Thursday, May 26, 2005

Morning Papers - It's Origins

Rooster "Crowing"

"Okeydoke"

History . . .


1886, Al Jolson, American stage and film performer, most noted for his role in the motion picture The Jazz Singer. He was born Asa Yoelson in Seredzius, Russia (now in Lithuania). As a child he sang in the synagogue where his father was a cantor. At the age of 13 he made his first stage appearance in Children of the Ghetto in New York City. He became a circus performer and café entertainer. Then he toured in vaudeville and with a company known as Dockstader's Minstrels; minstrel-style singing in blackface makeup became Jolson's trademark. In 1911 he made his musical comedy debut in La Belle Paree. Jolson achieved wide popularity starring on Broadway in many musicals tailored to his talents; these included Robinson Crusoe, Jr. (1916), Sinbad (1918), Big Boy (1925), and Wonder Bar (1931). In 1927 he starred in The Jazz Singer, the first important motion picture with synchronized sound and the first of many successful films for the star. He was also a popular radio and recording artist.

1895,
Dorothea Lange, photographer

1907,
John Wayne, actor

1908,
Robert Morley, actor and dramatist

1951,
Sally Ride, astronaut

1521 The Edict of Worms outlaws the German church reformer Martin Luther and his followers, called Lutherans, by imposing on them the Ban of the Holy Roman Empire.

1865, arrangements were made in New Orleans for the surrender of Confederate forces west of the Mississippi.

1868 The impeachment trial of U.S. President Andrew Johnson ends; the Senate falls one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict him of high crimes and misdemeanors.

1896 The Wall Street Journal begins publishing the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

1913, Actors' Equity Association was organized.

1948 The all-white National Party, under Daniel Malan, wins South Africa's general elections; the party immediately begins instituting its policy of apartheid, or racial segregation.

1960, U.N. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge accused the Soviets of hiding a microphone inside a wood carving of the Great Seal of the United States that had been presented to the U.S. embassy in Moscow.

1969, the Apollo 10 astronauts returned to Earth after a successful eight-day dress rehearsal for the first manned moon landing.

Missing in Action

1966
GLANDON GARY A. POWELL TN
1966
GRIFFEY TERRANCE H. FORT DODGE IA
1967
MECLEARY READ BLAINE OLD GREENWICH CT 03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV ALIVE AND WELL 98

May 25. . .

1803,
Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist and poet

1878,
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, tap dancer and entertainer

The Bojangles Museum
One of the greatest tap dancers of all time, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, was born on this day in 1878. The Bojangles Museum presents a biography of Robinson and an oral history of tap dance.

http://www.reelclassics.com/Actors/Bojangles/bojangles.htm

1897 Gene Tunney, American boxer, champion in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight categories. He was born James Joseph Tunney in New York City. A member of the United States Marine Corps during World War I (1914-18), Tunney won the light heavyweight championship of the American Expeditionary Force in Paris in 1919. In 1922 he briefly held the American light heavyweight title; he regained the title in 1923 but abandoned it when he turned heavyweight. In 1926 Tunney won the world heavyweight title by defeating the American boxer
Jack Dempsey. Tunney again defeated Dempsey in a controversial fight in 1927, during which Dempsey's delay in moving to a neutral corner after knocking down Tunney resulted in the famous “long count” that allowed Tunney time to recover. In 1928 Tunney retired, having gone undefeated in his heavyweight career. During World War II (1939-45), Tunney headed the U.S. Navy physical fitness program. He later served as a director of several corporations.

1926,
Miles Davis, jazz trumpet player and bandleader

1929,
Beverly Sills, opera singer

1939, Ian McKellan, actor

1241, 1st attack on Jewish community of Frankfort-on-the-Main Germany

1721 John Copson becomes America's 1st insurance agent

1784 Jews are expelled from Warsaw by Marshall Mniszek

1787 Constitutional convention opens at Philadelphia, George Washington presiding, after enough delegates showed up for a quorum.

