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Thursday, February 21, 2013

DNA confirms skull that of NC disabled girl

DNA confirms skull that of NC disabled girl

DNA confirms skull that of NC disabled girl

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:45 PM PST

A skull found a year ago by hunters in the woods is that of a disabled girl who was killed and dismembered by her stepmother, North Carolina police said Thursday.

Mexico pledges hunt for disappeared

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:44 PM PST

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico says it will work with the International Red Cross on the search for thousands of people who have disappeared during the country's six-year war on drug cartels.

NATO to consider maintaining larger Afghan force

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:43 PM PST

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2012 file photo, Afghan soldiers stand at attention during the third phase of a transfer of authority ceremony from the NATO- led troops to Afghan security forces in Kunar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan. NATO is strongly considering a proposal to continue funding a security force of 352,000 Afghan troops through 2018, as part of an effort to maintain security and help convince Afghanistan that America and its allies will not abandon it once combat troops leave in 2014, senior alliance officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO is strongly considering a proposal to continue funding a security force of 352,000 Afghan troops through 2018, as part of an effort to maintain security and help convince Afghanistan that America and its allies will not abandon it once combat troops leave in 2014, senior alliance officials said Thursday.

New management plan for Alaska petroleum reserve

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:42 PM PST

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A new management plan for the vast National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska splits the Indiana-size area roughly in half between conservation areas and land available for petroleum development, and allows pipelines carrying oil or gas to be constructed through the federal reserve.

Sequester Q&A: For US, a new season of uncertainty

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:40 PM PST

FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2012 file photo, Mount Rainier National Park Ranger Matt Chalup, left, hands park information to one of the first visitors to the park at the Nisqually entrance near Ashford, Wash. The politics have been fierce and the fingerpointing incessant. Come March 1, the across-the-board federal spending cuts called sequestration go into effect, launching a new season of economic uncertainty for a nation still trying to shake off a recession. A look at the cuts, how much they amount to and who they will affect -- in question and answer form. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The politics of sequestration have been fierce, the finger-pointing incessant. But just a week out from a March 1 deadline, there are no meaningful efforts in Washington to avert big automatic cuts to federal spending and a new season of uncertainty for a nation struggling to shake off a recession.

United Airlines drops 787 through June 5

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:40 PM PST

United Airlines cut the grounded Boeing 787 from its flying plans at least until June and postponed its new Denver-to-Tokyo flights on Thursday, as airlines continued to tear up their schedules while the plane is out of service.

UN rejects damage claim for Haiti cholera victims

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:37 PM PST

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations has rejected a claim for damages on behalf of more than 5,000 Haitian cholera victims and their families, citing diplomatic immunity.

Rebel Apple investor tries to rally Street

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:35 PM PST

NEW YORK (AP) — A Wall Street maverick who wants Apple to share more of its wealth with investors took his case to other shareholders Thursday, urging them to send management a message by voting against a company proposal at the upcoming annual meeting.

Fallen 'Idol:' TV show winner held in Dominican

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:34 PM PST

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — A winner of the TV talent show "Latin American Idol" who was once loved by thousands in her native Dominican Republic was charged with drug smuggling after police found heroin stuffed in the heels of her platform shoes, authorities said Thursday.

Car bomb kills over 50 near Damascus ruling party office

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:32 PM PST

A view shows the site of an explosion at central DamascusBEIRUT (Reuters) - A car bomb killed more than 50 people and wounded 200 in central Damascus on Thursday when it blew up on a busy highway close to ruling Baath Party offices and the Russian Embassy, state media and activists said. Syrian television showed charred and bloodied bodies strewn across the street after the blast, which it described as a suicide bombing by "terrorists" battling President Bashar al-Assad. It said 53 people were killed. ...

Judge denies Drew Peterson a new murder trial

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:32 PM PST

FILE - In this May 8, 2009 file photo, former Bolingbrook, Ill., police sergeant Drew Peterson arrives at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet, Ill., for his arraignment on charges of first-degree murder in the 2004 death of his third wife Kathleen Savio. On Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, Will County Judge Edward Burmila refused to grant Peterson a new murder trial in the death of his third wife. The ruling came after Peterson's current legal team argued for a new trial on grounds his former lead attorney botched the case. After the ruling, the judge moved on to Peterson's sentencing hearing. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — A judge on Thursday denied Drew Peterson a new murder trial in the death of the former suburban Chicago police officer's third wife.

