Pope meets with Holy Land rabbi, imam, Druse

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A delegation of Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Druse religious leaders in Israel met Thursday with Pope Benedict XVI in a high-profile display of their efforts to promote interfaith peace initiatives in the region.

The Council of Religious Leaders in Israel was created in 2007 in Jerusalem to bring together Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders in Israel to raise awareness about the need for interfaith dialogue and cooperation in the Holy Land.

The audience with the pope was designed in part to boost the profile of the council, which counts among its members representatives of Israel's Islamic, or Sharia courts.

Sheik Kiwan Mohamad, who heads an …

Rays top pick David Price injured by shattered bat

Tampa Bay Rays prized left-hander David Price, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, left Wednesday's game against the Boston Red Sox in the bottom of the second inning after being hit on the right hand by the barrel of a shattered bat.

With no outs and Kevin Youkilis on first base for the Red Sox, Adrian Beltre's bat splintered on a pitch from Price. The barrel headed toward …

Report: queen will OK Charles-Camilla union

LONDON--The queen of England has agreed to the marriage of theprince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles, but not until after herGolden Jubilee, according to an article in the current issue of theBritish magazine The Spectator.

To overcome the sensitivities of the Church of England, the couplemay undergo a civil ceremony, the magazine reports.

Quoting an unnamed palace observer,'' Peter Oborne, a politicaljournalist, writes, After the jubilee the royal marriage will be thenext thing on the agenda.''

The article says that while courtiers are in despair about thereligious, legal and constitutional difficulties such a union wouldcause, they also are aware it is …

Democratic senators want help for young immigrants

WASHINGTON (AP) — Twenty-two Senate Democrats are pressuring President Barack Obama to delay deportations of certain young immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

The senators ask in a letter for deferrals of any deportations of the young immigrants brought to the U.S. by parents who arrived or stayed illegally.

The senators also suggest smaller steps the president can take to help the young …

Bailout bill slapped aside; record stock plunge

In a vote that shook the government, Wall Street and markets around the world, the House on Monday defeated a $700 billion emergency rescue for the nation's financial system, leaving both parties' lawmakers and the Bush administration scrambling to pick up the pieces. Dismayed investors sent the Dow Jones industrials plunging 777 points, the most ever for a single day.

"We need to put something back together that works," a grim-faced Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said after he and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke joined in an emergency strategy session at the White House. On Capitol Hill, Democratic leaders said the House would reconvene Thursday, …

Peregrine Falcons and water voles back in gorge

Spring is here and after the long winter months of absence andhibernation Cheddar Gorge is full of signs of young animal life.

Along with all the new Soay lambs and feral goat kids we areagain seeing our two most spectacular residents, the water voles,famed as Ratty in Kenneth Grahame's book The Wind in the Willows,and the fastest animal in the world, the peregrine falcons.

Once again the voles can be seen going about their business ofeating and dragging weed back into their burrows in preparation forthe start of their breeding season.

There will be disputes, male fighting male for the female'sattention and female fighting female for the prime …

Venezuela Pulling Out of IMF, World Bank

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez announced Monday he would pull Venezuela out of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, a largely symbolic move because the nation has already paid off its debts to the lending institutions.

"We will no longer have to go to Washington nor to the IMF nor to the World Bank, not to anyone," said the leftist leader, who has long railed against the Washington-based lending institutions.

Venezuela, one of the world's top oil exporters, recently repaid its debts to the World Bank five years ahead of schedule, saving $8 million. It paid off all its debts to the IMF shortly after Chavez first took office in 1999. The IMF …

Philippine forces rescue child, kill kidnapper

Gunmen abducted the son of a bank employee in the southern Philippines Tuesday, but government forces rescued the 7-year-old and killed one of two kidnappers hours later, officials said.

It was the latest in a wave of kidnappings for ransom, mostly by al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants, that has sparked fear and concerns that the tactic may be an effort to revive the small but violent group, which is on a U.S. terrorism blacklist.

Two gunmen snatched Anderson Fortico at noon while he was on his way to school in Isabela city on Basilan Island. Fortico's sister alerted their father and authorities, provincial Vice Governor Al Rasheed Sakkalahul said.

…

Lawyer by day, hooker by night thinks it's OK

Dear Zazz: I know this whole situation will sound absurd to you,but I need help.

I'm a 28-year-old female attorney. I make a decent living andhave the respect of my peers. I also have an active social life.

Here is the part you won't believe: A few weeks ago, I didn'thave anything to do on a Friday night, so I decided to go out bymyself for a drink at a downtown hotel bar. There I met a nicegentlemen. We really hit it off, and he suggested we go to his room.

Once up there, he offered me $200 to have sex. Well, I wasastounded! I'm not sure why, but I accepted.

Since then, I've seen him several times. I admit that I enjoyhis company and do not …

Richard Gere guitar collection fetches $1M in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) — A collection of American vintage guitars owned by actor Richard Gere has fetched nearly $1 million at auction in New York City.

Tuesday's sale of 110 guitars and amplifiers at Christie's auction house included brands such as C.F. Martin, Gibson, Fender and Gretsch and guitars once owned by blues guitarist Albert King and reggae musician Peter Tosh.

The top sale went to a 1960 solid-body Les Paul electric …

Davis Cup Final Draw List

Draw for the Davis Cup final between Spain and the Czech Republic, to be played on indoor clay court at Palau Sant Jordi:

Spain vs. Czech Republic

Friday

Singles

Rafael Nadal, Spain, vs. Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic

David Ferrer, Spain, vs. Radek Stepanek, Czech …

Hawks trade Calder, try Handzus on for size

The Blackhawks might finally be piecing together an improved team.

General manager Dale Tallon was stymied in his attempt to sign aquality free agent this offseason, and his first big move -- gettingforwards Martin Havlat and Bryan Smolinski from Ottawa -- cost himpopular winger Mark Bell in a three-team trade.

Tallon's latest move makes the first trade look much better.

He sent left winger Kyle Calder, last year's leader in goals,assists and points, to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday for MichalHandzus, a big, tough center. Both are in the

final year of their contracts. Calder won an arbitrator's rulinglast week and will be paid $2.95million next season, more than doublewhat he made in 2005-06. Handzus will earn $2.1million and fills avoid that has nagged the Hawks for years.

Calder was part of only one Hawks playoff team in six seasons. Helooks forward to joining a team that has enjoyed more consistentsuccess.

"Words can't even describe how excited I am," he said. "I'm justreally looking forward to joining [the Flyers]. The have always beenone of the teams I wanted to come to. The dream is finally here, andnow I have to make the best of it. Philadelphia has a great-lookingteam on paper and on the ice. They have done well every year."

The Hawks haven't, but Handzus and two other new centers mighthelp change that. In addition to Smolinski, Tallon signed free agentDenis Arkhipov, who had some success at Nashville two seasons ago.The only full-time center from last season figuring to make theHawks' roster is Patrick Sharp. He was acquired from the Flyersduring the early stages of last season and went 24 games without agoal for the Hawks before finishing the campaign on the upswing.

"We identified the center position as one we needed to strengthen,and we feel we addressed that," Tallon said.

Handzus figures to be the best of the newcomers.

"We acquired a big, strong centerman who is an excellent two-wayplayer," Tallon said. "We needed a big centerman to play against theother big centers in the Western Conference."

