Brazil visit gives Zimbabwe chance to celebrate

Brazil's World Cup players gave Zimbabweans a rare chance to celebrate Wednesday, as fans filled the National Sports Stadium to watch stars like Kaka and Robinho play the African nation in a friendly.

Almost 60,000 supporters, some wearing bright yellow Brazil shirts, saw the five-time world champion beat Zimbabwe 3-0 with goals by Michel Bastos, Robinho and Elano.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai watched on from brown armchairs after shaking hands with Brazil's players before the kickoff.

"It's a nice country," midfielder Gilberto Silva said after Brazil's first match in Zimbabwe. "The …

Stocks stabilize, rise again

The stock market's gained Friday after several stable or positivesessions. "I think we've stabilized a bit since the Fed has loweredthe discount rate," said Nicholas Raich, …

Fed rate cut sought by Wall Street would have only limited impact on housing, banking sectors

The Federal Reserve's cut of a key interest rate Wednesday is unlikely to boost hard-hit banks and homebuilders much in the near term, analysts say.

The Fed policymaking committee approved cutting a key short-term rate by a quarter percentage point Wednesday to help the economy get through a deeper-than-expected housing slump and credit crunch that accelerated in August. Shares of major national banks and homebuilders fell on the news.

The Fed's decision comes amid widespread anxiety among investors that the housing slump and soaring oil prices will stall consumer spending and drag the economy into a recession. The Fed said in a statement that the …

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A credible forecast from Chicago

"The nation's economic growth is expected to soften slightly in 2007, inflation is predicted to decrease."

Fed's symposium produces consensus outlook for 2007

Among the more credible of a plethora of forecasts for economic growth, interest rates and banking trends for the new year was generated at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's Economic Outlook Symposium early last month - its credibility enhanced because the event drew participants from manufacturing, banking, auto industries, academia, consulting and service firms. One session presented the results from the consensus economic outlook, where 35 individuals provided forecasts for major components of real GDP as well …

South Koreans Kidnapped in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan - Taliban militants threatened Friday to kill a group of abducted South Korean Christians, including 15 women, within 24 hours unless the Asian nation withdraws its 200 troops from Afghanistan. South Korea said Saturday it plans to withdraw its forces by the end of this year as scheduled.

Foreign Minister Song Min-soon told reporters in Seoul that 23 South Koreans were kidnapped and indicated they are safe. A purported Taliban spokesman said Friday that the group was holding 18 Koreans.

In the largest abduction of foreigners since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, several dozen fighters kidnapped the South Koreans at gunpoint from a bus in Ghazni …

Blood shed at crowded Holocaust museum in US

The most prominent American museum bearing witness to violence against Jews was the scene of bloodshed, its doors breached by an assailant who opened fire with a rifle, killing a guard in an attack linked to a white supremacist's hate.

James von Brunn, 88, a Holocaust denier who once tried to kidnap members of the Federal Reserve Board, is the suspect in Wednesday's assault at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. His victim: guard Stephen T. Johns.

Security engaged the gunman as soon as he stepped inside the crowded museum and began shooting, authorities said. Johns, 39, who is black, "died heroically in the line of duty," museum director Sara …

Help families pay cost of adult day care

Suzanne Field's April 9 column ("We need a solution to `grannydumping' ") on the need to find a solution to the tragedy of "grannydumping" is to be commended.

As one of the first organizations in the Chicago area to provideadult day care for those with Alzheimer's disease, the North ShoreSenior Center knows first-hand how vital such assistance is to boththe patient and the family.

Respite from 24-hour caregiving of a demented loved one isfrequently the only way the family can survive and is an importantdeterrent to the increasing tragedies of "granny dumping" and elderabuse.

Through our House of Welcome program, we provide sensitive careto patients in a …

China toll dodger's life sentence is dropped

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese farmer and gravel dealer who was sentenced to life in prison for evading more than $560,000 in highway cargo tolls by using fake military license plates has now avoided the harsh punishment as well.

After a public outcry about what was deemed harsh treatment of Shi Jianfeng and widespread grumpiness over high tolls in general, state media said Wednesday that authorities have overturned Shi's life sentence.

Shi was sentenced last week for fraud. Fake military license plates on two of his trucks that carried gravel allowed them to avoid tolls more than 2,300 times because military vehicles are exempt.

Prosecutors in the central province of Henan …

China shares fall on credit contraction jitters

Chinese shares fell Wednesday for the first time in five sessions on concerns about a possible liquidity contraction, led by banks and real estate.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost 95.02 points, or 2.9 percent, to close at 3,151.85. The Shenzhen Composite Index for China's smaller second exchange dived 3.7 percent to 1,191.75.

Sentiment was dampened by a newspaper report that some banks were ordered to cease lending for the rest of January after exceeding credit limits. The gloomy mood remained even though the top bank regulator denied the report.

"It makes no sense to look at what the regulators say instead of what they do," …

Developers SLAPP homeowners Lawsuits aim to be a pain in the wallet Series: -DATELINE-

When Edward Dienhart went to village board meetings and complainedabout sewer work done at his home, he didn't expect to wind up facinga $1 million defamation suit filed by the developer who built thehouse.

But the Oswego man soon found he wasn't alone.

Slander suits against people who criticize developers or companiesat public meetings, though rare in Illinois, are so common elsewerethat 14 states have passed laws discouraging them.

Two Colorado law professors even coined a term for such suits:SLAPP, or Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.

"Developers, in particular, are very frequent SLAPP filers," saidPenelope Canan, a professor at the …

Home prices falling faster in biggest US cities

NEW YORK (AP) — Home prices are dropping in America's largest cities and are expected to fall through next year, as fewer people purchase homes and millions of foreclosures come on to the market.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday fell 1.3 percent in October from September.

All cities recorded monthly price declines. The last time that happened was in Feb. 2009.

Atlanta recorded the largest decline. Prices there fell 2.9 percent from a month earlier. Home prices in Washington dropped 0.2 percent in October, the second monthly decline after five straight increases.

Home prices in Dallas, Portland (Oregon), Charlotte …

TI develops 'ship-in-a-bottle' fuel tank

TI Automotive has developed a fuel tank that will help automakers cut emissions in order to meet government control requirements including California's LEVII and ZEV. "Lower evaporative emissions," says Manouchehr Kambakhsh, vice president of global advanced engineering for TI, "this has been the driver for most of our activities."

TI 'ship-in-a-bottle' (SI BS fuel tank uses a plastic, blow mold-- ed fuel tank to encompass fuel pumps, level sensors and other components.

The fuel tank shell has only one or two openings compared to six or seven on conventional tanks. The SIB tank, says TI, reduces the level of emissions from the fuel tank by avoiding additional valves, lines and filters that can release emissions. Additionally, the tank is lighter, less expensive and more flexible then traditional tanks.

The SIB also allows for more fuel to be stored in the vehicle since the tank can be enlarged to take up the space formerly used for the external components.

Experts say the use of plastic tanks worldwide will increase from 40 percent today to 60 percent by 2004. Growth is expected in Asia - particularly in the Japanese market, says Bill Laule, TI CEO.

TI recently manufactured its first plastic tank in Korea for a Japanese OEM.

"There's a good trend that way," Laule says. - Andrea Wielgat

Abbas to demand Rice pressure Israel to stop settlement construction

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will insist U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice exert pressure on Israel to stop settlement construction during her visit that began Saturday, an aide to Abbas said.

Also Saturday, senior Hamas officials traveled to Cairo in the latest leg of intense Egyptian efforts to squeeze a cease-fire out of Israel and the Islamic rulers of the Gaza Strip. The violence there has overshadowed peace talks between Israel and Abbas' West Bank administration that were renewed late last year.

