UPI NewsTrack articles from May 2009

UPI NewsTrack archives from May 2009

Seizure drug helps restless leg syndrome.
May 1, 2009... SEATTLE, May 1 (UPI) -- A drug used to treat seizures and anxiety appears to be an effective for restless leg syndrome and helps sufferers get more sleep, researchers in Spain say. Dr. Diego Garcia-Borreguero, director of the Sleep Research...

Dutch WWII collaborator dies in Germany.
May 1, 2009... AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, May 1 (UPI) -- Hans Bikker, a Dutch collaborator with the Nazis who lived in Germany for decades after escaping from prison, has died in the Netherlands, officials said. Bikker was 93, Radio Netherlands reported....

NHL: Vancouver 5, Chicago 3.
May 1, 2009... VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 1 (UPI) -- Sami Salo scored on a rebound with 1:13 left in the third period Thursday, offsetting a Chicago rally and giving Vancouver a 5-3 win over the Blackhawks. Vancouver survived a third-period meltdown...

MLB: Milwaukee 4, Arizona 1.
May 1, 2009... MILWAUKEE, May 1 (UPI) -- A bases-loaded walk by Prince Fielder gave Milwaukee the lead in the seventh inning Thursday and the Brewers went on to down Arizona 4-1. Milwaukee scored all of its runs in the seventh, overcoming a 1-0 deficit...

NBA: Houston 92, Portland 76.
May 1, 2009... HOUSTON, May 1 (UPI) -- Ron Artest scored 27 points Thursday and Houston rolled to a 92-76 win over Portland that put the Rockets into the second round of the playoffs. Houston held the Trail Blazers to 37 points in the first half and...

Study: A little wine adds years to life.
May 1, 2009... WAGENINGEN, Netherlands, May 1 (UPI) -- A Dutch study has found that middle-aged men who drink about half a glass of wine a day live five years longer on average than alcohol abstainers. Dr. Martinette Streppel of Wageningen University...

Russia signs pacts with breakaway regions.
May 1, 2009... MOSCOW, May 1 (UPI) -- Russia signed five-year security agreements Thursday with the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, government officials said. Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh and South Ossetian President...

MLB: Florida 8, Chicago Cubs 2 (10 inn.).
May 1, 2009... CHICAGO, May 1 (UPI) -- A three-run double by Jorge Cantu keyed a six-run 10th inning Thursday and handed Florida an 8-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Florida has won three in a row after losing seven straight. Aaron Heilman (2-1)...

House passes Credit Card Bill of Rights.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- A bill aimed at protecting U.S. holders of credit cards from arbitrary interest rate hikes passed the House of Representatives 357-70 Thursday. The measure would require card issuers to give consumers 45 days...

Boy, 13, takes dad's car to get to airport.
May 1, 2009... BOCA RATON, Fla., May 1 (UPI) -- A 13-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome took his father's car, drove to an airport and flew from Florida to California, where his mother lives. His parents are unsure how Kenton Weaver was able to get on a...

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers 8, San Diego 5.
May 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, May 1 (UPI) -- Casey Blake put Los Angeles in front for good by scoring on an error in the seventh inning Thursday and the Dodgers outlasted San Diego 8-5. The lead changed hands four times in the game, but the Dodgers finally...

'Earning or learning' for Australia teens.
May 1, 2009... CANBERRA, Australia, May 1 (UPI) -- Australian teenagers will have to be either "earning or learning" if they and their parents want to collect government benefits, officials said Thursday. The new policy was agreed to at a meeting of...

Airline: Maps with no Israel an oversight.
May 1, 2009... TEL AVIV, Israel, May 1 (UPI) -- A British airline's planes flying to Tel Aviv displayed digital maps for passengers that did not include Israel, Israeli media reported. A spokesman for BMI told the Jerusalem Post the maps would be...

NYPD uniforms allegedly made in sweatshop.
May 1, 2009... NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- Some New York Police Department dress uniforms were made by a company that had employees working long hours without overtime, investigators said. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the department had generally been...

Watercooler Stories.
May 1, 2009... Soccer team apologizes for Klan pics TORQUAY, Australia, May 1 (UPI) -- Officials with an Australian soccer team apologized for pictures of the Ku Klux Klan that were used to promote an event called "All White Night." John McMahon,...

Jockstrip: The world as we know it.
May 1, 2009... Man says he shot himself in his sleep NORTHPORT, Ala., May 1 (UPI) -- An Alabama man with a bullet wound in his shoulder told police he shot himself by accident while sleeping with a 40-caliber handgun. Capt. Lloyd Baker of the...

