The America's Intelligence Wire articles from November 2008

The America's Intelligence Wire archives from November 2008

Binkley returns to local TV on WCCO.
November 1, 2008... (From McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Saint Paul Pioneer Press - Minnesota) Byline: Amy Carlson Gustafson There's a reunion about to take place at WCCO-TV, Channel 4. On Friday the station announced Mike Binkley will join Angela...

Mexican economy grows 1.7 percent in 3rd quarter.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ALEXANDRA OLSON Mexico's economic growth slowed to 1.7 percent in the third quarter but was only mildly affected by turmoil in the world financial markets, officials said Friday. The slowdown is...

Australia: No residency for boy with Down syndrome.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: TANALEE SMITH Thirteen-year-old Lukas Moeller has Down syndrome. His father is a doctor who came to Australia from Germany to help fill a shortage of physicians in rural communities. But now...

US regulators curb pollution from factory farms.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: H. JOSEF HEBRT The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued new pollution control requirements for large livestock feedlots Friday that would allow farm operators to avoid having to get a permit if they...

Civil rights group renews Va. election lawsuit.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: BOB LEWIS The NAACP on Friday resumed efforts to force Virginia to put more voting machines in minority polling places, setting up a court hearing 15 hours before voters head to polls in the battleground state....

Candidate wives a study in contrasts on the trail.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: JOCELYN NOVECK It's long been an unwritten rule of political campaigns: The candidate's spouse is a cheerleader and a surrogate, but not an attacker. Yet there was Cindy McCain this month, introducing...

Melamine already in global food chain: experts.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: GILLIAN WONG First, it was baby milk formula. Then, dairy-based products from yogurt to chocolate. Now, chicken eggs have been contaminated with melamine, and an admission by state-run media that the...

Civil rights group renews election lawsuit.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: BOB LEWIS A civil rights group on Friday resumed efforts to force Virginia to put more voting machines in minority polling places, setting up a court hearing 15 hours before voters head to polls in the...

Stocks end Oct. with worst performance in 21 years.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVE CARPENTER and TIM PARADIS What is it about October and stocks? The month that brought the 1929 crash, Black Monday in 1987 and other midautumn market crises delivered its worst monthly performance...

Gadhafi visits Moscow for energy, military talks.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIKE ECKEL Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, making his first visit to post-Soviet Russia, hopes to clinch a series of major arms deals in another sign of strengthening ties between the Cold War allies. ...

Fox's long-running 'King of the Hill' canceled.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIKE ECKEL "King of the Hill" is over the hill at Fox, which is canceling the long-running animated comedy. Final episodes of the half-hour series, now in its 13th year, likely will air during the...

Weary refugees try to reach home in eastern Congo.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHELLE FAUL International envoys converged on eastern Congo to help end some of the worst violence the Central African nation has seen in years, as thousands of anxious, hungry refugees struggled to get...

Study: Media coverage has favored Obama campaign.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID BAUDER John McCain supporters who believe they haven't gotten a fair shake from the media during the Republican's candidacy against Barack Obama have a new study to point to. Comments made by...

Queen's gay marriage comments ignite flap in Spain.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DANIEL WOOLLS A journalist has defended the accuracy of his book that quotes Queen Sofia criticizing gay marriage. The book has irked the royal palace. Spain's king and queen are largely respected...

Jeff Gordon earns first Texas pole in NASCAR.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIKE HARRIS The sun shined on NASCAR on Friday and Jeff Gordon took full advantage of the chance to qualify for a Sprint Cup race for the first time in a month. After qualifying was rained out for...

Bombing onslaught ups ante in India's northeast.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: WASBIR HUSSAIN It's hard to keep the insurgent groups straight in India's far eastern region: the United Liberation Front of Asom, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, the Gorkha Tiger Force and...

Bean rallies for 1-shot lead at Schwab Cup.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: GREG BEACHAM Andy Bean made five birdies in six holes through intermittent rain showers, finishing at 10-under 134 to take a one-shot lead over Nick Price after two rounds in the Charles Schwab Cup...