DC pairing Batman, Superman in new title

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:31 PM PST

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — DC Entertainment says it will unveil a new ongoing series focusing on Superman and Batman, two of the publisher's best-known and revered heroes.

Police: Hotel altercation sparked Vegas shooting

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:30 PM PST

Wrecked cars are seen on Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Avenue as Las Vegas Metro Police investigate a shooting and multi-car accident that left three people dead and at least three injured on the Las Vegas Strip in Las VegasLAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Strip became a scene of deadly violence early Thursday when someone in a black Range Rover opened fire on a Maserati, sending it crashing into a taxi that burst into flames, leaving three people dead and at least six injured.

All eyes on Venezuelan hospital, no sign of Chavez

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:26 PM PST

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — In Caracas' military hospital, there is no outward sign that President Hugo Chavez is a patient other than the motorcades that come and go, and the troops in red berets standing guard.

Alaska state senator proposes bounty on sea otters

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:26 PM PST

FILE - A sea otter floats in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, in this July 1, 2003 file photo. Alaska state senator Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, is proposing a bounty on sea otters, the cuddly little marine mammals often seen by tourists swimming on their backs between cruise ships, sometimes munching on a freshly caught King crab. Stedman doesn't see the otters as cute critters; he considers them as a threat to fishing beds and the crab harvest in Alaska. The Sitka Republican has introduced a bill in February 2013 that would have the state pay Alaska Natives, who are the only residents legally allowed to kill sea otters, $100 for every dead otter they bring in. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch, File)JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska state senator is proposing a bounty on sea otters, the cute little marine mammals often seen by tourists swimming on their backs between cruise ships, sometimes munching on a fresh crab or clams.

Harvick makes it 2-for-2 with win in 1st Duel

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:23 PM PST

Danica Patrick, far left, leads the field at the start of the first of two 150-mile qualifying races for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Kevin Harvick is now 2 for 2 at Speedweeks after winning the first Daytona 500 qualifying race.

Egypt election to begin April 28: adviser

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:20 PM PST

Egypt's Islamist President-elect Mohamed Mursi waves to his supporters while surrounded by his members of the presidential guard in Cairo's Tahrir SquareCAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi will call a parliamentary election starting April 28, a presidential legal adviser told Reuters on Thursday, saying the vote would be held in four stages. Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood backers hope the election will mark an end to a turbulent political transition punctuated by spasms of violence that have thwarted his efforts to revive an economy in deep crisis. ...

Car bomb kills at least 53 in Syrian capital

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:14 PM PST

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syrian security agents carrying a body following a huge explosion that shook central Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. A car bomb shook central Damascus on Thursday, exploding near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party and the Russian Embassy, eyewitnesses and opposition activists said. (AP Photo/SANA)DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A car bomb exploded Thursday near Syria's ruling party headquarters in Damascus, killing at least 53 people and scattering mangled bodies among the blazing wreckage in one of the bloodiest days in the capital since the uprising began almost two years ago.

Wal-Mart outlook wary even as profit rises

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:13 PM PST

In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2012, photo, Eva Cevallos with her eleven-month daughter, Quinn, shop during the Thanksgiving Pre-Black Friday event at the Walmart Supercenter store in Rosemead, Calif. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. offered a weak business outlook Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, as new economic challenges for its low-income U.S. shoppers start to take a toll. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)NEW YORK (AP) — As the fortunes of many Americans go, so goes Wal-Mart.

David Gregory re-ups as 'Meet the Press' host

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:12 PM PST

This Aug. 26, 2012 photo released by NBC shows host David Gregory from "Meet the Press" during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. Gregory has re-upped as host of "Meet the Press." The network is sharing no details, but on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, described the new deal as "a long-term commitment." The 42-year-old Gregory began as host of the Sunday morning public-affairs program in December 2008. He succeeded the late Tim Russert. (AP Photo/NBC, Virginia Sherwood)NEW YORK (AP) — David Gregory has re-upped as host of "Meet the Press."

Oil prices down sharply for a 2nd day

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:10 PM PST

Traders work the crude oil options pit at the New York Mercantile Exchange Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 in New York. An unexpected indication from the U.S. Federal Reserve that it is considering how to bring an end to its super-easy monetary policy rattled markets Thursday. While supposedly riskier assets such as stocks, the euro and oil prices fell sharply, the perceived safer financial assets, such as the dollar and German government bonds, were in demand. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices plunged for a second day Thursday, raising hopes that a relentless rise in gasoline prices may slow or reverse at least temporarily.

