Stories from Wednesday, June 25, 2003

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Six British soldiers died while training police in southern Iraq, and eight others were wounded Tuesday when Iraqis ambushed a patrol and a helicopter. The ambush was among 25 attacks on U.S. and British soldiers over a 24-hour period, making for one of the deadliest days for the coalition since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime on April 9. Three Iraqis were killed in a firefight with American soldiers west of Baghdad...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Firefighters fanned out above and below a raging wildfire on a mountaintop north of Tucson in an attempt to beat back flames that have destroyed more than 250 homes in a vacation community. Crews used bulldozers to fight the blaze's northward spread on Mount Lemmon by digging a firebreak connecting roads, natural barriers and an area that already was burned over last year...

NEW YORK -- Leon Uris, whose best-selling novel "Exodus" offered the world a heroic tale of the founding of Israel and an image of Jews as muscular, sunburned avengers, has died at 78. Uris, who died of congestive heart failure Saturday at his home on New York's Shelter Island, was as much an adventurer as an author, and his other novels included the spy thriller "Topaz"; the courtroom drama "QBVII"; "Mila 18," about the Jewish uprising in Warsaw during World War II; and "Trinity," an epic about the Irish.. ...

At least a dozen teenagers assigned to work with police departments as part of the Boy Scouts' Law Enforcement Explorers program have allegedly been sexually abused by officers during the past year. In the past five years, such molestations number at least 25, according to criminologists' research being released today...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA said it will launch a second Mars rover on Saturday after officials repaired the rocket that will send the craft up. The decision to go with the launch was made after NASA workers replaced a band of cork insulation on the Delta rocket, George Diller, a NASA spokesman at the Kennedy Space Center, said Tuesday...

NEW YORK -- The city violated the First Amendment rights of two firefighters and a police officer when it fired them for riding on a parade float in blackface in 1998, a judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. District Judge John E. Sprizzo said the government "may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because a segment of society finds it offensive."...

NEW YORK -- Americans are increasingly optimistic that the economy may be ready to turn around during the second half of the year, according to the latest reading on consumer confidence. The New York-based Conference Board said Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index held steady in June, edging back to 83.5 in June from a revised 83.6 in May following two consecutive months of increases. Still, the reading was better than analysts' projection of 82...

The Associated Press BOSTON -- A Northwest Airlines flight headed for Amsterdam returned to Logan International Airport Tuesday night after one of its engines failed, authorities said. There were no injuries, said Jeff Smith, a spokesman for the airline...

CHICAGO -- Heart muscle inflammation should be added to the list of serious but uncommon side effects linked to smallpox shots, a U.S. military study found. The study details 18 cases of probable myopericarditis out of 230,734 military personnel vaccinated between December 2002 and mid-March. The rate is more than triple the expected rate in nonvaccinated people and translates to at least 78 cases per million people...

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. -- The makers of Snickers think it's time to melt the energy bar and candy bar concepts together. So Masterfoods USA, formerly M&M/Mars, is keeping an old name on a new product, Snickers Marathon, and is promising much of the same chocolate and gooey caramel flavor. Adding vitamins, minerals and a blend of protein may help get rid of one traditional ingredient for some buyers: guilt...

A pregnant teenager who uses the computers at her library to get onto the Internet might find some sites that discuss abortion blocked. Or a student researching gay rights for a high school assignment might some find gaps in the information he finds online at his school or the library...

LOS ANGELES -- Hispanics are the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority, their buying power is increasing -- yet they remain barely visible on the major broadcast networks, according to a study released Tuesday. Hispanic characters received only 3 percent of screen time in fall 2002 programs on the six major networks, according to the study by the University of California, Los Angeles. Hispanics make up 13.5 percent of the U.S. population...

LOS ANGELES -- Rapper 50 Cent captured best new artist and best male hip-hop artist honors at Tuesday's BET Awards show, while the "godfather of soul," James Brown, was presented a lifetime achievement award. The 70-year-old Brown, a seminal figure in rock, pop and soul, is also known as "Soul Brother No. 1" and the hardest working man in show business. He is currently on a national concert tour...

LONDON -- A British dossier on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction which included material lifted from a graduate thesis on the Internet was an embarrassment for the government, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Tuesday. But, testifying before a House of Commons Committee, Straw defended another government dossier which claimed that some weapons of mass destruction were poised for deployment on 45 minutes notice...

