Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Newser Story Index from March, 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.

Scientists Discover New Diabetes Genes
Guardian (UK) | Mar 31, 2008 9:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists pooling data from European and US studies have identified six more genes associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, the Guardian reports. The study, published in Nature Genetics , found small but significant connections between the genes and the disease, with certain genetic variants linked to a 10-15% increase in risk. Researchers...
No Clear Winner as Zimbabwe Results Finally Trickle in
BBC | Mar 31, 2008 9:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - Zimbabwe finally announced some official election results today, the BBC reports, after a lengthy delay renewed apprehension about vote-rigging in Saturday's balloting. The party of challenger Morgan Tsvangirai says he holds a 60%-30% lead over President Robert Mugabe with over half the 210 constituencies counted. But of the 24 parliamentary districts...
Pernod Spirits High After $8.3B Absolut Buy
Wall Street Journal | Mar 31, 2008 9:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - French liquor giant Pernod Ricard's spirits were soaring after its $8.34 billion bid won it ownership of Sweden's state-owned Vin & Spirit, the parent company of Absolut vodka. Pernod topped US-based Fortune Brands in an auction for the purchase, the Wall Street Journal reports, and is now the wine and spirit industry's co-leader.
Dad Kills 3 Kids in Hotel Room, Calls Front Desk
Baltimore Sun | Mar 31, 2008 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - A man involved in a bitter custody battle murdered his three children in a Baltimore hotel yesterday afternoon, then called the front desk to report it, the Baltimore Sun reports. Police still aren’t sure how Mark Castillo killed the children, aged 6, 4, and 2; there was no evidence of stabbing or gunshot wounds.
Baghdad Curfew Lifted; Basra Violence Slows
AFP | Mar 31, 2008 8:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - Baghdad authorities lifted a 3-day-old curfew today as violence ebbed and soldiers from Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army began to heed his call yesterday to stand down, reports the AFP. The southern city of Basra also eased its curfew as 6 days of violent clashes wound down, although the BBC reported sporadic gunfire and parts of the city that were still...
Lehman Sues to Reclaim $350M Lost in Swindle
Wall Street Journal | Mar 31, 2008 8:15 AM CDT
(Newser) - Lehman Brothers is suing Japanese trading company Marubeni, seeking to recover $350 million lost in a scam apparently engineered by two of the company’s employees. The scheme involved forged documents purportedly bearing a board member’s seal and two meetings at Marubeni headquarters, including one with an impostor posing as an executive,...
Israeli Hostage Alive: Hamas
Sky News | Mar 31, 2008 7:52 AM CDT
(Newser) - Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is alive, Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal tells Britain's Sky News. "Gilad is alive and we are treating him well but Israel is treating the Palestinian prisoners they hold very badly,"  he said in an interview in Damascus, offering the first word in almost a year on the hostage, who was captured in a cross-border...
Aloha Airlines Shuts Down
Honolulu Advertiser | Mar 31, 2008 7:11 AM CDT
(Newser) - Unable to find a buyer and running out of cash, Hawaii’s ubiquitous Aloha Airlines is shutting down operations after today, idling 1,900 workers and ending more than six decades of island-hopping and transpacific flights, the Honolulu Advertiser reports. The airline filed for bankruptcy March 20 because of rising fuel prices and fierce competition...
Run, Spot, Run: Max and Bella Now Top Dog Names
USA Today | Mar 31, 2008 6:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Traditional dog names like Spot and Buster have been abandoned for human names such as Max and Lucy, according to a survey of most popular pet names. The list was compiled by a pet health insurance company from the names of dogs in its database, reports USA Today . Max, Buddy, and Rocky are the most popular names for males, and Bella and Molly the...
Gore Launches $300M Climate Campaign
CBS News | Mar 31, 2008 6:22 AM CDT
(Newser) - Al Gore is putting his money where his Inconvenient Truth is and pairing celebrity odd couples to push his global warming message in a $300-million ad campaign that launches Wednesday, reports CBS. "Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich, two people who don't agree on very much at all," Gore says, will be among unlikely pairings who come together...