C-sections overused in England?
May 1, 2009... LONDON, May 1 (UPI) -- A British study finds that 25 percent of the babies delivered in English hospitals arrive by Caesarean section. A Caesarean section (surgical delivery) increases the risk for both the mother and the newborn, health...

Swine flu reported in 11 countries.
May 1, 2009... GENEVA, Switzerland, May 1 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization said Friday that 11 countries have confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus, also being called swine flu. At the top of the list is Mexico with 156 cases, nine of them fatal,...

Canada's flu vaccines outnumber population.
May 1, 2009... OTTAWA, May 1 (UPI) -- Canadian health officials say they have nearly 22 million more H1N1 flu vaccines than the country has people, as confirmed cases grew to 34. Nationally, 15 new cases of what was first called swine flu were reported...

Swine flu victim sought help too late.
May 1, 2009... OAXACA, Mexico, May 1 (UPI) -- The woman who became Mexico's first swine flu fatality spent more than a week in bed before seeking medical attention, health officials say. By the time Adela Maria Gutierrez arrived at Oaxaca's General...

Economic Outlook: Two takes on bankruptcy.
May 1, 2009... NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. investors were willing to ignore harsh economic realities this week, but found Chrysler's bankruptcy filing a tough pill to swallow. U.S. markets turned flat Thursday after Chrysler threw in the towel in New...

UBS rejects offshore U.S. tax authority.
May 1, 2009... BERN, Switzerland, May 1 (UPI) -- Swiss financial giant UBS, defending itself in a tax-evasion investigation, refused an IRS request to provide names of U.S. customers holding offshore accounts. In rejecting the request, UBS officials told...

Marches and protests mark May Day.
May 1, 2009... LONDON, May 1 (UPI) -- May Day celebrants fanned out across Europe Friday and thousands marched in annual protests, some in defiance of government bans. Japan's Trade Union Confederation held its 80th annual May Day rally in a Tokyo Park...

Sumitomo Mitsui to buy Citigroup units.
May 1, 2009... TOKYO, May 1 (UPI) -- Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Japan's second-largest bank, agreed to buy two Citigroup Japanese units for $5.56 billion, the U.S. institution said Friday. Citigroup said it will sell its brokerage and investment...

Crude, heating oil, gasoline start lower.
May 1, 2009... NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- Crude oil prices were off slightly Friday in early trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, as were prices for home heating oil and gasoline. Crude oil was trading at $50.97 a barrel in the morning session,...

States, D.C. said not ready for pandemic.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- Washington, D.C., and more than two dozen states are not adequately prepared if the outbreak of swine flu becomes a full-blown crisis, federal records indicate. The federal effort to combat a possible pandemic...

1,200 flee Nova Scotia wildfire.
May 1, 2009... HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, May 1 (UPI) -- A wind-driven wildfire burned almost 1,000 acres in Halifax, Nova Scotia, early Friday, forcing some 1,200 people from their homes, authorities said. No injuries had been reported as the Canadian Red...

World's oldest Benedictine monk dies.
May 1, 2009... ST. MEINRAD, Ind., May 1 (UPI) -- Father Theodore Heck, known as the world's oldest Benedictine monk, died Friday at St. Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, Ind. He was 108. Heck, a native of Charlton, Iowa, died in the monastery's...

April deadliest month of 2009 in Iraq.
May 1, 2009... BAGHDAD, May 1 (UPI) -- Two Marines and a sailor were killed in Iraq Thursday, running the U.S Iraqi military death toll to 18, making April the deadliest month of 2009, CNN reported. Sixteen of those troops died in combat. In March there...

Souter giving Obama first Scotus pick.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- After 103 days in office, it appears President Barack Obama will have an opportunity to fill a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court. Word has leaked that Justice David Souter, 69, intends to retire at the...

Report: Some World Bank programs lacking.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- Some of World Bank's health, nutrition and population programs performed poorly from 1997 through 2007, the institution's internal watchdog said. The weak showing of about a third of the programs resulted, in...

'Wolverine' kicks off blockbuster season.
May 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, May 1 (UPI) -- The release Friday of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" kicks off a crowded May high-stakes movie blockbuster month, all of them sequels or spinoffs, observers say. Other films set to be released in the jam-packed...

Mexico reports 40 more swine flu cases.
May 1, 2009... MEXICO CITY, May 1 (UPI) -- Forty more people have tested positive for the H1N1 swine flu virus in Mexico, bringing confirmed cases to 300 with 12 deaths, authorities say. Schools, businesses and non-essential government offices will be...

