Evening Edition

Evening Edition is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 French unions step up pressure on Sarkozy with demo call

by Charles Onians, AFP

51 mins ago

PARIS (AFP) – French unions step up pressure on President Nicolas Sarkozy to cave in on pension reform, calling for more mass strikes and street protests as parts of the country start to run dry following fuel blockades.

The call for workers to join two new days of nationwide demonstrations next Thursday and on November 6 came after another day of unrest across France that saw protestors blocking key sites and clashing with police.

“Strengthened by the support of workers, the young and a majority of the population… the labour organisations have decided to continue and to broaden the mobilisation,” the main unions said in a joint statement.

2 French students clash with police ahead of new protest

by Charles Onians, AFP

Thu Oct 21, 12:25 pm ET

PARIS (AFP) – French protestors blocked key sites and clashed with police Thursday as unions called for further mass nationwide protests against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s bid to raise the retirement age.

With no fuel left in more than a quarter of petrol pumps, police are playing what unions dubbed a game of cat and mouse with protestors at refineries and fuel depots in a bid to prevent the country grinding to a halt.

Even US pop star Lady Gaga called off two Paris concerts set for the weekend “as a result of the logistical difficulties due to the strikes in France,” her website said, “as there is no certainty that the trucks can make it.”

3 French pensions protests intensify

by Charles Onians, AFP

Thu Oct 21, 5:29 am ET

PARIS (AFP) – French protestors Thursday blocked transport hubs and fuel depots as unions met to decide on a next day of nationwide action against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s bid to raise the retirement age.

With no fuel left in more than a quarter of French petrol pumps, police are playing what unions have described as a game of cat and mouse with protestors at depots and refineries in a bid to prevent the country grinding to a halt.

The head of the powerful CGT union Bernard Thibault said that faced with government “intransigence” there was “no reason to stop these protests” and “we recommend further action from next week.”

4 Bolivian silver mountain risks collapse

by Jose Arturo Cardenas, AFP

Thu Oct 21, 10:40 am ET

POTOSI, Bolivia (AFP) – The mountain holding one of the world’s greatest silver deposits is at risk of collapse after five centuries of exploitation, Bolivian officials say, calling for moves to save the historic site.

“It looks like an hour glass that is slowly sinking,” said Celestino Condori, president of the civil committee of Potosi, an organization dedicated to enforcing sustainable procedures for the rampant mining that is hollowing out the mountain in a bid to reach its silver, lead, zinc and tin.

Potosi, once South America’s wealthiest city due to the silver mine within the conical mountain which looms above it, is now even more treacherous for miners than usual, because of regular landslides prompted by some 90 kilometers (55 miles) of tunnels within the hulking Cerro Rico, or “rich hill”.

5 G20 will vow to avoid forex undervaluation: draft statement

AFP

Thu Oct 21, 11:25 am ET

GYEONGJU, South Korea (AFP) – G20 nations will pledge to “refrain from competitive undervaluation” of their currencies, according to a draft statement before a weekend meeting of finance ministers.

The draft obtained by Dow Jones Newswires suggests the world’s top economies are eager to allay fears of a currency war, even if no immediate solution to the forex disputes is in sight.

The Group of 20 will “move towards (a) more market-determined exchange-rate system”, the draft said, reflecting an often-used US expression meant to discourage countries from intervening in currency markets.

6 Gays in limbo as US court reinstates military ban

AFP

Thu Oct 21, 6:24 am ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – An appeals court has let the US government temporarily reinstate a ban on gays serving openly in the military, frustrating the hopes of those left in limbo by the judicial tug-of-war.

But campaigners for the rights of gays and lesbians said they were confident the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy would soon be over for good.

In the latest judicial twist, a three-judge appeals court panel in San Francisco lifted a lower court’s injunction issued last week that had barred the US military from continuing its 17-year-old ban while a lengthier stay of the rule is considered.

