Fla. cops mourned; suspect denied bond

July 4, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

TAMPA, Fla.

Two police officers gunned down during a traffic stop were remembered Saturday as family men devoted to protecting the public, while the convicted felon accused of killing them was ordered to remain in jail the day after he surrendered.

Dontae Rashawn Morris, 24, was denied bail at his first court appearance Saturday on two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of officers David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab early Tuesday.

Morris turned himself in at a police station about 10:30 p.m. Friday after detectives spent more than 30 hours negotiating with an associate of his. His surrender ended an intense manhunt in which detectives fielded more than 400 tips.

Hundreds attended a funeral for Curtis and Kocab on Saturday morning at the Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz.

Drug war casts pall over Mexico elections

CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico

A common theme haunts today’s state and local elections across Mexico: drugs.

One gubernatorial candidate has been photographed with a powerful kingpin. Another was arrested for allegedly protecting two cartels. A third was assassinated after pledging to bring peace to his violent state.

Many Mexicans are scared to vote, and others wonder why they should bother if the cartels seem to be in charge anyway.

The elections for governors, mayors and local posts in 12 states is the biggest political challenge yet for the government of President Felipe Calderon, who declared war on the cartels in 2006.

A low turnout in the most violent states would signal Mexicans believe the drug lords have more control than ever.

Clinton: ‘Steel vise’ crushing activists

KRAKOW, Poland

Intolerant governments across the globe are “slowly crushing” activist and advocacy groups that play an essential role in the development of democracy, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday.

She cited a broad range of countries where “the walls are closing in” on civic organizations such as unions, religious groups, rights advocates and other nongovernmental organizations that press for social change and shine a light on governments’ shortcomings.

Among those she named were Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Venezuela, China and Russia.

Cops find World Cup — made of cocaine

BOGOTA, Colombia

Fans worldwide have fashioned replicas of the World Cup trophy out of everything from papier-mache to plastic. But a lawbreaker in Colombia gets top prize for most original material: cocaine.

Airports anti-drug chief Col. Jose Piedrahita says that Colombian authorities found the unusual statue during a routine security check by anti-drug agents Friday in a mail warehouse at Bogota’s international airport.

The 14-inch-high statue was inside a box headed for Madrid, Spain.

Piedrahita said Saturday that laboratory tests confirmed the cup was made of 24 pounds of cocaine mixed with acetone or gasoline to make it moldable.

2-headed calf called ‘a miracle’ in Egypt

CAIRO

A farmer in northern Egypt says his cow has given birth to a two-headed calf that he calls a “divine miracle.”

Sobhy el-Ganzoury said Saturday it took two hours and much pulling to deliver the rare calf. He said the difficult birth has weakened the calf’s legs.

El-Ganzoury said the veterinarian informed him that the calf, which was born this week, is now in stable condition and is expected to survive. He said he intends to keep the animal as a reminder that “God is able to do anything.”