Handzus, 29, brings the size (6-5, 217 pounds) the Hawks need atcenter. Last season, the Czech had 11 goals, 33 assists and 38penalty minutes in 73 games for the Flyers. He also was one of thebetter faceoff men in the NHL, winning 53.2 percent of his draws torank 18th. Fans at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center liked his workethic, breaking out in chants of "Zeus" when he was on the ice.

Handzus has had better seasons, too -- including three 20-plus-goal campaigns, his best being 25 goals with the St. Louis Blues in1999. He also has five seasons with at least 20 assists. Better yet,he has a seemingly clear-cut role with the Hawks. The Flyersfrequently played him at left wing, even though he's a naturalcenter.

"We feel that Michal's a guy who can get the puck to Havlat,"Tallon said. "We feel that a line of Havlat, Handzus and Tuomo Ruutuis a pretty good line."

It will be -- if Havlat doesn't have a repeat of the shoulderproblem that kept him out of 59 games last season, and if the injury-riddled Ruutu doesn't go down again.

Calder, 27, was a gritty player who, like Bell, came up throughthe Hawks organization. His statistics improved each season, buildingto career totals of 85 goals, 125 assists and 184 penalty minutes in359 games.

Flyers general manager Bob Clarke believes Calder is a good fit,probably on the second line. High-scoring Simon Gagne is the Flyers'top left wing, but he has only a year left on his contract and Clarkeis having trouble signing him.

"Calder is a player we have coveted for a long time," Clarke said."He can score. He can kill penalties. He can play on any of our topthree lines. We are still very strong at center, and now we are muchstronger at left wing."

lziehm@suntimes.com

Beijing Olympic organizers can rest a little easier as Yao Ming returns to action for China

Beijing Olympic organizers can rest a little easier. Yao Ming is back.

The Houston Rockets center marked his return from injury Thursday with 11 points in just over 12 minutes of play for the Chinese national team in an Olympics warmup against a young Serbian squad.

Entering six minutes into the first quarter to huge applause from the crowd in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, Yao appeared a little rusty and off his rhythm, but made a solid contribution to China's kickoff 96-72 victory in the four-team Stankovic Cup tournament.

The game was Yao's first since he suffered a stress fracture to his left foot in February that ended his NBA season and threatened his star turn as part of China's team.

The injury has caused major concern among Chinese Olympic organizers expecting him to become the face of the games and his return was certain to help them sleep easier. Among other roles, Yao is considered a leading candidate to carry the Olympic torch on its final leg into Beijing's grandiose new National Stadium.

Yao shot a sub-par 70 percent from the free throw line, where he racked up seven of his points.

He also collected three defensive and one offensive rebound and seemed to find his groove defensively, despite being scored on twice by 7-foot-3 (2.22-meter) Boban Marjanovic, an experience not soon to be forgotten by the Serbian player who idolizes Yao and sleeps in a room pasted with his pictures.

Serbian captain Dusan Katnic said the 7-foot-6 (2.26-meter) Yao's presence made the clash extra special _ and extra educational.

"It was an honor," Katnic said. "You don't play against Yao everyday and it was a great experience that will make us a better team."

China's notoriously taciturn coach Jonas Kazlauskas was practically gushing in his praise for Yao, or at least by his standards.

"Yao tried very hard," the Lithuanian said. "He had no big problems on defense."

Yao himself walked off the court at game end without speaking to reporters.

Xue Zhen, basketball editor for leading newspaper Titan Sports, said Yao's appearance at the games served as a massive confidence booster, even if his form wasn't 100 percent.

"This is Yao's Olympic mission," Xue said. "His presence is extraordinarily powerful, and the team is built around him.

"Without Yao, China will become a totally different team," he said.

Former Dallas Mavericks center Wang Zhizhi led the Chinese team with 18 points, with 14 more added by Yi Jianlian, recently acquired by the New Jersey Nets.

China is also scheduled to play test games against Angola and Russia.

Yao returned to light training late last month after X-rays and an MRI scan taken in Houston showed his recovery was on schedule, at about 80 percent healed. Such injuries usually take a year to fully heal.

Gun battle erupts again in northeast Nigeria city

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Authorities say police in northeast Nigeria fought a running gunbattle with suspected members of a radical Muslim sect.

Yobe state police commissioner Lawan Tanko says the fighting late Thursday night and Friday morning around the state capital, Damaturu, left some people wounded or dead, though he said he did not immediately know how many. Tanko said the area was "generally calm" Friday afternoon.

Tanko said police started the gunbattle while pursuing suspected members of the sect known as Boko Haram. Witnesses said they saw at least four security official dead after an explosion Thursday.

Boko Haram has carried out an increasingly bloody sectarian fight against Nigeria's weak central government in its effort to implement strict Shariah law in Africa's most populous nation.

Inflation, shortages stalk Pakistan's tigerish economy ahead of elections

Atiq-ur-Rahman dismisses the gusty northwesterly wind blowing past his tatty barber's shop. It is an economic chill that troubles him and threatens to undermine the tigerish economy _ just as Pakistanis prepare to vote in general elections.

"I have weathered all kind of hardship in my life, so this cold weather is nothing," said the 49-year-old, waiting glumly outside for customers in this often scorching port city. "But it pains me to see my children growing up when I cannot even feed them properly."

Rahman, like many in this country of 160 million people, is being squeezed by inflation. The price hikes have included basics such as food and fuel.

They have coincided with shortages of flour, gas and power, causing problems for businesses as well as turning voters against President Pervez Musharraf's political allies ahead of Monday's parliamentary election.

The former army chief counts Pakistan's sizzling economic expansion as his proudest achievement.

After seizing power in a coup in 1999, Musharraf's government stabilized its own finances, drew on billions in American aid extended in return for help against al-Qaida, and attracted capital from foreign investors and Pakistani living abroad.

Economic growth has averaged close to 7 percent for five straight years, and reached 8.2 percent in 2005-06. The government recently trimmed its forecast for the current fiscal year, which ends in June, to between 6.5 percent and 7 percent.

Service sectors such as banking and telecoms have boomed thanks to privatization and deregulation. Agriculture and construction have strengthened.

The boom was built on cash sent home by Pakistani expatriates, privatization proceeds, foreign investment and cheap consumer credit, said Shahid Hasan Siddiqui of the Research Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance.

But there are complaints the gains have gone mainly to a narrow, already wealthy elite and done little to improve the country's industrial base.

"It is a failure of policy that this could not be transformed into general welfare," Siddiqui said.

The government's consumer price index for January showed an almost 12 percent increase from the same month last year, driven by food and fuel. Rolling power cuts, even in the capital, Islamabad, have fueled perceptions that the expansion has brought little good.

The power crisis has disrupted production at thousands of factories, according to Zubair Motiwala, a leading industrialist tapped by the government to look for solutions.

"I don't see any hope of any short term improvement, the situation is quite bleak," Motiwala said.

Flour prices have shot up after the government overestimated last year's wheat harvest and exported 500,000 tons. Smugglers and hoarders have profited.

According to an opinion poll released this week by the U.S.-funded International Republican Institute, more than half of the voters surveyed rated inflation as the hottest issue that will determine how they will vote in the elections.

Musharraf seems to be getting the blame. The poll also suggested a strong swing away from his supporters to moderate parties, especially that led by late leader Benazir Bhutto.

Bhutto's assassination at an election rally on Dec. 27 also bodes ill for the economy. Riots in the wake of her death damaged businesses in Karachi, the country's biggest city and commercial hub. Investor confidence is unlikely to be helped by warnings from the party of Bhutto and another ex-premier, Nawaz Sharif, of unrest if the election is rigged against them.

