UPI NewsTrack articles from March 2008

UPI NewsTrack archives from March 2008

Windmill uses wind power for desalination.
March 1, 2008... DELFT, Netherlands, March 1 (UPI) -- Dutch researchers have created a windmill that can be used for seawater desalination without having to worry about electricity. Delft University of Technology said a traditional windmill drives a...

Turmeric gives little relief for psoriasis.
March 1, 2008... PHILADELPHIA, March 1 (UPI) -- Pennsylvania researchers said the spice turmeric appears to provide few benefits to patients seeking relief from psoriasis. While laboratory tests demonstrated the ability of curcumin -- the active ingredient...

Ryan signs four-year contract with Texas.
March 1, 2008... SURPRISE, Ariz., March 1 (UPI) -- The Texas Rangers announced Friday new club president Nolan Ryan had signed a four-year contract. General Manager Jon Daniels also had his contract extended, for two years through 2011. Ryan was hired...

NHL: Anaheim 3, Calgary 1.
March 1, 2008... ANAHEIM, Calif., March 1 (UPI) -- Mathieu Schneider and Scott Niedermayer scored first-period goals Friday and the Anaheim Ducks held on to defeat Calgary 3-1. It was the Ducks' fifth straight victory and their 10th win in 11 games. ...

NHL: Columbus 3, Vancouver 2 (OT).
March 1, 2008... VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 1 (UPI) -- Jason Chimera scored 67 seconds into overtime Friday, completing a Columbus comeback and giving the Blue Jackets a 3-2 win over Vancouver. Columbus faced a 2-0 deficit going into the third...

Judge reverses ruling on Wikileaks.
March 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO, March 1 (UPI) -- The federal judge in San Francisco who shut down the Wikileaks Web site for posting Swiss bank documents reversed his ruling Friday. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White dissolved the injunction he imposed Feb....

NBA: Golden State 119, Philadelphia 97.
March 1, 2008... OAKLAND, Calif., March 1 (UPI) -- Mickael Pietrus scored 23 points off the bench Friday, sending the Golden State Warriors cruising to a 119-97 victory over Philadelphia. The Sixers, winners of seven straight home games, embarked on a...

NBA: Miami 103, Seattle 93.
March 1, 2008... SEATTLE, March 1 (UPI) -- Dwyane Wade had 31 points Friday in rallying the Miami Heat to a rare win -- a 103-93 decision over Seattle. Miami won for just the second time in 14 games and for only the 11th time all season. That is one victory...

Bad weather leaves island cupboards empty.
March 1, 2008... SCALASAIG, Scotland, March 1 (UPI) -- The residents of a small Scottish island were left with almost bare cupboards when bad weather cut them off from the mainland for a week. Mike McNicholl, proprietor of the store on Colonsay, told The...

NBA: Portland 119, LA Lakers 111.
March 1, 2008... PORTLAND, Ore., March 1 (UPI) -- LaMarcus Aldridge led five players in double figures Friday and the Portland Trail Blazers pulled away late to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 119-111. The Lakers had a 10-game winning streak snapped. Los...

Too many wind farms in Scottish hills?
March 1, 2008... EDINBURGH, Scotland, March 1 (UPI) -- Environmentalists say the hills in southern Scotland that inspired many of the novels of Sir Walter Scott could be ruined by wind farms. The Lammermuir Hills are already home to three small wind farms....

NBA: Denver 110, LA Clippers 104.
March 1, 2008... DENVER, March 1 (UPI) -- Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony teamed to score the game's final eight points Friday and lift the Denver Nuggets past the Los Angeles Clippers 110-104. The Nuggets won their second straight after losing three in a...

Beggars must get written permission.
March 1, 2008... LACEY, Wash., March 1 (UPI) -- A town in Washington state requires panhandlers to get written permission from property owners before they can beg in parking lots. Lacey, on Interstate 5 south of Seattle, already required verbal permission....