7 McClaren drivers vow to stay in F1 title race

by Gordon Howard, AFP

Thu Oct 21, 9:12 am ET

YEONGAM, South Korea (AFP) – British drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton vowed Thursday to keep alive McLaren’s hopes of winning this year’s Formula One world championship with podium finishes at the Korean Grand Prix.

With races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi to come after this weekend’s maiden Grand Prix in South Korea, 2008 world champion Hamilton trails leader Mark Webber of Red Bull Racing by 28 points in the standings.

Button, the defending champion, is a further three points in arrears. With 25 points on offer for a win, both McLaren drivers are desperate for a victory to keep themselves in title contention.

8 Top Putin aide confirmed as Moscow mayor

by Maria Antonova, AFP

Thu Oct 21, 7:37 am ET

MOSCOW (AFP) – Moscow’s parliament Thursday confirmed a close aide of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as mayor after the firing of city strongman Yuri Luzhkov, in a vote denounced as a farce by the opposition.

The appointment of Sergei Sobyanin was overwhelmingly approved by the local parliament with all 32 deputies from ruling party United Russia in the 35-member chamber voting in favour of the Kremlin candidate.

But with the debate marked by speeches of lavish praise in favour of the new mayor and highly choreographed outbreaks of applause, the minority Communists condemned the vote as a pre-ordained farce.

9 Toyota recalls 1.5 mln cars over brake fluid leak

by Patrice Novotny, AFP

Thu Oct 21, 6:59 am ET

TOKYO (AFP) – Toyota on Thursday announced a safety recall of about 1.5 million vehicles worldwide to fix a brake fluid leak that it warned can gradually diminish braking performance.

The world’s largest automaker, which was battered by a global safety crisis earlier this year, said it would voluntarily recall 740,000 cars in the United States and almost 600,000 in Japan to fix the problem.

It was also recalling 50,000 autos in Europe, 60,000 in China, 30,000 in Australia and 50,000 in other Asian nations, said a Toyota spokesman in Japan.

10 China’s economic growth slows but still strong

by Allison Jackson, AFP

Thu Oct 21, 5:57 am ET

BEIJING (AFP) – China said Thursday its economy grew at a slower but still robust pace in the third quarter, which analysts said showed efforts to steer the country towards more sustainable growth were working.

Consumer prices rose at their fastest pace in nearly two years in September, official data showed — an apparent explanation for Beijing’s decision this week to hike interest rates for the first time since 2007.

Gross domestic product expanded 9.6 percent year-on-year in the third quarter, beating forecasts for 9.5 percent growth, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data.

11 East Timor puts underwater wonders on show

by Stephen Coates, AFP

Thu Oct 21, 3:55 am ET

DILI ROCK, East Timor (AFP) – He wanted to find a blue-ringed octopus. She was looking for a certain eel. Together the self-confessed “spoiled Americans” flew 30 hours to Asia’s newest country, East Timor, and found neither.

But scuba divers Brian and Gina Blackburn, from Houston, weren’t disappointed — they found new wonders which both amazed and humbled them.

“In the Caribbean, finding fan coral that big is impossible because the tourists have destroyed it,” Gina said as she dried off after a dive last week within sight of Dili’s ramshackle airport.

12 Appeals court stays ruling on gays in military

By Peter Henderson, Reuters

Thu Oct 21, 3:49 am ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday that the Pentagon may temporarily reinstate a ban on openly gay men and women in uniform while a lengthier stay in favor of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is considered.

The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco added to the disarray surrounding a landmark legal battle that already has forced the U.S. military to welcome openly gay recruits for the first time.

Siding with the Obama administration, a three-judge appellate panel lifted an injunction issued last week by U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips that barred further enforcement of a law requiring gay men and lesbians in the armed forces to keep their sexual orientation private.

