world

Psychologist testifies Moussaoui has paranoid schizophrenia

By Alyson Brodsy and Matthew Barakat · Tuesday, April 18,2006 11:44 p.m.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Zacarias Moussaoui's behavior is abnormal even for an al-Qaida terrorist, a defense psychologist testified Tuesday.

Former Illinois governor convicted of racketeering

By Alyson Brodsy and Mike Robinson · Tuesday, April 18,2006 12:51 a.m.

CHICAGO -- Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, who drew international praise when he commuted the sentences of everyone on Illinois' death row, was convicted of racketeering and fraud Monday in a corruption scandal that ended his political career in 2003. Ryan, 72, sat stone-faced as the verdict was read and afterward vowed to appeal. "I believe this decision today is not in accordance with the kind of public service that I provided to the people of Illinois over 40 years, and needless to say I am disappointed in the outcome," the former governor said. FBI Special Agent Robert Grant said he hoped the verdict would end "political prostitution" in Illinois.

Suicide bomber kills 9 in Tel Aviv

By Alyson Brodsy and Laurie Copans · Tuesday, April 18,2006 12:49 a.m.

TEL AVIV, Israel -- A Palestinian suicide bomber struck a packed fast-food restaurant during Passover on Monday, killing nine other people and wounding dozens in the deadliest attack in more than a year. In a sharp departure from the previous Palestinian government's condemnations of bombings, the Hamas-led administration said the attack resulted from Israel's "brutal aggression." The bloodshed and the hard-line stance could set the stage for harsh Israeli reprisals and endanger Palestinian efforts to secure desperately needed international aid.

Formation of new Iraqi government stalled as legislative session delayed

By Alyson Brodsy and Vanessa Arrington · Monday, April 17,2006 12 a.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The U.S. military said four Marines were killed during combat Saturday in the volatile Anbar province west of Baghdad raising the number of American service members killed so far this month to nearly 50.

Pope focuses on Middle East peace in 1st Easter message

By Alyson Brodsy · Sunday, April 16,2006 11:59 p.m.

VATICAN CITY -- In his first Easter message as pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday urged nations to use diplomacy to defuse nuclear crises -- a clear reference to worries over Iran -- and prayed that Palestinians would one day have their own state alongside Israel.

Moussaoui testifies in 9-11 trial, criticizes his own lawyers

By Alyson Brodsy and Matthew Barakat · Friday, April 14,2006 12:22 a.m.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Confessed al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui returned to the witness stand Thursday, arguing that he could not get a fair trial so close to the Pentagon. He also denied that he was trying to sabotage his defense by testifying earlier that he was to have piloted a fifth plane during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

IU studying global warming

By Anne Purcell · Friday, April 14,2006 12:21 a.m.

Global warming used to seem like an issue of the distant future, but recently, it's been gaining more attention in the media. Scientists are divided on whether or not global warming is really a problem, and how to address the issue if it is. Recently, the Bush administration and Congress have been pressed for more research funding and some IU faculty and students say they think it's about time.

Australian PM faces corruption inquiry

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, April 13,2006 12:59 a.m.

SYDNEY, Australia -- Two of Prime Minister John Howard's senior aides have told a commission investigating alleged bribes to Saddam Hussein's regime in defiance of U.N. sanctions that they knew nothing of the scandal. Now it's Howard's turn to testify. Howard on Thursday will become the first Australian head of state in more than two decades to face an official inquiry. He will answer questions from the commission probing whether Australia's monopoly wheat exporter illegally paid millions of dollars in bribes to win contracts from Saddam's regime.

Italy's parliamentary election results remain disputed

By Alyson Brodsy and Alessandra Rizzo · Thursday, April 13,2006 12:58 a.m.

ROME -- Italy's center-left leader Romano Prodi said Wednesday he doesn't fear a reversal of parliamentary election results, insisting his narrow victory is safe despite Premier Silvio Berlusconi's demand for a recount. Prodi emerged the winner of the hard-fought election, although his razor-thin margin has brought back the prospect of political instability in a country known for revolving-door governments. Berlusconi has refused to concede defeat, alleging voting irregularities.

Rice: It's time for action against Iran

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, April 13,2006 12:55 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Denouncing Iran's successful enrichment of uranium as unacceptable to the international community, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday the U.N. Security Council must consider "strong steps" to induce Tehran to change course. Rice also telephoned Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to ask him to reinforce demands that Iran comply with the agency's nonproliferation requirements when he holds talks in Tehran on Friday.

