Rabu, 23 September 2009

News

News


AP source: Hanged Census worker had 'fed' on chest (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 08:45 PM PDT

AP - A U.S. Census worker found hanged from a tree near a Kentucky cemetery had the word "fed" scrawled on his chest, a law enforcement official said Wednesday, and the FBI is investigating whether he was a victim of anti-government sentiment.

Official: More questioned in NYC terror probe (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 05:55 PM PDT

A police officer keeps watch inside Grand Central Station Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 in New York.  (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)AP - Hundreds of federal agents and police officers widened their investigation of a potential terrorism plot involving an alleged al-Qaida associate on Wednesday as questions lingered about whether early missteps might have made the chore harder.


Kidnapped Calif. girl's mom: 'Miracles can happen' (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 10:10 PM PDT

California police officers search the home of alleged kidnapper Phillip Garrido in August 2009 in Antioch, California. Investigators found no evidence linking US kidnap suspect Phillip Garrido to two 1980s abductions after completing a search of the convicted rapist's property, police confirmed Wednesday.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Justin Sullivan)AP - The mother of a Northern California woman found alive 18 years after she was kidnapped says people should never stop looking for missing children.


How the ACORN 'pimp and hooker' videos came to be (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 08:21 PM PDT

This image made Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009 from undated hidden-camera video taken from the web site Biggovernment.com, shows James O'Keefe III, right, and Hannah Giles in a hidden-camera video. In the video, created by Giles and O'Keefe, the two pose as a pimp and prostitute and talk to ACORN employees who give them advice about establishing a brothel with underage prostitutes from Central America. O'Keefe and Giles were no strangers to Washington's conservative establishment; as far back as 2006, well before the videos became a national sensation and right-wing rallying cry, they connected with a pair of institutions that boast programs training ideological journalists. (AP Photo/Biggovernment.com)AP - Much of America discovered James O'Keefe III and Hannah Giles through their hidden-camera, make-believe pimp and prostitute videos of ACORN employees giving advice about establishing a brothel with underage hookers.


Watchdog seeks probe into sale of Ross drug store (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 10:18 PM PDT

FILE - In this Tuesday, July 21, 2009 file picture, Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., center, speaks to the reporters after a Blue Dog Democrats meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington. A watchdog group is asking the Justice Department to look into the 2007 sale of a drug store owned by a congressman who is a key figure in the national health care debate. The group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington questioned Wednesday whether the $420,000 that USA Drug paid Rep. Mike Ross for his family-owned Holly's Health Mart in Prescott, Ark., was a fair price. Ross leads the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, whose support is critical for health-care reform. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)AP - A watchdog group asked the Justice Department on Wednesday to look into the 2007 sale of a drug store owned by a congressman who is a key figure in the national health care debate after reports he may have profited excessively from the sale.


3 killed when Guard Humvee crashes on Tex. highway (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 09:17 PM PDT

A Texas Department of Public Safety officer looks at a wrecked military Humvee on Interstate 35 in Troy, Texas on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. The Humvee vaulted into an oncoming lane of a Central Texas expressway, triggering a six-vehicle crash that killed three people. (AP Photo/The Waco Tribune-Herald, Jerry Larson)AP - A National Guard Humvee went airborne on a Texas interstate Wednesday and vaulted into an oncoming lane, triggering a six-vehicle crash that killed a soldier and two other drivers, authorities said.


Sugar makes Dr Pepper special from Dublin, Texas (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 09:42 PM PDT

In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, a Dublin Dr Pepper bottle showing the Imperial Sugar label is shown at the Dublin Dr Pepper bottling company in Dublin, Texas. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)AP - For Dr Pepper drinkers, this is Mecca.


3 charged in Ill. dogfighting ring at day care (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 06:22 PM PDT

AP - A home day care was the site of a dogfighting ring, authorities said Wednesday, and investigators who raided the house found a blood-spattered garage floor and battered and malnourished dogs not far from where the children played.

Sheriff: Slain Ill. family members were not shot (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 06:04 PM PDT

Police tape surrounds a house in Beason, Ill., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009, where five members of a family were found slain in their home and a search is still under way for a suspect. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)AP - A sheriff said Wednesday that autopsies on five members of a family found slain in their central Illinois home revealed that none of the victims had been shot, but he refused to reveal the cause of death.