1787, The Constitutional Convention, presided over by George Washington, opens in Philadelphia to establish a new U.S. Constitution.

1793, In Baltimore, Maryland Father Stephen Theodore Badin is the first Roman Catholic priest ordained in the United States.

1844, the first telegraphed news dispatch, sent from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, appeared in the Baltimore Patriot.

1935 American track-and-field athlete Jesse Owens breaks or ties six world records in less than an hour at the Big Ten Championship in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

1946 Abdullah ibn Hussein becomes king of Jordan

1946 Jordan gains independence from Britain (National Day)

1947 Coal dust explosion rocks Centralia Coal Company's Mine #5 killing 111

1948 30th PGA Championship: Ben Hogan at Norwood Hills CC St Louis

1948 San Fransisco receives its 1st telecast

1949 Chinese Red army occupies Shanghai

1950 Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel opens in NYC

1961 JFK sets goal of putting a man on Moon before the end of decade

1961 NASA civilian pilot Joseph A Walker takes X-15 to 32,770 meters

1962 Isley Brothers release "Twist & Shout"

1962 US performs nuclear test at Christmas Island (atmospheric)

1962 US unions AFL-CIO starts campaign for 35-hour work week

1963, The Organization of African Unity is founded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the goal of promoting continental peace and cooperation.

1969 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Bluegrass Golf Invitational

1969 Sudanese government is overthrown in a military coup

1970 3rd ABA Championship: Indiana Pacers beat Los Angeles Stars, 4 games to 2

1971 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR

1972 Heavyweight Joe Frazier KOs Ron Stander

1972 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1973 George Harrison releases "Give Me Love" in UK

1973 US launches 1st Skylab; crew Kerwin, Conrad, Weitz

1975 Joanne Carner wins LPGA American DefenderGolf Classic

1977: The science fiction film Star Wars, directed by George Lucas, is released.

1977 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1978 "Star Wars" released

1979 Israel begins to return Sinai to Egypt

1979 Raul Gonzáles of México completes 50,000 meter walk in record 3:41:38.4

1980 Donna Caponi Young wins LPGA Corning Golf Classic

1983 "Return of the Jedi" (Star Wars 3) released

1983 1st National Missing Children's Day is proclaimed

1983 Fire in Nassermeer Egypt kills 357

1983 France performs nuclear test

1986 95-year-old woman scores a hole-in-one in Florida

1989 Mikhail Gorbachev elected Executive President in the Soviet Union

1991 "People Are Still Having Sex" by LaTour hits #35

1991 Israel evacuates 14,000 Ethiopian Jews

1997 David Frost wins Golf's Colonial Final in Fort Worth TX

1997 Minnesota Twins retire Kirby Puckett's uniform #

1997 Rosie Jones wins LPGA Corning Classic

1997 Todd & Mel Stottlemyre become 1st father & son to win 100 games

Missing in Action

1965
HARNAWEE "THA CHAN ""CHIP"""THAILAND RELEASED 09/01/74 THAI SPECIAL FORCES 03 ALIVE AND WELL 98 SP NAME???
1967
GRAVES RICHARD C. SUNDERLAND MA
1969
WEITZ MONEK ROXBURY MA
1969
WILLIAMS LEROY C. JACKSONVILLE FL
1970
SPRINGMAN RICHARD HAROLD LONG BEACH CA 02/12/73 RELEASED BY PRG
1972
STRONG HENRY H. NORTH WALES PA

