The America's Intelligence Wire articles from February 2006

The America's Intelligence Wire archives from February 2006

WORLD SPORTS at 0000 GMT.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) SOCCER: AFRICAN CUP: Nigeria and Senegal advance, Ghana eliminated CAIRO, Egypt _ Nigeria rallies to beat Senegal 2-1 and both teams clinch the final two berths in the quarterfinals of the African Cup of...

Judge dismisses most of charges in smuggling deaths trial.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JUAN A. LOZANO A federal judge dismissed most of the counts against three people accused in connection with America's deadliest human smuggling attempt, which killed 19 people in an overheated truck...

Video shows airman recently back from Iraq shot by California sheriff's deputy.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JEREMIAH MARQUEZ A videotape broadcast Tuesday shows a sheriff's deputy shooting an unarmed Air Force policeman as he apparently heeds an order to get up off the ground after a car chase. The grainy...

Putin hails achievements, warns against foreign meddling.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: STEVE GUTTERMAN President Vladimir Putin had sharp words for his critics and stark reminders of Russia's nuclear might at his annual news conference in which he sought to burnish his image as a competent...

France, Russia hold open possibility of diplomatic solution with Tehran.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANGELA CHARLTON France and Russia have stressed that they still see the possibility for a diplomatic solution to the impasse with Iran over its nuclear ambitions, making clear that they do not want a rush...

Honeywell Investigates Security Breach.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: ANGELA CHARLTON Honeywell International is offering credit monitoring and identity theft insurance to approximately 19,000 current and former employees whose personal information _ including Social Security...

U.N. agency says Iran documents are for making atomic bombs.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: GEORGE JAHN A document obtained by Iran on the nuclear black market serves no other purpose than to make an atomic bomb, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The finding was made in a...

EU searches for solution to Hamas dilemma.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: PAUL AMES The Hamas election victory appears to offer the European Union a stark choice: Deal with a government formed by what it regards as a terrorist group, or risk a violent anti-Western backlash by...

Annan Gives Grim Assessment of Kosovo.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: NICK WADHAMS U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday offered a grim assessment of Kosovo's progress toward stability, saying in a report that the region had fallen behind in efforts to create a...

Boys Choir of Harlem must leave school, city says.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NICK WADHAMS The New York City Department of Education was not backing down from its demand that the reknowned Boys Choir of Harlem leave the public school space it has been using for free for more than a...

Japan's burgeoning `nerd culture' moves into the mainstream _ almost.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MARI YAMAGUCHI Masa puts his arm affectionately around Konoha's sloping shoulders on the couch in his apartment and gently brushes her hair from her bright blue eyes. Iris stands behind them, decked out in...

Government drive against Cuba's reviled 'new rich' mainly hits average Cubans.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: VANESSA ARRINGTON President Fidel Castro is pursuing a campaign against Cuba's "new rich," accusing them of corruption and moral decay in his quest to erase class differences threatening the utopian ideals...

U.S. companies won't attend briefing on human rights and Internet in China.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: FOSTER KLUG Representatives from several powerhouse technology companies say they won't attend a congressional briefing Wednesday meant to shine a spotlight on U.S. Internet businesses operating in China....

Iraqi girl burned in war joins Kentucky family.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JEFFREY McMURRAY It remains a mystery whether the burns covering 12-year-old Waghdan Al-Jayashy's upper body are the fault of Iraqis or Americans. But it is American doctors _ and an American family _...

Frey memoir fiasco sheds light on publishing's culture of trust.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: HILLEL ITALIE Scandals involving purported memoir writers are multiplying, as a writer portraying himself as an impoverished Navaho Indian has been unmasked as a white North Carolina man -- a problem that...

U.S. wants to buy more bird flu medicine, manufacturer says.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: KEVIN FREKING The Bush administration is intent this year on dramatically increasing the nation's stockpile of Tamiflu, a drug that can lessen the severity of bird flu, says the president of the company...

Palestinian filmmaker's entry poses Oscar quandary.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LYNN ELBER Before "Paradise Now" received its best foreign-language film nomination, Academy Award executives debated a movie credit with rare geopolitical dimensions. Would the film be designated a...