Boston firefighters have to re-sit exam.
March 1, 2008... BOSTON, March 1 (UPI) -- Boston firefighters who took an examination for promotion to lieutenant in November will have to take the test again because of cheating claims. The Massachusetts Human Resources Division was unable to find...

More inmates say they were abused at jail.
March 1, 2008... TAMPA, Fla., March 1 (UPI) -- A troubled Florida jail was hit with more claims of abuse by corrections officers Friday. Paul King, a former teacher with a history of alcohol-related arrests, said that last July after an arrest for public...

Israeli raids in Gaza kill more than 30.
March 1, 2008... SAJALYA, Gaza, March 1 (UPI) -- Israeli forces carried out more attacks in the Gaza Strip Saturday killing at least 30 Palestinians, reports said. Army troops entered Gaza near the northern town of Sajalya, where armored units were...

Armenian police clash with protesters.
March 1, 2008... YEREVAN, Armenia, March 1 (UPI) -- Riot police Saturday clashed with several thousand demonstrators protesting the results of the Feb. 19 presidential election in Yerevan, Armenia. Police waded into a rally in the capital's Freedom Square,...

Hezbollah stalling on reservists' release.
March 1, 2008... JERUSALEM, March 1 (UPI) -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has blamed Hezbollah for stalling efforts to release two Israeli military reservists, an Israeli report said. Israel Defense Forces reservists Eldad Regev and Ehud...

Prince Harry back in England.
March 1, 2008... LONDON, March 1 (UPI) -- Britain's Prince Harry arrived in London Saturday after being withdrawn from duty in Afghanistan after a Web site reported his deployment, it was reported. The Times of London said Harry was greeted by Prince...

UPI NewsTrack TopNews.
March 1, 2008... Prince Harry back in England LONDON, March 1 (UPI) -- Britain's Prince Harry arrived in London Saturday after being withdrawn from duty in Afghanistan after a Web site reported his deployment, it was reported. The Times of London said...

Report: China's senior population growing.
March 1, 2008... BEIJING, March 1 (UPI) -- China's aging population is affecting the communist nation's economic and social development, a senior government official said Saturday. At the end of 2007, China had an estimated 153 million people aged 60 or...

Putin urges Russians to vote Sunday.
March 1, 2008... MOSCOW, March 1 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged his countrymen to take part in Sunday's national election, Itar-Tass reported Saturday. "A major political event, an election of the president of our country, will be held...

Gazprom vows to cut gas supply to Ukraine.
March 1, 2008... MOSCOW, March 1 (UPI) -- Russia's natural gas monopoly Gazprom could reduce supplies to Ukraine by 25 percent this month, a spokesman said. RIA Novosti reported Saturday that negotiations between Gazprom and Kiev over natural gas prices...

British banks write off record bad debts.
March 1, 2008... LONDON, March 1 (UPI) -- Banks in Britain have written off a record amount of household debt in the last year as British families struggled against a sluggish economy. The Daily Telegraph said in 2007 lenders wrote off $13.53 billion in...

Microsoft to cut retail Vista prices.
March 1, 2008... REDMOND, Wash., March 1 (UPI) -- Microsoft Corp. plans to cut prices on some of its versions of Windows Vista, hoping to increase sales of the company's flagship computer operating system. The Seattle Times reported Microsoft will cut Vista...

Wickes Furniture liquidating inventory.
March 1, 2008... CAROL STREAM, Ill., March 1 (UPI) -- Wickes Furniture, Inc. Saturday began liquidating inventory at 38 of its stores by order of a U.S. federal bankruptcy judge, the company said. As a part of the company's $75 million liquidation plan, the...

Bush: Drug fight gets 'measurable' results.
March 1, 2008... WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush said Saturday his administration's strategy to "combat drug abuse in America" was getting "measurable results." Bush used his weekly radio address to announce his administration was...

