand jury applied the law to the facts of this case," Morgenthau said. No one else is likely to face charges in the case, Morgenthau said. He said some of the others involved in the incident "showed first-degree bad judgement," but their actions didn't rise to the level of a crime. Burress was at the Latin Quarter nightclub Nov. 29 when he shot himself in the thigh after a gun tucked in the waist of his track pants slipped down his leg and fired. Authorities say Pierce, who wa...

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12:30:35 –
Democratic Sen. Nelson to support Sotomayor
Associated Press
0%
3
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska says he'll support Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor when the Senate votes on her confirmation this week. Nelson tells his home state's Lincoln Journal Star that Sotomayor's record shows she's no activist, and she won't bring bias to the bench. His announcement comes after a week of public fence-sitting. The Nebraskan, who has a perfect rating from the National Rifle Association, was under pressure from the group to oppose President Barack Obama's first high court nominee. The NRA has threatened to downgrade senators who support Sotomayor in its annual candidate ratings. Sotomayor is virtually certain to be confirmed with bipartisan support. Debate on her nomination is expected to begin Tuesday. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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13:00:30 –
Strong Quake Hits Mexico's Gulf of California
NY Times
0%
4.57
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- A powerful earthquake Monday shook the fishing villages along Mexico's Gulf of California, prompting alarm as far away as Phoenix, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.The U.S. National Earthquake Information Center said the 6.9-magnitude quake struck at 12:59 p.m. (1:59 EDT, 17:59 GMT) and was centered 331 miles (533 kilometers)southeast of the border city of Tijuana.Civil protection officials in the two states on either side of the quake -- Baja California and Sonora -- said there were no reports of damage or injury.The magnitude-6.9 quake came minutes after two others calculated at magnitudes 5.8 and 5.0, according to the earthquake center.The quakes were all centered in the middle of the narrow slice of sea between the Baja peninsula and Mexico's mainland, which should help cut down on its chances of causing major damage, said Don Blakeman, an analyst at the center.''It's going to be felt extremely widely and it's possible there may be some ...

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13:00:42 –
Niger President Seeks More Power in Referendum
NY Times
39.96%
3.55
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) -- His opponents are calling it a ''slow-motion coup.''Fighting to stay in power past the two-term limit, the leader of this uranium-rich desert nation has reversed promises to step down in December. Over the space of several months he has imposed rule by decree and dismantled parliament and the constitutional court, which opposed his plan and represented the last real checks on his rule.On Tuesday, a referendum could remove the last obstacle for President Mamadou Tandja -- the constitution -- replacing it with a new one that would enable him to remain with greatly boosted powers and grant him the right to rule a three-year transition with no election.Foes say this will complete the 71-year-old president's transformation from democrat to dictator.''He took the oath of office swearing on the Quran to protect our nation's democratic institutions,'' opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou said. ''But instead, he is destroying them.''Issoufou compared the moves to Niger's t...

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13:00:48 –
Strong Earthquake Hits Off Northwest Mexico
NY Times
0%
5.5
TIJUANA, Mexico (Reuters) - A strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Baja California in northwestern Mexico on Monday, shaking buildings as far away as San Diego, California, and raising fears of a small tsunami.The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck inside the Sea of Cortez, 76 miles from the town of Santa Isabel on the Baja California peninsula and was 6.2 miles deep. The figures were revised from its initial estimates.There were no initial reports of deaths or serious damage. Baja California, home to desert and mountains, is sparsely populated.The quake was felt strongly in San Diego just across the border from Mexico and City Hall was evacuated, local media said."It felt very calm, there was barely a vibration," said hotel receptionist Graciela Alvarado at a motel in the town of Caborca, in the Mexican state of Sonora, across from Baja California.Local authorities and the USGS warned there was a risk of a small, localized tsunami in the area but no official tsunami wa...

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13:10:16 –
Ali Larter weds in Maine
CNN
0%
0
...

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13:10:18 –
18 clever time-savers for super busy people
CNN
30.25%
2.24
Designate a space for "in use" cups Create a special spot on the kitchen counter where everyone can put half-filled coffee mugs that need to be reheated, water glasses to be used again later, or sippy cups that can be refilled. At the end of the day, put everything that's still out into the dishwasher. It cuts down on kitchen clutter, and it also avoids shouts across the house of "Are you done with that coffee yet?" Presort the family laundry Clean laundry is only half the battle it still needs to be sorted and put away. Save those steps by keeping washer-and-dryer-safe mesh bags (27-by-36-inch mesh bag, $8, stacksandstacks.com) in each kid's room one for lights, one for darks. Throw the bags directly into the washing machine and dryer, then hand them back to the kids. If they're old enough, they can do their own folding. RealSimple.com: Get organized using everyday items ...

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13:10:19 –
Israel defends Jerusalem evictions
CNN
24.76%
2.11
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel moved to defend itself in the face of international criticism Monday over its eviction of dozens of Palestinian families from a neighborhood of Jerusalem they have lived in for generations. Left-wing Israeli activists protest against the eviction of Palestinians from their homes in east Jerusalem. "I think a lot of the criticism is simply not fair," said Mark Regev, a government spokesman, who described the dispute as a legal one between two private parties over who had title to a property in East Jerusalem. In the court action, a settler group sued cl...

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13:20:47 –
6.9-magnitude quake hits Baja California: USGS
Reuters
0%
1.5
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Baja California in Mexico on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was 49 miles from Santa Isabel on the Baja California peninsula and was 9.3 miles deep, the USGS said. ...

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13:20:49 –
EU warns Georgia, South Ossetia against raising tension
Reuters
77.82%
6.5
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union urged Georgia and South Ossetia Monday not to raise tensions around the rebel territory, calling for "unrestricted access" for EU monitors to both sides of its administrative boundary. Tension has escalated in the region after South Ossetia accused Georgian forces of firing mortars at it over the weekend. Russia warned Tbilisi it reserved the right to use force to defend civilians a year after their five-day war. The Georgian Interior Ministry said late Monday that three rocket-propelled grenades were fired from South Ossetia at a Georgian village near the boundary. No one was hurt. The anniversary of the war falls this week, on August 7. "The European Union notes with concern the recent accusations of shellings and other incidents on both sides of the South Ossetian administrative boundary line," current EU president Sweden said in a statement. "The EU urges all sides to refrain from any stateme...

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13:30:19 –
White House says no to tax hike for middle class
Associated Press
35.81%
2
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama remains committed to not raising taxes on U.S. families earning less than $250,000 despite some conflicting statements from senior members of his economic team, the president's spokesman said Monday. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs restated the assurance after Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers appeared to leave open the possibility Obama would tap middle-class Americans' income. "I'm going to deal with this and I'll do this one more time," Gibbs said after repeated questions from reporters about the differences between the economists and Obama. "The president was clear. He made a commitment in the campaign. That commitment stands." Geithner and Summers sidestepped questions on Obama's intentions about taxes. Geithner said the White House was not ready to rule out a tax hike to reduce the federal deficit; Summers said Obama's proposed health care overhaul needs funding from somewher...

