Newser Story Index from May, 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.
China Markets Turn on Lucky Numbers
Wall Street Journal
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May 24, 2007 10:59 AM CDT
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The Journal probes the Chinese practice of picking stocks based on traditional lucky numbers. In a country where middle-class novices dominate the market, new investors snap up stocks with codes that include auspicious 8s, and steer clear of those with ominous 4s. That worries analysts aware of the ripple effect of Chinese trading. "This is...
Rebels Attack Sri Lankan Naval Base
Independent (South Africa)
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May 24, 2007 10:27 AM CDT
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Tamil Tiger rebels overran a naval base in northern Sri Lanka today, killing an undetermined number of sailors and aggravating concerns that civil war threatens the island nation. The Tigers said the fighting lasted 20 minutes and they "found 35 bodies"; the Sri Lankan military reported fewer than 10 dead and said there weren't even 35 people...
Elle Woods, Is That You?
Slate
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May 24, 2007 8:49 AM CDT
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Monica Goodling cleared a very low bar in her Congressional testimony yesterday, Slate 's Dahlia Lithwick argues, and she can thank the Democrats who questioned her for making her look good. The majority members of the House Judiciary Committee, "in expecting to question the Great Exploding Idiot Barbie," Lithwick writes, were "completely...
Supporters Back Condi in '08
Salon
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May 24, 2007 8:07 AM CDT
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Condoleeza Rice has a campaign manager and a campaign bus, even though she's not running for president, thanks to Crystal Drueker, a die-hard backer of the secretary of state who won't take no for an answer. Based out of her mobile home—"The Condi Mobile"—Drueker launched the group ThinkCondi and is on the road drumming...
Woman's Death the First Linked to 9/11 Dust
New York Times
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May 24, 2007 8:00 AM CDT
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Felicia Dunn-Jones is being added to the list of 9/11 victims—the first death officially linked to dust from the collapsing towers. Killed in 2002 by sarcoidosis exacerbated by the deadly dust, she was initially rejected from the list for lack of evidence. But the cause of death is now, after four years, being officially changed to "homicide."
Missing Soldier's Body Identified
Associated Press
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May 24, 2007 7:55 AM CDT
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The US military has identified the body pulled from the Euphrates River yesterday as one of the three missing American soldiers. DNA evidence is still pending, but a commanding officer identified the remains as Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr., a 20-year-old gunner from Torrance, California.
At Least 36 Killed in Siberian Coal Mine Blast
Reuters
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May 24, 2007 7:46 AM CDT
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A methane explosion in a Siberian coal mine killed at least 36 people today, just 25 miles from the mine—operated by the same company—where 110 people died from a blast in March. Inspectors had attempted twice to shut down the mine for safety violations, but were rebuffed by local courts.
Castro Says He's on the Mend
Associated Press
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May 24, 2007 7:36 AM CDT
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Fidel Castro says he's on a steady road to recovery, finally off IVs and holding his weight, almost a year after a series of operations on his digestive system. In a statement emailed to reporters today, the 80-year-old Cuban president didn't mention if or when he might return to office.
Guest Worker Program Slashed
Los Angeles Times
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May 24, 2007 7:30 AM CDT
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Key provisions of the immigration bill were altered yesterday as the Senate passed a raft of amendments designed to make the bill more palatable to critics from both political parties. Provisions to beef up security at the border were strengthened, while the guest worker program offering two-year visas to 400,000 temporary workers a year...
China Helps Nigeria Into Space
New York Times
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May 24, 2007 7:10 AM CDT
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China is launching its own space program, after years of getting a cold shoulder from NASA. Beijing is developing satellite technology for developing nations—the same nations it's looking to for resources to fuel its runaway economic growth, the New York Times notes. Last week saw the launch of a communications satellite for Nigeria, with another...
Frist Heads World Bank Shortlist
Wall Street Journal
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May 24, 2007 6:10 AM CDT
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The White House is eying former Senate majority leader Bill Frist to take the World Bank presidency soon to be vacated by Paul Wolfowitz, the Wall Street Journal reports. Also getting a look are Treasury No. 2 Robert Kimmitt, onetime trade representative Robert Zoellick, and Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, star of the UN Oil for Food investigation.
China Nods at New Houston Coach
Associated Press
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May 24, 2007 5:54 AM CDT
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A China Daily poll indicated that 53% of Chinese hoops fans approved of new Rockets coach Rick Adelman, and just over a third regretted the ouster of defensive guru Jeff Van Gundy. Thanks to all-star center Yao Ming, the Rockets have the close scrutiny of perhaps the world's largest basketball fan base—over 300 million Chinese play.