Vietnam War Casualties
Estimating the number killed in the conflict is extremely difficult. Official records are hard to find or nonexistent and many of those killed were literally blasted to pieces by bombing. For many years the North Vietnamese suppressed the true number of their casualties for propaganda purposes. It is also difficult to say exactly what counts as a "Vietnam war casualty"; people are still being killed today by unexploded ordinance, particularly cluster bomblets. Environmental effects from chemical agents and the colossal social problems caused by a devastated country with so many dead surely caused many more lives to be shortened. In addition, the Khmer Rouge would probably not have come into power and committed their slaughters without the destabilization of the war, particularly of the American bombing campaigns to 'clear out the sanctuaries' in Cambodia.
The lowest casualty estimates, based on the now-renounced North Vietnamese statements, are around 1.5 million Vietnamese killed. Vietnam released figures on April 3, 1995 that a total of one million Vietnamese combatants and four million civilians were killed in the war. The accuracy of these figures has generally not been challenged. 58,226 American soldiers also died in the war or are missing in action. Australia lost almost 500 of the 47,000 troops they had deployed to Vietnam and New Zealand lost 38 soldiers.

http://www.vietnam-war.info/casualties/

Japan Today

Season's first catch of Baird's beaked whale landed in Hokkaido

Thursday, May 26, 2005 at 07:20 JST
HAKODATE — Japan's coastal whale hunting season in the Sea of Japan began Wednesday as the first catch of Baird's beaked whale was landed in Hakodate port, Hokkaido.
Fishermen from the Taiji fisheries association in Wakayama Prefecture said they caught the Baird's beaked whale — a male 9 meters long and weighing 10 tons — off the town of Matsumae in Hokkaido. Japan hunts the whale under a quota system. This year, it is allowing whalers to catch up to 10 beaked whales in the Sea of Japan, in addition to an annual quota of 52 in the Pacific Ocean before the hunting season ends on June 30. (Kyodo News)

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=338348

Whale of a problem

Adrienne McPhail
On May 30, the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission, IWC, will take place in Ulsan, South Korea. It is expected that Japan will request to double the number of minke whales it currently is capturing and will also ask to begin hunting and studying endangered fin and humpback whales.

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=comment&id=780

Rape trauma continues after 10 years

By Takashi Iketani
TOKYO — Nearly 10 years ago, Miho, then a second-year student at a senior high school in the Tohoku district in northern Japan, was invited by a 45-year-old teacher to go to a karaoke parlor together on a Sunday.

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=feature&id=925

Amnesty head to push Japan to do more for rights

Thursday, May 26, 2005 at 07:24 JST
LONDON — Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan said Wednesday she plans to push Japan during her visit next week to play a "much more active" international role to promote human rights.
"I hope to push Japan to take a much more active role internationally on promoting human rights given its ambitions in the U.N. Security Council," Khan told a press conference on the day Amnesty published its annual report. (Kyodo News)

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=338380

N Korean ship warned not to play music too loud or it won't be let in

Thursday, May 26, 2005 at 08:01 JST
NIIGATA — The Niigata prefectural government has issued a warning to the North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92, saying it played music too loudly when the ship made its latest port call on Monday and it could be denied access to the port if no appropriate response is received, prefectural government officials said Wednesday.
The local government issued the ferry a permit to dock at the port from last December onward on condition that "the volume of sound emitted from loudspeakers, etc., at Niigata Port be kept within the socially acceptable range," in line with its port management regulations, according to the officials. (Kyodo News)

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=338318

Hiroshima midfielder Ri gets call-up to N Korean squad

Thursday, May 26, 2005 at 07:13 JST
HIROSHIMA — Sanfrecce Hiroshima midfielder Ri Han Jae has been called up to North Korea's national squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Japan, officials of the J-League first-division club said Wednesday.
The North Koreans play Iran in Tehran on June 3 before moving to Bangkok for their clash with Japan five days later after soccer's world governing body FIFA robbed them of home advantage following crowd trouble in Pyongyang in March. (Kyodo News)

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=6&id=338378

China media quiet on flare-up with Japan

Thursday, May 26, 2005 at 08:01 JST
BEIJING — Chinese media coverage on the latest flare-up between Japan and China was limited Wednesday, a sign some interpreted as the government's wish not to stir up the public's ill feelings and spark a fresh round of anti-Japan demonstrations.
While the Beijing Youth Daily and the English-language China Daily gave front-page treatment to Vice Premier Wu Yi's cancellation of talks with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, many other dailies did not mention it at all. Papers that did not print the news included the People's Daily, an organ of the Chinese Communist Party, as well as the Global Times, a popular tabloid-sized paper that normally devotes extensive coverage to Japan-China relations, often with a critical view of Japan. (Kyodo News)