13 U.S. plan hits opposition at G20, FX accord remote

By Abhijit Neogy and Toni Vorobyova, Reuters

Thu Oct 21, 1:45 pm ET

GYEONGJU, South Korea (Reuters) – G20 officials are unlikely to reach an accord rejecting currency devaluations and capping current account balances, an informed source said on Thursday, after U.S. proposals ran into stiff opposition.

The swift rebuff of a U.S. call for numerical targets for “sustainable” trade surpluses and deficits underscored difficulties facing Group of 20 finance ministers gathering in South Korea to try to defuse tensions over currencies and economic imbalances.

The G20 source, who has direct knowledge of deliberations at the meeting, said the proposals had not found favor with India, China and other emerging economies, or even the likes of Germany, which has a large current account surplus.

14 Obama courts women voters on West Coast tour

By Caren Bohan, Reuters

14 mins ago

SEATTLE (Reuters) – President Barack Obama aimed his economic message at women voters on Thursday as he campaigned on the West Coast for women candidates crucial to his Democrats’ chances of keeping control of the U.S. Senate.

Obama will try to bolster incumbent Senators Patty Murray of Washington and Barbara Boxer of California with rallies and fund-raisers over the next two days, part of a four-day trip that is his longest campaign swing as president.

Standing in the backyard of one Seattle family’s home, Obama said women now constitute half the U.S. workforce and are responsible for more than half the income of middle-class families.

15 Special report: Conservative donors let Christine O’Donnell sink

By Mark Hosenball, Reuters

Thu Oct 21, 8:11 am ET

WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) – Christine O’Donnell, the outspoken GOP candidate for Senate in Delaware, has a money problem.

Her shocking victory in the Delaware Republican primary was a breakthrough for the conservative Tea Party movement that has up-ended U.S. politics. But while her grassroots fund-raising has been more than respectable, O’Donnell’s tense relations with mainstream Republicans and her floundering campaign have led bigtime donors to shun her, albeit quietly.

Their reluctance to open their checkbooks underlines the GOP’s recent tightrope act: the Tea Party’s emergence as a major force has energized the conservative base and bolstered Republican prospects in the November 2 election. But the two camps often don’t see eye to eye — on policy as well as on politicians.

16 Gulf deepwater drilling freeze thawing slowly

By Braden Reddall, Reuters

Thu Oct 21, 2:09 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Some leading offshore drilling contractors, after reporting declines in quarterly profits, said on Thursday there were encouraging signs for activity in the Gulf of Mexico next year despite a shortage of permits.

Noble Corp, the second-largest offshore drilling contractor by fleet size, said it was even possible one of its deepwater rigs could get back to work in the U.S. Gulf by the end of this year.

This month, the U.S. government lifted a moratorium on deepwater drilling imposed after the BP Plc blowout six months ago that led to a huge oil spill off Louisiana’s coast.

17 Groups sue BP for harm to endangered Gulf wildlife

Reuters

Thu Oct 21, 12:25 am ET

ATLANTA, Oct 21 (Reuters Legal) – U.S. environmental groups filed a suit on Wednesday against British-based oil giant BP Plc saying the world’s worst offshore spill inflicted “ongoing unlawful” harm on endangered wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.

The suit is one of thousands of damages cases to stem from the spill from BP’s blown-out undersea Macondo well, which between April and July dumped millions of gallons of oil into the sea, fouling coastlines in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The well was capped in mid-July.

But while the bulk of the cases have been brought by affected individuals, like fishermen, hoteliers and companies, this one brought by conservation groups focuses on endangered sea turtles, whales, birds and Florida manatees.

18 U.S.-Pakistani officials tackle difficult issues

By David Alexander, Reuters

Thu Oct 21, 12:18 am ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama praised the movement of U.S.-Pakistani relations toward a strategic partnership on Wednesday even as his national security team sought greater pressure on extremist safe havens in Pakistan.

Obama told visiting officials attending the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue — including Foreign Ministers Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani — he would not visit Pakistan during his trip to South Asia this year. But he said he would travel to Pakistan in 2011 and would host President Asif Ali Zardari in Washington as well.