Formula One Chief Caught in 'Nazi' Orgy
Times (UK) | Mar 31, 2008 6:11 AM CDT
(Newser) - Formula One leader Max Mosely is being pressured to quit his post after a newspaper obtained video of the 67-year-old Brit in a Nazi-themed sex orgy with five prostitutes. The Oxford-educated multi-millionaire, whose father was a friend of Adolf Hitler, spoke German as he beat hookers dressed as concentration camp prisoners and let a uniformed dominatrix...
Olympic Torch Lit in Beijing
Associated Press | Mar 31, 2008 6:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Olympic torch was re-lighted today in Beijing’s Tienanmen Square in an elaborate ceremony marked by tight security, the AP reports. President Hu Jintao passed the flame to a champion Chinese hurdler in a televised event attended by some 5,000 people. Confetti floated over bright red seats and dancers from minority groups—including Tibetans—performed....
Heath May Have Fathered Secret Love Child
Australia's News Network | Mar 31, 2008 5:26 AM CDT
(Newser) - A 17-year-old Heath Ledger may have fathered a child during an affair with an older woman, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph reports. The woman was living in Sydney with another man while seeing the young actor. “There is a very real possibility that Heath was the father” of the baby girl, said Ledger’s uncle. The girl, who would be...
Bill to Dems on Primaries: Chill!
San Jose Mercury News | Mar 31, 2008 5:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Former President Bill Clinton told California Democrats to "chill out" and let the long, bruising battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination continue. "We are going to win this election if we just chill out and let everybody have their say," Clinton told the state Democratic convention in San Jose...
Obama Nails 10-Point National Lead in Gallup Poll
Gallup | Mar 31, 2008 4:43 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama jumped to his largest national lead of the year in a new Gallup poll, pulling ahead of Hillary Clinton 52% to 42%. The figure marks the Illinois senator’s third consecutive lead, and the first double-digit lead since Hillary chalked up a 11% lead over Barack in early February. 
Record 28 Million Americans to Get Food Stamps
New York Times | Mar 31, 2008 4:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - In an economic indicator that paints a grim future for swaths of the US population, an all-time record 28 million Americans are expected to be close enough to poverty to receive $36 billion in food stamps in the coming fiscal year, reports the New York Times . There is a surge in recipients in 40 states, with 14 already reporting a record count last...
2 Top Cholesterol Drugs, Vytorin and Zetia, Don't Work
New York Times | Mar 31, 2008 3:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - Two top-selling cholesterol drugs  proved in a recent study to be largely ineffective in slowing the clogging of arteries, a panel of cardiologists said yesterday. Doctors should only prescribe Vytorin and Zetia if other medications don't work, and should rely instead on statins such as Lipitor and Zocor, they said. “The strongest recommendation...
Chaos Continues at Heathrow
Guardian (UK) | Mar 31, 2008 3:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hundreds of volunteer British Airways staffers spent their day off yesterday helping to return some of the 15,000 pieces of luggage lost when the state-of-the-art baggage system failed at the airline's new terminal at London's Heathrow airport last week. Scores of tech specialists have also been deployed to fix the computer problems, the Guardian...
Even Without Gant, A&M Handles Duke
Associated Press | Mar 31, 2008 3:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - Texas A&M is headed to its first regional finals after a 77-63 defeat of Duke, despite losing its star after the first half, AP reports. Danielle Gant scored eight points before dehydration sidelined her, and Patrice Reado took up her mantle, scoring 17 in the second half. The Blue Devils' costliest stat: 19 turnovers. The Aggies will next face:
Army Finds Remains of Soldier Captured in 2004
Cincinnati Enquirer | Mar 31, 2008 3:08 AM CDT
(Newser) - The remains of an Ohio soldier who was captured in Iraq four years ago have been found, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer . DNA tests identified the remains as Matt Maupin, 20, an Army general told the young soldier's parents. Maupin had been listed as missing in Iraq since his fuel convoy was ambushed west of Baghdad in 2004.
