Thursday, March 22, 2012

Group hopes N. Korea concert spurs understanding

Group hopes N. Korea concert spurs understanding


Group hopes N. Korea concert spurs understanding

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Humanitarians trying to organize an unprecedented U.S. visit by North Korea's national orchestra hope to strike a chord of reconciliation between the two enemy nations, but they still face plenty of hurdles before a single note is played on American soil.

Ex-Philly priest pleads guilty to sex-abuse charge

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FILE - In this undated file photo released by the Philadelphia District Attorney's office, Edward V. Avery is shown. Avery, a former priest charged with raping boys in the mid-1990s has plead guilty to sex abuse charges on Thursday, March 22, 2012. Avery, 69, pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and conspiracy to endanger the welfare of a child. He was immediately sentenced to 2½ to five years in prison and was ordered to surrender within 10 days. (AP Photo/Courtesy of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, File)A defrocked Philadelphia priest pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually abusing an altar boy in a church sacristy, days before he was to go on trial with two other priests in a landmark child sex-abuse case.


Judge: Sea lion killings to save salmon can resume

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FILE - California Sea lion C404 is seen in the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam, in a file photo taken March 21, 2006, in Cascade Locks, Ore. A federal judge ruled Thursday, March 22, 2012 that state authorities can resume killing California sea lions that make a habit of eating salmon at the dam while the Humane Society of the united States continues its court challenge of the program. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)Oregon state authorities can resume killing California sea lions that feast on endangered salmon bottled up at a dam on the Columbia River, but fewer than one-third as many as federal biologists previously had authorized, a judge ruled Thursday.


AP source: Alleged French gunman on US no-fly List

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A U.S. counterterrorism official says the man suspected in the deaths of seven people in France was on the list of known or suspected terrorists who are prohibited from flying to the United States.

Joplin schools seek support for $62M bond issue

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Connie Nance is well aware of the damage caused by the deadly Joplin tornado 10 months ago — "It was right outside my back door," she said.

Labor Dept.: Americans hold 3.1 million green jobs

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At least 3.1 million Americans are employed in green jobs, a sector that now accounts for about 2.4 percent of the nation's total employment, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Lawyer seeks dismissal of charges against Sandusky

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FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2012 file photo, Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant football coach charged with sexually abusing boys, speaks to the media at the Centre County Courthouse after a bail conditions hearing, in Bellefonte, Pa. Former FBI chief Louis Freeh and his investigators have conducted 200 interviews in their expansive probe into the child sex scandal at Penn State, asking questions that go beyond the abuse charges against retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and into the relationship between the football program and the administration. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)Jerry Sandusky asked a judge Thursday to throw out the criminal charges against him in a filing that argued some counts were not specific enough, evidence was lacking in others and the statute of limitations may have run out for eight of the 10 alleged victims.


Fla. police chief steps down temporarily

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The police chief at the center of a fatal neighborhood watch shooting says he is stepping down temporarily because he has become a distraction.

Syria's Assad in firm control after a bloody year

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A vendor displays pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, March 22, 2012. Mounting international condemnation of Bashar Assad's regime and high-level diplomacy have failed to ease the year-old Syria conflict, which the U.N. says has killed more than 8,000 people. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)As world leaders close ranks against Syrian leader Bashar Assad, the U.S. president summed up the popular wisdom during a recent White House press conference: "Ultimately, this dictator will fall."


French shooter was on U.S. "no fly" list

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The French Islamist gunman suspected of murdering seven people who was killed in a shootout with police on Thursday was on a "no fly" list maintained by U.S. authorities, two American officials said. The officials would not disclose precisely when the militant, Mohammed Merah, was placed on the U.S. watch list, but they said his name was added some time ago. Merah, suspected of shooting three French paratroopers, three young children and a rabbi, was killed during an exchange of gunfire with police who besieged his apartment in the French city of Toulouse. U.S. ...

AP NewsAlert

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Florida police chief at center of neighborhood watch shooting is temporarily stepping down

No signs of life from French gunman: government

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PARIS (Reuters) - French police have heard no sign of life from al Qaeda-inspired gunman Mohamed Merah, suspected of killing seven people, since late Wednesday evening, and it is unclear whether he is still alive, Interior Minister Claude Gueant said on Thursday. "There was no movement during the night. We hope he is still alive," Gueant told RTL radio, as a police siege of Merah's apartment in the southern French city of Toulouse ran into its second day. ...