Obama underscored the importance of the strategic dialogue “in moving our relationship toward a true partnership based on mutual respect,” the White House said in a statement. Both sides agreed “on the importance of cooperating toward a peaceful and stable outcome in Afghanistan,” it said.

19 Geithner suggests major currencies "in alignment": report

Reuters

Thu Oct 21, 12:42 am ET

GYEONGJU, South Korea (Reuters) – Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner suggested that he sees no reason for the dollar to sink further against the euro and the yen, saying these major currencies are “roughly in alignment,” the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

In an interview with the newspaper, Geithner also emphasized that the United States was not pursuing a deliberate policy of devaluing the dollar.

This echoed comments he made on Monday in Palo Alto, California, saying “No country around the world can devalue its way to prosperity.”

20 Clashes, protests in French tensions over pensions

By ANGELA CHARLTON, Associated Press Writer

29 mins ago

PARIS – Police used tear gas and water cannon against rampaging youth in Lyon on Thursday while the French government showed its muscle in parliament, short-circuiting tense Senate debate on a bill raising the retirement age to 62.

Despite growing pressure, President Nicolas Sarkozy held firm on a measure he says is crucial to the future of France, heightening the standoff with labor unions that see retirement at 60 as a hard-earned right.

Defiant unions announced two more days of protest, one on Nov. 6 – long after the bill is likely to become law. The bold action suggested that opponents believe they have the power to force the government’s hand.

21 Iraqi leaders not following US advice on gov’t

By LARA JAKES and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writers

30 mins ago

BAGHDAD – American influence has so dwindled in Iraq over the last several months that Iraqi lawmakers and political leaders say they no longer follow Washington’s advice for forming a government.

Instead, Iraqis are turning to neighboring nations, and especially Iran, for guidance – casting doubt on the future of the American role in this strategic country after a grinding war that killed more than 4,400 U.S. soldiers.

“The Iraqi politicians are not responding to the U.S. like before. We don’t pay great attention to them,” Shiite lawmaker Sami al-Askari, a close ally of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said Thursday. “The weak American role has given the region’s countries a greater sense of influence on Iraqi affairs.”

22 Toyota recalling 1.53 million cars globally

By MALCOLM FOSTER, Associated Press Writer

32 mins ago

TOKYO – Toyota is recalling 1.53 million Lexus, Avalon and other models, mostly in the U.S. and Japan, for brake fluid and fuel pump problems, the latest in a string of quality lapses for the world’s No. 1 automaker.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday that it will call back for repairs about 740,000 cars in the U.S. and 599,000 in Japan. The remainder are in Europe and other markets around the world. Honda Motor Co. also said it would recall an undetermined number of vehicles because of the same issue.

Over the past year, Toyota has recalled more than 10 million cars and trucks worldwide for a variety of problems, from faulty gas pedals and floor mats that can trap accelerators, to braking problems in its Prius hybrid. In August, Toyota recalled 1.33 million Corolla sedans and Matrix hatchbacks in the U.S. and Canada because their engines may stall.

23 Last year’s moonshot splashed up lots of water

By ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer

1 hr 44 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – When NASA blasted a hole in the moon last year in search of water, scientists figured there would be a splash. They just didn’t know how big. Now new results from the Hollywood-esque moonshot reveal lots of water in a crater where the sun never shines – 41 gallons of ice and vapor.

That may not sound like much – it’s what a typical washing machine uses for a load – but it’s almost twice as much as researchers had initially measured and more than they ever expected to find.

The estimate represents only what scientists can see from the debris plume that was kicked up from the high-speed crash near the south pole by a NASA spacecraft on Oct. 9, 2009.

24 Vets stand guard over Christian flag in NC town

By TOM BREEN, Associated Press Writer

1 hr 23 mins ago

KING, N.C. – The Christian flag is everywhere in the small city of King: flying in front of barbecue joints and hair salons, stuck to the bumpers of trucks, hanging in windows and emblazoned on T-shirts.

