UPI NewsTrack articles from July 2009

UPI NewsTrack archives from July 2009

Surgeons: Leave fireworks to professionals.
July 1, 2009... ROSEMONT, Ill., June 30 (UPI) -- The United States' Independence Day celebrations bring an annual warning from doctors -- leave the fireworks to professionals. Fourth of July fireworks always draw a crowd but those beautiful bursts of...

S. Korea's trade surplus hits record.
July 1, 2009... SEOUL, July 1 (UPI) -- South Korea's economic slump helped to sharply cut June imports, producing a record trade surplus of $7.4 billion for the month, the government said Wednesday. June exports totaled $33 billion, down 11.3 percent from...

S. Korean shipbuilding industry hit.
July 1, 2009... SEOUL, July 1 (UPI) -- South Korean ship builders have been hit hard by the global economic slowdown as new orders plunged in 2009 first half, industry sources told Yonhap. The slump has hit South Korea's leading shipbuilders, the South...

Ga. Masons in legal fight over black Mason.
July 1, 2009... DECATUR, Ga., July 1 (UPI) -- A Masons chapter in Atlanta has sued the state Grand Lodge, saying it is trying to dissolve the Atlanta group for admitting a black member. Gate City Lodge No. 2 and Michael J. Bjelajac, who heads the chapter,...

MLB: N.Y. Yankees 8, Seattle 5.
July 1, 2009... NEW YORK, July 1 (UPI) -- Melky Cabrera drove in three runs and Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the New York Yankees' 8-5 win over the Seattle Mariners Tuesday. Cabrera doubled home the go-ahead run in a three-run eighth inning off...

Axle may have caused Italian train blast.
July 1, 2009... VIAREGGIO, Italy, July 1 (UPI) -- Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers combed the rubble after a train carrying liquid gas derailed and exploded in an Italian coastal resort, officials said. At least 14 people died in the Monday night...

Bryant sticking with LA Lakers.
July 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, July 1 (UPI) -- Guard Kobe Bryant will stay with forgo free agency and stay with the world champion Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Times reports. Bryant had the option of becoming an unrestricted free agent but has chosen...

Bank guard allegedly stole 250M rubles.
July 1, 2009... MOSCOW, July 1 (UPI) -- A Russian bank guard who allegedly held up two colleagues at gunpoint and made off with $8 million has been arrested, officials said Tuesday. Alexander Shurman, 36, allegedly carried out the robbery Thursday while...

H1N1 influenza shifted to younger people.
July 1, 2009... TEMPE, Ariz., July 1 (UPI) -- The newest strain of the H1N1 influenza reveals an age shift toward a younger population compared with seasonal influenza, U..S. researchers say. The researchers say 87 percent of the deaths and 71 percent of...

Suits challenge bloodhound 'scent lineup'.
July 1, 2009... VICTORIA, Texas, July 1 (UPI) -- Two lawsuits have been filed in one Texas county challenging "scent lineups" in which bloodhounds sniffed suspects to help police get their man. The plaintiffs in both lawsuits are men who were implicated by...

MLB: Baltimore 11, Boston 10.
July 1, 2009... BALTIMORE, July 1 (UPI) -- The Baltimore Orioles scored five runs in both the seventh and eighth innings Tuesday to overcome a nine-run deficit to rally past the Boston Red Sox 11-10. Oscar Salazar hit a three-run, pinch-hit homer for the...

MLB: Minnesota 2, Kansas City 1.
July 1, 2009... KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 1 (UPI) -- Justin Morneau homered and Michael Cuddyer's sacrifice fly pushed across the winning run Tuesday in Minnesota's 2-1 victory over Kansas City. Morneau's third homer in as many games came in the fourth...

MLB: Florida 7, Washington 5 (7 innings).
July 1, 2009... MIAMI, July 1 (UPI) -- Hanley Ramirez had four RBI, including a two-run homer, for the Florida Marlins Tuesday in their rain-shortened 7-5 win over the Washington Nationals. Florida rallied for three runs in the sixth and another three in...

Tree rings tell tale of weather history.
July 1, 2009... AUSTIN, Texas, July 1 (UPI) -- Researchers say baldcypress trees in central Texas provide a record of past weather and clues to the region's future. Malcolm Cleaveland of the University of Arkansas and his team have been taking cores from...

Black gay men may be at increased HIV risk.
July 1, 2009... SAN FRANCISCO, July 1 (UPI) -- Social barriers faced by black gay men may have a serious impact on their health and well-being, U.S. researchers said. H. Fisher Raymond and Willi McFarland of the San Francisco Department of Public Health...

