Newser Story Index from November, 2007
Welcome to the Newser Story Index. Here you find stories written by Newser writers and editors, assembled with supporting photos and videos from the files of the news story.
Brown Sinks Deeper Into Fund Scandal
Times (UK)
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Nov 30, 2007 8:15 AM CST
(Newser) -
The British scandal over political donations deepened today with PM Gordon Brown implicated in the affair and facing possible questioning from police, reports the Times of London. Accusations of illegal proxy donations are engulfing the Labour Party, which only last year faced down a police inquiry over the so-called "cash-for-honors" scandal...
Bhutto to Enter Election, Sharif to Boycott
Reuters
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Nov 30, 2007 8:00 AM CST
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Pakistan's opposition is split on participating in January's parliamentary elections following Pervez Musharraf's promise to lift emergency rule. Benazir Bhutto's party has said that, despite heavy reservations, it will take part. But Nawaz Sharif told Reuters that he and his party will boycott unless the judges Musharraf purged are reinstated.
NZ Teenager Is Alleged Hacker Mastermind
Associated Press
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Nov 30, 2007 8:00 AM CST
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New Zealand police working with FBI today took into custody an 18-year-old accused of leading a cybercrime network responsible for $20 million worth of damage. Known by the name “AKILL,” the alleged teenaged mastermind wrote software that could control computers and then sold his skills to other hackers. Police questioned and then released...
Diggers Unearth Key Bible Wall
Associated Press
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Nov 30, 2007 7:37 AM CST
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Archaeologists digging in Jerusalem's City of David have found what they believe is an ancient wall mentioned in the Bible, AP reports. While working to save a tower from collapse, they found pottery shards and arrowheads from the 5th century BC, leading them to believe that a wall nearby is one mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah.
Google to Bid on Wireless Spectrum
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 30, 2007 7:30 AM CST
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Google will announce today that it does plan to bid for a slice of wireless spectrum coming up for FCC auction in January, the Wall Street Journal reports. A winning bid would allow it to provide wireless phone and Internet service, to partner with other providers, or to lease out the spectrum. They'll be competing against mobile...
Confident Marines Cut 'Bombproof' Truck Orders
Christian Science Monitor
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Nov 30, 2007 7:09 AM CST
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The Marines are cutting orders of a nearly "bombproof" Hummer replacement from 3,700 to 2,225, reflecting a more peaceful Iraq and the success of the vehicle, reports the Christian Science Monitor . “Combine the reduction in attacks with the fact that we're not losing as many vehicles as we thought, and the Marines don’t need...
Facebook Backs Off Beacon
Washington Post
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Nov 30, 2007 6:36 AM CST
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Facebook has watered down its unpopular Beacon ad platform, which "shared" information about users' online shopping habits with everyone in their Facebook network—without their permission. Now, instead of making users opt out every time they make a purchase if they don't want it to be broadcast, Facebook will only broadcast the transaction...
Immigrant Kids Talk the Talk: 90% Master English
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 30, 2007 5:40 AM CST
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Although many Spanish-speaking immigrants who moved to America know little English, that's not true of their children and grandchildren, according to a new Pew survey. Only 23% of first-generation immigrants said they were competent in English, but 88% of second-generation and 94% of third-generation residents said they can carry on a conversation...
Lakers Demolish Nuggets 127-99
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 30, 2007 5:38 AM CST
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A few hours after Lakers coach Phil Jackson secured a two-year, $24 million contract extension, his team put together a performance that quelled the boos that have been echoing recently in the Staples Center. Kobe Bryant put up 24 points and seven assists in three quarters, and Sasha Vujacic contributed 22 points in the 127-99 blowout, the Los Angeles...
Iran Vows to Crack Down on 'Obscene' Rap Music
BBC
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Nov 30, 2007 5:21 AM CST
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In its latest bid to protect traditional Islamic morality from encroaching Western influences, Iran announced it will crack down on rap music it considers "obscene." Rap music in Farsi focusing on social, political and sexual themes is growing increasingly popular on the black market. An official recently condemned rappers for using vulgar...