Gordon has 3 more chances to avoid winless season.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: STEPHEN HAWKINS Jeff Gordon has only three more chances to avoid his first winless season since he was a rookie NASCAR driver in 1993. "It surprises me," Gordon said. "Not only did I feel like we...

Ashes of USS Indianapolis survivor buried at sea.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ERIC TALMADGE When the submarine USS Ohio surfaced at sea and Machinist Mate 1st Class Jason Witty emerged from the hatch to look around, he saw calm, blue water under a peaceful sky _ perfect for the...

Fans roar as Phillies parade through city.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL RUBINKAM Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel hoisted the World Series trophy during a parade on Friday as hundreds of thousands of fans roared in celebration of the city's first major...

Govt defends right to hold accused enemy combatant.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: MEG KINNARD A lower court should be able to resolve a challenge to President Bush's authority to detain the only suspected enemy combatant held on U.S. soil, the federal government said in a brief filed Friday...

Bail set at $25K for Calif. anthrax scare suspect.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: MEG KINNARD A federal judge has set bond at $25,000 for the man suspected of mailing more than 120 hoax anthrax letters nationwide. U.S. Magistrate Kimberly Mueller said the bond for 66-year-old Marc M....

Boat runs aground near Miami Beach; 3 killed.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: TAMARA LUSH An aging, rusty boat carrying dozens of migrants ran aground early Friday east of downtown Miami, killing at least three people and sending three others to area hospitals, while an untold number are...

Canadian Joannie Rochette leads women.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: TAMARA LUSH OTTAWA (AP _ Canadian Joannie Rochette won the women's short program at Skate Canada on Friday. The 22-year-old Rochette had a personal best score of 64.74 points, unveiling a new routine...

Bush to attend UN dialogue on religions.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: EDITH M. LEDERER President George W. Bush will join several other world leaders at a General Assembly meeting to promote a global dialogue about religions, cultures and common values, U.N. and U.S....

Some foreign oil may pass on Venezuela's offer.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: RACHEL JONES Venezuela is softening its nationalist tone and inviting foreign companies to invest in oil production, but prospective partners may be deterred by an uncertain future and falling oil prices,...

Taiwan gets ready to welcome China envoy.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANNIE HUANG A top Chinese envoy's visit to Taiwan is spurring hope that economic links will trump political rivalries, although not everyone on the island is laying out the welcome mat. Taiwan's...

Suspected, US missile strikes kills 27 in Pakistan.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ISHTIAQ MAHSUD Suspected U.S. missiles slammed into two villages close to the Afghan border, killing 27 people including an Arab al-Qaida operative and other foreign militants, intelligence officials said....

Jets' hard-hitting Ihedigbo ready to make impact.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DENNIS WASZAK Jr. James Ihedigbo lives for the moment of impact in the NFL. For him, nothing beats the loud pop of pads colliding and the thud of bodies hitting the gridiron after a big tackle. ...

US defends right to hold accused enemy combatant.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MEG KINNARD A lower court should be able to resolve a challenge to President George W. Bush's authority to detain the only suspected enemy combatant held on U.S. soil, the federal government said in a...

Hard-liners help Pakistan quake victims.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ASHRAF KHAN An Islamic charity accused of terrorist links by the United States has pledged to build 1,000 temporary homes for survivors of the Pakistan earthquake, a move likely to expand the group's...

Bail set for California anthrax scare suspect.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ASHRAF KHAN A federal judge has set bond at $25,000 for the man suspected of mailing more than 120 hoax anthrax letters nationwide. U.S. Magistrate Kimberly Mueller said the bond for 66-year-old Marc...

Civil rights group renews Va. election lawsuit.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: BOB LEWIS The NAACP on Friday resumed efforts to force Virginia to put more voting machines in minority polling places, setting up a court hearing 15 hours before voters head to polls in the battleground state....

Bank says meatpacking plant defaulted on $35M loan.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: NIGEL DUARA A kosher meatpacking plant that was the site of one of the nation's largest immigration raids has been sued by a bank that claims the slaughterhouse defaulted on a $35 million loan. First Bank...

