Peace may be dangerous approach in Colombia

When newly elected Colombian President Andres Pastrana spelledout his peace initiative at the State Department Aug. 3, U.S.diplomats beamed their approval, but President Clinton's narcoticsfighters expressed skepticism. Their doubts were confirmed the nextday in iron and blood 2,000 miles away, with potentially profoundconsequences for the United States.

On Aug. 4, FARC and ELN leftist guerrillas launched a nationwideoffensive. Close to 300 soldiers and policemen were killed, anddestruction of the Miraflores air refueling base ended the country'sability to fight coca cultivation with herbicides.

Pastrana called it a farewell salute to his …

Ahead of the Bell: Google falls on ad pricing

NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of Internet search engine Google Inc. fell in premarket trading Friday after it revealed that it got less money for each ad in the fourth quarter.

The stock was down $49.46, or 7.7 percent, at $590.11 per share in trading ahead of the market opening. The shares haven't been below $600 in regular trading since Dec. 1.

Investors had expected that the surge of online holiday shopping in the U.S. would let Google charge more for its ads. Instead, the average price fell by 8 percent from the same time in 2010.

The results weren't enough to make analysts change their minds about Google.

Analyst Youssef Squali said the numbers weren't as bad as they …

Spain beats Netherlands 1-0 to win the World Cup

Spain rules the soccer world, winning the World Cup at long, long last. It came after an exhausting 1-0 victory in extra time over the Netherlands on Sunday. Two years after winning the European title, the stylish Spaniards did even better.

This was a physical test of attrition that sometimes turned dirty _ a finals-record 13 yellow cards were handed out and the Dutch finished with 10 men. In the end, it was Andres Iniesta breaking free in the penalty area, taking a pass from Cesc Fabregas and putting a right-footed shot from 8 yards just past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.

For the Dutch and their legions of orange-clad fans wearing …

Shaw bros. survive, ready for peace

It's time to bury the political hatchet between the Jacksons and the Shaws, Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Robert Shaw said Wednesday after he and his brother survived a nasty primary fight.

Reached in Springfield, Sen. Shaw said he agrees with his brother.

"Our focus should not be on each other."

Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-2nd), when reached in Washington, D.C., agreed that they should sit down and discuss ways of taking care of the residents of the south suburban communities.

Jackson thanked both Shaws for the spirited competition and said it has made him "a better servant."

Sen. Shaw agreed, saying they all should walk in lockstep for the …

No. 11 LSU Wins Another Lopsided Game

NEW ORLEANS - Sylvia Fowles had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and LSU rolled to another lopsided victory by beating New Orleans 65-45 on Monday night.

It was the latest dominant performance for the 6-foot-6 center known as Big Syl, who has four double-doubles this season and has scored in double figures in all but one game for the No. 11 Lady Tigers (8-1).

Erica White had 15 points, six assists and five steals for LSU, which has won three straight and has not had a victory margin of less than 20 points this season.

Le'Della English scored 17 for UNO (4-2), and Cookie Johnson added 10 points.

Shooting 50.9 percent, LSU led by as many as 26 points early in …

Jayawardene wants to regain form against India

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene admits he has not contributed much to the team as a batsman lately and says he wants to use the upcoming one-day international series against India to regain his lost form.

"I know I need to contribute to my team with the bat but I failed to be among the runs in the last two series," Jayawardene said Monday. "The challenge ahead of me now is to work hard and correct whatever flaws with my batting.

"I sensed some improvement during the Pakistan series and I hope that I will return to form during the India series."

Jayawardene, who has averaged more than 32 runs in 294 one-day …

S. African actress stages extraordinary double life

Have You Seen Zandile? A play written and directed by Gcina Mhlope. With sets and lightingby Patrick Kerwin and costumes by Glenn Billings. Presented by theChicago Theatre Company, 500 E. 67 St., 493-1305. Through June 5.

Watching South African actress Gcina Mhlope in "Have You SeenZandile?" is like peeking into the bedroom of a young girl. You canhear her talking to herself in the most uninhibited and imaginativeway, as she studies her image in a mirror and puzzles out all thethings she has to know in order to grow up.

There is no literal mirror in this play, but with herbroad-boned doll-like face, the slightly gawky body of an adolescent,and the vitality and …

Harley-Davidson 3Q Profit Falls 15.3 Pct

MILWAUKEE - A continued sluggish U.S. market for motorcycles pushed Harley-Davidson Inc.'s third-quarter profit down 15.3 percent, and the motorcycle maker said it expects next year to be difficult, too.

Domestic buyers are seeing oil prices rising and the home market crumbling, so they're being cautious about spending, even when it comes to the iconic brand's bikes, Chief Executive Jim Ziemer said in an interview.

"It's all of those, with the consumer on the sidelines saying 'We're going to wait and see what's going on,'" he said.

Domestically, sales were down 2.5 percent in the three months ended Sept. 30, while the overall U.S. heavyweight market fell 4.4 …

Consumer sentiment improves more than expected

Consumer sentiment rose more than expected in August and expectations hit the highest level since the recession began, indications that Americans' pessimism about the economy may be lifting.

The housing sector also showed signs of life as a national measure of home prices posted its first quarterly increase in three years.

The New York-based Conference Board said Tuesday its Consumer Confidence index rose to 54.1 from an upwardly revised 47.4 in July. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected a slight increase to 47.5.

Still, the index is well below 90, the minimum level associated with a healthy economy. Anything above 100 signals strong …

So, What Does Rosie Eat?

Thanks to In the Kitchen With Rosie, a great new cookbook,everyone knows about Oprah Winfrey's favorite recipes and eatinghabits. But what does her chef, Rosie Daley, prefer when she cooksfor herself?

"I eat what I cook," said Daley, who is as trim and fit as herphotos suggest. Like many other chefs, Daley often samples recipesshe creates to make sure the results are what she wants.

"I have confidence that I make good-flavored foods, but I liketo taste them as well. I taste everything I make," she said.

"I do have a cup of coffee in the …

Father in Palin stalking case wants order dropped

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A Pennsylvania man is asking an Alaska court to dissolve a restraining order Sarah Palin has against him, saying a state magistrate denied his right of due process as required by law.

Craig Christy is the father of 19-year-old Shawn Christy, who is accused of stalking the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate.

An Alaska state magistrate in May extended a …

NYPD says 3 killed in Manhattan apartment

Two men and a woman were killed in an apartment on Manhattan's Upper West side, police said Saturday.

The bodies were found, with a gun nearby, in an upscale building Saturday evening, police Sgt. Kevin Hayes said. It was unclear when they died.

Neighbor William Glenn told Newsday his wife had "heard a couple of bangs" around 8 p.m. Friday.

Investigators did not know whether the three were related or if any of them lived in the eighth-floor apartment, Hayes said. Their names and ages were not released.

No …

FBI seeks help in nabbing the "Night Stalker"

FBI seeks help in nabbing the `Night Stalker'

The FBI Wednesday appealed to the public in helping them nab the elusive "Night Stalker Bandit" who has struck again in his fourth Chicago bank heist over the past month.

His latest caper occurred late Tuesday night at the TCF Bank branch, 4042 W. Foster.

FBI officials said the Night Stalker approached a teller and, just like he has done in the past, handed her a note announcing the robbery, then demanding money.

Agents said while his note implied he was armed, no weapon was displayed, and there were no injuries.

After the teller complied to the Night Stalker's demands of cash, he fled the bank on foot.

He is described as a male Hispanic, 25-years of age, 5' 9" tall, 170-185 pounds, and clean shaven.

He is a suspect in the robbery of the TCF bank branches located at: 4355 N. Sheridan on Oct. 29th, 1210 N. Clark on Oct. 23rd, and 5526 N. Clark St., on Oct. 17th.