French "gunman" trapped by email, bike

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TOULOUSE (Reuters) - The man without a face, dark visor down on his motorcycle helmet, strides after a child into her schoolyard, grabs her by the hair and calmly shoots her in the head. Cold-blooded killing gets no more glacial than the murder of 8-year-old Myriam Monsonego by a serial gunman who one witness described wearing a camera to film his victims and was called by his pursuers "meticulous", "calculating" and "well prepared". ...

Gunman dies in hail of bullets as French siege ends

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An undated and non-datelined frame grab from a video broadcast by French national television station France 2 who claim it shows Mohamed MerahTOULOUSE, France (Reuters) - A 23-year-old gunman who said al Qaeda inspired him to kill seven people in France died in a hail of bullets on Thursday as he scrambled out of a ground-floor window during a gunbattle with elite police commandos. Mohamed Merah, a Frenchman of Algerian origin, died from a gunshot wound to his head at the end of a 30-hour standoff with police at his apartment in southern France and after confessing to killing three soldiers, three Jewish children and a rabbi. "A killer wanted, according to his own words, to bring France to its knees by sowing hatred and terror. ...


Jury at militia trial watches video of bomb tests

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Prosecutors at the trial of seven Michigan militia members displayed pictures and dramatic video of bombs ripping through a steel drum and cars Thursday, all demonstrations conducted by agents with explosive parts or diagrams linked to the group.

Angry British police to seek right to strike

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Riot police stand guard as they prepare to remove protesters from the Occupy encampment on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral in LondonLONDON (Reuters) - British police officers angry with the coalition government's plans to cut jobs and freeze pay will vote on whether they want the right to strike, the body representing them said on Thursday. The Police Federation, which represents 135,000 ordinary "bobbies" and low ranking officers in England and Wales, said the move to seek full industrial rights showed its members were infuriated by the government's austerity drive. "Officers genuinely feel what the government is doing is decimating the best of British policing," a Federation spokesman said. ...


Govt watchdog group warns Brazil of WCup delays

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This photo taken Dec. 20, 2011, released by Palacio Piratini, made available on March 21, 2012, shows an aerial view of the Beira-Rio stadium in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Construction is under way again at the Beira-Rio stadium after a deal was reached securing financial guarantees to renovate the venue in time for the 2014 World Cup. Bulldozers and workers were back at the construction site on Wednesday, March 21, 2012, after a stoppage of more than 8 months because club Internacional and the construction company involved in the project were not able to come up with the needed financial guarantees. (AP Photo/Camila Domingues, Palacio Piratini)A government watchdog group is warning Brazilian authorities that planning delays could compromise the 2014 World Cup.


French police kill 'Al-Qaeda' militant as battle ends siege

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French members of the RAID special police forcesPolice used massive firepower Thursday to end the 32-hour siege of a killer whose murders of Jewish schoolchildren and soldiers traumatised France and briefly halted the presidential election campaign.


5 more bodies found in Concordia cruise wreck

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FILE - A Monday, Feb.13, 2012 file photo showing ongoing operations to remove fuel from the half sunken hulk of the luxury ship Costa Concordia a month after it ran aground outside the port of Isola del Giglio island in Tuscany, Italy. The Concordia capsized in a protected sea sanctuary, and salvage teams have been removing fuel since Feb. 12 in hopes of sparing the pristine waters from pollution. Costa Crociere SpA., the Italian cruise company, and Italian officials said fuel removal was expected to be completed by Friday evening. (AP Photo/Giorgio Fanciulli, File)Search crews in Italy have found five more bodies in the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, which struck a reef off an Italian island in January.


Pakistan wins Asia Cup by 2 runs

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Pakistan won its second Asia Cup cricket title when it beat Bangladesh by two runs in a thrilling final on Thursday.

Mali president holed up in barracks as junta digs in

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Mali junta leader Captain Amadou Sanogo (L) speaks to his fellow soldiersMali coup leaders Thursday ordered borders closed after taking over key buildings in the capital and ousting President Amadou Toumani Toure, sparking international concern and condemnation.


Public outcry grows after fatal shooting of US black teen

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Supporters of Trayvon Martin rally in New York during a Outrage grew across the United States Thursday over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white crime watch volunteer, amid protests demanding justice and a petition that has gathered more than a million names.