The relatively obscure emblem has become omnipresent because of one place it can’t appear: flying above a war memorial in a public park.

The city council decided last month to remove the flag from above the monument in Central Park after a resident complained, and after city leaders got letters from the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State urging them to remove it.

25 NPR fires news analyst after remarks about Muslims

By BRETT ZONGKER, Associated Press Writer

25 mins ago

WASHINGTON – NPR has fired longtime news analyst Juan Williams, also a commentator on the Fox News Channel, after he told Bill O’Reilly that he gets nervous on an airplane when he sees people in Muslim dress.

In a statement late Wednesday, National Public Radio said it was terminating Williams’ contract as a senior news analyst over his comments on Fox’s “The O’Reilly Factor.”

NPR executives had previously complained about his remarks on Fox and asked him to stop using the NPR name when he appeared on O’Reilly’s show.

26 GOP lawmaker looks to increase scrutiny of Obama

By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer

37 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Anyone who’s spent much time near parked cars has likely heard Rep. Darrell Issa’s stern voice: “Protected by Viper. Stand back.” After next month’s election, Americans may be hearing a lot more from the millionaire congressman and car alarm inventor.

Already President Barack Obama’s chief antagonist in Congress, Issa, R-Calif., will take over the main House investigating committee and control its probes of the White House and the federal bureaucracy.

One liberal Democrat, Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, predicts that Issa (pronounced EYE’-suh) will use subpoena power as chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to conduct a “witch hunt in an effort to bring down the Obama administration.”

27 Fearing rout, Obama, Dems reach to female voters

By LIZ “Sprinkles” SIDOTI and DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writers

19 mins ago

SEATTLE – In a last-ditch effort to prevent electoral disaster, President Barack Obama and Democratic allies are vigorously wooing women voters, whose usually reliable support appears to have softened.

From blunt TV ads to friendlier backyard chats, they’re straining to persuade women that it’s the Democrats who are on their side and it’s in women’s vital interest to turn out and vote in the Nov. 2 elections that could give Republicans control of one or both houses of Congress.

In Seattle on Thursday, Obama told local women and others that “how well women do will help determine how well our families are doing as a whole.” Accompanied by women who own businesses, he spoke in a family’s backyard about the economy’s effects on women and outlined ways he said his policies have helped them.

28 Jobless claims fall to 452K, but remain elevated

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER, AP Economics Writer

Thu Oct 21, 10:32 am ET

WASHINGTON – Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, but the drop wasn’t enough to reverse a big increase the previous week.

Applications for jobless benefits fell by 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 452,000, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The decline comes after the department substantially revised the previous week’s figure to show a rise of 26,000. That was double the increase initially reported.

29 Election Day is over for millions of early voters

By NANCY BENAC and LIZ “Sprinkles” SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer

Thu Oct 21, 10:38 am ET

WASHINGTON – Election Day is already over for more than 3 million Americans, and a surprising number of them are Democrats.

Republicans clearly are gaining ground in turning out early voters compared with their showing two years ago, but figures from the first batch of states that offer clues about 2010 early voting patterns still give Democrats an edge in a number of states and big counties.

“If people thought the Democrats were just going to roll over and play dead in this election, that’s not what we’re seeing,” said Michael McDonald, a George Mason University professor who tracks early voting nationally. “They’ve got to be feeling a little bit better with the numbers that they’re seeing.”

30 Study: Women give more to charity than men

By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP, Associated Press Writer

Thu Oct 21, 6:57 am ET

SEATTLE – Women across nearly every income level gave significantly more to charity than men, nearly twice as much in some cases, according to a study by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Nonprofits have long suspected that women were the driving forces behind many of the gifts they receive, but they haven’t had much proof. But the results of this study are so decisive and consistent, they can stop wondering, said Debra Mesch, director of the university’s Women’s Philanthropy Institute.

