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Post from: OC and the World

VIDEOS:

Shiite militia mortar strikes Iraqi kindergarten

State Dept. encourages Tibetan dialogue

Today in history

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Drivers, eyeing gas prices now averaging $3.50 a gallon nationwide, say they feel squeezed

NEW YORK (AP) _ Cabbies here complain their take-home pay is thinner than it used to be. Trucking companies across the country are making drivers slow down to conserve fuel. Filling station owners plead that really, really, the skyrocketing prices aren’t their fault.

And the rest of us? With gas prices now averaging $3.50 a gallon nationwide, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, more and more Americans who have to drive are weighing the need for each and every trip.

“To get to the doctors and all that, it’s an awful lot of money,” said Carol Licata, a 75-year-old retiree from Arnold, Pa., who said a larger portion of her fixed income is now going toward gas. “I don’t drive that often, but have to take necessary trips … and (gas) takes a big chunk out of our budget.”

Some would-be drivers are considering less energy-dependent alternatives simply for money’s sake.

In Los Angeles, for example, fiction writer Brian Edwards sold his gas-guzzling Ford truck and now relies on his skateboard or the bus to get around. Sharon Cooper of Chicago, meanwhile, said she is planning to buy a bicycle to use on her 2½-mile commute to work.

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Iraqi leader seeks help from Arab states as Muqtada al-Sadr followers brace for more clashes

BAGHDAD (AP) _ Iraq’s prime minister appealed Monday for support from his Arab neighbors, urging them to open embassies and forgive Iraqi debts as his government tries to crack down on Shiite militias in a crucial power struggle.

The appeal came as leaders of the biggest militia _ the Mahdi Army of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr _ warned more violence could await, even as they criticized the government for allegedly showing little interest in negotiating with them.

With tension rising, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki flew to Kuwait for a meeting Tuesday of Iraq’s neighbors to discuss ways they can help Iraq’s Shiite-led government as it confronts both Shiite militias and Sunni extremists including al-Qaida in Iraq.

Al-Maliki said he will be looking for tangible support, including relief from Iraq’s $67 billion foreign debt _ most of it owed to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

“There are countries that support the political process and are opening embassies here. We need the others to open embassies here, too,” al-Maliki told reporters.

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Bush makes push for trade, wins warm support from Mexican, Canadian leaders at summit

NEW ORLEANS (AP) _ President Bush, stymied by Congress in his final push to broaden U.S. trade, is finding a bigger blast of support from north and south of the border.

The first day of a North American summit here showed off chummy relations, and markedly similar interests, among Bush and his counterparts from Mexico and Canada.

Bush was expected to expand on the those themes Tuesday by defending the economic benefits of trade and touting efforts to make traveling across borders less of a hassle.

To no surprise, the president’s meetings with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper were not poised to produce any bold agreements. The three leaders did not come to New Orleans confronting any looming, major decisions.

Instead, the leaders were expected to wind up with a statement of cooperation on important but bureaucratic areas, like disaster response and recalls of unsafe products.

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Texas officials take DNA, try to sort out relationships among members of polygamist sect

ELDORADO, Texas (AP) _ DNA samples from members of a West Texas polygamist sect could help sort out their complex family ties and reunite children taken from their parents, but an attorney for the group fears they could also be used to prosecute church members for abuse.

A judge ordered last week that the DNA be taken to help determine the parentage of the 437 children, many of whom were raised in enormous three-story houses with half-siblings.

Some of the adults have been ordered by the state to submit to testing. Others are being asked to do so voluntarily. The testing on possible parents in the sect’s compound was to begin Tuesday, but how many will take part is unclear.

Rod Parker, an attorney for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, said he is afraid authorities secretly intend to use the DNA to build criminal cases against members of the group. But state Child Protective services spokesman Greg Cunningham said: “We’re not involved in the criminal investigation. That’s not our objective.”

Authorities believe the sect forces underage girls into marriages with older men. No one has been arrested, but a warrant has been issued for member Dale Barlow, a convicted sex offender who has said he has not been to the Texas site in years.

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Pro-Tibet activists rally ahead of Olympic torch relay in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) _ Police briefly detained at least eight people and seized flags from pro-Tibet activists Tuesday during a rowdy demonstration against the Olympic torch relay in Indonesia.