Wi opens with 66; Woods 3 behind at Bay Hill

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Tiger Woods hits out of a bunker on the ninth fairway during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, March 22, 2012.(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Charlie Wi felt a lot better walking off the golf course compared with his last round.


At Oklahoma oil hub, Obama pledges to speed part of pipeline

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U.S. President Obama delivers remarks on energy independence at Stillwater Pipe Yard in CushingCUSHING, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Standing in front of a row of pipes, President Barack Obama pledged on Thursday to accelerate approval of the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline, seeking to deflect criticism that his rejection of the full project helped create a climate for high gasoline prices. The campaign-style stop was immediately dismissed as a stunt by Republicans, saying that Obama doesn't have the authority to really jump start the project. Analysts say it won't likely be finished until 2014 at the earliest. ...


Politics puts Etch A Sketch back in the picture

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FILE - A Nov. 5, 2008 file photo shows an Etch A Sketch portrait of President Elect Barack Obama, that was unveiled as the results of the presidential election were announced. Etch A Sketch is suddenly drawing lots of attention, thanks to a gaffe that has shaken up Mitt Romney's campaign. Ohio Art, the maker of the classic baby boomer toy, says it's sending a big box of Etch A Sketches to the presidential campaigns to say thanks for the publicity and a boost in sales. (AP Photo//The Ohio Art Company, Ellen Dallager, File)Pushed to the bottom of the toy box by video games and other high-tech gadgets, Etch A Sketch is suddenly drawing lots of attention, thanks to a gaffe that has shaken up the race for the White House.


Soldiers loot Mali presidency after ousting leader

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A soldier participating in a mutiny stands near civilians and burning tires lit in support of the mutiny, in Bamako, Mali Wednesday March 21, 2012. Gunshots could still be heard in the Malian capital late Wednesday, hours after angry troops started a mutiny at a military base near the presidential palace. Soldiers stormed the offices of the state broadcaster, yanking both TV and radio off the air.(AP Photo/Harouna Traore)Drunk soldiers looted Mali's presidential palace hours after they declared a coup on Thursday, suspending the constitution and dissolving the institutions of one of the few established democracies in this troubled corner of Africa.


Senate passes small business investment bill

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Legislation to help startup companies raise capital by reducing some federal regulations won easy passage in the Senate Thursday despite warnings from some Democrats that less government oversight would mean more abuse and scams.

Bloomberg to give $220M to world tobacco control

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FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2012 file photo, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg presents the Fiscal Year 2013 preliminary budget in New York. Bloomberg on Thursday, March 22, 2012 is expected to announce he will commit $220 million to his charity to go toward programs that reduce tobacco use in developing countries (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool, File)Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire who has made reducing smoking one of his signature causes as mayor of New York City, is committing $220 million to his charity to go toward reducing tobacco use in countries that are home to millions of smokers.


Bagel guru Murray Lender dies at age 81 in Fla.

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Murray Lender, who helped turn his father's small Connecticut bakery into a national company credited for introducing bagels to many Americans, has died in Florida. He was 81.

Brazil's poor get free beauty treatment

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In this photo taken Wednesday March 14, 2012, Nilcea Furtado receives a free of charge radio-frequency treatment by Dr. Ana Paula, right, at the Brazilian Society of Aesthetic Medicine clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The philosophy behind the clinic and more than 200 similar clinics across Brazil, is that beauty is a right, and that the poor deserve to be ravishing, too. Beauty, the doctors argue, is more than skin deep, and by treating what their patients view as physical flaws they are often also healing their psyches. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)A machine purrs as it delivers electrical pulses deep into the saggy skin on Barbara Penha's jawline, a high-tech treatment used first to tighten her jowls and then to sculpt her tummy.


Remains identified as kidnapped Montana teacher

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FILE - This undated photo provided by the Sidney, Mont., Police Dept. shows missing Sidney High School math teacher Sherry Arnold, 43. Authorities said Wednesday March 21, 2012, they believe a body found outside Williston, N.D., is that of this missing Sidney, Mont., school teacher who disappeared Jan. 7 during a morning run.(AP Photo/Sidney Montana Police Dept., File)A body found buried in North Dakota was identified Thursday as a Montana high school teacher who was abducted while jogging more than two months ago, the FBI said.


