Latin American stocks surged Thursday as Japan's planned economic stimulus and rising global stock markets lifted commodities prices.
Brazil's Ibovespa index rose 3.1 percent to close at 45,539.
A nearly 6 percent jump in crude prices and rising metals prices boosted shares in state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA and iron ore producer Companhia Vale do Rio Doce SA.
Brazil's currency strengthened 1 percent to 2.18 reals to the U.S. dollar.
Chile's IPSA index …
Oprah Winfrey, Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon and childstar Raven-Symone are among the recipients of the Martin Luther KingJr. Memorial Drum Major for Justice awards for 1990.
Winfrey, host of a television talk show, was honored forachievements in business and entertainment …
NEW YORK (AP) — T.I. says his drug problem started when he received prescriptions for Oxycontin and hydrocodone after a series of dental surgeries this year.
"After the pain went away, I kept taking it. I had like five, six prescriptions. So, I had, like 80 pills. Everybody else might drink or smoke a blunt; I took a pain pill," the 30-year-old says in an interview win the December issue of Vibe magazine.
T.I. said he is now clean and sober, thanks in part to his September arrest in Los Angeles. Police found ecstasy pills on him, and while the case was eventually dropped, a judge found him in violation of his probation stemming from a 366-day prison stint for trying to buy …
Federal and state watchdogs opened a new front Monday in the campaign to keep poisons out of Chinese imports, launching inquiries into high levels of cadmium in children's jewelry while Walmart pulled many suspect items from its store shelves.
A day after The Associated Press documented the contamination in an investigative report, the top U.S. consumer safety regulator warned Asian manufacturers not to substitute other toxins for lead in children's charm bracelets and pendants.
Regulators and lawmakers reacted swiftly to the AP report, which found that some Chinese manufacturers have been using cadmium, sometimes at extraordinarily high levels. Congress …
Lee has 26 strikeouts in 25 innings with a 2.80 ERA. TeammateBob Hixson is 2-2 with 30 strikeouts in 27 innings with a 2.75 ERA.
"Lee threw a few innings on varsity before he entered highschool at the Hinsdale Central Fourth of July tournament," MaineEast coach Don Olson said. "He missed his whole freshman year andpart of sophomore year because of an ankle injury. Then he went outfor track and ran cross-country.
"He came out last March and asked to play, but he …
Large sums of money -- sometimes even tens or hundreds of millions of dollars - have been collected by patent owners who have sued for patent infringement. Lest patent owners become overconfident, however, suing for patent infringement can sometimes have the opposite effect: the patent owner can find itself liable to the accused infringer for a large sum. A recent lawsuit shows how this can happen - the patent owner sued an infringer and lost, and the infringer responded with a counterclaim against the patent owner under the antitrust laws. The counterclaim succeeded, resulting in a judgment of $10 million in favor of the infringer.
The patent (U.S. Patent No. 4,330,891) was for …
The Philippine government pledged Tuesday to convince Christian politicians to drop their opposition to an accord aimed at ending a southern insurgency by granting minority Muslims an expanded homeland.
The preliminary agreement had been scheduled to be signed in Malaysia on Tuesday, but the Philippine Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order Monday to delay the ceremony after Christian politicians objected to the deal because they were not consulted.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, who flew to Malaysia for the ceremony, said the government was "very confident that eventually, hopefully soon, we should be able to return" to …
WE'VE never been able to bake a potato just right. We never knewwhy until we ran across the directions in a roasting book severalweeks ago. Cooking the potatoes at a very high temperature for anhour is the secret.
Alicia always baked her potatoes at 350 or 375 degrees. No wonderthey always tasted half-done. They were.
Beverly dutifully greased her potatoes and wrapped them in foil.The insides tasted fine but the skins were steamed beyondrecognition.Our goal was to duplicate the potatoes at our favorite steakhouse,with the skin a little crunchy and the middle moist and fluffy."Real" baked potatoes, we discovered, need to cook at 475 degreesforan hour.After our …
While recent dry weather throughout much of the United States has caused problems for many, at least archaeologists are happy. That's because the drought that has lasted for years has caused water levels in lakes and rivers to drop, which consequently has uncovered artifacts that had been buried for decades or longer. For instance, the recession of Nevada's Lake Mead has exposed the long-forgotten town of St. Thomas, which was purposely flooded in 1938 when the construction of Hoover Dam created the lake. Ruins of about 40 buildings have …
NATO-led peacekeepers fanned out in a tense northern Kosovo town Tuesday amid riots that followed the arrest of two ethnic Albanians suspected in a stabbing attack on a Serb man.
Serbs hurled stones and set four Albanian-owned shops on fire in retaliation for the stabbing in the ethnically divided city of Kosovska Mitrovica. An ethnic Albanian man was wounded by gunfire in the melee, but police could not say if he was directly targeted by rioters.
The quick deployment of NATO forces reflects the resolve of Kosovo's international observers to prevent any incident from escalating _ particularly in light of the European Union's recent efforts to begin …
SEATTLE DePaul (5-1) suddenly has become a welcome visitorinstead of threatening invader on the road.
In their first trip away from the Horizon this season, the BlueDemons have received red carpet treatment from hosts.
DePaul was given a full-blown police escort Wednesday in Ogden,Utah, to and from practice and its game against Weber State.
The Demons took advantage of the hospitality, handing theWildcats an 88-65 defeat that was their worst ever in the decade-oldDee Events Center.
But the graciousness continued here, where DePaul takes onWashington (3-2) tonight (10 p.m., ESPN, WGN-AM.) Huskies coach AndyRusso, a Chicago native whose playing …
PHOENIX - After two months of testimony, jurors needed only three hours of deliberations to convict the city's suspected "Baseline Killer" of a pair of 2005 sexual attacks. The reason: biological evidence linking the accused serial predator to the crime scene.
"It left little doubt in everyone's mind," jury foreman Michael Voda said Friday. "The DNA was really a lynchpin to the case. It was pretty much irrefutable."
Prosecutors called four DNA experts to testify in their case against Mark Goudeau, a 43-year-old former construction worker.
The jury convicted Goudeau on 19 charges stemming from an attack on two sisters near a south Phoenix park. He still faces …
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Leading scorers of centuries in test cricket (x-active):
48_x-Sachin Tendulkar, India (168 matches)
39_x-Ricky Ponting, Australia (146)
35_x-Jacques Kallis, South Africa (140)
34_Sunil Gavaskar, India (125)
34_Brian Lara, West Indies (131)
32_Steve Waugh, Australia (168)
30_Matthew Hayden, Australia (103)
29_Sir Donald Bradman, Australia (52)
29_x-Rahul Dravid, India (141)
28_x-Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka (112)
27_Allan Border, Australia (156)
26_Sir Garfield Sobers, West Indies (93)
25_Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan (120)
By day, Maria Elena Robles taught science and biology at Lake ViewHigh School.
