The America's Intelligence Wire articles from July 2008

The America's Intelligence Wire archives from July 2008

COVERT TESTING EXPOSES WEAKNESSES IN THE DURABLE MEDICAL.
July 3, 2008... (From GAO Reports) GAO-08-955 Medicare: Covert Testing Exposes Weaknesses in the Durable Medical Equipment Supplier Screening Process July 3, 2008 Statement of Gregory D. Kutz, Managing Director, Forensic Audits and Special...

COVERT TESTING EXPOSES WEAKNESSES IN THE DURABLE MEDICAL.
July 3, 2008... (From GAO Reports) To our knowledge, NSC did not do any further investigation and accepted the existence of the fictitious DMEPOS wholesale suppliers we created. On January 30, 2008, we received an approval letter and Medicare billing...

CMS AND STATE EFFORTS TO INTERACT WITH THE INDIAN HEALTH.
July 11, 2008... (From GAO Reports) GAO-08-724 Medicare and Medicaid: CMS and State Efforts to Interact with the Indian Health Service and Indian Tribes July 11, 2008 Statement of Kathleen M. King, Director, Health Care The Honorable Max Baucus...

CMS AND STATE EFFORTS TO INTERACT WITH THE INDIAN HEALTH.
July 11, 2008... (From GAO Reports) Tribal representatives` assessments of the value of the regularly scheduled meetings with the states varied. For example, representatives from one tribe, which participates in quarterly meetings with officials who...

CMS AND STATE EFFORTS TO INTERACT WITH THE INDIAN HEALTH.
July 11, 2008... (From GAO Reports) -- CMS and IHS have interacted to train staff from IHS-funded facilities on Medicare and Medicaid program topics. For example, in August 2007, the two agencies held a training session in the Aberdeen IHS area titled...

ADHERENCE TO GUIDANCE WOULD IMPROVE DOD'S APPROACH TO.
July 15, 2008... (From GAO Reports) GAO-08-851 Defense Critical Infrastructure: Adherence to Guidance Would Improve DOD's Approach to Identifying and Assuring the Availability of Critical Transportation Assets August 15, 2008 Statement of Davi M....

ADHERENCE TO GUIDANCE WOULD IMPROVE DOD'S APPROACH TO.
July 15, 2008... (From GAO Reports) TRANSCOM plans to reevaluate its critical asset list using the DCIP-approved criteria, which is expected to result in a ``significant reduction`` of critical transportation assets. Most Installations Took Some Steps...

COOPERATION WITH MANY MAJOR DRUG TRANSIT COUNTRIES HAS.
July 15, 2008... (From GAO Reports) GAO-08-784 Drug Control: Cooperation with Many Major Drug Transit Countries Has Improved, but Better Performance Reporting and Sustainability Plans Are Needed July 15, 2008 Statement of Jess T. Ford, Director,...

COOPERATION WITH MANY MAJOR DRUG TRANSIT COUNTRIES HAS.
July 15, 2008... (From GAO Reports) Since 2003, the United States has also entered into maritime law enforcement cooperation agreements or procedures with four of the eight major drug transit countries we reviewed, affording U.S. forces improved access to...

COOPERATION WITH MANY MAJOR DRUG TRANSIT COUNTRIES HAS.
July 15, 2008... (From GAO Reports) -- In Ecuador, in 2002, the Deputy Chief of Operations of the Ecuadorian Army was arrested for facilitating the transshipment of drugs through cargo containers by providing trafficking organizations with false security...

GAO SURVEY OF 401(K) PLAN SPONSOR PRACTICES (GAO-08-870SP,.
July 16, 2008... (From GAO Reports) GAO-08-870SP Private Pensions: GAO Survey of 401(k) Plan Sponsor Practices (GAO-08-870SP, July 2008), an E-supplement to GAO-08-774 July 16, 2008 * Introduction * Navigating, Exiting, and Printing the survey...