The study offered several factors the researchers thought contributed to the growing generosity of women: More women are working and their incomes have grown, more have college degrees that yield greater earning power, and the percentage of women who make more money than their working husbands is now about 26 percent.

31 Report faults state prisons’ treatment of mothers

By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

Thu Oct 21, 6:58 am ET

The number of women in America’s state prisons has reached a record high, yet many states have inadequate policies for dealing with the large portion of them who have children or are pregnant, according to a new 50-state survey.

The report, being released Thursday by the National Women’s Law Center and the Rebecca Project for Human Rights, analyzes policies in three areas – prenatal care, shackling of pregnant women during childbirth, and community-based alternatives to incarceration enabling mothers to be with their children.

Only one state, Pennsylvania, received an A.

32 Appeals court keeps military’s gay policy for now

By LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer

Thu Oct 21, 10:41 am ET

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal appeals court has frozen a judge’s order halting the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, even as the Pentagon has announced it will accept openly gay recruits.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday temporarily granted the U.S. government’s request for a freeze on the judge’s order.

The appellate court instructed lawyers for the gay rights group that brought the lawsuit successfully challenging the policy to file arguments in response by Monday.

33 Why US lawyers fight for law on gays Obama opposes

By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer

Thu Oct 21, 6:57 am ET

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama opposes the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the military, so why are Obama administration lawyers in court fighting to save it?

The answer is one that perhaps only a lawyer could love: There is a long tradition that the Justice Department defends laws adopted by Congress and signed by a president, regardless of whether the president in office likes them.

This practice cuts across party lines. And it has caused serious heartburn for more than one attorney general.

Beltway Bullshit.

34 G20 finance chiefs face tough task on currencies

By KELLY OLSEN, AP Business Writer

Thu Oct 21, 3:39 am ET

GYEONGJU, South Korea – Global finance mandarins get another chance this week to defuse international currency tensions as a festering dispute over exchange rates overshadows debate about reforming the world economy.

Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 rich and emerging nations, along with key officials from international finance and lending organizations, meet Friday and Saturday in the South Korean city of Gyeongju. Their deputies meet Thursday.

The gathering comes just two weeks after they failed at a meeting in Washington to iron out differences that have led to fears the world could descend into a so-called currency war that causes another downturn.

35 UN envoy asks Myanmar for ‘signal’ before election

By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press Writer

6 mins ago

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N.’s human rights envoy to Myanmar appealed Thursday to its military rulers “to send a strong signal” to the world that it will hold a genuine election, by releasing democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and almost 2,100 political prisoners.

U.N. envoy Tomas Ojea Quintana cast more doubt on the legitimacy of the ruling junta’s planned Nov. 7 election, the first in two decades.

“I believe that the Myanmar government needs to send a strong signal to the international community about its commitment to hold genuine elections. An unconditional and immediate release of prisoners of conscience would be such a signal,” said Quintana, an Argentine lawyer.

36 Ind. ends food aid for developmentally disabled

By CHARLES WILSON, Associated Press Writer

2 hrs 36 mins ago

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana has quietly ended a state grocery benefit paid to hundreds of developmentally disabled people who advocates say have no money of their own to buy food.

The state Family and Social Services Administration withdrew the grocery benefit just weeks after it announced it would no longer reduce the benefit for those who receive food stamps, which a lawsuit claimed was a violation of federal law that prohibits food stamps from being counted against other benefits.

The lawsuit was filed in July by the American Civil Liberties Union and Indianapolis attorney Steven Dick on behalf of Dick’s 26-year-old autistic son. Dick said he believed the state ultimately decided to end the grocery benefit altogether because it could no longer factor in food stamps.

