Global announcement&Announcement & Sticky [0]

Heavy rains swamp camps holding Haiti's homeless

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – One of the heaviest rainfalls since Haiti's Jan. 12 earthquake swamped homeless camps Friday, sweeping screaming residents into eddies of water, overflowing latrines and panicking thousands.
The overnight downpour sent water coursing down the slopes of a former golf course that now serves as a temporary home for about 45,000 people.

There were no reports of deaths...

Palestinians clash with Israeli security

JERUSALEM – Palestinians in east Jerusalem and the West Bank lobbed rocks at Israeli security forces, set garbage bins and tires ablaze and torched an Israeli flag
in a new outbreak of violence over contested Jerusalem building plans and unsubstantiated rumors about threats to the city's holiest shrine.

Israeli forces responded with tear gas and stun grenades, but no serious injuries were reported.

Meeting of Santo Domingo offers 4 billion dollars to Haiti

Haiti: The pre-World Summit on Haiti has proposed on the night of Wednesday to Thursday in the Dominican Republic to allocate more than 4 billion dollars for reconstruction and budgetary needs of countries devastated by an earthquake January 12.
"Donor countries and multilateral agencies on Wednesday approved a fund of 3.8 billion dollars (2.8 billion euros) to pay to the Government...

Digicel offers phones for NGOs working in Haiti

Haiti: The mobile phone company Digicel has provided about 15 000 phones to over 25 organizations including international organizations in order to facilitate their work on the country after the earthquake of January 12.
Program for United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), International Organization for Migration (IOM) and CARE International are part of...

TV presenter gets death sentence for 'sorcery'

(CNN) -- Amnesty International is calling on Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to stop the execution of a Lebanese man sentenced to death for "sorcery."
In a statement released Thursday, the international rights group condemned the verdict and demanded the immediate release of Ali Hussain Sibat, former host of a popular call-in show that aired on Sheherazade, a Beirut based satellite TV channel.

Sandbags in place as Red River rises

(CNN) -- The Red River kept rising to dangerous levels Friday as those in the area hoped they'd done enough to protect themselves.
Though the river is in a major flood stage, folks in Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota, said they were optimistic after filling more than a million sandbags and stacking most of them.

"We're in good shape, and we have a lot of things in place in case there are...

Teacher faces discipline over Obama effigy

Central Falls, Rhode Island (CNN) -- The teacher at an embattled Rhode Island school who displayed an effigy of President Obama in his classroom is under disciplinary review, according to the school superintendent.

The Obama effigy was an apparent protest of the president's support of mass firings of the school's teachers. Its existence was first reported on CNN.com on Thursday.

An Obama doll, about a foot tall, hung by its feet from a white board; the doll held a sign that said, "Fire...

Brazilian priest allegedly taped having sex with teen

(CNN) -- A police investigation continued Thursday into a Catholic abuse scandal in Brazil, which erupted last week when a network aired a video that it said showed a priest having sex with a 19-year-old altar boy.

The report, aired by the SBT television network, identified the priest as 82-year-old Luiz Marques Barbosa.

Police in Alagoas state in northeastern Brazil said Thursday that they were investigating the allegations before the TV report surfaced.

In the video,...

Black people must leave, NJ Walmart announcer says

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) -- A Walmart store announcement ordering black people to leave brought chagrin and apologies Wednesday from leaders of the company, which has built a fragile trust among minority communities.
A male voice came over the public-address system Sunday evening at a store in Washington Township, in southern New Jersey, and calmly announced: "Attention, Walmart customers:...

St. Patrick's Day: Why do we wear green?

There are only two kinds of people in the world,” an Irish saying goes. “The Irish and those who wish they were.”
But for 24 hours this Wednesday, that saying is a pot o’ blarney. This St. Patrick’s Day, we’ll all be Irish.

St. Patrick's Day was originally a Roman Catholic feast day for Ireland’s patron saint, celebrated only in Ireland since before the 1600s. But it evolved into a secular...

College Bird in Haiti welcome the students

Two months after the earthquake of 12 January, schools in the capital are starting to accommodate their students. Tents. If this is not the reopening of classes, this comes as part of a psychosocial support program for students before the reopening of classes.
Haiti: The students of 6th and 9th grade and fundamental than political rhetoric and philosophy of New College Bird of Port-au-Prince, who prepare their exams official parade since...

China drought leaves millions short of water

BEIJING (AFP) – Millions of people face drinking water shortages in southwestern China because of a once-a-century drought that has dried up rivers and threatens vast farmlands, state media reported Wednesday.
The drought has gripped huge areas of Guizhou, Yunnan, and Sichuan provinces, the Guangxi region, and the mega-city of Chongqing for months, with rainfall 60 percent below normal since September,...

