Pages

Monday, October 31, 2011

Palestine becomes member of UNESCO (AP)

Palestine becomes member of UNESCO (AP)

Palestine becomes member of UNESCO (AP)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 10:49 AM PDT

Permanent delegate of the US to UNESCO David Killion, center, reacts as delegates vote on the Palestinian membership, during a session of UNESCO's 36th General Conference, in Paris, Monday Oct. 31, 2011. Palestine became a full member of the U.N. cultural and educational agency Monday, in a highly divisive move that the United States and other opponents say could harm renewed Mideast peace efforts. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)AP - Palestine became a full member of UNESCO on Monday in a highly divisive breakthrough that will cost the agency a fifth of its budget and that the U.S. and other opponents say could harm renewed Mideast peace efforts.

FBI releases video, papers on Russian spy ring (AP)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 10:07 AM PDT

In this photo taken on Sunday, April 3, 2011, Anna Chapman, who was deported from the U.S. on charges of espionage, displays a creation by Russian designers Shiyan & Rudkovskaya during a Fashion Week in Moscow, Russia. A year and a half after the biggest spy swap since the Cold War, its Russian protagonists completely vanished in the 12-million city of Moscow, leaving no trace of their past, except for compulsive socialite Anna Chaman. (AP Photo /Luba Sheme)AP - FBI surveillance tapes, photos and documents released Monday show members of a ring of Russian sleeper spies secretly exchanging information and money during a counterintelligence probe that lasted about a decade and ended in the biggest spy swap since the Cold War.

Libya names new prime minister (AP)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:10 PM PDT

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks to reporters in Tripoli, Libya, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. NATO's top official is praising the Libyans for their 'courage, determination and sacrifice' to oust dictator Moammar Gadhafi, and says they have transformed Libya and 'helped change the region.' Fogh Rasmussen is in Tripoli to mark the end of the alliance's 7-month campaign over Libya, which played a key role in ousting Gadhafi. The NATO mission ends at midnight Monday Libyan time (2200 GMT, 6 p.m. EDT). (AP Photo/Abdel Magid al-Fergany)AP - Libya's interim leadership has chosen an electronics engineer from Tripoli as the country's new prime minister.

Power restoration in snowy East could take days (AP)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 10:23 AM PDT

Trees that were damaged by a snowstorm, then trimmed, stand bare of branches at the edge of Central Park in New York, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. The group that manages Central Park estimates that the New York City park may lose 1,000 trees due to the unprecedented weekend snowstorm. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)AP - Residents across the Northeast faced the prospect of days without electricity or heat Monday after an early-season storm dumped as much as 30 inches of wet, heavy snow that snapped trees and power lines, closed hundreds of schools, and disrupted plans for Halloween trick-or-treating.

Obama orders FDA to help reduce drug shortages (AP)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 10:34 AM PDT

President Barack Obama speaks in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011, before signing an executive order directing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take steps to reduce drug shortages. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - President Barack Obama is directing the Food and Drug Administration to take steps to reduce drug shortages, action he says will help stop a "slow-rolling problem" that puts patients at risk and raises the potential for price gouging.

Cain says he was 'falsely accused' of harassment (AP)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 10:56 AM PDT

In this photo provided by CBS News, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain appears on CBS's 'Face the Nation' in Washington Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/CBS News, Chris Usher)AP - Denying he sexually harassed anyone, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said Monday he was falsely accused in the 1990s while he was head of the National Restaurant Association, and he branded revelation of the allegations a "witch hunt."

United Nations marks 7 billionth baby (AP)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:47 PM PDT

Nurses hold newborn babies in Sidon, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. As of Oct. 31, according to the U.N. Population Fund, there will be 7 billion people sharing Earth's land and resources. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)AP - One South African mother, just 19, named her newborn "Enough" and shrugged off a nurse who questioned whether she was old enough to know how many children she wanted.

3 more victims of Kan. grain elevator blast found (AP)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:16 PM PDT

Smoke rises from the damaged headhouse area of the Bartlett Grain elevator in Atchison, Kan., on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. Crews suspended their search Sunday for three people missing after a thunderous explosion at the grain elevator killed three workers and hospitalized two others with severe burns. (AP Photo/The Kansas City Star, Keith Myers)AP - The final three bodies were recovered Monday from the burnt wreckage of a Kansas grain elevator where a weekend explosion killed six people and injured two others, a company official said.

