AP Top News Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:53:39 GMT
Early Iraq results: PM battling secular challenger (AP) ...
AP - Partial vote results in Iraq's historic election released Thursday showed a tight contest between the nation's prime minister and a secular challenger during a chaotic count that was marred by accusations of fraud.
More quakes hit Chile as new president takes over (AP) ...
AP - A series of strong aftershocks from last month's devastating quake rocked Chile on Thursday as a new president was sworn into office and immediately urged coastal residents to move to higher ground in case of a tsunami.
Americans' net worth up for 3rd straight quarter (AP) ...
AP - Americans regained more of their shrunken wealth last quarter, mainly because the healing economy boosted stock portfolios. But the gain was less than in the previous two quarters.
Democrats, White House close in on health bill (AP) ...
AP - House Democratic leaders on Thursday worked to rally their rank-and-file members around last-minute agreements on insurance taxes and prescription drug coverage that could move President Barack Obama's overhaul of the nation's health care system a step closer to reality.
Greece hit by strikes, riots over austerity plan (AP) ...
AP - Serious street clashes erupted between rioting youths and police in central Athens Thursday as some 30,000 people demonstrated during a nationwide strike against the cash-strapped government's austerity measures.
Massive school closures in KC to be done by fall (AP) ...
AP - Kansas City's school superintendent said Thursday the plan to shutter nearly half the district's schools, while "painful," will move forward quickly so that all the closures will be complete by fall.
Mexico's Slim becomes 'world's richest' person (AP) ...
AP - Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim is the first man from a developing nation to become the world's richest person — a shift that underlines the loosening of America and Europe's stranglehold on the top spots in the billionaires' club.
Conan O'Brien will take his show to theaters (AP) ...
AP - Without a TV show to do every night, Conan O'Brien is taking his act on the road.
Pink Floyd wins battle with EMI over online sales (AP) ...
AP - Album lovers may rejoice a little at last: a British court says Pink Floyd, purveyor of iTunes-unfriendly concept records, cannot be unbundled.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen dies at 69 (AP) ...
AP - Pro Football Hall of Famer and former television actor Merlin Olsen has died. He was 69.
Chile lifts tsunami alert on coast after tremors (Reuters) ...
Reuters - Chile's navy lifted a tsunami warning for the country's coast after strong aftershocks shook the capital Santiago on Thursday, following the swearing in ceremony for new President Sebastian Pinera.
Financial reform deal fails, hopes for 2010 dim (Reuters) ... Reuters - Chances of a broad overhaul of U.S. financial regulation this year dimmed on Thursday after bipartisan Senate talks collapsed.
Police clash with protesters as Greeks fight cuts (Reuters) ...
Reuters - Police clashed with stone-throwing youths in Athens on Thursday as tens of thousands of strikers protested against draconian cutbacks aimed at pulling Greece out of a debt crisis shaking the euro zone.
Biden appeals for Mideast peace talks without delay (Reuters) ...
Reuters - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called on Thursday for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to start without delay despite Palestinian insistence that Israel first cancel a settlement project condemned by Washington.
Obama presses China on currency in trade speech (Reuters) ... Reuters - President Barack Obama pressed China on Thursday to move to a "more market-oriented exchange rate" in a speech where he laid out a plan to boost U.S. exports in the coming years.
Secularist list ahead in two Iraqi provinces (Reuters) ...
Reuters - A cross-sectarian, secularist alliance headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is ahead in two Iraqi provinces north of Baghdad, early results from the country's electoral commission showed Thursday.
Ukraine's Yanukovich gets close ally as PM (Reuters) ...
Reuters - Ukraine's new prime minister, Mykola Azarov, declaring state coffers were empty, promised on Thursday to meet all obligations to the International Monetary Fund and push through a realistic 2010 budget.
Jobless claims fall, trade gap narrows on oil (Reuters) ...
Reuters - The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell only slightly last week, indicating that rapid job growth would probably continue to elude the economy for a while.
Quake, tsunami alert hit Chile as new leader sworn in (AFP) ...
