Lindsay Lohan due in court for probation hearing

The next stage of Lindsay Lohan's life is in a judge's hands.

The starlet is scheduled to appear Tuesday in a Beverly Hills, Calif., courtroom for a probation revocation hearing that could end with Lohan either headed for jail or her next movie role.

The hearing is the culmination of several missteps by the 24-year-old actress, whose probation for a three-year drug and alcohol case was revoked in May after she missed a hearing. She faces an increasingly impatient judge who has seemingly grown tired of the actress' inability to complete the terms of her sentence, or appear in court on time.

Lohan's fate is far from decided though. The hearing Tuesday …

Staying Aloft

Harrisburg International Airports terminal boasts space light, efficiency. High ceilings can swallow crowd noise. Baggage claims can accommodate traffic. Restaurants, bars and gift shops can han dle swarms of customers.

They can, but they rarely do.

"The potential is there," said Karen Deklinski, owner of souvenir shop Perfectly Pennsylvania in HIA. "As it stands, we could not rely on the airport business to succeed."

Deklinski, like many airport tenants, recently completed the first year of a 10-year lease for her store. She based her business plan on the airport management's projections for travelers flying into and out of HIA. However, a shrinking airline industry …

Oil prices fall back after previous day's jump on US inventory report

Oil prices fell Thursday after a jump the previous session on unexpected declines in U.S. crude and heating oil stocks and following the Federal Reserve's announcement of a plan to help banks through the credit crisis.

The almost 5 percent gain Wednesday lifted crude oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange to its highest close since Nov. 27.

But on Thursday light, sweet crude for January delivery fell 63 cents to US$93.76 a barrel by afternoon in Europe in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The Nymex crude contract had gained US$4.37 on Wednesday to settle at US$94.39 a barrel.

In London, January Brent crude fell 66 cents to …

Wine-ordering for dummies: Noses off the cork

Don't sniff the cork.

Unless you generally go around sniffing things — like door handles and other people — don't sniff the cork when a restaurant server places it on your table after pulling it from the bottle you have just ordered.

When a cork comes from an old wine, make sure it's not dry and crumbly. Otherwise, just let it sit there. And keep it away from your nose. Now that its sealing job is over, the cork is more of a souvenir than anything else.

For a lot of people, the stress that accompanies ordering wine in a restaurant is on par with the stress that those same people would experience speaking in public in their underwear while closing on a new home — in …

Psychiatric Clinical Skills

Clinical Skills Psychiatric Clinical Skills David S Goldbloom. Toronto (ON): Elsevier Canada; 2006. 408 p. CDNS66.95.

Reviewer rating: Excellent

Today, clinical assessment is often reduced to ticking off a diagnostic checklist, and the time pressure and managed care constrict the contact with a patient. Systematic, comprehensive observing and differential psychopathology are often neglected. This excellent book on clinical skills and interviewing counteracts successfully such an unfortunate fashion.

The reader is taken from the preliminaries, such as how to set the stage and explain the interview to the patient, through the basic structure of the interview, all the …

Qwest 3Q Earnings Rise With Tax Benefit

DENVER - Telecommunications company Qwest Communications International Inc. said Tuesday its third-quarter profit jumped, aided mainly by a $2.15 billion tax benefit.

For the period that ended Sept. 30, Qwest earned $2.07 billion, or $1.08 per share, compared with $194 million, or 9 cents per share, in the year-ago period.

The company said its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization - or EBITDA - totaled …

Stocks slip as July consumer confidence falls

Stocks are edging lower following a report that consumer confidence fell in July.

The Conference Board says its Consumer Confidence Index has fallen to 46.6 in July from 49.3 in June. Economists were expecting a reading of 49.

Consumers' confidence is closely watched because their spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.

Stocks began Tuesday zigzagging following mixed corporate earnings reports.

Following the data, the Dow Jones industrials are down 18 at 9,090 after rising 14 ahead of the report. The S&P 500 index is down 5 at 977, while the Nasdaq composite index is down 7 at 1,961.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back …

Ah, the Joy of Spicy, Intriguing Rhubarb // Vegetable Ideal For a Variety Of Muffins, Pies

I was the first kid on my block to eat rhubarb. For that matter,I was probably the only kid on the block to eat rhubarb. Myplaymates - and their parents - mistrusted this strange vegetable,whose stalks look like fat, green-red celery. Perhaps they weremindful of the meaning of rhubarb in colloquial speech: "an argument"or "quarrel."

My childhood companions were no better than the ancient Greeksand Romans, who believed rhubarb to be a food fit only forbarbarians. The Greek writer Dioscorides called it "rha barbarum,"which loosely translated means "plant of the barbarians who livebeyond the Volga River."

(Rha was the ancient Greek name for the Volga). As …

Ga. Rep. Bishop awarded scholarships to family

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Georgia congressman awarded his stepdaughter, a niece and an aide's future wife college scholarships through the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, making him the second House Democrat known to use the group to steer money to relatives and associates.

The nonprofit foundation's records show Rep. Sanford Bishop picked his stepdaughter, Aayesha Owens Reese, to receive the money in 2003.

Records also show Bishop awarded foundation scholarships in 2003 and 2005 to his niece, Emmaundia J. Whitaker. Another of his 2003 recipients, Sherletha A. Thomas, is now the wife of Bishop's longtime district staff director, Kenneth Cutts.

The foundation prohibits …

Obama backing of immigration overhaul `unwavering'

President Barack Obama assured immigration advocates frustrated by the wait for a promised overhaul of U.S. immigration laws that he remains committed to fixing a system he has said is broken.

What remains unclear is whether Congress will send him a bill this year.

Obama also met separately later Thursday with Sens. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, and Republican Lindsey Graham, who are drafting a bill. They gave Obama a copy of their outline, and he said afterward in a statement that he looked forward to reviewing "their promising framework."

Obama said he told the senators and the advocacy groups that "my commitment to comprehensive …

Reducing the playing field Naming rights may be worth less as fewer firms compete

When the Philadelphia Eagles' new football stadium opens in August2003, it probably won't be named after an upstart Internet companywilling to spend millions of dollars to make a publicity splash.

Due to the downfall of such companies as CMGI Inc. and PSINet Inc.and the financial struggles of airlines, future stadium namingagreements may be worth less money because fewer companies willcompete for the rights, according to industry analysts.

It's not going to be a bonanza anymore with some of the dot-comcrazy money that was out there,'' said Marc Ganis, chairman ofSportscorp Ltd., a Chicago-based sports finance consultancy. Insteadof just trying to get the most money, …

Honduran journalist shot, killed outside her home

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — A radio news host was fatally shot by gunmen on motorcycles Tuesday as she commuted to work in the capital of Honduras, where rampant drug-trafficking and weak, corrupt policing are fueling one of the world's worst homicide rates.

Luz Marina Paz and her driver were hit by dozens of bullets fired by men on two motorcycles outside Paz's home in Tegucigalpa, national police spokesman Luis Maradiaga said.

Paz, 38, hosted a morning program called "Three in the News" broadcast on the Honduran News Channel. While she discussed politics and narcotics trafficking, she was not among Honduras' best-known or most outspoken journalists.

She had previously …

TODAY'S MAJOR LEAGUE LEADERS

AMERICAN LEAGUE

BATTING_Bautista, Toronto, .364; MiYoung, Texas, .363; Gordon, Kansas City, .356; Hafner, Cleveland, .348; Boesch, Detroit, .348; Kubel, Minnesota, .347; Fuld, Tampa Bay, .346; AlRodriguez, New York, .346.

RUNS_MiCabrera, Detroit, 21; Bautista, Toronto, 20; Gordon, Kansas City, 18; Crisp, Oakland, 16; Teixeira, New York, 16; Beltre, Texas, 15; Kinsler, Texas, 15; Quentin, Chicago, 15.

RBI_Beltre, Texas, 20; Francoeur, Kansas City, 18; Damon, Tampa Bay, 17; Konerko, Chicago, 17; AlRodriguez, New York, 17; Martin, New York, 16; Quentin, Chicago, 16; Teixeira, New York, 16.

