UPI NewsTrack articles from November 2005

UPI NewsTrack archives from November 2005

Britain quizzes would-be citizens.
November 1, 2005... LONDON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Starting Tuesday, would-be British citizens must pass a 45-minute test on who heads the Church of England and what city is home to the Geordie dialect. The BBC tried some of the questions on a small random sample of...

Japan to resume import of U.S. beef.
November 1, 2005... TOKYO, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Japan will lift a ban on U.S. and Canadian beef imports by year's end after a panel declared that young American beef is safe if high-risk parts are removed. Japan's food safety panel said in its report, released...

S.Korea to adopt secure ID Internet system.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- South Korea will adopt a secure certification system other than a resident registration number to sign onto Internet services, beginning in 2007. According to the Ministry of Information and Communication, the new...

5-year-old says he saw mom's killing.
November 1, 2005... ST. LOUIS, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A 5-year-old boy told police in St. Louis that he saw his mother being shot. Jamila Harris and her live-in companion, Demetrius Mitchell, have not been seen since Friday, television station KSDK reported. Their...

S.Korea upset over Japan foreign minister.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- South Korean newspapers Tuesday criticized Japan's prime minister for appointing conservative Taro Aso, known for his insensitive comments, as foreign minister. Chosun Ilbo said the new foreign minister was notorious...

Head of Germany's SPD steps down.
November 1, 2005... BERLIN, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The head of Germany's Social Democratic Party decided to step down after his candidate for party secretary lost Monday. Franz Muntefering did not say whether he would serve as vice chancellor and labor minister...

E-mail from U.S. saves a life in Sweden.
November 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A series of e-mails transmitted over thousands of miles helped save the life of a young woman in Sweden. The Local, an English-language news site in Sweden, reports that its managing director, Paul...

Russians report hypodermic needle attacks.
November 1, 2005... YEKATERINBURG, Russia, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Police in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg are searching for a young man who has carried out a series of attacks on pedestrians with a hypodermic needle. Five victims in the last 10 days have reported...

Theft foiled by karate expert.
November 1, 2005... PERTH, Australia, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Two men quickly regretted their attempt to rob a student in Perth, Australia, when the intended victim turned out to be a karate expert. The men had approached the university student as he was walking...

China mouthpiece slams Hong Kong democrats.
November 1, 2005... HONG KONG, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A commentary in the official China Daily Tuesday said it was illegal for democrats in Hong Kong to call for a timetable for the territory to achieve democracy. The Hong Kong edition of the newspaper, seen as a...

Jockstrip: The world as we know it.
November 1, 2005... Byline: United Press International Man caught at failed attempt as gigolo BRISBANE, Australia, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- An Australian gigolo was ordered to turn over his cellular phone and pay a fine for violating the country's prostitution...

Lenin rises again in Russian city.
November 1, 2005... KALININGRAD, Russia, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Vladimir Lenin is set to make a comeback in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, with a new square named after the Soviet Union's first premier. Kaliningrad, the capital of Kaliningrad region that is...

China's childcare workers learn about AIDS.
November 1, 2005... BEIJING, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A national charity is holding China's first seminar to educate child-care staff at orphanages about HIV/AIDS, anticipating up to 200,000 AIDS orphans by 2010. The China Charity Federation organized the training...

Watercooler Stories.
November 1, 2005... Byline: United Press International American Girl booted by Catholic school WAUKEGAN, Ill., Oct. 31 (UPI) -- A Catholic school in Wisconsin has canceled an "American Girl" fashion show because the company that makes the dolls gives...

Police find leads on New Delhi bombers.
November 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Police have a lead on one suspect in the New Delhi bombings from a passenger on the bus where one of the bombs exploded. Police Tuesday were on alert for suspicious behavior at markets, temples and public places...

Revolts erupt at several Kyrgyz prisons.
November 1, 2005... BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Protests broke out Tuesday in several jails in Kyrgyzstan after officials tried to move a high-profile inmate and reassert control. The BBC said that shots were heard at Moldovanovka jail near Bishkek,...

NFL: Pittsburgh 20, Baltimore 19.
November 1, 2005... PITTSBURGH, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers edged the Baltimore Ravens 20-19 on Jeff Reed's 37-yard field goal with 1:34 remaining in the game. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Heath Miller for the...