Kim Kardashian files for divorce after 10 weeks (AP)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 11:42 AM PDT

FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2011 file photo, newlyweds Kim Kardashian, right, and Kris Humphries attend a party thrown in their honor in New York. Kardashian is expected to file for divorce in Los Angeles on Monday, Oct. 31, 2011, according to a report confirmed by the producers of her reality show. Kardashian and Humphries were married on Aug. 20. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)AP - Just 10 weeks after her star-studded, made-for-TV wedding, reality starlet Kim Kardashian filed for divorce Monday from NBA player Kris Humphries, citing irreconcilable differences.

Cardinals manager La Russa announces retirement (AP)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 11:15 AM PDT

FILE - In this Oct. 30, 2011 file photo, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa speaks during a celebration for the Cardinals' 11th World Series victory, in St. Louis. Three days after winning the World Series, La Russa is retiring. The 67-year-old manager announced his retirement at a news conference Monday, Oct. 31, 2011 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)AP - Tony La Russa retired as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, three days after winning a dramatic, seven-game World Series against the Texas Rangers.

Corzine's MF Global files for bankruptcy (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:41 PM PDT

Jon Corzine, chairman and chief executive officer of MF Global Holdings, speaks during the Sandler O'Neill + Partners global exchange and brokerage conference in New York June 9, 2011. REUTERS/Lucas JacksonReuters - Jon Corzine's bid to revive his Wall Street career crashed and burned on Monday when his futures brokerage MF Global Holdings Ltd filed for bankruptcy protection following bad bets on euro zone debt.

Insight: Did Corzine's risk taking cripple MF Global? (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:11 PM PDT

Jon Corzine, chairman and chief executive officer of MF Global Holdings, speaks during the Sandler O'Neill + Partners global exchange and brokerage conference in New York June 9, 2011. REUTERS/Lucas JacksonReuters - In early April, Jon Corzine was in a tough spot. MF Global, the company he had run for the previous year, was about to post a fourth-quarter loss, marking its fourth successive fiscal year of red ink.

UNESCO grants Palestinians full membership (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 09:30 AM PDT

A Palestinian girl takes part a rally celebrating a recent prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel, in the northern Gaza Strip, October 28, 2011. REUTERS/ Ibraheem Abu MustafaReuters - The United Nations' cultural agency granted the Palestinians full membership on Monday, a step forward in their long-running efforts to achieve recognition before the world as an independent state.

Japan intervenes to tame soaring yen ahead of G20 (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 03:53 AM PDT

An employee of a foreign exchange company walks past a graph and a monitor displaying the Japanese yen's exchange rate against the U.S. dollar in Tokyo October 31, 2011. REUTERS/Yuriko NakaoReuters - Japan sold the yen for the second time in less than three months after it hit another record high against the dollar Monday, saying it intervened to counter excessive speculation that was hurting the world's No. 3 economy.

Wall Street slumps into market close (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:36 PM PDT

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange October 28, 2011. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidReuters - Wall Street slumped in a late selloff on Monday as euphoria over measures to resolve Europe's debt crisis gave way to more cool-headed assessments of how the remedies would be implemented.

Greece calls referendum on new EU aid deal (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:07 PM PDT

Reuters - Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou Monday called a referendum on a new EU aid package and said he would ask for a vote of confidence to secure support for his policy for the remainder of his four-year term, which expires in 2013.

Cain denounces "witch hunt," denies sex harassment (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 11:57 AM PDT

Republican party presidential candidate and frontrunner Herman Cain appears on Reuters - Republican Herman Cain denounced sexual harassment accusations from the 1990s as a "witch hunt" on Monday and broke into a gospel song to deflect what has become the toughest challenge of his U.S. presidential campaign.

Berlusconi urged to quit as bond yields climb (Reuters)

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 11:55 AM PDT

FILE - In this April 2, 2009 file photo, President Barack Obama, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, center, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev smile during a group photo at the G20 Summit in London. In 2009 President Barack Obama went to London for his first summit of the world’s top 20 economies as a global rock star — the U.S. president who as a candidate could command giant crowds in Denver or Berlin. This week he arrives in Cannes, France, for another G-20 summit with his star status on the wane, more like a key player in the band instead of the conductor.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)Reuters - A prominent Italian businessman called on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to resign on Monday, as Italian bond yields rose nearly to August levels, indicating concern that problems in the euro zone's third largest economy could threaten the whole bloc.

