Geithner hears Democrats' economic anxieties

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged House Democrats to be patient with President Barack Obama's young administration on Monday as lawmakers conveyed the frustrations of their economically anxious constituents.

California Rep. Lois Capps said her colleague, Rep. Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire, implored Geithner: "Hurry, whatever you're doing, please hurry."

Geithner addressed House Democratic members for nearly two hours Monday evening in a closed session in the Capitol. He sought to reassure them that Obama's administration has acted quickly to respond to the recession and the financial crisis.

"The members of the caucus …

`Friendship in Vienna' is fine family entertainment

A Friendship in Vienna (STAR) (STAR) (STAR) 1/2 Inga Dornenwald Jenny Lewis Lise Mueller Kamie Harper Opah Oskar Ed Asner Hannah Dornenwald Jane Alexander The Disney Channel presents a movie directed by Christopher Morganand written by Richard Alfieri. Showing from 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrowover local cable systems.

When it first arrived on the cable scene in 1983, the DisneyChannel understandably was offered to subscribers as thequintessential family entertainment service.

For a long time, the term "family entertainment" was little morethan a euphemism for simple-minded cartoons, dancing animals and oldDisney Studio Fred …

Libyan rebels hurt by lack of discipline, training

DAFNIYA, Libya (AP) — Wearing flip flops and a baseball cap, the young rebel hoisted a backpack of five rocket propelled grenades and pretended to fire into the air.

"Boom! Pow! Boom!" he yelled.

His friends, carrying AK-47 automatic rifles, their chests strapped with bandoliers of ammunition, howled with laughter.

The Libyan rebels at Dafniya, just west of their port stronghold of Misrata, arguably are fighting at the most dangerous and important front line.

On Monday, after weeks of stalemate, they pushed Moammar Gadhafi's besieging troops back toward Tripoli, 140 miles to the West of Misrata. They cracked the government lines as fighters across the country …

Thanksgiving Day kicks off with slew of parades

Giant balloons, floats, marching bands and clowns with confetti brought smiles to thousands of revelers Thursday eager to catch a glimpse of a parade as steeped in Thanksgiving Day tradition as turkey and pumpkin pie.

Thousands lined the streets of Manhattan for the 83rd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, while crowds gathered nationwide for parades in cities such as Detroit and Philadelphia.

Katie Stam, Miss America 2009, waved to crowds from a Statue of Liberty float she shared with Meb Keflezighi, the first American in 11 years to win the New York City Marathon.

Shailesh Dighe and his family came to the fabled New York City parade to snap …

Democrats outdraw GOP in TV ratings

ABC won the ratings race for its coverage of the RepublicanNational Convention last week, although all three major networks drewfewer viewers than for the Democratic convention in July.

Led by anchor Peter Jennings, ABC averaged a 6.7 rating and 13share for the four-night GOP gathering, according to A.C. Nielsen Co.figures. NBC was second with a 6.3 rating and 12 share, and CBStrailed with a 5.7 rating and 11 share. Added together, the threenetworks averaged an 18.7 rating and 36 share - down negligibly fromtheir 18.8 rating and 37 share for the Republicans in 1984.

Coverage of the Democratic convention last month gave NBC a 7.5rating and 14 share, ABC a 6.9 …

Cities on the Plain

Cities on the Plain SMALL, GRITTY, AND GREEN: THE PROMISE OF AMERICA'S SMALLER INDUSTRIAL CITIES IN A LOW-CARBON WORLD BY CATHERINE TUMBER Cambridge, ma: mit press. 192 pages. $25.

"Don't laugh." It's the very first paragraph, and Catherine Tumber is already worried that we won't take her seriously. She has good reason, since the thesis of her new book is that small Rust Belt cities can help all of us turn green.

It's a bold and hopeful thesis, but also a tough sell. After all, as Tumber notes at the outset of Small, Gritty, and Green, debates about urban issues have long been dominated by big-city people who tend to disparage or ignore the dull, diminutive towns scattered …

Wayne Rooney's agent banned by English FA for 18 months for improper conduct

Wayne Rooney's agent was banned and fined Wednesday by England's Football Association over how he came to represent the England striker.

Paul Stretford vowed to appeal the independent disciplinary commission's verdict of improper conduct along with the 18-month ban and 300,000 pound (US$586,000; euro375,000) fine.

"The commission found that Mr. Stretford did encourage Mr. Rooney and his parents to enter into a representation agreement with Proactive Sports Management Limited on July 17, 2002, although he knew Mr. Rooney was still then under contract with Pro-Form Sports Management Limited," the FA said in a statement.

Stretford will …

Shouldn't we confront Iran?

Regarding Rev. Jesse Jackson's column [April 11] and latest rantagainst the Bush administration: Jackson implores the Congress andthe country in general to stop the Bush administration before it goesto war against the terrorist-supporting nation of Iran.

First, there can be no doubt that mistakes were clearly made inthe ongoing war and occupation in Iraq. Unfortunately, these mistakesmay prove to be so costly that it will prevent our nation fromconfronting what is, without a doubt, one of the biggest threats toours and every other democratic nation on the planet.

Jackson admits that violence is rising in Afghanistan, and thatIran has vowed vengeance against …

Securing the Bomb: An Agenda for Action

Reports of Note

This report highlights failings in global efforts to reduce the threat posed by stockpiles of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, particularly in the former Soviet Union. It points to security problems remaining in Russia, large quantities of unsecured uranium in world-wide research reactors, and growing black-market commerce in such materials revealed by the disclosure of the A. Q. Khan nuclear network. Citing a lack of urgency, the report calls for strong leadership in …

Mug shots featured in new Japanese game

A Japanese software maker says it's doing its part to help fight crime _ by launching an online game featuring mug shots of Japan's most-wanted fugitives.

However, the country's police aren't so crazy about the game "Slot Detective," which has already been played by more than 100,000 people.

Software designer Famista Inc. said Friday that it introduced the free, slot-machine-style game to publicize photographs of suspects in high-profile murder cases, hoping to tap into Japan's obsession with games to help police catch killers.

The game is like a typical slot machine but with mug shots instead of cherries or lemons. When three of the …

Bitoy takes oath, but lawsuit lingers

Annette Bitoy was sworn in as 34th Ward alderman yesterday,allowing Mayor Washington to keep his slim City Council majority.

But a lawsuit filed last week by Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th)seeking to void Bitoy's appointment remains, though he lost a courtbid to keep her from being …

FAA Computer Glitch Causes Flight Delays

WASHINGTON - A cascading computer failure in the nation's air-traffic control system caused severe flight delays and some cancellations Friday along the East Coast.

A computer system in Atlanta that processes pilots' flights plans and sends them to air-traffic controllers failed early Friday, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere said. In response, the agency rerouted the system's functions to another computer in Salt Lake City, which overloaded because of the increased volume of data, magnifying the problem.

The FAA could not immediately calculate the number of flight delays caused by the problem, which was made worse by bad weather, Spitaliere …

ECB government bond buys drop

BRUSSELS (AP) — Data from the European Central Bank shows it bought €164 million ($218 million) in bonds from governments with shaky finances in the week that ended on Dec. 31, as pressure to fight the region's debt crisis abated over the holidays.

Monday's figure compare with €1.121 billion in investments in government bonds a week earlier, but the week between Christmas and New Year's only had three full trading days where volumes were low.

The central bank started buying the bonds from highly indebted countries like Greece, Ireland and Portugal in May and has since bought about €73.5 billion in government bonds.

Buying bonds supports their prices, taking pressure of the issuing governments and the banks that hold them.

Dubai says Hamas man killed by European hit squad

Dubai's police chief said Monday an 11-member hit squad carrying European passports and disguised in wigs, fake beards and tennis clothes was behind the mysterious killing of a Hamas commander in his hotel room last month. Authorities also released photos of the 11.

Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim did not directly implicate Israel, as the Islamic militant group has. But the details he released at a news conference in the Gulf emirate are the most comprehensive accusations by Dubai authorities since the body of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was found Jan. 20 in his luxury hotel room near Dubai's international airport.

Tamim said it was possible that "leaders of certain countries gave orders to their intelligence agents to kill" al-Mabhouh, one of the founders of Hamas' military wing. But he did not name any countries.

Hamas has accused Israel and vowed revenge.