U.N. assassination probe resumes in Beirut.
November 1, 2005... UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The lead United Nations investigator into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri returned to his work in Beirut Tuesday. Detlev Mehlis of Germany returned with the weight of a...

Katrina charities stymied by FEMA silence.
November 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided Hurricane Katrina evacuee data to the media, but frustrated relief agencies are still waiting. Many of the groups are awaiting updates to data that FEMA...

U.N. seeks private Guantanamo access.
November 1, 2005... UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- U.N. officials said they will turn down an invitation to visit detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, unless they have private access. At a news conference Monday, Manfred Nowak, U.N....

UPI NewsTrack TopNews.
November 1, 2005... U.N. assassination probe resumes in Beirut UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The lead United Nations investigator into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri returned to his work in Beirut Tuesday. Detlev...

7 U.S. troops killed by Iraqi road bombs.
November 1, 2005... BAGHDAD, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. officials say seven troops were killed in Iraq in the past two days by roadside bombs, making October the worst month for such deaths since the war began. Six U.S. soldiers died in two incidents Monday, The...

Energy prices largely unmoved.
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Petroleum prices were largely unmoved Tuesday in early trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. High-quality crude oil edge up fractionally to $59.85 per barrel, while natural gas drifted slightly down to...

U.S. weekly retail sales up last week.
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. retail chain store sales ended the month of October on a positive note as sales rose last week 0.4 percent, an industry group said Tuesday. The International Council of Shopping Centers also said the...

Abducted Haitian children rescued.
November 1, 2005... PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Authorities in Haiti have rescued three children who were kidnapped earlier in the week by men posing as police officers. The children, ages 3 to 7, were nabbed when men stopped the car driven by...

Brazil: Gov't says it will sue magazine.
November 1, 2005... RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Brazil's ruling Workers' Party, or PT, said it would sue a leading magazine for its story alleging the president received campaign funding from Cuba in 2002. Veja magazine said that the campaign of now...

U.S. armor not up to new Iraqi bombs.
November 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. military officials are concerned their expensive armored vehicles aren't standing up to new improvised bombs made by Iraqi insurgents. Pentagon documents obtained by ABC News say new "explosively formed...

Qualcomm 'hauled' into EC regulator office.
November 1, 2005... BRUSSELS, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- European Commission regulators are mulling a complaint against Qualcomm Inc. over alleged abusive licensing practices. Six companies sent separate letters to the commission's antitrust czar, Neelie Kroes, about...

Five Ethiopian rioters killed.
November 1, 2005... ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Police in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa opened fire on a political demonstration Tuesday, killing five people and wounding at least 13 others. Some 250 riot police went to disperse...

Centex launches big share buyback.
November 1, 2005... DALLAS, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Dallas-based Centex Corp. said Tuesday it would buy as many as 5 million of its own shares, a commitment that could be worth more than $320 million. Centex, whose shares were selling for more than $64 in mid-morning...

DeLay wants to put judge on witness stand.
November 1, 2005... AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep Tom DeLay, R-Texas, asked that the judge hearing money laundering charges against him be removed from the case, a report said. DeLay subpoenaed state District Judge Bob Perkins to testify at a...

California killer posted messages for help.
November 1, 2005... ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A 19-year-old Southern California man who went on a shooting rampage, killing two people before himself, had posted appeals for help on a specialty Web site. William Freund of Aliso Viejo put on a dark...

Catholic majority seen for Supreme Court.
November 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The Roman Catholic Church could have a majority on the U.S. Supreme Court if Samuel Alito is approved to join the body. There are currently four Catholics on the court -- Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate...

Qwest to pay $400M to settle lawsuits.
November 1, 2005... DENVER, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Denver's Qwest Communications International Inc. will pay $400 million to settle investor lawsuits over past accounting practices. The litigation arose over aggressive bubble-era accounting methods of previous...

Swimmer says E. Germany fed her steroids.
November 1, 2005... BERLIN, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A former champion East German swimmer who claims she was fed steroids is suing the National Olympic Committee over her medical problems. The trial began Tuesday in Berlin, where Karen Koenig claims she was given...