U.S. Marine cleared of most serious charge in Romanian rocker's death.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LYNN ELBER A court-martial found a U.S. Marine not guilty of negligent homicide in the December 2004 death of a Romanian rock star whose taxi was hit by an embassy car allegedly driven by the Marine. ...

Fourteen Hurt in N.C. Chemical Plant Blast.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: PAUL NOWELL An explosion at a chemical plant Tuesday injured 14 workers and set off a fire that spewed thick black smoke, leading to the temporary evacuation of nearby residents, officials said. Two of the...

Appeals Courts Uphold Abortion Finding.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: LARRY NEUMEISTER Two federal appeals courts on opposite sides of the country declared the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act unconstitutional Tuesday, saying the measure lacks an exception for cases in which a...

Ky. Church Abuse Deal May Be $85 Million.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: BRETT BARROUQUERE A judge approved a settlement of up to $85 million Tuesday between sexual abuse victims and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, one of the largest deals the church has reached with U.S....

Tech Companies Won't Attend D.C. Meeting.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: FOSTER KLUG Representatives from several powerhouse technology companies say they won't attend a congressional briefing Wednesday meant to shine a spotlight on U.S. Internet businesses operating in China. ...

Iranian foreign minister says snap inspections to end Saturday if reported to U.N.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ALI AKBAR DAREINI Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that Iran would end snap inspections of its facilities by U.N. monitors as of Saturday if Tehran is reported to the Security Council. ...

Luxembourg's Juncker rejects Mittal's bid for Arcelor.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: AOIFE WHITE Mittal Steel Co.'s surprise A18.6 billion (US$22.5 billion) offer for Arcelor SA has drawn scathing criticism from French officials and an outright rejection from the Luxembourg government _...

AP News Pronunciation Guide.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: AOIFE WHITE K Ahmed Tejan Kabbah -- AH'-mehd TEH'-jahn KAH'-bah Kabardino-Balkariya --- kah-bahr-DEE'-noh bahl-KAH'-ree-ah Lech Kaczynski -- lekh kah-CHIN'-skee Kadima -- kuh-DEE'-muh...

AP News Pronunciation Guide.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: AOIFE WHITE A Abakan -- ah-bah-KAHN' Feroz Abbasi -- feh-ROOZ' ah-BAH'-see Abul Abbas -- AH'-bool ah-BAHS' Mahmoud Abbas -- mahk-MOOD' ah-BAHS' Mahmoud Abdel-Baset -- mah-MOOD'...

British Parliament rejects Blair's proposed anti-hate law.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID STRINGER British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government suffered an unexpected defeat over plans to introduce a law aimed at combating religious hatred, which critics said curbed freedom of speech....

Samuel Alito sworn in as 110th justice of U.S. Supreme Court.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID STRINGER A divided Senate confirmed Samuel Alito as the nation's 110th Supreme Court justice, handing President George W. Bush a win and instilling in conservatives the hope that the high court's...

Protests, rallies planned on anniversary of king's seizure of power in Nepal.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Dissidents planned protest rallies across Nepal on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of King Gyanendra's seizure of power. The king was scheduled to address the impoverished...

In volatile west, Iraqi army struggles to retain soldiers amid insurgent attacks.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANTONIO CASTANEDA Just two days before a mission to send hundreds of Iraqi soldiers after insurgents in this troubled western part of Iraq, U.S. and Iraqi commanders confronted an untimely problem _ an...

India, Pakistan to reopen second rail link Feb. 18.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: SADAQAT JAN A rail service linking Pakistan and India will resume later this month after a more than four-decade gap, the latest indication that hostilities between the nuclear-armed rivals are waning....

Colombia presses ELN rebels for cease fire ahead of preliminary peace talks.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: SADAQAT JAN Colombia has asked the country's second largest rebel group to commit to a voluntary cease fire ahead of a decisive, upcoming round of peace talks in Cuba. Government negotiators and...