HITS_MiYoung, Texas, 33; Gordon, Kansas City, 32; ISuzuki, Seattle, 30; MeCabrera, Kansas City, 28; Francoeur, Kansas City, 27; Fuld, Tampa Bay, 27; MIzturis, Los Angeles, 27; Konerko, Chicago, 27; Span, Minnesota, 27.

DOUBLES_Quentin, Chicago, 12; MiYoung, Texas, 11; Gordon, Kansas City, 10; Moreland, Texas, 8; 8 tied at 7.

TRIPLES_Crisp, Oakland, 3; SRodriguez, Tampa Bay, 3; Arencibia, Toronto, 2; Borbon, Texas, 2; Bourjos, Los Angeles, 2; MeCabrera, Kansas City, 2; YEscobar, Toronto, 2; Fuld, Tampa Bay, 2; JhPeralta, Detroit, 2.

HOME RUNS_Bautista, Toronto, 8; Beltre, Texas, 7; Granderson, New York, 7; NCruz, Texas, 6; HKendrick, Los Angeles, 6; Martin, New York, 6; Posada, New York, 6; Quentin, Chicago, 6; Teixeira, New York, 6.

STOLEN BASES_Fuld, Tampa Bay, 10; Crisp, Oakland, 8; ISuzuki, Seattle, 8; AHill, Toronto, 6; 7 tied at 5.

PITCHING_Weaver, Los Angeles, 6-0; Scherzer, Detroit, 4-0; Masterson, Cleveland, 4-0; Haren, Los Angeles, 4-1; 11 tied at 3.

STRIKEOUTS_Weaver, Los Angeles, 49; Verlander, Detroit, 35; RRomero, Toronto, 34; Haren, Los Angeles, 33; Danks, Chicago, 33; CWilson, Texas, 31; FHernandez, Seattle, 31.

SAVES_MRivera, New York, 7; CPerez, Cleveland, 6; Fuentes, Oakland, 6; Farnsworth, Tampa Bay, 5; League, Seattle, 5; Feliz, Texas, 5; Papelbon, Boston, 5; Valverde, Detroit, 5; Soria, Kansas City, 5.

Japan's prime minister visits South Korea

Japan's prime minister called for cooperation Sunday with South Korea to overcome the ongoing global financial turmoil as he began a two-day visit to Seoul.

Taro Aso flew to South Korea early Sunday and was scheduled to meet with President Lee Myung-bak on Monday to discuss economic cooperation and international efforts to end the North Korean nuclear standoff.

Since taking office 11 months ago, Lee has called for better ties with Japan and has held five summits with Japanese leaders. He resumed top-level visits, which were suspended in 2005 to protest former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated trips to a controversial Tokyo war shrine.

Lee has also said he will not demand a new apology from Tokyo over its 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula. Japanese leaders have repeatedly issued apologies over their country's past wrongdoing but many South Koreans say they are insincere and demand a new one.

After his arrival, Aso attended a business forum in Seoul where he said the two countries should cooperate to surmount the global financial crisis.

"Today, the Japan-South Korea relationship is getting closer and becoming one that is unshakable," Aso said through a translator.

South Korea and Japan are key trade partners with two-way trade reaching $82.6 billion in 2007.

The two countries have taken steps toward restarting stalled free trade talks _ which ground to a halt in late 2004 over disagreements on how much to lower trade barriers on agricultural goods. The sides held working-level meetings twice last year to prepare for reopening negotiations.

Aso said both Japanese and South Korean governments have been receiving requests from businessmen to reach the deal.

Bilateral trade has favored Japan with South Korea recording a nearly $30 billion trade deficit with Japan in 2007.

Yasuhisa Kawamura, deputy press secretary at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters in Seoul that South Korea's trade deficit is "definitely one of the issues, challenges" that free trade talks have to address.

Earlier Sunday Aso visited South Korea's national cemetery honoring 167,500 Korean leaders, Korean War soldiers and other citizens. He paid a silent tribute and laid white flowers at a memorial.

Lee's diplomatic overtures toward Japan took a hit in July when Tokyo announced it would recommend that a government teaching manual include Japan's claim to uninhabited islets claimed by both countries.

South Korea temporarily recalled its ambassador in Tokyo and heightened security near the islets. Activists staged near-daily protests in front of the Japanese Embassy and many scholars and newspaper editorials demanded Lee toughen policy on Japan.

__

AP Business Writer Kelly Olsen in Seoul contributed to this report.

European stocks surge ahead of expected US gains

European stock markets surged Monday ahead of expected gains on Wall Street later and on relief that the U.S. government is providing a lifeline to ailing banking giant Citigroup Inc. Asian markets underperformed their European counterparts.

The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 190.32 points, or 5.0 percent, at 3,971.28, while Germany's DAX was 157.71, or 3.8 percent, higher at 4,285.12. The CAC-40 in France was up 130.90, or 4.5 percent, at 3,012.16.

The rise in Europe's indexes follow the 6 percent rise in the Dow Jones index of leading U.S. shares on Friday in the wake of mounting speculation that U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is ready to tap the New York Federal Reserve chief Timothy Geithner as the next treasury secretary, an appointment which reassured investors.

Wall Street was expected to open higher later on relief over the U.S. government's plan to take a $20 billion stake in Citigroup and guarantee billions of dollars of risky assets.

Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 71, or 0.88 percent, to 8,107. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 12.70, or 1.60 percent, to 804.70.

However, investors remain extremely cautious that the plan to save Citigroup will do much to prevent the world's largest economy suffering a deep recession. For many investors, the bailout will do little to quickly restore confidence in the U.S. banking system or revive lending to consumers as the vital Christmas shopping season approaches

Despite the Citigroup news, most Asian markets closed lower Monday though the Nikkei in Japan was closed due to a public holiday.

"The market reaction to the newsflow thus far has been rather mixed," said Neil Mellor, an analyst at Bank of New York Mellon.

"Although the major European indices were comfortably in positive territory as the day's half-way mark approached, the majority of their Asian counterparts closed firmly in negative territory," he added.

Stock markets will be keeping a close eye later on the expected confirmation of Geithner to the post of Treasury Secretary. Transition officials have also indicated that Obama will introduce the rest of his economics team on Monday, who will be charged with putting into place a huge economic recovery plan that aims to save or create 2.5 million jobs over the next two years. It is expected to greatly exceed the $175 billion Obama proposed during the campaign.

Recession fears in Germany mounted Monday after a closely watched survey showed that Europe's biggest single economy is weakening at an alarming rate.

The Ifo Institute said its main business climate index fell to 85.8 points in November from 90.2 points in October. The last time it was that low was in February 1993.

Analysts said the data means that the recession in Germany, confirmed officially by government figures, will likely be deeper than many anticipate.

More and more economists now think that the European Central Bank may cut its benchmark interest rate next month from the current 3.25 percent by more than the half a percentage point it cut at its meeting in early November.

In Britain, all eyes will be on the government's pre-budget report. Finance minister Alistair Darling is expected to unveil a set of measures to stimulate the British economy, which declined by a quarterly rate of 0.5 percent during the third quarter.

Markets will be particularly focused on how the government plans to get out of the recession and how it plans to raise money in the coming years as borrowing heads up to around 8 percent of Britain's gross domestic product.

Earlier in Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 210.26 points, or 1.6 percent, at 12,457.94, while Australia's key index recovered from morning losses to close 0.3 percent higher.

South Korea's Kospi slid 3.4 percent to 970.14. Markets in Singapore, Thailand, India and Malaysia also fell.

In mainland China, stocks were down mostly in dismay that authorities did not announce an interest rate cut over the weekend as some investors had speculated. The Shanghai Composite index fell 3.7 percent to 1,897.06.

Oil prices recovered some lost ground in European trading, with light, sweet crude for January delivery up $1.72 to $51.65 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In currencies, the dollar weakened 0.1 percent to 95.70 yen, while the euro was up 1.4 percent at $1.2760.

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AP business writers Jeremiah Marquez in Hong Kong, Stephen Wright in Bangkok and Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed to this report.

Jamison Returns to Help Wizards End Skid

WASHINGTON - Antawn Jamison scored 22 points in his first game back from a knee injury and the Washington Wizards snapped a four-game losing streak with a 93-92 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Jamison missed 12 games after spraining his left knee Jan. 30 against Detroit. Gilbert Arenas added 19 points for the Wizards, who have won 10 of their last 11 against the Hawks.