NFL Saints' ultimate goal: City of Angels.
November 1, 2005... SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A Louisiana lawmaker says the Saints are looking to "boogie out" of Hurricane Katrina-devastated New Orleans ultimately to Los Angeles. San Antonio, Texas, has been the Saints' home since Katrina and flooding...

Report: U.S. dumped nerve gas in Atlantic.
November 1, 2005... NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army dumped 64 million pounds of nerve and mustard gas and weapons into the Atlantic Ocean, a Virginia newspaper reported Tuesday. The investigation by the Hampton Roads Daily Press said along...

Winter threatens quake victims in Pakistan.
November 1, 2005... ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Tens of thousands of earthquake victims in Pakistan are refusing to leave their devastated villages even with the threat of coming winter. They are among the millions in the rugged mountains left...

Diana Shipping doubles fleet size.
November 1, 2005... ATHENS, Greece, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Dry bulk marine transporter Diana Shipping Inc. said Tuesday it ordered two freighters from China to complete a virtual doubling of its fleet size. DSI, which in March launched its initial public offering on...

Dell puts a dent in the trading day.
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Warnings from Dell Inc. about third-quarter earnings and possible anxiety about another interest rate hike Tuesday weighed on stocks listed on U.S. indexes. The Dow Jones industrial average had slipped 8.65 or 0.08...

German coalition talks suffer set back.
November 1, 2005... BERLIN, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Efforts to form a new government in Germany have been stymied because of an internal power struggle within one of the coalition parties. Franz Muntefering, chairman of the Social Democratic Party, said he would not...

U.S. unwed births hit record 1.5 million.
November 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A record 1.5 million babies were born in the United States last year to unwed mothers -- the vast majority to women in their 20s. While teens accounted for half of unwed births in 1970, they were responsible for...

Study: Romantic male mice enjoy singing.
November 1, 2005... ST. LOUIS, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Washington University scientists have confirmed a long-standing suspicion: romantic male mice enjoy singing complex songs to potential mates. Neuroscientists at the St. Louis university found male mice burst out...

Greenpeace fined for damaging coral reef.
November 1, 2005... PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Environmental group Greenpeace was fined for damaging the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park near Palawan Island in the Philippines when its ship hit the coral reef. Greenpeace, in a release on its Web...

Bush outlines $7.1 billion flu program.
November 1, 2005... BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- President Bush Tuesday described a $7.1 billion program to protect the United States against a pandemic flu outbreak. Speaking at the National Institutes of Health in suburban Washington, Bush warned even...

British official under pressure.
November 1, 2005... LONDON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The British minister for Work and Pensions has allegedly broken ministerial conduct rules by dealing with a biotech company. The chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life said Minister David Blunkett...

UPI NewsTrack TopNews.
November 1, 2005... Bush outlines $7.1 billion flu program BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- President Bush Tuesday described a $7.1 billion program to protect the United States against a pandemic flu outbreak. Speaking at the National Institutes of Health...

N. Ireland considers longer pub hours.
November 1, 2005... BELFAST, Northern Ireland, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Three months of public consultation began in Northern Ireland Tuesday on the prospect of extending pubs' closing times by three hours. Social Development Minister David Hanson said unlike England,...

Respectful mourners honor Rosa Parks.
November 1, 2005... DETROIT, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Mourners paid respect Tuesday to civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks in her adopted city of Detroit, where she died in her apartment last week at age 92. Some 1,500 people lined up outside the Charles H. Wright Museum...

Scientists predict climate change effects.
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Harvard University researchers say climatic changes will significantly alter the health of humans and ecosystems worldwide. The study indicates the changing climate has the potential for abrupt and widespread...

Emmett Till's church may become landmark.
November 1, 2005... CHICAGO, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Chicago is considering landmark status for the church where the mother of Emmett Till added fuel the rapidly growing civil rights movement, a report said. Till was killed in Mississippi, allegedly for whistling at a...

Israeli air strike kills two Palestinians.
November 1, 2005... JENIN, West Bank, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- An Israel air force missile strike on a car killed two known Palestinian militants in the northern Gaza Strip Tuesday. Hassan Al-Madhoun and Hamas operative Fawzi Abu Al-Qara were killed, Ha'aretz...