Attackers kill 12 in latest Nigeria fighting

LAGOS, Nigeria – Attackers killed 12 people Wednesday morning in a small Christian village in central Nigeria, officials said, cutting out most of the victims' tongues in the latest violence in a region where religious fighting already has killed hundreds this year.
The attack almost mirrored the tactics used by those who carried out similar massacres in Christian villages last week when more than 200...

Drones kill suspected militants in Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Back-to-back drone strikes in Pakistan's northwest tribal region on Wednesday morning killed five suspected militants, officials said.

The first attack drones fired five missiles at two vehicles in Hamzoni, a village eight miles (15 km) west of Miran Shah in North Waziristan, a local government official and an intelligence official said. Three suspected militants were killed and three others were injured.

About 30 minutes later, a second drone fired at least...

Red River expected to reach major flood stage

(CNN) -- The Red River at Fargo, North Dakota, was expected to reach major flood stage Wednesday as the National Guard and a small army of volunteers filled sandbags to keep the waters at bay.
"Everybody is just focused on battling it once again, and they're doing it with smiles on their faces," said Staff Sgt. Amy Wieser Willson of the North Dakota National Guard. The river rose to a record 40.8...

Honda recalls 400,000 vehicles for brake problem

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Honda said Tuesday it is recalling more than 400,000 vehicles in the United States after consumers complained of brake pedals feeling "soft."
The Japanese automaker will recall 344,000 Odyssey minivans and 68,000 Element crossover vehicles in the 2007-2008 model years to fix the vehicle stability assist modulators. Some of those modulators were assembled in a way...

Outrage in Georgia over fake Russian invasion report

TBILISI (AFP) – Outraged Georgians on Sunday slammed a local television channel that sparked panic by broadcasting a faked report announcing that Russia had launched an invasion and the country's president was dead.
The Georgian opposition condemned the newscast as a state-sponsored stunt aimed at smearing President Mikheil Saakashvili's critics while the president himself added to the furore...

Nor'easter cuts power to hundreds of thousands

(CNN) -- Crews worked to restore power Monday to more than 400,000 homes as a powerful low-pressure system churned off the Eastern Seaboard.
Hurricane-force winds over the weekend toppled trees, taking power lines with them. Heavy rain caused flooding and airport delays across the region.

"High winds are over, but the rain and flood threat remain in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast,"...

Widespread power blackout hits Chile

Santiago, Chile (CNN) -- Much of Chile was in the dark Sunday after a blackout knocked out power to 90 percent of the country, CNN's sister network in the country reported.
The blackout was caused by an overheated transformer in the Bio Bio area, the country's minister of energy, Ricardo Rainien, told CNN Chile. Rainien said crews were slowly restoring power, and he expected electricity to be fully restored by...

Daylight Saving time one hour ahead

On Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 2 a.m., Daylight Saving Time begins in the United States.
Every Spring we move our clocks one hour ahead and "lose" an hour during the night and each Fall we move our clocks back one hour and "gain" an extra hour. But Daylight Saving Time (and not Daylight Savings Time with an "s") wasn't just created to confuse our schedules.

The phrase "Spring forward,...

Strong earthquake rocks central Japan

TOKYO – A strong earthquake hit off the eastern coast of central Japan on Sunday, rattling buildings across a broad swath of the country, including the crowded Tokyo capital.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, and the government said there was no danger from tsunamis.

The quake had an initial estimated magnitude of 6.6, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. It hit...

Indonesia hit by 6.4-magnitude earthquake

(CNN) -- A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia on Sunday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, deaths, or damages on the island nation.

The quake struck at 9:57 a.m. local time (7:57 p.m. ET Saturday).

The epicenter was 285 kilometers (180 miles) southeast of Ternate, on Indonesia's Moluccas island group, and 2,415 kilometers (1,500...

Anti-government protesters head for Thai capital

BANGKOK – Thousands of red-shirted anti-government protesters converged on the Thai capital Saturday, giving the government an ultimatum to dissolve Parliament or face mass marches on key spots in the city.
Although protest leaders stressed they would not resort to violence in their quest to oust the government, many businesses closed down, social events were canceled and Bangkok's normally chaotic...

8 youths die in attack on party in western Mexico

CULICAN, Mexico – Gunmen burst into a party in western Mexico and killed eight youths and left another person wounded on Friday.
It was the second such attack in two days. On Thursday, gunmen in the border city of Ciudad Juarez shot dead six young men and a woman at a wake, and seriously wounded a 10-year-old girl.

Friday's massacre occurred in the Pacific coast township of Navolato,...

2 months after Haiti quake, housing still elusive

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Trash and sewage are piling up at the squalid tent camps that hundreds of thousands have called home since Haiti's devastating earthquake
and with torrential rains expected any day, authorities are not even close to providing the shelters they promised.