Washington prevented its first five-game losing streak of the season with the win against Atlanta, which got 24 points from Josh Smith and 21 from Marvin Williams.

Jamison got off to a fast start, finishing the first quarter with 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting. He also had three rebounds and an assist as Washington led 25-24 after one.

Atlanta has lost five straight road games but is tied for second in the Eastern Conference with 12 road wins.

The Wizards also were bolstered by the return of Caron Butler, who missed three games with lower back spasms. He started the game and finished with four points on 1-for-10 shooting.

Notes:@ Jamison also had six rebounds. ... The Hawks, who have lost 97 player games to injury this season, practiced with their entire 15-man roster on Thursday for the first time this season. ... Wizards forward Michael Ruffin missed his second straight game because of dizziness and severe headaches. He is undergoing a series of tests but the results won't be available until sometime next week, coach Eddie Jordan said. ... Hawks center Lorenzen Wright suffered a facial contusion during the first quarter and played only 9 minutes. ... The teams meet again Wednesday in Atlanta.

Panel told no guarantee against unethical research

ATLANTA (AP) — Experts say that the kind of unethical medical studies that occurred half a century ago could still happen again despite more than 1,000 rules and regulations that should prevent such abuses.

Bioethicists and researchers spoke Tuesday before a presidential panel in Washington. The meeting was triggered by the government's apology last fall for federal doctors infecting prisoners and mental patients in Guatemala with syphilis 65 years ago.

President Barack Obama ordered his Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues to explore whether such a study could ever happen again.

Speakers noted that over the last several decades, as many as 1,000 rules, regulations and guidelines have been enacted worldwide to ensure the ethical conduct of medical research. In the United States, there are rules to protect people in every study done by federal scientists, funded by federal agencies or those testing a product requiring federal approval to be sold.

But that oversight is inconsistent — ethical rules can vary among federal agencies. What's more, if federal funding or review is not involved, an unethical study could be done and no one in authority would ever know about it.

"We have a leaky system," said Eric Meslin, director of the Indiana University Center for Bioethics.

Dr. Robert Califf, Duke University's vice chancellor for clinical research, agreed there are weaknesses.

"It's night and day and what you could do in the 'good old days' with no one knowing about it. But there's no 100 percent guarantee. There still will be bad things that will happen," he said.

The commission, ordered to report to the president by September, was given two tasks:

—Examine federally funded international studies to make sure research is being done ethically. The commission named a 14-member international panel of experts to study the question.

—Take a more intensive look at the Guatemala study. More than a dozen commission investigators have already started poring through hundreds of boxes of old government documents.

What they will turn up is unknown, but there are doubtless more unethical studies from the past that have never been publicly reported, said Susan Lederer, a medical historian at the University of Wisconsin.

On Sunday, The Associated Press reported on dozens of studies from the past — most of them between 40 and 80 years ago — involving researchers deliberately infecting people to study the effects of diseases or to see if an experimental treatment might work.

The AP investigation itself was triggered by the Guatemala study.

At Tuesday's commission meeting, Lederer was the most pessimistic of five guest speakers about whether that kind of research could happen again.

"I don't think you should look to historians for optimism," she said.

___

Online:

The Commission Web site: http://www.bioethics.gov/

British toddler in critical condition after drinking cleaning fluid at Cyprus hotel

A British toddler was critically ill Tuesday after a hotel barman in Cyprus accidentally mixed cleaning fluid in her orange juice, police said.

Staff at Nicosia's Makarios Hospital children's ward said the two-year-old girl was connected to a respirator and was in a critical but stable condition.

The toddler, who was on holiday with her parents at the southern coastal resort of Limassol, suffered burns Saturday after sipping the orange juice laced with cleaning fluid, police said in a statement.

The child's 55-year-old father had ordered water-diluted orange juice from the hotel barman. Police said it was unclear how the poison got into the drink, but it appeared the barman may have confused a refilled water bottle containing the colorless, odorless cleaning fluid for water.

The father was treated in hospital after drinking some of the orange juice and later released, police said. The identities of the child and her father were not released.

Japan fuel demand to surge amid nuclear crisis

SINGAPORE (AP) — Japan's nuclear crisis could reverberate through global energy markets for years to come, pushing up prices as suppliers look to take advantage of a surge in demand for non-nuclear fuels from the world's third-largest economy.

The 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that likely killed more than 18,000 people earlier this month shut down 11 of Japan's 54 nuclear power plants — a source that provided 30 percent of the country's power. That means producers of natural gas, coal and oil — particularly in Asia — will be called on to help fuel conventional sources of power generation in Japan.

The government is still struggling to contain radiation leaks at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in the devastated northeast. Damage from the tsunami and attempts to cool reactor cores by dumping sea water by helicopter almost certainly mean the plant is out of action permanently. The future of some of the other plants is also in doubt.

"It appears that the shutdown nuclear plants will be out of action for at least three years, if not forever," said Ravi Krishnaswamy, energy analyst with consultancy Frost & Sullivan, referring to half a dozen plants. "We're likely to see prices for both coal and natural gas increasing in the short and longer term."

Analysts expect regional energy exporters such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and Vietnam to benefit most from Japan's sudden thirst for fuel as the country tries to overcome its power crunch. Ending rolling blackouts and shortages will be crucial to Japan's economic recovery and restoring normal production at manufacturers like Toyota Motor Corp. and Panasonic Corp.

Australian oil and gas producer Woodside Petroleum, Indonesian thermal-coal miner Adaro, South Korean refiner SK Innovation, and Thai petrochemical firm PTT Chemical are among the Asian energy companies best positioned to satisfy Japan's energy gap, said Renee Lam, an analyst with Moody's Investors Service.

"These firms and others in the region can capitalize on near- and longer-term displaced demand as Japan must now rely more on non-nuclear fuel," Lam said.

Energy prices — and how much consumers pay for daily necessities like fuel for cars, heating and cooking — would be pushed even higher if other countries decide to turn away from nuclear power. Heightened concerns about the safety of nuclear plants have triggered policy reviews across the world. China has halted approval for new nuclear projects while Germany shut down several older plants.

"Longer-term demand for fossil fuels could remain high as other nations revisit plans for their nuclear electricity production," the World Bank said in a report.

The price of benchmark U.S. crude fell during the first few days after the March 11 disaster on concern Japan's economy could slip into recession, which would reduce demand for oil.

But analysts say the amount of fuel Japan must import to make up for shutdown nuclear generation will greatly outstrip the immediate drop in consumer demand. Goldman Sachs estimates Japan must import 247,000 barrels a day of oil to compensate for the country's lost nuclear capacity while demand will drop only 16,000 barrels a day due to an expected economic slowdown in the first half.

Oil has rebounded above $102 this week as attention returned to political violence in Libya and Bahrain.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., Japan's biggest electricity utility and operator of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, said Tuesday its power generating capacity stands at 35.5 million kilowatts, down from 52.4 million kilowatts before the disaster.

Previous Japanese power crises suggest demand for crude and other fuels will spike.

Analysts estimate demand for crude and fuel oil jumped 25 percent to 50 percent and use of gas and coal rose 8 percent to 12 percent in 2002 after the Tokyo utility was forced to idle 17 nuclear plants following accusations it falsified safety records and again in 2006 when an earthquake damaged a major reactor.

Japan will likely covet low-sulfur crude, especially from Indonesia, which can be more easily processed into gasoline, kerosene and diesel, said John Vautrain, an analyst with energy consultant Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.

"The price of these Asian sweet crudes shoot up relative to other crudes because the Japanese all of a sudden start burning considerable quantities," Vautrain said. "Every time the Japanese get into a power issue, they buy a bunch more oil."

Investors also expect Japanese demand for liquefied natural gas to rise as the country favors inexpensive gas-fired power generation. Japan is the world's biggest importer of LNG and about 70 percent of its LNG imports come from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

Natural gas prices in Europe and Asia have jumped since the disaster. Last week, Royal Dutch Shell PLC said it would divert LNG and fuel oil to Japan while Qatar, the world's largest gas exporter, promised to meet any increased requirements.

"Diversion of gas supplies from regular customers in Europe to Japan is bound to drive up gas prices in Europe," Krishnaswamy said.