UPI NewsTrack TopNews.
May 1, 2009... Souter giving Obama first Scotus pick WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- After 103 days in office, it appears President Barack Obama will have an opportunity to fill a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court. Word has leaked that Justice...

3 Canadian TV stations sold for $1 each.
May 1, 2009... TORONTO, May 1 (UPI) -- Three small-market, financially marginal Canadian television stations were sold for $1 each by the CTV network to cable operator Shaw Communications Inc. In a news release, CTVglobemedia Inc. Chief Executive Officer...

Pakistani forces battling Taliban in north.
May 1, 2009... ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 1 (UPI) -- It could take another week for Pakistani government forces to push back Taliban insurgents in the country's northwest, a military spokesman says. Major Gen. Athar Abbas says government forces secured...

Japan's consumer prices fall.
May 1, 2009... TOKYO, May 1 (UPI) -- Japanese consumer prices fell in March for the first time in 18 months, fueling concern that deflation could exacerbate the recession, economists said. Nationwide core consumer prices fell 0.1 percent in a...

Duffy named Britain's poet laureate.
May 1, 2009... LONDON, May 1 (UPI) -- Carol Ann Duffy, whose poetry has "stretched our imaginations," has been named Britain's first female poet laureate, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday. Duffy, 53, joins a list that has been occupied by such...

Pentagon seeks funds to fight Taliban.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asked Congress to approve more than $1 billion in additional funds for Pakistan's war against the Taliban. Gates wants lawmakers to appropriate $400 million this year for a...

British manufacturing contraction slows.
May 1, 2009... LONDON, May 1 (UPI) -- The shrinking of Britain's manufacturing sector slowed down in April more than economists expected, helped by signs the decline in new orders was braking. The CIPS/Markit manufacturing purchasing managers index rose...

Rapper Nas, R&B star Kelis splitting up.
May 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, May 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. hip-hop couple of Nas and his wife Kelis are breaking up with Kelis, who is pregnant, filing for divorce in Los Angeles, her representative said. "I can confirm that she has filed for divorce," Kelis'...

U.S. professor missing in Japan.
May 1, 2009... TOKYO, May 1 (UPI) -- Japanese police and firefighters are searching an island in Japan for a missing American creative-writing professor and award-winning poet. Craig Arnold, 41, of the University of Wyoming, failed to return from a hike...

Derby field as contentious as it gets.
May 1, 2009... Byline: ROBERT KIECKHEFER After Saturday's 135th Kentucky Derby, you're likely to look back at the data and say to yourself, "How the heck did I miss that?" And the odds are you will miss it -- whether it's the winner, the exacta, the...

Markets start May down slightly.
May 1, 2009... NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. stocks began May slightly down in early trading in New York Friday after closing out April with some of the strongest monthly gains in years. Dow Jones industrial average trading was off 0.44 percent, down...

Shatner snubs 'Star Trek' premiere.
May 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, May 1 (UPI) -- "Star Trek's" original 1960s Capt. Kirk, William Shatner, skipped the glittery Los Angeles premiere of the 2009 film, observers said. With a galaxy of stars at Grauman's Chinese Theater to attend the official...

Canadian tax cheats warned of the '1s'.
May 1, 2009... OTTAWA, May 1 (UPI) -- Canada's April 30 income tax filing deadline has tax assessors in Ottawa using a statistical tool that sniffs out suspicious returns because of too few "ones." The Ottawa Citizen said Friday the flood of returns will...

Hasbro, Discovery plan new kids' channel.
May 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. game maker Hasbro says it has teamed with the Discovery Channel to produce a new cable channel aimed at children 14 and younger. Hasbro, which makes such games and toys as Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, G.I....

Officials concerned over flu potential.
May 1, 2009... NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- As governments worldwide hasten to meet swine flu head-on, officials eye the possibility of the virus evolving into an especially lethal strain, observers say. The Wall Street Journal says that if the spreading flu...

Flu concerns scrap Cinco de Mayo festival.
May 1, 2009... NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- A day-long Cinco de Mayo festival in New York's Flushing Meadows-Corona Park was canceled because of swine flu concerns, officials said. Jaime Lucero, president of Casa Puebla and executive producer of the Cinco de...

U.S. manufacturing contraction slows.
May 1, 2009... TEMPE, Ariz., May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. manufacturing activity declined in April for the 15th straight month but the pace continues to slow, a report issued Friday said. "The decline in the manufacturing sector continues to moderate. After six...

