Evening Edition

Evening Edition is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 WikiLeaks founder points at Pentagon over rape claims

by Igor Gedilaghine, AFP

2 hrs 7 mins ago

STOCKHOLM (AFP) – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said in an interview published Sunday he believed the Pentagon could be behind a rape allegation against him that was swiftly dropped by Swedish authorities.

His comments came as prosecutors justified their treatment of the 39-year-old Australian, whose whistleblowing website is embroiled in a row with Washington over the publication of secret Afghan war documents.

The Aftonbladet newspaper quoted Assange as saying he did not know who was “hiding behind” the rape claim, which prompted prosecutors to issue a warrant for his arrest on Friday but which was cancelled the following day.

2 Australian PM vows stability despite polls crisis

by William West, AFP

Sun Aug 22, 12:26 pm ET

MELBOURNE (AFP) – Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Sunday vowed to keep the country stable after a voter backlash produced a rare hung parliament, raising fears of political paralysis and economic pain.

Gillard, whose Labor Party slumped in elections just two months after she deposed an elected leader, said she planned to form a minority government to resolve what analysts called Australia’s biggest political crisis in decades.

“We have robust democratic institutions and processes, and as prime minister I will continue to provide stable and effective government… while the final votes are counted in this election,” she said.

3 Pakistan evacuates thousands in flooded south

by Hasan Mansoor, AFP

Sun Aug 22, 9:06 am ET

KARACHI (AFP) – Pakistani authorities evacuated tens of thousands from flood-threatened areas in the south on Sunday but insisted that the 2.5 million people of Hyderabad were safe from the nation’s worst-ever inundation.

The weak civilian government has faced an outpouring of fury over sluggish relief efforts, while officials are warning the country faces ruinous economic losses of up to 43 billion dollars, ahead of IMF talks this week.

The month-long floods have killed 1,500 people and affected up to 20 million nationwide, according to official tallies, with the threat of disease ever-present in the miserable camps sheltering penniless survivors.

4 China closes factories as green deadline looms

by Allison Jackson, AFP

Sun Aug 22, 2:07 am ET

BEIJING (AFP) – China, facing the risk of embarrassment if it misses a looming environmental deadline, has ordered thousands of companies to close high-polluting plants as its leadership vies to retool economic growth.

Beijing has pledged to slash China’s energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20 percent between 2006 and 2010, as the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter seeks to reduce pollution and clean up its environment.

Official data suggest China is likely to miss the year-end deadline — potentially causing red faces for top leaders who have trumpeted efforts to curb emissions growth and develop renewable energy.

5 Four US soldiers killed in day of Afghan violence

by Usman Sharifi, AFP

Sun Aug 22, 11:51 am ET

KABUL (AFP) – Four US soldiers were killed Sunday while fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, NATO said, as the insurgents appeared to step up their campaign against officials and election candidates.

The four American troopers died in three separate incidents, in eastern and southern Afghanistan, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

ISAF spokesman US Air Force Master Sergeant Jason Haag confirmed all four were Americans.

6 Egypt steps up hunt for stolen Van Gogh painting

by Ines Bel Aiba, AFP

Sun Aug 22, 11:33 am ET

CAIRO (AFP) – Egypt on Sunday stepped up the search for a Van Gogh painting valued at 55 million dollars stolen in broad daylight from a Cairo museum where the surveillance cameras and alarms had long been defunct.

The work identified as “Poppy Flowers” was stolen from the Mahmoud Khalil museum on Saturday after it was cut out of its frame.

Police were focusing their search on the country’s air and sea ports, a security official told AFP, adding that museum staff will be interrogated and that state prosecutors have launched two separate investigations.

7 Calm in Haiti after Jean candidacy rejected

by Clarens Renois, AFP

Sun Aug 22, 6:07 am ET

PORT-AU-PRINCE (AFP) – UN peacekeepers patrolled Haitian communities Sunday after electoral officials rejected international hip-hop star Wyclef Jean’s candidacy in Haiti’s November 28 presidential election.

But despite fears of unrest, the city appeared calm.

Jean, who has a strong following among Haiti’s youth, was the best known of the 15 candidates disqualified from running.

8 Pakistan battles economic pain of floods

by Sajjad Tarakzai, AFP

Sun Aug 22, 2:11 am ET

ISLAMABAD (AFP) – Pakistan is courting IMF help to alleviate the threat of economic ruin as enormous floods wipe out farmland and industry, triggering UN warnings that the restive country faces years of pain.

