NATIONAL AND WORLD NEWS DIGEST: Alaska high court rules against Miller

Alaska high court rules against Miller

JUNEAU, Alaska

The Alaska Supreme Court delivered another stinging setback to Republican Joe Miller, refusing to overturn election results that favored his GOP rival, Lisa Murkowski, in the state’s U.S. Senate race.

The high court on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s ruling dismissing Miller’s claims of impropriety in the state’s handling of the election and ballots for Murkowski, who waged a longshot write-in campaign after losing her primary to Miller. It found “no remaining issues raised by Miller that prevent this election from being certified.”

It’s now up to Miller to decide if the election is finally over.

Churches cancel Christmas events

KIRKUK, Iraq

No decorations, no midnight Mass. Even an appearance by Santa Claus has been nixed after Iraq’s Christian leaders called off Christmas celebrations amid new al-Qaida threats on the tiny community still terrified from a bloody siege on a Baghdad church. Christians across Iraq have been living in fear since the assault on Our Lady of Salvation Church as its Catholic congregation was celebrating Sunday Mass. Sixty-eight people were killed. Days later, Islamic insurgents bombed Christian homes and neighborhoods across the capital.

Jury recommends death for dad, son

SALEM, Ore.

A jury Wednesday recommended that a father and his son be sentenced to death for planting a bomb that exploded inside an Oregon bank two years ago, killing two police officers and maiming a third. In a trial that spanned three months, prosecutors portrayed Bruce and Joshua Turnidge as bigoted men who hated authorities, were desperate for money and feared that newly elected President Barack Obama would take away their guns.

Medicines for soldiers vanish

KABUL

U.S.-donated medicines and pharmaceutical supplies meant to keep the new Afghan army and police healthy have been disappearing before reaching Afghan military hospitals and clinics, and the government said it is removing the army’s top medical officer from his post as part of an investigation into alleged corruption. Afghan Defense Minister Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak told The Associated Press that Surgeon General Ahmad Zia Yaftali was being removed from his post as part of the inquiry. Three officials from the country’s top medical facility have been fired, he said.

2 firefighters die

CHICAGO

The burning building had been vacant for years, but the firefighters went in anyway — just in case squatters started the blaze and were trapped inside. Then the heavy-timbered roof and a wall suddenly collapsed.

Four firefighters were trapped under debris, and two of them died on a day that already was among the most somber on the Chicago Fire Department’s calendar. Exactly 100 years ago, 21 Chicago firefighters died when a wall collapsed at the Union Stock Yards fire, one of the nation’s worst tragedies for firefighters before 9/11.

S. Korea sets drills

POCHEON, South Korea

South Korea mobilized troops, tanks, helicopters and fighter jets for its largest-ever wintertime military drills today, a show of force that comes a month after North Korea’s deadly shelling of a front-line island.

The drills, set to begin this afternoon at training grounds in mountainous Pocheon near the Koreas’ heavily fortified border, signaled South Korea’s determination to demonstrate and hone its military strength at the risk of further escalation with North Korea.

Associated Press