Former Wal-Mart vice chairman pleads guilty to fraud, tax charges.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MARCUS KABEL A former Wal-Mart Stores Inc. vice chairman who was a protege of founder Sam Walton pleaded guilty to fraud and tax charges Tuesday, admitting that he stole money, gift cards and merchandise...

PDVSA tanker runs aground in Venezuelan waters.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MARCUS KABEL A tanker carrying 1 million barrels of crude has run aground in Venezuelan waters without spilling any oil, officials said. The "Kim Jacob" was headed with its cargo of medium and heavy...

Ex-postal worker kills five, commits suicide at Goleta mail plant.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: TIM MOLLOY A former postal worker who had been put on medical leave for psychological problems shot five people to death at a huge mail-processing center and then killed herself in what is believed to be...

Mormon church president released from hospital.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: TIM MOLLOY Gordon B. Hinckley, the 95-year-old president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was released from the hospital Tuesday, a week after a cancerous growth was removed from his...

Texas man executed for double slaying.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL GRACZYK A man who fatally shot two men outside a Houston cantina more than 11 years ago was executed by lethal injection Tuesday, the second in Texas so far this year. In a brief final...

India awards airport modernization contracts amid protests.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NEELESH MISRA India's Cabinet was set Wednesday to formally approve Germany's Fraport and the Airports Company South Africa as the winners of contracts to modernize and operate New Delhi and Bombay...

Protests, rallies planned on anniversary of king's seizure of power in Nepal.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Dissidents planned protests across Nepal on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of King Gyanendra's seizure of power, while the United States urged the monarch to discuss a return to...

Aretha Franklin forgives NFL for Rolling Stones snub.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIKE HOUSEHOLDER The NFL offended the Queen of Soul, but now all is forgiven. Aretha Franklin, who will perform the national anthem at Sunday's Super Bowl here in her hometown, initially felt...

Google's earnings nearly double, but miss analyst estimates; stock plunges.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL LIEDTKE Google Inc.'s rapid financial growth decelerated in the fourth quarter as the online search engine leader's profit fell below analyst expectations for the first time since its August 2004...

U.S. urges Laos to provide access to children removed from Thai settlement.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL LIEDTKE The United States criticized Laos for failing to account for the whereabouts of about 27 children taken from their parents at a displaced persons settlement in northern Thailand and sent to...

Texas man executed for double slaying.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL GRACZYK A man who fatally shot two men outside a Houston cantina more than 11 years ago was executed by lethal injection Tuesday, the second in Texas so far this year. In a brief final...

Coretta Scott King Dies at 78.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: ERRIN HAINES Coretta Scott King, who worked to keep her husband's dream alive with a chin-held-high grace and serenity that made her a powerful symbol of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s creed of brotherhood...

Group Sues AT&T Over Alleged Surveillance.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: MATTHEW FORDAHL A civil liberties group sued AT&T Inc. on Tuesday for its alleged role in helping the National Security Agency spy on the phone calls and other communications of U.S. citizens without warrants....

Microsoft Amends Blog Shutdown Policies.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: ALLISON LINN Microsoft Corp. says it is setting new policies on shutting down Web journals after its much-publicized squelching of a well-known Chinese blogger at the request of Chinese officials. The...

Wireless Cos. Launch Second iTunes Phone.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: PETER SVENSSON Motorola Inc. and Cingular Wireless LLC are out with their second cell phone with Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes music service, and hope it's better received than the first iTunes phone. The...

Britain Amends Proposed Anti-Hate Law.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: DAVID STRINGER After protests outside the Houses of Parliament, British lawmakers Tuesday watered down a bill banning religious hate speech, then narrowly voted it into law. Prime Minister Tony Blair...

Mourners Pay Respect to Kings' Legacies.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: HARRY R. WEBER On the day Coretta Scott King died, Lori Smith wanted to pay her respects _ by exposing her children to the legacy of peace and nonviolence created by the civil rights pioneer and her husband....

Privacy group sues AT&T over alleged surveillance.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MATTHEW FORDAHL A civil liberties group sued telecommunications company AT&T Inc. on Tuesday for its alleged role in helping the National Security Agency spy on the phone calls and other communications of...

