Deep Throat Identity Confirmed

Identity of Deep Throat Confirmed...Now For His Motive...W. Mark Felt wanted to become FBI director. President Nixon and his closest aides thought that ambition might make Felt the ideal person to sidetrack an FBI investigation into the Watergate burglary.They couldn't have been more wrong.Rather than helping shield Nixon, Felt became the best-known anonymous source in history. As "Deep Throat," he was a key figure in the scandal that eventually led to Nixon's resignation.
Information was traveling from Felt, the No. 2 official at the FBI, to the news columns of The Washington Post via reporter Bob Woodward, snippets from a criminal investigation that led ultimately to the president... Link

Bear Takes A Dip In The Pool

Here in Florida we get our fair share of alligators taking a swim in our pools but I can't imagine going in my backyard and finding a 150 pound bear doing laps in my pool...Police were called to a house in the San Fernando Valley to deal with the interloper.Along with wildlife officials, they tranquilised the bear and returned it to the wild in the Santa Susana mountains.

Rare albino alligator

What's eight feet long, white all over, and goes through 2,000 teeth in his lifetime? It's a rare albino alligator, and right now he's lounging in his new home at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.How rare is this 15 year old, 90 pound, 8 foot long albino alligator? There are only 40 in the world.Click title for Albino alligator story and pic.

Gator torturing caught on tape
ROYAL PALM BEACH - Nicole Hallman looked out the back window of her Palm Beach Trace apartment Sunday and saw four men attacking an alligator.
''They were torturing it,'' she said. ``They were carving at it. It was disgusting.''
Hallman recorded about two-minutes of the incident on her video camera while she called the police. The men had beaten, shot and stabbed the alligator and had begun hacking out its entrails. A mattock, an ax-like tool, was buried in the creature's head. Link

Man In Darth Vader Mask Robs Orlando Store

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Police in Orlando are searching for a suspect who wore a Darth Vader mask to rob a convenience store early Tuesday, according to Local 6 News.Investigators said the man entered a 7-Eleven store located on North Lane and Pine Hills Road and stole money and cigarettes.

Captives told to claim torture

An al Qaeda handbook preaches to operatives to level charges of torture once captured, a training regime that administration officials say explains some of the charges of abuse at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.The American Civil Liberties Union last week posted on its Web site 2002 FBI documents regarding accusations from suspected al Qaeda and Taliban detainees at the detention center. The organization had won a court decision that forced the administration to release scores of e-mails between agents who had interviewed captives.

In a raid on an al Qaeda cell in Manchester, British authorities seized al Qaeda's most extensive manual for how to wage war.A directive lists one mission as "spreading rumors and writing statements that instigate people against the enemy." If captured, the manual states, "At the beginning of the trial ... the brothers must insist on proving that torture was inflicted on them by state security before the judge. Complain of mistreatment while in prison." The handbook instructs commanders to make sure operatives, or "brothers," understand what to say if captured.

"It bears emphasis that the vast majority of detainees held by the U.S. in the global war on terror have been treated humanely and that the overwhelming majority of U.S. personnel have served honorably," Adm. Church wrote.

Purported al-Zarqawi tape addresses bin Laden

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi suffered only a minor combat wound and called on Osama bin Laden to put an unspecified plan into motion, according to an audiotaped statement attributed Monday to the Jordanian-born terrorist.
CNN has not confirmed the voice on the recording is al-Zarqawi's. The statement was posted on an Islamist Web site that has carried previous messages from al-Zarqawi and his group, al Qaeda in Iraq.The CIA will be able to confirm whether or not the voice is that of Zarqawi.

Arizona border checks blocked

U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints near the Mexican border are essential in stopping the flow of illegal aliens and drugs into America, say law-enforcement authorities, but permanent checkpoints in southern Arizona are not allowed.While Border Patrol agents in Arizona accounted for more than half of the 1.15 million illegals caught last year, Congress -- led by Rep. Jim Kolbe, Arizona Republican -- steadfastly has approved appropriation bills that prohibit permanent checkpoints along a 260-mile section of the Arizona border known as the Tucson sector.

Opposition backs off on toppling government

Paul Martin's Liberals have been given some breathing room, as the Conservatives are not expected to introduce a non-confidence motion on Tuesday to try and topple the government.The Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois have their opposition days on Tuesday and Friday respectively, meaning they can set the agenda those days and introduce non-confidence motions.

Report tracks U.S. groups' tsunami aid

A spending rate of 17 percent in 3 months, group says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- U.S. aid groups used about 17 percent of private donations to help tsunami survivors in the first three months after the Indian Ocean tragedy in December, according to a report released Tuesday.
InterAction, an umbrella group representing more than 160 U.S.-based aid organizations, detailed how some 60 member groups used funds donated by the public in the first 90 days after the tsunami, which devastated coastal communities from Somalia to Indonesia.

Deep Throat Reportedly Comes Forward

Former Top Official at FBI Reportedly Admits He Was Deep Throat Source That Led to Nixon Resignation

A former FBI official claims he was "Deep Throat," the long-anonymous source who leaked secrets about President Nixon's Watergate coverup to The Washington Post, Vanity Fair reported Tuesday.
W. Mark Felt, 91, who was second-in-command at the FBI in the early 1970s, kept the secret even from his family until 2002, when he confided to a friend that he had been Post reporter Bob Woodward's source, the magazine said.
"I'm the guy they used to call Deep Throat," he told lawyer John D. O'Connor, the author of the Vanity Fair article, the magazine said in a news release.

Paris Hilton Engaged To...Paris

Perhaps the biggest question on everyone's mind now is: What kind of wedding present is appropriate for a pair of twentysomething mega-millionaires?A spokesperson for Paris Hilton confirmed on Monday that the 24-year-old hotel heiress/queen of all media is engaged to her boyfriend of eight months, Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis, 27.People magazine broke the news on their Web site Monday, and Hilton spokesperson Rob Shuter said the pair are "happy and excited" about the announcement, according to The Associated Press. Latsis proposed to Hilton on Wednesday after "The Simple Life" star returned from a three-week European publicity tour to pump her horror flick remake, "House of Wax" and her new fragrance. It will be the first marriage for both. The couple had an engagement barbecue on Saturday for 75 friends and family at their Hollywood Hills home.

Homicide Bomber In Pakistan Mosque Kills 5

Suicide Bombing at Shiite Muslim Mosque in Pakistan Leaves Five Dead, Several Injured

KARACHI, Pakistan:The attack occurred at the Madinatul Ilm Imambargah in eastern Karachi, said Asif Ijaz, a Karachi police official. Three attackers stole an automatic weapon from a police guard outside the mosque and shot him to death, Ijaz said.
Other policemen opened fire, killing one of the killing one of the attackers and wounding another, and an officer also was killed, he said.
But the third attacker managed to get inside the mosque and detonated a bomb strapped to his body, Ijaz said. One worshipper died and four were seriously injured, while 16 others were treated for lesser wounds, said Zafar Hussain, an administrator of the mosque.About 1,000 Shiites, many beating their chests in mourning, burned about a dozen vehicles, a restaurant, two gas stations and eight shops near the mosque, Ijaz said. Two electricity transformers were also set on fire, plunging the neighborhood into darkness.

Court Papers Detail Terror Arrest Charges

Court Papers Detail Charges Against Alleged Terror Backers Arrested in Florida, New York

Two American citizens facing a terrorism charge one a doctor and the other a self-described martial arts expert became enthusiastic followers of al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden before their arrests, according to court papers released Monday.
Dr. Rafiq Abdus Sabir, 50, of Boca Raton, Fla., and Tarik Shah, 42, of New York,were arrested Friday on a charge they conspired to provide material support to al-Qaida, an FBI agent said.
If convicted, each could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

"Europe's shattered dream: Blair to challenge Chirac "

· Britain prepares to ditch treaty

· France asked if it plans second poll to save constitution

Britain and other members of "new Europe" are planning to challenge Jacques Chirac to declare whether the EU constitution is dead or alive after the emphatic French no in Sunday's referendum.
Amid surprise that Paris and Berlin appear determined to press ahead with the ratification process after a 55% no vote, Mr Chirac will be asked in private whether France will be consulted again in a second poll - the only way of reviving the constitution.A negative response from the French president will pave the way for Britain, the Czech Republic and Poland - which are all facing tough referendums - to cancel their polls on the grounds that the constitution is dead.

