Saturday, July 7, 2012

Libyans in historic vote amid tensions in east

Libyans in historic vote amid tensions in east

Libyans in historic vote amid tensions in east

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:56 PM PDT

Libyans celebrate in Martyrs' Square in Tripoli after votinVoters flocked to cast their ballots Saturday in Libya's first free national election in decades after the ouster of dictator Moamer Kadhafi, despite protests disrupting some polling in the restive east.

More mega projects turning to private investors

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:42 PM PDT

This Thursday, July 5, 2012 photo shows the exterior of the 88 year-old Charles E. Gorton High School in Yonkers, N.Y. The Yonkers school district is looking for investors to pay for a $1.7 billion overhaul of dozens of schools, including Gorton, built in 1924 and 43% over-enrolled, according to school district officials. To replace the building would cost $128 million and to overhaul it with repairs would cost $428 million, according to John Carr, who heads up the Yonkers Public Schools Facilities division. Across the country, innovative deals are now being discussed that would put essential pieces of public infrastructure in the hands of global investment firms, the latest effort to cope with a lingering fiscal crisis that has left some communities unable to pay for their needs. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)For cities and states buried under mountains of debt, it has become a tantalizing proposition: invite private financial institutions to put up the money to fix aging schools, dilapidated rail lines and beat-up roads. Offer investors steady returns on the projects. And give the public the modern services its governments can no longer afford.

Back at top, Serena Williams wins 5th Wimbledon

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:39 PM PDT

For Serena Williams, the low point came in early 2011, when she spent hours laying around her home, overwhelmed by a depressing series of health scares that sent her to the hospital repeatedly and kept her away from tennis for 10 months.

Actor Shepard to throw out first pitch at Comerica

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:35 PM PDT

Actor Dax Shepard will throw out the first pitch Sunday before the Kansas City Royals-Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park.

Heavy tombstone falls on, kills 4-year-old boy

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:34 PM PDT

This undated photo provided by the family via Park City Medical Center shows Carson Dean Cheney, 4, who died July 5, 2012 after a large tombstone fell and hit the boy while he and his family were visiting a historic cemetery in the Utah ski resort town of Park City. (AP Photo/Park City Medical Center)A family friend says a 4-year-old boy was trying to make other children smile for a photograph when a 6-foot-tall tombstone that weighed hundreds of pounds fell on him and killed him at a historic Utah cemetery.

Libyans hold 1st nationwide vote in decades

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:28 PM PDT

This combo image of three photographs shows Libyan men holding their elections ID at a polling station in Tripoli, Libya, Saturday, July 7, 2012. Jubilant Libyan voters marked a major step toward democracy after decades of erratic one-man rule, casting their ballots Saturday in the first parliamentary election after last year's overthrow and killing of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. But the joy was tempered by boycott calls, the burning of ballots and other violence in the country's restive east. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)Jubilant Libyans chose a new parliament Saturday in their first nationwide vote in decades, but violence and protests in the restive east underscored the challenges ahead as the oil-rich North African nation struggles to restore stability after the ouster of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Extreme heat bakes Midwest, parts of East Coast

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:28 PM PDT

Sophie, 3, from Connecticut, frolics with a water sprinkler set up at the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial, rear, in Washington Saturday, July 7, 2012. The heat gripping much of the country is set to peak Saturday in many places, including some Northeast cities, where temperatures close to or surpassing 100 degrees are expected. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)Highways buckled in Wisconsin, water use was cut back in Indiana and those who had power in the mid-Atlantic were urged to conserve it, but the heat gripping much of the country was only expected to worsen Saturday.

Thieves bust through wall to steal hair extensions

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:27 PM PDT

Three thieves battered through a wall, crawled close to the floor to dodge motion detectors and stole six duffel bags filled with human hair extensions from a Chicago beauty supply store.