As Rice arrived in Israel late Saturday, she appeared more exasperated with the Israeli construction than she has in past condemnations. Israeli announcements of building plans have often come just before or after her visits in the past year and a half of her peace mission.

"Unfortunately there have been a few whether I'm coming or not," Rice told reporters on her plane. Her clipped tone and arched brows revealed annoyance. "Look, it's a problem, and it's a problem that we're going to address with the Israelis," she said.

Rice was slated on Sunday to hold separate talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the West Bank and a trilateral meeting with negotiators from both sides. The visit is part of the intense U.S. effort to prod the sides toward a final peace agreement by the end of the year.

But that deadline meant to coincide with the end of U.S. President George W. Bush's term has appeared increasingly unrealistic of late with little visible progress in the negotiations. Officials on both sides say privately they are pessimistic about the prospects of reaching an agreement meant to establish a Palestinian state.

The negotiations have been bogged down by continued Israeli construction in areas Palestinians claim and Israeli security concerns that have kept in place most West Bank military checkpoints that hamper Palestinian travel.

On Friday, Israel's Interior Ministry announced plans to build 1,300 homes in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, angering Palestinians who want to establish a capital in east Jerusalem.

Israel does not consider east Jerusalem construction a violation of its pledge in peace talks _ in the 2003 roadmap peace plan _ to stop settlement activity since it annexed the sector of the city soon after capturing it in 1967.

"Everyone understands in any final status agreement the Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem will remain part of Israel," government spokesman Mark Regev said Saturday. "Building in those Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem is in no way contradictory to the peace process."

Rice disagreed.

"This is obviously a roadmap obligation that is not being met," she said about construction in Jerusalem.

Palestinians temporarily called off peace talks earlier this year over the Israeli plans to build homes in east Jerusalem. Israel has since peace talks were reopened announced it will build more than 3,000 housing units there. On Saturday, Palestinians said Abbas would raise the latest announcement with Rice in a meeting Sunday.

"Especially the issue of the new settlement units will be discussed," Abbas aide Nimr Hamad said. "The United States should exert real pressure on Israel and not just make statements. That's what we'll ask for from Secretary Rice."

Rice also said Israel has not fully honored its pledge to make practical improvements in the daily lives of West Bank Palestinians, especially regarding the checkpoints. There have been a few small success stories, she said.

"But it's not enough, and there certainly and clearly needs to be more," she said. "I understand the security considerations as well as anyone but the obligation was undertaken to improve the lives of the Palestinians, and we're going to have to work very hard if we're going to make that true in a broader sense."

The peace talks would most definitely be threatened by any broad Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, which officials have said is inevitable if the truce efforts fail.

Senior Hamas officials from Syria and Gaza traveled Saturday to Cairo where they were slated to meet the key mediator, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, Hamas said.

Israel has dropped one of its key demands in the talks _ progress in talks for the release of an Israeli soldier held by Hamas, an Egyptian security official said Saturday on condition of anonymity due to the secret nature of the mediation. Israeli envoy to Egypt Amos Gilad did not explicitly deny that Saturday when asked on Israel Radio.

The mediation has been hampered by ongoing violence, with Hamas refusing to stop almost-daily rocket attacks from Gaza and Israel launching frequent air strikes and land raids.

Israel has also demanded in the talks that Hamas and Egypt stop the smuggling of weapons into Gaza.

Hamas wants Israel to lift a blockade of Gaza that has virtually imprisoned most of the territory's 1.4 million residents and caused widespread shortages of fuel, electricity and commercial goods. The restrictions were imposed soon after Hamas violently seized control of the area from forces allied with Abbas in June last year.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh warned Israel on Saturday against any broad operation in Gaza, saying "Gaza will not be a picnic" for Israeli troops.

Officials close to Abbas in Gaza said Saturday that three senior officials from Abbas' Fatah movement would visit Gaza in the coming days to shore up support among his backers for talks with Hamas. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity since an official announcement of the visit had not been made yet.

Such a visit would be the first of such senior Fatah officials to Gaza since Hamas took over.

In an apparent effort to make some sort of amends with Hamas, Abbas had earlier this month said he would be willing to hold talks with the Islamic group through Arab mediators.

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Anne Gearan contributed reporting from Tel Aviv, Ibrahim Barzak from Gaza City and Dalia Nammari from Ramallah

Peep Show gets bows from Seattle, Four Seasons

When Seattle's Four Seasons hotel opens, its $400-a-night visitorscan swim in a courtyard pool with sweeping views over Elliott Bay andunwind at an outdoor fireplace. Or, they can pop over to the peepshow next door.

That last amenity isn't in the official brochure for Seattle's"most sought-after address," a $120 million project whose developersinclude billionaire Bruce McCaw and a former Seattle mayor. Theysought to buy and demolish the neighboring Lusty Lady, the onlytenant in a squat, 1900-era building owned by a local family. Thefamily rejected a sale -- and still got $850,000 for air rights tothe views over their property.

Now, the strip club is being hailed as a hero in a backlashagainst the gentrification that has swept Seattle and many other bigU.S. cities. And the club has gained unlikely supporters, from BillGates's stepmother, Mimi, to the luxury hotel itself, which says it'sdelighted with its new neighbor.

"A local cultural icon," said Peter Hodgson, vice president ofcorporate planning at Four Seasons Hotels Inc. "We cater to peoplewho can afford to pay the most. It doesn't mean we're too good forpeople. We're in the service industry."

The Toronto-based hotel company's collision with the Lusty Ladybegan in 2004, when cellular-telephone entrepreneur McCaw, formerMayor Paul Schell and other investors formed closely held SeattleHotel Group LLC.

The group bought a parking garage, intending to replace it with a21-story hotel-condominium complex for the Four Seasons. A 4,000-square-foot unit in the building, about a block from Pike PlaceMarket, will cost $8 million.

CHEAP PEEPS

The Lusty Lady is a few steps south. The club, an old-fashionedpeep show where a quarter buys a brief look at a glass-enclosedstage, is something of a city institution because of the bawdy punson its pink marquee. One week, the sign read, "Our Business Is TakingOff!"

The bawdiness wasn't out of place during much of Seattle'shistory. Sailors and shipyard workers from the waterfront crammedFirst Avenue when the Lusty Lady opened there in the 1970s.

"They used to call it Flesh Avenue," said Walt Crowley, a Seattlehistorian who wrote a city timeline published by King County.Earlier, the building housed a seamen's bar and hotel called theSeven Seas and a theater called the Sultan that showed porn films.

The Seattle Art Museum moved in across the street in 1991. Acondominium development called Harbor Steps opened to the south in1994. By the time the Seattle hotel group announced its plans, itappeared that the Lusty Lady would be priced out by its new neighbor,said Matthew Gardner, a Seattle real estate consultant.

"They're two fairly conflicting uses," Gardner said. Units in theFour Seasons are fetching $2,100 per square foot, four times the $500average for new downtown condos, he said. Work on the new hotel beganin December; completion of the exterior is scheduled for next year.

OFFER REJECTED

The building's reclusive owners saved the Lusty Lady. Last year,the Seattle hotel group discussed buying it, managing partner JohnOppenheimer said. He declined to say how much the group offered. Theowners, a family partnership headed by Christto and Dorothy Tolias,turned them down, according to their lawyer, John Sinsheimer.

"The Toliases are very private people," he said. "The tenant paysa very decent rent, and they enjoy the income."

Oppenheimer said he and the Four Seasons never counted on buyingout the Lusty Lady. After his group was rebuffed, it joined HarborProperties, owner of the condos to the south, to buy the air rightsin a purchase recorded in December. That allows more natural light onthe south side of the new hotel and protects views for Harbor Steps.