PARIS -- A third generation of an estimated 800 to 1,000 al-Qaida terrorists -- mainly suicide attackers based on several continents -- is preparing strikes against tourist and economic targets worldwide, a French terrorism expert said Tuesday. Roland Jacquard, a French consultant to the United Nations, said the new generation of terrorists is unpredictable, hard to track and ready to strike...

SEOUL, South Korea -- Koreans have a curse -- "You should be tattooed!" -- that reflects the ancient practice of using tattoos to brand thieves and slaves. But a nationwide police search launched this month for men with tattoos has rounded up a new breed of criminals -- young men who use the body art to try to evade the country's mandatory military service, crucial to its defense against communist North Korea...

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- European officials hope new agreements to fight terrorism and curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction will help heal ties with the United States as the two sides meet today at a Washington summit. But differences over the fine print of the agreements and disputes over trade underscore the deep rift between the United States and countries that once were the closest of allies...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran will turn over to Saudi Arabia a number of Saudi members of the al-Qaida terror network who are in Iranian prisons, a senior Iranian official said Tuesday. The announcement was the first confirmation by Iran that some of the al-Qaida members it is holding are Saudis. ...

ARECIBO, Puerto Rico -- Search teams on Tuesday found the body of an American university student who vanished with his friend in a Puerto Rican jungle days ago. Divers found the body of 21-year-old Colin Mike Ewers trapped by a boulder near the 30-foot waterfall on the flast-flowing Tanama River where his friend's body was found a day earlier, said Delyris Aquino with Puerto Rico's Emergency Management Agency...

ROME -- Police in Milan arrested six people Tuesday suspected of supporting an al-Qaida-linked group and of having contacts with alleged Sept. 11 coordinator Ramzi Binalshibh. The six -- five Tunisians and a Moroccan -- are accused of helping the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, an Algerian-based organization that had a cell operating in Milan, police said. A seventh suspect is at large...

Husband-and-wife team David Page and Barbara Shinn, chefs and co-owners of Home restaurant in New York City, specialize in food that has its roots in the kind of home cooking you grew up with. They call it "American neighborhood cuisine," local American-style food -- but they give their home-cooked dishes new flavor twists...

CAMP DAVID, Md. -- It's only a matter of time before Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein are captured or accounted for, President Bush said Tuesday as he announced $3 billion in military and economic aid to reward Pakistan for its help in the war on terror...

Photographer wants court to dismiss lawsuit LOS ANGELES -- A photographer Barbra Streisand is suing for putting photos of her Malibu estate on the Internet asked a court to dismiss the entertainer's action on grounds that it infringes on his right to free expression...

To me, the most fascinating thing about the Hulk isn't his green skin, his glowing eyes or his superhuman strength. It's his amazing pants. From the comic book to the television series to the feature film, the Hulk has never split the rear of his pants despite growing three to 15 times his human size. However, many actual people I know have stories about splitting their pants. I certainly have one. Or two...

By Michael Rosenberg ~ Detroit Free Press Vitali Klitschko says the damage he suffered to his eye against Lennox Lewis in Saturday's title bout came from a head butt. Some controversy in the big fight Saturday, a friend said. This was the fight between Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko. The controversy happened in the sixth round. It involved Klitschko...

While Sharon and Richard Hogan of Cape Girardeau won the biggest prize in the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Dream Home Giveaway on Sunday, there were several other prizes awarded. The Hogans won a $275,000 house in Touchdown Estates subdivision. Brian Doyle of St. Jude said all applicable income taxes will apply to winners...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Legislation further restricting purchases of popular cold and allergy medications illicitly used to make methamphetamine was signed into law Tuesday. Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell endorsed the bill and a companion measure creating new crimes related to illegal drug production. Maxwell was filling in for Gov. Bob Holden, who was out of state...

Cape Girardeau sixth-grade student Quitman McBride III will be the special guest performer tonight when the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band performs at the Capaha Park Bandshell. The celebrity guest conductor will be Chuck Martin, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau...