Water cannons and 3,000 officers were deployed around the main sports stadium in the bustling capital, Jakarta, where the parade was held before a small, invitation-only crowd, said deputy police chief Herri Wibowo.

Jakarta’s governor started the relay, becoming the first of 80 torchbearers to follow a route that circled the stadium five times instead of running through the streets of Jakarta as originally planned.

The Chinese Embassy had insisted the Jakarta relay be shortened and open only to 5,000 invited guests, many of them local school children. The only other country to make the event invite-only so far was Pakistan, which cited security fears.

“I am excited to witness history,” said Andrea Putri, 15. “This kind of thing does not happen every day.”

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‘Please don’t do that’: Manhattan jury rejects man’s lawsuit over rectal exam he didn’t want

NEW YORK (AP) _ A hospital did nothing wrong when it tried to examine the rectum of a construction worker who had been hit on the head by a falling wooden beam, a jury found Monday.

After deliberating for about an hour, a state Supreme Court jury awarded nothing to Brian Persaud, who sued NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for unspecified damages. The panel found the hospital and its emergency room medical staff were not liable.

Persaud’s lawyers, Gerard Marrone and Gary DeFilippo, said he might appeal.

“We’re very disappointed,” Marrone said after the two-week trial. “It’s a miscarriage of justice.”

The hospital’s lawyer, Jeffrey Lawton, declined comment.

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Post from: OC and the World

VIDEOS: 

Carter: Peace process has regressed (Brief below)

Raw video: Malaysia welcomes Olympic torch

Royal flight: Prince William flies to girlfriend

Today in history

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Former President Jimmy Carter says Hamas willing to accept right of Israel to live ‘next door in peace’

JERUSALEM (AP) _ Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday that Hamas is prepared to accept the right of Israel to “live as a neighbor next door in peace.”

Carter said the group promised it wouldn’t undermine Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ efforts to reach a peace deal with Israel, as long as the Palestinian people approved it in a referendum. In such a scenario, he said Hamas would not oppose a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

Hamas, a militant Islamic group that both the U.S. and Israel consider a terrorist organization, calls in its charter for Israel’s destruction. It has also traditionally opposed peace negotiations with the Jewish state.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, later said Carter’s comments “do not mean that Hamas is going to accept the result of the referendum.”

Carter’s comments came after his much criticized meetings with the top Hamas leaders in Syria in last week.

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After enthusiastic 6-day pilgrimage to US, the impact of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit on America to be seen

NEW YORK (AP) _ Pope Benedict XVI’s U.S. visit left behind the impression of a compassionate and candid leader who has made a successful transition from professor to pope.

But it’s uncertain whether the pontiff’s six-day pilgrimage, which ended Sunday, will make a lasting imprint on a country he obviously admires.

“In the short term, the trip was an enormous success, probably beyond anyone’s expectations, including those of the pope himself,” said Russell Shaw, a Catholic writer and former spokesman for the U.S. bishops’ conference. “Whether the trip is going to have a significant outcome regarding the large problems facing American Catholicism, that’s anyone guess.”

In Washington and New York, Benedict sounded themes about truth trumping moral relativism, rich nations’ responsibility to care for poor ones, and Catholics’ call to live out their faith in the public square. Above all, the pope urged his audiences to find hope in Jesus Christ.

Benedict did not come to make provocative political statements, opting for measured tones. He spoke of keeping immigrant families together but not specific policy prescriptions. He called for peace but did not publicly address the war in Iraq.

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Bank of England offers $100 billion plan to encourage interbank lending amid credit crisis

LONDON (AP) _ The Bank of England on Monday announced a $100 billion plan to allow banks to swap mortgage-backed securities for Treasury bills.

The bank’s aim is to unblock the interbank lending market, by giving banks assets they can use to operate, in hopes they will then resume lending more _ and support the housing market and the overall British economy. Banks have become increasingly reluctant to lend to rivals in the wake of the global credit crunch.

The bank is offering the asset swaps for one year, but they will be renewable for up to three years. Only assets that existed at the end of last year will be eligible, the central bank said.

The risk of losses on the swapped assets will remain with the commercial banks, not the taxpayers, the Bank of England said.

“The Bank of England’s special liquidity scheme is designed to improve the liquidity position of the banking system and raise confidence in financial markets while ensuring that the risk of losses on the loans they have made remains with the banks,” said central bank Governor Mervyn King.