UPI NewsTrack Business.
March 1, 2008... Microsoft to cut retail Vista prices REDMOND, Wash., March 1 (UPI) -- Microsoft Corp. plans to cut prices on some of its versions of Windows Vista, hoping to increase sales of the company's flagship computer operating system. The...

Ontario house fire kills 4.
March 1, 2008... HAMILTON, Ontario, March 1 (UPI) -- Two children and two adults were killed in an overnight fire that engulfed a house in Hamilton, Ontario, early Saturday, a report said. Staff Sgt. Steve Kovach of the Hamilton Police Services told the...

Renault agrees to buy AvtoVaz stake.
March 1, 2008... MOSCOW, March 1 (UPI) -- French carmaker Renault has agreed to buy a minority stake in Russia's AvtoVaz, the company said. Renault Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said he would pay more than $1 billion for a 25 percent plus one share stake in...

Most expensive home sells for $160 million.
March 1, 2008... LONDON, March 1 (UPI) -- A 10-bedroom London home has become the most expensive stand alone dwelling in the world after it sold for almost $160 million, it was reported. The fancy Victorian villa, which was a girls prep school until 1997,...

Russia to lead U.N. Security Council.
March 1, 2008... UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., March 1 (UPI) -- Russia has assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations' Security Council for the next month. Russia's U.N. envoy said the 15-member-nation panel will take up such thorny issues as Kosovo's...

UPI NewsTrack TopNews.
March 1, 2008... Bush: Drug fight gets 'measurable' results WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush said Saturday his administration's strategy to "combat drug abuse in America" was getting "measurable results." Bush used his weekly radio...

Man impaled in England.
March 1, 2008... BLYTH, England, March 1 (UPI) -- A man in England reportedly was impaled Saturday on metal spikes while trying to climb a fence. The Daily Telegraph reported that police on patrol in Blyth, Northumberland, found a 33-year-old man...

'Guru' unveils new side of Timberlake.
March 1, 2008... HOLLYWOOD, March 1 (UPI) -- Pop singer Justin Timberlake apparently will show off his comedic abilities in the new Hollywood movie "The Love Guru," it was reported. In the new trailer for the upcoming comedy, Timberlake can be seen wearing...

'Anatomy' guest spot in Walsh's future.
March 1, 2008... LOS ANGELES, March 1 (UPI) -- Actress Kate Walsh, who used to play Dr. Addison Montgomery on "Grey's Anatomy," is set to return to the hit U.S. TV series for a one-episode guest spot. While Walsh parlayed her success on the popular ABC...

Poetry finds new life on 'Million's Poet'.
March 1, 2008... ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, March 1 (UPI) -- The art of Nabati poetry in the Middle East has found new life thanks to the hit TV series "Million's Poet," which is watched by 70 million viewers. "Poet" finals contestant Mahdi al-Wayli...

Miller, Moss reunite for fundraiser.
March 1, 2008... LONDON, March 1 (UPI) -- British supermodel Kate Moss and model-turned-actress Sienna Miller have put aside their differences to raise cancer research money in London. The Daily Mail said Saturday the two celebrities were on hand to help...

Debbie Harry's trademark hair going gray.
March 1, 2008... NEW YORK, March 1 (UPI) -- U.S. singer Debbie Harry, whose blond hair was the trademark of her disco-era band Blondie, is starting to show her age by revealing her graying hair. The singer showed off her natural hair color at a recent...

Sydney gay march is biggest in history.
March 1, 2008... SYDNEY, March 1 (UPI) -- The yearly Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade in Sydney drew 300,000 spectators on its 30th anniversary Saturday. The parade features 150 floats and traditionally brings together several political groups and gay...

Woman donates 70-year-old shoes.
March 1, 2008... HARTLEPOOL, England, March 1 (UPI) -- A woman in England is donating to a museum the pair of shoes she has had for nearly 70 years. Kathleen Dodd of Hartlepool was issued the pair of brown dress shoes as a member of the Land Army during...

