Thursday, March 03, 2005

Morning Papers - continued...

The Chicago Tribune

'It's so unthinkable'


By Ana Beatriz Cholo
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 2, 2005, 5:30 PM CST
Two days after her husband and mother were found slain in her Edgewater home, U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow said today she always knew her job put her at some risk.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/na/chi-050302judge,1,5922286.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Police release sketches


March 1, 2005
Hale guilty on 4 counts
April 27, 2004
Tribune staff reports
Published March 2, 2005, 8:18 PM CST
Chicago police Wednesday night released composite sketches of two men they are seeking in connection with the shooting deaths of the husband and mother of federal Judge Joan H. Lefkow.
Police referred to the men as persons of interest, not as suspects, in the deaths of Michael F. Lefkow, 64, and Donna G. Humphrey, 89.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/na/chi-050302sketches,1,5695933.story?coll=chi-news-hed

U.S. Troop Deaths in Iraq Rise to 1,500


By TODD PITMAN
Associated Press Writer
Published March 3, 2005, 5:20 AM CST
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq rose to 1,500 after the military announced Thursday that a soldier was killed in action just south of the capital, an Associated Press count showed.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ats-ap_top10mar03,1,6328509.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Woman charged in $1.5M embezzlement


By Barbara Bell
Special to the Tribune
Published March 2, 2005, 4:05 PM CST
A Lake County grand jury today indicted a Crystal Lake woman on charges of stealing $1.5 million from her employer and buying herself four houses and at least two motorcycles with the money, authorities said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-050302kemper,1,1667023.story?coll=chi-news-hed

The Chicago Sun Times

Judge enraged at 'hit' on family


March 3, 2005
BY
SHAMUS TOOMEY AND NATASHA KORECKI Staff Reporters
Advertisement
A shocked and furious U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow said Wednesday the slayings of her husband and mother this week were "a hit -- not a random thing,'' and said her great fear is that the crime could be linked to her job.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-joan03.html

Need for homeless shelters won't disappear


March 3, 2005

It is hard to imagine myself writing the following letter, but the incident was a telling point in Chicago life. This past week I was going downtown on the L. The car had three homeless people, of whom two, judging by their actions, were mentally ill. But all three were reeking of unwashed bodies heavily laced with human excrement. Needless to say, it was an unpleasant experience.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/letters/cst-edt-vox03a.html

China Daily

China lashes out at serious US human rights violations

(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-03-03 17:13
China accused the United States of serious human rights violations and told Washington to clean up its own act before "wantonly trampling on the sovereignty of other countries".

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/03/content_421497.htm

Less cotton to be grown this year


(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-03 09:05
China's cotton growing areas are expected to decline this year, according to a senior cotton expert.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/03/content_421300.htm

Anti-secession law 'won't harm' Straits ties


By Xie Zheng (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-03 01:37
China has branded allegations that its proposed anti-secession law will damage cross-Straits relations as "groundless."
"Everybody longs for peace and stability, but at present the biggest threat to peace and stability in our region comes from Taiwan's independence forces, so this (proposed) law aims to contain pro-independence activities in Taiwan", Wu Jianmin said.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/03/content_421161.htm

The Los Angeles Times

Bryant and His Accuser Settle Civil Assault Case


Kobe Bryant and the woman who accused him of sexual assault settled her civil lawsuit out of court Wednesday, marking the end of an often-graphic 20-month legal saga that drew worldwide attention but never resulted in a trial.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-bryant3mar03,0,1109440.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Missing Imam's Trail Said to Lead From Italy to CIA


Prosecutors in Milan are investigating whether an Egyptian-born suspected militant was spirited away by the U.S. using a disputed tactic.
By Tracy Wilkinson and Bob Drogin, Times Staff Writers
ROME — When Hassan Osama Nasr, a controversial Egyptian-born imam, vanished from the streets of Milan two years ago, his friends and family insisted he'd been kidnapped by American agents. Few people listened. But today it appears Italian judicial authorities may agree with them.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-vanished3mar03,0,5826221.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Is Justice Done in 2 Versions?


