Friday, August 10, 2012

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Romney has picked Paul Ryan as running mate, Republican source tells the ... - Fox News
Mitt Romney has tapped Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan to be his running mate, The Associated Press reports. A Republican with knowledge of the development confirmed the selection to the AP, hours ahead of an official announcement during a campaign stop …


Man kills 3 NATO troops at Afghan base - CNN
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — A man in civilian clothing opened fire on a base shared with Afghan forces, killing three NATO troops, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force said Saturday. Soldiers detained the gunman shortly after the …


Clinton arrives in Turkey for key Syria talks - AFP
By Nicolas Revise (AFP) - 3 hours ago ISTANBUL -- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived Saturday in Istanbul for talks on the conflict in Syria with Turkish leaders after Washington slapped fresh sanctions on Bashar al-Assad's regime and its …


Obama widens lead over Romney in polls - San Francisco Chronicle
A bumpy overseas trip and a month of pummeling by Democratic ads depicting Mitt Romney as an out-of-touch plutocrat and possible tax evader appear to have taken a toll. Three polls released in the last few days show President Obama widening his lead …


Sikhs leave bullet hole to mark mass shooting - STLtoday.com


'Son of Sam' Killer: Aurora, Sikh Massacres 'Senseless' - ABC News
David Berkowitz, who gunned down 13 people, killing six, 35 years ago, says he hopes society takes the "glamour" out of guns. In the wake of the Aurora, Colo. theater massacre and the mass shooting at a Wisconsin Sikh temple, Berkowitz is calling for …


Bolt targets record in Olympic finale
Usain Bolt delighted the Olympic Stadium crowd on Thursday with a bravura performance in the 200mUsain Bolt is targeting a spectacular send-off as the Olympic track and field competition draws to a close on Saturday with Jamaica aiming to seal their sprinting supremacy.


Colo. suspect said to have 'intellectual and emotional maturity' in Illinois application
DENVER – The Colorado theatre shooting suspect left a good impression on people he met in his pursuit of a neuroscience career, with a reference describing him as having a “great amount of intellectual and emotional maturity.”


Ian Thorpe unbowed by Australia's pool flop
Ian Thorpe, 29, failed to qualify for London at March's Olympic trialsFive-time Olympic gold medallist Ian Thorpe said on Saturday Australia's poor showing at the London Games had not dampened his comeback hopes and he expected his homeland to quickly return to form.


AL Capsules: Rookie Manny Machado hits 2 homers to lead Orioles over Royals 7-1
BALTIMORE – Manny Machado thrust himself into the Orioles’ record book in his second major league game, hitting two home runs and driving in four runs to carry Baltimore past the Kansas City Royals 7-1 on Friday night.


Dallas County allows aerial spraying for 1st time in decades to fight West Nile virus outbreak
DALLAS – Suffering from the nation’s deadliest outbreak of West Nile virus this year, Dallas County authorized aerial spraying of insecticide on Friday for the first time in nearly five decades to help fight the mosquito-born illness.


Widowed giraffe at Polish zoo to get new mates
A young male giraffe widowed following a hooligan attack in May is set to get three new female partners at his zoo.


Nearly 150,000 Syrian refugees seek UN help
A Syrian refugee boy sits beside bags as he arrived at the border crossing by the Iraqi town of Qaim, 200 miles (320 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)The U.N. refugee agency says nearly 150,000 people fleeing Syria's civil war have sought its help, a figure expected to rise significantly.


Spanish police arrest 5 for 'Robin Hood' heist
Spanish police say they have arrested five left-wing union activists for their alleged role in a “Robin Hood”-style looting of a supermarket made to highlight the plight of people suffering through the country’s recession.


