News For Wednesday Jul 23, 2008 News For Wednesday Jul 23, 2008

World World

Canadian teen dies after being shot with Taser - Added 6 weeks ago

A teenager wielding a knife died after police shot him with a Taser, the latest in a string of deaths linked to the stun guns, officials said Wednesday. Police spokeswoman Jacqueline Chaput said the 17-year-old boy was...

UN to take up Thai-Cambodian border dispute - Added 6 weeks ago

With some 4,000 troops massed along the Thai-Cambodian border, United Nations Security Council members say they will try to keep a standoff from escalating into war. Diplomats said Wednesday they expect to call a...

Castro cryptic on Russian bomber report - Added 6 weeks ago

Ailing Fidel Castro said Wednesday that Cuba's president was right to adopt a "dignified silence" over a Moscow newspaper report that Russia may send nuclear bombers to the island, and said Cuba doesn't owe any...

Venezuela denies report of Russian base - Added 6 weeks ago

Venezuela's government denied on Wednesday that President Hugo Chavez invited Russia to open a military base in his country, disputing a report by Russia's Interfax saying that Russian troops were welcome in the South...

US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,124 - Added 6 weeks ago

As of Wednesday, July 23, 2008, at least 4,124 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes eight military civilians...

Ukraine Jews want graves building halted - Added 6 weeks ago

A Jewish group asked the Ukrainian government on Wednesday to stop construction on the site of a grave containing the remains of an estimated 26,000 victims of the Holocaust. The Jewish community in Odessa says a...

Bin Laden driver denied al-Qaida links - Added 6 weeks ago

U.S. military prosecutors on Wednesday played an interrogation video that shows a driver for Osama bin Laden denying any connection to al-Qaida but also fretting that he is "finished." Salim Hamdan, kneeling before a...

Venezuela, Belarus sign oil deal - Added 6 weeks ago

Venezuela signed over three more oil fields to a joint venture with Belarus on Wednesday, with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declaring that the two nations were strongly united in their resistance to "U.S....

Woman charged with bludgeoning toddlers to death - Added 6 weeks ago

A German woman was charged Wednesday with bludgeoning two toddlers to death with a hammer and seriously injuring their mother in a rampage in Sweden spurred by jealousy over an ex-boyfriend. According to the charges,...

Drug smugglers get record sentences in Ireland - Added 6 weeks ago

A trio of English cocaine smugglers who were caught after putting the wrong fuel into their boat received the longest drug-related prison sentences in Irish history Wednesday. Martin Wanden, 45, and Perry Wharrie, 48,...

Sudan's president pays defiant visit to Darfur - Added 6 weeks ago

Sudan's president made a defiant visit to Darfur just a week after being charged with genocide in the war-ravaged region, vowing not to be intimidated by the indictment and then breaking into a tribal dance on a parched...

DNA tests find stolen baby in Guatemala - Added 6 weeks ago

DNA tests for the first time have confirmed that a baby was stolen from her mother and adopted for profit in Guatemala. The baby, Esther Zulamita, was taken by armed men in 2007 at her family's shoe shop. Her mother,...

Beijing to set up special Olympic protest zones - Added 6 weeks ago

China will allow a modicum of dissent at the Olympics, setting up special protest zones far from the main sports venues, in a shift that supporters and detractors said Wednesday is meant to safely channel criticism and...

100 employees at French nuke site contaminated - Added 6 weeks ago

The French electric company EDF says that 100 employees have been "slightly contaminated" by a leak at a reactor site in southern France. It was the third incident at a French nuclear site in recent weeks and the...

Correction: Argentine Farm Crisis story - Added 6 weeks ago

In a July 16 story before the Senate vote on President Cristina Fernandez's grain-export taxes, The Associated Press incorrectly reported the first name of a political analyst. His name is Ricardo Rouvier, not Roberto. ...

Pakistan warns of new nuclear arms race with India - Added 6 weeks ago

Pakistan has warned a deal leading to increased Indian access to nuclear fuel could accelerate the atomic arms race between the rivals, according to a letter obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. The letter was...