Shoppers and store personnel were evacuated out of Cape Girardeau's Wal-Mart Supercenter Tuesday morning when an air-conditioning unit malfunctioned, said fire department training officer Fred Vincel. Firefighters were called shortly after 7 a.m. when a small amount of smoke was seen coming from a vent inside the store. They used a thermal imaging camera to pinpoint which air handler on the store's roof was putting off the most heat, Vincel said...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation's maintenance crews will make repairs to the southbound Ramsey Creek bridge approaches on Interstate 55, just south of Route K at Scott City on Thursday. Traffic will be reduced to one lane from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution. For additional information, call (888) ASK-MODOT...

Andrew Tyler, an 11-year-old Jackson youth who nearly drowned on June 6, is now breathing on his own, but is still not conscious, Tyler's grandmother Blanch Breeden said Tuesday. Andrew, while swimming for the Barracuda swim team, jumped into the water and went into cardiac arrest due to a condition known as Long QT Syndrome, an electrical disorder of the heart...

Less than two weeks remain for those tornado victims who haven't yet applied for state and federal disaster assistance to make an application. The deadline to apply is July 7. "What we're finding is people are waiting to hear back from their insurance before they apply," said FEMA spokesperson Zach Kittrie. "I'd hate for people to find out on July 8 that the deadline has passed. Applications can always be updated, but they need to be in the system by July 7."...

Misusing a garden pesticide could rid your garden of more than just pests. If you don't carefully follow the directions, you could harm yourself, the environment or end up with results much different than you had expected. By law, each pesticide container is required to tell the user what the product is used for, the target pest, location of the target pest, application rates, protective clothing needed, precautionary measures, and other application information to increase effectiveness of the pesticide. ...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Harper's Index is a clever demonstration of what facts alone can tell. With due respect to the folks of Harper's, perhaps a similar list can be enlightening for citizens in regard to Missouri's current budget situation. 1. Last time Missouri has not had a budget for public schools on July 1: 1867...

After making severe cuts to staff and expenditures for the coming school year, Jackson School District officials are now concerned that any future funding losses may mean eliminating programs and asking voters for a local tax increase. During their Tuesday evening meeting, members of the Jackson School Board passed a budget for the new fiscal year, which starts July 1, with a $1.76 million spending deficit...

Late Tuesday morning, Cory Gaines Jr. kept himself occupied by stumbling over a beach ball and bumping into things with his foot-powered three-wheeler. One would never know that six days earlier, the blond, curious, always-on-the-move, 2-year-old boy was lying face down in a swimming pool, unable to breathe, his heart not beating...

A change in the way Southeast Missouri State University assigns parking permits should cut down on student complaints and tickets issued by campus police, school officials say. The university, which is currently in the process of adding more parking, will switch to a seniority-based lottery system for assigning its preferred parking spaces beginning July 10...

WASHINGTON -- Though Predator drones spotted Osama bin Laden as many as three times in late 2000, the Bush administration did not fly the unmanned planes over Afghanistan during its first eight months and was still refining a plan to use one armed with missiles to kill the al-Qaida leader when Sept. 11 unfolded, current and former U.S. officials say...

Cape Senior Legion wins high-scoring game in Ky. The Cape Girardeau Senior Legion team survived a slugfest Tuesday in Kentucky and defeated Fulton 16-13. Seth Hudson led Cape's offense by going 3-for-4 with two home runs. Hudson also scored three runs and added two RBIs. Matt Wulfers and Wayne Essner added home runs for Cape (10-8), and Blake Urhahn was 2-for-5 with a big home run in the sixth inning. Tyler Schlosser added three hits for Cape...

Central head coaching positions in girls basketball and volleyball that remained open for two months after the departure of Sheila Midgett have been filled, the school announced Tuesday. Outgoing Central athletic director Terry Kitchen said girls basketball assistant Amy Blattel will become the head coach, while former Southeast Missouri State University assistant volleyball coach Maile Gannon will become the school's volleyball coach...

The Associated Press PALM COAST, Fla. -- Tiger Woods found motivation from a list he taped on his bedroom wall, a timeline of the golfing exploits by his idol Jack Nicklaus. Michelle Wie's bedroom in Honolulu is decorated with all things Tiger. She has press clippings from some of Woods' 44 victories around the world, eight of them majors. Plastered on the wall are pictures of his swing sequence, showing how much it has evolved over the years...