Nicky Hilton's weight a potential concern.
March 1, 2008... LOS ANGELES, March 1 (UPI) -- The declining weight of U.S. heiress Nicky Hilton, sister to TV and paparazzi star Paris Hilton, is approaching a point of concern, a report said Saturday. The hotel fortune heiress was seen shopping in Los...

Turks in Germany call for reforms.
March 1, 2008... BERLIN, March 1 (UPI) -- Turks living in Germany are calling on Berlin to change its integration policies, a report Saturday said. Deustche Welle reported Saturday that the Association of Turkish Communities in Germany has suggested the...

Minogue's family selling Aussie hideaway.
March 1, 2008... MELBOURNE, March 1 (UPI) -- The family of Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue is selling the island home where the "X" singer recuperated from breast cancer treatment. The French Island estate is for sale for more than $1.8 million, the...

Kenya's new PM vows to rebuild the country.
March 1, 2008... NAIROBI, Kenya, March 1 (UPI) -- Prime Minister-designate Raila Odinga of Kenya has pledged to help those affected by the political standoff over President Mwai Kibaki's election. Odinga vowed to help bring Kenyans together after the...

Mugabe challenger wins important supporter.
March 1, 2008... HARARE, Zimbabwe, March 1 (UPI) -- Former Zimbabwean Finance Minister Simba Makoni won the support of an important politician in his race for presidency against Robert Mugabe, it was reported. Former Interior Minister Dumiso Dabengwa has...

Iran considers loaning Iraq $1 billion.
March 1, 2008... TEHRAN, March 1 (UPI) -- Iran is considering loaning $1 billion to Iraq for projects carried out by Iranian firms, an Iranian Foreign Ministry official said. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Sheikh-Attar said the loan would finance...

Cowell: 'I don't believe in marriage'.
March 1, 2008... LONDON, March 1 (UPI) -- Simon Cowell, the British producer and judge on the U.S. TV series "American Idol," says he doesn't plan to marry, fearing any wife would only want his money. The 48-year-old multimillionaire said in the...

Man's family denies JFK connection.
March 1, 2008... VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 1 (UPI) -- A Canadian claiming to be have been fathered by slain U.S. President John F. Kennedy says he has been betrayed by his immediate family. Jack Worthington's assertion he is a Kennedy is...

McBrayer praises Carey for video efforts.
March 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO, March 1 (UPI) -- Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth the page on NBC's "30 Rock," says working on a recent video shoot with U.S. singer Mariah Carey was a dream come true. The actor said filming the music video for Carey's song...

Obama struggling among Jewish voters.
March 1, 2008... WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama is having a difficult time connecting with Jewish voters, it was reported Saturday. American Thinker, a conservative Internet publication, says the Illinois...

U.N. panel postpones Iran sanctions vote.
March 1, 2008... UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., March 1 (UPI) -- France and Britain reportedly have delayed a United Nations Security Council vote on a new round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. Alalam reported Saturday that Western diplomats,...

UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News.
March 1, 2008... 'Guru' unveils new side of Timberlake HOLLYWOOD, March 1 (UPI) -- Pop singer Justin Timberlake apparently will show off his comedic abilities in the new Hollywood movie "The Love Guru," it was reported. In the new trailer for the...

Kiyota in front in Dehli.
March 1, 2008... DEHLI, India, March 1 (UPI) -- Japan's Taichiro Kiyota forged a one-stroke lead Saturday through 54 holes at the European Tour's Johnnie Walker Classic in Dehli, India. In carding a 5-under-par 67 in the third round, the 27-year-old Asian...

Plane collision in Florida kills two.
March 1, 2008... TITUSVILLE, Fla., March 1 (UPI) -- A collision Saturday between two planes at Arthur Dunn Airpark in Titusville, Fla., left two people dead and another two seriously injured, officials said. Officials in Titusville said the two airplanes...