Serbia expels Malaysia's ambassador.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: NIGEL DUARA Serbia's Foreign Ministry says the government has expelled Malaysia's ambassador after his country recognized the independence of Kosovo. The ministry says the Malaysian envoy Saw Ching Hong...

South Koreans can enter Hawaii sans visas Nov. 17.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: NIGEL DUARA South Korean tourists can enter Hawaii without visas beginning Nov. 17. Hawaii tourism liaison Marsha Wienert (WHY-nert) says Friday that she expects the 40,000 tourists that came from South...

Security tight ahead of Bali bombing executions.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NINIEK KARMINI Police tightened security across Indonesia as authorities braced for potential terrorist attacks ahead of the executions of three Islamic militants convicted in the 2002 Bali bombings that...

Palo Alto's top cop tells officers to stop blacks.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: TERRY COLLINS Civic leaders are irate after Palo Alto's police chief ordered officers this week to stop and question blacks on the streets following a recent rash of robberies in the Silicon Valley area....

Montana gun exec's support of Obama prompts uproar.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MATT GOURAS The board of directors for a small Montana gun manufacturer asked the company's president to resign after word that he supports Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama led to calls on...

Petrova, Wozniak, Mattek, Haynes advance in Quebec.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MATT GOURAS Top-ranked Nadia Petrova of Russia closed in on her second title of the year when she beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-1, 6-4 in the Bell Challenge quarterfinals on Friday. Petrova, who won...

Obama warns of more attacks to come.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DOUGLAS BIRCH Democrat Barack Obama held onto his solid lead in the polls and appeared confident of capturing the U.S. presidency in the historic race, but steeled his supporters for a crescendo of vicious...

Bank says meatpacking plant defaulted on $35M loan.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NIGEL DUARA A kosher meatpacking plant that was the site of one of the nation's largest immigration raids has been sued by a bank that claims the slaughterhouse defaulted on a $35 million loan. First...

Skate Canada Results.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NIGEL DUARA Results Friday from Skate Canada at Scotiabank Place: Pairs Short Program 1. Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov, Russia, 65.02 points 2. Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne...

Report: Panic caused Gulf accident that killed 22.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: E. EDUARDO CASTILLO Panic and poor emergency training caused the death of 22 oil workers after a drilling rig crashed into their offshore platform during a storm in the Gulf of Mexico, an independent...

Fashion designer's serial rape case goes to jury.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: TAMARA LUSH The serial rape case of fashion designer is in the hands of a Angeles jury. Anand Jon Alexander's defense attorney told the jury during closing arguments Friday that his client should be...

Bank says meatpacking plant defaulted on $35M loan.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: NIGEL DUARA A St. Louis-based bank is seeking to seize and auction all of Agriprocessors' assets, claiming the slaughterhouse defaulted on a $35 million loan. First Bank said in a lawsuit filed Thursday in...

Ecuador police chief denies CIA infiltration.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NIGEL DUARA Ecuador's police chief denied a presidential commission's conclusion that U.S. intelligence services infiltrated his forces, but vowed Friday to take appropriate measures if he is proven wrong....

New Zealand government offers wholesale guarantees.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NIGEL DUARA New Zealand's government offered wholesale funding guarantees Saturday to leading banks and financial institutions, seeking to boost their ability to attract investment in tight international...

Boeing Co. ordered to pay ICO $236M in damages.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NIGEL DUARA A jury ordered the Boeing Co. to pay $236 million in punitive damages Friday for breaching a contract to build and launch satellites for a company headed by cellular phone pioneer Craig McCaw....

Gun exec's support of Obama prompts uproar.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MATT GOURAS The board of directors for a small Montana gun manufacturer asked the company's president to resign after word that he supports Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama led to calls on...

Oil notches record monthly drop on US downturn.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: STEVENSON JACOBS Oil prices ended the week with a modest rally Friday but couldn't erase one ugly October: Crude capped its biggest monthly drop since futures trading began 25 years ago, weighed down as a...

Hillerman remembered as family man at funeral.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DEBORAH BAKER Tony Hillerman's fans knew him as a compelling mystery writer who gave readers around the world a glimpse into the land and culture of the Navajo. At his funeral Friday, he was...

