Newser Story Index from June, 2009
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.
UK Shop 'Sorry' for Using Iran Tags in Twitter Ad Campaign
AFP
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Jun 24, 2009 3:20 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A British furniture store has apologized for tagging its Twitter promotional messages with Iran-related hash tags, AFP reports. The store may have been trying to maximize the number of people viewing its tweets, but instead provoked outrage at the misuse of Twitter, a key media tool for Iranian protesters. “This was absolutely not authorized,”...
Dow Off 23 on Fed Rate News
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 24, 2009 3:09 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Markets were mixed today as positive economic indicators and surging tech stocks battled with a Fed announcement that interest rates would be held near zero, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow lost early momentum, but the Nasdaq flourished. “We’ve basically come through a panic phase,” an analyst said of tech buying. The Dow...
China Blocks Google Over Porn, Foreign Search
Financial Times (UK)
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Jun 24, 2009 3:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
China darkened Google for 2 hours today over the site’s continued practice of returning results linking to foreign websites and “pornographic” content, the Financial Times reports. The Chinese government is unhappy that Google’s domestic website, Google.cn, allows users to search the entirety of the Internet. The outage affected...
Oscars Double Best-Picture Nominees, to 10
Associated Press
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Jun 24, 2009 2:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Next year’s Academy Awards will feature 10 contenders for Best Picture, up from five, the Los Angeles Times reports, a return to how the show ran in 1932-43. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences “is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award,” its academy president says.
Mammals Evolve Faster in Hot Weather: Study
BBC
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Jun 24, 2009 2:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Evolution happens faster in warmer climates, a new study finds. Researchers found that DNA changes more frequently among mammals in the species-rich tropics than among comparable species elsewhere, the BBC reports. Scientists believe the germ cells that become sperm and eggs divide more often in hotter weather, perhaps because those mammals have greater...
Buffett: Economy Still in 'Shambles'
CNBC
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Jun 24, 2009 2:32 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The US economy is still in “shambles” even though the crisis in the financial system has abated, Warren Buffett told CNBC today. “It takes a while,” the investor said. “There were a lot of excesses to be wrung out and that process is still underway.” Inflation may become a problem, he predicts, but Wall Street will...
Steve Jobs Is a Bald-Faced Liar
ZDNet
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Jun 24, 2009 2:24 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Steve Jobs’ life was in danger before his liver transplant, and he “straight-out” lied about it, writes Dana Blankenhorn for ZDNet. In a January letter, Jobs said he had a “nutritional problem”; that letter “was a lie from beginning to end.” Now, Apple admits its founder got a transplant because of the pressing...
To Beat Heat, Go 'Swizzled,' Not Stirred
New York Times
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Jun 24, 2009 2:15 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Shaken, stirred—or swizzled? This summer, many bartenders are urging patrons to choose the last. An authentic “Swizzle”—as the trendy drinks are called—doesn’t use a plastic stick; rather, a real stick from a Caribbean tree, with prongs that make it nature’s own Mixmaster, reports the New York Times . The...
Fed Keeps Interest Rates at Record Low
Associated Press
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Jun 24, 2009 2:04 PM CDT
(AP) -
The Federal Reserve says the recession is easing, but that the economy likely will remain weak and keep a lid on inflation. Against this backdrop, the Fed held a key bank lending rate at a record low of between 0% and 0.25%, and pledged again to keep it there for "an extended period" to help brace activity going forward.
Sanford Cops to Affair With Argentine Woman
Politico
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Jun 24, 2009 1:55 PM CDT
(Newser) -
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted today that he has been having an affair with an Argentine woman, Politico reports. “I’ve been unfaithful to be my wife,” the Republican said at a teary and rambling news conference in which he explained his mysterious absence. “It began very innocently,” Sanford said. "About...
Gunmen Thought Neda Had Terrorist Links: Iran
CNN
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Jun 24, 2009 1:50 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Neda Agha-Soltan may have been mistaken for a terrorist’s sister when she was gunned down mid-protest, Iran’s state-run news agency claims. “Groups who want to create division” purposely killed the 26-year-old—now the face of the demonstrations—“to accuse the Islamic republic of ruthlessly dealing with the...
52 Dead in Baghdad Blast
Reuters
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Jun 24, 2009 1:38 PM CDT
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An explosion ripped through a market in Baghdad’s Sadr City today killing 52 and injuring 104, Reuters reports. Though Iraq has seen markedly less violence in the past year, today’s bombing is part of a wave of attacks ahead of the US military’s scheduled withdrawal from Iraqi cities next week. Sadr City is home to supporters of anti-American...
Mousavi's Wife Sees 'Martial Law' in Iran
Reuters
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Jun 24, 2009 1:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Zahra Rahnavard, wife of opposition presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, today reassured Iranians that she had not been arrested, but called on the regime to release those who had, AFP reports. In a statement on her husband’s website, she condemned the crackdown, saying it was “as if martial law has been imposed.” But she said...