Snow in Arizona delays resumption of Match Play

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:08 PM PST

A grounds keeper picks up practice balls out of bunkers on the practice range before play resumes for the first round of the Match Play Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, in Marana, Ariz. A snow storm blanketed the course on Wednesday suspending the first round of play and postponing it until late Thursday morning. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)MARANA, Ariz. (AP) — Bundled in a winter jacket in a chilly tent near the snow-covered driving range, Mark Russell was asked where the opening day of the Match Play Championship ranked among his bizarre weather experiences.

Soft Machine co-founder Kevin Ayers dies in France

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:06 PM PST

This is a 1974 image of British musician Kevin Ayers, made available by Max Films Limited on Thursday Feb. 21, 2013. Kevin Ayers, an influential singer-songwriter who co-founded the band Soft Machine, has died in France, his record label said Thursday. He was 68. Ayers was an important figure in the British psychedelic movement spearheaded by the Beatles in the late 1960s. He did not achieve sustained commercial success, but his work is treasured by musicians and many fans. (AP Photo/Lo-Max Records)LONDON (AP) — Kevin Ayers, an influential singer-songwriter who co-founded the band Soft Machine, has died in France, his record label said Thursday. He was 68.

Russian diplomat says counting on progress at Iran talks

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:04 PM PST

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday he is counting on progress at a round of nuclear talks between Iran and world powers next week, and added that momentum must be kept up after the talks to keep them on track. The powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - are scheduled to meet Iranian negotiators in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on February 26 to see if there is a way to ease Western concerns about Iran's nuclear program. But in a development that was likely to cast a shadow over the talks, the U.N. ...

US stocks keep sliding on weak data, Fed qualms

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:03 PM PST

FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2013, file photo, Maureen Smaldone, a trader for Brendan E. Cryan and Company, monitors trading activity from her workstation at the New York Stock Exchange. U.S. stocks are continuing a two-day slide on weak economic data on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, and concern that the Federal Reserve may cut back its bond-buying program. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)U.S. stocks continued a two-day slide Thursday on weak economic data and concern about the Federal Reserve's resolve to keep juicing the market.

Winter storm blankets Great Plains with snow

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:57 AM PST

A man clears snow from the sidewalks around Friends University in Wichita, Kan. as heavy snow falls on Wednesday morning, Feb. 20, 2013. A large winter storm moved in over the early morning hours and is expected to last until Thursday evening. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Travis Heying)ST. LOUIS (AP) — Blinding snow, at times accompanied by thunder and lightning, bombarded much of the nation's midsection Thursday, causing whiteout conditions, shutting down large swaths of interstate highways and forcing schools, businesses and even state legislatures to close.

Haiti's 'Baby Doc' spurns court again

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:57 AM PST

FILE - In this March 29, 2011 file photo, former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, center, leaves Canape Vert hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Duvalier has spurned a judge's order to appear in court, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, for a hearing on whether to reinstate charges of human rights abuses against him. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery, File)PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier defied a judge's order Thursday and refused to attend a hearing to determine whether he will again face charges for human rights abuses committed during the nearly 15 years of his brutal regime.

Ben Foster replaces Shia LaBeouf on Broadway

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:53 AM PST

FILE - This Jan. 18, 2013 file photo shows actor Ben Foster poses at the premiere of "Kill Your Darlings" during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Foster will replace Shia LaBeouf in the Broadway play "Orphans." LaBeouf left the production on Wednesday, Feb. 20, due to creative differences. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP, file)NEW YORK (AP) — Shia LaBeouf is out. Ben Foster is in.

In Federal Reserve bond-buying debate, officials air opposing views

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:52 AM PST

President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis James Bullard poses during an interview at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis(Reuters) - Two top Federal Reserve officials on Thursday signaled support for scaling back the U.S. central bank's aggressive bond-buying program, adding fuel to a contentious debate over how long the Fed should continue its extraordinary measures to support the economy. But even as James Bullard, president of the St. ...

Obama called top Republicans to discuss looming cuts: White House

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:51 AM PST

U.S. President Barack Obama talks against automatic budget cuts at the White House complex in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama spoke to Republican congressional leaders on Thursday in the first sign of movement toward heading off across-the-board government spending cuts that could go into effect in a week. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the president had placed calls to House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The conversations were "good," Carney said, but he declined to provide details. An estimated $85 billion in across-the-board "sequestration" cuts are due to go into effect March 1 unless Congress acts. ...

