The Miami Herald
Taser pushes its stun guns for public
Taser International is offering its controversial stun guns for sale to the general public, raising concerns among police, legal experts and a human rights group.
BY SUSANNAH A. NESMITH AND LISA ARTHUR
snesmith@herald.com
The manufacturer of the stun guns cops carry on their belts is launching an aggressive marketing campaign to boost sales of the weapon to the public, a move police fear will put a dangerous and largely unregulated weapon on the streets.
The city chosen by Taser International executives to launch the new sales blitz: Miami, beginning Tuesday.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12208561.htm
Should Tasers be available for public purchase?
Of course not. Look at the trouble they've caused in the hands of police.
Yes, it's better than owning a gun.
You need them to defend yourself.
I'm not sure.
http://forums.prospero.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=kr-miamiwebvote&msg=689.1
Of course not. Look at the trouble they've caused in the hands of police.
77 votes (58%)
Yes, it's better than owning a gun.
26 votes (20%)
You need them to defend yourself.
24 votes (18%)
I'm not sure.
6 votes (5%)
133 people have voted so far
http://forums.prospero.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=kr-miamiwebvote&tid=689&vote=1&submit=Vote
GOP offensive still has a few minefields to clear
By GARY FINEOUT
gfineout@herald.com
TALLAHASSEE -- Democrats beware: Republicans figure you're only five percentage points away from electoral oblivion.
As both the national and state Democratic Party undergo yet another year of rebuilding, Republicans are using this off-season to chip away at the Democratic base by holding slogan-laden town hall meetings with blacks and Hispanics, telling them: ``Give us a chance and we'll give you a choice.''
The number crunchers at the GOP, awash with the very cash Democrats sorely lack, have analyzed the data and figure that if 3 percent to 5 percent more minorities vote GOP, then it's lights out for the Democrats, state and nationwide.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12208638.htm
Beach renourishment a fact of life in Florida
OUR OPINION: RESTORATION A BOON TO TOURISM, BUFFER AGAINST STORMS
Post-Hurricane Dennis photos of Panhandle beaches show private homes and hotels perched on the edge of a precipice leading straight down to the Gulf of Mexico. Yet there is no question that these beaches will be restored, courtesy of millions in local, state and federal tax dollars. Is that fair? Should taxpayers' dollars be spent to renourish beaches that front private property? The answer, alas, is Yes -- but not merely for the benefit of the owners. Beach restoration boosts tourism and is a buffer against future storms, among other things that justify the spending.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/12199315.htm
Family: Cutbacks left boy at risk
A sexual assault that occurred at a group home after state budget cuts prompted the parents of an autistic boy to remove him from the facility.
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER
cmarbin@herald.com
CHULUOTA, Fla. - `He's my son and
I feel so helpless'
David Poff, who is 10 and autistic, can say a few baby words, like ''hug'' and ''tickle.'' Frightening words like ''molest'' and ''sexual assault'' aren't in his vocabulary.
So the group-home caregiver who found him on a sofa June 11 with a bigger boy's hands inside his shorts could only assume what the bigger boy was doing.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12208562.htm
Tropical Storm Gert approaches Mexico
By MARTIN MERZER
mmerzer@herald.com
Now Tropical Storm Gert, a somewhat ragged weather system in the Gulf of Mexico headed toward the same general area of Mexico struck last week by Hurricane Emily.
Forecasters said Gert, the seventh named storm of the young hurricane season, developed from a disturbance they have been watching for days as it approached and then crossed the Yucatán Peninsula.
Though the storm was being torn apart by high-altitude winds at midday, what was left of its center was expected to reach the coast this evening between Tampico and Tuxpan. It could bring four to 10 inches of rain to portions of that region and areas inland.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12207586.htm
Experts blame al Qaeda in Britain, Egypt bombings
Similarities between the Britain and Egypt bombings suggested that al Qaeda was behind them, with Osama bin Laden in control.