Tamim sketched out a highly organized operation in the hours before the killing, clearly done with advance knowledge of the victim's movements, and said the killers spent less than a day in the country. He said forensic tests indicated al-Mabhouh died of suffocation, but lab analyses were still under way to pinpoint other possible factors in his death.

He showed the news conference airport surveillance video of the alleged assassination team arriving on separate flights to Dubai the day before al-Mabhouh was found dead. The members of the alleged hit-squad checked into separate hotels.

In the surveillance footage, which also included images from the hotel, the one woman among the group of suspects appears to be wearing a wig and at times wears a big hat and sunglasses to blend in as a tourist. Others were also seen on the footage disguised as tourists, wearing tennis clothes and carrying rackets.

Authorities appear to have linked the group through the videos. They are seen entering and exiting the hotel, standing together or in pairs in the hotel lobby and going in and out the elevator on the floor where al-Mabhouh was staying. They appear individually, sometimes in pairs or in groups of three or four.

They paid for all expenses in cash and used different mobile phone cards to avoid traces, Tamim said.

The killing itself took just 10 minutes, he said. Several members of the hit squad followed the Hamas man _ even riding with him in the same elevator to determine his room number _ and then checked into the room across the hall. Four assassins among the group later entered his room in the Al-Bustan Rotana Hotel while he was out, using an electronic device to open the door. There they waited for him to return.

Tamim said they were careful not to disturb anything in the room and somehow left the door locked from the inside to try to hide the fact that they had broken in.

The team then headed for the airport, some of them flying to Europe and others to Asia, he said.

He added that there was "serious penetration into al-Mabhouh's security prior to his arrival" in Dubai, but that it appeared al-Mabhouh was traveling alone.

"Hamas did not tell us who he was. He was walking around alone," said Tamim. "If he was such an important leader, why didn't he have people escorting him?"

The killing took place about five hours after al-Mabhouh arrived at the hotel and all the 11 suspects were out of the United Arab Emirates within 19 hours of their arrivals, he said.

Tamim claimed the suspects left behind some evidence, but he declined to elaborate. He urged the countries linked to the alleged killers to cooperate with the investigation and said the photos and other information were being sent to Interpol and posted on the Internet.

Police released their photos, names, nationalities and details of their passports, which authorities said were not fake. At least some of the photos released appeared to be passport photographs and the one woman among the group looked as if she might be wearing a blond wig in her photo.

He did not say whether any of the suspects have been formally charged by prosecutors in Dubai, one of seven semiautonomous emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates.

Tamim told reporters the alleged assassination team comprised six British passport holders, three Irish and one each from France and Germany. Hamas has accused Israel's Mossad secret service of carrying out the killing and has pledged to strike back.

Britain's Foreign Office declined to comment Monday on the allegations while officials seek more information on the case and the individuals named by Tamim.

Israeli officials have accused al-Mabhouh of helping smuggle rockets into the Gaza Strip, the coastal territory ruled by the militant group.

A Hamas statement last month acknowledged al-Mabhouh was involved in the kidnapping and killing of two Israeli soldiers in 1989 and said he was still playing a "continuous role in supporting his brothers in the resistance inside the occupied homeland" at the time of his death.

Hamas initially claimed al-Mabhouh was poisoned and electrocuted. But Mohammed Nazzal, a Hamas leader, has given a somewhat different account, saying al-Mabhouh was ambushed by Mossad agents who were waiting for him in his hotel room. Nazzal said earlier this month that no poison was involved. But he gave no evidence to back up his charge of Mossad involvement.

Top Hamas figures have denied reports that al-Mabhouh was en route to Iran, which is a major Hamas backer. But the group has not given clear reasons for his presence in Dubai.

___

Associated Press Writer David Stringer contributed to this report from London.

LPGA Tour Schedule

Feb. 18-21 _ Honda PTT LPGA Thailand (Ai Miyazato)

Feb. 25-28 _ HSBC Women's Champions (Ai Miyazato)

March 25-28 _ Kia Classic (Hee Kyung Seo)

April 1-4 _ Kraft Nabisco Championship (Yani Tseng)

April 29-May 2 _ Tres Marias Championship (Ai Miyazato)

May 13-16 _ Bell Micro LPGA Classic (Se Ri Pak)

May 20-23 _ Sybase Match Play Championship (Sun Young Yoo)

June 10-13 _ LPGA State Farm Classic, Springfield, Illinois.

June 18-20 _ ShopRite LPGA Classic, Galloway, New Jersey.

June 24-27 _ LPGA Championship, Pittsford, New York.

July 1-4 _ Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, Sylvania, Ohio

July 8-11 _ U.S. Women's Open, Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

July 22-25 _ Evian Masters, Evian-les-Bains, France

July 29-Aug. 1 _ Ricoh Women's British Open, Southport, England

Aug. 20-22 _ Safeway Classic, North Plains, Oregon.

Aug. 26-29 _ CN Canadian Women's Open, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Sept. 10-12 _ P&G NW Arkansas Championship, Rogers, Arkansas.

Sept. 30-Oct. 3 _ Acapulco LPGA Classic, Acapulco, Mexico

Oct. 7-10 _ Navistar LPGA Classic, Prattville, Alabama.

Oct. 14-17 _ CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge, Danville, California.

Oct. 22-24 _ Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Nov. 5-7 _ Mizuno Classic, Shima, Japan

Nov. 11-14 _ Lorena Ochoa Invitational, Guadalajara, Mexico

Nov. 18-21 _ LPGA Tour Championship, Houston

Small business big on training

Students returning to school this fall aren't the only ones upgrading their skills and knowledge. Employees of small firms are receiving more job training than ever before, according to a recent study by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

The CFIB report shows that 56% of small businesses increased the amount of time and money spent on employee training during the past three years. New employees get an annual average of 113 hours of informal training, such as tutoring and mentoring, and 23 hours of formal training including classroom courses, seminars and workshops.

"That represents well over three 40-hour full-time weeks per new employee and a significant investment of time and money for the firm's owner," says Catherine Swift, president of CFIB.

The reasons behind the increase in training vary. Two-thirds of small firms say they turn to training to quickly integrate new hires, to be more competitive or to upgrade under-qualified employees. About half the respondents say they train employees to update their IT skills, while employee retention was also a key factor cited by employers.

The study also looked at employers' perceptions of how educational institutions prepare graduates for employment. Only 47% indicated they were satisfied with the level of job readiness of the high school graduates they hired, while 64% were satisfied with university grads. Satisfaction levels jumped to 71%, however, with graduates from private training institutions.

"This sends a clear message that we need to take a closer look at the strategies we use in getting graduates ready to enter the workforce," says Swift.

PLUS SPORTS

Cubs, Sanchez Sign 1-Year Deal The Cubs avoided arbitration withsecond baseman Rey Sanchez today by agreeing to terms on a one-yearcontract. Sanchez, 27, batted .285 last season after taking over forAll-Star Ryan Sandberg, who surprised the team by retiring.Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Polidor Killed in Robbery Attempt Former major league shortstopGustavo Polidor was shot and killed today when two men attempted tosteal his car and take his 1-year-old son. Polidor tried to make acomeback this year with the Florida Marlins as a replacement player,but he was dropped when the strike ended. "He just got back from theUnited States. He was going out on a shopping trip this morning withhis wife, Eduvigi, and his young son when they got him," the player'ssister, Milagros, said in a telephone interview. Polidor wasleaving his home in Santa Monica, a middle-class area in southwestCaracas, when two armed men approached his car, a police spokesmansaid. Polidor, 34, agreed to hand over the car but resisted when theattackers tried to take his son, Gustavo Adolfo. Polidor was shottwice in the head and died soon afterwards at a hospital near hishome, Milagros said. Polidor's son was not injured. Brits Take Lead in Paris Pairs Colin Montgomerie and Ian Woosnam ofBritain shot a combined 5-under-par 65 in Scotch foursomes today andtook a one-shot lead in the Paris Pairs event. Montgomerie andWoosnam, teaming up for the first time this week, closed with fourbirdies over the last five holes of the 6,539-yard St. Cloud courseto finish 11-under at par 129. Marbury Signs With Georgia Tech Stephon Marbury, the nation'stop-rated prep point guard, has signed with Georgia Tech, schoolofficials said today. Marbury's national letter of intent arrived atthe school this morning, spokesman Mike Finn said. BobbyHartstein, Marbury's coach at Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, hadtold the Daily News in New York that Marbury sent the letterThursday. Sanchez Vicario Defeats Grossman Top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario,playing in her hometown, defeated No. 7 seed Ann Grossman of theUnited States 6-3, 7-5 today in the quarterfinals of the WTA outdoortournament. Sanchez Vicario's opponent in the semifinals will beAmanda Coetzer of South Africa, who beat sixth-seeded NathalieTauziat of France 6-2, 7-5.

