Assange finds surprising ally but it may not be enough LONDON (AP) – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has found a surprising ally – a little known United Nations panel that has decided he has been unfairly detained in Britain while seeking to avoid extradition to Sweden to answer allegations of sexual misconduct. But it’s not clear if the findings of the five members of the […]
Islamic State numbers go down in Iraq, Syria; up in Libya WASHINGTON (AP) – New intelligence assessments show that the number of Islamic State fighters has dropped in Iraq and Syria but is rising in Libya, a senior U.S. defense official said Thursday. According to the official, reports suggest there are 19,000-25,000 IS fighters in Iraq and Syria, compared to an earlier range of 20,000 to […]
Florida woman discovers anaconda while walking dogs MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) – A Florida woman discovered a 9-foot anaconda while walking her dogs in Melbourne. Florida Today (http://on.flatoday.com/1VMamhT ) reports Leisa Remsberg’s dogs sniffed out the snake in the grass of a yard Monday morning. She says she didn’t know what the object was at first, but then immediately called 911 after realizing […]
Completion of new Estero village hall 1 month out ESTERO, Fla. – Estero will have its first village hall by March 1 if construction crews can complete the building in time. In the last year, village employees have temporarily held meetings at the fire department, but village leaders say the move is needed. “We’re spread out,” said council member Bill Ribble. “We’ll finally get […]
Police: 6 dead in Chicago home in possible murder-suicide CHICAGO (AP) – Chicago police on Thursday found the bodies of four men, one woman and a child inside a home on the city’s South Side in what they say could be a murder-suicide, even as they added extra patrols in the neighborhood. Standing in the street in the neat, well-tended Gage Park neighborhood, interim […]
Man on death row for Broward triple-murder to get new trial TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A man on death row since 2000 for a Broward County triple murder will get a new trial after the Supreme Court ruled that his defense attorney made serious mistakes and there was a lack of evidence to convict in a case that drew protests from Spanish officials who oppose the […]
Crazy for credit card rewards (SWEEPS FEED)- Do you love earning perks like airline miles, points towards free hotel rooms and even cash back from your credit cards? Experts say some of these offers are getting even more generous and the way people earn big rewards has changed. For many, playing the “rewards game” can lead to some big payouts, […]
Zika spotlights rare birth defect with a variety of causes WASHINGTON (AP) – The Zika virus is putting a spotlight on a potentially devastating birth defect that until now has gotten little public attention. Regardless of whether the mosquito-borne virus really causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads, a variety of other conditions trigger microcephaly. And, frustratingly, often there’s little way to predict […]
Injured Tony Stewart to miss start of final NASCAR season CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Tony Stewart will miss the start of his final NASCAR season after fracturing his back in an accident on an all-terrain vehicle, Stewart-Haas Racing said Thursday. The three-time NASCAR champion sustained a “burst fracture of the L1 vertebra” when he crashed on an ATV Sunday and he had surgery Wednesday, the […]