FULFILLING FIDUCIARY OBLIGATIONS CAN PRESENT CHALLENGES FOR.
July 16, 2008... (From GAO Reports) GAO-08-774 Private Pensions: Fulfilling Fiduciary Obligations Can Present Challenges for 401(k) Plan Sponsors July 16, 2008 Statement of Barbara D. Bovbjerg, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues...

FULFILLING FIDUCIARY OBLIGATIONS CAN PRESENT CHALLENGES FOR.
July 16, 2008... (From GAO Reports) Some pension professionals are concerned that sponsors may rely on the investment provider or record keeper to monitor the funds. For example, one fiduciary adviser noted that research by an industry group showed that...

FULFILLING FIDUCIARY OBLIGATIONS CAN PRESENT CHALLENGES FOR.
July 16, 2008... (From GAO Reports) Status of Initiative on Disclosures by Service Providers to Plan Sponsors According to Labor officials, they are in the process of resolving several questions before Labor can issue final regulations, such as the...

IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW INVESTMENT POLICY WILL NEED STRONGER.
July 17, 2008... (From GAO Reports) GAO-08-667 PBGC Assets: Implementation of New Investment Policy Will Need Stronger Board Oversight July 17, 2008 Statement of Barbara D. Bovbjerg, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues The...

IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW INVESTMENT POLICY WILL NEED STRONGER.
July 17, 2008... (From GAO Reports) 10 PBCG's policy also roughly matches that of one independent federal agency-the Railroad Retirement Board-which administers retirement, survivor, and disability benefit., for railroad workers and their families. The...

IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW INVESTMENT POLICY WILL NEED STRONGER.
July 17, 2008... (From GAO Reports) investment benchmarks and guidelines. For example, PBGC staff told that they monitored the managers` monthly investment reports- -which provided a full accounting of all transactions, commentary on the status...

SOME PLAN SPONSORS HAVE NOT COMPLETELY IMPLEMENTED FRAUD AND.
July 21, 2008... (From GAO Reports) GAO-08-760 Medicare Part D: Some Plan Sponsors Have Not Completely Implemented Fraud and Abuse Programs, and CMS Oversight Has Been Limited July 21, 2008 Statement of Kathleen M. King, Director, Health Care The...

SOME PLAN SPONSORS HAVE NOT COMPLETELY IMPLEMENTED FRAUD AND.
July 21, 2008... (From GAO Reports) Effective Lines of Communication Requirements All five Part D sponsors completely met the requirements for effective lines of communication by having lines of communication between the compliance officer and the...

SOME PLAN SPONSORS HAVE NOT COMPLETELY IMPLEMENTED FRAUD AND.
July 21, 2008... (From GAO Reports) 12 At the suggestion of CMS, we spoke with officials from the VA Office of Compliance and Business Integrity to learn more about the processes and tools that the VA uses to evaluate compliance and business integrity...

SURVEY OF SPONSORS OF LARGE DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS.
July 21, 2008... (From GAO Reports) GAO-08-818SP Defined Benefit Pensions: Survey of Sponsors of Large Defined Benefit Pension Plans (GAO-08-818SP, July 2008), an E-supplement to GAO-08-817 Introduction At the direction of the Comptroller...

PLAN FREEZES AFFECT MILLIONS OF PARTICIPANTS AND MAY POSE.
July 21, 2008... (From GAO Reports) GAO-08-817 Defined Benefit Pensions: Plan Freezes Affect Millions of Participants and May Pose Retirement Income Challenges July 21, 2008 Statement of Barbara D. Bovbjerg, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income...

PLAN FREEZES AFFECT MILLIONS OF PARTICIPANTS AND MAY POSE.
July 21, 2008... (From GAO Reports) 6All estimates based on our sample are subject to sampling error. For example the 95 percent confidence interval of the total participant estimate ranges from 2.25 million to 4.34 million participants. Unless otherwise...

/R E P E A T -- Video B-Roll Via On-Demand - Canadian Tire unveils new 'small market store concept' designed specifically for rural markets/.
July 22, 2008... (From Canada Newswire) TORONTO , July 17 /CNW/ - The following B-Roll is available at the listed times and co-ordinates: On-Demand Coordinates/URL: CNW Broadcast On-Demand provides free, secure and easy-to-use broadcast quality...