Anyone with any information about this bandit should call the FBI at: 312-431-1333.

Article Copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.

Celebrity face vases display their charm in collector's corner

Let the observer with no imagination use the prosaic term "headvases." Grace Bair of Urbana calls her collection "celebrity ladyface vases" or "celebrity lady heads." Corner shelves in one room ofher house display an attractive selection of vases that look like thebeautiful women Americans have admired during the 20th century. Shehas made name tags to identify them all.

The former teacher and principal remembers when she saw her firsthead vase in the 1950s. "I picked one as a container to send abouquet to a sick friend," says Bair, who retired in 1973. Made ofbisque china, it was a reasonably priced novelty.

As far as we know, manufacturers first made head vases in the1940s and 1950s for floral arrangements. Since the vases were sosmall, a florist could not make much money selling a flowerarrangement in such a vase. Consequently, many of them collecteddust in flower shop workrooms and closets. In fact, you may be luckyenough to find a well-established floral shop that still has some inits stock rooms that you buy at a reasonable price.

Many lady face vases were imported from Japan. Some also mayhave been manufactured here. Many of the vases have marks on thebottom that enable one to determine the approximate time ofmanufacture and the dealer or importer. Still others have no marksat all, which makes it difficult or impossible to determine theirorigins.

Lefton's and Napco are two names commonly seen on labels, butnot much else is known about them. Some vases carry the same marksbut are different in details and even sizes. Perhaps we will neverbe able to learn everything about the origins of these collectibles.

Bair acquired her collection after she retired, while she andher husband visited local flea markets and antique shows as a hobby.After he died, she launched a second career as an antique dealer, anddisplays her wares in two rooms in Second Hand Rose, an antique mallin Urbana.

"I remember selling some that looked like Marilyn Monroe beforeI became interested in collecting them myself," Bair says. "You couldbuy them then for 50 cents at flea markets and second-hand shops.Now an ordinary head vase may cost $12, and nicer ones may cost $20or $30 in the shops."

Bair has nearly 40 head vases in her collection, but the onesshe likes best are those that look like famous movie stars. "Becauseof copyright laws, these vases weren't advertised as likenesses offamous women," Bair explains. "Some of them, however, such as onethat resembles Jackie Kennedy, are obvious portrayals."

This category of collectible is not yet listed in most antiqueencyclopedias and price guides. Kathleen Cole has written a booktitled Head Vases: Identification and Values (Collector Books,$14.95) describing her collection of more than 1,000 vases. Theyrange in size from 2 to 11 inches tall and come in all styles:religious, clowns, animals, Orientals, blacks, Indians, men, womenand children.

If you are interested in collecting head vases, you may want toconfine your purchases to a specific category, as Bair does.Collectors who are interested in memorabilia of only one person maybe able to find a head vase resembling that person to round out acollection.

So far, Bair has acquired 15 "celebrity vases," includinglikenesses of actresses Angela Lansbury, Ginger Rogers, Ann Sothernand Donna Reed.

"If I ever sell my collection, I would want the new owner to besomeone who would buy it all and keep it together," Bair says.

Once you start looking for head vases, you are likely to findsome examples on every one of your outings. Become acquainted withprevailing market prices before you buy so that you will not pay toomuch for nondescript examples. You should buy only those vases youlike and that are in good condition. It is hard to resell defectiveones, Bair warns.

Do not be afraid to buy duplicates if you can find them at abargain, she advises. You can always trade with other collectors ordealers. If you fall in love with a special vase that is trulyunique, buy it even if it is not a bargain. You may be happier withone wonderful vase than two ordinary ones.

Bair is happy that so many people are becoming collectors. "Manythings were thrown away that should have been kept," she said. "Weare preserving our heritage for our children and grandchildren bysavoring and treasuring items from our nation's past."

What are we throwing away now that is destined to become acollectible in the future? Bair believes plastics will be the nextpopular collectible. Bakelite radios are hot sellers at local fleamarkets; so are old necklaces.

"I sold an old plastic necklace by a famous designer for $300and I could sell another one for more than that if I could find one,"Bair says.

Meanwhile, Bair still hopes to continue adding to and upgradingher collection of celebrity lady face vases. Who knows whattreasures next week's garage sales may yield?

NATIONAL LEAGUE GAMES

REDS 3, PIRATES 2

See story, this page.

PITTSBURGH CINCINNATI

ab r h bi ab r h bi

ABrwn cf 4 0 0 0 Larkin ss 2 0 1 2

DeBell rf 5 0 1 0 Tucker cf 4 0 0 0

Kendall c 4 0 1 1 DYong lf 4 1 1 0

Giles lf 5 0 1 0 RMRva cf 0 0 0 0

ANRmz 3b 4 0 0 0 Casey 1b 4 0 0 0

KYong 1b 4 1 1 0 Ochoa rf 4 0 1 1

Meares 2b 3 0 2 0 ABoone 3b 4 0 0 0

Wilson ss 2 0 1 0 Reese 2b 4 1 1 0

EWilsn ss 2 1 0 0 Larue c 2 1 0 0

Silva p 0 0 0 0 OFrdz p 1 0 0 0

Ritchie p 2 0 0 0 DReyes p 0 0 0 0

Vn Wal ph 0 0 0 0 Wllmsn p 0 0 0 0

Srbeck p 0 0 0 0 Redling p 0 0 0 0

ANunez ss 1 0 0 0 Graves p 0 0 0 0

Totals 36 2 7 1 Totals 29 3 4 3

Pittsburgh 000 000 200-2

Cincinnati 021 000 00x-3

E-ANRamirez (1), Meares (1), Larkin (2), ABoone (1). LOB-Pittsburgh 11, Cincinnati 7. 2B-Giles (1), Meares (1), Wilson (1),Larkin (1). 3B-Ochoa (1). SB-Tucker (1). S-OFernandez. IP H R ERBB SO

Pittsburgh

Ritchie L,0-1 6 4 3 3 4 4

Sauerbeck 1 0 0 0 0 1

Silva 1 0 0 0 0 0

Cincinnati

OFernandez W,1-0 61/3 6 2 2 0 3

DReyes 0 0 0 0 1 0

Williamson 1/3 0 0 0 1 0

Riedling 11/3 0 0 0 1 2

Graves S,1 1 1 0 0 0 1

DReyes pitched to 1 batter in the 7th.

HBP-by Williamson (Kendall). WP-Williamson.

T-2:53. A-20,784 (39,000).

DIAMONDBACKS 3,

DODGERS 2

Randy Johnson and Luis Gonzalez teamed to make Arizona ManagerBob Brenly's debut a winning one.

Johnson struck out 10, and Gonzalez hit a two-run homer.

Jose Nunez, the third Dodger pitcher, was stung in his big-league debut, allowing a double to Mark Grace to start the seventhbefore Gonzalez homered to put the Diamondbacks ahead 3-2.

ARIZONA LOS ANGELES

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Wmack ss 5 1 1 0 Grssom cf 5 0 0 0

MEGrc 1b 5 1 2 0 Grdzln 2b 4 0 2 0

LGnzlz lf 5 1 1 2 Shffield lf 3 0 0 0

MtWms 3b 4 0 2 1 Karros 1b 4 0 0 0

SFinley cf 5 0 1 0 Green rf 2 1 0 0

Butista rf 4 0 1 0 Reboulet 3b 2 1 0 0

Dllucci rf 1 0 0 0 Loduca c 4 0 2 2

JBell 2b 4 0 1 0 Bogar ss 1 0 0 0

DMiller c 3 0 2 0 Bcchca 3b 1 0 0 0

RDJsn p 2 0 0 0 Gagne p 1 0 0 0

Durazo ph 1 0 1 0 Olson p 0 0 0 0

BKim p 0 0 0 0 Nunez p 0 0 0 0

Mantei p 0 0 0 0 APena ph 1 0 0 0

Adams p 0 0 0 0

Dnnls ph 1 0 1 0

Godwin pr 0 0 0 0

Totals 39 3 12 3 Totals 29 2 5 2

Arizona 100 000 200-3

Los Angeles 000 200 000-2

E-Reboulet (1). LOB-Arizona 12, Los Angeles 8. 2B-MEGrace 2 (2),JBell (1), Loduca (1). HR-LGonzalez (1). CS-Grudzielanek (1),Bocachica (1). S-RDJohnson, Gagne.