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13:30:20 –
Curtain call! Dodgers bring back Manny bobbleheads
Associated Press
0%
1.4
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Those bobblehead dolls featuring Manny Ramirez are getting a curtain call at Dodger Stadium. The Los Angeles Dodgers said Monday that the first 50,000 fans attending the Sept. 16 against Pittsburgh would get the bobbleheads. These ones will feature Ramirez tipping his hat to the crowd - the pose he struck after his pinch-hit grand slam on July 22. Ramirez hit the slam on his own bobblehead night. He did not start because of a bruised hand, but homered into the Mannywood section in left field and took two curtain calls in a win over Cincinnati. Ramirez returned July 3 from a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug rules. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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13:30:20 –
Organizer: Va. Vick 'celebration' postponed
Associated Press
87.25%
3.38
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) -- Michael Vick's hometown celebration was postponed Monday because of a conflict, an organizer said. The "Michael Vick Community Celebration" scheduled for Saturday will be held later because the job-hunting former NFL quarterback has an event that day in Atlanta with the Humane Society of the United States, organizer Andrew Shannon said. Vick informed him of the conflict, he said. A spokesman for the Humane Society did not immediately return a telephone message left by The Associated Press. Shannon did not know the nature of the Atlanta event or whether it was open to the public. Vick has been conditionally reinstated in the NFL after completing a 23-month federal sentence for running a dogfighting ring. The Newport News celebration was to be his first announced public event since his freedom. Shannon, president of the Peninsula chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said organizers were committed to celebrating Vick's return to the commun...

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13:30:20 –
Hamlin wins at Pocono Raceway
Associated Press
0%
1.6
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) -- Denny Hamlin has ended a 50-race winless skid by holding off Juan Pablo Montoya over the final thrilling laps to win at Pocono Raceway. Hamlin again made Pocono his personal playground, winning on Monday for the third time in eight career starts. He's had three other top 10s on the triangle track. The race had been delayed a day because of rain. Usually not known as a track that produces exciting races, this one was wild and unpredictable almost from the start. Clint Bowyer was third. Sam Hornish Jr. was fourth for his best finish in a Cup car, and Kasey Kahne was fifth. This is Hamlin's first victory since Martinsville Speedway in March 2008, and he strengthened his bid for a spot in the Chase for the championship. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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13:30:21 –
Dal finalized for Red Wings F Hudler
Associated Press
0%
3
DETROIT (AP) -- An arbitrator has awarded Russia-bound forward Jiri Hudler a two-year deal worth $5.75 million if he ever returns to play for the Detroit Red Wings. Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said Monday the deal gives the 25-year-old Hudler $2.75 million in the first season and $3 million in the second. Hudler recently signed a two-year, $10 million deal with Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League, where he will play next season. The agreement maintains Detroit's rights to Hudler should he return from Russia. Hudler had 23 goals and 34 assists for the Red Wings last season. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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13:30:21 –
Rare athlete deaths spur sickle cell trait testing
Associated Press
68.97%
3.1
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thousands of families carry the gene that causes sickle cell disease and don't know it - even though almost every newborn today is tested for what's called "sickle cell trait," and starting this summer more college athletes are getting tested, too. Spurred in part by rare but tragic collapses of athletes from overexertion, work is beginning to find families missed by newborn screening or who didn't understand that sickle cell trait has ramifications: Aside from sports safety, if both parents carry the gene they could have a baby with full-fledged sickle cell disease, a devastating blood disorder. In late June, the NCAA recommended that colleges and universities test student-athletes, many of whom were born before widespread newborn screening. The move helped settle a lawsuit from the family of a 19-year-old freshman football player at Rice University, Dale Lloyd II, who died from sickle cell trait complications during a conditioning workout in September 2006. "At...

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13:30:22 –
AP ENTERPRISE: Biggest tax revenue drop since 1932
Associated Press
21.67%
3.09
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The recession is starving the government of tax revenue, just as the president and Congress are piling a major expansion of health care and other programs on the nation's plate and struggling to find money to pay the tab. The numbers could hardly be more stark: Tax receipts are on pace to drop 18 percent this year, the biggest single-year decline since the Great Depression, while the federal deficit balloons to a record $1.8 trillion. Other figures in an Associated Press analysis underscore the recession's impact: Individual income tax receipts are down 22 percent from a year ago. Corporate income taxes are down 57 percent. Social Security tax receipts could drop for only the second time since 1940, and Medicare taxes are on pace to drop for only the third time ever. The last time the government's revenues were this bleak, the year was 1932 in the midst of the Depression. "Our tax system is already inadequate to support the promises our government has made," said...

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13:30:23 –
Iran's president gets cooler reception from top
Associated Press
36.07%
3.85
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's supreme leader bestowed his formal endorsement on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's second term as president on Monday but withheld a powerful symbolic gesture - the kisses and close embrace that portrayed their bond four years ago. The awkward and halting moment came when Ahmadinejad leaned forward, apparently to kiss the hand of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But the supreme leader raised his left hand and gently diverted Ahmadinejad to kiss his robe. The uneasy body language reflected much of the political tension and collateral damage since the disputed June 12 election sent Iran into its worst internal unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Ahmadinejad limps toward his next four-year term as a hugely polarizing figure: backed by the Islamic system but scorned by millions of opponents who claim the vote was rigged. Khamenei, meanwhile, has been rattled for the first time by protesters questioning the near limitless power of the theocracy he controls. Both now are ba...

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13:30:23 –
Post office looking at closing hundreds of offices
Associated Press
22.17%
2.6
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Facing staggering financial losses, the Postal Service is looking at closing nearly 1,000 offices across the country. The post office has been struggling with a sharp decline in mail volume as people and businesses switch to e-mail both for personal contact and bill paying. The agency is facing a nearly $7 billion potential loss this fiscal year despite a 2-cent increase in the price of stamps in May, cuts in staff and removal of collection boxes. Post officials sent a list of nearly 700 potential closing candidates to the independent Postal Regulatory Commission for review. More may be added, but the current list of candidates can be viewed at the commission's Web site, http://www.prc.gov . Postal Vice President Jordan Small told a congressional subcommittee that local managers will study activities of approximately 3,200 stations and branches across the country considering factors such as customer access, service standards, cost savings, impact on employees, en...

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13:30:24 –
Tempers flare at heated Jets camp
Associated Press
34.36%
4
CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) -- Ding! Ding! Ding! Punches were thrown while tempers flared at a rough and tumble practice at New York Jets training camp Monday. And coach Rex Ryan couldn't have been more pleased. "Hey, we had a little rock 'em, sock 'em robots out there," Ryan said with a grin. Thomas Jones took a swing at James Ihedigbo and a few Jets players quickly jumped in to break things up early in the practice session. Round 2 came a few minutes later when Howard Green got into it with Brock Christopher, and several players stood around the skirmish and shouted at each other. Then came Ahmad Carroll and Nevin McCaskill getting into a shoving match, and Darrelle Revis playfully jumping on the pile. All that was missing was a ring and an announcer. "That was interesting," Ryan said. "It always happens in camp this time of year. You've been through a few days and you're tired of getting hit and you're tired of doing all this kind of stuff." Truth is, the players loved it, as did the fa...

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13:30:24 –
Mass. chemical leak leaves 2 critically injured
Associated Press
59.7%
3.83
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) -- Noxious fumes at a trash disposal facility sent 55 people to hospitals on Monday, including two who were listed in critical condition. Firefighters responded to ABC Disposal Service Inc. in New Bedford just after 10 a.m. after a report that something brought to the facility was making people sick, fire Chief Paul Leger said. As many as 10 people lost consciousness after breathing in the fumes, authorities said. The victims were decontaminated by a hazardous materials team on site before being taken to hospitals. St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford said it received 33 patients, two of whom were listed as critical and were in the intensive care unit. Twenty-six of those patients were brought in by bus, and they were listed in good condition, the hospital said. The hospital said symptoms included nausea, respiratory distress and dizziness. Twenty-two more victims were taken to Charlton Memorial Hospital in nearby Fall River and they were all listed in good co...

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13:30:25 –
Google CEO leaves Apple board to avoid conflicts
Associated Press
32.12%
2.64
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Google Inc. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt has resigned from Apple Inc.'s board because of the companies' conflicting interests as competition between the one-time allies heats up. The split announced Monday comes just a few weeks after Google unveiled plans for a personal computer operating system that could siphon sales from Apple's Mac line and just a few days after the Federal Communications Commission contacted the companies about Apple's decision to block a Google application from its popular iPhones. Regulators from the Federal Trade Commission had already been looking into whether Schmidt's dual role on the boards of Google and Apple would make it easier for the technology trailblazers to collude in ways that would diminish competition. Thorny questions about corporate governance could remain, even though Apple and Schmidt mutually agreed to sever their ties. That's because another Google director, Genentech Inc. Chairman Arthur Levinson, remains on Appl...

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13:30:26 –
Study: Depression seen in children as young as 3
Associated Press
78.68%
3.03
CHICAGO (AP) -- Depression in children as young as 3 is real and not just a passing grumpy mood, according to provocative new research. The study is billed as the first to show major depression can be chronic even in very young children, contrary to the stereotype of the happy-go-lucky preschooler. Until fairly recently, "people really haven't paid much attention to depressive disorders in children under the age of 6," said lead author Dr. Joan Luby, a psychiatrist at Washington University in St. Louis. "They didn't think it could happen ... because children under 6 were too emotionally immature to experience it." Previous research suggested that depression affects about 2 percent of U.S. preschoolers, or roughly 160,000 youngsters, at one time or another. But it was unclear whether depression in preschoolers could be chronic, as it can be in older children and adults. Luby's research team followed more than 200 preschoolers, ages 3 to 6, for up to two years, including 75 diagnosed...

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13:30:26 –
Jackson estate settles with AEG; terms undisclosed
Associated Press
30.15%
2.17
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael Jackson's estate has reached a settlement with AEG, the concert promoter that was preparing to put on the King of Pop's 50 comeback shows in London when he died. Terms were not disclosed. Attorney John Branca (BRAYN'-kuh), a co-administrator of Jackson's estate, said during a break at a Monday court hearing in Los Angeles that the settlement governed merchandise and rehearsal footage. The contracts and settlement agreement will be filed under seal, and a judge has five days to review and approve it. A hearing on the matter was scheduled for next Monday. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michael Jackson's mother gained permanent custody of her late son's children during a hearing Monday that included a surprise objection from the pop icon's former dermatologist. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff made a series of key rulings during the morning portion of...

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13:30:27 –
Crawford has 3 RBIs in Rays' win
Associated Press
36.29%
3.78
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Carl Crawford had three hits, three RBIs and stole his 49th base of the season, leading the Tampa Bay Rays past the Kansas City Royals 10-4 on Monday. Crawford went 3 for 3 against Kansas City starter Zack Greinke (10-7) after having just one hit in 16 previous at-bats against him. Willy Aybar hit solo homers from both sides of the plate for the Rays, who won nine of 10 games in the season series with Kansas City. Aybar homered left-handed off Greinke in the fifth and went deep from the right side against Ron Mahay two innings later. Greinke allowed six runs and 10 hits over five innings, and is 0-4 in six starts since his last win on June 28 at Pittsburgh. He is 0-3 in five career games, including four starts, at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay left-hander Scott Kazmir (6-6) gave up three runs and six hits in six-plus innings. The left-hander was coming off a 6-2 win over CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees last Tuesday. Royals bench coach John Gibbons fil...

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13:30:28 –
Rachel's next start? A decision is 2 weeks away
Associated Press
37.04%
4.13
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) -- Back in her summer home at Saratoga, superstar filly Rachel Alexandra is set to begin training for her next race. Exactly which race that will be won't be determined for another two weeks, trainer Steve Asmussen indicated Monday as he watched the regal Rachel walk off a van just before 9 a.m. Less than 15 hours earlier, racing's leading lady easily beat the boys for a second time in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park - her eighth straight victory and 10th in 13 career starts. Asmussen said Rachel's co-owner Jess Jackson isn't likely to announce his filly's next start until mid-August. "We'll see how much (the Haskell) took out of her; she's a very anxious horse," Asmussen said. "We'll see how she acts on the track. With Rachel, she is the topic of conversation all the time." Which race she'll run in is the main topic. The options are plentiful, and they all appear to be at Saratoga Race Course. Among those under consideration are the Travers St...

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13:30:28 –
Firms with NM investments donated to Richardson
Associated Press
41.94%
3.26
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- Money managers, brokers and their marketing agents that secured public investment business in New Mexico in recent years have given more than $640,000 to Gov. Bill Richardson's campaigns and political organizations since he first ran for governor in 2002, an Associated Press analysis shows. The AP review of campaign finance records identified such contributions to Richardson's 2002 and 2006 gubernatorial campaigns; to his unsuccessful campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination; and to other Richardson political committees. Donations by the investment industry recently have come under fire from federal regulators. Last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed rules to ban investment advisers from doing business with state and local government agencies for two years if they make political contributions to officials with influence over public investment decisions. SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro said in a statement that the proposal was ai...