No. 18 Michigan St. rolls past Purdue, 21-7

Javon Ringer scored two touchdowns and No. 18 Michigan State used a dominating defense Saturday to stay alive in the Big Ten title chase with a 21-7 victory over Purdue.

The Spartans (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten), who are off next week, will rest up for a Nov. 22 showdown at No. 3 Penn State, with at least a share of the conference title on the line.

The Spartans last won a share of the Big Ten crown in 1990.

Purdue (3-7, 1-5) was officially eliminated from bowl contention in coach Joe Tiller's final season.

Ringer, one of 16 Spartans playing their final home game Saturday, had 121 yards on 32 carries. He entered the game ranked second in the nation at 142.7 yards per game. He is the second-leading career rusher in Michigan State history, trailing only Lorenzo White.

Ringer gave Michigan State a 7-0 lead with a fourth-down, 1-yard touchdown run on the Spartans' opening possession. His 1-yard TD run early in the second half gave Michigan State a 21-0 lead.

With just 9 seconds left in the first half, Michigan State defensive back Johnny Adams stepped in front of a Justin Siller pass and returned the interception 40 yards to give the Spartans a 14-0 halftime lead.

Purdue, hampered by turnovers all season, never recovered.

Siller started his second consecutive game in place of injured senior Curtis Painter. Siller was shaken up in the middle of the third quarter and replaced by Chris Bennett, but returned to the lineup later in the quarter.

Painter hurt his throwing shoulder Oct. 25 against Minnesota.

The Boilermakers couldn't generate much offense, particularly when it mattered most.

Purdue avoided a shutout by scoring with less than 1 minute to play on Siller's 1-yard touchdown run.

Purdue generated only 191 yards of total offense. Siller was 13-of-30 for 83 yards. Kory Sheets had 93 rushing yards on 22 carries.

Michigan State had 300 yards of offense. Quarterback Brian Hoyer was 10-of-22 for 154 yards with two interceptions.

Michigan State gave the Boilermakers chances to stay in the game by missing out on several scoring opportunities, particularly in the first half.

Late in the second quarter, an illegal procedure penalty left kicker Brett Swenson with a 44-yard field goal attempt into a howling November wind. The kick was on target but fell short in a powerful gust.

One Spartans drive ended with an Ashton Leggett fumble inside the Purdue 25. Another ended when Purdue's Torri Williams intercepted a Brian Hoyer pass at the Purdue 27.

Another second quarter drive ended when Ringer was stopped on a 4th-and-1 run at the Purdue 10.

But the Boilermakers couldn't capitalize.

The Boilermakers have a 19-game winless streak against teams ranked in the Top 25.

Purdue had won seven of the last nine meetings in the series, including two straight in East Lansing, before Saturday's loss.

AP Interview: Orlando Bloom likes being a bad guy

LONDON (AP) — He's been a pirate and an elf prince, but now Orlando Bloom is stepping away from the swords and leaving the swashbuckling to others in "The Three Musketeers in 3D."

After playing the good guy in both the "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "The Lord of the Rings" film series, the British actor is getting in touch with his nastier side for the latest big screen adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' historical novel.

He plays the cunning Duke of Buckingham, an English nobleman who likes to stir things up at the French court of King Louis.

This time, Bloom was pleased to let his co-stars — Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans playing Athos, Porthos and Aramis — take the glory.

"They're like the superheroes of their time and they get all the cool stuff and I get to totter around on a pair of heels, but it was exactly what I wanted to do," said Bloom.

Bloom is married to Miranda Kerr, has an 8-month-old son Flynn and claims his family is bit like the three Musketeers, whose motto is "one for all and all for one."

Paul W.S. Anderson's movie "The Three Musketeers in 3D" opens in the U.K. on Wednesday.

The Associated Press sat down with a cleanly shaven Bloom to find out how much fun he had being bad.

___

AP: What did you enjoy most about being the Duke of Buckingham?

Bloom: The hair, a bit of (mus)'tache twizzling, the high heels and the bloomers. The whole nine yards.

AP: Not the lines as well?

Bloom: Yeah I had a couple of dastardly lines. It was quite fun.

AP: Did you really enjoy being kind of bad?

Bloom: Kind of bad is a good way of putting it. He's a bit of a bad boy. He's a rake, he's a rogue isn't he? He's a cad. And that was a lot of fun. ... this was just a romp. Stick your tongue in your cheek and go big or go home.

AP: How do you feel about watching yourself in 3D?

Bloom: I'm wondering if the pompadour quiff is going to take anyone's eye out. I thought it was a bit of a secret weapon, I should have had a sword in there.

AP: Is this the type of film you'd want to take your son to see?

Bloom: Yes, I think so. I mean he's eight months, so not yet perhaps. I'm not sure he'd appreciate it but he might — he'd marvel at the explosions and stuff.

AP: If you could form your own Musketeers ... who would you pick?

Bloom: There's a couple of my mates, since I was like 11 or 12, we were always called The Musketeers - Mark, Gibbo and Gibbo. We are the Musketeers, see. But I've also got a family now, that's a bit like The Three Musketeers.

Harley-Davidson 3Q Profit Falls 15.3 Pct

MILWAUKEE - A continued sluggish U.S. market for motorcycles pushed Harley-Davidson Inc.'s third-quarter profit down 15.3 percent, and the motorcycle maker said it expects next year to be difficult, too.

Domestic buyers are seeing oil prices rising and the home market crumbling, so they're being cautious about spending, even when it comes to the iconic brand's bikes, Chief Executive Jim Ziemer said in an interview.

"It's all of those, with the consumer on the sidelines saying 'We're going to wait and see what's going on,'" he said.

Domestically, sales were down 2.5 percent in the three months ended Sept. 30, while the overall U.S. heavyweight market fell 4.4 percent. Overseas, Harley's sales were up 8.8 percent. Worldwide retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles were flat in the quarter, down 0.2 percent. Revenue dropped 5.8 percent to $1.54 billion from $1.64 billion last year.

The company had figured sales would be difficult, so they cut bike shipments and earnings expectations in September. Shipments were down 10.8 percent to 86,535 units.

Net income for the quarter totaled $265 million, or $1.07 per share, compared with a profit of $312.7 million, or $1.20 per share, a year ago.

The earnings decline still beat Wall Street projections. Analysts had expected a profit of $1.05 per share on revenue of $1.52 billion, according to a survey by Thomson Financial. Revenue was slightly above analyst expectations of $1.52 billion.

Harley-Davidson shares fell 28 cents, or 0.57 percent, to $48.67 midday Friday.

Ziemer said the results were disappointing but not unexpected. The company knew in September that sales were slowing and expects a challenging environment next year, he said.

"We know what we have right now, we're going to manage the business prudently and cautiously, and err on the side of being very cautious," Ziemer said.

The company lowered its earnings expectations for the year last month and maintained those on Friday. Harley anticipates 2007 net income to drop 4 percent to 6 percent, to a range of $3.69 to $3.77 per share. Analysts have predicted earnings of $3.73, according to Thomson. The company reported a 2006 profit of $3.93 per share.

Harley also kept intact its 2008 earnings expectations of growth between 4 percent and 7 percent, on moderate revenue growth and lower operating margins. It had previously forecast earnings growth between 11 percent and 17 percent for 2008 as well as 2009.

Last month, Harley-Davidson announced it was no longer providing 2009 guidance.

The Milwaukee-based company expects full-year shipments to be between 328,000 and 332,000 units, down from 349,196 units last year.

For the first nine months of the year, worldwide retail sales were down 0.8 percent, with U.S. sales down 4.7 percent, slightly outpacing the overall U.S. heavyweight market's drop of 4.4 percent in the same period. International sales were up 12.9 percent for the year. Revenue so far this year fell 1 percent to $4.34 billion, while earnings per share have fallen 0.3 percent to $2.95 a share.

The company expects international sales to continue outpacing domestic ones, as they've been doing for the past three years.

International sales are growing as Harley-Davidson takes over independent distributors in countries such as Italy and Australia, Ziemer said. International bike shipments account for nearly 27 percent of shipments so far this year, compared with 22.5 percent last year.

Harley repurchased 9.7 million shares of stock, at a cost of $509 million, during the quarter. So far this year, the company has repurchased 17.3 million shares at a cost of $1 billion.