Miss Canada Is Crowned 2005 Miss Universe

Miss Canada Natalie Glebova Crowned 2005 Miss Universe in Thailand, Beating Four Latin Americans

BANGKOK, Thailand: Miss Canada, Natalie Glebova, was crowned Miss Universe in the 54th annual pageant held in the Thai capital of Bangkok. The brunette from Toronto was chosen over Miss Puerto Rico Cynthia Olavarria.
The two were among five contestants selected to answer questions onstage in the final round of the competition. The others were from Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.Glebova, 23, was asked what she considered the biggest challenge of her life. She said it was remaining optimistic."I always try to maintain a positive outlook on life," she said.Earlier, the 12-judge panel narrowed the field of 81 contestants to 15, then 10 as the Miss Universe hopefuls modeled evening gowns and swimsuits.During the event broadcast live, hosts introduced the contestants, judges and last year's winner, Australia's Jennifer Hawkins.

General slams Amnesty report

Gen. Richard B. Myers yesterday condemned as "absolutely irresponsible" an Amnesty International report that compared prisoner treatment at Guantanamo Bay to the Soviet gulag, adding that 100 out of 68,000 detainees held in the war against terrorism were abused. "It's very small compared to the population of detainees we've handled," said Gen. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also noted that many of the abuses have produced courts-martial and other punishments.

"I think I'd ask them to go look up the definition of gulag as commonly understood. We've had 68,000 detainees since this conflict against violent extremism started. We've had 325 investigations into alleged abuse. We've had 100 cases of substantiated abuse and there are 100 individuals that have had some sort of action taken, either court-martial or administrative action," Gen. Myers said.

The Soldiers Long Goodbye

Frank W. Buckles was a 16-year-old Missouri farm boy when he joined the Army in July 1917 as one of more than 4.7 million Americans enlisted during what was known then as the Great War. Today, the 104-year-old Mr. Buckles, a retired West Virginia cattle farmer, is among at least 50 American World War I veterans still living, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).Those few dozen are among the nearly 25 million surviving U.S. veterans, which includes about 18.4 million war veterans. The rest served during peacetime.

As one of the oldest surviving veterans, Mr. Buckles may attend ceremonies today marking Memorial Day. He recalls one such commemoration that took place six years ago when French President Jacques Chirac presented him and three other World War I veterans with the French Legion of Honor. "The French Embassy even sent a stretch limo to my farm to pick me up. That was a surprise," says Mr. Buckles, who was interviewed for the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress five years ago.

Army's 'Old Guard' blacksmith forges 3 decades of service

ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- Monday is Pete Cote's final Memorial Day as the chief civilian blacksmith for Army horses used at Arlington National Cemetery.Cote is retiring after more than three decades of preparing horses for cemetery caissons -- from the Vietnam War to the Persian Gulf War through the war in Iraq.At Fort Myer, Virginia, home of the Army's so-called "Old Guard" unit -- the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment -- Cote's farrier shop greets visitors with the smell of burning coal and the sound of hammer on steel."Everybody wants a job that they enjoy," Cote says. "And about 90 percent of the people do not have that type of job I've got -- a job that I absolutely love."

Surfing Pioneer Dale Velzy Dies at 77

Surfing Pioneer Dale Velzy Dies of Lung Cancer in California at Age 77

Dale Velzy, a surfing pioneer who helped popularize the sport along the California coast and was once the world's biggest surfboard maker, died at 77.He died Thursday of lung cancer at the Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, hospital administrative supervisor Brian Noakes said Monday.Velzy also helped launch the surfing-movie genre by providing money for the 1957 film "Slippery When Wet."

Slain Lebanon Premier's Son Wins Election

The son of assassinated former premier Rafik Hariri swept Beirut legislative elections, officials said Monday, in a solid rejection of Syrian influence that marked a turning point in Lebanese politics.
Saad Hariri, a 35-year-old political novice who took over his father's mantle only in April, headed a ticket that won all 19 parliament seats up for grabs in the capital Sunday in the first election since Syria ended its nearly three-decade military domination of Lebanon in April.

EU faces crisis after France rejects EU charter

PARIS (Reuters) - France overwhelmingly rejected the European Union constitution on Sunday, pitching the EU deep into crisis and dealing a potentially fatal blow to a charter designed to make the enlarged bloc run smoothly.
EU leaders said after a referendum "no" vote that the treaty was not dead and member states should continue the ratification process. But British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the rejection raised profound questions about the future of the EU.
The heavy defeat dreaded by EU leaders could weaken France in the 25-member bloc, stall European integration and unsettle some financial markets. It also wounds President Jacques Chirac two years before presidential and parliamentary elections.
"The French people have given a huge smack in the face to an entire system that has the nerve to tell us what to think," said nationalist French politician Philippe de Villiers, a leading opponent of the charter. "The constitution is no more." .......

Heat Shut Down Pistons in 113-104 Victory

Miami Heat Shut Down Pistons 113-104
Miami scored 11 points from the foul line during a 13-4 run that put the Heat ahead for good midway through the fourth quarter, and the Pistons lost control of their emotions to such a degree that Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups were hit with technical fouls in the fourth quarter for screaming in disgust at the officials.Pistons coach Larry Brown got in on the act, too, venting his displeasure with sarcastic shouts after he realized the game had slipped away from his team.Wade scored 21 of his 36 points in the first half, getting limited in the final 24 minutes by Lindsey Hunter's defense and some foul trouble of his own.
Wade was able to hit a jumper over Tayshaun Prince with 2:46 left, shortly after checking back in for the final time, to give Miami a 102-93 lead that made the crowd begin scurrying for the exits.
O'Neal finished with 24 points for the Heat, and Eddie Jones had 19. O'Neal made his first six foul shots of the fourth quarter and finished 8-for-12 from the line.

White House reviewing anti-terrorism approach-paper

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration is undertaking a review of its anti-terrorism strategy in recognition that the al Qaeda network has morphed substantially in past years, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.Frances Fragos Townsend,President Bush's top adviser on terrorism, told the newspaper the review was meant to broaden the U.S. approach from its focus on capturing and killing al Qaeda leaders linked to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."Naturally, the enemy has adapted," she was quoted saying. "As you capture a Khalid Sheik Mohammed, an Abu Faraj al-Libbi raises up. Nature abhors a vacuum."

Iran council approves nuclear plan

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's Guardian Council has put its stamp of approval on a measure passed by parliament earlier this month requiring the government to develop nuclear technology, including uranium enrichment.The council's decision on Saturday was reported by the state-run TV and radio service, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.The measure says the government is charged with the duty of acquiring technology for peaceful purposes under the framework of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and international law......

Yudhoyono orders bomb probe

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered police to find those responsible for Saturday's twin bomb blasts that killed 22 people in a mainly Christian town on the island of Sulawesi.So far there has been no claim of responsibility, and Yudhoyono said he would not speculate on the perpetrators.Earlier, Vice President Yusuf Kalla said he was sure the bombings were not the work of locals, but of people from outside the region, Antara news agency reported.The two bombs exploded about 15 minutes apart in a crowded market in the town of Tentena on Saturday morning.Tentena is a largely Christian area, but Muslims also live there...

Crane Standoff Ends

A 56-hour standoff with a homicide suspect perched on a construction crane ended peacefully early Saturday when police shocked him with a stun gun as he reached for a cup of water, authorities said. "Apparently, he was thirsty," police spokesman Sgt. John Quigley said. Carl Edward Roland, 41, got onto the 18-story crane around 5 p.m. Wednesday and told police he was thinking of killing himself by jumping, authorities said. The standoff unfolded above Atlanta's busy Buckhead neighborhood, an area filled with clubs and restaurants. Lunch and dinner crowds, taking advantage of summer-like weather, have packed restaurant patios with clear views of the standoff.Roland was wanted by the Pinellas County, Fla., sheriff's department in the death of ex-girlfriend Jennifer L. Gonzalez, 36, whose body was found Tuesday.

Saudi King Fahd reportedly in stable condition

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi King Fahd, whose oil-rich kingdom became a close U.S. ally during his 23-year rule, was reported in stable condition and improving Saturday, a day after he was hospitalized for unspecified medical tests.An official at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh said Fahd's health was "improving, albeit slowly." He said the king had a fever and "water in the lungs," but his temperature was coming down...

France braced for crunch EU vote

Voters in France are set to head to the polls for a key referendum on the European Union's planned constitution.
Citizens in overseas territories such as the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe voted on Saturday.
The French decision is expected to be close on an issue which correspondents say has polarised the nation.
The constitution aims to streamline decision-making in the enlarged EU of 25 countries. It has to be ratified by all member states to become law.

Update:France rejects EU treaty Link

Merci Thierry nous indiquant ce qui se produit en France de quelqu'un qui est réellement là... espoir de I d'avoir de vos nouvelles encore bientôt... que c'est grande... dans le monde entier communication.......