Authorities Sunday were evacuating people from a town and flood-hit villages in the south from encroaching floodwaters, which nationwide have killed 1,500 people and affected up to 20 million, according to official tallies.

Pakistan’s weak civilian government has faced an outpouring of public fury over sluggish relief efforts, while officials warn the country faces economic losses of up to 43 billion dollars.

9 Pakistan braced for more floods as aid tops $800 million

By Robert Birsel, Reuters

Sun Aug 22, 8:33 am ET

SHADADKOT, Pakistan (Reuters) – More than $800 million has been donated or pledged to help Pakistan’s flood victims, the foreign minister said in Sunday, as hundreds of thousands of people in the south feared more destruction.

Rising waters in Sindh province threatened to wreak havoc in U.S. ally Pakistan in a catastrophe that has made the government more unpopular and may help Islamist militants gain supporters.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi expressed gratitude for the $815.58 million in international assistance to ease the suffering from one of the worst disasters in Pakistan’s history.

10 Markets nervous as Australia faces hung parliament

By Rob Taylor, Reuters

Sun Aug 22, 8:40 am ET

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia’s two major parties wooed independent lawmakers on Sunday after an inconclusive election left the nation facing its first hung parliament since 1940 and set up financial markets for a sell-off.

The Australian dollar and shares were likely to fall when trading resumes on Monday, analysts said, with the vote count threatening to drag on for days and both the ruling Labor party and opposition seemingly unable to win a majority.

“The uncertainty is going to be a real killer to the financial markets,” said economist Craig James of Commsec, suggesting the Australian dollar could fall a cent or more.

11 Big-spending novices now lag in Florida campaigns

By Jane Sutton, Reuters

Sun Aug 22, 10:55 am ET

MIAMI (Reuters) – A pair of wealthy outsiders who spent their way to prominence in Florida’s Senate and governor’s races now lag behind the political insiders backed by the party hierarchies in Tuesday’s primary election.

The free-spending novices, real estate billionaire Jeff Greene and healthcare multimillionaire Rick Scott, held double-digit leads over their opponents in July but slipped steadily as their rivals turned the spotlight on the newcomers’ business dealings and character.

“Money can only go so far,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “It made two guys nobody ever heard of front-runners. It can’t necessarily get you over the top.”

12 US troops unlikely to resume combat duties in Iraq

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer

18 mins ago

WASHINGTON – It would take “a complete failure” of the Iraqi security forces for the U.S. to resume combat operations there, the top American commander in Iraq said as the final U.S. fighting forces prepared to leave the country.

With a major military milestone in sight, Gen. Ray Odierno said in interviews broadcast Sunday that any resumption of combat duties by American forces is unlikely.

“We don’t see that happening,” Odierno said. The Iraqi security forces have been doing “so well for so long now that we really believe we’re beyond that point.”

13 4 US troops killed in eastern Afghanistan

By RAHIM FAIEZ, Associated Press Writer

19 mins ago

KABUL, Afghanistan – Four U.S. troops were killed in fighting in eastern and southern Afghanistan on Sunday, and a former guerrilla leader who battled Soviet invaders decades ago was killed by a roadside bomb in the country’s north.

Three of the U.S. casualties died in insurgent attacks and one was killed by a homemade bomb, NATO said.

The deaths bring the number of international forces killed in Afghanistan this month to 42, including 28 Americans, according to a count by The Associated Press. Sixty-six American troops were killed in July, making it the deadliest month for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion.

14 Rallies over mosque near ground zero get heated

By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer

7 mins ago

NEW YORK – The proposed mosque near ground zero drew hundreds of fever-pitch demonstrators Sunday, with opponents carrying signs associating Islam with blood, supporters shouting, “Say no to racist fear!” and American flags waving on both sides.

The two leaders of the construction project, meanwhile, defended their plans, though one suggested that organizers might eventually be willing to discuss an alternative site. The other, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, said during a Middle East trip that the attention generated by the project is actually positive and that he hopes it will bring greater understanding.

Around the corner from the cordoned-off old building that is to become a 13-story Islamic community center and mosque, police separated the two groups of demonstrators. There were no reports of physical clashes but there were some nose-to-nose confrontations, including a man and a woman screaming at each other across a barricade under a steady rain.