CGI to release third quarter fiscal 2008 results on July 29.
July 22, 2008... (From Canada Newswire) Stock Market Symbols GIB.A (TSX) GIB (NYSE) MONTREAL , July 22 /CNW Telbec/ - CGI Group Inc. (TSX: GIB.A; NYSE: GIB) will release results for its third quarter fiscal 2008, ended June 30, 2008 , on...

CRITIC'S CORNER: CIRCLE OF LOVE.
July 22, 2008... (From McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Albuquerque Journal - Albuquerque, New Mexico) Byline: David Steinberg The singer and the piano accompanist have two distinct perspectives on Robert Schumann's famous song cycle "Dichterliebe."...

Racewalker Competes In Shadows: Albuquerque's Patrick Collier is an elite athlete, but who knows it?
July 22, 2008... (From McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Albuquerque Journal - Albuquerque, New Mexico) Byline: Toby Smith Not long after Patrick Collier took up racewalking, he started dating the woman who later became his wife. One day she asked if...

Foundation Trust - Further reimbursement of principal on the Replacement Notes.
July 22, 2008... (From Canada Newswire) Byline: Toby Smith MONTREAL , July 22 /CNW Telbec/ - Foundation Trust (the "Trust") is pleased to announce that it received on July 17, 2008 a principal repayment of $20,413,111 on its outstanding Replacement...

BRIEF: Governor's office: McKown expected to resign this week.
July 22, 2008... (From McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - The Herald - Rock Hill, South Carolina) Byline: Charles D. Perry York County Coroner Doug McKown is expected to resign this week, a spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford confirmed this afternoon. ...

York County GOP calls on Lindemann to resign.
July 22, 2008... (From McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - The Herald - Rock Hill, South Carolina) Byline: Matt Garfield York County Councilman Paul Lindemann said Tuesday that he will press forward with his November re-election campaign, despite calls...

Immunity law passed in Italy.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Italy's Parliament gave final approval Tuesday to a contentious law that grants immunity from prosecution to Premier Silvio Berlusconi and other top Italian officials. The Senate passed the legislation by a wide margin...

Sharpton's lawyers say feds have dropped tax probe.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: DAVID B. CARUSO Federal prosecutors have decided not to seek criminal charges against the Rev. Al Sharpton over his chronic tax problems, but the fiery civil rights activist isn't walking away unscathed from...

Immunity law passed in Italy.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: DAVID B. CARUSO Italy's Parliament gave final approval Tuesday to a contentious law that grants immunity from prosecution to Premier Silvio Berlusconi and other top Italian officials. The Senate passed the...

Yahoo 2Q profit erodes but not as badly as feared.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: MICHAEL LIEDTKE Yahoo Inc.'s profit slipped again in the second quarter, a recurring theme that has frustrated shareholders and raised doubts about the Internet company's future. While the results...

FEMA seeks immunity from suits over trailer fumes.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: MICHAEL KUNZELMAN The Federal Emergency Management Agency is requesting immunity from lawsuits filed on behalf of Gulf Coast hurricane victims who claim they were exposed to dangerous fumes while living in...

France lifts water ban from spill at nuclear site.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Authorities in southern France have lifted a ban on water sports and fishing in two rivers that was imposed after a leak at a nearby nuclear site. Other bans on drinking well water in...

Ted Danson, who is playing the bad guy for a change, says this Emmy nomination is special.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JAKE COYLE Ted Danson is relishing his first Emmy nomination since "Cheers." In a remarkable run, Danson was nominated 11 years in a row for each season of the beloved Boston bar comedy, winning twice...

British police on lookout for hooligans as West Ham tours North America.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JAKE COYLE British police are seeking to identify West Ham supporters who may be stirring up trouble on the English Premier League club's preseason tour of North America. A halftime scuffle among...

