The America's Intelligence Wire articles from November 2006

The America's Intelligence Wire archives from November 2006

Hispanics Flee Pa. Town Before Crackdown.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: MICHAEL RUBINKAM Elvis Soto's variety store used to make money. But few customers have been walking through his door lately, and his merchandise _ calling cards, cell phones, car stereos, clothing _ is...

Ill. Supreme Court Justices Testify.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: CARLA K. JOHNSON In a rare appearance on the witness stand Tuesday, current and former Illinois Supreme Court justices testified in a colleague's $7.7 million dollar libel case against a suburban Chicago...

AP News Pronunciation Guide.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CARLA K. JOHNSON F John Fabrizi -- fuh-BREE'-zee Fajr (Hezbollah missile) -- FAH'-zher Fallujah -- fuh-LOO'-juh Falun Gong -- FAH'-luhn goong Steve Farese -- fah-REES' Iyman...

WORLD SPORTS at 0000 GMT.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CARLA K. JOHNSON SOCCER: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, PSV, Valencia advance to second round LONDON _ Bayern Munich, Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven and Valencia become the first teams to...

Concertgoer, upset with mid-show political skit, throws drink at Barbra Streisand.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CARLA K. JOHNSON Barbra Streisand had a drink lobbed at her Monday after a mid-concert skit poking fun at President George W. Bush. Streisand's publicist, Dick Guttman, said a paper cup filled with...

P.W. Botha, former president of South Africa, dies at age 90.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CLARE NULLIS P.W. Botha, the apartheid-era president who led South Africa through its worst racial violence and deepest international isolation, died peacefully in his sleep. He was 90. The African...

In search of the big bang.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DOUG FERGUSON Davis Love III and Lucas Glover were hitting balls next to each other on Tuesday when a few more players showed up and started making arrangements to join them for a practice round at the...

Author discusses fifth book in 'Hinges of History' series _ about the Middle Ages.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: HILLEL ITALIE Historian Thomas Cahill is seated in the living room of his Manhattan apartment _ books and paintings on the walls, a concert piano behind him. He is discussing a time of visual beauty and...

92-year-old Turkish archaeologist to be tried for saying head scarves linked to sex rites.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: SUZAN FRASER A 92-year-old retired archaeologist will stand trial in Turkey for claiming that Islamic-style head scarves date back more than 5,000 years _ several millennia before the birth of Islam _ and...

Spain's Catalonia region picks new parliament after nationalist debate yields to clash of right and left.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DANIEL WOOLLS Voters in Catalonia choose a new parliament Wednesday after a battle between leftist and conservative parties which teamed up just months ago to usher in sweeping new powers for this wealthy...

Red Cross launches US$300 million AIDS appeal for southern Africa.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CELEAN JACOBSON The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched an appeal Wednesday for US$300 million (A241 million) to expand its HIV and AIDS programs in southern Africa....

IMF urges China to revamp its currency policy to avoid protectionist backlash.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: FOSTER KLUG The International Monetary Fund has cast doubt on the success of China's efforts to slow its booming economy, and a report by the 184-nation fund urges Beijing to revamp its currency policy to...

Congo town votes again after riots marred presidential runoff.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: HEIDI VOGT Polls reopened for a day in a northern Congolese town to give thousands of people another chance to vote after rioting kept them from casting ballots in this giant country's landmark...

British legislators vote against immediate inquiry into handling of Iraq war.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID STRINGER Prime Minister Tony Blair narrowly avoided a damaging defeat in Parliament as lawmakers rejected a proposal for an immediate inquiry into the role of coalition troops in Iraq. Following...

Global sex survey dispels misconceptions.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MARIA CHENG In the first comprehensive global study of sexual behavior, British researchers found that people aren't losing their virginity at ever younger ages, married people have the most sex, and...

U.S. teen yelling "I want Jesus" dies after being shot by police stun gun.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MARIA CHENG A teenager carrying a Bible and shouting "I want Jesus" was shot twice with a police stun gun and later died at a St. Louis hospital, authorities said. In a statement obtained Tuesday by...

