world

Roberts presses for fairness on Court in day 3 of hearings

By Alyson Brodsy · Friday, Sept. 16,2005 12:41 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Chief Justice nominee John Roberts said Thursday there is no room for ideologues on the Supreme Court, declaring an "obligation to the Constitution" and to no other cause as he concluded three grueling days of confirmation testimony.

Senate committee poised to confirm Roberts

Thursday, Sept. 15,2005 1 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court nominee John Roberts carefully picked his way through a second day of questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday as Republicans challenged Democrats to support his all-but-certain confirmation as the nation's 17th chief justice.

Massachusetts legislature rejects proposal to ban gay marriage in state constitution

Thursday, Sept. 15,2005 12:02 a.m.

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Legislature rejected a proposed change to the state constitution Wednesday aimed at banning gay marriage, a striking reversal that preserves the state's status as the only place in the nation where same-sex couples can wed.

Highly coordinated al-Qaida bombings kill at least 160 in Baghdad Wednesday; 570 injured

By Alyson Brodsy and Steven R. Hurst · Wednesday, Sept. 14,2005 11:59 p.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A spasm of retaliatory violence, claimed by al-Qaida in the name of Sunni insurgents, ripped through Baghdad Wednesday. At least 160 people were killed and 570 wounded in more than a dozen highly coordinated bombings -- the capital's bloodiest day since the end of major combat.

Roberts dodges questions about abortion at hearing

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Sept. 14,2005 12:58 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Chief Justice nominee John Roberts repeatedly refused to answer questions about abortion and other contentious issues at his confirmation hearing Tuesday, telling frustrated Democrats he would not discuss matters that could come before the Supreme Court.

U.N. approves reform plans before summit

By Alyson Brodsy and Nick Wadhams · Wednesday, Sept. 14,2005 12:58 a.m.

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a watered-down document for world leaders to approve at a U.N. summit, shedding many of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's most ambitious goals after weeks of bitter debate.

Bush takes blame for Katrina criticism

By Alyson Brodsy and Tom Raum · Wednesday, Sept. 14,2005 12:57 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush, for the first time, took responsibility Tuesday for federal government mistakes in dealing with Hurricane Katrina and suggested the calamity raised broader questions about the government's ability to handle both natural disasters and terror attacks.

11 disabled children found in cages in Ohio; caretakers deny neglect

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Sept. 13,2005 1:53 a.m.

WAKEMAN, Ohio -- Sheriff's deputies found 11 children locked in cages less than 3 1/2 feet high inside a home, but a couple denied they had abused or neglected the children. A judge on Monday put the children -- who range in age from 1 to 14 and who have various disabilities, including autism -- in foster homes.

Palestinians take over Gaza Strip Settlements

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Sept. 13,2005 12:41 a.m.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip -- Joyous Gazans flooded into empty Jewish settlements Monday and Palestinians climbed ropes and clambered over walls dividing this border town to join a chaotic celebration of the end of 38 years of Israeli military rule over the Gaza Strip. Plans by Palestinian police to bar crowds from the settlements quickly disintegrated. Militant groups hoisted flags, fired wildly into the air and set abandoned synagogues ablaze, illustrating the weakness of the security forces and concerns about their ability to control growing chaos in Gaza. The pullout is widely seen as a test for Palestinian aspirations of statehood.

FEMA director Mike Brown resigns

By Alyson Brodsy and Lara Jakes Jordan · Tuesday, Sept. 13,2005 12:39 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Federal Emergency Management Agency director Mike Brown resigned Monday, three days after losing his onsite command of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. The White House picked a top FEMA official with three decades of firefighting experience as his replacement. R. David Paulison, head of FEMA's emergency preparedness force, will lead the beleaguered agency, according to three administration sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.

Roberts confirmation underway

By Alyson Brodsy and Jesse J. Holland · Tuesday, Sept. 13,2005 12:37 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court nominee John Roberts said Monday that justices are servants of the law, playing a limited government role, as the Senate opened confirmation hearings to confirm President Bush's choice to be the nation's 17th chief justice. "A certain humility should characterize the judicial role," the 50-year-old Roberts told the Judiciary Committee. "Judges and justices are servants

9/11 debris cleared; memories remain

By Kirk Nathanson · Monday, Sept. 12,2005 2:41 a.m.

Whether it's the birth of a child or the Kennedy assassination, everyone has that handful of events in their lives that stick with them. While other memories fade and blur into one another, some stay as vivid as the moment they happened.

Bush visits Katrina relief workers

By Alyson Brodsy and Jennifer Loven · Monday, Sept. 12,2005 12:47 a.m.

NEW ORLEANS -- President Bush, eager to show hands-on leadership in the Gulf Coast hurricane recovery effort, joined commanders working from a military ship docked in this flooded city Sunday. The president visited firefighters who have been battling the blazes that persistently erupt across the city, then was sleeping on the USS Iwo Jima. The amphibious assault ship is serving as a control center in the relief efforts.

Roberts' Senate hearings begin Monday on the Hill

By Alyson Brodsy and Jesse J. Holland · Monday, Sept. 12,2005 12:46 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday he will not ask Supreme Court chief justice nominee John Roberts whether he would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized abortion.

Troops lower Israeli flag over Gaza

By Alyson Brodsy and Aron Heller · Monday, Sept. 12,2005 12:45 a.m.

NEVE DEKALIM, Gaza Strip -- Israeli troops lowered their national banner and snapped farewell photos in the final phase of the historic Gaza pullout Sunday as Palestinians began celebrating nearby, eager to take control after 38 years of Israeli military occupation.

Riding out the storm: Part 3

By Alyson Brodsy and Rami Chami · Friday, Sept. 9,2005 2:11 a.m.

I woke up Wednesday morning relieved the generators had not given out during the previous night and headed back to a small section of the Superdome set aside for mostly elderly people with special needs. The atmosphere in the dome had gotten incredibly tense and the soldiers were walking around with shotguns, which I assumed was an ideal weapon for close quarter combat.

1. American hostage freed after 10 months in Iraq

By Alyson Brodsy · Friday, Sept. 9,2005 12:45 a.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The U.S. military, acting on a tip, raided an isolated farmhouse outside the capital Wednesday and rescued an American held hostage for 10 months. The kidnappers, who had kept their captive bound and gagged, escaped without a gun battle.

Mubarak wins first Egyptian presidential race

By Alyson Brodsy · Friday, Sept. 9,2005 12:40 a.m.

CAIRO, Egypt -- President Hosni Mubarak swept Egypt's first contested race for his job, according to preliminary results Thursday, an expected victory in an election praised as progress toward democratic reform despite allegations of fraud.

Ophelia reaches hurricane status, nears Florida coast

By Alyson Brodsy · Friday, Sept. 9,2005 12:39 a.m.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Tropical Storm Ophelia strengthened into a hurricane as it stalled 70 miles off the northeast Florida coast Thursday, churning waves that caused beach erosion and drenching Kennedy Space Center.

Congress passes Katrina relief bill

By Alyson Brodsy and David Espo · Friday, Sept. 9,2005 12:37 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Acting with extraordinary speed, Congress approved an additional $51.8 billion for relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina on Thursday. President Bush pledged to make it "easy and simple as possible" for uncounted, uprooted storm victims to collect food stamps and other government benefits.