Daily briefing from AP news — a feature designed to give you a synopsis of today’s top nation and world stories at a glance, over your morning cup of joe.
VIDEOS:
Holloway suspect says she died on Aruban beach
Stormy seas lead to British rescue
Kenya opposition leader calls for peacekeepers
____
US military says it accidentally killed 9 Iraqi civilians in raid south of Baghdad
BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. military said Monday that it had accidentally killed nine Iraqi civilians during an operation targeting al-Qaida in Iraq — the deadliest known case of mistaken identity in recent months.
The civilians were killed Saturday near Iskandariyah, 30 miles south of the Iraqi capital, U.S. Navy Lt. Patrick Evans told The Associated Press. Three wounded civilians were taken to U.S. military hospitals nearby, he said.
Evans did not give details about exactly how the people died, but said the killings occurred as U.S. forces pursued suspected al-Qaida in Iraq militants. The incident is under investigation, he said.
Iraqi police said the victims, including two women, were in two houses in the village of Tal al-Samar, which was bombed by American warplanes late Saturday. They were all Sunni members of the al-Ghrir tribe, an officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.
The U.S. airstrike occurred after an American convoy came under enemy fire in Tal al-Samar and soldiers called for air support, the Iraqi officer said.
———
Baby lotions, shampoos, powders may expose infants to worrisome chemicals, new study finds
CHICAGO (AP) — Baby shampoos, lotions and powders may expose infants to chemicals that have been linked with possible reproductive problems, a small study suggests.
The chemicals, called phthalates, are found in many ordinary products including cosmetics, toys, vinyl flooring and medical supplies. They are used to stabilize fragrances and make plastics flexible.
In the study, they were found in elevated levels in the urine of babies who’d been recently shampooed, powdered or lotioned with baby products.
Phthalates (pronounced thowl-ates) are under attack by some environmental advocacy groups, but experts are uncertain what dangers, if any, they might pose. The federal government doesn’t limit their use, although California and some countries have restricted their use.
Animal studies have suggested that phthalates can cause reproductive birth defects and some activists believe they may cause reproductive problems in boys and early puberty in girls.
———
Rebels say they have withdrawn from Chad’s capital; 200 reported wounded
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Chadian rebels withdrew from the capital of the oil-rich country overnight after encountering fierce resistance from government forces backed by helicopter gunships and tanks, officials said Monday.
Casualties from the two days of fighting in N’Djamena were believed to be high, and the violence threatened peacekeeping and aid operations intended to stabilize a wide swath of Africa that borders the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan.
Hundreds of people were fleeing the city, and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he was “profoundly alarmed” by the fighting. The U.N. Security Council, which held and emergency meeting Sunday on the situation, was to meet again Monday.
“The fighting was heavy; the weapons used were heavy,” said Capt. Christophe Prazuck, a French military spokesman. “Probably many people were injured or killed.” France, the former colonial power, has a long-standing military presence in Chad and was evacuating hundreds of foreigners from the country.
The rebels arrived on the capital’s outskirts Friday after a three-day push across the desert from Chad’s eastern border with Sudan. Backed by 250 pickup trucks mounted with machine guns, between 1,000 and 1,500 insurgents entered the city early Saturday, quickly spreading through the streets and reportedly trapping President Idriss Deby in his palace.
———
Iran launches research rocket, unveils first major space center; but past includes doubt
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran launched a research rocket Monday and unveiled its first major space center, which will be used to launch research satellites, state-run television reported.
The report said the rocket was the first launched by Iran “into space.” But analysts have expressed doubts about similar technological achievements announced by the country in the past.
Iran launched its first domestically built rocket last February, which did not reach orbit level.
“The first Iranian rocket Explorer-1 was fired into space,” reported state TV, which showed live images of the event at the space center, with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issuing the launch order. “With the launch, Iran has joined the world’s top 11 countries possessing space technology to build satellites, and launch rockets into space.”
The report did not specify the altitude reached by the research rocket. Space is considered to begin at 60 miles above ground. Ham radio satellites — the lowest flying satellites — orbit between 100-300 miles, while communication, weather and global-positioning satellites fly between 250-12,000 miles up.
———
French official says Societe Generale followed rules after losses, but urges tighter controls
PARIS (AP) — French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said Societe Generale followed market rules when it unwound unauthorized transactions by a rogue trader in a move that cost the bank billions, but urged tighter controls on banks in France.
“The unwinding of the positions at the source of the loss on Jan. 21, 22 and 23 was done in a professional way in difficult market conditions that could not be attributed to Societe Generale,” Lagarde said in a statement.
Lagarde presented a report on the Societe Generale trading losses to the French government Monday morning.
———
Giant balloons, comical humans compete for massive audience in this year’s Super Bowl ads
NEW YORK (AP) — The Super Bowl can be a scary but rewarding place, and not just for the football players. This year several first-time advertisers, including Planters nuts, showed they’ve got what it takes to compete with marketing powerhouses like Anheuser-Busch Inc.
Cars.com and Bridgestone Firestone North America also turned in solid freshman performances, but some of the most memorable entries came from Coke.
Back in the game last year after an absence of nine years, Coca-Cola Co.’s main brand was an even bigger presence this year. A spot playing on the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade featured giant balloons shaped like cartoon characters chasing after an inflatable bottle of Coke, high over the rooftops of Manhattan.
Another Coke spot featured political rivals James Carville and Bill Frist, getting over their differences with a Coke — then tooling around Washington on Segway scooters.
Rival PepsiCo Inc. had several spots in the game as well, some of them more quizzical. A spot for Pepsi’s Diet Pepsi Max featured a series of people nodding off to sleep, including a man at a deli counter with a preposterously large comb-over, who are revived with a jolt of caffeine.
An up-close-and-personal
look at daily life inside Iraq compiled from
posts from Iraqi journalists in McClatchy's
Baghdad Bureau.