BY CRAIG WHITLOCK
Washington Post Service
LONDON - The back-to-back nature of the deadly attacks in Sharm el-Sheik and London, as well as similarities in the methods used, suggest that the al Qaeda leadership might have given the orders for both operations and are a clear sign Osama bin Laden and his deputies remain in control of the network, according to interviews with counterterrorism analysts and government officials in Europe and the Middle East.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12208747.htm
The Jakarta Post
Children urge President to create new ministry for them
JAKARTA (Antara): A group of Indonesian children issued on Sunday a declaration demanding President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to create a new ministry that deals specifically with children's affairs.
The demand was read before Susilo and a number of ministers in a ceremony commemorating the National Children's Day on Sunday at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20050724161730&irec=3
Children take up fight for their rights
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A short-haired teenage girl ran toward a group making preparations at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to celebrate National Children's Day on Saturday.
Maesaroh, a 15-year-old from Lampung who calls herself Maya, was a little late for the event but said she was just happy to be there at all.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20050724.@01&irec=0
Attacks in London, Egypt give new urgency to Asian security meet
VIENTIANE (AFP): The attacks in London and Egypt have given new urgency to the annual meeting here this week of Asia's main security forum, which will adopt measures to boost the region's defenses against terrorism.
The 24-member ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which includes many Muslim nations, is also expected to emphasize that terror attacks, mostly blamed on Islamic extremists, are not associated with religious groups.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20050724113410&irec=4
Asians open conference, with Australia likely to join regional friendship pact
VIENTIANE, Laos (AP): Asian nations on Sunday sought ways to limit damage from Myanmar's dismal democracy record and boost anti-terror cooperation as they opened a six-day conference likely to bring Australia more firmly into the Asian neighborhood.
Australia said it wants to join a nonaggression treaty with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, hoping to resolve concerns during the conference in Vientiane on whether it will conflict with Australia's defense pact with the UnitedStates.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20050724112628&irec=5
Aceh residents flee as three-meter waves strike
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
Memories of the tsunami were triggered in several coastal villages of South Aceh regency on Saturday as huge waves struck, destroying dozens of houses.
The three-meter-high waves hit the area at 6 a.m.
The unusually high waves were triggered by a full-moon tide and strong winds, said seismologist Sanun Ahmad, quoted as saying by Antara news agency.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnews.asp?fileid=20050724.A02&irec=1
Papua overal champs at nat'l athletics meet
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Papua emerged as the overall champions with eight gold, two silver and four bronze medals at the three-day national athletics championship that ended here on Saturday.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnews.asp?fileid=20050724.K05&irec=4
Pigs culled in Tangerang to contain spread of bird flu
TANGERANG (Agencies): The government slaughtered dozens of pigs, chickens and ducks on Sunday in a district near the capital of Jakarta in an attempt to wipe out bird flu, following the month's first deaths from avian influenza virus.
Led by Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyanto and witnessed by local government authorities and the farm owners, officials culled a total of 18 pigs, 20 chickens and 20 ducks in Legok village of Tangerang district.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20050724171129&irec=2
Sinopec to invest in Indonesian oil refinery, minister says
JAKARTA (Bloomberg): China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Asia's largest oil processor, plans to invest in Indonesia's proposed 10th oil refinery, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will sign a memorandum of understanding with the company, also known as Sinopec, when he visits China this week, Purnomo told reporters on Sunday.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20050723185838&irec=0
Lamantijiji takes reign as Sultan Deli XIV
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan
Hundreds of Malay nobles in Medan bowed their heads as they paid their respects to their new leader, eight-year-old Sultan Deli XIV, in an emotional ceremony on Friday.
