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Show DAILY HERALD Saturday, September 25. 2004 AS FAST FACT MORNING BMEMG; The Berlin Wall was constructed in August 1961 to stop escapes by East Germans to West Berlin. The wall was dismantled in 1989. Source The Book of 1,001 Trivia Questions Compiled from Daily Herald wire services The NATION The WORLD I e , 1 I V ( KEVIN ' Ax f V JERUSALEM Israel shut down for Yom Kippur on Friday, with borders closed and RICHARD ALAN HANNONAssociated Press' Wing repairs a wing on the Slayer James Linscomb, left, Brian Quam and Scott Mayer, employeeswith The 13th Gate Haunted House, atop the Baton Rouge haunted house on Friday after it fell of Thursday evening due to high wind Leaders of ethics committee say no House Republicans conflicts in DeLay case House ethics committee leaders stood up for their Republican mem-hers Friday, insisting the lawmakers could act impartially in deciding whether Majority Leader Tom DeLay misused his WASHINGTON offer 911 legislation office. Chairman Joel Hefley, and senior Democrat Alan Mollohan of West Virginia defended the GOP committee members against questions raised by congressional watchdog groups and Democratic House candidates. The private groups have insisted an outside counsel conduct an investigation, since Republicans would be investigating the floor leader who controls the bills that come to a vote and has supported lawmakers with political contributions. y In recent days, with three political associates indicted in Texas in a campaign finance case, some Democratic candidates are stepping up attacks insisting that Republicans re-- , turn donations from DeLay's political action committee. The committee has not yet decided whether to dismiss the allegations or appoint an investigative subcommittee to probe some or all of the allegations by freshman Democratic Chris Bell DTexas. conflict-of-intere- WASHINGTON House Republicans say legislation they introduced Friday wiU make America safer by ing the Sept. 11 commission's suggestions to improve intelligence, immigration and national security. Democrats decried it as a partisan biU that expands government powers too far. caUed the 335page Speaker Dennis Hastert, al "the most Comprehensive effort yet introduced that deals with the problems uncovered by the11 eornmissioa" The House' Republican bill includes creation of a national intelligence director and counterterrorism center, new anti-terrand immigration enforcement powers, stronger ideng preventive measures and tity theft and other recommendations the GOP links to the report of the independent' committee that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. "The biU represents the best thinking of those most knowledgeable about the intelligence community and the ., problems that beset it," said Rep. Christopher Cox, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. Some lawmakers already are opposing the measure, saying Republicans refused to work with Democrats to develop a bill that would represent both sides. "Instead of acting in a bipartisan manner, the Republican leadership is introducing a bill, written behind closed doors, that attempts to score partisan points and goes far outside the recommendations of the 911 Commission," said the House Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi of California. R-I- st v . or money-launderin- De-La- , contractor not guilty plead Ex-aid- e, A top aide to former Gov. John G. Rowland and a major state construction contractor pleaded not guilty Friday to charges they ran a criminal organization from the governor's office, trading contracts for gold coins, expensive meals and limousine trips. of staff Peter Former N. EUef and contractor William Tomasso were released on $100,000 bonds. Ellefs son, Peter N. EUef II, was expected to enter a similar plea Friday. Tomasso is accused of giving the elder EUef more than $1 million worth of gold, cash, trips, ? meals and vacations. In return, EUef allegedly helped steer tens of millions of dollars in contracts to Tomasso and .his companies between 1997 and 2003. Prosecutors aflege Tomasso funneled money to the elder EUef through his son's land- - . scaping business. While Tomas- so was paying the company, the older EUef aUegedly used 4 company credit card for expensive meals, designer clothes and other personal expenses,, according to the indictment. V HARTFORD, Conn. one-tim- Press dence that "despite the difficulties on the way," he and Israel shuts down for Yom Kippur ' FRAVERAssociated young Israeli boy reacts as his father swings a live chicken over his head, as the family takes part in the Kaparot ritual, in Jerusalem on Friday 1 he ritual, in which it is believed that one transfers one's sins jrom the past year into a chicken, is performed before the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. The chicken is then slaughtered and given to charity. A . e jailed Friday in Ueu of $40,000 bail investigators said. Sheriffs Sgt. James Parker said Martinez brought the sword from his home at a trailer park to show it to Fibres. The two were drinking together when the argument started, and Martinez aUegedly stabbed Flo-re-s several times before striking Ftores' mother, Parker s ' The woman's name was nc released. She was hospitalized in good condition Thursday, officials said. Six counselors involved n beating fired STOCKTON, Calif . Six y counselors at a juvenile prison have been fired after an investigation found that two of them used excessive force during a fight with two inmates, and the four others falsifier, reports about the beating. The fight, videotaped at the N.A. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility near Stockton on high-securit- Jan. 20, began between the two youths and two counselors. On the videotape, broadcast around the country, the two counselors continued to beat the two youths after they were subdued, and other counselors joined in. Dave Darchuk, president of the counselors' union, said they The were acting in six have appealed their firing. Government delays plan to release vehicle data WASHINGTON The government's auto safety agency is backing off a plan to make1 public information on vehicle-relate- d deaths and injuries, pending a court ruling on exactly what data should be disclosed. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said this spring it would complete its early warning system by Oct. 1 and release much of the data to the public. The system, demanded by Congress f oUowing the 2000 recatt of Firestone tires, requires automakers and others to submit data on deaths, injuries, consumer complaints, property damage and warranty claims. NHTSA agreed to keep warranty claims and consumer complaints confidential after automakers said releasing that data could harm competitioa The consumer group PubUc Citizen sued in March to get to that information. The Rubber Manufacturers Association, which represents tire makers, asked to intervene in the case because it wants to keep information on deaths, injuries and property damage confidential A judge agreed and has ordered the U.S. Department of Transportation to respond to the Rubber Manufacturers' claims by Sept. 28. terfax said, it- - f Teen held after sword attack leaves man dead VQ f m r ii ' 4 nn i . ' I I ' i H 7 APOUNAR FONSECA Associated Press Up dose and personal ' Gabriel Panma, 3, sits on the shoulders of his father, Sanya Panma, and touches the nose 6f a full size A-- 4 Sfcyhawh replica on display at the weekly Thursday Night Market Place held in downtown Hartford, Calif., on Thursday in this photo submitted Friday. It was appreciation night for Naval Air Station Lemmore at the marketplace. , Rebel leader wants his former deputy to stand trial for school siege quoting prosecu- Pakistan, India to look at Kashmir settlement ; In a joint statement, they reiterated their commitment to continue talks "to restore normalcy and cooperation" and implement confidence-buildin- g measures between their historic rival nations. v, tors. Artamonov is accused of releasing the two women suspected of carrying bombs onto the planes without inspecting their belongings. Two patrolmen had turned the women over to him, presumably because of their Chechen ethnicity, which often results in extra police checks. After being let go, the women aUegedly obtained tickets from a ticket scalper at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov said eariier this month. The scalper then gave part of the money he received from the women equivalent to $34 to an airline employee to get them on the planes, Ustinov said. The airline employee, Nikolai Korenkov, and the ticket scalper, Armen Arutyunian, were arrested earlier this month. Both were charged Friday with comphcity in terrorism, Interfax said. ac-ce- ss Assembly session. MOSCOW Chechen rebel leader Asian Maskhadov says another militant chief, Shamil Basay ev, should go on trial for the school siege in the southern Russian city of Beslan that kUled nearly 340 people, according to a statement released Friday. Russian officials, mean. while, said a top Saudi-bor- n rebel commander in Chechnya had been killed by federal forces, confirming reports by his relatives. In a statement posted on a rebel Web site, Maskhadov, Three charged in who has denied any involveconnection with twin ment in the Sept. 3 siege, plane bombings pledged to bring his former MOSCOW Prosecutors deputy to justice once the war charged three people Friday in in Chechnya ends. "I categoricaUy declare that connection with last month's after the end of the war, perbombings of two Russian airsons who are guilty of carryliners, the Interfax news ing out provocative acts will agency reported. be taken to court, including The two planes blew up alShamil Basayev," said most simultaneously on the Maskhadov, who was elected night of Aug. 24, killing 90 Chechnya's president in 1997 people. after it won de facto indepenIt was the start of a series dence in the first war in 1994-9of deadly terrorist attacks blamed on Chechen rebels that There was no way to conkiUed nearly 440 people, infirm the authenticity of cluding the school siege in the Maskhadov statement, but the southern city of Beslan. same rebel Web site has carPolice Capt. Mikhail ried his other statements in arrested eariier this the past. month, was charged with negligence that led to fatalities, InArta-mono- co-chi- PoHce said a . HOUSTON to teenager used a kiU his neighbor during an argument, then struck the man's elderly mother before her rela tives could seize tne weapon. , . i Jose Alberto Martinez, 18, was charged with murder and aggravated assault in the death of Gabriel Ftores, 42. He was streets deserted as many Jews fasted, prayed and asked for forgiveness on the holiest day of the religious calendar. As on every hoUday, security forces were on high alert. Armed guards were posted at synagogues, and police sent extra officers to the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest shrine, where thousands were expected to gather. The holiday capped a violent week, with six Israelis kiUed in three Palestinian attacks a Jerusalem suicide bombing, a shooting attack on a Gaza army post and mortar fire on a Jewish settlement. Eight Palestinians were kiUed in the period, including at least six gunmen. Defense Minister Shaul Mo-fa- z ordered the army to tighten a closure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The closure began last week, with the Jewish New Year's hoUday, and is to last until early October. Musharraf would "succeed in writing a new.chapter in the history of our people." Both leaders were in New York for the U.N. General The UNITED NATIONS leaders of India and Pakistan met Friday and promised to work together to gradually ease tensions between their nations and explore a peaceful settlement for the disputed Kashmir region. Indian Prime Minister Man-mohSingh and Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf also discussed the possibility of running a natural gas pipeline between their nations. "I sincerely beUeve that today is an historic day. We have made a new beginning," Singh, who took power in May, said after the hour-lonmeeting in a Manhattan hoteL Singh also expressed confi an g Rembrandt goes on sale in Sweden STOCKHOLM, Sweg Flanked by guards and security cameras, one of the few Rembrandt paintings not in a museum or private coUection goes on pubUc display Saturday and on sale with an asking price of $46 million. The 1635 painting, "Minerva In Her Study," is one of the most significant to be offered in Sweden. Art dealer Verner AameU told The Associated Press he'U keep the painting by the Dutch master on display in a private gallery in the capital and let the public view it for four weeks. The opening comes a month after armed thieves broke into a museum in Oslo, Norway, .and made off with Munch's masterpieces "The Scream" and "Madonna." The brazen daylight theft stirred a debate across Europe on how to protect art if thieves are prepared to use deadly force to take it. v Unlike the guards at the Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo, those watching over the Rembrandt will be armed. Alarms are in place, and video cameras will run in the den gun-totin- Ed-va- rd gaUery ' |