Warriors Top Mavs to Keep West Race Tight
NBA.com | Mar 31, 2008 3:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - A well-rested Dallas team couldn't rein in the exhausted but determined Warriors, who won last night's game 114-104 after a slow start. Josh Howard's 36 points weren't enough to make up for the continued absence of Dirk Nowitzki, nor was Jason Kidd's near triple-double (13 points, 14 assists, nine boards), reports Mavs.com. Elsewhere in the hotly contested...
Jean Nouvel Wins Pritzker Prize
New York Times | Mar 31, 2008 2:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - The French designer of the Arab World Institute in Paris and Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater has won architecture's top award, the Pritzker Prize, reports the New York Times . Jean Nouvel’s projects "greatly expanded the vocabulary of contemporary architecture,” the Pritzker jury noted. “His inquisitive and agile mind propels...
New York Subpoenas Texting Guru
New York Times | Mar 31, 2008 12:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - New York lawyers have asked the creator of a mass text-messaging service for records of texts sent during 2004 Republican Convention protests, the New York Times reports. MIT student Tad Hirsch’s TXTmob service was a communication tool for demonstrators and reporters, providing up-to-the-minute data on what was happening where. Hirsch calls...
Zimmerman Christens New Nats' Park with Walkoff
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Mar 30, 2008 11:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Washington Nationals opened the 2008 season and their new ballpark with a win tonight over the Atlanta Braves, 3-2. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman called it a night with a walk-off home run over the center field wall. Jon Rauch, who surrended the tying run in the top of hte 9th, was the winning pitcher...
Hawks Get by Knicks
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Mar 30, 2008 10:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - Atlanta would love to enjoy their three-game winning streak, but in a back-to-back stretch of their road schedule they'll have to prepare for lowly Memphis tomorrow night instead if they hope to make it four in a row. Tonight's 114-109 win over the Knicks stretched their lead for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot to 2.5 games over idle New...
Cavs Edge Sixers Behind King James
Philadelphia Inquirer | Mar 30, 2008 10:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Philadelphia forward Andre Iguodala's would-be equalizer clanked off the rim at the buzzer, sealing a late comeback for Cleveland, 91-88, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer . LeBron James rebounded from a poor performance in Detroit with 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, and point guard Delonte West had two clutch three-pointers, the latter...
OT Win Keeps Sabre Playoff Hopes Alive
Associated Press | Mar 30, 2008 10:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - Buffalo’s playoff hopes remain alive – for at least one more day. The Sabres, battling every step of the way, overcame the Bruins in a 2-1 overtime win tonight. It took just 39 seconds beyond regulation for Andrej Sekera to get the job done for Buffalo. The Sabres need to win again Tuesday in Toronto to stay in contention. Elsewhere in...
Heat Hit A New Low
Associated Press | Mar 30, 2008 10:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - In a season of ignominy, Miami reached a new level of embarrassment, setting the modern NBA record for fewest baskets scored with 17 in an 88-62 loss in Boston. After jetting to a 27-4 advantage early, the league-leading Celtics trotted out their backups for much of the rest of the game; no starter played over 25 minutes in the rout.
Buzz Off, Raptors: Hornets Win
Globe and Mail | Mar 30, 2008 10:23 PM CDT
(Newser) - David West made his presence known at the Air Canada Centre tonight as his Hornets topped the Raptors 118-111. Peja Stojakovic added 25 points for New Orleans. It was a nice welcome back for former Raptor Morris Peterson, who made his first appearance in Toronto since leaving the team last summer. The sellout crowd rose to their feet as MoPete hit...
Jazz Face the Music in Minnesota
Salt Lake Tribune | Mar 30, 2008 8:51 PM CDT
(Newser) - Just imagine what the Jazz would be like if they could win on the road. Utah has an impressive 32-4 record at home this season, but is a less-than-stellar 16-22 outside Energy Solutions Arena. Minnesota is the latest team to capitalize on their road woes, beating the Jazz 110-103 in Minneapolis. Playing without starters Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko...