UBS analyst Robin Farley wrote in a research note that UBS expected the company to repurchase $200 million in stock in the quarter. Each $100 million of repurchase may add 2 cents to earnings per share for the full year in 2008, she wrote.

---

On the Net:

Harley-Davidson: http://www.harleydavidson.com

Backyard shrine to American Girl

It's a good thing little girls like American Girl.

That's because the French family of St. Charles may have a reminder of the popular doll for a long, long time.

A 7,000-pound American Girl playhouse arrived last week in the backyard of Greg and Annette French in a raffle sponsored by HomeAid Chicago, the official charity of the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago.

"We are very happy that a blessing landed for us," Annette French said Thursday, standing next to her children's new playhouse overlooking a pond.

"We thought it was breathtaking -- we never thought of the opportunity to win this," she said.

The playhouse is a model of the home of American Girl Kit Kittredge, the title character in the "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" film out this summer.

The home was donated, and the value was not disclosed.

The Frenches won the model of "Kit's Home on Abbott Place" after buying $20 worth of raffle tickets when the playhouse was on display earlier this summer at the John Hancock Center. In all, 3,500 tickets were sold.

Proceeds from the raffle will help house homeless families.

"They pulled the winning ticket with my 2-year-old daughter's name on it," Greg French said.

"It came on a forklift in four major pieces. We had to build a foundation," he said.

Luckily, their subdivision permits playhouses.

French said the playhouse is "made of the best building materials" and is equipped with electricity and even a telephone cable and outdoor lighting.

The playhouse -- one of just four across the country -- stands 10 feet tall and has enough room for the family of six to stand all at once.

The interior features Kit's attic bedroom with a comfy reading chair. On the first level is space for Kit's books and a wooden rolltop desk with a typewriter. The house has wood flooring.

The Frenches' eldest daughter, Brianna, 10, screamed when she heard the news that the family won the playhouse.

"It came with a series of Kit's books," Brianna said.

She said she saw the movie and has five American Girl dolls. And her brother, Jeremy, 11, thinks the house is "cool," too.

"We've had breakfast and lunch in here," Brianna said.

Comment at suntimes.com.

Color Photo: Robyn Sheldon, Beacon News / From left clockwise, Ryan French, 6, his brother Jeremy, 11, and their sisters Brianna, 10, and Vanessa, 2, enjoy the American Girl playhouse at their home. ; Color Photo: Robyn Sheldon, Beacon News / Vanessa French, 2, plays with an old-fashioned typewriter in a rolltop desk inside the playhouse. Her family won the playhouse in a raffle that aids the homeless. ;

ChoiceParts files antitrust suit against the big three

The recently formed ChoiceParts LLC has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the Big Three--Ford Motor Co., Daimler-- Chrysler Corp. and General Motors (GM) Corp.-for allegedly denying the company access to data that is crucial to keeping the online parts locator in business.

ChoiceParts LLC vs. General Motors Corp., DaimlerChrysler Corp. and Ford Motor Co. was filed Jan. 4 in US. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division. At press time, no trial date had been set.

The suit charges the three automakers with violating the Sherman Antitrust Act for their refusal to provide parts data, such as wholesale parts prices and parts identification numbers, which are necessary for obtaining parts.The company also accuses the Big Three of acting in an anti-competitive manner by deciding to jointly create a competing venture while continuing to deny ChoiceParts the parts data it needs. The new undertaking was introduced on Dec. 7 as the "OE Connection."According to the lawsuit, there are plans to roll it out sometime during the first quarter of 2001.

"Filing this lawsuit was the penultimate step for ChoiceParts.The last would have been to merely cede the marketplace, and we're not going to do that;' says Chan Galbato, chief executive officer (CEO) of ChoiceParts. "This lawsuit, at its core, is about the right to compete.We're only articulating our right to compete-nothing more, nothing less.We're not asking for any special favors. "

Galbato says ChoiceParts is ready to bring its product to market and adds that the company has a responsibility to its customers, employees and investors to do so. ChoiceParts has an existing customer base of about 8,000, comprised primarily of GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler dealers. More than 250 of the vehicle retailers are waiting for ChoiceParts' latest product, Galbato says. But until it can obtain parts data from the Big Three, the next generation of its product has to be put on hold.

"Prior to formation of their own competing venture, these defendants applauded the opportunity that ChoiceParts would offer their automotive retailers," Galbato says. "However, the defendants then all coincidentally decided to form their own venture in the same market space." Galbato says this venture was clearly formed to block any competition in the advanced-- parts procurement market.

Ford's legal department is reviewing the specific charges made in the complaint, and it will formally respond to each claim when it feels it is appropriate, according to a written statement issued by the company. For now, Ford offered this statement: "We believe the allegations are unfounded, and [we] will seek swift dismissal of the lawsuit."

GM also denies all of the lawsuit's claims. "GM did not conspire with Ford and DaimlerChrysler to deny ChoiceParts the data license they seek," says Steven Cernak, GM's attorney for the case, in a written statement about the lawsuit. "GM made an independent decision to deny ChoiceParts the data and immediately disclosed its decision to ChoiceParts.The information sought by ChoiceParts is GM information, and we have a right to deny their request for this information. Furthermore, GM believes ChoiceParts can produce a useful and competitive product with GM data-they simply choose not to."

ChoiceParts' accusation that the OE Connection could monopolize the parts and locator markets is absurd, Cernak says, adding that dealers and consumers will continue to have choices. The OE Connection will just serve as another viable option, he says.

DaimlerChrysler shares the viewpoints of its competing carmakers. "Anybody with $125 can file a lawsuit in federal court," says Jay Cooney, senior manager of litigation communications at DaimlerChrysler. "They won't win. Their claims are bogus. They're operating under a conspiracy theory. There is no basis for the claims."

Cooney says DaimlerChrysler told ChoiceParts in December that it couldn't provide the data it was requesting because it is in the process of re-licensing its current customers, including the three companies from which ChoiceParts was born. "But we said that when this was finished, we'd discuss licensing information to them," he explains.

Cooney adds that ChoiceParts isn't helping the matter because it hasn't provided information DaimlerChrysler needs. "We've been asking them for data for several months now," he says. "This is the data we need...to decide whether we want to license to them."

Galbato says Choice Parts is not intending to cast any "negative aspersions" with the lawsuit and says he hopes the automakers turn out to be valuable partners. "ChoiceParts-over many months and multiple ventures-has made multiple attempts to amicably resolve these issues on standard commercial terms, but the defendams will not cease in their collective refusal to deal with ChoiceParts," he says.

Ford, GM and DaimlerChrysler had until Jan. 24 to file responses with the court. No additional information was available at press time, which was prior to the response deadline.

ChoiceParts was formed in May when CCC Information Services,The Reynolds & Reynolds Co. and ADP's Dealer Services and Claims Solutions groups together formed a separate company that enables repair shops to locate and order parts online.

Nations in the News

NO SMOKING, SERIOUSLY!

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- A major hotel chain is going smoke-free nextmonth and will add $200 to the bill of anyone who violates thepolicy, an executive said last week.

Westin Hotels & Resorts is banning smoking indoors and poolside atall 77 of its properties in the United States, Canada and theCaribbean, said senior Vice President Sue Brush. Smokers will have togo to a designated outdoor area, she said.

Enica Thompson, spokeswoman for the American Hotel & LodgingAssociation, said Westin is the first major American chain to gosmoke-free and predicted that "many of the other hotel chains willprobably want to see how it works out for Westin" before followingsuit.

Eight Westin hotels were already smoke-free, and at least 5percent of the rooms at the others had been set aside for nonsmokers,Brush said. But market research found that 92 percent of Westin'sguests were requesting nonsmoking rooms, and some of those whocouldn't get them were "quite upset," she said.

Brush said White Plains-based Westin is positioning itself toattract guests seeking "personal renewal."

"When we talk to our consumers, what they want for their personalrenewal is a smoke-free environment," she said.

Brush said customers will be advised about the policy at check-in. If a guest violates the rule -- "when we can observe it bysmelling it or whatever" -- a $200 fee will be added to the bill.

"It's really a cleaning fee," she said. The 2,400 smoking rooms inthe chain are undergoing deep cleaning and air purifying before theJan. 1 changeover, "and once you smoke in there you've violated thatentire environment and we have to clean it all over again."

