Maybe it was the time the taxi dumped him at the Iraq-Kuwait border, leaving him alone in the middle of the desert. Or when he drew a crowd at a Baghdad food stand after using an Arabic phrase book to order. Or the moment a Kuwaiti cab driver almost punched him in the face when he balked at the $100 fare. But at some point, Farris Hassan, a 16-year-old from Florida, realized that traveling to Iraq by himself was not the safest thing he could have done with his Christmas vacation.And he didn't even tell his parents.Hassan's dangerous adventure winds down with the 101st Airborne delivering the Fort Lauderdale teen to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, which had been on the lookout for him and promises to see him back to the United States this weekend....
http://www.foxnews.com
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Editor - 17:51:00 12-29-05
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 Vacation Home Owners Face Tax On Rent |
Oregonians who own vacation homes and rent them out must register those properties with the state Department of Revenue starting January 1st. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports. For the last two years, Oregon's lodging tax has applied to hotels, bed and breakfasts, RV parks and condos, but not to private homes.Looking for more revenue, however, the 2005 legislature applied the tax to vacation houses, yurts and even tent spaces on private campgrounds.Revenue Department spokeswoman, Rosemary Hardin, says the money goes to promote tourism around the state. ...
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/opb/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=859566
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Editor - 16:50:00 12-29-05
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| Partial reprieve for Turk writer |
Turkish state prosecutors have dropped one of two criminal charges against the best-selling writer Orhan Pamuk. The charge that he had insulted Turkey's armed forces was dropped, but he still faces the charge that he insulted "Turkishness", lawyers said. His trial was halted on its first day, when an Istanbul judge said the case needed the justice ministry's approval. Brussels has described the case as a litmus test of Turkey's European Union membership credentials. It has called on Ankara, which has just started negotiations over EU membership, to do more to protect freedom of expression. The trial was halted on 16 December and adjourned until 7 February. The justice ministry's permission is being sought because of a dispute over whether Mr Pamuk is to be tried under Turkey's old penal code or a recent, revised version. Mr Pamuk's lawyers have argued that he must be tried under the old code, requiring the justice minister to give a ruling. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4566972.stm
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Editor - 11:41:00 12-29-05
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| Sites exploit Windows image flaw |
Computer users are being alerted to a new flaw in Microsoft Windows which can be used to attack a PC. The US net watchdog, the Computer Emergency Response Center (Cert), and security firms have issued warnings about certain types of image files called Windows Metafiles. Experts said numerous websites were taking advantage of the flaw to sneak into computers and install spyware. Microsoft has said it is looking into the issue. The flaw centres on the way Microsoft's operating system handles Windows Metafiles (.wmf). These are image files that can contain both vector and bitmap-based picture information. The hole means that an attacker can hide malicious code on a webpage or an e-mail containing files with the wmf extension. "Exploit code has been publicly posted and used to successfully attack fully-patched Windows XP SP2 systems," said Cert. "However, other versions of the Windows operating system may be at risk as well." ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4566504.stm
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Editor - 10:37:00 12-29-05
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| Iraqi Groups Pushing for Elections Review |
Sunni Arab and secular groups refused Thursday to open discussions with the Shiite religious bloc leading in Iraq's parliamentary elections until a full review of the contested results is carried out. Their refusal could deepen the political turmoil following a U.N. observer's endorsement of Iraq's Dec. 15 elections. The official said the results were credible and that the results should stand. ``We are not taking part in discussions,'' said Nasser al-Ani, a senior official in the main Sunni Arab coalition - the Iraqi Accordance Front. Preliminary results from the vote have given the governing Shiite religious bloc, the United Iraqi Alliance, a big lead - but one which still would require forming a coalition with other groups. Al-Ani told The Associated Press that his political group favored participating in broad-based coalition government, but would not begin contacts ``until we get a clear picture about the results of the investigation.'' ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5510692,00.html
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Editor - 10:27:00 12-29-05
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| Man apparently pulled into wood chipper dies |
A man trimming trees was killed after he apparently was pulled into a wood chipper, police said.The tree-service employee died Wednesday while he and a co-worker were cutting branches at a Loveland residence, Police Sgt. Rae Bontz said.“It appears he was pulled into the chipper,” Bontz said. He described the death as an industrial accident but released no other details, saying police were investigating. After the accident, the man’s partner, who was cutting branches from a bucket on a hydraulic lift, ran to the house where they were working, and a resident called 911. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.Police did not release either man’s name. Police Chief Luke Hecker said the victim was experienced at his work....
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10640346/from/RSS/
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Editor - 10:25:00 12-29-05
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