"There is fear in the (stock) market over what will emerge in the post election scenario," said Ahsan Mehanti, chief financial officer of Shahzad Chamdia Securities, a brokerage house at Karachi Stock Exchange.

The benchmark KSE-100 index advanced 40 percent last year, but has eased back from a high set in October.

Foreign investors are currently holding back and share indexes could plunge if the election throws up a new government that clashes Musharraf.

Political paralysis would deepen the crisis triggered by the former army chief's crackdown on the judiciary last year. Authorities are already grappling with a strengthening insurgency by militants linked to the Taliban and al-Qaida.

Addressing long-term economic difficulties such as making Pakistan's key textile exporters more competitive and plugging a trade deficit fueled by the cost of importing oil and wheat will only become more difficult.

US Has Two-Part Strategy With Iran

WASHINGTON - The United States is pursuing a two-track strategy with Iran that reflects the high stakes in any engagement with a nation President Bush accuses of bankrolling terrorism and secretly building a nuclear bomb.

Monday's talks in Baghdad are one element. Discussion between the U.S. and Iranian ambassadors is only supposed to cover Iraq, where they have competing and overlapping interests.

Then there are the U.S. Navy's exercises in the Persian Gulf last week and tough talk from Bush about new U.N. penalties against Tehran.

"In the American mind, the two tracks sort of complement each other," with the muscle-flexing and threats serving to push Iran to the bargaining table, said Ray Takeyh, an Iran specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"Iran only sees one track" and thinks it is a trap, Takeyh said. He does not hold out much hope the diplomats will get beyond talking points on Monday.

"The coercive track is undermining and negating the diplomatic track and preventing any sort of meaningful discussions," Takeyh said.

Still, any direct talks are rare. Even fleeting encounters at larger gatherings or diplomatic dinners are scrutinized for clues to the future of a troubled relationship.

The Baghdad talks are the first of their kind and a small sign that Washington thinks rapprochement is possible after nearly three decades of animosity. Iran, angry over the blunt show of U.S. military power off its coast, almost refused to come.

Bush agreed to the dialogue in hopes it could do some good inside Iraq and perhaps beyond. Despite ambivalence within the Bush administration, U.S. diplomats hope this kind of limited conversation can build confidence on both sides and lead to something more substantive.

Diplomats hope for a full airing of views Monday and perhaps an agreement to meet again. Cancellation of the talks, even for reasons that sound plausible, would spell failure.

"The ball really is in their court," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said Friday.

There is plenty to talk about, even within the confines both sides have laid out.

The United States accuses Iran of supplying Iraqi Shiite militias with deadly roadside bombs that kill American troops in Iraq and of political meddling in Shiite-led Iraq.

Iran accuses the U.S. of improperly seizing five Iranians in Iraq this spring. The U.S. military is holding the five. Iran says they are diplomats; Washington contends they are intelligence agents.

The U.S. also has complained about the detention or arrest of several Iranian-Americans in Iran in recent weeks. Casey said that issue is not on the U.S. agenda for Monday.

Iran contended on Saturday it had uncovered spy rings operating inside the country that were organized by the U.S. and its Western allies. The White House said it does not confirm or deny allegations about intelligence matters. However it might affect the talks, the allegation reflects a toughening of Iran's stand.

The United States wants to keep the window for the talks small, for fear Iran would use the opportunity to try to bargain over its disputed nuclear program.

That was the rationale the administration used for resisting for months any discussion with Iran about Iraq despite entreaties from Congress, allies and the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.

The current outreach represents a softening of that hard-line, but progress toward better relations is halting.

U.S. and Iranian diplomats met briefly in March on the sidelines of an international conference on Iraq. But Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki balked at the expected next step, passing up serious talks during a similar gathering this month.

A year ago this week, the U.S. made its most dramatic overture to Iran in years.

Rice said she would participate in international negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, on condition Iran halt disputed nuclear work that could produce either nuclear energy or a weapon. Iran called the condition an affront to its rights and sovereignty; the offer has gone nowhere.

The U.S. cut off diplomatic ties with Iran over the 1979 storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. U.S. diplomats were held hostage for more than a year.

Since then, name-calling, accusations and finger-jabbing lectures by U.S. and Iranian leaders largely have defined the relationship.

"Eventually the U.S. and Iran will have to engage across the board on a whole range of issues if they are to make progress," said Robert J. Einhorn, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation.

"The Iraq issue is one on which many people have assumed some commonality of interest because at a certain level the Iranians want stability," just as Americans do, although for different reasons, Einhorn said.

Supreme Court Blocks Guantanamo Trials

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court rebuked President Bush and his anti-terror policies Thursday, ruling that his plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law.

The president and congressional Republicans immediately pledged to work on a new strategy for special trials for some of the hundreds of suspected al-Qaida and Taliban operatives rounded up in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries.

Bush said the ruling "won't cause killers to be put out on the street."

The court declared 5-3 that the president's attempt to resurrect a type of military trial last used in the aftermath of World War II violates U.S. military law and the Geneva conventions that set international standards for dealing with people captured in armed conflicts.

The ruling focused on Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a one-time driver for Osama bin Laden who has spent four years in the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He faces a single count of conspiring to commit terrorism.

Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift, Hamdan's Navy lawyer, said he told the Yemeni about the ruling by telephone. "I think he was awe-struck that the court would rule for him, and give a little man like him an equal chance. Where he's from, that is not true," Swift said.

The decision could have a broad impact on the administration's legal justification for many of its policies in the global fight against terrorism, from eavesdropping to detention policies in Iraq.

The ruling united the four most liberal justices with moderate Anthony M. Kennedy in an opinion that showed the high court would not watch the controversy over Bush policies from the sidelines.

It was a sequel to a ruling two years ago that found the administration did not have a "blank check" to lock up alleged combatants without any legal rights. Again, the court said the Bush administration had gone too far.

"The Constitution is best preserved by reliance on standards tested over time and insulated from the pressures of the moment," Kennedy wrote in one opinion.

The ruling came on the court's final day before the justices began a three-month break. Court members spent more than half an hour announcing the decision and reading dissents.

Chief Justice John Roberts was sidelined in the case because as an appeals court judge he had backed the government in this case last year. That ruling was overturned Thursday.

The other three conservative justices, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, strongly supported the government.

"It is not clear where the court derives the authority - or the audacity - to contradict" Congress and the executive branch, Scalia wrote.

Thomas, reading a dissent from the bench for only the second time in his nearly 15-year career, said the court's decision would "sorely hamper the president's ability to confront and defeat a new and deadly enemy."

Hamdan's attorneys, backed by lawyer groups and military experts, had argued that the tribunals, before as few as three military officers, made it difficult for suspects to defend themselves, including confronting accusers and being present for all parts of a trial.

The majority found that Congress had not given Bush the authority to create the special type of military trial and that the president did not provide a valid reason for the new system. The justices also said the proposed trials did not provide for minimum legal protections under international law.

While the administration could come up with a new system, a better option would be to hold regular military courts-martial for detainees, the high court said. Those trials, used for soldiers, provide somewhat similar legal protections to those that defendants receive in U.S. courts.

The Bush administration did not appear ready to accept that.

White House counselor Dan Bartlett said the administration's task now is to determine how to design military tribunals that will pass muster. Bartlett said Bush could portray any lawmaker who objected to legislation as supporting the release of dangerous terrorists.