LYON, France -- The U.S. soccer team left France winless, just as it did in 1998. "The natural reaction is the press will say how bad everything is and the fans will say how bad everything is," U.S. coach Bruce Arena said, even before his team played its final game. "That's fine."...

SAN FRANCISCO -- For just a moment, the muscle-bound slugger was a wiry, speedy kid again. Barry Bonds checked out Eric Gagne's deliberate delivery, saw an opening and sprinted to second base, stealing the bag without a throw. The educated crowd at Pacific Bell Park late Monday night immediately rose in cheers. The San Francisco die-hards had stuck around in the chill until the 11th inning, hoping for just such a moment...

WIMBLEDON, England -- Three points into her first match since the Slam Streak ended, Serena Williams faulted. The Centre Court crowd responded with -- silence. Ah, such sweet silence. Trying to forget the French Open -- all of it: the loss to Justine Henin-Hardenne, the fans who cheered her mistakes, the postmatch tears -- Williams was close to her powerful best at Wimbledon in a 6-3, 6-3 first-round win Tuesday over Jill Craybas...

NEW YORK -- LeBron James bopped and swayed to the rap music of 50 Cent, squaring his broad shoulders and leaning straight into the lens as his eyes widened into a playful stare for the briefest of moments. It was right then that the flash went off, a perfect unison of camera and personality clicking together...

The only billboard anywhere near the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge won't give directions to a shop that makes walnut bowls, offer help for gambling addicts or even tell people how many miles they have to drive to get a roll chucked at them. That's because the Cape Girardeau Downtown Merchants Association has signed a three-year lease with Jansco Outdoor Advertising for exclusive rights to the billboard on Asher Street that will be seen by about 15,000 people who will drive on the new bridge each day.. ...

smcclanahan The first official day of summer has arrived, and so did the temperatures. It seemed like overnight that it turned summer with rising temperatures during the daytime -- which causes me to turn to cooler options for cooking. Tracey Tripp of Cape Girardeau writes that we usually think of crockpot recipes for colder weather, but they are great for summer. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Two potential candidates for governor in 2004 said that interjecting their views into the current budget showdown between Missouri's Democratic chief executive and Republican lawmakers wouldn't be helpful. Secretary of State Matt Blunt, the likely GOP nominee for governor next year, expressed support for Republican legislative leaders but declined to say how he would deal with the situation...

School problems FOR THOSE who can access it, I recommend the June 23 New York Times article about the effect of the federal "No Child Left Behind" law on rural education. While this law may not affect Cape Girardeau directly, the article points out the many problems that can arise when local control of a school system is taken away and laws are imposed by those who know nothing of the local environment, economy and culture...

To the editor: It 's been two weeks since reports of an official British investigation into the "trailers of mass destruction" concluding that they are not bioweapons laboratories. I'm amazed anyone still believes the mobile labs story hook, line and sinker...

To the editor: Many pets at humane shelters are not adopted because of the outrageous costs. Over the years, I've befriended hundreds of dogs and cats, giving them food, shelter, love, attention and health care. But there was no money involved. We fed them scraps, let the sleep in the shed and provided beds of straw in the winter...

To the editor: When I lived in St. Louis County, there were several trash-hauling companies, creating competition for my business. The one I chose had once-a-week trash pickup and once-a-week recycling. But the big difference was that I was allowed up to eight containers at a cost of $10 a month on the senior citizens' discount. That's quite a difference, don't you think?...

It doesn't matter whether you're selling life insurance or political ideology, you're entitled to use every marketing maneuver that works. But it's the consumer who ultimately decides whether such tools are effective. Many products are doomed by faulty sales pitches...

For most of us, the new year starts on a cold Jan. 1. But for Missouri government, the new year starts on a hot and steamy July 1 -- which is less than a week away. The temperatures are even hotter in Jefferson City, where political posturing by legislators, meeting in special session, and Gov. Bob Holden has created more friction that just about anyone can remember...

Grilling on a wood plank keeps food moist and gives it a mild, smoky flavor. Try it for fish, pork and beef. That's a message to keep in mind from Judith Fertig, award-winning cookbook writer and columnist for the Kansas City Star, writing in the June issue of Cooking Light magazine...

