Democratic Underground Latest Breaking News

Honduran court defiant on Zelaya

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:21:50

Source: [b]BBC[/b]

The Supreme Court of Honduras has rejected a demand by the Organization of American States to reinstate the ousted President, Manuel Zelaya.

OAS chief Miguel Insulza was told that the court's position was "irreversible" when he met its president for two hours in the capital Te...

2 US troops killed in Afghanistan blast, 4 wounded

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:03:32

Source: [b]AP[/b]

KABUL (AP) � A blast in eastern Afghanistan killed two American troops and wounded four others Saturday, a U.S. military spokeswoman said.

The troops were attacked in eastern Paktika province, but there were no immediate details about the incident, said Lt. Cmdr. Christine Si...

Top Honduran military lawyer: We broke the law

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:26:15

Source: [b]Miami Herald[/b]

Top Honduran military lawyer: We broke the law

BY FRANCES ROBLES
frobles@MiamiHerald.com

TEGUCIGALPA -- The military officers who rushed deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya out of the country Sunday committed a crime but will be exonerated for saving the coun...

SKorea says NKorea fires 3 missiles off east coast

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:44:47

Source: [b]Associated Press (via Yahoo)[/b]

SEOUL, South Korea � North Korea fired three missiles off its eastern coast Saturday, South Korea said, in what was likely to be seen as a message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day holiday.

The launches, which came two days after...

Teacher Gives Sex Tape to 5th Graders

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:08:46

Source: [b]CBS News[/b]

CBS13) A local teacher accidentally put pornography into a DVD that was meant to be filled with school memories from the past year, and nobody caught the error until after it was sent home, shocking parents and students alike.

Parents of students who attend Isabelle Jac...

For Banks, Wads of Cash and Loads of Trouble (what lies behind bank failure)

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:19:25

Source: [b]New York Times[/b]

MACON, Ga. — H. Averett Walker used hot money to turn Security Bank from a sleepy Southern lender into a regional powerhouse. Darrell D. Pittard used hot money to jump-start his brand-new MagnetBank, allowing it to lend hundreds of millions of dollars even though...

Mexico wins praise for swine flu response

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:02:40

Source: [b]AP[/b]

"An unfortunate situation in Argentina was this mix of elections and a pandemic, which we epidemiologists don't recommend," said Mirta Roses, director of the Pan American Health Organization, which has 25 experts working in Argentina this week.

Mexico, in contrast, deserves the...

Serial killer has South Carolina residents on edge

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:56:12

Source: [b]AP[/b]

Snip< GAFFNEY, S.C. � Terrified residents canceled Fourth of July plans and holed up in their homes Friday as investigators hunted a serial killer believed to have shot four people to death.

Snip< The latest victims were found in their family's small furniture and appliance...

Judge rules Indian Point's fish-killing cooling process must stop

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:24:26

Source: [b]NY Daily News[/b]

Officials at the Indian Point nuclear power plant - which has been called responsible for killing more than a billion fish each year - will have to figure out another way to cool its giant heated steam turbines, a state court has ruled.

The plant sucks in and returns...

Two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Darfur: officials

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:22:42

Source: [b]AFP[/b]

KHARTOUM (AFP) � Two women aid workers from Ireland and Uganda were kidnapped Friday by armed men in Sudan's volatile Darfur region, the scene of Africa's longest running conflict, officials told AFP.

"Unidentified armed men came to the quarters of the (Irish) NGO Goal at Kutu...

Employee shot, wounded at Virginia Apple store

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:59:21

Source: [b]CNet[/b]

http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/bto/20090703/croppedphoto_clarendon.jpg

[div class="excerpt"]An employee at an Apple store near Washington D.C. was shot and wounded Friday morning, police have confirmed. The victim, a 26-year-old woman, is currently at an area hospital recoverin...

EU nations summon Iranian envoys

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:22:35

Source: [b]Jerusalem Post[/b]

The European Union decided Friday to summon Iranian ambassadors across the 27-nation bloc in a joint protest against the detentions of staff at the British Embassy in Teheran.

The EU called Iran's decision to put detained British Embassy staff on trial "not acceptab...

Incoming IAEA chief: No hard evidence Iran seeking nukes

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:17:20

Source: [b]Jerusalem Post[/b]

By JPOST.COM STAFF, HERB KEINON AND AP

There is no concrete evidence that Iran is attempting to develop nuclear weapons, incoming International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano said Friday, in his first public comments on Iran's nuclear program.

"I don't ...