Israeli draft pits secular Jews vs. ultra-Orthodox

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:10 PM PDT

In this Monday, July 2, 2012 an Israeli soldier prays next to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City. Deep in the heart of Mea Shearim, a Jerusalem bastion of hardline ultra-Orthodox Jews, hundreds of bearded young men in black suits have their noses burrowed into books, immersed in biblical study and oblivious to their surroundings. These young men, and their sheltered lifestyle, are at the heart of a battle that is tearing Israel apart in a clash between tradition and modernity, religion and democracy. The fight centers on whether ultra-Orthodox males should be drafted into the military along with other Jews, but it really is about a much deeper issue: the place of Judaism in the Jewish state. Deep in the heart of Mea Shearim, a Jerusalem bastion of hardline ultra-Orthodox Jews, hundreds of bearded young men in black suits have their noses burrowed into books, immersed in biblical study and oblivious to their surroundings. These young men, and their sheltered lifestyle, are at the heart of a battle that is tearing Israel apart in a clash between tradition and modernity, religion and democracy. The fight centers on whether ultra-Orthodox males should be drafted into the military along with other Jews, but it really is about a much deeper issue: the place of Judaism in the Jewish state. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)Deep in the heart of Mea Shearim, a Jerusalem bastion of hardline ultra-Orthodox Jews, hundreds of bearded young men in black suits have their noses burrowed into books, immersed in biblical study and oblivious to their surroundings.

Relative says dad, sons shot ICE agent out of fear

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:06 PM PDT

A father and two sons shot at a federal immigration agent parked outside their home along the Texas border this week because they were afraid someone was going to break in, a relative told a newspaper.

Historic bridges of Yosemite Valley under siege

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:01 PM PDT

This June 12, 2012 photo shows Yosemite National Park's Stoneman Bridge, a single, arching span faced with rough-hewn granite, provides a dramatic foreground to Half Dome, the park's most iconic feature. Under proposed plans for restoring the natural flow of the Merced River, it is being considered for removal. This month the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the 80-year-old Stoneman and two similar bridges in Yosemite Valley on its most endangered list, saying these early examples of natural park architecture should be protected. (AP Photo/Tracie Cone)Perhaps no river crossing in Yosemite Valley has been more photographed than the historic Stoneman Bridge: a single, arching span faced with rough-hewn granite that provides a dramatic foreground to Half Dome, the park's most iconic natural marvel.

Serena fights off Radwanska to win fifth Wimbledon crown

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:56 AM PDT

Serena Williams of the U.S. holds her trophy as she stands on the clubhouse balcony after defeating Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in their women's final tennis match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in LondonLONDON (Reuters) - American Serena Williams powered her way to a fifth Wimbledon title with an explosive start and a fighting finish to beat Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1 5-7 6-2 on Saturday. The 30-year-old, contesting her seventh Wimbledon singles final, blew her nervous opponent off court in the first set but after a short rain interruption was then forced to go toe-to-toe with the Pole before winning the last five games. ...

Grasscourt great? I don't even like it: Serena

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:56 AM PDT

LONDON (Reuters) - She now has five Wimbledon singles titles, has a serve that is almost unplayable on the lawns and even named her dog after one of greatest men's players to grace the surface, yet Serena Williams still says she really does not like grass. The 30-year-old American carved another landmark on the All England Club's famous Centre Court on Saturday when she overpowered Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska to move level with her sister Venus's singles haul at the championships. ...

Smokies shift focus from rescue to reopening

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:56 AM PDT

Workers clear storm damage from Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Saturday, July 7, 2012, near Townsend, Tenn., as rangers shifted their focus Saturday from rescue efforts to reopening the popular area to the public. Violent storms on Thursday night led to two deaths and several injuries in the park. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)Rangers shifted their focus Saturday from rescue efforts to reopening a popular section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park after violent storms led to two deaths and several injuries.

With 'freedom' in fashion, is libertarianism back?