A simmering debate over a $10 million prize.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DOUG FERGUSON The winner of the FedExCup earns $10 million (A8 million) next year. Now the question is how he gets paid. One of the recommendations players heard last week in a meeting at the Chrysler...

Fight over lingerie jobs highlights French struggle with global market.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANGELA CHARLTON When a French bra maker proposed moving its factories to cheaper Tunisia, the resulting furor offered a glimpse at how Jacques Chirac's socialist challengers might tackle globalization....

North Korea agrees to resume nuclear talks in Chinese-brokered deal.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CHARLES HUTZLER North Korea agreed to return to six-nation disarmament talks in a diplomatic breakthrough that followed pressure from China and a U.S. offer to discuss financial penalties on the North,...

Ivory Coast rebels call on president to step down as mandate expires.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: PAULINE BAX Rebels in Ivory Coast called on this war-divided country's president to step down, saying his mandate, extended by the United Nations last year for 12 months and which expired Tuesday, ran out...

German Greens seek Muslim support for lawmaker threatened over head scarf comments.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: STEFANIE VON BROCHOWSKI German Muslim leaders have defended a Turkish-born legislator's right to tell women they should take off their headscarves and condemned death threats against her _ although they...

Israeli defense minister says Arab peace initiative can be basis for talks.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ARON HELLER Pointing to a new possibility of talks with the Palestinians after years of stalemate, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said a dormant Saudi initiative for Mideast peace could be a "basis...

WTA-Bell Challenge Results.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ARON HELLER Results Tuesday from the Bell Challenge, a US$175,000 (A138,000) WTA Tour event on indoor hardcourts at Laval University (seedings in parentheses): First Round Vania King, United...

NKorea, US both show flexibility to step back from nuclear brink.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BURT HERMAN The United States and North Korea took a step back from the nuclear brink after both sides showed they could be willing to bend under the calm guidance of China. Still, with no date set...

U.S. aviation officials works with Mexico to create seamless air traffic zone.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BURT HERMAN The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Mexican officials have launched an effort to better manage the increasing air traffic between the two countries, officials said Tuesday. In a...

AP News Pronunciation Guide.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BURT HERMAN 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'...

Appeals court blocks ruling against tobacco companies on "light" cigarettes.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MATT APUZZO A federal appeals court blocked a landmark judgment against the tobacco industry, allowing the companies to continue selling "light" and "low tar" cigarettes until their appeals can be...

AP News Pronunciation Guide.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANABELLE GARAY N Nabatiyeh -- nah-bah-TEE'-yuh Nabilone -- NAB'-ih-lohn Joseph Nacchio -- NAH'-chee-oh Javid Naghani -- jah-VEED' neh-GAH'-nee Ray Nagin -- NAY'-gin Nahariya --...

Fla. Man Acquitted of Sex Assault Hoax.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: BRETT BARROUQUERE A man was acquitted Tuesday on charges he impersonated a policeman during a phone call to a McDonald's restaurant and talked the managers into strip-searching and sexually abusing an...

Spain Nabs Major Drug Trafficker.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: CARLA K. JOHNSON Spanish police said Tuesday they arrested a leading member of one of Colombia's most feared drug-trafficking cartels. Orlando Sabogal Zuluaga, 40, was arrested last Thursday in a shopping...

Patrol: Ohio Trooper Wasn't Drinking.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS A highway patrolman who crashed into a pickup last month, killing himself and two others, had not been drinking even though an autopsy showed alcohol in his system, officials said Tuesday....

Teen Shot by Police Stun Gun Dies.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS A teenager carrying a Bible and shouting "I want Jesus" was shot twice with a police stun gun and later died at a St. Louis hospital, authorities said. In a statement obtained Tuesday...

Scientist: Small coral replacing large species critical for fish, as seas heat up.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MAT PROBASCO Large species of coral that form underwater reefs and create rich habitat for marine life are disappearing from around the U.S. Virgin Islands, Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean, a...