Milwaukee man ordered to trial in serial killings (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 05:19 PM PDT

Cornelius Thomas, right, and Korona Richmond cry in the hall during a break in the preliminary hearing for Walter Ellis Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009, in Milwaukee. Judge Rebecca Dallet ruled after the hearing that there was enough evidence to try Ellis. He is charged with five counts first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of first-degree murder. Thomas is the father of victim Florence McCormick and Richmond the daughter. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)AP - A judge has ordered a Milwaukee man accused of killing seven women over 21 years to stand trial.


In Dairyland, Pollan's 'Food' book sparks debate (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 05:07 PM PDT

This Tuesday, June 9, 2009 picture shows Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley and author Michael Pollan at a special screening of 'Food Inc' at the Angelika Film Center in New York. One best-selling book advocating fresh, local foods is shaking up America's Dairyland. Pollan's book titled 'In Defense of Food' urges readers to 'eat food, mostly plants,' and is the subject of a new program in which incoming freshmen can get the book free and many professors are using it in classes. Pollan will give a lecture Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)AP - One best-selling book advocating fresh, local foods is shaking up America's Dairyland.


As Gadhafi deal goes south, should Trump be fired? (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 08:42 PM PDT

People gather around a tent Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009 on a property known as Seven Springs estate owned by real estate magnate Donald Trump in Bedford, N.Y. The Libyan government has pitched a tent on the property that leader Moammar Gadhafi may use for entertaining, according to a State Department official.  Gadhafi is due to address the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)AP - Did The Donald and the dictator made a backdoor deal? If so, the plan to pitch a tent in this suburb for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi went south pretty fast. Maybe someone should be fired.


Slain Va. mom, daughter had counseling over music (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 04:57 PM PDT

An April 21, 2009 photo provided by Longwood University, shows Debra Kelley, assistant professor of criminal justice at Longwood University. Kelley was named Tuesday, Sept. 22 2009 as one of the four people found slain in Farmville, Va. (AP Photo/Longwood University)AP - A criminal justice professor and her daughter, who police say were slain by a horrorcore rapper, were in counseling over the teenager's obsession with the macabre music, and the mother took her daughter to the concerts to keep an eye on her, a family friend said Wednesday.


Cox to retire as Braves manager after next season (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 06:44 PM PDT

Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox stands in the dugout after announcing that he will retire after the 2010 season before the Braves baseball game against the New York Mets at Citi Field in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)AP - After 50 years in baseball, Bobby Cox figured the only way he would ever give up managing was to pick a specific time and announce it publicly.


Trial in dispute between Apple, Eminem's publisher (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 03:50 PM PDT

Eminem accepts the award for best hip hop video for AP - Apple Inc. and Eminem's music publisher have failed to settle a dispute over 93 songs on iTunes, clearing the way for a trial in the rapper's hometown of Detroit.


Grandmother gets 44 months in green-card scam (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 02:42 PM PDT

Maria Refugia Camarillo leaves the federal courthouse in Dallas, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. The Fort Worth grandmother has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for running a scheme in which her family members married foreigners seeking to stay in the United States. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)AP - A Texas grandmother who acknowledged running a scheme in which her family members married scores of foreigners seeking to stay in the United States was sentenced Wednesday to nearly four years in prison.


Teacher killed at Texas high school; teen held (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 04:20 PM PDT

AP - A special-education teacher who had a passion for music was fatally stabbed Wednesday morning in a Texas high school classroom, and police took a 16-year-old student into custody.

Mayoral candidate in Md. capital drops out — again (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 03:17 PM PDT

Democratic Annapolis mayoral nominee Zina Pierre talks during a news conference, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009, in Annapolis, Md. Pierre, a former White House aide in the Clinton administration, announced she was dropping out of the race. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)AP - A former White House aide has dropped out of the race to be mayor of Maryland's capital city — again — and apparently it's for keeps this time.


Daily News

Daily News


Security Council doesn't work, Gadhafi tells UN - CNN

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 09:38 AM PDT


Telegraph.co.uk

Security Council doesn't work, Gadhafi tells UN
CNN
UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Wednesday denounced the structure of the UN Security Council, criticizing the permanent seats and veto power granted to a limited number of nations. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi addresses the UN ...
While Gaddafi talks, Senate rebukes LibyaReuters
Lockerbie protests greet GaddafiBBC News
Gaddafi slams UN Security CouncilAljazeera.net
Jewish Telegraphic Agency -Reuters India -CBS News
all 1,216 news articles »

