Move over Honeycrisp, there's a new apple in the basket.
Cornell University has licensed a new industry group, New York State Apple Growers, to grow and market two new, patented apple varieties developed by Susan Brown at Cornell's Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva.
The varieties, under development for 14 years, are Cornell's 65th and 66th apple releases. One …
It is only by coincidence that when Lee Elia comes to Chicago thisweekend, it will be not only a homecoming for him, but also ananniversary. Elia, a former Cubs manager, now is a coach with theSeattle Mariners. And the Mariners will be playing the White Sox atComiskey Park.
At about 4:30 p.m. Sunday, probably just after the game, someoneshould bring out a cake with 18 candles on it. It will be 18 years tothe minute since the birth of Elia's legend. And when he sees thecake to honor his big moment, this is what he'll say:
"If they're the real Chicago (bleeping) fans, they can kiss my(bleeping bleep) right downtown. And print it. Print it!"
OK, that might have …
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Greek government says Prime Minister George Papandreou is to meet the ruler of Qatar to sign an investment agreement.
A government statement says the meeting between the premier and Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani is expected to start early Saturday evening. Other Qatari officials also will be present.
The statement does not specify the nature of the agreement, but state TV NET said …
LONDON (AP) — Stock markets in Europe and the U.S. were helped Monday by a drop in oil prices as Libyan rebel forces made gains against the regime of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi.
The rebels have taken control of two key port towns and indicated they would restart crude exports within weeks. That affects markets because Libya accounts for a little under 2 percent of the world's daily production.
The rebels' advance in recent days has come in the wake of international airstrikes against Gadhafi's military forces and has encouraged investor hopes that the regime may soon fall.
That prospect was reflected in the oil markets. A barrel of crude as traded in New York was …
A leading manufacturer of carpet and textile examines in-vessel composting of PLA feedstocks.
THERE has been a recent surge in development of commercial biobased plastics including PLA (polylactic acid), PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate), PHV (polyhydroxyvalerate), starch-based polymers, and soy based polymers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's establishment of the Federal Biobased Products Purchasing Program in January 2005 certainly added extra incentives to this new direction. The goal is to stop using petroleum and to start using agricultural products as raw materials for plastics manufacturing and the industry is responding positively.
One of the added values of these …
WASHINGTON - Spoiling for a veto fight, Congress cleared legislation Thursday easing restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
The House vote to send the measure to President Bush was 247-176, 35 short of the level needed to override a second veto in as many years on the issue.
"For many, embryonic stem cell research is the most promising source of potential treatments and cures" for debilitating disease, said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., the bill's leading advocate.
"Unfortunately, because of the stubbornness of one man - President Bush - these people continue to suffer as they wait," she added.
The president was unpersuaded. …
As of Monday, May 18, 2009, at least 4,297 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
The figure includes eight military civilians killed in action. At least 3,442 military personnel died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
The AP count is the same as the Defense Department's tally, last updated Monday at 10 a.m. EDT.
The British military has reported 179 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 21; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia and Georgia, three each; Estonia, …
ROME (AP) — The United Nations has warned of a possible resurgence of the deadly bird flu virus and has urged greater surveillance.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Agency says a mutant strain of H5N1 avian influenza, which can apparently sidestep defenses of existing vaccines, is spreading in China and Vietnam.
Last week, the U.N. reported that a 6-year-old Cambodian girl had …
A Thai court ordered an extended 12-day detention Monday for the crew of a cargo plane loaded with North Korean weapons, as Thailand said it was trying to determine if the aircraft's destination was in Asia or the Middle East.
The Bangkok Criminal Court accepted a police request to hold the five-man crew in prison pending further investigations in a case that could shed new light on the illicit weapons trade from North Korea. The impoverished nation is widely accused of selling weapons to nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America in violation of U.N. sanctions.
Thai authorities reportedly acted on a tip from their American counterparts when they impounded …
And you wonder why the United States failed to make an impact atthe World Cup.
When Michael Jordan is the most popular athlete in the countryand Ronaldo might as well be the newest preteen music group, it'shard to convince young ballplayers that converting a corner kick canbe just as fun as scoring on a slam dunk.
But Soccer in the Streets, which has a chapter in Chicago, istrying to generate interest in the sport by targeting city youthswho might not otherwise …
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern University to 'fully …
MADIKWE GAME RESERVE, South Africa (AP) — It was an African safari Saturday for Michelle Obama and her family.
The first lady, joined by daughters Malia, 12, and Sasha, 10, along with her mother, Marian Robinson, and a niece and nephew, climbed into an open-air Toyota Land Cruiser in search of lions, giraffes, elephants and other animals on the sprawling Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa.
"Let's go see some stuff," Mrs. Obama said before she and her family returned to the vehicle after listening to a park guide's explanation about the mountains off in the distance. "Let's go."
They had seen at least one elephant by early afternoon.
The group, including Mrs. Obama's niece and nephew, Leslie and Avery Robinson, age 15 and 19, were spending the night at a lodge on the reserve.
Mrs. Obama has been in Africa all week, promoting youth leadership, education, and health and wellness in South Africa and Botswana. She returns home to Washington on Monday.
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Darlene Superville can be reached at www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap
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Online:
Madikwe Game Reserve: http://www.parksnorthwest.co.za/madikwe/index.html
A police official says a building's collapse in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi has injured at least eight people.
Raja Mohammad Hafeez also says at least 10 rescue workers are feared trapped in the rubble of the four-story shopping plaza, which collapsed Saturday several hours after it caught fire.
The injured eight were taken away for medical help.
He says the rescue workers were inside the building trying to put out the fire when it collapsed. Rawalpindi is a garrison city located just outside the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
Oil prices dropped Tuesday after a key OPEC member left open the possibility the oil cartel will increase output to curb rising prices, and following the strengthening of the U.S. dollar overnight.
Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said production will be discussed when the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries meets next month in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Light, sweet crude for December delivery fell 6 cents to US$94.56 a barrel in Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midafternoon in Singapore. The contract fell US$1.70 to settle at US$94.62 a barrel Monday.
The long-term impact of another increase in oil production by OPEC isn't clear. A previous 500,000 barrel a day increase in production, which went into effect Nov. 1, was widely viewed as too little too late to stop crude's run-up to near $100 a barrel. Crude prices rose 42 percent between late August and last week, when they reached a record of US$98.62 a barrel.
A rebound in the U.S. dollar Monday also pressured crude prices. Oil futures offer a hedge against a weak dollar, and oil futures bought and sold in dollars are more attractive to foreign investors when the U.S. currency is falling. Many analysts blame speculative investing driven by the falling dollar for the rally in crude prices over the past two-and-a-half months.
Oil prices were dampened as well by worries over the U.S. economy as Wall Street fell its fourth straight session on expectations of further fallout from the ongoing credit crisis. The Dow Jones industrials ended below 13,000 for the first time since August.
Oil prices could be volatile this week due the expiration of crude options on Tuesday and the expiration of the December crude contract Friday.
Investors will have plenty of additional supply and demand data to chew on. On Tuesday, the International Energy Agency will issue its monthly report on crude supplies and demand. On Thursday, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration will issue its weekly inventory report.
The EIA report is expected to show U.S. crude oil inventories fell 300,000 barrels last week, according to the average estimate of analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires. Gasoline inventories, on average, likely fell 100,000 barrels, while distillate stocks were expected to fall 300,000 barrels. Refinery use likely rose 0.7 percentage point to 86.9 percent of capacity.
In London, December Brent crude fell 58 cents to US$91.40 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.
Heating oil futures fell 0.05 cent to US$2.5816 a gallon (3.8 liters) while gasoline prices fell 0.7 cent to US$2.4095 a gallon.
Natural gas futures rose 0.3 cent to US$7.964 per 1,000 cubic feet.
CLEVELAND - True roundball royalty, the San Antonio Spurs are once again wearing the crown. LeBron James, Cleveland's preordained King, isn't quite ready for his.
Finals MVP Tony Parker scored 24 points, Manu Ginobili had 27 - 13 in the fourth quarter - and the Spurs, who bounced over from the ABA in 1976, moved in among the NBA's greatest franchises with an 83-82 victory Thursday night for a sweep of the Cavaliers - court jesters through much of their first finals.
With their fourth championship since 1999 - and third in five years - the Spurs joined the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls as the only teams in NBA history to win four titles.
And No. 5 might not be far away either with Parker, Ginobili and Tim Duncan leading this Texas-oiled machine. Coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs, now a perfect 4-for-4 together in finals appearances, spent most of the postseason dismissing talk that they should be considered a dynasty.
But with titles in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007, there's no more reason to pretend they aren't one.
As the final seconds ticked off on Cleveland's finest season, Duncan stood at center court with both arms raised triumphantly as the rest of the Spurs danced around their center in a huddle. San Antonio's star sought out Cleveland's Eric Snow, but was unable to find James in the pandemonium.
Moments later, the Spurs put on champions baseball caps, which has almost become a June ritual for them.
The final moments were hectic, though, as the Spurs needed every last free throw to hold off the Cavaliers, who made a last stand at home in a season of seasons for their once downtrodden franchise.
Cleveland went on an 11-0 run to open the fourth quarter, taking its first lead in any second half of the series on James' drive with 7:55 left. Cleveland went up 63-60 on Daniel Gibson's drive, but that's when Duncan and Co. showed why they're champions.
Ginobili scored inside, was fouled and missed his free throw. But Duncan muscled into the lane and tipped in the miss to make it 66-63. The Cavs tied it, but Ginobili, who didn't make a field goal in Game 3, dropped a 3-pointer, and when James missed a 3, the Spurs regained control by outworking Cleveland.
Duncan and Fabricio Oberto scrapped for offensive rebounds as the Spurs kept the ball for nearly two minutes before Oberto's three-point play made it 72-66 with 2:29 remaining. Duncan then poked the ball away from James and Oberto scored underneath to give San Antonio a 74-66 lead.
James, possibly a little tired following the early morning birth of his second son, hit another 3-pointer but Ginobili responded again with a tough runner in the lane to make it 76-69.
Damon Jones made three free throws and James made another 3-pointer, but Ginobili made four free throws in the final seven seconds and immediately began celebrating a title that was all but inevitable.
San Antonio's four-game sweep was the eighth since the finals began in 1947.
Parker, who averaged 24.5 points on 57 percent shooting, became the first European-born player to be honored as MVP. Until now, he was mostly viewed as a pretty decent player with a prettier fiance, TV actress Eva Longoria.
When Parker was handed his trophy, his soon-to-be-bride wiped away tears.
The 25-year-old, though, was an unstoppable, silver-and-black blur against the Cavs, who had no one who could contain him and who looked like they stumbled into their first finals by accident.
James had Cleveland fans believing the city's 43-year championship drought was about to end. However, he had a rough introduction to the league's climactic event, one he figures to reach again.
He shot just 10-of-30 in Game 4 - and only 36 percent in the series - and never figured out how to rise above or get around the Spurs, whose defensive schemes were designed to make the other Cavaliers beat them.
James scored 24 points, and while he took the Cavaliers as far as they've ever gone, he failed to give them new life in this series on the same day his second son, Bryce Maximus James, was born.
Duncan, an MVP in his first three finals, had only 12 points but grabbed 15 rebounds.
But the 31-year-old, whose arrival in 1997 in San Antonio is the launching point for the Spurs' ascension, he got his fourth ring and helped a few of the other Spurs - Michael Finley, Jacque Vaughn and Brent Barry - win their first.
Spurs forward Robert Horry got another one, too, his seventh - the most by a non-Celtics player.