George Will says Mitt Romney is hurting conservatism. Does it matter? (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 01:08 PM PDT

The Christian Science Monitor - Conservative columnist George Will says Mitt Romney “is a recidivist reviser of his principles who is not only becoming less electable; he might damage GOP chances of capturing the Senate.”

Iowa Poll has Cain and Romney neck-and-neck, Bachmann far behind (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:01 AM PDT

The Christian Science Monitor - The latest Iowa Poll shows Herman Cain and Mitt Romney in a dead heat among Republicans likely to vote in January’s nominating caucuses there. Back among the also-rans â€" and significantly so â€" is Michele Bachmann, an Iowa native who’s campaigned heavily in the state and is counting on it to propel her forward during the primary season.
Posted by Anonymous at 1:10 PM 0 comments

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Snow smacks Northeast; power could be out for days (AP)

Snow smacks Northeast; power could be out for days (AP)

Snow smacks Northeast; power could be out for days (AP)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 11:59 AM PDT

A jack-o'-lantern is covered with snow during a storm, Sunday Oct. 30, 2011, in Freeport, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)AP - Millions of people from Maine to Maryland were without power as an unseasonably early nor'easter dumped heavy, wet snow over the weekend on a region more used to gaping at leaves in October than shoveling snow.

Aussie court ends Qantas strike, fleet grounding (AP)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 10:36 AM PDT

Idle Qantas planes are reflected in a window at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. Qantas Airways grounded all of its aircraft around the world indefinitely Saturday due to ongoing strikes by its workers. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)AP - Qantas Airways could begin returning its grounded fleet to the skies as early a Monday after an Australian court intervened in a bitter labor dispute by ending strikes and canceling a staff lock out.

Reports: Prosecutions going up for war zone crime (AP)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 05:01 AM PDT

Afghan people gather at the site of Saturday's suicide car bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. A Taliban suicide bomber rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into an armored NATO bus on a busy thoroughfare in Kabul, killing 17 people including a dozen Americans in the deadliest strike against the U.S.-led coalition in the Afghan capital since the war began. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)AP - A Marine in Iraq sent home $43,000 in stolen cash by hiding it in a footlocker among American flags. A soldier shipped thousands more concealed in a toy stuffed animal. An embassy employee tricked the State Department into wiring $240,000 into his foreign bank account.

Studies challenge wisdom of GOP candidates' plans (AP)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 10:07 AM PDT

FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2011, file photo, Republican presidential candidates Herman Cain, left, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, center, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry are seen before a Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas. Key proposals from the Republican presidential candidates might make for good campaign fodder. But independent analyses raise serious questions about those plans and their ability to cure the nation’s economic and housing woes. The candidates are pushing lower taxes and less regulation in the name of job creation. But employers say poor consumer demand is a far bigger obstacle to new hires. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File)AP - Key proposals from the Republican presidential candidates might make for good campaign fodder. But independent analyses raise serious questions about those plans and their ability to cure the nation's ills in two vital areas, the economy and housing.

Skeptic finds he now agrees global warming is real (AP)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:39 PM PDT

In this Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 photo, Richard Muller, left, and his daughter, Elizabeth Muller, right, pose with a map from their study on climate at their home in Berkeley, Calif. A new study of Earth’s temperatures going back more than 200 years finds the same old story: It’s gotten hotter in the last 60 years. What’s different is the scientist behind the latest study, Richard Muller. The California physicist was doubtful of what climate scientists have been saying - until he did his own research, partly funded by climate change skeptics. Elizabeth Muller, co-founder and executive director of the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Study, ran the study. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)AP - A prominent physicist and skeptic of global warming spent two years trying to find out if mainstream climate scientists were wrong. In the end, he determined they were right: Temperatures really are rising rapidly.

Rescue efforts suspended at Kansas grain elevator (AP)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 10:02 AM PDT

AP - Crews temporarily suspended their search Sunday for three people missing since an explosion at a Kansas grain elevator that killed three workers and left two critically injured with severe burns.

Israeli archaeologists: tiny Christian relic found (AP)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 10:27 AM PDT

An Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) restorer displays a Byzantine 0.8 by 0.6-inch (2 by 1.5cm) Christian icon box made of bone with a cross carved on the lid in Jerusalem, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. The was likely carried by a Christian believer who lost it on one of Jerusalem's streets around the end of the 6th century A.D. Archaeologist Yana Tchekhanovets of the Israel Antiquities Authority says the box is unique and offers the first archaeological evidence that the use of icons in the Byzantine period was not limited to church ceremonies.(AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)AP - A tiny, exquisitely made box found on an excavated street in Jerusalem is a token of Christian faith from 1,400 years ago, Israeli archaeologists said Sunday.