Banks will be able to swap a range of high-quality assets, including AAA-rated securities backed by British and European residential mortgages for Treasury bills. Though the assets have significant value, banks haven’t been able to use them to raise money because all such securities are tainted by the crisis over lower-quality securities backed by mortgages given to people with weak credit.

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Texas officials to begin taking DNA samples this week from Texas polygamous sect’s children

SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) _ More than 400 children taken from a polygamous sect’s ranch will undergo DNA testing this week, an attempt to determine who their parents are and if any sexual abuse took place.

Officials plan to begin taking DNA samples Monday at the coliseum in San Angelo where the children are being housed, but may need three or four days to complete the job.

Judge Barbara Walther ordered the tests at the request of state officials, who have complained that members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have continually changed their names, possibly lied about their ages and sometimes had difficulty naming their relatives.

The process will likely take about half an hour per sample because of the paperwork and care needed to avoid contamination, said Darrell Azar, a spokesman for Child Protective Services.

A certain number of DNA markers _ segments of the DNA with specific genetic characteristics _ are tested to determine whether two people are related. If any uncertainties arise, analysts test additional markers.

When the DNA sampling is completed, state officials will begin to relocate some of the 416 children from the coliseum and will separate the children younger than 4 years from adult mothers.

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For a final time, President Bush to focus on strengthening ties with leaders of Canada and Mexico

WASHINGTON (AP) _ President Bush, joining the conservative leaders of Canada and Mexico for one final time, is eager to expand a trading relationship that has been lucrative for the United States and both of its neighbors. But he is up against rising anti-trade sentiment.

Bush joins Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Monday in New Orleans for his fourth and final North American Leaders’ Summit. Despite its lofty name, the two-day meeting is more about technical cooperation than dramatic dealmaking.

If there is to be one prevailing issue on the agenda, it will be trade. The three countries already share the largest trading partnership in the world, totaling nearly $1 trillion a year. Heading into the meeting, Bush said he plans to talk to Harper and Calderon about expanding trade in the Western Hemisphere.

The timing comes as the United States is mired in an economic slide, and many displaced workers and labor leaders blame trade for shipping jobs overseas. A particular political target is the North American Free Trade Agreement, which turned the U.S., Mexico and Canada into a giant trade zone 14 years ago.

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have both threatened to pull the U.S. out of NAFTA as a means to pressure Canada and Mexico to negotiate more protections for workers and the environment. Bush calls the idea isolationist and reckless.

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World’s longest-ruling party loses grip in Paraguay as former bishop claims presidency

ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) _ The world’s longest-ruling political party is about to lose its six-decade grasp on power in Paraguay after a former Roman Catholic bishop won the country’s presidential election.

The Colorado Party’s reign _ which began in 1947 and was marked by the right-wing dictatorship of the late Gen. Alfredo Stroessner until his ouster in 1989 _ was halted by Fernando Lugo, a charismatic 56-year-old who advocated for the end of political corruption and economic disarray.

He beat Colorado Party rival Blanca Ovelar, a 50-year-old protege of President Nicanor Duarte who had sought to become Paraguay’s first woman president in Sunday’s election.

The triumph of Lugo’s eclectic opposition coalition _ the Patriotic Alliance for Change _ is the latest in a series of electoral wins by leftist, or center-left, leaders in South America.

Mark Weisbrot, at the Washington think tank Center for Economic and Policy Research, said Lugo’s election is a sign of “deep and irreversible … changes sweeping Latin America.”

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Post from: OC and the World

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Post from: OC and the World

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Monday:

SEBOKENG, South Africa – Trial for dormitory matron accused of abusing students at Oprah Winfrey’s school for disadvantaged South African girls. Faces charges of assault and criminal injury against six students, ages 13-15, and 23-year-old fellow dormitory matron.

MANAMA, Bahrain – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets with foreign ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council nations, Egypt and Jordan for discussions on Middle East peace talks and Iraq. Rice travels to Kuwait on Tuesday for conference of Iraq’s neighbors.

Tuesday:

SOCHI, Russia – International Olympic Committee makes first visit to Sochi, host city for 2014 Olympic Games. Russia was awarded games last year to hold in this resort area on coast of Black Sea at foot of Caucasus Mountains. Through April 24.

Thursday:

CANBERRA, Australia – Olympic torch relay winds through Australian capital. Pro-independence Tibet protests expected.

Post from: OC and the World

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Post from: OC and the World

Post from: OC and the World