37 Did your ancestor fight at Saratoga? You can check

By CHRIS CAROLA, Associated Press Writer

Thu Oct 21, 2:40 pm ET

STILLWATER, N.Y. – Descendants of Revolutionary War soldiers who fought in one of history’s most important battles can now find their American ancestors in a computer database, and some day they might be guided by GPS to the exact spots where their relatives faced musket fire, cannon barrages and bayonet charges.

History buffs spent 12 years gleaning information from 200-year-old military documents to assemble the list of thousands who participated in the Battles of Saratoga. The database, recently unveiled at Saratoga National Historical Park, contains the names of about 15,000 of the more than 17,000 soldiers of the Continental Army and various state militias who defeated the British here in 1777.

About 2,500 more American names are being added, while the names of most of the 9,000 enemy combatants – British soldiers, German mercenaries, Canadians and loyalists – are expected to join the database in several years, according to Eric Schnitzer, a National Parks Service ranger and park historian. The names of some of the Native Americans who fought here – Oneidas for the Americans, Mohawks for the British – also will be added, he said.

38 AU calls for air and naval blockade of Somalia

By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press Writer

Thu Oct 21, 2:22 pm ET

UNITED NATIONS – The African Union sought U.N. approval Thursday for a naval and air blockade of Somalia, as well as more troops and aid to fend off piracy and terrorism in the struggling Horn of Africa nation.

The AU’s commissioner for peace and security, Ramtane Lamamra, urged the U.N. Security Council to authorize a blockade while seeking far more international aid and a contingent of 20,000 AU-led troops, up from the current authorization of 8,000. He also asked the council to approve hiring up to 1,680 police. The AU peacekeeping force, operating under the U.N. mandate, now has about 6,000 troops.

With Somalia lacking a fully functioning government since 1991, Lamamra called for a major escalation of troops and other resources to deter the pirates operating off the country’s coast and the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab Islamist rebels who control much of Somalia.

39 Oregon gov’s race matches seasoned pro, fresh face

By NIGEL DUARA, Associated Press Writer

Wed Oct 20, 11:23 pm ET

PORTLAND, Ore. – Chris Dudley wasn’t given much of a chance when he got into the Oregon governor’s race.

He had no real political experience, and his main claim to fame was a 17-year NBA career in which he was one of the worst free-throw shooters in basketball. He has struggled in debates and acknowledged that he didn’t vote much during his basketball career.

But Dudley may have a chance to defeat former two-term Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber, thanks to a remarkable fundraising effort that has drawn on his connections from pro sports and interest from the national GOP.

40 Federal law takes on crimes against Indian women

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN, Associated Press Writer

Wed Oct 20, 11:11 pm ET

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Federal and tribal officials hope a new law aimed at improving the judicial landscape in Indian Country will also help them combat “disturbing” crime statistics involving American Indian women.

According to federal data, one in three Indian women will be raped in their lifetimes, while two-fifths will suffer from domestic violence. The chance an Indian woman will be the victim of a violent crime is three and a half times greater than the national average, recent numbers shows.

“The statistics in Indian Country regarding violence against women are disturbing to say the least. It’s incumbent upon us to take appropriate action,” said Wizipan Garriott, policy adviser to Assistant Interior Secretary of Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk.

41 Crystal Cathedral teeters on the edge

By GILLIAN FLACCUS, Associated Press Writer

Wed Oct 20, 10:47 pm ET

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. – Capitalizing on the emerging car culture of Southern California in the 1950s, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller started a drive-in church and built it into an international televangelist empire, symbolized by the soaring glass Crystal Cathedral and its weekly “Hour of Power” show.

Now Schuller’s life’s work is crumbling.

Citing debts of more than $43 million, the organization declared bankruptcy this week in a collapse blamed by some on its inability to keep up with the times and a disastrous attempt to hand the church over to Schuller’s son.

2 comments

    • on 10/22/2010 at 00:15
      Author
    • on 10/22/2010 at 01:08

    Been busy in the 3 dimensional world this afternoon. I have lots of writing to do.

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