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13:30:28 –
Ex-NASA official goes on trial over steering money
Associated Press
0%
2.75
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A former high-ranking NASA official is on trial under accusations that he steered nearly $10 million to a consulting client and lied about it. The agency's former chief of staff and White House liaison, Courtney Stadd, says he was only carrying out the orders of NASA Administrator Michael Griffin when he insisted that $12 million for earth science research be spent in Mississippi. Prosecutors charged in opening statements Monday that Stadd was lining his own pockets by trying to get the money to his client, Mississippi State University, and lying to ethics officials about it. The school ended up with $9.6 million. Stadd, who lives in Bethesda, Md., faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on all charges. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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13:30:28 –
Correction: Texas Tech-Gonzales
Associated Press
0%
0
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- In a July 30 story about a Texas Tech faculty petition opposing the hiring of former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, The Associated Press reported erroneously that university Chancellor Kent Hance was a Republican former congressman. Hance served in Congress as a Democrat for three terms. He switched parties after leaving office in 1985. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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13:30:29 –
Meltdown 101: Can you still get cash for clunkers?
Associated Press
13.74%
2.6
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government's cash for clunkers program has been so popular that the $1 billion fund set aside to pay for it has nearly dried up. With the chance to take up to $4,500 off the sticker price, buyers have flooded dealerships to trade in gas-guzzlers for new cars with better gas mileage. So if you didn't make it to the dealer last week, have you missed your chance for the cash - and are you stuck with your clunker? Congress is working on a plan to extend the program, but whether any extra money will be pumped in is still unknown. While lawmakers haggle over the details, here are some questions and answers about what you should know if you still want to buy a car under the program. Q: Is cash for clunkers still on? Can I still qualify? A: According to the government, yes. But for how long remains unclear. There's been a lot of confusion about this, especially after the news came out late last week that the program was running out of cash. The Obama administration s...

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13:30:29 –
Singer grateful for life after stage collapse
Associated Press
0%
4.4
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Country singer Billy Currington says he and his band are very grateful to be alive after the outdoor stage they were performing on in Canada collapsed over the weekend and killed one person. Currington made his comments on the social networking site Twitter. His Mercury Nashville label said in a statement Monday that Currington was on the last song of his set at the Big Valley Jamboree festival in Camrose, Alberta, when bad weather blew the staging down on top of him and his band Saturday. Currington suffered a minor concussion. He is expected to make a full recovery. His bass player, Alex Stevens, had to have surgery to repair a severed artery and nerves in his left arm. About 75 people were injured in the accident. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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13:30:29 –
NY gov: We could build at WTC without developer
Associated Press
27.67%
2.29
NEW YORK (AP) -- New York Gov. David Paterson gave World Trade Center site developer Larry Silverstein an ultimatum Monday in prolonged talks over his lease to build three planned office towers, saying ground zero rebuilding could go ahead without him if necessary. In a letter that outlined parts of old offers of partial financing for two of the towers, Paterson pressed the two sides to meet this week to work on resolving the dispute. But the governor said he had told the site's owner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, to start drawing up new plans so the agency could finish rebuilding the Sept. 11 memorial and other public projects regardless whether Silverstein completes his buildings. "This will ensure that, should you and the Port Authority not be able to reach an agreement, the site will no longer be subject to the fate of the real estate market or these negotiations," Paterson wrote. Silverstein's camp expressed doubt that the governor's move would help. "These i...

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13:30:30 –
Sun Records star Billy Lee Riley dies at 75
Associated Press
86.71%
3.53
JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) -- Billy Lee Riley, a rambunctious performer who helped develop the Sun Records sound as a studio musician for other headliners, has died. He was 75. Riley's singles included "Red Hot" and "Flyin' Saucers Rock & Roll," the latter of which led him to call his band "The Little Green Men" for a time. Riley died Sunday in Jonesboro, according to Dillinger Funeral Home in Newport, which is handling arrangements. He had been suffering from colon cancer, and it had moved to his bones, his wife, Joyce, told The Commercial Appeal newspaper in Memphis, Tenn. "He was actually feeling better lately. So the very end was unexpected. But, he went peacefully," Joyce Riley said. Riley was one of the early performers who recorded at Memphis' legendary Sun Records, but he was overshadowed by his cohorts, including Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. Among many other songs, Riley and his band played on the original Sun recording of Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire." Riley'...

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13:30:30 –
Ga. terror suspect to defend self against advice
Associated Press
0%
3.86
ATLANTA (AP) -- A 23-year-old Georgia man charged with trying to help overseas terrorists wage "violent jihad" on the U.S. has decided to represent himself. Ehsanul Islam Sadequee's decision Monday threw a wrench in defense plans. Sadequee's family members passed him a note through his former attorney urging him not to represent himself, and U.S. District Judge Bill Duffey told him it was a "very, very unwise choice." However, Sadequee told the judge he was "prepared enough." Sadequee has pleaded not guilty. But prosecutors say they have overwhelming evidence against him, including a series of short homemade videos made by him and a friend, Syed Haris Ahmed. A federal judge found Ahmed guilty in June of plotting to aid a terrorist group. He faces up to 15 years in prison. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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13:30:31 –
Administration: Clunker deals could end by Friday
Associated Press
15.87%
2.67
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government's wildly popular "cash for clunkers" program, offering $4,500 rebates to customers who trade in gas guzzlers, is likely to end Friday if the Senate doesn't approve $2 billion more for it, the White House says. "If it doesn't happen this week, it's unlikely that we'll make it to the weekend with a program that can continue," said President Barack Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs. He said Monday the $2 billion would fund the program through September. The House approved the money by a nearly 3-to-1 margin last Friday before recessing for the month of August. But the legislation faces a tougher fight in the Senate, where conservatives deride it as the latest in a series of taxpayer bailouts for the auto industry and environmentalists want to wring out more fuel efficiency. The Senate plans to take a four-week recess beginning Friday, after it votes this week on Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said ...

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13:30:31 –
Broad rally in commodities sparked by weak dollar
Associated Press
32.52%
2.13
NEW YORK (AP) -- Commodities traders placed more bets on an economic recovery Monday, adding oil, copper and soybeans to their portfolios as the dollar sank to fresh lows. Upbeat reports on manufacturing activity around the world moved investors to dump traditionally safe-haven assets like the dollar and government bonds in favor of buy riskier assets that stand to benefit more as the economy improves. The greenback fell to its lowest points since last fall against the euro, pound and other currencies. "A falling dollar is viewed as inflationary," said Richard Feltes, senior vice president and director of commodity research for MF Global in Chicago. "The best inflationary hedge is typically to increase one's exposure to commodities." At the same time, a weaker dollar makes commodities cheaper for foreign investors. Increased risk appetite was evident on Wall Street Monday, with all the major indexes posting gains of at least 1 percent. The stock market is coming off its best July i...