Rutgers Earns Date with UConn
Associated Press | Mar 30, 2008 8:37 PM CDT
(Newser) - Rutgers advanced to the round of eight in the NCAA women's tournament with a 53-42 victory over George Washington, reports AP. Essence Carson scored 25 points to lead the Scarlet Knights and set up a rubber match with Big East rival Connecticut, with whom Rutgers split two games earlier this season. The winner gets a trip to the Final Four.
Tech Toy Splurges for That Tax Return
ComputerWorld | Mar 30, 2008 8:33 PM CDT
(Newser) - This year, the government’s economic stimulus package will add $600 to the average $2,300 refund each taxpayer receives. That’s a sizable chunk of change, perfect for a little tech-toy indulgence, reports ComputerWorld. Casio Exilim Pro Ex-FI high-speed digital camera: Snag 60 frames in a single second, to score a shot in which everyone’s...
The Secret Life of Surrogate Moms
Newsweek | Mar 30, 2008 8:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - More women are carrying babies for dollars, despite opposition from Christians, feminists, and medical ethicists—not to mention some states and most EU nations. So why do they do it? A $20,000 to $25,000 paycheck doesn't hurt, Newsweek reports, but many also do it for love. "I felt like, 'What else am I going to do with my life that means...
Kansas Says 'So Long, Cinderella'
Associated Press | Mar 30, 2008 8:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Davidson battled Goliath again and this time Goliath won, as Kansas' big men controlled the middle in a 59-57 victory to advance to Final Four for the first time ever under coach Bill Self. It marked it a clean sweep for the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, another first. Davidson's Stephen Curry scored 25 points but couldn't get off a potential...
Israel Pledges to Pull 50 West Bank Roadblocks
Al Jazeera | Mar 30, 2008 7:33 PM CDT
(Newser) - Pressured by Condoleezza Rice to kickstart flagging peace talks, Israel pledged to remove about 50 roadblocks from the West Bank—the first in a series of “concrete steps” to finalize a deal, Al Jazeera reports. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad hailed the news despite skepticism from other officials. “We will believe it...
UConn Grabs Berth in Elite Eight
Hartford Courant (Conn.) | Mar 30, 2008 7:18 PM CDT
(Newser) - No. 1 Connecticut moved within one win of its first Final Four appearance since 2004 with a 78-63 victory over Old Dominion, thanks to rising star Maya Moore, who scored 25 points and set the Big East's freshman season scoring record. The Huskies have won 14 straight since their lone loss on Feb. 5 to Rutgers - their next opponent, reports the Courant...
'Tudors': Flashy Fiction Is Far From Fact
ABC News | Mar 30, 2008 7:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - In the battle of fact versus flair, it’s pretty obvious which side “The Tudors” comes down on. Showtime’s steamy period soap opera, which premiers its second season tonight, trades a chubby, tight-wearing Henry VIII for slim, sexy Jonathan Rhys Meyers. “It’s sloppy filmmaking,” one historian tells ABC News....
5 Dead After UK Jet Slams Into Home
Guardian (UK) | Mar 30, 2008 6:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - All five people on a private jet were killed today when it crashed into a home outside London, the Guardian reports. One witness said the pilot appeared to lose control of the Cessna before it crashed in "a massive fireball. It seemed like a fighter jet, the noise of the engine screaming." No one was hurt on the ground, although the house...
Rose, Memphis Headed to San Antonio
Commercial Appeal (Memphis) | Mar 30, 2008 6:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - Derrick Rose had 21 points and nine assists, and Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 25 points, as Memphis handled Texas with ease, 85-67, to advance to the Final Four. The third time was a charm for John Calipari and the Tigers as they finally reached the national semifinals after losing in the Elite Eight the past two seasons, the Commercial Appeal reports...
More Afghan Families Using Girls to Pay Debt
Newsweek | Mar 30, 2008 6:24 PM CDT
(Newser) - Besieged by debt, more Afghan farmers are paying lenders by handing over their girls as "loan brides," Newsweek reports. Often taken from their families forever, the girls—some younger than 5 years old—are commonly beaten or pushed to suicide by their fate. "My heart is still with my parents, brothers and sisters,"...
