Ten people were killed in a fire that ripped through a packed nightclub in Indonesia's second largest city early Friday, including a mother and the baby she apparently gave birth to during the tragedy.
An Australian and a Japanese national also were among the dead, said police Lt. Col. Bahagia Dachi. Some witnesses told officers a spark from a cigarette triggered the blaze.
The Redboxx Cafe …
News brief
In Bangladesh, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) staff worked together to assemble school supplies for some 14,500 students. The notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers and rulers will be distributed to 90 different schools throughout the country. Ethel Shank, MCC …
A suicide attack on a police outpost killed four people and wounded several others Sunday in Pakistan's Swat valley, the site of an ongoing military operation against Islamic militants loyal to a fugitive cleric, intelligence officials …
But the 85-year-old comedian told reporters last week that he plans to hold a press conference the day after this year's telethon to talk about what he thinks is important. When pressed by a reporter about his role with the telethon, Lewis said: "It's none of your business."
The association announced Wednesday that Lewis was no longer its national chairman and he would not appear on the telethon this year. Candi Cazau, a publicist for Lewis, declined to comment. …
AReporter's Report: President Reagan will do double duty when hecomes to town May 4 to deliver a major foreign policy speech at theNational Security Forum luncheon in the Palmer House. As long as thepresident will be in town, Gov. Thompson reasoned, he could do somefund-raising. So, at the guv's urging, Reagan will visit a secondluncheon in the hotel, this one for Illinois Republicans, with thefat cats paying $1,200 per. . . . The president will be travelingwith a huge media entourage for his appearance here. Arrangementsare being made to accommodate 200 news people.
THAT TODDLIN' TOWN: On the subject of fund-raising, MayorSawyer may realize as much as $1 million at …
NEW YORK - Rising interest rates and higher gasoline prices are putting the squeeze on consumers' budgets, and many are finding it harder to keep up with their bills.
Credit counseling agencies say that consumers are coming in in droves seeking help.
"My phones are going crazy," said Howard Dvorkin, president of the nonprofit Consolidated Credit Counseling Services Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "Consumers are carrying an exorbitant amount of debt - and they don't have any savings to fall back on if things don't go right."
An important measure of consumer financial distress, late payments on credit cards, ticked up in the first quarter, according to figures from …
President Barack Obama has signed into law a measure that keeps the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from running out of money.
The $106 billion spending bill also includes money to fight swine flu and to pay all U.S. debts to the United Nations, mainly for peacekeeping, incurred since 1999.
Obama says the spending is important and thanked Congress for putting …
Sculptural works by inmates of Cook County Jail School arefeatured at Textile Arts Centre's exhibit "Expression WithinConfinement," which opens tonight.
Artists were restricted to using paper and soap materials foundat the …
BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — Two journalists working for a French news agency and a photographer traveling with them have gone missing in Libya while reporting on the fighting between Moammar Gadhafi's forces and rebels, the agency said Sunday.
Agence France-Presse said the journalists went missing Saturday morning while working near the eastern city of Tobruk, not far from the border with Egypt. That area mostly remains under rebel control, but government forces have gained back territory in the east in recent days.
The AFP journalists are reporter Dave Clark and photographer Roberto Schmidt. They were accompanied by a photographer for Getty Images, Joe Raedle, who is also …
Weekend results in Mexican Clausura first-division football:
Friday
Estudiantes 4, Cd Juarez 1
Saturday
Jaguares 1, San Luis 1
Queretaro 1, Morelia …
A weekly heads-up from TechVenue.com about upcoming business-technology events. Programs are rated on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10being tops, for value, style and networking. For more information,contact David Flint at TechVenue.com
GRANITE Lotus Notes Domino User Group
When: Monday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Web site: http://granite-ug.org
Location: IBM offices, 71 S. Wacker Dr.
Cost: $15 for nonmembers; members are free.
Event: What's new with Lotus/IBM Update with Marcie Kane, of IBMand "Best Practices for Securing and Managing Lotus notes onSmartphones" with Sriram Krishnan, product manager, Motorola GoodTechnology Group.
Value: …
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Wake Forest did a fine job on defense against No. 10 Miami. It was the Demon Deacons' play on the offensive end that did them in.
The Demon Deacons held the Hurricanes 15 points below their season average but shot just 25 percent in a 64-39 loss on Thursday night — Wake's fourth in its last five conference games.
"You've got to score to beat Miami," Wake Forest coach Mike Petersen said. "You can't expect to come down here and play in the 50s. We were trying to get to 70s to get it done. We didn't make enough shots and didn't execute well."
Wake Forest (12-8, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) suffered through extended scoring droughts at the end of …
WICHITA, Kan. Steve Stanicek hit three home runs as Midlothian,Ill., routed Liberal, Kan., 21-1 in the championship game of theNational Baseball Congress World Series on Sunday.
The White Sox set a series record with seven home runs in thegame, including grand slams by Mike Kane and Dick Canan.
Liberal took a 1-0 lead in the first when Richie Taylor walkedand scored on a base hit by Jay P. Roberge. The BeeJays never got arunner past second base after that as Rob Kruger held them to fourhits in the first seven innings for the victory.
Midlothian knocked out Liberal starter Dave Leonhart in thesecond and took a 10-1 lead after two innings.
Stanicek was 4-for-4, scored four runs, and drove in seven.
Neil Fiala and Pete Stanicek also hit home runs for Midlothianas the White Sox hit 27 in the tournament, one short of the record.
Many questions were answered at Saturday's New TrierFeatherfest. The one still plaguing coaches is how to stopsecond-ranked Palatine, which beat three highly rated teams to win.
The Pirates swept two singles and two doubles flights to score16 points, outlasting Evanston (12), Hersey (9) and Downers GroveNorth (7). Elsewhere, top-ranked Andrew won the Deerfield quad witha doubles sweep.
Colleen McKeown and Stacey Sander led Palatine to its secondtournament title in a row with a No. 1 doubles victory overProspect's Barb Fox and Joy Bjork 5-15, 16-11, 15-12. McKeown andSander wore out all three final-round opponents in split sets.Angela Zemla, Sue Lee and the No. 4 fourth doubles of Dani Paquetteand Chris Barr also won for the Pirates.
Palatine was inspired by the return of No. 1 singles playerJenny Link, who has recovered from a stress fracture in a foot. Linkreached the semifinals before falling to top-rated Sue Connor ofDowners North 2-3, 11-6, 11-7.
"Everybody emphasized how good we'd be when Jenny got back butthe team rallied when she was out," Palatine coach Kathy Crandallsaid. "Melissa Stevens did a super job in her place. We're evenstronger with Jenny back.
"Depth has been key to our success. We had wins at three andfour singles and fourth doubles. It's definitely been a team effort.The last time we won the Featherfest (1985), we won the state."
In first singles, Connor beat Hersey's Britt Johnson 11-5, 11-4.It was Connor's second victory of the season over No. 3Johnson.
No. 3 Evanston chased Palatine but dropped two matches thatcould have forged a tie. At third singles, Evanston's CarlitaMatthews lost to Zemla 6-11, 11-9, 11-6 while the first doubles ofMarcey Ring and Maeve O'Meara split with McKeown and Sanders beforebowing 15-5, 11-15, 15-12.