Late Thursday, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., filed legislation authorizing the president to create military tribunals and providing due process guidelines for trials of terrorist combatants. The Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee plan hearings over the summer.

The ruling said nothing about whether the administration should close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, as Bush has said he would like to do eventually. The administration erected the prison in the months after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and it has been a flashpoint for international criticism.

For now, there are about 450 detainees at Guantanamo, and 115 of them have been deemed eligible for release or transfer to their home countries. Ten, including Hamdan, have been charged with crimes. The chief Guantanamo prosecutor had said about 65 more detainees were likely to be charged if the court ruled differently.

Army Maj. Tom Fleener, who represents another detainee facing charges, said "there certainly will be some fallout from this. ... It's going to change everything from how people are held to interrogation techniques that are used to the types of information they can have or can't have."

Though ruling against the administration, the court took pains to show it was not taking the terrorist attacks lightly.

Justice John Paul Stevens, who wrote the main opinion, said, "Americans will never forget the devastation wrought by these acts."

Justice Stephen Breyer, in a side opinion, said that Bush could fix some of the problems by going to Congress and that "judicial insistence upon that consultation does not weaken our nation's ability to deal with danger."

In a significant part of the ruling, the court said a law passed by Congress last year to limit lawsuits by Guantanamo detainees does not apply to pending cases like the one brought by Hamdan. That probably keeps alive suits on behalf of many detainees.

That may provide justices with a chance to revisit some of the major presidential power issues raised in Thursday's ruling.

---

Associated Press Writer Toni Locy contributed to this report.

---

On the Net:

Supreme Court: http://www.supremecourtus.gov/

Sox Get Reds' Belcher // Give Up Rookies Ruffin, Pierce

SEATTLE The White Sox wanted Reds pitcher Tim Belcher from thebeginning and got him in the end, even though he's in a slump.

The right-hander, 31, and eligible for free agency after theseason, was obtained eight hours before Saturday's trade deadline forminor-league pitchers Johnny Ruffin and Jeff Pierce.

Belcher has a 9-6 record, but his ERA is 4.47. In six Julystarts, his ERA is 7.76.

One month did not concern Sox general manager Ron Schueler. Helooked at Belcher's career record and saw a winner.

"Tim's never had a losing season," Schueler said. "He's onlyone of a couple of guys with six or seven years experience withwinning records all the time."

Belcher not only is 74-58 lifetime in 6 1/2 years, but was 2-0for the Dodgers in the 1988 playoffs despite a 4.11 ERA and 1-0 intwo World Series starts with a 6.23 ERA.

"Just the fact that he has playoff experience helps," Schuelersaid.

More important for now, Belcher is 16-7 in September and Octoberwith a 2.31 ERA.

Belcher thought teams were "cooling" on him because of hisslump, but feels he'll heat up now that he's going from a fifth- tofirst-place team.

"It's amazing what a little adrenaline can do for yourperformance," he said.

"It's kind of like when you go out and play golf with three guyswho are better ball-strikers than you. That always raises yourlevel, so I hope this will help pull me out of the slump.

"I've got a lot of confidence in my performances late in theseason. My September and October performances would bear that out,and I've had success in the postseason. I hope all that will be afactor for the White Sox. It showed a lot on their part that theywanted me."

Schueler feels Belcher's skid may have been caused by all thetrade rumors.

"If every day you pick up and read your name in the papers, it'shard to perform your best," Schueler said.

"We had him rated right at the top. I know him personally. Ihelped trade him (1987) to the Dodgers when he was a baby withOakland."

Ruffin, 22, had a 3-4 record at Class AAA Nashville with a 3.30ERA. The Reds plan to convert him into a starter.

Pierce, 24, was 3-4 at Class AA Birmingham with a 2.59 ERA and18 saves.

Reds GM Jim Bowden called Ruffin the key to the deal. "Hethrows 91 to 94 (m.p.h.) with a good, downer curveball," he said.

"Pierce is an intriguing pitcher. His ERA is always under 2.00and he has more strikeouts than innings pitched. He has a greatsplitter."

Bowden called the trade "a compromise" from his original demandof either Jason Bere, Scott Ruffcorn or Jim Baldwin.

"We'd been planning to do a deal for about a month," he said.

"We didn't feel we'd get two first-round picks because wecouldn't offer Belcher arbitration, so we did it this way.

"We reduced the payroll by $1.3 (million) for the rest of theyear and got two young arms we're comfortable with."

Schueler said it was "tough" to deal Ruffin. "Fortunately forme, Buddy Bell and Larry Monroe had been out seeing all our kids.They really liked the other kid a lot. He's got a lot of guts, butyou're going to have to give up something to get sometimes. I'mjust happy it wasn't one of our other three."

The deal ends weeks of talks for pitchers such as SidFernandez, Mark Portugal, Greg Harris, Dennis Martinez, Kevin Gross,Zane Smith and Chuck Finley.

Schueler is taking today off. No phone calls.

Buque Escuela Mexicano Cuauhtémoc Visitó San Francisco

El buque escuela mexicano Cuauhtemoc visito San Francisco como ultima escala en su viaje de Circunnavegacion, desde San Francisco se dirigira a Acapulco donde sera recibido por el Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Comandante Supremo de las Fuerzas Armadas Mexicanas, el Licenciado Vicente Fox Quesada.

El Embajador y Caballero de los Mares, como asi se llama al Buque Escuela Cuauhtemoc, visito, durante nueve meses de navegacion, quince puertos en diez paises, llevando el mensaje de cordialidad y humanidad a traves del mundo.

Su viaje se inicio en Acapulco, donde reside normalmente, desde alli se dirigio a Balboa, en Panama, como primer puerto, despues de cruzar el Canal de Panama se adentro en el Oceano Atlantico hacia el puerto de Norfolk, en el Estado de Virginia, entonces, cruzando el Oceano, llego al puerto de Cadiz, Espana, en tierras espanolas visito Valencia y Barcelona, ahora navegando por el Mediterraneo hasta el Principado de Monaco. De Monaco llego a la costa oeste de Italia a la ciudad de Ci-vitavecchia, y despues se dirigio al continente Africano hasta Alejandria, Egipto, entonces a Haifa, Israel, Port Said, nuevamente en Egipto, cru-zando al Canal de Suez y navegando por el Mar Rojo llego a Bombay, despues Singapur, Bankok, Shangai, Tokio, Hawaii y se preparo para completar la vuelta al mundo llegando a San Francisco el pasado dia 31 de octubre.

En San Francisco, nuestro redactor Jesus Insua, en nombre de El Bohemio News, es recibido por el Capitan de Navio, Alfredo Lazaro Ortega Jaramillo, Comandante del Buque Escuela Cuauhtemoc, quien nos explica que en esta travesia han conseguido el codiciado premio "Boston Tea Cup", por haber navegado durante 124 millas a 1332 millas por hora, a 10,82 nudos. Este premio es muy apreciado por la dificultad en navegar a esa velocidad en veleros, sin utilizar, en ningun momento los motores.

El Cuauhtemoc efectuo toda la travesia, cruzando el Atlantico, de America a Europa sin utilizar en ningun momento los motores, sino que lo efectuo totalmente a vela.

El Cuauhtemoc, es un buque escuela de una gran belleza, se construyo en los astilleros Celaya, S.A., en la ciudad de Bilbao, Espana, siendo dado de alta el 29 de julio de 1982.

