A key U.N. committee criticized Myanmar and North Korea on their human rights records Friday, and also targeted Iran despite its efforts to block the vote.Separate resolutions approved by the General Assembly's human rights committee expressed serious concern at accusations of abuse including attacks on peaceful demonstrators in Myanmar, public executions in North Korea, and torture, flogging and amputations in Iran. more >>
A Southern California commuter train that sideswiped a freight train this week had run a red signal, an investigator said Friday, and officials are looking at brake problems or human error as possible causes. No serious injuries were reported, but the accident stirred still-vivid memories of a deadly train collision in the region in September between a Metrolink commuter train and a freight train. more >>
A bouncer already sentenced to lengthy prison terms for two New York City murders has been convicted of shooting another man dead and wounding three others outside a Manhattan nightclub. A jury on Friday found 32-year-old Stephen Sakai (suh-KEYE') guilty of murder, attempted murder and assault. He faces at least 15 years in prison at his Dec. 15 sentencing hearing. He is serving two sentences of 25 years to life in prison for the previous murder convictions. more >>
Stephon Marbury was in uniform for the New York Knicks against Milwaukee on Friday night, but it remained to be seen whether he would actually play for the first time this season. Marbury has been relegated to the bench all season. But the Knicks traded away three players in two separate deals earlier Friday, forcing them to dress Marbury to have eight active players. more >>
As of Friday, Nov. 21, 2008, at least 4,202 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes eight military civilians killed in action. At least 3,393 military personnel died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers. more >>
As of Friday, Nov. 21, 2008, at least 556 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The department last updated its figures Friday at 10 a.m. EDT. Of those, the military reports 404 were killed by hostile action. more >>
Taj Gibson scored 17 points to lead No. 19 Southern Cal to a 73-46 win against Chattanooga in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off on Friday night. Gibson also grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked five shots for the Trojans (3-1), who played a strong second half to claim the win. Southern Cal was upended by unranked Seton Hall 63-61 on Thursday night. more >>
An Arizona prosecutor is seeking to dismiss one of two murder charges against an 8-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting his father and another man. A motion filed Friday by the Apache County attorney seeks the dismissal of the first-degree murder charge stemming from the death of the father, 29-year-old Vincent Romero. more >>
At the behest of its students, an elementary school near New York City has been renamed after President-elect Barack Obama. The Hempstead Union Free School District board voted unanimously Thursday night to rename Ludlum Elementary School as Barack Obama Elementary School. The change went into effect immediately, school officials said Friday. more >>
The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday ordered a year-old boy back into the home of an adoptive couple who had to give him up months ago after not telling the biological family the woman was pregnant. The court ruled that the boy - who has been living with his biological grandparents and is known by two names - should never have been taken from adoptive parents Jason and Angela Vesely because nothing in a written agreement required them to tell the Nebraska Children's Home Society that Angela was pregnant. more >>
U.S. first lady Laura Bush is touring a region of Peru struck by an earthquake last year. Bush visited a health center in the town of Pisco on Friday while she accompanies her husband to a summit of Pacific Rim nations. more >>
A Hawaii homeowner has been indicted on seven counts of manslaughter in connection with a dam failure in 2006. A grand jury on the island of Kauai (kuh'-WEYE') on Friday indicted 82-year-old James Pflueger (FLOO'-gur) on the manslaughter charges and one count of reckless endangerment. more >>
Zachary Pancratz and Kevin Hogan scored 15 points apiece to lead Rollins College to a 75-58 win over Wisconsin-Green Bay in the first round of the Glenn Wilkes Classic on Friday. Craig Reichel and Jeremy Sharpe added 13 points each for the Division II Tars (3-0), who hit 60 percent of their shots (27-for-45). more >>
Three adults and a 1-year-old baby have died in what Guatemalan police believe may have been a violent family dispute over an inheritance. National police spokesman Donald Gonzalez quotes neighbors as saying one of the victims was overheard arguing with her half-sister over a disputed plot of land. more >>
As much as NFL teams are feeling a financial squeeze already, commissioner Roger Goodell fears the economic downturn really could hit the league in early 2009, when tickets for next season go on sale. "There's no secret on sponsorship, advertising, licensing - those numbers are going to be impacted by the current climate. We're aware of that," Goodell said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday. more >>
Marquise Kately scored 15 points and Reggie Holmes added 14 as Morgan State defeated Marshall 72-67 in the opening round of the Glenn Wilkes Classic on Friday. Marshall (1-1) trailed by five points with 39 seconds left, but missed three free throws in the final minute. more >>
Regis Huddleston scored 16 points to help lead Troy to a 92-79 win against Alcorn State on Friday night. Brandon Hazzard added 14 points off the bench for the Trojans (1-3), Richard Delk tallied 12 points and three steals and Michael Vogler chipped in nine points and a game-high nine assists. Vogler and Delk also grabbed nine rebounds each. Tom Jervis added 10 points, grabbing eight rebounds and notching three blocks. more >>
Georgia regulators on Friday shut down The Community Bank, the 20th failure this year of a federally insured institution. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was appointed receiver of the bank, located in Loganville, Ga. It had $681 million in assets and $611.4 million in deposits as of Oct. 17. more >>
The NFL confirmed Friday that suspended cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones can join the Dallas Cowboys on Monday and that he can play again Dec. 7 against Pittsburgh - but only if he stays on his best behavior. Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a brief statement Friday confirming the details of Jones' return, noting that it can only happen "if he avoids any further incidents and fully complies with each and every condition that has been established for him." more >>