Alec Baldwin wants off Schwarzenegger documentary he narrated, saying it goes too far.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MAT PROBASCO Actor Alec Baldwin wants to be removed as narrator of an Arnold Schwarzenegger documentary called "Running with Arnold," saying filmmakers went too far by including images of Nazi rallies....

Bammer, King advance in Quebec.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MAT PROBASCO Third-seeded Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden was eliminated by Ashley Harkleroad of the United States 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the first round of the Bell Challenge on Tuesday. Arvidsson hasn't won a...

Bangladesh's president appoints 10-member interim administration to oversee elections.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: PARVEEN AHMED President Iajuddin Ahmed, who named himself leader of Bangladesh's caretaker government in an effort to quell a political crisis, has sworn in an interim administration to oversee national...

Roadside bomb kills 3 NATO soldiers and wounds another in eastern Afghanistan.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JASON STRAZIUSO A roadside bomb ripped through a NATO vehicle, killing three soldiers on patrol in a mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan. NATO said two soldiers were killed in the blast Tuesday...

DNA Clears Man of 1981 Rape Conviction.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: ANABELLE GARAY A decorated Vietnam veteran convicted of rape 25 years ago became a free man Tuesday after a judge ruled he probably wouldn't have been found guilty if DNA testing had been available. ...

Suspected rebels detonate roadside bomb, killing soldier in Sri Lanka, official says.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: KRISHAN FRANCIS Suspected rebels exploded a roadside bomb in Sri Lanka's north, killing one soldier, while the navy destroyed a boat suspected of transporting arms and ammunition for the insurgents,...

Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma to explore India's sexual mores in new movie.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: KRISHAN FRANCIS Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma says his new film will seek to explore India's attitudes toward sex by literally putting the issue on trial. Varma told the Mumbai Mirror newspaper...

U.S. government says Colombia's Cortulua soccer team linked to drug kingpin.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NESTOR IKEDA Colombian second-division soccer club Cortulua is a front company for one of the South American country's four most wanted cocaine kingpins, U.S. officials assert. They are freezing any U.S....

BP names new chief of Alaska operations.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAN JOLING Oil giant BP PLC, rocked by recent production problems on its aging North Slope facilities, announced it will replace the head of its Alaska operations. Doug Suttles has been named...

Valero Energy posts stronger 3Q profit on modest revenue growth, flat costs.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ELIZABETH WHITE Valero Energy Corp., the United States' largest independent oil refiner, posted an 86 percent rise in its third-quarter profit on higher sales, a one-time gain and roughly flat expenses....

Federal judge blocks town's crackdown on illegal immigrants.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL RUBINKAM A federal judge blocked the city of Hazleton from enforcing a pair of tough ordinances targeting illegal immigrants, just hours before the measures were to go into effect. The...

Brazil's Silva outlines priorities for second term: development, poverty, education.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: STAN LEHMAN President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he will use his second term to boost economic development with an eye toward improving education and easing poverty, and pledged to punish those found...

Voter turnout drives in full swing in state that tipped balance for Bush in 2004.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: STAN LEHMAN Ohio Republicans trailing or in close races say they can make a comeback in next week's elections by mobilizing voters the way they did in 2004 for President George W. Bush. But Democrats plan...

Japanese stocks mixed, dollar lower vs yen.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JON KRAWCZYNSKI Tokyo stocks edged lower early Wednesday, following an overnight drop on Wall Street and dented confidence in the Japanese economy. The dollar was lower against the yen. The benchmark...

Gregan on different mission to Japan.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JON KRAWCZYNSKI It's one of George Gregan's most unusual assignments. Not only is he not captaining the Australian rugby union side, he's a non-playing skipper for a touring team to Japan. While the...

Rumsfeld endorses plan to increase the size of Iraqi security forces.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ROBERT BURNS Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has endorsed a proposal to spend at least $1 billion (A790 million) to expand the size and accelerate the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces....

Kohl's partners with Spanish-language TV star Cristina.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: EMILY FREDRIX Retailer Kohl's Corp. is teaming up with a top Spanish-language television star, hoping her lively home decor line will bring in Hispanic customers and appeal to all shoppers. Bedding...

