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MANILA, Philippines - DNA test results confirmed that the leader of the al-Qaida linked group Abu Sayyaf was killed during a clash with Philippine troops in September, officials said Saturday. Khaddafy Janjalani's death was confirmed after DNA tests were conducted in the U.S. to compare tissue samples taken from remains found buried in the jungles of southern Jolo island in December with those of Janjalani's relatives, military Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said Saturday. The news came just days after U.S.-backed Philippine troops killed senior Abu Sayyaf commander Abu Sulaiman, marking a major victory in a U.S.-backed campaign to...

More tests confirm low-path bird flu in Michigan Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:31pm ET U.S. News WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A second round of tests on swans in Michigan confirmed the birds have a low-pathogenic strain of H5N1 and not the deadly avian influenza virus that has killed more than 141 people in Asia, Europe and Africa, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Monday. Routine tests conducted in a Michigan gaming area earlier this month found two of about 20 swans had what was believed to be a low-pathogenic strain of H5N1. "Genetic testing confirms that these swans were not carrying...

Greek archaeologists confirm authenticity of 'Theseus Ring' Aug 2, 2006, 15:44 GMT Athens - The long-lost 'Theseus Ring,' a gold ring found in the Plaka district of Athens in the 1950s and generally dismissed as a fake, has been identified by Greek archaeologists as a genuine 15th century BC artifact, reports said Wednesday. The Greek press had reported the discovery of a gold signet ring, with dimensions 2.7 x 1.8 cm dating from the Minoan period, and the National Archaeological Museum wanted to purchase it for 75,000 euros from the woman who owned it. There was a huge debate about...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Experts at the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C., have confirmed that a World War II submarine wreck found in the Gulf of Thailand last year is USS Lagarto (SS 371). Underwater archeologists at the center completed their examination of evidence obtained in June by Navy divers from USS Salvor (ARS 52) and Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, both based in Pearl Harbor. "We now know for certain that this is Lagarto," said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Cassias, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet submarine force. "I am grateful to all those involved in helping...

WASHINGTON - President Bush did not confirm or deny a newspaper report Thursday that the National Security Agency was collecting records of tens of millions of ordinary Americans' phone calls. "Our intelligence activities strictly target al-Qaida and their known affiliates," Bush said. "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans." USA Today, based on anonymous sources it said had direct knowledge of the arrangement, reported that AT&T Corp., Verizon Communications Inc., and BellSouth Corp. began turning over records of Americans' phone calls to the NSA shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Bush...

U.S. Senate set to confirm Alito to Supreme Court By Thomas Ferraro 1 hour, 22 minutes ago Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito walks into the office of Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) on Capitol Hill, January 30, 2006. (Jason Reed/Reuters) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Conservative federal appeals court judge Samuel Alito appeared certain to win Senate confirmation on Tuesday as President George W. Bush's second successful nominee to the Supreme Court. Following several days of debate, the Senate was to vote on Alito, who could move the high court to the right. Alito had a commitment from a required simple majority of...

Iraqis 'confirm' bird flu death Iraqi officials are calling on people not to panic or listen to rumours An Iraqi Kurdish teenage girl has died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the Iraqi health minister has said. Abdel Mutalib Mohammed Ali said the diagnosis had been confirmed, despite initial reports from a WHO laboratory saying test results were negative.However the AFP news agency quotes him as saying that further "testing showed indications of bird flu or even H5N1". A spokesman for the WHO in Geneva said further tests would be carried out at a laboratory in the UK to...

Liberal paper says confirm Alito. House organ of Kohl and Feingold, ultra liberal Senators from Wisconsin who sit on Judiciary Committee, caves on Alito. Liberal control over Court coming to end.

Cremona digs confirm Tacitus storyNew evidence comes to light of ancient city's destruction (ANSA) - Milan, October 19 - Excavations in Cremona have confirmed a legendary description of the city's destruction in December 69 AD by the Latin historian Tacitus . Archaeologists working in the area of Piazza Marconi believe they have found evidence of the northern Italian city's brutal pillage following a clash between the forces of Emperor Aulus Vitellius and his challenger, Vespasian . Tacitus's graphic description of the rampage by Vespasian's troops is famous among scholars but there was no way to prove it actually happened ....

Help Stop Bush's Anti-Choice Nominee - Roberts Just as we feared, President Bush nominated a right-wing judicial activist with an anti-choice track record to the Supreme Court: John Roberts. Send an email to your U.S. senators right now to oppose Roberts. If Roberts is confirmed to a lifetime appointment, there is little doubt that he will work to overturn Roe v. Wade. As Deputy Solicitor General under the first President Bush, he argued to the Supreme Court that “Roe was wrongly decided and should be overruled....” We must not allow someone who’s spent his career advocating ending the right to...

BC-Senate-Rice, 14th Ld,320 URGENT Rice given approval by Senate panel; Democrats will delay confirmation at least until next week Eds: TOPS to UPDATE with Democratic plans By BARRY SCHWEID AP Diplomatic Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Democrats intend to delay Condoleezza Rice's confirmation as secretary of state at least until next week rather than grant her Inauguration Day approval, a spokesman said Wednesday. "There are a number of Democrats not on the committee that want to have a chance to debate her nomination a couple of hours," said Manley, a spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. He...

The Senate has confirmed Porter Goss as CIA Director.

On Saturday, the Washington Post ran an editorial titled "End Run for Mr. Pickering," lamenting President Bush's decision to recess-appoint Judge Charles W. Pickering to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. His actions were a direct response to the Democrats' continued filibuster of Pickering's nomination. Instead of simply acknowledging that President Bush was fully within his right to make the appointment and that, even though they disagreed with Pickering's nomination, the President is right to circumvent a filibustering, stonewalling minority of Senators who won't allow a vote on the nomination to fill the vacancy classified as a "judicial emergency" by...

I was watching Fox and Friends this morning, and they said that Michael Jackson is moving next door to Rush Limbaugh! Can anybody confirm this?

I was looking for some help from fellow Freepers. I'm arguing with a lib about the Dem's holding up confirmations of judges. I'm explaining that its been done for many, many years, but that it has gotten worst lately. Does anyone have any "hard evidence", facts, or numbers to back me up? Thank you in advance.... . PS, first post, so dont flame me... :)