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Show Wednesday, November 3, 2004 DAILY HERALD A4 FAST FACT Morning briefing u'iati sake The abbreviation e.g, standing for the Latin exempB gratia, of example," means exactly that a series of examples. The abbreviation mentioned. i.e standing for id est, or "that is," explams the subject you Souk Tfce Book of Ammr Compiled from Dairy Herald wire services The World Opposition complains of in Ukraine presidential vote foot-draggi- Nevertheless, there was still no public information about the cause of his dramatic deterioration in health. Leila Shahid, the Palestinian envoy to France, said tests showed an improvement in Arafat's white blood cell count but also "persistent abnormalities" in indicators for digestive function. Initial tests had "confirmed an abnormal blood count, high white blood cell count and low platelet count and ruled out the diagnosis of leukemia," she said. "President Arafat's condition has improved sufficiently for him to undergo tests that would not have been performed upon admission," Shahid said, reading from a statement she said was drafted by the French military hospital treating Arafat and released with his consent. "For the past 48 hours, he has been able to converse with his doctors and close relatives, colleagues and heads of state," she ng The KIEV, Ukraine Ukrainian opposition on Tuesday complained of by officials and a vote-coucover-u- p in the race for president, claiming that opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko had taken the lead. Two days after Sunday's heated elections, Ukraine's Central Election Commission had still not announced the final results. The deputy head of the commission, Yaroslav Davydovych, told the parliament that with 94.4 percent of precincts counted it was clear that neither opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko nor Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych had garnered more than the 50 percent of votes required for an outright victory. Davydovych said the commission would announce the final results later Tuesday. A runoff was scheduled for Nov. 21. nt ' DUBAI, United Arab EmiThe president of the United Arab Emirates, who rates Gulf sheikdoms into a leading oil and business hub with sky- scrapers and sprawling shopping malls, has died. He was 86. Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al . Nahyan, one of the richest rulers in the world according to Forbes magazine, forged close ties with the United States and the West during his rule of the country, which is the world's ninth largest oil producer. , L, ' ; r n . . IVAN SEKRETAREV Associated Press Pora protest against alleged election fraud during a in the vote count from the and a cover-upresidential elections Tuesday, claiming opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko had in fact taken the lead. Viktor Yushchenko supporters and members of the student group rally in Kiev on Tuesday. The Ukrainian opposition alleged official p foot-draggi- Sheik Zayed was expected to be succeeded by his eldest son, Sheik Khalifa bin Zay ed Al Nahyan. The leaders of the seven emirates that make up the country will appoint the new president within 30 days. . In the meantime, the prime minister Sheik Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a close relative of Sheik Zayed will serve as acting president. .VI. the two countries' postwar LONDON After a passion; ate debate in the House of Commons, British lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Tuesday against banning parents from spanking their children. Some lawmakers argued that even mild spanking should be outlawed and insisted children should have the same legal protection as adults when it comes to being hit. . But Prime Minister Tony Blair's government has shied away from an outright ban, fearing it will be accused of intruding into family affairs. Instead, ministers urged lawmakers to back legislation that would allow mild smacking but make it easier to prosecute parents who harm a child physical rec- President Horst Koehler received the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, at a state MARKUS SCHREIBERAssociated is seen during a Press wreath-layin- g ceremony at Germany's central memorial for victims of wars, the Neue Wache, in Berlin on Tuesday. Russian hands over plutonium found in dump dinner. The British and German leaders praised their nations' close relationship, and called on their people to look beyond old stereotypes. "In remembering the appalling suffering of war on both sides, we recognize how precious is the peace we have . Saddam's family dismisses lead Jordanian A former Russ- MOSCOW lawmakers vote against banning spanking of children BERLIN Britain's Queen Elizabeth II laid a wreath at Germany's national war memorial and urged remembrance