Thursday, September 6, 2012

Jailed American fights Nicaraguan drug sentence

Jailed American fights Nicaraguan drug sentence

Jailed American fights Nicaraguan drug sentence

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:30 PM PDT

In this Aug. 20, 2012 photo, U.S citizen Jason Sachary Puracal, left, attends his appeals hearing in handcuffs in Granada, Nicaragua. As a three-judge appellate panel mulls the 35-year-old American's fate, the case has drawn the scrutiny of U.S. lawmakers and human-rights advocates, including the California Innocence Project, which works to absolve people who have been wrongfully convicted. In late 2010 masked policemen raided his seafront real estate office and took him to Nicaragua's maximum security prison. Prosecutors charged that Puracal was using his business as a front for money laundering in a region used to transport cocaine from Colombia to the United States. Because no drugs or cash were seized, Puracal's family and friends thought he wouldn't be held long, but nine months later, a judge convicted Puracal and sentenced him to 22 years in prison. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)Jason Puracal made his home in this Pacific coast beach town after a Peace Corps stint, wed a Nicaraguan woman and had a son. He watched the surfing community on the crescent-shaped bay flourish as more expats arrived and settled.

Amazon unveils new, larger Kindle Fire models

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:37 PM PDT

Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon, holds the new at the introduction of the new Amazon Kindle Fire HD in Santa Monica, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)Amazon.com Inc. unveiled four new Kindle Fire models on Thursday, including ones with larger screens, as the online retailer steps up competition with Apple Inc. ahead of the holiday shopping season.

Amazon refreshes Kindles, including cheaper Fire

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:33 PM PDT

Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon, holds the new at the introduction of the new Amazon Kindle Fire HD in Santa Monica, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)Amazon.com Inc. refreshed its Kindle line of gadgets on Thursday. It updated its Kindle Fire tablet computer and announced new stand-alone e-reader models.

Celebs, goodies aplenty at 4th Fashion's Night Out

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:32 PM PDT

FILE - In this April 30, 2012 file photo, Kim Kardashian from the show "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" attends an E! Network upfront event at Gotham Hall in New York. Thursday, Sept. 6, is the fourth annual Fashion's Night Out, a celebrity-studded night designed to draw shoppers into stores for a night of celebrity spotting, music, giveaways, food and drinks, and, of course, shopping. In New York, Kim Kardashian will be signing $123 gift sets of her perfume True Reflection at Lord & Taylor, while Nicole Richie and Jennifer Hudson promote their new clothing lines at QVC. Cyndi Lauper will perform at Manolo Blahnik to promote her new musical, "Kinky Boots." (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)Break out your stilettos — and your wallet. Retailers all over the world are gearing up for the fourth annual Fashion's Night Out, a celebrity-studded night designed to draw shoppers into stores for a night of celebrity spotting, music, giveaways, food and drinks, and, of course, shopping.

Egypt: 4 top police cleared of killing protesters

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:28 PM PDT

A Cairo court on Thursday found four senior policemen not guilty of killing protesters during last year's popular uprising, the latest acquittal of officials charged in connection with the more than 800 deaths during the crackdown.

Delta looking into North Dakota crude for refinery

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:23 PM PDT

Delta Air Lines is looking into buying cheaper North Dakota crude oil to feed its new refinery near Philadelphia, instead of the more expensive overseas crude that has fed the refinery in the past.

US feds investigate reported fatal border shooting

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:23 PM PDT

A U.S. Border Patrol spokesman says federal officials are investigating after the Mexican government said a Mexican citizen was killed when an agent patrolling the Rio Grande fired his weapon across the border.

Liberia: New austerity budget cuts expenses

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:21 PM PDT

Liberia has a new $672 million austerity budget that cut official travel expenses to channel more funds to infrastructure.

Quincy Jones denies casino mogul made threats

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:21 PM PDT

FILE - In this April 27, 2011 file photo, Steve Wynn is interviewed in Las Vegas. Wynn and porn producer Joe Francis faced off before jurors Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, with the casino mogul denying that he threatened to kill the "Girls Gone Wild" founder and saying the accusation is threatening his upscale casinos. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)Music mogul Quincy Jones testified Thursday that he never told "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis that casino mogul Steve Wynn had threatened to kill the soft-porn producer and have him buried in the desert.

Stocks soar after ECB unveils bond buying effort

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:21 PM PDT

Broker Paul A. Mandile works the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange short time after the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange up Thursday, Sept.. 6, 2012 (AP Photo/David Karp)The last time the stock market was this high, the Great Recession was turning a month old, and stocks were headed for a headlong descent.