MLB: Detroit 5, Oakland 3.
July 1, 2009... OAKLAND, Calif., July 1 (UPI) -- Placido Polanco homered and Armando Galarraga picked up his second consecutive win in Detroit's 5-3 win over Oakland Tuesday. Galarraga (5-7) held Oakland to two hits and a run over 6 1/3 innings while...

Should U.S. consider drug efficacy?
July 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- Two cancer researchers say the United States should move away from the use of expensive cancer treatments that extend life only by a few weeks. Tito Fojo, an oncologist with the National Cancer Institute, and...

MLB: San Diego 4, Houston 3.
July 1, 2009... SAN DIEGO, July 1 (UPI) -- Josh Banks and Heath Bell teamed up on the mound to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-3 win over the visiting Houston Astros Tuesday. Banks (1-0) gave up three runs on five hits and struck out four in seven...

Medical pot now home-delivered.
July 1, 2009... SAN FRANCISCO, July 1 (UPI) -- Medical marijuana has become so much a part of life in California that some suppliers make home deliveries. Kevin Reed told the San Jose Mercury News he decided to operate a delivery service after two attempts...

MLB: Colorado 3, Los Angeles Dodgers 0.
July 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, July 1 (UPI) -- Jason Marquis pitched a two-hit shutout Tuesday to carry the Colorado Rockies past the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0. Marquis (10-5) struck out three batters and walked none in an 86-pitch gem that made him the first...

MLB: Los Angeles Angels 9, Texas 5.
July 1, 2009... ARLINGTON, Texas, July 1 (UPI) -- Marlon Byrd drove in five runs with a pair of home runs Tuesday to power the Texas Rangers over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 9-5. Texas also had home runs from David Murphy, Nelson Cruz and Ian...

China Communist party membership up.
July 1, 2009... BEIJING, July 1 (UPI) -- China's Communist Party membership totaled 75.93 million people at the end of last year, official figures said. The number is 17 times the figure in 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded, the...

Jockstrip: The world as we know it.
July 1, 2009... Survey: People hate to give up their phone NEW YORK, June 30 (UPI) -- Most Americans would rather give up alcohol for a week than give up their cell phone for the same time period, a survey conducted for Best Buy indicated. Nearly 60...

Watercooler Stories.
July 1, 2009... Burglar decked by former boxer, 72 OXFORD, England, June 30 (UPI) -- Authorities in Britain said a burglar who chose the wrong house to steal from found himself at the business end of a 72-year-old retired boxer's fists. Investigators...

Israeli minister wants settlements,peace.
July 1, 2009... JERUSALEM, July 1 (UPI) -- Israel's defense minister says settlement building should not block peace negotiations. Israeli media Wednesday reported Ehud Barak made the remark at a meeting with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell Tuesday....

Noam Shalit to appear before world court.
July 1, 2009... JERUSALEM, July 1 (UPI) -- Kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit's father plans to appear before The International Court of Justice in The Hague or Brussels, a published report said. Noam Shalit was invited by the judges to appear before...

OAS condemns Honduran coup.
July 1, 2009... TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 1 (UPI) -- The Organization of American States has condemned the military coup that led to the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya. The resolution passed Wednesday calls for "diplomatic initiatives aimed...

Hopes up for Israeli arms dealer's release.
July 1, 2009... JERUSALEM, July 1 (UPI) -- A meeting between Israel's president and his Kazakh counterpart may assist in securing the release of an Israeli weapons dealer, Israeli defense sources said. Israeli President Shimon Peres met with Kazakh...

Obama to conduct healthcare town hall.
July 1, 2009... ANNANDALE, Va., July 1 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama prepared to take the public's pulse on healthcare reform Wednesday, conducting a town hall forum in Virginia. Besides fielding questions from the audience at Northern Virginia...

Israeli court seeks harsher sentence.
July 1, 2009... JERUSALEM, July 1 (UPI) -- Israel's High Court of Justice ordered the military prosecutor to hand down stiffer sentences to soldiers involved in shooting a cuffed Palestinian last year. The three judges unanimously accepted a petition filed...

Police: Polygamist has 25 wives, 101 kids.
July 1, 2009... VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 1 (UPI) -- A British Columbia man living in a polygamist sect has 25 wives and 101 children with brides as young as 15, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police allege. Winston Blackmore, 52, is charged with one...

Economic Outlook: Bearing up.
July 1, 2009... Byline: ANTHONY HALL U.S. markets are certainly in an interesting spot: The downturn is easing but the upturn is easing, too. The downturn is the critical issue. Far below the pre-recession numbers, the Dow Jones industrial average...