Colombian guerrilla leader killed.
March 1, 2008... MEDELLIN, Colombia, March 1 (UPI) -- A top Colombian left-wing guerrilla leader was killed Saturday in an attack on his jungle camp, the government said. Raul Reyes, 59, a senior commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, is...

Lebanese lawmakers angered by U.S. ship.
March 1, 2008... BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 1 (UPI) -- Leaders in Lebanon are criticizing the United States for deploying a war ship off their coast in a move they say threatens regional stability. Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah member of Parliament, was among...

McCain still facing party opposition.
March 1, 2008... WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- The presidential bid of U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., still faces a mountain of opposition within the Republican Party, experts say. Officials such as American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene say that...

Police: Terrorism not linked to ricin find.
March 1, 2008... LAS VEGAS, March 1 (UPI) -- Police do not suspect terroristic motives in the discovery of several bottles of the toxin ricin in a Las Vegas hotel room, it was reported Saturday. Las Vegas police were discounting any terrorism links in...

Britain may increase alcohol tax.
March 1, 2008... LONDON, March 1 (UPI) -- Britain's chancellor of the exchequer may increase alcohol taxes after being pressured by ministers, medical experts and health groups, a report said. The increase would target wine drinkers in the middle class and...

Fifth Italian banned for betting on tennis.
March 1, 2008... ROME, March 1 (UPI) -- Federico Luzzi has become the fifth Italian tennis player to be banned by the men's tennis tour for betting on matches, it was reported Saturday. Luzzi, 28, who is ranked No. 139 in the latest world by the...

Donnelly: U.S. energy policy a huge threat.
March 1, 2008... WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., said Saturday the government's current energy policy is a threat to national security and to hard-working citizens. The congressman focused on the current national energy policy...

M.I.A. singer Conley dead at 48.
March 1, 2008... CHICAGO, March 1 (UPI) -- Michael Conley, a former punk singer with the band M.I.A., apparently has died of head injuries sustained in a fall in Illinois at the age of 48. The official M.I.A. Web site said police do not suspect homicide in...

Democratic campaigns targeting Ohio voters.
March 1, 2008... CINCINNATI, March 1 (UPI) -- The presidential campaign teams for Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., are targeting Ohio voters with door-to-door efforts. Clinton and Obama volunteers are making face-to-face visits with...

COL BKB: Duke 87, N.C. State 86.
March 1, 2008... RALEIGH, N.C., March 1 (UPI) -- Duke's Mike Krzyzewski got his 800th career victory Saturday when his sixth-ranked Blue Devils rallied to edge North Carolina State 87-86. A 15-4 Wolfpack run left Duke in a 70-57 hole with 12:43 remaining...

5,000 Aristide supporters rally in Haiti.
March 1, 2008... PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, March 1 (UPI) -- An estimated 5,000 people rallied in Port-au-Prince this week in support of ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Protester Jean-Michel Porfil said the intent of the rally in the Haitian...

Stakhovsky captures Zagreb final.
March 1, 2008... ZAGREB, Croatia, March 1 (UPI) -- Unheralded Sergiy Stakhovsky stunned top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic 7-5 6-4 Saturday to win the PBZ Zagreb Indoors tennis tournament in Zagreb, Croatia. The obscure 22-year-old Ukrainian was playing in a title...

Monster Park to take back Candlestick name.
March 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO, March 1 (UPI) -- Monster Park, home of the San Francisco 49ers, reverts to its original name, Candlestick, in June, changing its moniker for the fourth time since 1995. The team announced Friday that its naming rights...

Award-winning translator Aharon Amir dies.
March 1, 2008... JERUSALEM, March 1 (UPI) -- Award-winning Israeli translator and author Aharon Amir has died at the age of 85. Amir, who was born in Lithuania and grew up in Tel Aviv, was a founder of the Canaanite movement, which stressed geographic...

