Eager Egyptians vote for president

Eager Egyptians vote for president

cairo

After a lifetime of being told who will rule them, Egyptians dove enthusiastically into the uncertainty of the Arab world’s first competitive presidential race Wednesday, wrestling with a polarizing choice between secularists rooted in Hosni Mubarak’s old autocracy and Islamists hoping to infuse the state with religion.

Voters were excited at the chance to decide their country’s path in the vote, the fruit of last year’s stunning popular revolt that overthew Mubarak after 29 years in power. For the past 60 years, Egypt’s presidents ran unchallenged in yes-or-no referendums that few bothered to vote in.

The final result, likely to come after a runoff next month, will only open a new chapter of political struggle.

Pakistan convicts doctor who aided CIA

peshawar, pakistan

A doctor who helped the CIA hunt down Osama bin Laden was convicted Wednesday of conspiring against the state and sentenced to 33 years in prison.

U.S. officials had urged Pakistan to release the doctor, who ran a vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNA and verify the al-Qaida leader’s presence at the compound in the town of Abbottabad where U.S. commandos killed him in May 2011 in a unilateral raid.

The lengthy sentence for Dr. Shakil Afridi will be taken as another sign of Pakistan’s defiance of American wishes.

Babies tested for TB

sacramento, calif.

Health officials are testing 35 babies for tuberculosis after a person with an active case of the life-threatening disease visited neonatal-intensive care units at two Northern California hospitals.

Few details have been released about the contagious individual, who has since been placed in isolation and is receiving treatment.

NY bride out of jail

goshen, n.y.

A woman who faked having cancer so donors would pay for her “dream wedding” and Caribbean honeymoon was released from jail Wednesday after paying back more than $13,000 to people she duped.

Jessica Vega apologized in court for the scam and was sentenced to time served — the less than two months she had been behind bars since her arrest. She had pleaded guilty last month to charges of scheming to defraud and possession of a forged instrument.

Vega also was sentenced to five years’ probation and must serve 300 hours of community service.

Associated Press