Daytona 500 Wreck -- Vatican Denounces Rumors -- Iran Gains Access To More Uranium -- Top UK Cardinal Faces Accusations -- Radioactive Waste Leaking In Washington -- Federal Budget Standoff Continues -- SC Governor Pushes For 'Healthy' Food Stamps -- North Korea Warns Of 'Destruction'
DAYTONA 500 CRASH INJURES DOZENS
At least 33 fans were injured Saturday during a NASCAR race when a car flew into the fence at Daytona International Speedway, hurling a tire and large pieces of debris into the stands.
The accident happened on the last lap of the second-tier Nationwide Series race on the eve of Sunday's Daytona 500, which officials said would go on as scheduled.
The crash began as the field approached the checkered flag and leader Regan Smith attempted to block Brad Keselowski to preserve the win. That triggered a chain reaction, and rookie Kyle Larson hit the cars in front of him and went airborne into the fence.
VATICAN DENOUNCES 'FALSE' GAY PRIEST REPORT
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| USA Today |
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican lashed out at the news media Saturday, addressing for the first time reports that Pope Benedict XVI's resignation was linked to an emerging scandal involving gay priests and high-priced blackmail.
Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, who didn't speak in specific terms about the scandal, said, "It is deplorable that as we draw closer to the time of the beginning of the conclave ... that there be a widespread distribution of often unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories that cause serious damage to persons and institutions."
IRAN CLAIMS TO FIND URANIUM, ANNOUNCES 16 MORE PLANTS
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| European Pressphoto Agency |
TEHRAN -- On the eve of international talks about its disputed nuclear program, Iran announced Saturday that it had designated 16 sites for new nuclear power plants and also had discovered substantial new uranium deposits in its territory.
The Islamic Republic also confirmed earlier reports that it had installed scores of new centrifuges to enrich uranium at its Natanz site in central Iran.
The timing of Saturday’s announcements from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran suggests that Tehran is trying to bolster its negotiating position in advance of nuclear talks scheduled to begin Tuesday in Kazakhstan.
CARDINAL O'BRIEN ACCUSED OF INAPPROPRIATE ACTS
Britain's senior Roman Catholic cleric has been reported to the Vatican over historical allegations of inappropriate behaviour, a newspaper has said.
The Observer said three priests and one former priest made the complaint against Cardinal Keith O'Brien, 74, leader of the Scottish Catholic Church.
They have also demanded his immediate resignation, the paper said.
A statement from the Scottish Catholic Church said Cardinal O'Brien contested the claims and was taking legal advice.
SIX UNDERGROUND TANKS HOLDING TOXIC WASTE LEAKING IN WASHINGTON STATE
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| Fox News |
YAKIMA, Wash. – Six underground tanks holding a mix of radioactive and toxic waste are leaking at America’s most contaminated nuclear site in Washington, federal and state officials say, posing an eventual risk to groundwater and rivers.
The leaking materials at Hanford Nuclear Reservation are no immediate threat to public safety or the environment because it would take perhaps years for the chemicals to reach groundwater, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday. So far, nearby monitoring wells haven't detected higher radioactivity levels.
NEITHER SIDE BLINKS IN FEDERAL BUDGET STANDOFF, SEQUESTRATION LOOMS
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| Chicago Tribune |
WASHINGTON — The nation's budget solution was never supposed to look like this: Congress and the White Housestaring at across-the-board spending cuts that will begin slashing indiscriminately through the federal government in a matter of days.
Each side had expected cooler heads to prevail, assuming the other would set aside its political preferences and compromise to prevent the economic problems that are widely expected from a sudden reduction in the flow of federal funds.
House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) believed that President Obama was so fearful of deep reductions to domestic programs that the White House would yield to Republican demands. Instead, Obama has stuck to his insistence that wealthier Americans and corporations must contribute more in taxes as part of any solution to the country's long-term debt problems.
HALEY PUSHES TO LIMIT FOOD STAMPS TO HEALTHY ITEMS
COLUMBIA — South Carolina, long at the back of the line in health care, wants to take the lead among states in the battle against obesity by allowing only healthy foods to be purchased with food stamps.
Gov. Nikki Haley on Thursday joined leaders of three state agencies to announce plans to seek a waiver from the federal government to change the food stamp program. Haley noted that South Carolina has the eighth highest rate of obesity among states.
“All of that is about to change, not in what we say but in actions,” Haley said. “We are going to make changes .. so we actually can see results. Then other states will say, ‘What are they doing?’ ”
NORTH KOREA WARNS U.S. FORCES OF 'DESTRUCTION' AHEAD OF DRILLS
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| Fox News |
SEOUL (Reuters) — North Korea on Saturday warned the top U.S. military commander stationed in South Korea that his forces would “meet a miserable destruction” if they go ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korean troops, North Korean state media said.
Pak Rim-su, chief delegate of the North Korean military mission to the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, gave the message by phone to Gen. James Thurman, the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, KCNA news agency said.
It came amid escalating tension on the divided Korean peninsula after the North’s third nuclear test earlier this month, in defiance of U.N. resolutions, drew harsh international condemnation.
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