AFP/File – Iraqi officials unveil a bronze shoe monument in the northern city of Tikrit, January 2009. An Iraqi … More from The Yahoo! Newsroom:
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While you were sleeping: A Baghdad court sentenced an Iraqi journalist to three years in jail for throwing his shoes at former President George W. Bush last year. According to Reuters, the head of Muntazer al-Zaidi's legal team called the punishment "harsh"; his sister burst into tears when she heard the verdict, then shouted "Down with Maliki, the agent of the Americans!" Click here to view the famous footwear fling.
Roche agreed to buy all outstanding shares of Genentech for $46.8 billion. The Swiss drugmaker plans to urge employees working in Genentech's research, early clinical development and sales departments to stay, though other cuts are possible.
Despite halts on new foreclosures by several major lenders, the number of U.S. households threatened with losing their homes rose 30 percent in February. Nearly 291,000 homes received at least one foreclosure-related notice last month.
Finally, the number of Americans filing initial claims for unemployment benefits rose to 654,000 last week, the Labor Department reported. Continuing jobless claims increased to 5.3 million, which is the most on records dating back to 1967.
Most popular stories overnight: A militant group called the Revolutionary Struggle claimed responsibility for the recent attacks against Citibank in Greece. In a statement published by the Pontiki weekly newspaper, the terror group claimed the bank was part of a "criminal network of international capital" and responsible for the global economic crisis. Also resonating with our readers is this Associated Press article about actor-turned-rapper Joaquin Phoenix, who jumped off the stage during a concert late last night in Miami Beach to confront a heckler in the audience. Actor-director Casey Affleck is currently filming a documentary about Phoenix's career change. It is unknown if the altercation was spontaneous or staged, but Affleck was reportedly at the club taping the performance.
Looking ahead: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will meet with state officials at the White House to discuss how the states plan to use funds from the economic stimulus package. The Senate is expected to vote, and approve, Obama's pick for deputy attorney general. David Ogden sparked an angry debate on the floor for representing Playboy and librarians fighting congressionally mandated Internet filtering software while working as a private attorney. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner plans to defend administration policies on taxes and bank relief before the Senate Budget Committee. And First Lady Michelle Obama will visit Fort Bragg in N.C., and speak with military spouses. These stories and more will be covered as they happen on Yahoo! News and in the news box on Yahoo.com.
Today in history: In 1912, Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Guides, which later became the Girl Scouts of America.
Birthdays: Actor Aaron Eckhart, 41. Baseball player Darryl Strawberry, 47. Actor Courtney B. Vance, 49. Singer Marlon Jackson, 52. Author Carl Hiaasen, 56. Singer James Taylor, 61. Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, 62. Singer/actress Liza Minnelli, 63. Singer Al Jarreau, 69. Playwright Edward Albee, 81.
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--Jade Walker is the overnight editor of Yahoo! News. While America sleeps…Jade keeps the rest of the world informed.
**Yahoo! News bloggers compile the best news content from our providers and scour the Web for the most interesting news stories so you don't have to.
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