IP H R ER BB SO

Arizona

RDJohnson W,1-0 7 4 2 2 4 10

BKim 1 0 0 0 2 3

Mantei S,1 1 1 0 0 0 0

Los Angeles

Gagne 5 7 1 1 2 6

Olson 1 0 0 0 0 1

Nunez L,0-1 1 2 2 2 0 2

Adams 2 3 0 0 0 3

HBP-by RDJohnson (Reboulet). WP-Gagne.

T-3:14. A-22,927 (56,000).

PHILLIES 4, MARLINS 3

Brian Hunter scored the go-ahead run from second base on asacrifice fly in the seventh, and Philadelphia notched its secondconsecutive one-run victory.

Hunter led off the seventh with a single off reliever BradenLooper and stole second. Doug Glanville hit a drive that centerfielder Preston Wilson caught while sprinting toward the wall.Hunter tagged up at second, never hesitated rounding third andnarrowly beat the throw .

Eric Owens became the first player to homer in his first twogames with Florida. Cliff Floyd also homered for the second time inas many games.

PHILADELPHIA FLORIDA

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Glnville cf 4 1 1 1 LCstllo 2b 5 1 2 0

Rollins ss 3 0 0 0 Owens rf 4 1 1 1

Bttalico p 0 0 0 0 Floyd lf 3 1 1 2

Mesa p 0 0 0 0 PWilsn cf 3 0 1 0

Abreu rf 4 1 3 1 Lowell 3b 4 0 0 0

Rolen 3b 4 0 1 1 CJhnsn c 4 0 1 0

Burrell lf 4 0 0 0 DLLee 1b 3 0 0 0

TLee 1b 3 0 1 0 AGnzlz ss 3 0 0 0

Lbrthal c 3 1 1 1 Clment p 0 0 0 0

MOAsn 2b 4 0 0 0 LMoutn ph 1 0 0 0

Person p 2 0 0 0 Bones p 0 0 0 0

Brock p 0 0 0 0 Millar ph 1 0 0 0

BLHntr ph 1 1 1 0 Looper p 0 0 0 0

Oropsa p 0 0 0 0 Drnsbr p 0 0 0 0

TPerez ss 1 0 1 0 AFox ph 1 0 0 0

Totals 33 4 9 4 Totals 32 3 6 3

Philadelphia 011 010 100-4

Florida 200 010 000-3

DP-Florida 1. LOB-Philadelphia 6, Florida 8. 2B-Glanville (1),Rolen (1), LCastillo (2), CJohnson (1). HR-Lieberthal (1), Owens(2), Floyd (2). SB-Abreu (1), BLHunter (1). CS-Abreu (1). S-Clement. SF-Glanville.

IP H R ER BB SO

Philadelphia

Person 42/3 4 3 3 3 5

Brock W,1-0 11/3 1 0 0 1 1

Oropesa 2/3 0 0 0 1 1

Bottalico 11/3 0 0 0 0 3

Mesa S,1 1 1 0 0 0 2

Florida

Clement 5 6 3 3 3 5

Bones 1 1 0 0 0 0

Looper L,0-1 1 1 1 1 0 0

Darensbourg 2 1 0 0 0 2

T-3:08. A-10,257 (36,331).

ASTROS 11, BREWERS 3

Daryle Ward, subbing for injured Moises Alou, hit his firstcareer grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs.

Ward's homer, which keyed a six-run third inning, was only thesecond opening-day grand slam in Astros history. The second openingday at Enron Field drew 36,526, short of the ballpark's capacity of40,950.

Craig Biggio, returning from offseason knee surgery, went 5-for-5 to tie an Astros record.

MILWAUKEE HOUSTON

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Frnndz 3b 4 0 2 0 Lugo ss 4 1 1 0

Blliard 2b 5 0 1 1 Biggio 2b 5 3 5 0

Jenkins lf 5 0 0 0 Bgwell 1b 3 1 0 0

Sexson 1b 3 0 1 0 Brkmn lf 3 3 0 1

Burnitz rf 4 1 1 1 Hidalgo cf 4 1 2 3

Hmnds cf 4 0 0 0 DWard rf 4 1 2 6

JHrndz ss 4 1 2 1 GBarkr cf 0 0 0 0

Blanco c 3 1 2 0 Asmus c 4 0 0 0

Haynes p 1 0 0 0 Truby 3b 4 1 1 1

Huston ph 1 0 0 0 Elarton p 2 0 0 0

Cnnane p 0 0 0 0 Hayes ph 0 0 0 0

DWhite ph 1 0 0 0 JWPwll p 0 0 0 0

Santos p 0 0 0 0 Spiers ph 1 0 0 0

RKing p 0 0 0 0 NCruz p 0 0 0 0

Lskanic p 0 0 0 0

JMoutn ph 1 0 0 0

Totals 36 3 9 3 Totals 34 11 11 11

Milwaukee 001 100 010-3

Houston 206 000 30x-11

E-Burnitz (1). DP-Milwaukee 1. LOB-Milwaukee 9, Houston 5. 2B-Sexson (1), Blanco (1), Hidalgo (1). 3B-Hidalgo (1). HR-Burnitz (1),JHernandez (1), DWard (1), Truby (1). CS-Biggio (1).

IP H R ER BB SO

Milwaukee

Haynes L,0-1 3 6 8 8 2 2

Cunnane 2 1 0 0 0 1

de los Santos 1 1 1 1 1 1

RKing 1 2 2 2 1 1

Leskanic 1 1 0 0 1 0

Houston

Elarton W,1-0 6 7 2 2 2 5

JWPowell 2 1 1 1 0 1

NCruz 1 1 0 0 0 2

de los Santos pitched to 1 batter in the 7th.

HBP-by Elarton (Sexson), by Haynes (Berkman).

T-2:59. A-36,526 (40,950).

METS 6, BRAVES 4

10 innings

Robin Ventura hit a two-run homer on John Rocker's first pitch inthe eighth inning and hit Kerry Ligtenberg's first offering foranother two-run shot in the 10th to spoil the Braves' home opener.

The Mets third baseman was 0-for-5 in his career against Rockerand had never faced Ligtenberg.

Tsuyoshi Shinjo, the second Japanese position player to sign aMajor League contract, singled with one out in the 10th offLigtenberg.

After another out, Ventura hit Ligtenberg's first pitch into theright-field seats.

The Braves tied it at 4 in the eighth on RBI hits by RafaelFurcal and Brian Jordan.