El Cuauhtemoc ha efectuado un viaje de Circunnavegacion, ha cruzado nueve veces el Ecuador, 21 veces el meridiano de Greenwich, 7 veces la linea internacional del tiempo, una vez el Cabo de Hornos, 24 veces el Canal de Panama y una vez el Canal de Suez, y ha sido ganador, aparte del "Boston Tea Cup", del Trofeo "Cutty Sark", en 1998.

La dotacion del buque la constituye 1 Capitan de Navio Comandante, 5 Capitanes, 28 Oficiales, 124 clases y marineria. En la parte instruccional hay 1 Capitan, 3 Oficiales y 74 Guardiamarinas, siendo la totalidad de dotacion de 253 hombres.

Photograph (El Buque-Escuela mexicano Cuauhtemoc)

WORKING WITH AN ADVISER

Financial advisers can help you put your financial life in order,but you need to be alert when choosing and using an adviser. Somequestions you can ask: What financial planning services can the adviser provide? Someplanners are specialists; instead look for advisers who offer a broadrange of services.

Will the adviser have direct access to your money? Direct accesscreates greater liability for the planner: make sure he or she isbonded or insured. Does the adviser sell products and services? Selling productspresents a conflict of interest to someone who also sells services;avoid planners who tout their own products as the solution to allfinancial problems. But putting a plan in place usually involves thesale of some products. If the planner sells you a product recommended in your plan, howwill be or she be compensated? Make sure all compensation plans aredisclosed. Will any commission on the sale of a product offset the financialplanner's fee? Be cautious of such plans; they cloud yourobjectivity and make you favor products sold by the planner. Retainthe right to buy any recommended products from sellers other than theplanner. Who will review the information and present the financial plan?You should know who will be handling your account. If it is somebodydifferent from the person who reviews client affairs, make sure thatperson can answer all your questions. How will the planner be paid for the plan and for follow-up? Makesure all fees are explained in advance before signing any agreements. What kind of follow-up can be expected once the financial plan isdeveloped? Depending on your situation, follow-up sessions can berequired anywhere from monthly to annually. How will the planner help implement the plan? Many plans failbecause the financial planner doesn't help beyond formulating theplan. The planner should be involved in implementation. If the planner is unavailable to service the account, who will?Continuity is important to planning; make sure the plan addresses it. What resources, staff and facilities are available? Backuppersonnel, equipment and resources are important to financialplanning; they broaden knowledge and expertise. What are the planner's liabilities for the recommendations made?Know exactly how strongly your financial planner is willing to standbehind his recommendations. What action can you take if the recommendations don't work? Knowwhat courses of legal action or ethical action through professionalorganizations are available for malpractice or negligence. What are the planner's education and business credentials?Appropriate education and experience are critical to financialplanning. Ask about certifications as well. How does the planner keep up with changes in regulations andfinancial developments? Planners should keep up with developmentsthrough continuing education, publications and referral services. Has the planner ever been censured, suspended or reprimanded? Theplanner should make full disclosures on this subject; if he does not,you may have the right to invalidate any agreement upon learning ofregulatory action against the planner.

SOURCE: From the "Real Life, Real Answers" series published byHoughton Mifflin Co., Boston. Copyright (c) 1990 by Lee SimmonsAssociates. Reprinted by permission.

Gaza City power plant shut down reducing electricity supply

Gaza City residents faced closed bakeries, stalled elevators and no water on Sunday after the ruling Hamas shut down the territory's only power plant, saying it ran out of fuel supplied by Israel.

Israel charged that Hamas was creating an artificial crisis, raising tensions ahead of a visit by the Egyptian mediator trying to broker a truce between the two enemies.

Gaza receives its fuel supplies from Israel, which has severely limited shipments to pressure Palestinian militants to halt their rocket barrages at nearby Jewish communities. An Israeli man was killed Friday by a mortar shell fired from Gaza, and Hamas claimed responsibility.

On Sunday, Gaza militants fired three rockets at Israel, the military said. One exploded next to a school bus transporting children, another hit a factory and the third landed at a college. No one was hurt.

At Sunday's meeting of Israel's Cabinet, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged to stop the daily barrages.

"Either there will be quiet or Israel will take strong action that eventually will bring quiet," Olmert said at the start of the meeting. After the fatal attack Friday on Israel, five Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids in Gaza.

The sudden spike came as Egypt pressed for a halt to the violence.

Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman is due in Israel on Monday, an Israeli government official confirmed. For months, Suleiman has been trying to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas.

Israel does not talk to Hamas, which does not accept the existence of the Jewish state. While warning that a truce would allow Hamas to rearm and regroup, Olmert has said Israel would hold its fire if militants stop their attacks.

"Omar Suleiman will come and we will listen to him, we'll talk and we'll see what he is recommending," Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai told Army Radio on Sunday. "Until this moment there is nothing on the table open for discussion."

Israeli military officials have said privately that Suleiman would not be coming to Israel unless he was trying to put the final touches on a cease-fire deal.

Suleiman arrives in Israel just two days before President Bush lands to join in Israel's 60th Independence Day celebrations.

Gaza, meanwhile, was hobbled by an energy shortage after a major energy supplier turned off its turbines on Saturday.

The idled power plant supplies Gaza City and surrounding areas, where about 400,000 people live. However, most of Gaza's electricity is transferred on land lines from Israel, and that supply was not affected. That means residents still get electricity for about six hours a day despite the plant shutdown.

A small amount of Gaza's electricity comes from Egypt.

Hamas is widely believed to be hoarding supplies of fuel for commercial vehicles, ensuring its loyalists get supplies first.

On Sunday, Ziad Zaza, a member of the Hamas government in Gaza, announced it would distribute fuel to bus companies to transport residents and students. Zaza did not say where the government obtained the fuel.

"This is another example of Hamas orchestrating an artificial crisis," said David Baker, an Israeli government spokesman.

Because elevators weren't working, Mona Bukhari stayed inside her apartment on the sixth floor of a Gaza City building. The 47-year-old housewife said she has a weak heart and can't comfortably walk up stairs.

Bukhari sent her children to fill bottles with water from a well across the road.

Salim Murtaja, 44, said he passed seven shuttered bakeries while trying to find bread on Sunday. About 50 of 75 bakeries in Gaza closed because they had no emergency fuel for their ovens, officials said.

Kanan Obeid, a senior Gaza power plant official, said Israel provided about 500,000 gallons of diesel fuel last week, just short of what they needed. He said they ran out of fuel Saturday afternoon.

But Mujahid Salame, head of the Petrol Authority in the West Bank, said the fuel should have been enough to keep the power plant going until Monday evening. Salame is hostile to Hamas but coordinates the entry of fuel into the Gaza Strip.

Shadi Yassin, an Israeli military spokesman, said Israel was unable to provide the full amount last week because Palestinian militants fired mortars at the Gaza fuel depot.

___

AP writer Diaa Hadid contributed to this article from Jerusalem.

BOOKING AN ACTIVE FAMILY TRIP

Backroads Bicycle Touring; (800) 462-2848. Alexander Valley,Calif., Camping Trip, June 17-19, Oct. 7-9, $189 per person; CanadianRockies Camping, July 2-7, 23-28, Aug. 13-18, Aug. 27-Sept. 1, $649;Canadian Rockies Inn Trip, July 10-15, Aug. 21-26, $1,198; MaineCamping, July 9-14, $598; Nova Scotia Camping, Aug. 15-20, $649;Point Reyes, Calif., Camping, June 24-26, Aug. 5-7, $189;Washington-Puget Sound Camping, June 26-July 1, July 17-22, July31-Aug. 5, Aug. 7-12, 21-26, $649; Washington Puget Sound Inn Trip,July 4-9, 25-30, Aug. 15-20, $1,148.