Actress/ Activist Hannah Arrested
E! Online
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Jun 24, 2009 1:21 PM CDT
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Daryl Hannah feels strongly about coal mining—so strongly that she was arrested for protesting it in West Virginia yesterday, E! reports. The actress and 30 others staged a sit-in on a major highway and were charged with impeding traffic. Elsewhere: President Angelina Jolie? It could happen. She wants to move into politics, a friend tells...
Afghan Detainees Allege Abuse at US Base
BBC
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Jun 24, 2009 1:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Many Afghans once detained by the US military at Bagram air base, north of Kabul, say they were treated similarly to abused prisoners at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, the BBC reports. “They did things that you would not do against animals let alone to humans,” a former detainee said, including sexual humiliation and death threats. Most Bagram detainees...
Obama Sent Letter to Iran Before Election
Washington Times
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Jun 24, 2009 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A little more than a month before Iran’s disputed election, the Obama administration sent a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei proposing improved bilateral relations and a resolution to the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program, the Washington Times reports. Khamenei mentioned the letter in a lengthy sermon last week, amid accusations that the...
Transformers 2: 'Dazzling,' 'Scrap Metal'
Rotten Tomatoes
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Jun 24, 2009 12:43 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen doesn't skimp on the special effects, say critics, but it lacks the clever touches of its predecessor and the mammoth 2.5 hour running time is likely to give all but the biggest fans metal fatigue. Joe Lozito, Big Picture Big Sound: "This robot-on-robot sequel is a pointless, messy assault on the...
In Lieu of Bonuses, Citi Gives I-Bankers 50% Raises
Bloomberg
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Jun 24, 2009 12:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Citigroup will raise salaries for investment bankers and traders as much as 50% to offset a steep falloff in bonus pay and keep the company’s compensation package competitive, Bloomberg reports. Other employees, like those in the consumer banking section, will receive smaller raises. Citi, which took $45 billion in federal bailout funds, also...
Coach Shot Dead at Iowa School; Ex-Player Arrested
Gazette (Cedar Rapids)
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Jun 24, 2009 12:30 PM CDT
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A top Iowa high school football coach is dead after he was shot by a former player in the school’s weight room—with students nearby today, the Gazette of Cedar Rapids reports. Ed Thomas was shot point-blank in the head; no one else was hurt. The suspect, 24-year-old Mark Becker, is in custody. With a 292-84 record over 37 seasons, Ed...
Kid's Looks May Affect Mom's Love: Study
HealthDay News
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Jun 24, 2009 12:27 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A mother’s love may be “determined by facial attractiveness,” a new study suggests in finding that women were more likely than men to avert their gaze from an unattractive baby. Researchers showed men and women photos of normal and abnormal infants; men and women gave equal attractiveness ratings to the abnormal babies, but women...
Oscar Winner Hit With 82 Counts in 11 Rapes
New York Post
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Jun 24, 2009 12:18 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The 71-year-old Oscar-winning composer of “You Light Up My Life,” busted yesterday for attacking women he lured to supposed auditions, is facing 82 counts of rape, sexual assault, and other charges, the New York Post reports. Joseph Brooks is now accused of raping 11 women, and investigators believe there are more. Brooks’ assistant...
UN Backs Off Hard Line on Drug Crimes
Huffington Post
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Jun 24, 2009 12:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The United Nations did a 180 today on its drug decriminalization stance, praising the policy Portugal instituted in 2001 and asserting it has “not led to an increase in drug tourism” as had been feared, the Huffington Post reports. The annual drug policy report opposed full legalization while conceding that drug controls do create an “illicit...
Obama to Throw Out 1st Pitch at All-Star Game
MLB.com
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Jun 24, 2009 11:47 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama will toss the ceremonial first pitch at the All-Star Game on July 14, Major League Baseball announced yesterday. He’ll be the fourth president to do so, following John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford, and the seventh to attend the game. He’s also got some first-pitch experience; he did the honors for his beloved...
Whistleblowers Eye 6-Figure Gov't Retirees
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 24, 2009 11:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A California interest group is on a mission to publicize the names of public retirees with outsize pensions, arguing that they’re bankrupting local governments, the Wall Street Journal reports. Atop one list sits a former small-town administrator who pulls in $499,674.84 a year. But critics say this so-called “$100K Club” initiative...
Sharapova Out in 2nd Round at Wimbledon
Guardian (UK)
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Jun 24, 2009 11:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Maria Sharapova suffered a second-round collapse at Wimbledon today, losing to Argentina’s Gisela Dulko in three sets. World No. 45 Dulko, who had only won three games in two earlier meetings with Sharapova, beat the Russian 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Dulko “oozed confidence” in the upset of the 2004 champion, the Guardian notes.