Wie to play men's tournament in South Korea.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MATTHEW FORDAHL Michelle Wie will play against men on the Asian Tour in South Korea, accepting an invitation Tuesday to play in the SK Telecom Open. K.J. Choi is the defending champion of the...

Without a deal, Congress to give Patriot Act talks six more weeks.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LAURIE KELLMAN Congress is ready to extend the USA Patriot Act into March to give the White House and conservative Senate Republicans time to strike a deal that would strengthen civil liberties without...

Cesar to Inter ends transfer season in which Cassano, Vieri were big moves.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LAURIE KELLMAN Brazilian forward Cesar rejoined his former coach Roberto Mancini on Tuesday, moving from Lazio to Inter Milan and closing out the Italian transfer season that saw the departures of Antonio...

Huntsman confirms discussions about possible sale or merger of company.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LAURIE KELLMAN Global chemical manufacturer Huntsman Corp. confirmed late Tuesday that it has talked with multiple suitors about a possible acquisition of the company. The company said it first...

Supreme Court blocks second Florida execution in a week.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LAURIE KELLMAN For the second time in a week, the Supreme Court granted a stay of execution for an inmate on Florida's death row, this one scheduled to die for drowning a woman in her bathtub a decade ago....

Ferry carrying 80 passengers and crew sinks in eastern Indonesia: navy.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LAURIE KELLMAN A ferry carrying 80 passengers and crew sunk in eastern Indonesia on Wednesday, a navy spokesman said. Three navy vessels and an air force plane were on their way to the scene of the...

Japanese stocks open lower on profit-taking, dollar up against yen.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LAURIE KELLMAN Japanese stocks fell slightly early Wednesday following six straight sessions of gains. The dollar was higher against the yen. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index dipped 54.92 points, or 0.33...

Mourners Pay Respect to Kings' Legacies.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: HARRY R. WEBER On the day Coretta Scott King died, Lori Smith wanted to pay her respects _ by exposing her children to the legacy of peace and nonviolence created by the civil rights pioneer and her husband....

Six Dead in Calif. Post Office Shooting.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: TIM MOLLOY A former postal worker who had been put on medical leave for psychological problems shot five people to death at a huge mail-processing center and then killed herself in what was believed to be the...

Moussaoui's Mother Asks for Fair Hearing.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: ANNE DEVAILLY The mother of Zacarias Moussaoui, who risks a death sentence as an admitted terrorist conspirator, said Tuesday she wants her son judged for his actions _ not because he is Arab or an Islamist....

ABC Journalists Hurt in Iraq Arrive in Md.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: STEPHEN MANNING Wounded ABC anchorman Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt arrived in the United States on Tuesday for treatment at a Navy hospital for the wounds they suffered in Iraq. They were airlifted...

A year after king's power grab, Nepal slides deeper into crisis.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NIRMALA GEORGE On a cold morning one year ago, the phones suddenly went dead in Nepal. Heavily armed soldiers surrounded the homes of powerful politicians in the Himalayan country. Roadblocks went up in...

Berlusconi's no-sex promise was just a joke, premier says.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NIRMALA GEORGE Premier Silvio Berlusconi's reported promise that he would abstain from sex until the April 9 general election was just a joke, the Italian leader said. "It was a joke," Berlusconi said...

New Orleans opened shelter to Katrina evacuees without food and water, documents show.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LARA JAKES JORDAN The mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, opened the city's convention center to evacuees from seeking shelter Hurricane Katrina's destruction without ensuring that food and water would be...

Records show British Conservative lord was the biggest donor to Australia's ruling party.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ROD McGUIRK British lord Michael Ashcroft was the most generous donor to Australia's ruling Liberal Party at the last election, signing a check for 1 million Australian dollars (US$757,680; A623,860),...

Democrat invites anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan to Bush speech.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ROD McGUIRK Parents of fallen soldiers have been special guests at President George W. Bush's State of the Union speech. But there was one invited guest he couldn't have been eager to see: Cindy Sheehan,...

