Gadhafi’s loyalists take control of city

Gadhafi’s loyalists take control of city

benghazi, libya

Moammar Gadhafi loyalists seized control of a Libyan mountain city in the most serious challenge to the central government since the strongman’s fall, underlining the increasing weakness of Libya’s Western-backed rulers as they try to unify the country under their authority.

The taking of Bani Walid, one of the last Gadhafi strongholds captured by the new leadership late last year, was the first such organized operation by armed remnants of Gadhafi’s regime. A simultaneous outbreak of shootings in the capital and Libya’s second largest city Benghazi raised authorities’ concerned that other networks of loyalists were active elsewhere.

Fifth arrest made in Megaupload case

wellington, new zealand

A New Zealand judge denied bail today to Mega-upload founder Kim Dotcom, while a U.S. official confirmed the arrest of a fifth suspect, in the Netherlands, in the copyright-infringement case against the website.

Judge David McNaughton in Auckland denied Dotcom bail pending a hearing Feb. 22 on his possible extradition to face trial in the United States, saying Dotcom poses a flight risk.

New Zealand police arrested three other Megaupload employees last week on U.S. accusations they facilitated millions of illegal downloads of films, music and other content, costing copyright holders at least $500 million in lost revenue.

In Washington, a U.S. Justice Department official said Dutch police have arrested a fifth suspect — Andrus Nomm, 32, a citizen of Estonia and a resident of both Turkey and Estonia.

Dentist used paper clips in root canals

new bedford, mass.

A former dentist in Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to Medicaid fraud for using paper clips instead of stainless-steel posts in root canals.

Michael Clair is to be sentenced next week. He has pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicaid of $130,000, assault and battery, illegally prescribing prescription drugs and witness intimidation charges.

Prosecutors say the 53-year-old Clair was suspended by Medicaid in 2002 but continued filing by using the names of other dentists in his Fall River practice.

Pope urges silence

vatican city

Pope Benedict XVI is asking everyone to quiet down.

In his annual communications message released Tuesday, Benedict extolled the sounds of silence.

He said a little bit of quiet makes people better listeners and better communicators by giving them more time to think about what they are hearing and saying.

And in a world inundated by tweets and 24-hour news coverage, that precious time to think and reflect gives words greater value, he said.

“Joy, anxiety and suffering can all be communicated in silence — indeed it provides them with a particularly powerful mode of expression,” he said in his written message.

A dazzling display of northern lights

stockholm

A storm from the broiling sun turned the chilly northernmost skies of Earth into an ever-changing and awe-provoking art show of northern lights Tuesday.

Even experienced star- gazers were stunned by the intensity of the aurora borealis that swept across the night sky in northern Scandinavia after the biggest solar flare in six years.

Associated Press