Children age 6 and younger get a 50 percent discount whencamping or sharing their parents' room; age 10-12 receive a 25percent discount, and age 13-16 get a 10 percent discount. Forinn-based trips, kids younger than 16 requiring a separate room get a10 percent discount, double occupancy. Prices include most meals,and rooms or tents. Bikes can be rented for two-day trips at $45 perperson; $109 for six-day trips. Sleeping bags rent for $25 forsix-day trips, $15 for weekends.

Club Med Sandpiper Family Resort, Port St. Lucie, Fla.; (800)258-2633. From April 30 through Dec. 10, kids age 5 and younger stayand eat free at Sandpiper (limit of one free kid per paying adult).Weekly land-only rate for adults is $950 per person, doubleoccupancy; children 12 and younger pay $620. Nightly rate is $145for adults, $95 for kids 12 and younger. Airfare add-ons can bearranged.

Crow Canyon Archeological Center, Cortez, Colo.; (800) 422-8975.Price for family-dig week, Aug. 7-13, is $775 per adult and $454 perchild, age 13 through college. Price includes room, all meals,excursions, and pick-up at Cortez Airport, which is accessible viacommuter plane from Denver.

Earthshine Mountain Lodge, Lake Toxaway, N.C.; (704) 862-4207.Family rates are $85 per night per person, double occupancy foradults; $45 per night for children 10-17, $25 per night for kids 5-9,and $10 per night for kids younger than 5. The price includesaccommodations, all meals, fruits, snacks and beverages throughouteach day, and scheduled children's ring rides. Some organizedoutings for kids cost extra, as do horse rentals and the ropescourse.

Gunflint Lodge, Grand Marais, Minn; (800) 328-3325. One-weekfamily packages are offered June 11 to Aug. 27. Depending on thekind of room, the cost is $1,800 to $2,300 for a family of four (withadditional family members paying $220 apiece), including seven nightsin a two-bedroom cabin with private bath and fireplace, all meals andactivities, one boat and motor with gas, and two canoes. The lodgeprovides free fish-filleting, buckets and coolers of ice, andfirewood. Live bait and fishing guides cost extra. Other rates,including lodging only and full or partial meal plans, are availableyear-round.

National Wildlife Federation Conservation Summits; (800)245-5484. Programs for 1994 include: Rocky Mountain Summit, EstesPark, Colo., June 26-July 2; White Mountains Summit, Bretton Woods,N.H., July 23-29; Hawaii Summit, Hilo, Hawaii, July 30 to Aug. 5;Canyon Lands Summit, Cedar City, Utah, Aug 6-12.

Program fee for each summit, including classes and field tripsis $280 per adult per week, $200 for children, 5-17, and $100 forpreschoolers, 3-4, who get a half-day program. There's an additional$16 NWF membership fee per family. Day care and aftercare areavailable for preschoolers at $3-$4 per hour. Accommodations withmeals cost extra, ranging from about $800 to $2,000 per week for afamily of four. The Conservation Summit catalog details all theoptions and price ranges. Although each summit can accommodate up to400 participants, places fill early, so book as far ahead aspossible.

Overseas Adventure Travel; (800) 221-0814. Canadian RockiesFamily Adventure runs Aug. 7-13. Land price is $950 for adults, $750for children 6-11. Price includes lodge accommodations, most meals,a helicopter ride to high-altitude hiking, horseback ride, float tripand natural history talks. Airfare to Calgary, Canada, is extra.Overseas also runs a weeklong "Real Affordable Rockies" intinerarythat, while not limited to families, welcomes them. Departures areweekly June to September, but trips on which families areparticularly welcome depart July 16, Aug. 6 and Aug. 20. Price is$1,050 per person.

Sheri Griffith Rafting Expeditions; (800) 332-2439. Family Goesto Camp, five-day rafting and camping trips on Utah's Green River,depart June 19; July 3, 24; Aug. 14. Price is $724 for adults, $474for children, age 5-16. Trips begin in Moab, Utah, which isaccessible via commuter flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, or GrandJunction, Colo.

The Nation's Weather

The nation's main weather event on Wednesday will be a snow storm system spinning over the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes regions.

Several inches of snow was expected over the Northern Plains and a cold front associated with the system will extend from the storm down to the Southern Plains.

A line of showers and thunderstorms will extend from the Upper Midwest, down across the Mississippi Valley and into Texas.

Parts of the mid-Atlantic states and the Southeast can expect the line of precipitation to reach the area by the end of the day.

Areas of heavy rain and gusty winds associated with the front are anticipated from the Upper Midwest out to the mid-Atlantic, while hail, damaging winds and possibly a tornado will develop across the mid- and lower-Mississippi Valley and the Southeast.

Areas of the Central and Southern Plains behind the front can expect partly to mostly clear skies for the first part of the day before clouds filter in.

Farther east, lingering high pressure will keep skies mostly clear over New England, while most of the Southeast will see clouds and precipitation by the end of the day.

Out West, a second storm system will produce wet weather over the Northwest and down into the Rockies in the Southwest. Areas of heavy snow are expected across the region, and several inches of snow accumulation are expected.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states on Tuesday ranged from a low of minus 2 degrees at Mount Washington, N.H., to a high of 92 degrees at McAllen, Texas.

___

On the Net:

Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com

National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov

Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com

Police open fire at Bangladesh protesters, 3 dead

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Police fired guns and used batons on crowds of stone-throwing opposition activists in several Bangladesh towns Sunday, killing at least three people and injuring more than 100, a news report and doctors at two hospitals said.

The opposition party said 1,200 of its activists were arrested, but the figure could not immediately be confirmed.

The main Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its key Islamist ally Jamaat-e-Islami are demanding an independent caretaker government oversee elections. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina scrapped the 15-year-old system last year, saying it contradicted the constitution.

The opposition, led by Hasina's archrival former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, says elections will be rigged if held under the current government and without a caretaker system in place.

Clashes during Sunday's nationwide protests were reported in about a dozen towns, Desh television station said.

Two men died from bullet wounds at a government hospital in the eastern town of Chandpur, physician Mahmudunnabi told The Associated Press by phone.

They were shot by police who fired at a procession of protesters trying to march forward by breaking a police barricade, the United News of Bangladesh agency said.

Separately, a youth died and four people with bullet wounds were being treated at a government hospital in Laxmipur, another eastern town, said doctor Mohammad Nizam Uddin.

The identities of the dead were not immediately clear. Zia's party claimed one was a party activist while media reports said two others were rickshawpullers.

Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, the country's police chief, said authorities would investigate the violence to determine what actually happened.

Police arrested about 1,200 activists, opposition spokesman Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said. The figure could not be confirmed immediately.

The South Asian nation's politics became tense recently as the opposition has geared up its anti-government protests targeting the next general election due in 2014.

Hasina's government is also at loggerheads with Zia and the largest Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami over its effort to try suspected war criminals involving the 1971 independence war against Pakistan.

Five top officials and a former chief of Jamaat-e-Islami facing charges of war crimes are currently behind bars for their alleged role in the nine-month war in which the government said at least 3 million people were killed by the Pakistani army in collaboration with the suspects. Two others of Zia's party also face similar charges of crimes against humanity that include killing, rape and arson.

Zia and Jamaat-e-Islami party have rejected the trial and said it is politically motivated to eliminate the opposition.

