Nation & World

<< Previous   of   Next >> Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press  (click to enlarge) Syndicated political columnist Robert Novak leaves federal court in Washington in 2007.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Sunday, September 7, 2008 Nation, World Briefs: McCain and Obama agree on Sept. 11 appearance WASHINGTON -- Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama said Saturday they will put aside partisan politics for a joint appearance at New York's World Trade Center site to mark the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The Democratic and Republican presidential nominees said they will appear together at the site Thursday "to honor the memory of each and every American who died" in the 2001 attacks. The campaigns already had agreed to suspend television advertising critical of each other on that day. Indiana: Obama's 757 malfunctions For the second time this year, mechanical problems have forced Democrat Barack Obama to change charter airplanes on short notice. The public announcement system on Obama's leased Boeing 757 jet malfunctioned Saturday, when the plane landed without incident in Terre Haute, Ind., for a campaign event. Campaign aides said federal rules require planes carrying passengers to have working PA systems. So when Obama and his entourage of staffers, Secret Service and press left Terre Haute for Chicago, they had to switch to a smaller, 50-seat ERJ plane operated by ExpressJet. The 757 flew to Chicago with their baggage. California: Eye-in-the-sky launch A super-sharp Earth-imaging satellite has been launched into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the Central California coast. A Boeing Delta 2 rocket carrying the GeoEye-1 satellite lifted off at 11:50 a.m. Saturday. Video on the GeoEye Web site showed the satellite separating from the rocket moments later on its way to an eventual polar orbit. The satellite makers say GeoEye-1 has the highest resolution of any commercial imaging system. It can collect images from orbit with enough detail to show home plate on a baseball diamond. Rings found on moons of Saturn The latest images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft show faint, partial rings orbiting with two of Saturn's small inner moons, scientists in Pasadena said Friday. Cassini detected a partial ring, or arch, orbiting with Anthe for the first time, and confirmed the presence of another arch near Methone, scientists said. The partial rings are likely made of material that micrometeoroids knocked off the small moons. The two small moons orbit Saturn near a larger moon, Mimas. Illinois: Novak losing his vision Since being diagnosed with brain cancer, Robert Novak has lost partial vision and undergone surgery to remove a tumor, the conservative political commentator wrote in a column published Saturday. In a piece entitled "My brain tumor brings out the best in people," Novak details his life since his diagnosis, including losing his way to his longtime office and having seizures. "I have lost not only left peripheral vision but nearly all my left vision, probably permanently," Novak wrote. Novak is perhaps best known as the longtime co-host of CNN's "Crossfire" from 1980 to 2005. India: Dalai Lama's brother dies Taktser Rinpoche, the oldest brother of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, has died in his home in Indiana after a prolonged illness, the office of the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharmsala said Saturday. Rinpoche, 86, a former representative of the Dalai Lama in Japan and a former abbot of Kumbum monastery in Amdo, Tibet, died Friday, it said. After leaving Tibet in the 1950s Rinpoche taught Tibetan Studies at Indiana University. Pakistan: New president elected Benazir Bhutto's widower swept Pakistan's presidential election on Saturday, offering hope for stability to a nuclear-armed country feeling intense U.S. pressure to crack down on militants. Already head of the main ruling party, Asif Ali Zardari becomes one of the most powerful civilian leaders in Pakistan's turbulent 61-year history. Last month, he marshaled a coalition that forced U.S. ally Pervez Musharraf to quit as head of state. However, he begins with limited goodwill among a population who recall his nickname, Mr. Ten Percent, for alleged corruption. Syria: Letter for Israeli hostage A Hamas official says the militant group promises to deliver a letter to captured Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit from his father. A Hamas' political bureau member said Saturday that the emir of Qatar gave the letter to Hamas during a Damascus summit. "What has been requested is to pass the letter to Schalit," he said. Schalit has been held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip for the past two years. Philippines: Slide buries homes At least six people were killed and more than seven were missing Saturday when a landslide hit hillside homes in a southern village, a local official said. The village council head in Compostela Valley province, said the slide buried more than 10 houses. After three days of rains, the mudslide also hit a motorcycle taxi terminal and a group of people playing cards in the village of Masara. Other villagers said there could be more than 50 people buried under mud and boulders. From Herald news services READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. 'I blew her away,' girl's father told police 2. Tribal leaders accused of smoke-shop tax scam 3. Woman struck by car along Lynnwood street 4. Prosecutor says death was caused by paranoia 5. 5 vehicle pile-up on I-5 snarls traffic 6. For old ferries, it's the end of the line 7. Boeing cuts defense 800 jobs, sees pending delivery backlog peaking 8. Silvertips show Portland no mercy 9. Jackson ponders: What if? 10. Everett to reach out to Silver Lake area 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Edmonds' Pink House staying put • King's wins first state volleyball title • RV in plain sight? City says 'That's illegal' • Timberwolves take Class 4A title • Mavs can't hang on against Capital • TV success shares life as artist, geek • Education at Fircrest Rehabilitation Center in question • Edmonds police pulled over murder victim, suspect • T-birds, Scots break school records at state • Building energy independence from the ground up