Struggling Sprint Rejects $5B Offer
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 30, 2007 4:57 AM CST
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A bid by SK Telecom and Providence Equity to invest $5B in Sprint Nextel and install former Sprint chairman Tim Donahue as the company CEO has met with swift rejection from the Sprint board. The move comes as Sprint, which has seen its stock plumet 36% since June, searches for a new CEO, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Favre Falls, Packers Fail 37-27
New York Times
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Nov 30, 2007 4:52 AM CST
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The bright side for Packers fans is knowing Aaron Rodgers can quarterback a solid game of football. But solid wasn't enough to get past Tony Romo and the Cowboys, reports the New York Times. And worse, Rodgers was on the field because the unthinkable had happened to Wisconsin's favorite ironman: Brett Favre was knocked from the game.
Yank Hostages Still Alive Years After Kidnap in Colombia
Associated Press
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Nov 30, 2007 4:39 AM CST
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American hostages and a French-Colombian politician are apparently still alive in South America years after they were kidnapped by Marxist rebels, according to dramatic tapes just released by the Colombian government. Three American security contractors whose plane went down in 2003 are seen looking haggard against a jungle backdrop. Politician Ingrid...
Iraq Staggered by Flood of Returning Refugees
New York Times
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Nov 30, 2007 4:00 AM CST
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Better security in Baghdad has produced a dangerous and largely unforeseen problem: what to do with an influx of refugees streaming back from Syria and elsewhere now that it's safe to return. Many find their former homes have been occupied and the stranded refugees have few places to turn for food and shelter, the New York Times reports.
Battle Over War Funds Escalates
Washington Post
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Nov 30, 2007 3:50 AM CST
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The dispute between the White House and Congress over $196 billion in funding for the war in Iraq escalated as President Bush warned of imminent layoffs, the Washington Post reports. "The missions of this department are too important to be disrupted or delayed," Bush said after a series of Pentagon briefings.
Freed Kasparov Sounds Alarm on Coming Russian Chaos
New York Times
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Nov 30, 2007 3:34 AM CST
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Chess legend Garry Kasparov walked out of prison after serving five days for leading a protest march and warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin was leading the nation down a dangerous path to chaos, the New York Times reports. He vowed to continue his fight against Putin's repressive policies. Fear to take action "is the only chance this...
Gonzaga Staves Off Upset, Wins in OT
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Nov 30, 2007 3:20 AM CST
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In a game that looked nearly out of reach with No.19 Gonzaga up 17 on St. Joe's early in the first half, the final outcome turned out to be anything but certain, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. With Gonzaga shooting 1-15 in one second half stretch, St. Joseph grabbed a late six-point lead, but was unable to hang on, losing 70-65 in overtime....
Plan to Freeze Subprime Loans
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 30, 2007 3:12 AM CST
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The Treasury Department and a coalition of lenders are close to a deal to freeze interest rates on some subprime loans in a bid to bring the mushrooming mortgage crisis under control, reports the Wall Street Journal . A freeze would ease the burden on beleaguered borrowers and banks. Rates on some 2 million adjustable rate mortgages are scheduled...
Boy Dies After Refusing Cancer Treatment
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Nov 30, 2007 2:55 AM CST
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A 14-year-old Seattle boy who was given a 70% chance of recovering from childhood leukemia has died, weeks after refusing blood transfusions his biological parents—both recovering drug addicts—wanted him to have, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. He died just hours after a judge ruled in his favor after determining that the teen...
Warriors Stymie Rockets, Again
San Francisco Chronicle
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Nov 30, 2007 2:50 AM CST
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The suddenly relevent Warriors brought their win streak up to a league-leading five games by decisively clamping down on the Rockets last night, winning 113-94. No one on Houston's starting five could score more than 11 points against Golden State's innovative defense, and a second-quarter Rockets lead was fleeting, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Panthers Come Up Short Against Bruins
Miami Herald
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Nov 30, 2007 12:35 AM CST
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Two goals in the last three minutes of regulation proved too little too late for Florida last night, who failed to hold off a potent Bruins team, the Miami Herald reports. Boston prevailed 4-3 despite the last minute pressure, and snapped the Panthers' four-game winning streak in the process. Boston has won 6 of its last eight.