AP

Cubs 9, Padres 6

5Cubs 9, Padres 6
CHICAGO @ SAN DIEGO @
ab r h bi @ab r h bi
ASrano lf 4 2 2 3 Gerut cf 2 1 1 0
Theriot ss 3 0 0 1 EGnzlz lf 1 0 1 1
DLee 1b 5 0 1 1 Iguchi 2b 5 0 0 1
ArRmz 3b 5 0 2 1 Giles rf 4 0 1 0
Soto c 5 1 1 1 AdGzlz 1b 5 0 3 1
ReJnsn cf 5 2 2 0 Kzmnff 3b 3 1 0 0
Derosa rf 2 2 1 2 McAnlt lf 4 2 1 0
Cedeno 2b 4 1 1 0 Barrett c 5 0 1 0
Mrquis p 3 0 1 0 Greene ss 3 1 2 1
Wuertz p 0 0 0 0 Ldzma p 1 1 0 0
Eyre p 0 0 0 0 Corey p 0 0 0 0
Fntenot ph 0 1 0 0 Hirston ph 1 0 0 0
Hart p 0 0 0 0 Gevara p 0 0 0 0
Cotts p 0 0 0 0 TClark ph 0 0 0 1
Howry p 0 0 0 0 Mrdith p 0 0 0 0
KWood p 0 0 0 0
Totals @ 36 9 11 9 Totals @34 6 10 5
Chicago 000 123 030_9
San Diego 002 100 030_6
E_Marquis (1), Barrett (1). DP_Chicago 2, San Diego 1. LOB_Chicago 6, San Diego 10. 2B_ASoriano (10), ArRamirez (18), ReJohnson (10), AdGonzalez (15). HR_ASoriano (14), Soto (10), Derosa (6). SB_ASoriano (5), Theriot (10), ReJohnson 2 (4), Cedeno (3), Fontenot (2). CS_Cedeno (1). SF_Greene.
IP H R ER BB SO
Chicago @
Marquis W,3-3 5 4 3 3 5 2
Wuertz 2-3 1 0 0 0 0
Eyre 1 1-3 1 0 0 0 1
Hart 1-3 2 3 3 2 0
Cotts 0 1 0 0 0 0
Howry 2-3 0 0 0 0 1
KWood S,16 1 1 0 0 0 2
San Diego @
Ledezma 4 2-3 3 3 3 5 3
Corey L,1-1 1 1-3 4 3 3 0 1
Guevara 2 3 3 3 1 1
Meredith 1 1 0 0 0 0
Cotts pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.
HBP_by Marquis (Kouzmanoff). WP_Guevara. Balk_Marquis.
Umpires_Home, Tom Hallion	First, Bill Hohn	Second, Brian Knight	Third, Marvin Hudson.
T_3:29. A_24,477 (42,691).

Police report

Clendenin man dies

when pickup flips over

A Clendenin man died after his pickup truck flipped on U.S. 119near Elkview, police said.

Leroy Hall Jr., 22, of Cold Springs Road, was killed Saturdaynight when the pickup he was driving crossed the center line, strucka guard rail and flipped over, said John Shackelford, communicationsspecialist with the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department.

A passenger, Harold Justin Mullins, 21, of Falling Rock Road inClendenin, was injured in the accident. He was listed in satisfactorycondition at Charleston Area Medical Center's General Hospital.

The accident occurred about 11:15 p.m. near 5329 Elk River RoadNorth as Hall was driving north toward Clendenin. Police foundalcoholic beverages in the truck, Shackelford said.

Two teen boys shot in legs

on Charleston's West Side

Two boys were wounded when a bystander started shooting into acrowd that had gathered around a fight in the 1500 block of WestWashington Street early Sunday, said Sgt. C.E. Sisson of theCharleston Police Department.

The unknown black male, wearing blue jeans and a black jacket witha hood over his head, struck two boys, aged 15 and 16, with shotsfrom his handgun, Sisson said.

One boy was grazed on the front of his left leg. The other wasshot through his right calf. It was unclear whether they wereinvolved in the fight or watching it, Sisson said.

The crowd scattered when the shots were fired, and not many peoplewere willing to talk to police about the incident, he said.

WORLD at 1700GMT

HIGHLIGHTS:

New: PAKISTAN-JOURNALISTS EXPELLED. Pakistan expels 3 reporters from British newspaper.

New: GEORGIA OPPOSITION. Georgian opposition leader meets with Saakashvili ally.

New: US-BROADWAY-LABOR. Stagehands go on strike, shutting down most Broadway shows.

New: CHINA-ECONOMY. China's central bank raises reserve requirement for banks.

New: IRAN-US-NUCLEAR. Iranians increasingly concerned about military conflict with US.

New: CHILE SUMMIT. Venezuela's Chavez invites Brazil to join his 'Petroamericas' oil initiative.

New: CHILE-ANTARCTICA-UN CHIEF. UN chief visits Antarctica to see global warming effects.

TOP STORIES:

Pakistan will end emergency rule in 1 month, Bhutto out after house arrest

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan _ Pakistan seeks to allay criticism of its moves against government opponents, allowing opposition leader Benazir Bhutto to leave her villa after a day of house arrest and announcing plans to lift its state of emergency within a month. BC-AS-GEN--PAKISTAN. Moved. By Sadaqat Jan. AP Photos.

WITH:

BC-AS-GEN--PAKISTAN-JOURNALISTS EXPELLED. PAKISTAN, Islamabad _ Three reporters from British newspaper ordered to leave for an editorial that used an expletive in allusion about President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, an official says.

_BC-NA-ANL--US-PAKISTAN-ANALYSIS. WASHINGTON _ Pakistan's military leader has defied U.S. warnings not to declare emergency rule and has suffered no consequences, but his triumph may be short-lived. Many of his Washington allies think President Pervez Musharraf cannot hold power for long. Moved. An AP News Analysis. By Anne Gearan.

6 U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan ambush

KABUL, Afghanistan _ Six U.S. troops were killed when insurgents ambushed their foot patrol in the high mountains of eastern Afghanistan, officials say. The attack, the most lethal against American forces this year, made this the deadliest year for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion. BC-AS-GEN--AFGHAN-VIOLENCE. Moved. By Jason Straziuso.

Writer Norman Mailer, macho prince of American letters, dies at 84

NEW YORK _ Norman Mailer, the macho prince of American letters who for decades reigned as the country's literary conscience and provocateur with such books as "The Naked and the Dead," dies at 84, his executor says. From that classic debut novel to such masterworks of literary journalism as "The Armies of the Night," the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner always got credit for insight, passion and originality. BC-NA-GEN--US-OBIT-MAILER. Moved. By Richard Pyle. AP Photos NY108-109.

MIDDLE EAST:

Iraqi police, insurgent leader say 18 killed in clashes with al-Qaida north of Baghdad

BAGHDAD _ At least 18 people are killed in clashes between al-Qaida fighters and former insurgents who turned against the terror network, Iraqi police and a former insurgent leader says. BC-ME-GEN--IRAQ. Developing. By Sinan Salaheddin. AP Photos.

Lebanese presidential election postponed for third time

BEIRUT, Lebanon _ With two weeks left before the president has to step down, Lebanon's parliament speaker postpones presidential elections for the third time, to give the deadlocked rival factions more time to come up with a compromise candidate. BC-ME-POL--LEBANON-ELECTION. Moved. By Zeina Karam.

Iranians increasingly concerned about military conflict with US

TEHRAN, Iran _ Ordinary Iranians are increasingly worried that escalating tensions with the United States and its allies over Tehran's controversial nuclear program will lead to military conflict. BC-ME-GEN--IRAN-US-NUCLEAR. Moved. By Ali Akbar Dareini.

EUROPE:

Georgian opposition leader meets with Saakashvili ally

TBILISI, Georgia _ President Mikhail Saakashvili repeats his pledge to lift a state of emergency and a ban on independent news broadcasts as his allies meet with opposition leaders to look for a way out of Georgia's worst political crisis in years. BC-EU-GEN--GEORGIA-OPPOSITION. Developing. By Maria Danilova. AP Photos.

