Newser Story Index from January, 2008
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.
Cyprus, Malta Adopt Euro
Bloomberg
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Jan 1, 2008 12:35 PM CST
(Newser) -
The new year brought a new currency to Malta and Cyprus, which today became the 14th and 15th countries to adopt the euro. The changeover went smoothly, the EC said in a statement. "Both Cyprus and Malta are small, open and thriving economies for whom having a stable and widely used currency will provide a major advantage," an economist told...
Fire at Church Kills 50 as Riots in Kenya Rage
Associated Press
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Jan 1, 2008 12:08 PM CST
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A mob set fire to a church filled with people in Kenya today, killing at least 50, according to the Red Cross, most of them members of Mwai Kibaki’s Kikuyu tribe. Chaos has reigned in the country since Kibaki’s disputed election victory, which EU inspectors say lacks credibility. At least 270 have been killed in increasingly ethnic violence,...
Obama Widens Iowa Lead
Des Moines Register
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Jan 1, 2008 11:55 AM CST
(Newser) -
Barack Obama gained on Hillary Clinton and John Edwards in the last Des Moines Register poll before Thursday's Iowa caucuses, pulling 32% of likely caucusgoers, to Clinton's 25% and Edwards' 24%. Obama's widening lead—4 points up from late November and the widest all year—comes in part from a surge of first-time caucusgoers, the Register...
Sri Lankan Opposition Lawmaker Assassinated
Reuters
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Jan 1, 2008 11:35 AM CST
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A Sri Lankan opposition lawmaker was gunned down during a New Year’s religious celebration last night, 2 days after accusing government troops of abductions and murders in the northern part of the country and promising to name names when parliament reconvened, Reuters reports. He was rushed to the hospital along with his suspected killer, who...
Poor Sleep Linked to Diabetes
ABC News
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Jan 1, 2008 11:10 AM CST
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Poor sleep may lead to weight gain and diabetes, according to new research. After only 3 nights of light sleep, healthy people lost their ability to process sugar by 23%, perhaps explaining why many diabetics also have sleep disorders, ABC News reports. Although the survey sample was small, it casts doubt on previous assumptions that diabetes caused...
Your Hotel Bill? That'll Be $18K, Please
Budget Travel
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Jan 1, 2008 10:45 AM CST
(Newser) -
No bad-boy or bad-girl celeb's resume is complete without a trashed hotel room, and Budget Travel has checked into 10 wrecked rooms: London's Sanderson hotel: Amy Winehouse and her husband did $18,000 in damage and left behind blood-splattered walls. Flint, Mich., Holiday Inn: Keith Moon instigated $24,000 worth of havoc before slipping...
Hamas-Fatah Clashes Leave 8 Dead in Gaza
Associated Press
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Jan 1, 2008 10:19 AM CST
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Days before President Bush’s visit to the Middle East, violence between Hamas and Fatah spiked in the Gaza Strip today, the AP reports. Eight people have been killed in the violence over the past 24 hours, the first deaths in Palestinian infighting in 2 months. The renewed clashes prompted Hamas, which controls Gaza, to arrest Fatah activists...
Now Playing: 25 Timeless Flicks
Hollywood Reporter
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Jan 1, 2008 9:59 AM CST
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The Librarian of Congress showed off his eclectic film taste this week, selecting 25 "culturally, historically or aesthetically" notable movies that will be preserved forever in the National Film Registry. The widely varied picks, which bring the total list to 475, include: Back to the Future (1985) Days of Heaven (1978)...
Mahony Griffin: Unsung Genius
New York Times
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Jan 1, 2008 9:38 AM CST
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You may never have heard of her, but you have seen her work. Marion Mahony Griffin illustrated much of Frank Lloyd Wright's early work. She also illustrated the work of Walter Burley Griffin, her architect husband. She may have been one of America's greatest architects in her own right, the New York Times reports, overlooked because of her...
No Dice for Smoking Gamblers
Chicago Tribune
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Jan 1, 2008 9:12 AM CST
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The brand-new ban on indoor smoking in Illinois is expected to hit the state's nine casinos hard, the Chicago Tribune reports. Plenty of gamblers like a smoke, and along the Mississippi River, all they'll need to do is cross into Missouri or Iowa to enjoy one. "No smoking and I'm gone elsewhere," said one gambler. "Gambling and...