Japan to take islands dispute with Korea to international court - Reuters


US slaps sanctions on state-run oil company of Syria - Xinhua


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Romney to announce running mate Saturday in Va. - CBS News
Updated 11:56 PM ET (AP) NORFOLK, Va. – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will announce his running mate Saturday morning in Norfolk, Va., his campaign said Friday night. The short list of candidates -- if there is one -- is believed to …


US officials: Al-Qaida gaining foothold in Syria - Haaretz


Romney to announce running mate Saturday morning in Virginia - Fox News
Mitt Romney will announce his running mate at 8:45 am ET Saturday in Norfolk, Va., Fox News confirms. Romney will launch his "The Romney Plan For A Stronger Middle Class" bus tour after announcing his choice for vice presidential candidate, …


Romney campaign calls wife-death ad a low blow - Chicago Tribune
BOSTON (Reuters) – Mitt Romney's campaign accused President Barack Obama's re-election team on Friday of "unbelievable distortions," citing an online ad from a pro-Obama group in which a former steel worker seems to link Romney to the death of his wife …


China fall behind in Olympic medals race
China's best performance of day 14 was silver in the synchronised swimming team eventChina dropped further behind the United States on the London Olympics medals table Friday after their first day without a win, as South Korea beat fierce rivals Japan to claim men's football bronze.


8 bodies found inside car in northern Mexico
Police found eight decomposing bodies Friday inside a car abandoned by a waterpark in northern Mexico, a day after authorities in a neighboring state located a sports utility vehicle with 14 bodies stuffed inside.


SKorean leader visits islets, draws Japan protest
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, center, looks at a national flag upon his arrival at islands called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan Friday, Aug. 10, 2012. Lee made a surprise visit Friday to islets at the center of a long-running territorial dispute with Japan, ignoring warnings from Tokyo that it would worsen the neighbors' already strained relations.(AP Photo/Korea Pool) KOREA OUTSouth Korea's president has made a surprise, election-year visit to islets also claimed by Japan, which quickly reasserted its sovereignty there, recalled its ambassador from Seoul and warned that the trip would worsen the countries' strained relations.


Iraq's Kurds seek greater clout through oil policy
**FILE**In this Sept. 14, 2004 file photo, fire fighters try to contain an oil pipeline fire after an attack by insurgents near Beiji, 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq. Iraq's minority Kurds are upping the ante with their go-it-alone oil policy, luring some of Big Oil's biggest players and again challenging Iraq's central government to a showdown over a shared export route. (AP Photo/Yahaya Ahmed, File)Iraq's minority Kurds are upping the ante with their go-it-alone oil policy, luring some of Big Oil's biggest players and again challenging Iraq's central government to a showdown over a shared export route.


Boy, 6, dies after triggering landmine in Bosnia
Authorities say a 6-year-old boy died when he triggered a landmine while collecting wood with his father in the forests of central Bosnia. The father was wounded in the blast.


IOC formally strips Tyler Hamilton of Athens gold
FILE - In this Aug. 18, 2004, file photo, Tyler Hamilton holds up his gold medal after the men's road individual time trial of the 2004 Olympic Games in the outskirts of Athens. The IOC is set to formally strip American cyclist Tyler Hamilton of his gold from the 2004 Athens Games and reassign the medals after his admission of doping, according to an Olympic official familiar with the case. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)Just days before the eight-year deadline expires, the IOC formally stripped American cyclist Tyler Hamilton of his 2004 gold for doping Friday and awarded the medal to a Russian rider who now becomes a three-time Olympic champion.


Russian official's tweet appears to target Madonna
U.S. singer Madonna performs during her concert in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/ Alexander Demianchuk, Pool)A Russian deputy premier has made a rude statement apparently aimed at Madonna regarding her support for the jailed members of a Russian punk band awaiting a verdict in their trial.