NEW YORK ATLANTA

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Agbyni lf 1 0 0 0 Furcal ss 5 2 2 1

Shinjo lf 1 2 1 0 QVeras 2b 4 0 0 0

Alfonzo 2b 5 1 1 0 AJones cf 5 0 1 0

Vntura 3b 5 2 2 4 CJones 3b 4 0 2 1

Piazza c 5 1 1 2 BJordn rf 4 0 1 1

Zeile 1b 3 0 1 0 JLopez c 4 1 1 1

Payton cf 3 0 1 0 Surhoff lf 4 0 1 0

DHlton rf 3 0 0 0 Helms 1b 3 0 0 0

Perez rf 1 0 0 0 Rocker p 0 0 0 0

Ordnez ss 3 0 0 0 KAbbtt ph 1 0 0 0

ALeiter p 3 0 0 0 Lgtnbg p 0 0 0 0

JAFrco p 0 0 0 0 Glavine p 2 0 0 0

Wndell p 0 0 0 0 DMrtnz 1b 2 1 1 0

Cook p 0 0 0 0

LHarrs ph 1 0 0 0

Benitez p 0 0 0 0

Totals 34 6 7 6 Totals 38 4 9 4

New York 200 000 020 2-6

Atlanta 100 000 120 0-4

DP-New York 1, Atlanta 2. LOB-New York 4, Atlanta 5. 2B-Alfonzo(1), Furcal (1), Surhoff (1). HR-Ventura 2 (2), Piazza (1), JLopez(1). SB-CJones (1). CS-Agbayani 2 (2).

IP H R ER BB SO

New York

ALeiter 7 6 2 2 0 6

JAFranco 0 2 2 2 0 0

Wendell 1 1 0 0 0 0

Cook W,1-0 1 0 0 0 0 1

Benitez S,1 1 0 0 0 0 0

Atlanta

Glavine 71/3 3 3 3 6 2

Rocker 12/3 2 1 1 0 2

Ligtenberg L,0-1 1 2 2 2 0 1

JAFranco pitched to 3 batters in the 8th.

HBP-by JAFranco (QVeras).

T-3:17. A-42,117 (49,714).

Sweden praises Obama's climate change policies

Sweden's environment minister has joined the chorus of European leaders praising President Barack Obama's pledges to fight climate change.

Andreas Carlgren says "it's a different world" compared to the policies of the Bush administration.

Climate change is expected to top Sweden's agenda when it takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union in the second half of the year. The EU hopes a new global climate treaty will be reached at a U.N. summit in December.

Carlgren said Friday he hopes the U.S. will step up its commitment to reduce emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases.

The EU has vowed to increase greenhouse emissions cuts by up to 30 percent if the U.S., China, Russia, India and other major polluters follow suit.

Housebuilder wins green award ; Crest Nicholson, which is currently building the Blenheim Square and Clarion Gate developments in Essex, has been crowned Sustainable Housebuilder of the Year

The highly coveted accolade, received at the 2011 HousebuilderAwards, recognises the developer's ongoing commitment to sustainabledevelopment, as well as its success in balancing economic,environmental and social considerations to deliver sustainable mixed-use communities.

Annette Cole, sales and marketing director for Crest NicholsonEastern, says: "It is a tremendous honour to be named SustainableHousebuilder of the Year and we are thrilled with this accolade. Theneed to reduce carbon emissions and tackle the problems posed byclimate change remains an integral part of our mission andsustainability in its broadest sense delivers real business value.

"Crest Nicholson is committed to continuing to explore the use ofnew and innovative technologies, in order to ensure sustainablestandards become far more widely used across the industry. We areextremely proud of our achievements in this area and it is wonderfulthat our efforts have been recognised by our peers."

Now in their seventh year, the Housebuilder Awards, delivered inassociation with NHBC and the Home Builders Federation, showcasebest practice ideas and technology.

The awards recognise companies that demonstrate a strongcommitment to innovation in the housebuilding industry, with thewinners all having been recognised for driving forward quality inthe delivery of new homes.

Crest Nicholson is helping firsttime buyers at its BlenheimSquare development purchase their first home by offering to pay a 5%deposit on a selection of two-bedroom apartments.

Blenheim Square is an ideal development for commuters and youngfamilies, either looking to escape inflated rental prices in Londonor just looking for their first home in the Essex countryside.

Situated in the picturesque village of North Weald, residents canenjoy the rural location, yet still be close to larger towns such asHarlow and Epping and the amenities they have to offer. Epping tubestation offers travel into London Liverpool Street in just 35minutes.

Prices for a two-bedroom apartment at Blenheim Square start fromPounds 181,500 and fourbedroom houses start from Pounds 335,000. Forfurther information, call 0870 757 8190.

At Crest Nicholson's Clarion Gate development in Chelmsford, itis offering to pay properties' stamp duty, thereby freeing up someextra cash to help with the move. Alternatively, buyers can takepart in the popular partexchange scheme, whereby Crest Nicholsonpurchases the buyer's current home, enabling them to buy a new homeat Clarion Gate.

The development comprises an elegant collection of 153traditional and contemporarystyled two, three and fourbedroom housesand one and two-bedroom apartments.

Clarion Gate has proven popular with young families, thanks toexcellent nearby schools such as Chelmsford County High for Girls.

Homes currently available at Clarion Gate comprise two-bedroomapartments from Pounds 188,000, three-bedroom houses from Pounds292,500 and four-bedroom houses from Pounds 345,000. For furtherinformation, call 0870 757 8184.

Misery loves company

[Graph Not Transcribed]

BC's Men in Black are far from alone in dealing with burned wood. Much of what FERIC knows about logging and processing charred timber came from the horrible burns facing Alberta a few years back. Moreover, loggers and sawmillers in Canada's other major forestry province, Quebec, are no strangers to soot and ashes.

A case in point is Robert Paquet, a full-tree logging contractor from the Lac St. Jean area of northern Quebec. Robert's operation, Les Entreprises G.L.S. Lavoie Inc., has been stuck in barren, burned stands for most of the past year, and he would agree with BC's Jeff Kineshanko that logging burned wood is dirty, less productive and more expensive.

"At the end of November it will be a year, with just a short break in green wood. I can tell you for sure that it's not as profitable as working in green wood - production is down and costs are up."

Part of the reason production is down is wood size - the burn site Robert has been working is younger than most harvested in the region, and so trees are small even by Lac St. Jean standards - 11 or 12 trees/m[Symbol Not Transcribed] on average compared to 9.5 trees/m[Symbol Not Transcribed] in green stands. On top of that, the constant exposure to abrasive carbon dust is making a joke of maintenance budgets. "It's incredible the way it wears down the equipment," he explains, adding that the salvage work cuts into margins in a number of ways, including:

- Filters: Change these very often, Robert advises, or pay dearly in breakdowns and shorter engine life. The 42-yr-old contractor now buys them in bulk to cut costs.

- Hoses: The carbon swirling around the felling head makes short work of the hoses, causing downtime and increasing costs.

- Teeth: They dull quicker, adding time and cost.

- Mobility: With the trees no longer drawing water, Robert finds the ground a lot wetter, limiting mobility and causing machines to get stuck more often.

- Maintenance: Pity your mechanic, who will be busier than usual. Robert's mechanic, Gilbert Lavoie, notes that aside from making and changing more hoses, he has to clean the various compartments of both bunchers daily with compressed air. Otherwise, the conductive carbon dust will play havoc with electrical systems. "There's more work, and everything is dirty," sums up the veteran mechanic.

On the positive side, compensation is available in Quebec for both the company and its contractors for the added cost of burnt wood salvage operations, although Paquet cautions that it's not easy to get to.

- Report & photos by Scott Jamieson/CFI

Sri Lanka pulls out of chase, draws with Pakistan

Sri Lanka pulled out of its world record fourth innings run chase, instead settling for a draw against Pakistan in the third test ending Friday and a 2-0 series win.

Captain Kumar Sangakkara scored a patient century to put his team within striking distance of the ambitious 492-run target, needing 154 runs in the final session.

But as the required run rate climbed, he and Anjelo Mathews elected not to pursue the target and risk defeat, so the captains agreed to call off the match with Sri Lanka on 391-4 with 15 overs remaining.

A draw was a creditable result for Sri Lanka given Pakistan started the day positioned to push for victory, with the hosts on 183-3. However the tourists took just one wicket on day five, coming up against a stubborn Sangakkara, who finished unbeaten on 130, his 19th test hundred.

"We weren't really thinking too much about going for totals," Sangakkara said. "If you bat trying to save a game, you really can't go negative. That plays into the opposition's hands.

"We tried to keep a positive outlook but we tried to play proper test cricket, bat long and build partnerships."

He said an injury to batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan influenced the decision to agree draw stumps early.

Dilshan has a fractured finger and a cut above the eyebrow.

Sangakkara, the usually flamboyant left-hander was more sedate, spending more than seven hours at the crease, facing 303 balls and hitting just seven fours.

Sangakkara lost his overnight partner Thilan Samaraweera in the middle session after a 122-run stand for the fourth wicket. But he then combined with Mathews to resist the tourists and ensure the tail was not exposed.

Mathews, playing his third test, brought up his maiden half-century and was 64 not out at close. He faced 148 balls and hit seven fours and a six.

Samaraweera appeared in discomfort after suffering a cramp and was soon out, edging a doosra from Saeed Ajmal to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal. His 73 runs came off 143 balls and included 11 fours.

West Indies will retain the record for the highest fourth innings run chase with 418-7 against Australia six years ago.

Sri Lanka got a good start to the run chase on Thursday as openers Tharanga Paranavitana and Malinda Warnapura put on 83 for the first wicket before legspinner Danish Kaneria took two wickets to jolt the chase.

Warnapura (31), Paranavitana (73) and Mahela Jayawardene (2) were dismissed before the close on the fourth day.

Kaneria was the best of the Pakistan bowlers in the second innings, with 2-114.

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam said his team had squandered its early momentum in the series.

"Nothing succeeds like success. If we had won that first test match ... we never thought we will lose needing 97 runs," Alam said. "We had a good chance of winning this series if you analyze the three test matches."

Pakistan batted first after losing the toss and made 299 in its first innings. Sri Lanka was bowled out for 233 runs in its first innings conceding a 66-run lead. Pakistan declared its second innings on 425-9 on Thursday.

It was Sri Lanka's first series victory at home against Pakistan in six attempts.

Cubs working on deal to keep Garciaparra; Walker could be in the mix

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry has a priority list in place asnext week's winter meetings approach, and at the top of that list fornow is shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, who could be returning despitespeculation to the contrary.

Hendry, who orchestrated the blockbuster four-team trade thatbrought the longtime Boston Red Sox shortstop to the Cubs at the July31 deadline, has been meeting with agent Arn Tellem on a deal to keepGarciaparra, 31, even if it becomes a short-term contract.

I've been talking to Arn quite regularly," Hendry said Wednesday.Both sides would like to get something done. Hopefully we'll getsomething done quickly."

That means before Tuesday, the deadline for teams to offerarbitration to their free agents. That's also the eve of the annualwinter meetings, when a flurry of deals is expected.

Pitcher Matt Clement is likely to get an arbitration offer fromthe Cubs, more to ensure that the team would get draft picks ascompensation for another team signing the right-handed starter.

The Cubs see an arbitration offer as a no-lose proposition withClement, who likely would get only a one-year deal with the Cubs ifhe accepts arbitration. Clement is among a handful of starterscoveted by several teams and is likely to get multiyear offers.

A multiyear deal between Garciaparra and the Cubs is less likely,unless the two-time American League batting champion would accept acontract tied to incentives.

Garciaparra came to the Cubs in the final year of a seven-year,$44.25 million deal with the Red Sox, but Hendry's talks with Tellemprobably are focusing on a lower figure than the $11.5 million hemade last season.

Tellem was in meetings Wednesday and was not available.

Garciaparra has let it be known he would consider a short-term,even one-year, contract to rebound from his injury-plagued 2004season and gamble on increasing his worth as a free agent.

Garciaparra hit .297 with four home runs and 20 RBI in 43 gameswith the Cubs, but he missed 11 games with a groin strain and thelingering effects of Achilles tendinitis that began in springtraining.

Garciaparra might be a more economical option than free-agentshortstops Edgar Renteria and Orlando Cabrera, though Hendry has hadinterest in both. Cabrera, then with the Montreal Expos, was Hendry'soriginal target in the July 31 deal, but he ended up with the Red Soxwhen Garciaparra came to the Cubs.

Renteria and Cabrera are likely to command costly multiyear deals.

The other half of the Cubs' double-play combination is anotherconcern Hendry is moving to address.

We have some interest in bringing Todd Walker back," he said, butwe also have kept our eyes on some other possibilities."

Walker, one of the few left-handed bats in the Cubs' lineup, hit.274 with 15 homers and 50 RBI in 129 games. He made his greatestimpact early in the season, batting .323 in April while MarkGrudzielanek was out with Achilles tendinitis.

But the Cubs aren't likely to offer arbitration to Walker, whomade $1.75 million last season. The Texas Rangers have shown interestin Walker, who has played four of his eight seasons in the AmericanLeague.

Tony Womack, who had a career season with the St. Louis Cardinalsafter spending September 2003 with the Cubs, is another second-baseoption. But at 36, he might be a risk for a long-term deal.

Pistons Have No Plans to Fire Saunders

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Detroit Pistons have no plans to fire coach Flip Saunders despite disappointing endings the past two seasons.

"Just because we haven't gotten to the finals, it doesn't mean Flip has done a bad job," Joe Dumars, president of basketball operations, said Monday. He added that the team doesn't plan drastic changes this offseason.

"We don't have a fire sale going on," Dumars said.

With four of the same starters, the Pistons have lost in the Eastern Conference finals as the top-seeded team the past two years after winning a title in 2004 and falling just short of repeating the following year.

Dumars said his No. 1 priority is re-signing point guard Chauncey Billups when he becomes a free agent next month. He also plans to bring back most of his key players.

Rasheed Wallace has been the subject of trade rumors in the week since the Cleveland Cavaliers eliminated Detroit, but Dumars does not seem willing to move the power forward.

"You're talking about the guy that was our best and most consistent player in the playoffs," Dumars said. "He's probably also the guy that is the most volatile and crosses the line at times, but I have to balance that."

Wallace and Saunders have struggled to co-exist the past two seasons. If that persists, Dumars insists he will not let that lead to the unraveling of the team.

"If we can't get it done, I'll make changes," Dumars said. "I wouldn't blink an eye about it."

The Pistons have received calls from other teams looking to make moves with major players, but Dumars said it's easier to talk about blockbuster trades than to pull them off.

"This is not fantasy basketball," he said.

While Dumars intends to bring back many familiar faces, he doesn't plan on begging his players to work hard or to allow them to casually prepare for games.

"If you come back with the same corps, the only difference is this would be the first time that they're coming back with this mandate," he said. "Complacency is the worst thing you can have in sports, and that's not going to be the calling card of our team going forward. I know that's been the tag labeled on us, and deservedly so a lot of times, but it won't be going forward."

More questions than answers Tests still inconclusive, so cautious Bulls will sit frustrated Curry

The announcement that center Eddy Curry will be sidelined for theremainder of the regular season and the playoffs was about the onlydefinitive news to come out of the Bulls' half-hour news conferenceThursday night.

There has been no final diagnosis of the irregular heartbeat Currysuffered two weeks ago, and he will continue to undergo testing onhis heart for six more weeks.

While Curry, 22, said he's not overly concerned, the Bulls aretaking a cautious approach.

"Our goal throughout this process has been to rule out anypossibility of increased risk to Eddy Curry's long-term health byplaying basketball," general manager John Paxson said. "As of today,the results still remain inconclusive. Unfortunately, the next stepis more tests.

"We all know what a huge impact Eddy provided for our club thisyear, but Eddy's long-term health is now and always has been our toppriority."

Since first experiencing the irregular heartbeat before a game inCharlotte on March 30, Curry has undergone a series of cardiac testsat a Charlotte hospital and Rush University Medical Center. He alsotraveled to Boston and Minneapolis for tests in the last week.