Obama to world: US can't fix it all alone - Reuters

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 10:40 AM PDT


Telegraph.co.uk

Obama to world: US can't fix it all alone
Reuters
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - President Barack Obama pressed world leaders on Wednesday to help confront challenges ranging from the war in Afghanistan to nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea instead of expecting ...
Obama Says US Ready to Begin 'New Chapter' of International ...Voice of America
Obama calls for new era in world relationsCNN
Kadhafi happy if Obama president-for-lifeAFP
MiamiHerald.com -guardian.co.uk -Telegraph.co.uk
all 1,637 news articles »

US bomb plot probe shows greatest security fears - Reuters

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 10:34 AM PDT


CBS News

US bomb plot probe shows greatest security fears
Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A suspected bomb plot under investigation in New York and Denver has the ingredients of a worst case scenario for US security, experts say: an al Qaeda link, overseas training and free movement ...
Queens imam will put up property to make bail, lawyer saysNewsday
Up to 24 More People Under Scrutiny as NYC Tightens Security in ...FOXNews
How Using Imam in Terror Inquiry BackfiredNew York Times
USA Today -The Associated Press -Boston Channel.com
all 3,750 news articles »

Geithner Presses Congress Again for New Financial Regulations - Washington Post

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 10:37 AM PDT


Reuters

Geithner Presses Congress Again for New Financial Regulations
Washington Post
Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner on Wednesday once again pressed Congress to pass a sweeping overhaul of the nation's financial regulatory system, telling members of the House Financial Services Committee that "we can't let the ...
Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner Written TestimonyLos Angeles Times
White House Pares Its Financial Reform PlanNew York Times
Frank Says House Will Move on Financial OverhaulWall Street Journal
ABC News -Atlantic Online -The Associated Press
all 810 news articles »

California fire threatens more populated area - CNN

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 09:06 AM PDT


Grand Forks Herald

California fire threatens more populated area
CNN
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- -- A fire in steep canyons and rural communities near Los Angeles, California, was lapping at the northern edge of the town of Moorpark on Wednesday, a fire spokesman said. Authorities ordered the evacuation of ...
S. Calif. fire grows to 9700 acres amid hot windsThe Associated Press
Guiberson fire in Moorpark expected to reach 10000 acres todayLos Angeles Times
Fire Near Moorpark Burns 9700 Acres, 20 Percent ContainedKTLA
Ventura County Star -KHTS Radio -Fillmore Gazette
all 1,487 news articles »

Commander to send troop request for Afghanistan - The Associated Press

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 10:50 AM PDT


FOXNews

Commander to send troop request for Afghanistan
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said Wednesday that a request for new troops from the US commander in Afghanistan may have to be revised now that there is growing uncertainty inside the Obama administration over whether to escalate the American commitment to ...
Request for more US troops in Afghanistan expected soonCNN
Do Gates and McChrystal Have the Guts to Take a Stand?FOXNews
Afghans on troop surge debate: It's the corruption, stupid.Christian Science Monitor
Reuters India -Wall Street Journal -New York Times
all 4,554 news articles »

ANALYSIS-Brazil's risky role in Honduras crisis may backfire - Reuters

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 10:05 AM PDT


Telegraph.co.uk

ANALYSIS-Brazil's risky role in Honduras crisis may backfire
Reuters
BRASILIA, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Brazil may not have invited ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya to take refuge in its embassy there, but opening its door to him is a high-risk bet that could harm its regional leadership ambitions. ...
Canada calls for 'negotiated solution' to Honduras crisisAFP
Hondurans ordered off streets after violent nightThe Associated Press
Zelaya Says Honduras Government Plans Embassy AttackBloomberg
BBC News -guardian.co.uk -Xinhua
all 2,705 news articles »

Climate Week: Don't Celebrate Too Soon - Newsweek

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 07:17 AM PDT


Times Online

Climate Week: Don't Celebrate Too Soon
Newsweek
This is Climate Week here in New York City, so if you have been swept up in the excitement over Hugh Jackman's lending his celebrity to the cause of averting a catastrophic greenhouse effect ("people in developing countries have contributed the least ...
China pledges climate change actionBBC News
SCENARIOS: Possible outcomes of Copenhagen climate talksReuters
China gets serious about carbon emissions, global warmingChristian Science Monitor
Reuters India -Xinhua -CNN
all 3,976 news articles »