Obama used in mailer for gay marriage ban.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: LISA LEFF The sponsors of a ballot initiative that would make same-sex marriage illegal in California are using quotes by Barack Obama to drum up support for Proposition 8, even though Obama opposes the...

Thousands march in quirky NYC Halloween parade.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MARCUS FRANKLIN Thousands of revelers dressed as everything from goblins to pizza slices turned out Friday for Greenwich Village's Halloween parade, reveling in a tradition equal parts spookiness and...

Pathologist still has copy of lost Shepard autopsy.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: MATT JOYCE As Albany County officials investigate the possibility that the Matthew Shepard autopsy report may be missing, the pathologist who conducted the 1998 autopsy says he still has a copy of the original...

Fashion designer's serial rape case goes to jury.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: MATT JOYCE The serial rape case of fashion designer is in the hands of a Los Angeles jury. Anand Jon Alexander's defense attorney told the jury during closing arguments Friday that his client should be...

Mexican border city bans Halloween masks.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MATT JOYCE Authorities in Tijuana have banned Halloween masks on teenagers and adults amid rumors of possible attacks in this border city plagued by drug violence. Police spokesman Juan Mora said...

Brazil inks deal to hunt for, produce oil in Cuba.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANNE-MARIE GARCIA Brazil's state-run oil company signed an agreement Friday to explore for oil in deep Caribbean waters north of Cuba that officials in Havana say could contain 20 billion barrels of crude....

Sri Lanka says 14 rebels killed in sea clash.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANNE-MARIE GARCIA Sri Lanka's navy says it has destroyed four rebel boats, killing 14 Tamil Tiger guerrillas in a clash off the island's northern coast. Navy spokesman D.K.P. Dassanayake says the...

Vigilance deters Halloween eve arsons in Detroit.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: ANNE-MARIE GARCIA Vigilance by fire officials and volunteers appears to have kept the number of arsons low in Detroit on the night before Halloween, which had become notorious as "Devil's Night" in years past....

8 police officers killed in 24 hours in Mexico.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANNE-MARIE GARCIA Mexican authorities say eight police officers have been killed in less than 24 hours in a state near the capital. Mexico state attorney general's office spokesman Octavio Campos says...

Sri Lanka says 14 rebels killed in sea clash.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANNE-MARIE GARCIA Sri Lanka's navy destroyed four Tamil Tiger rebel boats, killing 14 guerrillas Saturday in a clash off the northern coast, a spokesman said. Navy spokesman D.K.P Dassanayake said the...

8th child in Macau develops kidney stone.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: ANNE-MARIE GARCIA Macau authorities say an eighth child in the Chinese gambling enclave has developed a kidney stone after drinking milk possibly tainted with the industrial chemical melamine. The...

Bin Laden videomaker faces life in Gitmo trial.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DAVID MCFADDEN A jury of U.S. military officers at Guantanamo's second war-crimes trial reached a verdict Friday that could put Osama bin Laden's alleged "media secretary" and videomaker in prison for...

AP: Obama aunt from Kenya living in US illegally.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: EILEEN SULLIVAN and ELLIOT SPAGAT Barack Obama's aunt, a Kenyan woman who has been quietly living in public housing in Boston, is in the United States illegally after an immigration judge rejected her...

AP: Obama aunt from Kenya living in US illegally.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: EILEEN SULLIVAN and ELLIOT SPAGAT Barack Obama's aunt, a Kenyan woman who has been quietly living in public housing in Boston, is in the United States illegally after an immigration judge rejected her...

SKorea: Australia, NZ, EU invited to NKorea aid.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: EILEEN SULLIVAN and ELLIOT SPAGAT The United States has asked Australia, New Zealand and the European Union whether they could provide energy assistance to North Korea under an aid-for-disarmament deal, a...

RSox keep Wakefield; Schilling, Colon free agency.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: EILEEN SULLIVAN and ELLIOT SPAGAT Boston exercised an option on pitcher Tim Wakefield on Friday, keeping the veteran knuckleballer on for next season as fellow Red Sox pitchers Curt Schilling and Bartolo...

