Don Polries and Helen Vetter don't look like outlaws. She's 82 and nearly blind, and he's an 87-year-old World War II veteran whose only brush with the law was a traffic ticket or two, decades ago. But the retired farmers — and thousands like them — are considered criminals in North Dakota because they're not married and live together. It makes Polries chuckle and Vetter steam. "I will not have the state ruling us old people," Vetter said. "All we're trying to do is help each other out ... Boy, I'd like to see the state come and try and split us up." Without each other, the Bismarck couple say, they'd be in a nursing home. They have lived together for about a year, after dating and living in separate apartments for more than a decade. "I am legally blind," Vetter said. "I can't read and I can't drive — Don does that for me. ... And when Don had his hip replaced, I helped him out. What's wrong with that?" ...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com
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Editor - 12:56:00 02-27-07
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 U.S. urged to account for up to 38 "CIA prisoners" |
Several dozen terrorism suspects believed to have been held at secret CIA prisons are still missing without trace, and the United States should reveal what has happened to them, a leading rights group said on Tuesday. Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Bush in an open letter to disclose the identity, fate and whereabouts of all prisoners held at secret CIA facilities since 2001. "As you may know, the CIA's detention program has inflicted great harm on the reputation, moral standing and integrity of the United States," HRW wrote to Bush. "By revealing information about the fate and whereabouts of people formerly held in CIA custody, you could begin to repair the damage this abusive program has caused." Secret abduction and detention of suspects has been one of the most controversial and fiercely criticized aspects of Bush's war on terrorism, with rights groups arguing such methods are illegal and frequently lead to abuse and torture....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070227/ts_nm/cia_prisons_rights_dc
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Editor - 12:49:00 02-27-07
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| Hezbollah Warns U.S. Against Iran Attack AP Interview: Hezbollah's Deputy Chief Warns the U.S., Israel Against Attacking Iran |
The deputy chief of Hezbollah warned Tuesday that any "military adventure" by the United States and Israel against Iran would have dangerous consequences across the Mideast. Sheik Naim Kassem suggested his pro-Iranian group would not get involved if the U.S. attacks Iran, but he raised the possibility that Israel might attack Lebanon as part of such an assault in which case, he said, Hezbollah would "definitely" respond. He said Hezbollah guerrillas were making plans in case Israel, like last summer, attacks Lebanon again. "The resistance is taking all the necessary measures to be ready and prepared," Kassem said in an interview with the Associated Press. He would not elaborate but said Hezbollah is constantly changing its fighting tactics so the Israelis would not know its capabilities. "We've evaluated the experience of the war and learned lessons from it and are taking steps to accommodate them with new realities," he said. ...
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2908618
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Editor - 12:45:00 02-27-07
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| World shares wobble on China fear |
Global stock markets have fallen after fears about China worried investors, with the UK's FTSE 100 posting its biggest drop in almost nine months. The sell-off was sparked by a near-9% slide on the Shanghai Composite Index, as investors worried that China may pass rules to limit demand for stocks. The FTSE 100 closed on a fall of 2.3%, or 148.6 points, to 6,286.1. In the US, the Dow Jones opened 1% lower, while Germany's Dax index and France's Cac 40 each closed down 3%. Earlier in the day, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index had ended trading on a loss of 1.8%, while Japan's Nikkei 225 index slid 0.5%. "The US and global markets have gone for weeks without any sign of correction," said Fred Dickson, market strategist at DA Davidson. "They seem ripe for a modest pullback." ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6400789.stm
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Editor - 12:43:00 02-27-07
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| Study: 1 in 4 American Women Are Infected With Virus That Can Cause Cervical Cancer |
One in four U.S. women ages 14 to 59 is infected with the sexually transmitted virus that in some forms can cause cervical cancer, according to the first broad national estimate. The figure is mostly in line with previous assessments. The highest prevalence nearly 45 percent was found in young women within the age range recommended for a new virus-fighting vaccine, according to a report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers have estimated that 20 million Americans have some form of HPV. The study concluded that 26.8 percent of U.S. women are infected, a figure that is comparable to earlier estimates using smaller groups. "We expected the prevalence of any HPV infection would be high and that's what we found," said CDC researcher Dr. Eileen Dunne, the study's lead author. ...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2908927
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Editor - 12:41:00 02-27-07
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| China Disputes Cheney's Pronouncements About Its Military Ambitions |
China rejected criticism by Vice President Dick Cheney about its military ambitions, saying Tuesday that it is a force for stability in the world. Cheney, on a swing through Asia last week, said some of Beijing's actions were at odds with its words about its military expansion being peaceful. He pointed to last month's anti-satellite test in which China fired a missile into a defunct weather satellite, making it just the third nation to use a weapon beyond the Earth's atmosphere. In China's first response to Cheney's comment, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China was opposed to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. "China adheres to the road of peaceful development and we are an important force in the maintenance of peace and stability in the world and the region," Qin said in a regular news conference. "Our positive and important role on the nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula is clear evidence of that." ...
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2908923
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Editor - 12:38:00 02-27-07
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