Lawsuits bring scrutiny to Trinity Broadcasting

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RETRANSMISSION TO CORRECT SPELLING OF NAME TO BRITTANY - This image provided by Brittany Koper shows, from left, Janice Crouch, Brittany Koper, Michael Koper, and Paul Crouch Sr., in an undated photo. Televangelists Paul and Jan Crouch have faced plenty of mountains building their religious broadcast empire _ among them allegations of a homosexual tryst and a prolonged battle with the FCC _ but the most recent attack on the founders of Trinity Broadcasting Network comes from their own flesh and blood. Their granddaughter, Brittany Koper, recently filed court papers that include allegations of $50 million in financial shenanigans at the world's largest Christian broadcasting network. (AP Photo/Brittany Koper)Televangelists Paul and Jan Crouch have faced plenty of mountains building their religious broadcast empire — among them allegations of a homosexual tryst and a prolonged battle with the Federal Communications Commission — but the most recent attack on the founders of Trinity Broadcasting Network comes from their own flesh and blood.


Clashes across Syria despite U.N. ceasefire call

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Syrian army tanks are seen in Deir al-Zour cityBEIRUT (Reuters) - More than 40 people died in clashes across Syria on Thursday, opposition activists said, as a U.N. Security Council call for an immediate end to the fighting fell on deaf ears. In the worst incident 10 civilians, including three children and two women, died when their small bus was shot up in the northern town of Sermeen as they tried to flee to Turkey, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said. The SOHR, which depends on a network of local contacts for its information, said it was not clear who was behind the killings. ...


Gov't sues AT&T over Internet calls

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The Justice Department has sued to recover millions of dollars from AT&T Corp., alleging the company improperly billed the government for services that are designed for use by the deaf and hard-of-hearing who place calls by typing messages over the Internet.

Santorum's best shot: Winning Iowa caucus _ again

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FILE - In this March 21, 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaks in Harvey, La. Rick Santorum is falling so far behind Mitt Romney in the race for convention delegates that his best chance might be in states that voted weeks ago. Santorum is trying to improve his lot in states like Iowa and Washington, where local caucuses were just the first step in determining delegates. If he doesn't get more from past races, he would need to win 74 percent of the delegates in the remaining primaries. So far, he's winning 27 percent. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)Rick Santorum is falling so far behind Mitt Romney in the race for Republican delegates that his best chance might be in states that voted weeks ago.


Analyst: Obama ups taxes for 1 in 4, mostly rich

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A nonpartisan research group estimates that President Barack Obama's budget would raise taxes next year on 1 in 4 households, but have little impact on families earning under $200,000 a year.

U.S. sees Taliban talks suspension as tactical move

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Captured Taliban insurgents and their weapons are presented to the media in GhazniWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Taliban's suspension of preliminary peace talks is a tactical move reflecting internal tensions, U.S. officials believe, rather than a definitive halt to discussions the White House hopes will bring a peaceful end to the war in Afghanistan. U.S. officials had been bracing themselves for backlash from the militant group following a string of public setbacks that have scandalized and angered Afghans, notably U.S. soldiers' burning of copies of the Koran and the killing of 16 Afghan villagers for which a U.S. soldier is in custody. Speaking on condition of anonymity, U. ...


Kroger, Stop & Shop join 'pink slime' exodus

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Supermarket chains Kroger Co. and Stop & Shop said Thursday they will join the growing list of store chains that will no longer sell beef that includes an additive with the unappetizing moniker "pink slime."

Guilty pleas in Caribbean gay cruise arrests

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Dennis Jay Mayer, 43, second from left, and John Robert Hart, 41, third from left, both of Palm Springs, California, leave a bank office as police officers wait to escort them back to court, in Roseau, Dominica, Thursday March 22, 2012. The two Southern California men have pleaded guilty to indecent exposure in Dominica following their arrest during a stop on a gay cruise of the Caribbean. Police said the men were seen having sex on a deck of a Celebrity Summit cruise ship by someone on the dock. (AP Photo/Carlisle Jno-Baptiste)Two Southern California men pleaded guilty on Thursday to indecent exposure in Dominica after they were arrested during a stop on a gay cruise of the Caribbean.


Coyle concerned for Bolton players over Muamba

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Owen Coyle (R) with Spurs and Bolton players as Muamba is treated at White Hart Lane on March 17Bolton manager Owen Coyle admits his players will find it hard to put Fabrice Muamba out of their minds when they return to action for the first time since the midfielder's harrowing collapse.


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