Refineries urged to stop using equipment linked to blast.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JUAN A. LOZANO An investigative board urged the petroleum industry and federal regulators to eliminate from all U.S. refineries the type of atmospheric vent that caused last year's deadly explosion at a...

Lufthansa flight clip wings with another plane at U.S. airport.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JUAN A. LOZANO A Lufthansa Beoing 747 taxiing away from a terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport clipped wings with another plane being towed to a hangar for service Monday evening, according to...

Appeals court blocks ruling against tobacco companies on addictiveness, `light' cigarettes.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MATT APUZZO A federal appeals court blocked a landmark judgment against the tobacco industry, allowing the companies to continue selling "light" and "low tar" cigarettes until their appeals can be...

Rolling Stones delay more tour dates due to Jagger's sore throat.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL RUBINKAM More Rolling Stones tour dates have been delayed and one show canceled due to singer Mick Jagger's throat troubles. The 63-year-old rocker has been advised to take four days off to...

2 Planes Clip Wings at Newark Airport.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: MICHAEL RUBINKAM A plane taxiing away from a terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport clipped wings with another plane being towed to a hangar for service Tuesday evening, according to the head of the...

Sony warns of PlayStation 3 pre-order scams.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL RUBINKAM Sony Corp. issued a warning against false promotional offers for its upcoming PlayStation 3 video game console. A number of Web sites have been promoting pre-orders on discounted or...

NKorea says it will return to nuclear talks to settle U.S. financial restrictions.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL RUBINKAM North Korea said Wednesday that it decided to return to international nuclear talks to resolve U.S. financial restrictions aimed at choking the regime's access to outside banks. China...

Chinese search engine Baidu says revenues, profits up sharply in third quarter.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL RUBINKAM Baidu.com Inc., China's most popular search engine, said Wednesday its third quarter revenues and profits jumped sharply, but shares fell after it forecast lower fourth quarter revenues...

California-born Goorjian reappointed Australian coach for 2 more years.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL RUBINKAM American-born Brian Goorjian has been reappointed head coach of the Australian basketball team for the next two years, Basketball Australia said Wednesday. Goorjian, 53, has coached...

Bolivia's Morales backs off mining nationalization plans.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAN KEANE President Evo Morales said his government can't afford to nationalize Bolivia's mining industry for now but restated his desire to eventually recover control of the nation's mineral wealth. ...

Refineries urged to stop using equipment linked to blast.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JUAN A. LOZANO An investigative board urged the petroleum industry and federal regulators to eliminate from all U.S. refineries the type of atmospheric vent that caused last year's deadly explosion at a...

Despite tough new laws, U.S. states not penalized for failing to upgrade voting systems.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LARA JAKES JORDAN The Justice Department is not penalizing states that fail to upgrade voting systems by next week's elections as required by Congress in a 2002 law. Federal efforts to combat...

Death toll in coal mine blast in western China rises by nine to 29.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LARA JAKES JORDAN The death toll in a coal mine explosion in western China rose by nine to 29 as rescuers found more bodies in the shaft, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Another 19 workers were...

Nymex to sell 7 percent stake in November IPO.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LARA JAKES JORDAN The New York Mercantile Exchange will sell 7 percent of the company by mid-November in an initial public offering that could give the energy exchange a market value of as much as $4.5...

Garnett wins Kennedy Citizenship Award.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JON KRAWCZYNSKI Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett was honored with the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for outstanding service and dedication to the community on Tuesday. Garnett set...

2 Planes Clip Wings at Newark Airport.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: DAVID ESPO A plane taxiing away from a terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport clipped wings with another plane being towed to a hangar for service Tuesday evening, according to the head of the...

Ex-Fire Commander Admits Starting Blaze.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: DAVID ESPO The former commander of an elite wildland firefighting team has pleaded guilty to starting a fire in a national forest, though he said he doesn't know why he did it. Van Bateman, 55, told U.S....