WHO recommends H1N1 vaccines in 2010 flu season - Reuters

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 10:01 AM PDT


Xinhua

WHO recommends H1N1 vaccines in 2010 flu season
Reuters
GENEVA, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Vaccinations against flu for the 2010 influenza season in the southern hemisphere should also contain viruses against the current pandemic H1N1 virus, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday. ...
Want a flu shot? Be persistent, state health officials sayMinneapolis Star Tribune
Wellesley's seasonal flu clinics postponedBoston Globe
WHO says 2010 vaccines should cover swine fluAFP
Stamford Times -Los Angeles Times -Cincinnati.com
all 2,457 news articles »

US rejects Mid-East preconditions - BBC News

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 10:16 AM PDT


The Age

US rejects Mid-East preconditions
BBC News
US President Barack Obama has called for an immediate re-launching of Middle East peace talks without preconditions, during his maiden address to the UN. Palestinian leaders voiced frustration that the US appeared to be softening a demand that Israel ...
PM Netanyahu on Meeting With President Mahmoud Abbas and President ...FOXNews
Palestinian settlement workers carry on buildingReuters
White House Pivots in Mideast Peace BidNew York Times
Ha'aretz -Aljazeera.net -Jewish Telegraphic Agency
all 4,336 news articles »

News

News


Obama to deliver 1st speech to UN General Assembly (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 12:24 AM PDT

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the Clinton Global Initiative 2009 Annual Meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 in New York. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)AP - President Barack Obama's vision of international diplomacy is about to get the scrutiny of the world, as his promise of a new day is slamming into conflicts of old.


Terrorism and nukes top General Assembly agenda (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 12:40 AM PDT

Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen speaks at the summit on climate change at the United Nations, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2009 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)AP - More than 120 world leaders meet Wednesday on the heels of a climate change summit to tackle other crucial issues on the international agenda from terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons to growing poverty resulting from the global financial crisis.


Ahmadinejad urges Obama to see Iran as a 'friend' (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 12:36 AM PDT

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is interviewed by editors from The Associated Press, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 in New York. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)AP - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged President Barack Obama to see Iran as a potential friend instead of a threat ahead of addresses both leaders will give to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.


Complaint suggests NYPD misstepped in terror probe (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 12:27 AM PDT

Army National Guard soldiers patrol inside Grand Central Station Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 in New York.  (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)AP - Police acting without the FBI's knowledge may have inadvertently helped blow the surveillance of a terrorism suspect and compromised a bomb plot investigation at a sensitive stage by questioning an imam about him, a criminal complaint suggests.


Ousted Honduran leader left isolated in embassy (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 12:05 AM PDT

Supporters of Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya run from tear gas fired by riot police during clashes near the Brazilian embassy  in Tegucigalpa, Tuesday, Sept 22, 2009. Baton-wielding police fired tear gas at thousands of demonstrators Tuesday morning, chasing them away from the Brazilian embassy where their deposed president who snuck back into the country remains holed up, avoiding threatened arrest.(AP Photo/Fernando Antonio)AP - Diplomats and activists streamed out of the increasingly isolated Brazilian Embassy in Honduras where ousted President Manuel Zelaya holed up with a shrinking core of supporters and relatives, prompting Brazil to urge the U.N. Security Council to guarantee the compound's safety.


Fed likely to leave economic supports in place (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 12:07 AM PDT

AP - Nurturing a nascent recovery, Federal Reserve policymakers are sure to leave a key interest rate at a record low and probably will keep other economic supports in place.

Analysis: Time grows short for climate deal (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 12:39 AM PDT

President Barack Obama addresses the Summit on Climate Change at the United Nations Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Konishi Taro, Japan Pool)AP - The man from the middle of the Indian Ocean, from one of the tiniest of nations, told his fellow presidents he knew "you are not really listening."


Wildfire burns 8,500 acres in hot, dry SoCal (AP)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 12:39 AM PDT

Jim Crawford practices putting at the Rustic Canyon Golf Course as a wildfire burns in the hills of Moorpark, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)AP - A wildfire stoked by the notoriously hot and dry Santa Ana winds has burned some 8,500 acres in the hills of Ventura County, where airtankers — including a DC-10 jumbo jet and big helitankers — have bombarded flames with retardant and water.