Evanston's Elizabeth Johnson and Mary Lembke took the seconddoubles title and teammates Courtney McConnell and Justine Abel wonthe third flight.
"We walked out today holding our heads up," Evanston coachShirley Nannini said. "We have a lot of respect for Palatine, butthey're within our grasp."
Evanston will have a chance to catch the Pirates at homeSaturday when the Wildkits host the ABCD tournament.
Second-ranked Helen Won of Maine West coasted through the No. 1singles at the Deerfield quadrangular but Andrew's Debbie Pruim andTeresa Bahaveolos and Sheryl Dworak and Maddie Ramaos led a doublessweep to give Andrew the team title.
More parking restrictions are being put in place on Aberdeenstreets.
The city council's central area committee has agreed to morewaiting restrictions.
Parking bays are to be put in place at Marischal Court for peopleattending Aberdeen High Court.
A one-way system will also be introduced in Clarence Street andpay and display parking bays in sections of the Beach Boulevard.
Parking restrictions will also be in place in parts of theaccess road west of John Street, in Castleton Drive, StockethillCrescent and Clarence Street.
SYDNEY (AP) — Holger Osieck, an assistant to Franz Beckenbauer when West Germany won the 1990 World Cup, has been appointed as Australia's head coach.
Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy announced the signing Wednesday via video conference from Europe, hours before Australia was to play Slovenia in an international friendly as part of its preparations for the 2011 Asian Cup.
Osieck was assistant coach for the West German national team from 1987 to 1990 and has had stints as coach of the German national youth team, as Canada's head coach, as director of FIFA's technical department and guided Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds to the Asian Champions League title in 2007.
The 61-year-old German replaces Pim Verbeek, who quit after taking Australia to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the Socceroos were eliminated in the group stage following a win, a draw and a loss.
"I feel very much honored to be your choice," Osieck said in a telephone conference. "It's a very big challenge for me, it's a great challenge."
His appointment was a departure from the Socceroos' last two foreign coaches — Guus Hiddink and Verbeek — who were both Dutch and both not able to stay long term in Australia.
Lowy said Osieck would relocate to Australia and be responsible for rebuilding the national team and for mentoring homegrown coaches. Many of the stars of Australia's last two World Cup campaigns will be too old to contend for places at the next World Cup in 2014, and depth is a key issue regarding the talent coming through.
"We're not starting from scratch. Australia has done very well in recent years and made the past two World Cups and our first target should be to establish our team on that level on a permanent basis," Osieck said.
Lowy said Osieck's extensive knowledge of Asian football was attractive to the FFA, which joined the Asian confederation after the 2006 World Cup and now competes in continental club and international qualifiers.
"He has experienced what it takes to traverse Asia and win tournaments and this will be invaluable experience as he leads our team into the AFC Asian Cup in January and as we prepare for another challenging campaign to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil," Lowy said.
Lowy said Osieck's experience in Canada, where he led the national team to the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000 when it was held in the United States, was another part of his appeal. Football is the fourth-ranked among Australia's football codes in terms of sponsorship and TV audiences, behind Australian Rules, rugby league and rugby union, but interest has increased as the Socceroos have qualified for the last two World Cups.
"Holger has also worked in a nation where football is not the No. 1 sport and proved that he can win a major Championship against nations who have football in their veins," Lowy said.
Osieck is expected to take over from interim manager Han Berger, the FFA's technical director, before Australia's next friendly in Switzerland on Sept. 3.
"Taking over at a stage of natural transition as we start our preparations for 2014 is an ideal opportunity to influence the future direction of the young players and coaches from Australia," he said.
BAGHDAD (AP) — Thousands marched on government buildings and clashed with security forces Friday in cities across Iraq in an outpouring of anger that left 12 people dead — the largest and most violent anti-government protests in the country since political unrest began spreading in the Arab world weeks ago.
In northern Iraqi cities, security forces trying to push back crowds opened fire, killing 10 demonstrators. In the western Anbar province, two people were shot and killed in a protest. In the capital of Baghdad, demonstrators knocked down blast walls, threw rocks and scuffled with club-wielding troops who chased them down the street.
The protests, billed as a "Day of Rage, were fueled by anger over corruption, chronic unemployment and shoddy public services from the Shiite-dominated government. Shiite religious leaders discouraged people from taking part, greatly diminishing the Shiite participation and the overall size of the crowd in a country where such religious edicts hold great sway.
In Baghdad's Sunni enclave of Azamiyah, one resident said people there did not want to attend because they feared being labeled Saddamists. "The government has already convicted anyone who takes part in the demonstrations by accusing them of terrorism," said 41-year-old Ammar al-Azami.
Khalil Ibrahim, 44, one of about 3,000 protesters in downtown Baghdad, railed against a government that locks itself in the Green Zone, home to the parliament and the U.S. Embassy, and is viewed by most of its citizens as more interested in personal gain than public service.
"We want a good life like human beings, not like animals," Ibrahim said.
The center of Baghdad was virtually locked down Friday, with soldiers searching protesters entering Liberation Square and closing off the plaza and side streets with razor wire. The heavy security presence reflected the official concerns that demonstrations here could gain traction as they did in Egypt and Tunisia, then spiral out of control.
Iraqi army helicopters buzzed overhead, while Humvees and trucks took up posts throughout the square, where flag-waving demonstrators shouted, "No to unemployment," and "No to the liar al-Maliki," referring to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Demonstrators trying to get across a bridge from the square to the Green Zone clashed with security forces. The demonstrators knocked down some of the concrete blast walls that were put up Thursday night and threw rocks at troops who beat them back with batons. Six riot police and 12 demonstrators were wounded in the melee, according to police and hospital officials.
The Iraqi prime minister thanked the security services for their "patience and self-restraint" and said he would investigate violations that took place in a few areas.
Just the night before, al-Maliki warned people to stay away from the demonstrations, saying that Saddamists and al-Qaida were behind the marches. He gave no proof for this claim, and there were no terrorist attacks reported across the country targeting the protesters.
The demonstrations stretched from the northern city of Mosul to the southern city of Basra, reflecting the widespread anger many Iraqis feel at the government's seeming inability to improve their lives.
The most deadly clashes came in the Mosul. Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the provincial council building, demanding jobs and better services, when guards opened fire, according to a police official. A police and hospital official said five protesters were killed and 15 people wounded.
Black smoke could later be seen billowing from the building.
A crowd of angry marchers in the northern city of Hawija tried to break into the city's municipal building, said the head of the local city council, Ali Hussein Salih.
Security forces opened fire, killing three demonstrators and wounding 15, local officials said. Protesters set fire to three police stations and the municipal council building, said Brig. Gen. Sarhad Qadir. The Iraqi Army was eventually called in to restore order.
At least two people were killed and 14 others injured in riots in Anbar province, said Sheik Efan Saadoun, a provincial councilor.
Police used stun grenades to ward off about 1,000 demonstrators in Saddam Hussein's former hometown of Tikrit and one person died in the melee, a police official said.
In the south, about 4,000 people demonstrated in front of the office of Gov. Sheltagh Aboud al-Mayahi in the port of Basra, Iraq's second-largest city. They knocked over one of the concrete barriers and demanded his resignation.
They appeared to get their wish when the commander of Basra military operations told the crowd that the governor had resigned.
Most protests in recent weeks have been peaceful, although a few have turned violent and seven people were killed before Friday. The biggest rallies have been in the northern Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah against the government of the self-ruled region.
Police opened fire Friday in the town of Kalar, south of Sulaimaniyah, when a crowd of demonstrators closed in on the headquarters of one of the main ruling parties, police and hospital officials said. One demonstrator was killed and 25 others wounded.
All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
THIEZAC, France (AP) — With his self-confidence at an all-time high and luck finally on his side, Australia's Cadel Evans could achieve something special on this year's Tour de France.
Evans, a two-time Tour de France runner-up, has survived a crash-marred first week of racing which saw several contenders bow out of the race. He stands third in the overall standings, the best placing among the favorites.
The BMC team leader finished behind Alberto Contador in 2007 while Carlos Sastre beat him in 2008. Last year, he wore the yellow jersey but broke his left elbow and had to be content with a 26th-place finish on the Champs Elysees.
Evans, who had been regarded as a perennial underachiever until he silenced his critics to become world champion in 2009, looks stronger this year.
"The psychological part of it is pretty enormous," BMC manager Jim Ochowicz told The Associated Press. "He changed his approach to his racing and he learned to manage his own expectations of the race."
Evans enjoyed a perfect build-up to the Tour, racing less than usual in order to reach his peak during the sport's grueling three-week showcase. Although he refuses to rate himself as the favorite, his confidence is flying high.
"So far so good, the team has been great, keeping me out of trouble, and if it could continue like this I would be very, very happy," Evans said.
While Bradley Wiggins, Christopher Horner, Alexandre Vinokourov and Jurgen Van den Broeck have all been forced to withdraw through injuries, Evans avoided all the crashes by staying constantly ahead of the pack, well protected by his teammates.
He stands 2 minutes, 26 seconds behind race leader Thomas Voeckler. The Schleck brothers Frank and Andy are fourth and fifth, at 2:29 and 2:37 respectively while defending champion Alberto Contador is 16th, 4:07 off the pace.
"Evans is in great form," Contador said. "The profile of the first stages, with their short and steep uphill finishes, really suited him. But it's also true that when Cadel is having a bad day, he can lose a lot of time."
According to Ochowicz, mental toughness — the Australian's Achilles' heel in the past — is now one of Evans' main assets.
"He manages this really well," Ochowicz said. "With the racing aspect, we've seen a difference in his ability to handle the stress of the race last year. And he has improved on that again this year."
Before joining BMC at the end of the 2009 season, Evans had spent five years within the Lotto team ranks. There, he was always on the attack but often criticized by pundits for his tactics.
The 34-year-old Evans, a former mountain bike specialist, decided to leave Lotto to find a better environment and to be supported by riders capable of helping him win the Tour.
"Within the BMC team, he found a serene and very laid-back atmosphere, a very American atmosphere," BMC sports director John Lelangue told the AP. "It surely fits Anglo-Saxon riders, and he is one of them. We also speak English when we eat together, during the briefings, on the race radio, that surely helps."
Ochowicz said Evans' self-confidence is also boosting the team's morale.
"And I think our ability to be able to put a lot of resources into his race — material, staff, the right people, like in a family situation — makes it easier for him," Ochowicz said.
Last year, Evans said his efforts in finishing fifth in the Giro d'Italia drained him for the Tour. He decided to skip the Italian race this season to focus on the Grande Boucle and arrived at the start with less than 35 days of racing in his legs.
During his Tour warmup, he showed he was capable of doing well in the high mountains with a second-place finish at the Criterium du Dauphine a few weeks ago. He also won the Tirreno Adriatico and the Tour de Romandie this season.
He didn't wait long before demonstrating his strength at the Tour, edging out Contador in a photo finish to win the fourth stage of the race.
"We centered his whole preparation on one-week races," Lelangue said. "It gave him confidence and he arrived at the Tour fresher, which was crucial. And what his teammates have done for him during the first week of racing strengthened his confidence. He can do a beautiful Tour."
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Scores at stumps on the fourth day of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval.
Scores:
Australia 1st innings: 604-7 decl. (Ricky Ponting 221, Michael Clarke 210; Ravichandran Ashwin 3-194)
India 1st innings: 272 (Virat Kohli 116; Peter Siddle 5-49)
Australia 2nd innings: 167-5 decl. (Ricky Ponting 60 not out; Ravichandran Ashwin 2-73)
India 2nd innings: 166-6 (Virender Sehwag 62; Nathan Lyon 3-57)
Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter has called for a speedy buildup of firemen in Chicago due to increased overtime through April. The overtime represents a $7.3 million increase over the same period last year, a 23 percent increase.
Measures by Commissioner Trotter to quickly address the problem should be applauded, not only because the city is faced with a severe budget crunch this year, but his actions indicate that the fire commissioner appears to be fostering cost saving measures.
Potential fires in Chicago continue to be a growing problem, especially during the cold winter season when poorer homes and apartments rely on space heaters or substitute measures to heat their domiciles. And city inspectors are over burdened with the many complaints they receive each year of property neglect which often leads to the use of substitute measures.
We believe that the city's fire department must be prepared to deal with any and all life threatening or property threatening measures to adequately protect our citizens.
Trotter is also hoping to install hand-held computers which will hasten on-site communications, and he also plans to tighten up on medical leave excuses to foster better attendance.
City officials have been complaining that one of the problems with the high rate of medical leave for firemen is that the age level of new recruits is too high. According to fire department statistics, the average age of new recruits is 36. Moreover, the city has said, layups lead to more overtime.
Overtime continues to be a revolving problem, not only within the fire department but within all city departments.
Commissioner Trotter is calling for a new fire exam, one that abandons the written portion. The recommendation is that candidates who can pass the physical and criminal background check will be put on the list.
While we applaud the city's action for immediate resolution, we must caution Commissioner Trotter and those he reports to that literacy, we believe, is essential in the framework of a fireman's job.
Quick thinking and rational responses in crisis situations are often required by firemen to protect themselves, their fellow fire fighters, saving property and saving the lives of potential fire victims.
Reform may be a better approach...simplifying the exam to target crisis capabilities.
It is also essential that the fire department establish a better system of recruitment to achieve greater diversity within its ranks.
Right now, the fire department has one of the city's poorest ratings for hiring minorities, and while we understand that in the past, efforts were sincerely made to increase those numbers, the written portion of the test was deemed discriminatory to minorities.
We are not at all suggesting that a quota system be put in place, but that the written portion of the exam be simplified and better targeted to performance capabilities, that a fair and honest appraisal be implemented to assure equal access.
Chicago taxpayers expect quick response and professional performance, and they deserve nothing less. But the selection process for new recruits must be monitored more closely to assure equality in the process.
The city has for years prided itself on the professionalism and quick response of its fire department, and city officials should continue to press for nothing less.
But they must also realize that the city and all its departments set the standard of race relations within and outside its boundaries.
Chicago is a great city, but the perceptions of racial isolationism of the past still linger. The fire department now has an opportunity to erase its lingering image of racial exclusion by using this opportunity to equal the playing field for all the city's minorities.
We congratulate Commissioner Trotter, the city's first African American fire commissioner, for his quick and decisive measures. But we also want to caution him that his responsibility to the city's diverse citizenry must also be one of his priorities in moving toward his desired goals.
Article copyright REAL TIMES Inc.
WASHINGTON - More Americans rank Iraq as the top priority of the new Democratic-controlled Congress, but nearly three out of five say the party does not have a plan to deal with the war.
In the aftermath of an anti-Republican wave, the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll showed lingering uncertainty about the country's direction and the ability of Democrats and President Bush to work together. Underscoring the country's political divisions, Democrats expressed more confidence and optimism than Republicans.
The poll was conducted Nov. 10-12 as the public adjusted to Washington's new division of labor, with President Bush in the White House and Democrats holding the reins of Congress for the first time in 12 years.
While voters in Election Day surveys said corruption and scandal in Congress was one of the most important factors in their vote, the postelection poll showed that 37 percent of all adults said the war in Iraq should be at the top of the congressional agenda during the next two years. The issue of terrorism, the second most mentioned priority, was ranked highest by 15 percent of those polled.
Though voters apparently embraced the Democratic mantra of changing course in Iraq, a majority of the public did not detect a clear Democratic blueprint for ending the war. Fifty-seven percent of all adults in the AP-Ipsos poll said Democrats do not have a plan for Iraq; 29 percent said they do. The poll of 1,002 adults has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
That finding strikes at the heart of a Democratic dilemma. The party has been of one voice in criticizing President Bush's strategy for the war but has been more equivocal on how to move in a different direction.
Democrats such as Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania want a fixed deadline to pull all troops out of the country. Other Democrats, including some party leaders, have voiced support for a staggered withdrawal that demands greater responsibility from the Iraqis.
The public's perception was reinforced during the campaign, when President Bush time and again told voters that the Democrats had little to offer on the war.
"Everyone agrees that we're going to have to begin redeployment," Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., said of the Democratic position. Skelton, in line to become chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has proposed withdrawing a U.S. brigade for every three Iraqi combat brigades rated fully capable. Skelton opposes setting a timetable for withdrawal but said at least one U.S. battalion or brigade should pull out promptly.
"It should send a clear message to the Iraqi government, the Iraqi people and the American people that we're not there to stay," he said.
No doubt, the election results have put Democrats in something of a box, said Stephen Biddle, a defense policy expert at the Council of Foreign Relations.
"It's a very, very awkward thing to run a war from the Congress," he said. "The public wants them to do something. And they don't want to go into 2008 and be accused of being the do-nothing 110th Congress."
In separate interviews, some voters appeared sympathetic.
John Rodon, a retiree from Green Bay, Wis., said the situation in Iraq is "a big mistake" and voted for a Democrat for Congress. He doubted, however, that the Democrats would solve the war.
"I don't think anybody has an answer for this," he said.
Francis Curran, a 43-year-old carpenter from Jupiter, Fla., said he thinks Democrats would approach Iraq with a better lens.
"You can't solve that problem without involving the other players in the region. I think Democrats might be more willing to at least not call (Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) the Axis of Evil," Curran said. "I don't know if the president would go with this, but this administration has to involve other nations in that region."
For now, Democrats appear willing to wait for the recommendations of a bipartisan Iraq study group led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton. The group's findings are expected within the next few weeks. The Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, also wants a bipartisan congressional summit to debate Iraq.
"Iraq has to be done on a bipartisan basis," Reid said Tuesday. "This is not a time for threatening the president with anything. We're going to see how we can work with him to change course in Iraq."
Though uncertain about the Democrats' plan for Iraq, many Americans are upbeat about Democratic control of Congress. For every 10 adults surveyed, four said the country will be better off, three said it would not make much difference and two said the country will be worse off. Most Democrats shared that optimism. Republicans tended to be pessimistic or anticipated no discernible change.
Overall, Americans tended to hold Bush responsible for Republicans losses last week. Forty-five percent of adults surveyed said Bush deserves all or a great deal of the blame. But only 22 percent of Republican voters attributed the losses to Bush.
Americans were split when asked if the president and Democrats in Congress could work together. Forty-seven percent said they were confident that two could cooperate and 51 percent said they were not.
In the wake of the election, Democrats as well as the president and his Republican allies have emphasized the need for bipartisanship on the war and on a number of other legislative fronts. Democrats and Bush have said they see an opportunity to pass comprehensive legislation on immigration that had been blocked in the House.
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AP Manager of News Surveys Trevor Tompson, AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius and Associated Press Writers Philip Elliott and Will Lester contributed to this report.
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On the Web: http://www.ap-ipsosresults.com
Hearty admirers of great black women in theater history weathered an icy, snowy night last Wednesday to pay tribute to a diva for all seasons, Rose Mc-Clendon, 1884 - 1936. The famous actress of the Harlem Renaissance and the Federal Theater was movingly portrayed by Vinie Burrows.
Once inside MIT's Kresge Little Theater, the treacherous slips and slides were soon forgotten as the goodly sized crowd warmed to a tale of a black actress whose opportunities were diminished by a perfidious racism on Broadway, but who struggled on so that other actors of color might have an easier time of it.
The emotionally stirring, one-woman workshop-performance, "Rose McClendon: Black on the Great White Way" starring Burrows, was a result of her having received MIT's prestigious 2002 Eugene McDermont Award in the Arts, established in 1974. Other distinguished artists so honored have included sculptor Henry Moore, painter/filmmaker Gyorgy Kepes, and architect I.M.Pei. In recent years, the award has gone outside the MIT community to an artist who will return to the school within a year for a residency working with faculty and students. Burrows's residency culminated in this single performance on March 6, forcefully directed by Alan Brody, associate provost for the arts at MIT.
As the gripping two-act drama opens, McClendon has been whirled back to earth, a return she never prayed for she proclaims. You well believe her from a number of the episodes she revisits in her life. As a little child she and her family flee her South Carolina home town when an uncle is lynched. "We were of the early wave of the exodus" North, she observes of the move to New York; "instead of the promised 40 acres and a mule we had only gotten the terror of night riders with hoods."
Magically, Burrows, blessed with a lovely seductive voice, theatrical but not stagy, becomes the very embodiment of McClendon. As Rose travels through the years, you experience her triumphs and travails moment by moment but also comprehend the meaning of the eras as regards the progress of black people in this country.
To give an example, Rose, as a teenager, saves a man being chased by a mob through the Tenderloin district where she and her mom take in washing. She hides him from his pursuers. That man becomes her husband, Mac Mc-Clendon, a relationship that is sometimes a great love and sometimes a great waste. The drama of "Black on the Great White Way" is like a roller coaster, one minute you tense up at the roar of a crowd of blood thirsty wild men and a daring rescue, and the next moment, you soften to the flowering of a tender love story. At the same time, you are learning about the 1900 race riot, one of the worst in the country's history.
Most of the evening is appropriately devoted to McClendon's years in the theater. Set designer Bill Fregosi has devised a wonderfully utile playing area with a rack of costumes at the back behind which Burrows can change yet continue to speak to the audience; a chaise lounge on which she reclines to reminisce and tastefully suggest the many backstage romances that spiced up her life; and a dressing table that holds reviews and other memorabilia to which she refers.
McClendon's years in the theater make for a fascinating resume. She was compared to the renowned Italian actress Eleonora Duse and to Ethel Barrymore of America's "royal family of the theater." A theatrical producer who attended McClendon's performance in "Deep River" with Barrymore, whispered to her as they watched McClendon descend a spiral staircase, "She can teach some your most hoity-toity actresses distinction." Barrymore replied, "She can teach them all distinction."
McClendon debuted professionally in 1919 in "Justice," and four years later appeared with Charles Gilpin and later Paul Robeson in "Roseanne." Among many roles was Serena in Dubose and Dorothy Heyward's "Porgy" for which she received the Morning Telegraph Award along with Ethel Barrymore and Lynn Fontaine. Her last starring role was as Cora in Langston Hughes's "Mulatto" (1935), which ran for 373 performances on Broadway, the second longest run for a black playwright at that time.
McClendon was also a director of the Negro (Harlem) Experimental Theater located at the 135th St Branch of the New York Public Library and founded the Rose McClendon Players and the Negro People's Theatre of the Federal Theater Project (whose initial show was an all-black version of Shakespeare's "MacBeth" with McClendon picking 18-year-old Orson Welles for its director).
This coming Monday, McClendon is one of 11 black women of American theater history recalled in "Black Beauties: Celebrating 100 Years of African American Women on Broadway," a production written by Shauneille Perry and directed and produced by Woodie King, Jr. The March 17 show at the Lamb's Theater begins at 7 p.m. For reservations, call 212-840-0770. Vinie Burrows stars as McClendon; other actresses invoking the great ladies of the stage of the past include Debbie Allen, Tarzana Beverley, Ruby Dee, Novella Nelson, Clarise Taylor and Barbara Ann Teer.
At MIT, Burrows was exquisite. She wears clothes with the flair of a high fashion model who is confident about how good she looks, which must have been a joy for costume consultant Leslie Cocuzzo Held. Well known lighting designer Eric Levenson provided a tender scheme, establishing mood and ensuring we could always see how Burrows as McClendon felt.
There is a moment when Burrows as McClendon is back stage during the intermission of a play when she is in such physical pain, she begins to softly cry. There is more to her misery, as well, the knowledge that racism has cut into so much of what she has to give on stage and what her stature off stage should deservedly be. She was not the only one in tears.
Photograph (Vinie Burrows)
WASHINGTON The Securities and Exchange Commission today approvedrules designed to give stock market investors a better chance atgetting the best price available for their orders.
The so-called order handling rules, proposed in September, wereapproved in a 4-0 vote. They will require specialists at stockexchanges and market makers on Nasdaq to let customers view pricequotes from other electronic trading systems that may not be readilyavailable to them.
The rules will also require customer limit orders to bedisplayed with prices better than those available in quotes publiclyavailable at the time.
Specialists and market makers are companies or individualsqualified to maintain an orderly market in a stock. In a limitorder, investors specify the price at which they are willing to buyor sell, as opposed to a market order executed at prevailing prices.
"These rules are intended to empower all investors, by allowingtheir orders to compete on a level playing field, and by providingthe disclosure they need to make informed decisions," said SECChairman Arthur Levitt.
The SEC's goal, he said, was to create "one system where oneprice could be available to everybody."
The director of the SEC's division of market regulation,Richard Lindsey, said Wall Street firms will probably need to spendabout $7 million on improvements called for by the rules.
In proposing the rules last year, the SEC noted that whiletechnology has improved, common practices worked against investors'best interests. It said customers whose orders were not displayedlost the chance of getting the best price available in the market.
It also cited the potential problem of a two-tiered market, inwhich market makers quote one price to public investors while quotingbetter prices in private systems, thus robbing investors withoutaccess to "hidden" quotes the benefit of the best available prices.
This month, the SEC settled charges of alleged malpractices onNasdaq when the market's parent, the National Association ofSecurities Dealers, agreed to spend $100 million over five years toupgrade its oversight of brokers' trading practices.
The SEC dropped a third proposal that would have allowedinvestors with market orders to trade at a better price if there wereshifts in prices before their orders were executed.
The agency said it would monitor effects of the new rulesbefore considering the "price improvement" proposal again.
Sister Depacis Becker, 96, head of nursing for nearly 35 yearsat St. Therese Hospital in Waukegan, died Wednesday in the Convent ofthe Holy Spirit in north suburban Techny.
She was at St. Therese between 1929 and 1968, with two breaks toserve as superior and administrator of St. Joseph Community Hospitalin New Hampton, Iowa. From 1968 until 1980, she led a nursing unitat Sacred Heart Home in Hyattsville, Md. In 1980, she joined theinfirmary at the convent, where she remained until she retired eightyears ago.
Sister Depacis was born in Germany and entered a convent in 1914in Holland. She volunteered to care for wounded soliders in Austriaduring World War I. She returned to Holland two years later and tookher first vows Dec. 8, 1916. She was later assigned to work in theUnited States.
She earned her diploma as a graduate nurse from St. Mary'sHospital in Watertown, Wis. St. Therese Hospital opened in 1929, andSister Depacis' unit was transferred to Waukegan.
She left no immediate survivors.
Mass will be offered at 10 a.m. today at the Convent of the HolySpirit, 2600 Waukegan Rd., Techny. Burial will be in St. MaryCemetery on the convent grounds.
WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson said Sunday he wanted a total withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq and that American troops are targets in a civil war.
"I would leave no troops in Iraq whatsoever," Richardson said. "The difference between me and the other candidates is, they would leave troops there indefinitely, and I would not."
He said a U.S. withdrawal should be used as leverage to promote a reconciliation conference of sectarian groups, an all-Muslim peacekeeping force and a donor conference to rebuild Iraq.
Richardson says U.S. troops should be redeployed by the end of the year to Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. Other Democratic presidential candidates also advocate troop withdrawals but leave room for residual forces.
The Bush administration envisions a decades-long U.S. presence in Iraq.
One Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, said, "We aren't talking about staying forever." But he said a long-term training and advisory presence is possible.
"The fact is that if we can withdraw to bases and then eventually close those bases and come home, that's the plan," the Arizona senator said.
McCain said it's a shame that "September seems to be a magic moment" for deciding whether President Bush's troop surge in Iraq is working. Bush is due to receive an assessment then from Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Baghdad.
"I'm hoping that he would come back and say, `We've achieved a certain measure of success,' to give us some hope and optimism," McCain said. "I'm hoping that can happen, but not in my wildest dreams do I expect him to come back and say, `Everything's fine now,' just a few months after we've adopted a new strategy. That would be crazy."
Richardson spoke on CNN's "Late Edition." McCain's interview last week with ABC's "This Week" aired Sunday.
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WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has sought out former Secretary of State Colin Powell for advice on foreign policy matters.
While Powell served in the administrations of two Republican presidents, he said Sunday it was too early in the 2008 race to say whether he would back the GOP nominee.
"I'm going to support the best person that I can find who will lead this country for the eight years beginning in January of 2009," Powell said.
Powell was secretary of state under President Bush and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman for the first President Bush.
Powell said he has met twice with Obama, the Illinois senator. "I've been around this town a long time and I know everybody who is running for office. And I make myself available to talk about foreign policy matters and military matters with whoever wishes to chat with me," Powell said.
Powell said he does not want to serve in elected office but was less certain about a return to some government post.
"I would not rule it out. I am not at all interested in political life if you mean elected political life. That is unchanged. But I always keep my eyes open and my ears open to requests for service," he said.
He was interviewed on "Meet the Press" on NBC.
---
WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee suggested he might change his mind about competing in the Iowa straw poll.
Huckabee said Sunday that for now, he intends to compete. But "if the front-runners aren't going to play, we all have to start assessing the impact and importance and what it would look like if we were to win it," the former Arkansas governor said.
Leading GOP candidates Rudy Giuliani and John McCain said last week they would skip the straw poll. That would leave only former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney among the top-tier candidates planning to participate in what has been a traditional test of early strength.
Lesser-known candidates such as Huckabee, Sen. Sam Brownback and Rep. Tom Tancredo said they would participate in the August straw poll and on Friday challenged Romney to a series of Iowa debates.
McCain and Giuliani said they still would compete in Iowa's caucuses, which begin the presidential nominating season. McCain was surprised to learn that no candidate has won the caucuses after skipping the straw poll.
"I didn't know that was the case," he said in an interview broadcast Sunday on "This Week"
Huckabee's comments came on "Late Edition" on CNN.
More than 100 million people have joined the ranks of the chronically hungry in South Asia in the fallout from the global financial crisis, bringing the figure to a 40-year high, a U.N. official said Tuesday
The region's poor, who have borne the brunt of the economic trouble, desperately need governments to spend more money on food, health care and education to alleviate the crisis, said Daniel Toole, a regional director for the U.N. Children's Fund, or UNICEF.
At least 405 million people in South Asia suffered from chronic hunger in 2007-2008, up from 300 million in 20004-2006, according to a UNICEF report Tuesday.
"Without urgent, inclusive government response, the poor of South Asia, nearly 20 percent of the world's population, will sink further into poverty and malnutrition with long-term negative consequences for growth and development in the region and globally," the report said.
The report focused on the economic crisis's impact on women and children in eight South Asian nations _ Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Nearly 33 percent of South Asia's 1.8 billion people eat less than the minimum recommended daily requirements. Three-quarters live in households earning less than $2 a day, the report said.
The poor spend more than half of their income on food, which has become more expensive and made life even more difficult for them, it said. Nearly half of the region's children are malnourished.
Toole called on India and Pakistan, longtime rivals in the region, to urgently reduce their defense spending and increase their social investments.
The two nations have long spent relatively little on education and health while spending billions on their militaries, which have fought three wars against each another.
Defense accounted for 18 percent of government spending in Pakistan and 14 percent in India between 1997 and 2006, UNICEF said. Education accounted for less than 4 percent and health care received 2 percent in the same period, the agency said.
The agency called on India and Pakistan to emulate China, which spent 8-10 percent of government money on education and health over the past three decades, allowing rural and impoverished communities access to hospitals and schools, Toole said.
HIGH ANXIETY
Almost every one of my classes this semester has a final presentation and I get freaking nervous talking in front of people. It gets so bad that my armpits start dripping, my hands get freezing cold, I start shivering and forget to breathe. An old boyfriend used to use kava-kava pills before his job interviews and I was considering trying them, except he said they always made him high. That could come in handy for certain lectures, but can kava-kava relax me enough to get through my speeches?
-Nicole
I think I can identify. I get the exact same symptoms every time I'm invited to a co-ed baby shower. It's not that I'm afraid I'll lose the one-handed Cabbage Patch Kid diapering contest or the bobbing-for-pacifiers game. In fact, I once made a fair showing in a baby bottle beer-drinking race. But graphic descriptions of delivery room gore and pandemonium, more suitable to an episode of ER than a North End living room, make me shudder. And don't get me started about passing around the hand-me-down breast pump.
Happily changing the subject, kava (often singular) was originally-and continues to be-drunk as a ceremonial and social beverage by the South Pacific islanders of Fiji, Samoa and New Hebrides. Kava tea, usually described as muddy-tasting, is less familiar in the United States than the more palatable capsule. Both the tea and the herbal supplement are made from the root of a perennial shrub called Piper methysticum, which means "intoxicating pepper."
It's popularity for both medication and recreation stems from a distinct mellowing effect that could all but change a shrill Dr. Laura into an amiable Dr. Phil. Kava is best known for use in anxiety conditions, but now also for pre-menstrual syndrome and insomnia. The fact that the herb is considered non-addictive has given rise to a new type of establishment, the Kava Bar. Various strengths of these mouth-numbing teas are served which also, thankfully, deaden the taste buds. I'm told the only bar fights these patrons get into are over who gets to lie across the seat of the booth.
The medical literature is full of studies of kava, both for safety and effect. First, the good news: Kava research is clear that the active compounds, kavalactones, curtail anxiety without excessive sedation. In fact, one journal's review of the entire body of literature on kava's use in anxiety described the supplement as valuable "beyond a reasonable doubt."
Baby showers aren't the only parties I poop; here comes the bad news. A few years ago, cases of liver toxicity associated with kava began appearing in the literature. In Germany, authorities immediately banned the supplement. Most of the remainder of the European Union soon followed, as did Canada. In 2002, our own FDA released a consumer advisory that warns the public of the potential risk of liver injury in kava users and promises continued research.
Happily, the new research papers have contradicted the link between kava and liver damage, citing a lack of clear evidence and introducing a credible explanation. Like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, kava may have been a victim of its own popularity: Traditional preparation methods call for only the plant's root, but as its reputation spread, dangerous shortcuts were taken. The usually discarded leaves and stems were virtually free, could be easily dried and sold truthfully as 100 percent kava. But, even though there are enough active compounds in these green parts to bliss you out, there are also other alkaloids that are toxic to liver cells.
With some care, the actual risk of using kava is quite minimal compared to the benefits. First, kava should never be used when taking sedatives, antidepressants, alcohol, Tytenol (some student's typical brunch menu), or if you have any liver disorder. Further, use only as needed rather than long-term. Most importantly, consider buying actual fresh or freeze-dried kava root, or purchase certified root-only capsules. A couple of arrests for DUI have occurred after excessive use (probably following brunch), so common sense is warranted.
A little kava before your classroom presentations is fine, but simply practicing the speeches might be a better idea. I'd bet you could get that old boyfriend of yours to sit and listen if you enticed him with some fresh kava tea. If your subject is tedious, you might offer to mix it with strong coffee and make KavaJava. Failing that, merely threaten to invite him to your baby shower. Speaking for men everywhere, we'll do anything you ask.
[Author Affiliation]
Dr. Ed Rabin is a chiropractor practicing at Life Chiropractic Center in Boise. Don't send invitations, but do send health-related questions to theantidote@edrabin.com (on the Web at www.edrabin.com).
The U.S. Army Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan issued the following news release:
The Coalition continues to investigate the circumstances of yesterday morning's incident in which a truck, which lost its brakes, operating as part of a convoy through Kabul, struck several civilian vehicles, resulting in the death and injury of Afghan civilians. The Coalition is conducting a full investigation of the facts regarding this tragic incident and is cooperating fully with Afghan authorities.
An initial investigation has determined that a mechanical failure of the vehicle's brakes is the cause of the traffic accident. The convoy was on a logistics mission in support of our efforts to help the Afghan people. Following a long move down a hill, the vehicle's brakes apparently overheated and failed. The driver, very experienced in the operation of this type of vehicle, a heavy cargo truck, applied the primary and emergency brakes, and took evasive action to avoid hitting pedestrians, to include hitting several unoccupied, parked cars in an effort to slow or stop the truck. However, he was unable to avoid hitting occupied vehicles in the intersection.
We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured in this unfortunate traffic accident.
The Coalition, government of Afghanistan and local officials are working to determine the identities of the Afghans involved in the accident. The Coalition will compensate the traffic accident victims or the families of those who were injured as a result of the crash.
The incident is very regrettable, however the Coalition remains committed to preventing any hardship or injury to the people of Afghanistan while we work together to build a better future. We extend our sympathies to those who suffered loss or injury in the traffic accident.
As we receive more updates, we will provide this information to you. As a reminder, our weekly joint CFC-A/NATO-ISAF press conference will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m. and we will take your questions on these and other events at that time.
STATEMENT BY COALITION SPOKESMAN, COL. THOMAS COLLINS REGARDING VEHICLE ACCIDENT IN KABUL ON MONDAY MORNINGThe U.S. Army Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan issued the following news release:
The Coalition continues to investigate the circumstances of yesterday morning's incident in which a truck, which lost its brakes, operating as part of a convoy through Kabul, struck several civilian vehicles, resulting in the death and injury of Afghan civilians. The Coalition is conducting a full investigation of the facts regarding this tragic incident and is cooperating fully with Afghan authorities.
An initial investigation has determined that a mechanical failure of the vehicle's brakes is the cause of the traffic accident. The convoy was on a logistics mission in support of our efforts to help the Afghan people. Following a long move down a hill, the vehicle's brakes apparently overheated and failed. The driver, very experienced in the operation of this type of vehicle, a heavy cargo truck, applied the primary and emergency brakes, and took evasive action to avoid hitting pedestrians, to include hitting several unoccupied, parked cars in an effort to slow or stop the truck. However, he was unable to avoid hitting occupied vehicles in the intersection.
We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured in this unfortunate traffic accident.
The Coalition, government of Afghanistan and local officials are working to determine the identities of the Afghans involved in the accident. The Coalition will compensate the traffic accident victims or the families of those who were injured as a result of the crash.
The incident is very regrettable, however the Coalition remains committed to preventing any hardship or injury to the people of Afghanistan while we work together to build a better future. We extend our sympathies to those who suffered loss or injury in the traffic accident.
As we receive more updates, we will provide this information to you. As a reminder, our weekly joint CFC-A/NATO-ISAF press conference will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m. and we will take your questions on these and other events at that time.
Many Cubans took heart Friday in a new photograph showing Fidel Castro looking less gaunt than in his last image two months ago, even as the ailing Cuban leader told them he doubts he'll make it to the end of Barack Obama's four-year term.
The photograph was released early Friday, hours after Castro published an essay saying the government shouldn't let his words or even his death get in the way of running the country, another step in a two-year process of preparing Cubans for the inevitable.
But Cubans, many of whom have long viewed the 82-year-old as a father figure, rejected the idea that he is dying, saying he looks strong and healthy in the photo.
"He's going to last more than four years, much more," said chauffeur Yandy Rodriguez, 24. "Look how strong he looks."
"I hope he lasts another eternity. That's what we need," chimed in 26-year-old Yacel Ramos, who takes tourists through the streets of Old Havana on a horse-drawn carriage. "Now that I see him, I feel more comfortable."
The photograph, in which Castro appears with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez during a visit Wednesday, seemed aimed at quelling the latest round of rumors _ mostly in the Cuban exile community of South Florida _ that he was dead or dying.
But Castro wrote in an essay released Thursday night that he probably won't be around in four years, and instructed Cuban officials to stop taking him into account in their decisions. He said they shouldn't feel bound by his written words, "my state of health or my death."
The photograph, the first released since Nov. 18, shows Castro standing, wearing a dark Adidas track suit with red stripes on the sleeves and collar, and a dark T-shirt underneath. Fernandez stands to his left, grasping his arm and smiling.
Castro looks straight at the camera, expressionless, with eyes that seem somewhat glassy. His gray hair and beard are well-groomed, and he appears to have his right hand in his pocket.
The details captured in the image provide few clues to where it was taken. Behind Castro is a framed painting or sketch of what looks to be a long-haired, bearded farmer, and Fernandez stands before a closed wooden door. Those suggest the meeting may have occurred in a residence or government offices, rather than in a hospital.
Castro's exact ailment, his condition and his location have been state secrets since he fell ill in July 2006 and relinquished power to his brother Raul.
The long absence of any new images of Castro, and a five-week lull in his once-regular essays, sparked much speculation about his health, especially among anti-Castro Cubans in exile.
Equally fixated on Castro are his loyalists.
Nearly 2 1/2 years after Castro stepped aside, the island's state media is still filled with historical photographs and nostalgic accounts of his past exploits. The Communist Party newspaper Granma currently is running a daily column on the man who was Cuba's supreme leader for nearly a half-century, reprinting excerpts from his hundreds of lengthy speeches.
Although Raul Castro permanently assumed the presidency almost a year ago, the elder Castro's essays _ which he calls "Reflections" _ have carried much weight, regularly read word for word at the top of radio and television newscasts.
At times, they have even appeared to contradict the words of his brother, prompting speculation over who is really in charge. Fidel Castro said that shouldn't happen anymore.
"I have reduced the 'Reflections' as I had planned this year, so I won't interfere or get in the way of the (Communist) Party or government comrades in the constant decisions they must make," Castro wrote.
___
Associated Press Television producer Fernando Gonzalez contributed to this story.
Fidel Castro steps back farther from state affairsMany Cubans took heart Friday in a new photograph showing Fidel Castro looking less gaunt than in his last image two months ago, even as the ailing Cuban leader told them he doubts he'll make it to the end of Barack Obama's four-year term.
The photograph was released early Friday, hours after Castro published an essay saying the government shouldn't let his words or even his death get in the way of running the country, another step in a two-year process of preparing Cubans for the inevitable.
But Cubans, many of whom have long viewed the 82-year-old as a father figure, rejected the idea that he is dying, saying he looks strong and healthy in the photo.
"He's going to last more than four years, much more," said chauffeur Yandy Rodriguez, 24. "Look how strong he looks."
"I hope he lasts another eternity. That's what we need," chimed in 26-year-old Yacel Ramos, who takes tourists through the streets of Old Havana on a horse-drawn carriage. "Now that I see him, I feel more comfortable."
The photograph, in which Castro appears with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez during a visit Wednesday, seemed aimed at quelling the latest round of rumors _ mostly in the Cuban exile community of South Florida _ that he was dead or dying.
But Castro wrote in an essay released Thursday night that he probably won't be around in four years, and instructed Cuban officials to stop taking him into account in their decisions. He said they shouldn't feel bound by his written words, "my state of health or my death."
The photograph, the first released since Nov. 18, shows Castro standing, wearing a dark Adidas track suit with red stripes on the sleeves and collar, and a dark T-shirt underneath. Fernandez stands to his left, grasping his arm and smiling.
Castro looks straight at the camera, expressionless, with eyes that seem somewhat glassy. His gray hair and beard are well-groomed, and he appears to have his right hand in his pocket.
The details captured in the image provide few clues to where it was taken. Behind Castro is a framed painting or sketch of what looks to be a long-haired, bearded farmer, and Fernandez stands before a closed wooden door. Those suggest the meeting may have occurred in a residence or government offices, rather than in a hospital.
Castro's exact ailment, his condition and his location have been state secrets since he fell ill in July 2006 and relinquished power to his brother Raul.
The long absence of any new images of Castro, and a five-week lull in his once-regular essays, sparked much speculation about his health, especially among anti-Castro Cubans in exile.
Equally fixated on Castro are his loyalists.
Nearly 2 1/2 years after Castro stepped aside, the island's state media is still filled with historical photographs and nostalgic accounts of his past exploits. The Communist Party newspaper Granma currently is running a daily column on the man who was Cuba's supreme leader for nearly a half-century, reprinting excerpts from his hundreds of lengthy speeches.
Although Raul Castro permanently assumed the presidency almost a year ago, the elder Castro's essays _ which he calls "Reflections" _ have carried much weight, regularly read word for word at the top of radio and television newscasts.
At times, they have even appeared to contradict the words of his brother, prompting speculation over who is really in charge. Fidel Castro said that shouldn't happen anymore.
"I have reduced the 'Reflections' as I had planned this year, so I won't interfere or get in the way of the (Communist) Party or government comrades in the constant decisions they must make," Castro wrote.
___
Associated Press Television producer Fernando Gonzalez contributed to this story.
TUCSON, Ariz. - Federal authorities arrested a construction company's president and several employees Friday on allegations they hired illegal workers and used lookouts to avoid immigration agents.
Eight undocumented workers were detained Friday, and authorities said 30 others had been picked up previously in the investigation.
Scores of agents fanned out in Sierra Vista, a growing military community about 50 miles southeast of Tucson, in the raid on Sun Dry Wall & Stucco Inc.'s offices, a foreman's home, the home of a suspected counterfeiter and eight work sites.
Company president Ivan Hardt, 44; the firm's human resources manager, Carol Hill, 42; and four …
BASF and NOF Corp. (Tokyo) have completed a feasibility study for their …
Byline: Combined wire services
NEW YORK - Moises Alou's expected return from the disabled list was pushed back to the end of the week, after an exam on Tuesday showed tendinitis in the outfielder's right shoulder.
The Mets also welcomed back infielder Damion Easley on Tuesday. He returned after the death of his father, Raymond, 63.
The Mets also announced they agreed to terms with their first pick in June's draft, right-hander Eddie Kunz, a 6-foot-5 reliever from NCAA champion Oregon State.
The …
Byline: Joe Mahoney and Jay Jochnowitz Staff writers
An 18-year-old suspect in the weekend shooting death of a patron at a crowded Knickerbocker Arena sports bar pleaded not guilty to a murder charge Monday after he surrendered to city police.
Devon Michael Carter, identified by police as an Albany High School student, is accused of squeezing off the shots that killed 16-year-old GeorgeProctor of Central Islip, Suffolk County, in a wild spray of gunfire at Panfilo's on South Pearl Street early Sunday.
After he was arraigned in City Court, Carter, of 62 Third St., was sent without bail to Albany County Jail, where he joined another suspect in the shootings, …
Venezuela says Mexico's Cemex does not seem interested in maintaining a minority share in its cement plants that have been nationalized by President Hugo Chavez.
Venezuela has offered Cemex SAB a minority share of its three Venezuelan cement plants, 30 smaller concrete plants and shipping terminals during negotiations on compensation for the Mexican company's assets.
But …
Two days after Michael Jordan made his plea, Phil Jackson kept upthe pressure on Scottie Pippen not to let his hard feelings towardBulls management interfere with the team's quest for an NBA titlethis season.
Jackson, though, could not offer any assurances that the Bullswon't harbor any hard feelings toward Pippen.
Speaking after a practice session Monday - which included Pippen- Jackson said the matter is far from resolved and Pippen still hasplenty of time to change his mind. But like Jordan, Jackson admittedhe was disappointed by Pippen's trade demand and vow not to play forthe Bulls again."Michael and I both packed our bags (last summer) and wereheaded out …
Caribbean UPDATE derives its information from numerous sources, including personal contacts with key government and corporate officials. We receive reports and press releases from international agencies, governments, corporations, and chambers of commerce. We subscribe to the daily service of Caribbean News Agency (CANA), based in Bridgetown, Barbados, which provides coverage of significant news in the region.
We scan various major trade publications in fields that include tourism, manufacturing, agribusiness, and shipping.
We also receive numerous publications fs from, or about, the region.
These include: The San Juan Star and Caribbean Business (Puerto …
Belper Bicycle Club's Mick Allen has successfully defended his 10k scratch race title at the National Masters Track Championships at the indoor Velodrome in Newport.
Allen was also there to try and gain the 2k pursuit title from Kevin Gill, but wasn't able to match his 10k success.
Saturday saw Allen retain the scratch race title in a fast race where he bided his time to attack with 300 metres to go putting in a devastating attack and leading out to win easily.
In the pursuit event he came up against Max Pendleton, the father of Victoria, Great Britain's woman's sprint world champion.
He easily beat Max by six seconds, but Gill produced a …
Byline: Associated Press
NEW YORK -- A couch stuffed with 400 pounds of cocaine -- worth about $8 million -- and dumped on a city sidewalk has been traced to an El Paso, Texas, couple, federal authorities announced Tuesday.
Eddie Gutierrez, 43, and Susan Hernandez, 39, were indicted in federal court in Manhattan on charges of transporting the couch, which held 182 kilograms of cocaine bricks, about 2,300 miles from Texas to New York.
The felonious furniture was discovered on a Bronx street in May, when sanitation workers saw white powder spilling from it as they tried to load it into their garbage truck.
Investigators with the Drug …
Byline: Marv Cermak Staff writer
County Democratic Chairman Gary R. McCarthy said he will appeal a judge's dismissal of a complaint that Assemblyman James N. Tedisco, R-Schenectady, illegally used a Democratic Party emblem.
"We're perfecting the appeal and will take the case to the state Appellate Division soon," McCarthy said Monday.
State Supreme Court Justice Robert F. Doran last week ruled that McCarthy should have first taken his case to the county Board of Elections.
McCarthy filed his suit three weeks before the November election in an effort to prevent Tedisco from using a five-pointed star on all of his election campaign …
Tanker operator DHT Maritime Inc. on Tuesday said depressed charter rates, weak demand and a one-time financial hedging loss drove down its third-quarter profit by 91 percent.
Third-quarter results, along with news that the company suspended its dividend for the second quarter in a row, sent shares tumbling 20 cents, or nearly 5 percent, to $3.85 in morning trading.
Amid the global economic slowdown, reduced demand for oil has crippled the need for transportation in the tanker sector, the company said. Meanwhile, fleet levels have risen, driving down freight rates and hurting margins.
Quarterly earnings tumbled to $1.1 million, or 2 cents per …
MINSK, Belarus - Belarus has blocked the transit of Russian oil through its territory to European countries including Germany and Poland, news reports said Monday, raising the stakes in a bitter energy dispute between Russia and the neighboring former Soviet nation.
EU energy chief Andris Piebalgs said Monday the cuts pose "no immediate risk" to energy supplies in the EU, but that he was seeking an "urgent and detailed explanation" of the cuts from authorities in Belarus and Russia.
The head of the Russian state pipeline operator Transneft, Simon Vainshtok, accused Belarus of siphoning off Russian oil through the Druzhba, or Friendship, pipeline that was destined for …
