WASHINGTON - A jury in Montgomery, Ala. convicted former Alabama Governor Don Eugene Siegelman and former HealthSouth Chief Executive Officer Richard Scrushy of conspiracy, bribery and fraud, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher for the Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. of the Middle District of Alabama announced today.
Siegelman, 60, was […]
Stolen VA Laptop Turned in to FBI
By Steven Donald Smith
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – The stolen Department of Veterans Affairs laptop computer and hard drive containing the personal information of more than 26 million veterans were turned in to the FBI yesterday, the Veterans Affairs secretary said before Congress today.Reports indicate that the FBI has […]
STATE DEPARTMENT - The Bush administration has formally notified Congress of its intention to proceed with a fighter-jet sale to Pakistan worth up to $5 billion. Pakistan is to purchase as many as 36 new-model F-16 fighter aircraft and may also acquire some used F-16’s.
The Congress will have 30 days in which to reject the […]
PARIS - The Belgium government announced Wednesday it had ordered an inquiry into banking data transferred by a Brussels-based company to the U.S. government. The announcement comes amid mounting controversy in Europe and the U.S. over confidential banking data available to Washington as a way to fight terrorism.
In a statement published on its Internet site […]
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate has voted 60 to 34 to approve a free trade agreement with Oman. The House of Representatives could act on the measure as early as next month.
The U.S.-Oman trade accord, which will eliminate duties on goods and services in the countries’ bilateral trade, is part of Washington’s plans to establish […]
WASHINGTON - Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have engaged in a passionate debate on press freedom, sparked by revelations published in the New York Times and other newspapers about a U.S. government program that monitors international bank transfers.
Authored by majority Republicans over the objections of opposition Democrats, the resolution declares that unauthorized disclosure […]
CAPITOL HILL - The ongoing controversy over weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has again been in the spotlight on Capitol Hill. A congressional hearing (Thursday) heard from U.S. military officials and experts about chemical munitions discovered in Iraq since 2003.
The term Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) may seem to many people simple to define, […]
WASHINGTON - David Chen Pui, 27, of Fountain Valley, Calif., and David Lee Pruett, 35, of Auburn, Washington, were sentenced to prison terms of eight and 18 months, respectively, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert of the Western District of North Carolina announced […]
WASHINGTON - China recently said that pollution problems are costing its government more than $200 billion a year. The Worldwatch Institute in Washington says 16 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities are in China. Despite the efforts of environmental agencies, China’s pollution continues to worsen and spread far beyond the country’s borders.
This is what […]
KUWAIT CITY - Kuwaiti voters will go to the polls Thursday in a historic parliamentary election. Women will be allowed to vote for the first time, and 28 women are running for office.
Rola Dashti’s campaign headquarters is overflowing. Women sit on one side of the large white canvas tent, and men on the other. But […]
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling Wednesday that could have a major impact on the makeup of Congress in the future.
By a vote of seven to two, the high court upheld a Republican plan in Texas to redraw congressional districts that led to a Republican gain of six congressional seats in Texas […]
SEOUL - World leaders have expressed concern for weeks over the possibility of a North Korean missile test. Beyond satellite images of the missile launch base, however, relatively little is known about Pyongyang’s prospective launch plan.
Weapons experts in South Korea and the United States think the ballistic missile sitting on a North Korean launch pad […]
ATHENS - Anarchists and left-wing mob clashed with Greek police in the centre of Athens during a demonstration, organized by university students against new laws which have been proposed by the Greek Minister of Education, Marietta Yiannakou. Around 300 masked youths of left-wing and anarchist ideology caused heavy damage in cars, shops and private properties […]
WHITE HOUSE - The Bush administration says Israel has the right to defend itself as Israeli troops launch a ground and air assault in the Gaza Strip in hopes of rescuing a soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants Sunday.
White House Spokesman Tony Snow says Israel has the right to defend itself and the lives of its […]
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan says it is sending up to 10,000 more troops to strengthen security along the porous border with Afghanistan and check militant infiltration. The move was announced after a meeting between President Pervez Musharraf and U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Islamabad Tuesday.Secretary Condoleezza Rice met with President Musharraf to discuss how […]
BEIJING - The Chinese premier has said his country is concerned about reports North Korea is preparing to launch a long-range missile. This is the first time a top Chinese official has spoken out about the issue.
Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday said Beijing is paying close attention to information showing Pyongyang may soon fire a long-range […]
BAGHDAD - Iraq’s National Security advisor says authorities have arrested a key al-Qaida suspect in connection with the bombing of a Shi’ite shrine that triggered sectarian violence earlier this year.
Mowaffaq al-Rubaie told a news conference in Baghdad Wednesday that the Tunisian suspect - known as Abu Qudama - was wounded in a clash with Iraqi […]
Most firework injuries occur near Independence Day celebrations
By Jared A. Taylor
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire
WASHINGTON - Car alarms wailed and mannequin parts flew across a muddy National Mall on Tuesday as experts demonstrated the sometimes deadly effects of fireworks. The Consumer Product Safety Commission was demonstrating how both illegal and legal consumer fireworks can cause injuries […]
WASHINGTON - A Reno, Nevada man has been convicted by a federal jury in Los Angeles on multiple charges related to the sex trafficking of minors, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Deborah Wong Yang of the Central District of California and FBI Assistant Director J. Stephen Tidwell announced […]
WASHINGTON - A new U.S. public health report concludes there is no safe level of environmental tobacco smoke. The nation’s top public health physician, the Surgeon General, says inhaling someone else’s tobacco smoke leads to an immediate chain of biological events that can lead to disease in a non-smoker and even death.Last month, an Ontario, […]
Military Continues Investigation to Find Killers of U.S. Soldiers
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – The U.S. military is conducting an aggressive investigation to find those responsible for the deaths this month of three U.S. soldiers - one of whom died in an initial attack on the checkpoint the soldiers were manning, and […]
PENTAGON - The U.S. Army general in charge of training Iraq’s new security forces says the new Iraqi army will be fully in place by the end of the year, but it will need additional time to become fully capable. The general spoke Tuesday at the Pentagon.
Lieutenant General Martin Dempsey says the effort is on […]
JERUSALEM - Israel has launched an air and ground assault on the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip. The offensive was prompted by the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier, Sunday.
Israeli aircraft hit a power station, knocking out electricity to most of Gaza’s more than one million Palestinian residents. The air force also destroyed three bridges, to prevent militants […]
STATE DEPARTMENT - The State Department says the United States is pressing Libya to complete compensation payments to the families of those killed in the 1988 bombing of a U.S. PanAm jetliner over Scotland. Libya has accepted responsibility for the terror attack, but said this week it was no longer legally bound to make a […]