Visible from space: Curiosity tire tracks on Mars

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:18 PM PDT

This handout photo provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech shows the surroundings of the location where NASA Mars rover Curiosity arrived on Sept. 4, 2012. It is a mosaic of images taken by Curiosity's Navigation Camera (Navcam) following the Sol 29 drive of 100 feet. Tracks from the drive are visible in the image. For scale, Curiosity leaves parallel tracks about 9 feet apart. The rover Curiosity is making its mark on Mars. Its tracks are big enough to be seen from space. In just one month, the car-sized rover has driven 368 feet on the red planet. That's slightly more than the length of a football field. Curiosity's slightly zig-zaggy tire tracks were photographed from a NASA satellite circling Mars and also from the rover's rear-facing cameras. Curiosity landed on Aug. 5. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL-Caltech) The panorama is centered to the north-northeast, with south-southwest at both ends.NASA's robotic rover Curiosity is making its mark on Mars. Its tracks are big enough to be seen from space.

Report: US health care system wastes $750B a year

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:17 PM PDT

FILE - In this Sept. 4, 2012 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in Norfolk, Va. The U.S. health care system squanders $750 billion a year — roughly 30 cents of every medical dollar — through unneeded care, Byzantine paperwork, fraud and other waste, the influential Institute of Medicine said Thursday in a report that ties directly into the presidential campaign. President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney are accusing each other of trying to slash Medicare and put seniors at risk. But the counter-intuitive finding from the report is that deep cuts are possible without rationing, and a leaner system may even produce better quality. ( AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)The U.S. health care system squanders $750 billion a year — roughly 30 cents of every medical dollar — through unneeded care, byzantine paperwork, fraud and other waste, the influential Institute of Medicine said Thursday in a report that ties directly into the presidential campaign.

AIG launches AIA sale to help fund $5 billion buyback

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:15 PM PDT

The logo of the AIA tower is seen at its entrance in Hong KongHONG KONG (Reuters) - American International Group Inc launched a widely expected sale of a stake in its former Asian unit AIA, providing the insurer with funding to help repurchase up to $5 billion of its stock from the U.S. government. While the U.S. Treasury has not yet announced another share sale, its latest lockup expired early this month, meaning an offering would potentially bring the government's investment below the 50 percent mark for the first time. The Treasury on Thursday declined to comment on the potential for any upcoming sales. ...

Obama eager to sketch stakes in tight race

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:13 PM PDT

President Barack Obama waves to supporters as he arrives at the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport for the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)President Barack Obama pronounced himself eager to go before the Democratic National Convention and the nation Thursday to share his vision for the future in a capstone speech designed not just to persuade undecided voters but to put fire in the belly of his supporters.

Police calm, small crowds mark DNC, RNC protests

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:12 PM PDT

Occupy Demonstrators march at night, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, in Charlotte, N.C., during the second day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)As dozens of protesters blocked a busy intersection near the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte this week, they were surrounded and outnumbered by heavily armed police officers who appeared ready to move in.

Bill Clinton's speech renews talk of Hillary 2016

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:11 PM PDT

Former President Bill Clinton addresses the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)Former President Bill Clinton's speech to the Democratic convention served as a high-energy validation of President Barack Obama's policies — and may also have started setting the stage for another White House bid by his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Peterson jury asks for definition of 'unanimous'

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:11 PM PDT

FILE - In this May 8, 2009 file photo, former Bolingbrook, Ill., police sergeant Drew Peterson leaves the Will County Courthouse in Joliet, Ill., after his arraignment on charges of first-degree murder in the 2004 death of his former wife Kathleen Savio. On Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2012, jurors at Peterson's trial withdrew to begin deliberations on whether Peterson murdered his third wife. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)Jurors deliberating the murder case against Drew Peterson sent a note to the judge Thursday asking for the definition of the word 'unanimous' — a request that would seem to indicate a lack of consensus among them after more than a day and a half of discussion.

Amazon unveils new Kindle Fire models

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:10 PM PDT

Amazon is updating its Kindle Fire tablet computer as it steps up competition with Apple's iPad and refreshing its whole line of Kindle gadgets.