Two months since the Jan. 12 quake, the government has yet to relocate a single person, despite a pledge that...

An earthquake in Ouanaminthe

Haiti: An earthquake measuring 4.1 degrees on the Richter scale occurred today in the region Ouanaminthe. The earthquake occurred at 1:31 local time, 75 miles east of Cap Haitien and 15 miles southeast of the city of Montecristi in the Dominican Republic, according to the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Causing panic in the early hours of the morning at Ouanaminthe, the quake caused people to abandon their homes and their schools students during the day to avoid being victims of an earthquake like the one that...

Santiago, Chile (CNN) -- Three strong earthquakes rocked Chile on Thursday morning, just as the country was swearing in a new president.
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit at 11:39 a.m. local time (9:39 a.m. ET), followed by a 6.9-magnitude quake 16 minutes later, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. A third, measured at magnitude 6.0, came 27 minutes later.

They were the strongest aftershocks to rattle Chile since a February 27 earthquake on the country's west coast that...

Kansas City board OKs plan to close nearly half of schools
(CNN) -- The superintendent calls it the "Right-Size" plan," but many Kansas City, Missouri, residents say it's plain wrong.
Superintendent John Covington called for the closing or consolidation of almost half of the city's public schools. A divided Kansas City school board voted Wednesday to approve the downsizing.

A packed room of people watched the board make its historic...

Tornadoes rip up homes in Arkansas

(CNN) -- A tornado watch was lifted for Arkansas early Thursday after a series of powerful tornadoes ripped through dozens of homes, critically injuring two people.
The first twister struck in Saline County in central Arkansas at 7:28 p.m. ET Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. The tornado damaged 22 homes, an Arkansas Emergency Management spokeswoman said.

A woman in the area said she could...

Tapestry of violence haunts central Nigeria

By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press Writer Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Writer
JOS, Nigeria – Christians and Muslims once shared their lives together in Nigeria's fertile central belt, buying each other's goods in mixed neighborhoods and cultivating each other's farms across a sun-baked plateau.
But growing religious hatred, political and ethnic rivalries and increasing poverty have led...

Meet the new richest person in the world

Introduction by Matthew Miller and Luisa Kroll

Carlos Slim Helu takes No. 1 spot on Forbes World's Billionaires list as a record 164 10-figure titans return to the ranking amid the global economic recovery.
For the third time in three years, the world has a new richest man.

Riding surging prices of his various telecom holdings, including giant mobile outfit America Movil (AMX), Mexican tycoon Carlos...

Church abuse scandal reaches pope's brother

VATICAN CITY – Church abuse scandals in Germany have reached the older brother of Pope Benedict XVI and are creeping ever closer to the pontiff himself.
While there has been no suggestion of wrongdoing by Benedict, the launch of an inquiry by German Catholic officials after his brother admitted he slapped children years ago is stirring Vatican fears of a major crisis for the papacy.

Benedict,...

Airman deployed to Haiti, died in quake

Washington (CNN) -- Air Force Lt. Col. Ken Bourland hugged his wife, Peggy, goodbye and headed out for his two-day mission.
The date was January 12, and the destination was Haiti.

Neither knew it would be the last time they'd see one another.

Upon his arrival in Port-au-Prince, Ken Bourland sent his wife an e-mail saying he had settled into his hotel room.

Ten minutes later,...

World's top scientists to review climate panel

UNITED NATIONS – At a tumultuous time in U.N.-led climate negotiations, one of the world's most credible scientific groups agreed Wednesday to plug the recent cracks in the authoritative reports of the United Nations' Nobel Prize-winning global warming panel.
"We enter this process with no preconceived conclusions," said Robbert Dijkgraaf, a Dutch mathematical physicist who co-chairs the...

Obama pledges to continue Haiti aid, says situation 'remains dire'

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama met Wednesday with Haitian President Rene Preval to discuss relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts in Haiti.
The two leaders pledged to continue working for a more coordinated, sustained global relief effort to help Haiti recover from a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck January 12.

Much of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince,...

Nigerian soldiers open fire on youths; 2 killed

JOS, Nigeria – Soldiers opened fire on a crowd after curfew and killed two people, witnesses said Wednesday, just days after more than 200 people including dozens of children were slaughtered in several mostly Christian villages nearby.
Hundreds of people swarmed the streets of Jos on Wednesday morning, where one truck's windshield was a spider web of bullet holes with the word "rejoice"...

U.S. condemns Israel's decision to build in disputed territory

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the United States condemns Israel's decision to build 1,600 housing units in a Jerusalem neighborhood, calling it "a step that undermines the trust we need right now."
"I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem," Biden said in a statement...