Beatles sell 2.25 million albums in 5 days (AP)

Posted: 22 Sep 2009 06:28 PM PDT

FILE - In this Feb. 9, 1964 picture, The Beatles perform at the 'Ed Sullivan Show,' in New York.  It was the band's first American appearance, and influenced other musicians future careers. Front row from left; Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon. Drummer Ringo Starr is at rear. Nearly 40 years after breaking up, The Beatles are still breaking records for album sales. EMI Group PLC says consumers in North America, Japan and the U.K. bought more than 2.25 million copies of the Fab Four's re-mastered albums in the first five days after their Sept. 9, 2009 release. (AP Photo)AP - Nearly 40 years after breaking up, The Beatles are still breaking records for album sales.


Greinke picks up 15th win as Royals beat Bosox 5-1 (AP)

Posted: 22 Sep 2009 09:29 PM PDT

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)AP - Zack Greinke bolstered his Cy Young Award credentials by holding Boston to two hits in six scoreless innings, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 5-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.


Obama star power faces new test at U.N meeting (Reuters)

Posted: 22 Sep 2009 10:20 PM PDT

Reuters - U.S. President Barack Obama makes his United Nations debut on Wednesday, hoping his international star power can throw new muscle behind a policy agenda that is already struggling to deliver.

China and U.S. try to jumpstart U.N. climate talks (Reuters)

Posted: 23 Sep 2009 12:09 AM PDT

President Barack Obama (C, podium) addresses the Summit on Climate Change at the United Nations headquarters in New York, September 22, 2009. REUTERS/Mike SegarReuters - China laid out a plan to curb carbon emissions by 2020 and U.S. President Barack Obama called on all nations to act now to tackle global warming, as world leaders tried to inject momentum into climate change talks.


Senate panel debates healthcare affordability (Reuters)

Posted: 22 Sep 2009 06:08 PM PDT

U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, discusses the healthcare reform bill during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, September 16, 2009. REUTERS/Hyungwon KangReuters - Democrats pushed on Tuesday to make insurance reforms more affordable for workers and Republicans decried what they called a rush to judgment, as a key Senate panel began debate on a sweeping healthcare overhaul.


U.S. House votes to extend unemployment benefits (Reuters)

Posted: 22 Sep 2009 04:24 PM PDT

Reuters - With unemployment lines growing even as the recession eases its grip, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to extend jobless benefits for those who risk exhausting them.

Obama reviews options in Afghanistan (Reuters)

Posted: 22 Sep 2009 09:15 PM PDT

A U.S. soldier pictured near the town of Khan Neshin in Rig district of Helmand province, southern Afghanistan September 9, 2009. REUTERS/Goran TomasevicReuters - U.S. President Barack Obama has delayed a decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan because of doubts about its election and the legitimacy of its government, and is considering other options, officials said on Tuesday.


U.S. closes Mexico crossing after shooting (Reuters)

Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:30 PM PDT

ALTERNATIVE CROP OF MXGA101 - A US Customs and Border Protection officer is seen from Mexico's side of the San Ysidro port of entry guarding vehicles involved in a shooting in Tijuana, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009.  Four people were injured in a gun battle involving an attempt to smuggle illegal immigrants from Mexico at the busiest border crossing in the U.S., authorities said. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias)Reuters - U.S. authorities closed the world's busiest land border crossing for several hours on Tuesday after suspected Mexican human traffickers tried to enter with illegal immigrants, U.S. officials said.


FDA, in first tobacco action, bans flavors (Reuters)

Posted: 22 Sep 2009 04:40 PM PDT

Reuters - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took its first steps to rein in the tobacco industry on Tuesday, implementing a ban on candy, clove and other flavored cigarettes.

Australia reels from wild weather (AFP)

Posted: 22 Sep 2009 08:04 PM PDT

Australia's biggest city was shrouded in an eerie blanket of red dust on Wednesday as bushfires, earthquakes, wild winds and massive hail stones caused havoc in the country.(AFP/Graphic)AFP - Australia's biggest city was shrouded in an eerie blanket of red dust on Wednesday as bushfires, earthquakes, high winds and massive hail stones caused havoc in the country.


Honduran de facto leader offers talks with Zelaya (AFP)

Posted: 22 Sep 2009 10:19 PM PDT

A soldier shoots during riots in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Honduras' de facto leader offered for the first time to hold direct talks with ousted President Manuel Zelaya to resolve a political crisis even as soldiers laid siege to the embassy where he took refuge.(AFP/Jose Cabezas)AFP - Honduras' de facto leader offered for the first time to hold direct talks with ousted President Manuel Zelaya to resolve a political crisis even as soldiers laid siege to the embassy where he took refuge.