Nader, Badnarik seek recount in New Mexico
SANTA FE (AP) - Green and Libertarian Party presidential candidates are seeking a statewide recount of ballots in New Mexico's presidential contest that President Bush won by a 5,988-vote margin.
Green Party nominee David Cobb and Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik want a recount in all precincts and a recheck of voting machines to ensure an accurate count of presidential ballots, said Blair Bobier, a spokesman for the Cobb campaign.
It's uncertain whether a recount could be completed before New Mexico's presidential electors are scheduled meet Dec. 13 to cast their five votes for Bush.
"I don't believe a recount is needed," Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson said.
Man accused of killing hunters appears in court
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HAYWARD, Wis. (AP) - A Hmong immigrant accused of shooting to death six fellow deer hunters made his first court appearance under tight security Tuesday. The hearing was held in a basement classroom at the county jail for his own safety.
Chai Vang showed little emotion during the hearing Tuesday. He answered yes when asked, among other things, whether he understood the allegations and the potential penalty of life in prison, and no when asked whether he was under the influence of any drugs.
He remains in jail on $2.5 million bail. A preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 29.
U.S. death toll in Iraq ties record set in April
WASHINGTON (AP) - Fueled by fierce fighting in Fallujah and insurgents' counterattacks elsewhere in Iraq, the U.S. military death toll for November equaled the highest for any month of the war, according to casualty reports available Tuesday.
At least 135 U.S. troops died in November. That is the same number as last April, when the insurgence flared in Fallujah and elsewhere in the so-called Sunni Triangle where U.S. forces and their Iraqi allies lost a large measure of control.
Bush defends decisions on war on Iraq in Canada
OTTAWA (AP) - President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin sought on Tuesday to mend fences after four years of strained relations between the two neighbors aggravated by the U.S.-led war on Iraq.
"I made some decisions that some in Canada obviously didn't agree with," Bush said. "But I'm the kind of fellow who does what I think is right, and will continue to do what I think is right."
Ridge steps down from Homeland Security post
WASHINGTON (AP) - Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, whose name became synonymous with color-coded terror alerts and tutorials about how to prepare for possible attack, resigned Tuesday, saying he was confident the United States is significantly safer than before the 2001 terrorist strikes.
Ridge, who has warned that the country may face increased terror risks around the holidays and the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration, said he will remain on the job through Feb. 1. He submitted his resignation to President Bush Tuesday morning after attending a daily threat briefing with CIA and FBI officials.
Peterson murder trial enters penalty phase
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) - The penalty phase of Scott Peterson's murder trial opened Tuesday with prosecutors saying the slaying of his pregnant wife left the family with "a hole in their hearts that can never be repaired."
"When the defendant dumped the bodies of his wife and unborn son into the bay, those ripples spread out and they touched many, many lives," prosecutor Dave Harris said in opening statements.
Opposition rejects offer of Prime Minister post
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Ukraine's shivering but determined political opposition dug in its heels in Kiev's frigid central square Tuesday, rejecting an offer of the prime minister's job from the declared winner of disputed presidential election and withdrawing from talks aimed at reaching a compromise.
The election dispute sparked a struggle at Ukraine's parliament, with throngs of opposition supporters trying to storm inside after lawmakers tentatively approved a resolution that would cancel Saturday's nonbinding decision to declare the election results invalid.
Sick babies euthanized in Netherlands hospital
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - A hospital in the Netherlands - the first nation to permit euthanasia - recently proposed guidelines for mercy killings of terminally ill newborns, and then made a startling revelation: It has already begun carrying out such procedures, which include administering a lethal dose of sedatives.
The announcement by the Groningen Academic Hospital came amid a growing discussion in Holland on whether to legalize euthanasia on people incapable of deciding for themselves whether they want to end their lives - a prospect viewed with horror by euthanasia opponents and as a natural evolution by advocates.
Nearly 340 die after rainstorm in Philippines
MARAGUNDON, Philippines (AP) - A powerful rainstorm triggered landslides and flash floods that killed nearly 340 people in the eastern Philippines, officials said Tuesday, and rescuers raced to save those stranded in three coastal towns before a typhoon strikes the hard-hit region.
At least 150 people were reported missing, and the region was largely cut off by landslides and floodwaters that washed away bridges and roads.