Turks Finger Kurds Over Bombing
Financial Times (UK)
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May 24, 2007 5:51 AM CDT
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Turkish authorities identified the suicide bomber in Tuesday's Ankara bombing yesterday, and pointed the finger at the PKK, a Kurdish separatist group headquartered in northern iraq. The Financial Times reports the bombing has renewed calls for Turkey to attack guerrilla bases in Kurdistan, a move which would have serious repercussions...
Jordin is America's Idol
CNN
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May 24, 2007 5:38 AM CDT
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FOX's new American Idol is 17-year-old Jordin Sparks. The teenager outsang and outperformed her last remaining rival Blake Lewis, wowing the Idol judges and hauling in a majority of the record 74 million votes cast. Jordin, the daughter of former New York Giants cornerback Phillippi Sparks, is the youngest ever Idol winner.
Pavano's Days in Pinstripes Likely Over
MLB.com
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May 24, 2007 5:31 AM CDT
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After soliciting four doctors' opinions, Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano will likely undergo surgery to repair ligaments in his pitching elbow, putting him out of commission through the end of the 2008 season and his four-year contract with New York. Pavano had already missed a year and a half due to injuries to the shoulder, back, ribs, elbow, and...
New Cancer Ideas Compete for $1 Million
Reuters
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May 23, 2007 5:39 PM CDT
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Doctors and hedge fund managers are joining forces to battle cancer with a million-dollar prize for the most imaginative new approach. The Gotham Prize for Cancer Research will be awarded to the most innovative essay—posted to the website—on finding a cure for cancer. Leading medical researchers will judge the submissions at year's end.
China Deals on Finance, Skips Currency
Bloomberg
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May 23, 2007 4:59 PM CDT
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Talks between American and Chinese economic officials thudded to a close today, offering mild changes to the financial sector in lieu of major currency reform. The deal hammered out by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and China's vice-premier Wu Yi promise foreign financial companies more access to Chinese markets and allows American investors to purchase...
Trade Center Insurance Settled
New York Times
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May 23, 2007 4:35 PM CDT
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The five-year battle over insurance claims for the World Trade Center was resolved this afternoon, reports the New York Times . The seven insurers disputing the claims settled; $4.55 billion will go towards rebuilding ground zero, which will accommodate the Freedom Tower and three large office buildings.
Bush Details Bin Laden Plot
Yahoo
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May 23, 2007 4:23 PM CDT
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Osama bin Laden attempted to launch a terrorist cell in Iraq through which Al-Qaeda could attack the US, President Bush said today. The newly declassified information fleshed out a 2005 Homeland Security alert that Bin Laden directed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, then his top man in Iraq, to organize the unit as part of what he called a "war of destiny."
Iraqis Seek Employment— In Prison
Bloomberg
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May 23, 2007 4:16 PM CDT
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Iraq has a new growth industry: prisons. A post-surge increase in Iraqi prisoners has put guards in hot demand, and other employment is scarce. So former shopkeepers and farmers are flooding over the border to reach American training facilities in Jordan, where they learn skills like cell-searching and how to perform a choke hold.
Look, Ma. No Seatbelt!
USA Today
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May 23, 2007 4:07 PM CDT
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The annual national campaign to encourage seatbelt use is off to a slow start thanks to a Texas ranch owner whose access to private roads exempts him from the law. President Bush showed the NATO secretary-general around around his spread in Crawford over the weekend, and although he didn't "click it," there's no ticket in his future.
Wolfowitz Reportedly Back on the Market
New York Post
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May 23, 2007 3:36 PM CDT
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First the World Bank dumped him, and now Paul Wolfowitz is on the outs with girlfriend Shaha Riza, Page Six reports. "She was furious about the embarrassment," a source tells the Post , which says she resented implications she'd slept her way to the top. What's more, Riza didn't ask for the promotion that set off the scandal, another source...
Shark Births Fatherless Baby
BBC
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May 23, 2007 2:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Irish and American scientists, using new techniques, confirmed that a female hammerhead shark at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska gave birth to a pup in 2001— without having sex. A male tiger shark was suspected to be the father at first, but the team's genetic analysis shows no sign of paternal DNA.
FDA Approves No-Period Birth Control Pill
Associated Press
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May 23, 2007 2:49 PM CDT
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The FDA yesterday approved Lybrel, the birth control pill designed to stop women's periods for as long as they're on the medication, the AP reports. Unlike most other contraceptive pills, which consist of 21 daily doses of hormone treatments and 7 days of sugar pills, Lybrel contains 28 daily doses of low-dose hormones.
Ex-Coke Employee Gets 8 Years
Associated Press
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May 23, 2007 2:25 PM CDT
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A former secretary for Coca-Cola was sentenced to eight years in federal prison Wednesday for conspiring to steal trade secrets—documents and samples of unlaunched products—and then sell them to Pepsi. Joya Williams was nabbed after the FBI traced a letter soliciting a kickback from Pepsi, sent by one of her accomplices in May 2006.