US Diplomat Shot Dead in Sudan
Associated Press
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Jan 1, 2008 8:22 AM CST
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A US diplomat has died of injuries suffered when he was shot five times early this morning as he rode through the streets of Khartoum, the AP reports. The attack immediately killed his driver. The shooting occurred a day after a joint African Union-United Nations force took over peacekeeping duties in Sudan's Darfur region, but it was unclear if the...
Aide: Bhutto Died as She Readied Dossier on Rigged Vote
Associated Press
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Jan 1, 2008 7:40 AM CST
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Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was killed the same day she planned to give US lawmakers damaging information on government actions to rig upcoming elections, a top aide charged yesterday. The "thoroughly rigged" elections were to "benefit" President Pervez Musharraf's party, said the aide. The charge was made as government...
Mouthwash Could Spot Cancer
Reuters
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Jan 1, 2008 7:00 AM CST
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Scientists are working on a mouth rinse that could save lives by detecting head and neck cancers early, Reuters reports. A cheap and easy "swish-and-spit" saliva test could turn up cells containing the altered genes associated with these cancers. Head and neck cancers can often be cured, but early detection is essential.
Qualcomm Loses Patent Battle
Wall Street Journal
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Jan 1, 2008 5:53 AM CST
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A federal judge has ordered Qualcomm to pull off the market special feature cellphone chips that infringe on three Broadcom patents. Qualcomm can keep selling some of the chips for the next 13 months if it pays royalties to Broadcom, reports the Wall Street Journal . The ruling is the latest in a series of court victories for Broadcom.
Wary World Welcomes 2008
ABC News
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Jan 1, 2008 5:05 AM CST
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From Baghdad to Berlin to Beijing and Boston, the world said farewell to 2007 and cheered the arrival of 2008. The famous Times Square ball descended for the 100th time, and a million revelers gathered to watch. New technology meant the crystal-studded sphere was twice as bright this year.
NASA Releases Pilot Gripes on Tired Crews, Air Traffic
CNN
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Jan 1, 2008 4:58 AM CST
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Bowing to pressure from Congress, NASA has grudgingly released thousand of pages of pilot complaints, CNN reports. They include complaints about crowded skies, tired crews, and communication problems. The surveys of more than 30,000 pilots found twice as many collisions with bird, near-collisions with other aircraft, and runway incursions as the government's...
Colombian Rescue Deal Collapses
Reuters
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Jan 1, 2008 4:18 AM CST
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A Venezuela-brokered deal to rescue three hostages from Colombian rebels has fallen apart, Reuters reports. The leftist FARC rebels blamed the deal's failure on stepped-up Colombian army operations in the area and refused to relinquish hostages "due to fear for their safety and the safety of members involved in the operation," said a statement...
Wicker Will Step Into Lott's Shoes
Clarion-Ledger
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Jan 1, 2008 4:00 AM CST
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Mississippi's governor has chosen Rep. Roger Wicker, a conservative Republican, to take Trent Lott's vacant seat in the US Senate until a special election can be called, the Jackson Clarion-Ledger reports. After 35 years, Lott quit this month, a year into his 6-year term. The timing of the special election is causing some friction in the state.
Seminoles Face the Music
Associated Press
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Jan 1, 2008 3:15 AM CST
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Kentucky won a second straight Music City Bowl yesterday, beating the Seminoles 35-28 and handing coach Bobby Bowden his first December bowl loss. Andre Woodson threw four TD passes against a severely depleted Seminoles defense. Florida State was playing three dozen players short due to injuries and suspensions stemming from an academic cheating scandal...
Auburn Grills Clemson in Chick-Fil-A Bowl 23-20
Yahoo
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Jan 1, 2008 3:03 AM CST
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Auburn's rookie signal-caller Kodi Burns made the most of limited touches in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, throwing for one touchdown and running for another—the game-winner in overtime—to deny Clemson its first 10-win season since 1990. "He'll go in as No. 1," said coach Tommy Tuberville of Burns, referring to next year. "He's earned...
