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8A Daily News – Tuesday, December 17, 2013 WORLD BRIEFING during the trial. Judge: NSA's collection of records likely violates Constitution WASHINGTON (AP) — In the first ruling of its kind, a federal judge declared Monday that the National Security Agency's bulk collection of Americans' telephone records is likely to violate the Constitution's ban on unreasonable search. The program probably isn't effective in fighting terrorism either, the judge said in a lengthy opinion filled with blistering criticism. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon granted a preliminary injunction against the government's collecting of the phone records of two men who had challenged it and said any such records for the men should be destroyed. But he put enforcement of that decision on hold pending a near-certain government appeal, which may well end up at the Supreme Court. The injunction applies only to the two individual plaintiffs, but the ruling is likely to open the door to much broader challenges to the ''metadata'' collection and storage. The plaintiffs are Larry Klayman, a conservative lawyer, and Charles Strange, who is the father of a cryptologist technician who was killed in Afghanistan when his helicopter was shot down in 2011. The son worked for the NSA and support personnel for Navy SEAL Team VI. Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush, ruled that the two men ''have a substantial likelihood of showing'' that their privacy interests outweigh the government's interest in collecting the data ''and therefore the NSA's bulk collection program is indeed an unreasonable search under the Constitution's Fourth Amendment.'' UN issues funding appeal for refugees BEIRUT (AP) — The exodus of millions of peo- 9-year-old Ohio girl found in trash bin strangled ple from Syria in one of the largest refugee flights in decades is pushing neighboring countries to a breaking point, and thousands of lives are threatened with the onset of a bitter winter. The crisis prompted a record appeal by the United Nations on Monday for $6.5 billion to help displaced Syrians and their host countries, with hundreds of thousands more refugees expected as the civil war rages. With less than a month to go before internationally brokered peace talks by Syria's warring sides are to begin, the U.N. chief demanded a cease-fire for the discussions to have any chance in succeeding. ''We must have cessation of hostilities before we begin political dialogue on Syria in Geneva,'' Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told reporters in New York. But if anything, the violence in Syria, which activists say has already claimed more than 120,000 lives, appears to be spiraling. Opposition groups said at least 76 people were killed in a series of airstrikes targeting the northern city of Aleppo on Sunday. They said government aircraft took to the skies again Monday, hitting opposition-held areas in the country's north and south. Kerry announces security aid HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State GARY'S AUTO BODY & 24 HOUR TOWING, INC. 13540 Trinity Ave, Red Bluff (530) 527-8262 • (530) 528-8261 John Kerry offered harsh words for China and new maritime security assistance for Southeast Asia on Monday to bolster countries facing growing Chinese assertiveness in a region where the two world powers are jockeying for influence. Tensions are running high after a near-collision of U.S. and Chinese naval vessels this month and an air defense zone China has declared over an area that includes territory controlled by Japan, a U.S. ally. Those actions have raised fresh alarm as Beijing modernizes its military and claims a wide swath of ocean and disputed islands across the East and South China Seas. Kerry used his first visit to Vietnam as America's top diplomat to reiterate support for diplomacy between Southeast Asia's regional bloc and Beijing over the territorial disputes, and to provide aid for Southeast Asian nations to defend waters they claim as their own. Kerry pledged $32.5 million, including up to $18 million for Vietnam that will include five fast patrol boats for its Coast Guard. With the new contribution, U.S. maritime security assistance to the region will exceed $156 million over the next two years, he said. ''Peace and stability in the South China Sea is a top priority for us and for countries in the region,'' Kerry told reporters at a news conference with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. ''We are very concerned by and strongly opposed to coercive and aggressive tactics to advance territorial claims.'' Why the Fed's policies may have inflated 5 asset bubbles WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve's super-low interest-rate policies have inflated a slew of dangerous asset bubbles. Or so critics say. They say stocks are at unsustainable prices. California homes are fetching frothy sums. Same with farmland, Bitcoins and rare Scotch. Under Chairman Ben Bernanke, the Fed has aggressively bought bonds to try to cut borrowing rates and accelerate spending, investing and hiring. Its supporters say low rates have helped nourish the stillmodest economic rebound. Yet some say the Fedengineered rates have produced an economic sugar high that risks triggering a crash akin to the tech-stock swoon in 2000 and the housing bust in 2006. On the eve of the Fed's latest policy meeting Tuesday and Wednesday, here's why — or why not — these five assets might be in a bubble: Wave of attacks across Iraq kill 65 BAGHDAD (AP) — A double car bombing and a shooting killed 34 Shiite Muslims on pilgrimage in Iraq on Monday, the deadliest in a wave of attacks across the country that left at least 65 dead. It was the bloodiest day of violence in nearly two months. Police officials said the worst attack took place Monday night in the southern Baghdad suburb of alRasheed, when two car bombs struck a group of Shiite pilgrims walking to the holy Shiite city of Karbala, killing 23 and wounding 55. FREE IF NO ANSWER CALL 529-7400 Ohio judge hands down 28-year sentence in charity fraud CLEVELAND (AP) — A man convicted of masterminding a $100 million, cross-country Navy veterans charity fraud was sentenced to 28 years in prison Monday. Judge Steven Gall also ordered the defendant, who identifies himself as 67year-old Bobby Thompson, to pay a $6 million fine. Authorities say the defendant is Harvard-trained attorney John Donald Cody. The Ohio attorney general's office, which handled his trial, asked the judge in a filing last week to sentence him to 41 years in prison. The judge rejected a request for a new trial. The defense had said comments by jurors after the verdict that they were disappointed he hadn't testified showed they were biased against him. The defendant, whose appearance in court Monday was neat in contrast to the final days of his trial, slumped in his chair as the sentence was read. He complained to the judge about alleged abusive treatment by jailers while locked up Yearwood, McBride cancel concerts ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — More entertainers have canceled their appearances at SeaWorld Orlando following the recent release of a documentary that raises questions about the effects of captivity on whales. Representatives for Trisha Yearwood and Martina McBride confirmed Monday that the country singers have joined the ranks of recording artists who have pulled out of performing at the park's February concert series, Bands, Brew and BBQ. A SeaWorld spokesman also confirmed that 38 Special had pulled out of their scheduled concert at the marine park. They joined Barenaked Ladies, Willie Nelson and Heart in canceling their appearances. The documentary, ''Blackfish,'' explores what may have caused a 12,000-pound orca named Tilikum to kill veteran SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. Tilikum pulled her into a pool. The orca was also involved in two other deaths. EVALUATIONS FOR HEARING INSTRUMENT CANDIDACY www.garysautobodyandtowing.com Hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims are making their way to the city to commemorate Arbaeen, the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein, a revered Shiite figure. Earlier in the day, gunmen opened fire on a bus in Mosul that was carrying Shiite pilgrims traveling also to Karbala, killing 11 and wounding eight. Mosul is located about 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad. Sunni Muslim insurgents in Iraq frequently attack Shiites, who they consider infidels. Usually, Shiite marches to holy cities are poorly protected by Iraqi security forces. WOOSTER, Ohio (AP) — A coroner says a 9-yearold girl found dead over the weekend in an Ohio trash bin likely died of strangulation. Findings from an initial autopsy released Monday indicate second-grader Reann Murphy was strangled with an unknown object. A 24-year-old man who lived near the girl's family has been arrested. Neighbors say he had been seen building a snowman with the girl and helped search for her after she was reported missing Saturday. A sheriff's investigator says Jerrod Metsker was the last person seen with the girl at the trailer park where they lived near Akron. Metsker is being held on $1 million bond following a court appearance by video Monday. His relatives and attorney aren't commenting. 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