AFP - Strong aftershocks and a tsunami alert rocked Chile and rattled nerves Thursday as rightwing billionaire Sebastian Pinera was sworn in as the new president of the quake-hit nation.
Israel seeks to patch up row over settlement plans (AFP) ...
AFP - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a public apology to the visiting US vice president on Thursday, hoping to defuse a row over settlements that prompted a Palestinian boycott of indirect peace talks.
AP US News Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:27:48 GMT
APNewsBreak: Cadmium probe causes jewelry recall (AP) ... AP - Federal regulators are recalling more children's jewelry due to high levels of the toxic metal cadmium.
Calif. boy who called 911 thanks dispatcher (AP) ...
AP - A 7-year-old boy who called 911 from a locked bathroom while armed robbers threatened his parents hugged and high-fived on Wednesday the sheriff's dispatcher who took his call.
Massive school closures in KC to be done by fall (AP) ...
AP - Kansas City's school superintendent said Thursday the plan to shutter nearly half the district's schools, while "painful," will move forward quickly so that all the closures will be complete by fall.
FBI looking into NJ man linked to attack in Yemen (AP) ...
AP - The FBI is investigating the case of an alleged al-Qaida member raised in New Jersey who is accused of trying to shoot his way out of a hospital in Yemen.
Miss. school prom off after lesbian's date request (AP) ...
AP - A northern Mississippi school district will not be hosting a high school prom this spring after a lesbian student sought to attend with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.
2 Marine fighter pilots rescued; SC crash probed (AP) ...
AP - A Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot and his weapons officer tried to make it back home after both engines on their warplane failed and a fire broke out, but they were forced to eject and ditch the aircraft in the ocean, a spokesman said Thursday.
Ex-New Orleans officer pleads in shooting cover-up (AP) ...
AP - A second former New Orleans police officer pleaded guilty Thursday to covering up the deadly shooting of unarmed residents after Hurricane Katrina, with a judge calling the plot a "despicable" scheme that immeasurably compounded the storm's damage.
NJ man accused of raping, beating 5 daughters (AP) ... AP - A New Jersey man with apocalyptic visions is accused of years of terrorizing his family, raping his five daughters and impregnating three, beating his children with wooden boards and even moving at one point to avoid child welfare investigators.
NC-bound jet hits birds, returns to NY airport (AP) ... AP - The pilot of a US Airways jet reported a bird strike and an engine problem shortly after takeoff from an upstate New York airport Thursday, forcing the plane to turn back and make an emergency landing, officials said.
1 killed, many homes damaged in Arkansas tornadoes (AP) ...
AP - Authorities say one person was killed in the tornadoes that struck parts of Arkansas.
Mich. congresswoman called to Detroit grand jury (AP) ... AP - A congresswoman who is the mother of Detroit ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick says she'll comply with a subpoena to testify before a grand jury in Detroit.
Census campaign targets tech-savvy Hispanic youth (AP) ...
AP - Groups pushing for robust Hispanic participation in the 2010 census are enlisting a new corps of foot-soldiers in their battle to reach that hard-to-count demographic: tech-savvy, smart-phone-toting young people.
Pa. suspect: Caretaker by day, 'Jihad Jane' online (AP) ...
AP - Colleen LaRose spent long days caring for her boyfriend's father in a second-floor apartment in Pennsburg, a small town north of Philadelphia.
48 Hawaii-only species given endangered listing (AP) ...
AP - Wildlife officials lauded Washington's "holistic approach" to conservation in Hawaii after the Obama administration declared 48 species as endangered and announced plans to set aside more than 40 square miles on Kauai as critical habitat to allow the plants and animals to flourish.
Math and English classes could be standardized (AP) ...
AP - Governors and education leaders on Wednesday proposed sweeping new school standards that could lead to students across the country using the same math and English textbooks and taking the same tests, replacing a patchwork of state and local systems in an attempt to raise student achievement nationwide.
Coast Guard: Icebreaker to be reactivated by 2013 (AP) ... AP - After a $62 million overhaul, the Coast Guard will have its third icebeaker back in service in 2013, filling a critical need as the fleet takes on new responsibilities, the commandant of the service said Wednesday.