Suspected Muslim insurgents fatally shot three rubber plantation workers Sunday in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south, police said.
At least four assailants who were hiding on the roadside opened fire on a Muslim woman and two Buddhist men at the plantation, said Police Col. Pompetch Pipatpetchpoom.
Police are still looking for the gunmen, he said.
Muslim insurgents were suspected in the morning attack in Yala province's Bannang Sata district, police said.
More than 3,300 people have died since early 2004 as a result of the Islamic insurgency in southern Thailand. Suspected insurgents target Buddhists and Muslims seen as collaborating with the government, including soldiers, police, informants and civilians.
The attacks _ which generally include drive-by shootings and bombings _ are intended to frighten Buddhist residents into leaving the only Muslim-dominated areas of Thailand, whose population is 90 percent Buddhist.
The southernmost provinces have been terrorized by regular attacks since early 2004, when a separatist movement flared after a lull of more than two decades.
Rescuers used pulleys Monday to help stranded residents and campers cross a rushing river where the body of a man reported missing in flash flooding was found near a bridge in a thicket of debris.
The victim, 20-year-old Joseph Godines, was reported missing by his brother in this south-central New Mexico mountain resort area, said Ruidoso police Chief Wolfgang Born.
Godines was one of two people reported swept away after apparently losing his footing near the Rio Ruidoso as it spilled over its banks Sunday in flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Dolly.
An estimated 350 to 500 houses, campers, mobile homes and structures were damaged in the flooding, with about 350 people evacuated from homes and up to 500 vacationers stranded away from their cabins, campsites or recreational vehicles.
They were unable to return Monday because of washed out roads and bridges. Some residents were stuck after refusing to evacuate.
Tom Schafer, Ruidoso's emergency management coordinator, said there were 25 water rescues Sunday, mostly from vehicles but a few homes as well.
Authorities said 180 people were rescued Monday from the upper canyon and surrounding campgrounds. Rescuers used a pulley system fitted with a basket to slide people across the river using a ladder.
Roads were cleared late Monday into the Bonito Lake area, where about 120 people had been stranded. Officials planned to reassess areas Tuesday morning to look for others who are stranded
Gov. Bill Richardson declared Lincoln County a disaster area, freeing up emergency state money.
Jorge Salazar, an El Paso, Texas, accountant, was rescued after being stranded near a campsite for more than a day. Park rangers rousted campers from their sites about 4 a.m. Sunday and evacuated them to higher ground, he said as he watched for other relatives crossing the still murky river.
"By the time we got down (to the road) it was just gone," Salazar said of the campsite.
He said his family, including his 2-year-old son and 4-year-old niece, spent Sunday night sharing a cabin with a Dallas couple who had extra space.
In town, at least two houses went down in the swift-flowing river as it spilled out of its banks. An unknown number of cars were also swept away.
Nine bridges were under water and secondary roads in the area remained closed Monday, although the main highway, U.S. 70, reopened after part of it had been shut down Sunday.
Up to 9 inches of rain has fallen in the area since Friday, the state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said. Flash flood watches were in effect across much of eastern New Mexico.
The sun broke through Monday morning, but isolated thunderstorms were forecast throughout the week.
WASHINGTON - Fred Thompson's easygoing, no-nonsense style is clearly his strength and undoubtedly has helped him soar in presidential polls. It may only get him so far. Sooner or later, the all-but-declared candidate will have to answer the question: What else do you offer?
"Smooth is good, but sometimes nitty gritty is essential," says Tucker Eskew, a Republican strategist unaligned in the race. "He'll be tested (but) he has a little time."
Indeed, the actor and former Tennessee senator has bought himself a grace period; he hasn't yet officially joined the 10-man GOP field. He's raised at least several million dollars, assembled a nascent staff and visited early primary states New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Top candidates Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain mix it up daily, taking questions from voters and fleshing out their presidential agendas.
Not Thompson.
His stump speech consists of broad conservative themes, talk of bipartisanship and commentary on issues of the day, but it largely lacks any vision for the future of the country. He deflects questions on what a Thompson presidency would look like and demurs when pressed for specific proposals for how to fix the nation's ills. He opines on hot topics, from taxes to terrorism, in online columns and on his Web site, usually without being challenged.
Aides say he has plenty of time to project his vision, and internal policy discussions are occurring. Yet, Thompson is starting to feel the heat of the presidential race.
Faced with questions about where he stands on abortion, he cites a National Right to Life endorsement in his 1994 Senate race and brags, "I was ranked 100 percent on abortion-related issues." But the group gave him a less-than-perfect score in subsequent years, and a Project Vote Smart candidate questionnaire from 1994 indicated that he backed abortion rights in the first trimester.
Thompson also has been forced to defend his lobbying career amid questions about some of his clients, including deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
In response to such inquiries, Thompson told reporters: "Nobody yet has pointed out any of my clients that didn't deserve representation." That kind of statement is not likely to deter reporters from looking more closely any more than it did in 1987 when Gary Hart dared people to investigate him amid allegations of philandering. They did and he ended up withdrawing from the race for a time when an extramarital relationship was discovered.
Thompson also has had to deal with a few unforced errors. Last week, he felt the need to clarify a remark he made while criticizing the failed immigration overhaul bill in the Senate. He bemoaned illegal immigration from Cuba and elsewhere, and said: "I don't imagine they're coming here to bring greetings from Castro. We're living in the era of the suitcase bomb."
A day later, he posted an explanation on his Web site. Democrats assailed him for not understanding Cuban-Americans.
So far, the scrutiny and stumbles don't appear to be hurting him.
Thompson backers credit what they call his Ronald Reagan-like style with his quick rise to the top tier in polls and argue that he'll have staying power because of it.
They describe Thompson as having a laid-back, guy-next-door nature that puts people at ease around him. At the same time, they note he can be a commanding presence with his imposing 6-foot-5 frame, his unmistakable deep voice and his straight-talking way.
"He projects common sense to the complex problems of Washington," said Michael Thompson, a South Carolina state representative who is not related to Thompson.
The White House aspirant put his Southern-tinged style on display in Columbia, S.C., last week. He pleased GOP activists with a 30-minute speech peppered with plainspoken points and folksy sayings. They clapped at his applause lines and laughed at his jokes as he commented on hot-button issues from Iraq and immigration to terrorism and taxes - and the dispirited state of the GOP.
"Our people think our party is back on our heels right now, but we ain't gonna stay like that very, very long. We're gonna get back on our toes where we belong," Thompson said.
At ease behind the podium, he grinned broadly and spoke in a conversational manner, glancing at notes before him and gesturing often, his eyeglasses in one hand. He made a self-depreciating joke about the Senate and Hollywood, invoked Reagan and, in his deep drawl, used phrases like "hitched up our belts" and "the dogs ain't eatin' the dog food when they put that one out there."
Republicans raved.
"His style was very different. It's a little folksy, a little refreshing in a race that's going to get spirited," said Katon Dawson, the GOP chairman in South Carolina. Added Chip Felkel, a Republican consultant in the state: "I was impressed. He has the ability to talk to people like he's sitting on their front porch."
"I don't see any political correctness. He tells it like it is," gushed Charlie Lybrand, a county registrar in Charleston. "He is who he is."
Still, for all Thompson's style, he left others waiting to hear more substance.
"I like him a lot, but the jury's still out on him until he tells us more," said Thomas Gilbert, 76, who traveled from Fayetteville, Ga.
His wife, Margaret Gilbert, 73, agreed: "He's a good speaker and said things I think that essentially most Americans agree with, but I really don't know that much about him or what he'd do."
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EDITOR'S NOTE - Liz Sidoti covers presidential politics for The Associated Press.
CONGRATULATIONS to McDonald's at Mountnessing who send out alitter picker on a regular basis to pick up litter at least half amile up the road from the restaurant.
It is an example that other takeaway outlets in the area shouldfollow.
Jon Coote Shenfield
EAGLE PASS, Texas -- All residents were accounted for Wednesdayafter crews scoured the mangled remains of houses and trailer homesin the wake of tornadoes that killed at least 10 people in thisborder community and its Mexican neighbor.
The storm killed two other people in Louisiana and Arkansas.
A family of five -- a girl, her parents and two other relatives -- was killed when the winds blew their mobile home across the streetand slammed it into Rosita Valley Elementary School.
"It was a whole family, and they were all together, probably likethey were huddling," said police Officer Ezekiel Navjas.
"I've never seen nothing like this," he said, shaking his head.
Maverick County Judge Jose Aranda said that all residents wereaccounted for, but that 50 to 200 families were left homeless.
A government report released Thursday said the cost of Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan could eventually hit C$18.1 billion (US$15.7 billion) by 2011, a much higher price tag than the government had announced in the past.
Parliament's budget officer Kevin Page estimated that Canada is spending as much as C$200 million (US$174 million) per month in Afghanistan since the country went to war in 2001.
The mission, which involves 2,500 troops in the Kandahar region, has already cost up to C$10.5 billion ($9.1 billion) and has taken the lives of 100 Canadian soldiers.
Canada's Conservative government had pegged the cost of the war at up to C$8 billion (US$7 billion), but that didn't include many longer-term and related items.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is campaigning ahead of a federal election Oct. 14, dismissed suggestions Thursday that the government estimate was way off. The latest findings might hurt the prime minister in his attempts to move from a minority to a majority government in the upcoming elections.
"Look, we've been clear that the cost is high. We are doing important work there as part of the international effort, (and) we're certainly not alone spending money," he said.
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, who supported Harper's bid to extend the combat mission until 2011, accused the prime minister of trying to hide the real cost of the war.
"Stephen Harper failed again to be transparent and accountable to Canadians," he told reporters on the campaign trail in Halifax.
New Democrat Leader Jack Layton said the Liberals and the Tories should be held jointly responsible for the failure to consider the cost.
Page said the C$18 billion figure was only "incremental costs" so it did not include money the military would have spent even if it was not in Afghanistan.
Page's forecast is based on the assumption that the current deployment of 2,500 troops and support staff remains the same. If the mission expands, so will the costs.
The military indicated last summer that its numbers of ground troops will go up by at least 350 when it deploys battlefield helicopters and leased unmanned aerial vehicles early next year. The report does not include the nearly C$500 million (US$433 million) cost of those items.
Page said the final total may not be known for decades because the costs of caring for wounded Afghan veterans and victims of post-traumatic stress disorder can't be accurately calculated.
The report also laid out detailed projections on casualties, both wounded and killed, using three different scenarios.
As many as 108 more soldiers could lose their lives between now and 2011, if troop levels remain the same, Page suggested. The figure could go as high as 150 if Ottawa deploys another 1,000 troops.
A prosecutor says a Pakistani court has convicted five Americans on terror charges and sentenced each to at least 10 years in prison.
Rana Bakhtiar made the announcement Thursday in the Punjab town of Sargodha. He says the men have the right to appeal.
The five young Muslims from the Washington, D.C. area, were arrested in Pakistan in December after their families reported them missing.
The case is one of several involving alleged "homegrown" American militants linked to Pakistan, but the only one being tried in a Pakistani court.
The defense attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
SARGODHA, Pakistan (AP) _ Police deployed extra patrols and barriers around a Pakistani court Thursday ahead of an expected verdict in the trial of five Americans accused of plotting terrorist attacks.
The five young Muslims from the Washington, D.C. area, were arrested in Pakistan in December after their families reported them missing. The case is one of several involving alleged "homegrown" American militants linked to Pakistan, but the only one being tried in a Pakistani court.
Prosecutors have said the expect a guilty verdict, but the men's lawyers insist they are innocent.
On Thursday morning, the road in front of the court building in the Punjab province town of Sargodha was blocked off, while police vehicles swarmed the scene. The trial is off limits to journalists and observers and is being heard by a single judge in a special anti-terrorism court.
U.S. officials have said little about the trial. Washington is trying to counter anti-American sentiment in Pakistan's government, security forces and media, but is also pressing Islamabad to crack down hard on militancy.
The men have been identified as Ramy Zamzam of Egyptian descent, Waqar Khan and Umar Farooq of Pakistani descent, and Aman Hassan Yemer and Ahmed Minni of Ethiopian descent. One allegedly left behind a farewell video in the United States showing scenes of war and casualties and saying Muslims must be defended.
Prosecutors say they have presented evidence such as e-mail records and witness statements backing up their contention the men were plotting terror attacks in Pakistan and conspired to wage war against nations allied with it, a reference to Afghanistan, where the men were alleged to have been traveling.
The head of an Israeli hospital where an Iranian boy is being treated for a brain tumor said Friday he hoped the gesture will help improve understanding between the bitterly divided countries.
The 12-year-old boy _ who was identified only as Roy, to protect his privacy _ was wheeled on a stretcher into the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, after treatments in Iran and Turkey failed.
Israel granted the child a special permit to enter the country and he arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on Friday. The rare arrangement was mediated by an Israeli businessman of Iranian origin. The boy was accompanied to the hospital by his father and veiled mother, who were also granted special entrance permits into Israel.
Iran and Israel are bitter enemies and have no formal relations. Iran's president has denied the Holocaust and repeatedly called for Israel to be "wiped off the map."
Sheba CEO Zeev Rotstein said it wasn't the first time Israeli doctors have treated children from adversarial states.
"We hope that with the love and affection we give these kids we are paving the way for at least some understanding between people," he said. "We can't change the politics. We are not politicians. We do this because we feel it is our job."
Israel is home to world-class hospitals and state-of-the-art medical technology.
Dr. Amos Toren, head of Sheba's Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department, said his initial diagnosis was that the boy's year-old growth was "the most aggressive tumor that exists among brain tumors."
"He is conscious and he can smile but it is hard," he said. "We will give him the most modern treatment possible and maybe we will be able to help him."
Q. I'm planning to go on a trip and intend to leave my dog in aboarding kennel. My friends have warned me about a disease calledkennel cough. I'm worried enough to possibly cancel my trip. S.M.,Geneva
A. Go on your trip and place your dog in a kennel, albeit withsome reservations. Visit the kennel and check it out forcleanliness, personnel and general attitude toward hygiene. Arevaccinations necessary before boarding your pet? Are there anycoughing dogs in the kennel? There are vaccinations available forkennel cough, and I would advise that your dog get them about onemonth before kenneling. Of course, vaccinations against distemperand infectious hepatitis should be up to date. All this will notmake your dog 100 percent safe, but it will minimize any problems.
Specifically, kennel cough refers to a collection of highlycontagious diseases of the canine respiratory tract that causestracheobronchitis. There is an acute onset with a hacking cough thatpersists for one to two weeks. The germs are airborne, which makesit most common wherever dogs are confined under one roof.
The sick dog has a dry, hacking cough followed by gagging orretching. Usually the patient is without a temperature, eats but notas much as usual, and there may be a slight discharge from the noseand eyes. The more severe form may end up with pneumonia. Coughsedatives are usually not used unless the cough is so severe the dogcan't sleep. If the disease is mild, your doctor may decide not totreat, as the disease probably will limit itself to a week or two andgo away without causing any harm.
Send questions for veterinarian Sanford Blum to: ChicagoSun-Times, Features Dept., 4th Floor, 401 N. Wabash, Chicago 60611.
What teams will benefit most from realignment into threedivisions?
The Cleveland Indians in the American League and Houston Astrosin the National League.
The Indians have moved from the money-competitive East to theCentral, where the White Sox appear to be the only seriouscontenders. The Astros have gone from trying to catch the SanFrancisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers in the Westto becoming favorites in the Central.
Not even Indians general manager John Hart can deny what themove has meant to his team.
"In the short term, it is good for us," Hart said. "Until theBasic Agreement (with regard to the salary cap) is changed or a wayto rework the economics of the game is changed, it was tough tocompete (in the East)."
Hart said the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, BaltimoreOrioles and New York Yankees usually went out and bought what theyneeded, while the poorer Indians were rebuilding with inexpensiveyouth. That has changed somewhat now that the Indians considerthemselves no worse than second in the Central.
Hart signed veteran starters Dennis Martinez from the MontrealExpos and Jack Morris from the Blue Jays and added veteran firstbaseman Eddie Murray from the New York Mets.
"We would have signed them anyhow," Hart said. "We just thinkour ballclub at this stage is ready to take a step. Ultimately, wefelt the club would break through this year."
But Hart doesn't want to compare his team to the defending Westchampion White Sox.
"I don't think anybody will pick us to be the favorite," hesaid. "The White Sox will be the favorite, along with the Royals.We're probably projected in the middle of the pack."
"While it's good to get out of the East, which had five teams asgood as anybody in baseball, it's not any easier in the CentralDivision," manager Mike Hargrove said. "The White Sox won the West,and Kansas City is a very good ballclub. The White Sox are going tobe as good as their starting pitching, and those are very goodstarting pitchers.
"If people don't pick the White Sox, they should."
Royals manager Hal McRae agreed, but he also said, "Cleveland isa much-improved club. But I think we're improved also, and we shouldcontend if we stay healthy. The club to beat is the White Sox, butthe team that wins the division will be the one that stays healthy."
As for the Astros, owner Drayton McLane Jr. said his team mightbe closer to a division title, "But to get to the World Series, westill have to beat Philadlephia, Atlanta and San Francisco."
If there are other winners from realignment, it would be theTexas Rangers and the Giants, who are favored in the two WestDivisions. The Giants won 103 games last season and still finishedsecond to the Braves, who have moved to the East. The Rangers wentfrom playing second fiddle to the White Sox to first string.
"Not having Chicago in our division is a plus," Rangers managerKevin Kennedy said. "I think we're in a much better position than wewere a year ago."
LEXINGTON, Ohio - Sam Hornish Jr. has already exceeded the modest goals he set as a young kid whose biggest dream was to someday drive in an Indianapolis 500. Having won at the Brickyard a year ago, and with three IndyCar Series titles under his racing suit, at the age of 28 he's taking a long, hard look at what he wants to do next and whether it includes a risky jump to NASCAR.
"It's safe to say that the challenge of it intrigues me," Hornish said in the midst of preparations for this week's Honda 200.
Hornish is fifth in the IRL driver standings heading into the race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - which Hornish first drove on 14 or 15 years ago when he sloshed through a rainy go-kart race. He is financially secure and has a reputation as a dependable, patient and productive driver.
At the same time, after eight years in IRL, he's itching for something new.
"One of the main reasons that I would even consider doing a stock-car program is again getting to the point that it's racing but it's still not the same thing," Hornish said while sipping a diet drink in the coffee shop of his hotel. "It's a different discipline you have to learn, the tools you have to use are different. There's a lot of little things that you need to consider and adjust yourself for to be able to be competitive in that series."
No sooner were those words out of his mouth than he added, "Just because someone is good in one thing doesn't mean that they're going to be good in another."
There's no question that Hornish has been very, very good in IRL. His win at Texas Motor Speedway last month was his 19th, more than anyone else in the series.
He had the fourth-fastest time during the two practice sessions on Friday. IRL points leader Dario Franchitti, chasing his fourth win of the year, was less than a second faster over the 2.258-mile road course than Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves, Hornish, Scott Dixon and Vitor Meira. Qualifying runs are Saturday.
Despite his IRL success, Hornish makes no secret of the fact that he's restless. His agreement with Penske Racing allows him to try some different things. He's driving in several Busch Series events and is testing himself in other ways.
"That's one of the great things about this deal I have with Roger right now is that we have an opportunity to go either way," Hornish said. "The best part is that I don't have to make a decision today or tomorrow. We started off this year knowing that we were going to do 11 to 14 stock-car events, run the whole IndyCar schedule, run the 24 Hours of Daytona, have a whole bunch of different kind of racing thrown in there.
"We're going to continue to work on that plan. We'll sit down at the end of the year when that's all over with and make a decision on what we're going to do."
In the meantime, he's thinking beyond the days when he spends his time strapped inside a cockpit fighting G forces and jousting with other cars at 200 mph.
Attending art school appeals to him. At one time, he toyed with the idea of running a restaurant but has changed his mind. But maybe the lure of driving is too strong.
"Four or five years ago it was more about getting to the point where when I have this much money, then I can quit," he said. "But the more and more I race, right now I can't see myself quitting. I can't see that happening anytime in the immediate future because, first of all, I don't know what I'd do with myself."
A year ago, he was on the road for more than 260 days, so spending some time at home in the village of Napoleon is welcome. Spending a lot of time, however, isn't.
"Four or five" days off, Hornish said, "and I start saying, 'I ought to be doing something more.'"
I have good news and bad news about the church in Quebec. The bad news is that if we don't take serious steps, within 20 to 30 years we will be speaking about Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada work here in the past tense. We in Quebec are like the church in biblical Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7). We are weak--morally, numerically and financially.
However, when we look at history, Mennonites have almost always been weak. The good news is that God seems to be obstinate in using us anyway. God wants to use us as people of the "third way," those who are willing to be "in between:" in between Roman Catholic and Protestant, evangelical and non-evangelical, victim and offender, liberal and fundamentalist.
The reason I invest part of my time in the Roc-Aide-aux-jeunes (street ministry for youth) is because this ministry seeks to be "in between" street people and other forces in society: the church, the police, sickness (including AIDS), prostitution and poverty. God seems to approve the place of people "in between" since the first Anabaptists some 450 years ago.
Statistics show that a denomination or congregation which does not experience a revival or major upheaval every 35-40 years dies. Quebec work has survived the 40-year mark. In the 1950s, Ontario Mennonites sent two missionary couples, Tilman and Janet Martin and Harold and Pauline Reesor, to Quebec. They had a vision to work from a Mennonite theology appropriate to us. Other mission workers followed, living their faith in our midst.
The Conseil Mennonite Quebecois (Quebec Council) developed from that vision. We have now reached a watershed and must move on to another stage, requiring clear vision. Vision describes why we exist and what we are to do. Vision gets to the root of meaning.
The church which forgets ultimate goals becomes the slave of the moment. A clear goal allows us to live fully in the present and to plan for the future, taking account of the past. A clear goal encourages doubts to vanish.
Why should there be Mennonites in Quebec? In II Corinthians 5:18-19, Paul invites believers to become instruments of reconciliation. The requirements are faith, hope and love. Faith calls for clear vision; hope produces expectations so that we can organize and develop strategy; love fleshes out and lives these values. Love also unites.
We in Quebec may be weak but we are present. Can we afford not to be united? Every leader at every level can work to unify those around him/her.
Three points come from the apostle Paul, my model for urban ministry: 1) Obedience ahead of activity. Doing things because they fit the goal. 2) Quality before quantity. Quality involves faith, hope and love. The spiritual journey begins inside and moves outside. Our goal as leaders is to take away the obstacles to growth--we can't produce growth.
3) Power for transformation before security. Acts 3.1-8 shows Peter replying to the beggar, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Does God still have the power to transform human lives, situations, contexts and even destructive structures, using us as instruments?
My prayer is this: "Lord, make us into Christians full of your Holy Spirit, united in your love, guided by one goal, and permit us to accomplish great things."
I began this message by saying that we are weak. We have blurry vision and we are often not instruments of reconciliation or the unity Jesus called for in John 17:21: "I pray that they all may be one as we are one."
The good news is that we are in relation with the supreme being, God incarnate in Jesus Christ, shown by the Holy Spirit. We have the high calling of being instruments of reconciliation, of being "in between," and we are part of the most wonderful team, the church, which is full of good will, good attitudes and many abilities.--Daniel Genest
The writer is the Coordinator of the Quebec Council. The article is from a sermon he presented in September to representatives of Quebec Mennonites and the executive board of the Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada.
Two stunt men sued actor Sylvester Stallone and the producers ofthe movie "Rocky V," claiming their bones were broken while filmingfight scenes with a professional boxer.
In a Los Angeles Superior Court suit filed Tuesday, ToddChampion and Stephen Santosusso say they had been assured theywouldn't get hurt.
The suit claims that pro boxer Tommy Morrison broke Santosusso'sjaw during filming March 14. The next day, Champion stepped in andsuffered a fractured right eye socket, the suit says.
It seeks unspecified general and punitive damages andreimbursement for medical expenses.
The following are the words of the Vice-Chancellor in hisintroduction to the Summer 2007 issue of the University of Bristolmagazine. He said: "One of the more striking characteristics of thisinstitution is its compactness. We do not have a sprawling campusand the student population is relatively modest in size. I amregularly asked why it is that, when there is such demand forstudent places at Bristol, undergraduate numbers stay more or lessthe same.
"Government controls have something to do with it, as do thephysical constraints of the University precinct - the planners arenot keen on the University spreading beyond its current …
Araujo scored a hat trick Tuesday to give Al Gharafa a 5-1 win over Iranian club Piroozi in Group B of the Asian Champions League.
Al Gharafa took the lead in the eighth minute when Fernandao scored with an overhead kick after a cross from captain Saad Al Shammari. In the 44th, Al Shammari set up Araujo, who scored from close range. The Brazilian striker scored his second goal in first-half injury time with a header.
Nashat Akram scored Al Gharafa's fourth in the 69th minute, before Ali Karimi headed one back for Piroozi in the 76th. Araujo completed his hat trick in the 80th minute.
Al Gharafa now has six points from four games, one behind Piroozi.
The euro rose against the dollar Wednesday as traders seemed unconvinced by new stimulus measures announced by Washington on Tuesday.
The 16-nation euro bought $1.2940 in morning European trading, up from $1.2872 late Tuesday in New York. The British pound fell to $1.4444 from $1.4486 the night before, while the dollar slipped to 90.08 Japanese yen from 90.29 yen late Tuesday.
A $838 billion stimulus bill won approval in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday while Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the new administration will run a "bad bank" with private investors to buy up toxic assets from financial institutions, which could support up to $1 trillion in purchases.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Reserve said it will expand a key lending program to up to $1 trillion to unfreeze key consumer credit markets.
However, the moves did not fully convince markets that they would be completely effective, analysts said.
Otto Molidor, 73, a former La Grange village official and formerhead of an executive-recruiting firm, died Saturday at La GrangeMemorial Hospital, La Grange.
Mr. Molidor was village clerk from 1985 to 1987 and president ofthe town's police and fire commissions in the late 1970s.
Before retiring about five years ago, he was president ofRobertson, Molidor and Wengert, 10 S. Riverside, for several years.Previously, he worked for other executive-search firms.
Mr. Molidor had been director of marketing at Bethlehem WoodsRetirement Center and served on the advisory board for the Sisters ofSt. Joseph.
He was a 40-year resident of La …
The goods: 4 large skinless chicken breasts 1 litre low sodium chicken stock 6 rashers bacon 2 tblspns butter or olive oil 2 leeks, trimmed and rinsed (or 1 large onion, diced) 2-3 carrots, peeled and diced 1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and sliced 250g button mushrooms, sliced 1 red capsicum, diced t tspn ground pepper 1/2 tspn cayenne (or paprika) Pinch grated nutmeg 2 tblspn freshly grated parmesan 500g package of gnocchi 2 1/2 tblspns corn flour the options: 2 zucchini, diced; 250g beans, sliced; 1 cup broccoli florets; 1 cup peas; 1 cup frozen spinach; 1/4 cup grated gruyere cheese; substitute Prosciutto for the bacon; substitute 1 cup white wine for 1 cup of chicken stock; …
Byline: Associated Press
NEW YORK -- In his autobiography, former Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik wrote of his long search for the daughter he fathered with a Korean woman when he was stationed in that country as a young soldier in 1975.
Kerik lost touch with the woman and his daughter in 1978. But his appearance last year on ``The Oprah Winfrey Show'' to discuss the book and the Sept. 11 attacks helped him reunite with his daughter, now in her 20s. His daughter's mother saw the show and contacted his …
2004 NOV 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A recent report described the learning effect of the JUST system, a novel interactive basic life support compact disk.
According to scientists in Belgium, "Electronic interactive learning environments can enhance the learning experience and may prove beneficial in basic life support (BLS) training. As part of the European Union funded project 'JUST-in-time health emergency interventions-training of non-professionals by virtual reality and advanced IT tools', an innovative interactive CD-ROM on BLS and other emergency medicine topics was developed. We hypothesised that individuals without previous BLS training could learn CPR …
WASHINGTON - Thirteen years ago, David Wilhelm, then chairman of the Democratic Party, told the conservative Christian Coalition that good Christians could belong to either major political party.
He was hissed.
Today, Wilhelm wants to spread that message to a different audience - Democrats. He's hoping for a better response.
With a leading poll showing only one in four Americans viewing the Democratic Party as friendly to religion, Wilhelm and a broad-based group of Christian Democratic activists are starting an Internet effort to organize religious voters whose views might be compatible with Democrats.
WASHINGTON -- A doctor who prescribed Ozzy Osbourne with 13,000doses of 32 different drugs in a year turned him into an incoherent,stumbling wreck, according to the singer's family.