Knicks Lose Big, Really Big
Boston Herald
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Nov 30, 2007 12:24 AM CST
(Newser) -
Had Boston's big three played for more than 20-odd minutes apiece last night, things could have gotten really out of hand. As it was, the Celtics knocked off New York by a mere 45 points, winning 104-59, the Boston Herald reports. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce had 21 points each, and Kevin Garnett had 8 in 22 minutes of play. The dismal tally marks the...
Passenger Jet Crashes in Turkey, Killing 57 Aboard
BBC
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Nov 29, 2007 11:29 PM CST
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A passenger jet carrying 57 people crashed in southwestern Turkey, killing all aboard, the BBC reports. The MacDonnell Douglas 83, operated by budget airline Atlasjet, disappeared from radar just before landing in the town of Isparta. The cause remains under investigation, but the Turkish PM said the tail may have struck a hilltop, AFP reports.
Senators Fair Prey in Fifth Straight Loss
Can West
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Nov 29, 2007 11:18 PM CST
(Newser) -
After a 15-2 start to the season, Ottawa has dropped five straight with last night's 6-5 loss to Nashville. Sloppy play saw the Senators waste the momentum of captain Daniel Alfredsson's tying goal, scored with less than a minute left in regulation, just 23 seconds after it crossed the goal line. Martin Erat scored the game winner for the Predators...
Hacker Blitz Infects Web Search Results
BBC
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Nov 29, 2007 10:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
Software security firms believe they uncovered a massive hacker effort earlier this week to "booby-trap" web searches, one which could have rendered Windows and Internet Explorer users vulnerable to fraud. Seemingly innocuous and random search terms, like "Christmas gifts" and "infinity," brought results that included...
Your Log-in Please, Sir?
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 29, 2007 10:49 PM CST
(Newser) -
The super-rich are joining the social networking craze, but they're certainly not going to mix with the masses on MySpace. Exclusive sites for millionaires using the same membership criteria as snooty country clubs are appearing on the Web, reports the Wall Street Journal . Invitation-only site aSmallWorld.net has proven popular—some...
Lightning Continue to Sputter
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2007 10:39 PM CST
(Newser) -
The league's best team had no trouble against one of its worst, as Detroit coasted to a 3-0 lead en route to a 4-2 win. Tampa Bay's streak without a victory (0-5-1) hit six for the second time this season, and they were outshot an appalling 17-1 in the first period.
Rangers Get Satisfaction in Battle of NY
New York Times
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Nov 29, 2007 10:23 PM CST
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The Rangers broke through against Rick DiPietro's Islanders—finally—and off-season pickup Chris Drury led the way with a power-play score and an assist. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 22 of 24 shots: the Isles' Miroslav Satan tied the game at one during a frenzied scrum in front of the goal, and Mike Comrie added one late in the second period.
Toyota Drives Home the Green Point
MSNBC
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Nov 29, 2007 10:05 PM CST
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Toyota is rolling out a big PR campaign that stresses its green credentials—under attack now that the car giant has teamed up with Detroit to fight tighter fuel standards. A new ad shows a Prius being built out of sticks in a meadow, and the company crows over its eco-cred in promotional materials printed in soy ink on recycled paper, MSNBC reports.
Javanese Can't Stop the Mud
Economist
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Nov 29, 2007 9:31 PM CST
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A toxic mud volcano has been flowing on the Indonesian island of Java for 18 months, and authorities are stuck. Since an energy company opened an underground fissure while drilling for natural gas, 11 villages have been swamped by the ooze. Plugging the hole with air-dropped concrete balls and hiring mystics to employ supernatural means are among the...