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:54 AM PDT

In this Saturday, May 5, 2012 photo, supporters of GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul chant his name during the Nevada Republican Party Convention in Sparks, Nev. Standing second right is Cindy Lake, acting chair of the Clark County Republican Party and a delegate to the upcoming Republican National Convention. Something's going on in America this election year: a renaissance of an ideal as old as the nation itself - that live-and-let-live, get-out-of-my-business, individualism vs. paternalism dogma that is the hallmark of libertarianism. But what looms are far larger questions about whether an America fed up with government bans and government bailouts - with government, period - is seeing a return to its libertarian roots. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Cathleen Allison)To begin: This is not a story about Ron Paul.

List of Wimbledon women's singles champions

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:54 AM PDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Wimbledon women's singles champions since 1922. 2012: Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 6-1 5-7 6-2 2011: Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Maria Sharapova (Russia) 6-3 6-4 2010: Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 6-3 6-2 2009 Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Venus Williams (U.S.) 7-6(3) 6-2 2008 Venus Williams (U.S.) beat Serena Williams (U.S) 7-5 6-4 2007 Venus Williams (U.S.) beat Marion Bartoli (France) 6-4 6-1 2006 Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Justine Henin (Belgium) 2-6 6-3 6-4 2005 Venus Williams beat Lindsay Davenport (U.S. ...

Radwanska enjoys "dream" final despite defeat

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:54 AM PDT

LONDON (Reuters) - The gulf between Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska was perhaps never more evident than when the Pole left Wimbledon's Centre Court as a beaten finalist and described her defeat as a "dream" and the culmination of the "best two weeks of my life". For Williams, this was a 14th grand slam title and another 1.15 million pounds ($1.78 million) to add to a burgeoning pool of career cash, while Radwanska had missed out on claiming a maiden major title in her first major final. ...

International donors pledging $16B in Afghan aid

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:54 AM PDT

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, not pictured, at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, July 7, 2012. Clinton announced that President Barack Obama had designated Afghanistan as a "major non-NATO ally" shortly after arriving in the country for talks with Karzai. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)International donors will pledge $16 billion in aid for Afghanistan over the next four years in hopes of stabilizing the country after most foreign combat troops return home, a U.S. diplomat said Sunday, but the money will come with conditions to ensure it doesn't fall victim to rampant Afghan corruption and mismanagement.

Extreme heat persists in U.S., relief in weekend forecast

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:47 AM PDT

A tourist uses a patriotic umbrella to fight the punishing heat gripping Washington(Reuters) - Another day of scorching temperatures blanketed the United States from Iowa to the East Coast on Saturday, but forecasters said some of the areas hit hardest by the prolonged heat wave would soon get relief. The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings for cities including Washington, D.C., where temperatures reached 103 Fahrenheit (39 Celsius) by 1 p.m., New York City and Philadelphia, where temperatures could also hit triple digits. ...

Libyan killed in election-related violence

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:39 AM PDT

A Libyan woman votes at a polling station in the old city of Tripoli, Libya, Saturday, July 7, 2012. Jubilant Libyan voters marked a major step toward democracy after decades of erratic one-man rule, casting their ballots Saturday in the first parliamentary election after last year's overthrow and killing of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. But the joy was tempered by boycott calls, the burning of ballots and other violence in the country's restive east. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)The head of Libya's election commission says one person has been killed and two wounded in a gunbattle between security forces and protesters against the country's parliamentary elections.

Joseph Kirsner, pioneer physician, dies at age 102

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:37 AM PDT

Dr. Joseph Kirsner, a pioneer in the field of digestive system disorders, died from kidney failure at his home in Chicago on Saturday. He was 102 years old.

Over 100 killed in floods, landslides in Russia

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:36 AM PDT

A local resident walks with her child through a flooded street in the southern Russian town of KrymskMOSCOW (Reuters) - Floods and landslides killed at least 103 people in southern Russia after two months' average rainfall fell in a few hours, forcing some to climb on to roofs and into trees to save themselves, police said on Saturday. Many victims were elderly people who were asleep in the town of Krymsk when the storm broke in the agricultural region of Krasnodar overnight. They drowned as the torrential rain turned hilly streets into driving torrents and water rose above head-height in what one official called the worst flooding for 70 years. ...

