13 seconds ago 2009-11-30T05:10:02-08:00
The Starting Point is a snapshot of the news stories that occurred overnight. Look for updates throughout the day on Yahoo! News and in the news box on Yahoo.com.
Top story overnight: North Korea test-fired another short-range missile today, and warned it would take "self defense" measures if provoked by the U.N. Security Council, The Associated Press reported. It is the country's sixth short-range missile launch since its nuclear test on Monday.
In other news: Cyclone Aila has stranded millions of people in India and Bangladesh without access to food or drinkable water, Reuters reported. The storm killed at least 275 people, but authorities are now concerned that more will die if disease becomes a serious problem. Click here to view video footage of the destruction caused by the cyclone.
The first tropical depression of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season has formed off the mid-Atlantic coast, The AP reported. At the time of this writing, the storm is centered about 260 miles southeast of Nantucket, Mass. It is expected to weaken or dissipate by Saturday.
Finally, five children were hurt yesterday when a mother crashed her car into a bustling California preschool. According to The AP, 14 children were inside the Childtime Learning Centers when the red BMW jumped the sidewalk, crashed through the door and pinned a toddler underneath it. Click here to view video from the scene. All of the children are expected to survive.
Most-read stories overnight: An Australian woman was sentenced to more than two years in prison today for stalking "American Idol" contestant Diana DeGarmo over the Internet, The AP reported. Tanya Maree Quattrocchi, 23, pleaded guilty to four charges of cyber-stalking for hacking into the performer's MySpace account and intercepting her e-mails as well as those of her mother, Brenda, and roommate Donielle Morris.
Readers were also interested in this AP story about actor Tom Sizemore's latest arrest. Sizemore, who is best known for his roles in "Saving Private Ryan," "Heat" and "Blackhawk Down," was arrested yesterday on an outstanding narcotics warrant, Los Angeles police said. He has been in and out of jail over the past decade on various drug charges.
Looking ahead: Chrysler will head back to bankruptcy court today; the judge is expected to determine whether it is in the carmaker's best interest to sell its assets to the Fiat Group. President Barack Obama will deliver remarks about the importance of protecting the nation from a cyber attack. Legendary music producer Phil Spector will be sentenced for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. And Jay Leno will host NBC's "Tonight Show" for the last time. His final guest will be Conan O'Brien, who will take over as host of the late night talk show next week. Leno plans to return to the airwaves in the fall with the launch of his prime-time program "The Jay Leno Show." Are you planning to watch Leno's final "Tonight Show" broadcast? Click here to share your thoughts.
Yesterday's poll: Do you think images of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq should be released? Fifty-eight percent of respondents said no, that releasing the images would incite more violence. Thirty-eight percent said the world needs to see what really happened.
Today in history: In 1953, Edmund Hillary and sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Birthdays: Tennis player Sebastien Grosjean, 31. Singer Melanie Brown, 34. Comic strip creator Aaron McGruder (The Boondocks), 35. Musician Chan Kinchla (Blues Traveler), 40. Musician Noel Gallagher (Oasis), 42. Actress Lisa Whelchel, 46. Actor Adrian Paul, 50. Actor Rupert Everett, 50. Actress Annette Bening, 51. Singer LaToya Jackson, 53. Musician Michael Porcaro (Toto), 54. Composer Danny Elfman, 56. Actor Anthony Geary, 62.
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--Jade Walker is the overnight editor of Yahoo! News. News doesn't stop when the lights go out, and neither does Jade.
**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.