Iraqi presidential council rejects elections law - Added 6 weeks ago

Iraq's presidential council on Wednesday rejected a draft provincial elections law and sent it back to parliament for reworking _ a major blow to U.S. hopes that the vote can be held this year. The decision was likely...

Iran praises US participation in nuclear talks - Added 6 weeks ago

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that the United States' participation in the latest round of nuclear talks is a step toward recognizing Tehran's right to acquire nuclear technology. A senior...

Why dope? Riders don't fear tests, rewards beckon - Added 6 weeks ago

Cycling's image is in tatters, and authorities inside and outside the sport are being tougher than ever on doping. Yet it hasn't stopped the drug cheaters at the Tour de France. Beyond ethics, it would seem to defy...

Beijing Olympics broadcasting center evacuated - Added 6 weeks ago

Hundreds were evacuated Wednesday from the massive building that will house broadcasting facilities for the Beijing Olympics, fearing there was a gas leak after people smelled a strong odor. But authorities later said...

Correction: Guantanamo tribunal story - Added 6 weeks ago

In a July 22 story about the war crimes tribunal at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, The Associated Press, based on a statement by the prosecutor, erroneously described witness Ali Soufan as an FBI agent. Soufan is a...

Video prompts Canadian soul-searching - Added 6 weeks ago

Video footage of a young Canadian detainee being interrogated at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay has sparked a fierce debate among Canadians who worry whether the case is hurting their country's image. ...

Karadzic's capture signals big shift for Serbia - Added 6 weeks ago

Just a few months ago, thugs outraged at Kosovo's independence set part of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade on fire, and ultranationalists prepared to seize power. But this week's capture of genocide suspect Radovan...

US talks with Iraq could stretch years - Added 6 weeks ago

The next White House will most likely inherit the difficult negotiations over the long-term status of American military forces in Iraq as disputes linger over setting timelines for expected troop withdrawals, U.S....

Suspicion, terrain are foes for US in Afghan surge - Added 6 weeks ago

As violence in Afghanistan escalates, the U.S. is responding by scrambling to get in more troops. But it's far from clear how the strategy will work in a vast, rugged land where hiding places are many and suspicion of...

EU freezes aid to Bulgaria, citing corruption - Added 6 weeks ago

The European Commission froze almost euro500 million ($800 million) in aid to Bulgaria on Wednesday, citing corruption, organized crime, severe spending irregularities and alleged vote-buying in a country that only...

US, Poland take step forward on missile defense - Added 6 weeks ago

Poland and the U.S. took a step on Wednesday toward resolving a dispute over Warsaw's demands for defense aid in exchange for accepting part of an American missile defense system. Polish and U.S. officials "had broad...

Swiss: Libya retaliating for Gadhafi son's arrest - Added 6 weeks ago

Switzerland warned its citizens Wednesday not to travel to Libya, saying the North African nation has been retaliating ever since Swiss police arrested the youngest son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi for allegedly...

Argentine president's top aide resigns - Added 6 weeks ago

Argentina's state news agency said the president's top aide has resigned following the Senate's rejection of a government-backed export tax hike. Cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez's resignation comes the same day as that...

Reports: Starving bears eat 2 men in Russia - Added 6 weeks ago

A pack of enormous bears searching for food killed and ate two men at mines in Russia's Pacific Kamchatka region and have kept hundreds of geologists and miners from reaching the mine, news agencies reported Wednesday. ...

Obama defends plans for direct talks with Iran - Added 6 weeks ago

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama defended his proposal to negotiate with Iran Wednesday and said he would use "big sticks and big carrots" to persuade the country's leaders not to develop nuclear weapons. ...

Islamist takes over Somali opposition - Added 6 weeks ago

A fundamentalist Muslim suspected by the U.S. of collaborating with al-Qaida has taken over as head of Somalia's exiled opposition movement, pushing out a relative moderate who tried to strike a peace deal with the...

Storm delays rescue of Himalayan climbers - Added 6 weeks ago

Organizers of a Himalayan climb say bad weather has delayed a helicopter rescue for two Italians descending a mountain in Pakistan following the death of a fellow climber. Fog and rain have prevented Walter Nones and...

