Military adds armor to Iraq vehicles as roadside bombs surge
(AP)
AP - The U.S. military is reinforcing the sides of its topline mine-resistant vehicles to shore up what could be weak points as troops see a spike in armor-piercing roadside bombings across Iraq, The Associated Press has learned.
Obama picks up 9 superdelegates, union endorsement
(AP)
AP - Barack Obama all but erased Hillary Rodham Clinton's once-imposing lead among national convention superdelegates on Friday and won fresh labor backing as elements of the Democratic Party began coalescing around the Illinois senator for the fall campaign.
Records show Sharpton owes overdue taxes, other penalties
(AP)
AP - Big corporations give him money. Presidential candidates seek his endorsement. He has influential friends in Congress and the governor's mansion. The Rev. Al Sharpton has emerged over the past decade as perhaps the nation's most prominent civil rights leader, a status that was demonstrated again this week when he led protests against police brutality that briefly shut down six of Manhattan's major bridges and tunnels.
Aid on the way to devastated Myanmar but so is heavy rain
(AP)
AP - More aid is on the way to cyclone-ravaged Myanmar — but so is the heavy rain. A week after Cyclone Nargis flattened low-lying villages and killed whole families at a time, the military junta finally agreed Friday to allow a U.S. cargo plane to bring in food and other supplies to the isolated country. Myanmar gave the green light after confiscating other shipments, prompting the U.N. to order a temporary freeze in shipments.
Blackwater unlikely to face charges in Iraq shooting
(AP)
AP - Blackwater Worldwide, the security contractor blamed by an angry Iraqi government for the shooting deaths of 17 civilians, is not expected to face criminal charges — all but ensuring the company will keep its multimillion-dollar contract to protect U.S. diplomats.
Dig for human remains to begin at ranch where Manson hid
(AP)
AP - The sheriff of the remote region where Charles Manson hid after a killing spree in the summer of 1969 said Friday that he will allow researchers to begin digging into the sandy soil in search of possible human remains.
Data from Columbia disk drives survived the shuttle accident
(AP)
AP - Jon Edwards often manages what appears impossible. He has recovered precious data from computers wrecked in floods and fires and dumped in lakes. Now Edwards may have set a new standard: He found information on a melted disk drive that fell from the sky when space shuttle Columbia disintegrated in 2003.
Judge sends wrestler's son to jail for 8 months for crash
(AP)
AP - A judge in Florida says the 17-year-old son of wrestler Hulk Hogan should serve eight months in jail for reckless driving. Nick Bollea was led off to begin his sentence immediately after Friday's ruling. He will be on five years' probation and lose his driving privileges for three years.
Driver gets in wreck, sees his home catch fire, gets ticket
(AP)
AP - One moment, Justin Hill was turning into his driveway. Minutes later he was being flown to a hospital as his home went up in flames. Then he got a traffic ticket.
Lilly pitches Cubs to 3-1 win over Diamondbacks
(AP)
AP - Ted Lilly kept his glove on his hand this time.
Lebanon government denounces Hezbollah "coup" in Beirut
(Reuters)
Reuters - Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah group
took control of the Muslim half of Beirut on Friday in what the
U.S.-backed governing coalition described as "an armed and
bloody coup."
U.N. resuming Myanmar aid flights despite seizures
(Reuters)
Reuters - The United Nations said it would resume
aid flights to cyclone-struck Myanmar despite the military
government's seizure of food supplies on Friday, and Myanmar
approved one U.S. aid flight.
Obama gathers support as he looks to November
(Reuters)
Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama turned
his focus to a general election showdown with John McCain on
Friday and said the Republican White House candidate would
continue the failed policies of President George W. Bush.
U.S. sees record world food crops easing crisis
(Reuters)
Reuters - Good weather will help the world's
farmers reap record wheat and rice crops this year, the U.S.
government said on Friday, which should allay fears of
shortages and help bring prices down from current high levels.
McCain and blogger trade barbs over his 2000 vote
(Reuters)
Reuters - Did U.S. Republican presidential
candidate John McCain vote for President George W. Bush in
2000?
No infectious outbreak on Canadian train: officials
(Reuters)
Reuters - Canadian health officials said
on Friday that a death and reported outbreak of flu-like
symptoms aboard a cross-Canada train were not due to an
infectious disease and in fact were likely not related at all.
U.S. senators urge Bush to visit Tibet during Games
(Reuters)
Reuters - A group of senior U.S. senators
urged President George W. Bush on Friday to visit Tibet when he
travels to China in August to attend the Beijing Olympics.
Dalai Lama says understands anger over Everest torch
(Reuters)
Reuters - The Dalai Lama says he understands why
Tibetan exiles were angry that the Olympic torch reached the
top of Mount Everest but had advised them against protesting.
UN agency to resume aid flights into Myanmar
(AFP)
AFP - The UN said Friday it would resume aid flights into Myanmar after a suspension triggered by a tussle with the military regime over two planeloads of goods meant for desperate cyclone survivors.
Lebanon in turmoil as Hezbollah takes west Beirut
(AFP)
AFP - Hezbollah fighters, their guns blazing, seized control of west Beirut on Friday after three days of deadly street battles with pro-government foes pushed Lebanon dangerously close to all-out civil war.