Canadian Joannie Rochette leads women.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: EILEEN SULLIVAN and ELLIOT SPAGAT Canadian Joannie Rochette won the women's short program at Skate Canada on Friday. The 22-year-old Rochette had a personal best score of 64.74 points, unveiling a new...

Bailout could turn tables on Russia's oligarchs.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NATALIYA VASILYEVA They amassed some of the world's biggest fortunes in the wild privatizations of Russia's post-Soviet chaos and the oil boom that followed. Now some of Russia's richest men are facing...

Mining for minerals fuels Congo conflict.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NATALIYA VASILYEVA The conflict in eastern Congo is being fueled and funded by a tussle for mineral resources that end up in cell phones, laptops and other electronics _ deepening the stakes in a war that...

Malaysia backs Kosovo independence, angers Serbia.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: NATALIYA VASILYEVA Malaysia on Saturday defended its recognition of Kosovo as an independent state _ a move that caused Serbia to expel the Southeast Asian nation's ambassador. Serbia's Foreign...

ANC rebels challenge South Africa's ruling party.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: CELEAN JACOBSON The party that has governed South Africa since apartheid has gone to court to slap down its biggest threat in decades _ a splinter faction that could undermine its huge support base. ...

Where McCain, Obama stand on US foreign policy.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: WILLIAM C. MANN Here are some foreign policy issues that the next U.S. president probably will have to wrestle with: ___ AFGHANISTAN McCain: Favors unspecified increase in U.S. forces. ...

Does Palin's maverick label still stick?
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL R. BLOOD A loyal Democrat, Kenny Powers never shared Sarah Palin's conservative politics. But the United Way organizer confesses a fondness for the governor who paired a folksy charm with scorn for...

Vigilance deters Halloween eve arsons in Detroit.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL R. BLOOD Vigilance by fire officials and volunteers appears to have kept the number of arsons low in Detroit on the night before Halloween, which had become notorious as "Devil's Night" in years...

Neil Armstrong donating his papers to Purdue.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MICHAEL R. BLOOD Former astronaut Neil Armstrong has agreed to donate personal papers dating from the start of his flight career to his alma mater, Purdue University. Armstrong's papers, boxes of...

Michigan teen gets life for poisoning grandmother.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) A 16-year-old girl who killed her grandmother by poisoning her with morphine was sentenced Friday to life in prison with a chance for parole in 20 years. Kristina Adkins cried as she apologized for poisoning Virginia...

SC boy shot, killed trick-or-treating; 2 injured.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Authorities say a 12-year-old boy has been shot and killed while trick-or-treating in central South Carolina. Sumter Police Chief Patty Patterson says the boy was trick-or-treating with his family Friday at about 8:30...

SC boy shot, killed trick-or-treating; 2 injured.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) A 12-year-old boy trick-or-treating with his family in central South Carolina was shot from inside a home Friday and killed, and his father and brother were wounded by the gunfire, authorities said. A suspect was in...

Malaysia backs Kosovo independence, angers Serbia.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Malaysia on Saturday defended its recognition of Kosovo as an independent state _ a move that caused Serbia to expel the Southeast Asian nation's ambassador. Serbia's Foreign Ministry said late Friday that Malaysian...

Boo! Revelers celebrate the spookiest of holidays.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Online) Byline: MARCUS FRANKLIN Thousands of revelers dressed as everything from goblins to pizza slices turned out Friday for Greenwich Village's Halloween parade, reveling in a tradition equal parts spookiness and spoof. ...

Bush staying close to home at campaign's end.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: DEB RIECHMANN The unpopular President George W. Bush is staying off the campaign trail in the race to succeed him. The president is raising money. But for voters in the swing states that count _...

Cathay Pacific to sell 5 planes.
November 1, 2008... (From AP Worldstream) Byline: MIN LEE Cathay Pacific said it plans to sell five Boeing 777-200 aircraft over the next two years to raise cash amid the global economic crisis. The Hong Kong carrier's subsidiary airline Dragonair...