UPI NewsTrack Business.
May 1, 2009... Markets start May down slightly NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. stocks began May slightly down in early trading in New York Friday after closing out April with some of the strongest monthly gains in years. Dow Jones industrial average...

Shanghai prepares for swine flu arrival.
May 1, 2009... SHANGHAI, May 1 (UPI) -- The city of Shanghai has implemented emergency measures to help prepare for the possible arrival of swine flu, a health official says. Wang Yi, vice president of the Children's Hospital of Fudan University, said...

Possible California swine flu tie studied.
May 1, 2009... SACRAMENTO, May 1 (UPI) -- Officials are reported looking into the possibility that some of the so-called swine flu believed to spread from Mexico actually came from California. The Wall Street Journal said there is evidence that early flu...

Religion affects view of torture in U.S.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- Religion plays a role in how Americans view the use of torture against suspected terrorists, a new poll by the Washington-based Pew Research Center indicates. The center's Forum on Religion & Public Life conducted...

Queens Day killer dies of injuries.
May 1, 2009... APELDOORN, Netherlands, May 1 (UPI) -- Authorities in the Netherlands say the man who killed five people and injured 12 others during Queen's Day celebrations has died of injuries. Unemployed security guard Karst Tates, 38, died Thursday...

WHO: 331 cases of H1N1 influenza confirmed.
May 1, 2009... GENEVA, Switzerland, May 1 (UPI) -- Influenza A H1N1, also known as swine flu, has spread to 11 countries with 331 confirmed cases and 10 deaths, the World Health Organization said Friday. Mexico -- epicenter of the outbreak -- leads the...

Guy Lafleur guilty of false evidence.
May 1, 2009... MONTREAL, May 1 (UPI) -- Former Montreal Canadiens star Guy Lafleur was found guilty Friday of giving false evidence in court related to a September 2007 bail hearing for his son Mark. LaFleur, 57, had testified that his son was at his...

Redmond O'Neal sent to drug rehab.
May 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, May 1 (UPI) -- Redmond O'Neal, the son of U.S. actors Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal, has entered a drug treatment program as an alternative to jail, prosecutors said. Los Angeles County officials said Thursday that O'Neal, who...

Arrests in Mexican drug fight tops 60,000.
May 1, 2009... MEXICO CITY, May 1 (UPI) -- More than 60,000 suspects have been arrested during the last two years in connection with Mexico's ongoing fight against drug trafficking, figures show. The Washington Post said Friday that government statistics...

Seven Jardine Crib models being recalled.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- Cribs made by Jardine Enterprises are being recalled following reports of entrapment and strangulation hazards to babies, a U.S. consumer commission said. Jardine Enterprises, based in Taipei, Taiwan, announced a...

Wife of Kenyan PM joins sex strike.
May 1, 2009... NAIROBI, Kenya, May 1 (UPI) -- The wife of Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga says she has joined a week-long sex strike aimed at protesting the country's leadership. Ida Odinga said Thursday the protest coordinated by women's...

U.N. opposes Jerusalem home demolitions.
May 1, 2009... JERUSALEM, May 1 (UPI) -- The United Nations says the Israeli government should stop the demolition of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem. U.N. officials said in a new report that the Israeli government needs to solve the Jerusalem...

Cull of 211 Canadian birds cost $616 each.
May 1, 2009... WINDSOR, Ontario, May 1 (UPI) -- A cull of 211 cormorants on Canada's Middle Island in Lake Erie last year cost $130,000, or $616 per bird, national parks officials said. The uninhabited island is part of Point Pelee National Park. Federal...

Iranian film takes top Tribeca honors.
May 1, 2009... NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- The Iranian film "About Elly" from director Asghar Farhadi won the award for best narrative feature at New York's Tribeca Film Festival, organizers said. Tribeca officials said Thursday that the film, which tells...

U.S. military urged to protect ships.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- The merchant ship captain who was held hostage by Somali pirates says it is time for the U.S. military to protect ships in the Indian Ocean. Richard Phillips, who spent five days in captivity, testified before...

First Stanley Cup ring sold for $60,000.
May 1, 2009... VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 1 (UPI) -- An 1893 Stanley Cup championship player's gold ring found in a Vancouver, British Columbia, attic sold at auction for more than $60,000. The Province newspaper in Vancouver said only one other...

Parton, Fonda, Tomlin gather for '9 to 5'.
May 1, 2009... NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- The stars of the 1980 hit movie "9 to 5" appeared in New York to attend the premiere of a new Broadway musical based on the film, observers said. It was big night for country star Dolly Parton, who starred in the...