Russian cargo ship launched to space station (AP)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 09:10 AM PDT

AP - A Russian cargo ship was launched successfully to the International Space Station on Sunday, clearing the way for the next manned mission and easing concerns about the station's future after a previous failed launch.

AP Enterprise: Brown estate was saddled by debt (AP)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 11:09 AM PDT

FILE - In this July 6, 2005 file photo, James Brown performs on stage during the Live 8 concert at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland. Brown's charitable trust had withered to just $14,000 and his estate was saddled with more than $20 million in debt before a professional money manager was able to turn it around, according to an attorney, The Associated Press reports Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)AP - James Brown's charitable trust had withered to just $14,000 and his estate was saddled with more than $20 million in debt before a professional money manager was able to turn it around, an attorney told The Associated Press.

Clemson, KSU tumble; top 5 stay same in AP ranking (AP)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 11:51 AM PDT

Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd wipes his face as he paces on the sideline in the final moments of their 31-17 loss to Georgia Tech in an NCAA college football game in Atlanta, on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)AP - Clemson and Kansas State tumbled in The Associated Press college football poll after losing for the first time this season, and the top five teams in the rankings held their ground heading into the showdown between No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama.

More than 60 percent of global consumers downbeat: Nielsen (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 01:11 PM PDT

A woman shops for toys in a Kmart store in New York City, December 6, 2010. REUTERS/Mike SegarReuters - Global consumer confidence remained weak in the third quarter with more than 60 percent of consumers saying it was not a good time to spend, and one-in-three North Americans saying they have no spare cash, a survey showed on Sunday.

Commentary says China not a "savior" for Europe (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 10:57 PM PDT

Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), attends his monthly news conference at the ECB headquarters in Frankfurt June 4, 2009. REUTERS/Johannes EiseleReuters - Europe should not expect China to ride to the rescue as its "savior" from the debt crisis, though Beijing will do what it can to help a friend in need, state-run news agency Xinhua said in a commentary on Sunday.

Turkey ends search for survivors, toll nears 600 (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 06:05 AM PDT

Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin (C) gestures while visiting a relief shelter campsite for earthquake victims, set up at a stadium, in Ercis October 29, 2011. REUTERS/Morteza NikoubazlReuters - The death toll from last week's earthquake in southeast Turkey rose to 596 Sunday, the day after authorities stopped searching for survivors and focused on helping thousands of homeless families in crisis.

Insight: Dreaded "Brazil cost" may dim Foxconn's iPad dreams (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 09:13 AM PDT

Reuters - The nondescript stretch of asphalt is an unlikely symbol of Brazil's attempt to lift its economy into a new high-tech era.

Republican Cain says ad not promoting smoking (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:17 PM PDT

Republican party presidential candidate and frontrunner Herman Cain appears on Reuters - Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain Sunday said he was not promoting smoking in an ad that showed his chief of staff puffing on a cigarette.

Iraq can't defend itself fully before 2020: general (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 09:06 AM PDT

Policemen search residents at a checkpoint near Tahrir square in central Baghdad October 28, 2011. REUTERS/Mahmoud Raouf MahmoudReuters - Iraq's defense chief has said his military will not be fully ready to defend Iraq from external threats until 2020 to 2024, according to a U.S. inspector's report released on Sunday.

Rare, deadly October storm hangs on in Northeast (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 11:45 AM PDT

Reuters - More than 3 million households in the Northeast lacked power Sunday as a rare October snowstorm bedeviled transportation and killed at least five people.

Kabul suicide bomb kills 13 troops, civilian workers (Reuters)

Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:34 PM PDT

Foreign and Afghan forces arrive at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul October 29, 2011. REUTERS/Omar SobhaniReuters - A suicide car bomber on Saturday killed 13 troops and civilian employees of the NATO-led force in Kabul, including Americans and a Canadian, in the deadliest single ground attack against the coalition in 10 years of war in Afghanistan.

Solyndra scandal probe widens as White House orders new review (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 02:03 PM PDT

The Christian Science Monitor - The Obama administration has ordered an independent review of loans made by the Energy Department to energy companies â€" a clear response to the controversial and now-bankrupt Solyndra Inc. solar energy company.

