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Saturday, May 22, 2010 – Daily News – 3B WORLD BRIEFING Clinton: NKorea must face international consequences SHANGHAI (AP) — Citing ‘‘over- whelming’’ evidence that North Korea sank a South Korean warship, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned the communist state Friday of international con- sequences. After discussions in Tokyo, Clinton planned to consult with counterparts in Bei- jing and Seoul on appropriate measures to take after an international investigative team on Thursday blamed North Korea for firing a torpedo that sank the South Korean ship in March, killing 46 sailors. ‘‘This will not be and cannot be business as usual. There must be an international — not just a regional, but an international — response,’’ she told a press conference in Tokyo, flanked by Japanese Foreign Minis- ter Katsuya Okada. The subject has come to dominate her three-nation tour through Japan, China and South Korea. The Chinese have the most leverage over the reclusive regime, and Beijing’s support for any international response to Pyongyang will be critical to its success. But China, North Korea’s main ally and a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, has thus far remained neutral. While it was ‘‘premature’’ to discuss exact options or actions that will be taken, Clinton said it was ‘‘important to send a clear message to North Korea that provoca- tive actions have consequences.’’ James R. Clapper leading candidate for top intelligence post WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House’s leading candidate to replace Dennis Blair as national intelligence director is James R. Clapper, the Pentagon’s top intelli- gence official, current and former U.S. offi- cials said Friday. Two current officials said another candi- date is Mike Vickers, the Pentagon’s assis- tant secretary for special operations. But a Defense Department official said Vickers has not been contacted for an interview. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymi- ty because a replacement for Blair has not been announced. Clapper currently is defense undersecre- tary for intelligence. President Barack Obama was already talking to candidates for national intelli- gence director’s job before Blair resigned Thursday under pressure from the White House. Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president had spoken with a number of well- qualified candidates so he could have people ready in case he decided to make a change with the intelligence post. Gibbs wouldn’t comment on what candidates the president has spoken with, but said an announcement will come soon. GOPdilemma: How to ride the Rand Paul express without veering off the tracks WASHINGTON (AP) — Even as national Republican officials seek ways to limit damage from Rand Paul’s unorthodox remarks, the Kentucky Senate nominee raised more eyebrows Friday by defending the oil company blamed for the Gulf oil spill. Those comments, on top of Paul’s earlier suggestion that businesses should have the right to turn away racial minorities, sent gleeful Democrats into full attack mode while top Republicans pondered how to calm things down. It’s a delicate issue. The Republican establishment spurned Paul and supported his opponent, Trey Grayson, the hand- picked choice of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Paul, a favorite of the tea party move- ment, walloped Grayson in Tuesday’s pri- mary. Now, chastened GOP leaders are deal- ing with a novice and outsider who, feeling his oats, has expressed his robust libertarian views in a series of interviews that have caused political pros to wince. High-ranking Republicans from Wash- ington have quietly reached out to Paul and his aides, trying to start healing the breach and to nudge him toward greater campaign discipline, said three GOP operatives close to the situation. Obama seeks tougher emission standards for cars and big trucks WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama directed the government Fri- day to set the first-ever mileage and pollu- tion limits for big trucks and to tighten rules for future cars and SUVs, setting the nation’s sights on vehicles that run on half the fuel they now use and give off half the pollution. ‘‘The nation that leads in the clean ener- gy economy will lead the global economy. And I want America to be that nation,’’ Obama declared at the White House as he signed a presidential memorandum that would reshape the country’s driving habits long after he leaves office. With the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico underscoring the risks of Ameri- ca’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels, Obama gave federal agencies just over a year to come up with fuel efficiency and green- house gas emission standards for commer- cial trucks and buses. Such vehicles are big polluters and fuel consumers even though they’re far outnum- bered by passenger cars. The Union of Con- cerned Scientists, an environmental advoca- cy group, said large trucks represent about 4 percent of all vehicles on U.S. highways but devour more than 20 percent of fuel. According to the Environmental Protec- tion Agency, commercial trucks account for 21 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector — compared with 33 percent for passenger cars and 29 percent for SUVs, pickups and minivans. Mothers of 3 Americans jailed in Iran leave without release of children TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The mothers of three Americans jailed in Iran for 10 months left for home Friday, getting one last chance to embrace their children but failing to secure their immediate release. In a glimmer of hope, Iran announced that two of its nationals held in Iraq by U.S. forces for years were freed Friday. The release raised the possibility