Faster iPhone Coming in '08
Bloomberg
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Nov 29, 2007 9:20 PM CST
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A faster iPhone is on the way, Bloomberg reports. Apple will unveil its 3G version sometime next year, said AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson Wednesday at a meeting of the Churchill Club, a Silicon Valley business and technology forum. AT&T is the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the US. It's unknown exactly when the new version will be available...
Body Found May Be Co-ed Porn Star
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2007 9:06 PM CST
(Newser) -
Police believe they found the body of a missing Kansas teenager who led a secret life as an internet porn star, the AP reports. Investigators found a body about 50 miles from El Dorado, Kan., where college student Emily Sander, 18, was last seen leaving a bar with a man. Sander had a pornographic website under the name Zoey Zane.
Stanford Considers Co-Ed Rooms
San Jose Mercury News
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Nov 29, 2007 8:52 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stanford students want co-ed dorm rooms, and the administration may take them up on the idea. "It's not about sex," one student told the San Jose Mercury News , but about feeling "comfortable in your living space." Transgender students started the initiative to build on the school's anti-discrimination policies, but now both gay...
Rodney King Shot While Bicycling
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 29, 2007 8:28 PM CST
(Newser) -
Rodney King, whose videotaped beating by police officers in 1991 led to the LA riots, is recovering from minor wounds after being sprayed with birdshot while on his bicycle, the Los Angeles Times reports. King told police that two people demanded his bike at a street corner in San Bernardino, Calif., then shot at him when he rode away.
Female Leaders Provide More, Are Thanked Less
Slate
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Nov 29, 2007 8:07 PM CST
(Newser) -
Women in power provide public services at higher levels, and they get less respect for it, a study of Indian villages shows. Researchers studied the impact of female leadership by tracking a law mandating that women lead councils in a third of villages. The quality of schools, health care and other services spiked as women took the reins—as did...
Night Shift Linked to Cancer
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2007 7:43 PM CST
(Newser) -
Working the night shift might increase your risk of getting cancer, an international health agency says. That theory has been percolating for decades, but it will gain credence next month when the WHO declares night work a probable carcinogen, the AP reports. The designation, likely to be followed by the American Cancer Association, will put working...
Supreme Court Gets First-Ever Wall Calendar
Washingtonian
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Nov 29, 2007 7:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
The Supreme Court may not come knocking at your door over the holidays, but the stars of the judicial branch have their very own calendar for sale, the Washingtonian reports. Legal Times court reporter Tony Mauro is to thank for the effort, which will help ensure that law junkies and history buffs won't risk missing landmark court anniversaries...
Bernanke Hints at Rate Cut
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 29, 2007 7:18 PM CST
(Newser) -
Ben Bernanke signaled tonight that the Fed is ready to cut interest rates again to help the struggling economy, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Fed chief said the nation's housing troubles and its offshoots are straining the economy and financial markets and will "create some headwinds for the consumer in the months ahead." The Fed...
The Exploding Phone Was A Hoax!
Korea Times
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Nov 29, 2007 7:00 PM CST
(Newser) -
A South Korean man thought to have been killed by an exploding cell phone was actually accidentally run over by a coworker. The quarry worker, found dead yesterday morning with a melted cell phone in his pocket, was not in fact slain by his mobile. "I lied that the battery exploded and killed Seo," says the culprit, who backed his excavator...
Belgian Monks Balance Brewing and Benediction
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 29, 2007 6:42 PM CST
(Newser) -
A Belgian monastery is struggling to balance the growing global craving for Westvleteren, the "holy grail of beers," with its devout way of life, the Wall Street Journal reports. Customers are limited to two cases per month of the St. Sixtus brew, which the monks neither label nor advertise. "We sell beer to live, and not vice versa,"...
Tibetan Villagers Riot Over Monks' Arrest
Reuters
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Nov 29, 2007 6:28 PM CST
(Newser) -
Simmering ethnic tensions between Tibetans and Chinese boiled over into a riot in a remote Tibet province, Reuters reports. After 3 monks were arrested following an altercation with a Chinese shop owner, hundreds of Tibetan herdsmen converged on the town to demand their release. When authorities failed to comply, they vandalized Chinese-owned shops,...
