Advocates to Brown: Aid disabled

About 20 local advocates, including disabled people and their families, crowded the reception area of Senator Scott Brown’s Boston office yesterday morning in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade him to break ranks with fellow Republicans and vote in favor of more federal health care funding.

Without that funding, budget cuts in Massachusetts will probably end many social services that aid the disabled here, they said.

“We’re hopeful he’ll do the right thing for Massachusetts,’’ said Josh Komyerov, legislative director for the Arc of Massachusetts, a nonprofit that organized the sit-in.

Sarah Palin Criticizes Calif. AG at Gala Dinner

Sarah Palin criticized California Attorney General Jerry Brown Friday over his investigation into her speaking arrangement at a gala dinner at a cash-strapped California university.

The 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate's speech at the 50th anniversary celebration at California State University, Stanislaus has generated intense intrigue and scrutiny since the nonprofit foundation holding the event first announced her visit in March.

The visit set off a pitched legal feud. Brown launched an investigation into the finances of the university's foundation arm amid allegations that the nonprofit violated public disclosure laws.

British PM warns against 'destruction' of BP

HUNTSVILLE, Canada — British Prime Minister David Cameron warned against "the destruction" of BP as its shares plummeted close to a 14-year low amid the battle against the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The new British leader, who will hold his first bilateral talks Saturday with US President Barack Obama, said it was important for transparency over the British company's liability in the catastrophe.

"I think it is also in all our long-term interests that there is some clarity, some finality, to all of this, so that we don't at the same time see the destruction of a company that is important for all our interests," he told Canadian broadcaster CBC.

BP has increasingly come under fire from the US administration for triggering the country's worst ever environmental disaster when a BP-leased rig exploded in the Gulf in April.

Despite desperate efforts, BP is still not capping all of the estimated 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil spilling into the sea every day.

PML-N wins by-poll after close contest

LAHORE: A close contest was witnessed between the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf in PP-160 with the candidate of the former winning, according to unofficial results, amid ‘rigging’ allegations.

As per unofficial results, PML-N’s Saiful Malook Khokhar got around 27,000 votes, PTI’s Zaheer Abbas Khokhar about 19,000 and JI’s Jehangir Bara could bag 7,500 or so votes. The results from some 10 polling stations were to be declared till our going to the press.