Black boxes in Yemeni crash possibly found.
July 1, 2009... MORONI, Comoros, July 1 (UPI) -- Crews said Wednesday they may have found flight data recorders from the Yemeni airliner that crashed into the Indian Ocean off the island nation of Comoros. Meanwhile teams from Yemen, France and African...

O'Neal, others attend Fawcett funeral.
July 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, July 1 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles funeral for actress Farrah Fawcett was attended by her longtime partner Ryan O'Neal and a "Charlie's Angels" co-star, observers said. O'Neal's son with Fawcett, Redmond O'Neal, 24 -- who is...

UPI NewsTrack TopNews.
July 1, 2009... Obama to conduct healthcare town hall ANNANDALE, Va., July 1 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama prepared to take the public's pulse on healthcare reform Wednesday, conducting a town hall forum in Virginia. Besides fielding questions...

Earthquake rocks Greek Crete island.
July 1, 2009... ATHENS, Greece, July 1 (UPI) -- An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale hit the southern Greek island of Crete Wednesday but police reported no damage nor injuries, Greek Radio said. The quake's epicenter was 19 miles deep under...

Top four seeds in women's Wimbledon semis.
July 1, 2009... LONDON, July 1 (UPI) -- Sisters Serena and Venus Williams seem on a relentless course toward a rematch in the finals of the women's draw of the Wimbledon Championships in London. There are two matches between the Williamses and a Saturday...

Canada Day poll: We are NOT Americans.
July 1, 2009... TORONTO, July 1 (UPI) -- A poll of citizens published on Canada's 142nd birthday Wednesday shows patriotism runs high and 85 percent of people don't want to be considered as Americans. The national survey of 500 men and 500 women was...

Jackson held patent on special shoes.
July 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, July 1 (UPI) -- The late "King of Pop," Michael Jackson, held a patent for special shoes used while performing his 1988 song "Smooth Criminal," an attorney says. The shoes allowed him to lean forward past his center of gravity...

Arms cuts top agenda for Obama, Medvedev.
July 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. and Russian presidents are expected to discuss extensive weapons reductions when they meet next week in Moscow, a White House aide said. During their summit Monday, presidents Barack Obama of the United...

Oshkosh, Wis., fetes 'Public Enemies' role.
July 1, 2009... OSHKOSH, Wis., July 1 (UPI) -- The Wisconsin city of Oshkosh, where key scenes of the 1930s gangster movie "Public Enemies" were filmed, is celebrating its role, observers say. The town hosted a day-long event Tuesday capped by a special...

Some states start new fiscal year shaky.
July 1, 2009... SACRAMENTO, July 1 (UPI) -- The 2010 fiscal year began Wednesday with many U.S. states scrambling to balance budgets and cut services, while avoiding shutdowns. In California, the state Senate adjourned after failing to pass a stopgap...

Air Canada hits union snag over pensions.
July 1, 2009... MONTREAL, July 1 (UPI) -- Members of one of five unions negotiating a pension funding moratorium with financially troubled Air Canada have rejected it. By a 50.8 percent vote, members of the International Association of Machinists and...

Greece bans smoking in public places.
July 1, 2009... ATHENS, Greece, July 1 (UPI) -- A bill banning smoking in indoor public places including offices and restaurants went into effect Wednesday across Greece, the Health Ministry said. Greek Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos told the nation...

Cliff Richard ordered to remove structure.
July 1, 2009... VIRGINIA WATER, England, July 1 (UPI) -- British 1960s pop singer Cliff Richard must tear down a $50,000 conservatory on his property or face prosecution, a local government council has ruled. The Runnymede Borough Council in Virginia...

Bank bailout connected to Inouye's office.
July 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- A phone call from Sen. Daniel Inouye's office may have influenced the Treasury Department's decision to bail out a bank in Hawaii, The Washington Post said. The call was made in November on behalf of Central...

Report: Jackson will leaves all to trust.
July 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, July 1 (UPI) -- Michael Jackson's last will and testament leaves all of his considerable assets to a family trust and names his mother as his childrens' guardian, sources say. Citing an unnamed source, People Magazine reported...

World's oldest known granaries discovered.
July 1, 2009... SOUTH BEND, Ind., July 1 (UPI) -- U.S. anthropologists say recent excavations in Jordan have provided evidence of the world's oldest known granaries. University of Notre Dame Associate Professor Ian Kuijt said the appearance of the...

Nurse: Jackson demanded powerful sedative.
July 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, July 1 (UPI) -- A registered nurse says the U.S. pop star Michael Jackson suffered debilitating bouts of insomnia before his death and demanded a powerful sedative from her. Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse and nutritionist,...