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=338317

Koizumi rejects China's criticism of Yasukuni visits

Wednesday, May 25, 2005 at 06:57 JST
TOKYO — Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday brushed aside China's claim that the Japanese government's stance over war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo led to the sudden cancellation of a meeting between the premier and Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi.
"Both sides should have their say on this, not just China," Koizumi told reporters at his office, referring to remarks by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman in Beijing that the Yasukuni issue prompted Wu to cancel the Monday meeting.

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=9&id=338226

Japanese ministers fume after Wu cancels meeting with Koizumi

Wednesday, May 25, 2005 at 07:07 JST
TOKYO — Statements made by Japanese leaders and commentary in Japanese media about Yasukuni Shrine over the past week prompted Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi to cancel her Monday visit with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Beijing on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura pressed for an apology from China for the last-minute cancellation of the talks, while a number of other cabinet members expressed displeasure over the Chinese action.

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=9&id=338180

USTR asks Japan to promptly resume beef imports

Wednesday, May 25, 2005 at 14:57 JST
TOKYO — U.S. Trade Representative Robert Portman in phone talks with Japanese agriculture minister Yoshinobu Shimamura on Wednesday called for Japan to promptly resume U.S. beef imports, ministry officials said.
While refraining from specifying the timing for resumption, Shimamura told Portman the government took the last step Tuesday toward resuming beef imports from the United States, they said. (Kyodo News)

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=9&id=338307

The People's Daily

Are words of Japanese leader credible?

Chinese cultural sage Confucius had this famous remark: "Promise must be kept and action must be resolute."
Japanese leader's recent words and deeds turn out to be the opposite: he fails to live up to his promise and acts in an irresolute way.
During the meeting of the leaders of China and Japan in Jakarta last month, President
Hu Jintao put forward a five-point proposal in regard to the development of Sino-Japan relations, in which he said, "A correct understanding of and attitude toward history means turning reflection on the aggressive war into action and absolutely not doing anything again that hurts the feelings of the people of China and other related Asian countries."
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi indicated that in the spirit of the five-point proposal set forth by President Hu, the Japanese side would actively promote Japan-China friendly and cooperative relations.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/25/eng20050525_186718.html

Koizumi should honour his words

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has confirmed our doubts about his apology over his country's previous colonial rule and aggression.
On May 16, he told a Japanese Diet session that he would decide when to visit Yasukuni Shrine "in an appropriate manner." He also urged other parts of Asia "not to interfere" with Japan's internal affairs by denouncing his Yasukuni visits.
Koizumi announced his resolve over the upcoming visit to Yasukuni one day before Chinese Vice-Premier
Wu Yi began her tour to his country for opportunities to amend bilateral relations.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/25/eng20050525_186693.html

Ah, so the Chinese observe the America Media. Interesting.

US media prefer males to females in their news reporting

The
United States always considers itself to be a country of "democracy" and "equality", however, there exists the phenomenon of putting males above females in its news reports. A latest research shows that although females account for the majority of the US population, and for nearly half of the labor population. In choosing the source of their news reports, US media show greater favor for males, females are cold-shouldered by journalists.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/25/eng20050525_186742.html

For what does US over-estimate China's military power?