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13:30:31 –
NZ woman jogger mauled by 8 hunting dogs
Associated Press
99.13%
4.53
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- A New Zealand woman jogger suffered serious injuries from multiple bite wounds after eight pig hunting dogs attacked her as she jogged past a rural property on North Island, police said Tuesday. The woman suffered scores of bites to her scalp, arms and legs before the dogs ran off. Rescue services flew the woman to Waikato Hospital by helicopter where she had nine hours of surgery overnight Monday, emergency specialist Dr. John Bonning said. "There were serious injuries pretty much all over her body," said Sergeant Jason Shailer of Te Awamutu police in central North Island. The woman, Margit Christensen, 36, told him she curled into fetal position to protect herself during the 15-minute attack - a move that saved her life, he told National Radio. "She was the most seriously injured person that been injured by dog bites I have ever seen. She had injuries all over her body - to her arms, her neck, her back, her legs and it sounds like an absolutely hor...

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13:30:31 –
OSHA alleges safety violations at MillerCoors
Associated Press
82.19%
4.78
DENVER (AP) -- Regulators have proposed fining MillerCoors $128,500 over alleged safety violations at its brewery in Golden. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Monday a maintenance electrician who was missing for several hours was found dead outside an open, energized electrical panel Feb. 2, and two others were burned by an electrical arc flash April 9. OSHA investigators in the fatal accident found inadequate safety measures for electrical hazards, but coroner's officials couldn't determine if that led to the death, said John Healy, OSHA's area director in Englewood. OSHA cited MillerCoors LLC for 10 alleged violations of rules for electrical hazards. That included one alleged willful violation over allegations that MillerCoors failed to ensure employees used proper protective equipment when working near energized electrical parts. OSHA also alleged nine serious violations over work practices and protective equipment. A MillerCoors spokesman didn't immediately...

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13:30:32 –
Big crowds good sign for Karzai in re-election bid
Associated Press
39.5%
4.42
KABUL (AP) -- Thousands of Afghans turned out to hear President Hamid Karzai speak at an election rally in northern Afghanistan. His top rival spoke to mostly empty seats in a cavernous tent in the capital. The two events this past weekend reinforce the dominant story line of Afghanistan's second-ever presidential election: Despite all the complaints about Karzai's performance, the race is his to lose. His main challenger among the three dozen candidates, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, has pulled in surprisingly large crowds at some events outside the capital, raising hopes among his followers that he can find a way to beat the incumbent - possibly in a runoff if Karzai fails to win a majority in the Aug. 20 vote. Still, Abdullah's showing in Kabul, the largest city, doesn't indicate the groundswell of support needed to topple Karzai. Although no recent polls are available, the incumbent is widely assumed to be the front-runner. Turnout could be crucial in this ethnical...

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13:30:33 –
Economic data pull investors out of Treasurys
Associated Press
41.18%
3
NEW YORK (AP) -- Treasury prices fell Monday as stronger economic reports dampened demand for safe-haven assets. Encouraging new data on manufacturing activity, construction spending and auto sales helped push the Standard & Poor's 500 index above 1,000 for the first time since November. The extension of the rally on the stock market, which just posted its best July in 20 years, sapped demand for Treasurys. The 10-year note fell 1 9/32 to 95 25/32, sending its yield up to 3.64 percent from 3.48 percent late Friday. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group, predicted that U.S. manufacturing activity should grow next month for the first time since January 2008. The government said construction spending rose unexpectedly in June. Also, Ford Motor Co. reported its first monthly U.S. sales increase in nearly two years and other major automakers said sales indicated some stability. The reports eased worries that the recession will linger. Corporate earnings reports gave investo...

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13:30:34 –
Rays 10, Royals 4
Associated Press
0%
1
Kansas City @ Tampa Bay @ab r h bi @ ab r h biDeJess lf 4 0 2 0 Bartlett ss 4 2 3 2B.Pena ph 0 0 0 0 Crwfrd lf 5 1 3 3Blmqst cf 5 0 1 0 BUpton cf 0 0 0 0Butler 1b 3 0 0 1 Longori 3b 4 0 0 0Teahen 3b 3 2 1 0 Zobrist 2b 3 0 0 0Callasp 2b 4 0 1 0 C.Pena 1b 5 0 1 2J.Buck dh 4 0 1 1 WAyar dh 5 2 2 2Olivo c 4 0 2 1 Gross rf 4 1 1 0Freel rf 3 1 0 0 MHrnd c 3 2 2 1YBtncr ss 4 1 2 1 Kapler cf-lf 3 2 1 0Totals @ 34 4 10 4 Totals @ 36 10 13 10Kansas City 010 001 101- 4Tampa Bay 220 110 40x-10E-Callaspo (15). DP-Kansas City 1, Tampa Bay 2. LOB-Kansas City 7, Tampa Bay 9. 2B-Teahen (26), J.Bu...

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13:30:36 –
Oregon man arrested in triple slaying
Associated Press
0%
5.67
ELGIN, Ore. (AP) -- An Oregon house painter wanted for the murders of three acquaintances, including a woman whose severed hand was found by a child catching goldfish, has been captured in Washington state. Union County District Attorney Tim Thompson said Monday 42-year-old Gregory Alvin Cook was taken into custody in Thurston County, Washington. The capture came just hours after authorities issued a nationwide alert for Cook, saying he was believed to be hitchhiking. Cook faces various murder charges in the deaths of 51-year-old Shannon M. McKillop of Elgin, whose severed hand was found by a child in a small pond on industrial timberlands outside Elgin, Oregon. Also killed were 50-year-old Frank M. Scaramuzzi and 28-year-old Jeremiah H. Johnston, both of Elgin. The men's bodies were found over the weekend in a separate location. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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14:00:40 –
Big Crowds Good Sign for Karzai in Re-election Bid
NY Times
40.51%
4.42
KABUL (AP) -- Thousands of Afghans turned out to hear President Hamid Karzai speak at an election rally in northern Afghanistan. His top rival spoke to mostly empty seats in a cavernous tent in the capital.The two events this past weekend reinforce the dominant story line of Afghanistan's second-ever presidential election: Despite all the complaints about Karzai's performance, the race is his to lose.His main challenger among the three dozen candidates, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, has pulled in surprisingly large crowds at some events outside the capital, raising hopes among his followers that he can find a way to beat the incumbent -- possibly in a runoff if Karzai fails to win a majority in the Aug. 20 vote.Still, Abdullah's showing in Kabul, the largest city, doesn't indicate the groundswell of support needed to topple Karzai. Although no recent polls are available, the incumbent is widely assumed to be the front-runner.Turnout could be crucial in this ethnically divi...

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14:00:46 –
NZ Woman Jogger Mauled by 8 Hunting Dogs
NY Times
100%
4.53
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- A New Zealand woman jogger suffered serious injuries from multiple bite wounds after eight pig hunting dogs attacked her as she jogged past a rural property on North Island, police said Tuesday.The woman suffered scores of bites to her scalp, arms and legs before the dogs ran off. Rescue services flew the woman to Waikato Hospital by helicopter where she had nine hours of surgery overnight Monday, emergency specialist Dr. John Bonning said.''There were serious injuries pretty much all over her body,'' said Sergeant Jason Shailer of Te Awamutu police in central North Island.The woman, Margit Christensen, 36, told him she curled into fetal position to protect herself during the 15-minute attack -- a move that saved her life, he told National Radio.''She was the most seriously injured person that been injured by dog bites I have ever seen. She had injuries all over her body -- to her arms, her neck, her back, her legs and it sounds like an absolutely horrif...

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14:00:53 –
EU Warns Georgia And S.Ossetia Against Raising Tension
NY Times
77.82%
6.5
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union urged Georgia and South Ossetia Monday not to raise tensions around the rebel territory, calling for "unrestricted access" for EU monitors to both sides of its administrative boundary.Tension has escalated in the region after South Ossetia accused Georgian forces of firing mortars at it over the weekend. Russia warned Tbilisi it reserved the right to use force to defend civilians a year after their five-day war.The Georgian Interior Ministry said late Monday that three rocket-propelled grenades were fired from South Ossetia at a Georgian village near the boundary. No one was hurt.The anniversary of the war falls this week, on August 7."The European Union notes with concern the recent accusations of shellings and other incidents on both sides of the South Ossetian administrative boundary line," current EU president Sweden said in a statement."The EU urges all sides to refrain from any statement or action that may lead to increased tensions at this...

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14:00:56 –
Some Kansans Reject Guantanamo Detainees
NY Times
64.17%
4.5
LEAVENWORTH, Kansas (Reuters) - Not in my backyard! Not in my state! Not in my country!That was the response from politicians and business leaders in Kansas on Monday to moves by President Barack Obama to transfer terrorism suspects from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to facilities in the United States, perhaps including Kansas."This is a patently bad idea," Republican Senator Sam Brownback told reporters in the northeast Kansas riverside community of Leavenworth near the Fort Leavenworth U.S. Army base, which was cited this weekend as a possible new home for the Guantanamo prisoners.The Washington Post reported on Sunday that a government task force was considering as possible sites Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and a 604-bed maximum security prison in Standish, Michigan, that is scheduled to be closed.An Obama administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed on Monday that those sites were being looked at but said there were "many, many options" under consideration."No final d...

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14:10:14 –
Mexican police arrest 34 drug cartel suspects
CNN
90.78%
5.97
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican federal police say they arrested 34 men suspected of belonging to a ruthless drug cartel blamed for a rash of violence that left at least 18 federal agents and two soldiers dead since July 11. Alleged drug traffickers Miguel Angel Beraza Villa, middle, and Rafael Hernandez face the press Monday. Officials said the suspects belong to La Familia Michoacana drug gang, which drew national attention when it was accused of torturing and killing 12 off-duty federal agents three weeks ago. The bodies of the 11 men and one woman were found dumped on a road. So...

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14:10:15 –
Alumna sues college because she hasn't found a job
CNN
36.51%
3.56
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A recent college graduate is suing her alma mater for $72,000 -- the full cost of her tuition and then some -- because she cannot find a job. Trina Thompson has sued her alma mater, Monroe College of New York. Trina Thompson, 27, of the Bronx, graduated from New York's Monroe College in April with a bachelor of business administration degree in information technology. On July 24, she filed suit against the college in Bronx Supreme Court, alleging that Monroe's "Office of Career Advancement did not help me with a full-time job placement. I am also suing them because of the stress I have been going through." The college responded that it offers job-search suppor...

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14:10:17 –
Vitamin D deficiency common in U.S. children
CNN
0%
0
...

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14:30:20 –
DE/LB Robert Ayers agrees to deal with Broncos
Associated Press
0%
1.75
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- The Denver Broncos reached an agreement with first-round pick Robert Ayers, leaving Knowshon Moreno, the team's top pick, as the only unsigned player from their 10-member draft class. In an e-mail, Ayers' agent, Anthony Agnone, said the deal was essentially done, but the paperwork was still being finalized. The Broncos used their 18th selection to take Ayers, a defensive end out of Tennessee. With the Broncos implementing a 3-4 scheme, Ayers will play a hybrid role as he alternates between the line and linebacker. Moreno, a running back out of Georgia, was taken with the 12th overall selection. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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14:30:20 –
McCain to vote 'no' on Sotomayor; Nelson a 'yes'
Associated Press
61.95%
3.07
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican Sen. John McCain, his party's failed 2008 presidential contender, announced Monday he'd join the vast majority of the GOP to vote against Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who's on track to be confirmed this week as the first Hispanic justice. McCain's decision, the day before the Senate debates President Barack Obama's first high court nominee, underscored the degree to which Republicans - even those who, like the Arizonan, represent large Hispanic populations - have turned against Sotomayor. Conservatives argue she'd bring her own biases to the bench. At the same time, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska - who had been publicly on the fence on Sotomayor and under pressure from gun rights activists to oppose her - announced he'd side with Democrats and vote "yes." Just six Republicans have announced they'll break with their party to vote for Sotomayor, while nearly three-quarters of GOP senators say they'll oppose her. No Democrat has said she or he will oppo...

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14:30:20 –
Ohio water park says staffing OK when boy drowned
Associated Press
0%
2
SANDUSKY, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio indoor water park that bills itself as the nation's largest says lifeguard staffing was appropriate when a 3-year-old boy disappeared from his mother's sight and drowned in 3-foot-deep water. Kalahari Resorts says staffing Sunday when Dearborn, Mich., resident Hassan Itani drowned included four head lifeguards and two supervisors. The private resort on Lake Erie says lifeguards had spotted the boy in the shallow end of the outdoor lagoon pool by the time his mother began searching. The state has taken disciplinary action against Kalahari at least five times since the resort opened in 2005. Inspectors told Kalahari management last May the park had fewer lifeguards than expected and "many water rides were operated in a careless and unsafe manner." The 173,000-square-foot park in Sandusky features rides such as the Elephant Trunk and the Rippling Rhino. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast...

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14:30:21 –
Friend: Americans missing in Iran were hiking
Associated Press
36.59%
3.07
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- Shane Bauer, a freelance writer with a passion for travel and the Middle East, planned to spend a week covering the Kurdish elections in Iraq when he checked with his employer last week. In an e-mail, Bauer told Pacific News Service Executive Director Sandy Close that he wanted to "feel out the situation there and get some ideas for deeper stories." "Kurdistan is the big story in Iraq now," Bauer wrote in the e-mail provided to The Associated Press. "I'm off to Kurdistan ... " Within a few days, Bauer went missing - one of three Americans detained by Iranian authorities. The status of the three remained unknown Monday despite efforts by Swiss diplomats to obtain details from the Iranian Foreign Minister. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also appealed to Iran for information. The three have been identified by friends and relatives as Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Joshua Fattal. A fourth member of the group, Shon Meckfessel, was to have gone on the h...