Miss. school prom off after lesbian's date request (AP) ...
AP - An 18-year-old student says a Mississippi school board that canceled a high school prom did so in retaliation for her request to bring a same-sex date.
Police surprised by teacher-student sex confession (AP) ... AP - In his 28 years with the Burbank Police Department, Sgt. Robert Quesada had never heard of anything quite like it: A well-respected teacher at one of the city's public schools walks into police headquarters and confesses to having an affair with a 14-year-old boy.
Analysis: US hamstrung on Israeli settlements (AP) ...
AP - A year ago, President Barack Obama boldly, unequivocally demanded that Israel stop building settlements on the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Today he's left with little choice but to swallow a stinging and very public rebuke from America's closest Mideast ally.
2 Marine Corps fighter pilots rescued off SC coast (AP) ... AP - Two Marine Corps fighter pilots have been rescued from the ocean off South Carolina after their aircraft went down.
AP Business News Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:41:32 GMT
Trade deficit shrinks as auto and oil imports drop (AP) ...
AP - The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly shrank in January, reflecting a big drop in imports of oil and foreign cars. American exports also fell, a potential blow to hopes that the economic recovery will be aided this year by U.S. sales abroad.
Toyota troubles put spotlight on US safety agency (AP) ...
AP - The government may require automakers to include brake systems that can override the gas pedal in response to Toyota's massive recalls, auto safety officials told Congress on Thursday.
Stocks trade flat on concern about China inflation (AP) ...
AP - Stocks traded in a tight range for a fourth day Thursday after China reported a jump in inflation. Mixed U.S. economic news also held the market back.
Dodd to offer his own financial regulation bill (AP) ...
AP - WASHINGTON AP) — Unable to muster bipartisan agreement on key banking provisions, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said Thursday he will offer his own version of a sweeping overhaul of financial regulations without Republican support.
Stolen Swiss bank data at HSBC hits 24,000 clients (AFP) ...
AFP - A Swiss unit of global banking giant HSBC revealed Thursday that details on 24,000 bank customers may have been leaked in a major security breach that has helped fuel pressure on Switzerland over tax evasion.
Feds pledge tough review of Comcast-NBC deal (AP) ... AP - Federal regulators are pledging a rigorous review of the proposed combination of Comcast Corp. and NBC Universal.
A look at global economic developments (AP) ... AP - A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Wednesday:
Smart Spending: Wedding gifts on a budget (AP) ...
AP - Spring has sprung and so have the wedding invitations. They'll be joyous events, but finding the perfect gifts to bring along can be stressful during these tough economic times.
Summary Box: Smithfield Foods 3Q results (AP) ... AP - RECOVERY: Smithfield Foods Inc., the nation's largest hog producer and pork processor, reported a profit in its third quarter after more than a year of losses.
Police clash with protesters as Greeks fight cuts (Reuters) ...
Reuters - Police clashed with stone-throwing youths in Athens on Thursday as tens of thousands of strikers protested against draconian cutbacks aimed at pulling Greece out of a debt crisis shaking the euro zone.
Stocks Are Quiet While Currencies Scream (The Motley Fool) ... The Motley Fool - After a down January, the stock market is again positive for the year. The much-fabled January effect barometer didn't work in 2009, and it remains to be seen if it will work in 2010. Economic data has continued its slow improvement, keeping stocks fairly calm. The wild action so far this year has been in the currency markets.
CFTC head scolds Wall Street for resisting reforms (Reuters) ... Reuters - The head of the top U.S. futures regulator chided Wall Street on Thursday for resisting calls to make over-the-counter derivatives markets more transparent, arguing major reforms are required after the recent financial crisis.
Retail leaders group spent $850,000 lobbying in 4Q (AP) ... AP - The Retail Industry Leaders Association spent $850,000 in the fourth quarter to lobby on a variety of issues from health care reform to consumer product safety, according to a recent disclosure report.
Summary Box: Foreclosures grow more slowly (AP) ... AP - FORECLOSURES UP: Foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac says the number of households facing foreclosure last month grew 6 percent from a year ago.