that a behind- the-scenes swap was in the offing or that their release was a gesture of goodwill in an attempt to free the Americans. The Iranians’ release ‘‘may have some diplomatic effect on this case,’’ the Ameri- cans’ lawyer, Masoud Shafii, told The Asso- ciated Press. The U.S. has said it is not offering a direct swap, and Iranian officials made no public connection between the freed Iranians and the Americans. Sarah Shourd, 31, her boyfriend Shane Bauer, 27, and Josh Fattal, 27, were arrested in July along the Iran-Iraq border, and Iran has accused them of espionage. Their fami- lies say the three were simply hiking in Every Friday in the D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY Coupon Queen A new column to help you save money PAY No more checks to write, stamps to buy, trips to the Daily News office to pay your paper bill, or big payments in advance to get a lower rate Now you can …. SAVE over 17% compared to the regular subscription price! with a painless charge every 13 weeks to your Visa or Mastercard. 13 weeks Home Delivery – only $ Other time increments available also at discounted rates. 530 527-2151 Or use our new online Subscription Concierge service: www.redbluffdailynews.com Click on Subscription Services, upper right on the home page. 24! For more information or to convert or extend your subscription, call Iraq’s largely peaceful mountainous north- ern Kurdish region and that if they crossed the border, it was accidental. Facebook page that led to Pakistani ban has been removed ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Facebook page that was considered offensive to Islam and led to a Pakistani ban on the site has been removed, possibly by its creator. Facebook said Friday it has not taken any action on the page, which had attracted more than 100,000 users and encouraged users to post images of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, purportedly in support of freedom of speech. Most Muslims regard any depiction of the prophet, even favorable ones, as blas- phemous. Najibullah Malik, the secretary at Pak- istan’s information technology ministry, said earlier Friday that the government had no option but to shut down Facebook on Wednesday after a court order to do so. ‘‘We know some people are suffering because of this blockade, but we have to obey the court order in letter and spirit,’’ Malik said. Catholic Church warns only God creates life ROME (AP) — Catholic Church offi- cials said Friday that the recently created first synthetic cell could be a positive devel- opment if correctly used, but warned scien- tists that only God can create life. Vatican and Italian church officials were mostly cautious in their first reaction to the announcement from the United States that researchers had produced a living cell con- taining manmade DNA. They warned scien- tists of the ethical responsibility of scientific progress and said that the manner in which the innovation is applied in the future will be crucial. ‘‘It’s a great scientific discovery. Now we have to understand how it will be imple- mented in the future,’’ Monsignor Rino Fisichella, the Vatican’s top bioethics offi- cial, told Associated Press Television News. ‘‘If we ascertain that it is for the good of all, of the environment and man in it, we’ll keep the same judgment,’’ he said. ‘‘If, on the other hand, the use of this discovery should turn against the dignity of and respect for human life, then our judgment would change.’’ Wall Street Late gain ends volatile week for market NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market had another tumultuous ride this week as disarray in Europe heightened fears of a global economic slowdown. Despite a late- day comeback on Friday, major stock indexes are down about 10 percent from the peak they reached in late April. Declines of that size are known as a ‘‘correction.’’ They are normal during a bull market and are even seen as a healthy way for a market to regain its bearings after a long period of uninterrupted gains. The cor- rection that started this week is the first for the bull market that began in March of last year. Whether the correction has mostly run its course or turns into a bear market, defined as a decline of 20 percent or more, is anyone’s guess. Stock indexes ended with solid gains Friday after starting the day lower and dipping below 10,000; the Dow closed up 125 points. The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 376 points Thursday, its worst one- day drop in more than a year. Stocks are now about where they were in early Febru- ary and down 2 percent for the year. Jacob Gold, a financial adviser and CEO of Jacob Gold & Associates in Scottsdale, Ariz., says the market collapse of 2008 is fresh in the memories of clients who have been peppering him with calls and e-mails this week. ‘‘They’re second-guessing themselves because they don’t want to end up giving the economy the benefit of the doubt and having it hurt them,’’ he said. ‘‘People are still licking their wounds from 2008 and they’re not in a position to put themselves at risk like they once did.’’ The immediate catalyst for this week’s sharp declines was deepening confusion over how Europe intends to get control of its public finances, restore order to financial markets and instill confidence in the conti- nent’s shared currency, the euro. Germany broke ranks from its European neighbors this week, single-handedly rein- ing in speculative trading in European bonds. And on Friday it was rebuffed in its calls for harsh punishments for European countries that consistently flout rules on fis- cal spending limits. Greece is struggling to cope with stag- gering debt, and investors fear it could end up dragging other economically weak European countries down with it. home-delivered subscription to Convert your Daily News