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Romney to announce vice presidential choice Saturday - Chicago Tribune
NORFOLK, Virginia (Reuters) – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will announce his choice of a vice presidential running mate on Saturday, his campaign announced on Friday night, and there was immediate speculation that Congressman Paul Ryan …


Romney to announce VP Saturday - USA TODAY
By Jackie Kucinich, USA TODAY NORFOLK, Va. – Mitt Romney will announce his vice presidential choice on Saturday the campaign announced late Friday night. The announcement is scheduled to take place at during an event at the USS Wisconsin, …


Romney to announce running mate Saturday at beginning of bus tour in Norfolk, Va.
WASHINGTON – Mitt Romney’s campaign says the presumed Republican presidential nominee will announce his running mate Saturday morning in Norfolk, Va.


Activists: Israeli forces enter Egypt for migrants
In this Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010 file photo, dozens of African migrants cross into southern Israel through the border with Egypt. Human rights groups released reports Friday, Aug. 20, 2012, saying that Israeli forces are entering Egypt's Sinai desert to intercept African migrants and the soldiers are handing the migrants over to Egyptian forces. (AP Photo/Assaf Golan, File) ISRAEL OUTIsrael has been sending soldiers into Egypt's Sinai desert to stop African migrants before they reach the border, handing them over to Egyptian forces, human rights groups charged in a report released Friday.


Filipino miner rescued after 1 week underground
Rescuers who pleaded for help from tribal deity say they have saved a miner trapped for a week in a collapsed tunnel in the northern Philippines.


China trade decelerates in sign of global weakness
In this July 6, 2012 photo, a container ship docks at a port in Xiamen, in southeastern China's Fujian province. China's trade growth plunged even more sharply than forecast in July in a new sign of global economic weakness. (AP Photo) CHINA OUTChina's trade and domestic demand have weakened even faster than expected, adding to pressure on Beijing for a more aggressive stimulus to boost the world's second-largest economy out of its worst slump since the 2008 crisis.


MEDAL COUNT
With only a few days of Olympic competition left, the United States and China are neck-and-neck in the hunt for gold medals.


SKorean president makes surprising visit to disputed islets, draws quick ... - Washington Post
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's president has made a surprise, election-year visit to islets also claimed by Japan, which quickly reasserted its sovereignty there, recalled its ambassador from Seoul and warned that the trip would worsen the …


Egypt arrests nine over Sinai attack - Sydney Morning Herald
AP Egyptian troops and security forces have detained nine Islamic militants in northern Sinai believed to be behind a surprise attack last weekend that killed 16 Egyptian soldiers, a security official says. It was the first reported arrest in …


US officials: al-Qaida gaining foothold in Syria - Haaretz


Mexico aims to reclaim spectrum in five months: minister
New York State Senator Espaillat speaks during a news conference to announce a protest against Mexican telecommunications and retail tycoon Slim in New YorkMEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico said on Friday it aims to recover an attractive broadcast spectrum held by private firms within five months and then resell it, a move that could break billionaire Carlos Slim's dominance of the telecoms industry. The government hopes to reclaim the 2.5 GHz band, which is ideal for servicing data-hungry devices like tablets and smartphones, and resell it to companies that could challenge Slim's America Movil. "We estimate the entire (recovery) process could take five months. …


In China, a mother's plot to kill her son's tormentor - Globe and Mail
Now that the murder trial of Gu Kailai has ended, far more detailed accounts have emerged from inside the courtroom of the case that prosecutors built against Ms. Gu, the wife of one of China's most ambitious leaders. The accounts show her plotting …


'Weirdest Thing' Floats in South Pacific - Cleveland News - Fox 8
By Todd Sperry, CNN (CNN) -- Pumice, the lightweight stone used to smooth skin, is usually found in beauty salons, but on Thursday sailors from New Zealand's Royal Navy found nearly 10000 square miles of the lava rock bobbing on the surface of the South …


UK expands support for al-Assad resistance - Globe and Mail


Afghan policeman turns gun on Marines, kills 3 - The Associated Press
By KAY JOHNSON, AP - 1 minute ago KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- An Afghan police officer shot and killed three US Marines after sharing a meal with them before dawn Friday and then fled into the desolate darkness of southern Afghanistan, the third attack …