Overheating iPhone 3GS: Apple blames the weather

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:58:37

Source: [b]Telegraph[/b]

Technology sites and Apple forums have been indundated with comments about the new model overheating and becoming discoloured since it was launched on June 19. Some iPhone users have complained that the device has become too hot to hold to the ear during long calls while ot...

Video shows Honduran troops shooting protesters' bus tires

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:45:37

Source: [b]CNN[/b]

[b]updated 2 hours, 7 minutes ago[/b]

Honduran soldiers shot out the tires of buses headed for a demonstration in support of ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya, a video obtained by CNN shows.

The video, believed shot within the past two days, shows a line of buses stopped ...

More than 100 firefighters tackle blaze at high-rise apartment in London; residents trapped

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:45:12

Source: [b]AP[/b]

LONDON (AP) � Firefighters are battling a blaze that has trapped about 30 people in a London high-rise.

London Fire Brigade says 18 fire engines and more than 100 firefighters are at the scene of the blaze in Camberwell, south London.

They were called to the 12-story buildin...

Putin rejects Obama criticism before meeting

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:34:48

Source: [b]Reuters[/b]

By Gleb Bryanski
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday rejected U.S. President Barack Obama's charge that he was mired in Cold War thinking, setting the scene for a stormy first meeting at a Moscow summit next week.

In a pre-trip interview, th...

Top diplomat visits Honduras to deliver ultimatum

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:29:14

Source: [b]Reuters[/b]

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras � The Americas' top international diplomat has arrived in Honduras to give the coup-backed government a firm ultimatum: Restore the president within 24 hours or face crippling sanctions.

The head of the interim government is pledging to stand firm in ...

Abortion doc murder suspect advocates via mail

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:14:13

Source: [b]AP via Seattle Times [/b]

[div class="excerpt"]WICHITA, Kan. �

A man charged with shooting a prominent Kansas doctor who performed late-term abortions has been advocating through mailings from his jail cell that such killings are justifiable and communicating with individuals on the f...

BREAKING: Palin will not run for re-election and will resign in July

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:12:31

Source: [b]CNN[/b]

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is expected to announce Friday that she will not seek a second term, a Republican source close to Palin tells CNN.

Palin has scheduled a 3 p.m. ET news conference at her home in Wasilla. The governor�s office offered no further details about the subject...

Police foil radio control zeppelin jailbreak

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:50:20

Source: [b]Reuters[/b]

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police said on Friday they had foiled an Italian drug trafficker's plan to break out of jail in the Canary Islands using climbing equipment and a four-meter-long zeppelin.

"The plan consisted of using a remotely controlled zeppelin to bring him n...

British troops expand major Afghan operation

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:47:53

Source: [b]Reuters[/b]

By Peter Graff
SORKHDOZ, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Hundreds of British troops have seized key canal crossings in a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan, military officials said on Friday, part of a new U.S.-led operation to wrest the initiative from insurgents.

The Br...

Man sues N.O. to get gun back

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:25:07

Source: [b]New Orleans Times-Picayune[/b]

Man sues N.O. to get gun back
Friday, July 03, 2009
By Brendan McCarthy
Staff writer
An eastern New Orleans man filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against the city of New Orleans, its police chief and district attorney for refusing to return a handgun...

Syrian First Lady Wants to Meet Obamas

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:29:30

Source: [b]CBS News[/b]

Syria's first lady has put out the welcome mat for the Obamas, a further sign that the once frosty relations between the two nations is thawing.

In an interview with Britain's Sky News, Asma al Assad envisioned her husband, Bashar, and Barack Obama joining forces.

"The...

PC makers offer China Internet filter

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:23:20

Source: [b]AFP[/b]

SHANGHAI (AFP) � Several PC makers said Friday they were voluntarily including China's controversial Internet filter software in new shipments despite Beijing's decision to postpone making it mandatory.

The government had been set to introduce the Chinese-made "Green Dam Youth...

China's BAIC Made Concrete Offer For GM's Opel -Source

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:17:25

Source: [b]Wall Street Journal[/b]

MUNICH (Dow Jones)--China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holding, or BAIC, has made a concrete offer for General Motors Corp.'s (GM) Adam Opel GmbH unit, a person familiar with the situation told Dow Jones Newswires Friday. The person said BAIC's offer is non-bindi...

Major nations should back dlr as key currency-Japan

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:11:09

Source: [b]Reuters[/b]

TOKYO, July 3 (Reuters) - Major countries should support the dollar as the key international currency, although emerging nations may discuss a new global reserve currency on the sidelines of the G8 summit next week, a Japanese official said on Friday.

China has asked for d...