Class of 9-11 Graduates From West Point

West Point 'Class of 9-11,' Who Enrolled Just Before Attacks, Graduates Into Wartime Military

Graduating U.S. Military Academy cadets who came here just weeks before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were told Saturday they were a special group forged by historic events.
Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the class "one of the few since the early days of the Vietnam War who came to West Point in peace time, saw the nation transition to war and chose to stay, knowing you would raise your right hand and take an oath and swear to defend the constitution of a nation that was still at war."
The Class of 2005 is nicknamed the "Class of 9-11" and, ironically, the number of graduates was 911.

Forgotten POW flag now a memorial

A soldier held in Japanese prison camps in World War II secretly painted stars and stripes on pilfered paper hidden from his captors, then held the flag up high to greet American planes flying overhead when his camp was liberated.
After returning home, Cpl. Millard Orsini consigned the object of his secret work to a closet. He rarely mentioned the war or the moldering flag, and died in 1978 from a heart attack.

Texas Lawmakers OK Life Without Parole Bill

Texas Governor to Consider Bill Allowing Life in Prison Without Parole After State Senate Passage

A bill that would give jurors in the No. 1 death penalty state the option of sentencing murderers to life in prison without parole is headed to the governor's desk.
The state Senate on Saturday approved the measure on a 25-6 vote. Republican Gov. Rick Perry has said the issue was ripe for debate among lawmakers but has not indicated whether he would sign the measure into law or veto it.
Death penalty opponents hope the proposal reduces the number of executions in Texas. They have argued that prosecutors use the prospect that a killer will someday be back out on the streets to scare juries into issuing more death sentences.

Military Says Helicopter Crashes in Iraq

U.S. Military Says Helicopter Crashes North of Baghdad After Coming Under Small Arms Fire
An American helicopter was shot down Thursday night near Baghdad while another was hit but landed safely, the U.S. military said. There was no word on the conditions of those aboard the downed aircraft.An announcement said that two Task Force Liberty helicopters were struck by small arms fire at 10:50 p.m. while conducting operations in support of coalition forces near Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad.It said one helicopter, an OH-58 Kiowa carrying two people, landed safely at nearby base after sustaining damage.The statement didn't say if anyone was injured aboard the Kiowa nor did it provide any details of the other crashed aircraft, including the number of people aboard and the type of helicopter. The "status of the aircrew is unknown at this time," it said."Coalition forces responded to the scene and secured the site," the announcement said.

Paris Hilton Hamburger Commercial...To see the Ad click Here

Thought Police Don't Love Paris Hilton

We love Paris when she's flighty.... Fast food chain Carl's Jr. is trying to sell burgers worth a trillion bucks with their new ads featuring Miss Hilton.The Parents Television Council has objected to the new Paris Hilton TV ad for the The Spicy BBQ Six Dollar Burger. It's a free country, that's their right. There's just so much more to jeer about.The ad is being shown in Western states where there are Carl's Jr. restaurants. Everyone else can check it out @...Click title for link to story(SpoofNews/Satire) and video: Paris Hilton Hamburger commercial.

Egypt votes 'yes' for key electoral reform

A constitutional amendment introducing the first direct and contested presidential elections in Egypt won 82.9 percent approval in a referendum, Interior Minister Habib el-Adli announced on Thursday. Opposition denounced the results as "black comedy" and "total farce."Despite boycott calls by six opposition groups, including the popular Muslim Brotherhood, the Interior Ministry said in its statement that 54 percent of Egypt's 32 million registered voters - about 16.4 million Egyptians had participated.The Ministry said the figure was higher than in recent parliamentary elections. There was no independent, outside monitoring of the election results or turnout estimate."The voting masses have realized that political participation within the framework of constitutional legitimacy is the safe path towards the future, and that everyone is responsible for rejecting calls of sedition and division,"Adly said in a statement he read live on Egyptian TV.

Stolen computer contains personal info of thousands

WINNIPEG,Canada - The personal information of thousands of Canadians may be in the hands of criminals after a break-in at a benefits administration office in Winnipeg.
The offices of Prudent Benefits Administration Services were broken into on May 2. The company administers employee benefit plans, such as health and dental plans, on behalf of other employers.Police say at least one of the company's computers was stolen, and the machine's hard drive contains the names, addresses, social insurance numbers and other personal data of thousands of employees and retirees from several companies...

Marine Cleared in Deaths of Two Iraqis

Marines Drop Murder Charges Against Officer Accused in Grisly Shooting Deaths of Two Iraqis

The Marine Corps dropped murder charges Thursday against an officer accused of riddling two Iraqis with bullets and hanging a warning sign on their corpses as a grisly example to other suspected insurgents.
Autopsies conducted on the Iraqis' exhumed bodies backed 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano's assertion that he shot them in self-defense after the men disobeyed his instructions and made a menacing move toward him, Marine officials said.
"The initial findings of the autopsies did not support the allegation that 2nd Lt. Pantano committed premeditated murder," Marine spokesman 2nd Lt. Barry Edwards said. "Rather, the initial findings corroborated 2nd Lt. Pantano's version of the events."

Bush pledges $50 million in aid for Palestinians

President Bush pledged $50 million in aid for the Palestinians on Thursday and gave an unusually tough message to Israel to halt settlement expansion and other steps that could block a final peace deal. Standing with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at a White House Rose Garden news conference, Bush said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah to consult with Israeli and Palestinian leaders before Israel's planned August pullout from the Gaza Strip.

China welcomes Uzbek president

China welcomed the Uzbek president, Islam Karimov, to a summit meeting yesterday, saying the two countries stood united against terrorism.
With western countries calling for an independent inquiry into the reported killing of hundreds of civilian protesters earlier this month, Mr Karimov received support and gestures of friendship from China.The Chinese premier, Hu Jintao, called Mr Karimov "an old friend of the Chinese people" during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People, China's parliament.

Zarqawi is hurt, Iraq Interior Minister confirms

BAGHDAD: Iraq's Interior Minister last night confirmed Jordanian born terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been wounded."We received information five days ago saying Zarqawi had been wounded but we don't know the seriousness of his injuries," Interior Minister Bayan Baqer Solagh said at a press conference with Defence Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi.
Mr Dulaimi announced that a security cordon was to be set up around Baghdad involving about 40,000 soldiers and police and hundreds of checkpoints in an effort to thwart insurgent attacks, which have cost more than 600 lives nationwide this month.
"We're going to set up a security cordon around Baghdad ... and it will be impossible for terrorists to cross," he claimed, saying the plan would come into operation next week.
The confirmation of Zarqawi's wounding came as al-Qa'ida's branch in Iraq denied it had named a stand-in for the terrorist leader.An Islamic website claimed Zarqawi had fled to a "neighbouring country" with two doctors, a Saudi and a Sudanese, treating him for gunshot wounds to his lung.

Dwayne Wade dunks the ball against the Detroit Pistons...

Dwayne Wade Dunk...Wade scored 40 points in the Heat victory.

The Miami Heat beat Detroit Wednesday night,92-86 to even the series @ 1-1...The next game will be in Detroit.AP Photo.

Click title for more info and another Dwayne Wade jam picture..."Lets Go Heat"

Tell Me About It...

Iran to Keep "Nuclear Freeze"

European foreign ministers said Wednesday they had averted a crisis with Iran over its nuclear program, winning a tentative pledge from the Islamic republic to continue a freeze on sensitive work pending the resumption of negotiations this summer.
The agreement, reached in talks, deferred immediate referral of the issue to the U.N. Security Council. The referral would have escalated pressure on Iran dramatically. Iran's pledge also allowed for a respite in efforts to reach a final, permanent deal under which Iran would get economic and diplomatic benefits in return for addressing Western concerns that its nuclear program is a cover for weapons development.

Runaway Bride Indicted for Phony Story

Runaway Bride Jennifer Wilbanks Indicted on Charges of Reporting a False Crime

The bride-to-be who skipped town just days before her lavish wedding was indicted Wednesday on charges she told police a phony story about being kidnapped and sexually assaulted.
Jennifer Wilbanks, 32, was charged with making a false statement and making a false police report. She could get up to six years behind bars and $11,000 in fines if convicted.She could also be ordered to reimburse authorities for the more than $50,000 cost of the search set off by her disappearance...

Secret tapings latest controversy to cloud Parliament Hill

OTTAWA - The Conservatives say they're willing to give the RCMP tapes of conversations between one of their members of Parliament and Liberal officials, but they haven't decided whether to make them public.
Gurmant Grewal, a Conservative MP from British Columbia, claims he and his wife were offered political favours if they sat out a crucial confidence vote in the House of Commons last week.Grewal says he has hours of tape recordings to prove his allegations. But the Liberals deny any wrongdoing and are calling on Grewal to make his tapes public...

NASA: Voyager I enters solar system's final frontier

The Voyager I spacecraft has moved into the solar system's final frontier, a vast area where the sun's influence gives way to interstellar space, NASA's Web site reports.
"Voyager has entered the final lap on its race to the edge of interstellar space, as it begins exploring the solar system's final frontier..."At 8.7 billion miles from the sun, Voyager I has entered the heliosheath, a region beyond termination shock -- the critical boundary that marks the transition from the solar system into interstellar space....

Shields up...Red Alert...

U.S. Closes Embassy, Offices in Indonesia

United States Closes Embassy, All Diplomatic Offices in Indonesia, Citing Security Threat

The United States closed its embassy and all other diplomatic offices in Indonesia Thursday, citing a security threat.
The decision comes a week after Australia urged its citizens to avoid traveling to Indonesia because of a warning by police in Jakarta about possible suicide bombings, particularly at embassies, international schools, office buildings and shopping malls.In an e-mailed statement, U.S. officials said the American embassy in Jakarta, the consulate in the city of Surabaya and all other American government facilities would be closed. They also reaffirmed earlier warnings that the threat of terrorism in Indonesia "remains high," but did not elaborate on what led to the closings Thursday.

House OKs bill on stem cells

The House yesterday passed a bill to ease restrictions on human-embryonic-stem-cell research, but it did not gain enough votes to overcome a promised presidential veto.The bill, co-sponsored by Reps. Michael N. Castle, Delaware Republican, and Diana DeGette, Colorado Democrat, calls for nearly 400,000 human embryos currently in cold storage to be used for experimentation...

Carrie Underwood is newest American Idol

In a showdown billed as "the country girl with heart versus the Southern rocker with soul," heart won. Carrie Underwood, the pride of Checotah, Okla., was named the new "American Idol" at the end of last night's telecast, fulfilling judge Simon Cowell's prophecy.But Cowell last night also praised America for "getting it absolutely right" by making Bo Bice, a nimble blues-influenced singer from Helena, Ala., first runner-up. Actually, it's only a fraction of Americans who vote, but as judge Paula Abdul said of Underwood's bad notes Tuesday, "who cares?" at this point...

Europeans Open Talks With Iran on Nuclear Program

European officials who met with Iranian negotiators yesterday to discuss the country's nuclear program went further than the Bush administration had wanted by leaving open the possibility that Tehran could conduct preliminary work with uranium in the future, said diplomats from several countries involved in the talks in Brussels.

Korea-U.S. summit in Washington on June 10

Chance to Dissolve Differences and Dispel Distrust

The Korea-U.S. summit in Washington on June 10 comes at an especially critical juncture for Korea's peace and bilateral alliance. President Roh Moo-hyun will have to fly 30 hours for three hours of working luncheon with his U.S. counterpart. The no-frills, businesslike summit conversely demonstrates the urgency of addressing security issues and closing rifts, if any, in their decades-old friendship.

U.S. troops launch new offensive in western Iraq

About 1,000 U.S. Marines, sailors and soldiers encircled this Euphrates River city in the troubled Anbar province Wednesday, killing at least three insurgents after launching the second major operation in this vast western region in less than a month, an official said.
The offensives are aimed at uprooting insurgents who have killed more than 620 people since a new Iraqi government was announced on April 28.

Lionel Tate faces charges in holdup and parole violation

Lionel Tate, the young killer who got a second, then a third, chance at freedom, will almost certainly go to prison if convicted on charges he held up a pizza deliveryman.
For Tate's supporters,many of whom campaigned to free him of a life sentence, news of Monday night's arrest was met with dismay and shock. Critics, however, say they expected no less...Tate, 18, is being held without bond at the Broward County Jail. He is expected to appear today on a video hookup from jail for his first court appearance.
A probation violation hearing to determine Tate's fate following Monday's arrest has not yet been scheduled, but criminal experts say the culinary arts student is almost certain to face significant jail time. The judge could extend his probation, or he could give the teenager life in prison after hearing the state's evidence on Monday's assault and robbery charge.

Deal Reached in Senate Showdown...

Centrists from both parties reached a compromise Monday night to avoid a showdown on President Bush's stalled judicial nominees and the Senate's own filibuster rules, officials from both parties said.

Officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the agreement would clear the way for yes-or-no votes on some of Bush's nominees, but make no guarantee... Click title for link.

Florida Girl, 8, Found Alive After Kidnapping

Lake Worth, Fla. — An 8-year-old girl who had been sexually assaulted and buried under rocks in a trash bin was found alive Sunday by an officer searching a landfill, authorities said. A teenager was charged with attempted murder.
The girl had minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, they said. Her condition was not immediately known.Milagro Cunningham, 17, who had been staying at the house of the girl's godmother, was charged with attempted murder, sexual battery on a child under 12, and false imprisonment of a victim under 13 years old, police said.Police Sgt. Mike Hall was scouring the landfill for the girl Sunday morning when he looked inside the trash bin and saw a yellow recycling container with a lid on it. When he opened the lid, he "saw a bunch of rocks, a foot and a hand" ...

Bill Clinton..."Whenever in our history people have believed that violence is a legitimate extension of politics they have been wrong..."

President Clinton's Address After the Oklahoma City Bombing-1995

"...So I ask you to hear me now. It is one thing to believe that the federal government has too much power and to work within the law to reduce it. It is quite another to break the law of the land and threaten to shoot officers of the law if all they do is their duty to uphold it... Freedom of political speech will never justify violence--never. Our founding fathers created a system of laws in which reason could prevail over fear. Without respect for this law there is no freedom... If you treat law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line for your safety every day like some kind of enemy army to be suspected, derided and, if they should enforce the law against you, to be shot, you are wrong... How dare you suggest that we in the freest nation on Earth live in tyranny.

How dare you call yourselves patriots and heroes...there is nothing patriotic about hating your country, or pretending that you can love your country but despise your government. There is nothing heroic about turning your back on America, or ignoring your own responsibilities. If you want to preserve your own freedom, you must stand up for the freedom of others with whom you disagree. But you also must stand up for the rule of law. You cannot have one without the other.
The real American heroes today are the citizens who get up every morning and have the courage to work hard and play by the rules--the mother who stays up the extra half hour after a long day's work to read her child a story; the rescue worker who digs with his hands in the rubble as the building crumbles about him; the neighbor who lives side-by-side with people different from himself; the government worker who quietly and efficiently labors to see to it that the programs we depend on are honestly and properly carried out; most of all, the parent who works long years for modest pay and sacrifices so that his or her children can have the education that you have had, and the chances you are going to have."...Bill Clinton-1995
Picture:Prior to Presidential Election 2004,The little girl in the picture had her Bush/Cheney poster ripped by "left wingers" at a political rally.

Bush Condemns Stem Cell Research

George Bush expressed concern about embryonic stem cell research saying it is a science that destroys life before it saves life. The US president said he will veto any bill that backs embryonic stem cell research. He said he will make it clear to Congress that the use of (US) federal money to promote a science that destroys life in order to save life will be vetoed.Meanwhile, researchers in South Korea, UK and Canada are making breakthroughs which could eventually see the "end of suffering" for millions of people throughout the world. Professor Hwank Woo-suk, South Korea, and his team have just created stem cells that are a perfect genetic match for a specified patient with an incurable disease.

Illegal copies of new Star Wars on sale in China...

BEIJING: Unauthorised disks of the latest Star Wars blockbuster were on sale on the streets of Beijing on Sunday, just days after the film premiered in China.
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith opened across China at midnight on Thursday, about the same time it premiered elsewhere in the world, in an attempt to beat the pirates.
But pirated disks were available everywhere by Sunday.
"These just came in this morning. The quality is very good, they're not like those pirated copies that are filmed in the cinema," a Beijing vendor said as he fished a pirated DVD from behind a bush and offered to sell it for 7 yuan.
The Motion Picture Association of America estimates that about 95 per cent of DVDs sold in China are pirated, costing the US film industry $280 million last year alone.

Iran Warns Europe to Make Nuke Talks Work

Europeans Have More to Lose Than Tehran if Nuke Complaint Goes to U.N., Iranian Official Says

Iran's foreign minister said Sunday that Europe has more to lose than Tehran if the Western countries ask the U.N. Security Council to take action on its nuclear program.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi warned that if this week's talks with France, Britain and Germany fail, Iran would act on its own.
"The Europeans will sustain more damage than us if the talks have no result and Iran's case is taken to the U.N. Security Council," Asefi told reporters."The case will turn into a crisis they cannot manage any longer and the Islamic Republic will act unilaterally," he warned, without elaborating.
The 25-nation European Union has threatened to take Iran to the Security Council for possible sanctions if it resumes nuclear fuel development, an early stage in preparing raw uranium that could be used either to fuel a power reactor or for a nuclear weapon. Iran suspended such activities as a good will gesture in November.