Feuding Senate Has NY State Seeing Double
New York Times
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Jun 24, 2009 11:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
New York got two state senates for the price of one yesterday as lawmakers held side-by-side sessions, with each party passing its own bills, the New York Times reports. Dems got to the chamber first and locked out Republicans. When the GOP was finally allowed in, members were barred from the rostrum—so one headed a session from the floor,...
Broderick 'Very Happy' to Meet Twins
People
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Jun 24, 2009 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Matthew Broderick is “very happy” about the birth of his twins, he tells People . The new dad met them in Ohio, where they were born to a surrogate mother Monday night, before returning to New York for his Broadway play last night. The girls’ nursery is ready, and their parents are “looking forward to having them home,”...
Public Option Pivotal to Health Reform: Reich
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 24, 2009 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As wrangling over health care reform drags on, President Obama is putting the idea of a public option on the back burner. But public competition would drive private plans to offer better, less expensive care, cutting the massive costs that are hindering progress, writes Robert Reich in the Wall Street Journal . In fact, “the choice people make...
Wired Editor Plagiarizes Wikipedia in New Book
Virginia Quarterly Review
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Jun 24, 2009 10:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Virginia Quarterly Review has found almost a dozen plagiarized passages in Chris Anderson’s upcoming book Free , a book that, ironically, is all about free content. Most of the passages were cribbed verbatim from Wikipedia, while another was from a professor’s personal website, and yet another from another book. In some cases, mistakes...
Why GOP Sees Hope for 2010
Politico
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Jun 24, 2009 10:34 AM CDT
(Newser) -
They got an electoral thumping in 2006 and did no better in 2008, but Republicans may be getting their groove back. The GOP is still polling at record lows, and the Ensign scandal won’t help the party buck its reputation for moral hypocrisy. Yet, Politico reports, the opposition is making shrewd attacks on President Obama’s programs, and...
Jon & Kate Split Weeks Old, Not Years
New York Daily News
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Jun 24, 2009 10:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Jon & Kate Plus 8 is on hiatus until August, but the Jon and Kate three-ring circus must go on, with the world most recently speculating over how long the Gosselins have truly been separated. Divorce papers seem to indicate the couple has lived apart for at least 2 years, but Jon’s lawyer said it’s really only been a week or...
Khamenei: We Won't Yield 'At Any Cost'
New York Times
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Jun 24, 2009 10:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Ayatollah Khamenei ruled out political compromise today, telling parliament that Tehran would not “yield to pressure at any cost,” the New York Times reports. “I insisted and will insist on implementing the law on the election issue,” he said. He spoke after Mohsen Rezai, one of the three opposition candidates, dropped his...
BK Goes Crude With 7-Inch Burger Ad
Gawker
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Jun 24, 2009 9:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Burger King’s “edgy” ads have reached a new low, writes Cajun Boy for Gawker. The ad for its 7-inch-long burger screams fellatio—from the “piping hot beef laden with creamy mayo” to the “open mouth of a wide-eyed blond.” The slogan—“It’ll blow your mind away”—is as subtle...
Miss. Gov Tests Waters for 2012
CQPolitics
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Jun 24, 2009 9:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Another face to watch for 2012: Haley Barbour. The Mississippi governor is traveling the country this week, appearing at Republican fundraisers and conferences in what many see as a warm-up for a 2012 run, CQ Politics reports. A Republican consultant says Barbour, 61, has a good shot in a year with “no frontrunner.”
South Pole Doc Who Treated Own Cancer Dead at 57
Associated Press
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Jun 24, 2009 9:28 AM CDT
(AP) -
Dr. Jerri Nielsen FitzGerald, who diagnosed and treated her own breast cancer before a dramatic rescue from the South Pole, has died at age 57, her husband said today, passing away yesterday at their home in Southwick, Mass. Her cancer had been in remission until it returned in August 2005.
Iran Teen Describes, Via Email, His Torture
Salon
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Jun 24, 2009 9:15 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Iranian-American activists are circulating an email, written in Farsi, in which a 17-year-old boy describes his torture at the hands of the regime, complete with graphic photographs, Salon reports. The boy, who says he's not an activist of any stripe, says he was minding his own business in a parking lot when agents apprehended him. Taken into custody,...
Red Tape Chokes Path to Next-Gen Nukes
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 24, 2009 9:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A handful of startups are designing an exciting new generation of modular nuclear reactors that could solve our energy woes, writes legendary tech investor Bob Metcalfe in the Wall Street Journal . Small enough to fit on a kitchen table, they’re cheap and safe and use non-weapons-grade fuel. “As an Internet guy, these reactors seem to...
Researchers Extract Stem Cells From Placentas
Guardian (UK)
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Jun 24, 2009 8:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Scientists have found an effective way to extract stem cells from placentas, where they’re abundant, after babies are born, the Guardian reports. Placentas contain up to five times as many of the key cells as cord blood, which has become a common source, and they may be more primitive, which makes them more versatile, they say. “Yes,...
