Palin addresses rally

Palin addresses rally

ANAHEIM, Calif.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday urged a roaring crowd of Republicans to exhaust themselves over the next two weeks to take back California and the country for the “little guy.”

The former vice presidential candidate addressed more than 2,000 supporters at a Republican National Committee rally in Orange County, a conservative stronghold in a state where Republicans hope to make gains this year.

“The momentum is with us, but now is not the time to let up, now is not the time to celebrate — not quite yet,” Palin told a crowd wearing T-shirts reading “Proud Conservative” and buttons reading “Is it 2012 yet?”

“We can’t be thinking that it’s over yet and we’ve got it in the bag. As Yogi would’ve said, ‘It ain’t over till it’s over,’” she said, referring to New York Yankees great Yogi Berra.

Company introduces new, red celery

MINNEAPOLIS

Is America ready for red celery? A Florida produce company thinks so and has bet consumers will bite on the colorful crunch of its new product.

Red celery will hit selected supermarkets Dec. 1 — in time to add some eye-catching color to holiday tables, said Dan Duda, president of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, which unveiled the new celery at a produce industry trade show in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday.

“It’s bright, it’s red, it’s different, it’s unique,” said Duda, who added that it has the same flavor and crunch of regular, green celery.

Two civilians killed in attacks

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan

A series of blasts killed at least two civilians and wounded several others Saturday in Afghanistan’s main southern city, the scene of several recent deadly attacks on police.

Helicopters patrolled above the city as NATO and Afghan troops were deployed to seal off the attack sites. Ambulances with sirens wailing ferried victims to local hospitals.

In one attack, a motorized rickshaw carrying explosives detonated behind police headquarters in the center of the city, said Zelmai Ayubi, spokesman for the governor of Kandahar province. One bystander was killed and three others wounded, Ayubi said.

Fuel supplies low as French protest

PARIS

Officials have taken the extraordinary step of warning some flights landing at France’s main airport to come with enough fuel to get back home, bracing for a possible fuel shortage after a new round of protests Saturday against plans to raise the retirement age to 62.

Police estimated some 825,000 people marched in cities across France to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan to extend the retirement age to keep pension coffers full. That is fewer than during an Oct. 12 march — and far lower than the union estimate of 3 million. But unions are not relenting in fighting for what the French see as a near-sacred right to retire at 60.

Second statement from man’s wife

MEXICO CITY

The wife of an American tourist reported shot to death by pirates on a border lake has given helpful new details about the incident to Mexican authorities, Mexico’s government said Saturday.

The attorney general’s office said Tiffany Hartley gave a second statement Friday at the Mexican consul in McAllen, Texas, on what happened to her husband Sept. 30 on the Mexican side of Falcon Lake.

“Mrs. Hartley provided valuable information that will allow federal investigations to continue,” the statement said.

Associated Press