By night, she danced the tango.
She became a tango legend in Chicago as she learned fromArgentinian experts, gave tango performances, taught the danceherself and two years ago formed Tango Sentido Productions, alsosetting up her own Web site, www.tangoinchicago.com.
Her love of the tango and for her partner, Danny "Drago"Novakovich, kept her upbeat and active two years past the six monthsdoctors said she had to live because of cancer.
Miss Robles danced her last public tangos in February and died ather Chicago home last Wednesday. She was 44.
Born in Chicago, she was one of five children of Roberto andIsabel Robles. Her father was born in Mexico, her mother had Mexicanroots, and Miss Robles always had a great interest in Mexican cultureand anything to do with the greater Latino community.
She grew up in Lake View on Barry near Broadway. Her father was aself-employed landscape contractor. She attended Nettelhorst grammarschool, Immaculata High School and earned a B.S. in biology fromLoyola University.
She taught science and biology, often in bilingual classes, formore than 15 years in Chicago Public Schools -- the last decade atLake View High School.
Miss Robles grew up in a household where she learned some Spanishbut was encouraged to speak English most of the time. She had to takeSpanish courses in high school and college to be able to teachbilingual education, said her sister, Elva Carusiello.
"She was learning everything she could. Technology was anotherthng she really liked," Carusiello said. "She was really good withcomputers. She used the computer as part of the teaching curriculumin the classroom."
Miss Robles also believed in using art in teaching. In a book puttogether by the Chicago Arts Partnership in Education she was citedmany times as one of the most significant educators who was able tointegrate art in her classroom work. She spent many summers andweekends attending workshops and seminars to find ways to enhance herstudents' education.
From high school onward, Miss Robles took classes in many forms ofdance, including jazz, tap and African.
She was 35 when Argentinian tango couple Gloria and EduardoArquimbau came to Chicago to give lessons. She studied with them ontheir trips here, went to Argentina with her partner to take morelessons once a year and taught and gave exhibitions throughout theChicago area.
Miss Robles gave up teaching at Lake View last May but kept onoffering tango classes once a week, and giving performances. "She'dgo and she'd do one dance. Still, she got out there. That was the bigmotivation for her, to keep on being involved in tango and being withDanny," her sister said.
Other survivors are her mother, Isabel Robles; another sister,Susie Burda; her brothers, David and Danny, and her partner in lifeand in tango, Danny Novakovich.
Mass will be offered at 11 a.m. today at Our Lady of Mt. CarmelChurch, 690 W. Belmont, with burial in Queen of Heaven Cemetery,Hillside.
Mujeres sin L�mites
A mi esposo le encantan los programas de animales. La otra noche me sent� junto a �l cuando transmit�an un especial sobre �guilas, aves que siempre me han fascinado por su habilidad de alzarse sobre la tempestad y volar por encima del mal tiempo.
�stos plum�feros pueden lograr una asombrosa elevaci�n de �20 mil pies!, algo que ninguna otra ave alcanza y por eso es el �nico animal de su especie que ha compartido los cielos con aviones comerciales a esas alturas.
Pero hab�a algo que desconoc�a que ahora me hace admirar a este animal a�n m�s. El �guila es el ave de mayor longevidad en su especie, llegando a cumplir los 70 a�os. Sin embargo, a los 40 a�os sus garras est�n comprimidas y debilitadas, lo que le impide atrapar a sus presas. Su pico se va encorvando y torciendo hacia su pecho y sus plumas est�n tan gruesas que se le hace muy dificultoso volar.
A esa edad el �guila tiene la opci�n de dejarse morir, o someterse a una agonizante experiencia que le permitir� sumar 30 a�os a su vida. Esta transformaci�n le tomar� 150 d�as.
Durante este periode se refugia en lo alto de una monta�a y hace un nido contra un pared�n para no volar. Entonces, golpea su pico contra la pared hasta que lo arranca y espera el crecimiento de uno nuevo. Con su nuevo pico, desprende cada una de sus u�as. Cuando �stas vuelven a nacer, arranca sus viejas plumas, y espera el crecimiento de un nuevo y lustroso plumaje. Es entonces cuando est� listo para emprender nuevamente su victorioso vuelo.
Como el �guila, enfrentamos situaciones que pueden obligarnos a la restauraci�n. Puede ser un trabajo que no te da ninguna satisfacci�n y tienes que tomar la decisi�n de dejarlo. Podr�as jubilarte amargada, pregunt�ndote qu� habr�a pasado de haberte atrevido, o puedes descubrir una nueva pasi�n o carrera.
Quiz�s es un vicio que no te deja progresar y dar lo mejor de ti. Puedes buscar ayuda o dejarte vencer. Queda en ti la alternativa de aceptar estos retos y renovarte, o permitir que el miedo el miedo te domine.
En mi caso, recuerdo lo dif�cil que fue tomar la decisi�n de divorciarme de mi primer esposo. Tuve que enfrentar un proceso doloroso y aterrorizante. No obstante, luego de pasar esa etapa de mi vida, surg� m�s fuerte y con mis alas m�s poderosas que nunca.
A veces puedes sentirte derrotada, cansada y arrinconada, sin darte cuenta que en ese momento tienes la opci�n de renovarte como el �guila, que tuvo que arrancarse su pico y garras. As� mismo, arr�ncate y deshazte de las cosas que te causan mal. Solamente libr�ndote de lo que no te beneficia podr�s emprender vuelo hacia unas alturas que ni un �guila podr� alcanzarte.
[Author Affiliation]
Para comunicarse con la autora visite: _www.MariaMarin.com_ (http:// www.mariamarin.com/)
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — Keith Urban had a difficult decision to make in the days after last spring's flood.
The rising Cumberland River wrecked just about every piece of equipment the country music superstar owned, from priceless vintage guitars to his favorite amplifiers. He was scheduled to begin recording the tracks that would eventually become "Get Closer," and he wasn't sure if he should just scrap the whole thing until later.
"I think any musician will tell you: Give us something to make music with and we make music," Urban said. "It felt like we had some really good songs for this record. I felt really good about the songs. The band was ready. We had the studio booked. It wasn't that long ago I only owned one guitar anyway. I made a record with very few instruments in the beginning, so it was making the most of what we're given."