Germany set for early election

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder plans to seek early elections following his party's devastating loss of a key powerbase in Sunday's local poll.
The Social Democrat Party leader made the proposal as exit polls showed the SPD had been ousted after 39 years in power in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The opposition had focused on the huge unemployment in the state.
And the general election, which may now come this autumn, may turn on the same issue, says the BBC's Ray Furlong.

...

Honorable Mention

A shot out to our bro Mars currently deployed in Iraq...we miss you buddy and were praying for your safe return...Were proud of you and have a cold one waiting for ya ..............Semper Fi

A shot out to Lt. Mike99mws....great job in the "speech"...looking forward to you wrapping it up and coming back down to Miami for some fishing and hanging out old school style..."Get R Done"

A shot out to Sarge...AKA Sargini...congrats on the blizzog and getting back on the work horse....."Its All In The Stars"....make sure to scope it out folks.....

Click Here To Visit...Its All In The Stars...

Add another member to the bloggy blog world....The great Sargini posting @ Its All In The Stars is getting her going again...Enter the realm of discussion where Libras,Scorpios,Virgos, and all sun signs are part of the focus..The chinese signs,rat,ox,tiger,rabbit,dragon,snake,horse,goat,monkey,rooster,dog,pig are also included in the subject matter.Sargini posseses a major understanding for these topics and has a gift for tieing it all together in a matter that deals with the everday issues of our lives.Questions individuals may have about themselves or others can be submitted @ Its All In The Stars...The purpose is not to give you a daily "horrorscope" or a glimse into your future....The intent is far from that....Is your girlfriend a scorpio snake and you would like to know....Is your boss a virgo and you would like to know...Have you been a prick for the last 4 years(muahahahaha) and now your year of the rooster is coming up and you are wondering if the karma police will bring good mojo or...In all seriousness I bear witness to this individuals knowledge base on the subject and know with the fear of god in him,he wants to share what he knows in an effort to help people. Its All In The Stars

NOAA:Tropical Storm ADRIAN Public Advisory

Adrian 3 day Forecast

ADRIAN HEADED FOR THE COAST OF CENTRAL AMERICA... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE COAST OF EL SALVADOR. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE PACIFIC COAST OF GUATEMALA AND THE PACIFIC COAST OF HONDURAS...INCLUDING THE GOLFO DE FONSECA. INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN CENTRAL AMERICA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ADRIAN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 11.4 NORTH..LONGITUDE 91.8 WEST OR ABOUT230 MILES... 370 KM...SOUTHWEST OF SAN SALVADOR EL SALVADOR. ADRIAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST-NORTHEAST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR...AND A GENERALLY NORTH EASTWARD MOTION WITH SOME INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS....POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL OVER OTHER PARTS OF CENTRAL AMERICA DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THESE RAINS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVEL IS POSSIBLE NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. Courtesy...NOAA...click title for link to NOAA.

Tropical Storm ADRIAN Forecast/Advisory

NOAA:TROPICAL STORM ADRIAN FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 2
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP012005
0300Z WED MAY 18 2005

INTERESTS ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST FROM SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO TO
EL SALVADOR SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM.

TROPICAL STORM CENTER LOCATED NEAR 10.3N 94.7W AT 18/0300Z
POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 30 NM

PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE NORTHEAST OR 55 DEGREES AT 4 KT...click title for more info...

Old enemies Iran-Iraq talk border security

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iran's foreign minister arrived in Iraq Tuesday with an olive branch, offering to assist the new Shiite-led government with security along their long common border and provide other help."The Islamic Republic of Iran is fully prepared to assist the formation of the Iraqi government in any field, whether it is in security, economic, or any other field. And this will be a joint effort," Kamal Kharrazi said.He is the highest-ranking representative from the largely Shiite Islamic republic to make an official visit to Iraq in the post-Saddam Hussein era. He met transitional Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, who called the political message of the visit "very important."

'Vocabularians' submit top unlisted words

"Confuzzled?" You must be a "lingweenie."
The editors of Merriam-Webster dictionaries got more than 3,000 entries when, in a lighthearted moment, they asked visitors to their Web site to submit their favorite words that aren't in the dictionary."It was a lot of fun," Arthur Bicknell, a spokesman for the Springfield-based dictionary publisher, said Monday. "We weren't expecting so many. They only had two weeks."Some of the proposed words even gained multiple submissions so the editors came up with an unofficial Top 10 list.

Tensions rise over China currency

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Treasury Department has issued its strongest warning yet to China over its currency, saying the country could be deemed a "manipulative trade partner" if it does not revaluate the yuan soon."It's our view that the time has come" for China to have more flexible exchange rates, U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow said Tuesday.China, which uses exchange controls to artificially peg its currency to the dollar, has been the focus of claims by critics in the United States that its prices from exported goods are artificially low.

Accused Cuban bomber arrested in Miami

MIAMI (Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Tuesday arrested a Cuban exile who slipped into the country in March and is wanted by Venezuela over the bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people nearly 30 years ago.Luis Posada Carriles, 77, a former CIA collaborator and anti-communist activist who has sought political asylum in the United States, was arrested in Miami just hours after he emerged from hiding to give a series of media interviews.
Posada's presence on its soil has presented the United States with the dilemma of how to reconcile its sympathy for politically influential Cuban exiles with its tough stance against terrorism suspects after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.

Rival Koreas extend talks to Thursday

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The two Koreas on Wednesday extended their first direct talks in 10 months for an extra day as South Korea tried to convince the communist North to return to the nuclear bargaining table.
The talks came amid heightened concerns over North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Pyongyang said last week it removed fuel rods from a reactor — a step toward extracting weapons-grade plutonium. There has been speculation that North Korea might be preparing to conduct a nuclear test, which U.S. officials have said would lead to unspecified actions; Japan says it would seek U.N. sanctions.

Navy submarine returns to sea

CFB ESQUIMALT, B.C. - The first of four Canadian navy submarines has returned to sea, after they were all grounded in the wake of the deadly fire aboard HMCS Chicoutimi last fall.CFB ESQUIMALT, B.C. - The first of four Canadian navy submarines has returned to sea, after they were all grounded in the wake of the deadly fire aboard HMCS Chicoutimi last fall.

Ottawa curtails contact with Iran over Kazemi death

OTTAWA - Ottawa plans to limit more diplomatic ties with Iran to boost pressure for justice in the death of Montreal photojournalist Zahra Kazemi.
Until Tehran bows to Canadian demands for an international investigation, Canadian officials will cut off contact in all but three areas, Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew said on Tuesday.He said they'll restrict dealings with Iranian officials to the Kazemi case, Iran's human rights record and its nuclear non-proliferation performance.

Minutemen Undermined

U.S. Border Patrol agents have been ordered not to arrest illegal aliens along the section of the Arizona border where protesters patrolled last month because an increase in apprehensions there would prove the effectiveness of Minuteman volunteers.More than a dozen agents, all of whom asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, said orders relayed by Border Patrol supervisors at the Naco, Ariz., station made it clear that arrests were "not to go up" along the 23-mile section of border that the volunteers monitored to protest illegal immigration...

Heavy Hurricane Season Expected

Hurricane Season Predicted to Be Worse Than Average for East and Gulf Coasts, Reports Say
The East and Gulf coasts can expect another hurricane season that's worse than average, the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday.The Atlantic will have 12 to 15 tropical storms, seven to nine of them becoming hurricanes, and three to five of those hurricanes being major, with sustained winds of at least 111 mph, Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr. said.
It's too early to predict where they might hit, he said at a conference launching hurricane awareness week."Forecaster confidence that this will be an active hurricane season is very high," Lautenbacher said.
Starting June 1 (hurricane season begins) there will be a tax break on hurricane readiness items,including batteries and such items while also applying to items like generators valued up to about $750.00.

Muslims skeptical over Newsweek back-track on Koran

KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan were skeptical on Monday about an apparent retraction by Newsweek magazine of a report that U.S. interrogators desecrated the Koran and said U.S. pressure was behind the climb down.
The White House said the report based on an anonymous source had damaged the U.S. image overseas.The report in Newsweek's May 9 issue sparked protests across the Muslim world from Afghanistan, where 16 were killed and more than 100 injured, to Pakistan, India, Indonesia and Gaza...click title for link.