The new potentate, whose full name is Tengku Mahmud Aria Lamantijiji, was inaugurated a day after his father, Sultan Deli XIII Lt. Col. Tito Otman Mahmud Padrab, died in an plane crash in North Aceh along with two other Army officers.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnews.asp?fileid=20050724.A01&irec=0
PLN launches modules on energy saving
JAKARTA (Antara): The state-owned electricity company PT PLN launched on Sunday education modules on energy saving aimed at boosting knowledge of the students about electricity.
The modules that will be used by students at the country's primary schools from the third to sixth grade was part of the government efforts to promote energy conservation.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20050724190947&irec=1
Riding the Corruption Express
Indonesia has been listed as one of the world's most corrupt countries, a label that the experience I will share with you will corroborate.
Graft cases adorn the front pages of the print media almost every day. Unfortunately, corruption on the train has not attracted much of the media's attention, although this practice could endanger hundreds of train passengers. For just Rp 2,000 you can ask to be dropped of at the train station of your choosing. One piece of advice, though. Never let the engineer know you are a "novice".
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20050724.@03&irec=2
Jakarta tsunami aid summit's declaration
Thursday, January 6, 2005
The special ASEAN leaders' meeting held in Jakarta on Thursday issued a declaration on action to strengthen emergency relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and prevention on the aftermath of eathquake and tsunami disaster.
The full text of the declaration is as follows:
We, the Heads of State/Government, Special Envoys and Heads of regional as well as international organisations, who gathered on 6 January 2005 in Jakarta, Indonesia, expressed solemnly our profound sorrow and our solidarity to overcome the unprecedented catastrophe befalling the Indian Ocean rim countries on 26 December 2004.
This unprecedented devastation needs unprecedented global response in assisting the national governments to cope with such disaster. This would entail efforts in emergency relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction that may take five to ten years, with resources that cannot be borne by any individual country.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/tsunami_declaration.asp
isms . . .
Dead cadet's mother vows to fight Defence
A Tasmanian woman believes her anti-discrimination claim against the Commonwealth has turned into a states' rights case.
Susan Campbell lodged the claim on behalf of herself and her 15-year-old daughter Eleanore Tibble, who took her own life after being told she was to be dishonourably discharged from the Air Training Corps.
Several weeks before her death it was decided Eleanore Tibble should be reinstated, but she was never told.
The Commonwealth has applied to the Federal Court for an injunction to prevent the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal from hearing Mrs Campbell's complaint, but she has vowed to continue, no matter what the legal fees cost.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200507/s1420979.htm
Discrimination against individuals with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria
People living with HIV/AIDS face many forms of stigma and discrimination. This is the case in whichever country they may live, as has been shown in a number of previous research studies. In addition to experiencing unfair treatment by their families, communities, and employers, they may encounter discrimination from healthcare professionals. An article to be published on July 19 in the international open-access medical journal PLoS Medicine shows that such discrimination does indeed occur.
(I-Newswire) - Vincent Iacopino and colleagues from the organization Physicians for Human Rights, in collaboration with researchers from the The Policy Project and the Center for the Right to Health ( both in Nigeria ) investigated the problem of discrimination by health personnel in Nigeria. With a population of roughly 130 million, Nigeria is home to one in eleven of the 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.
http://i-newswire.com/pr37844.html
Gender barriers impede progress of women firefighters
By David Crary
The Associated Press
MIKE DERER / AP
Audra Carter, left, and Maria Diaz were the first female firefighters in Hoboken, N.J. "When we first came on, it was a little bit awkward — the guys were walking on eggshells," said Diaz.
NEW YORK — Her credentials are impressive: Coast Guard reservist, trophy-winning distance runner, veteran of risky Ground Zero duty on the morning the World Trade Center collapsed. Yet even Adrienne Walsh has felt the sting of resentment from men who do not want women alongside them in the ranks of firefighters.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002293449_firefighters31.html
Region's newest hospital chiefs break gender barrier
By JOHN HEYS
john.heys@heraldtribune.com
It doesn't rank up there with women's suffrage or the Equal Rights Amendment, but three of Southwest Florida's newest hospital chiefs have made what is at least a major local gender breakthrough.