Duo surrender to police in theft of Hank Williams notebook valued at $250,000.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL RUBINKAM Two people accused of stealing a Hank Williams notebook believed to be worth $250,000 (A196,912) surrendered to police, even though one of the suspects claims to have legitimately obtained...

Lufthansa flight clip wings with another plane at U.S. airport.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL RUBINKAM A Lufthansa Beoing 747 taxiing away from a terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport clipped wings with another plane being towed to a hangar for service Tuesday evening, according...

NKorea says it will return to nuclear talks to settle U.S. financial restrictions.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID ESPO North Korea said Wednesday that it decided to return to international nuclear talks to resolve U.S. financial restrictions aimed at choking the regime's access to outside banks. China...

Taxi driver who slammed into tank commits suicide in protest against the coup.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID ESPO A driver who rammed his taxi into a tank after the recent military coup has committed suicide in an apparent protest against the toppling of the civilian regime, officials said Wednesday. ...

Japan's No. 2 bank to list shares on the New York Stock Exchange.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID ESPO Japanese megabank Mizuho Financial Group announced Wednesday that it will list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange next week. Japan's second-biggest bank by assets said its American...

Testing Americans, Iraqi prime minister wins U.S. approval to lift two blockades.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CHRISTOPHER BODEEN Exploiting the Republican Party's vulnerability in the U.S. congressional elections on Nov. 7, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki flexed his political muscle and won U.S. agreement to...

Iraq needs robust strategy to deal with sectarian violence: Australian defense chief.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ROD McGUIRK The Iraqi government needs to take a more robust approach to tackling sectarian violence, one of the administration's biggest challenges, Australia's defense chief said Wednesday. "This is...

Bush campaigns for Republicans in rural Georgia, find lots of empty seats.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NEDRA PICKLER President George W. Bush spent a second day in a row campaigning in rural Georgia, targeting a shrinking slice of America where Republicans think he still can help their cause in next week's...

Republicans scale back spending on competitive House races in three states.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID ESPO Signaling retreat, Republicans are scaling back television advertising in three highly contested races a week before elections, officials said Tuesday, including Congressman Curt Weldon's...

Israeli troops kill three Palestinians in Gaza fighting.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID ESPO Israeli helicopter fire killed three Palestinian militants early Wednesday and at least 20 people were wounded in firefights that erupted as troops moved on the northern Gaza town of Beit...

Chinese court overturns guilty verdict of blind activist, sends case back to lower court.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID ESPO The guilty verdict of a blind Chinese activist who was sentenced to more than four years in prison after he documented villagers' claims of forced abortions has been overturned because evidence...

Handwritten manuscript and other Capote artifacts to be auctioned in New York City.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID ESPO A handwritten manuscript by Truman Capote, written for a dear friend a day before he died, is among more than 300 of his personal effects to be auctioned next week. The Capote memorabilia...

Euell, Davis recalled for Jamaica vs. Peru.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID ESPO English Premier League players Jason Euell of Middlesborough and Claude Davis of Sheffield United head Jamaica's squad to face Peru in a soccer friendly at National Stadium on Nov. 16. ...

Madonna: Offered to Help Boy's Father.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) Byline: DAVID ESPO Madonna said Tuesday that the father of the African boy she is trying to adopt refused her offer of financial assistance to help him keep his son. Some critics have said it would have been...

Planes Clip Wings at NYC-Area Airport.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Online) A plane leaving a terminal at a major New York-area airport clipped wings with another plane being towed to a hangar for service on a taxiway Tuesday evening, the head of the air traffic controller's union said. The...

Democrats' confidence rises over prospects of capturing House of Representatives.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID ESPO Minority Democrats are being careful not to gloat, but they finally are beginning to predict confidently that they will win control of the House of Representatives in next week's elections. ...

Madonna says father of boy she's trying to adopt refused offer of financial assistance.
November 1, 2006... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID ESPO Madonna said that the father of the African boy she is trying to adopt refused her offer of financial assistance to help him keep his son. Some critics have said it would have been better...