"Part of urban living is you have all kinds of neighbors,"Oppenheimer said.

Another Lusty Lady supporter is Mimi Gates, 64, director of theart museum. She married Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates' father,William H. Gates II, in 1996. The museum has embraced its neighbor,which often uses the marquee to promote new art shows. One, forartist Chuck Close, read, "Chuck Clothes."

"The Lusty Lady's marquee is a Seattle landmark," Mimi Gates said.

Stocks edge higher early after Bernanke comments

Stocks are creeping higher in early trading following reassurances from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke that the U.S. economy is recovering.

Bernanke's comments come after another late-day plunge sent the Dow Jones industrial average to its lowest level in seven months. The Fed chairman says a recovery in the U.S. will be slow. He also says European leaders are taking proper steps to control deficits.

European markets are down Tuesday as investors remain cautious about the continent's recovery. Fitch Ratings says the United Kingdom is facing major fiscal challenges.

The Dow is up 9.45, or 0.1 percent, at 9,825.41. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up 1.53, or 0.2 percent, at 1,052.00, while the Nasdaq composite index is up 3.27, or 0.2 percent, at 2,177.17.

Kostitsyn, Price lead Canadiens past Kings

MONTREAL (AP) — Andrei Kostitsyn had a goal and an assist and Carey Price made 24 saves to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.

Price, the starter in all but one of Montreal's 22 games, has 13 wins to match his total from last season.

Lars Eller scored his first goal in 21 games with Montreal late in the second to put the Canadiens up by three. Michael Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec also scored for Montreal, which has won six of eight.

Alec Martinez scored his first NHL goal in his season debut for Los Angeles, which has lost five of six after a 12-3 start.

Jonathan Bernier made 29 saves in his seventh start of the season. The Montreal native fell to 0-5 on the road with several dozen members of his family and friends looking on.

Chosen fifth overall in the 2005 draft, Price has won 13 of 21 starts this season, including four shutouts.

The 23-year-old goalie went 13-20-5 and had no shutouts in 41 games in 2009-10. He lost his starting job to Jaroslav Halak, who was traded in the offseason despite leading the Canadiens to the Eastern Conference final. Halak was sent to St. Louis in the deal that brought Eller to Montreal.

Kostitsyn, who scored a power-play goal midway through the first, assisted on Plekanec's goal 3:16 into the second.

Bernier stopped Kostitsyn's shot and Canadiens captain Brian Gionta picked up the rebound, circling patiently before feeding a pass to Plekanec, who one-timed a drive into the right side of the net to put the Canadiens up 3-1 moments after Martinez had drawn the Kings within one.

Eller, who had one assist through his first 20 games, got his first Montreal goal with 1:57 left in the second when he put away a rebound of Alexandre Picard's shot off the right post.

Martinez drew Los Angeles to 2-1 during with a power-play goal early in the second. Price complained in vain after the goal because he got tangled up with Ryan Smyth, who fell to the ice after Justin Williams' shot struck him, leaving Martinez with the rebound for a backhand shot into an open right side.

Kostitsyn opened the scoring 9:59 in when he drove the right side on a 2-on-1 and fired a shot past Bernier for his eighth goal.

Cammalleri made it 2-0 with a drive from the point for his seventh during a 4-on-4.

NOTES: Bernier has yet to win a road game in his career. He is 6-0 at home, including four wins at the beginning of the 2007-08 season before he was returned to his junior team. ... Martinez was recalled from Manchester of the AHL on Monday. He had no points in four games last season. ... Price had a career-high 24 wins as a rookie in 2007-08. He won 23 games the following season.

Nadal, Murray advance at Shanghai Masters

SHANGHAI (AP) — Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray advanced to the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday, although only the Spaniard had to step onto the court.

The top-seeded Nadal easily beat countryman Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3, 6-2, while Murray moved on when Dmitry Tursunov of Russia pulled out with a thigh injury.

Tursunov had defeated Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil in a tough, three-set match in the first round on Tuesday.

Murray, seeded second as the defending champion, hasn't played a match yet in Shanghai, receiving a first-round bye.

Earlier Wednesday, fourth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was knocked out by Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-4. The Frenchman fought off two match points with aces before hitting a backhand long to hand Nishikori the win.

The loss will hurt Tsonga's chances of claiming one of the four remaining spots in the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London. He is eighth in the standings, the last qualifying spot.

In another second-round match, third-seeded David Ferrer of Spain defeated Canadian Milos Raonic 7-5, 7-6 (7). Raonic, who has now lost to Ferrer three times this year, had a set point in the tiebreaker, but couldn't convert.

Sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych, fresh off a win last week at the China Open in Beijing, also advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 win over fellow Czech Radek Stepanek.

Garcia-Lopez won his last meeting with Nadal, in the semifinals of the Thailand Open in 2010, Nadal's first tournament after capturing the U.S. Open.

"It was a tough loss last year in Bangkok," Nadal said. "Less painful because I came after winning the U.S. Open, but it probably was the more unbelievable loss in my career against him last year because I never had as many chances as I had in that match, and I lost. It was a little bit in my mind today in the break points."

After losing the first set and going down a break in the second set Wednesday, Garcia-Lopez started hitting drop shots to bring Nadal to the net.

He broke Nadal's serve to level the score at 2-2, but Nadal immediately broke back when he got to a drop shot, chased down a lob and stabbed a backhand volley for a winner.

Nadal's only complaint afterward was with the balls being used in Shanghai, which he said are much faster than those at the Japan Open in Tokyo last week. He said the same balls should be used when there are several tournaments on the same surface in a row, such as the hard-court tournaments in Thailand, Japan and China on the tour's autumn Asian swing.

"Something must change because is too dangerous for the shoulders," he said. "That's something that, in my opinion, can change. In my opinion, not difficult to change."

Nadal plays 15th-seeded Florian Mayer of Germany in the third round, while Murray takes on Stanislas Wawrinka, the 13th-seeded Swiss.

Murray's draw has opened up with the losses of Tsonga and fifth-seeded Mardy Fish, who fell to Australian Bernard Tomic on Tuesday. The highest seeded player remaining in his half of the draw is No. 8 Gilles Simon of France.

American teenager Ryan Harrison, who upset 11th-seeded Viktor Troicki in the first round, lost to fellow qualifier Matthew Ebden of Australia, 6-4, 6-2. Ebden, ranked 124th, had only won eight matches on the ATP tour coming into Shanghai.

Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero rallied from a set down to beat compatriot and 16th-seeded Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

In other second-round matches, Colombia's Santiago Giraldo edged 14th-seeded Jurgen Melzer of Austria, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), and 12th-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine defeated qualifier Albert Ramos of Spain, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

We don't need a new Vietnam or Watergate

Is the Iran issue going to explode into President Reagan'sVietnam or Watergate? Hopefully not.

Our Vietnam-era president decided not to seek re-election;re-election is not our president's problem. Our Watergate-erapresident had to resign. Some more National Security Councilresignations will clear the air, but a major Cabinet or higher levelresignation ought not occur. It is not healthy symbolism. The badmarriage need not end in divorce, the baby ought not be thrown outwith the bath water. Something is broken; we should try to fix it.

The Nixon and Carter administrations seemed to share anunhealthy trait: almost complete inflexibility and arrogance. Theiradministrations broke rather than bent in the face of crisis. Thecurrent administration appears to be practicing some openness,letting some people go, making certain admissions of fallibility andthe like.

The silver lining of the weapons-deal cloud can be theopportunity for reworking our ideas about power and the people whowield it. While we wish to forget Vietnam and Watergate's ugliness,we can do something positive now to remember a rebirth in democracy.Michael Kazanjian, Edgewater New style lobbying

Obviously the Nicaraguan contras have been going about theirbusiness all wrong. Here they've spent years lobbying Congress foraid, and what do they have to show for it? A measly $100 millionworth of American war materiel. They've probably spent that muchjust for lunch with a few high-placed Washington lobbyists. Thecontras should take a lesson from their Shiite brothers-in-terror:Pick up several stray Americans, show them some enforced hospitality,release a few bitter letters and videotapes, then sit and wait for"Bud" McFarlane to fly in bearing gifts. Perhaps $150 million ingifts, and all without this messy business of winning the approval ofthe American people or their representatives. If the "freedomfighters" of the world adopt this new style of lobbying, they mayeven grab some cynical White House strategists and do us all a bigfavor. Kate and Paul Buckley, Matteson The worst casualty

It is indeed a tragedy that the most possible and worstcasualty of the Iranian arms flap will be the ongoing, bipartisannational effort to stop the proliferation of Russian influence inCentral and South America. The now-to-be-expected polarization ofsentiment in Congress over aid to the contras will mean the Sovietshave carte blanche to flood the Third World countries at our backdoor with every conceivable kind of weaponry, knowing full well theywill now be able to get away with almost anything they choose to do.And destabilization of nations, as they have proved convincingly inevery part of the world they chose to do so - Africa, Nicaragua,Afghanistan - is what they excel at.

Our legislators know full well the power of Soviet propagandaand arms gifts in this field. So we can now contemplate a lot ofdebating among members of Congress on this subject, and even morelooking-the-other-way from an incipient crisis right in our ownbackyard. Ed Chensky, Riverside Just turn the knob

I may not have all my priorities in order, but I sure cannotunderstand the uproar caused by the showing of black-and white moviesin computerized color on TV.

The solution to this "problem" is very simple. I have yet tosee a color television set that did not have a color level adjustmentknob. Anyone who is annoyed by computerized color should simply turnthe knob to the minimum color level position to watch these films orany other programs in black and white.Joseph R. Havelka, Ashburn All play, no work

One of the vivid childhood memories that remains with me is thetired appearance of my father when he returned home from work eachlate afternoon. This memory was reawakened in me after an incidentwith a school custodian who was under my supervision.

This custodian had a keen eye for labor-saving devices. If anyother school in our district acquired a labor-saving device, he wouldask me when we were going to get one of the same type.

After hearing his requests for certain appliances several times,I asked him if he believed in work.

He replied, "Listen, man, I want to have energy left for playingafter I leave here."

I think that his response points up one of the importantdifferences in attitude - an attitude that has contributed greatly tothe poor American economy - between labor of my father's generationand that of today. Too many employees are saving themselves for playafter they leave the workplace. Ferd Bronzell, Evergreen Park

Officer Sues Over 'Mucousy' Sandwich

CHARLES CITY, Iowa - A police officer who claims his chicken sandwich was slimed by two teenage employees at a McDonald's restaurant is suing the fast food company.

Officer Josh Douglas said he was working nights two years ago and went through the McDonald's drive-thru in Charles City. He ordered a chicken sandwich, which came with lettuce and tomato.

Not liking vegetables, Douglas said he went to remove the toppings and discovered what he described as a mucousy substance holding them together.

"Fortunately, I don't like lettuce. Because if I did I would have at least taken one bite before I realized what was the matter," he said.

Douglas and another officer went inside the restaurant, where they found two teenagers working. The employees said they were imitating a prank in a movie in which a state trooper orders a burger and the cook spits phlegm on it.

Both boys were fired and one of them later apologized to Douglas, records show.

Douglas and his attorney, Joel Yunek, say they have negotiated with McDonald's for more than a year but have been unable to reach a settlement. They filed a lawsuit on May 8 in Floyd County District Court.

Yunek said they aren't looking "for the world."

"But certainly ... he is deserving of an apology. Certainly, he is deserving of some kind of compensation," Yunek said.

Douglas said it's not about money but about accountability and to ensure the restaurant takes measures to ensure their employees are handling food properly.

Sam Soifer, the owner of the Charles City franchise, said in a written statement to KIMT-TV in Mason City that the restaurant took immediate action to fire the employees and that McDonald's takes food safety seriously.

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Information from: nat iadial/KIMT-TV, http://www.kimt.com

Mayor of battered Israeli town resigns after another rocket barrage

The mayor of the small town in southern Israel that has borne the brunt of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip announced Wednesday that he's stepping down, saying the situation there is "impossible" and charging the central government with inaction.

Eli Moyal said he hoped his resignation will spur authorities into action against the Islamic Hamas militants who overran Gaza six months ago.

Moyal is mayor of Sderot, a working-class town of 22,000 that has been battered by more than 4,500 crude Qassam rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, just a mile away, since 2001. The unguided projectiles have killed seven residents, injured dozens more, and sowed panic on the town's streets and in its schools.

Real estate prices have dropped 60 percent, commerce has collapsed and many residents have fled for fear of the rockets.

On Wednesday, Palestinian militants fired another 17 rockets toward Israel, slightly wounding one woman and causing minor property damage. The barrage followed a broad Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that left six militants dead.

Wednesday's rockets sparked Moyal's dramatic live announcement on Israel Radio. He said the responsibility for the lives of his residents has become too much to bear and urged the government to strike hard against Gaza militants.

"The situation in Sderot is impossible. Today what is going on here is on display to everyone ," he said. "I am resigning immediately as the mayor of Sderot. Maybe this will spark the government to launch an operation for the lives of its residents. I can't keep making the decisions. They can't keep piling it all on me."

Abu Mujahid, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committee, a small, militant group closely allied with Hamas, took credit for Moyal's announcement.

"This resignation is a victory for the resistance," he said. "This resignation will be followed by other mayors and other officials in the near future."

Israel has been mulling a large-scale military operation in Gaza for months but has made do with limited incursions and air strikes. Officials apparently fear disrupting fledgling peace talks with Hamas' moderate rivals now in charge of the West Bank. Indeed, Palestinians meeting Israelis on Wednesday for the first formal peace talks in seven years protested the latest Israeli incursion.

Responding to growing criticism that it hasn't done enough to defend Sderot, the government has pledged to better fortify the town's homes, schools and public buildings.

Moyal said that was not enough and only harsh military action against those launching rockets would ultimately protect Sderot.

"Maybe my resignation will do something," he said. "I hope that my small personal sacrifice will push the government to take some decisions that will help Sderot."

Hamas overran Gaza in June, vanquishing forces loyal to moderate President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah. Hamas, which favors Israel's destruction and has sent dozens of suicide bombers into the Jewish state, has made no effort to stop the rocket barrages, instead joining in with its own rocket squads.

In September, Moyal stepped down for a month while being questioned over suspected financial irregularities at Sderot's municipality.

French PM reiterates state support for Annecy bid

ANNECY, France (AP) — French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has pledged state support for Annecy's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics on the eve of the IOC's evaluation commission visit.

After meeting with the members of the commission on Tuesday, Fillon told a news conference the whole country was supporting Annecy's bid team.

"I just welcomed the IOC's evaluation commission. I did it with the will to persuade them and to make us win," Fillon said during a ceremony in front of high-profile state representatives and IOC members Guy Drut and Jean-Claude Killy.

"Our support is not only institutional," Fillon said. "This is the whole France that is joining up."

Annecy is the first stop on the 11-member commission's tour. They will follow it with visits to the other candidates cities, Pyeongchang in South Korea, and Munich.

The panel, chaired by IOC member Gunilla Lindberg of Sweden, will inspect proposed venues and facilities and meet local organizers and officials during four days.

Fillon praised the technical qualities of the bid and its "two legendary hubs, Chamonix and Annecy."

"With proposed venues of great authenticity, an Alpine patrimony and exceptional weather conditions, we have all the qualities required to host exceptional Winter Games," he said.

Annecy is making its first Olympic bid, although France has staged the Winter Games three times — Chamonix 1924, Grenoble 1968 and Albertville 1992.

The International Olympic Committee will select the host city by secret ballot on July 6 in Durban, South Africa.

After the IOC sent a strong warning to French officials last June — criticizing the bid for having 10 standalone venues and multiple athlete villages in a dispersed area — Annecy officials revamped their plan, offering a new competition venue setup combined with a better transportation network including rail, road and motorway access. According to the plan, all competition events will be within a 20-mile radius.

But the Savoy lakeside resort is still considered to be running behind its rivals, especially after Drut and Killy said last year that the revamped approach had failed to impress IOC members and Annecy was still lagging in support.

"Contrary to what has been reported, Jean-Claude and I have been implicated in the bid from the start," Drut said. "Now we need to show that we can do it and that we want to do it. And I have the feeling that the atmosphere surrounding our bid has changed, people are seeing it differently. We are still outsiders, but it's a good position to be in."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is also reportedly planning a trip to Annecy during the week but his office has not confirmed the visit.

Annecy bid chief Charles Beigbeder, who was appointed last month after former Olympic gold medalist Edgar Grospiron stepped down amid disagreements over funding, said his main task now is to promote the bid internationally.

To convince IOC members, Annecy officials appointed Andrew Craig as a bid consultant last week. Craig is a Briton who worked as a senior adviser on winning Olympic bids for Vancouver, London and Sochi.

"It's important, but a single man can't make us win," Drut said.

French Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno said the bid budget, which has been increased to 21 million euros ($29 million), is sufficient for a "dignified campaign."

"We are not going to make fools of ourselves twice in a year," she said, referring to the French football team's training strike at last year's World Cup. "It's impossible to say whether we are going to win or lose, but we can do what is necessary to win."

Building on past blooms success A Community is using traditional skills to highlight its floral success.

A Community is using traditional skills to highlight its floralsuccess.

Members of the Dyce Gardening Club are building two drystane dykesto welcome visitors to the Aberdeen suburb.

The semi-circle of stones will house flowers and a sign announcingDyce's past successes in bloom competitions.

It won Britain in Bloom's urban community award back in 2004 andwas runner up in the Scottish section last year.

Local councillor Ron Clark, who is also chairman of the Aberdeenin Bloom working party, wanted to do something to "trumpet" Dyce'ssuccess.

Members of the Dyce Gardening Club have risen to the challenge andare building the walls with the guidance of the Aberdeen CountrysideProject.

Ron said: "It's great to see the community's effort - and forpeople to see it."

One wall will be built at the south entrance on Stoneywood Road,where the Rotary club is also erecting a clock. The other will be to the north at Riverside Drive.

The aim is to finish it by July 20 when Canadian judges willarrive to judge Dyce's entry in the international section of theCommunities in Bloom contest.

Next weekend 160 hanging baskets will go up along the streets.

Local sponsorship bought the plants, which have been nurtured by60 residents.

Ron said Dyce had inspired other city communities to improve theirappearance.

He said: "Places like Culter, Ferryhill and Torry are doing thesame."

He also highlighted the efforts of pupils who have helped createand tend a wildflower garden at Dyce Primary School, saying: "Ithelps them learn about the environment."

And the councillor said the community would not be put off by vandals, who recently smashed 11 windows at the school.

He said: "We shouldn't not do something just because it might getvandalised."

dewen@ajl.co.uk

Road warrior Grizzlies thrash Celtics

The Memphis Grizzlies notched a franchise-record seventh straight road win by thrashing the Boston Celtics 111-91 in Wednesday's NBA action.

Rudy Gay scored 28 points and O.J. Mayo added 17 to lead Memphis to its first victory over the Celtics in seven tries since 2006.

Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo scored 17 points apiece for the Celtics, who suffered their equal heaviest defeat of the season.

Thunder 98, Hornets 83

In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant scored 29 points to lead Oklahoma City over injury-depleted New Orleans.

Russell Westbrook added 17 points and came up just shy of a triple-double for the Thunder.

The Hornets got off to a hot start in their latest return to the arena they called home for two seasons following Hurricane Katrina, but it was short-lived with Peja Stojakovic (lower abdominal strain) joining All-Star point guard Chris Paul on the injured list.

David West scored 33 for the Hornets.

Jazz 115, Pistons 104

In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Utah beat Detroit for the 10th straight time.

Deron Williams had 18 points and 12 assists to lead seven Jazz players in double figures. Former Pistons center Mehmet Okur also finished with 18 points.

Detroit also had seven players score at least 10 points, led by Charlie Villanueva's 19, but couldn't avoid its seventh loss in eight games.

Spurs 97, Knicks 87

In San Antonio, the home team inflicted a defeat that ensured New York will have a franchise-worst ninth consecutive losing season.

Manu Ginobili scored 28 points and Tim Duncan had 18 for the Spurs, who have won five of six.

David Lee led the Knicks with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Heat 108, Clippers 97

In Miami, the hosts extended their longest home winning streak of the season to four, downing Los Angeles.

Dwyane Wade had 27 points and eight assists and Jermaine O'Neal finished with 19 points and nine rebounds for Miami.

Former Heat forward Rasual Butler scored 31 points, two off his career best, for the Clippers, who lost their fifth straight. Los Angeles is 2-20 on the road since Dec. 19.

Nuggets 110, Timberwolves 102

In Minneapolis, Chauncey Billups scored 25 points and got a huge lift from role players Chris Andersen, Nene and J.R. Smith in Denver's victory over Minnesota.

Andersen had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Nene had 17 points and nine boards and Smith scored 15 as the Nuggets got their act together in the second half to deliver their fourth straight win.

Al Jefferson had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who lost their seventh straight game.

Bobcats 102, 76ers 87

In Philadelphia, Charlotte made it four successive wins, defeating Philadelphia.

Gerald Wallace scored 28 points on 9-for-10 shooting from the field and Stephen Jackson added 24 points and 10 rebounds as the Bobcats boosted their hopes of a first-ever postseason.

Rodney Carney led the Sixers with 14 points.

Kings 113, Raptors 90

In Sacramento, California, Tyreke Evans recorded his first career triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, leading Sacramento over Toronto.

Beno Udrih had 24 points and eight assists for the Kings, who scored 43 points in the third quarter and snapped a three-game losing streak.

Andrea Bargnani scored 20 points for the Raptors, who have lost three straight.

Mavericks 96, Nets 87

In Dallas, the hosts matched the longest winning streak in the NBA this season, notching win number 13 against hapless New Jersey.

Jason Kidd had 20 points and nine assists, and Caron Butler added 16 points for the Mavericks, who drew level with Cleveland's 13-game streak in January-February.

New Jersey led by as many as 18 in the first half before the Mavericks fought back.

Former Mavericks guard Devin Harris scored 21 points for the Nets.

CUBS NOTES

Shawon Dunston was a late scratch from the starting lineupbecause of the flu. Dunston was scheduled to bat first even thoughmanager Jim Frey was quoted Saturday as saying Dunston wasn't goingto bat first or second because he needed work on fundamentals andwas swinging at bad pitches. Yesterday Frey said he meant Dunstonwouldn't bat second anymore. "The real reason (Dunston would havebatted first) is he's hitting and the other guy (Bob Dernier) isn't,"Frey said.

Reliever Lee Smith threw for the first time since going on the15-day disabled list a week ago with a pulled right groin muscle.Pitching coach Billy Connors said Smith threw for 10 minutes and ranwithout pain. Smith, eligible to come off the DL May 6, will throwagain tomorrow.

The Cubs finished their first homestand 4-4.

There were five lead changes yesterday.

The West Coast swing begins against San Diego tonight at 9:05.Scott Sanderson (1-1) goes for the Cubs against Andy Hawkins (1-0).Tomorrow it's Rick Sutcliffe (1-3) against LaMarr Hoyt (0-0).

With runners in scoring position, Keith Moreland is batting .437(7-of-16) with nine RBI. With no help from two intentional walks,Moreland saw his hitting streak end at 10 games.

Israel has long history of lopsided prisoner swaps

Israel agreed Sunday to free a Lebanese convicted of a brutal attack in 1979, along with prisoners and bodies of Hezbollah fighters, in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers. Israel has carried out unbalanced prisoner swaps in the past. Here are details some of those exchanges:

January 2004: Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon exchange an Israeli civilian and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers for 436 Arab prisoners and the bodies of 59 Lebanese fighters.

July, 1996: Israel frees 65 prisoners for the bodies of two soldiers.

September 1991: Israel trades 51 prisoners for proof that one of its soldiers held in Lebanon is dead.

May 1985: Three Israeli soldiers captured in Lebanon in 1982 are traded for 1,150 Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners. The lopsided deal comes under harsh criticism that intensifies after the freed prisoners play important roles in a Palestinian uprising that began in 1987.

November 1983: Israel swaps 4,600 Palestinian and Lebanese captives for six Israeli soldiers abducted Sept. 4, 1982, from their forward post in Lebanon. Most of the Arab prisoners had been rounded up during Israel's invasion of Lebanon. An additional 100 are freed from Israeli jails, where they were serving lengthy terms for terrorism.

Task force urges new rules on blood changeovers

Rugby's world governing body has been urged to set up stricter rules on blood substitutions to avoid a repeat of the Harlequins injury scam.

Harlequins officials and a player faked a blood injury to get a kicker back onto the field in a European Cup game in a scandal that led to long suspensions and tarnished the image of the sport.

An English Rugby Football Union task group on Wednesday announced 16 recommendations to avoid issues such as cheating at blood substitutions. One of them suggested that the fourth match official should rule whether they are genuine and the IRB should draw up guidelines to determine the amount of blood that can lead to a replacement.

Rangers Hold Off Sabres to Tie Series

NEW YORK - The pressure is back on the Presidents' Trophy winners. Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan scored power-play goals, and Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves to lift the New York Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night, tying the Eastern Conference semifinal series after four games.

The best-of-seven matchup now shifts back to Buffalo, where the Sabres - the NHL's best team in the regular season - took what seemed to be a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. Now they will be feeling the heat from a nervous, title-starved town unwilling to accept anything less than the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.

Game 5 is Friday night, with Game 6 back in New York on Sunday.

The Rangers had to survive a video replay on a late save by Lundqvist that the Sabres felt didn't keep the puck out of the net.

Lundqvist dived onto his stomach with 17 seconds left and stopped Daniel Briere's stuff attempt with his right pad as the puck slid on the goal line. For the first time in five close goal calls in these playoffs, the Sabres didn't benefit from a video review.

Jagr scored his fourth of the playoffs and 71st overall in the postseason in the second period. Shanahan doubled New York's lead in the third as the Rangers earned their second straight 2-1 win. Michal Rozsival ended Game 3 on Sunday in double overtime.

Ales Kotalik answered for Buffalo less than a minute after Shanahan's goal, but it wasn't enough. Ryan Miller was sharp again in making 26 saves, allowing two goals for the fourth straight game.

The Sabres hadn't lost consecutive games since dropping three in a row from March 7-10. But the Rangers earned their ninth straight win at Madison Square Garden and 12th in 13 games.

Shanahan made it 2-0 by showing the patience and poise of a 38-year-old, three-time Stanley Cup champion. He waited for Miller to make his move, and when the goalie dropped to his right side, Shanahan put the puck past his outstretched pads and to make it 2-0.

Before the announcement of Shanahan's sixth goal of these playoffs and 68th in the postseason, Kotalik scored 33 seconds later to cut Buffalo's deficit in half.

For the second straight game, Jagr and the Rangers took advantage of a penalty in the opening minute of the second period. Jagr's goal in Game 3 came just after Henrik Tallinder left the penalty box, but this time he cashed in while defenseman Toni Lydman was off for hooking him.

Michael Nylander shot from above the right circle. Jagr deflected it off defenseman Teppo Numminen and past Miller 45 seconds into the frame.

That seemed to spark the Sabres, who came at the Rangers in waves, but found lots of resistance. Buffalo managed nine shots, after getting 10 in the first period, and tried to get the power play on track.

The Sabres had three advantages in the final 8 1/2 minutes of the period that ended with them still up a man. With 17 seconds remaining in Marcel Hossa's stick-holding penalty, Rangers defenseman Marek Malik went off for holding Derek Roy.

With the crowd holding its breath while the dangerous Buffalo power play went to work, the fans cheered and exhaled when Jed Ortmeyer cleared the puck down the ice from in front of Lundqvist. After Hossa came out, Roy's shot ricocheted off the right post and away from the net with 27 seconds left.

The Rangers killed off the remaining minute of the penalty in the third period, leaving the Sabres with three goals in 25 chances in the series.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff tried more changes in the third period, when he moved Briere, Buffalo's leading regular-season scorer, from center to left wing on a line with Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly. Connolly had been playing on the fourth line.

Notes:@ Maxim Afinogenov, Buffalo's sixth-leading scorer in the regular season and one of seven Sabres with 20 goals, was scratched. Ruff threatened the move before Game 3 and made good Tuesday, replacing the right wing with rookie Daniel Paille, making his playoff debut. Afinogenov had only one goal and three assists in eight postseason games. ... The Rangers improved to 16-10 in Game 4s when trailing a series 2-1. ... The Sabres haven't been shut out since April 1, 2006, at Toronto.

Nike ready to sue NBA over clients' marketing

Don't be surprised if Nike, in the next few months, sues NBAProperties for illegal use of marketing rights of Michael Jordan andother players contracted to Nike.

"It's definitely an option that we are considering," Nikepresident Phil Knight said recently.

Nike's 80 players always had the option, under the league'scollective bargaining agreement, not to participate in the NBA'slicensing program. Knight says the league never had the right tomarket merchandise featuring likenesses of these players.

"Those rights were and still are the properties of Nike," Knightsaid.

But since the league was supportive of Jordan and did notdiscipline him for his recent associations with professional gamblersand a convicted drug dealer, one wonders if Jordan, out of gratitude,might ask Nike to leave him out of any such lawsuit.

TOP JOB: Bring up NBA Coach of The Year and the candidates mostfrequently mentioned are Phil Jackson, Don Nelson, Jerry Sloan, KevinLoughery, Lenny Wilkens, Bill Fitch and Rick Adelman.

But what about the Lakers' Mike Dunleavy?

Despite losing Magic Johnson (AIDS virus) for the whole season,starting center Vlade Divac (back) for most of the season, startingforward James Worthy (knee) for the last third of the season andstarting center-forward Sam Perkins (shoulder) for more than a dozengames, Dunleavy has kept the Lakers in playoff contention.

When the Lakers opened the season with Magic out, followedquickly by Divac's injury, the Lakers won nine in a row.

When they lost Worthy for the season last month, they respondedwith a four-game winning streak. When they lost Perkins later in themonth, they responded with a five-game streak.

"We started with Earvin," Dunleavy said. "We lost James. Welost Sam. If we lose any more games, we'll get rid of somebodyelse."

SCHEDULE EDGE: With less than two weeks left in the season,three games separate No. 6 Indiana from No. 9 Miami in the battle forthe Eastern Conference's eight playoff spots.

It figures to go down to the wire with the schedule favoring theNo. 7 New Jersey Nets and the Heat.

The Nets split their last eight games between home and the roadwith seven games against losing teams.

The Heat plays four of its last six games at home and five gamesare against losing teams.

No. 8 Atlanta plays only three of its last seven games at homeand only three are against losing teams.

POOR BIANCHI: The last three New York Knicks coaches under firedgeneral manager Al Bianchi have rebounded in other jobs. Rick Pitino (Knicks record of 90-74) became coach at Kentucky, andled that team out of NCAA probation. This year the Wildcats narrowlymissed the Final Four, losing in the quarterfinals on abuzzer-beating turnaround jumper by Duke's Christian Laettner. Stu Jackson (52-45) went through a job in the NBA headquarters intothe coaching job at Wisconsin. John MacLeod (32-35) became coach at rebuilding Notre Dame and ledhis team into the NIT finals, where it lost to Virginia. In addition, playmaking guard Mark Jackson, whom Bianchi hadbenched, became a starter under new coach Pat Riley and has helpedthe Knicks to the top of the Atlantic Division.

NOTES The injury sidelining Denver's talented rookie centerDikembe Mutombo has been diagnosed as "Gamekeeper's Thumb," whichfrequently occurs to skiers falling against poles. Magic Johnson is currently talking with the new owners of theSacramento Kings, who would like for him to invest and help run theteam. Magic had expressed interest in the franchise earlier butcould not organize a sufficient investment team.

Southwest profit bucks industry trend Even with war, airline posted gain for the 48th quarter in a row

Low-fare carrier Southwest Airlines Co. reported its 48thconsecutive profitable quarter Monday, even as its larger rivalsracked up heavy losses.

Southwest's first-quarter earnings of $24 million, or 3 cents pershare, were an increase of 14.3 percent over the year-ago period, theDallas-based carrier said. In the first three months of 2002,Southwest's $21.4 million in net income was its lowest quarterlyprofit since the fourth quarter of 1994.

Revenue rose 7.5 percent to $1.35 billion from $1.26 billion.

The latest results were in line with estimates of analystssurveyed by Thomson First Call.

"Although our financial performance has been exceptional …

Oil rises above $60 on signs Asia growth reviving

Signs that Asia might be emerging from its economic slump hoisted oil prices back above $60 a barrel Tuesday.

The move into positive territory did not reflect long-term demand, however, with OPEC predicting any upturn in global appetite for crude would be modest and not come before next year.

Benchmark crude for August delivery was up 77 cents to $60.46 a barrel by afternoon in European electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Monday, the contract fell 20 cents to settle at $59.69.

Singapore said Tuesday its economy surged by an annualized 20.4 percent in the second quarter, adding to hopes that Asia could lead the world out of recession and fuel crude demand.

Crude prices have hovered around $60 a barrel for the last few days _ pausing after a drop from an eight-month intraday high of $73.38 on June 30 _ as concern about a struggling U.S. economy undermined investor optimism. And with the market following larger economic trends, prices appeared ready to go either way in the short run.

"It is evident that this market is consolidating and building steam for a break out of the current retracement area," wrote trader and analyst Stephen Schork in his Schork Report. "We think that a break above this area clears a path back towards $75 and a break below creates a template for a flush towards $50."

For now, Asia seems to have the most potential to boost prices.

"There's evidence that Asia, led by China, is turning around quite quickly," said David Moore, a commodity strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney. "That's where the demand growth potentially will be."

China, the world's third-largest economy, is scheduled to announce GDP figures later this week.

Moore said crude will likely average about $60 a barrel in the third quarter as signs of economic recovery in Asia are offset by weaker results in the U.S. and Europe.

"We might see quite strong GDP from China, and then some U.S. data that's pretty subdued," Moore said. "I think that's the game we're in for during the next few months."

An attack by Nigerian militants on oil installations in Lagos also bolstered prices. Rebels set fire to an oil depot and loading tankers on Sunday, killing five people in the group's first attack outside the southern oil-rich Delta region.

The latest monthly report from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries reinforced expectations of long-term demand weakness. OPEC said demand would not turn positive before 2010 and even then the uptick would amount to only 500,000 barrels a day _ with overall demand actually continuing shrink in major industrialized countries and increasing only in developing economies such as China.

Demand for OPEC oil _ more than a third of what's on world markets _ is expected to average 28.5 million barrels a day this year, a daily drop of 2.3 million barrels over 2008. Demand for OPEC oil will continue to shrink into next year, the report said.

In other Nymex trading, gasoline for August delivery rose by more than a penny to $1.65 a gallon and heating oil gained close to 2 cents to fetch $1.52. Natural gas for August delivery jumped by close to 10 cents, selling for $3.36 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, Brent prices rose 78 cents to $61.47 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

___

Associated Press writer Alex Kennedy contributed to this report from Singapore.

Bordeaux, Marseille win to keep race alive

Bordeaux and Marseille both won on Saturday to set up a decisive final round of the French league next week, with Bordeaux leading Marseille by three points at the top.

Bordeaux survived some nervy moments to beat Monaco 1-0 at home thanks to Marouane Chamakh's 13th goal of the season, while Marseille won 2-1 at Nancy on a deflected strike from Laurent Bonnart and a goal from Brazilian striker Brandao.

The win took Bordeaux to 77 points from 37 matches, while Marseille has 74 points.

Bordeaux set a new French record with its 10th straight league win.

"The lads are in the process of doing something exceptional," coach Laurent Blanc said. "We can't do any better than that. They deserve their place in history."

But Marseille can still win the title if it wins its final match at home against Rennes next week and Bordeaux loses at Caen, which needs to win to avoid relegation.

"We wanted to take the title race to the last week and we're still around," Marseille coach Eric Gerets said. "We're not favorites but we are still in it. The French league will have an amazing finale thanks to Marseille."

Gerets was counting on Caen thwarting Bordeaux's party plans.

"Caen will play to win and to save its skin," Gerets said. "It is a quite exceptional end to the season."

Monaco missed several chances against a lackluster Bordeaux, which defended for most of the match after Chamakh's 38th-minute goal, where he rose to head in a dipping cross from Yoann Gourcuff.

"I don't think we deserved to lose," Monaco coach Ricardo said.

At Nancy, Brandao headed in Mamadou Niang's cross after just five minutes, but the goal was ruled offside, even though television replays showed the forward was nearly one meter behind Nancy's defender when Niang's cross came in.

At Bordeaux, the visitor pushed forward in the closing stages and goalkeeper Ulrich Rame had to make a smart save in the closing stages to deny Monaco a point.

Elsewhere, seven-time defending champion Lyon beat Caen 3-1 at home to ensure a third-place finish and a slot in the Champions League qualifying round with 70 points. Juninho got his 100th career goal for Lyon, while Sidney Govou and Karim Benzema completed the win.

In other results, it was: Auxerre 1, Saint-Etienne 0; Le Havre 0, Lille 1; Le Mans 1, Grenoble 1; Nice 0, Toulouse 2; Rennes 3, Lorient 1; Sochaux 2, Nantes 1; and Valenciennes 2, Paris Saint-Germain 1.

At Lyon, Juninho scored from the penalty spot in the 34th after he was fouled controlling a pass from Benzema, who earlier had a goal ruled out for offside. Juninho is expected to leave the club at the end of the season and was given a long standing ovation when he was substituted near the end.

In the race for a Europa Cup place, Toulouse leapfrogged PSG into fourth place on goals difference, with both teams on 63 points; Rennes and Lille are close behind with 61 each.

PSG took the lead in the 11th minute when Mateja Kezman turned in Ludovic Giuly's cross, but Valenciennes bounced back on second-half goals from Johan Audel and Gregory Pujol. Valenciennes coach Antoine Kombouare is expected to join PSG.

Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac notched both goals to improve his league-leading tally to 24.

Gignac got his first in the 13th minute when he broke down the right and his cross was poorly cleared, allowing him to collect the loose ball and finish the move he started with a low strike.

The second in the 31st was brilliant as he deftly collected a high ball down the left side, cut inside his marker without breaking stride and slotted in a low shot inside the near post.

At the bottom of the table, Le Havre was already relegated with 25 points, while Nantes was all but relegated with 34, and Saint-Etienne dropped into the relegation zone with 37.

Caen also had 37 and led Saint-Etienne on goal difference. Saint-Etienne hosts Valenciennes next weekend.

Sochaux took a big step toward survival and moved up to 15th place with 39 points, while Le Mans had the same total and was one place behind in 16th.

Turkey striker Mevlut Erding headed in a low pass from the left to give Sochaux the lead in the 35th, and defender Rabiu Afolabi made it 2-0 shortly before halftime to send Nantes closer to the second division. Mamadou Bagayoko gave Nantes some hope when he scored a penalty early in the second half, but the club has a vastly inferior goal difference to Caen.

"Of course it's finished," veteran Nantes midfielder Frederic Da Rocha said.

Kiddieland: An End-of-Summer Tradition

Kiddieland North and 1st Avenues, Melrose Park 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 4; 5 to 9p.m. Aug. 29 to Sept. 2; 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Labor Day

$9.95 admission (covers all attractions), $6.95 after 6 p.m.; freeto children under 36 inches; $5.95 for ages 60 and older (708) 343-8000

`Where would you rather be - in math class or on the LogJammer?" was the question, posed next to a bubbling stream of whatlooked like 7-Up mixed with lime syrup.

In unison, Karen Commarare, 15, Nicki Lyczak, 12, and TracyLyczak, 8, all of Schaumburg, answered "Log Jammer!" The threegirls were at Kiddieland on a recent afternoon and about to take aturn …

Pumps designed for chocolate manufacturing.(News & Analysis)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Watson-Marlow Pumps Group, a world-leading positive displacement pump manufacturer, has introduced a line of MasoSine pumps that it says "are ideal for chocolate manufacturing" because of "their gentle product handling, low-pulsation conveyance, product integrity and cost-effective maintenance."

The pumps' simple design allows for easy maintenance and reduced downtime, the company explains. They also feature powerful and constant suction for constant production flow and superior …

FORENSIC STUDY PITS GLAMOR VS. REALITY.(MAIN)

Byline: RICK KARLIN Staff writer

First it was FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully looking for alien invaders on ``The X-Files.'' Then came Gill Grissom and Catherine Willows using science to solve murders and other misdeeds on ``CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.''

Add the Sept. 11 attack, and the result is a groundswell of interest among college students seeking to study forensics and its application in solving crimes.

With that trend in mind at least two Capital Region colleges have launched courses and majors in forensic science as a crime-fighting weapon.

``We have our first batch of students,'' Sage College's spokesman Bruce Robertson …

A digital signage primer: they're everywhere, but are networked electronic displays delivering your message?(DIGITAL SIGNAGE)

You've seen the writing on the wall: evolving delivery technology, affordable LED, plasma and LCD flat-screen displays, and increasingly sophisticated content that is drawing eyeballs and accelerating commerce. But as extreme examples of digital signage applications vie for our collective attention--notably in New York's Times Square and along the Las Vegas strip--the search for practical advice about what this market could mean to the average media executive, producer or director continues. We know from a recent online poll of our readers that some 40 percent of you are actively evaluating digital signage as either a primary revenue stream or as one part of your media operation. The rest of you--two thirds of those surveyed--simply want to know more. This two-part special feature aims to give you a fuller picture of the market, tools, major technology players and evolving methodology for making and managing signage that both captures attention and turns a profit.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

SIGNS OF PROFITABLE TIMES AHEAD

Digital signage may be the next hot industry, but what's really going on behind the hype?

Industry pundits write endlessly about it. Market analysts paint a rosy picture about it. Trade conferences focus entire sections on it. Manufacturers hope it will restore the glory days of the AV industry to what they were in the 1990s.

It is, of course, digital signage, and it has captured the attention of our industry like nothing else since streaming media four years ago. (Remember streaming media?) Unfortunately, the infrastructure for streaming media just wasn't there for most potential customers, no matter how powerful, flexible or elegant the systems being offered.

But digital signage is different. Unlike four years ago, all of the pieces are in place to make digital signage work. The exploding flat-panel plasma and LCD markets have largely driven this market, not to mention rear-projection microdisplay technology.

It's aided and abetted by high-density, affordable MPEG servers. It's being facilitated by IP-connectivity and simple GUIs for remote access, content delivery, and …

Judge Keeps Karr Pornography Case Sealed

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - A judge refused to unseal police documents in the child pornography case against former JonBenet Ramsey slaying suspect John Mark Karr, whose attorneys are fighting to have the misdemeanor charges tossed out.

The Press Democrat of Santa Rosa had sought to view the documents in the case against the high-profile suspect, but Sonoma County Judge Cerena Wong agreed with prosecutors who argued it could harm the investigation and prejudice potential jurors.

Authorities said they found five images of child porn on Karr's computer when he was arrested in April 2001. He fled before he went to trial. Investigators conceded they lost Karr's computer some time in …

'Dead Body' expires amid lifeless story, cast

Dead Body

(PG-13) H1/2

There's life after death for Eva Longoria Parker in "Over HerDead Body," her first big-screen movie as the top-billed star.

There may not be much life after "Desperate Housewives" for her,though, if all she does is slight variations of the prissy, fidgety,high-and-mighty narcissist she plays on the show.

If Longoria Parker's "Housewives" character Gabrielle were killedand came back to haunt the living, she'd be pretty much the samemeddlesome, manipulative, gabby spirit the actress plays in "OverHer Dead Body."

A little nicer, maybe, and a little less scheming than Gabrielle.But this lifeless romance about a jealous ghost …

Community fights back.

Locals have been united in grief since the tragedy on April 23, and were horrified by the way Fairfield was depicted in The Sun newspaper during its reports on the tragic blaze.

The fire, on Edale Way, claimed the lives of five-year-old Niamh Maynard and her two-year-old brother Cayden.

Their mother Fiona Adams, 23, and their eight-month-old brother Kiernan, managed to escape the property.

Both are currently in hospitals in Manchester where their conditions are described as stable.

Lia Roos, Chair of the Residents of Fairfield Association, said: "Fairfield is a community where anybody can be proud to live.

"Recent events have …

World Bank chief broke rules, panel finds; Report to cite ethical lapses by Wolfowitz over girlfriend's promotion.(Main)

Byline: JEANNINE AVERSA - Associated Press

WASHINGTON - A special panel has found that World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz broke bank rules in arranging a pay package and promotion for his girlfriend, a person familiar with the report said Monday.

Wolfowitz was presented the findings by the special bank panel investigating his handling of the 2005 promotion and pay raise of bank employee Shaha Riza.

The report was not made public, but the person familiar with its findings confirmed that violations were cited but did not provide any details. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not yet been released.

World Bank …