Libyan state media says NATO airstrike kills 15

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Libyan authorities accused NATO of killing 15 people in an airstrike Saturday that they said hit a restaurant and bakery in the east, though the alliance denied the report.

It was the latest outcry from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's government blaming NATO for killing civilians amid a four-month uprising that has sparked a civil war. NATO insists it does all it can to avoid such casualties.

Meanwhile, rebel representatives said their fighters were coordinating around the country for the "zero hour" when their forces would reach the capital of Tripoli.

The rebels said they have been working to cut fuel supplies from the Tunisian border in an attempt to paralyze Gadhafi's forces. Rebels also are making homemade bombs and trying to ferry other weapons to their comrades in Tripoli, a spokesman for an underground guerrilla group there said.

Libya's state news agency quoted a military official in Gadhafi's forces as saying that NATO warplanes hit a number of civilian sites Saturday in the oil town of Brega, including a restaurant and a bakery.

The official said 15 civilians were killed and 20 wounded in the strike. The JANA news agency also claimed five civilians were killed Friday in Brega as well.

NATO said it did not carry out any strikes in the area on Saturday.

A NATO official said alliance warplanes did hit several targets in the vicinity of Brega on Friday but that there was no evidence civilians had been killed or wounded.

"We have no indications of any civilian casualties in connection with these strikes," said the official, who spoke on condition on anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media on the record. "What we know is that the buildings we hit were occupied and used by pro-Gadhafi forces to direct attacks against civilians around Ajdabiya."

Ajdabiya is a city between Brega and the rebel stronghold of Benghazi to the northeast.

NATO said it hit multiple military command sites Friday near Brega, which has been a frequent flashpoint between rebels and Gadhafi's forces.

The alliance said government forces had moved into buildings in an abandoned area of Brega and started using them as military compounds to launch strikes on civilians, putting rebel-held cities such as Ajdabiya and Benghazi at risk.

Reports of civilian casualties in NATO strikes have provoked intense anger among many Libyans in the west of the country under Gadhafi's control.

Images of dead civilians, including young children, described by the government as "martyrs," can be seen frequently at pro-government rallies and on state-controlled television.

NATO is investigating whether one of its airstrikes may have slammed into a civilian neighborhood in Tripoli on June 19, killing several civilians.

A day later, alliance warplanes struck a family compound belonging to a close Gadhafi aide, killing what the Libyan government says was 19 people, including at least three children. NATO called the site was a "command and control" center, and said it regrets any civilian deaths that resulted from the strike.

Rebel spokesman Abdel-Hafidh Ghoga in Benghazi said Gadhafi was to blame for civilian casualties in the fighting because "he keeps his weapons in highly populated civilian areas."

At least two explosions could be heard in the capital of Tripoli on Saturday, though it was not immediately clear what the NATO airstrikes may have hit.

The Libyan rebels began their uprising in February against Gadhafi, who has been in power since 1969. The conflict has turned into a civil war, and Gadhafi's forces are accused of orchestrating deadly attacks on civilians.

The rebels have taken over much of the eastern half of Libya. They also control pockets in the west, including the vital port city of Misrata, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) from the capital.

A coalition including France, Britain and the United States began striking Gadhafi's forces under a United Nations resolution to protect civilians on March 19. NATO assumed control of the air campaign over Libya on March 31 and is joined by a number of Arab allies.

In Benghazi, Ghoga, the spokesman for the rebels' National Transitional Council, said 38 of Gadhafi's military officers — six of them high-ranking — defected to the rebel side and fled to Tunisia Friday.

"This will lead to the further isolation of the Gadhafi regime," he said.

Ghoga said the rebels have been informed that Gadhafi is in contact with leaders in South Africa and France in an attempt to find a possible home in exile. Such claims have been filtering out for weeks, but there is no evidence that the Libyan leader is seeking a way out.

On Saturday, a spokesman for the rebels' western mountain military council confirmed that rebels are coordinating with individual cells and with an underground rebel guerrilla group known as the Tripoli Council. The main goals are to cut the fuel from Gadhafi forces, Gomaa Ibrahim said.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Tripoli Council said that their fighters have been carrying out selective attacks on Gadhafi forces in the capital.

The spokesman, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, said that the rebels are coordinating for "the zero hour, when rebels from liberated cities enter Tripoli."

"It will be a tremendous mission. The city is now besieged by 13 different security brigades, well armed and well equipped. Gadhafi has always said that his loyalists will sabotage the city if he falls. So this will be our mission: to mob it and clean it of mercenaries."

In Benghazi, Ghoga said there are constant contacts between rebels in different parts of the country, but he did not elaborate.

The rebels got a boost Saturday from several players from Libya's national soccer team who announced their support for the fight to end Gadhafi's rule.

Seventeen players from the team defected while they were in the West African nation of Mali for a match and later traveled to Tunisia, Ghoga said.

The players crossed into rebel-held territory in Libya's western mountains, and visited with residents in the town of Zintan on Saturday, said Gomaa Ibrahim, a spokesman for rebel fighters in that area.

Four of the players are from Tripoli's most popular team, al-Ahly, where one of Gadhafi's sons, al-Saadi, once played, said Ghoga. Al-Saadi now heads Libya's Football Federation.

In a video posted Saturday on a rebel Facebook page under the title "the national team announces its defection," one man said: "God willing, Tripoli will be liberated by this mountain. This is a message to the agents to abandon their weapons because Libya will be free, sooner or later."

___

Associated Press writers Maggie Michael in Cairo, Rami al-Shaheibi in Benghazi, Libya, and Slobodan Lekic in Brussels contributed to this report.

Big deficit becomes big day // Cubs awake, shake off Marlins' 6-run 1st inning

Cubs 8 Marlins 7

MIAMI Let's roll some of these names around on our tongues,shall we? Try to get the proper perspective for what might bedeveloping as the Cubs left Florida with an 8-7 victory over theMarlins and the organization's first winning record (2-1) since Sept.14, 1996.

The Comeback Cubs. The Cardiac Cubs. The (Ed) Lynch Mob. The(Jim) Riggleman Revival. The Big Mac (Andy MacPhail) Attacks.This team is a slogan waiting to happen after they dugthemselves out of a 6-0, first-inning hole while showing a heart thatwas missing in action last season."It's the sign of a good team the way we won today after gettingdown so quickly," shortstop Jeff Blauser said of the way the Cubserased a six-run deficit in a winning cause for the first time sinceAugust, 1993. "For it to happen for us the third game of the season,that's nice."Blauser singled home Mark Grace with the winning run in theninth. Grace was hit by a pitch with two outs by Jay Powell, andpinch hitter Jose Hernandez kept the inning alive with a single.When Rod Beck began the Marlins' ninth by allowing a single andwalking Gary Sheffield, visions of Mel Rojas flashed through manyminds."I don't walk many guys, but I wasn't going to let Sheffieldbeat me," said Beck of a Marlins star who was 5-for-8 in this serieswith two homers, six RBI and five walks.After a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third, Beckstruck out Charles Johnson and Craig Counsell."Counsell tripled off me last night on a 1-0 fastball, so Istruck him out on a slider this time," Beck said. "Luckily I didn'thave to show him my hand last night."Grace said this season would be fun. It is becoming clear hewas talking about the enjoyment you have when, just as you are aboutto spill boiling coffee in your lap, you steady the cup.This is a team that's probably going to live on the edge."We've got some good hitters," said catcher Tyler Houston, whohad four RBI and a three-run homer. "We can overcome some things."The Cubs so far have fielded the kind of offense and playersthat come supplied with erasers. Together, they wiped clean JeremiGonzalez's dirty slate.Gonzalez, the Cubs starter, couldn't retire a single Marlinsbatter. He gave up six first-inning runs on four walks and threehits, including Sheffield's three-run homer."Maybe too much adrenaline," Houston said."He didn't warm up well," pitching coach Phil Regan said. "Hewas getting the ball up and he couldn't adjust. But it's good tohave a guy to close out games like Beck with all his experience. Hebelieves that he will get people out. I wish all my pitchers thoughtthat."Manny Alexander homered for the first time as a pinch-hitter inthe sixth inning after Houston led off with a single. Alexanderusually isn't expectedto homer, but this club might be veryunpredictable."Those pinch-hit at-bats by Jose and Manny were critical,"Houston said.Amaury Telemaco gave the Cubs a comeback chance. Afterrelieving Gonzalez, he went five innings and allowed one run on twohits and three walks. A Cubs reliever hadn't gone five innings sinceTurk Wendell in July, 1995."It's encouraging to me that we won without big days from Graceand (Sammy) Sosa," Riggleman said.The Cubs no longer are trying to pull a team with two horses.They have some stubborn mules out there now who are refusing to quitunder any circumstances."Quiet professionalism," Blauser said. "No panic."