He borrowed a guitar from his guitar tech the first week and things went well enough that he decided to keep going. He added gear over the next few weeks, hitting eBay for a few guitars and amplifiers, and slowly expanded the sonic palette for the album. He used the first guitar he bought off the Internet to lay down the lilting, addictive riff on lead single, "Put You in a Song," and never looked back.
"I thought, 'Well, let's explore new sounds, new guitars,' and I think from that a real different, not just a sound, but a different feeling came from this record," Urban said.
He ended up with perhaps his most personal album. The eight-track standard release issued by Capitol Records (there's a 15-song Target exclusive as well) reads like a love letter to his wife, Nicole Kidman, though Urban says the album is really about couples and draws from several wells.
Urban hasn't talked in great detail about his losses since that first week in May. He assumed most of his favorite guitars were destroyed and it was a blow. But over the six months since record rains led to 22 deaths in Tennessee and did more than $2 billion in damage in Nashville alone, luthier Joe Glaser has managed to save some of the most important pieces.
Among them is a 1957 Les Paul Goldtop, worth six figures before Urban bought it and much more now that his name is attached to it. It's a special guitar with an unmatched sound and Glaser realized he was doing more than cleaning and gluing when he reclaimed it.
"It doesn't matter who somebody is," he said. "If they're good at all, their relationship with their instrument is personal and one-on-one. ... Their relationship with their instrument is kind of like their relationship to their dog."
Glaser, who assists in the NasH20 charity that sells some of the stars' damaged instruments to benefit musicians, says he's repaired eight to 10 of Urban's guitars and could keep working on most of the other 50-plus pieces Urban lost if the singer chooses.
Fittingly, the only guitar Urban didn't lose was the one with a lot of personal meaning. That guitar was owned by Waylon Jennings and was a gift from Kidman, who surprised him with it. He wrote two songs on the album with it: "Right on Back to You" and "Georgia Woods."
"It's such a profound piece of musical history — not just for the journey it's had through Waylon's life, but it was given to Reggie Young, who's a legendary session musician here in town," Urban said. "Waylon gave it to Reggie something like 25 years ago. It's got some stories to tell. I wish it could speak."
___
AP Writer Caitlin R. King in Nashville contributed to this report.
___
Online:
http://www.keithurban.net
The prime minister of energy-rich Trinidad has told its citizens to expect cuts in government programs because of an anticipated loss of $1 billion due to the fall in prices of crude oil, natural gas and petrochemical products.
Prime Minister Patrick Manning told his country in a televised address Thursday night that specific budget cuts will be announced next week. He suggests that promotion, publicity and printing materials will be cut first, along with development projects that haven't begun or that still await contractual obligations.
The dollar was little changed against the yen in Asia Wednesday as selling by Japanese exporters offset the buying of Japanese importers.
The U.S. unit initially rose to 104.97 yen on buying by Japanese importers and Asian short-term players covering short positions. As it approached 105, however, Japanese exporters began selling and pushed the dollar back to 104.76 yen by midafternoon compared with 104.79 yen late Tuesday in New York.
Following slightly better-than-expected U.S. economic indicators last week, support for the dollar has been growing, "but it may not be enough to boost it up much further," said Akio Shimizu, head of foreign exchange trading at Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking.
"Players have been buying back the dollar after having oversold it before, but the data is not so strong as to actually cause active buying above 105 yen," Shimizu said.
The euro slipped a tad against both the U.S. and Japanese currencies as market participants prepared for the European Central Bank's interest rate decision due Thursday. Against the dollar the euro stood at US$1.5506 midafternoon in Tokyo; again the yen it was at 162.39.
While market participants widely expect the central bank to stand pat, players will be watching for any change in tone from ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet that could hint of rate cut possibilities later this year.
The dollar was higher against other Asian currencies, trading 1.1 percent higher against the Korean won at 1,025.1 and 0.12 percent higher against the Philippine peso at 42.37.
Satoshi Iwabuchi and Takao Suzuki of Japan won their doubles match Saturday to wrap up a 3-0 series win over China in their Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group 1 clash.
Iwabuchi and Suzuki defeated China's Zhang Ze and Zeng Shaoxuan 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 as Japan advanced to the the third round of the regional promotion/relegation playoff.
Japan will next play the winner of the Uzbekistan-South Korea tie, with the ultimate winner of that May clash to progress to the World Group playoffs. China will play the loser of the Uzbekistan-South Korea series in July.
Kei Nishikori and Go Soeda won their singles matches Friday to give Japan a 2-0 lead.
In a bid to defuse tensions over the arrest in Britain of an ex-Bosnian leader, the Serbian president said Sunday that Belgrade would not oppose his extradition to Bosnia instead of Serbia.
Wartime Bosnian Vice President Ejup Ganic was detained March 1 at London's Heathrow Airport on a Serbian war crimes warrant, triggering a dispute between former foes Bosnia and Serbia. He was released on bail last week.
Both Serbia and Bosnia have demanded his extradition.
Ganic was arrested for his alleged role in the 1992 death of Yugoslav army troops in Bosnia. Belgrade accuses the 64-year-old Ganic of ordering an attack on retreating soldiers in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo.
Serbian President Boris Tadic said that Belgrade would not oppose Ganic's handover to Bosnia as long as he stands trial there.
"Serbia would like to believe that the judicial authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina are capable of providing a fair and honest trial," Tadic said.
Serbian officials fear that Bosnia's courts would not take the Serb accusations against Ganic seriously. Bosnia argues the allegations against Ganic are part of a campaign to minimize Serb guilt for the 1992-95 war that tore the Balkans apart.
WASHINGTON The Pentagon, in search of rest and recreationdestinations for U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, has chartered a luxurycruise ship for $31 million to provide brief Persian Gulf getawaysfor desert-weary soldiers, Pentagon officials said Thursday.
The military also is searching for a second cruise ship after asmaller vessel it planned to lease for $23 million failed its safetyinspection, officials said.
The Cunard Princess - complete with swimming pool, movietheater, whirlpools and beer - is expected to arrive in the PersianGulf and start receiving its military guests before Christmas. About800 servicemen and women at a time will be rotated aboard the shipfor three or four days of beer, fun and air conditioning, authoritiessaid.
Military officials would give only sketchy details of theirplans for the ship, but said the vessel will be limited to U.S.troops and will not be open to visits from family members.
Some Pentagon officials have sharply criticized the Army cruiseship idea on the ground that the soldier-packed vessel could become aprime terrorist target. One senior military official described theship as a potential "Beirut barracks," a reference to the 1983terrorist bombing of the Marine headquarters in Lebanon that killed241 people.