15 Farms recalling eggs share suppliers, other ties

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer

21 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Two Iowa farms that recalled more than a half-billion eggs linked to as many as 1,300 cases of salmonella poisoning share suppliers of chickens and feed as well as ties to an Iowa business routinely cited for violating state and federal law.

Food and Drug Administration investigators have yet to determine the cause of the salmonella outbreaks at Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms. The FDA investigation could take months, and sources of contamination are often difficult to find.

The number of illnesses, which can be life-threatening, especially to those with weakened immune systems, is expected to increase. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever eight to 72 hours of eating a contaminated product.

16 LA unveils $578M school, costliest in the nation

By CHRISTINA HOAG, Associated Press Writer

1 hr 1 min ago

LOS ANGELES – Next month’s opening of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools will be auspicious for a reason other than its both storied and infamous history as the former Ambassador Hotel, where the Democratic presidential contender was assassinated in 1968. With an eye-popping price tag of $578 million, it will mark the inauguration of the nation’s most expensive public school ever.

The K-12 complex to house 4,200 students has raised eyebrows across the country as the creme de la creme of “Taj Mahal” schools, $100 million-plus campuses boasting both architectural panache and deluxe amenities.

“There’s no more of the old, windowless cinderblock schools of the ’70s where kids felt, ‘Oh, back to jail,'” said Joe Agron, editor-in-chief of American School & University, a school construction journal. “Districts want a showpiece for the community, a really impressive environment for learning.”

17 Watch out for Yellowstone bears – they’re hungry

By MATTHEW BROWN, Associated Press Writer

24 mins ago

BILLINGS, Mont. – Yellowstone’s grizzlies are going to be particularly hungry this fall, and that means more dangerous meetings with humans in a year that is already the area’s deadliest on record.

Scientists report that a favorite food of many bears, nuts from whitebark pine cones, is scarce. So as grizzlies look to put on some major pounds in preparation for the long winter ahead, scientists say, they will be looking for another source of protein – meat – and running into trouble along the way.

Wildlife managers already report bears coming down off the mountains and into areas frequented by hunters, berry pickers and hikers.

18 Calif. GOP hopes statewide slate lifts others, too

By JULIET WILLIAMS, Associated Press Writer

23 mins ago

SAN DIEGO – For the first time in memory, California Republicans have a diverse statewide slate of candidates to field this fall, a lineup their state party chairman calls “an inspirational ticket.” Coupled with national momentum for conservatives, the California GOP is hoping this might be their breakthrough year.

Yet it’s far from clear whether voters in California, where Democrats have a nearly 15-point voter registration advantage, will see the same glitter the GOP faithful perceive.

Their candidates have been pushing for smaller government, fewer regulations on businesses and lower taxes. Democrats have countered that the Republican Party is just promoting what it always has – a pro-business agenda that punishes the middle class and working class.

19 AP Exclusive: Japanese mayor defends dolphin hunts

By JAY ALABASTER, Associated Press Writer

1 hr 36 mins ago

TAIJI, Japan – As children in inner tubes bob on the calm waters of this small ocean cove, a 550-pound (250-kilogram) dolphin zips through the crowd in pursuit of raw squid tossed out by a trainer.

Niru, a Risso’s dolphin caught locally, seems unbothered by all the people and the squeals of surprise and delight. The cove is packed – it’s a bright summer Sunday and hundreds of families have come.

But in two weeks, the waters of the cove will turn blood red, as it becomes a holding pen for annual hunts that capture and kill hundreds of dolphins each year.

20 Wyclef Jean: I’m not giving up my bid for prez yet

By TAMARA LUSH, Associated Press Writer

2 hrs 25 mins ago

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Hip-hop singer Wyclef Jean said Sunday that he is not abandoning his presidential bid just yet and will try to get the courts to overturn a decision disqualifying him from the race.

Speaking to The Associated Press by telephone from his home in Croix des Bouquets, Jean said his lawyers will file an appeal with the national electoral dispute office.

Jean said that he has a document “which shows everything is correct” and that he and his aides “feel that what is going on here has everything to do with Haitian politics.”

21 Thousands stay in Pakistan floods to protect homes

By TIM SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writer

Sun Aug 22, 10:43 am ET

HAMDANI LEGARI, Pakistan – The old man stepped carefully through his village, dodging craters as deep as graves where they had been mining soil for embankments to hold back the floodwaters. Already, nearly half this village of tenant farmers had been destroyed. The crops wiped out.