Islanders Win Bid to Return
Guardian (UK)
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May 23, 2007 2:01 PM CDT
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Thousands of Indian Ocean islanders will be allowed to return home 30 years after being forced out to make room for a US air base, a British court ruled today. The court said the British government acted unlawfully when it expelled the Chagos archipelago residents after secretly selling a lease for one of the islands, Diego Garcia, to the US in 1966.
Ex-Justice Aide Points Fingers
Bloomberg
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May 23, 2007 1:26 PM CDT
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The deputy attorney general dissembled in his Senate testimony about the US attorney firings, Monica Goodling told a House committee today. Testifying under limited immunity from prosecution, the AG's former White House liaison said Paul McNulty's account was "incomplete or inaccurate" and accused him of "downplaying" the White...
Bush Prepares Iraq Plan That Includes UN
Guardian (UK)
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May 23, 2007 11:22 AM CDT
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Four years after the US went into Iraq without Security Council support, the administration may be ready to ask the UN for help. The Guardian reports that a plan to "internationalize" the peace process reflects President Bush's concern about the 2008 elections and the apparent failure of the troop surge. "Iraq probably can't be fixed,"...
NJ Governor Paid Ex $6M
New York Times
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May 23, 2007 10:33 AM CDT
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Breaking up really is hard to do, especially if you're the governor of New Jersey and your ex is a state employees' union president. Jon Corzine and Carla Katz split up in 2004, and Katz got more out of their 2-year relationship than a threadbare couch and some mix tapes, the Times reports: a settlement worth more than $6 million.
Some Young American Muslims Take Extreme View
NPR
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May 23, 2007 10:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Young American Muslims are more religious and more willing to defend Islamic extremists than are their elders, a new study concludes. One in four US Muslims under 30 say they believe that suicide attacks may be justified, compared to just 6% of those over 30. Overall, American Muslims are more satisfied with their lives than their European counterparts.
Body Found in U.S. Uniform in Euphrates River
CNN
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May 23, 2007 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iraqi police found the body of a man dressed in a U.S. military uniform in the Euphrates river today. A soldier from the unit that lost three soldiers earlier in the month is en route to see if he can identify the body. If the body belongs to one of the missing soldiers, his family will be notified before any public announcement is made.
McCain Curses Out Colleague —Again
Los Angeles Times
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May 23, 2007 9:48 AM CDT
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John McCain raised the temper issue again by getting into a shouting match with GOP Sen. John Cornyn yesterday, the LA Times reports. The candidate and Cornyn had a dust-up just off the Senate floor over details of a compromise on immigration legislation. Cornyn accused McCain of being too busy campaigning to do his job, to which McCain replied,...
Court Convicts 12 of Serbian PM's Murder
BBC
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May 23, 2007 8:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Belgrade court convicted twelve men of the murder of Zoran Djindjic, the pro-Western PM of Serbia who was gunned down in 2003. The dozen defendants included alleged mobsters and members of the secret police; the two ringleaders will go away for 40 years after what Serbs called the "trial of the century," in which two witnesses were murdered.
Google Wants to Read Your Mind
Financial Times (UK)
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May 23, 2007 7:49 AM CDT
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Google wants to know about you—all about you. The company's stated goal of "total information" extends to users' leisure time and even their careers, the Financial Times reports. The ultimate goal is to allow advertisers to target users so precisely that their ads fetch higher rates than more scattershot marketing.
Bombing Rocks Turkish Capital
New York Times
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May 23, 2007 7:28 AM CDT
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An explosion shocked the Turkish capital yesterday, killing six and injuring at least 100 in a busy marketplace. The bombing comes at a delicate time for the country, the New York Times observes, as Parliament clash with the governing party over the place of Islam in the secular democracy.
Brass Plan New War Strategy
Washington Post
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May 23, 2007 7:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
US officials are quietly developing a plan to stabilize Iraq by neutralizing subversive and corrupt elements within the government, the Washington Post reports. The classified plan, still being finalized by Gen. David Petraeus and Amb. Ryan Crocker, shifts the focus of America's strategy in Iraq from military to political objectives.
London-Moscow Relations Frigid Over Spy Flap
Times (UK)
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May 23, 2007 6:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Relations between Russia and the UK have dipped to a post-Cold War nadir, the Times is reporting. The Kremlin refused yesterday to extradite Andrei Lugovoy, whom Britain has accused of murdering a former Russian spy in London last year. Investigators suspect that Moscow ordered the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko, an outspoken Yeltsin critic.
Web Mogul Controls $300 Million in URLs
CNN
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May 23, 2007 6:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Kevin Ham rules the shadowy Internet domain name market, having amassed an online real estate empire worth over $300 million, Business 2.0 reports. The doctor-turned-tech tycoon began buying and selling URLs in the nascent days of the web; today he trades hundreds of addresses a day, sometimes for as much as $350,000.