Obama vs. GOP on jobs: Let the blame game begin (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 09:58 AM PDT

The Christian Science Monitor - The partisan debate over jobs creation has descended into a blame game between President Obama and congressional Republicans.
Posted by Anonymous at 1:23 PM 0 comments

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Suicide bombing of NATO convoy kills 17 (AP)

Suicide bombing of NATO convoy kills 17 (AP)

Suicide bombing of NATO convoy kills 17 (AP)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 11:49 AM PDT

US soldiers walk at the site of a suicide car bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011. A suicide car bomber struck a NATO convoy on the outskirts of Kabul on Saturday, causing casualties among the NATO service members and Afghan civilians, the U.S.-led coalition said. Afghan officials said three civilians and one policeman were killed. In the background is the palace of former Afghan King Darul Aman which was destroyed during the civil war (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)AP - A Taliban suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into an armored NATO bus Saturday, killing 17 people, including 12 Americans and a Canadian in the deadliest attack on the U.S.-led coalition in Kabul since the war began. It was a major setback for the alliance as it begins to draw down combat troops.

Early storm pelts East Coast with wet, heavy snow (AP)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 12:55 PM PDT

A jack-o-lantern is covered with snow during a rare October snowstorm that hit the Northern New Jersey region, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, in North Bergen, N.J. A classic nor'easter is moving along the East Coast and is expected to dump anywhere from a dusting of snow to about 10 inches throughout the region starting Saturday, a decidedly unseasonal date for a type of storm more associated with midwinter. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)AP - A classic nor'easter was chugging along up the East Coast and expected to dump anywhere from a dusting of snow to about 10 inches throughout the region starting Saturday, a decidedly unseasonal date for a type of storm more associated with midwinter.

AP Exclusive: Bosnia raids after US embassy attack (AP)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 12:05 PM PDT

An unidentified gunman stands with an automatic weapon in the center of the street in front of the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. The man shot several rounds at pedestrians and injured at least one police officer guarding the embassy before police surrounded him. After a 30-minute standoff, the sound of a single shot echoed and the shooter slumped to the ground. Police arrested the wounded man and took him away in an ambulance. (AP Photo/Amel Emric)AP - Special police units raided homes Saturday in a Bosnian village linked to the gunman who fired an automatic weapon at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo in what authorities called a terrorist attack. The raids came as 17 suspected associates of the shooter, all said to be members of the ultraconservative Wahhabi Muslim sect, were briefly detained in Serbia.

Qantas Airways grounds global fleet due to strikes (AP)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 01:09 PM PDT

Stranded passengers line up at the Qantas Airways counter for asking information in Hong Kong International Airport Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011 as their flight to Sydney was cancelled. Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely Saturday imposing an employee lockout after weeks of disruptive strikes, and the Australian government sought emergency arbitration. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)AP - Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet Saturday, suddenly locking out striking workers after weeks of flight disruptions an executive said could close down the world's 10th largest airline piece by piece.

Ala. immigration battle recalls civil rights past (AP)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 12:38 PM PDT

FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2011 file photo, supporters surround Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., center, as he leaves after speaking at the 'Alabama United: One Family, One Alabama,' mass rally in Birmingham, Ala. The rally called for a stand for the basic rights of all people. Now, in 2011, the epicenter of the fight over the nation's patchwork of immigration laws is not Arizona, which shares a border with Mexico and became a common site for boycotts. The case that's likely to be the first sorted out by the U.S. Supreme Court comes from the Deep South state of Alabama, where the nation's strictest immigration law has resurrected ugly images from Alabama's days as the nation's battleground for civil rights a half-century ago. And Alabama's jump to the forefront says as much about the country's evolving demographics as it does the nation's collective memory of the state's sometimes violent path to desegregation. (AP Photo/The Birmingham News, Tamika Moore, File) MAGS OUT; NO SALESAP - The epicenter of the fight over the nation's patchwork of immigration laws is not Arizona, which shares a border with Mexico and became a common site for boycotts. Nor was it any of the four states that were next to pass their own crackdowns.

Iraqi PM: 615 detained in anti-Baathist sweep (AP)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 11:19 AM PDT

Army Reserve veteran Peter Trost (R) walks past exhibits with his wife Courtney and daughter Kailea (obscured) during a job fair at Tellabs in Naperville, Illinois October 27, 2011. Trost has been unemployed since returning from Iraq in July 2010 and is looking for a job as an equipment operator or truck driver. The job fair was only open to current and former service men and women and their families. Photo taken October 27. REUTERS/Frank Polich (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT MILITARY)AP - Iraq's prime minister said Saturday that 615 people have been detained in a security sweep targeting members of the former ruling Baath party.