Cape Girardeau Wednesday, June 25 Firefighters responded Monday to the following items: At 7:26 p.m., alarm sounding at 4614 Nash Road. At 11:19 p.m., illegal burn at Bloomfield and Hanover. Firefighters responded Tuesday to the following items: At 4:28 a.m., vehicle fire at 909 Stonebridge...

Cape Girardeau Wednesday, June 25 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Dustin L. Kollars, 20, of 503 Country Club, Scott City, was arrested Monday on a Cape Girardeau warrant for failure to appear...

Eleanor R. Ehlebracht, 87, of Bertrand, Mo., died Saturday, June 21, 2003, at Bertrand Nursing Center. She was born Nov. 19, 1915, at Higginsville, Mo., daughter of Martin and Martha Meyer Wegener. She and John C. Ehlebracht were married in 1937 at Higginsville. He preceded her in death in 1981...

Capitola Helen "Cappy" McCulley Reed, 84, passed away Monday, June 23, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Dec. 5, 1918, near Bell City, Mo., daughter of Harrison and Ida Jane Drew McCulley. She and Sherman Reed were married Nov. 29, 1959, in Longview, Wash. He passed away Aug. 31, 1998...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Harry George Tuffley, 79, of Bullhead City, Ariz., formerly of Mounds, died Saturday, June 21, 2003. He was born June 14, 1924, in Minneapolis, Minn. He married Evva Palmer 57 years ago. Tuffley attended St. Thomas Military Academy where he participated in football and baseball...

What a thrill it is to watch sprouts of newly planted seeds poke up through the soil. But what a disappointment when, instead of an orderly row of well-spaced seedlings, only a few come up here and there down the row. If you did space seeds evenly down the row, the problem of spotty germination could rest with the seed itself. No seed stays alive forever, and how long a seed remains viable depends on the kind of seed and storage conditions...

10 years ago: June 25, 1993 Charlie Daniels Band headlines grandstand entertainment for 1993 SEMO District Fair Sept. 12-18; other grandstand entertainment will be demolition derby, tractor pull, Big Bull Chute-Out, Gibson-Miller Band and Collin Raye...

American Legion Auxiliary The American Legion Auxiliary met for its annual picnic on June 11. Election of officers was held for 2003-2004. They are: Iola Amelunke, president; Betty Cato, vice president; Barbara Yallaly, secretary; Myrna Powers, treasurer; Marilyn Ritter, chaplain; Dorothy Klein, historian; and Muriel Day, sergeant at arms...

Carter Son to Byron Jermon Carter and Jamie Nichole Lamburth of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 10:48 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, 2003. Name, Byron Jermon Jr. Weight, 7 pounds 10 ounces. Second child, first son. Ms. Lamburth is the daughter of Craig Lamburth of Cape Girardeau and Theresa VanGilder of Cincinnati, Ohio. Carter is the son of Deneise Evans and Greg Glass of Cape Girardeau...

ANNA, Ill. -- Edna Ann Fulk, 95, of Anna died Tuesday, June 24, 2003, at Jonesboro Health Care in Jonesboro, Ill. Crain Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements.

Lena L. Mayabb, 70, of Arnold, Mo., died Sunday, June 22, 2003, in St. Louis. She was born Sept. 14, 1932, in Cherryville, Mo., daughter of Herbert and Maudy Smith Logan. She married Marshall Mayabb, who preceded her in death. Survivors include a son, Philip Mayabb of Cape Girardeau; three daughters, Marsha Tesson of Manchester, Mo., Sandra Perry of Arnold, Carolyn Williford of Greentown, Ind.; three sisters, Ollie Hyde of Piedmont, Mo., Alta Hawkes of Imperial, Mo., Ruby Brown of DesArc, Mo.; two brothers, Edward Logan of High Ridge, Mo., Leon Logan of Florissant, Mo.; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.. ...

William H. Dunger, 80, of Springfield, Mo., died Monday, June 9, 2003, at St. John's Regional Hospital in Springfield. He was born March 25, 1923, at Fornfelt, Mo., son of William and Manda Peetz Dunger. He and Frances Bailey were married Sept. 28, 1952...