The opposition parties also held several general strikes in recent months.

Violent protests are common opposition tactics to embarrass the government in Bangladesh, a fragile parliamentary democracy that has a history of two successful and 19 failed military coups since 1971 when the country won independence from Pakistan.

On Jan. 19, the Bangladesh military said it foiled a plot by a group of hardline officers, their retired colleagues and Bangladeshi conspirators living abroad to overthrow Hasina.

Mexican president starts first visit to Spain

Mexican President Felipe Calderon is on his first official visit to Spain and he is aiming to boost economic and political ties.

On arriving Wednesday, Calderon met and dined with King Juan Carlos, upon arriving Wednesday. He will address parliament later in the day.

The Mexican leader meets business leaders Thursday morning and will discuss investments and the fight against drug trafficking in talks later with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Calderon travels Friday to the northern city of Zaragoza for the inauguration of the Expo 2008 international fair on water issues. He will also meet business leaders in Barcelona.

Spain is Mexico's No. 2 investor after the U.S.

Weather delays recovery effort

EAGLE, Colo. Strong wind and poor visibility prevented effortstoday to reach what the Air Force believes may be the wreckage of anA-10 warplane missing for nearly three weeks after a mysteriousflight into the Rockies.

A four-member recovery team was on standby after scraps of paperspotted Sunday on a 2-mile-high peak directed searchers' attention todebris resting above an area of old gold and silver mines.

However, the poor weather delayed the arrival of a powerfulhelicopter that could carry the team to the site, said Maj. Gen.Nels Running.The MH-53A helicopter, expected to arrive before noon fromKirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, was grounded by the weather atLeadville, about 40 miles southeast of Eagle, and was delayed untilat least late afternoon, said Air Force Col. Denver Pletcher. Thatruled out any attempt to get the team to the site today, he said.The helicopter is powerful enough to withstand some high wind,and also can fly at altitudes of up to 16,000 feet and lift 20,000pounds.Officials were being cautious about the weather because thesearch team would have to dangle 100 to 200 feet below thehelicopter."I'm not going to ask them to handle 45 m.p.h. winds," Runningsaid.There was no sign of the A-10 Thunderbolt's 32-year-old pilot,Capt. Craig Button, who could have ejected without the Air Force'sknowledge.The plane has been missing since April 2, when Button took offfrom a Tucson, Ariz., base on a routine training mission, brokeformation and headed to Colorado with four bombs aboard.The crew of a National Guard helicopter spotted the wreckageSunday on an unnamed steep cliff near New York Mountain and Gold DustPeak, 15 miles southwest of Vail.A close-up look revealed pieces of gray painted metal that couldhave been from the plane's interior and several smaller pieces ofmetal, Running said. Yellow-green paint used as an anti-corrosioncoating inside the airplane was also visible.Helicopter pilots Richard Rugg and Dale Jensen, both chiefwarrant officers were surprised at what they saw."The first thing we saw was just a couple pieces of paper," saidRugg, who added it was unusual to see that at such a high altitude."Then something just caught my eye."Rugg and Jensen battled wind to position their Huey to within 30feet of the site after spotting the paper. A-10 pilot Capt. ChuckMitchell was flown by in a helicopter to verify that it was aThunderbolt."It didn't look like an A-10," at first, Mitchell said. Closerexamination supported Running's declaration of 99.9 percent certaintythey had found their plane.Running said searchers probably "flew by it 20 times," but itwas only recently that warmer weather began melting snow to reveal acouple dozen small pieces of the plane.The warplane was not carrying live rounds in its guns because itwas on a training exercise. The Air Force said it believed the500-pound bombs attached to the warplane were not activated and wouldhave remained intact if the plane crashed.

Weather Around the World

Temperatures and weather conditions during the 24-hour period ending at 7 a.m. EST today.

Hi Lo Wthr

Amsterdam 46 39 rn

Athens 64 44 clr

Auckland 73 60 clr

Baghdad 86 64 pc

Bahrain 82 60 clr

Bangkok 90 78 rn

Barbados 83 72 clr

Barcelona 58 46 pc

Beijing 71 32 clr

Beirut 68 60 pc

Belgrade 61 40 clr

Berlin 57 37 clr

Bermuda 67 62 rn

Bogota 62 46 pc

Brasilia 79 62 rn

Brisbane 78 67 rn

Brussels 45 39 rn

Bucharest 55 33 rn

Budapest 57 32 pc

Buenos Aires 73 59 cdy

Cairo 72 60 cdy

Calgary 58 30 cdy

Caracas 85 73 clr

Colombo 87 73 rn

Copenhagen 47 41 rn

Dhahran 93 57 clr

Dhaka 84 73 clr

Dili 87 74 rn

Dubai 84 60 clr

Dublin 46 35 rn

Frankfurt 55 44 rn

Geneva 50 40 rn

Guatemala 80 50 pc

Hanoi 71 64 rn

Harare 82 58 pc

Havana 86 60 rn

Helsinki 47 37 rn

Hong Kong 75 63 clr

Islamabad 83 55 clr

Istanbul 56 47 clr

Jakarta 87 74 rn

Jerusalem 71 59 pc

Johannesburg 79 57 clr

Kabul 59 41 pc

Kiev 44 39 rn

Kuala Lumpur 88 74 rn

Kuwait 91 51 clr

La Paz 49 37 rn

Lima 81 71 pc

Lisbon 59 51 rn

London 48 41 rn

Madrid 53 41 pc

Managua 93 73 clr

Manila 90 77 pc

Mecca 100 71 clr

Melbourne 98 64 pc

Mexico City 73 48 pc

Montevideo 70 61 pc

Montreal 23 7 pc

Moscow 35 24 pc

Nairobi 80 56 pc

Nassau 80 71 pc

New Delhi 86 60 pc

Nice 50 46 rn

Osaka 57 50 rn

Oslo 39 33 sn

Panama 89 70 clr

Paris 48 39 rn

Perth 91 64 clr

Prague 57 32 clr

Rio de Janeiro 87 71 pc

Rome 55 42 rn

San Jose 82 65 pc

San Juan 82 72 clr

San Salvador 87 68 pc

Santiago 80 55 clr

Sao Paulo 85 67 pc

Sapporo 49 35 clr

Seoul 50 35 pc

Singapore 80 75 rn

Sofia 59 34 pc

Stockholm 42 39 rn

Sydney 81 68 rn

Taipei 66 60 rn

Tegucigalpa 82 35 pc

Tehran 73 51 pc

Tel Aviv 71 59 pc

Tokyo 53 42 rn

Turin 45 42 rn

Toronto 30 10 clr

Tunis 68 44 pc

Valletta 63 50 clr

Vancouver 53 45 rn

Vienna 60 33 clr

Warsaw 53 32 pc

Zurich 51 36 rn

Pistons Defeat Celtics, 101-88

BOSTON - Rasheed Wallace stayed in the game and had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Richard Hamilton scored 27 points to lead the Detroit Pistons to their first win of the season, a 101-88 victory over the winless Boston Celtics on Friday night.

Chauncey Billups had 20 points with 11 assists, and Antonio McDyess had 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who lost their opener to the Milwaukee Bucks. Wallace was scoreless in that one before he was ejected midway through the third quarter for arguing with the officials - an early lesson on the NBA's new crackdown that has been attributed by many to him.

Paul Pierce scored 22 points with eight rebounds, Wally Szczerbiak scored 18 …

Grappling for control ; B-schools have managed to fend off AICTE's moves to curb their freedom. But the scrap is not over yet.