The Navy will provide sea and air protection for the vessels,officials said.
When asked about the military contract, a spokesman for CunardLines, which also operates the Queen Elizabeth II, said, "We'vecanceled all bookings on the Cunard Princess for the next six months.That's all I can say."
Army officials decided on the charter approach to R&R to helpalleviate the shortage of facilities in Saudi Arabia and tocircumvent some of the Islamic restrictions on alcohol andentertainment. The military also is providing limited recreationalcenters in Saudi Arabia.
Even so, only a small percentage of the 430,000 U.S. troopsscheduled eventually to be posted in the region will ever have accessto the R&R services, some officials noted.
The "Berlitz Complete Handbook to Cruising" describes cabinsaboard the Cunard Princess as "small and compact, with tinny metalfixtures, very thin walls and little closet space." The guidebookadds, however, "This ship provides a very comfortable first-cruiseexperience at an excellent price, to well-chosen destinations."
The Princess' usual destinations are Bermuda and the MexicanRiviera, according to the publication.
Senior Army officials first floated the cruise ship idea almosttwo months ago during trips to Saudi Arabia. Shortly after publicmention of the plan by one Army leader, U.S. troops at one Saudi airbase posted a sign-up sheet for the "Love Boat R and R Cruise."
Kingswood brake systems manufacturer KnorrBremse has launched newtechnology as it works to become number one in all its UK markets.
The company, which is forecast to have a turnover of GBP36 millionin the UK and Ireland this year, makes braking systems for commercialvehicles and has its sights set on being the top supplier to thecompanies who make the trailers that attach to the back of lorrycabs.
It already leads the way in supplying bus and truck manufacturersand the aftersales - or spare parts and maintenance - market. Itscustomers include Scania, Leyland and Volvo.
Now it has launched a new antiroll system that is designed to stoptrailers turning over when they go round corners at high speed.
Knorr-Bremse says 600 lorries and trailers roll over every week onthe UK's roads, often resulting in chaos on motorways and major roadsthat can take hours to clear.
Already key UK trailer builder Montracon has said it will fitKnorrBremse's electronic braking system as standard.
Its group engineering manager Martin Histed said the move wouldimprove performance and safety on its trailers and would also meanits customers will find it easier to maintain and monitor theirfleets.
John Parr, managing director of Knorr-Bremse's commercial vehiclearm in the UK, said: "We see significant potential for ourselves inthis sector." He said the company's future ambition was to improveits performance profitably.
Knorr-Bremse, part of a GBP1 billion turnover group based inGermany, employs 165 people at its Douglas Road factory and officesand 25 people handle its distribution and warehousing throughcontractor TNT Logistics.
Workers in its factory manufacture braking system components.
Sister division Westinghouse Brakes makes braking systems fortrains and is based in Chippenham.
Every home undergoes a daily inspection throughout constructionby four different sets of eyes at Bloomfield Village, a developmentin southwest suburban Bolingbrook.
A building inspector looks things over, too. What qualifiessomeone to be a Bolingbrook building inspector? "For starters, allnew hires must be either a journeyman carpenter, electrician,state-licensed plumber or HVAC (heating and air conditioning)professional with at least five years on-the-job experience," saidVince Burnetti, building commissioner for the village of Bolingbrook.
"We have a pretty simple philosophy," Burnetti said. "Don'tcover anything before it's inspected. Period. And we don't makeexceptions."Last year, Burnetti's crew of six successfully inspected 92homes at Bloomfield Village. The Kirk Corp., the builder, plans 298houses.Four furnished models are open.Two 3-bedroom plans are affordably priced at $130,000 and$139,000.Base prices range from $130,000 to $162,500. Sizes range from1,204 to 2,034 square feet. Houses have 3 or 4 bedrooms, 1 1/2 to 21/2 baths and attached 2-car garages.Bloomfield Village, on the southeast corner of Lily Cache Road andSchmidt Road, one mile west of Illinois 53, Bolingbrook; Kirk Co.,(708) 759-5099.Naturally. Early buyers at Nature's Edge, a development ofsingle-family homes in west suburban Aurora, were offered acontingency clause - allowing them to opt out if, as construction onmodels progressed, the homes did not meet expectations."Only one buyer canceled," said James Hughes Jr., a partnerwith the Wheaton-based builder.Three affordable models open today.The three floor plans, with 1,550 to 1,860 square feet of space,are base-priced from $118,900 to $132,900. Houses have 3 or 4bedrooms, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 baths and 2-car attached garages.The 1,750-square-foot Herrick model is highlighted by an angledkitchen that affords a view of both the outdoors and the adjacentbreakfast nook and family room. The Herrick is priced from $128,900.A two-story foyer is the official greeter for the1,860-square-foot Royce model. The 4-bedroom house is priced from$132,900.The development, which is on the Kane/DuPage County line, isacross the street from the Oakhurst Forest Preserve.Nature's Edge, on Fifth Avenue/McCoy Drive, about four miles westof Illinois 59, Aurora; Wiseman-Hughes Enterprises, (708) 851-5393.Breakfast club. A kitchen with breakfast room and family roomhighlight the Windsor, one of three new affordable models recentlyunveiled at Weslake, a development in southwest suburban Romeoville.The 1,598-square-foot Windsor is priced from $121,900.The Bristol II, a 1,923-square-foot trilevel, features a kitchenwith dinette, family room, and den (or optional fourth bedroom). TheBristol II is base-priced at $131,900.The Hampton, priced from $109,400, is a 1,487-square-foottwo-story with 3 bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths. It has formal living anddining rooms.A 6,200-square-foot clubhouse is planned - including an exerciseroom, kitchen and a great room. The accompanying park will have aswimming pool, lighted tennis, volleyball and basketball courts andbaseball and soccer fields.Weslake, at Weber and Taylor roads, Romeoville; Neumann Homes,(815) 254-2186.Bill Cunniff is a Chicago Sun-Times editorial assistant.
Federal regulators have told the largest U.S. banks to keep the government's stress tests of their books private over fears investors could punish companies with nothing to brag about.
In letters to the 19 banks undergoing tests of their financial strength, regulators told the companies not to disclose their performance during upcoming earnings announcements, according to industry and government officials who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the process.
The order was the latest in a series of government moves designed to keep good news about strong banks from dooming others to a downward spiral of falling share prices and financial weakness. If banks receiving the highest marks trumpet their results, the fear is investors might push down share prices of those companies that make no such announcements.