Moving tribute to the UN in its 101 employees killed by the earthquake in Haiti

Haiti: The UN has delivered Tuesday in New York a moving tribute to their 101 employees killed by the earthquake of January 12 in Haiti, the deadliest event for UN staff since its inception in 1945.
"Today, we commemorate the greatest loss in one event by the UN in its history," said the secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, who could hardly restrain her tears at...

Preval and Clinton aspire to elections as soon as possible

Haiti: The Haitian president, René Préval and the head of American diplomacy, Hillary Clinton, both on Tuesday stressed the need to hold elections as soon as possible in the Caribbean country hit by a devastating earthquake in January.
"We must find a way, and specialists will do, so that when I leave (power), there is a parliament and a president elected," said Head of State after...

Gunshots heard in violence-wracked Nigerian town

JOS, Nigeria – Automatic weapons fire punctuated by screams erupted after dark Tuesday in a Nigerian city located near villages where massacres just two days ago left more than 200 people dead.
Nerves remained on edge, despite a long-standing dusk-til-dawn curfew in Jos, the capital of Plateau state. When sustained gunfire rang out for about three minutes, apparently from several automatic rifles,...

Washington weddings begin for same-sex couples Gay in GOP

By JESSICA GRESKO, Associated Press Writer Jessica Gresko, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – It's a day of wedding bells for some gay couples in Washington.

Tuesday is the first day same-sex couples can pick up marriage licenses and tie the knot in the city. Some couples planned quick ceremonies at a church or gay rights group's office while others said they'll wait and have more elaborate celebrations.

About 150 couples could pick up their marriage...

Nigeria urged to investigate religious violence

JOS, Nigeria – The U.S. government and human rights activists called Tuesday for Nigeria to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the deaths of more than 200 unarmed people in renewed violence between Christians and Muslims.
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan had promised that the fighting would stop after more than 300 people were slain in January. Jonathan fired his national security...

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JetBlue offers $10 last-minute fares

(CNN) -- Looking for an affordable last-minute getaway? JetBlue Airways is celebrating its 10th birthday with a $10 one-day fare sale Monday on flights from New York to the airline's original 10 destinations.
Travel must be booked on JetBlue's Web site by 11:59 p.m. CST Monday for travel on Tuesday or Wednesday, March 9 or 10.

Flights included in JetBlue's "Thank You fare" promotion...

Attack on Nigerian town kills hundreds

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- The death toll from weekend violence in central Nigeria climbed to more than 200 Monday after members of a machete-wielding Muslim group attacked a mostly Christian town south of the city of Jos, officials said.
More than 200 were dead and 32 injured, according to Choji Gyang, a religious affairs adviser to the head of Plateau state, who said bodies were still being recovered. Sani Shehu,...

Earthquake hits eastern Turkey; at least 57 dead

ANKARA, Turkey – A strong earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6, hit eastern Turkey on Monday, killing 57 people and knocking down houses in at least six small villages, an official said.
The temblor struck six villages in Elazig province, toppling stone or mud-brick homes and minarets of mosques. Bekir Yanilmaz, the mayor of the nearby town of Kovancilar, provided CNN-Turk television with...

China warns again against Hong Kong democracy push

HONG KONG – China has warned that a plan by pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong to use a special election as a de facto referendum on democratic reform is a threat to stability in the former British colony.
While Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, it maintains a separate political system and enjoys Western-style civil liberties typically denied on the mainland. But Beijing has continued...

Leak of sex claims against Italian official is 'shameful'

Rome, Italy (CNN) -- Reports that an Italian government official accused of financial corruption allegedly used a Vatican choir singer to arrange gay liaisons for him are "shameful," the official's lawyer told CNN Saturday.
Angelo Balducci is appealing a judge's decision to keep him in prison over allegations of financial corruption, said his lawyer, Franco Coppi.

Police...

Norwegian ship hijacked off Madagascar

OSLO, Norway – A chemical tanker with 21 crew members has been hijacked by Somali pirates near Madagascar, the Norwegian owner said Saturday.
It was not clear whether anyone in the crew, all from Myanmar, had been injured in the attack early Friday or whether any ransom had been demanded.

Svenn Pedersen, CEO and managing director of Norway's Th. Broevigtank Shipowners, said the UBT Ocean chemical...

GM to reinstate 600 dealerships slated to be cut

NEW YORK – General Motors Co. will reinstate 661 dealerships it sought to drop from its sales network.
GM executives said Friday that the dealerships — more than half of those seeking to stay with the automaker — will receive letters giving them the option to remain open. GM said it would not have enough time to negotiate with all 1,100 dealerships that appealed the automaker's decision to close them within...