Newsweek response...But I think it's important for the public to know exactly what we reported, why, and how subsequent events unfolded...Link


This unfortunately carries severe ramifications for our servicemen and women around the world and all Americans in general...already there are people dead from violence resulting from false reports....NewsWEAK and other MSM rat bastards are all so quick to jump on any story that will hurt the war effort in Iraq or undermine our war on terror...anything to make us look bad based on "sources" who walk in the shadows and whisper in the night....All in the name of their hate and rage for Bush.....You SOB assclowns so often in an effort to fulfill your own agendas drag our flag and our country in the mud and place our troops and citizens in further peril...in a Dan Rather Style blatant disregard for the truth.
Sadly in the middle eastern world all this info has been presented as documented and originating from US official reports....The ginny was let out of the bottle and who can put him back...How can we explain to the muslim people that this NEVER HAPPENED and really was a lie put forth by some shmuck and all his goons who simply are cry baby, sore loser, chumps who hate their president.

IAEA: N. Korea could have 5-6 nuclear weapons

Close treaty loophole allowing Iran enrichment, ElBaradei says

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog says his agency estimates North Korea could have five or six nuclear weapons and any test carried out by Pyongyang could "open a Pandora's box."
Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, was asked on CNN's "Late Edition" whether the agency's assessment was that North Korea now possesses as many as six nuclear bombs...

Iraq Transition of Power

Looking ahead
After Iraq's first free election in half a century and the release of results, Iraqi leaders now turn their focus to the process of building a democratic government amid an ongoing insurgency...Click title for Timeline,Headlines,Governing Iraq,Battling the Insurgency,People and Places,Pictures and more.

War dead honored in VE-Day commemorations

Canadians honoured their veterans at solemn ceremonies in Ottawa on Sunday, as Victory in Europe Day was marked in commemorations worldwide.Prime Minister Paul Martin joined Canadian veterans who attended the official opening of the new Canadian War Museum on Sunday, calling the museum a shrine to sacrifice...
In Berlin on Sunday, Schroeder and German President Horst Koehler attended a cathedral service before a wreath-laying ceremony at a memorial to victims of the war.
In France, President Jacques Chirac attended a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, where he laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Later, thousands jammed the streets of Paris for a massive military parade as jets flew overhead, streaking the sky with the red, white, and blue of the French flag.
In London, hundreds watched as Prince Charles, dressed in full military attire, laid a wreath of blood-red poppies at the Cenotaph memorial.
In Austria, at the former Methuen death camp, thousands remembered the 100,000 inmates killed by Nazis there.
However, not all of the day's events were in honour of the Allies. About 3,000 protesters rallied at a far-right demonstration in Berlin, lamenting the "cult of guilt" they say was imposed on the nation after the Second World War. They planned to hold a march but it was later cancelled. At least 5,000 opponents congregated to block the planned route for the far-right march but there were no clashes.

Bush urges elections in Belarus

RIGA, Latvia --President Bush yesterday urged Russia to support democratic nations on its borders and called for free elections in Belarus, a Russian outpost the president labeled "the last dictatorship in Europe." Standing beside the leaders of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia,all freed from communist occupation after the Soviet Union fell in 1991."All the nations that border Russia will benefit from the spread of democratic values and so will Russia itself...

Wife's death in South Carolina launches manhunt

Charleston, South Carolina:Once a respected police officer in Charleston, Daniel William Hiers is now the focus of an international manhunt -- accused of child molestation and murder.The allegations against Hiers left one South Carolina woman "in total shock." "I was scared," said Leslie, who asked that her last name not be used because she is accusing Hiers of molesting her 11-year-old daughter.

U.S. military: Al-Zarqawi aide captured

BAGHDAD, Iraq: An aide to terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been captured by Iraqi security forces in Iraq, the U.S. military said Sunday.
U.S. forces identified him Ammar al-Zubaydi, also known as Abu Abbas.
Al-Zubaydi was captured in Baghdad on Thursday, the military said. He is responsible for many recent suicide car bombings, the military said, and an attack on Abu Ghraib prison in April that wounded U.S. troops and detainees at the facility.

Let's Name Her...

Emily, Jacob still most popular baby names
Jacob and Joshua, Taylor and Tyler, Hope and Faith tops for twins
WASHINGTON - The biblical name Jacob, the most popular choice for baby boys for the sixth straight year, also tops the first official ranking of names given to twins. Parents like to pair it with Joshua.Even more durable is the name Emily, which for the ninth year in a row claims the top spot among newborn girls, according to the Social Security Administration’s tally for 2004.

Audioslave Plays in Cuba

HAVANA - The American group Audioslave broke decades long barriers with a thundering concert before thousands of Cuban fans who knocked over barriers to get closer to the first U.S. rock band to play an outdoor concert in Cuba.The band performed in front of thousands at Havana's Anti Imperialist Plaza.The Plaza was purpose built five years ago as a place for mass protest against the US government"It's exciting to play music in a place that American bands haven't been to play," frontman Chris Cornell said, "and it's exciting to be the first American band to come and play some loud rock music and it's all about that. The music is what it's all about, period."

Suspension of Georgia soldier's son reduced

COLUMBUS, Ga. — Following hundreds of angry phone calls and e-mails, school officials here have reduced a suspension imposed on a student who wouldn't give up his cellphone while talking to his mom, a sergeant on duty in Iraq.The angry calls about the boy's suspension became so bad at one point that secretaries had to take their phones off the hook...

Miami Dade Officer Shoots Suspect

A Miami-Dade County police officer shot a suspect who allegedly pointed a gun at the officer this morning.
The shooting happened in north Miami-Dade County when officers were working a drug bust, according to police.

U.S. Cites Signs of Korean Preparations for Nuclear Test

WASHINGTON, May 5 - White House and Pentagon officials are closely monitoring a recent stream of satellite photographs of North Korea that appear to show rapid, extensive preparations for a nuclear weapons test, including the construction of a reviewing stand, presumably for dignitaries, according to American and foreign officials who have been briefed on the imagery.

Britain's Blair claims a third term

LONDON — Tony Blair's Labor Party claimed victory in the United Kingdom's parliamentary elections Thursday. The win, based on preliminary voting, gives President Bush's chief ally in the war in Iraq a third term as prime minister.With 543 of the 646 seats counted, Labour had won 326, enough to form a government.Michael Howard, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, conceded early today that Blair would be the first prime minister in Labor's 105-year history to win a third consecutive term. Margaret Thatcher of the Conservatives won three straight terms in 1979-90.

Taiwan thanks Bush

Taiwan thanked US President George W Bush for calling on Chinese leaders to talk to the island's government and saying direct dialogue is essential to improving cross-strait relations.
Many high-ranking US officials have repeatedly urged Beijing to talk to Taiwan's elected government and its leader ... and we thank and welcome President Bush's talk, presidential spokesman Chen Wen-tsung said.The presidential office reiterated that the fundamental way to improve cross-strait relations is by direct dialogues and negotiations between the two governments.

Picture of Deception - Part Two

This two month investigation into identity theft on the streets of South Florida reveals a perfect "Picture of Deception" with people like you paying the price."That's not me. It's my name, my complete information. But, that is definitely not me!"For the first time, this victim of identity theft is staring at the picture of a woman claiming to be her."It's my drivers' license number. It's my full name, first and last name. It's my birthdate, it's my height. It's got all the information. Wow! I'm stunned," the victim said.Click title for link.

Picture of Deception - Part One
For the past two months, NBC 6 has been following a South Florida identity theft ring that's making fake Florida drivers' licenses and much more. The story will show every step leading to the people behind this "Picture of Deception." Link

FBI sees growth in Salvadoran MS-13 mob

Washington, DC, May. 5 (UPI): The violent Salvadoran MS-13 mob is reportedly spreading in the United States following the paths of illegal aliens.
Robert Clifford, director of the FBI's MS-13 National Gang Task Force, told the Washington Times the group, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, has become the country's new mafia spreading from Los Angeles into small towns and suburbs along with illegal immigrants.

Death of girl in the Triangle was avoidable

Melanise Malone became Dr. David Shatz's responsibility at 1:34 a.m. Wednesday.
Shot in the head, the 5-year-old, nicknamed ''Neenee,'' was in full cardiac arrest when paramedics -- still frantically performing CPR -- rushed her into the Ryder Trauma Center.It took paramedics just 21 minutes to get Neenee onto a gurney and drive her to the trauma center from Opa-locka.Scoop and run. That's what they call it. Scoop and run.Shatz was two-thirds of the way through a 24-hour shift when the little girl arrived. Anytime a patient arrives in cardiac arrest and receiving CPR, the chances of recovery are never very good.''It was a pretty ominous sign,'' he said of Neenee's condition. ``But you don't give up.''As he assessed Neenee's medical needs, Shatz couldn't help but notice that the child's hair was in braids. ''She had pigtails,'' he recalled Wednesday afternoon.Click title for link...