For the first time ever, three women are taking the helm at hospitals in Englewood, Sarasota and Venice. They will oversee operations with more than 1,000 beds where tens of thousands of Southwest Florida residents are cared for every year.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050531/BUSINESS/505310532
COLO. GOVERNOR VETOES GAY DISCRIMINATION BILL
OIA Newswire
WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign decried Colorado Governor Bill Owens' decision Friday to veto the non-discrimination measure that passed the state legislature earlier this month, which would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to existing state non-discrimination laws.
Owens did indicate however, that he would allow the anti-hate crime legislation that was also passed by the state legislature to become law, even though he does not support it.
http://www.outinamerica.com/home/news.asp?articleid=8818
Probe reveals discrimination in employment agencies
BY CARRIE MASON-DRAFFEN
STAFF WRITER
May 31, 2005, 2:42 PM EDT
Eight New York City employment agencies have agreed to pay $118,000 after an investigation by Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's office revealed that they kept internal documents listing racial preferences for jobs such as nannies, maids, butlers and estate managers.
Some of the agencies documents noted , "No Blacks," "Anything But Caribbean" and "Prefers European or Philippina or Spanish."
http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzspitz01,0,2103886.story?coll=ny-business-leadheadlines
Frontier Days chairman vigorously denies charge of discrimination
Associated Press
CHEYENNE -- The chairman of Cheyenne Frontier Days vigorously denied that the group discriminates against women and called the charges leveled by a city councilman irresponsible.
Ken McCann, general committee chairman for CFD, said that women hold several prominent roles with CFD and the fact that none serve on the general committee should not be taken as a sign that CFD discriminates against women.
McCann's comments came in response to City Councilman Pete Laybourn, who said during a May 23 council meeting that "sex discrimination at Cheyenne Frontier Days (should be) dealt with and terminated ...." The city's lease with the CFD organizers bans discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin or sex.
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?tl=1&display=rednews/2005/05/31/build/wyoming/30-frontierdays.inc
Courage To Care
New York Sun Staff Editorial
After meeting with President Bush today, the prime minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will visit New York, where, among other things, he will stop by the Anti-Defamation League's national headquarters to receive an award. On Friday, the national director of the ADL, Abraham Foxman, will present Mr. Erdogan with the Courage To Care Award in recognition of efforts by the Turkish diplomatic corps to rescue Jews during World War II.
http://www.nysun.com/article/15065
They look at the burns and are silent
By Amira Hass
"It has to be something cooked up by the Shin Bet security services." That was the reaction of several people when the Israeli media reported on a young woman from the Jabaliya refugee camp who was seized on Monday at the Erez checkpoint carrying 10 kilograms of explosives on her body, which she had intended to detonate in a hospital.
And indeed, the clearly immoral intention of murdering the sick, the cynical exploitation of an exit permit granted for medical purposes, the stupidity of transferring explosives at a checkpoint where even a needle sets off an alarm, a switch that didn't work - all these make one think of a staged incident intended to denigrate or embarrass the Palestinians. A staging that succeeds in concealing the information, which in any case is minimized, about the routine Israeli oppression: for example, the killing of a young boy who was engaged in trapping birds, or the arrest of activists in the village of Balin because they are leading a popular, unarmed struggle against the Israeli policy that is designed to steal more Palestinian land.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/591219.html
Jailed scientist files appeal with Strasbourg court
MOSCOW, June 20 (RIA Novosti) - Lawyers representing Valentin Danilov, a Russian physicist convicted last year on charges of high treason and fraud, have filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
"We have lodged an appeal in connection with a breach of article 5 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which guarantees everyone the right to freedom and personal immunity," Anna Stavitskaya, a member of Danilov's defense team, said today.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20050620/40552281.html
‘Kiss Me Goodnight’ shares joy as well as sorrow
By Sally Thompson
Sun Newspapers
(Created 6/23/2005 9:06:59 AM)
They look whole on the outside, these daughters who lost their mothers when they were young. But inside, where it doesn’t show, there’s an empty spot in their hearts, a spot that remains empty unless enough loving memories can be generated to fill it.