Foreign Minister John Baird visits Syria's neighbours to ease tension - Globe and Mail
When he landed in Lebanon to start a Mideast tour on Friday, John Baird sent a message about Canada's dominant concern about conflict in Syria: the fear it might spread. Mr. Baird's three-day mission, including meetings in Beirut and Amman, …


US, Israel at odds over Iran nuke program intelligence - ABC News
The White House expressed confidence Friday that American intelligence will know if Iran escalates its nuclear program in a sprint to build an atomic bomb--a day after Israel's defense minister warned that the allies might not know "in time" to prevent …


The day it rained teddy bears in Belarus - Washington Post
ON JULY 4, a single-engine plane took off from Lithuania and flew southeast toward Minsk, the capital of neighboring Belarus. The plane crossed into Belarus without any interference. Once near Minsk, the plane began to jettison 879 plush teddy bears, …


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Romney Team Steps Up Attacks on Pro-Obama Ads - New York Times


Wrong-Track Romney - New York Times
Putting too much stock in presidential polls before the party conventions can be tricky. They are meaningful because they offer a snapshot of the state of play at the moment, but they are hardly predictive because many voters don't truly engage until …


FBI believed Kim Dotcom had a 'doomsday device' capable of erasing all piracy evidence
FBI believed Kim Dotcom had a 'doomsday device' capable of erasing all piracy evidenceSane people may be wondering why the New Zealand government utilized its elite counterterrorism unit to raid Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom's mansion. And now, via the NZ Herald, we have our answer: the FBI actually believed Dotcom had a Dr. Strangelove-style "doomsday device" that was capable of wiping out all evidence of Internet piracy with the flick of a switch. During a judicial review of the raid at the High Court at Auckland on Friday, raid supervisor Detective Inspector Grant Wormald testified that the FBI told him that Dotcom "carried a device with him to delete servers around the world" that could be set off within seconds from multiple computers, laptops and smartphones within Dotcom's mansion. Needless to say, no such


Afghan policeman turns gun on Marines, kills 3
An Afghan police officer shot and killed three U.S. Marines after sharing a meal with them before dawn Friday and then fled into the desolate darkness of southern Afghanistan, the third attack on coalition forces by their Afghan counterparts in a week.


Choi leads Korean assault at LPGA Jamie Farr Classic
South Korea's Chella Choi is so far winless in her four years on the LPGA tourChella Choi rallied with three birdies down the stretch for a four-under 67 and a one-shot lead after the second round of the LPGA Tour's Jamie Farr Toledo Classic.


US women smash 27-year sprint record
America's women smashed a sprint relay record with the time of 40.82secAmerica's women smashed a sprint relay record which had stood since 1985, as Usain Bolt's teammates left him on the verge of yet more history at the London Olympics.


Georgian opposition claims repression
Wherever she goes, journalist Ekaterine Dugladze is followed by a group of men carrying video cameras. Saying they’re reporters, they shove microphones into her face and pester her with meaningless questions and vulgar remarks.


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Democrats hope to undermine Romney with a two-pronged tax attack on his policy ... - Washington Post


Deadly clashes rage in Syria's Aleppo
A rebel takes up a reconnaissance position on the edge of the Salaheddin districtSyrian troops and rebels clashed in the city of Aleppo, where several people died when a shell crashed into a bakery as hundreds of residents queued for bread, AFP correspondents said.


Excerpts from state media report on Gu Kailai case
China’s official Xinhua News Agency published an unprecedented 3,400-word article Friday on the murder trial of Gu Kailai, the wife of disgraced politician Bo Xilai. The story breaks the near-total silence that state-run media had maintained on the case and appears to show the government is preparing for an imminent conviction. Gu has not spoken publically and no international media outlets were allowed into her trial that took place Thursday in the eastern city of Hefei.


