Bush picks Republican lawmaker to run SEC Boston Globe
President Bush nominated conservative Representative Christopher Cox as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday, prompting speculation that the agency could take a more pro-business approach. Business organizations praised Bush's selection of the California Republican and said they expected that he would focus more on regulatory reform rather than on the enforcement and stiffer rules that characterized the turbulent reign of departing chairman William Donaldson. Critics said they feared that Cox would pull back from aggressive SEC enforcement, which has resulted in big fines for some of America's largest companies in recent years and in tougher accounting and corporate governance regulations.
Watchdog needed Baltimore Sun
Setting an example Orlando Sentinel (subscription)
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Australia's beached whales head back out to sea Reuters AlertNet
All but one of 160 whales which became stranded on two beaches on Australia's southwest coast have been pushed, dragged and herded back into the ocean, rescuers said on Friday.
Australians save more than 100 stranded whales Japan Today
Sick whale 'led to beaching' News24
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Kashmir Leaders Go to Pakistan in Search of Peace CRI
It was the first time New Delhi has let separatists delegates cross to the Pakistani part of the divided territory for talks. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Head of Delegation said they'll try to communicate with more on the other side: "Hurriyat Conference will try to meet all sections of people in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and evolve a consensus on the Kashmir issue. Hardline Hurriyat leaders who insist the whole Kashmir should belong to Pakistan have refused to take part in the visit.
Hurriyat visit an important landmark Islamic Republic News Agency
Top Kashmiri Separatist Leaders to Meet ABC News
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Live 8 tries to ease fear on protest by 'million' Times Online
THE Live 8 team attempted to build bridges with the Edinburgh authorities yesterday by retracting Bob Geldof’s earlier call for pupils to play truant and join a million people in the city for a G8 protest.
In tune for Africa Guardian Unlimited
Bob's million is symbolic, says Midge Independent
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Bolivian president takes action to defuse protests Reuters AlertNet
Bolivian President Carlos Mesa, faced with the worst social upheaval of his mandate, signed a decree on Thursday on two key demands in hopes of ending weeks of violent protests and narrowing the deep divide between rich and poor over energy resources. Bolivians will go to the polls on Oct. 16 to elect members for an assembly to rewrite the constitution with the aim of redistributing power in favor of the poor indigenous majority, Mesa said. On the same day, he said, Bolivians will vote on a referendum for greater autonomy for provinces from La Paz, a demand of the wealthy eastern provinces where most of Bolivia's gas and oil lies. Mesa announced his intervention after the fragmented Congress failed to reach a consensus for the third day in a row, while indigenous protests raged in the streets of La Paz and brought the capital to a standstill.
Bolivia paralyzed in tense day of blockades Reuters
Bolivia on brink as gas protests block capital Guardian Unlimited
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Russia to defend its global interests through dialogue: Lavrov RIA Novosti
Russia plans to defend its national interests in the world through dialogue, rather than confrontation," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told an official meeting at the Far Eastern State University devoted to the fifteenth anniversary of establishing the Russian Federation's commission for UNESCO affairs. "Apart from positive aspects, globalization has its drawbacks, such as terrorism, illicit drug trafficking and organized crime. Not everyone in the world is happy about the way Russia develops. Apart from constructive criticism, we face ill-wishers, who would like to once again view Russia as an adversary or undesirable rival. Russia wants to overcome this perception through dialogue, rather than confrontation. We intend to defend our national interests with the help of dialogue," Lavrov said.
China, Russia and India cooperation not counter any country Viet Nam News Agency
China, Russia sign final agreement on border demarcation Forbes
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African leaders assert continent's image tainted Boston Globe
African political and economic leaders complained yesterday that the West unfairly perceives the continent solely as a place riven by conflict, coups, and deadly diseases, when in reality the majority of countries can absorb new investment to build roads and health systems and develop a new generation of leaders. Yet at the three-day Africa Economic Summit here, which attracted 660 people from 42 countries, many participants also acknowledged that corruption still grips several mineral-rich countries, and that Africans need to do more to tackle this obstacle to growth. The 15th annual summit, organized by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum, carried a sense of urgency because the plight of Africa will be atop the agenda during a meeting of the Group of Eight summit of leaders of industrial nations next month in Scotland.