Oil auction in Iraq nets just one deal.
July 1, 2009... BAGHDAD, July 1 (UPI) -- An all-day auction for eight oil development contracts in Iraq fell short of expectations with only one contract signed, the Iraqi Oil Ministry said. A partnership between British Petroleum and the China National...

Stallworth tested for pot after crash.
July 1, 2009... MIAMI, July 1 (UPI) -- Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth tested positive for marijuana following a fatal traffic accident in Miami, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday. The newspaper said law enforcement sources reported that...

NASA hypes July 4 ISS sighting chances.
July 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says there will be some long International Space Station sighting opportunities during the upcoming Fourth of July weekend. "As America celebrates its 233rd birthday C* there will be an...

Wal-Mart reverses stance on healthcare.
July 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- U.S. retail giant Wal-Mart said it would support mandated employer healthcare contributions under certain conditions. The influential discount retailer said it would support a health insurance plan of moderate...

Release of ill Iran reformist sought.
July 1, 2009... NEW YORK, July 1 (UPI) -- A prominent reformist detained in Iran for more than two weeks should be transferred to a medical facility or released to his family, a humanitarian group says. Human Rights Watch says harsh interrogation and...

Managua mayor found dead.
July 1, 2009... MANAGUA, Nicaragua, July 1 (UPI) -- The mayor of the Nicaraguan capital Managua was found dead Wednesday from an apparent gunshot wound to the heart. Physicians are conducting an autopsy of the body of Mayor Alexis Arguello. Initial...

Climate change and animal ranges studied.
July 1, 2009... SOUTH BEND, Ind., July 1 (UPI) -- A U.S. study has provided insights into how climate change might impact various species' geographic ranges. The research led by University of Notre Dame Assistant Professor Jessica Hellmann looks at how...

Storm soaks Tampa; more rain Wednesday.
July 1, 2009... TAMPA, Fla., July 1 (UPI) -- Forecasters said a flood watch was in effect in the Tampa, Fla., area Wednesday following a line of overnight storms that dropped 1- to 4 inches of rain. A tornado touched down near Brandon Wednesday morning and...

Crude oil prices up on inventory report.
July 1, 2009... NEW YORK, July 1 (UPI) -- Crude oil prices climbed above $71 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange Wednesday after a report of lower crude-oil stockpiles. The American Petroleum Institute said U.S. crude supplies dropped by 6.8...

Burt Reynolds flick to shoot in Florida.
July 1, 2009... ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., July 1 (UPI) -- Burt Reynolds will head the cast of a movie to be shot in Florida about a 1970s teenager who died from bone cancer, the film's writer-director says. "A Fonder Heart" will be shot at locales in the...

Gates seeks flexibility in gay ban.
July 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the Pentagon is searching for ways to make the ban on gays serving openly in the military more flexible. A transcript released by the Pentagon shows Gates is looking at...

U.S. markets head higher.
July 1, 2009... NEW YORK, July 1 (UPI) -- U.S. markets headed up on the first day of the third quarter, following a quarter that saw the Dow Jones industrial average climb 11 percent. Sentiment has shifted tentatively toward a more optimistic mood,...

Museum shooter too injured for court date.
July 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- The white supremacist who shot and killed a guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington remains too injured to appear in court, officials said. Federal prosecutor Nicole Waid said a District of...

Reporter says media incited Iran unrest.
July 1, 2009... TEHRAN, July 1 (UPI) -- A correspondent for Newsweek magazine says the western media was stirring up unrest in Iran by harping on the country's post-election problems. Maziar Bahari, a Canadian-Iranian journalist who also works with the...

Ulysses spacecraft ends 18-year mission.
July 1, 2009... PASADENA, Calif., July 1 (UPI) -- The Ulysses spacecraft, a joint NASA-European Space Agency mission, has officially ceased operations, officials said. The end-of-mission command was transmitted Tuesday to the spacecraft that operated for...

Croatian PM Sanader steps down.
July 1, 2009... ZAGREB, Croatia, July 1 (UPI) -- Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader Wednesday said he resigned all his political posts including president of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union, or HDZ. Sanader, 56, told a news conference in Zagreb his...

Jackson albums take top 9 sales spots.
July 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, July 1 (UPI) -- Michael Jackson albums took the top nine spots on Billboard magazine's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart for the week ending June 28, the U.S. magazine says. The record industry publication reported Tuesday Jackson's...

Kirkuk bombing death toll rises to 35.
July 1, 2009... BAGHDAD, July 1 (UPI) -- The death toll from a huge car bombing in northern Iraq rose has risen to 35, local security officials said Wednesday. The blast occurred during a busy time in in a commercial district of a predominantly Kurdish...