Clara Belle Russell, 92, of Oak Grove, Fla., died Monday, June 23, 2003, in Pensacola, Fla. She was born Dec. 15, 1910, in Westville, Fla., daughter of John and Becky Belle Currie Braxton. She married Jay E. Russell, who preceded her in death. Survivors include five sons, Robert Russell of Oak Grove, Danny Russell of Pensacola, Fla., Emmett Russell of Jonesville, La., Keith Russell of Cape Girardeau, Johnny Russell of Milton, Fla.; two daughters, Betty Thompson of Pensacola Beach, Fla., Billie Marsh of Oak Grove; 23 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.. ...

Elmer F. "Stan" Standley, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, June 23, 2003, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Dec. 22, 1911, in St. Louis, son of Burt and Lillie B. Frederick Standley. He and Vrada Belle Lohmann were married June 6, 1936, in St. Louis. She died Jan. 19, 1997...

WASHINGTON -- The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to approve the first bill to finance the new Department of Homeland Security and shower $29.4 billion on local emergency workers, airport screeners and a new drive against bioterrorism. Though they supported it unanimously, Democrats said the Republican-written measure would fall short of meeting the nation's needs for protecting ports, borders and airports. ...

When a space shuttle begins its thunderous ascent, the heavy-duty bolts and nuts that secure it firmly to the launch pad are designed to explode and release the vehicle as it surges into the skies with almost 8 million pounds of thrust. But if one or more of those sturdy fixtures fails to give, experts say, the result could be a horrific conflagration that could kill the crew and send torn shuttle components cartwheeling off the launch pad...

WASHINGTON -- In their strongest statement yet on the Columbia disaster, investigators said Tuesday that flyaway foam from the fuel tank was "the most probable cause" of the wing damage that brought down the space shuttle almost five months ago. "We've been trying to line up all the Swiss cheese holes. I think those holes have lined up pretty good," said Roger Tetrault, a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A leak from a damaged natural gas line caused the fatal explosion last week at a southwest Missouri fairgrounds, investigators said Tuesday. Maintenance worker Brad Murphy apparently set off the blast at Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield with a lighter, either as he lit a cigarette or possibly tried to find a light switch in a darkened basement, assistant fire chief Barry Rowell said...

ST. LOUIS -- Investigators continued to search Tuesday for the gunman who shot and robbed a man driving an ice cream truck. The victim, a 22-year-old immigrant from Lithuania, remained in critical, but stable condition Tuesday in the intensive care unit of a local hospital, said St. Louis County police spokesman Mason Keller...

TheAssociatedPress SURDA CHECKPOINT, West Bank -- In pain after chemotherapy, Hassan Hamai gripped the armrests of a wheelchair as medics pushed him over an earthen rampart at an Israeli military checkpoint, one of dozens of barriers crisscrossing the West Bank...

JERUSALEM -- Israeli soldiers swept through a West Bank city Tuesday, arresting dozens of suspected Hamas activists as Palestinian officials awaited a response from the Islamic militant group about a proposal to suspend attacks against Israel. Also Tuesday, leaders of the Israeli Arab Islamic Movement were indicted on charges of helping Hamas through illegal transfers of millions of dollars...

BEIJING -- The World Health Organization lifted its last SARS travel warning Tuesday, declaring the disease under control in Beijing, the hard-hit capital of the nation where the outbreak began. Beijing also was removed from a WHO list of places with recent local transmissions of severe acute respiratory syndrome, leaving only Toronto and Taiwan on that list. Travel advisories for Toronto and Taiwan were lifted earlier...

Italy arrests six accused of helping terror group ROME -- Police in Milan arrested six people Tuesday suspected of supporting an al-Qaida-linked group and of having contacts with alleged Sept. 11 coordinator Ramzi Binalshibh. The six -- five Tunisians and a Moroccan -- are accused of helping the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, an Algerian-based organization that had a cell operating in Milan, police said. A seventh suspect is at large...

LONDON -- In the first state visit to Britain by a Russian leader since the 19th century, Vladimir Putin came to London on Tuesday as the guest of Queen Elizabeth II and was greeted with a red carpet at the airport, an artillery salute and a state banquet at Buckingham Palace...