Rockets Whipped in Road Trip Opener
Houston Chronicle | Mar 30, 2008 6:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - Houston decided to seal off the lane for San Antonio today and did so successfully, denying Tim Duncan opportunities. Unfortunately for the Rockets, opposing guards Tony Parker and Michael Finley shot a combined 19-of-28 and the Spurs had the game won by halftime, finishing at 109-88, writes the Chronicle . Houston's Luis Scola scored 24 points while...
Observers Cry Foul as Zimbabwe Results Delayed
BBC | Mar 30, 2008 5:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - Observers fear President Mugabe is rigging the vote while election results are delayed in Zimbabwe, the BBC reports. Officials blame the holdup on a flood of ballots, but one monitor said he had “no doubt” the results were known. “The delay is fuelling speculation that there could be something going on,” said Noel Kututwa, the...
Al-Sadr Orders His Militia Off Streets of Basra
BBC | Mar 30, 2008 5:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his fighters to leave the streets of Basra and other cities, reports the BBC, in an effort to end clashes with security forces. “Anyone carrying a weapon and targeting government institutions will not be one of us,” Sadr said, but minutes after his statement was released, militia shells hit Basra’s...
Best Baseball Reads for Opening Day
Slate | Mar 30, 2008 5:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Want to get a literary start on the baseball season? Slate sports columnist Josh Levin highlights four great reads appropriate for opening day, including outspoken Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's blog 38 Pitches, where his output hasn't slowed despite the shoulder injury keeping him off the field. Other recommendations:
21 Wins Big at Box Office
Variety | Mar 30, 2008 4:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - Gambling flick 21 played to win this weekend and banked $23.7 million, scoring top spot at the box office, Variety reports. But it failed to revive overall ticket sales, which are down 17% from last year's frame and about a third for the year. Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! kept winning with $17.4 million at no. 2 and Superhero Movie ...
States Fume on Eve of REAL ID Deadline
Christian Science Monitor | Mar 30, 2008 4:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - Washington is locked in a standoff with states over REAL ID, an anti-terror law that aims to make driver's licenses harder to dupe or obtain. But no states are near complying and Montana, New Hampshire, and Maine have all balked at the unfunded plan. What's more, REAL ID is just one of the federal mandates that have irked states in recent years, the...
Muslims Outnumber Catholics: Vatican
Reuters | Mar 30, 2008 4:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Islam has topped Roman Catholicism as the world's biggest religion for the first time, the Vatican said today. About 1.1 billion people are still Catholic, but Muslims have pulled ahead with 1.3 billion members. “For the first time in history we are no longer at the top: the Muslims have overtaken us,” said a prelate who compiled the Vatican's...
Cell Phones Worse Than Smoking, Study Says
Independent (UK) | Mar 30, 2008 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cell phones may cause more deaths than smoking or asbestos, warns a new study in which an Australian neurosurgeon found that a decade of cell use can double brain tumor risk—an effect that he says will show in coming years. "We are currently experiencing a reactively unchecked and dangerous situation," Vini Khurana said.
Protesters Disrupt Olympic Torch Exchange
New York Times | Mar 30, 2008 3:23 PM CDT
(Newser) - Protesters against China’s Tibet crackdown shook up today’s Olympic torch hand-off in Athens, the New York Times reports. Some 15 people dodged security to fly banners and shout “Free Tibet” as they tried to block Greek officials from passing the flame to Beijing authorities. Ten were nabbed by police, but it’s not yet...
Venezuela Tried to Arm FARC, Colombia Says
New York Times | Mar 30, 2008 3:07 PM CDT
(Newser) - Colombian officials claim to have computer files captured from its FARC rebels that indicate Venezuela sold arms to the terrorist group, the New York Times reports. If Interpol verifies the files, they would also suggest links between FARC and Ecuador’s government and provide insight into the rebel organization. Colombia nabbed the computers...
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne