NEW YORK (AP) — Toys R Us is scaling back on holiday pop-up stores this year and betting that offering more exclusive toys — like Air Swimmers Extreme, a helium-filled radio-controlled shark that floats through the air — will help attract shoppers into its stores during the all-important holiday season.
CEO Jerry Storch said at a press conference Wednesday that the …
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) announced Monday that it will launch a neighborhood art program at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and John B. Hynes Convention Center showcasing Boston's local artists to conventioneers. The inaugural exhibit, "Greetings From MY Boston," features postcards created by Boston youths depicting the city through their eyes, which will be on display at the BCEC through 2008.
"The BCEC provides a strong backdrop on which to showcase these local talents, while raising cultural awareness and community support for the arts," said James E. Rooney, executive director of the MCCA. "The MCCA welcomes nearly 600,000 people per …
Mortar rounds slammed into a workers' housing complex near Baghdad's international airport on Monday, killing two people and wounding 10, a witness said.
The attack occurred about 2:30 p.m., according to an airport employee who lives at the compound. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the attack.
The witness counted six mortar rounds.
Iraqi police said earlier that a string …
The NHL had medical evidence showing that fans are more likelythan players to leave a game with stitches, yet it did nothing toincrease protection for spectators, according to a lawsuit to befiled today.
The lawsuit, on behalf of a woman who suffered brain injuriesafter she was struck by a puck at a Blackhawks game in January, citesa study of hockey fan injuries by two emergency-room doctors. Itshowed that during 127 NHL games at the MCI Center in Washington, 122fans suffered puck injuries--nearly one per game. Of the injuredfans, 90 required stitches and 45 were taken to emergency rooms. Theresearch found similar results at other stadiums.
Results of the study, …
Bass players are a passionate bunch. Seemingly detached from the lust for the spotlight exuded by their axe-wielding or mic-swinging counterparts, bassists often welcome the application of the metaphorical anchor - both musically and characteristically - within their respective collective.
Pretty much anything to do with the instrument is fair game as a topic of conversation for those within club bass, and such conversations are almost always a treat for those involved or even within earshot. Ii seems everyone's got an opinion on everything, and they're shared with respect and a humble politeness - not to mention an avid interest in simply talking shop with a peer.
With …
SAN JUAN DE SABINAS, Mexico (AP) — Rescue workers said Wednesday there is little hope that nine missing miners have survived a coal mine explosion that killed at least five people in northern Mexico.
The gas explosion that ripped through the primitive, vertical-shaft mine early Tuesday was so powerful it seriously injured a 15-year-old boy working on a conveyor belt outside the pit.
Labor Secretary Javier Lozano said that left little possibility that those inside could have withstood the force of the blast.
"The outlook is very bad," Lozano said at the scene. "The truth is that it does not allow us to hold out much hope."
A team of four rescuers who entered the …
Nick Jonas is used to performing in front of screaming fans who know all the words to their favorite Jonas Brothers songs.
Now his new band, Nick Jonas & The Administration, is getting ready to perform as the house band for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards on Jan. 15 in Los Angeles. The band will be expected to not only entertain but also keep the pace of the show moving.
"I'm excited and honored. ... We'll be performing a lot of covers. Intros and outros to the commercials. I think we have about 25 songs to learn," Jonas said in a recent interview.
The 17-year-old singer-musician calls his band a side project. They will record an …
WASHINGTON In laboratories across the United States, scientistsare experimenting with the ingredients of chocolate, hoping to createthe modern-day alchemist's equivalent of gold - chocolate that isboth guilt- and fat-free.
The researchers, spurred by a growing consumer revolt over therisks of a high-fat diet, are toiling to reduce chocolate's fatcontent and perhaps even concoct an entirely fat-free chocolate bar.The lure of guilt-free chocolate stirs considerable passions.
Half the women surveyed in the 1995 book Why Women NeedChocolate (Little, Brown, $19.95 hardcover) said chocolate was moreimportant to them than sex. Yet an unfavorable light on thesometimes …
LONDON (AP) — One of Britain's leading think tanks is pushing for a more limited Afghan war policy as part of its annual strategic review.
The influential International Institute for Strategic Studies survey of world trouble spots concludes that war aims in Afghanistan have become unrealistic and urges a return to the original goal of denying al-Qaida …
Cammalleri scored in the first period to end Montreal's two-game drought against Michael Leighton, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final.
Tom Pyatt and Dominic Moore had a goal and assist each for Montreal, which earned its first win in the series. Brian Gionta and Marc-Andre Bergeron also scored as Leighton's shutout streak was snapped at 172:05.
"We are a much better team when our backs are against the wall," Gionta said. "We've dealt with it all year."
Philadelphia's Simon Gagne foiled Jaroslav Halak's shutout bid by scoring 8:22 into the third …
Westside girls basketball Coach Jamie Lusk knows what it means towin a state high school championship as a player.
Eventually, the member of Oceana's 1994 boys state championshipteam wants to know the feeling of winning one as a coach.
To do so, the Renegades (16-6) will have to figure out how to getpast defending champion Winfield in the quarterfinal round of theState Tournament at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Charleston Civic Center.
"I've gone to the (boys) State Tournament every year since I was 6years old," said the 31-year-old Lusk, a first-year head coach. "Mydream would be to win a state championship."
Lusk is one of three West Virginia high school head …
Alfred Zaccaria was finally going to leave the world of dial-up for high-speed access to the Internet without having to pay a lot more for service.
Or so he thought.
A 63-year-old landlord in northeast Philadelphia, he signed up for EarthLink's Wi-Fi Internet service in June for $6.95 a month, a rate that would rise to the regular price of $19.95 after six months. Five months later, he still can't get it to work despite moving his wireless modem from room to room and closer to windows to get a better signal.
"I'm paying them and they're not giving me the service," said Zaccaria, who's stuck with a one-year contract and a $70 modem whose …
Authorities in Minnesota say the search for a woman and her sick 13-year-old son remains focused in southern California and Mexico.
The Brown County sheriff's department said Sunday it is continuing to look for Daniel Hauser, who has Hodgkin's lymphoma, and his mother Colleen, who is refusing to allow chemotherapy treatment for her son.
They were expected in court Tuesday. But The FBI says they left their home in Sleepy Eye, Minn., that day for Los Angeles.
Doctors say Daniel has a cancerous tumor growing in his chest that's likely to kill him without chemotherapy, but his family prefers natural healing methods.
The American Cancer Society estimates there are 35 to 50 clinics in Mexican border towns that attract cancer patients looking for alternative remedies.
THE WASHINGTON POST
BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Wal-Mart's folksy, baseball cap-wearingfounder, Sam Walton, so despised public displays of wealth that,after his death in 1992, the billionaire's heirs decided to enshrinehis prized possession, a battered Ford pickup, behind a simplestorefront on the town square here.
But Walton's spirit of restraint is harder to find next door tothe museum at Fusion, a new fine-arts gallery that sells $2,500abstract paintings and $1,200 urns. Or at the nearby Landers Hummerdealership, crowded with $62,000 sport-utility trucks. Or insideShadow Valley, a gated community where four-bedroom houses fetch $1million.
The hard-nosed retailing tactics of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. havetransformed communities across the country, but none more so than inits own back yard. Benton County, once a sedate backwater, ismorphing into a swanky oasis in the middle of the Ozarks.
Wal-Mart's unchallenged dominance in American retailing - it sellsabout 30 percent of many household consumables - has persuaded scoresof suppliers to open satellite offices around its headquarters toensure their products remain on the chain's coveted shelves.
The result is an unprecedented migration of high-paid executivesto the northwest corner of Arkansas - professionals from amenity-rich cities like New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and Miami, whobring not only six-figure salaries, but an appetite for Jaguars,sushi, pet day-care centers, Gucci shoes and Chanel sunglasses.
Every week or so a new retailer, restaurant or spa sprouts up and,seemingly overnight, a county synonymous with a purveyor of cheapsocks, dolls and televisions is earning a reputation for luxuriousliving.
Until recently, being dispatched to a supplier's Wal-Mart officewas a dreaded assignment - two years of eating at a nearby Applebee'sand shopping at, well, Wal-Mart. "Nobody wanted to do it," said RonJohnson, who runs the Wal-Mart office for Walt Disney Co.'s consumerproducts division. "That's not a problem anymore. So much haschanged."
Wal-Mart has produced a fair share of millionaires, but Walton'srigid code of humility - even top executives stay at Holiday Inn whentraveling on the company dime - remains deeply ingrained in thecompany's culture, discouraging conspicuous consumption.
Wal-Mart's suppliers, however, honor no such vow of modesty.
In Rogers, southeast of Bentonville, nattily dressed executivesfrom Kellogg Co. and Colgate-Palmolive Co. sip lattes and lunch oncold Thai salmon at the Market, a gourmet grocery store that offerssushi-making lessons. Up the street, at Murphy's Jewelry, the latestVersace fashion show flickers on a flat-panel television and $100,000necklaces glimmer from behind a glass case.
Jeff Collins, an economist at the University of Arkansas's SamWalton School of Business, said the thousands of suppliers who havemoved to the region are "trying to recreate the world they knew backhome, wherever that was, and they have the money to do it."
From 1990 to 2000, Benton County's population jumped 57 percent,to 153,406 from 97,499, while the average household income rose to$40,281 from $26,021, according to census data.
Once here, suppliers demand the life they left behind - and, ifthey cannot find it, they build it. Lou McCleese, a logistics expertfor Johnson & Johnson's Wal-Mart office, plowed her savings intoFusion, the art gallery and supply store in downtown Bentonville.
When Phyllis Charette, the wife of a Johnson & Johnson executive,could not find an upscale women's apparel store, she started her own,All About Her.
Across the street from Wal-Mart's headquarters, several out-of-town Jewish suppliers have converted a three-room office into aprayer space, available whenever they come through town. A basket ofyarmulkes sits on a conference table and copies of the Old Testamentline a bookcase.
A synagogue, Benton County's first, recently opened with 37families, a large number of them transplants dispatched toBentonville by a Wal-Mart supplier.
Not everyone is overjoyed by the influx of high-rollers. Risinghousing prices have cost long-time Bentonville residents hundreds ofdollars in higher property taxes. "We used to have moderately pricedhomes here," said John Rickert, who has lived in Bentonville for 41years. "Now it's all exclusive, planned developments."
Gentrification is creating some powerful - and, to some localresidents, troubling - juxtapositions. In Bentonville, a GolfHeadquarters shop that uses high-tech computers to analyze a player'sswing opened next to the U.S. Army recruitment center. A contemporaryfurniture store selling pink leather club chairs opened across thestreet from a pawn shop.
Some residents are scrambling to slow the explosion of housing andretail complexes that are gobbling up farm land and clogging traffic.But most are just watching, with a mix of frustration and wonder, asthe little-known rural community that Sam Walton picked to start hiscompany four decades ago grows into a bustling global capital ofretail.
"People are tired of sitting in traffic, tired of waiting in linefor dinner at their favorite restaurant, tired of change, really,"economist Collins said. "But Wal-Mart isn't going anywhere. Youcannot put this genie back in the bottle."
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If you want to give a Christmas party at home, try to organiseeverything well in advance so you can enjoy being with your friendsand family, rather than spending all your time in the kitchen Withthe weather turning colder, if you have a crowd coming, rather thancreating complex canapes, a buffet with a few hot dishes you canprepare well in advance is always a winner. For instance, chicken ina mushroom and cream sauce, a beef casserole, a prawn curry and avegetable stir-fry, with a large bowl of rice as an accompaniment toall the dishes, will keep everyone warm and cover all tastes. Theyare also easy to eat with just a fork, which, if you are standingaround talking to your friends, is always a bonus.
For a really festive feel, spend a little time creating abeautifully decorated table and put the food into eye-catchingbowls.
With many people concerned about drinking and driving, a bowl ofnon-alcoholic punch will get everyone in the party spirit andprovide drivers with a cheery alternative to wine and beer.
At the same time it could be fun for your non-driving guests totry out some spicy hot toddies or mulled wine and some colourful,exotic festive cocktails.
Give yourself plenty of time to get everything done well beforethe appointed hour so you can revel in pampering yourself. Then,once everything is ready and your guests have arrived, you can relaxand enjoy the occasion and their company.
Sunday's climax to the Premier League season will decide more than whether Manchester United or Chelsea finishes as champion. It will also determine which two teams join Derby in being relegated.
Fulham, Reading and Birmingham are battling to avoid demotion to the League Championship next season. Only one will stay up.
Fulham is in the best position for survival, but the only way to be sure is to win at Portsmouth. Pompey has one eye on its FA Cup final date against Cardiff a week later.
"I don't think any of the three teams involved, ourselves, Birmingham and Reading can do any more than go on the field, do our best and hope that the football gods smile upon us," Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said.
"We are under exactly the same pressure as the other two teams. Not one of us will happily relish the thought of dropping down in the championship. We all want to stay."
Hodgson took over at Fulham in December _ replacing Lawrie Sanchez, who was fired after eight months in charge. Until last Saturday _ when Fulham beat Birmingham 2-0 _ Hodgson had never been out of the relegation zone while manager of the London side.
"We've been dead and buried for a long time, but it's nice now to at least have a chance going into the final game," Hodgson said. "It's a tough task for us to beat Portsmouth at Fratton Park but we've got to be happy that we still have that possibility. For a long time, it didn't look like were going to have that possibility."
Fulham fans celebrated after the Birmingham win, something that surprised Hodgson, given the club also flirted with relegation last season.
"We still can go into the championship and there's still a very big risk," Hodgson said. "That reception was probably the biggest pressure put upon us because we realized how important it was to people ...
"I thought the fans might still be a little bit disappointed that over the course of the season we hadn't given them as many games of that type and we are in danger of relegation."
Fulham was promoted to the Premier League in 2001, four years after the club was taken over by Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, the owner of department store Harrods.
Fulham, which has 33 points for 17th place, has a better goal difference that 18th-place Reading.
The Royals are at last-place Derby, which has already been relegated with the worst-ever points total in the 16-year history of the Premier League.
Reading chairman John Madejski said the pressure was on Fulham.
"We must win against Derby," Madejski said. "Whether that will be enough to avoid relegation is in the lap of the gods, but at least we'd be able to come out of it with some pride and dignity."
Reading was promoted to the Premier League in 2006 and finished that season in eighth, but hasn't enjoyed the same spark this season and has failed to win in its past six games.
"I have had faith in them, that still remains," Reading manager Steve Coppell said of his team. "We have got one game to achieve our ambition this year. If we do it, what a day it will be."
Birmingham, which has 32 points for 19th place, will have to rely on a win against Blackburn, and for Reading and Fulham to lose to avoid relegation. The Blues ended a four-year stint in the Premier League in 2006, and had one year in the League Championship before being promoted again for this season.
Birmingham's troubles follow a failed takeover of the club by Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung.
The three months of uncertainty led to manager Steve Bruce leaving to join Wigan when Yeung refused to sanction a new contract. Alex McLeish took over as manager in November.
"To be involved in a takeover bid and to lose your manager _ you almost have to start over again," Birmingham chairman David Gold said. "The takeover bid collapsed. That in itself was traumatic."
WASHINGTON - Gilbert Arenas got the party started early. Arenas scored 29 of his 35 points in the first half and added a season-high 12 assists Friday night, leading the Washington Wizards past the Los Angeles Clippers 116-105 and drawing "M-V-P!" chants from the sellout crowd.
Then he headed to his star-studded birthday celebration.
Arenas scored 13 points in the first quarter, 16 in the second on 7-for-8 shooting, but was only 3-for-10 the rest of the way. He also had seven rebounds as the Wizards won for the seventh time in eight games.
Caron Butler had 27 points - his fifth consecutive game with at least 20 - six assists and five rebounds for Washington, which is 13-3 at home. Antawn Jamison added 19 points, and Brendan Haywood contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds to help the Wizards put up the highest offensive total allowed by Los Angeles this season.
Elton Brand had 29 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, now 3-12 on the road. Chris Kaman added 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Arenas turns 25 on Saturday, and after the game he was going to a D.C. club for an invitation-only birthday party hosted by Sean "Diddy" Combs. The black-tie, red-carpet fete was the talk of the locker room and the town the past few days.
In the first quarter, the above-court scoreboard flashed a "Happy Birthday Gilbert!" graphic, drawing a loud ovation from many of the 20,173 in the stands. Someone handed Arenas an oversized birthday card as he left the court after the game.
When he stepped to the foul line to complete a three-point play with 0.7 seconds left in the first half, he kept a straight face while fans yelled "M-V-P!"
Arenas provided the latest in a series of superb performances. There were his 60- and 54-point games last month, and his previous outing, when he capped a full stat night (32 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists) with a tiebreaking, buzzer-beating 3-pointer. As that shot went through the net to beat the Bucks on Wednesday, Arenas turned his back to the basket with a sneer and walked away.
This time, he topped 30 with a jumper a little more than a minute into the second half; he's now hit that mark 17 times this season, and Washington is 16-1 in those games. The Southeast Division leader is 3-12 when Arenas is held below 30.
After allowing 39 points in the first quarter, a season high for the Clippers in any period, the Wizards tightened up. They forced seven turnovers while committing none in the second period and limited the Clippers to 5-for-17 shooting (29 percent) while taking a 66-57 halftime lead.
Los Angeles was up 44-31 about 1 1/2 minutes into the second quarter. But Washington scored the next 12 points as part of a 19-4 run to take a 50-48 lead.
Brand had 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting in the first quarter, and Tim Thomas scored eight points in the last 1:36 of that period as Los Angeles outrebounded Washington 18-5 in the period and took a 39-29 lead.
Notes:@ Including his layup to end the first half, Arenas has made nine shots this season with 3 or fewer seconds remaining in a quarter. ... Clippers G Cuttino Mobley returned after missing a game with a left elbow injury. He shot 1-for-8. ... The Clippers had won three in a row against the Wizards. ... Clippers G Sam Cassell missed his seventh consecutive game with a left heel injury.
NAME: Charles David Cush
AGE: 51. Born March 8, 1960, in Shreveport, La.
EDUCATION: Southern Methodist University, B.A. in broadcast/film and B.S. in psychology, 1982; MBA, 1983.
FAMILY: Single. One of seven children.
CAREER: American Airlines, 1986-1998; chief operating officer, Aerol�neas Argentinas, 1998-2000; various executive roles at American Airlines including senior vice president of global sales, 2004-2007; CEO Virgin America, 2007-present.
MORNING ROUTINE: Wakes at 4:15 a.m., sends emails, calls business associates on East Coast, listens online to Dallas sports radio program and reads the papers while on the LifeCycle bike at the gym.
DAILY NEWSPAPERS: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle and Financial Times.
BASEBALL TEAM: "I tend to adopt the team of whatever city I'm living in. So I'm a Giants fan now."
FOOTBALL TEAMS: Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints.
LOS ANGELES -- A 78-year-old retired schoolteacher is comingforward after years of silence to claim she is the out-of-wedlock,mixed-race daughter of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, her attorneysaid Saturday.
Essie Mae Washington-Williams, who lives in Los Angeles, had longbeen rumored to be the daughter of the onetime segregationist, whodied June 26 at the age of 100. She is coming forward now at theurging and encouragement of her children, attorney Frank K. Wheatonsaid.
"We're not trying to upset the Thurmond estate. We are merelybringing closure to Essie Mae's life, so her children have anopportunity to know from where they come; whether those ancestors areblack or white matters not," he said. "It is part of our Americanhistory."
Williams told the Washington Post that Thurmond privatelyacknowledged her as his daughter and had provided financial supportsince 1941. The Post first reported her claims on its Web siteSaturday.
Williams, who has scheduled a news conference in Columbia, S.C.,on Wednesday, previously denied rumors that Thurmond, the nation'soldest and longest-serving senator, was her father.
Those close to Thurmond said they were unsure about Williams'claim. "I really don't know anything about that story, so you'll needto talk to someone else," Thurmond's widow, Nancy Moore Thurmond,said. The couple separated in 1991.
In seven decades of politics, Thurmond gained fame and infamy asan arch-segregationist, but he later came to support a holiday forthe slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Williams claims Thurmond fathered her long before his politicalcareer started, when he was a 22-year-old living in his parents' homein Edgefield, S.C.
Her mother, then 16, had been working as a maid in the Thurmonds'home.
If challenged by the Thurmond family, Williams is ready to submitto DNA tests, Wheaton said.
AP
Madonna can get "Mercy," Malawi's highest court ruled Friday. The court overruled a lower court, saying the pop star can adopt 3-year-old Chifundo "Mercy" James.
"I am ecstatic," Madonna said in a statement in which she also thanked the court. "My family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her."
Madonna's lawyer Alan Chinula said he would now arrange a passport for Chifundo, which could take several days, and was awaiting word from Madonna on travel plans for the girl.
James Kambewa, a man who claims to be the little girl's father, told CBS news "I'm crying. I need my baby. I don't know where I can find any help," the network said.
But Peter Baneti, an uncle, said the family welcomed Friday's ruling.
"We hope Mercy will be joining Madonna soon," he said by phone from his village just outside Blantyre.
Madonna adopted a son, David, from Malawi last year, but her request to adopt Mercy was originally rejected in April when a lower court that said the star had not spent enough time in Malawi.
But Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo, reading the three-judge appeal court panel's ruling on Friday, said that was a narrow interpretation based on old laws and that "in this global village a man can have more than one place at which he resides."
He said the singer's commitment to helping disadvantaged children also should have been taken into account in the decision.
Madonna has founded a charity, Raising Malawi, which helps feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's more than 1 million orphans, half of whom have lost a parent to AIDS.
Children's welfare groups had expressed concern that rules meant to protect children were being bent because of Madonna's celebrity, and perhaps out of gratitude for what she has done for Malawi, one of the world's poorest and most AIDS-ravaged countries.
Chinula said that with Friday's ruling, the adoption was final, as he had requested of the court. This could not immediately be confirmed.
When Madonna adopted David, the process took months and included a child welfare official's visit to Madonna's home, which then was in London, to review her fitness as a mother.
Chinula said none of this would be necessary this time.
"What the Supreme Court has done is grant a full adoption," he said.
The appeal court ruling took more than an hour to read in court.
"The matter of residence should be determined at the time of application of the adoption," Chief Justice Munlo read. "In this case, Madonna was in Malawi not by chance but by intention. She is looking after several orphans whose welfare depends on her. She can therefore not be described as a sojourner."
The ruling also said the judges saw only two options for Chifundo; "either to stay at the orphanage without the love of family and live with the possibility of destitution, or be with Madonna where she is assured of love.
"Every child has the right to love," it said.
Madonna met the girl in 2006 at Kondanani Children's Village, an orphanage in Bvumbwe, just south of Blantyre. It was the same year she began the process of adopting David, whom she found at another orphanage in central Malawi.
The girl's 18-year-old mother was unmarried and died soon after she gave birth. Since Madonna moved to adopt the girl, a dispute has arisen between the girl's maternal relatives, who agreed to the adoption, and Kambewa, who says he is the father and wants to care for the girl himself.
Kambewa has acknowledged he had never seen the girl, but had tried to stop the adoption.
The girl's maternal relatives have said they do not believe Kambewa is the father, and his objections were not addressed in Friday's ruling.
The chairman of the coalition of non-governmental organizations that had opposed Madonna's adoption efforts said Friday's ruling "disregarded" international agreements on children's rights and adoptions.
Undule Mwakasungula also took issue with the argument that because Madonna has made an investment in the country and has interests there, she could be considered a resident.
"We are a bit surprised but we can't challenge it because the Supreme Court has ruled and we have to go with that," he said.
The new ANC leader and would-be national president Jacob Zuma took another wife Saturday _ in a Zulu tradition of polygamy that coexists uneasily with calls for gender equality in modern South Africa.
With a corruption scandal brewing around him, 65-year-old Zuma married Nompumelelo Ntuli, a 33-year-old mother of two of his children, in a low-keyed Zulu ceremony at his home in rural KwaZulu-Natal, according to the South African Press Association and radio.
It was reportedly at least the fourth marriage for Zuma, who keeps his private life under wraps. He is said to have more than 10 children and at least one other wife. He is divorced from South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and another of his wives committed suicide eight years ago.
Zuma has been in the spotlight since he defeated incumbent Thabo Mbeki to become leader of the African National Congress last month, and hopes to become national president when Mbeki stands down in 2009. However, within days of his victory, prosecutors ordered him to stand trial in August on charges of corruption, money laundering, racketeering and fraud.
Zuma supporters _ including the powerful trade union movement and ANC Youth League _ accused Mbeki of seeking to avenge his humiliation by putting pressure on the National Prosecuting Authority to revive charges against Zuma that were dropped on a technicality in 2006. Mbeki's office and the prosecuting authority have denied this.
Zuma was on trial in 2005 for allegedly raping a longtime family friend. He was acquitted, but only after he admitted in court that he knowingly had unprotected sex with the HIV-positive woman and showered after intercourse, thinking it would reduce the risk of contracting the virus. He said the woman had been wearing a skirt _ and that he interpreted this as inviting his sexual advances.
The ruling ANC _ which started as a liberation movement _ has pushed gender equality and women's rights in South Africa. Many women who called in to national talk shows Friday, when news of the wedding emerged, said that Zuma's plans to take another wife went against this.
Zulu traditions allow men to take more than one wife. But the practice is limited, due to the fact that it is costly and runs against the Western norms that are increasingly pervading society. No legislative moves have been made, however, to abolish the practice, considered part of South Africa's cultural diversity.
On Saturday, two of South Africa's top legal figures, retired chief justice Arthur Chaskalson and George Bizos, who defended Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders, entered the fray over the corruption charges. They disputed claims by Zuma supporters that he did not stand chance of a fair trial, and voiced concern at threats of popular unrest.
"Putting pressure on the courts by making serious allegations of partiality, uttering threats of massive demonstrations, and expressing opinions in intemperate language are harmful to the judicial process, to our constitutional democracy and to our country's reputation," they said in a statement to the South African Press Association.
Chaskalson, an anti-apartheid lawyer, was president of the Constitutional Court from 1994 to 2001 and its chief justice in 2001-2005. Bizos has acted as counsel to Mandela since the mid-1950s.
Mbeki fired Zuma as the country's deputy president in 2005, after Zuma's financial adviser was convicted of trying to elicit bribes from French arms company Thint. Prosecutors contend Zuma was aware of efforts to secure the bribes on his behalf in exchange for using his influence to halt an investigation into a multibillion-dollar arms deal between Thint and the government.
Prosecutors now say they have additional evidence implicating Zuma.
The ANC's national executive committee meets for the first time Monday since Zuma was elected. It is expected to be a stormy affair, with the new charges against Zuma exacerbating tensions between the new party leader and Mbeki.
The ANC executive _ now weighted with Zuma supporters _ will also discuss the new party policy to be issued at a rally next Saturday. This is seen as a test of whether the ANC will veer to the left.
CHICAGO - Grain and soybean futures advanced in early activity Thursday on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Wheat for July delivery rose 4 1/4 cents to $5.24 a bushel; July corn rose 5 cents to $3.79 3/4 a bushel; July oats rose 1/2 cent to $2.91 a bushel; July soybeans rose 3 1/4 cents to $8.25 1/2 a bushel.
Beef and pork futures were mixed in early trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
August live cattle was unchanged at 89.72 cents a pound; August feeder cattle fell .70 cent to $1.0907 a pound; July lean hogs fell .15 cent to 74.10 cents a pound; July pork bellies were unchanged at 95.30 cents a pound.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The new compilation of speeches by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is entitled, of course, "I Didn't Come Here to Make a Speech."
The title is true to the spirit of absurdity that characterizes "magical realism," the literary style the Colombian-born Garcia Marquez pioneered.
The book starts with a 1944 speech he made at a high school graduation, and includes his 1982 Nobel Literature Prize acceptance speech.
Editor Cristobal Pera said the speeches show how Garcia Marquez evolved as a writer and thinker. The speeches touch on politics, literature and other topics.
Garcia Marquez did not attend Thursday's presentation of the book, but Pera said he "is doing very well for a man of 83 who has overcome cancer."
Case A: A Wall Street guru was saying unflattering things aboutthe stock market. So his employer, an investment company in NewJersey, requested that he quit. The man says he was told that he wasbad for business.
Case B: Another brokerage firm in New York City that specializesin initial public offerings required its brokers to get a higher-up'sapproval before honoring requests by customers to sell certainstocks. And often it would require the broker to find a buyer forevery share a customer wanted to sell. The firm apparently didn'twant the price falling on a stock for which it had issued positivecomments.
Case C: There was also a story recently in the Wall StreetJournal about how one very respectable Wall Street brokerage firm hadissued a memo ordering analysts not to speak badly about companiesthat were clients of its underwriting department. The brokerage firmsaid it was all a misunderstanding.
More and more, an investor has to ask himself: Is Wall Street'sresearch useless? Maybe even dangerous?
Peter Grandich is the market expert who says he was pressuredto leave AFM Investments in Howell, N.J., because he was too negativeon the stock market. AFM says Grandich's leaving was by mutualagreement and had nothing to do with his negative opinions.
But Grandich says this is the second time in his career that hispessimistic views ran afoul of a brokerage firm's interest. The lasttime was in August of 1987, when Grandich was head of investmentstrategy for another brokerage firm and he issued an all-out sellsignal on the stock market.
Grandich says the management of that brokerage firm asked him torescind the recommendation. He refused, but stayed in the job. Afew months later, the stock market crashed.
Wall Street's business, of course, is to sell stocks and otherinvestments. If a broker told clients not to get into the stockmarket, it would be a little like a car salesman telling aprospective buyer that his autos weren't very good.
So it's rare for Wall Street to badmouth any stock. Usually,the most bearish recommendation coming from a major brokerage housethese days will be to "hold" a stock. Sometimes the worst stocks arerecommended for purchase with the caveat "high risk."
George Salem, who follows the banking industry for PrudentialSecurities, is one of a small group of analysts on Wall Street whohasn't been afraid to recommend the sale of stocks he didn't thinkwould perform well.
Salem says many analysts are afraid to issue sellrecommendations because they fear getting into a squabble withcompanies they are covering.
As far as much of Wall Street research is concerned, "thecustomers aren't necessarily getting objective advice," Salem says.
The problem of biased information is probably worse at brokeragefirms with large underwriting businesses. Because these firms sellstock for the very same corporations that their analysts follow, thetemptation is to go easy on clients.
That's the kind of situation the Wall Street Journal seems tohave uncovered when it discovered a memo distributed by theinvestment bankers at Morgan Stanley telling analysts not to sayanything disparaging about clients. Morgan Stanley said the memo wasmisinterpreted.
In many instances, analysts get around the disdain for "sell"recommendations through semantics. Instead of urging customers tounload the stocks of dangerous companies, analysts will issue a "weakhold."
And then there is the one I like the most - "accumulate foraggressive accounts." It's the equivalent of a bet at the $100window at the racetrack. It's telling investors that they aregambling - although the wording doesn't convey the risk.
Not only are researchers selling ideas to the sales force butthey also "get in love with their stocks," said Perrin Long, along-time follower of the brokerage industry who is now at FirstMichigan Corp in Detroit. "They get too close to their companies."
Wall Street is also in love with the idea of selling stock -any stock, any time. It's no different from a furniture salesman.
Then there are the Wall Street economists, who seem to be amongthe most optimistic and nearly always can find a positive spin.
As long as stock prices remain high, nobody cares whether WallStreet is infested with Pollyannas. But when stocks do decline, andif they come down sharply, Wall Street research is going to comeunder intense criticism.
John Crudele is a financial columnist with the New York Post.His address is Box 610, Lincroft, N.J. 07738.
OSWEGO, Ill. (AP) — A B-17 bomber that dates to World War II has crashed and burned in a cornfield outside Chicago.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory says aviation officials believe the seven people on board the plane escaped uninjured. She says the plane took off from Aurora Municipal Airport on Monday morning and crashed about 20 minutes later in Oswego.
Fire officials say the pilot reported a fire shortly after taking off. Firefighters from Oswego, Sugar Grove and Plainfield responded to the crash. But fire officials say they're having difficulty accessing the crash because of wet fields.
The vintage plane was made in 1944 and is known as the "Flying Fortress." Cory says it is registered to the Liberty Foundation in Miami.
Jason Caffey made a return from the missing-persons list Mondayfor an 18-point, 10-rebound effort in the Bulls' 111-104 victoryagainst the Phoenix Suns.
The third-year power forward, who went from a starter tobasically a forgotten man in the first six weeks of the season, has asimple explanation for his performance:
Playing time."I had a good flow, but I think a lot had to do with playingtime," Caffey said. "When you're in there for seven, eight minutesat a time, it's easier to get in a flow than when you're in there forthree, four minutes."Coach Phil Jackson, though, couldn't have disagreed more whenCaffey's comments were relayed after practice Tuesday."That's b.s.," Jackson said."A lot of players need playing time to play well, but they'renot going to get it. There are nights Jason's not going to get it.It just so happened that Phoenix had a small lineup, and we were ableto play Jason a few more minutes than normal."Players just have to play their role when they come in off thebench. That's one of the fallacies with young players. They have tounderstand that, and sometimes they're hardheaded by that position."Caffey hoped to establish himself this season as a player worthyof being a starter in the NBA, and he got a great chance at thebeginning of the season when Dennis Rodman reported late to trainingcamp.But now Rodman is back to grabbing double-digit reboundspractically every game, and Caffey is back on the bench."It's tough to go from starting and doing some constructivethings for a team to not playing, but I'm a role player on this teamright now and I just have to do what's asked of me," Caffey said."I'll accept that role. But at some point, I do want to get in thereand get some good time going."NEW FRIENDS? After the game Monday, the Suns' Cedric Ceballoswas in the Bulls' locker room visiting with Scottie Pippen, whichsparked thoughts among the onlookers that the two soon might have anopportunity to talk more often.The Suns were one of the teams Pippen named when he demanded tobe traded last month. The other, the Los Angeles Lakers, is in towntonight to play the Bulls.Does it make for an uncomfortable situation for the other Bullsplayers, particularly if they think Pippen might be imagining himselfwith the opponent?"No, that didn't even cross my mind," Michael Jordan said. "Ifthat's the case, then I think Scottie would have to speak about that.That never even crossed my mind.""No, I don't think so, not in the least," Jackson said. "Idon't think he's thinking about that at all. I think those are justtwo things that came off the top of his head because he was thinkingL.A. is sunny and warm and so is Phoenix."INJURY UPDATE: Randy Brown and Luc Longley continue to nursesprained right ankles, and both are hoping to play tonight."We think Randy will be able to play; Luc might be able toplay," Jackson said. "Both were held out of practice."FEELING FINE: Jackson raised eyebrows Monday by saying Jordanlooked tired. No one was caught more off-guard by that comment thanJordan."That's not true," Jordan said. "I think that's a careful,cautious statement. I feel good. I'm practicing every day. If Ifelt fatigued, then I think the first signs where you'd see it wouldbe in practice."I think a lot is being said with me not being able to goagainst the double teams, triple teams, whatever. I think what wehave to do is collectively do our jobs so one man is not focused onso much."HOME-COURT EDGE: The Bulls conducted practice Tuesday at theUnited Center in their seemingly never-ending quest to getcomfortable on their home court, despite a 10-1 home record thisseason."I think our defense and our rebounding have won the gameshere," Jordan said. "We don't get to practice here as much. Whenyou practice (in a building), you get a little more accustomed to it.Phil's trying to get us down here more often so our shooting is a lotbetter and the surroundings seem more familiar."
Tom Izzo is staying at Michigan State, turning down a chance to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers and perhaps LeBron James.
"I knew at the beginning that whatever decision I made would be a decision for life," Izzo said during a news conference on campus.
"I am going to be a lifer. This is what I'm going to be, and I'm damn proud of it."
For the past nine days, Izzo has been trying to decide whether to leave the place that has been his home since 1983 and jump to the NBA to perhaps make $6 million _ doubling his salary _ and possibly coaching one of the best basketball players in the world.
"Just as I decided to stay home, I hope a 6-8, 270-pound forward in Cleveland decides to stay home," Izzo said in a statement released by the school.
He admitted the idea of coaching the 25-year-old superstar was very tempting.
"I thought playing one-on-one with LeBron James every day would be a good thing," Izzo said. He admitted turning down the Cavs was a difficult decision.
"How many more offers do you get? How many more opportunities?" Izzo said. "People asked 'why would you want to leave?' I didn't. I didn't want to leave."
James' uncertain future will make for a difficult decision for any prospective Cavs coach. The 25-year-old superstar is unlikely to tip his hand publicly before free agency begins July 1.
Izzo's decision ends a nearly two-week courtship by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who was hoping a reported five-year $30 million contract would be enough to land the Spartans coach, and perhaps show James he intends to remake the Cavs following a bitter postseason loss.
"The entire Cleveland Cavalier organization has nothing but respect and admiration for Coach Izzo and his family," Gilbert said in a statement. "Tom is a special person in so many unique and positive ways. We only wish great things for him and his family in all the years ahead."
Izzo did not look at ease as he walked into Tuesday night's news conference along with his wife, Lupe, Michigan State president Lou Anna Simon and athletic director Mark Hollis.
He kept his head down when Simon made her opening remarks, sipping water, tapping his feet and fidgeting with his fingers and rubbing his hands.
This past season, Izzo led the Spartans to the Final Four for the sixth time in 12 years. Only the late John Wooden at UCLA and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski also have done that.
"It's a great day, knowing he's coming back," said Mateen Cleaves, perhaps Izzo's favorite player and one of the stars from his 2000 national championship team. "It put the biggest smile on my face to know he's coming back."
Milwaukee Bucks guard Charlie Bell, who played on the 2000 national championship team, was also glad to hear Izzo's staying: "Izzo is Michigan State basketball."
Two of the five former assistants who are Division I coaches were thrilled, too.
"Thought he handled very difficult process very well," Utah coach Jim Boylen wrote in a text message. "It was a win-win situation for him. Happy for him, his family and his team that it's over."
South Florida coach Stan Heath sent a text that read: "Tom is great for Michigan State and for college basketball."
For the NBA franchise in Cleveland, Izzo's decision appears to be another setback.
Izzo's snub has further tangled a tricky summer for the Cavaliers, who are weeks away from knowing if James will be back with them.
Since losing to Boston in the second round of the playoffs, Gilbert fired Mike Brown, the most successful coach in team history; general manager Danny Ferry left after deciding not to renew his contract following five banner years; and now Izzo, a friend of Gilbert's, doesn't want to be in the Cavs' future.
James' decision hangs over all of it. Without knowing if he'll return, the Cavs' pursuit of a coach has been nearly impossible. They can't promise candidates that No. 23 _ soon to be No. 6 _ will be around to make another run at a title.
The Cavs were adamant that James would not be consulted during their coaching search. Even if a coach had talked to the two-time MVP, he wasn't going to reveal his plans before hitting the free-agent market with an All-Star class that includes fellow Olympians Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Cleveland's next option appears to be Byron Scott, who spent an hour on the phone last week with Cavs GM Chris Grant and assistant Lance Blanks. Scott may not be a slam-dunk backup plan for the Cavs because the former New Jersey and New Orleans coach would be interested in the Los Angeles job if Phil Jackson retires.
Scott won three titles playing for the Lakers and has dreamed of coaching in L.A. He had an "out clause" built into his contract with the Nets so he could pursue the Lakers' job if it ever opened. He also loves the West Coast after being fired by the Hornets and might seriously listen to the Clippers if they're interested in him.
The Cavs also have contacted Milwaukee assistant Kelvin Sampson and former Atlanta coach and Cavs assistant Mike Woodson. The team could bring one of both of them in for interviews, but may wait until after they have a better sense of James' next off-the-floor move.
Gilbert knew finding Brown's replacement would be difficult. He said it would be ideal to have a coach in place by July 1, but that may be unrealistic. The draft is next week, and although the Cavs don't currently have a pick, they've been shopping around to obtain one.
They've also talked to several teams about possible trades, hoping to upgrade their roster and make it more appealing to James.
Brown was fired after five seasons for failing to win a championship. His successor will be hard pressed to match Brown's success over a five-year span, when the Cavs went to the finals, won two division titles and had the league's best regular-season record the past two seasons.
___
AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.
They tell us that the Ditka who could bring out the fight in aTrappist monk is gone forever. "Mellow Mike" is what the talkingheads are calling him.
But it doesn't seem that long ago when Ditka was biting off theheads of quarterbacks as if they were sticks of beef jerky.Remember when:He was so disgusted with one practice that he called his team offthe field?During a scrimmage against another team, he called out a player fromthe opposing team for clipping one of his players, even though Ditkaadmitted it wasn't his place to do so?He roused his team to a preseason victory with a fiery speech?Ditka told his players that the opponent had rubbed their noses inthe dirt in a previous meeting, and he implored them to "hit the guyacross from you in the mouth before he hits you."He made fun of his injured players? He told one to treat hisbruised sternum by putting a pad on it, taking an aspirin, wearing asign with an arrow that read, "Don't hit me here," or by visitingLourdes. He got fed up with the way tight ends were blocking inpractice one day and hit the sled himself?He personally saw to it that his players ran the nutcracker drillevery day in a grueling training camp, then made sure they wereforced to run after each and every practice?He yanked a couple of defensive linemen out of a preseason gamebecause one roughed the quarterback and the other jumped offside?He cursed the host of a radio show who tried to interview him beforea game and ranted at team public-relations men for setting up toomany interviews?Don't remember these scenes? Well, maybe it's because theydidn't happen in Chicago. They happened since Ditka has beencoaching the Saints.A new Mike Ditka?"That's bull," said Danny Abramowicz, Ditka's offensivecoordinator. "Smell it, don't eat it."The new Mike Ditka is the old Mike Ditka.If there's a difference in Ditka, it's that he knows where todraw the line. Passion still is what defines Ditka, but he says itwill never again consume him to the point where he loses control.Ditka chuckles at his new image."I am me, first of all," he said. "I'm not trying to foolanybody. And I'm not unhappy with that person. I like that person.I don't like some things he does in life. Like everybody else, I'vedone some things I wish I could change, but I can't change themnow."Several Saints players already have felt Ditka's bite."He found out he has to get some players' attention, and theonly way is to be vocal with them," quarterback Heath Shuler said.The more familiar Ditka has become with his players, the morevociferous he has become."He's certainly asserting himself," cornerback Eric Allen said."When you don't perform, he lets you know. It goes a long waymentally. We're not making as many mistakes as last year because ofthe emphasis on technique."More than just a temper remains from the old Ditka. The samequalities that made Ditka popular enough to win an election inChicago have enchanted New Orleans. Three games into his firstpreseason, he is as ubiquitous as crawfish on the bayou.There is a demand for Ditka, and he is happy to supply. Ditkahas not one, not two, but three local television shows and a radioshow. The TV shows pay him $300,000 per year.His face adorns the cover of New Orleans magazine. He appearsin ads ordering the locals to drink Big Shot pop and demanding theybuy Saints tickets.More fans bought tickets for the Saints' first preseason gamethan attended any game last season. The Saints, who finished 3-13 in1996, have sold 3,034 more season tickets this year.The New Orleans Times Picayune quoted one 5-year-old fanpredicting a perfect record for the Saints, including a victory overthe opponent of the week by a 61-0 score."There's so much hype right now," Ditka said. "It's like we wonWorld War III or something."It's only going to intensify.So will Ditka. With the regular season more than one week away,Ditka hasn't seen a single round of enemy fire yet. And if Ditkashould show some of his familiar rage?"So what?" Ditka said. "It's not the end of the world. Itworked for one Super Bowl and a lot of wins. If it has that muchsuccess down here, we'd all be tickled."Not to mention entertained.
Vagina piercings and tattoos appeared to be a bigger deal Tuesdayto voters in northwest suburban River Grove than swimming pools orKiddieland.
Ending one of the more bizarre suburban mayoral races, actingVillage President Marilynn May stomped challenger Paul Collurafici, atattoo parlor owner who argued the suburb was being left behind butfound his occupation a bigger campaign issue.
May beat Collurafici 81 percent to 19 percent with all of theprecincts tallied.
"I felt that I would win, but I was surprised at the percentage --that it was so high," May told reporters outside her victory party atthe Loon Cafe in the northwest suburb. "I'm just …
Key barometers in the Treasury market late Wednesday, compared with late Tuesday. Price changes in the 10-year note and 30-year bond are per $100 invested:
| Today | Previous session | |
| 10-year note | +$1.00 | +9.4 cents |
| 30-year bond | +$1.46 | +34.4 cents |
___
| Yield | Pvs Session | |
| 1-month bill | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| 3-month bill | 0.04 | 0.05 |
| 6-month bill | 0.10 | 0.11 |
| 2-year note | 0.45 | 0.47 |
| 5-year note | 1.60 | 1.71 |
| 10-year note | 2.94 | 3.06 |
| 30-year bond | 4.14 | 4.23 |
| Inflation note | 0.69 | 0.75 |
| Federal Funds | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Municipal bonds(1) | 5.29 | 5.36 |
___
| (1)Bond Buyer index of 40 actively traded municipal bonds. |
A year before the host-city vote, the race for the 2018 Winter Olympics starts in earnest Tuesday when the IOC selects the candidates that will go forward to the final phase.
Unlike previous shortlist decisions, this one involves little suspense: All the contenders are expected to make the cut in what is already the smallest bidding field in three decades.
The International Olympic Committee executive board is likely to accept all three _ Annecy, France; Munich; and Pyeongchang, South Korea _ as official bid cities, removing their previous tag as "applicant" cities.
The three cities have been campaigning on a low-key basis since last October when they were the only ones to apply to host the games. Once accepted as finalists, they will be allowed to launch more visible international lobbying efforts.
Pyeongchang, bidding for a third consecutive time, is seen as the front-runner, with Munich as the main challenger and Annecy as the outsider. Although Annecy appears a longshot, there seems to be no desire in the IOC to drop the French bid, particularly since there are so few candidates in the race.
The 15-member executive board will receive a recommendation from an IOC working group which studied the cities' replies to a detailed questionnaire on key issues.
"We've all seen the preliminary reports from the cities," British executive board member Craig Reedie told The Associated Press. "It is important for us to receive a recommendation from the working group and to decide if all three cities go through or not.
"Personally, in my view, all three bids are acceptable and should go forward. With only three candidates, it would seem unlikely you would eliminate one."
The finalists will have to submit their detailed bid proposals to the IOC by Jan. 11, 2011. An IOC evaluation commission will visit each city next year, and the full IOC will select the 2008 host by secret ballot at its session in Durban, South Africa, on July 6, 2011.
It's the fewest number of Winter Games bids since 1981, when three finalists competed for the 1988 Olympics, which were awarded to the Canadian city of Calgary. There were seven bids for the 1992 Games, four for 1994, six for 1998, nine for 2002 (cut to four finalists), six for 2006, eight for 2010 (pared to four finalists) and seven for 2014 (reduced to three finalists).
Reedie said the global economic crisis was a likely reason for the reduced field.
"We live in a more complicated financial world than before," he said. "You look at the concerns of Vancouver and London in this present climate, and the IOC should be pleased to have three first-class bids."
Pyeongchang, located in the Alpensia mountains east of Seoul, is back again after narrowly losing out to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics and to Sochi, Russia, for the 2014 Games. Korean organizers say they have learned from those defeats and claim their games would be the most compact in history. The bid is led by Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho.
Munich, which staged the 1972 Summer Olympics, aims to become the first city to host both the summer and winter games. Led by former skier and moviemaker Willy Bogner and two-time figure skating gold medalist Katarina Witt, the Bavarian bid proposes holding ice events in Munich and snow competitions in the mountain resorts of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Koenigssee. Garmisch hosted the Winter Games in 1936.
The Savoy lakeside resort of Annecy is making its first Olympic bid, although France has staged the Winter Games three times _ Chamonix 1924, Grenoble 1968 and Albertville 1992. Annecy, led by former moguls gold medalist Edgar Grospiron, proposes using eight ski resorts around Mont Blanc, including Chamonix, Megeve and Morzine.
Reedie said the 2018 bids will be judged on the success of the Vancouver Games, which won high marks for their full arenas and festive atmosphere despite weather problems and the death of a Georgian luger in a training crash.
"They produced extremely good games after the most difficult of starts," Reedie said. "The members will probably be thinking, `What is the best way of carrying on the message of Vancouver?'"
During the two-day meeting, the IOC board will also hear progress reports from organizers of the 2012 London Olympics and 2014 Sochi Games.
SAN DIEGO When Bob Dole tracked me down in this convention citylast Thursday with a telephone call from his Washington campaignheadquarters, I became convinced that he was about to do theimpossible: name Jack Kemp his running mate.
Dole never has hidden his displeasure with my criticism of hisperformance as a Republican presidential candidate. His lastunsolicited call to me was eight years ago. Now, he told me flatlythat yes, his archrival Kemp was among his last three prospects forvice president. He left me with little doubt that he would decide onKemp the next day.
That phone call was a tiny reflection of Dole's dramaticallyaltered course. He has rejected …
Abraxis BioScience, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABII), a fully integrated biotechnology company, welcomes the announcement today that following a full submission, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has accepted ABRAXANE[R] (paclitaxel albumin) for restricted use within the National Health Service (NHS) for Scotland in patients who would otherwise receive docetaxel or 3-weekly solvent-based paclitaxel as second-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer.
"ABRAXANE's acceptance by the SMC is a significant milestone in our goal to provide patients in the United Kingdom and across Europe with an innovative treatment option," said Jean-Francois Gimonet, M.D., Vice President, European …
Byline: Combined wire services -
HOUSTON -- Astros second baseman Jeff Kent was suspended for two games and fined Tuesday as a result of his argument with umpire Matt Hollowell during a game against the Chicago Cubs on July 26.
Kent appealed the penalty and was in Houston's lineup for Tuesday night's game against the New York Mets.
A date for a hearing has not been set. The suspension, imposed by Major League Baseball vice president Bob Watson, will not take effect until the appeal is heard.
Kent is alleged to have pushed Astros manager Jimy Williams into Hollowell after being ejected while disputing a checked-swing call.
Kent is …
The broad sector of chemical processing catalysts can be described as making a comeback from the recession and the down cycle in petrochemicals. Gauging this year's uptick, however, is difficult, given that many product categories lag the economy by up to six months in a market that is as much affected by catalyst management - inventory and recharging schedules - as by the decline or recovery of end-product industries.
Additional pressure has been placed on suppliers to innovate with existing technologies, improving the activity and selectivity of catalysts to compete in a mature market. For some products, the effect has been to lengthen the life of catalysts and reduce the amount needed to charge a reaction, further tightening the market.
There are several growth areas, including the development of catalysts for use with oxygenates in transportation fuels and a move to replace items like Rainey nickel catalysts with precious metals. In general, however, the outlook is mixed for chemical catalysts, with several categories looking forward to the next round of change-outs and others to dry times ahead.
"I see modest growth and stable prices [in petrochemicals]," says Frank Sherman, general manager of polymerization catalysts at Akzo (Chicago). "But my business is less dependent on growth in the underlying polymers than on technology improvements. And there is a lot going on there." Sherman adds that with lean times in the petrochemical industry, Akzo's customers will place greater emphasis on value-added catalysts to improve their products or reduce their costs. "Catalysts have a lot to do with defining product," says Sherman. "They help you change process variables without changing the process."
A primary area of innovation is in supported polypropylene catalysts, says Sherman. "We see more interest in controlled particle size, controlled morphology, specialty copolymers, and enhanced catalyst productivity." He adds that the drive to differentiate end products will foster a growth in custom catalyst manufacturing deals. Sherman says Akzo's involvement in metal alkyls and polymerization catalysts positions the company well for partnerships. …
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A 14-year-old girl who stabbed about three dozen classmates with a hypodermic needle at her Puerto Rico school has been sentenced to two years of probation.
The island's Justice Department says the teen will be evaluated at a hearing every three months during the probationary period. The Justice Department announced the sentence Friday. The court …
DJs Chester Copperpot and K Kruz
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As Daniel Kuypers tells his story, it quickly becomes clear whythe Evanston-raised producer and DJ known as Chester Copperpot titledhis debut CD "Chapter Seven," as in bankruptcy.
"I started out at Knox College over in Galesburg, Ill., and I onlylasted there about two-thirds of a year [before] I figured out that Icould buy plane tickets with credit cards over the Internet," hesays. "So, I was in the computer lab and was like, 'Man, [forget]this. I'm going to London.' "
And that's exactly what he did. He went the post …
New York, Geneva (AirGuideBusiness - Air Transport & Government News Europe) May 30, 2010
ATA The Air Transport Association said that it was pleased that the English High Court will allow ATA permission to proceed with its legal challenge to the unilateral extension of the EU emissions trading scheme to international aviation. The High Court will shortly refer the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg for a ruling on the validity of the EU law. ATA and its members have joined other airlines around the world in supporting a global framework for greenhouse gas measures under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations …
Byline: Mary Connelly
The cool kids are doing it - and you can, too. That's the thrust of the new advertising campaign from Kia Motors America.
The Korean brand wants to throw off its geeky low-price image. It seeks to join the in-crowd of automakers known for vehicles with distinctive design, driving and safety features.
The ad campaign suggests "it is a smart decision to buy a Kia, and other people are making the same choice,'' says Ian Beavis, Kia's vice president of marketing. "There is a sense of community building about the brand.''
Kia has "reached a tipping point,'' Beavis told Automotive News.
"We are starting to attract …
Byline: Associated Press
POUGHKEEPSIE -- Alton Maddox on Monday tried to poke holes into allegations he and two other former advisers to Tawana Brawley recklessly conspired to connect Steven Pagones to an alleged attack on her more than a decade ago.
Pagones filed the $395 million defamation suit against the advisers for implicating him in the alleged attack on Brawley. A special grand jury later cleared Pagones and found the girl's story without merit.
In one instance, Maddox showed a 1988 video of the New Jersey-based talk show ``People Are Talking,'' in which the attorney appeared with the Rev. Al Sharpton to talk about the alleged rape and …