Higgins wins Irish presidency with 57 pct of votes (AP)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 11:17 AM PDT

Michael D Higgins, right, and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness wait for the first count in the election to be next President of Ireland at Dublin Castle, Ireland, Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)AP - Michael D. Higgins, a veteran left-wing politician, poet and human rights activist, was declared the winner Saturday of Ireland's presidential election with nearly 57 percent of votes, and pledged to lift the spirits of a struggling nation.

Tenn. protesters to challenge curfew for 3rd night (AP)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 01:07 PM PDT

An arrested woman watches from the ground of the Legislative Plaza in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, while one of her fellow protesters is led away by state troopers. It was the second straight night of arrests after Republican Gov. Bill Haslam imposed a curfew on areas surrounding the Capitol in an effort to disband a three-week demonstration by Wall Street protesters. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)AP - Occupy Nashville protesters said Saturday that they plan to continue challenging a new curfew used to disband their encampment, despite two nights of arrests.

Rare wolves raised near NYC for return to the wild (AP)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 12:22 PM PDT

In this Oct. 6, 2011 photo, Alawa, a Rocky Mountain wolf, looks though a fence at the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, N.Y. The Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem is raising and breeding endangered Mexican and red wolves. The animals roam in large pens on the 27-acre property, eating roadkill and whatever they catch. The center is an important part of the effort to return wolves to the wild in North Carolina, Arizona and New Mexico. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)AP - She seemed perfectly normal, so it was surprising and a little scary when Maggie Howell suddenly let loose with a long, loud, screechy yell that sounded unlike anything human.

Cards, Rangers give baseball quite a run in Series (AP)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 10:35 AM PDT

St. Louis Cardinals' David Freese celebrates after Game 7 of baseball's World Series against the Texas Rangers Friday, Oct. 28, 2011, in St. Louis. The Cardinals won 6-2 to win the series. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)AP - David Freese swooped in, expecting Elvis Andrus to bunt. He did, but the ball trickled wide of the line.

Qantas grounds global fleet over labor dispute (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 12:32 PM PDT

Reuters - Australia's Qantas Airways grounded its entire fleet on Saturday over a bitter labor dispute, prompting the government to ask a tribunal to stop the conflict out of concern it is putting both the airline and the economy at risk.

Kabul suicide bomb kills 13 U.S. troops, civilian (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 11:48 AM PDT

Foreign and Afghan forces arrive at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul October 29, 2011. REUTERS/Omar SobhaniReuters - A suicide car bomber killed 13 American troops and civilian employees of the NATO-led force in the Afghan capital Kabul Saturday, the deadliest single ground attack against the coalition in 10 years of war in Afghanistan.

Rare October snowstorm pelts the Northeast (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 11:39 AM PDT

Reuters - Heavy snow was falling across parts of Pennsylvania on Saturday where thousands of households were already without power from a rare October snowstorm barreling up the East Coast.

Serbia, Bosnia raid Islamists after U.S. embassy attack (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 01:01 PM PDT

A policeman stands in front of the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo, October 29, 2011. REUTERS/Dado RuvicReuters - Police in Serbia and Bosnia carried out raids on suspected radical Islamists on Saturday after a gunman opened fire with an assault rifle on the U.S. embassy in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

Portugal, Spain urge G20 members to help ease crisis (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 11:25 AM PDT

European Central Bank (ECB) President Jean-Claude Trichet waves as he leaves a euro zone leaders summit in Brussels October 27, 2011. REUTERS/Francois LenoirReuters - Spain and Portugal said on Saturday the euro zone's debt crisis is a global problem, calling on the United States and other G20 powers to help contain the fallout.

Lawmakers warn Obama over Russia's WTO bid (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 12:48 PM PDT

Reuters - Senior lawmakers urged the Obama administration Saturday to insist Russia meet high standards in its bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying they worried about the impact on American jobs and businesses.

Israel bombs militant base, Gazan rockets fall (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 12:58 PM PDT

Palestinians wheel the body of a militant killed in an Israeli air strike at a hospital in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip October 29, 2011. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu MustafaReuters - Israel's air force bombed an Islamic Jihad base in the southern Gaza Strip Saturday, killing a commander and four munitions experts from the Palestinian faction, officials on both sides said.

