In the News: Sep-15

The Lede: Russians React to Putin's '08 Remark - 15 Sep 2008 at 3:03pm - Did the U.S. orchestrate the recent war between Georgia and Russia to boost Senator John McCain?s presidential chances?

Witchcraft rumor sparks riot at Congo soccer game, killing 13 - 15 Sep 2008 at 12:06pm - Accusations that a soccer player was using witchcraft during a local match in eastern Congo sparked a riot that killed 13 people, a U.N.-funded radio station reported Monday. Most of the victims were between the ages of 11 and 16, Radio Okapi said. They were suffocated during the mayhem Sunday in Butembo in eastern Congo's North Kivu province.

U.S. plans to sell Israel 1,000 bunker-buster bombs - 15 Sep 2008 at 11:36am - The U.S. plans to sell Israel 1,000 buster-bunker bombs which Israeli military experts said Monday could provide a powerful new weapon against underground arsenals in Lebanon or Gaza. The experts said they doubted, however, that the bombs could be used to deliver a crippling blow against Iran's nuclear program.

Judge throws out Yellowstone snowmobile plan - 15 Sep 2008 at 10:32am - WASHINGTON -- A federal judge has thrown out plans to allow more than 500 snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park this winter.

Toronto considering ban on paper coffee cups - 15 Sep 2008 at 8:40am - The City of Toronto is considering everything from a tax to an outright ban on objects like paper coffee cups, fast-food containers and plastic bags that clog the recycling system.

Cholera continues to spread in Iraq's south - September 15, 2008 3:27:00 PM - The Iraqi Ministry of Health continues to fight a recent outbreak of cholera as it spreads through Iraq's southern provinces, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 68, a health ministry spokesman said on 13 September.

Gates foresees narrower U.S. combat role in Iraq - 15 Sep 2008 at 8:05am - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that although no additional U.S. combat brigades are to withdraw from Iraq this year, he expects the U.S. combat role to keep shrinking. "We are clearly in a mission transition," he told reporters on an overnight flight here from Washington.

Poll: Public opposes increased presidential power - 15 Sep 2008 at 8:04am - Americans strongly oppose giving the president more power at the expense of Congress or the courts, even to enhance national security or the economy, according to a new poll. The Associated Press-National Constitution Center poll of views on the Constitution found people wary of governmental authority after years of controversy over the Bush administration's expansion of executive power, and especially skeptical of increasing the president's powers.

Up To 50,000 Jobs At Risk In Banks' Collapse - 15 Sep 2008 at 7:47am - Lehman Brothers' 26,000 employees started to clear out their offices Sunday as the securities firm files for bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Merrill Lynch collapsed and agreed to be taken over by Bank of America. Thousands of jobs will disappear in an industry that has lost 100,000 jobs since the start of the credit crisis a little more than a year ago.

US-led troops repelled from Pakistani border: officials - 15 Sep 2008 at 6:30am - PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) - US-led coalition troops based in Afghanistan tried to cross into a Pakistani tribal area in helicopters but were repelled after warning shots were fired, local officials said Monday.

Thought for the day:
An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come. -Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), Histoire d'un crime, 1852