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14:30:21 –
A look at Democrats targeted by House GOP
Associated Press
19.42%
3.2
WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republicans are trying to rebound in the 2010 election from the hit they took last year's contests by targeting 70 districts held by Democrats. Those targeted satisfy at least one of these requirements: They won less than 55 percent of the vote last year or they represent a district carried in 2008 by John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee. The targeted House Democrats by district, according to the National Republican Campaign Committee: ALABAMA Rep. Bobby Bright, AL-02 Rep. Parker Griffith, AL-05 ARKANSAS Rep. Marion Berry, AR-01 Rep. Vic Snyder, AR-02 Rep. Mike Ross, AR-04 ARIZONA Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, AZ-01 Rep. Harry Mitchell, AZ-05 CALIFORNIA Rep. Jerry McNerney, CA-11 Rep. Lorraine Sanchez, CA-47 COLORADO Rep. Betsy Markey, CO-04 CONNECTICUT Rep. Jim Himes, CT-04 FLORIDA Rep. Alan Grayson, FL-08 Rep. Ron Klein, FL-22 Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, FL-24 GEORGIA Rep. John Barrow, GA-12 HAWAII Rep. Neil Abercrombie, HI-01 IOWA Rep. Leonard Boswell, IA-0...

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14:30:22 –
National security adviser heads to Brazil
Associated Press
0%
4.25
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House's national security adviser is heading for a two-day trip to Brazil this week. Retired Gen. James Jones plans to visit Brazil on Tuesday and Wednesday to continue conversations with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that began in March. The White House says Jones will discuss the global economic crisis, climate change and the situation in Honduras. The National Security Council announced the trip Monday in a statement. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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14:30:22 –
Anadarko posts $226 million loss for 2Q
Associated Press
42.42%
1.57
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. posted a loss of $226 million Monday for the second quarter because of falling energy prices and reduced demand. Anadarko, among the largest independent exploration and production company, said the net loss attributable to common stockholders equaled 47 cents a share. In the second quarter of 2008, Anadarko reported profits of $23 million or 5 cents a share. The loss this quarter includes $2 million from discontinued operations. Anadarko's revenue fell to $1.74 billion compared with $2.78 billion in the second quarter of 2008. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had forecast, on average, a net loss of 68 cents a share, on revenue of $1.76 billion. Analyst estimates typically exclude one-time items. From the first to the second quarter, Anadarko had a 4 percent volume growth and cut lease operating expenses per barrel of oil equivalent by 12 percent, said Jim Hackett, chairman and CEO. "We are continuing to drive down costs to better align them with the current...

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14:30:23 –
Former MetLife CEO to lead AIG as president, CEO
Associated Press
59%
3.6
American International Group Inc. named former MetLife Inc. chairman and CEO Robert Benmosche Monday as its new president and chief executive. Benmosche, 65, will replace CEO Edward Liddy, former CEO of Allstate Corp., who took over last fall after the government bailed out the New York-based insurer. In May, Liddy said he would step down from the chairman and CEO roles at AIG. His announcement came at the same time the company said it would split the roles of chairman and chief executive, similar to what many other financial firms have done in recent months. AIG has Benmosche, who is also joining the company's board, will take his new positions next Monday, Aug. 10. "On the surface, if AIG is going to turn around its insurance business, it sounds like they are pulling from a place that there is talent," said Russell Walker, a risk management professor at Northwestern University in Chicago. Benmosche joined MetLife in 1995 and became the New York-based insurer's CEO in 1998. During his...

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14:30:23 –
Past terror cases tried in East Coast districts
Associated Press
0%
5.22
Some notable terror trials held in federal courthouses that the Obama administration is considering for Guantanamo Bay detainees' trials. New York City: The 1993 World Trade Center bombers were tried in lower Manhattan. The al-Qaida conspirators who bombed U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 were convicted in New York months before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Brooklyn, N.Y.: A Pakistani immigrant was convicted of an unsuccessful plot in 2004 to blow up the subway station at Herald Square, in midtown Manhattan. Northern Virginia: Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui was tried and convicted in the most high-profile post-9/11 terrorism trial. Washington, D.C.: Prosecutors won a guilty plea from an Iraqi-born Dutch citizen who conspired to murder Americans in Iraq, and the conviction of Ricardo Palmera, a senior member of the Colombian paramilitary group FARC. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritt...

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14:30:24 –
Whole Foods reports 3Q on Tuesday
Associated Press
69.65%
3.29
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Investors will be watching Tuesday to see how Whole Foods Market Inc. is faring as the recession drags on. The down economy has taken a toll on the Austin, Texas-based natural and organic grocer, which reports its third-quarter results Tuesday after the market closes. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expect the company to earn 19 cents per share on revenue of $1.86 billion for the quarter. Sales have been sluggish at Whole Foods since the recession hit as shoppers focus on more value-oriented stores. Whole Foods has cut costs, garnered outside investment and increased its low-price offerings in stores to cope. Whole Foods management said it appears consumers are changing their attitude toward the grocer as a store with some other offerings besides high-end organic goods. The quarter could prove how the repositioning and other steps are paying off after some time for the efforts to take root. Shares of Whole Foods fell about 2 percent during the company'...

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14:30:24 –
Pulte 2Q loss widens, but looks better than 1Q
Associated Press
0%
1.75
Pulte Homes Inc. says its second-quarter loss widened versus a year ago, but the homebuilder's results improved over the first quarter as the housing market started to recover. The Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based company said Monday it lost $189.5 million, or 74 cents a share, in the three months ended June 30. That compares with a loss of $158.4 million, or 63 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. Revenue dropped to $679 million, down 58 percent from $1.63 billion a year earlier. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting a loss of 57 cents a share on revenue of $647.1 million. --- On the Net: Pulte Inc.: http://www.pulte.com © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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14:30:25 –
International Paper's note offering gets rating
Associated Press
18.96%
1
NEW YORK (AP) -- Moody's Investors Service on Monday assigned an investment grade rating to International Paper Co.'s new senior notes offering. The ratings agency gave the Memphis, Tenn.-based company a "Baa3" rating on its offering and rated its outlook negative. International Paper raised $1 billion on the 7.5 percent, 12-year notes. Net proceeds from International Paper's senior notes offering will be used to fund the company's recently announced cash tender offer of 7.4 percent notes due 2014, 7.2 percent debentures due 2026 and 5.5 percent debentures due 2014. The company on Monday began a cash tender offer to purchase a portion of its outstanding bonds. International Paper is offering to pay up to $1 billion in total principal amount of the company's 7.4 percent notes, 7.2 percent notes and 5.5 percent notes. Of the notes in the tender offer, the principal amount outstanding for 7.4 percent notes is $1 billion, 7.2 percent notes is $160.4 million and 5.5 percent notes is $10...