Lady Gaga's meat dress to be shown in DC museum

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:10 PM PDT

FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2010 file photo, singer Lady Gaga walks backstage wearing a dress made of meat after accepting the award for video of the year for "Bad Romance" at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles. The dress has made its way to Washington, along with Loretta Lynn's song about Lady Gaga's famous meat dress has made its way to the nation's capital, along with Loretta Lynn's song about "The Pill" and other relics from music history.

Mets pitcher Dickey has deal for children's books

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:09 PM PDT

New York Mets starting pitcher R.A. Dickey throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, in St. Louis. Dickey earned his 18th win of the season leading the Mets to a 6-2 win. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)R.A. Dickey's next pitch is for kids.

Syria's rebels struggle to tame Assad's air power

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:05 PM PDT

In this Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, photo, Syrian rebel fighter, Abu Muslim, 30, a former librarian, poses for a picture at a house where he and others wait their turn to go and fight against government forces in Aleppo, in Marea on the outskirts of Aleppo city, Syria. Syria's rebels have turned to a new tactic of attacking bases, trying to stop the jets and attack helicopters that have wreaked devastation on their fighters and civilians in the battleground city of Aleppo and the nearby countryside. Abu Muslim became a specialist in rocket-propelled grenades during his military service a decade ago. He said in the tight confines of urban warfare, taking out the regime's older tanks, wasn't a problem.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)Lt. Col. Maan al-Mansour's mission is to capture the Syrian air base where he once served.

ECB unveils aggressive bond plan to save euro

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 12:03 PM PDT

El presidente del Banco Central Europeo, Mario Draghi, ofrece una rueda de prensa el jueves 6 de septiembre de 2012 en la ciudad alemana de Francfort, donde anunció un nuevo programa de compra de bonos entre las 17 naciones de la eurozona para favorecer un disminución en el costo de sus deudas. (Foto AP/Michael Probst)The European Central Bank unveiled its most ambitious plan yet to ease Europe's financial crisis with a plan to buy unlimited amounts of government bonds to help lower borrowing costs for countries struggling to manage their debts.

FBI seeks bank robber dubbed 'Bucket List Bandit'

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:53 AM PDT

The FBI is hunting for a serial bank robber suspected in heists in eight states and whom the agency dubbed the "Bucket List Bandit" after he passed a note to a teller claiming he had only months to live.

Quebec election shooting suspect faces 16 charges

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:50 AM PDT

Richard Henry Bain arrives at court in Montreal on Thursday, Sept.6, 2012. Bain, 61, the suspect in a deadly shooting at a rally following the election of Quebec's new separatist premier was arraigned Thursday on 16 charges, including murder, attempted murder and possession of explosives. (AP Photo/Le Devoir via The Canadian Press, Jacques Nadeau) MONTREAL OUTThe suspect in a deadly shooting at a rally following the election of Quebec's new separatist premier was arraigned Thursday on 16 charges, including murder, attempted murder and possession of explosives.

Hungarian prime minister unfriends IMF on Facebook

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:50 AM PDT

Hungary's prime minister has long had a testy relationship with the International Monetary Fund — and on Thursday he used Facebook to unfriend the agency and reject its allegedly tough loan conditions.

James Bond's Aston Martin in charity auction

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:48 AM PDT

In this image made available by the auction house Christie's made available Thursday Sept. 6, 2012 the James Bond Aston Martin being chased by an Alfa Romero in a scene from the James Bond film Quantum of Solace. The Aston Martin V12 DBS coupe which featured in the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" is the top attraction at a charity auction marking the 50th anniversary of the first 007 film, "Dr. No." Christie's auctioneers said Thursday Sept. 6, 2012 that the car, a 2008 model, is expected to sell for at least 100,000 pounds ($160,000) at an invitation-only auction on Oct. 5. Proceeds will benefit Barnardo's, a British children's charity. (AP Photo/Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation, Christie's) NO ARCHIVEFor sale: used sports car, one debonair but dangerous owner.

French Alps slayings: Child found 8 hours later

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:48 AM PDT

Gendarmes block access to a killing site near Chevaline, French Alps, Wednesday Sept. 5, 2012. French authorities say at least four people have been shot to death in a forest in the Alps.An official with the regional administration for the Haute-Savoie region says three of the bodies were found in a BMW registered in Britain. (AP Photo/Alexis Moro)French authorities struggled Thursday to explain why no one found a 4-year-old girl for eight hours at a blood-strewn crime scene as she huddled in a car under the skirt of a corpse — apparently her dead mother or grandmother.