Girl dies as family runs from 2 days of gunfire:A 5-year-old girl was killed before her family could drive to safety away from shootings in a crime ridden Opa-locka area known as the Triangle. Link

Police Chase Caught On Videotape

Police Arrest Suspects In Day-Care Center's Front Yard

DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md. -- Prince George's County took a group of suspected carjackers into custody after a police chase which was captured by a News4 cameraman.Officers yell at bystanders to get back on the tape as a blue Honda CRV speeds by pursued by dozens of police cruisers on Marlboro Pike in District Heights, Md.The chase ended minutes later on Clovis Avenue, when the Honda crashed in the front yard of a home day-care center.Stephanie Goforth, who witnessed the crash, told News4, "It just looked like it [the Honda] was flying up in the air. It went airborne and then it just landed in the yard and then all the rocks and bricks landed in the yard."

Police pursuit in western Broward ends in arrest

The chase of a suspected armed robber came to an end shortly after it began on the Sawgrass Expressway, Thursday afternoon.A man driving a white Chevrolet camper was chased by Broward Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol vehicles in western Broward County, after a reported armed robbery in Pompano Beach, according to reports.The chase ended when the man's vehicle swerved onto the median causing his camper's tires to get stuck in the mud. Police tackled the man shortly after he stepped out of his vehicle.Click title for link and video footage

Bring home bin Laden's head, CIA told

US spy chiefs ordered agents to deliver Osama bin Laden's severed head in a box of dry ice and hoist heads of other al-Qaeda leaders on pikes, a retired field officer has disclosed.As the US reeled in shock days after the September 11 attacks in 2001, former CIA officer Gary Schroen was sent to Afghanistan to help the opposition Northern Alliance to topple bin Laden's hosts the Taliban.

Brothers sending 2 tons of salami to troops in Iraq

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) -- Brothers Marc and Michael Brummer figure the best way they can help support U.S. troops stationed in Iraq is to try to feed them -- thousands of them.The co-owners of Hobby's Deli hope to send salami to the entire 42nd Infantry Division, currently in Tikrit.It'll take an estimated 23,000 salamis to reach that goal. But the first 2,000 or so of the dried meat -- about 2 tons in all -- was boxed and loaded onto a U.S. Postal Service truck Tuesday in the first phase of what the brothers dubbed "Operation Salami Drop."

Angelina Jolie Meets With Pakistan's Prime Minister

Angelina Jolie in ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Angelina Jolie met Pakistan's prime minister in Islamabad to thank him for hosting Afghan refugees.
Her visit with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday came two days after a census showed that more than 3 million Afghans were living in Pakistan. Millions of Afghans have fled to Pakistan to escape wars and poverty since 1979, when Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan.

Analyst Charged With Passing Secret Info

Pentagon Analyst Charged With Passing Classified Info on U.S. Forces in Iraq to Pro-Israel Group
WASHINGTON May 4, 2005 — A Pentagon analyst was arrested Wednesday and charged with giving top secret information about potential attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq to employees of a pro-Israel group. Larry Franklin, a 58-year-old Air Force Reserves colonel who once worked for the Pentagon's No. 3 official, is the first person charged in a long-running investigation into whether Israel improperly obtained U.S. secrets.Twice last year FBI agents searched the offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying organization influential on U.S.-Israeli relations. It was once thought AIPAC might be a target of the probe, but that's not the case, according to two knowledgeable people. They spoke only on condition of anonymity because the probe is still under way.

Pelosi's ethics stance hypocritical, GOP says

House Republicans called Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi a hypocrite yesterday for not demanding investigations into new ethics questions that have arisen about the travel of her fellow Democrats."She demanded an investigation into [Majority Leader] Tom DeLay, but hasn't said a word about these Democrats who have done the same thing," said Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina Republican. "If she doesn't call for investigations into her fellow Democrats, then it's clear she's being a hypocrite."

Children's fund blown in casino should be repaid, say gambling foes

HAMILTON, ONT. - A group opposing the spread of legalized gambling says a casino in Ontario should repay hundreds of thousands of dollars that a woman from Hamilton stole from a children's hospital fund and lost at the casino.The provincial agency that owns Casino Niagara says, no, it won't.Linda Resmini, a former nursing administrator at McMaster Children's Hospital, was sentenced to two years in prison this week after stealing $1,030,000 from a fund for newborns in need of reconstructive surgery for cleft lips and palates.

Extinct woodpecker rediscovered in Arkansas

As a result of sound scientific research and cooperative efforts with public and private land owners the ivory billed woodpecker, previously thought to be extinct, has been discovered on bottom lands in the Delta of Arkansas. It has been six decades since the woodpecker was last seen.
Many of the forested wetlands in the South were excessively logged in the early 1900's, significantly decreasing acreage of habitat for the woodpecker. However, as a result of significant efforts by private landowners, over one-half million acres of bottomland hardwoods and wetlands have been restored in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, providing the ideal habitat for the woodpecker and opportunities for population expansion and recovery...

al-Qaida's No. 3 Man Arrested in Pakistan

PAKISTANI authorities have captured senior al-Qaeda operative Abu Faraj al-Libbi, the mastermind behind two attempts to kill President Pervez Musharraf, information minister Sheikh Rashid said today.The Libyan national with a $US5 million ($6.47 million) US bounty on his head was seized with five other foreign al-Qaeda operatives at the weekend in northwestern Pakistan, Mr Rashid said."He is a very important catch, he was wanted in several high-profile acts of terrorism. He was also wanted in the assassination attacks on President Musharraf," he said.In Washington, UN President George W. Bush said the al-Libbi capture "represents a critical victory in the war on terror".During an appearance to talk about Social Security, Mr Bush praised the government of Pakistan for the arrest.Mr Bush called him "a major facilitator and a chief planner" for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network and said that his arrest "removes a dangerous enemy who is a direct threat to America and for those who love freedom".

Two U.S. soldiers detained in Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombian police have detained two U.S. Army soldiers near a huge military base southwest of the capital in an alleged arms smuggling plot, Colombian and U.S. officials said Wednesday.The soldiers, whose identities or ranks were not disclosed, were arrested during a raid Tuesday on a house in Carmen de Apicala, located southwest of the capital and near Colombia's sprawling Tolemaida air base, where U.S. soldiers have been stationed.The American soldiers were arrested at the house where a large weapons cache was discovered, National Police chief Gen. Jorge Daniel Castro said. There were no details on the type and quantity of arms found.

South Korea says at 'critical moment' on North Korea crisis

SEOUL- (Reuters) - South Korea believes diplomatic efforts to have North Korea end its nuclear programs are at a "critical moment," and that patience with Pyongyang is wearing thin, a top official said on Wednesday.The North is suspected of having conducted a test of a short-range missile on Sunday, and U.S. officials have recently indicated Pyongyang may be preparing for a nuclear test."We are at a critical moment in the process of trying to resolve this situation peacefully and diplomatically," Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said at a regular press briefing."The recent developments are grounds for serious concern as they continue to unfold," Ban said, adding: "The outlook for the resumption of the talks is not all that bright."Click title for link...
North Korea tested improved, short-range missile - paper
The short-range missile North Korea is thought to have tested at the weekend was a Soviet-era rocket modified so it could reach new U.S. bases in South Korea, a South Korean newspaper reported on Wednesday.A South Korean military official told the daily JoongAng Ilbo that an analysis of Pyongyang's missile test conducted by Seoul indicated the North had upgraded a Soviet FROG-7 rocket by adding a new navigation system and extending its range.
The revamped missile could hit U.S. military bases that are scheduled to be moved south from Seoul to new sites about 75 km south of the South Korean capital by 2008, the official told the paper. Link

Bigfoot video makes big dollars in U.S.

CALGARY -- The Canadian sasquatch story -- complete with video of a massive, hairy beast -- will air tomorrow night on A Current Affair, the granddaddy of American tabloid television, the Fox network said.
However, since the program broadcasts only in the United States, Canadians without special cable service or satellite who are interested in catching a glimpse of the video that grabbed headlines around the world will have to be content with watching a snippet of Northern Manitoba's supposed sasquatch on the Internet...Click title for link to article and link to video:"View Promo"

UK Election Update:Leaders launch final push for votes

Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy are to launch a final, frenetic round of campaigning on the eve of the 2005 General Election.The leaders of the three main political parties will each visit a handful of marginal constituencies up and down the country in a last-ditch bid to win over the voters in the critical battleground of the election.