Architect Frederick Gulden dies at 86.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- Architect Frederick Gulden, who was stranded in Vietnam for 15 months after the U.S. military withdrew, has died in Washington at the age of 86. The Washington Post said Friday that Gulden, who described himself...

Economy must brace for flu's ill effect.
May 1, 2009... URBANA, Ill., May 1 (UPI) -- The already-reeling U.S. economy should expect another body blow from the outbreak of H1N1, or swine, flu, a University of Illinois professor says. Mathematics professor Julian Palmore says weather or illness...

Historian: Roosevelt aided European Jews.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt secretly tried to help European Jews find safe places to live during the 1930s, a historian says. Richard Breitman said newly discovered documents indicate that while...

Rock guitarist arrested for T-shirt.
May 1, 2009... MANAMA, Bahrain, May 1 (UPI) -- Bahraini authorities brought a rock concert to an abrupt end when they arrested a guitarist onstage, apparently because of his T-shirt, witnesses said. The show at the Palace Hotel in Manama's Adliya...

Vegas star Danny Gans dies suddenly at 52.
May 1, 2009... LAS VEGAS, May 1 (UPI) -- Danny Gans, who was named "Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year" for 11 consecutive years, died early Friday, his manager said. Gans was 52. The cause of death was immediately unknown, although the Las Vegas Review...

Folic acid may lessen allergies, asthma.
May 1, 2009... BALTIMORE, May 1 (UPI) -- Folic acid, known to reduce the risk of spinal birth defects, may also suppress allergic reactions, U.S. researchers said. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore and colleagues said that...

Scalia an unreceptive school subject.
May 1, 2009... NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia says a New York college professor should not have made him the focus of a student assignment on privacy. Scalia criticized Fordham University law school Professor Joel...

Japan's jobless rate at four-year high.
May 1, 2009... TOKYO, May 1 (UPI) -- The jobless rate in Japan in March rose to 4.8 percent, a four-year high, the government said Friday. Statistics for March were the latest available. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said...

Medina Garrigues, Makarova set for final.
May 1, 2009... FES, Morocco, May 1 (UPI) -- Anabel Medina Garrigues and Ekaterina Makarova easily advanced Friday to the finals of the $220,000 Moroccan Grand Prix tennis tournament. Medina Garrigues, the tournament's top seed, made Saturday's finals...

UPI NewsTrack TopNews.
May 1, 2009... WHO: 331 cases of H1N1 influenza confirmed GENEVA, Switzerland, May 1 (UPI) -- Influenza A H1N1, also known as swine flu, has spread to 11 countries with 331 confirmed cases and 10 deaths, the World Health Organization said Friday. ...

Suspected Nazi loses deportation appeals.
May 1, 2009... CINCINNATI, May 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati said Friday suspected Nazi John Demjanjuk's reprieve against his planned deportation to Germany has been rejected. The Cleveland Plain Dealer said the federal appeals court...

Chrysler attorneys go to bankruptcy court.
May 1, 2009... NEW YORK, May 1 (UPI) -- Chrysler LLC attorneys were in a court in New York Friday, seeking to protect its workers' salaries and benefits while working its way through bankruptcy Chrysler, the third-largest U.S. automaker, filed for Chapter...

Sears Tower to put visitors out on Ledge.
May 1, 2009... CHICAGO, May 1 (UPI) -- The head official at the Sears Tower's Skydeck says the Chicago tourist site is preparing to allow visitors a rare view from a new enclosure called the "Ledge." Skydeck General Manager Randy Stancik said the Ledge,...

FDA: Stop using Hydroxycut products.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. officials are warning consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products because they have been linked to a number of liver injuries. "The Food and Drug Administration urges consumers to discontinue use...

Coldplay to give away free CD at shows.
May 1, 2009... LONDON, May 1 (UPI) -- The British rock group Coldplay says it will give away free copies of a new live CD at most of its remaining live shows in 2009. The disc, entitled "LeftRightLeftRightLeft," will be distributed free to attendees at...

Widower warned about visiting murder site.
May 1, 2009... LINDENHURST, Ill., May 1 (UPI) -- A Wisconsin man says he was issued a trespassing warning by police in Lindenhurst, Ill., when he visited the restaurant where his wife was killed. Ken Hutchison, of Trevor, Wis., said when he visited the...

Roh aide acquitted on bribery charges.
May 1, 2009... SEOUL, May 1 (UPI) -- An aide to former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun was acquitted on charges he accepted bribes from a shipping company, the Seoul High Court ruled Friday. The appellate court's ruling supported a lower court's...