Nippon talks with Pilkington about buyout.
November 1, 2005... LONDON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Nippon Sheet Glass Co. is talking with Pilkington PLC, the world's No. 2 glass maker, about buying the British firm for an amount estimated at $3.5 billion. NSG, which by market capitalization is half the size of...

WW II U.K. 'sluts' led U.S. troops astray.
November 1, 2005... LONDON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Newly declassified documents from World War II show both British and U.S. officials worried about the number of "sluts" in London leading U.S. soldiers astray. Some 1.5 million U.S. servicemen arrived in Britain...

UPI NewsTrack Business.
November 1, 2005... Dell puts a dent in the trading day NEW YORK, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Warnings from Dell Inc. about third-quarter earnings and possible anxiety about another interest rate hike Tuesday weighed on stocks listed on U.S. indexes. The Dow Jones...

Sweden investigating former Klan leader.
November 1, 2005... MALMO, Sweden, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Sweden said Tuesday it would investigate former U.S. Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke for hateful speech. Duke has spoken in person and participated in radio broadcasts in Sweden, including an appearance in...

Ron Isley guiltyof tax evasion.
November 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has convicted R&B singer Ronald Isley of failing to pay more than $3 million in income taxes between 1997 and 2002. The Isley Brothers' frontman was accused of hiding his...

Three hurt in stabbings near White House.
November 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Three people were injured Tuesday by a man wielding a knife near the White House. A U.S. Park Service spokesman said the incident occurred around 11 a.m. in Lafayette Park, an area just north of the White House....

Record-setting Arctic Ocean trip completed.
November 1, 2005... ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Two icebreaking ships have become the first surface vessels to traverse the Canada Basin, the ice-covered sea between Alaska and the North Pole. The scientists aboard the ships were engaged in...

Zimbabwe govt. admits to errors.
November 1, 2005... HARARE, Zimbabwe, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Zimbabwe's land reform is to blame for the food shortages as those given land since 2000 knew little about farming, the deputy agriculture minister admits. Deputy Agriculture Minister Sylvester Nguni was...

Canadian bird flu not the deadly variety.
November 1, 2005... OTTAWA, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The strain of avian flu found in 28 wild Canadian ducks is unlikely to be the deadly strain found in Asia, federal officials said Tuesday. Between 4,000 and 4,800 samples were taken across the country from August to...

Buck in heat checks out women's department.
November 1, 2005... OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A buck in heat crashed through a glass door at a Dillard's store in Overland Park, Kan., hitting clothing racks and a wall before fleeing the store. Witnesses told police that the buck left the store the...

Cheaper version may replace Trident.
November 1, 2005... LONDON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The government of British Prime Minister Tony Blair thinks it can save money with a cheaper replacement for the country's aging Trident nuclear weapons. The government wants to use air-launched cruise missiles as a...

Mount St. Helens recovery slowed by insect.
November 1, 2005... SEATTLE, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, it destroyed every living thing around it -- and now scientists say a small insect is slowing the recovery process. The eruption sterilized a 35-mile square area, but within a...

Indian festival celebrations subdued.
November 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Security was tight ahead of the Hindu festival of Diwali in India's capital New Delhi, where bomb explosions three days ago killed more than 60 people. Police, mounting a huge manhunt for the bombers, remained on...

Robber witch with distinctive nose sought.
November 1, 2005... OLYMPIA, Wash., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Authorities in Lacey and Olympia, Wash., investigated whether a woman dressed as a witch in a Halloween bank heist is responsible for a series of robberies. The robber witch got a surprise Monday when a dye...

Israel approves EU guards at Rafah border.
November 1, 2005... JERUSALEM, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The Israeli Cabinet and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon approved a plan Tuesday to let EU personnel guard the Rafah border crossing. The site connects the Gaza Strip and Egypt, and according to the plan only...

Soccer fan sets police station afire.
November 1, 2005... OSLO, Norway, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Watching southern Norway's Kristiansand soccer club lose proved too much for a 20-year-old man, who then set fire to a police station. Police officer Oystein Korgstad told the Agderposten the man apparently...