FBI Arrests Penn Junior in Hacker Sting
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2007 6:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
A junior at the University of Pennsylvania hijacked and crashed a school server as part of a New Zealand hacker's plan to take over multiple online chat sites, an FBI indictment said today. The arrest of Ryan Goldstein, 21, was part of a number of cases in an FBI operation focused on hackers who used “botnets,” centrally controlled clusters...
Mama Mia! 400-Year-Old Table Found in Pizzeria
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 29, 2007 6:15 PM CST
(Newser) -
A 17th-century cabinet expected to fetch up to $2 million at auction has an unlikely provenance: its long-missing bottom half was discovered outside the bathrooms at a pizza parlor. The Telegraph reports that the cabinet, which depicts St. Peter's Square and other images of Rome, was missing the carved wooden table that it stands upon for at least...
Rumors Roil Around Lott Resignation
Slate
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Nov 29, 2007 6:02 PM CST
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There’s been much conjecture about why Trent Lott resigned five years before his term’s end—boredom, bitterness, eagerness to cash in on K Street—but now bloggers on both sides of the aisle are wondering whether a scandal involving his brother-in-law, Dickie Scruggs, might be behind the surprise exit. Scruggs' indictment yesterday...
VW Opens Russian Factory
Der Spiegel
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Nov 29, 2007 5:51 PM CST
(Newser) -
Volkswagen is attempting to break in to the Russian auto market by opening a major factory in the town of Kaluga, 100 miles southwest of Moscow. They are not alone: Der Speigel reports that Volvo and Renault already produce cars there, and GM, Ford and BMW have all grabbed substantial pieces of the Russian auto market.
FBI's Mental Health Gun-Ban List Doubles
Washington Post
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Nov 29, 2007 5:38 PM CST
(Newser) -
Spurred by April shootings at Virginia Tech, new reporting of mental health data has doubled the number of Americans banned from purchasing guns on such grounds, Attorney General Michael Mukasey said today. Nearly 220,000 names have been added to the FBI list, highlighting the data-sharing gap that allowed shooter Seung Hui Cho to buy guns though a...
Manhunt on Tap After Massive Guinness Heist
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2007 5:26 PM CST
(Newser) -
Taking the "My Goodness My Guinness" slogan quite literally, a thief stole 450 kegs from the landmark Dublin brewery today, the AP reports. Irish police say the thief entered by truck and took off with a trailer packed with kegs, the biggest theft in Guinness history. The kegs contained Guinness, Budweiser and Carlsberg beers totaling 39,600...
Murder Suspect 'Serene' Behind Bars in Italy
Times (UK)
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Nov 29, 2007 5:12 PM CST
(Newser) -
Amanda Knox, the American student suspected in a murder in Italy, told an Italian legislator she has adjusted to life in prison, a day before her lawyers will argue she should be placed instead under house arrest. The Times of London reports that Knox said the first few days were "very tough," but now she feels "serene."
China Fires Back at US in Diplomatic Feud
Associated Press
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Nov 29, 2007 4:59 PM CST
(Newser) -
Tensions between the US and China took a turn for the worse today with China making clear that its refusal to let a US Navy carrier dock in Hong Kong was deliberate and not a simple "misunderstanding" as characterized by the White House. Beijing said "erroneous" US activities—including an arms sale to Taiwan—have left...
The T-Shirt as Terror Weapon
Guardian (UK)
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Nov 29, 2007 4:46 PM CST
(Newser) -
Seven Danish entrepreneurs are on trial in Copenhagen for hawking T-shirts featuring the logos of two groups classified by the EU as terrorist organizations—PFLP, a Palestinian extremist group, and Farc, a group of Marxist guerrillas in Colombia. The shirts were sold by Freedom+Lovers, which calls itself "dedicated to the cause of freedom...
