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US troops close Taliban escape route before attack

NEAR MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) - U.S. and Afghan soldiers linked up with Marines on the outskirts of the Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Thursday, sealing off escape routes and setting the stage for what is being described as the biggest offensive of the nine-year war. Taliban defenders repeatedly fired rockets and mortars at units poised in foxholes along the edge of the town, apparently trying to lure NATO forces into skirmishes before the big attack.

Huge rally and protests mark Iran revolution

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Iranians massed Thursday in central Tehran to mark the anniversary of the revolution that created the country's Islamic republic, while a heavy security force fanned out across the city and moved quickly to snuff out opposition counterprotests. Police clashed with protesters in several sites around Tehran, firing tear gas to disperse them and paintballs to mark them for arrest. Gangs of hard-liners also attacked senior opposition figures as they tried to attend the rallies — including the wife of the head of the reform movement.

Haitian judge poised to release US missionaries

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - The 10 U.S. missionaries facing trial for trying to take a busload of children out of Haiti should be released from jail while an investigation continues, a Haitian judge said Thursday, giving the Americans their best news since their arrests nearly two weeks ago. Judge Bernard Saint-Vil has the final word on whether to free the missionaries, though he gave the prosecutor-general the opportunity to raise objections. He said he was accepting defense attorneys' request to provisionally free the Americans while an investigation of the case continues.

East Coast digs out from storm for record books

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Crews in Maryland worked to rescue motorists stranded on highways in snow drifts up to 8 feet and utility workers scrambled to restore power to more than 100,000 customers a day after a powerful storm disrupted the lives of some 50 million people from the southern plains up through the East Coast. The storm has been blamed for more than a dozen deaths, mostly in traffic accidents.

SPIN METER: Regional air safety gains questioned

WASHINGTON (AP) — A year after the fiery crash of a regional airliner killed 50 people near Buffalo, N.Y., regulators have missed their own deadlines for pilot-fatigue regulations for the smaller carriers and are still rewriting rules to improve crew training. They also haven't done anything to address tiring long-distance commutes by regional companies' pilots. Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt has been talking up the safety initiatives his agency launched after the crash, declaring he's "very pleased with the progress.''

Army discharging single mom who refused deployment

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - A single-mom Army soldier based in Georgia is being discharged from the military instead of facing a court-martial after she refused to deploy to Afghanistan, saying she had no one able to care for her infant son. Spc. Alexis Hutchinson learned she would be spared from a military trial Thursday. Her attorney, Rai (RAY) Sue Sussman, said the Army cook was excited to hear the news.

Brilliant designer Alexander McQueen found dead

LONDON (AP) - Brilliant and controversial British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London home Thursday after anguished Internet postings that revealed his deep sorrow at the death of his mother. He was 40 years old. The circumstances pointed to a possible suicide but there was no official confirmation from police or McQueen's publicists. Police said the death was not suspicious, apparently ruling out foul play, and did not give any immediate indication of how the death was discovered.

Dennis Hopper, wife, agree to stay away order

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dennis Hopper's wife has agreed to stay 10 feet away from the ailing actor and not contact him directly as they wrangle through their divorce, court records filed Thursday show. The agreement came after the "Easy Rider" actor requested an emergency restraining order prohibiting contact with his wife of nearly 14 years. His petition claimed his wife, Victoria, has engaged in "outrageous conduct" in the past year and was accompanied by a doctor's declaration that his treatment for prostate cancer required him to eliminate unnecessary stress.

Police: Iowa mom accused of pimping daughter

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - A Cedar Rapids woman was accused of arranging her daughter's effort at prostitution. Mary J. Doolin was arrested Wednesday in connection with a Sept. 29 incident in Coralville. Police said Doolin sent her daughter to meet an undercover officer who had contacted her during a prostitution investigation. According to police, Doolin's daughter, 37-year-old Debra Voshell, was later charged with pandering. Police said Doolin admitted to running a prostitution ring for a number of years and has prior convictions for pimping and prostitution.

Vonn's husband: Training cancellation 'fantastic'

WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP) - Lindsey Vonn's husband says it's "fantastic" the first women's Olympic downhill training session has been called off because it gives her bruised right shin more time to heal. Vonn did take a free run down the mountain - although not on the official course - to test her leg Thursday, the first time she has skied since hurting herself during pre-Olympic training in Austria on Feb. 2.

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