OBEIDI, Iraq – The U.S. military wrapped up a major offensive in a remote desert region near the Syrian border Saturday, saying it had cleaned out the terrorist haven and killed more than 125 militants during the weeklong campaign against followers of Iraq’s most wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (search). …
Read More »Spokane Mayor Refuses to Resign
SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane Mayor Jim West (search), fighting off calls for his resignation resulting from a gay sex scandal, insisted again Monday that he will finish out the remainder of his term. “I ask that you accept my apology. I ask for your understanding. But more than anything, I …
Read More »No Deal After Mideast Security Meeting
JERUSALEM – The Palestinians on Tuesday warned of “chaos and instability” after Israel’s pullout from the Gaza Strip (search) and parts of the West Bank (search) if the Israelis don’t show more flexibility on key security issues ahead of the withdrawal. The comments came after an Israeli-Palestinian security meeting ended …
Read More »Napster Posts Loss; Revenues Up Sharply
LOS ANGELES – Online music service Napster Inc. (NAPS) Wednesday posted a fourth-quarter loss but said revenues rose sharply on strong subscriber growth. Napster (search) posted a net loss of $24.3 million, or 60 cents a share for the quarter ended March 31, compared with a net loss of 20 …
Read More »Oil Falls Below $49 on Strong U.S. Supplies
Oil prices sank below $49 a barrel on Thursday, falling sharply for the second straight day and settling near a three-month low as traders reacted to data showing crude supplies rising in the United States and demand growth slowing in China. The two-day slide of more than $3.50 a barrel …
Read More »Protesters Take Over Gaza Hotel
PALM BEACH HOTEL, Gaza Strip – Jewish settlers have taken over an abandoned beachfront hotel in the Gaza Strip (search) and plan to move in hundreds of people opposed to Israel’s withdrawal this summer. The settlers spruced up the dilapidated rooms, slapped a fresh coat of plaster on the walls …
Read More »Perelman Gets $1.45B in Damages From Morgan Stanley
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A Florida jury Wednesday ordered Morgan Stanley (search) to pay $850 million in punitive damages on top of $604 million it has already awarded billionaire investor Ronald Perelman (search) for a business deal that went wrong. The six-man, three-woman jury in West Palm Beach, Fla., …
Read More »Greenpeace Found Guilty of Negligence
KETCHIKAN, Alaska – A jury found Greenpeace (search) guilty Monday on two misdemeanor criminal negligence (search) charges that were filed after the group’s ship entered Alaska (search) waters for an anti-logging campaign without required paperwork. Greenpeace’s ship came to Alaska to conduct an anti-logging campaign in the Tongass National Forest. …
Read More »Bush Hails Spread of Freedom
TBILISI, Georgia – Cheered by tens of thousands in a former Soviet republic, President Bush (search) urged the spread of democracy Tuesday across the former communist world and beyond, declaring that oppressed people “are demanding their freedom and they shall have it.” Bush said that Georgia, where the peaceful Rose …
Read More »Basque Politician Jailed in Spain
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 (search), but the man’s associates said Thursday the action undermined efforts for peace. The order against Arnaldo Otegi (search), the leader of the …
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