Worker falls into hole in Texas, gets lodged 40 feet down for 3 hours before rescue.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JAKE COYLE A worker fell 40 feet (12 meters) into a narrow storage hole at a natural gas drilling site Tuesday and was trapped for three hours before being rescued, officials said. The man was...

After huge loss at Wachovia, market questions recovery from year-old credit crisis.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: IEVA M. AUGSTUMS Surprisingly large second-quarter losses at Wachovia Corp. and Washington Mutual Inc. have quickly revived concerns that the U.S. financial sector still has a long way to go before it...

WTA Slovenia Open Results.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: IEVA M. AUGSTUMS Results Tuesday from the Banka Koper Slovenia Open, a US$145,000 (A91,500) WTA Tour event on hardcourts at SRC Marina (seedings in parentheses): Singles First Round Karolina...

Looking beyond security contracting, Blackwater works to rebuild name on other fronts.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIKE BAKER The world over, guns for hire are known as "Blackwater guys" _ and that's the reason Blackwater Worldwide wants to move beyond the business of private security contracting. But Blackwater's...

Canadian Auto Workers Union to elect new president in September.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIKE BAKER The Canadian Auto Workers union will elect its new national president on Sept. 6 to replace retiring union head Buzz Hargrove. The union announced Tuesday that the new president will take...

WTA-East West Bank Classic Results.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIKE BAKER Results Tuesday from the East West Bank Classic, a $600,000 (A377,000) WTA Tour event on hardcourts at the Home Depot Center (seedings in parentheses): Singles First Round Nadia...

Dolly now a hurricane, is set to hit Texas coast.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN Dolly spun into a hurricane Tuesday, heading toward the U.S.-Mexico border and the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley, where officials feared heavy rains could cause massive flooding...

Ghosn says Nissan going electric as company dedicates new North America HQ.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BILL POOVEY Twenty-five years after Nissan Motor Co. became the first foreign automaker in the South, its chief executive dedicated a new $100 million North America headquarters and said the company's...

Union Pacific to pay $102M to settle federal lawsuit over California wildfire in 2000.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DON THOMPSON Union Pacific Railroad Co. has agreed to pay $102 million for a huge California wildfire sparked by its workers in what federal officials described Tuesday as a precedent-setting case. ...

Homeland Security chairman says US state's gun law raises airport security problems.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BEN EVANS The chairman of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee says he might pursue new federal gun restrictions in response to a recently enacted Georgia law that could allow people to...

Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake among performers at fifth Fashion Rocks show.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BEN EVANS Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Rihanna will perform at the fifth annual Fashion Rocks concert celebrating the relationship between music and fashion. The event will be held...

Ministers Affirm Support For Trade Liberalization.
July 22, 2008... (From Canada Newswire) Byline: BEN EVANS GENEVA , Switzerland , July 22 /CNW/ - Representatives from the Canadian beef, pork, sugar and grains and oilseeds sectors met face to face with Minister of International Trade Michael Fortier...

Former school employee to serve three months.
July 22, 2008... (From McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - The Clover Herald) Byline: BEN EVANS A former Albemarle County Public Schools employee will serve three months in jail after pleading guilty to attempting to contribute to the delinquency of a...

Food Notes.
July 22, 2008... (From McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - The Clover Herald) Byline: BEN EVANS Tomato Festival makes its debut in Scottsville The Scottsville Saturday Farmers Market is the place for the inaugural Tomato Festival from 8 to 11 a.m....

WellPoint Systems Announces Changes to Board of Directors.
July 22, 2008... (From Canada Newswire) Byline: BEN EVANS CALGARY , July 22 /CNW/ - WellPoint Systems Inc., ("WellPoint" or the "Company") (TSX-V:WPS) today announced that Messrs. Mickey S. Abougoush, J. Benton (Ben) Mayberry, and Donald W. Wilson...

Lehman Trikes(R) supplier for the Harley-Davidson Tri Glide(R).
July 22, 2008... (From Canada Newswire) Byline: BEN EVANS TSXV - LHT SPEARFISH, SD, July 22 /CNW/ - On July 22, 2008 , Harley-Davidson Motor Company unveiled the Tri Glide(R) motorcycle to their dealer network during their Summer Dealer Meeting...