Suicide bomber kills three in SE Turkey (Reuters)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 11:09 AM PDT

Reuters - A female suicide bomber in southeast Turkey killed three people and wounded around 20 in Bingol, a town in the mainly Kurdish region on Saturday, police said.

St. Louis Cardinals World Series win: Three questions to ponder (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 07:18 AM PDT

The Christian Science Monitor - The St. Louis Cardinals scored an improbable World Series victory on Friday night, beating the Texas Rangers 6-2 in Game 7. Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter gutted his way through six tough innings, and Mr. October (Midwest version) David Freese did the rest, lining a key two-run double to the base of the outfield wall in the bottom of the first.

Cracks in GOP promise of no new taxes for deficit cuts? (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 03:48 PM PDT

The Christian Science Monitor - As Congress hurtles toward a self-imposed deadline to cut at least $1.2 trillion from deficits during the next 10 years, conservative lawmakers face tough choices on whether to keep their pledge to never raise taxes.
Posted by Anonymous at 1:32 PM 0 comments

Friday, October 28, 2011

Syrian security forces fire on rallies, killing 30 (AP)

Syrian security forces fire on rallies, killing 30 (AP)

Syrian security forces fire on rallies, killing 30 (AP)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 10:56 AM PDT

Two Syrian regime women supporters hold a banner with a sarcastic caricature on it in Umayyad Square in downtown Damascus, Syria. Wednesday Oct. 26, 2011. Tens of thousands of Syrians packed a Damascus square Wednesday in a show of support for embattled President Bashar Assad, a few hours ahead of a visit by senior Arab officials probing ways to start a dialogue between the regime and the opposition. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)AP - Syrian security forces opened fire Friday on protesters and hunted them down in house-to-house raids, killing about 30 people in the deadliest day in weeks in the country's 7-month-old uprising, activists said.

Terrorist attack outside US Embassy in Bosnia (AP)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 01:33 PM PDT

An unidentified gunman stands in the center of the street in Sarajevo, Bosnia on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 at a street in front of the U.S. embassy. An unidentified man shot several rounds at pedestrians in downtown Sarajevo on Friday and injured at least one officer before police special forces took him down. For at least 30 minutes the man stood at a street in front of the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo and shot around from an automatic rifle. (AP Photo/Amel Emric)AP - A man armed with hand grenades and an automatic weapon opened fire outside the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia Friday in what authorities called a terrorist attack. A policeman and the gunman were wounded, but the embassy said none of its employees was hurt.

Going off-the-cuff, Romney does himself few favors (AP)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 12:51 PM PDT

FILE - In this Feb. 18, 2010, file photo, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in Washington. It's still “drill, baby, drill.” After the nation's largest offshore oil spill and a series of pipeline breaks, Republican presidential candidates are still pushing an aggressive policy of oil and gas drilling. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)AP - Mitt Romney may need a censor. For himself.

Report says security improved in Afghanistan (AP)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 01:15 PM PDT

Seen through the wreckage of a bus left on the roadside, an Afghan youth, right, looks on while others play football around the former palace of Afghan King Darul Aman, which was destroyed during the civil war, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)AP - Despite improvements to security in Afghanistan, militants operating from safe havens in Pakistan and chronic problems with the Kabul government pose significant risks to a "durable, stable Afghanistan," according to a Pentagon progress report released Friday.

White to be fall color in Northeast this weekend (AP)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 11:40 AM PDT

In this Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011 photo, a pedestrian walks in a burst of moderate snow in front of the Vernon, Conn., Town Hall during the first snowfall of the season. More snow is forecast in the Northeast on Saturday. (AP Photo/Journal Inquirer, Jim Michaud) MANDATORY CREDITAP - Steve Hoffman had expected to sell a lot of fall fertilizer this weekend at his hardware store in Hebron but instead spent Friday moving bags of ice melting pellets.

No anthrax vaccine testing on children — for now (AP)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 01:19 PM PDT

AP - It will be a while longer before the government decides whether to test the anthrax vaccine in children.

Stocks finish mixed after Thursday's big rally (AP)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 01:36 PM PDT

In this Oct. 27, 2011 photo, specialist Jennifer Klesaris, right, works at her post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011. The euphoric rally in share prices fed by a European deal to cut Greece's debt and prevent larger countries from falling down the same hole slowed on Friday, Oct. 28, as investors began to recognize the significant challenges that still face the continent. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)AP - A quiet day on Wall Street ended Friday with major stock indexes little changed after a big rally the day before.