Government officials want to announce the results all at once, at the end of the month.
The stress tests are a centerpiece of the Obama administration's ongoing effort to stabilize the banking industry. They subject the banks' books to a series of negative scenarios, including double-digit unemployment and further drops in home values.
The test results will help regulators determine which banks are strong enough with current subsidies, which need more money from the government or private investors, and those not worth saving.
The letters follow public statements from bank executives about the tests, including Wells Fargo & Co. Chief Executive Richard Kovacevich's calling the process "asinine." Bank of America Corp. CEO Kenneth Lewis and Citigroup Inc. CEO Vikram Pandit both have alluded to strong performance on separate, internal stress tests in recent memos seeking to build employee confidence.
Lewis also told reporters last month he expects Bank of America to pass the government's tests.
Wells Fargo has received a $25 billion government bailout; Bank of America and Citigroup each received $45 billion.
Spokesmen for the Federal Reserve, Bank of America and Citigroup would not comment on the issue. Wells Fargo spokeswoman Julia Tunis Bernard said the company doesn't comment on discussions with regulators.
The letter echoes earlier government moves to use strong banks as cover for those that need more help. For example, then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson forced the nine largest banks to take capital injections all at once last fall so the neediest banks wouldn't be stigmatized.
The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday opened a public debate on how to prevent downward pressure on stocks from investors betting against their performance _ a practice called "short selling." Critics of the practice, including many in the financial industry, blame short sellers for causing much of the panic that engulfed financial markets last fall.
Industry groups also have groused about regulators forcing healthy banks to take bailouts. Some smaller banks already have returned the government's money _ plus interest _ because they were unhappy with new conditions Congress had imposed. Large banks, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., have said they want to return the bailout money as soon as possible.
JARRATT, Virginia (AP) — 1st woman in US in 5 years executed in Virginia for hired killings of husband, stepson
MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP) — Authorities are scrambling to save hundreds of starving and endangered Dalmatian pelicans after the Caspian Sea froze for the first time in years.
Hundreds of the gray-white birds with distinctive curly feathers at their napes are jostling one another in a rare patch of unfrozen water at a shipyard near the city of Makhachkala, the capital of the southern Russian province of Dagestan.
About 20 birds have died of hunger despite hundreds of kilograms (pounds) of fish that his ministry and a local lawmaker are purchasing daily to feed them, Dagestan's Nature Protection Ministry spokesman Arslan Dydymov said Tuesday.
Fewer than 1,400 Dalmatian pelicans, the world's largest, live in southern Russia.
The birds are getting sprats from the local market because fresh fish from the iced-over Caspian is not available.
"Yesterday it seemed they ate more than enough," said Kurban Kuniev of the Dagestan nature reserve.
The birds flew to Makhachkala last week from the frozen deltas of the Volga and Terek rivers up north. Local residents were so excited by the arrival that the guards at the Makhachkala shipyard had to stop hundreds from entering with bread and other unsuitable foods.
"We did not let them in for the sake of the pelicans," chief guard Magomed Eldarov said.
On this date, as reported in the Chicago Daily News:
100 years ago. Former Kansas Gov. Sam Crawford is under federalinvestigation involving $280,000 he received for representing theCreek Indians in a land sale.
75 years ago. Thirty-eight passengers were killed when a KansasCity Southern train and a car collided at a Joplin, Mo., crossing.
50 years ago. Top suggestions in a nationwide contest to findinnovative job opportunities for youngsters included sales of glassdoors for ovens and a service to answer the phone for people who arenot at home.
25 years ago. The White Sox left 13 men on base in a 3-1 lossto Detroit that dropped the Sox to second place.
15 years ago. House and Senate Republican leaders called uponPresident Richard M. Nixon to resign in the wake of the Watergaterevelations.
COLLEGE PARK, Maryland (AP) — Top-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel beat Italy's Alberta Brianti 6-2, 6-1 on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Citi Open.
In a match that lasted 3 hours, 42 minutes, third-seeded Tamira Paszek of Austria edged Canada's Stephanie Dubois 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (2). Paszek will play Peer in Saturday's semifinals. Peer won their only meeting, at the 2007 Fed Cup.
American Irina Falconi also advanced by defeating France's Virginie Razzano 6-4, 6-3.
Falconi will play second-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova, who beat Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia 7-6 (4), 7-5.
TEMPE, Ariz.--Bears receiver David Terrell has an expression onhis face registering somewhere between disgusted dismay and painfulconstipation. His critics, he's told, will use his performance in theBears' exhibition loss Friday to the Arizona Cardinals as yet anotherexample of his immaturity and unworthiness.
How can anybody trust a guy so consumed with a personal Punt, Passand Kick competition that he misses the fact his touchdown had justbeen nullified by a penalty? Terrell coffin-nailed a punt into theupper rows of the first section of Sun Devil Stadium after hisapparent touchdown, raising one of the great philosophical debates:If a football is punted into the crowd and there is no one there tofair-catch it, does it really make a noise?
Not to referee Ed Hochuli and his crew, who were too busyconferring on an offensive pass-interference penalty against Terrellto see him make like Ray Guy. The 10-yard penalty saved Terrell a 15-yarder for unsportsmanlike conduct.
"That's how I play," Terrell said defiantly. "I play with a lot ofemotion. I play with a lot of aggression. If they don't like it, getme out of here. ... But I would love to play for the Bears."
Terrell vehemently argued the pass-interference call. He also madea scene after being whistled for a holding call that negated a 12-yard run by Rabih Abdullah. After both protests and both penalties,the Bears bailed out their young wide receiver by scoring a touchdownon the next play--their only two touchdowns of the game.
"David's an emotional guy, and we all like the passion he playswith and the fact he brings an energy to the game," wide receiverscoach Todd Haley said. "Now it's up to him to control that. What hecan't do is hurt the team."
Usually mild-mannered coach Dick Jauron agreed, judging from theway he berated Terrell on the sideline after the celebratory punt. Asideline source said Jauron was as angry as anyone had seen himpublicly. How the incident will affect Terrell in his bid to unseatDez White as the starter opposite Marty Booker is anybody's guess.
Terrell is one of the true enigmas on the Bears. You suspect he'sloaded with talent and capable of great things, but you have towonder whether the Bears' coaching staff ever really will trust him.His antics Friday only will serve to weaken his bid for a bigger rolein the offense, and that's too bad.
Maybe there even will be some people saying the Bears should cuthim. The advice here is to go the other way. Promote him to thestarting lineup and hope the extra responsibility will help himmature.
Sure, he's going to get plenty of chances as the third receiverand making him a starter might be only a cosmetic difference. Butmaybe it's more important in Terrell's mind. He views himself as morethan a starting receiver. He sees himself as a future Hall of Famer.He's one of those professional athletes with such mind-numbingflakiness that the Bears must use his immaturity as a weapon.
Make him take responsibility by relying on him despite hisfailings. There are plenty of receivers around the league--Randy Mossand Terrell Owens come to mind--that no sane coach is going to fullytrust. And yet their wackiness brings something extra on the field.
"There is no doubt, when David makes a play in the game, it getsthe team going," Haley said. "There is an energy there which is good.You don't want to change him. But he can't do things that could costus, and potentially [Friday] he did some things that could hurt us."
Rewarding Terrell for goofy behavior might not make sense, but thefact is his upside might be higher than that of any player on theroster without a featured role. Terrell needs to be featured to be athis best. He had two catches for 27 yards against the Cardinals andhas four catches for 50 yards in three preseason games. That ties himwith White and Bobby Wade as the Bears' sixth-leading receiver.
Instead of force-feeding Terrell the ball like they do with EdellShepard and Ahmad Merritt, the Bears engage in a whisper campaignabout Terrell's faulty practice habits and sloppy route-running.Asked about those rumors, Haley defused them.
"There is no doubt on Sunday he turns it to another level," Haleysaid. "But the thing he's done this year is he's been a betterpractice player. He's worked harder than he's ever worked in allthree camps, and he hasn't slowed up at all. He just has to keeppushing."
The lack of public toilets in Banff has come under fire.
Conveniences in the town were closed seven years ago following areview, leaving just one public toilet at St Mary's car park.
Now community groups have said that this provision was not goodenough.
More than 45 organisations were contacted by Banff and MacduffCommunity Council, …
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Soviet Union couldn't win in Afghanistan, and now the United States is about to have something in common with that futile campaign: nine years, 50 days.
On Friday, the U.S.-led coalition will have been fighting in this South Asian country for as long as the Soviets did in their humbling attempt to build up a socialist state. The two invasions had different goals — and dramatically different body counts — but whether they have significantly different outcomes remains to be seen.
What started out as a quick war on Oct. 7, 2001, by the U.S. and its allies to wipe out al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and the Taliban has instead turned into a long and slogging campaign. Now about 100,000 NATO troops are fighting a burgeoning insurgency while trying to support and cultivate a nascent democracy.
A Pentagon-led assessment released earlier this week described the progress made since the United States injected 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan earlier this year as fragile.
The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, has said NATO's core objective is to ensure that Afghanistan "is never again a sanctuary to al-Qaida or other transnational extremists that it was prior to 9/11."
He said the only way to achieve that goal is "to help Afghanistan develop the ability to secure and govern itself. Now not to the levels of Switzerland in 10 years or less, but to a level that is good enough for Afghanistan."
To reach that, there is an ongoing effort to get the Taliban to the negotiating table. President Hamid Karzai has set up a committee to try to make peace, and the military hopes its campaign will help force the insurgents to seek a deal.
When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan on Dec. 27, 1979, its stated goal was to transform Afghanistan into a modern socialist state. The Soviets sought to prop up a communist regime that was facing a popular uprising, but left largely defeated on Feb. 15, 1989.
In 1992, the pro-Moscow government of Mohammad Najibullah collapsed and U.S.-backed rebels took power. The Taliban eventually seized Kabul after a violent civil war that killed thousands more. It ruled with a strict interpretation of Islamic law until it was ousted by the U.S.-led invasion.
Nader Nadery, an Afghan analyst who has studied the Soviet and U.S. invasions, said "the time may be the same" for the two conflicts, "but conditions are not similar."
More than a million civilians died as Soviet forces propping up the government of Babrak Karmal waged a massive war against anti-communist mujahedeen forces.
"There was indiscriminate mass bombardment of villages for the eviction of mujahedeen," Nadery said. "Civilian casualties are not at all comparable."
Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank and Afghanistan expert, said NATO forces have killed fewer than 10,000 civilians and a comparable number of insurgents.
The allied military presence has also been far smaller and more targeted. Even now, nearly all operations are restricted to the south and east of the country where the insurgency is most active. O'Hanlon points out that at the height of the resistance, there were 250,000 mujahedeen representing all Afghan ethnic groups fighting the Soviets, while "the current insurgency is perhaps one-eighth as large and is only Pashtun."
"We do have big problems. But there is no comparison between this war and what the Soviets wrought," he said.
"The Soviet war set Afghanistan back dramatically from what had been a weak but functioning state. NATO has, by contrast, helped Afghanistan to a 10 percent annual economic growth rate, 7 million kids are now in school, and most people have access to basic health care within a two-hour walk," O'Hanlon said.
He also points out that although Karzai was hand-picked by the United States after the invasion "he has since been elected twice by his own people."
The United States and its allies, however, have made strategic mistakes, including taking their eyes off Afghanistan and shifting their attention to the war in Iraq. In those crucial years, the Taliban and their allies surged back and took control of many parts of the Afghan countryside and some regions in the south — especially parts of Kandahar and Helmand.
Wadir Safi, a professor at Kabul University who served as civil aviation minister under the Najibullah government, said risks surround the U.S. effort because "the Americans never reached the goal for which they came."
"If they don't change their policy, if they don't reach their goals, if they don't reach agreement with the armed opposition and with the government, then it is not a far time that the Afghan people will be fed up with the presence of these foreign forces," Safi said.
The United States has pledged that its commitment to Afghanistan will run past the 2014 date when NATO forces are supposed to transition to a noncombat role.
A Russian analyst said the Soviet Union tried to do something similar when it left Afghanistan. It backed Najibullah with money and weapons, and left behind a trained and heavily armed Afghan military. But it all crumbled and the mujahedeen took over Kabul in 1992. Najibullah stayed in the city's U.N. compound until Kabul fell to the Taliban in 1996, and he was hung from the main square.
"The Soviet Union tried to leave its protege alone to run the country, but that ended in the Taliban victory," said Alexander Konovalov, the head of the Moscow-based Institute of Strategic Assessment, an independent think-tank.
"The U.S. now wants to create a self-sufficient structure behind backed by some support forces," he said. "It remains to be seen how successful it could be in Afghanistan."
___
Associated Press Writer Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
Police defended their decision to give a tree-climbing boy a warning notice after a resident reported him for "rude and anti-social behaviour".
Kade-Liam Read, aged nine, was scaling the tree in a park in Churchdown, Gloucester, where he had gone with five cousins, when he was stopped by a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO).