Koreas agree to united Olympic team.
November 1, 2005... MACAO, China, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- North and South Korea agreed Tuesday to compete as a single nation in the 2006 Asian Games and 2008 Beijing Olympics, a South Korean Olympic official said. The agreement was seen as a major milestone in decades...

Putin: Terror rooted in USSR breakup.
November 1, 2005... AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday his country's problem with terrorism is rooted in the breakup of the Soviet Union. Putin, speaking with reporters in Amsterdam, said keys to fighting...

Climate change talks begin in London.
November 1, 2005... LONDON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Energy and environment ministers from 20 nations were in London Tuesday for talks concerning global climate change. The talks were to focus on curbing global warming through technology, not binding international...

Kate Bush says recording was a struggle.
November 1, 2005... LONDON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- British singer Kate Bush says it was a struggle to finish "Aerial," her first album in more than a decade. "There were so many times I thought I wasn't going to have the energy to see it through," she told the BBC...

'Russian Rocket' Bure to lead Olympic team.
November 1, 2005... MOSCOW, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Russian hockey star Pavel Bure will retire to lead Russia's Olympic team starting with the Turin, Italy, Olympics in February, a report said Tuesday. Bure, known as the Russian Rocket for explosive speed and...

Kerr-McGee sees a $510B debt reduction.
November 1, 2005... OKLAHOMA CITY, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Kerr-McGee Corp., a $16 billion U.S. oil and natural gas producer, will use the half billion dollars it expects from recent asset sales to cut debt. The Oklahoma City company said Tuesday it expects to receive...

Mapes, CBS at odds over 'Memogate'.
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Award-winning CBS News producer Mary Mapes says the network made her a scapegoat after the infamous pre-election "Memogate" scandal. Mapes uncovered the Abu Ghraib prison abuse earlier in 2004, The Hollywood...

Cancer teen returned to parents' custody.
November 1, 2005... CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A Texas judge has ordered the return of a 13-year-old teenager with cancer to her parents after four months of being in state custody. Judge Jack Hunter dismissed the state's Child Protective Services...

Seibu Railway in possible $5B play.
November 1, 2005... TOKYO, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Two brothers of Seibu Railway Co.'s founder are offering nearly $5 billion to buy the financially troubled Japanese company. The announcement comes a few weeks after Seibu Railway's management agreed with U.S....

Pew study: Hispanics at largest schools.
November 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A study finds Hispanic teens are more likely than blacks and whites to attend schools with large, poor populations. The Pew Hispanic Center reports 56 percent of Latinos attend the nation's 300 largest public...

Surge in Viagra sales as Ramadan ends.
November 1, 2005... CAIRO, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Based on experience, pharmacists in the Middle East are stockpiling supplies of Viagra for this week's conclusion of the Muslim religious month of Ramadan. The month of fasting will conclude after sunset Thursday,...

Neurons change in learning-memory process.
November 1, 2005... AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- University of Texas-Austin neuroscientists say they have observed large-scale changes across neuron dendrites during learning and memory processing. The scientists said they discovered ion channels distributed...

Jason Bateman has throat surgery.
November 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Fox's "Arrested Development" is taking a brief production break while star Jason Bateman recovers from throat surgery, TVGuide.com reported Tuesday. "He's totally going to be fine," Executive Producer Mitch...

Iran-Russia ties could grow to $10B.
November 1, 2005... TEHRAN, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A top Iranian official says his nation's commercial ties with Russia could reach $10 billion soon. Kamal Deneshyar, chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Energy Committee, said oil and nuclear contracts between Iran...

Wild dog pack closes Florida park.
November 1, 2005... ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A pack of wild dogs that Pinellas County, Fla., officials tried to capture at least 100 times has forced the closure of Wall Springs Park, a report said. The roving pack -- including a Rottweiler, two...

Stoiber turns down German Cabinet post.
November 1, 2005... MUNICH, Germany, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Edmund Stoiber Tuesday turned down an opportunity to join the new German Cabinet and will remain premier of Bavaria. Stoiber is a member of the Christian Social Union, which is a Bavarian branch of the...