of the suffering of both sides in World War II during a state visit Tuesday that underlined if Lawmakers voted by 424-7- 5 against an outright ban. They will vote later on the government proposal. British Queen Elizabeth II lays wreath at war memorial surrender weapons in exchange for a cash prize. But instead of giving him a prize, police opened a criminal investigation against Grigorov on charges of illegal possession of radioactive materials. ly or mentally. built in Europe since 1945," the queen said. "We owe it to those who built (the) partnership to continue the process into the 21st century: to learn from history and not be obsessed by it; to look beyond the simplistic stereotypes to realize how often we share the same outlook," she said. I t II ; 5 onciliation. Britain's Queen Elizabeth -- oversaw the transformation of a cluster of tiny desert Persian ered sufficiently to undergo examinations that could not have been done when he was first rushed to France, an aide said Tuesday. Arafat, 75, felt well enough to follow the U.S. election, and over the past two days was able to talk with doctors, colleagues and heads of state, Palestinian officials said. . iKtt. United Arab Emirates president dies at age 86 Tests CLAM ART, France on Yasser Arafat showed problems with his digestion, but the Palestinian leader has recov- " - said. Arafat strong enough for more tests, aides say " J i'Cn' irtfe ian nuclear physicist turned over 14 ounces of plutonium he found in a dump and then kept in his garage, a news agency said Tuesday. Now he finds himself facing possible criminal charges. Leonid Grigorov said he had written several letters to authorities urging them to properly secure the eight containers of dangerous material that he said he found discarded near a mining factory, in Zmeinogorsk in southern Siberia, the ITAR-Tas- s news agency said, When the letters went unanswered, he placed the material in a leaden case in his garage. Each container held 1.75 ounces of plutonium. "As an expert, I felt obliged to do that to avoid danger," he said, according to ITAR-TasGrigorov turned the plutonium oyer to police after seeing a police notice inviting people to defense lawyer Saddam AMMAN, Jordan Hussein's family dismissed a prominent Jordanian lawyer who led the ousted Iraqi dictator's defense team, accusing him of seeking "personal gain and fame" in the case, other legal team members said Tuesday. Saddam's family told Moin late Sephammed tember he was being relieved of his duties, "but he did not accept the wish" until Tuesday, said Ziad spokesman for the lawyers appointed by Saddam's wife, Sajida. high-profil- e told The Asso- -- ciated Press that appointed in January, handed over all relevant documents to defense Saddam's Jordan-base-d team Tuesday. The team consists of 20 lead lawyers and another 1,500 volunteers. s. The Nation Study links eating fruit, veggies, with heart health WASHINGTON A multi-yestudy involving fnore than 100,000 participants provides added support that eating lots of fruit and vegetables is good ar for the heart. But the analysis failed to show similar benefits for cancer, a result that prompted the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, which published the study Tuesday, to raise questions about its findings. The report supports the American Heart Association's recommendations to consume at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health. But for cancer, the report said, "The protective effect of fruit and vegetable intake may have been overstated." The research team studied 71,910 females in the Nurse's Health study and 37,725 males in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The research be- and the regan in the port followed the participants until 1998. mid-198- Defense: Prosecutors didn't prove case REDWOOD CITY, Calif. Prosecutors failed to prove that Scott Peterson murdered his pregnant wife, Laci, and were Third U.S. soldier pleads guilty to prisoner abuse The third of seven U.S. soldiers HAGERSTOWN, Md. from a Maryland unit charged with abusing Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad has pleaded guilty to reduced charges, an Army spokesman said Tuesday. Spc. Megan Ambuhl, 30, of ?4f?.