Japan's royal couple head to Canada, Hawaii

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:09:06

Source: [b]Associated Press[/b]

TOKYO (AP) � Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko hope to reach out to Americans and Canadians of Japanese ancestry during a two-week tour that began Friday, but they won't be going to Pearl Harbor.

"Both Canada and the state of Hawaii are home to many peop...

Russia allows U.S. weapons shipments to Afghanistan

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:05:46

Source: [b]CNN[/b]

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russia will allow the United States to ship weapons across its territory to Afghanistan, Kremlin spokesman Alex Pavlov said Friday.

Pavlov said he doesn't know when the policy will take effect, but imagines the details will come out when presidents Bara...

Ban to Press for Suu Kyi�s Release in Myanmar Visit

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:03:01

Source: [b]Bloomberg[/b]

July 3 (Bloomberg) -- United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon arrived in Myanmar today to meet with regime head General Than Shwe and seek the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The two met in the capital, Naypyidaw, Agence France-Presse reported, citing a corresponden...

Head Scarf Emerges as Indonesia Political Symbol

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:55:03

Source: [b]New York Times[/b]

JAKARTA, Indonesia � The three parties competing in Indonesia�s presidential election next week have plastered this city with campaign billboards and posters depicting, predictably, their presidential and vice presidential choices looking self-confident.

But one par...

Iranian Cleric: British embassy staff to be tried

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:32:12

Source: [b]Associated Press[/b]

A top Iranian cleric said Friday that some of the detained Iranian staffers of the British Embassy in Tehran will be put on trial, and he accused Britain of a role in instigating widespread protests that erupted over the country's disputed presidential election.

T...

Jonny Comes Marching Home to No Job.

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:32:02

Source: [b]MSNBC[/b]

EDINBURGH, Ind.� The return of the Elkhart-based Indiana National Guard�s 1538th Transportation Company from Iraq this week was a joyous occasion. About 400 friends and family members lustily cheered and applauded the unit�s 182 citizen-soldiers as they marched in formation int...

Nixon aide, journalist dies

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:15:09

Source: [b]San Diego Union-Tribune[/b]

Herbert George Klein, whose dedication to journalism and Richard Nixon gave him a ringside seat to some of 20th century America's highest and lowest moments, died yesterday morning. After suffering cardiac arrest, Mr. Klein, 91, was rushed from his La Jolla co...

Memos Show Chaos of Gitmo's Early Months-Docs Released Under FOIA Describe Dysfunction, Violence

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:33:31

Source: [b]CBS/AP[/b]

Memos Show Chaos of Gitmo's Early Months
Documents Released Under Freedom of Information Act Describe Dysfunction, Violence at Military Prison

(AP) Newly-released Defense Department documents and memos about the first years of operation of the jail at the U.S. base at Gua...

Grand Jury Inquiry on Destruction of C.I.A. Tapes

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:01:00

Source: [b]New York Times[/b]

Grand Jury Inquiry on Destruction of C.I.A. Tapes

By MARK MAZZETTI
Published: July 2, 2009

WASHINGTON � Current and former top Central Intelligence Agency officers have appeared before a federal grand jury in Virginia as part of an 18-month investigation into th...

New Evidence Cheney Swayed Reaction to (Plame) Leak

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:55:05

Source: [b]Washington Post[/b]

New Evidence Cheney Swayed Reaction to Leak
Discussions of CIA Agent Listed in Filing

Cheney was at the heart of deliberations about the leak.

By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 3, 2009

A document filed in federal court this wee...

Card issuers beating new law Rates, fees raised before deadline

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:36:11

Source: [b]WPost[/b]

Card issuers beating new law
Rates, fees raised before deadline

By Nancy Trejos
Washington Post
Updated: 07/02/2009 09:46:51 PM CDT

WASHINGTON � Credit card companies are raising interest rates and fees seven months before new rules go into effect that will lim...

Honduras Takes Control of Some Media

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:31:13

Source: [b]Wall Street Journal[/b]

Honduras Takes Control of Some Media
JULY 3, 2009
By NICHOLAS CASEY

http://s.wsj.net.nyud.net:8090/public/resources/images/NA-AY746_HONDUR_G_20090702200829.jpg

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Riot police take hold of a supporter of ousted Honduran ...

Oil brokerage loses $10 million on rogue trades

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:08:30

Source: [b]AP/MSNBC[/b]

LONDON - PVM Oil Associates, the world's biggest over-the-counter oil brokerage, says it lost nearly $10 million this week because of unauthorized trades that caused a temporary spike in Brent crude markets.

The firm said in a statement late Thursday that it was investiga...