Nader fails to qualify for Ore. presidential ballot

Nader fails to qualifyfor Ore. presidential ballot
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Of all states, Ralph Nader should have had no trouble getting onto the Oregon presidential ballot given the support he's had here.
Most political observers had expected Nader would easily draw enough supporters at a Monday evening petition-signing rally intended to make Oregon the first state to qualify Nader for the 2004 ballot.
But only 741 people showed up -- far short of the 1,000 required by Oregon law.
"Even the best basketball player doesn't get a slam-dunk every time," Nader told his supporters.
Still, Nader said he would not abandon his quest to qualify for the Oregon ballot, but will try another option available under Oregon law -- collecting 15,000 signatures over a three-month period, rather than 1,000 signatures at a single gathering.
"Don't worry, we'll be on the ballot in Oregon," the longtime consumer activist declared.
Nader said that having to compete with Monday night's NCAA basketball championship game likely contributed to the low turnout at his event.
Formerly conjoined twinsreleased from hospital
DALLAS -- Egyptian twin brothers who born fused at the tops of their heads have been released from the hospital, nearly six months after they were separated surgically.
Mohamed and Ahmed Ibrahim have been living with their parents since March 24 in an apartment near North Texas Hospital for Children at Medical City, officials said Monday.
The boys, who will celebrate their third birthday June 2, return to the hospital each weekday to continue physical therapy and rehabilitation. They wear special helmets to protect their fragile heads.
The boys, born in a small Egyptian town, were separated Oct. 12 at Children's Medical Center in Dallas during a 34-hour operation.
Russian official injured
VLADIKAVKAZ, Russia -- The president of the Ingushetia region in southern Russia was one of several people injured today when a powerful car-bomb blew up near his armored Mercedes in an apparent attempt on his life.
Ingushetian President Murat Zyazikov was heading from the city of Nazran to the regional capital Magas at about 9:45 a.m. local time when another car on the road exploded, said Sergei Kozhemyaka, a duty officer for the regional branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry.
Zyazikov told the Interfax news agency he suffered light injuries, including burns. He said three of his bodyguards were also lightly injured, while his spokesman, Isa Merzhoyev, said five people from the motorcade were hospitalized.
The ITAR-Tass news agency reported that six people were hospitalized -- four bodyguards and two bystanders, including a 9-year-old boy who had shrapnel wounds in his legs.
Promise on nuke program
TEHRAN, Iran -- Tehran made yet another promise today to rein in its nuclear program, and the visiting chief U.N. weapons inspector said he had received assurances Iran knows it has to step up cooperation with his agency.
Mohamed ElBaradei's trip to Iran came amid indications of continued nuclear cover-ups and signs that even previously reluctant U.S. allies were moving closer to the United States' view that Tehran should be penalized.
Appearing at a news conference with ElBaradei, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said the country would "voluntarily" suspend its centrifuge work starting Friday. That appeared to contradict a March 29 announcement from Iran that it already had stopped building centrifuges for uranium enrichment.
Such ambiguities are among the reasons the international community views Iran's nuclear ambitions with increasing skepticism. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.
Iran wants as quickly as possible "to bring this case to a close," Aghazadeh said today.
Israelis blow up tunnel
RAFAH REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip -- Israeli troops discovered a weapons smuggling tunnel between Egypt and the Gaza Strip early today and blew it up, the army said.
It was the seventh such tunnel to be discovered since the beginning of the year, the army said, adding that about 80 smuggling tunnels have been found since the outbreak of the current round of Israeli-Palestinian fighting in September 2000.
Palestinian security officials said they were unaware of a tunnel being blown up.
Israeli troops patrol a narrow strip between Egypt and the southern end of the Gaza Strip. The tunnels go under the patrol road and emerge in the Rafah refugee camp on the southern end of Gaza.
Associated Press