-- ill Va., pleaded guilty Saturin day at a summary court-martiBaghdad to reduced charges of dereliction of duty for failing to prevent or report the maltreatment, Lt. Col. Steven A. Boylan said. He said Ambuhi who like the other soldiers charged is a member AP 372nd Milof the Maryland-base- d Megan Ambuhl pleaded itary Police Company, was busted down to a private. guilty to reduced Her civilian attorney, Harvey J. charges in the Abu Volzer, has said that Ambuhl is not Ghraib abuse scandal shown m any of the infamous pic- - ' tures from the prison near Baghdad. She could have gotten up to 7Vi years in prison on charges she watched prisoners being abused and helped set up the photograph of Pfc. Lynndie England holding a naked prison-e- r by a leash. Cen-trevill- e, . horrible death" in hopes that his candor would persuade the jury not to impose the death penalty. Asserting a "complete breakdown in the adversarial process," attorney Edward H. Tillinghast contended that Nixon was unfairly sentenced to death because his trial lawyer didn't try to prove his telling jurors, "don't bother with the five months of evidence," a defense attorney said Tuesday. As the defense closing argument got under way, Mark Geragos told jurors that prosecutors portrayed Peterson as a "jerk and a liar" but have not shown him to be guilty. ' Geragos accused authorities of waffling on their theory of the crime, first claiming Peterson's affair with Amber Frey was his motive for murder, and later pointing to Peterson's desire to be free from marriage. "Clearly Amber was hot the motive. Nobody was going to kill Laci Peterson and her child for Amber Frey," Geragos said. The jurors heard the prosecution closing argument Monday and were expected to begin deliberations as early as today. Peterson is charged with two counts of murder, in the deaths of his wife and the fetus she e murder carried. A conviction could bring the death penalty. Jurors will also be allowed to consider second-degre- e murder, which does not require evidence of premeditation and carries a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. first-degre- Woman releases three hostages at N.C. plant A CLAYTON, N.C woman apparently upset about the firing of a friend took three people hostage at gunpoint Tuesday at a Caterpillar factory before gradually releasing them and surrendering. No one was injured during incident at the the two-hou- r constructiort-equipmeplant southeast of Raleigh. Therwoman toted a shotgun and claimed she had explosives on her body when she walked into the plant's lobby in midafternoon, authorities said. Investigators found no evidence of explosives by early evening. "Apparently, she is an acquaintance or friend of an employee terminated recently" nt . . innocence. Virginia Supreme Court hears arguments from Muhammad's attorneys RICHMOND, Va.-J- ohn Allen Muhammad's lawyers ar- ; : K juooiik-Scott PeteroWSmfleWat S I," 'if FRED LARSONAssociated Press the beginning of the' defense's closing argumentsf Wawood City, Calif., on Tuesday. At left is defense paralegal RaffiNaljian. and was "demanding answers," said Johnston County Sheriff Steve BizzelL He described the woman as "irate about the treatment that her friend got." The suspect, who was not a Caterpillar employee, was being taken to the Johnston County Jail, said sheriffs department spokesman Pat LaCarter. The woman's name was not immediately released. Supreme Court considers attorney standards WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court considered on Tuesday whether a lawyer was wrong to concede a death row inmate's guilt without his consent, and many justices seemed a triunwilling to second-gues- s al strategy aimed at saving the man's life. On Election Day, the high court appeared ready to set aside a Florida Supreme Court decision to grant a new trial for Joe Elton Nixon. He was convicted jn the 1984 murder of a woman he met at a Tallahassee . malL Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who revealed Monday that he is undergoing i chemotherapy for thyroid cancer, did not participate in consideration of oral arguments for a second day. At issue is the attorney's decision to admit at trial that Nixon was responsible for the victim's "horrible, court-appointe- d . gued before the state Supreme Court on Tuesday that the convicted sniper cannot be sentenced to death under a Virginia law because he did not pull the trigger in the October 2002 killing spree. Muhammad was sentenced to death after being convicted of two counts of capital murder last year in the shooting of Dean Harold Meyers near Manassas. Prosecutors had argued that Muhammad and cohort Lee Boyd Malvo formed a sniper team and were thus equally culeven though Malvo pable said he pulled the trigger. Defense lawyer Peter Green-spu- n r contended that Virginia law allows the death penalty only for the triggerman in such cases, and that Muhammad should receive a life sentence instead. But Justice Donald Lemons challenged Greenspun's argument, likening the sniper killings to a previous murder case in which two defendants were deemed eligible for the death penalty, one for smashing the victim's head with a rock, the other for holding the victim down. The second count of capital murder on which Muhammad was convicted alleges the sniper killings were an act of terrorism. Under that law, Muhammad would not have to be the triggerman to get the death penalty. |