Wales in good spirits ahead of tough battle.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: VALKERIE MANGNALL Injuries to key players and the pressure that comes with being defending champion have done little to dampen Wales' spirit ahead of the Six Nations. While coach Mike Ruddock and his...

US court: Salvage company does not own Titanic artifacts.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL FELBERBAUM The company that has exclusive salvage rights to the wreckage of the Titanic does not own the site or the artifacts recovered from it, a federal appeals court said Tuesday. The...

Dissidents in Nepal say hundreds of activists are detained ahead of anti-king rallies.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Nepal's royalist government arrested hundreds of pro-democracy activists, politicians and students ahead of protest rallies planned for Wednesday to mark the anniversary of King...

Three Chicago Students Shot Near School.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: DAVID BRUMMER Three students were shot Tuesday across the street from their high school and one was in critical condition, officials said. The shootings happened shortly before 8 a.m. near Carl Schurz High...

Harlem Boys Choir Sues to Stop Eviction.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: DAVID BRUMMER The Boys Choir of Harlem, asked to leave its public-school home by Tuesday, has sued the city Department of Education in a last-ditch effort to dodge the eviction. The lawsuit, filed in...

Laporte keeps faith with form players.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: PATRICK DESAVIE Coach Bernard Laporte is happy for France to embrace the favorite tag for the Six Nations, and has kept faith in the players who performed so well in the November internationals. ...

All Black Sione Lauaki pleads guilty to assault.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: PATRICK DESAVIE All Blacks rugby player Sione Lauaki pleaded guilty to a charge of common assault when he appeared in court Wednesday in the North Island city of Hamilton. The charge related to an...

Mom, Boyfriend Charged in NYC Child Death.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: TOM HAYS A woman and her boyfriend were arrested Tuesday in the alleged beating death of her 4-year-old son, the latest in a recent series of child abuse fatalities that have rattled the city's child welfare...

2,500 paramilitary members disarm in northern Colombia.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JOSHUA GOODMAN About 2,500 fighters belonging to a right-wing paramilitary group accused by the U.S. of drug trafficking turned over more than 1,000 arms in northern Colombia, in one of the largest...

Ovechkin out with groin injury.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JOSHUA GOODMAN Russian winger Alex Ovechkin, the National Hockey League's rookie scoring leader, sat out Tuesday night when the Washington Capitals played the New York Islanders because of an apparent...

Dissidents in Nepal say hundreds of activists are detained ahead of anti-king rallies.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Nepal's royalist government arrested hundreds of pro-democracy activists, politicians and students ahead of protest rallies planned for Wednesday to mark the anniversary of King...

6.2-magnitude quake strikes off Indonesian coast.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BINAJ GURUBACHARYA A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck overnight off the Indonesian coast, the Hong Kong Observatory said early Wednesday. The tremor was centered in seas west of the northern part of the...

6.2-magnitude quake strikes off Indonesian coast.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BINAJ GURUBACHARYA A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra Island early Wednesday, the Hong Kong Observatory said. There was no immediate reports of damage or injury, and the quake...

Boeing launches longer-range version of 737.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Boeing Co. said it has launched a new version of its single-aisle, twin-engine 737 after All Nippon Airways converted a previous 737 order to take two of the new airplanes. The new...

British soldier killed by roadside bomb; German hostages appear in new video.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ROBERT H. REID A roadside bomb killed a British soldier in southern Iraq as a new video from kidnappers threatened to kill two German hostages if Germany fails to stop cooperating with the Iraqi...

Venezuela's Chavez says oil prices "fair," maintain current output.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ROBERT H. REID Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Tuesday that oil prices now were "fair" and that his country would seek to maintain current levels of output. Chavez in a nationally televised...

Hornets to return to Oklahoma City for most of 2006-07 season.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JEFF LATZKE The Hornets will play most of their games in Oklahoma City next season with New Orleans still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. The National Basketball Association announced Tuesday that...

Judge Dismisses Charges in Smuggling Case.
February 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: JUAN A. LOZANO A trial judge Tuesday dismissed many of the counts against three people accused of being part of a ring responsible for the nation's deadliest human smuggling attempt. U.S. District Judge...