Moussaoui jurors hear Sept. 11 tapes

By Alyson Brodsy and Matthew Barakat · Thursday, April 13,2006 12:54 a.m.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- In the final minutes of doomed United Air Lines Flight 93, Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers try to shake off passengers clamoring for control of the plane over Pennsylvania. Amid groans and sounds of a struggle, a voice says, "I am injured." A hijacker asks, "Shall we finish it off?" Moments later, the plane hurtles out of control to the ground, according to a cockpit voice recording played for a jury Wednesday by federal prosecutors seeking the execution of Zacarias Moussaoui.

Laundry betrays No. 1 Mafia boss in Sicily

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 12,2006 12:09 p.m.

PALERMO, Sicily -- Italy's No. 1 fugitive and reputed Mafia "boss of bosses" practically thumbed his nose at authorities for more than 40 years. He counted on Sicilians' centuries-old mistrust of the state to help him on the run, sleeping in islanders' homes, having his children born at local hospitals, even sending the public health care system a bill for prostate treatment abroad under a false name. But police finally caught up with Bernardo "The Tractor" Provenzano on Tuesday in a farmhouse outside his power base, Corleone -- the town that inspired the family name in "The Godfather."

Pakistan bombing kills 41 during prayer service

By Alyson Brodsy and Zarar Khan · Wednesday, April 12,2006 1:12 a.m.

KARACHI, Pakistan -- A suicide attacker detonated a bomb during an outdoor Islamic prayer service Tuesday, killing at least 41 people and wounding dozens, police said. An angry mob burned cars and threw stones at police, who fired into the air to disperse the crowds, a witness said.

Gasoline prices expected to rise in summer months

By Alyson Brodsy and H. Josef Hebert · Wednesday, April 12,2006 1:11 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Gasoline prices are surging again with summer on the horizon, pushing or even passing $3 a gallon in some places.

Iran announces nuclear milestone

By Alyson Brodsy and Ali Akbar Dareini · Wednesday, April 12,2006 1:10 a.m.

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran has successfully enriched uranium for the first time, a landmark in its quest to develop nuclear fuel, hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday, although he insisted his country does not aim to develop atomic weapons. In a nationally televised speech, Ahmadinejad called on the West "not to cause an everlasting hatred in the hearts of Iranians" by trying to force Iran to abandon uranium enrichment.

Kenyan military plane crashes, 14 dead

By Alyson Brodsy and Tom Maliti · Tuesday, April 11,2006 1:46 a.m.

NAIROBI, Kenya -- A military plane carrying politicians to a peace conference crashed while attempting to land in northern Kenya during bad weather Monday, killing at least 14 people, including two assistant Cabinet ministers. President Mwai Kibaki declared three days of national mourning. Four of the 17 people on the plane were pulled from the fiery wreckage alive and flown to Nairobi for treatment, witnesses said. One survivor died on the way.

Bush dismisses report of military plans against Iran

By Alyson Brodsy and Nedra Pickler · Tuesday, April 11,2006 1:45 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush said Monday that force is not necessarily required to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon, and he dismissed reports of plans for a military attack against Tehran as "wild speculation." Bush said his goal is to keep the Iranians from having the capability or the knowledge to have a nuclear weapon. "I know we're here in Washington (where) prevention means force," Bush said during an appearance at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. "It doesn't mean force necessarily. In this case it means diplomacy."

Russian, Brazilian, American among space station crew returning to Earth

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, April 10,2006 12:50 a.m.

ARKALYK, Kazakhstan -- American, Russian and Brazilian astronauts endured a bone-jarring, 3 1/2-hour ride from the international space station back to Earth on Sunday, landing on target in the freezing Kazakh steppe.

Roadside bombs, violence marks 'Freedom Day' in Iraq

By Alyson Brodsy and Vanessa Arrington · Monday, April 10,2006 12:50 a.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Roadside bombs killed at least three people in Iraq on Sunday, the three-year anniversary of Baghdad's fall to U.S. forces, as security forces bolstered security in the capital to prevent attacks on "Freedom Day."

Israel set to cut all ties with Palestinian Authority

Monday, April 10,2006 12:48 a.m.

JERUSALEM -- Israel's Cabinet is set to cut all ties with the Palestinian Authority, ruling out the possibility that Israel will hold peace talks with the moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in an effort to bypass the new Hamas-led government, an official said Sunday.