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Most popular news on 12 August 2009 |
Strong Meteor Shower Expected Tonight
SPACE.com - The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show this week for those willing to get up in the wee hours of the morning and wait patiently for the shooting stars.
Ill. man faces 6 months in jail for yawning
AP - Drowsy spectators in one suburban Chicago courtroom might want to stifle their yawns from now on. Clifton Williams, 33, of Richton Park, is facing six months in jail for making what court documents call a yawn-like sound in Will County Judge Daniel Rozak's court last month. The yawn happened as Williams' cousin, Jason Mayfield, was being sentenced for a drug charge on July 23.
Mona Lisa smiles on after Russian teacup attack
AFP - An "unhinged" Russian woman threw a teacup at the world's most famous painting, Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," but it emerged unscathed due to its bullet-proof glass cover, the Louvre museum said on Tuesday.
Costa Rica's president has swine flu
AP - Nobel Peace laureate and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias said Tuesday that he has swine flu, showing that not even a head of state is safe from the virus that has caused worldwide concern but relatively few deaths.
Families: American hikers entered Iran by mistake
AP - Three American hikers detained in Iran for nearly two weeks entered the country by mistake and their families are hoping for a quick resolution that will reunite them with their children, the families said in a statement Tuesday.
Lawmakers face angry crowds on health care
AP - Jeers and taunts drowned out Democrats calling for a health care overhaul at town halls Tuesday, and one lawmaker said a swastika was spray-painted at his office as debate turned to noisy confrontation over President Barack Obama's plan. The president himself was treated more respectfully.
Rove involvement in US attorney firing detailed
AP - Former White House political adviser Karl Rove played a central role in the ouster of a U.S. attorney in New Mexico, one of nine prosecutors fired in a scandal in 2006 over political interference with the Justice Department, according to transcripts of closed-door testimony released Tuesday.
Ex-Nazi officer guilty in WWII massacre in Italy
AP - Gino Massetti was only 15 when Nazi troops rounded him up with 10 other Italian civilians and forced them into a barn in Tuscany before blowing it up — a massacre carried out in revenge after partisans killed two soldiers.
Neeson walks 1st red carpet since wife died
AP - Actor Liam Neeson has walked the red carpet for the first time since the death of his wife, actress Natasha Richardson.
Jennifer Hudson gives birth to a son
AP - Jennifer Hudson has a new role — that of a proud mother.
Studies: New osteoporosis drug cuts fracture risk
AP - A first-of-its-kind osteoporosis drug lowers the risk of bone fractures better than some existing treatments, two studies suggest, and could soon add a more expensive but easier option to the booming market.
Myanmar's Suu Kyi convicted, returned to isolation
AP - Myanmar's generals have again succeeded in isolating democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but her fleeting emergence during a grueling trial showed that her steely resolve and charisma remain intact.
Murder for ratings? Brazil cops suspect TV host
AP - In one murder after another, the "Canal Livre" crime TV show had an uncanny knack for being first on the scene, gathering graphic footage of the victim.
Woman says she was repeatedly bitten by otters
AP - An Austrian woman on vacation in Wisconsin is getting rabies shots after she said she was bitten by otters while swimming in a lake. Brigitte France, 51, told the Duluth News Tribune that she was swimming on Lake Owen near Drummond last Wednesday when three otters suddenly appeared. Feeling concerned, she swam to shore.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver dies at age 88
Reuters - Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who emerged from a powerful male-dominated political family to found the Special Olympics and become a leading advocate of the mentally disabled, died on Tuesday at the age of 88.
Skywatchers to see streaking meteors
AP - The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a dazzling sky show.
Brooks & Dunn to 'call it a day' after 20 years
AP - Brooks & Dunn are done.
2 bodies found in Hudson River plane wreckage
AP - Two bodies were pulled Tuesday from the wreckage of a small plane that collided with a sightseeing helicopter over the Hudson River, meaning all nine crash victims have been recovered, police said.
Rescue crews find 700 safe after Taiwan mudslide
Reuters - About 700 people from the remote mountains of southern Taiwan have been found alive overnight after it was feared they may have been buried by mudslides, but many are still missing, an official said.
Aspirin shows promise for colon cancer patients
AP - Score another win for the humble aspirin. A study suggests colon cancer patients who took the dirt-cheap wonder drug reduced their risk of death from the disease by nearly 30 percent.
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