Saakashvili's news ban raises questions about his commitment to democracy

TBILISI, Georgia _ The rise to power of Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili was fueled by independent media, and his decision has raised questions about his commitment to democracy. It has also deprived the opposition of a platform to address voters before the Jan. 5 presidential election. BC-EU-GEN--GEORGIA-NEWS BAN. Upcoming. By Maria Danilova. AP Photos.

WITH:

_BC-NA-GEN--US-GEORGIA. WASHINGTON _ A U.S. diplomat heading to the Republic of Georgia says he will express serious disappointment to President Mikhail Saakashvili about his imposition of a state of emergency. Moved. By Desmond Butler.

Slovenia to choose new president

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia _ Slovenians are choosing a new president this weekend in a traditional battle between left and right, even though both candidates in the runoff vote are running as independents. Neither candidate, however, is expected to change Slovenia's good relations with both Europe and Washington. BC-EU-POL--SLOVENIA-PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. Polls open from 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) to 7 p.m. (1800 GMT) Sunday. First results Sunday evening. With: BC-EU-POL--Slovenia-Elections-Glance, BC-EU-GEN--Slovenia-Elections-Tuerk, BC-EU-POL--Slovenia-Elections-Peterle.

NORTH AMERICA:

Bush, German chancellor take on all the global hot spots, from Iran to Afghanistan to Russia

CRAWFORD, Texas _ President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are holed up in a tiny Texas town, but their talks this weekend are spanning the globe, from Iran to Afghanistan to Russia. BC-NA-GEN--US-GERMANY. Developing. Will be updated with Bush-Merkel news conference after 1630GMT. By Deb Riechmann. AP Photos.

Stagehands go on strike, shutting down most Broadway shows

NEW YORK _ Broadway stagehands go on strike, shutting down more than two dozen plays and musicals on what is the most popular theatergoing day of the week. Picket lines went up at theaters throughout the Times Square area. BC-NA-A&E-STG--US-BROADWAY LABOR. Developing. By Michael Kuchwara. AP Photos.

LATIN AMERICA:

Venezuela's Chavez invites Brazil to join his 'Petroamericas' oil initiative

SANTIAGO, Chile _ Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez invites Brazil to join his "Petroamericas" initiative that aims to strengthen a regional energy alliance on the back of surging world oil prices.BC-LA-GEN--CHILE-SUMMIT. Moved. By Eduardo Gallardo. AP Photo.

UN chief visits Antarctica to see global warming effects

CHILEAN PRESIDENTE EDUARDO FREI BASE, Antarctica _ U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visits Antarctica to see firsthand the impact of climate change and the melting of glaciers.BC-LA-GEN--Chile-Antarctica-UN Chief. Moved. By Roberto Candia. BC-LA-GEN--CHILE-ANTARCTICA-UN CHIEF.

AFRICA:

Somalia: more than 80 people killed in two days of fighting in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia _ At least 80 Somalis have been killed in heavy fighting in the capital within the past 48 hours, witnesses and doctors say. BC-AF-GEN--SOMALIA. Moved. By Mohamed Olad Hassan.

Zanzibar expels 4 radical Muslim clerics

ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA _ Four Muslim clerics have been expelled Zanzibar for preaching hatred against Christianity, a government official says, the first time such an expulsion has been ordered in nearly 15 years. BC-AF-GEN--TANZANIA-IMAMS EXPELLED. Moved. By Ali Sultan.

ASIA:

Malaysian police fire tear gas, water cannon on protesters demanding electoral reforms

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia _ Malaysian police fire tear gas and water cannon to disperse hundreds of activists at an opposition-backed rally demanding electoral reforms in the biggest anti-government street protest in nearly 10 years. BC-AS-GEN--MALAYSIA-ELECTION RALLY. Moved. AP Photos.

Myanmar junta says it's putting energy into reform as Suu Kyi gets rare front-page billing

YANGON, Myanmar _ Detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi receives rare front-page billing in Myanmar's state-controlled press, which says the ruling junta is "putting energy" into democratic reforms demanded by the international community. BC-AS-GEN--MYANMAR. Moved. By Aye Aye Win.

BUSINESS & FINANCE:

China's central bank raises reserve requirement for banks again to try to slow torrid economy

BEIJING _ China's central bank orders commercial banks to keep more money on deposit, raising a reserve requirement yet again to try to rein in the rapid lending that is fueling torrid economic growth. The People's Bank of China said the reserve requirement ratio will be raised half a percentage point, to 13.5 percent, as of Nov. 26. BC-AS-FIN-ECO--CHINA-ECONOMY.

___

YOUR QUERIES: Contact your local AP bureau, the Europe-Africa Desk in London at +44 207 427 4300, or The Americas Desk in New York, at 1 212 621 1650.

Harris at Head Of the Bears' Rookie Class

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. The Bears open their preseason scheduleFriday against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field, which willgive fans their first look at the team's 1994 draft picks.

Keep an eye on running back Raymont Harris, the team'sfourth-round draft pick out of Ohio State.

Coach Dave Wannstedt singled out the 6-foot, 225-pound Harrisagain on Tuesday and conceded he has been the impact player of therookie group.

"In our system we've thrown him the ball and handed it to him,and he's done a good job picking things up," Wannstedt said.

"I'm not disappointed in any of our draft picks; it's just amatter of which ones are going to help us the most this year."

ROOKIE RAVINGS: Defensive end John Thierry, the team'sfirst-round pick, has shown great potential and staggering athleticability, but he's making a jump from Division I-AA Alcorn State.

Second-round pick Marcus Spears, an offensive tackle, also ismaking the jump from Division I-AA. He has been switched to righttackle from the left side in the last couple of days and took somerepetitions with the first unit when James Williams suffered a slightleg injury.

"It's going to take those guys some time to get caught up onsome technique and things," Wannstedt said.

The coach also is excited about the future of defensive tackleJim Flanigan, a third-rounder from Notre Dame. Flanigan has beenslowed by a hamstring injury and is still learning he can't bull-rushas simply as he did in college.

"Flanigan gives great effort," Wannstedt said. "He's a toughguy, but like other rookies he's still learning the system andlearning how to adjust to better talent. There's no question he'sgoing to be a great player for us. I don't have a doubt in mymind."

STUDY TIME: The Bears will begin game preparation forPhiladelphia today.

The team worked on some short-yardage and goal-line situationsTuesday in preparation for the game, but today will mark the firsttime they begin preparing for an opponent.

"We'll take a look and talk about Philadelphia just so we can bea little bit familiar with them," said Wannstedt, who wasdisappointed with a less-than-average morning practice by thedefense. We decided to forgo our middle drill today because weneeded to get some things organized for Friday night. We adjustedthe schedule a little bit to work on a few short-yardage things wehaven't done, and any time you change up the schedule the tempo isnot quite what you're used to."

NOTES: Tom Waddle (twisted knee) did some full-speed running. Keith Jennings, who was demoted behind Chris Gedney on Monday, madea beautiful one-handed touchdown reception during the Bears'short-yardage drill. Linebacker Myron Baker and offensive tackle Troy Auzenne got into ascuffle during the evening practice. Maurice Douglass, who will start at nickelback Friday, grabbed twointerceptions during Tuesday's scrimmage. Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham, returning from a broken legthat sidelined him 12 games last season, will start against theBears, coach Rich Kotite said.

'Us should have learned from Britain over Iraq'

The Us should have learned more from Britain's experiences in abid to avoid the problems of the Iraq war, the Duke of York said.

In an unusual move for a member of the Royal Family, Andrewcriticised the Bush administration and said the consequences of theIraq war had led to a "healthy scepticism" towards Washington.

The Prince, who is fourth in line to the throne, made thecomments in an interview with an American newspaper on the eve of a10-day trip to the United States to promote British business.