Osbourne is recovering after an almost fatal crash on an all-terrain vehicle at his home in Buckinghamshire, southern England. Dr.David Kipper could have his license revoked by the medical board inCalifornia after an investigation of his methods. The doctor facescharges of gross negligence for overprescribing drugs to other famouspatients.
According to records released by the singer's family, while he wasunder Kipper's care, Osbourne was simultaneously taking opiates,tranquilizers, …
(ADPnews) - Apr 29, 2010 - JCR confirmed Wednesday its BBB rating with a "stable" outlook on the senior debts of Japanese automobile parts maker Futaba Industrial Co Ltd (TYO:7241).
Futaba Industrial supplies its products to Toyota Corp (TYO:7203) and group companies mainly.
It appears that the company's earnings jumped in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010, compared with the previous fiscal year. Its earnings will continue to recover, given its successful efforts to improve its earnings structure.
The company's interest bearing liabilities are expected to decrease, as it intends to make …
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. -- Michigan's credit unions are running two radio spots in response to an announcement that local Comerica Bank is moving its headquarters to Dallas.
Coffee Shop 1
(SFX: Coffee Shop)
Man 1: Anybody sitting here?
Man 2: No help yourself. Want some of the paper?
Man 1: No thanks, I ...
Waitress: What can I get you?
Man 1: Just a grilled cheese and some coffee, please.
Man 2: You been reading about this Comerica thing?
Man 1: Oh, don't get me started. Moving their headquarters to Texas of all places, where the so-called talent is supposed to be. Whatever happened to loyalty? And …
Byline: PAUL NEWBERRY Associated Press
WEST ALLIS, Wis. -- Chris Witty doesn't want to be the next Bonnie Blair. OK, then, how about the next Eddie Eagan?
Eagan is the only athlete to win gold medals at both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
``It was a long time ago, wasn't it?'' Witty asked.
Yes, it was.
Witty may not know who Eagan was, but she wouldn't mind duplicating his feat. Already, she's a medal contender in speedskating for the Nagano Games next month. And, after serving as an alternate for the 1996 U.S. cycling team in Atlanta, she would like to give that sport her attention before the 2000 Sydney Games.
But …
Byline: Pency George
Feb. 7--Jan Blackman routinely rides to Lake Mary on her bicycle despite several close calls she's had with cars on the narrow, rural road.
"Lake Mary Road is the premier area for road biking in Flagstaff, but is so narrow in some areas that it's dangerous," said Blackman, director of the Flagstaff Velo Racing team.
But a proposal aimed at widening and rebuilding the road from Mohawk Drive for 4.3 miles south to the Flagstaff city limits might allow cyclists to breathe easier on their out-and-back rides to Lake Mary.
The proposal, which will be the subject of a Wednesday evening open house, would change the current …
Tropical Storm Arthur weakened to a tropical depression Saturday after soaking the Yucatan Peninsula, but still threatened to cause dangerous flooding and mudslides in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that the governments of Belize and Mexico discontinued all warnings related to Arthur, the first named storm of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
At about 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), the center of the storm was located inland about 125 miles (200 kilometers) south of Campeche, Mexico. It had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph (56 kph) and was moving west-southwest at about 8 mph (13 kph).
Forecasters …
Dunclug Partnership incorporating Dunclug ResidentCOs Association and Dunclug Youth Forum are hosting the event from 1.30-4.30pm at the Centre on the townCOs Cushendall Road.
The Fun Day is open to the public but is mainly aimed at children up to 12 years of age. Children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian or a responsible adult.
Party King, a professional events management company, will bring a host of fun activities …
Byline: STEVE BARNES Senior writer
As it's been a while since a product arrived at the office that gave us reason to smash a jar of pickle relish on the photo-studio floor, we were delighted by the Shark Grab 'n Bag Powered Scooper.
The product, which looks like an elaborate, wheeled dustpan, promises "touch-free clean-up" with a "motorized retracting bag (that) pulls mess in." Accompanying photos and brochures say it will quickly scoop up dry or wet messes broken eggs or food jars, dog vomit or waste, paint or oil on carpet, hard floors, grass and other exterior surfaces.
The Shark Grab 'n Bag looks to be a model of simplicity: Pull out a bag …
Byline: Laura Vecsey Staff writer
Mayor Fred Julian said Thursday he expects to appoint five new firefighters by next week following action by the city's Civil Service Commission that approved a list of qualified candidates.
A list of the eight men who scored highest on the written firefighters' examinations was established by the commission Thursday. Thirty-four men passed the test.
According to Civil Service Commissioner Mary Bagley, the list will be forwarded to Cohoes Fire Chief Raymond LaMora today
.
Julian plans on interviewing the candidates on Saturday morning and wants to have a swearing-in ceremony for the five he …
Finnish power company TVO has applied for permission to build Finland's sixth nuclear power plant on the west coast, the government said Friday.
The Ministry of Employment and the Economy said it had received an application from Teollisuuden Voima Oyj to build a reactor in Olkiluoto, near the site of two other reactors and one under construction.
The ministry said it will consider the application later this spring, and that it was expecting similar applications from two other companies.
Before making a decision about …
Why have the police not been called in after 1,000 blank councilcheques vanished?
If you suddenly noticed cheques were missing from your chequebook, wouldn't you …
It took 10 years to write, but Sandra Caiazza-Mallett is celebrating the publication of her first novel.
It is called The Rainbow Over The Clouds and is a story based on the lives of animals and humans in an imaginary land.
Sandra, who lives in Brassey Road, has written under the name Ilaria Ingram, and the novel has been published by AuthorHouse and is available to order from bookshops.
She said: "This is my first book. It is very exciting, and at the same time wonderful to be able to give a bit of myself to other people through my book, through the ideas that are introduced and brought forward by characters in their actions and behaviour and what …
