September 09, 2006
Saturday

Bush confirms CIA has secret prisons

President Bush confirmed Wednesday that the CIA secretly has held terrorism suspects in overseas prisons when he announced that 14 men will be transferred to the special military jail at Guantanamo Bay. Bush said the controversial program, first reported by The Washington Post last year, is "one of the most vital tools" in the war against terrorism. Among the prisoners is the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Bush repeated past assurances that CIA prisoners were not tortured. "It's against our laws, and it's against our values. I have not authorized it and I will not authorize it," he said.

Australia's beloved 'crocodile hunter' dies at sea

Popular television naturalist Steve 'Crocodile Hunter' Irwin died Monday when he was stung in the chest by a stingray while filming a show on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Irwin, 44, was internationally famous for his reptile-hugging antics on programs that taught children, and adults, about the wonders of the animal kingdom. Both Queensland Premier Peter Beattie and Prime Minister John Howard suggested Irwin merited a formal state funeral, calling him a "great ambassador" for Australia. But the family has opted for a private service with a public memorial later.

ABC defends and edits Sept. 11 docudrama

ABC executives defended, but also said they continue to edit, a miniseries titled "The Path to 9/11" following withering criticism by former top members of President Bill Clinton's administration. Former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger objected to a scene that, he was told, showed him refusing to authorize an attack on terrorist leader Osama bin Laden despite the request from the CIA. "No one has seen the final version of the film, because the editing process is not yet complete," ABC officials said in a statement Thursday. "Criticisms of film specifics are premature and irresponsible." The two-part drama is scheduled to air Sunday and Monday nights.

Partial Senate report released on Iraq war intelligence

A much delayed Senate report on the intelligence used by the Bush administration before the invasion of Iraq showed Friday that there was no evidence deposed Iraqi chief Saddam Hussein had any dealings with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi or other members of Al Qaeda. Senate Democrats quickly charged the findings undercut President Bush's justification for going to war. The White House said the report shows "nothing new."

Polygamist leader returns to Utah

Mormon polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was extradited to Utah and appeared in court Wednesday to face charges that he forced an underage girl to marry an older man, charges called "rape as an accomplice." He faces a similar charge in Arizona. Jeffs, 50, looked thin and pale and said little during his arraignment. Police arrested Jeffs Aug. 28 during a routine traffic stop near Las Vegas. He had been sought for more than a year and had been on the FBI's Most Wanted list for three months.

Ford steps down from nation's No. 2 automaker

Bill Ford stepped down as chief executive of the automobile manufacturing company founded by his great-grandfather, ending a tumultuous five years of attempts to restructure the troubled firm. He was replaced by Boeing executive Alan Mulally, often praised as part of the team that brought a resurgence to the airline giant. Ford Motor Co., under Ford, cut 35,000 jobs in one round of restructuring only to announce in January additional cuts of 30,000 people by 2012. Ford plans to close 19 plants.

Intel to cut 10,500 jobs

Computer chip manufacturer Intel Corp. announced Tuesday that it will eliminate 10,500 jobs through layoffs, attrition, and sale of poorly performing divisions, a restructuring that will trim nearly 10 percent of its workforce. The San Jose, Calif., firm said it hopes to save $3 billion a year by 2008, although it must pay $200 million in severance costs. The firm that once dominated the microprocessor chip market has suffered declining profits and shrinking market share in competition with a resurgent Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

Paris Hilton arrested in drunken driving case

Los Angeles police Thursday arrested hotel heiress and television personality Paris Hilton in a driving-under-the-influence investigation. Officers stopped Hilton's Mercedes-Benz shortly after midnight when she "exhibited the symptoms of intoxication." A field test showed Hilton with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent, exactly the minimal level for presumption of intoxication in California. Hilton later told reporters that she had consumed a single margarita on an empty stomach.

Tony Blair promises to step down as PM

Amid growing tensions in the British Labour Party, Prime Minister Tony Blair promised Thursday to resign within a year. Blair and Treasury chief Gordon Brown, his expected successor, agreed privately to a transfer of power, according to reports. But former cabinet minister Charles Clarke - a Blair ally until the prime minister fired him in May - bitterly criticized Brown and vowed continued infighting within the Labour movement.

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