The battle is far from over. "But we have a reprieve," says H.Chaturvedi, Alternate President of the Education Promotion Societyfor India, or EPSI, and Director, Birla Institute of ManagementTechnology, of the ongoing fracas with the All India Council forTechnical Education, or AICTE.

EPSI is a non-profit, autonomous, registered society, whichrepresents stakeholders in education before the government, amongother things. AICTE issued a fiat in December 2010, to bring 550-odd B-schools under its purview. The main areas of control includedcommon entrance tests such as CAT/MAT for postgraduate managementcourses, which would replace other exams. AICTE would …

UK: Europe to discuss freezing Egyptian assets

LONDON (AP) — Britain's foreign secretary said Monday the European Union will discuss a request from Egypt's military rulers to freeze assets held by members of ex-President Hosni Mubarak's ousted regime.

William Hague told the House of Commons that Egypt's new leaders had requested that the U.K. and others take action against several ex-officials, but did not specify whether they included Mubarak himself.

Hague said EU finance ministers would discuss the request later Monday and on Tuesday during talks in Brussels.

"If there is any evidence of illegality or misuse of state assets we will take firm and prompt action," Hague said.

To impose an asset freeze on an …

In DRTV, a picture really is worth a thousand words.(From the Lab)

Within the course of your lifetime, you've more than likely heard the phrase, "A picture is worth a thousand words," spoken at least once or twice. That phrase, while cliche, is very true--especially when it comes to producing a successful direct response television commercial.

Try turning the vocals off and watching your newest spot when it is complete--making sure to leave the music track on. If you can get the whole pitch without the spoken word, then you have a great spot.

Many times, there is a single shot that can either make or break the response. For example, picture the mother's face on the Sylvan Learning Center spot when she gets her son's report …

In DRTV, a picture really is worth a thousand words.(From the Lab)

Within the course of your lifetime, you've more than likely heard the phrase, "A picture is worth a thousand words," spoken at least once or twice. That phrase, while cliche, is very true--especially when it comes to producing a successful direct response television commercial.

Try turning the vocals off and watching your newest spot when it is complete--making sure to leave the music track on. If you can get the whole pitch without the spoken word, then you have a great spot.

Many times, there is a single shot that can either make or break the response. For example, picture the mother's face on the Sylvan Learning Center spot when she gets her son's report …

In DRTV, a picture really is worth a thousand words.(From the Lab)

Within the course of your lifetime, you've more than likely heard the phrase, "A picture is worth a thousand words," spoken at least once or twice. That phrase, while cliche, is very true--especially when it comes to producing a successful direct response television commercial.

Try turning the vocals off and watching your newest spot when it is complete--making sure to leave the music track on. If you can get the whole pitch without the spoken word, then you have a great spot.

Many times, there is a single shot that can either make or break the response. For example, picture the mother's face on the Sylvan Learning Center spot when she gets her son's report …

Passive Stiffness in Drosophila Indirect Flight Muscle Reduced by Disrupting Paramyosin Phosphorylation, but Not by Embryonic Myosin S2 Hinge Substitution

ABSTRACT

High passive stiffness is one of the characteristic properties of the asynchronous indirect flight muscle (IFM) found in many insects like Drosophila. To evaluate the effects of two thick filament protein domains on passive sarcomeric stiffness, and to investigate their correlation with IFM function, we used microfabricated cantilevers and a high resolution imaging system to study the passive IFM myofibril stiffness of two groups of transgenic Drosophila lines. One group (hinge-switch mutants) had a portion of the endogenous S2 hinge region replaced by an embryonic version; the other group (paramyosin mutants) had one or more putative phosphorylation sites near the …

JCR-VIS revises rating watch status of Silkbank to "developing".

(ADPnews) - Feb 28, 2011 - Pakistan's JCR-VIS revised on Friday the rating watch status of Silkbank Ltd (KAR:SPCB) to "developing" from "positive".

The agency issued the following press release:

Karachi, February 25, 2011: JCR-VIS Credit Rating Company Limited has revisited the ratings of Silkbank Limited. The bank had met minimum paid up capital requirement of Rs. 6b by June 2010. However, the minimum capital requirement of Rs. 7b for December 2010 has not been met due to unsubscribed rights issue as Bank Muscat, a sponsor shareholder, who had approved issuance of the rights could not subscribe to …

Harvard wins in 2nd OT.(Sports)

Byline: JON PAUL MOROSI Staff writer

Harvard4 Colgate3 ALBANY -- Minutes past midnight, Ryan Lannon shuffled toward the Harvard dressing room at Pepsi Arena. He'd be in bed soon.

``I'm tired, sore, beat-up,'' he sighed, ``but it doesn't hurt as much when you win.''

It took Lannon and his Crimson teammates 96 minutes, 1 second, to arrive at victory Friday night, a 4-3 double-overtime decision over a noble Colgate varsity in the fourth-longest game in ECACHL history.

A crowd of 7,580 -- the ECACHL's largest semifinal draw since 1991 - witnessed the longest ECACHL semifinal in history. It ended as the clock wound toward triple overtime, when Lannon, a …

Telstra redefines business.(AUSTRALIA)(Brief article)

In continuous attempts to please consumers, Telstra has decreased the prices of broadband and increased the traffic allowance. This is targeted at small and midsized businesses. Sunil Joshi, the head …

Proposal to tax Jack Daniel's whiskey derailed

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jack Daniel's officials are toasting the defeat of a proposal to tax whiskey at its celebrated Tennessee distillery.

The Moore County Council in Lynchburg, Tenn., voted 10-5 Monday evening to kill a proposal that could have taxed Jack Daniel's up to $5 million annually, with all the revenue going to local coffers.

"We hope we've been able to demonstrate that the distillery pays more than its fair share of taxes and that we've contributed to our way of life in Lynchburg," said Tom Beam, senior vice president and general manager of production at the facility.

The vote reversed an earlier one that had asked the Tennessee legislature to authorize a …

Annex crisis `grim,' Ogilvie warns

McCormick Place Trustee Richard B. Ogilvie warned his top staffyesterday the giant exposition hall is "in a grim crisis" because ofa growing shortage of time and money to finish its problem-plagued,$312 million annex.

"The situation is not hopeless," a somber Ogilvie told some 15top aides at a 45-minute weekly staff meeting.

But the former Illinois governor said he assumed most of thestaff had read yesterday's press reports about the problem McCormickPlace officials face in hunting a speedy, reasonably pricedreplacement for the electrical contractors who pulled their 200workers off the annex job last month. They charged the constructionmanagers retained by …

Steuben launches redesigned website.(IN THE NEWS)

Steuben Glass LLC has introduced its redesigned website, which the company says is more user-friendly and appealing. The navigation and product organization was refined to simplify browsing and make it …

Amid sea of red ink due to digital, it's smooth sailing for fashion magazines.(Special Report: Magazines: The A-List)(Brief article)

Byline: nat ives

Fashion magazines took only three spots on the 2007 A-List, but let's be honest: They easily could have taken more. While the proliferation of digital and other media kept the pressure on most magazine publishers this year, ad execs at those luxe glossies for moneyed aesthetes could truthfully say, "Your ad won't look as good and probably won't work as well anywhere else.''

That's one reason why it's hard to find a fashion title with an ad-page decline for 2007 to date. The fashionistas kept leveraging their tactile and emotional appeal against the web's inelegance, for January-through-October gains of 6.1% at Vogue (No. 5 on the A-List), …