Rules change gives royal girls equal shot at crown (AP)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 01:27 PM PDT

FILE - Prince William, and his wife Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, look at a stuffed bear destined for children of military families at Sony Studios in Culver City, Calif., Sunday, July 10, 2011. Royal daughters no longer will have to go to the back of the queue when it comes to the line of succession in Britain. After centuries of sexism, Commonwealth leaders agreed Friday Oct 28 2011 to the rule change that means if Prince William and Kate have a female child first, she can now inherit the throne. (AP Photo/Francine Orr, File Pool)AP - Royal daughters no longer will have to go to the back of the queue when it comes to the line of succession to the British throne.

Dog survived gas chamber, up for adoption in NJ (AP)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 01:11 PM PDT

AP - A stray beagle mix that cheated death in an Alabama dog pound's gas chamber has found a temporary home in New Jersey while he waits for another family to adopt him.

Carpenter starting Game 7 for Cards on short rest (AP)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 12:48 PM PDT

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter throws during the first inning of Game 5 of baseball's World Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Mike Segar, Pool)AP - Chris Carpenter will start on three days' rest in Game 7 of the World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Euro fund head: no quick China deal; Italy costs up (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 06:20 AM PDT

Klaus Regling, CEO of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), speaks during a conference about the future of the Euro in Lisbon October 13, 2011. REUTERS/Hugo CorreiaReuters - The head of Europe's bailout fund sought financial support from China on Friday to help resolve the bloc's debt crisis, saying that while no quick deal was in sight he was still confident Beijing would keep buying bonds issued by his fund.

Bank of America scaling back debit card fees (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 12:52 PM PDT

Reuters - Bank of America Corp, after receiving heavy public criticism for a planned $5 per-month debit card fee, is likely to give customers more ways to avoid the fee, a person familiar with the bank's plans said Friday.

Consumer spending rises, weak incomes a worry (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 10:31 AM PDT

Reuters - Sluggish income growth led U.S. households to cut back on saving in September to raise their spending, showing the economy's recovery remains fragile.

Wall Street, finishing flat, posts 4 weeks of gains (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 01:35 PM PDT

Kirby Desmarais, left, from Brooklyn, N.Y., holds her daughter Georgia, 18 months, while Mark Hamilton, right, from Newark, N.J., watches his daughter Scarlet, 2, at a children's section at the Occupy Wall Street protest encampment at Zuccotti Park on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011, in New York. The protests, which started on Sept. 17 with a few dozen demonstrators who tried to pitch tents in front of the New York Stock Exchange, has grown into a nationwide and international movement. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)Reuters - Stocks closed out a fourth week of gains in quiet fashion on Friday, edging higher as the market took a breather after rallying 3 percent on Europe's deal to stem its debt crisis.

Magnitude 6.9 quake shakes buildings in Peru capital (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 12:30 PM PDT

Reuters - A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck southern Peru on Friday, shaking buildings in the capital Lima, but there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.

More companies shed light on political spending (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 04:11 AM PDT

Reuters - More American companies are bending to shareholder pressure to reveal their spending to sway political campaigns despite court decisions allowing unfettered corporate cash in elections, according to a study released on Friday.

Pressure mounts on MF Global to strike a deal (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 10:55 AM PDT

Reuters - Shares of MF Global Holdings Ltd hit another all-time low and its bonds were in freefall on Friday as troubles intensified for the U.S. futures brokerage that is looking to sell off units in order to retain customers and to survive.

Gaddafi son eyes safety, talks to Hague (Reuters)

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 10:47 AM PDT

Saif Al-Islam, son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, gestures as he talks to reporters in Tripoli August 23, 2011. REUTERS/Paul Hackett/FilesReuters - From deep in the Sahara, fearing that he will share his father's bloody fate at the hands of vengeful Libyans and calling in old favors bought with oil from desert tribes and African strongmen, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi may be bartering a future.

Is Rick Perry on the comeback trail? (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:17 AM PDT

The Christian Science Monitor - After weeks (months?) of bad debate reviews, plunging poll numbers, and Herman Cain sucking up all the oxygen in the GOP race, we’ve noticed Rick Perry has managed to seize the spotlight - and to some extent drive the news cycle - over the past several days.

Reforming the Taliban: US aims to teach Afghan fighters new livelihoods (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:09 AM PDT

The Christian Science Monitor - Down a back road, past old, still-active minefields and blown-out Soviet tanks, US military officials are trying to bring former insurgents back into the fold of the Afghan government.
Posted by Anonymous at 1:54 PM 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)