Subsidized lunch is uncool, students say.
March 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO, March 1 (UPI) -- The majority of students eligible for subsidized meals in San Francisco refuse to take advantage because it would make them feel uncool, it was reported. Sixty three percent of San Francisco eligible students...

Three alfalfa sprout brands recalled.
March 1, 2008... SACRAMENTO, March 1 (UPI) -- Three brands of alfalfa sprouts packaged in California have been recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination, it was reported. The California Department of Public Health warned consumers to avoid alfalfa...

Teacher sent to prison for molestation.
March 1, 2008... POMPANO BEACH, Fla., March 1 (UPI) -- A Florida middle school teacher who pleaded no contest to charges he molested three of his students was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Former Crystal Lake Middle school geography teacher Adrian Valdez...

Talk of Obama-Bloomberg ticket grows.
March 1, 2008... NEW YORK, March 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg talked this week, prompting speculation they may team up politically. One day after Bloomberg, an independent, officially ruled out a...

Man arrested for allegedly taunting rhino.
March 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO, March 1 (UPI) -- A man was arrested and cited for misdemeanor animal taunting after he allegedly threw acorns at a San Francisco Zoo rhinoceros, a report said. Juan Zuluaga, 26, was arrested after another patron at the zoo...

Kidney donation reunites old friends.
March 1, 2008... NEW YORK, March 1 (UPI) -- Two childhood friends are celebrating their successful kidney donation and transplant in New York after being reconnected by a random online link. While Karl Celestin and Ricardo Manier were good friends as...

Dementieva wins Dubai final.
March 1, 2008... DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 1 (UPI) -- Elena Dementieva came back to top fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova Saturday and win the Dubai (United Arab Emirates) tennis championships. After dropping the first set 4-6, the event's eighth...

Casino owner rethinking company's future.
March 1, 2008... OSCEOLA, Iowa, March 1 (UPI) -- Herbst Gaming Inc. of Las Vegas is considering selling several, if not all, of its businesses, including Terrible's Lakeside Casino in Iowa. Herbst Chief Executive Officer Ed Herbst said the company hired a...

NHL: Boston 3, Atlanta 2 (SO).
March 1, 2008... BOSTON, March 1 (UPI) -- Phil Kessel's goal in the second round of a shootout Saturday lifted Boston to a 3-2 win over Atlanta and its sixth straight victory. On the game-winning goal, Kessel sprinted up the ice, pulled to the left and...

High food prices mean U.S. aid cuts.
March 1, 2008... WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Agency for International Development plans to cut back emergency food aid this year because of higher prices for basic cereals. The cost of purchasing wheat, rice, corn and other grains have gone up...

Police: NYC cabbie concocted baby story.
March 1, 2008... NEW YORK, March 1 (UPI) -- A New York cab driver who claimed a man had abandoned a baby girl in the back of his taxi was charged Saturday with fabricating the story. Klever Sailema was allegedly recruited to help the infant's 14-year-old...

Navy upset by judge's sonar restrictions.
March 1, 2008... HONOLULU, March 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Navy Capt. Scott Gureck says a federal judge's decision to restrict the Navy's use of sonar during training exercises in Hawaii could be problematic. The spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet said the sonar...

Lawyers: Famous Holocaust tale untrue.
March 1, 2008... BRUSSELS, March 1 (UPI) -- Misha Defonseca's harrowing Holocaust tale "Surviving with Wolves" is not entirely based on real life events, the Belgian author's lawyers say. A statement from Defonseca's lawyers said the author did lose both...

Report: Inferior parts used in jetliners.
March 1, 2008... WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- A lack of U.S. Federal Aviation Administration monitoring means commercial aircraft have used "substandard" parts in recent years, a federal report says. The oversight report said since the FAA does not have a...

Beef inspectors put on leave after recall.
March 1, 2008... CHINO, Calif., March 1 (UPI) -- Union officials say that at least two federal inspectors who worked at the California site involved in the nation's largest beef recall are on paid leave. National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals...