Mineral Smuggling Losses Said to Cost

By David Lewis A natural resources watchdog group issued a report Tuesday warning that smuggling and corruption are costing the Democratic Republic of Congo millions of dollars a month in lost revenue

Shell Oil Evacuates Employees from

By Carrie Giardino Shell oil company is evacuating non-essential employees from the Niger Delta area in Nigeria amid fears of clashes between government forces and armed bandits operating in the regio

Some Wall Street Analysts Say US Economy

By Leah Krakinowski After a sluggish summer, some Wall Street analysts say the U.S. economy is accelerating in the final months of 2004. Key drags on economic growth, a slump in consumer spending and

Regional Bank Forecasts Stronger Growth for Developing Asian

By Heda Bayron A new report says developing Asian economies are expected to enjoy stronger growth despite high oil prices. However, the report warns, a slowdown in China could hurt its neighbors. The

Fundraising Crucial For US Presidential Candidates

Stephanie Ho U.S. presidential candidates have broken fundraising records as they head into the 2004 election year. Raising money to pay for election campaigns has become an essential part of American

New Sci-Fi Thriller Sky Captain And The World of Tomorrow Ta

By Alan Silverman A new science fiction-adventure film uses computer-generated digital effects and scenery to re-create the look of a 1930's Saturday matinee. Alan Silverman spoke with co-star Angelin

New Face: Jazz Singer Jackie Allen

By Doug Levine Jackie Allen was born to sing. While she was growing up in Wisconsin, her father played Dixieland jazz on the tuba, Jackie sang and played the French horn. There may have been an Allen

Singer Denied US Entry Gets Peace Award

By Sabina Castelfranco Yusuf Islam, formerly known as the rock star Cat Stevens, receives Man for Peace 2004 award. Nobel Peace Prize laureates have given a peace award to the controversial singer onc

Popular Crime Dramas Impact American Pop Culture

By Nancy Beardsley The ever-popular crime drama has taken on a new twist in American popular culture. A growing number of successful television shows and novels now revolve around forensic science and

Ricky Martin Urges Crackdown on Child Sex Trade

By Peter Heinlein Pop icon Ricky Martin has gone to the United Nations to appeal for global action to protect children from sexual predators. The singer perhaps best known for his hit song Livin' La V

African Union Moves to Heal Ivory Coast

By Jeffrey Young The streets of the coastal city of Abidjan are quiet again after 10 days of rioting against the French blamed on supporters of the president of Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Laurent Gb

Virginia Madsen Returns to Silver Screen in Sideways

By Alan Silverman In the new comedy by writer/director Alexander Payne, two friends nearing 40 take a holiday in the California wine country and learn some valuable and often very funny lessons about

Newly Elected Indian-American Congressman

By Subhash Vohra Republican candidate Bobby Jindal made history on November 2 by becoming the first Indian-American elected to the U.S. Congress in nearly 50 years. Mr. Jindal lost a close election fo

Hormone Therapy Raises Blood Clot Risk in Menopausal Women　

By David McAlary A new U.S. study highlights more negative health effects women might suffer if they take hormone supplements to combat the symptoms of aging. We know that taking the female hormones e

Hollywood Stunt Pilots to Retrieve Pieces of the Sun

David McAlary For weeks, two helicopter crews have been practicing the mid-air capture of a parachute drifting down over the Utah desert. When the event acttually occurs Wednesday, the parachute will

Ladder 49 Portrays Firefighters as Imperfect Heroes

By Alan Silverman Real-life everyday heroes who fight fires and save lives come to the screen in a sweeping drama set at a big city fire station in the new film, Ladder 49. (Movie Snippet) In firehous

Hepatitis Outbreak in West Darfur Camps

By Lisa Schlein The World Health Organization says Hepatitis E is sweeping camps for internally displaced people in the western Darfur province of Sudan. The agency says it has confirmed more than 620

Capsule from Genesis Space Probe Crashes in Utah Desert

By Jessica Berman Scientists with the U.S. space agency NASA have begun investigating the crash landing Wednesday of the Genesis space capsule in Utah. The mission came to a disastrous end when a para

US Lawmakers Urge Sudan to Give More Aid to Darfur Refugees

By Dan Robinson Two U.S. lawmakers just returned from Sudan say the situation in the western Darfur region remains intolerable, and are urging the government in Khartoum to take further actions to all

Tunisia Women Make Strides

By Brent Hurd Throughout the ancient medina of Tunis, sleepy-eyed shopkeepers thrust open their doors for another day of commerce. The narrow walkways are empty but will soon be flooded with shoppers