Romanian pleads guilty in Conn. over phishing scam.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN One of 38 people charged in a global crime ring that allegedly stole personal information from unsuspecting Internet users pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal fraud charge. ...

Investigators find possible remains at Mo. house.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: CHERYL WITTENAUER Authorities on Tuesday recovered what they believe to be charred remains from the rubble of a burned house from which a gunman may have ambushed emergency workers, St. Louis County's medical...

Reagan Information Agency chief Charles Wick dies.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: ROBERT JABLON Charles Z. Wick, who as director of the U.S. Information Agency under Ronald Reagan expanded American broadcasts to Cuba and Russia but whose agency was accused of blacklisting liberals from a...

Sharpton's lawyers say feds have dropped tax probe.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: DAVID B. CARUSO Federal prosecutors have decided not to seek criminal charges against the Rev. Al Sharpton over his chronic tax problems, his lawyers said Tuesday. The investigation was disbanded only...

3 Americans from Nevis-based Internet currency company plead guilty in money laundering scheme.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID B. CARUSO Three Americans who ran an Internet money-transmitting company in the Caribbean have pleaded guilty to money laundering and other charges, U.S. Justice Department officials said Monday. ...

No. 1 Kirilenko, No. 2 Srebotnik advance to 2nd round in Slovenia.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID B. CARUSO Two-time finalist Katarina Srebotnik began another bid to win her hometown Slovenia Open by defeating Sanda Mamic of Croatia 6-2, 6-2 in the first round on Tuesday. Srebotnik reached...

Tennis' Battle of the Sexes revisited: Several pros expected to play in unisex tourney.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JOHN NADEL Imagine Roger Federer playing one of the Williams sisters. Or Rafael Nadal facing Maria Sharapova. Tennis promoter Steve Bellamy envisions such matchups one day, although he'll go with less...

Bush presses Congress again to approve free trade agreement with Colombia.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DEB RIECHMANN President George W. Bush seasoned with a little Latino music Tuesday his call to Congress to pass a free trade pact with Colombia. The White House event was billed as a celebration of...

Serena Williams withdraws from Carson tournament because of left knee injury.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DEB RIECHMANN Serena Williams' injured left knee has knocked her out of another tournament less than three weeks before the Beijing Olympics. After practicing on Tuesdayg, Williams said she knew she...

Muderer to be executed in Mississippi governor clemency, US Supreme Court reprieve.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: HOLBROOK MOHR Barring a reprieve from the U.S. Supreme Court or clemency from the governor, Dale Leo Bishop will be executed Wednesday for participating in the claw hammer beating death of one of his...

US seeks to link prisoner to Sept 11 attacks in first Guantanamo trial.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIKE MELIA A former driver for Osama bin Laden knew the target of the fourth hijacked plane on Sept. 11, a prosecutor said Tuesday as he sought to undercut defense arguments that the Guantanamo prisoner...

Suspension cut in half for jockey who whipped horse in face.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIKE MELIA Jockey Jeremy Rose's six-month suspension for whipping his horse in the face was cut in half by the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission on Tuesday. Rose, who won the 2005 Preakness and...

Western diplomats at UN hail capture of Karadzic as progress for tribunals, EU.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JOHN HEILPRIN Western diplomats on Tuesday described the capture of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic as an encouraging sign both for United Nations war crimes tribunals and for the European...

Washington Mutual posts 2nd-quarter loss of more than $3 billion; increases loss reserves.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JOHN HEILPRIN Washington Mutual Inc. said Tuesday it lost a staggering $3 billion during the second quarter as it increased its loss reserves to more than $8 billion to cover souring loans in its mortgage...

Yahoo's second-profit profit drops 18 percent but erosion isn't as bad as investors feared.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL LIEDTKE Yahoo Inc.'s profit slipped again in the second quarter, a recurring theme that has frustrated shareholders and raised doubts about the Internet company's future. While the results...

