CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday urged Colombian rebels to lay down their weapons, unilaterally free dozens of hostages and end a decades-long armed struggle. Chavez sent the uncharacteristic message to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, saying their ongoing efforts to overthrow Colombia’s democratically …
Read More »Gates: Decision to Pull U.S. Ships From Burma Coast Will Come Within Days
SINGAPORE – U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday he will make a decision in a matter of days to withdraw U.S. Navy ships from the coast of Burma, also known as Myanmar, because “it’s becoming pretty clear the regime is not going to let us help.” As a result, …
Read More »Universities Seek to Limit Alcohol Availability Off-Campus
Many college towns have tried to limit the availability of alcohol off-campus. Here are a few examples: — In Madison, Wis., the city council clamped down on new liquor licenses near the University of Wisconsin campus. — The University of Iowa sought legislation to reduce the number of bars and …
Read More »Kid Rock to Fans: 'Steal Everything'
DETROIT – Kid Rock wants fans to know it’s OK to illegally download his music. And while they’re at it, they should steal cars, designer clothes and iPods, too. Well, maybe not. The 37-year-old Detroit musician posted a “special announcement” on YouTube last week urging fans to “steal everything.” Kid …
Read More »Firefighters Battle 2-Alarm Blaze in San Francisco Warehouse
SAN FRANCISCO – Firefighters are battling a two-alarm fire burning in a warehouse in an industrial area of San Francisco. The blaze — first reported a little after 5:30 this morning — is burning in a building that houses a cabinet company on Apparel Way, near the intersection of Interstate …
Read More »Survey: One in 3 Information Tech Professionals Snoops on Other Employees
Do you trust your company’s friendly information-technology personnel not to read your e-mail? Maybe you shouldn’t. A survey of IT professionals revealed that one in three admitted reading other people’s messages, checking out salary details and going over board-meeting minutes, according to Reuters. Nearly half — 47 percent — said …
Read More »Pregnancy Pact in Massachusetts Town Questioned
GLOUCESTER, Mass. – The story made headlines almost immediately: High school girls in this New England fishing town had made a pact to get pregnant. Now the account is under fire. The city’s mayor on Monday disputed the pact theory originally stated by the high school principal. Click here for …
Read More »The BlackBerry's Still the Better Smartphone
As any lover will tell you, delaying gratification is the secret to real satisfaction. I have held onto my Treo 650 for four years. Admittedly, this is a long time to carry one phone, especially for a technology editor. (By contrast, I have gone through three PCs in that time.) …
Read More »Afghanistan Officials: 31 Killed in Airstrikes
KABUL, Afghanistan – Officials say 31 people died in airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan. Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary says most of the 31 people were foreign fighters. But Khalid Farooqi, a lawmaker from Paktika, says at least nine civilians were killed. The U.S.-led coalition says four civilians were killed and …
Read More »Bush Tells Democrats to Stop Blocking His Energy Proposals
WASHINGTON – President Bush is accusing Democrats in Congress of blocking his energy proposals, saying they are partly to blame for high gasoline costs pinching Americans’ budgets. In his Saturday radio address, Bush urged Congress to lift its long-standing ban on offshore oil and gas drilling to increase U.S. energy …
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