On May 20, the US Department of Defence referred to the US Congress an annual report on "Chinese military power", playing the hackneyed theme of "China threat theory" again.
However in order to strengthen its persuasion, a large amount of fabricated contents, which are more seditious, were filled to the report such as the "huge Chinese military expenditure" in recent years, modernized progress of the People's Liberation Army
(PLA) that will threaten the security of US army and the aggravated imbalance between the military powers across the Taiwan Straits.
Due to the over exaggeration the "report" suffered the queries and criticism from numerous professional research personages in the US immediately. The US former Ambassador to China James Lilley analyzed that "China threat" has been exaggerated by some Pentagon people maliciously.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/24/eng20050524_186532.html

New vaccines developed to ward off bird flu outbreak
Chinese scientists announced Wednesday two newly developed vaccines are fully capable of stopping the spread of the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus to fowl, water birds, mammals or humans.
They also said they are willing to provide technical support inepidemic prevention to other countries and regions and contribute to the breeding industry and public health security worldwide.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/25/eng20050525_186780.html

Japanese PM can't have it both ways

What a relief. Now we know
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has been visiting the notorious Yasukuni Shrine in a private capacity all along.
He wasn't making his annual visits as Japan's elected political leader. Now I feel so much better, don't you?
"I pay a visit as a person and not as the duty of the prime minister," Koizumi was quoted as saying at a Japanese House of Councillors' Budget Committee session.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/24/eng20050524_186503.html

China expresses strong displeasure with Japanese leaders' remarks on Shrine visit
China is "extremely unsatisfied" with the remarks
Japanese leaders repeatedly made on visiting the Yasukuni Shrine recently, which go against improving bilateral relations, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan Monday night.
Kong said the Chinese government attaches great importance to Sino-Japanese relations and has made unremitting efforts to improve and develop bilateral relations. "Vice Premier
Wu Yi's visit to Japan is a best demonstration of it."

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/24/eng20050524_186436.html

Protect biodiversity, benefit mankind
May 22nd marks the 11th World Biodiversity Day, and this year's theme is "Biodiversity -- guarantee life in a changing world."
The State Council recently ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity. This is an important progress in the field of biosafety after China signed the Protocol on August 8, 2000, and is an indication that China recognizes its responsibility to fulfill international conventions in an earnest way.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/24/eng20050524_186504.html

China, Uzbekistan agree further cooperation in regional security

China and
Uzbekistan signed a treaty on friendly and cooperative partnership Wednesday at the start of Uzbek President Islam Karimov's three-day state visit to China.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) holds a welcome ceremony for Islam Karimov, president of Uzbekistan, in Beijing on May 25, 2005. Islam Karimov arrived here Wednesday, starting a three-day state visit to China aimed at boosting bilateral ties.
"The signing of the treaty demonstrates the two people's common will and determination to keep traditional friendship. It also lays down a sound political and legal foundation for the long-term development of China-Uzbekistan ties," Chinese President
Hu Jintao told his Uzbek counterpart during their official meeting.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/26/eng20050526_186796.html

Timed and space outlook on Sino-Australian cooperation
NPC (National People's Congress) Standing Committee Chairman Wu Bangguo delivered a speech at the Sino-Australian Economic-Trade Cooperation Forum on May 23 and summed up Sino-Australian relations by using the words "never before" three times: "There have never before been so close exchanges between leaders of the two countries as the case of today", "there have never before been so frequent contacts between the two peoples as the case of today", and "there have never before been so rapid development of economic-trade cooperation between the two countries as the case of today".

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/26/eng20050526_186934.html

No human infection of avian flu in NW China province, official

No human infection of avian flu or unexplained pneumonia case has been detected in northwest China's
Qinghai Province and health departments are going all out to prevent a possible outbreak of bird flu, according to a local health official.
Emergency measures have been taken by the provincial health authorities after
Ministry of Agriculture investigators confirmed on Saturday that migratory birds found dead in Quanji Township of Gangca County had been killed by the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus, said Ai Keyuan, an official with the provincial health bureau.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/26/eng20050526_186936.html

The Boston Globe

Station shut down after bank's gas giveaway disupts traffic
May 26, 2005
BOSTON -- A bank's free gas promotion on Thursday triggered a traffic jam outside one filling station, leading police to temporarily shut it down.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/05/26/station_shut_down_after_banks_gas_giveaway_disupts_traffic/