Fertility method sparks doubts.
July 1, 2009... BIRMINGHAM, Ala., July 1 (UPI) -- An expensive embryo screening procedure to help older women deliver healthy infants is not boosting their chances, a U.S. professional organization says. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine says...

Slots, roulette wheel crap out in Moscow.
July 1, 2009... MOSCOW, July 1 (UPI) -- Muscovites flocked to casinos for a last chance at beating the slots and roulette before they were removed from Moscow casinos under a new law, observers said. As of Wednesday, gambling in Moscow was restricted to...

Madoff appeal has little to gain.
July 1, 2009... NEW YORK, July 1 (UPI) -- Appealing convicted Ponzi scheme operator Bernard Madoff's 150-year prison sentence would be an exercise in futility, a legal expert said. Given Madoff's age, 71, even a reduction to 50 years would amount to a...

Nun-priest ice cream ad banned in Britain.
July 1, 2009... LONDON, July 1 (UPI) -- An advertisement that showed a priest and nun on the verge of a romantic moment has been banned from publications, a British regulatory agency says. The Advertising Standards Authority said the Antonio Federici...

Did movie 'Alpha Dog' influence witnesses?
July 1, 2009... SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 1 (UPI) -- An attorney for a former California drug dealer on trial in the killing of a teenager says the movie "Alpha Dog" influenced some witness testimony. Jesse James Hollywood is accused of ordering the...

'Moneyball' strikeout benches risky pics.
July 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, July 1 (UPI) -- Doubts that Hollywood can continue to deliver quirky, high-quality films have been raised with the cancellation of "Moneyball," analysts say. Sony Pictures pulled the plug last week on the $57 million Steven...

Frozen meat and poultry recalled.
July 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service says about 209,000 pounds of frozen meat and poultry are being recalled because of an unapproved ingredient. The FSIS said Buffalo SAV Inc. of Buffalo, N.Y., initiated...

Mortgage activity declines in week.
July 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- The volume of applications for U.S. mortgages decreased last week, falling by a seasonally adjusted 18.9 percent, an industry group said. The Market Composite Index, which measures mortgage loan application...

Swedish clinic accused of vasectomy mix-up.
July 1, 2009... VASTERAS, Sweden, July 1 (UPI) -- A man alleges staff at a medical clinic in central Sweden performed a vasectomy on him when he went in for a biopsy on his prostate. The man, whose identity was not reported, alleges doctors at the clinic...

Student trying to save endangered bunnies.
July 1, 2009... ORLANDO, Fla., July 1 (UPI) -- University of Central Florida student Rosanna Tursi says population genetics may help save an endangered rabbit species in the Florida Lower Keys. Tursi, a graduate student at Central Florida, said on the...

Paramount in talks to merge DVD ops.
July 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, July 1 (UPI) -- U.S. film studio Paramount Pictures is talking with Sony Pictures and 20th Century Fox about merging parts of their home video businesses, sources say. Citing "people briefed on the negotiations," the Los...

Month sees 473,000 job losses.
July 1, 2009... ROSELAND, N.J., July 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. shed 473,000 non-farm jobs May to June, the research group Auto Data Processing Inc. said Wednesday. The job loss follows a month in which 485,000 jobs were subtracted from the national labor...

Iran's unrest upsetting Obama's outreach.
July 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- The tumult after Iran's presidential election has stymied U.S. President Barack Obama's diplomatic outreach to Tehran, aides in Washington said. Goodwill gestures have been derailed because of the harsh crackdown...

Pakistanis view al-Qaida as threat.
July 1, 2009... COLLEGE PARK, Md., July 1 (UPI) -- In a major shift, most Pakistanis now see the Taliban and al-Qaida as critical threats to their country, a new public opinion survey shows. The face-to-face survey of 1,000 Pakistanis, by...

Beached cow creates bureaucratic confusion.
July 1, 2009... VICTORIA, British Columbia, July 1 (UPI) -- A dead brown cow found washed up on the shore of Canada's Vancouver Island created a two-day bureaucratic impasse over whose responsibility it was to remove. The cow city workers dubbed "Cuddles"...

UPI NewsTrack TopNews.
July 1, 2009... Some states start new fiscal year shaky SACRAMENTO, July 1 (UPI) -- The 2010 fiscal year began Wednesday with many U.S. states scrambling to balance budgets and cut services, while avoiding shutdowns. In California, the state Senate...

UPI NewsTrack Business.
July 1, 2009... U.S. markets head higher NEW YORK, July 1 (UPI) -- U.S. markets headed up on the first day of the third quarter, following a quarter that saw the Dow Jones industrial average climb 11 percent. Sentiment has shifted tentatively toward a...