“Kiss Me Goodnight,” a collection of experiences told through poetry, essays and stories, allows 51 women to share their feelings about the early deaths of their mothers from “cancer, suicide, alcoholism, the Nazis and other agents of death,” according to a news release.
http://www.mnsun.com/story.asp?city=Orono&story=160043
Serving bigots their just desserts
Jack Greenberg is a mainstay in the fight for equal rights. Picture / Kenny Rodger
23.07.05
By Claire Harvey
The walk to school through New York's Brooklyn district in the late 1920s took young Jack Greenberg and his pals past a Chinese laundry. Throwing stones through the laundry windows made a great noise and it was fun - and, after all, the owners were Chinese, so they deserved it.
Greenberg had never heard the word "racism", but he had heard his Romanian-born mother and Polish father talking about the terrible things happening to Jewish families like theirs in Eastern Europe.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10337221
Inquirer Mindanao : State of the nation for Mindanaoans
First posted 06:50am (Mla time) July 24, 2005
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A15 of the July 24, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo is scheduled to deliver her State of the Nation Address (Sona) tomorrow. The President's allies are expected to agree with whatever she would say. The opposition, as it always did in past Sonas, would do otherwise. In fact, Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Friday delivered his own True State of the Nation Address (Tsona).
Here is the take of the people of Mindanao on the state of the nation.
Chaotic. Those alleged leaders who presented a supposed solution to the problem are a problem themselves. Unless and until people realize that they have the power to uplift the nation minus the trapos (traditional politicians), the Philippines will land on the deep. -Lawyer Luz Ramos, General Santos City
http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=2&story_id=44600&col=40
Nobel laureate condemns hanging of teenagers in Iran
Teheran (Iran), July 24 (AP): Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi on Saturday condemned the hanging of two teenagers in northeastern Iran, a punishment that prompted protests by gay rights groups around the world.
Ebadi said the hanging last week of a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old on charges of involvement in homosexual acts was a violation of Iran's obligations under the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, which bans such executions.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200507240338.htm
Breaking the gender wall
BEIJING: Life was tough for 33-year-old Liu Cheng Rong in the spring of 2003. The SARS epidemic that swept across China made it impossible for
her family to earn money. The truck they used to transport construction materials to building sites lay unused following the slump in the economy. It was then that she decided to take matters in her own hands and applied for a job in Beijing, leaving her young son and husband behind in Miyun
village, north of the capital city.
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=74983
ADB to aid Pakistan gender reform policy
Saturday July 23, 2005 (1708 PST)
MANILA, July 24 (Online): The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $4.57 million (Rs.270 million) technical assistance grant to boost Pakistan's efforts to improve the status of women in the country, a statement said Saturday.
The grant was aimed at strengthening the integration of Pakistan's commitments to gender policy reform in poverty reduction and governance programmes.
http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=113522
EEOC Revises Guidance on Timeliness for Filing Charges of Employment Discrimination
Compliance Manual Section on'Threshold Issues' Conforms with Supreme Court Ruling
Washington, D.C. - infoZine - In accordance with the Supreme Court's decision in National Railroad Passenger Corp. v. Morgan, 536 U.S. 101 (2002), the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued a revision to its Compliance Manual section on "Threshold Issues" addressing time limitations on filing charges of employment discrimination with the agency. The revised Compliance Manual Chapter and questions and answers about the revision are available online at www.eeoc.gov/policy/compliance.html.