Protests must show respect for process

This question keeps getting raised: Why was it wrong for 5,000people to petition the City Council to elect Ald. Timothy Evans(4th) mayor and not for 200,000 people to march in Washington, D.C.,on behalf of Soviet Jews?

In its more obnoxious and accusatory form, the question is posedthis way by the few who look everywhere for racial motivations: Whyis it all right to demonstrate for a Jewish cause but not for a blackone?

Obviously, to virtually everyone on both sides of the debate, itis all right to demonstrate for both Jewish and black causes.Indeed, the Constitution protects the right of free assembly andprotest for just about any cause, irrespective of merit, under almostall circumstances when the exercise of these rights does not conflictwith the orderly processes of government.

The distinction between the assemblies in Chicago last week andin Washington last Sunday clearly was not a racial one. Thedistinction rests on where and how the protests were made. Like the1963 civil rights march on Washington led by the Rev. Martin LutherKing Jr., Sunday's anti-Soviet protest was held outside the halls ofCongress, outside of the sacred precincts where democraticallyelected representatives of all the people deliberate and make theirdecisions.

In both the 1963 civil rights and Sunday's anti-Sovietdemonstrations, no one tried to shout at or shout down the people'srepresentatives as they tried to carry out their constitutional andlegal responsibilities.

The line between the rightful petition of government andattempted intimidation of government can be a thin one. Filling thegallery seats with spectators in a legislative chamber - whetherspontaneously or by orchestration - does not cross that line.Filling the seats and repeatedly interrupting the lawful proceedingswith shouts does. Clogging the passageways to City Council chambersso that aldermen feel they must run a gantlet of verbal abuse doesalso.

So did attempts by Equal Rights Amendment supporters a few yearsago to block access to legislative chambers and vandalize publicproperty in Springfield .

This has rarely been an issue in Congress, because the decorumand operating rules of that body long have been clear, and enforced.Spectators who fail to show respect for the process unfolding beforethem are removed.

That point, however, does raise a legitimate question about CityHall and Springfield. Respect is a two-way street: When aldermen andlegislators themselves in general begin acting more as if they are ina democratic deliberative body and less like the Zoo Parade, they'llautomatically get more respect.

And fewer people will feel the need to storm the gates to gettheir point across.

Estee Lauder chairman says he will donate $131 million to NYC's Whitney Museum of American Art

Cosmetics executive Leonard A. Lauder says he will give $131 million (euro83.06 million) to the Whitney Museum of American Art, the largest donation in the New York institution's history.

Lauder, who is also the chairman of the 77-year-old museum, told the New York Times for Wednesday editions that $125 million (euro79.26 million) will go toward the Whitney's endowment.

Lauder, who turns 75 on Wednesday, is the chairman of the Estee Lauder Companies. Forbes magazine reported his wealth at $3.2 billion (euro2.03 billion) in 2007.

__

On The Net:

The Whitney Museum of American Art: http://www.whitney.org

Errors Doom Yankees in Loss to Angels

NEW YORK - Roger Clemens pitched like a young ace on Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium. His teammates were the ones who looked worn out.

Fill-in first baseman Miguel Cairo made two errors on one play in the 13th inning, allowing the Los Angeles Angels to edge the New York Yankees 2-1 on Saturday after a spirited pitchers' duel between Clemens and All-Star John Lackey.

"We just pitched extraordinary baseball today for 13 innings against a terrific lineup - and that's really the story," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Cairo, used as a part-time first baseman this year because of various Yankees injuries, made three of New York's five errors - its most in nearly five years.

"I take pride in defense and today I let my team down. I didn't do my job," he said.

Cairo singled in the bottom of the 13th and reached third with one out, but Francisco Rodriguez (2-2) struck out Melky Cabrera and retired Derek Jeter on a close forceout with runners at the corners.

Fittingly, Clemens was in top form on Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium. The Rocket, who will turn 45 next month, was older than five of the former players in attendance, including first-timer Paul O'Neill.

Clemens went pitch-for-pitch with Lackey, who matched his career high with 11 strikeouts. Both pitchers left after eight innings with the score tied at 1.

"You'd think that runs were going to be few today, just the way their guy was working. He was working extremely fast," Clemens said. "It was just a good ballgame.

The bullpens took over from there - until the Yankees' sloppy defense finally hurt them.

Howie Kendrick doubled off Luis Vizcaino (4-2) to start the 13th before Jose Molina, who entered at catcher in the 11th, failed on two attempts to bunt the runner over.

Molina stayed alive - throwing his bat to foul off one pitch - and hit a grounder to the right of Cairo. He made a diving stop, fumbled the ball and then rushed an errant toss behind Vizcaino.

The ball rolled all the way to New York's dugout, allowing Kendrick to score. Cairo was charged with two errors on the play - he also botched a grounder in the 10th.

"I've got to make that play," Cairo said.

The last time the Yankees made five errors was in a 16-inning loss to Oakland on Aug. 9, 2002, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"We made a miscue or two, and there at the end it cost us," Clemens said.

Bobby Abreu hit an early RBI double for the Yankees (41-43), who were trying to reach .500 for the first time since after a loss in San Francisco on June 23. Cabrera struck out five times, four against Lackey.

The AL West-leading Angels won for the fourth time in 11 games following a 7-1 stretch. They finished 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and haven't homered in their last six games.

Angels reliever Scot Shields pitched three innings for the first time since Sept. 16, 2004, at Seattle. He hasn't allowed a run in his last 18 outings covering 23 innings.

Clemens looked plenty spry, sliding to the dirt after covering first on a groundout in the fourth and jumping for a comebacker to start an inning-ending double play in the fifth. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner pumped his fist after Reggie Willits was caught stealing on a pitchout to end the sixth, thanks to a terrific tag by second baseman Robinson Cano.

Clemens allowed one run in eight innings for the second time in five days - he beat Minnesota for his 350th win on Monday night. The right-hander held Los Angeles to five hits, walking one and striking out three.

"People talk about his age, but when he goes out there he's just a competitor," Rodriguez said. "He showed again he's one of the best in the major leagues."

A trainer and pitching coach Ron Guidry visited the mound to check on Clemens after he fanned Casey Kotchman to start the eighth, but the pitcher finished the inning.

While Clemens used his diving splitter to generate groundouts, Lackey was baffling the Yankees with big curveballs. He did not walk a batter and tied his strikeout high set on Sept. 28, 2006, against Oakland.

"We went toe-to-toe. He pitched good and I had it going on a little bit," Lackey said. "It kind of feels like a playoff game every time you pitch here, and that's fun."

Lackey is 7-0 with a 1.96 ERA in his last eight starts on the road. He gave up a leadoff double to Jorge Posada in the seventh, but struck out the next two batters and picked off Posada at second base. An excited Lackey then charged off the mound, clapping his bare hand into his glove.

Hideki Matsui doubled in the second and scored on a ground-rule double by Abreu. The Angels tied it in the third when Garret Anderson doubled and scored on a groundout by Jeff Mathis, his first RBI this season.

Notes:@ Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez, nursing a strained left hamstring, said he will play in the All-Star game on Tuesday. ... It was the longest game of the season for the Angels. ... Mariano Rivera pitched two shutout innings for New York.

Mergers and acquisitions in 2000

In a year that saw a flattening of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in some financial service sectors, deals involving securities and investment firms were at a blistering high in 2000. Banks recorded a warm year, too, although nearly 80% of the announced aggregate deal value of $89.9 billion came towards the end of 2000. The annual total rose significantly at the end of the third quarter when Chase Manhattan Corp. and J.P. Morgan & Co. announced a merger valued at $34.4 billion. That news led to a rush of deals priced above $5 billion in the fourth quarter.

By contrast, 2000 was a comparatively tepid time for M&A among insurance companies and thrifts. The $4.3 billion in announced aggregate deal value for the thrift sector was about 60% of 1999's total. The bulk of 2000's thrift deals was modest, however, with only one, Washington Mutual Inc's $1.5-billion stock transaction with Bank United Corp., coming in at more than $200 million.

The coldest setting by far was the specialty finance sector, however. Aggregate deal value was deceptively high - $38.4 billion - thanks to a single transaction - Citigroup Inca $31.1 billion bid for Associates First Capital. But overall deals numbered merely 145, a record low since SNL Securities began tracking M&A activity in 1996.

Yet even as M&A activity across all financial services was inconsistent, the rankings of deal advisers remained steady. Measured by deal value, Goldman Sachs & Co. took the top spot in 2000, advising on 36 deals valued at $113.02 billion. Credit Suisse First Boston USA, which ranked number one in 1999, took second place in 2000, advising on 37 deals valued at $63.3 billion. Advisers Merrill Lynch & Co., Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Salomon Smith Barney Holdings retained the three, four and five positions, respectively, from 1999 to 2000.

Three legal advisers rotated among the top rankings, too, with 1999's third-place adviser, Sullivan & Cromwell, earning the lead in 2000, advising on 34 deals valued at $85.2 billion. Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom held steady in second place according to deal value, advising on 20 deals in 2000 valued at $80.3 billion. 1999s leader, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz fell to third place in 2000 with 20 deals valued at $70.4 billion.

Securities and investments

The year 2000 took securities and investment M&A activity to a new high. The aggregate deal value for the transactions hit $66.9 billion, exceeding 1999, 1998, 1997 and 1996 combined. Of the 170 deals struck during 2000, 13 carried price tags topping $1 billion, 11 involving either foreign buyers or sellers.

The year also brought not one, but two, transactions with individual deal values exceeding what had been the four-year high: $10.7 billion, the value for the 1997 acquisition by Dean Witter, Discover & Co. of the Morgan Stanley Group Inc. The second biggest deal of 1997 was almost as pricey - $9.2 billion the amount the Travelers Group Inc. committed for Salomon, Inc. Sticker-shock standards gave way, however, in August 2000 when Credit Suisse Group announced plans to purchase Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Inc. in a transaction valued at $13.6 billion. A month earlier, UBS AG said it planned to buy PaineWebber Group Inc. in a deal valued at $12.2 billion.

Transaction activity was back to being higher among finance companies (79 deals) than mortgage banks (66 deals) a trend that began in 1996 but was interrupted in 1999 when mortgage bank deals outnumbered finance company deals 107 to 103.

As the number of transactions declined since its height of 240 in 1998, so has the median price/book ratio. The median price/book for specialty finance deals in 2000 came in at 118.26% compared to 186.22% in 1999 and 351.63% in 1998. The three-year downward trend in the median price/book ratio found in merger and acquisition activity in the specialty lending sector is reflective of the downward trend of the median price/book ratio found in the specialty lending stock market. The median end-of-period price/book ratio for publicly traded specialty lenders has fallen from 173.52% in 1998 to 125.42% in 1999 to less than 120% in periods ending towards the end of 2000.

Banks and thrifts Banks

M&A activity among banks experienced a resurgence in the final months of 2000, putting an end to a yearlong dry spell that extended from the third quarter of 1999 to the second quarter this year. Together, the mega-merger between Chase Manhattan Corp. and J.P. Morgan & Co. - announced late in the third quarter - and a string of $5 billion-plus deals in the fourth quarter represented $71.7 billion in deal value based on pricing at announcement, or roughly fourfifths of the year's aggregate $89.9 billion. Deal value from the third quarter of 1999 to the second quarter of 2000 amounted to a lackluster $22.5 billion.

The full-year tally of $89.9 billion compared with $68.8 billion for 1999, a record $265.3 million in 1998 - a high water mark for M&A activity, stock valuations and optimism in the sector generally - and $75.4 billion in 1997. On a calendar-year basis, then, 2000 saw the second highest level of aggregate deal value in the history of bank consolidation, a movement that developed in the 1980s as states edged toward a capstone dismantling of interstate branch restrictions under the Riegle-Neal legislation of the mid-1990s.

The year-end thicket of activity, though posting eye-popping numbers, was a far cry from the comparable period in 1998. Between April and June that year, mergers of equals between Travelers Group Inc. and Citicorp, NationsBank Corp. and BankAmerica Corp., and Norwest Corp. and Wells Fargo & Co. together made up $183.8 billion in aggregate deal value, and stand as the three largest deals in the history of the sector. This year's combination of Chase and J.P. Morgan - valued at $34.4 billion at announcement ranks fourth.

Nevertheless, the year's deals were emblematic of the continuing force of consolidation in the industry. Perhaps more than Chase's pact with J.P. Morgan - a deal driven by strategic objectives for mass and leverage in the capital markets business - Firstar Corp.'s Oct. 4 agreement to acquire U.S. Bancorp followed more conventional lineaments of franchise extension. The year's second largest deal at an announcement value of $21.2 billion (and the sixth largest of all time), the combination represented the joining of two of the industry's most voracious consolidators. For Firstar - the product of a 1998 merger of equals with Star Banc Corp. and a 1999 acquisition of Mercantile Bancorporation Inc. - the deal was the third straight doubling of its franchise in as many years. U.S. Bancorp, created when First Bank System Inc. acquired the old U.S. Bancorp in 1997, had meanwhile been sidelined from major deals by integration problems and a weak currency. As such, the deal was driven largely by each company's recent experience as an acquirer, and the sharp differential in the valuations of each company's shares.

So too with FleetBoston Financial Corp., which in its Oct. 2 agreement to acquire Summit Bancorp - valued at $7.0 billion at announcement - turned away from a growing concentration in brokerage and investment banking businesses to make a land grab in New Jersey. Fleet said it viewed the deal as a way to reduce its exposure to the cyclical nature of capital markets and as an expansion platform for its retail investment offerings.

Fifth Third Bancorp made a similar move in the fourth quarter. The highly respected and efficient acquirer took advantage of its strong currency to make its largest buy todate, a $5.0 billion stock deal for Michigan platform Old Kent Financial Corp.

There were 191 deals announced in 2000. Overall, the count represents a downward trend from earlier in the decade as consolidation reduced the number of market participants. There were 283 announcements in 1999, 411 in 1998 and 349 in 1997.

During 2000, bank deals were priced at an average price to book of 211.46% and a median price to earnings of 18.95x. Overall, acquisition pricing, along with multiples on bank shares, has dropped heavily from levels seen during the market's high point two years ago. In 1998, deals averaged 266.15% of book and 22.25x earnings. In 1999, deals averaged 230.80% of book and 21.62x earnings.

Thrifts

Despite strong gains in share prices - concentrated within the large-cap sector - M&A among thrifts did not show comparable life in 2000. Headlines in the sector, in fact, were often filled with stories of restive investors pushing underperforming thrifts to the block, putting the year's events under a decidedly pale filter. Sixty-six deals were announced in the year, representing $4.3 billion in aggregate deal value. In 1999, there were 74 announcements and $7.5 billion in deal value. In 1998, the market reached an apogee with 93 announcements and $23.9 billion in deal value. In 1997, there were 113 announcements and $21.5 billion in deal value.

The year's only announcement valued in excess of $200 million was Washington Mutual Inc:s $1.5 billion stock agreement with Houstonbased Bank United Corp. Washington Mutual, which makes up roughly one-quarter of the thrift sector by market cap and heavily powered gains in thrift indexes, was simply not positioned to ignite the field single-handedly.

Pricing for thrift deals fell in 2000. Deals for the year averaged 142.49% of book and 19.98x earnings, compared with 184.25% and 24.01x in 1999, 209.77%lo and 27.35x in 1998, and 184.32% and 26.15x In 1997.

4 Die in Colo. Restaurant Shooting; Vendetta Seen

AURORA, Colo. A man fatally shot four employees at a Chuck ECheese restaurant just after it closed, police said. A fifth workerwas wounded - a dishwasher who was shot in the jaw and ran to nearbyapartments to call police.

A television station reported this morning that police hadarrested a former employee of the restaurant. Police would notconfirm the report; a press conference was scheduled for later today.

Aurora police spokeswoman Mary Schumacher said the Tuesday nightshooting in a suburban Denver shopping center did not appear to begang-related or a robbery.

"We are focusing the investigation on someone who had avendetta," Schumacher said. It appeared the gunman may have knownone or more of the victims, she said.

Margaret Kollberg, 50, who was in the restaurant office at thetime of the shooting, died at the scene. Colleen O'Connor, 17;Sylvia Crowell, 19, and Benjamin Grant, 17, all died this morning.

Bobby Stephens, a 20-year-old dishwasher, fled after being shotand knocked on the doors of nearby apartments in an effort to alertpolice, Schumacher said. Stephens was in fair condition today.

Authorities said a shooting at a nearby home shortly before therestaurant attack may be linked to the Chuck E Cheese shooting; bothassailants reportedly were wearing Los Angeles Raiders jackets.

In the earlier shooting, Eric Smith told authorities he answeredhis door when a man fitting the description of the restaurantassailant identified himself as a magazine salesman. Smith, 23, wasshot in the arm and was in fair condition this morning.

Man pleads guilty to stabbing child at restaurant

MINEOLA, New York (AP) — A man with a long history of psychological problems expected to be shot and killed by police when he stabbed a young boy five times in the back at a restaurant video arcade, the man's attorney and mother said Wednesday.

Evan Sachs, 23, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault in a Long Island courtroom, admitting he plunged a 4-inch (10-centimeter) hunting knife five times into the boy's back at a Dave & Buster's restaurant in Westbury last October.

The boy, who is now 9, survived the attack.

"I am very sorry. I would give anything to undo what I did," Sachs told Nassau County Court Judge Jerald Carter. The judge said he would sentence Sachs to 14 years in prison on Sept. 8.

Police said Sachs had been stalking potential young victims at Long Island shopping malls for weeks before the stabbing. He was arrested moments after injuring the boy, who was playing video games at the time.

The boy's parents were only several feet away, but Sachs apparently waited until they were momentarily distracted to begin assaulting him, police said. The boy's parents and a group of about a dozen supporters declined to speak with reporters after the court proceeding.

"Physically, he's recovering," Assistant District Attorney Mitchell Benson said of the victim.

Sachs, who worked as a movie theater usher, has been treated for psychological problems since he was 4, defense attorney Michael Soshnick said. "He is severely and chronically mentally ill," the lawyer said, although he said there was some disagreement among medical experts over whether Sachs was schizophrenic or was suffering from a bi-polar disorder.

The attorney said despite his client's medical history, he was unable to argue for an insanity defense.

"He did know what he was doing and he did know what he was doing was wrong," Soshnick said. "Therefore the insanity defense was not available to him."

Before the court proceeding, Randi Sachs told reporters that her son never expected to survive after stabbing the young boy, suggesting he wanted to commit suicide by having police officers shoot him.

"My son was terribly unhappy and thought this was the only way to solve his problems," Randi Sachs said. "He expected to be killed in a hail of bullets. He didn't resist arrest, he didn't care about himself."

Soshnick agreed. "I don't think Evan ever expected that he would be able to walk into a crowded public establishment, single out a child for death, stab that child repeatedly and not get killed.

"I don't think he ever imagined that he'd be standing in a court and be pleading guilty to attempted murder in the second degree. Evan honestly thought that this would end his life."

250 attend Daley's CDHS' family child care summit

250 attend Daley's CDHS' family child care summit

Chicago Department of Human Services (CDHS) officials Thursday announced more than 250 attended Mayor Daley's family child care home providers' "Investing in our Children" summit that enhanced the care of children.

The 250 licensed family childcare home providers who are responsible for the care of 1,350 children each day in their homes, attended the summit held at the Holiday Inn/City Centre, 300 E. Ohio St.

Praising the participants, Daley applauded their "commitment to ensure that infants and toddlers receive appropriate child care services that will enrich and improve the caliber of their lives."

"You are not babysitters," said Dr. George E. Smith, executive director of the Management Planning Institute in Chicago. "Instead, you're a vital part of the nurturing, learning, growing and development of our future -- children.

"In many cases, you're the second mothers and fathers of these children during their formative years," Smith stated.

Ruby Smith, director of CDHS' Children Services Division, also praised the providers for attending the conference where they broadened their professional skills and their knowledge of how children develop and learn.

"You, as caregivers, play important roles in our children's growth and development," she stated.

Article Copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.

Caption Only

Chart/Graph: Baseball Predictions: (See microfilm for chart).

Delaware holds on to beat Rhode Island 24-17

NEWARK, Del. (AP) — Andrew Pierce ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns for Delaware in a 24-17 win over Rhode Island in Colonial Athletic Association play on Saturday.

The Fightin' Blue Hens (7-0, 4-0) grabbed the lead after a 15-yard touchdown run from Pierce on their first possession of the game and a 27-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Paul Worrilow on the ensuing Rhode Island drive.

Mike Perry kicked a 29-yard field early in the second quarter to extend Delaware's lead to 17-0.

The Rams (2-4, 1-2) scored on a 1-yard touchdown run by Steve Probst and a 75-yard kickoff return by Travis Hurd before the end of the second quarter to cut Delaware's lead at halftime to 24-14.

The only points of the second half came on a 36-yard field goal by Rhode Island kicker Louis Feinstein.

The 7-0 start by Delaware is the school's best since its 2003 Division I-AA national championship season.

Everton beats Aston Villa 3-1 in FA Cup

Everton's youngsters steered their side to a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa and a place in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Sunday.

Seventeen-year-old Jack Rodwell opened the scoring at Goodison Park, James Milner equalized for Villa with a penalty and Mikel Arteta restored the lead from the spot with a penalty earned by 20-year-old Victor Anichebe. A 76th-minute strike by Australia's Tim Cahill sealed the fifth round win.

Everton manager David Moyes said: "Credit to the players, they're playing so well just now. The boys at the back, and Tim Cahill was outstanding at centre-forward today alongside Anichebe and Rodwell. You are talking about a really good team performance."

Villa manager Martin O'Neill tried to look on the bright side for his team, which is third in the Premier League and chasing a Champions League slot, while also juggling UEFA Cup commitments.

"We've been on the go since July because we entered the UEFA Cup through the Intertoto," O'Neill said. "It's been a long, long time and I didn't come this far for us to fail...We've gone in as a strongly as we could.

"But maybe _ but not tonight, not tomorrow _ I'll maybe think it's a blessing in disguise."

Everton went ahead in the fourth minute following a corner by Arteta. A header by Cahill beat Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel, but Bulgaria's Stilian Petrov clearly appeared to stick out a hand to stop the ball on the line.

As Everton players protested, Rodwell hooked the ball into the top right hand corner of the net.

Everton's lead lasted just four minutes. Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor powered forward into the Everton box, but was brought down by a clumsy challenge from Tony Hibbert. Milner converted the resulting penalty, after Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard allowed the ball to squirm under his body.

Villa, though missing suspended captain Gareth Barry and Emile Heskey _ injured during Englands friendly defeat by Spain in midweek _ was a match for an Everton side, which was also driven forward by 19-year-old Dan Gosling, the scorer of the fourth round winner against Liverpool on Feb. 4. Everton was soon back in front after Anichebe, looking determined to impress after missing the win over Liverpool following a training ground bust-up with coach David Moyes, set off on a determined run.

Steve Sidwell upended the Liverpool-born Nigeria international inside the Villa penalty area and Arteta slotted home the spot-kick, as Friedel dived the wrong way.

Villa looked for an equalizer after the break and nearly found one in the 60th minute when John Carew collected a flighted ball into the Everton box from the right wing and flicked the ball goalwards. Howard dived at full stretch to turn the ball away, and Villa could do nothing from the resulting corner.

Everton put the result beyond doubt in the 75th minute following some good work on the left of the Villa area by Anichebe. Villa's Curtis Davies should have cleared but slipped, leaving Cahill, a midfielder playing in an attacking role on Sunday, to drive the ball past Friedel from close range.

Victory not only booked Everton into the last eight, but also avenged defeat in a thrilling Premier League match at Goodison in December when Villa came back in injury-time to win 3-2, seconds after Everton players thought they had earned a point with a late equalizer.

negotiability

negotiability The ability of a document that entitles its owner to some benefit to change hands, so that legal ownership of the benefit passes by delivery or endorsement of the document. For a document to be negotiable it must also entitle the holder to bring an action in law if necessary. See negotiable instrument.

Plan to build 44 flats on old forecourt site Almost 50 flats could be built next to one of Aberdeen's busiest roads.

Almost 50 flats could be built next to one of Aberdeen's busiestroads.

Stewart Milne Homes wants to develop the site of a former carshowroom next to North Anderson Drive.

The city council's planning officers are recommending backing thescheme - but only if it includes affordable housing and acontribution to infrastructure.

The application is for a site between the Cocket Hat and a hotelon the Lang Stracht, previously occupied by a Shell filling stationand Anderson Cars.

The proposal is to build 39 two-bedroom flats and five one-bedroom flats, including eight affordable properties.

Two separate buildings rising to six storeys would face on toNorth Anderson Drive and would be separated by an eight metre (25feet) landscaped strip.

According to a report going to the planning committee on Thursdaythey would have a "modern design with flat roofs and higher cornertowers finished with blocks of contrasting coloured render and facingbricks".

There will be space for 61 cars as well as five disabled spaces.

Landscaping will include the planting of 33 trees.

Access will be on North Anderson Drive.

The council's roads department has no objection - but it willfall to the trunk road authority to oversee the design.

Transport Scotland had initially objected but according to thecouncil report it indicates "permission can be granted subject toconditions relating to the layout of the access junction and sealingoff of existing accesses".

The council is aiming for a quarter of developments of more than20 properties to be affordable but the policy has yet to beformalised.

The report said: "The affordable housing would take the form ofLow Cost Home Ownership flats sold at a significant discount on themarket price and reserved exclusively for people on the citycouncil's housing waiting list."

dewen@ajl.co.uk

OTHER EDITORIALS

The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
11-12-2003

OTHER EDITORIALS
Date: 11-12-2003, Wednesday
Section: OPINION
Edtion: All Editions.=.Two Star B. Two Star P. One Star B
Column: OTHER EDITORIALS

'Soft time'

Cellphones are ubiquitous - where you live, walk, and work; on trains, planes, and buses; in stores, parks, and restaurants; in courtrooms, cloakrooms, and restrooms.

Ye gods, that's lot of urgent business being conducted. Or is it? Eavesdrop and you'll hear many variations on one especially lame theme: "I'm at the corner/leaving the office/stepping out of the car, and I'll be there in 10 minutes."

Sure, somewhere at this moment a mogul is closing a mega-deal via cellphone and a 60-something is learning he's a grandpa for the very first time, courtesy of Verizon or Cingular.

But many of these calls merely enable people to stretch time. The New York Times recently explored this phenomenon in an article headlined, "Calling in late." The premise: You're not really late if you've called to say you will be late. Back in the dark and silent pre-cellphone ages, the guilty would have been forced to locate a working pay phone - or show up on time - to avoid annoying a date, friend, spouse, parent, or child.

According to The Times, "Researchers who study the effect of cellphones on society talk of a nation living in 'soft time' - a bubble in which expectations of where and when to meet shift constantly because people expect others to be constantly reachable."

This is a bizarre development and could lead to a world in which everyone just stays home and communicates via cell phone. That way no one will ever be late again. What's more, life in that world would be guilt-free - and would help each of us use up all those minutes.

- Chicago Tribune

* * *

Milestone for justice

The U.S. House did the right thing by authorizing more than $1 billion to expand the use of DNA evidence in criminal cases, including helping states determine the guilt or innocence of death row inmates.

Now the Senate should approve the bill to give states $755 million over five years to reduce a backlog of 350,000 DNA samples, mostly from unsolved rape cases, awaiting tests in crime labs nationwide. Since 1976, when the Supreme Court allowed reinstatement of the death penalty, DNA evidence has cleared 111 death row inmates.

The House bill is no cure-all. It doesn't provide money for postconviction DNA testing in states without a death penalty.

Nor does the bill help strapped innocence projects get the resources to analyze thousands of prisoner cases and then do the legal work for DNA challenges.

That said, the House bill is rightfully regarded as a milestone by many reformers. A bipartisan consensus has finally emerged: The nation must fix serious flaws in how criminal justice works.

- Detroit Free Press

* * *

Copyright 2003 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.
OTHER EDITORIALS
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
11-12-2003

OTHER EDITORIALS
Date: 11-12-2003, Wednesday
Section: OPINION
Edtion: All Editions.=.Two Star B. Two Star P. One Star B
Column: OTHER EDITORIALS

'Soft time'

Cellphones are ubiquitous - where you live, walk, and work; on trains, planes, and buses; in stores, parks, and restaurants; in courtrooms, cloakrooms, and restrooms.

Ye gods, that's lot of urgent business being conducted. Or is it? Eavesdrop and you'll hear many variations on one especially lame theme: "I'm at the corner/leaving the office/stepping out of the car, and I'll be there in 10 minutes."

Sure, somewhere at this moment a mogul is closing a mega-deal via cellphone and a 60-something is learning he's a grandpa for the very first time, courtesy of Verizon or Cingular.

But many of these calls merely enable people to stretch time. The New York Times recently explored this phenomenon in an article headlined, "Calling in late." The premise: You're not really late if you've called to say you will be late. Back in the dark and silent pre-cellphone ages, the guilty would have been forced to locate a working pay phone - or show up on time - to avoid annoying a date, friend, spouse, parent, or child.

According to The Times, "Researchers who study the effect of cellphones on society talk of a nation living in 'soft time' - a bubble in which expectations of where and when to meet shift constantly because people expect others to be constantly reachable."

This is a bizarre development and could lead to a world in which everyone just stays home and communicates via cell phone. That way no one will ever be late again. What's more, life in that world would be guilt-free - and would help each of us use up all those minutes.

- Chicago Tribune

* * *

Milestone for justice

The U.S. House did the right thing by authorizing more than $1 billion to expand the use of DNA evidence in criminal cases, including helping states determine the guilt or innocence of death row inmates.

Now the Senate should approve the bill to give states $755 million over five years to reduce a backlog of 350,000 DNA samples, mostly from unsolved rape cases, awaiting tests in crime labs nationwide. Since 1976, when the Supreme Court allowed reinstatement of the death penalty, DNA evidence has cleared 111 death row inmates.

The House bill is no cure-all. It doesn't provide money for postconviction DNA testing in states without a death penalty.

Nor does the bill help strapped innocence projects get the resources to analyze thousands of prisoner cases and then do the legal work for DNA challenges.

That said, the House bill is rightfully regarded as a milestone by many reformers. A bipartisan consensus has finally emerged: The nation must fix serious flaws in how criminal justice works.

- Detroit Free Press

* * *

Copyright 2003 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.

Saudi king leaves New York hospital

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia's royal palace says King Abdullah has left the New York Presbyterian Hospital in good health after two successful back surgeries.

Wednesday's statement from the palace says the monarch will remain in New York for recuperation and to continue his physical therapy. It doesn't say how long that will take.

The statement says Abdullah left the hospital late Tuesday evening.

The 86-year-old king had his first surgery last month for a slipped disk and a blood clot pressing on the nerves in his back. The second surgery, meant to stabilize a number of vertebrae, was performed early this month.

Before he left for the United States, Abdullah temporarily handed control of the kingdom to Crown Prince Sultan, his 85-year-old half brother.

Fidel Castro in prominent TV interview

Fidel Castro is speaking slowly, but appears relaxed and cogent in his most prominent television interview in years.

The 83-year-old former president talked about the conflict between North and South Korea at the start of an interview Monday on the "Mesa Redonda" _ or "Round Table" _ a daily Cuban talk show on current events.

It was a rare appearance for a man who has stayed largely out of the public eye since a serious illness four years ago forced him from power. The first photographs of the revolutionary leader in a public forum were published on Saturday, when images of him greeting workers at a Havana think tank appeared in Cuban media.

Castro has shunned the spotlight since undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

HAVANA (AP) _ Fidel Castro is striding back into the limelight after years behind the scenes and out of view.

Days after being photographed in public for the first time since he fell ill in 2006, the 83-year-old revolutionary leader was scheduled to make a highly promoted appearance on state television on Monday to discuss his concerns about the Middle East.

Castro's appearance on the Mesa Redonda _ or Round Table _ a daily talk show about current events that is usually transmitted live on state media across the island, was announced in a front-page story in the Communist-party daily Granma.

The announcement did not specify if the program would be broadcast live, and government officials contacted by The Associated Press had no comment. Castro also appeared in videotaped interviews with Cuban television in June and September 2007.

But appearances have been extremely rare since a serious illness in July 2006 forced him to step down _ first temporarily, than permanently _ and hand power over to his younger brother Raul. Photos of the elder Castro greeting workers at a science center were published in pro-government blogs and on state media over the weekend, the first time he has been photographed in public in that time.

Castro's sudden reemergence comes after the dramatic announcement last week that Cuba will free 52 political prisoners in the next few months under a deal with the Roman Catholic Church.

While Cubans have become accustomed to reading Castro's writings on world affairs in the local press, he has stayed largely out of the public eye since ceding power, helping Raul Castro solidify his place as the country's leader after a lifetime spent in his more famous brother's shadow.

Cubans reacted with surprise to word of Fidel Castro's relative media blitz.

"I think it will have a positive effect on people," 21-year-old student David Suarez told AP. "It will give hope that once again he will help to solve our problems."

Magaly Delgado Rojo, a 72-year-old retiree in Havana's Playa neighborhood, said the appearances must have been carefully thought out by Cuban leadership.

"The photos (published over the weekend) and now the Round Table are meant to send a message: 'I am here and I am on top of everything ... I am a part of every decision that is being made,'" she said. "This is not casual at all. This is calculated."

Castro remains head of Cuba's Communist Party and continues to publish his thoughts on world events in frequent opinion pieces, called Reflections. Recently, he has voiced alarm about America's standoff with Iran over nuclear issues, as well as a deadly Israeli raid on an aid convoy headed to Gaza.

Castro has warned in several Reflections over the past few weeks that a nuclear conflagration involving Iran, Israel and the United States is imminent, going so far as to say that the World Cup was a distraction keeping people from focusing on potential global destruction.

"Amid game after game of the World Cup, the diabolical news trickles out little by little, so that nobody worries about it," Castro wrote on June 24.

The two Castros have ruled Cuba since overthrowing dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Fidel's health has for years been the subject of frequent rumors _ particularly among exiles in Florida, and his television appearance will undoubtedly be scrutinized for signs of his aging.

The photographs of Fidel published this weekend were taken on Wednesday at a scientific think tank in Havana. He is shown smiling and waving at workers, appearing relaxed and happy, but somewhat stooped. Granma republished the photographs on Monday under the story about his upcoming television appearance.

Cuba has occasionally released pictures showing Castro in private meetings with dignitaries, most recently during a visit in February by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. But he had not been photographed in a public setting since 2006.

Castro appeared in a 50-minute taped interview with the host of the Mesa Redonda, Randy Alonso, in June 2007, and discussed Vietnam and other topics. That appearance was announced more than a day before it aired.

He also appeared on Cuban television for an hour-long interview in September of that year, knocking down a slew of rumors of his death. That appearance was announced only minutes before it was broadcast.

A month later, he phoned in to a live broadcast featuring Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a close Castro ally who was visiting Cuba. Castro sounded healthy and in good humor, but he was not seen.

Castro has also appeared in video clips and photographs with visiting presidents and other dignitaries.

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On the Web:

Cubavision television (Spanish): http://www.cubavision.cubaweb.cu/tv_cubana.asx

Cuban Radio Rebelde (Spanish): http://media.enet.cu/radiorebelde

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Associated Press writer Anne-Marie Garcia contributed to this report.

Fidel Castro in prominent TV interview

Fidel Castro is speaking slowly, but appears relaxed and cogent in his most prominent television interview in years.

The 83-year-old former president talked about the conflict between North and South Korea at the start of an interview Monday on the "Mesa Redonda" _ or "Round Table" _ a daily Cuban talk show on current events.

It was a rare appearance for a man who has stayed largely out of the public eye since a serious illness four years ago forced him from power. The first photographs of the revolutionary leader in a public forum were published on Saturday, when images of him greeting workers at a Havana think tank appeared in Cuban media.

Castro has shunned the spotlight since undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

HAVANA (AP) _ Fidel Castro is striding back into the limelight after years behind the scenes and out of view.

Days after being photographed in public for the first time since he fell ill in 2006, the 83-year-old revolutionary leader was scheduled to make a highly promoted appearance on state television on Monday to discuss his concerns about the Middle East.

Castro's appearance on the Mesa Redonda _ or Round Table _ a daily talk show about current events that is usually transmitted live on state media across the island, was announced in a front-page story in the Communist-party daily Granma.

The announcement did not specify if the program would be broadcast live, and government officials contacted by The Associated Press had no comment. Castro also appeared in videotaped interviews with Cuban television in June and September 2007.

But appearances have been extremely rare since a serious illness in July 2006 forced him to step down _ first temporarily, than permanently _ and hand power over to his younger brother Raul. Photos of the elder Castro greeting workers at a science center were published in pro-government blogs and on state media over the weekend, the first time he has been photographed in public in that time.

Castro's sudden reemergence comes after the dramatic announcement last week that Cuba will free 52 political prisoners in the next few months under a deal with the Roman Catholic Church.

While Cubans have become accustomed to reading Castro's writings on world affairs in the local press, he has stayed largely out of the public eye since ceding power, helping Raul Castro solidify his place as the country's leader after a lifetime spent in his more famous brother's shadow.

Cubans reacted with surprise to word of Fidel Castro's relative media blitz.

"I think it will have a positive effect on people," 21-year-old student David Suarez told AP. "It will give hope that once again he will help to solve our problems."

Magaly Delgado Rojo, a 72-year-old retiree in Havana's Playa neighborhood, said the appearances must have been carefully thought out by Cuban leadership.

"The photos (published over the weekend) and now the Round Table are meant to send a message: 'I am here and I am on top of everything ... I am a part of every decision that is being made,'" she said. "This is not casual at all. This is calculated."

Castro remains head of Cuba's Communist Party and continues to publish his thoughts on world events in frequent opinion pieces, called Reflections. Recently, he has voiced alarm about America's standoff with Iran over nuclear issues, as well as a deadly Israeli raid on an aid convoy headed to Gaza.

Castro has warned in several Reflections over the past few weeks that a nuclear conflagration involving Iran, Israel and the United States is imminent, going so far as to say that the World Cup was a distraction keeping people from focusing on potential global destruction.

"Amid game after game of the World Cup, the diabolical news trickles out little by little, so that nobody worries about it," Castro wrote on June 24.

The two Castros have ruled Cuba since overthrowing dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Fidel's health has for years been the subject of frequent rumors _ particularly among exiles in Florida, and his television appearance will undoubtedly be scrutinized for signs of his aging.

The photographs of Fidel published this weekend were taken on Wednesday at a scientific think tank in Havana. He is shown smiling and waving at workers, appearing relaxed and happy, but somewhat stooped. Granma republished the photographs on Monday under the story about his upcoming television appearance.

Cuba has occasionally released pictures showing Castro in private meetings with dignitaries, most recently during a visit in February by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. But he had not been photographed in a public setting since 2006.

Castro appeared in a 50-minute taped interview with the host of the Mesa Redonda, Randy Alonso, in June 2007, and discussed Vietnam and other topics. That appearance was announced more than a day before it aired.

He also appeared on Cuban television for an hour-long interview in September of that year, knocking down a slew of rumors of his death. That appearance was announced only minutes before it was broadcast.

A month later, he phoned in to a live broadcast featuring Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a close Castro ally who was visiting Cuba. Castro sounded healthy and in good humor, but he was not seen.

Castro has also appeared in video clips and photographs with visiting presidents and other dignitaries.

___

On the Web:

Cubavision television (Spanish): http://www.cubavision.cubaweb.cu/tv_cubana.asx

Cuban Radio Rebelde (Spanish): http://media.enet.cu/radiorebelde

___

Associated Press writer Anne-Marie Garcia contributed to this report.