Bobbi Brown enlists Katie Holmes for ad campaign

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:48 AM PDT

FILE - This Feb. 26, 2012 file photo shows Katie Holmes at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, in West Hollywood, Calif. Holmes, 33, will appear in spring 2013 print ads and displays for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. Bobbi Brown will also be the lead makeup artist at the Spring/Summer 2013 fashion show for Holmes' clothing line, Holmes & Yang. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)Bobbi Brown Cosmetics is enlisting actress Katie Holmes as its first celebrity spokeswoman.

Judge orders Fort Hood suspect be clean-shaven

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:46 AM PDT

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Bell County Sheriff's Department via The Temple Daily Telegram shows Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly 2009 Fort Hood shooting. A military judge was expected Thursday to give an official order for a forcible beard shaving for Hasan. An appeals court has said Hasan can appeal that order, thus triggering another delay in his upcoming murder trial. (AP Photo/Bell County Sheriff's Department via The Temple Daily Telegram, File)The Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage must be clean-shaven or will be forcibly shaved before his murder trial, a military judge ordered Thursday.

'Big Fish' musical premieres in Chicago next year

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:45 AM PDT

A musical production of "Big Fish" starring two-time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz will have a five-week pre-Broadway run in Chicago next spring.

Press watchdog: No probe over Prince Harry pics

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:42 AM PDT

Britain's press watchdog says it will not for now open an investigation into a tabloid's publication of nude photos of Prince Harry because royal officials have not filed a formal complaint.

Who is marching in Charlotte to protest the DNC?

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:38 AM PDT

When protesters began arriving in Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention this week, they were filled with hope. For months, they predicted that thousands would travel to North Carolina's largest city to express their anger at economic policies that they say hurt the poor. They believed that the government was still looking the other way while big banks continued to foreclose on struggling homeowners. They wanted to vent about the human toll of war.

Greek tax man targets business, Chili Peppers concert

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:36 AM PDT

ATHENS (Reuters) - The Greek government's quest to clamp down on tax evaders has netted tens of millions of euros, it said on Thursday, as tax inspectors head to island resorts and rock concerts to fine wrongdoers and seize assets. Unauthorized sellers of paraphernalia such as hats, light sticks and flags at a concert by U.S. rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers in Athens were fined up to 5,000 euros ($6,300) each, according to one of three government press releases on tax evasion issued on Thursday. ...

Suspects sought after Hollywood-style bank heist

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:35 AM PDT

Los Angeles Police bomb squad members check for explosive devices outside a Bank of America branch in Los Angeles Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012. Authorities say two gunmen kidnapped a bank manager, held her overnight and strapped a device to her stomach before robbing a Bank of America. The woman then had employees take money from the bank and put it outside. The suspects remain at large. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)Two masked gunmen managed to evade authorities after a bizarre bank heist, strapping what they said was a bomb to her midsection and forcing her to order employees to "take out all the money" from her branch.

Obama speech about job security _ for him, for all

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:33 AM PDT

President Barack Obama waves as he joins Former President Bill Clinton during the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)To a nation short on job security, President Barack Obama has his night to protect his own.

Gambia: Islamic Council supports executions

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:32 AM PDT

Gambia's highest Islamic body has endorsed President Yahya Jammeh's recent decision to execute nine death row inmates.

Texas to open fastest US highway with 85 mph limit

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:30 AM PDT

Texas will soon open a stretch of highway with the highest speed limit in the country.

Thousands of Greeks protest planned pay cuts

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:30 AM PDT

A worker walks on scaffoldings that covers a building under construction in Athens on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012. Greece's unemployment rate surged to 24.4 percent in June as the number of people out of work in June rose by 34,000 to more than 1.2 million. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)Thousands of police marched through Athens on Thursday, chanting "thieves, thieves" and carrying black flags, to oppose planned pay cuts under a huge new austerity package meant to save Greece from defaulting on its mountain of debt.

EU lawmaker proposes ditching core parts of auditing shake up

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:25 AM PDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Core elements of a proposed European Union shake up of rules governing company auditors should be ditched, an influential member of the bloc's parliament suggested, in a move that is likely to delight the "Big Four" auditors and Britain. The EU's executive, the European Commission, authored the draft law to inject more competition into a market where Deloitte, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young check the books of most top companies in the world. ...

Miller, Nelson, Knight among hoops Hall inductees

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 11:25 AM PDT

Reggie Miller is joining his sister, Cheryl, in the basketball Hall of Fame.
Posted by Harshad at 1:03 PM

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