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14:30:25 –
3 people want custody of Mass. baby cut from womb
Associated Press
48.31%
3.07
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- At least three people are seeking custody of a baby who was cut from her slain mother's womb in Massachusetts. A closed-door custody hearing was held Monday in Worcester (WUS'-tur) Juvenile Court. The infant girl's mother, 23-year-old Darlene Haynes, was found slain in her Worcester apartment last week. An attorney for Karl Whitney, Haynes' uncle, said Whitney and his wife filed paperwork Monday seeking guardianship of the baby. Roberto Rodriguez, Haynes' estranged boyfriend, also said he wants custody. The infant was found at a New Hampshire homeless shelter with Haynes' former neighbor, Julie Corey. Corey has been charged with kidnapping. The baby is now in state custody. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Children and Families did not return calls for comment Monday. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) - A man who says he is the father of a baby who was cut fro...

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14:30:25 –
Margulies hits the target with Noth in `Good Wife'
Associated Press
0%
2.89
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Julianna Margulies says her character in CBS' new fall drama "The Good Wife" is no "silly little wallflower." Margulies stars as Alicia Florrick, the wife of a politician who faces a sex and corruption scandal. Chris Noth of "Sex and the City" plays her spouse. In the pilot episode, Alicia is seen standing tensely but quietly by her husband's side at a news conference about his transgressions. When they're alone afterward, she gives him a ferocious slap - which left Noth with a red welt across his face. Margulies told the Television Critics Association on Monday that it took several times to deliver the blow properly, but Noth was a good sport. © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our...

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14:30:25 –
Agents search Florida office of Colonial BancGroup
Associated Press
34.58%
4.17
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Federal agents entered the Orlando, Fla., branch of financially troubled Colonial BancGroup Inc. on Monday with a search warrant. Few details were released about what the agents were searching for or the nature of the investigation. A spokeswoman for the inspector general of the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program said agents from her office, the FBI and Housing and Urban Development inspector general conducted a search on Monday. "Due to the nature of the on-going investigation we cannot provide any further information," said the statement released by Kristine Belisle. Colonial BancGroup maintains a bank branch and other offices at the location searched, company spokeswoman Merrie Tolbert said in confirming the search. "The bank is cooperating with that search warrant," she said. "Colonial Bank continues to operate as usual in all locations and the search warrant has no impact on our day-to-day retail and commercial banking operations." In its se...

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14:30:26 –
Dan Rooney missing first Steelers camp since '30s
Associated Press
43.01%
2.28
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) -- There hasn't been a Steelers training camp like this since the year Max Schmeling knocked out Joe Louis, Gone with the Wind was published and Jesse Owens won four Olympic gold medals in Adolf Hitler-controlled Germany. There's no Dan Rooney around. The Steelers players reside in Rooney Hall during their three weeks at Saint Vincent College, an hour's drive east of Pittsburgh. A Rooney remains in charge of the Steelers, the only six-time Super Bowl winner. Only it's not Dan Rooney, who is now the U.S. ambassador to Ireland, a full-time position that allows him little time for football and none for training camp. Time enough, however, to place a weekend phone call to find out how his football team is doing. "Burt (Lauten, a team publicist) told me he called and asked how things are going," defensive end Brett Keisel said Monday. "It's different not having him here. We're missing him." Dan Rooney, one of the most successful and influential team owners in American ...

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14:30:26 –
Pakistani Christians: Police did not stop carnage
Associated Press
83.16%
4.93
GOJRA, Pakistan (AP) -- Almas Hameed grabbed his 7-year-old daughter and stumbled out of their smoke-filled home as she pleaded in vain to bring her pet parrots. His wife, father and two other children did not survive. Outside, hundreds of enraged Muslims called the victims "dogs" as they fired guns and burned house after house in the Christian neighborhood of this eastern Pakistani city. The weekend rampage left eight Christians dead. All but one were relatives of Hameed. "We always live in fear," said Hameed, 50. "I wonder if I will see a time in this country when I can live like an equal citizen." The attack, which Pakistani officials said was incited by a radical Islamist group, followed rumors that some Christians had desecrated a Quran - an act regarded as sacrilege by Muslims. The violence drew condemnation Monday from the prime minister and the pope, a chilling reminder of how religious extremism has left minority religious groups in this country increasingly vulnerable. On...

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14:30:27 –
'Cash for clunkers' deals could end Friday
Associated Press
21.46%
3
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The popular but overwhelmed "cash for clunkers" program is still rolling ahead, but the White House says the Senate better approve $2 billion without delay or the big rebates for car buyers could be history by week's end. Senate skeptics appear to be in no hurry. On Monday, the Obama administration pointed to environmental gains made during the first week of the program, which gives rebates of as much as $4,500 to motorists who trade in gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient vehicles. The White House also highlighted recovery news from Ford Motor Co., which reported its first U.S. sales increase in nearly two years. "It's good for consumers. It's good for dealers and auto manufacturers," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. "It's good for our energy security and our environment." Gibbs said if the Senate failed to provide the extra money, "it's unlikely that we'll make it to the weekend with a program that can continue." He estimated the additional $2 billion w...

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14:30:27 –
Williams ready to replace T.O. as Cowboys' top WR
Associated Press
34.53%
2.86
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Day by day, kid by kid, Roy Williams is doing his best to replace Terrell Owens as the most popular receiver on the Dallas Cowboys. Every afternoon of training camp, Williams plucks a youngster out of the stands to be his water boy (or girl) for the rest of the workout. They get to hang out on the field of the Alamodome for about an hour, dwarfed by all the huge guys and loving every second. "It's a non-paying position," Williams says, smiling, "but you've got first dibs on getting an autograph." Although Williams did the same thing in Detroit, continuing the tradition here shows how comfortable he is in his new role as the No. 1 receiver. It's a good sign for the Cowboys considering how much they are relying on him now that T.O. is gone. Team owner Jerry Jones pointed out again at the start of camp that "the decision to move on without Terrell was almost totally made" to get more out of Williams. There were other reasons T.O. had to go, but Jones is right. The ...

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14:30:28 –
Iran president confirmed but sealed without a kiss
Associated Press
36.04%
3.85
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's supreme leader bestowed his formal endorsement on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's second term as president on Monday but withheld a powerful symbolic gesture - the kisses and close embrace that portrayed their bond four years ago. The awkward and halting moment came when Ahmadinejad leaned forward to kiss Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But the supreme leader raised his left hand and momentarily stopped Ahmadinejad, who spoke a few words and then kissed Khamenei's robe. The uneasy body language reflected much of the political tension and collateral damage since the disputed June 12 election sent Iran into its worst internal unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Ahmadinejad limps toward his next four-year term as a hugely polarizing figure: backed by