Mexican soldiers help as hurricane hits - Added 6 weeks ago

Mexican soldiers made a last-minute attempt to rescue people at the mouth of the Rio Grande early Wednesday as Hurricane Dolly's leading edge hit the Gulf coast. Matamoros spokeswoman Leticia Montalvo said soldiers...

Zimbabwe talks are starting at secret location - Added 6 weeks ago

South Africa's presidential spokesman said Wednesday that power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe's ruling and opposition forces were under way at a secret location. But Zimbabwe's justice minister, the chief ruling party...

Germany plans customs test for would-be citizens - Added 6 weeks ago

Germany is to introduce a test on German customs and history for would-be citizens in September after Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet approved the plan on Wednesday. The Interior Ministry has presented a catalog of...

IRA dissidents threaten to target civil servants - Added 6 weeks ago

Irish Republican Army dissidents have threatened to attack civil servants who work with the Northern Ireland police force. The Northern Ireland government on Wednesday condemned the threat from the Continuity IRA to...

EU upset over slow progress on US visas - Added 6 weeks ago

The European Union threatened Wednesday to hit American diplomats where it hurts _ with new visa restrictions _ if Washington doesn't stop dragging its feet on lifting visa requirements for 12 EU nations. The...

Relocation for China's Three Gorges Dam finished - Added 6 weeks ago

Residents in the last township to be moved to make way for the rising waters of the Three Gorges Dam reservoir have been relocated, a state news agency reported Wednesday. The emptying of Gaoyang town of Hubei...

Militants threaten Nigeria's main oil pipelines - Added 6 weeks ago

Nigeria's main militant group on Wednesday threatened to destroy the nation's major oil pipelines within 30 days to counter allegations it had struck a $12 million deal with the government to protect them. A spokesman...

Pakistan government pressed on missing persons - Added 6 weeks ago

An international rights group pressed Pakistan's new government on Wednesday to quickly investigate the disappearance of hundreds of people allegedly rounded up by security agencies as part of the anti-terror campaign. ...

US wants quick approval of India nuclear pact - Added 6 weeks ago

The U.S. ambassador to India said Wednesday he hoped a landmark deal on nuclear energy cooperation with the United States could be sent to Congress for approval in September, one day after India's government won a...

Obama's West Bank trip raises hope, skepticism - Added 6 weeks ago

Barack Obama's trip to the West Bank on Wednesday appeared to generate some goodwill among Palestinians, though deep skepticism about U.S. policy remains. Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, met with Palestinian...

EU proposes crackdown on seal hunt - Added 6 weeks ago

The European Union proposed an import ban Wednesday on products derived from seals that are killed in a cruel way, a move that could hurt the annual seal hunt in Canada _ the largest in the world. Animal rights groups...

Mongolian lawmakers walk out of session - Added 6 weeks ago

Opposition lawmakers walked out of a Mongolian parliamentary session Wednesday before they were to be sworn in, saying they refused to participate because last month's election was fraudulent. Accusations that the...

Report: Australian newsman posts bail - Added 6 weeks ago

An Australian TV journalist has been released on bail on drug charges in Singapore, his employer reported Tuesday. Australia's national television network, Australian Broadcasting Corp., said in a report on its Web...

Thai-Cambodian conflict enters 2nd week - Added 6 weeks ago

Thailand accused Cambodia of eyeing even more of its land and leaflets appeared in the Cambodian capital calling for a boycott of Thai goods, as a military standoff over disputed border territory entered a second week...

UK court rejects terror plotters' appeal - Added 6 weeks ago

A British court has rejected an appeal by five men, serving life sentences for plotting a bombing spree, to overturn their convictions. Omar Khyam, Waheed Mahmood, Jawad Akbar, Anthony Garcia, and Salahuddin Amin were...

Greece: 3 hurt in ferry collision - Added 6 weeks ago

Two ferryboats carrying more than 1,500 passengers collided at a Greek island port Wednesday, injuring three people, authorities said. The Super Ferry II was about to dock in Andros, an Aegean Sea island, when it...

British soldier wounded in Afghan ambush dies - Added 6 weeks ago

A British soldier died after being wounded in an ambush in southern Afghanistan, while U.S.-led coalition troops killed several militants near the capital, officials said Wednesday. The militants attacked a British...