Africa, like Asia, must build own brand - leading businessman Reuters South Africa
Minister accuses foreign firms of corruption East African Standard
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Deep Throat's Lessons for Whistle-Blowers BusinessWeek
Plenty of folks have taken Mark Felt's lonely path since Watergate days. Here's a look at what it takes to successfully reveal wrongdoing.
Felt deserves gratitude for exposing wrong Bowling Green Daily News
Deep Throat acted appropriately The Spokesman Review (subscription)
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Hyperbole and Human Rights Washington Post
At his news conference this week, Bush was asked about a report by Amnesty International in which Irene Khan, the group's secretary general, referred to the American detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as "the gulag of our times.
Don't Dismiss the Torture Report Los Angeles Times
Is Bush actually a man of his word? Denver Post
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London to NY flight diverted after 'false alarm' CNN International
A Virgin Atlantic flight from London, England, to New York was diverted to Nova Scotia, Canada, on Friday after sending out a hijack signal in what the airline and government officials called a "false alarm.
Malfunction Causes Highjack Alert 13WHAM-TV
London to NY flight diverted over 'false alarm' CNN
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US criticizes Gulf allies on human trafficking Reuters
The United States criticized four Gulf Arab allies as some of the world's worst offenders in permitting human trafficking on Friday in a rebuke Washington hopes will promote improved human rights in the Middle East.
Nations with human trafficking problems grows USA Today
Officials: US to criticize Saudis in trafficking report CNN
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Democrats rest case in Washington election challenge trial kgw.com (subscription)
Democrats rested their case Friday in the election challenge trial, after spending the week defending the disputed 2004 governor's election.
Governor's election contest KING5.com (subscription)
King County plans election center to consolidate ballot business Seattle Times
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Bay Area girl second-best speller in US San Jose Mercury News
The words came rapid-fire from the depths of the dictionary, a flurry of Latin roots and French suffixes that one by one flummoxed 270 of the 273 youngsters in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Calif. 8th-Grader Wins US Spelling Bee ABC News
Calif. 8th-Grader Wins US Spelling Bee Washington Post
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Deputy, Man Killed in Kentucky Shootout ABC News
A sheriff's deputy and a second man were killed in a shootout after the deputy responded to a domestic violence complaint at the man's home, authorities said.
Ky. Deputy, Another Man Die In Shootout Louisville Channel.com
Livingston Sheriff's Deputy Killed WBKO
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Man Convicted of 1982 Slaying Goes Free Washington Post
A man was convicted of manslaughter for beating his girlfriend to death with a hammer in 1982, but he will walk free because the law in effect then included a five-year statute of limitations.
Killer Convicted, Then Walks Free CBS News
No Jail for Convicted Murderer WPVI
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Two San Diego County men killed in Fontana speedway crash Dateline Alabama
Two San Diego County men were killed when their Porsche crashed and burned at the California Speedway, authorities said. The 2005 Porsche Carrera GT went out of control, left the inside track and careened onto the grass, hit a barrier and caught fire at 10:40 a.m. Thursday, San Bernardino County officials said. The passenger, Corey Nicholas Rudl, 34, died at the scene. The driver, Benjamin Miles Keaton, 39, was airlifted to Loma Linda University Hospital, where he died about an hour later, according to the county coroner's office. The La Jolla men were not burned but died of crash injuries, Supervising Deputy Coroner Randy Emon said.
2 Amateur Racers Die in Crash at Speedway Los Angeles Times
Two killed in crash at Speedway Press-Enterprise (subscription)
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Uzbekistan Travel Warning Kansas City infoZine
This Travel Warning is being issued to remind US citizens to the potential for terrorist actions in Uzbekistan. The Department of State has authorized the departure of non-emergency personnel and all eligible family members of U. S. Embassy personnel and urges all U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel to Uzbekistan. This Travel Warning supercedes the Public Announcement of May 27, 2005. The United States Government has received information that terrorist groups are planning attacks, possibly against U.S. interests, in Uzbekistan in the very near future. Due to the nature of the threat, the Department of State has authorized the departure from Uzbekistan of non-emergency personnel and all eligible family members of the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent. American citizens currently in Uzbekistan should consider departing Uzbekistan via available commercial options.
