To highlight his concern over recent allegations that Marines in Iraq killed civilians, including women and children, the service commandant said Thursday he will go there to reinforce the values and standards of behavior that Marines are trained to uphold in combat.“To a Marine, honor is more than just honesty; it means having uncompromising personal integrity and being accountable for all actions,” Marine Gen. Michael W. Hagee wrote in a lengthy statement issued by his office.He referred to “recent serious allegations about actions of Marines in combat,” but he did not specifically cite the two cases — one from last November and the other in April — of alleged killings of civilians. On Wednesday, the Marine’s operating base in Fallujah, Iraq, announced the opening of a criminal investigation into allegations that an unspecified number of Marines killed an Iraqi civilian west of Baghdad on April 26. ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com censor News |
Editor - 10:38:00 05-25-06 |
Officials Backtrack Bird Flu Cluster Officials Say Woman in Indonesian Bird Flu Cluster May Have Had Contact With Sick Chickens |
The first person infected in a cluster of bird flu cases in a family in Indonesia may have come into contact with sick or dead chickens before possibly passing the virus on to relatives, a World Health Organization official said Thursday. The woman grew vegetables and sold them in a market, which may have brought her into contact with infected poultry, said Steven Bjorge, a WHO epidemiologist in Jakarta. Investigators also haven't ruled out contamination from chicken feces that the woman used as garden fertilizer, he said. Officials have not linked her family members to any possible exposure to the virus from birds, which has led them to believe that limited human-to-human transmission may have occurred. Six of the seven family members who caught bird flu have died, the most recent on Monday. An eighth family member who died was buried before tests could be done, but she was considered to be among those infected with bird flu. ... http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2003787
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Editor - 10:34:00 05-25-06 |
Iraqi general wounded, blast kills 3 in Baghdad |
Gunmen wounded an Iraqi general and a blast killed three people in central Baghdad on Thursday, and an official said two days of clashes between Sunni and Shiite tribes have killed 15 members of a radical Shiite militia. President Bush was due to talk about Iraq with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Washington later in the day. The ambush of Brig. Gen. Khalil al-Abadi, head of the Defense Ministry logistics office, occurred as he was driven to work in the Zafraniyah district, police said. His driver also was wounded. The blast in a building in central Baghdad's Tahrir Square killed three and wounded 11, police Lt. Ali Mitaab said. Police suspect the building housed a bomb-making factory. In Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, drive-by shooters killed a member of the city council and his driver, police Brig. Gen. Abdul-Hamid Khalaf said. ... http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2006-05-25-iraq_x.htm?csp=34
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Editor - 10:29:00 05-25-06 |
Russia's Putin objects to Cheney's criticism Vice president accused Moscow of rolling back democracy |
President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia wants good relations with the United States but he objected vigorously to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's recent criticism of democratic backtracking."We see how the United States defends its interests, we see what methods and means they use for this," Putin said at a press conference following the Russia-European Union summit, responding to a reporter's request for his reaction to Cheney.In a speech earlier this month in neighboring Lithuania, Cheney accused Putin's Kremlin of rolling back democracy and strong-arming its ex-Soviet neighbors. "When we fight for our interests, we also look for the most acceptable methods to accomplish our national tasks, and I find it strange that this seems inexplicable to someone," Putin said.Even before Cheney's speech, Russian-U.S. relations had been on a steady downward slide.... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12972103/from/RSS/
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Editor - 10:25:00 05-25-06 |
Heavy thunderstorms sweep through southern Wisconsin |
Heavy thunderstorms swept across southern Wisconsin Wednesday, downing some trees and power lines and stranding motorists. "It came down fast. I mean, these weren't regular raindrops. It was like somebody was throwing buckets down," Michael Wheeler of Madison said after the storm passed through Wisconsin's capital city early Wednesday evening. Wheeler said water had climbed about 18 inches up his shin along Madison's East Wilson Street during the storm. About 20 to 30 vehicles stalled in the city because of the weather, police Lt. Dave Jugovich said. The National Weather Service reported that 1.31 inches of rain fell in Madison from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Record daily rainfall of 1.51 inches was set at Dane County Regional Airport, the weather service said. ... http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2006-05-25-wisconsin-thunderstorms_x.htm?csp=34
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Editor - 10:06:00 05-25-06 |
Egyptian judges come out in force |
At least 300 Egyptian judges have joined a protest against the government over interference in the judiciary. The judges stood in silence outside the High Court in Cairo to press their demands for full independence. Hundreds of police surrounded the court and prevented journalists and other activists from joining the protest. Earlier this month, two Egyptian judges were prosecuted after they accused pro-government colleagues of manipulating election results in 2005. Judge Mahmoud Mekki, who was acquitted of wrongdoing, attended the protest but his colleague Hesham Bastawisi, who was disciplined by the panel, was too ill after suffering a heart attack last week. "We are calling for the independence of the judiciary... and our complete supervision of elections if there is to be supervision from now on," said Ahmed Salah, a judge at the protest, who wore his ceremonial red sash. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5017508.stm
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Editor - 09:58:00 05-25-06 |
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