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- Daily developments
Sgt. Frank B. Hernandez, 21, of Phoenix died Thursday in Tal Afar when an explosive detonated near his vehicle.
- Army band forced to adapt after musicians go to war
CAMP SMITH, N.Y. – The flute went to war. So did the oboe, the clarinet, the bass, the French horn, the euphonium and a good number of the saxophones.
- Chalabi rides tide, hopes to someday steer ship of state
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Ahmad Chalabi, once Washington's favorite Iraqi exile and later abruptly forsaken, is a political force again in Iraq.
- Rise cited in deaths from AIDS in S. Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – South Africa's government reported yesterday that annual deaths increased 57 percent from 1997 to 2003, with common AIDS-related diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia fueling much of the rise.
- Russia to continue nuclear partnership with Iran
MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Russia would continue to help Iran develop nuclear power and that he was convinced the country did not intend to pursue a nuclear arms program.
- Scientists: Massive burst brightest yet
GREENBELT, Md. – A massive burst of energy exploded from a far-off neutron star in December, the brightest flash of light ever detected from beyond the solar system, scientists said yesterday.
- Marijuana growers want crops certified as organic
BERKELEY – Medical-marijuana growers in Mendocino County – an outpost about 100 miles north of San Francisco that is home to vegans, vintners, Libertarians and aging hippies – want to have their pot certified as organic.
- Police: SUV driver in L.A. rail deaths tried to win back his wife
GLENDALE – The laborer charged with triggering the deadly Metrolink derailment was making a "twisted" attempt to win back his estranged wife – not trying to commit suicide – when he abandoned his sport utility vehicle on the tracks, police said.
- School ends new program that tracks student IDs
SUTTER – A school that required radio-frequency identification badges for students so every move they made could be tracked has ended the program because the developer of the technology pulled out.
- Deal to preserve Hearst Ranch final
SAN FRANCISCO – One of the largest land conservation deals in California history became final yesterday when the state and two conservation groups closed escrow on a $95 million agreement to preserve Hearst Ranch, the nearly pristine coastal rangeland that surrounds Hearst Castle.
- REGION UPDATE
Two killed in plane crash
NAPA – Two people died when a twin-engine airplane slammed into the side of Mount St. Helena, the Napa County Sheriff's Department reported.
- Governor's workers' comp nominee no shoo-in
SACRAMENTO – One of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's appointees is facing a tough confirmation fight because of regulations opponents say go beyond the changes lawmakers adopted last year in the state's workers' compensation system.
- NATION UPDATE
Justice to continue to work from home
WASHINGTON – Chief Justice William Rehnquist will not be present when the Supreme Court resumes oral argument sessions next week but he will work from home as he battles thyroid cancer, the court announced yesterday.
- Newest Navy sub said to have undersea cable-tapping ability
WASHINGTON – The Jimmy Carter, set to join the nation's submarine fleet today, will have some special capabilities, intelligence experts say: It will be able to tap undersea cables and eavesdrop on the communications passing through them.
- NASA's safety culture better; launch date set
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA is making strong progress in changing its safety culture after the breakdown that led to the Columbia tragedy, but many workers are still afraid to speak their minds, according to survey results released yesterday.
- New York nudists step out for buffet in the buff
NEW YORK – The diners arrived at a nice Manhattan restaurant on a cold February night and stripped off coats, hats, gloves and scarves. They didn't stop there.
- Bush signs bill on class-action suits, vows more changes
WASHINGTON – As President Bush signed legislation yesterday aimed at discouraging multimillion-dollar class actions, he showed he had his sights set on much broader restraints.
- Arkansas House rejects resolution on church and state
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The state House voted yesterday against affirming the separation of church and state in a resolution brought by a legislator who said he was fed up with a religious undertone at the Capitol.
- Researchers say delay sex surgery when infants' gender is uncertain
WASHINGTON – Hundreds of babies are born each year where the gender isn't clear. Prompt surgery to assign one was once the norm.
- Muslim woman settles suit over swimming attire
LINCOLN, Neb. – A Muslim woman who was barred from accompanying her children to a public swimming pool because she was fully clothed settled a lawsuit yesterday against the city of Omaha.
- WORLD UPDATE
Raids continue on IRA-linked buildings
DUBLIN, Ireland – Hundreds of Irish police officers yesterday staged a second day of raids on houses and businesses, from small shops to law practices and accountancies spanning the length of the country, aimed at a sprawling money-laundering ring that is believed to help finance the Irish Republican Army.
- Syrians say Hariri's assassination works against their interests
DAMASCUS, Syria – The Syrian government has reacted defiantly to accusations that it had a hand in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, underscoring a strategic interest in Lebanon that makes it unlikely that international pressure will force Syria to withdraw its forces from its smaller neighbor.
- Orthodox chief begs Greeks' forgiveness amid church scandal
ATHENS, Greece – Greece's embattled Orthodox Church leader begged the nation for forgiveness yesterday after a blitz of allegations ranging from trial-fixing to purported sex escapades battered the church's reputation as guardian of Greek culture and honor.
- National Guard enlists bonuses to boost ranks
SPRINGER, N.M. – Lisa Marez could not manage a smile as this town cheered the return of her husband's National Guard unit with a parade of pickups and police cars, followed by a celebratory calling of names in the high school gym. Just days earlier, she had learned that her husband, Sgt. Jesse Guillermo Marez, had accepted a bonus to re-enlist for six more years, virtually guaranteeing another tour in Iraq.
- 61 miners in Congo die; health officials say plague suspected
CAPE TOWN, South Africa – International health officials warned yesterday that 61 miners in eastern Congo have died and hundreds have become ill from what appears to be the largest outbreak in several decades of a highly virulent, airborne version of plague.
- Wal-Mart advances to the doorway of a Mexican 'magic town'
PATZCUARO, Mexico – Long before the Spanish arrived, the Purepecha Indians considered this place to be a doorway to heaven, a portal through which the gods descended to Earth.
- Mexican suspect tried publicly in step toward justice reforms
MONTEMORELOS, Mexico – In a quiet courtroom in northern Mexico, a drunken driving case is making history: 19-year-old Alejandro Santana is before a judge, fighting charges he was drunk and crashed a pickup, killing a passenger and leaving another person a quadriplegic.
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