Fargo mayor: More levees will be breached
FARGO, N.D. (AP) _ The bloated Red River briefly breached a dike early Sunday, pouring water into a school campus and the mayor called it a “wakeup call” for a city that needs to be vigilant for weaknesses in levees that could give way at any time. Crews managed to largely contain the flooding to the campus of Oak Grove Lutheran, grades 6-12, preventing more widespread damage in nearby areas.
US-backed Iraqi troops quell Baghdad uprising
BAGHDAD (AP) _ U.S.-backed Iraqi forces swept through a central Baghdad slum Sunday, disarming Sunnis from a government-allied paramilitary group to quell a two-day uprising launched to protest the arrest of their leader. At least four people were killed and 21 wounded in the two days of fighting between government troops and the Awakening Council in Fadhil, a ramshackle warren of narrow, fetid streets on the east side of the Tigris River where al-Qaida once held sway.
AP IMPACT: With Mexico’s army in the war on drugs
REYNOSA, Mexico (AP) _ Acting on a tip, 30 masked soldiers in combat gear bust down the door of a boarded-up house to find 55 terrified migrants, hostages of the Gulf drug cartel. Amid screams and the smell of urine and sweat, they find a blood-spattered room and a nail-encrusted log used to beat the captives and extort money from their families: $3,000 each.
Obama rules out US troop raids into Pakistan
WASHINGTON (AP) _ As he carries out a retooled strategy in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama says he will consult with Pakistan’s leaders before pursuing terrorist hideouts in that country. Obama said U.S. ally Pakistan needs to be more accountable, but ruled out deploying U.S. troops there. “Our plan does not change the recognition of Pakistan as a sovereign government,” the president told CBS’ “Face the Nation” in an interview broadcast Sunday.
Study: Cholesterol drug lowers blood clot risk
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) _ Statin drugs, taken by millions of Americans to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease, also can cut the risk of developing dangerous blood clots that can lodge in the legs or lungs, a major study suggests. The results provide a new reason for many people with normal cholesterol to consider taking these medicines, sold as Crestor, Lipitor, Zocor and in generic form, doctors say.
NKorea launch threatens to undo disarmament talks
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ North Korea’s plans to launch a rocket as early as this week in defiance of warnings threatens to undo years of fitful negotiations toward dismantling the regime’s nuclear program. The U.S., South Korea and Japan have told the North that any rocket launch _ whether it’s a satellite or a long-range missile _ would violate a 2006 U.N. Security Council Resolution prohibiting Pyongyang from any ballistic activity, and could draw sanctions.
Obama: Auto industry needs to do more to get help
WASHINGTON (AP) _ President Barack Obama says General Motors Corp., Chrysler LLC and all those with a stake in their survival need to take more hard steps to help the struggling automakers restructure for the future. Obama, in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” broadcast Sunday, said the companies must do more to receive additional financial aid from the government.
`Monsters vs. Aliens’ hurtles to $58.2M debut
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Movie beasts from old-time Hollywood got a makeover as heroes and conquered the weekend box office. DreamWorks Animation’s action comedy “Monsters vs. Aliens,” which features creatures from 1950s flicks in a showdown with invading extraterrestrials, launched itself into the No. 1 spot with a $58.2 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Thousands of toxic toads killed in Australian fest
SYDNEY (AP) _ Thousands of poisonous cane toads met their fate Sunday as gleeful Australians gathered for a celebratory mass killing of the hated amphibians, with many of the creatures’ corpses being turned into fertilizer for the very farmers they’ve plagued for years. Hundreds of participants in five communities across northern Queensland snacked on sausages, sipped cold drinks and picked up prizes as the portly pests were weighed, measured and killed in the state’s inaugural “Toad Day Out” celebration.
Madonna, in Malawi, refuses to talk about adoption
LILONGWE, Malawi (AP) _ Madonna toured an impoverished village and discussed plans Sunday for building a new school in Malawi, the central African nation where officials said she would begin proceedings this week to adopt a young girl. Madonna, casually dressed with a white fedora, walked through the village of Chinkhota holding the hand of her 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes. Dozens of reporters looked on.
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