Threshold issues are requirements that an individual must satisfy in order to have a legal claim under the EEO statutes. When a charge is filed with the EEOC, the investigator determines whether threshold requirements are satisfied before considering the substantive claim of discrimination. In Morgan, the Court ruled that the timeliness of an employment discrimination charge depends upon whether it involves a discrete act or a hostile work environment claim. A discrete act is only independently actionable if it occurred within the filing period. In contrast, all of the incidents that make up the same hostile work environment claim are actionable as long as at least one incident occurred within the filing period.
http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/9201/
Councilman withdraws discrimination resolution
By The Associated Press Sunday, July 24, 2005
CHEYENNE (AP) -- A city councilman withdrew his resolution accusing Cheyenne Frontier Days of sexual discrimination but expressed hope the discussion will clarify how the festival is operated.
Councilman Pete Laybourn has pointed out that in 109 years, no woman has been part of the General Committee or Heels, a group of 430 volunteers recognized for their exceptional service to the annual Western festival.
The resolution asked Frontier Days to write an anti-discrimination policy and create a grievance procedure to guarantee equal treatment of volunteers.
http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2005/07/24/news/wyoming/fc0817bd22797624872570450078aa0f.txt
Houston Chronicle
Iran warns Europe to honor nuclear rights
New York Times
TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Saturday that Iran had delivered a message to Europe last week saying it would adopt a new nuclear policy if its basic rights were not observed in Europe's proposal expected to be announced in early August.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/headline/world/3279292
Tropical Storm Gert takes aim at Mexico
Associated Press
RESOURCES
MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Gert headed for Mexico's Gulf Coast today with a threat of several inches of rain in an area where some spots already had been soaked by Hurricane Emily.
Gert's predecessor, Franklin, appeared to be on the verge of falling apart over cooler water in the Atlantic.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/headline/world/3279720
U.S. soldier killed in firefight in Afghanistan
Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan — More than a dozen suspected militants attacked a U.S. patrol in southern Afghanistan today, and the resulting firefight left one American soldier dead and another wounded, the U.S. military said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Between 15 and 20 fighters ambushed the patrol in Helmand province's Gereshk district, the military said in a statement. An insurgent was killed and two others were wounded.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/headline/world/3279657
Two Israeli Motorists Killed in Gaza Strip
JERUSALEM — Palestinian militants killed two Israeli motorists in the Gaza Strip early today and sent a suicide bomber into Israel, intensifying attacks ahead of Israel's withdrawal from the territory next month.
The bomber, who had cut a hole into the Gaza-Israel border fence, was caught near an Israeli communal farm with a belt packed with 11 pounds of explosives. The bomb was detonated safely by Israeli troops.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/headline/world/3279642
North, South Korea meet in Beijing before new talks
Associated Press
BEIJING — The American representative to talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions predicted today that this week's negotiations would not be the last, saying much work needs to be done since Pyongyang boycotted the talks more than a year ago.
The latest round of six-nation talks among the Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia were set to begin Tuesday after North Korea ended its 13-month boycott after a U.S. reassurance to recognize its sovereignty.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/headline/world/3279641
It's official: Armstrong makes it a magnificent seven
Associated Press
PARIS -- Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory today — and did it a little earlier than expected.
Because of wet conditions, race organizers stopped the clock as Armstrong and the main pack entered Paris. Although riders were still racing, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, organizers said that Armstrong had officially won.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory2/3279604
Explosive goes off as man carries it near pyramids
Associated Press
CAIRO, Egypt — An explosive detonated as it was being carried by a man several miles from a tourist bazaar next the Pyramids of Giza today, police said. The man was severely injured.
The incident came amid heightened fears of attacks on tourists in Egypt after Saturday's string of bombings in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, 250 miles east of the capital, that killed 88 people. Security was increased in many parts of Cairo, including around the Pyramids, after the deadliest terrorist attacks in the nation's history.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3279685
Experts say motives, not al-Qaida mastermind, link bombings
Associated Press
LONDON - Car bombs at an Egyptian luxury hotel. Explosions in London subways. Suicide blasts in Baghdad. With the frequency of terror attacks apparently mounting, experts searching for common threads behind the attacks suggest that the war on terror is being waged against an ever-increasing well of recruits, bound together by motives and cause rather than a single al-Qaida mastermind.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3279472
Are our hospitals making us sick?
