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12-12-2005

Calif. High Court Refuses Williams' Stay

A guard watches the gates of San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005. Stanley Tookie Williams, co-founder of the Crips gang and a convicted murderer, is scheduled to die by lethal injection at the prison early Tuesday. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ The California Supreme Court late Sunday refused to grant a stay of execution for convicted killer Stanley Tookie Williams, meaning the former gang leader who became an outspoken critic of gang violence will be executed early Tuesday unless the governor grants clemency or a last-ditch federal appeal succeeds. Williams' supporters also made another pitch directly to the governor Sunday to spare his life, telling Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a letter that they had a new witness who could help prove Williams' innocence.

Iraqis Begin Voting for New Parliament

An Iraqi policeman stands guard next to an election campaign poster for the United Iraqi Alliance with pictures of the list's candidates in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday Dec. 11, 2005, prior to the upcoming December 15 parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Mohammed Hato)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) _ Voting began Monday in hospitals, military camps and even prisons across Iraq, launching the process to choose a new parliament that the United States hopes can help quell the insurgency so U.S. forces can begin heading home. Iraq's government announced it will close its borders, extend the nighttime curfew and restrict domestic travel starting Tuesday _ two days before the main election day _ to prevent insurgents from disrupting the vote.

Explosions Rock Fuel Depot Near London

Flames reach into the night-time sky as the Buncefield oil storage depot in Hemel Hempstead, north London, late Sunday Dec. 11, 2005. Explosions ripped through a fuel depot early Sunday, injuring dozens of people, blowing doors off nearby homes and sending balls of fire and clouds of black smoke into the sky. The incident is thought by police to be accidental and the fire is widely expected to burn for several days. (AP Photo / Gretel Ensignia)

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, England (AP) _ Explosions ripped through a major fuel depot north of London on Sunday, injuring dozens of people, blowing doors off nearby homes and sending fireballs and massive clouds of black smoke into the sky. Police said the blasts appeared to be accidental, though they occurred just four days after an al-Qaida videotape appeared on the Internet calling for attacks on facilities carrying oil "stolen" from Muslims in the Middle East.

Prices Cut to Pull in Snowbound Shoppers

With only 15 shopping days until Christmas, shoppers pack the toy and electronic aisles of a Target store in Cherry Hill, N.J. on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2005. (AP Photo/Tim Larsen)

NEW YORK (AP) _ With less than two weeks of shopping left until Dec. 25, the nation's malls and stores boosted discounts on toys and apparel over the weekend, pulling in shoppers who stayed at home on Friday after a snowstorm hit parts of the Midwest and Northeast. Still, business seemed mixed, with luxury items and consumer electronic gadgets faring the best. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Saturday that business for the week ended Friday was on track to meet its monthly sales goal. But it noted that food sales are outpacing general merchandise sales, which may not bode well for profits since food has thin profit margins.

Time: Rove's Lawyer Told of Conversation

Valerie Plame pulls out of her driveway on her way to work on Friday, Dec. 9, 2005 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Months before Karl Rove corrected his statements in the Valerie Plame investigation, his lawyer was told that the president's top political adviser might have disclosed Plame's CIA status to a Time magazine reporter. Rove says he had forgotten the conversation he had on July 11, 2003, with Time's Matt Cooper. But the magazine reported Sunday that in the first half of 2004, as President Bush's re-election campaign was heating up, Rove's lawyer got the word about a possible Rove-Cooper conversation from a second Time reporter, Viveca Novak.

Paramount Buying Film Studio DreamWorks

Cameron Diaz, left, Mike Myers, center, and Antonio Banderas pose while a man in a Shrek costume stands behind, during a photo call for their animated film "Shrek 2" at the 57th International Film Festival in Cannes, France, Saturday, May 15, 2004. Paramount Pictures said Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005, it had agreed to buy independent film studio DreamWorks SKG Inc. in a deal worth $1.6 billion in cash and debt. The agreement does not include DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., the most profitable part of the company that went public last year. But Paramount does gain the right to distribute the studio's lucrative animated films, including the "Shrek" franchise.(AP Photo/Michel Euler)

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Paramount Pictures on Sunday agreed to buy independent film studio DreamWorks SKG Inc. for nearly $1 billion cash in a deal designed to help both companies reverse their troubled fortunes. The sale marks the end of an 11-year dream for Hollywood moguls Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, who had ambitious goals for DreamWorks that once included television, music, films and the Internet.

Japan Agrees to Ease Ban on U.S. Beef

Customers crowd a beef bowl restaurant Yoshinoya in Tokyo as the company revived its popular beef-on-rice dishes for one day on the first anniversary of the dishes being pulled off the menu due to Japan's ban on American beef imports over mad cow disease, in this Feb. 11, 2005 file photo. The Japanese government is poised to ease its two-year ban on U.S. beef imports as early as Monday, Dec. 12, 2005 according to media reports, in a move that would resolve a bitter trade row between Tokyo and its top ally. (AP Photo/Kyodo News)

TOKYO (AP) _ Japan agreed Monday to ease the country's ban on U.S. and Canadian beef imports, resolving a bitter trans-Pacific trade dispute two years after the first case of mad cow disease was discovered in the U.S. herd. The easing of the ban would allow meat from cows under 21 months old back into the Japanese market, which before the ban had been the most lucrative overseas market for American beef, buying $1.7 billion worth in 2003. It was not immediately clear when U.S. meat would again appear in Japanese supermarkets and restaurants.

Actor, Friend Face Charges in Police Death

An off-duty police officer was killed Saturday in a gunfight with two burglars outside his home, Saturday Dec. 10, 2005. One of the suspects was identified by police as Lillo Brancato Jr., an actor who also appeared in several episodes of "The Sopranos" as Matt Bevilacqua. Lillo Brancato, Jr.is shown in a Feb. 2005 photo in New York. (AP Photo/David Greene)

NEW YORK (AP) _ An actor who once played an aspiring mobster on "The Sopranos" faces murder charges along with another man in the death of an off-duty police officer, authorities said Sunday. Lillo Brancato Jr., 29, was hospitalized in critical condition with gunshot wounds suffered when the officer shot him after catching two men breaking into a home. Brancato's friend Steven Armento, 48, was also shot and in critical condition.

Man Apologizes After Fake Wikipedia Post

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ A man who posted false information on an online encyclopedia linking a prominent journalist to the Kennedy assassinations says he was playing a trick on a co-worker. Brian Chase, 38, ended up resigning from his job and apologizing to John Seigenthaler Sr., the former publisher of the Tennessean newspaper and founding editorial director of USA Today.

Giants Knock Eagles Out of Playoffs

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) scores from the one-yard line under Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and linebacker Mark Simoneau, right, in the second quarter Sunday, Dec 11, 2005, in Philadelphia. Below Manning are Giants guard Chris Snee (76), center Shaun O'Hara (60), and guard David Diehl (66).(AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) _Jay Feely's redemption sent the Philadelphia Eagles out of the playoffs. Feely's 36-yard field goal with 3:55 left in overtime lifted the New York Giants to a 26-23 victory Sunday that put them closer to the NFC East title and knocked the reigning conference champions out of the playoff chase.

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