The boy, who was visiting from Germany and speaks little English, was left "terrified" after the incident which has blighted his holiday, his family said.
His father Bryan Read, 45, said: "They were just playing on the park and climbing the tree when the community police came and gave them a blue slip for antisocial behaviour.
"They said they were abusive but my son can't even speak English so how could he be abusive? "It is the summer holidays and they were just in the park enjoying themselves - they were really scared and my son doesn't know what to think. This is the only holiday we will have this year and it has been spoilt by this nasty experience."
Mr Read lives in Germany and was visiting his mother. He is now worried his son will be too frightened to come back to see his cousins Melissa Read, seven, Jessica Read and Abby Read, both 12, Beth Powell, 11, and Joe Powell 10.
Gloucestershire police said they had received a complaint from a resident near the park which borders three streets.
A force spokeswoman said: "While we would not discourage any child from playing and having fun in a park we must also respond to official complaints made from the public.
"A report was made to us by a resident who complained of rude and anti-social behaviour from a group of children playing in a nearby tree.
"A PCSO was sent to talk to the children who explained to them that their behaviour had upset one of the neigh-boursand that it would be better if they played further away from the houses to avoid any further upset."
Tree-climbing holiday boy 'terrified' by police warning.Police defended their decision to give a tree-climbing boy a warning notice after a resident reported him for "rude and anti-social behaviour".
Kade-Liam Read, aged nine, was scaling the tree in a park in Churchdown, Gloucester, where he had gone with five cousins, when he was stopped by a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO).
The boy, who was visiting from Germany and speaks little English, was left "terrified" after the incident which has blighted his holiday, his family said.
His father Bryan Read, 45, said: "They were just playing on the park and climbing the tree when the community police came and gave them a blue slip for antisocial behaviour.
"They said they were abusive but my son can't even speak English so how could he be abusive? "It is the summer holidays and they were just in the park enjoying themselves - they were really scared and my son doesn't know what to think. This is the only holiday we will have this year and it has been spoilt by this nasty experience."
Mr Read lives in Germany and was visiting his mother. He is now worried his son will be too frightened to come back to see his cousins Melissa Read, seven, Jessica Read and Abby Read, both 12, Beth Powell, 11, and Joe Powell 10.
Gloucestershire police said they had received a complaint from a resident near the park which borders three streets.
A force spokeswoman said: "While we would not discourage any child from playing and having fun in a park we must also respond to official complaints made from the public.
"A report was made to us by a resident who complained of rude and anti-social behaviour from a group of children playing in a nearby tree.
"A PCSO was sent to talk to the children who explained to them that their behaviour had upset one of the neigh-boursand that it would be better if they played further away from the houses to avoid any further upset."
LONDON (AP) — Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore insists the spate of recent racism cases has not harmed the English game and claims other countries might not have acted so decisively.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is serving an eight-match ban for racially abusing a black opponent, while Chelsea captain John Terry will appear in court next month on a charge of hurling a racist insult during another league match in October.
The cases prompted a British parliamentary committee to launch an investigation into whether enough is being done to combat racism in football, with a hearing due to take place in March that could hear evidence from the accused and victims.
But Scudamore maintains that English football is unrivaled in its determination to rid the game of racism.
"When it comes to the racism issue there is zero tolerance," Scudamore said late Wednesday. "We as a sport have led the line and continue to lead the line, there's no room for it."
The English Football Association has said that Suarez calling Manchester United defender Patrice Evra "Negro" or "Negros" seven times during an on-field confrontation in an October league match has "damaged the image of English football around the world."
Scudamore takes a different view. Asked if the league's brand had been damaged by the cases, he replied: "No I don't think so."
"I am absolutely confident that English football's record of dealing with this issue is good," he added. "All that has happened in the last few weeks has been dealt with. Look at the reaction to it — the media reaction, the public reaction, the supporter reaction.
"I am proud that we are in a country that can deal with it, has dealt with it and got the reaction it has, which is far better than what goes on in many other countries where it would not have got any column inches."
Terry's case has been front page news in Britain and made headlines around the world. The England captain is due to appear in court on Feb. 1 to face a criminal charge after allegedly racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a Chelsea match in October.
"Nobody's complacent, there's always work to be done (on combatting racism)," Scudamore said while not commenting on the specifics on recent cases. "If there's more we can do then fine."
Scudamore was speaking at a Premier League 4 Sport event, which has helped more than 250,000 young people engage in four Olympic sports — badminton, judo, table tennis and volleyball — ahead of the London Olympics. Basketball, handball, hockey and netball will also be added to the program after the Premier League pledged an extra 2 million pounds ($3 million) of funding.
The government says it could also give Premier League clubs money if they are attracting youngsters to sport.
"If public money makes these schemes go further and wider I don't see why they shouldn't qualify," Scudamore said.
WASHINGTON The fund insuring Americans' $2.5 trillion incommercial bank deposits is under considerable stress and couldsuffer its third consecutive loss this year, a top regulator saidTuesday.
L. William Seidman, chairman of the Federal Deposit InsuranceCorp., said "it would not be unreasonable" to predict a $2 billionloss, reducing the fund to around $11 billion.
It lost $851 million in 1989 and $4.24 billion in 1988 as bankfailures soared to post-Depression highs.
Those losses reduced insurance backing of the nation's 12,500banks to 70 cents per $100 of deposits, "the lowest point in modernhistory," Seidman said.
With another loss this year, …
(ADPnews) - Oct 22, 2009 - Italian power grid operator Terna SpA (BIT:TRN) may close on November 3 the sale of its Brazilian unit Terna Participacoes (SAO:TRNA11) to power utility Companhia Energetica de Minas Gerais (SAO:CMIG4), or Cemig, daily Milano Finanza reported on Thursday.
The Italian group is expected to cash in EUR 809 million (USD 1.2bn) …
Byline: KENNETH AARON Business writer
Whether you're buying a car, running a car dealership or building the machines that help make the car, Tuesday's half-point rate cut by the Federal Reserve is expected to be a boon.
When interest rates drop, that means the cost of borrowing money goes down -- and, presumably, more individuals and businesses are spurred to go buy more things.
As a result of the cut, consumer confidence -- beaten to record-low levels in New York state, according to a Siena Research Institute survey released earlier this month -- should rebound.
``I think, to the average person, that interest rate cuts are a sign that the …
DAVID LUBARS, president, Fallon Worldwide/executive creative director, Fallon North America, …
Oil prices were little changed Monday despite concerns about U.S. gasoline stocks and terrorist attacks after the weekend incidents in Britain.
Britain has raised its security alert level to the highest possible level, indicating terror attacks may be imminent. On Friday, authorities thwarted coordinated bomb attacks in central London while on Saturday two men rammed a Jeep Cherokee into a Glasgow airport terminal and set it ablaze. Britain has raised its security alert level to the highest possible level, indicating terror attacks may be imminent.
"The biggest fear in this market is the possibility of an attack on energy installations," said Peter Beutel at Cameron …
Ashton Vale company Braby has won a contract worth an undisclosedsum from Rentokil Wiper Services.
The contract, to provide a storage system for sludge, is part of acontinued investment programme into the modernisation of thecompany's effluent treatment …
(ADPnews) - Feb 22, 2010 - Latin American-focused oil exploration and production company GeoPark Holdings Ltd (LON:GPK) today announced the successful drilling and testing of the Alakaluf 6 and Alakaluf 8 oil wells in its Fell block in southern Chile.
GeoPark has drilled and completed the Alakaluf 6 appraisal well to a total depth of 2,244 m (7,362 ft). The well produced nearly 774 barrels per day (bpd) of oil during a production test in the Springhill formation, at …
WESTERLO
TOWN BOARD
Tuesday, Feb. 6
Discussed the search for an organization to provide animal control services to the municipality. Board members recently learned that the Mohawk & Hudson River Humane Society has proposed a new contract with the town that calls for a sharp increase in its rates for animal control services.
Received a presentation by Judith A. Eisgruber of the Albany County Rural Housing Alliance and Barbara Lamphere of the Two Plus Four Construction Co. Inc. of East Syracuse on a proposal to build a 24-unit, low-cost senior housing facility on an approximately 10-acre parcel along county Route 1. The town Planning Board …
Byline: SANDRA M. COLATOSTI RENSSELAER
I would like to comment on your (Feb. 23) article about landlord Roger Ploof.
Landlords who fail to screen prospective tenants properly and are willing to rent to anyone hurt not only private homeowners, but also other landlords who own rental property in the same neighborhood.
The introduction of undesirable people into a neighborhood affects property values and makes it difficult for other landlords to rent to more suitable tenants.
However, most of the properties owned by Mr. Ploof were already located in troubled neighborhoods when he bought them. Many were nothing but boarded-up, deserted …
Aug. 20--Advance Paint Chemical (Thailand) said that all 164m shares offered at 1 bt each had been sold to local and foreign investors from Aug 7-16.
--Book Club Finance said BC-W warrant holders could exercise rights on Aug 30, with notification from Aug 23-29.
--BGES Engineering System reported an audited net loss of 108.4m bt (4.82bt/share) for H1 ended June 30, vs a net loss of 89.1m bt (3.92bt/share) in H1 2001.
--Bangkok Insurance said its board on Aug 16 approved the second interim dividend payment of 2.75 bt/share, to be made on Sept 13, register closed on Aug 30.
--Datamat said that on Aug 16 it acquired 306,000 shares from …
Two government officials say Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has replaced the top police and top army commander in Iraq's second city of Basra because of concern over deteriorating security.
The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not supposed to release the information. Two weeks ago, …
CHAMPAIGN Illinois defensive coordinator Lou Tepper, who spent 25years as an assistant, was named head coach of the Illini today.
"I am delighted that we have been able to move so quickly withthe appointment of Lou Tepper. . .," said UI Chancellor Morton Weir."He is a man of integrity, with a strong orientation toward theacademic success of student athletes."
"I'm excited," said Tepper, after he interviewed with theAthletic Board on Thursday. "This is certainly something I havelonged for and prepared for a long time."
Weir named Tepper interim football coach Thursday when JohnMackovic resigned as coach and athletic director to become head coachat Texas. …
"Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination is crucial for cell proliferation and tumour suppression. However, despite its importance, the molecular intermediates of mitotic DSB repair remain undefined," scientists in the United States report (see also Genetics).
"The double Holliday junction (DHJ), presupposed to be the central intermediate for more than 25 years(1), has only been identified during meiotic recombination(2). Moreover, evidence has accumulated for alternative, DHJ-independent mechanisms(3-6), raising the possibility that DHJs are not formed during DSB repair in mitotically cycling cells. Here we identify intermediates of DSB repair by …
TODAY
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Landlord training
WHERE: 255 Orange St., 255 Orange St., Albany WHEN: 5:30-7 p.m. COST: $10 for manual CONTACT: 434-1730, Ext. 0 NOTES: Learn about tenant selection, leases, legal issues and management strategies; sponsored by the Affordable Housing Partnership
COMMUNITY
Clothing for people with special needs
WHERE: Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre, 49 Marvin Ave., Troy WHEN: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CONTACT: Deborah LaFountaine, 273-6646 NOTES: Clothing that is not offered in local department stores.
Evening at the Earl
WHERE: Earl Chapel, Oakwood Cemetery, Oakwood Ave., Troy …
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and marketing partner Sanofi-Aventis have failed to delay Apotex from launching a generic version of its clot-preventing drug Plavix. The episode highlights the increasing collusion between pharmaceutical giants and generic firms to protect lucrative drug markets and avoid the courts, but is a prime example of how not to do it.
Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) accounts for nearly a third of BMS's revenue. US annual sales ending June 2006 were $3.77bn, according to IMS Health. The drug was approved in 1997, but patent protection expires in 2012. However, generics firm Apotex challenged the patent four years ago, although its generic was only …
Police in the Swiss capital temporarily held around 200 protesters who had taken part in an illegal demonstration Saturday against the World Economic Forum, it said.
The 200 or so people detained were searched and questioned, said Stefan Blaettler, who heads the cantonal (state) police of canton Bern. He did not give an exact number for how many were detained.
Police had prevented a group of around 100 people from marching through the city of Bern. Later, a larger number of demonstrators took to the streets, police said. Protesters threw bottles and clashed with police, who used tear gas and water cannons. Observers said police also used rubber shots.
…
LONDON -- Obituary: Dolly the Sheep, July, 5, 1996--Feb. 14, 2003.
The world's most famous sheep, Dolly--the first clone to be created from an adult cell--died Friday at age 6 and a half. She was put down after vets at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she was born and lived, found she was suffering from a progressive lung disease.
The Roslin Institute said that while sheep can live to 11 or 12 years old, lung infections are common in animals that, like Dolly, have lived indoors.
After a post-mortem, Dolly is to be stuffed and exhibited in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. There she will join her cloned predecessor Morag, born …