Judge denies Drew Peterson new trial

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:50 AM PST

FILE - In this May 8, 2009 file photo, former Bolingbrook, Ill., police sergeant Drew Peterson arrives at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet, Ill., for his arraignment on charges of first-degree murder in the 2004 death of his former wife Kathleen Savio, who was found in an empty bathtub at home. Peterson's wisecracking, limelight-hogging, sunglasses-wearing lawyers faced the media horde every day of the former suburban Chicago police officer's 2012 trial — one that ended with a murder conviction and a falling out among the erstwhile colleagues. But the lawyerly war of words in public between lead trial counsel Joel Brodsky and former partner-turned-nemesis Steve Greenberg that began within hours of the trial's end will come to a head Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013 at a hearing where the defense will argue Peterson deserves a new trial because Brodsky did a shoddy job. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — A judge on Thursday denied Drew Peterson a new murder trial in the death of the former suburban Chicago police officer's third wife.

Iran installs advanced centrifuges to speed up nuclear work

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:43 AM PST

IAEA Director General Amano attends a news conference in ViennaVIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has begun installing advanced centrifuges at its main uranium enrichment plant, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Thursday, a defiant step likely to anger world powers ahead of a resumption of talks with Tehran next week. In a confidential report, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said 180 so-called IR-2m centrifuges and empty centrifuge casings had been hooked up at the plant near the central town of Natanz. They were not yet operating. ...

Labor, business agree to principles on immigration

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:43 AM PST

FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2013 file photo, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. speaks at a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. The New Yorkers for Real Immigration Reform, a coalition of organizations, is demanding a meeting with Schumer, one of eight senators helping to draft a bill for immigration reform. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — Business and labor groups announced agreement Thursday on the principles of a key priority for a comprehensive immigration bill: a new system to bring lower-skilled workers to the U.S.

French, Malian forces fight Islamist rebels in Gao

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:42 AM PST

A Malian soldier runs past smoke from a petrol station on fire during fighting with Islamists in GaoGAO, Mali (Reuters) - French and Malian troops fought Islamists on the streets of Gao and a car bomb exploded in Kidal on Thursday, as fighting showed little sign of abating weeks before France plans to start withdrawing some forces. Reuters reporters in Gao in the country's desert north said French and Malian forces fired at the mayor's office with heavy machineguns after Islamists were reported to have infiltrated the Niger River town during a night of explosions and gunfire. ...

Judge denies/grants Peterson new trial

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:42 AM PST

FILE - In this May 8, 2009 file photo, former Bolingbrook, Ill., police sergeant Drew Peterson arrives at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet, Ill., for his arraignment on charges of first-degree murder in the 2004 death of his former wife Kathleen Savio, who was found in an empty bathtub at home. Peterson's wisecracking, limelight-hogging, sunglasses-wearing lawyers faced the media horde every day of the former suburban Chicago police officer's 2012 trial — one that ended with a murder conviction and a falling out among the erstwhile colleagues. But the lawyerly war of words in public between lead trial counsel Joel Brodsky and former partner-turned-nemesis Steve Greenberg that began within hours of the trial's end will come to a head Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013 at a hearing where the defense will argue Peterson deserves a new trial because Brodsky did a shoddy job. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — A judge has refused to grant Drew Peterson a new murder trial in the death of the former suburban Chicago police officer's third wife.

US wine exports set new record in 2012

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:40 AM PST

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — New figures show U.S. wine exports grew for the third consecutive year in 2012, setting a record of $1.43 billion in revenue, the San Francisco-based Wine Institute said Thursday.

Gay couples ask high court for marriage equality

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gay and lesbian couples who are challenging California's ban on same-sex marriage said Thursday that the Constitution prohibits discrimination against them in the nation's largest state or anywhere else in America.

SAfrica police replace top Pistorius investigator

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:31 AM PST

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius stands inside the court as a police officer looks on during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. A South African judge says defense lawyers will need to offer "exceptional" reasons to convince him to grant bail for Oscar Pistorius, when a hearing resumes Wednesday. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Ahead of a judge's decision on whether to release Oscar Pistorius on bail, South African police on Thursday appointed a new chief detective in the murder case, replacing a veteran policeman who was himself charged with attempted murder.

Russia seeks EU guarantees over horse meat scandal

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:27 AM PST

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia may suspend meat imports from European Union nations because of the horse meat scandal, an official said Thursday.

Denver coach expects healthier Manning in 2013

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:23 AM PST

Denver Broncos head coach John Fox answers a question during a news conference at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — John Fox has some bad news for the other 31 NFL teams: Peyton Manning could be even better in 2013.
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