A California murder case in which two juries were told differing accounts of events raises concerns about fairness, ethics and tactics.
By Maura Dolan, Times Staff Writer
Los Angeles prosecutor Steven J. Ipsen, arguing his first murder case in 1990, told a jury that Tauno Waidla had used a hatchet to inflict "the death blow" that killed a woman in her North Hollywood living room. Waidla was sentenced to die.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prosecute3mar03,0,3614934.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Chiron Gets OK to Make Flu Vaccine


The company can reopen a British factory after a 5-month halt that led to a U.S. shortage.
By Denise Gellene, Times Staff Writer
British health authorities Wednesday cleared the way for Chiron Corp. to resume flu vaccine production immediately, ending a five-month suspension that created temporary shortages in the U.S. last fall.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-chiron3mar03,0,6061495.story?coll=la-home-business

The Daily Star

Environmentalists launch unique hotline


Citizens can call regarding abuses that affect their daily lives
By Mayssam Zaaroura
Daily Star staff
Thursday, March 03, 2005
BEIRUT: In a unique move in Lebanon, environmentalists have launched a hotline for concerned citizens to call about environmental problems affecting their every day life.
Al-Bia Wal Tanmia Magazine (Environment and Development Magazine) came up with the idea of the "Environment Hotline" as an outlet for Lebanese people with daily complaints. The idea aims at raising "civic awareness on environmental abuses and pave the way for transparency and accountability in handling environmental issues."

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=13114

Kuwaiti hard-line Islamists target women's rights


Government-led drive to grant suffrage is opposed
By Omar Hasan
Thursday, March 03, 2005
KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait's hard-line Islamists, citing foreign interference, have embarked on a counteroffensive in the face of a determined government-led drive to grant disenfranchised women their suffrage. The anti-women rights campaign kicked off late Tuesday with a public rally hosted by tribal Islamist lawmaker Daifallah Buramya under the slogan that "based on Islamic Sharia law, women have no political rights."

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13109

DO I SMELL THE NEXT INVASION COMING? Europe states they have the situation in hand. What has the United Nations Security Council have to do with any of it? If one recalls it was Bush' 'Rush to War' that issued Iraq's innocents death warrants. UN inspectors might want to address the distance at which Iranian missiles can be set to travel. I already know however they won't consent to it because of the American presence in Iraq. Having the USA lead coalition in Iraq really has caused a great deal of escalation in the area of all kinds of tensions. That massive a military force is one that Iraq never needed. It could annihilate populations without a thought. I know there are still militants but why? And the militants are successful anyway. The attacks today took place within the government structure complex. I really think the Iraqi situation requires a lot of change. Saddam and his henchmen have to be moved to The Hague. There needs to be a representative Sunni for negotiations with the elected Iraqi government. There needs to be provisions made to revitalize Fallujah and return a Sunni majority there. That all sounds so empty because I know the Sunni rebels are so incredibly determined to have their way but it is a process that must exist. I don't see the Sunnis destroying the Kurds and Shia and then moving onto Iran and Jordan either. This killing cannot go on forever and the longer it does the more tensions will escalate. The USA lead coalition is not in control of the situation and the surrounding countries have reason to worry. As with the Poppy Culture of Afghanistan the chaos in Iraq does serve it's own purpose as well.

Washington urges nuclear watchdog to refer Iran to Security Council


Tehran accused of cynical manipulation and lack of transparency
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Citing "an alarming number" of unresolved questions about Iran's nuclear program, the United States warned Wednesday that the United Nations atomic agency cannot put off "forever" taking Tehran before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13099

Israel says future bleak unless PA crushes militants


Abbas pledges viable Palestinian state
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Israel warned Mahmoud Abbas of a bleak future unless he crushes militants, as the Palestinian president hailed a new era of hope and pledged Wednesday to build a viable state as soon as possible.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13125

Israel says future bleak unless PA crushes militants


Abbas pledges viable Palestinian state
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Israel warned Mahmoud Abbas of a bleak future unless he crushes militants, as the Palestinian president hailed a new era of hope and pledged Wednesday to build a viable state as soon as possible.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13125

Jordanian FM heads to Israel for talks


Meeting will focus on how to push forward 1994 peace treaty
By Randa Habib
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Interview
AMMAN: Jordanian Foreign Minister Hani Mulki told AFP on Wednesday he was heading to Israel this weekend on the first such visit in four years to "bring back warmth" to relations between the two neighbors.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13108

NATO sends first peacekeepers into western Afghan province


Move should reduce pressure on stretched American forces
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Thursday, March 03, 2005
KABUL: NATO on Wednesday began a long-awaited expansion of its peacekeeping forces into western Afghanistan Wednesday as part of efforts to rebuild the remote and rugged region, the commander of the force said. An initial deployment of Italian troops had started to arrive in the main western city of Herat, where they will later be joined by soldiers from Spain, Greece and Lithuania.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13101

The Boston Globe

Their loyalty never waned
Stewart fans await release
By Joanna Weiss, Globe Staff March 3, 2005
When Martha Stewart went to prison five months ago, Natalie Henderson, 21, took out her calendar and started a countdown, with goals. For each month that passed, she would celebrate with a craft project worthy of the domestic diva herself.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/03/03/their_loyalty_never_waned/

Stem cell bill seen heading to passage


Backers seek margin to defeat possible veto
By Raphael Lewis and Janette Neuwahl, Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent March 3, 2005
A bill encouraging human embryonic stem cell research in Massachusetts will probably pass both houses of the Legislature by the end of March, Democratic leaders predicted yesterday, but they remained unsure whether they can override an anticipated veto by Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/03/03/stem_cell_bill_seen_heading_to_passage/

Recontamination feared for river getting cleanup


By Beth Daley, Globe Staff
March 3, 2005
PITTSFIELD -- A stretch of the polluted Housatonic River that is being scrubbed clean with the help of more than $45 million in taxpayer money is in danger of becoming recontaminated.