Kroger rewards in litigation (AP) ... AP - WANTS A CUT: Irving, Texas-based Excentus Corp. has sued Kroger Co., saying Kroger failed to work out a licensing agreement concerning its gasoline discount rewards. Cincinnati-based Kroger has filed suit asking another federal court to declare it has done nothing wrong.
U.S. traffic deaths down; regulators probed on Toyota (Reuters) ...
Reuters - U.S. traffic deaths in 2009 hit their lowest level in since the mid-1950s, according to preliminary data released ahead of a congressional hearing expected to take a critical view of auto regulators response to recent safety problems at Toyota Motor Corp.
The Ambitions of Prudential's Tidjane Thiam (BusinessWeek) ... BusinessWeek - According to insiders at Prudential Plc , Tidjane Thiam, the chief executive of the insurer which said last week that it was bidding $35.5bn (23.6bn) to buy AIG's Asian insurance business is a firm believer in emotion over analysis.
AP Strange News Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:18:05 GMT
No wine from "burglar" boyfriend for light sleeper (Reuters) ... Reuters - A German woman, fearful that a burglar was trying to break into her second storey apartment, called police after she heard someone climbing up to her balcony shortly after midnight, police said on Thursday.
Japan's spouse hunters hone skills at marriage school (Reuters) ... Reuters - In search of Mr. or Mrs. Right, dozens of Japanese are attending a newly launched school in Tokyo that aims to turn them into marriage material.
Old sea dog sets tongues wagging at Crufts (Reuters) ... Reuters - A 16th century dog, the only known female to have served aboard King Henry VIII's ill-fated flagship the Mary Rose, has stolen the show at Britain's Crufts dog show this year.
New Zealander auctions "ghosts" in a bottle (Reuters) ... Reuters - A New Zealand woman sold two vials that she said contained the ghosts of an old man and a young girl for almost NZ$2,000 ($1,410) after a fiercely contested online auction, local media reported.
Air Canada learns that hockey trumps flying (Reuters) ...
Reuters - Canada's largest airline has learned it sometimes has to take a back seat to the country's biggest sporting passion, ice hockey, the head of Air Canada said on Tuesday.
"Dead" baby elephant calf born alive in Sydney zoo (Reuters) ...
Reuters - An elephant gave birth to a calf at Sydney's main zoo on Wednesday, surprising vets and keepers who two days earlier declared the baby had died in the womb.
Canada Parliament eats seal to defy "ignorant" EU (Reuters) ...
Reuters - Canadian parliamentarians tucked into a meal of seal meat on Wednesday to defy both animal right activists and the European Union, which has banned imports of seal products.
Cyprus holds two for theft of ex-leader's corpse (Reuters) ...
Reuters - A court in Cyprus remanded two men in custody Wednesday on suspicion of snatching the corpse of former Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, holding it for ransom for three months until its discovery Monday.
Residents flee Angolan village invaded by elephants (Reuters) ... Reuters - Wild elephants rampaged through a southern village in Angola last weekend, destroying farms and dozens of houses and prompting most of its 4,000 residents to flee to neighboring Namibia, a local official said Tuesday.
Chocolate-powered racecar makes sustainability sexy (Reuters) ... Reuters - Fueled by leftover chocolate and with components made from carrots, potato starch and flax, the world's first sustainable Formula 3 racing car has a top speed of 135 miles per hour and can go from zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds.
U.S. blacks, Hispanics losing more sleep over worries (Reuters) ... Reuters - Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely than whites and Asians to lose sleep over job and money worries, a sleep survey released on Monday found.
Canada drops plans for politically correct anthem (Reuters) ... Reuters - Don't mess with a century-old tradition even if it is sexist, Canadians told the Conservative government this week, forcing Ottawa to scrap plans to make the country's national anthem gender-neutral.
Aussie underwear has gone bananas (Reuters) ... Reuters - Australian underwear company AussieBum has been monkeying around and the result is a range of men's underwear made with bananas.
Hamas bans men from women's hair salons in Gaza (Reuters) ...
Reuters - The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Thursday banned men in the Gaza Strip from working in women's hair salons, vowing to arrest and try offenders.