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US drought pushing corn prices toward record highs - Los Angeles Times
The nation's punishing drought is pushing corn prices to record levels as the government predicted Friday that this season's yield will fall 15.5% to its lowest since 1995. In cutting its estimate for the corn crop, the US Department of Agriculture …


Romney says attacks on business, taxes a diversion - The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican candidate Mitt Romney says attacks on business and taxes are just diversions from discussing issues and positions in the presidential race. Romney's personal taxes and his business activities have come under intense …


U.S. Syria policy in shambles a year after Obama told Assad to step down - Kansas City Star
WASHINGTON — On Aug. 18 last year, President Barack Obama issued a statement that for the first time demanded that Syrian leader Bashar Assad step aside. Similarly worded statements came from Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the …


Whistle-blower in Chinese murder case may face trial - Los Angeles Times
BEIJING -- The flamboyant police official who blew the whistle onChina's most sensational murder case by fleeing to a US Consulate appears headed for prosecution himself. Four underlings of the official, Wang Lijun, went on trial Friday on charges of …


After Sinai Killings, Cairo Tightens Grip on a Neglected Region - New York Times
EL-ARISH, Egypt -- The new police chief peered through the black grill of a holding cell and asked a baby-faced prisoner inside when he had gotten there. The young man -- he might have been a teenager -- had been detained in the previous day or two as …


Wall Street Week Ahead: Bulls, bears and wallflowers
Morning commuters are seen outside the New York Stock ExchangeNEW YORK (Reuters) – It's another one of those moments that always follow a big move in the stock market: Either you're a believer – or you're not. Right now, the market has its fair share of both. The S&P 500 is up 12 percent so far this year. Through July, it had its best first seven months since 2003 and its second- best seven-month run since 1998. That sounds like a bull market. But there is clearly a disconnect between the way markets have performed and the high level of caution among many investors. …


Hope, gloom as Kenyans eye slender medal haul
Kenya's David Lekuta Rudisha broke the world record in the men's 800m during the London 2012 Olympic GamesIn a photograph studio in Kenya's bustling capital, a line of nearly empty frames are lined up: gold, silver and bronze coloured, it was hoped they would be filled each time a Kenyan won an Olympic medal.


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Throwing Mud in an Already Nasty Campaign - Wall Street Journal
By DANNY YADRON The Strategy: Negative campaigning has been a central feature of the presidential contest for months. This week, the campaign turned to outright name-calling, as President Barack Obama labeled his opponent's economic plan as "Robin Hood …


Romney campaign calls wife-death ad a low blow - Reuters
* "Unbelievable distortions" in ad, Romney aide says * A negative campaign gets nastier * Romney prepares for bus tour, prepared to pick running mate By Steve Holland BOSTON, August 10 (Reuters) – Mitt Romney's campaign accused President Barack Obama's …


Be Glad Benjamin Lawsky Can Keep a Secret - Bloomberg
The knives are out for Benjamin Lawsky, New York's top state banking regulator. This week the financial press has been full of nameless, faceless critics from the federal government anonymously attacking him for going it alone with money-laundering …


Chinese hammer thrower loses bronze appeal
China's Zhang WenxiuChina lost their appeal seeking to have hammer thrower Zhang Wenxiu awarded the bronze medal over an unusual technical glitch during the women's final here on Friday.


NHL, NHLPA address side issues in New York; counterproposal expected in Toronto next week
NEW YORK, N.Y. – One day after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman promised the league would lock out its players if a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was not in place by Sept. 15, representatives from both the NHL and the players’ association exuded an air of optimism that the season could start on time.


Soldiers fighting Congo rebels live in squalor
The nest of straw, like something an animal sleeps on, was a Congolese army soldier’s bed before rebels seized the military camp containing his barracks. Broken windows were stuffed with grass and the only protection from the frigid night air was a handful of charcoal.


Iran sailors rescued by US Navy return home
Iran’s official news agency says that 10 Iranian sailors rescued by the U.S. navy have returned home, as Iranian officials downplay the efforts made by Tehran’s American adversary.