Posted By:
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Posted On:
May-19 1:09 PM
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http://boards.boston.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&tsn=1&tid=499&webtag=bc-aroundtown

CAFTA will hurt people with HIV
By Rahul Rajkumar May 26, 2005
IF CONGRESS wants to get serious about promoting a culture of life, its members might start by saving 275,000 lives in Central America.
ADVERTISEMENT

That's the number of people infected with HIV in the countries party to the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA. The agreement, which may be ratified by the end of the month, will force its signatories to strengthen protections on patents owned by multinational pharmaceutical companies, thus preventing the manufacture and importation of many cheap generic drugs.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/05/26/cafta_will_hurt_people_with_hiv/

Snelgrove panel rips police
Faulty planning, lack of judgment in effort to control crowd found
By Donovan Slack, Globe Staff May 26, 2005
Victoria Snelgrove died because of a series of failures by the Boston Police Department, including poor planning at headquarters, a breakdown of command outside Fenway Park, and ''serious errors in judgment" by individual officers at the scene of her shooting, an independent panel has concluded.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/05/26/snelgrove_panel_rips_police/

National standards urged for weapons
By Suzanne Smalley, Globe Staff May 26, 2005
The independent panel that investigated the death of Victoria Snelgrove called yesterday for national testing and policies for crowd-control weapons such as the one that killed the Emerson College student.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/05/26/national_standards_urged_for_weapons/

Mass. group set to push for universal healthcare
By Scott S. Greenberger, Globe Staff May 26, 2005
A coalition of religious and community groups will launch a drive today to put universal healthcare on the 2006 state ballot, in a proposal that would raise the cigarette tax to buy coverage for more people and would require all but the smallest Massachusetts businesses to cover their workers.

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/other/articles/2005/05/26/mass_group_set_to_push_for_universal_healthcare/

Mass. group set to push for universal healthcare
By Scott S. Greenberger, Globe Staff May 26, 2005
A coalition of religious and community groups will launch a drive today to put universal healthcare on the 2006 state ballot, in a proposal that would raise the cigarette tax to buy coverage for more people and would require all but the smallest Massachusetts businesses to cover their workers.

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/other/articles/2005/05/26/mass_group_set_to_push_for_universal_healthcare/

China yuan move won't eliminate US trade gap -Snow
May 26, 2005
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will still have a trade deficit with China if that country revalues its currency, but the overall U.S. trade gap should be smaller than it is now, U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Thursday.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/05/26/china_yuan_move_wont_eliminate_us_trade_gap__snow/

Easter Rebellion surrender note auctioned
By Shawn Pogatchnik, Associated Press Writer May 26, 2005
DUBLIN, Ireland -- A handwritten surrender note from the commander of Ireland's Easter 1916 rebellion against British rule sold for $875,000 at auction, shattering forecasts and disappointing local heritage activists.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/05/26/easter_rebellion_surrender_note_auctioned/

Disabled children appeal to Putin
By Maria Danilova, Associated Press Writer May 26, 2005
MOSCOW -- A group of disabled children and their mothers emerged from a crammed train into a Moscow station Thursday after traveling almost 2,000 miles in a bid to dramatize their appeal to President Vladimir Putin to improve their living conditions.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/05/26/disabled_children_appeal_to_putin/

China says it will hold new Japan talks
By Audra Ang, Associated Press Writer May 26, 2005
BEIJING -- China said Thursday that it will hold talks with Japan to resolve territorial disputes in the East China Sea despite shaky relations between them after anti-Japanese riots and an apparent diplomatic snub by Beijing this week.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/05/26/china_says_it_will_hold_new_japan_talks/

Spanish authorities jail Basque politician
By Daniel Woolls, Associated Press Writer May 26, 2005
MADRID, Spain -- The head of an outlawed pro-independence Basque party has been jailed by a judge who accused him of leading the armed separatist group ETA, but the man's associates said Thursday the action undermined efforts for peace.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/05/26/spanish_authorities_jail_basque_politician/

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