Mineral Hill Industries Ltd. - Annual General Meeting.
July 22, 2008... (From Canada Newswire) Byline: MICHAEL LIEDTKE Trading Symbols: ---------------- TSX Venture Exchange: TSXV-MHI Frankfurt Stock Exchange: N8Z Berlin-Bremen Stock Exchange: AODLHP VANCOUVER , July 22 /CNW/ - The...

La Fortuna Gold Project Update.
July 22, 2008... (From Canada Newswire) VANCOUVER , July 22 /CNW/ - Golden Peaks Resources Ltd. (TSX: GL) is pleased to provide this update report on the progress being made during the current exploration and drilling program at the La Fortuna gold...

Nabors 2Q 2008 EPS $0.67 Despite ($0.06) from Tax Adjustment, Share Count and E'P Hedging Loss.
July 22, 2008... (From Canada Newswire) HAMILTON, Bermuda , July 22 /CNW/ - Nabors Industries Ltd. (NYSE: NBR) today announced its results for the second quarter and six months of 2008. Adjusted income derived from operating activities was $265.9 million...

BRIEF: Akron firefighter fined for disorderly conduct.
July 22, 2008... (From McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Akron Beacon Journal - Ohio) An Akron firefighter has been fined $132 after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct. Joshua N. Anderson, 32, entered his plea to the misdemeanor today in Akron...

NY priest pleads guilty to raping 3 teenage boys.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) A Franciscan priest from New York has pleaded guilty to charges of raping three teenage boys during overnight trips to Boston in the 1970s and 1980s. A Suffolk Superior Court judge on Tuesday sentenced Rev. Frank...

Detroit mayor accused of texting additional women.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: COREY WILLIAMS Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is now charged with exchanging romantic text messages with additional women in the scandal that has him fighting allegations that he lied under oath about an...

Prosecutor: Missing Fla. girl may have been killed.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: TRAVIS REED The mother of a missing 2-year-old is a person of interest in a case that is beginning to look like a homicide, prosecutors said Tuesday. Sheriff's deputies said they still hope to find the girl...

Guadalajara rockers Mana say an Obama presidency would be better for Mexicans.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: TRAVIS REED Mexican rock band Mana is backing Barack Obama, saying a Democrat in the White House would be better for Mexicans on both sides of the border. Lead singer Fher Olvera said Tuesday that...

Investigators find possible remains at US house where firefighter was killed in standoff.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CHERYL WITTENAUER Authorities on Tuesday recovered what they believe to be charred remains from the rubble of a burned house from which a gunman may have ambushed emergency workers, St. Louis County's...

Brazil president signs decrees toughening environmental enforcement in Amazon.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CHERYL WITTENAUER Brazil's president signed two new decrees Tuesday aimed at cracking down on illegal deforestation in the Amazon. The first decree gives inspectors the power to seize property and...

Chargers' defensive end Luis Castillo wraps up $43 million in five-year contract extension.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BERNIE WILSON San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo agreed to a five-year contract extension through 2014 valued at about $43 million (A27 million) on Tuesday. The deal will pay Castillo a...

ATP-Rogers Cup Results.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BERNIE WILSON Results Tuesday from the Rogers Cup, a US$2.6 million (A1.65 million) ATP Masters Series event on hardcourts at Rexall Centre (seedings in parentheses): Singles First Round ...

Brazil vows tough environmental conditions for construction of 3rd nuclear plant.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BERNIE WILSON The Brazilian government says it is setting what it calls tough environmental terms for the construction of the country's third nuclear power plant. Environment Minister Carlos Minc says...

Australia's Macquarie Group says first quarter profit down on last year.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BERNIE WILSON Macquarie Group Ltd., Australia's largest investment bank, said Wednesday its profit for the first quarter of fiscal 2009 was lower than for the same period last year, amid difficult market...

Trinidad official says 5 offshore blocks to be offered for gas exploration.
July 22, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BERNIE WILSON Trinidad and Tobago's energy minister says the Caribbean nation will offer five offshore blocks for natural gas exploration later this year. Conrad Enill says the gas-rich country will...