In the News: Jul-11

More seeking asylum on U.S.-Mexico border - 11 Jul 2008 at 2:48pm - EL PASO, Texas -- Dozens of Mexicans - including police officers, businessmen, at least one prosecutor and a journalist - are asking for political asylum in the U.S. in a desperate and probably hopeless bid to escape an unprecedented wave of drug-related killings and kidnappings south of the border.

ICC prosecutor to seek arrest of Sudan's Beshir - 11 Jul 2008 at 2:27pm - THE HAGUE (AFP) - International Criminal Court prosecutors will seek the arrest of Sudan President Omar al-Beshir for war crimes in Darfur, it emerged Friday, prompting Khartoum to threaten peace efforts in the region.

Budget deficit up in first 9 months of budget year - 11 Jul 2008 at 2:06pm - WASHINGTON -- The Treasury Department says the federal deficit swelled to $268.7 billion in the first nine months of this budget year as record spending during the period outpaced revenues.

Oil prices top 147 dollars per barrel - 11 Jul 2008 at 2:03pm - LONDON (AFP) - Oil prices rocketed to record highs above 147 dollars on Friday as traders seized on the weak US currency, simmering tensions over crude producers Iran and Nigeria and news of a looming strike in Brazil.

Study: As gas prices go up, auto deaths decline - 11 Jul 2008 at 1:38pm - Today's high gasoline prices could cut auto deaths by nearly a third as driving decreases, paticularly among price-sensitive teenage drivers, the authors of a new study say. Professors Michael Morrisey of the University of Alabama and David Grabowski of Harvard Medical School found that for every 10% increase in gas prices there was a 2.3% decline in auto deaths. For drivers ages 15 to 17 the decline was 6% and for ages 18 to 21 it was 3.2%.

Administration rejects regulating greenhouse gases - 11 Jul 2008 at 1:22pm - WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration has rejected regulating greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, saying it would cause too many job losses at a time when the economy is in trouble.

Ruling a setback for White House on visitor logs - 11 Jul 2008 at 11:21am - WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court has set back the White House's efforts to keep secret the names of its visitors.

Court overturns Bush air pollution rule - 11 Jul 2008 at 11:30am - WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court has struck down an environmental rule that the Bush administration championed as crucial in protecting public health.

US-led strikes kills 64 Afghan civilians - 11 Jul 2008 at 10:57am - JALALABAD (AFP) - Official investigations have found that US-led air strikes a week ago killed 64 people, most of them women and children, the heads of separate investigation teams said Friday.

Reuters seeks U.S. army video of staff killed in Iraq - 11 Jul 2008 at 9:23am - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Reuters has urged the U.S. military to hand over video footage from U.S. attack helicopters and other materials relating to the killing of two Iraqi staff in Baghdad a year ago.

Thought for the day:
If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things. -Rene Descartes (1596 - 1650)