Care facilities across the nation are focused on reducing infections inside their walls. In Texas, one critic says, lawmakers have 'punted' on the problem.
By ANNE BELLI
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
RESOURCES
PLAN OF ACTION
For a complete list of local and state hospitals participating in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's 100,000 Lives Campaign, visit the institute's Web site at www.ihi.org/IHI/programs/campaign.
JOAQUIN Claveria was an old man with a history of heart conditions when he checked into Methodist Hospital in Houston nearly two years ago with chest pains.
He died three months later — but not because of his age or any pre-existing condition, family members said. While hospitalized, they said, Claveria acquired an especially hard-to-treat infection that did not completely respond to antibiotics.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3279408
MISSING THE GREEN
City courses lose money as golfers go elsewhere
Study points to little marketing and deteriorating conditions of some links among the reasons
By MATT STILES
HOUSTON'S municipal golf system — with its plush and historical flagship, Memorial Park — is among the best and most valuable in the country, according to a new study.
That finding by the National Golf Foundation wasn't news to city parks employees. Yet one question nags them: Why aren't more people playing?
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3278666
2-year-old shot after ball kicked through window
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
A 2-year-old girl was in critical condition today after being shot by a man during a confrontation with a group of teens after one kicked a ball through his apartment window, police said.
Around 8:40 p.m., the teens were making their way through the Funwood Village apartment complex at 11715 S. Glen when one kicked the ball through the man's window, police said.
The man came out waving a handgun. Police said as he was walking he leveled the gun and it went off, striking the girl in the neck.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3279681
3 missing children found during traffic stop
Associated Press
WICHITA FALLS - Three children who authorities say were kidnapped from their grandparents' home in East Texas were found unharmed in a car Friday after the driver was stopped for speeding in Wichita Falls, authorities said.
The children, aged 9, 6 and 2, were placed in protective custody until their grandparents could arrive from their home in Upshur County, about 225 miles away. The grandparents are the legal guardians.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3279379
White House unwilling to release all Roberts documents
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration does not intend to release all memos and others documents written by Supreme Court nominee John Roberts during his tenure with two Republican administrations, a White House representative said today.
Fred D. Thompson, the former Tennessee senator who is guiding Roberts through the nomination process on behalf of the White House, said material that would come under attorney-client privilege would be withheld.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3279705
Pot farmers take extreme steps to protect crops
Grenades, traps, razors and snakes ward off intruders, endanger police
By JOHN CANIGLIA
Newhouse News Service
RESOURCES
POT SHOTS
Some growers are going to extremes to protect their money-making marijuana crops.
• Bitten: A Kentucky grower put deadly snakes in a mesh container near his plot. A police officer unwittingly freed the snakes, and one bit him on the hand.
• Explosion: A hiker in Ohio suffered some paralysis after tripping over a fishing line attached to the pin of a hand grenade, which then exploded.
The marijuana patch — once tended by advocates of peace and love — has become a vicious place where growers plant grenades and animal traps to combat competitors and cops.
Bear traps, makeshift guns and razor blades have become standard ways for growers to protect the investments they hide on wooded lands and farmers' fields. Thieves, police and wayward nature lovers can find themselves at risk.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3278761
DELEGATION WATCH
DeLay pal has seat at dinner with Bush
By SAMANTA LEVINE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay makes it a point not to forget his friends back home.
The Sugar Land Republican, one of just a few members of Congress invited to the White House for the glitzy official dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, brought a hometown buddy to the festivities: Sugar Land Councilman Tom Abraham, who immigrated to the United States from India in 1979.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3278765
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