The 47-year-old prince said the US was Britain's number one allybut added there were "occasions when people in the UK would wishthat those in responsible positions …

German Football Results

Results from the 21st round of the Bundesliga, the German first-division football league (home team listed first):

Friday's Game

Werder Bremen 2, Hertha Berlin 1

Saturday's Games

Wolfsburg 1, Bayern Munich 3

Cologne 3, Hamburg 3

Freiburg 0, Schalke 0

Bochum 1, Bayer Leverkusen 1

Hoffenheim 2, Hannover 1

Nuremberg 1, Stuttgart 2

Sunday's Games

Mainz 1, Borussia Moenchengladbach 0

Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

Friday, February 12

Borussia Moenchengladbach vs. Nuremberg

Saturday, February 13

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Wolfsburg

Stuttgart vs. Hamburg

Bochum vs. Hoffenheim

Hannover vs. Werder Bremen

Hertha Berlin vs. Mainz

Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund

Sunday, February 14

Schalke vs. Cologne

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Freiburg

Romania's first post-Communist newspapers closes

Respected Romanian daily Cotidianul has closed due to insolvency.

Newspaper director Cornel Nistorescu says the paper closed Thursday due to debts of some euro400,000 (US$571,000) that resulted from previous management giving free books to readers last year.

He says that, despite a management overhaul, the paper has been unable to right itself financially amid lower sales and advertising revenues due to the recession.

The daily's online edition will run until year's end.

Cotidianul was founded in 1990 by former presidential candidate Ion Ratiu, who in 1977 chained himself to the railings of the London Ritz while Stalinist leader Nicolae Ceausescu was there to protest Queen Elizabeth II's decision to knight the Romanian dictator.

JFK Archive Agency Seeks State Mob Files

The federal agency that oversees all records related to theassassination of President Kennedy wants some long-sealed Illinoisrecords about organized crime figures. David Marwell, executivedirector of the Assassination Records Review Board in Washington, hasasked for "documents, photographs, tape recordings (and) transcriptsfrom the former Illinois Legislative Investigating Commission.".

In a letter to Rebecca Patton, chief legal counsel in IllinoisAuditor General William G. Holland's office, Marwell states that"most if not all ILIC files that were reviewed concerned allegedorganized crime figures. It appears the (then) House SelectCommittee on Assassinations staff …

Study data from S.C. Leong and colleagues update understanding of squamous cell carcinoma.

In this recent study, researchers in Derby, the United Kingdom conducted a study "To review early oncological outcomes following transoral CO2 laser resection of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Retrospective review of hospital electronic database."

"Large district general hospital in U.K., UK. Patients' three-year disease-specific survival and disease-free survival were evaluated, including post-operative complications, voice quality and swallowing status. Seventy-seven patients (16 women and 61 men) were identified. Transoral laser excision of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx was undergone by 65 patients, and the same procedure in the hypopharynx …

TARGETS OF LAWSUIT UNSURE WHO WILL PAY.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: DANIELLE T. FURFARO Staff writer

Rensselaer City officials named as defendants in a lawsuit filed by Police Chief Rick Fusco say it is still unclear if the city will indemnify them and cover any monetary awards if Fusco wins the case, or if the city's insurance policy will cover costs and attorney fees.

``We are hoping that our insurance company picks up most of the costs of this whole thing, but we really don't know yet,'' said Council President Mike Bridgeford. ``I haven't even seen the complaint yet.''

Bridgeford is one of five council members named in the $3 million lawsuit filed Monday by Fusco. Also named is the city itself, along with …

Take care of yourself first; business can wait.

I dropped in the other day to visit my friend Vicki, who just opened her third store last month. As she was juggling phone calls, a conversation with the bookkeeper, orders coming in and her mother's illness, I asked her if she had eaten lately. She hadn't. It was 3:00 pm. Vicki is a very organized person, a good businesswoman and a nurturing person with everyone but herself.

A lot of us are like that. We look to ourselves last. Family and work always have a priority to taking care of our own mental and physical health. Unfortunately, the end result is myriad of problems that ultimately cause us to miss work, keep us too fatigued to do anything with family, and make happiness elusive.

I used to envy people who could balance their lives and remain healthy and happy while still having a successful career. As a restaurant …

Dubai group looking to buy Afghan bank

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Dubai-based conglomerate is seeking approval to buy a bank in Afghanistan as authorities there try to restore confidence in the scandal-tainted financial industry.

The CEO of Alokozay Group's Afghan operations said in an interview Sunday the family company sees "great potential" in the nation's banking sector despite decades of war and the near collapse of the country's largest private lender amid corruption problems last year.

"We want to bring in professionals and set up a bank that's basically recognized worldwide," Jalil Alokozay told The Associated Press. "If someone comes in and has a proper plan and empowers the professionals, then …

NO PLACE TO HIDE FOR 7 DEAD Some victims killed after they sought cover in Utica bar

Caption …

Repsol shares close with biggest rise on Thursday.

(ADPnews) - May 21, 2010 - Spanish oil and gas company Repsol YPF (MCE:REP) yesterday closed with the highest rise on the Madrid Stock Exchange, recovering 7% from its 2010 lowest price touched on May 7.

The company appreciated 1.4% to EUR …

BANKRUPTCIES.(Business)

Name: KLM Foods Inc., dba Lillys Diner

Address: 12832 State Route 22, Canaan 12029

Total assets: $6,050

Total liabilities: $368,171

3 largest creditors:

Racing Cafe Inc., Rensselaer - $107,500

Ginsberg's Foods, Hudson - $23,288

New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Albany - $30,290

Chapter: 7

Attorney: Barry D. Sack, Hudson

Index: 07-11348

Date filed: May 11

…

TERRORISTS KILL 3, HURT 2 IN AMBUSH OF ISRAELIS.(MAIN)

Byline: Associated Press

NAARAN, West Bank -- Syrian-based guerrillas ambushed an Israeli army patrol along the border between the West Bank and Jordan on Wednesday, killing three soldiers and wounding two.

A breakaway faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was intended to protest the Israel-Palestinian peace accords.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that not only the guerrillas but also the regimes that tolerate them should be held responsible -- a clear reference to Syria and Iran.

``These terrorists never operate in a vacuum,'' he said. ``There are regimes that stand …

Battlefields networks from tip to tail.(Communication)

Militaries are still asking for what they have always needed: reliable, versatile communications. Whether dealing with peace support operations and civil defence roles or linking with other militaries, non-governmental organisations and emergency services as well as the more traditional war-fighting role, the need is for a coherent and reliable connection.

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To establish a single network with seamless connectivity between disparate battlefield units and to enable them to reachback to other users on the network, possibly anywhere on the globe--this is the goal of network centricity. However, evolving from today's basic interconnectivity base is a long-term prospect. The British route to Network Enabled Capability, for example, is defined in three stages: 'initial', a process lasting until 2007 and coinciding with the completion of the Bowman roll-out and delivering interconnections; Stage 2 or 'transitional', between 2007 and 2015, covering the integration of capability; and finally 'mature', from 2015 to around 2025, where effort will be placed on synchronising capability.

From the Bottom Up

The Battle Group and Brigade are becoming the nexus for battlefield communications, as high level and strategic communication management is being pushed down the chain of command while voice, data and even video capabilities are being afforded to dismounted soldiers.

These same dismounted soldiers are being brought into the network through the growing capabilities of their individual communications facilities. The Bowman Personal Role Radio (PRR) contract won by Marconi Mobile in 2001 with its 434 MHz UHF H4855 radio effectively brought this market to life. Other similar radios, such as the Tadiran Communication PNR-500 and the Saab SRR330, also enable users to form small networks within and amongst squads, sections and platoons--although today they are used almost exclusively as voice networks in the field. This equipment is certain, in the near future, to form the basis of data networks responsible for communicating low-level situational awareness across units. Data rates required for this role are relatively low--with an estimated 30 kbps requirement for many European solutions. However, the US is providing data rates similar to those required for battle management systems. The Land Warrior programme recently selected the EPLRSLight (Enhanced Position Location Reporting System) for the personal communications role. The EPLRSLight is capable of a 486 kbps data throughput.

At the Combat Net Radio (CNR) level the advent of software defined radios (SDR) is eliminating the physical separation and 'air gaps' between the existing networks. The multi-band, multimode radios that emerged in the 1990s, such as the AN/PRC-148 and AN/PRC-117, provided a similar capability but SDRs provide a more seamless link between bands and modes and offer many more waveforms and wider frequency bands. This is particularly true in the case of the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS), which will be the basis of the United States' tactical battlefield network from the next decade.

The initial versions of these radios will not replace their predecessors overnight but will form gateways between existing radios. The JTRS Cluster 1 effort led by Boeing, operates 23 waveforms, …