Abdul Relationship Claim

AMERICA'S ABC network is preparing to blow the lid on an alleged sex scandal involving American Idol judge Paula Abdul and one of the contestants.
A former competitor on the Fox Network program has told Primetime Live he had a sexual relationship with the pop star-turned TV personality.Corey Clark, who was dropped from the 2003 series for failing to reveal a past arrest, tells the program he got close to Abdul after she offered advice on his song choices.While the pair initially shared a friendship, things soon took a steamier turn, according to Clark

Fake plastic surgeon re-arrested as 35 patients come forward in Weston clinic case

Undercover detectives with the Broward Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with investigators from the Florida Department of Health, today rearrested an unlicensed plastic surgeon after 35 new victims came forward claiming he permanently disfigured them, police said.The suspect allegedly performed a series of botched procedures on the women at a Weston cosmetic surgery clinic where his brother, a state licensed plastic surgeon, is listed as the primary physician, officials said. That brother is now also in custody for allowing it all to happen, according to BSO spokeswoman Liz Calzadilla-Fiallo.BSO detectives originally arrested 58-year-old Gregorio Nosovsky, of Parkland, back on April 12th outside of the Advanced Center for Cosmetic Surgery, located at 1865 North Corporate Lakes Boulevard in Weston.He was charged with one count of practicing healthcare without an active state license and was released after posting $1,000 bond.The unlicensed physician now faces several new and more serious charges for practicing healthcare without a state license causing great bodily harm.

ABC News going ahead with American Idol expose

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Fox TV hit "American Idol" will go under the microscope of a rival network this week as ABC News examines what it calls "explosive claims" about the most watched show on U.S. television.ABC has declined to specify the nature of the "startling" off-camera activities it promises to expose in Wednesday night's special edition of "Primetime Live," titled "Fallen Idol."

Dust Storm and Barn in Cheyenne County Kansas -Source

U.K. Election 2005

Analysts predict Blair win
Despite heavy criticism over Iraq, opinion polls put Tony Blair comfortably ahead in the final countdown to the UK's general election... and on course for a historic third term as PM.The final days saw an argument between Blair's Labour Party and Charles Kennedy's anti-war Liberal Democrats on whether voters switching to the third party would merely let in the Conservatives...

A 15-pound burger goes on sale

A Pennsylvania eatery is challenging diners to eat a huge burger at one sitting
NEW YORK-CNN/Money- Starting last weekend, a Pennsylvania restaurant put a 15-pound burger on its menu, claiming the largest burger available anywhere.Dennis Liegey, the owner of Denny's Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, 120 northeast of Pittsburgh, said the "Beer Barrel Belly Buster" weighs in with 10 pounds of meat molded into a 20-inch patty on a specially baked, 17-inch bun.The balance of the weight comes from 25 slices of cheese, a head of lettuce, three tomatoes, two onions, plus copious quantities of mayo, ketchup, relish, mustard, and peppers.Any two people who can eat it within a three-hour sitting get it for free. For everyone else, it costs $30.

North Carolina man finds employee's severed finger in pint of frozen custard

WILMINGTON, N.C. – State officials are trying to determine how a worker cut off part of his finger and how the severed piece wound up in a customer's ice cream at a shop that was cleared by the state after a similar accident last summer.Clarence Stowers said he bought a pint of frozen custard at the Kohl's Frozen Custard shop on Sunday and opened it at home. He saw an object in the custard and put it in his mouth, thinking it was a piece of candy, a Wilmington television station reported Monday.
Unlike a recent incident at a Wendy's restaurant in California, no questions about Stowers' honesty have been raised.Officials of the state departments of agriculture and labor went to the shop to investigate Monday, and the shop's owner confirmed that one of his employees lost part of a finger in an accident with a food processing machine.

McDonald's Adds Wi-Fi

ARLINGTON, Texas -- McDonald's is known for delivering fast-food burgers and fries.
Now, the restaurant giant is rolling out high-speed wireless Internet connections at a growing number of North Texas locations, Dallas television station KXAS reported.Company officials say the Wi-Fi connections available in 90 North Texas McDonald's locations are the first such service in the fast-food industry. The company expects to have Wi-Fi available in all of its 285 area stores by the end of the year.The service operates at broadband speeds. Connection rates cost $2.95 for a two-hour online session."Most walk-up service is $6 an hour," said Michael Hansen, McDonald's regional systems manager. "So, at $2.95, we're 25 percent of that."The new service seems to be catching on with some customers."I would bring my laptop up here, and I would use it any time I had a chance," Dallas Williams said.

Brain-Damaged Firefighter Talks Again After 10 Years

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The last thing he remembers was 10 years ago, but a Buffalo firefighter has started talking again after nearly a decade in a brain-damaged state.Donald Herbert suffered severe injuries when a roof collapsed on him while he was fighting a fire in December 1995. The injury left him brain-damaged and unable to speak.

Fed boosts rate target another quarter point to 3%

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve policymakers on Tuesday continued their campaign to remove stimulus from the U.S. economy, raising their target for a key short-term interest rate another quarter point to 3%.
The increase in the federal funds rate target is the eighth rise since the current tightening began last June. The Fed also raised its discount rate, what it charges banks to borrow directly, a quarter point to 4%.The federal funds rate is what banks charge each other for overnight loans. An increase in the Fed's target for that rate means banks will immediately raise their prime lending rate, the base rate for many business and consumer loans.

Tyrants’ lobbyist, flamboyant to the end

As part of Washington's image machinery for more than two decades, Edward von Kloberg III did his best to sanitize some of the late 20th century's most notorious dictators as they sought favors and approval from U.S. officials.A legend of sorts in public relations circles, he counted as clients Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Samuel K. Doe of Liberia; Nicolae Ceausescu of Romania; the military regime in Burma; Guatemalan businessmen who supported the country's murderous, military-backed government; Mobutu Sese Seko of the former Zaire; and, in a figurative coup of his own, the man who overthrew Mobutu and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Von Kloberg embraced the slogan "shame is for sissies" as well as an unabashedly Edwardian style of living...

Pakistan Building Collapses, 25 Dead, Many Trapped Inside

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (AHN) - Three-story apartment building collapses early Tuesday due to landlord neglect killing 25, injuring 20.The collapse happened after gas cylinders in the basement exploded. Residents were still sleeping inside the building.In addition to those retrieved dead or injured, dozens others were feared to be trapped under the debris, police chief Aftab Cheema said.
Survivors said the building's owner ignored repeated requests to remove the cylinders. "We always feared that it would happen one day," said Sardar Ahmed, 34, who had been sleeping on the second floor..

Study sheds light on teen sex

OTTAWA - One in eight Canadian teenagers has had sexual intercourse by the age of 15, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday.The figures are 12 per cent for boys and 13 per cent for girls...In the United States, the proportions are more than double for younger teenagers, according to 2003 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost 33 per cent reported having sex by age 15, rising to 61 per cent by the end of high school...

Runaway bride still welcome in fiance's family

'He's committed to her,' says prospective father-in-law
DULUTH, Georgia-CNN:The father of Jennifer Wilbanks' fiance said Tuesday he would still welcome the runaway bride into his family if his son "is still in love with her and still wants to marry her."Claude Mason said his son John insists he will still marry Wilbanks, but no date has been set."He's committed to her," Mason said. "As it stands now, he thinks there will be a wedding."John Mason and Wilbanks, a 32-year-old medical assistant from the Atlanta suburb of Duluth, had been scheduled to get married last Saturday in front of 600 guests and 28 attendants. She disappeared last Tuesday evening, prompting a massive, three day search

U.S.- Possible letter to al-Zarqawi cites low morale

New Iraqi government sworn in, but Cabinet vacancies remain
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military said Tuesday it has seized a letter from Iraqi insurgents believed to be intended for Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi complaining about low morale among followers and weakening support for the insurgency.
The authenticity of the letter which the military said American troops found Thursday in a raid in Baghdad could not be independently verified.The letter which never refers to al-Zarqawi by name is written to Sheik Abu Ahmad, a name not known to be used by the militant leader or his followers. But supporters often call al-Zarqawi the Sheik or Sheik Abu Musab in letters and on Web sites.

Jury Selection Begins in England Case

Jury Selection Begins in Sentencing Phase for Pfc. Lynndie England, a Day After Guilty Plea
FORT HOOD, Texas May 3, 2005 — Jury selection started Tuesday for the panel that will recommend a sentence for Army Reserve Pfc. Lynndie England, who pleaded guilty to mistreating prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison camp in Iraq.England accepted responsibility for the smiling, thumbs-up poses she struck for photographs taken at Abu Ghraib that made her the face of the prisoner abuse scandal.England, 22, pleaded guilty Monday to seven counts of mistreating prisoners, saying she let her buddies talk her into going along with the abuse.

Wade Ignites Clinching Win

In a flash, the Miami Heat swept the New Jersey Nets to get some needed rest. Dwyane Wade had 34 points and nine assists as the Heat completed the first four-game sweep in franchise history with a 110-97 victory over the undermanned Nets.
The top-seeded Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight year and will have a week in South Beach as they await the winner of the Chicago-Washington series.

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