Deadly chopper collision...Palin on Obama...British deny French report

BAGHDAD (AP) A U.S. military spokesman says the collision tonight of two American helicopters in Baghdad apparently was not caused by hostile fire. An Iraqi soldier was killed, and two American soldiers and two other Iraqis were hurt. The incident happened as the choppers were landing at a military base.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) sarah palin is playing up Barack Obama's past ties with former 1960s radical, Bill Ayers. Palin is accusing Obama of "palling around with terrorists." Ayers is now a professor. He and Obama served on the board of a Chicago-based charity several years ago and lived in the same neighborhood.

LONDON (AP) The British government is denying a claim that it thinks the military campaign in Afghanistan is doomed to failure. A French newspaper says a leaked diplomatic cable quotes Britain's ambassador as saying Afghanistan might best be "governed by an acceptable dictator."


PARIS (AP) Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown says strong banks should be protected and "whatever is necessary" must be done to restore stability of the global financial system. Brown and leaders of France, Germany and Italy held an emergency summit in Paris today and stopped short of a U.S.-style bailout.

NEW YORK (AP) Shock jock Howard Stern is embracing tradition.

The radio talk-show host known for porn-star guests has married his longtime girlfriend, Beth Ostrosky. The wedding is an about-face for Stern, who once worried on the air that marriage could spoil a good thing.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 10-04-08 1545CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list