"Unfortunately, these tests have come back favorably but yetinconclusive," team physician Brian Cole said. "As difficult as thatmay be to understand, this is a complicated issue when you're dealingwith the heart. So in order to make sure that Eddy is safe to play,it's been determined by our cardiac experts that it will take anadditional six weeks to have a conclusion to this where we can allfeel comfortable that Eddy is safe to return to the court."

Kathy Weber, another team doctor, said none of the tests hasrevealed any sort of problem and the preliminary diagnosis is thatCurry suffered a "non-sustained ventricular tachycardia" or anarrhythmia.

"Although everything has been positive, we still have someunanswered questions," Weber said. "Until we have that completely putto rest, we have opted to do further testing."

Curry, who recently told teammate Tyson Chandler that he felt likea "lab rat" during the testing, said Thursday that he is frustratedby the lengthy process and by not being able to play but understandsthe team's cautious approach.

"I definitely feel confident that I'll be back," said Curry, whowas joined by his mother and fiancee. "That's why I'm not stressedout about it. I see a lot of people, and when they see me, theyexpect me to be depressed and down about it. At this point, there'snothing to be depressed about. That's only going to make thesituation worse.

"Right now, I just have to be strong with myself and my family andmy teammates. This is no time for people to be worrying about it. Myteammates have to go out there and get the job done. Worry about meafter the season."

The timing of Curry being sidelined couldn't be worse. Besides theBulls on the verge of their first playoff appearance in seven years,Curry, who leads the team in scoring with a 16.1-point average, willbe a restricted free agent after this season looking for a big-money, long-term contract. He was asked if he was worried that thismight affect his free agency.

"He's a restricted free agent," Paxson jumped in. "Everybody wantsto make him an unrestricted free agent. He's a restricted free agent,and that puts the ball in our court. He's going to be back."

"Eddy's been very patient with everything. I know he's beenfrustrated. I respect very much that he wants to be back on thefloor. Based on what we know, we all want to be confident thateverything's going to work out. Hopefully, in six weeks, we can sithere and say he's good to go."

No one will be happier to hear that news than Curry. He has hadenough tests to last a lifetime.

"It's terrible, terrible -- and I hate needles, too," he said. "Ihave a lot of tattoos, but I hate needles. It's definitely somethingI don't want to go through again, so this is why I'm really takingthis time to do every single test possible so we can just really tryto get this behind us, and hopefully I don't have to do this again."

Although no cause has been found, the doctors said prescriptiondrugs, supplements and Curry's dramatic weight loss last summer havebeen eliminated as possibilities.

"Arrhythmias can be benign and they can be dangerous, so itdepends on what kind of an arrhythmia you're talking about," Webersaid. "In this case, [it] appears to be a benign arrhythmia."

Paxson said the cautious approach is the only way the Bulls couldhave approached the situation given what could be at stake if thereis a problem.

"Let's be honest, things go through your mind," Paxson said."There have been athletes that have had issues and things havehappened.

All of these things, we're confident we're ruling out. No one cansit here and say things don't cross your mind, but we're going tofocus on these next six weeks and the testing we have to do and thenwe'll have our answers. We're all confident that day's going to be apositive one."

Surgery is the right step to remove painful bunions

Q. I have bunions on both feet. Please discuss them.

A. A bunion is bursitis. Inherited genes predispose you to thecondition, which is based on a certain malalignment of the big toe'sbony structure. You can detect the tendency to bunion formation bynoting the way the big toe deviates toward the others.

The bursa involved in a bunion is at the base of the big toe.When it becomes inflamed, pain, redness and swelling occur.Ill-fitted shoes contribute to the entire process.

Surgery to correct the bone's malalignment is the answer tobunions. Short of that, the patient can ease pressure with soft,lace-up leather shoes with wide box toes and judicious padding. Anorthopedic doctor or a podiatrist can evaluate a bunion and point tothe best solution.

Q. Should you close your eyes after you put in eyedrops?

A. Keep your eyelid closed for two minutes after you apply theeyedrops. If you keep it open and blink, you brush away themedication. Keeping it closed retains the medicine and prevents thedrops from draining into the tear ducts.

Background Checks at NASA Lab Blocked

LOS ANGELES - A federal appeals court on Friday approved a request by some NASA workers to block a Bush administration directive requiring background checks and access to personal information that they allege amounts to an invasion of privacy.

The employees of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory had until Friday to comply to with the directive or faced the possibility of losing their jobs. They would have been required to fill out questionnaires and submit a waiver allowing the investigations.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the emergency temporary injunction requested by the 28 employees after a lower court denied the request Wednesday. The lab, managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology, has about 5,000 employees.

Though the court said it wasn't able to go through the many materials filed along with the request, the 9th Circuit conceded that the workers might have a point and issued the order.

It says that NASA is enjoined through Oct. 12 "from requiring appellants to submit the questionnaires for non-sensitive positions, including the authorization forms for release of information."

"As far as we can determine in the short time available, appellants likely raise serious legal and constitutional questions and show the probability of irreparable harm. What is quite clear is that the balance of hardships tips strongly in their favor," the court said.

The order noted that most of the appellants have worked for many years for the lab, which is chiefly known for its scientific explorations of the solar system and study of the Earth.

NASA has maintained it is following a government-wide policy applying to millions of civil servants and contractors. A request for comment was made to lab's media relations office.

An after-hours call to a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, which represents NASA, was not answered.

"We're really very happy," said plaintiff Robert Nelson, leader of NASA's New Millennium Program, which tests or validates new technology NASA will use in space. "This is the first time that we've had an opportunity to really get the beginning of a proper review of this executive order and its implications."

Dan Stormer, attorney for the plaintiffs, said he would meet with his clients Friday night.

"Our constitution is based upon facts, not fears," he said. "The Bush administration has been pushing this security fear without any facts and without any regard for the Constitution. What this decision shows is that the courts are unwilling to accept that fear-mongering."

Interfax news agency says Russian customs seize radioactive sodium from luggage bound for Iran

MOSCOW (AP) — Interfax news agency says Russian customs seized radioactive sodium from luggage bound for Iran.

Garner Tells How Ring Fell Into a Drain

NEW YORK - Jennifer Garner revealed a secret Wednesday that she'd been keeping from Ben Affleck: She nearly lost a ring he had given her after the birth of their 1-year-old daughter, Violet.

Garner, who stars in Columbia Pictures' "Catch and Release," said the mishap occurred while she was primping for the movie's premiere.

"He gave me this beautiful diamond ring and I was playing with it and ... it fell off. And it fell under this ice maker in the house - he (Affleck) hasn't even heard of this yet - and ... it fell into the drain under this ice maker," the 34-year-old actress said on "Live With Regis and Kelly."

"And the plumber had to …

Four survive avalanche.(News)

FOUR climbers cheated death last night after surviving an avalanche on Britain's highest mountain.

The alarm was raised by one of the men via mobile phone following the near disaster on Ben Nevis, near Fort William.

Terry Confield, team leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team who co-ordinated the rescue, said the men were in two separate groups.

'The top party triggered off an avalanche which took them sweeping down the gully and took another two climbers with them,' he said. 'Fortunately they all came out on top of the avalanche.'

An RAF helicopter from Lossiemouth airlifted the men to hospital in Fort William.

The men, who have not been named, suffered head and facial injuries and bruised limbs. Their conditions were not life-threatening, but Mr Confield said they were lucky to be alive.

'Anybody who comes out on top of an avalanche is fortunate,' he said. 'The four could have been covered in snow and no-one would have known they were there.'

Four survive avalanche.(News)

FOUR climbers cheated death last night after surviving an avalanche on Britain's highest mountain.

The alarm was raised by one of the men via mobile phone following the near disaster on Ben Nevis, near Fort William.

Terry Confield, team leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team who co-ordinated the rescue, said the men were in two separate groups.

'The top party triggered off an avalanche which took them sweeping down the gully and took another two climbers with them,' he said. 'Fortunately they all came out on top of the avalanche.'

An RAF helicopter from Lossiemouth airlifted the men to hospital in Fort William.

The men, who have not been named, suffered head and facial injuries and bruised limbs. Their conditions were not life-threatening, but Mr Confield said they were lucky to be alive.

'Anybody who comes out on top of an avalanche is fortunate,' he said. 'The four could have been covered in snow and no-one would have known they were there.'

Four survive avalanche.(News)

FOUR climbers cheated death last night after surviving an avalanche on Britain's highest mountain.

The alarm was raised by one of the men via mobile phone following the near disaster on Ben Nevis, near Fort William.

Terry Confield, team leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team who co-ordinated the rescue, said the men were in two separate groups.

'The top party triggered off an avalanche which took them sweeping down the gully and took another two climbers with them,' he said. 'Fortunately they all came out on top of the avalanche.'

An RAF helicopter from Lossiemouth airlifted the men to hospital in Fort William.

The men, who have not been named, suffered head and facial injuries and bruised limbs. Their conditions were not life-threatening, but Mr Confield said they were lucky to be alive.

'Anybody who comes out on top of an avalanche is fortunate,' he said. 'The four could have been covered in snow and no-one would have known they were there.'

Four survive avalanche.(News)

FOUR climbers cheated death last night after surviving an avalanche on Britain's highest mountain.

The alarm was raised by one of the men via mobile phone following the near disaster on Ben Nevis, near Fort William.

Terry Confield, team leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team who co-ordinated the rescue, said the men were in two separate groups.

'The top party triggered off an avalanche which took them sweeping down the gully and took another two climbers with them,' he said. 'Fortunately they all came out on top of the avalanche.'

An RAF helicopter from Lossiemouth airlifted the men to hospital in Fort William.

The men, who have not been named, suffered head and facial injuries and bruised limbs. Their conditions were not life-threatening, but Mr Confield said they were lucky to be alive.

'Anybody who comes out on top of an avalanche is fortunate,' he said. 'The four could have been covered in snow and no-one would have known they were there.'

Psychological Anthropologist Labels Washington, D.C.-Area Sniper 'America's Newest Terrorist'.

Byline: Hamilton College

CLINTON, N.Y., Oct. 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- U.S. citizens have been living in fear since the September 2001 terrorist attacks, and the newest rein of terror, D.C.s sniper, has generated increased fear for personal safety.

"Amplified by the media, being out in public can seem a dangerous undertaking, leading people to avoid common areas, to reduce their shopping and traveling, and to remain at home. This pattern of behavior has economic and social consequences that can further hurt our society," says Douglas Raybeck, professor of anthropology at Hamilton College.

"While this sniper may have nothing to do with Islamic …

Whispers.

Michael O'Grady will be taking over as head of structured finance and investments in the Americas at Merrill Lynch. O'Grady is replacing Michael Blum, who left Merrill recently and was formerly the global head of the bank's ABS business. Blum was supposed to spearhead the effort to cut down Merrill's structured finance portfolio before his departure from the firm, according to sources. O'Grady was previously with Merrill's financial institutions group (FIG).

Last week the McGraw-Hill Cos., parent company of Standard & Poor's, announced that it is restructuring a limited number of business operations in its financial services and education units "to more efficiently serve its markets and strengthen its long-term growth prospects." McGraw-Hill made 246 job cuts in financial …

ALBANY NIGHTS: IT'S MUSIC TO YOUR EARS.(SPORTS)

Byline: GREG HAYMES Staff writer

Man cannot live on hoops alone.

The thrill of victory demands a hearty celebration.

And the agony of defeat cries out for a soul-soothing session of solace.

Either way, after the nets are cut down and the crowd has filed out of the arena, you may want to know what your nightlife entertainment options are around the downtown Albany scene.

Of course, this ain't Manhattan.

The concept of a 24-hour downtown hasn't made it this far up the Hudson yet, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to do but head back to the hotel and watch ``Coach'' reruns.

So whether you want to toast a big …

Australian report predicted violence in Indonesia

An Australian think tank predicted that Southeast Asian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah might launch new attacks just a day before Friday's deadly hotel bombings in Indonesia.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute said in a paper released Thursday that tensions in the group's leadership and the release of former members from prison "raise the possibility that splinter factions might now seek to re-energize the movement through violent attacks."

It said, however, that the possibility remained low.

Less than 24 hours after the report was released, two explosions rocked hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia, killing at least eight people. There has been no claim of …

Justice Clarence Thomas: A lost cause

Clarence Thomas is such a lost soul that when adverse, race-sensitive 5-4 Supreme Court rulings are issued, everyone knows that he has already voted with the conservative majority before the votes are officially announced. Knowing how Thomas is going to vote on a case involving race is as reliable as predicting who is going to be on the next cover of O magazine.

Still, Thomas' opinions are worth reading from time to time if for no other reason than to look at how he seeks to justify the unjustifiable. The court's recent decisions limiting the use of race in pupil assignments in the Seattle and Louisville school districts lifts yet another curtain on Thomas' delusional …

SingTel to Invest S$500 Million in Asian Data Centers.

Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) said it plans to invest S$500 million (US$287.276 million) in its pan-Asian Internet data center (IDC) network over the next 18 months.

Earlier this year in April, the company said it would invest US$60 million in data centers to provide Web-hosting and colocation services. Now, the Singapore incumbent intends to ramp up its data-hosting services, providing seamless, end-to-end managed hosting services on a regional basis.

SingTel added that as well as providing services to corporates, it will offer infrastructure services to Internet service providers and application service providers.

"Many service providers …

New breast cancer findings from C.Z. Wang and co-researchers published.(Report)

"Former studies have shown that extract from American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) may possess certain antiproliferative effects on cancer cells. In this study, the chemical constituents of both untreated and heat-processed American ginseng and their antiproliferative activities on human breast cancer cells were evaluated," scientists writing in the journal Anticancer Research report (see also Breast Cancer).

"American ginseng roots were steamed at 120 degrees C for 1 h or 2 h. The major ginsenosides in the two steamed and in the unsteamed extracts were quantitatively determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The antiproliferative activities of …

NICKLAUS MAY TAKE ONE LAST SWING AT OPEN.(SPORTS)

Byline: Combined wire services

TROON, Scotland -- Jack Nicklaus, winner of a record 18 majors, said he may return to St. Andrews next year to play in the British Open one last time.

Tournament organizer the Royal & Ancient Golf Club changed its schedule to allow Nicklaus to bow out at the Scottish course known as the home of golf, he said. St. Andrews was originally going to play host to the 2006 event.

``If I'm able, I'll be back,'' Nicklaus told reporters at Royal Troon Golf Club. ``The R&A paid me a very nice compliment ... and it would be a slap in the face if I didn't go if I was able to.''

Nicklaus made his Open debut 42 years ago at …

GUILDERLAND BEGINS ANTI-CAR THEFT PROGRAM.(Local)

Byline: Ilaina Jonas Staff writer

Police are making appointments to install bright-yellow reflective decals on cars to make them less attractive to car thieves.

The stickers, which will be installed on the rear window and rear passenger window, give police permission to pull over the car if it is on the road between 1 and 5 a.m., said Sgt. Mary Schmitz of the Guilderland Police Department.

In 1990, the state Legislature passed a law allowing cities and towns to distribute the Combat Auto Theft stickers. Guilderland became the first town in the Capital District to adopt the program, Schmitz said.

It works like this: car owners go to the …

US pet owners paying for high-tech veterinary care

Brute, a German shepherd, lay anesthetized on an operating table, his hairy chest under a plastic cover and his powerful paws taped immobile.

"Here comes the wire up the artery!" said Dr. Chick Weisse, who infused the dog's cancerous liver with chemotherapy via a catheter at the century-old Animal Medical Center in Manhattan in an effort to "buy him some time."

Brute was home in days, the cancer at bay a while longer _ perhaps eight months. The cost: $2,000.

Around the nation, veterinarians are practicing ever more advanced medicine on the nation's 77 million dogs, 90 million cats and a myriad of other animals _ treatments that …

Yankees 17, Orioles 3

Baltimore			New York
ab r h bi		ab r h bi
Hardy ss	3 0 0 0		Jeter ss	6 1 2 2
Pie cf	1 0 0 0		Grndrs cf	6 3 4 0
Markks rf	3 1 1 0		Teixeir 1b	5 3 3 2
Tatum 1b	1 0 0 …

Mitsubishi may rely on Chrysler dealers.(News)

Byline: Dorothee Ostle Automotive News Europe

Mitsubishi will begin turning to Chrysler-Jeep dealers to fill a growing number of open points in Germany.

Germany is the role model for Mitsubishi's new European dealer network strategy, said Thomas Holtgrafe, CEO of Mitsubishi's German subsidiary.

"Our strategy is to try and fill open points with existing Mitsubishi partners," Holtgrafe said. "But if that's not possible, then our priority will be to have a Chrysler-Jeep partner add Mitsubishi to his dealership."

Currently, 600 Mitsubishi partners run 800 dealer and service outlets in Germany. In the past year, Mitsubishi lost 60 partners. This …

TROY CHARTER VOTE IS TUESDAY.(Capital Region)

TROY -- Mayor Harry Tutunjian is urging voters to approve a new city charter drafted by a commission he appointed.

This city charter has many "groundbreaking steps" for streamlining city government, the mayor said Friday.

The public push for the charter, which serves as Troy's constitution, comes after a month of legal battles in which Tutunjian prevailed, one week before Election Day, in knocking the competing City Council Charter Review Commission proposition off the ballot.

The proposal voters will consider on Tuesday would cut the size of the City Council to seven members from nine; have only the City Council president elected at large; …

CLIFTON PARK GIRLS BASKETBALL WINS CHICOPEE TOURNAMENT.(SPORTS)

CLIFTON PARK -- The Clifton Park Jets Girls Basketball Team finished its season by winning the Chicopee Tournament in Massachusetts recently.

The Jets won three opening-round games, defeating Great Barrington 48-23, Belchertown 50-23 and Springfield 47-28.

In a hard-fought semifinal, Clifton Park defeated Berkshire League champion North Adams 38-31. The Jets then went on to defeat Longmeadow 47-37 in the finals, behind 20 points from Fran Payne with 20 and 10 from Erin Flaherty.

For the Tournament, Clifton Park was led in scoring by Krystal Hammond with 47 points and Connie Grant with 34 points. Erin Flaherty also led the team with 10 assists and 17 …

Senate.(Legislative Reports)

The Senate completed an impressive amount of legislative work since returning from the summer adjournment on September 16, 2003. This was accomplished despite the usual procedural wrangling that often arises when rumours of an imminent end to the session begin to circulate and pressure mounts for the Senate to pass legislation important to the Government. During the fall, thirty-six bills were considered by the Senate. Debate in the Chamber was intense at times, sittings were lengthy and peppered with numerous points of order, each one requiring the attention of Speaker Dan Hays who ruled on eleven points of order and a question of privilege, an unusual number of decisions from the Chair.

Legislation

The speculation that Parliament might prorogue led to increased attention on two major bills. With a change in government leadership and a possible spring election in the offing, the passage of Bill C-34, establishing separate ethics officers for the Senate and the House of Commons assumed greater significance in the fulfillment of the Prime Minister's commitment to initiate ethical reform. The other important piece of legislation was Bill C-49. This bill advanced the implementation date for the electoral boundaries readjustment to reflect the 2001 Census and provide additional seats to B.C., Alberta and Ontario. It was important to have this bill passed so that an election based on these new electoral boundaries could be called as of April 1.

The Senate began its consideration of Bill C-34 on October 2. Second reading debate was debated on five days before a time allocation motion was moved and subsequently adopted, with a recorded vote, by the Senate on October 23. Second reading and the adoption of the motion referring the bill to the Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament …

National Parks Case May Affect Access

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. - The plunging waterfalls and soaring crags chiseled by the Merced River draw millions of visitors each year, but the crowds are precisely what threatens the waterway and the park.

Efforts to safeguard the Merced have spawned a court battle over the future of development in Yosemite National Park's most popular stretch. The case may come down to the challenge facing all of America's parks: Should they remain open to everyone, or should access be limited in the interest of protecting them?

In November, a federal judge barred crews from finishing $60 million in construction projects in Yosemite Valley, siding with a small group of …

On the peripheries of the first session of national dialogue.

Manama, July 5 -- (BNA) Bahraini usinessman Yousuf Mish'al emphasized that the economic axis during the session of national consensus dialogue witnessed proposals of views and visions related to boosting economic competitiveness and focused on the significance of creating a planning ministry in order to prepare clear-cut strategies within Bahrain Vision 2030 which is considered the economic constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Mr. Mish'al said in a special statement to Bahrain News Agency after the first evening session that planning ensures safe and appropriate thinking to local and overseas investors.

He also explained that the economic boom and political …

1 CITES YOUTH, 1 EXPERIENCE IN DISTRICT 3 RACE.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: TIM O'BRIEN Staff writer

Erin Blakeborough, 26, says her youth and energy make her a good candidate for City Council.

Art Judge, 41, doesn't think he is too old for the seat quite yet.

Judge, a Republican, is running for a second term on the council in District 3. Blakeborough is a political novice, though she has worked on campaigns for the state Democratic Assembly Committee. She is seeking the seat on the Democratic line.

Judge, a tax policy analyst with the state Department of Taxation and Finance, cited his experience on the council.

``It's been a very good first two years,'' he said.

He cited as …

EU planning guidelines on embryonic stem cell research.

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Wracked by ethical anxieties, the European Union is planning new guidelines on what it will pay for in terms of human embryonic stem cell research.

Under the EU's 2003-2006 research program, the funding of human embryonic stem cell research is permitted for the fight against major diseases. But, EU officials proposed last week, if stem cells are derived from human supernumerary embryos with no parental project, there must be a framework of strict ethical guidelines.

The provisions will ensure that no funding is made available for a specific research activity in a member state where that research is forbidden. Italy is the principal opponent of …

Sciona demonstrates DNA test kit at UK pharmacy conference.

LONDON -- Pharmacists in the UK were treated to the first practical demonstration of how the billions spent on the Human Genome Project will change the way health care is delivered, at their annual conference last month.

Using his own DNA, Gareth Roberts, medical director of Sciona Ltd., a company specializing in personalized pharmacogenomics, demonstrated how an individual's DNA profile could be used to avoid adverse reactions and improve prescription of currently marketed drugs.

Sciona has developed a test kit it claims is the first working system for personalized medicine. From a cheek swab, it can test for 33 variations in 13 genes that affect the adsorption, …

AGENCY REPORT RECOMMENDS RISE IN MEDICARE AGE.(Main)

Byline: RICHARD L. VERNACI Associated Press

An internal report at a Cabinet agency recommends raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67.

Such a change, proposed by the inspector general's office at the Department of Health and Human Services, would affect some 76 million people but save billions of dollars for the system now headed for bankruptcy.

The report acknowledges that such a move, certain to face strong opposition from senior citizen groups, would force some people to delay retiring so they could keep the health insurance their jobs provide.

It also admits that some people who retire early would be left without health insurance, and as a result would …