House Breaks Up Iraq War Funding Bill
Politico
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May 23, 2007 5:59 AM CDT
(Newser) -
House Democratic leaders are splitting the new Iraq funding bill into two distinct amendments, the Politco reports. One will be the $103 billion Bush requested for the war in Iraq, which will speak of benchmarks but won't demand a withdrawal date, the other a $17 billion domestic spending package.
Sallie Mae Chief Quits
Wall Street Journal
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May 23, 2007 5:52 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The CEO of student loan giant Sallie Mae resigned unexpectedly yesterday in the midst of a $25 billion buyout by a private equity firm. The Wall Street Journal reports that Thomas J. Fitzpatrick was pressured out to stave off Congressional criticism of the buyout by J.C. Flowers and Co, which is taking the company private. The lender's CFO will take...
Student Bomber Foiled at Falwell Funeral
ABC News
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May 23, 2007 5:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A student at Jerry Falwell's university is under arrest for a bomb plot against protesters at the late evangelist's funeral. A relative of Mark Uhl tipped off authorities, who found five bombs in the 19-year-old Liberty University student's trunk. Uhl admitted he planned to use the bombs to disrupt a picket at Falwell's campus funeral yesterday.
Thousands Flee Lebanon Camp
BBC
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May 23, 2007 5:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Thousands of Palestinians escaped heavy fighting inside a Lebanon refugee camp yesterday. The BBC reports vehicles flying white flags and crammed with people fled the Nahr al-Bared camp during a lull in the battle between Lebanese army units and the militant group Fatah al-Islam. Refugees are heading for another camp in Northern Lebanon.
Gigantic Dallas Stadium Will Host Super Bowl
Yahoo
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May 23, 2007 5:45 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Dallas beat out Indianapolis and Arizona to secure the coveted hosting rights to the 2011 Super Bowl, largely due to the colossal capacity of the Cowboys' future stadium. The putative 120,000 seater could generate $27.6 million more in ticket sales than Indy's puny 73,000-seat venue.
Go Northwest, Young Men
ESPN
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May 23, 2007 5:43 AM CDT
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In a dramatic NBA draft lottery, the Trail Blazers and SuperSonics won the respective rights to first and second choice in June's selection process—widely considered tickets to Ohio State center Greg Oden and Texas forward Kevin Durant. Portland, led by 2006 rookie of the year Brandon Roy, had only a 5.3% chance of landing top choice.
CIA Op Aims to Destabilize Iran
ABC News
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May 23, 2007 5:00 AM CDT
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President Bush has secretly approved a CIA "black" operation to destabilize the Iranian government, ABC reports. Sources tell ABC the covert mission deploys propaganda, misinformation, and financial manipulation. A retired senior CIA official says economic pressure may be the most effective means to curb Iran's nuclear buildup.
Philanthropist Bets $40M on Eco-Tourism
Smithsonian
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May 22, 2007 6:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Philanthropist Greg Carr wants to turn an African ecosystem around—and he’s willing to pay to do it. The tech-bubble whiz kid will spend $40 million over the next 30 years to restore Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park, destroyed during the country's 16-year civil war. Stephanie Hanes follows Carr as he visits the one-time "jewel...
Alcan Steels Itself Against Alcoa Bid
Bloomberg
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May 22, 2007 6:17 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Canadian aluminum maker Alcan has rejected the $24.7-billion bid from rival Alcoa that would have been the biggest takeover in the metals industry, and signalled its intention to look elsewhere. Alcoa’s $74.60-per-share bid was inadequate, Alcan’s CEO said today, reigniting rumors that both companies may be ripe takeover targets.
Cabs Go Green in New York
NBC 4 New York
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May 22, 2007 3:42 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Every New York City taxi cab will be an eco-friendly hybrid in five years, Mike Bloomberg declared today. And by next year all new taxis will have to meet mileage and emissions standards. Cabs will turn green as part of the mayor's wider sustainability plan for the city, which is shooting for a 30% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.
Troops May Double in 'Second Surge'
San Francisco Chronicle
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May 22, 2007 3:33 PM CDT
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The number of US combat troops in Iraq is being quietly doubled this year in what the San Francisco Chronicle calls a second surge, the paper concludes from an analysis of Pentagon orders. The combination of new combat brigades and lengthened tours for troops already stationed in Iraq could bring the total to 28 brigades rather than the 20 designated...
Kerkorian Bets on Bellagio
SmartMoney
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May 22, 2007 2:54 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Activist investor Kirk Kerkorian, who holds a controlling interest in MGM Mirage, is making a play to buy two of the casino company's crown jewels. Kerkorian's company, Tracinda Corp., is in talks to acquire MGM's Bellagio Casino and the $7.4 billion CityCenter development, currently under construction. Kerkorian currently owns 56% of MGM Mirage.