US govt warns of threats against its interests in Uzbekistan Forbes
Americans Told to Leave Uzbekistan Due to Terror Threat Elites TV
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Plans for bill signing draw protests Fort Worth Star Telegram
Democrats and a group dedicated to keeping religion out of politics are protesting Gov. Rick Perry's plans to use a Fort Worth Christian school to sign bills aimed at cracking down on abortion and gay marriage.
Texas Gov. To Sign Anti-Gay Marriage Measure At Christian School 365Gay.com
Perry to sign abortion bill at church school Denton Record Chronicle (subscription)
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Quran abuses verified Newsday
One US interrogator stepped on a Quran. Guards kicked another. And in other cases at Guantanamo Bay prison, the Muslim holy book was inadvertently splashed by water balloons and a guard's urine. The U.S. military yesterday detailed five instances of confirmed mistreatment of the Quran by U.S. personnel at the war-on-terror prison in Cuba, including a fifth somewhat ambiguous case where a two-word obscenity was scribbled in English into the front of a detainee's Quran. Two people were disciplined but the other confirmed cases were closed without disciplinary action. The prison commander, Brig. Gen. Jay Hood, launched the investigation after Newsweek reported in the May 9 issue - then retracted - an allegation that a Quran had been flushed down a toilet.
Quran abuse accidental, intentional, probe finds Birmingham News
US Confirms Gitmo Soldier Kicked Quran ABC News
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Proud end to Deep Throat mystery London Free Press
It must have been quite a sight for those in the newsroom of the Washington Post this week. Legendary reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were back together again in front of a computer screen. I know it would have sent chills up my spine. More than three decades ago, the duo, collectively known by their newsroom as "Woodstein," had broken wide open the political story of the century -- Watergate -- and helped bring down U.S. president Richard Nixon. It changed the course of history, of U.S. politics and of journalism everywhere.
Watergate was one of many political lows Louisville Courier-Journal
Deep Throat's Other Legacy Washington Post
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Voters set to cast ballots in south Lebanon Globe and Mail
Voters go to the polls in south Lebanon tomorrow in the second phase of parliamentary elections with the country rattled by the assassination of a prominent anti-Syrian journalist.
Assassinated in Lebanon Boston Globe
Mourners gather for Beirut writer BBC News
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Video forces Serbs to admit massacre Detroit Free Press
The gruesome video shown this week of the 1995 killing of six skinny young Bosnian Muslims by Serb paramilitaries is forcing Serb leaders to finally acknowledge their country's role in the worst massacre in Europe since World War II. The video of the July 1995 killings near Srebrenica mark the first time most Serbs have seen such images and could change the way the nation thinks of the slaughter in Bosnia, where Serb troops overran the enclave and killed 8,000 Muslim men and boys. The images prompted Serbian officials to acknowledge publicly that war crimes were committed by Serbs during the wars in the Balkans in the 1990s. "Everything burst -- the whole bubble of hiding evidence and denying crimes -- within the 10 minutes it took to broadcast the video," said Natasa Kandic, a human rights activist from the Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Fund.
Serbia arrests over Bosnia killings Financial Times
Arrests in shooting footage outrage Ireland Online
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"Pentagon expects to strengthen military ties with India" Malayala Manorama
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said that the Pentagon expects to strengthen military ties with India, one of the rising powers in Asia.
Rumsfeld: China's Military Buildup a Threat ABC News
Rumsfeld says China needlessly projects power Reuters
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UK referendum to be put on hold Hindu
Britain's planned referendum on the European Union Constitution is to be put on hold until the issues thrown up by this week's "no'' vote in France and the Netherlands are clarified.
Things Fall Apart Investor's Business Daily (subscription)
VOX POPULI, VOX DEI: Pondering the future of the EU Constitution Asahi Shimbun
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Palestinian leader to delay parliamentary elections WXXA
In a move seen as an effort to strengthen his own party's hand, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (mahk-MOOD' ah-BAHS') has decided to delay upcoming parliamentary elections by several months.
Abbas postponing July parliamentary election Reuters
Abbas postpones Palestinian vote BBC News
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Hurriyat leaders reach Islamabad despite Indian objection Newindpress
Hurriyat leaders from Kashmir arrived for talks in the Pakistani capital on Saturday, shrugging off India's objections to their travel beyond Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.
Kashmiri separatists go to Pakistan's capital Reuters AlertNet
Separatists' visit recognition of disputed status of J & K: Pak. Hindu
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