ATHENS, Greece -- In a sign of sharper anti-terrorist scrutiny at sea, NATO said Tuesday it triggered a regional alert that led Greek commandos to seize a cargo ship carrying a huge shipment of explosives bound for Sudan. A dispute continued over whether the ship, the Baltic Sky, was involved in legal commerce or something more sinister. But the multinational operation to track and capture the vessel demonstrated officials' greater vigilance in an era of increased terrorist threats...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- After years of all-Saddam-most-of-the-time, it comes as quite a change for Iraqis to watch "Tom and Jerry" and the Arabic version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." Liberated from 35 years of stilted official TV glorifying Saddam Hussein, Iraqis are snatching up satellite dishes by the thousands. Cartoons, fitness programs, movies and commercials are flooding into Iraqi living rooms...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Hunters check in hundreds of bagged deer at the Northside Citgo convenience store during deer season. But employees aren't used to seeing the animals alive in the storage room. Early Monday, clerk Donna Jay went into the back room to grab some coffee cups when she heard something fall off a shelf...

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. -- A 20-year-old man drowned Tuesday in a southeast Jackson County lake. The man, from Kansas City, was swimming with three friends in Prairie Lee Lake. After the friends' rescue attempts failed, they called 911. Firefighters and divers were called about 3 p.m. and at about 4 p.m., the Lee's Summit Fire Department pulled the victim from the water. He was pronounced dead at the scene...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Trying to pressure the Missouri Legislature into passing an education budget he likes, Gov. Bob Holden has released a list of projected cuts to local schools that could occur as soon as next week. Locally, the Cape Girardeau School District is listed among the 25 least affected districts with 0.4 percent loss from what it spent in the 2001-2002 school year. It shares that percentage with five other districts all out of the area...

WASHINGTON -- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham ordered a broad overhaul of security at the nation's nuclear weapons laboratories Tuesday in response to security lapses ranging from missing computers to misuse of credit cards to reports of sleeping guards...

WASHINGTON -- Seeking votes for a Medicare prescription drug bill, House Republican leaders are likely to add a provision to speed the availability of lower-cost generic medicine, officials said Tuesday. At the same time, the GOP leadership looked to President Bush to help shore up support from balky conservatives concerned that the measure does not go far enough to introduce free-market forces into the 38-year-old government program...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court's endorsement of affirmative action this week brought sighs of relief from institutions as different as West Point, Yale and General Motors. Current or former leaders at all three had urged the high court to consider how race and racial preferences work in the real world...

WASHINGTON -- Scientists have discovered that a drug that shrinks enlarged prostates and fights baldness also cuts men's chances of getting prostate cancer, the first success in a long quest to prevent the No. 2 cancer killer of men. But not every man will want to use the drug, called finasteride: Sexual side effects aside, it may actually increase aggressive tumors in some...

WASHINGTON -- A major operation is planned this summer at international mail centers to counter a flood of counterfeit and unapproved drugs entering the country, the government said Tuesday. Scientists and inspectors will target, examine and test packages, Elizabeth Durant of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection told the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations...

WASHINGTON -- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham ordered a broad overhaul of security at the nation's nuclear weapons laboratories Tuesday in response to security lapses ranging from missing computers to misuse of credit cards to reports of sleeping guards...

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals backup catcher Chris Widger will begin a 10-day rehab assignment in the next few days, working on some new positions as the team tries to figure out a way to keep him. The Cardinals, who played the Reds into extra innings late Tuesday, already have two catchers, Mike Matheny and Joe Girardi, and manager Tony La Russa doesn't want to carry three along with a 12-man pitching staff. ...

NEW YORK -- At age 40, Evander Holyfield is making a personal declaration of independence, a statement that he won't let his career be controlled by promoters. So when Don King demanded future options as Holyfield's price for a fight with WBA champ Roy Jones Jr., the four-time heavyweight champion turned elsewhere, taking an Oct. 4 match with IBF cruiserweight champ James Toney...

The Buick Classic wasn't a total loss for Tiger Woods. He made the cut for the 105th consecutive time on the PGA Tour, tying him with Jack Nicklaus for the second-longest streak in tour history. The record is 113 set by Byron Nelson in 1940s. While there have been a few close calls, such as the Masters this year, Woods might not be closing in on the mark if not for Matt Kuchar...

UNITED NATIONS -- At the launch of the first conference on Iraq's reconstruction, an Iraqi delegation chosen by the U.S.-led coalition said Tuesday its presence shows that the country wants to be "an active player" in the international community after years of isolation...