But Mohammed Ayoub and his neighbors weren’t leaving, not unless all the mud houses collapsed. It wasn’t about pride, or a farmer’s love for his village or the land he sows. It was a straightforward financial equation: They couldn’t afford to lose what little they had left.

If, to an outsider, their belongings might look inconsequential – some goats, a couple buffalos, cheap metal cooking pots and transistor radios – it was everything to them. And with no way to take their possessions with them, they were not going to leave them for the looters.

22 Swedish prosecutors defend WikiLeaks about-face

By KARL RITTER, Associated Press Writer

2 hrs 10 mins ago

STOCKHOLM – Swedish prosecutors defended their handling of a rape allegation against the founder of WikiLeaks, saying Sunday that they had made no mistakes in issuing an arrest warrant and withdrawing it less than a day later.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said the short-lived warrant had damaged his group nonetheless.

The Swedish Prosecution Authority said an “on-call” prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Assange late Friday only to see it revoked the next day by a higher-ranked prosecutor, who found no grounds to suspect him of rape.

23 Busch sweeps all 3 Bristol races

By JENNA FRYER, AP Auto Racing Writer

Sun Aug 22, 12:10 am ET

BRISTOL, Tenn. – As Kyle Busch crossed the finish line for a three-race sweep, his crew quickly credited the driver for his role in the record-setting moment.

“We are in the presence of greatness,” a team member said over the radio.

Indeed, they were.

24 In new posters, Mubarak’s son for Egypt president?

By MAGGIE MICHAEL and TAREK EL-TABLAWY, Associated Press Writers

Sun Aug 22, 9:59 am ET

CAIRO – Posters have sprouted up around Egypt promoting President Hosni Mubarak’s younger son as the country’s next leader, in the most overt campaign yet for a controversial father-son succession in this key U.S. Arab ally.

For the last decade, it has been believed that Gamal Mubarak is being groomed to succeed his 82-year-old father, who has ruled Egypt for nearly 30 years. But the idea of father-son succession has raised deep opposition among many Egyptians.

Even some within the ruling party are thought to be unconvinced, and Gamal – a 46-year-old investment banker turned politician – has little popular base.

25 AP Enterprise: Spill bound BP, feds together

By HARRY R. WEBER, Associated Press Writer

Sat Aug 21, 9:34 pm ET

NEW ORLEANS – For months, the U.S. government talked with a boot-on-the-neck toughness about BP, with the president wondering aloud about whose butt to kick.

But privately, it worked hand-in-hand with the oil giant to cap the runaway Gulf well and chose to effectively be the company’s banker – allowing future drilling revenues to potentially be used as collateral for a victim compensation fund.

Now, with a new round of investigative hearings set to begin Monday on BP’s home turf and the disaster largely off the front pages, there’s worry BP PLC could get a slap on the wrist from its behind-the-scenes partner. That could trickle down to states hurt by the spill and hoping for large fines because they may share in the pie.

26 Man whose conviction was overturned still fighting

By BILL DRAPER, Associated Press Writer

24 mins ago

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. – After Ted White Jr. was wrongfully convicted of molesting his 12-year-old stepdaughter, his parents poured everything they had into clearing their son’s name.

When he won his freedom after finding out that the detective who led the sex-abuse investigation was his estranged wife’s secret lover, White wanted someone to pay – to pay the legal bills and to pay for what he went through during his nearly six years behind bars.

Now, more than five years after his release, he’s still waiting for the Kansas City suburb of Lee’s Summit to do what it once promised – pay the multimillion-dollar court judgment against former Detective Richard McKinley.

3 comments

  1. The other floods we aren’t hearing about

    More flee China-N Korea deluge

    More than 250,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in northern China after the worst floods to hit the country in decades inundated villages and towns, authorities said.

    Torrential rains caused the Yalu river, which forms the border between China and North Korea, to breach its banks and overflow in both countries.

    Chinese officials said on Sunday the number of people displaced by the rains in Liaoning province had more than doubled in 24 hours.

    Thousands of people in North Korea were also forced to flee to safer grounds.

    In the northern Chinese city of Dandong alone, floods forced out more than 94,000 people as floodwaters destroyed power and transport links, state media reported.

  2. about the protests today over the Islamic Cultural Center. They keep calling it a Mosque and it is so biased. Really pissing me off

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