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/other/articles/2005/03/03/recontamination_feared_for_river_getting_cleanup/

More trauma likely in Gaza reburial plan


By Dan Ephron, Globe Correspondent
March 3, 2005
GUSH KATIF, Gaza Strip -- Sara Zweig wasn't in the car when her sister, driving home to her Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip, was shot dead by Palestinians three years ago last month. But she suffers from the lingering trauma of having heard the gunfire.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/03/03/more_trauma_likely_in_gaza_reburial_plan/


One year later, gays say legally hazy marriage is a leap forward


By Rukmini Callimachi, Associated Press Writer
March 3, 2005
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Every morning before she headed out into the world, Evelyn Hall took off her gold ring and placed it on the kitchen counter. When she returned at night, she slipped it back on.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/03/03/one_year_later_gays_say_legally_hazy_marriage_is_a_leap_forward/

Israeli Spy Who Captured Nazi Eichmann Dies


By Megan Goldin
March 3, 2005
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli spy who captured Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, approaching him on a Buenos Aires street with the words "one moment, sir" before bundling him into a car to be smuggled to Israel, has died in New York. He was 77.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/03/03/israeli_spy_who_captured_nazi_eichmann_dies/

UN Nuke Board Backs EU Offer of Incentives to Iran


By Louis Charbonneau
VIENNA (Reuters) - The 35 nations on the U.N. nuclear watchdog's board urged Iran on Thursday to step up cooperation with U.N. inspectors and backed a European Union offer of incentives if Tehran ends sensitive nuclear work.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7796564

Iran starts work on reactor


By Michael Adler in Vienna
March 03, 2005
From: Agence France-Presse

IRAN is pouring the concrete foundation for a heavy-water nuclear reactor that can make weapons-grade plutonium and which the UN atomic agency had asked it not to build, diplomats said today.

The work at a 40-megawatt reactor at Arak, south-west of Tehran, began in September, just after the UN atomic agency had asked Iran to refrain from building the reactor as a "confidence-building measure", a diplomat, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12436812-23109,00.html

Big freeze hits continent


March 02, 2005
From: Agence France-Presse
Chilly ... ice covers Madrid's famous landmark Cibeles fountain lions / Reuters
TEMPERATURES across Europe have plunged to record lows as snow and fog crippled transport across the continent today.
Air and train travel was cancelled and cars struggled to stay on the road in the worst cold snap to hit the region in years.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12418560-38200,00.html

Bashir jailed for consipracy


By Rob Taylor in Jakarta
March 03, 2005
From: AAP
Vociferous ... supporters shouted slogans outside court. / AFP

FIREBRAND cleric Abu Bakar Bashir may be free before the end of next year after being jailed today for conspiring with the Bali bombers ahead of the deadly 2002 attack.
The two-and-a-half-year sentence – one of the lightest handed down by an Indonesian court for the Bali plotters – disappointed Australia and the US, which insist Bashir is a dangerous terror chief.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12430218-2,00.html

Howard in no hurry to retire


March 3, 2005 - 6:58PM
Prime Minister John Howard has dealt another blow to Peter Costello's leadership hopes, saying he is in no hurry to retire.
Mr Howard said speculation about his future was inevitable after nine years as prime minister, but he could not imagine a better job.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Howard-in-no-hurry-to-retire/2005/03/03/1109700602727.html

Darwin rocked by earthquake


March 3, 2005 - 1:13PM
A strong earthquake which rocked Darwin was felt as far away as Western Australia, Geoscience Australia said today.
Darwin was shaken by a minute-long earthquake measuring 7.1 on the richter scale at 8.12pm (CST) yesterday.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Darwin-rocked-by-earthquake/2005/03/02/1109700542395.html

Recent Earthquakes Measured by Geoscience Australia

http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/drawquake_foyer.pl

26 earthquakes for the last 30 days (magnitude > 2.0)

http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/drawquake_foyer.pl

Recent Earthquakes Measured by Geoscience Australia

http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/drawquake_foyer.pl

concluding...