Egypt president to visit Saudi on 1st foreign trip

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:35 AM PDT

El presidente de Egipto, Mohamed Morsi, aparece el jueves 5 de julio de 2012 flanqueado por dos militares de alto rango durante una entrega de medallas en El Cairo. De acuerdo con una información difundida por la agencia oficial de noticias de Egipto, Morsi ordenó el jueves 5 una nueva investigación sobre las muertes de manifestantes durante la represión de la revuelta que forzó la renuncia del presidente Hosni Mubarak. (Foto AP/Mohammed Abd El Moaty, Presidencia de Egipto)Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi will travel to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday on his first official trip abroad since being sworn in, a move suggesting the Islamist leader wants to reassure the kingdom that strong relations are a priority.

Israeli reservists rally against draft exemptions

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:34 AM PDT

In this Monday, July 2, 2012 an Israeli soldier prays next to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City. Deep in the heart of Mea Shearim, a Jerusalem bastion of hardline ultra-Orthodox Jews, hundreds of bearded young men in black suits have their noses burrowed into books, immersed in biblical study and oblivious to their surroundings. These young men, and their sheltered lifestyle, are at the heart of a battle that is tearing Israel apart in a clash between tradition and modernity, religion and democracy. The fight centers on whether ultra-Orthodox males should be drafted into the military along with other Jews, but it really is about a much deeper issue: the place of Judaism in the Jewish state. Deep in the heart of Mea Shearim, a Jerusalem bastion of hardline ultra-Orthodox Jews, hundreds of bearded young men in black suits have their noses burrowed into books, immersed in biblical study and oblivious to their surroundings. These young men, and their sheltered lifestyle, are at the heart of a battle that is tearing Israel apart in a clash between tradition and modernity, religion and democracy. The fight centers on whether ultra-Orthodox males should be drafted into the military along with other Jews, but it really is about a much deeper issue: the place of Judaism in the Jewish state. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)Thousands of Israeli reservists and their supporters are rallying in Tel Aviv to protest draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Syria's fighting spills into Lebanon, five killed

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:23 AM PDT

Relatives of Nadia al Ouisi mourn during her funeral in Wadi Khaled town after shelling by Syrian forces towards villagers houses in North LebanonBEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's conflict spilled further into Lebanon on Saturday when mortar fire from President Bashar al-Assad's forces hit villages in the north, killing five people after rebels crossed the border to seek refuge, residents said. Rebels fighting to unseat Assad have used north Lebanon as a base and his forces have at times bombed villages and even pursued insurgents over the border, threatening to stoke tension in Lebanon, whose sectarian rifts mirror those in Syria. ...

Britain hails Andy Murray as a hero _ for now

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:17 AM PDT

Andy Murray of Britain reacts after defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France during a semifinals match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Friday, July 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)Andy Murray has messed up a lot of people's weekend plans.

Vikings RB Peterson arrested in Houston

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:09 AM PDT

Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson has been arrested in Houston on a charge of resisting arrest.

The world in 1938, a Brit's last Wimbledon final

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:07 AM PDT

World War II — hadn't yet begun. It was 1938 when Bunny Austin lost the championship in straight sets to Don Budge. And around the world:

Donors expected to pledge $16 billion in Afghan aid

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:07 AM PDT

U.S. Secretary of State Clinton and Afghan President Karzai hold a joint news conference in KabulKABUL (Reuters) - Donors are expected to pledge $16 billion in aid for Afghanistan over the next four years, a U.S. official said on Saturday, as Washington kept a promise to declare the country a major non-NATO ally. The upgrade in Afghanistan's security status, a largely symbolic move for now, and a donors' conference to be held in Tokyo on Sunday both aim to reinforce the U.S. message to Afghans that they will not be abandoned as the war winds down. The new status may help Afghanistan acquire U.S. defense supplies and have greater access to U.S. ...

Russians angry as massive flood leaves town in ruins

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:06 AM PDT

Members of the emergency service inspect flooded streets of the city of KrymskPeople in a flood-ravaged southern Russian town on Saturday charged that authorities offered no help as masses of water tore through their homes overnight.

Serena Williams wins 5th Wimbledon title in 3 sets

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:02 AM PDT

Serena Williams of the United States plays a shot against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during the women's final match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Saturday, July 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)Serena Williams is back, and she looks almost as good as ever.

Border Patrol: Agent fires shots after rock attack

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 10:55 AM PDT

The U.S. Border Patrol says an agent fired shots after being pelted by rocks thrown along the Rio Grande.

LA schools superintendent shakes up district

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 10:54 AM PDT

In this photo taken Thursday, June 14, 2012 Los Angeles Unified School District LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy tours the district in Los Angeles. Developing school leadership is a cornerstone of Deasy's strategy to reform Los Angeles Unified School District and sorting through principals underscores his philosophy that nothing in the sprawling district is too minute to warrant his attention. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)Faced with a shocking case of a teacher accused of playing classroom sex games with children for years, Los Angeles schools Superintendent John Deasy delivered another jolt: He removed the school's entire staff — from custodians to the principal — to smash what he called a "culture of silence."

Pakistan police seize more illegally dug artefacts

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 10:52 AM PDT

A Pakistani police official inspects seized ancient statues at a police station in KarachiAuthorities in Karachi seized dozens more ancient artefacts dating from the Gandhara civilisation on Saturday thanks to leads obtained from those arrested in a similar raid the day before, officials said.

Spain plans new deficit-cutting steps: PM

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 10:48 AM PDT

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano RajoySpain will adopt fresh measures in the coming days to cut its deficit, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed Saturday, urging Europe to quickly make good on its latest crisis-fighting agreements.

103 dead in southern Russia floods

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 10:40 AM PDT

A woman takes video of the flood in the Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik, southern Russia, Saturday, July 7, 2012. Intense flooding in the Black Sea region of southern Russia killed 103 people after torrential rains dropped nearly a foot of water, forcing many to scramble out of their beds for refuge in trees and on roofs, officials said Saturday. (AP Photo/Ignat Kozlov)Intense flooding in the Black Sea region of southern Russia killed 103 people after torrential rains dropped nearly a foot of water, forcing many to scramble out of their beds for refuge in trees and on roofs, officials said Saturday.

Murray tries for British breakthrough at Wimbledon

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 10:37 AM PDT

Britain's Andy Murray during a practice session with his coach Ivan Lendl during day twelve of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon, London Saturday July 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Adam Davy/PA Wire) UNITED KINGDOM OUTThe Brits know how to stage a coronation, and they'll do so Sunday for either regal Roger Federer or one of their own, Andy Murray.

Iran says it has plan to close Strait of Hormuz

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 10:32 AM PDT

Iran will block the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the passageway through which a fifth of the world's oil flows, if its interests are seriously threatened, a senior Iranian military commander said Saturday.

AP PHOTOS: First Libyan election after Gadhafi

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 10:26 AM PDT

Libyans hold up their ink-marked fingers that shows they have voted as they celebrate in Martyrs' Square in Tripoli, Libya, Saturday, July 7, 2012. Jubilant Libyan voters marked a major step toward democracy after decades of erratic one-man rule, casting their ballots Saturday in the first parliamentary election after last year's overthrow and killing of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. But the joy was tempered by boycott calls, the burning of ballots and other violence in the country's restive east. (AP Photo/Abdel Magid Al Fergany)Libyan voters mark a major step toward democracy after decades of erratic one-man rule, casting their ballots Saturday in the first parliamentary election after last year's overthrow and killing of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. But the joy was tempered by boycott calls, the burning of ballots and other violence in the country's restive east.

KC hopes All-Star police performance is stellar

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 10:24 AM PDT

After a year of preparing for one of the biggest events to come to the city in decades, Kansas City police are ready to prove they're as capable as any big-city force of delivering a stellar performance at the Major League Baseball All-Star game.
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