Iranian Press Pushes for Mousavi's Arrest
Telegraph (UK)
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Jun 24, 2009 8:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Several Iranian newspapers sympathetic to the regime have published articles blaming Mir Hossein Mousavi for recent violence, reports the Telegraph . The papers demand that the opposition leader be arrested for treason, a strategy that may be part of an effort to strengthen the position of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, the Iranian intelligence...
'Hiking' SC Gov Returns From Buenos Aires
State (Columbia, SC)
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Jun 24, 2009 8:13 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Mark Sanford is missing no more. The AWOL South Carolina governor surfaced early today at an Atlanta airport, saying he had just returned not from hiking the Appalachian Trail, but from cruising the Buenos Aires coastline, The State reports. As to why his staff said he was hiking, Sanford said he’d told them he might hike the AT, but later...
Wallop Iran Where It Hurts: Oil Revenues
New York Times
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Jun 24, 2009 7:58 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Pundits and politicians are wasting their time telling Barack Obama what he should be saying about the growing "green revolution" in Iran, writes Thomas L. Friedman. The country's reformers and protesters don't need American encouragement; they need a weakened theocracy—which will only happen when oil prices go into freefall. "Launching...
Celtic Tiger Hangover Pounds Dublin Bars
GlobalPost
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Jun 24, 2009 7:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Once the poor man of Europe, Ireland rode a breathtaking economic boom that transformed Dublin into one of the region's swankiest capitals. But now that the Celtic Tiger has gone bust, the ambitious restaurants and exclusive lounges of the new Dublin are closing their doors. Cash and credit have dried up, reports GlobalPost, and the indebted bankers...
Maryland GOP Group Likens Obama to Hitler
Think Progress
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Jun 24, 2009 7:32 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The leader of a prominent Maryland Republican group is comparing President Obama to Adolf Hitler, apparently with a straight face, in a letter on its website, ThinkProgress reports. “Obama and Hitler have a great deal in common in my view,” writes the president of Republican Women of Anne Arundel County. “Obama and Hitler use the...
Recession Will End This Year
Reuters
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Jun 24, 2009 6:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The US recession will end this year, but fragile financial markets and sapped consumer wealth will keep the pace of recovery sluggish, an influential Paris-based economic prognosticator said today. The OECD—Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development—predicted that the US economy will shrink by 2.8% this year and grow...
Liver Transplant Hospital Bullish on Jobs' Prognosis
Commercial Appeal (Memphis)
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Jun 24, 2009 6:43 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A Tennessee hospital has confirmed that Steve Jobs received a new liver there earlier this year, reports the Memphis Commercial Appeal . The Apple boss "is now recovering well and has an excellent prognosis," said officials at Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute, who issued a press release with Jobs' permission. They declined...
Colo. Ranchers Battle Army Land Grab
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 24, 2009 6:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Ranchers in southeast Colorado have fought the US Army to a standstill over plans to expand a training site onto their land, the Wall Street Journal reports. An Army analysis found that the grasslands were ideal for combat training, and recommended the military acquire 7 million acres, but the ranchers have balked at turning over a single...
Bulgaria Detains Kosovo's Ex-PM on War Crimes Charges
Associated Press
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Jun 24, 2009 6:05 AM CDT
(AP) -
Bulgarian authorities have detained a former Kosovo prime minister on an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol at Serbia's request, reports the AP. Agim Ceku, PM between 2006 and 2008, is wanted for war crimes allegedly committed during the 1998-1999 war when he was military chief of the Kosovo Liberation Army, made up of ethnic Albanian...
Feds to Streamline Infamous Financial Aid Form
New York Times
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Jun 24, 2009 5:49 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The White House today will unveil its plan to make it easier for students to get federal aid by cutting the fiendishly complex application down to size, the New York Times reports. The FAFSA—Free Application for Federal Student Aid—is notorious for being harder to fill out than a tax return, leading many parents to pay professionals to...
Envoy Visits Jailed US Journalists in N. Korea
CNN
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Jun 24, 2009 5:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A diplomat has been allowed to visit Euna Lee and Laura Ling for the first time since North Korea sentenced the US journalists to 12 years' hard labor, CNN reports. The Swedish ambassador, acting on behalf of the US, met with the journalists in Pyongyang, according to the State Department. The ambassador is pressing the North Koreans for more...
Berlusconi: I Don't Even Like Hookers
BBC
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Jun 24, 2009 4:48 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has denied that he paid prostitutes who attended parties at his official residences, reports the BBC. Berlusconi told a gossip magazine that the call girl who alleged she was paid over $1000 to sleep with him was "extremely well paid" by a political opponent to lie about him to destroy his reputation....
