MOSCOW (AP) — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has reportedly joked during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi that they could hang onto their jobs until they are 120 years old.
Berlusconi visited Putin at his residence west of the Russian capital Friday after attending a world policy forum in the Volga River city of …
President Barack Obama has signed a bill creating a program to promote the U.S. as a premier tourism destination for international travelers.
The U.S. Travel Association calls it a major step in addressing the drop-off in such visits to the U.S. during the past decade. The association says the U.S. welcomed 2.4 million fewer overseas visitors last year than in 2000. And that, the group says, has cost it an estimated …
Long before William J. Murnane Jr. became a prominent Egyptologistand historian, he knew he was born to be an expert on ancienthistory.
"He had an insatiable curiosity about absolutely everything, and aspirit of generosity and sharing that was truly infectious," said W.Raymond Johnson, field director of the Epigraphic Survey, whichphotographs and produces line drawings of inscriptions and reliefscenes in major Egyptian temples and tombs.
Mr. Murnane died of heart failure on Nov. 17 in Memphis. He was55.
"He will be terribly missed," said Johnson. "His loss is aterrible blow to Egyptology, and we-his friends-are truly devastatedby his passing."
Born in …
MONTREAL (AP) — Lars Eller had four goals and an assist, Travis Moen had three assists, and the Montreal Canadiens bounced back from a poor road trip with a 7-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night.
Eller scored his fourth goal of the game on a penalty shot 11 minutes into the third, spinning around to beat Chris Mason for his third tally of the period. He did a backward somersault over the Winnipeg goalie to …
Stanislav Andreev scored Wednesday to give Pakhtakor a 2-1 win over Iranian club Saba Battery, moving the Uzbekistan team closer to a place in the knockout stage of the Asian Champions League.
Andreev scored the winner in the 49th with a volley to the far post.
Saba Battery fell behind in the …
Plans to create an outdoor recreation centre in a derelict formerquarry are set to be presented to town councillors.
Jonathan Ely and wife Emma King have had their application toturn the 170-acre Huntley Wood validated by Staffordshire MoorlandsDistrict Council.
They are now attempting to drum up local support for theapplication, which will be decided in April.
The couple purchased the spot after controversial landfill plansput forward as part of a proposed golf course development werethrown out.
They have now been invited to …
AGENCY, Mo. - Five burst levees along the Missouri River sent a deluge of water that submerged the tiny town of Big Lake on Tuesday, as thousands in the region fled their homes amid warnings that the flooding could approach the devastation of 1993.
The levees broke Monday south of Big Lake, along with four smaller levees along the Tarkio River and the Tarkio Creek, and the rush of river water immersed the town on Tuesday, said Mark Sitherwood, presiding commissioner of Holt County. Many of the buildings in town had several feet of water inside, said Holt County Clerk Kathy Kunkel.
"The town is a loss. At this time, we don't know, but it looks like that's what's going to …
Scores at stumps Friday on the second day of the third and final test between South Africa and Australia at Newlands:
…
TULLY HEADS, Australia (AP) — The cyclone that tore through Australia's northeast this week brought fresh misery to people in the south on Saturday, causing flash flooding in the second-largest city even as residents in far distant towns returned to ruined homes.
The tropical system that was Cyclone Yasi, which tore through the northeast earlier this week, was still churning over central Australia and making a series of thunderstorms over the southern city of Melbourne and other large towns in Victoria state much worse, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
More than 7 inches (175 millimeters) of rain fell in just a few hours overnight Friday in some Melbourne neighborhoods and …
The winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in London and hoping the change of scenery will finally help them get their season back on track.
Unfortunately, they'll have to beat the New England Patriots (4-2) on Sunday at Wembley Stadium to turn things around.
"I'm sure we're a major underdog. They've got the great Tom Brady, Randy Moss," Buccaneers running back Cadillac Williams said Saturday. "(But) anytime you step out there on Sunday you give yourself a chance."
The Bucs (0-6) have lost 10 straight games and face a team that beat the Tennessee Titans 59-0 last week.
Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris said the Patriots have …
Director David Lynch, creator of the lumber town setting of "BlueVelvet" and the Log Lady on television's "Twin Peaks," is introducinganother wood product: tables.
The foot-high, three-legged, trapezoidal "espresso table" sellsfor $600.
"People do need small tables to set glasses on," the directorsaid.
He said he hopes the table - available …
Tug-of-war teams from across the area are 'good bets' to winmedals at the National Outdoor Championships - which will be stagedin the Moorlands - after starring in last weekend's Midlands OutdoorChampionships.
Sheen Men, Sheen Ladies, Norton, and Wood Treatment Bosley werecompeting across five weight divisions.
Norton came away with the best results, winning three weightclasses at 600 kilos, 640 kilos, and 680 kilos without dropping asingle end.
The Denford-based side defeated Bosley in both the 600 kilos and640 kilos events. And Bosley also had to be content with silver inthe 580 kilos weight class after playing second fiddle to Sandhurstfrom Berkshire.
Sheen Men won the catchweight division against Felton Eccles,from Somerset. Sheen edged home by two ends to one in a fiercelycontested final.
A depleted Sheen Ladies came away from the Midland Championshipswith silver medals in the 520 kilos and 560 kilos weight classesfollowing narrow defeats against Leicester and Northants
Tug-of-War Association spokesman Alan Knott said: "All of ourlocal tug-of-war teams are looking like good bets for picking upmedals at the National Outdoor Tug-of-War Championships in fiveweeks.
"Norton have still got the upper hand in the lighter weightclasses, while Sheen look as though they will get something in theheavier weight classes.
"Bosley have a different squad this year... but they look asthough they can challenge for medals.
"Sheen Ladies are always a good bet to reach the final of theladies weight classes on the day."
The national outdoor championships will be held at ManifoldCounty Primary School, Warslow in June.
As the ex-wife of the notorious Washington sniper emptied herself during a 30-day fast five years ago, one question tormented her _ why did he want to kill her?
Mildred Muhammad wrote about that isolation and torment for years in her journals. She began when her ex-husband, John Allen Muhammad, took their three young children from her nearly a decade ago. She continued when he was convicted of the 2002 sniper attacks in the Washington area, and still jots down her emotions as her ex-husband awaits his scheduled Nov. 10 execution.
"The paper don't talk back," the 49-year-old told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "It just lets you write down your thoughts and you're able to express anger, shame and guilt."
They were all emotions that Muhammad, who is Muslim, had to purge during that 30-day fast in July 2004, just as her ex-husband's second trial was beginning. She had to understand everything she poured into the journals so she could finally move on.
Those journals became the genesis for her new memoir, "Scared Silent: When the One You Love ... Becomes the One You Fear," due out Oct. 13 from Simon & Schuster imprint Strebor Books International, based in Maryland.
In her narrative, Muhammad documents her ex-husband's dismissive retorts: "I don't mind because you don't matter," she writes. At one point, he told her: "You have become my enemy and as my enemy, I will kill you."
With the book, she has emerged as a survivor who's taken her fight as an anti-domestic abuse advocate public. Even with her husband's death imminent, she still carries the protective order against him as a reminder of her freedom.
Muhammad, who now lives in Prince George's County, Maryland, maintains she was the target when her abusive ex-husband and his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, killed 10 people in Maryland, Virginia and Washington. After their 12-year marriage fell apart in 2000, he secretly took the children to the Caribbean.
"I have come home many times and seen her in a fetal position, not knowing where her children are," said Maisha Moses, Muhammad's older sister, who took Muhammad in at her suburban Maryland home after the children were taken.
During the 18 months the children spent with their father in Antigua, Muhammad stayed in a shelter for a time and struggled financially. A Tacoma, Washington, court eventually granted her custody of the children in 2001.
Muhammad said her ex-husband threatened to kill her and she lived in constant fear that he was after her, until he was caught and convicted. John Allen Muhammad was sentenced to death for shooting and killing Dean Meyers at a Manassas, Virginia, gas station during the three-week killing spree.
Her faith anchored her, and as she cleansed herself by fasting, she was able to forgive her ex-husband, forgive herself and move forward.
"I was declaring my independence," Muhammad said. "I was not going to allow him to have that kind of power over me."
Muhammad played a similar role for her children. First, she painstakingly rebuilt her relationship with them after their stay with their father, fighting their sense of abandonment and the notion she didn't love them.
The family tried counseling, but she said it turned out the counselors wanted to write a book about her family's high-profile case. She then got counseling books from a library, and served as her children's informal therapist.
The eldest, John, is now a 19-year-old student at Louisiana Tech University. Her daughters, Salena, 17, and Taalibah, 16, attend a performing arts school where they sing opera. Muhammad now laughs at how her kids beg her to stop studying their every smile and tear.
"I think overall they like that because they know I'm paying attention to them, and they feel secure and safe," she said.
Muhammad speaks passionately about the nonprofit she formed last year, After the Trauma Inc. She says she wants the Maryland-based group to become a national network for domestic violence victims.
Muhammad thought sharing her story would help raise awareness about the issue. She also wanted to set the record straight about her relationship with her husband.
In the book, Muhammad describes how she fell for her ex-husband. Photos show him as a once-loving father, feeding his newborn son at the hospital with a bottle and playing with all three kids.
However, his behavior became erratic after returning from the first Gulf War with the Army, as he grew distant and angry.
"His dark mood was evolving into a permanent fixture. His old 'get up and go' was missing. He seemed to have lost interest in not just in me, but in life itself," she writes.
After the couple separated in 1999, she explains how he taped her phone conversations and changed her phone number without her permission, convinced she was having an affair.
When she learned he was the sniper suspect, she recalled his chilling warning: "You know I could take a small city and terrorize it and they would think it would be a group of people. But it would only be me," she writes.
But Muhammad is no longer scared, her sister said. Moses, who's in her early 50s, said her sister has "become whole again."
"Sometimes, I just sit back and admire her as a baby sister. I get strength from her," she said. "It's like she has this thirst and hunger to help anyone."
Muhammad has moved on: She remarried two years ago and plans to study criminal justice.
She plans to be at home with her children when he is put to death, much like the time she sat told them about his death sentence.
"We deal with everything in truth and honesty, and we deal with our emotions as they come, and we depend on each other and we are here for each other," she said. "We deal with what is, instead of what we would like it to be or what we want it to be."
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On the Net:
Strebor Books International: http://www.streborbooks.com/
Mildred Muhammad: http://www.mildredmuhammad.com/default.html
After The Trauma Inc.: http://www.afterthetrauma.org/
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez reached into the middle drawer of his desk and pulled out 10 large index cards filled with notes.
One outlined problems to fix, another was changes to make and one included items to address with the athletic director.
The 45-year-old Rodriguez started organizing his thoughts this way two decades ago at tiny Salem College and continued to do so at Glenville State, Tulane, Clemson and West Virginia.
"This year, there are more notes and cards than I'd like," Rodriguez said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. "I've gone through years with one card. Now, I've got 10 cards here. That tells you what kind of year we've had.
"It's been as tough as any season I've had in coaching."
Michigan's year will mercifully end soon, but not until playing Saturday on the road against rival Ohio State.
The Wolverines (3-8, 2-5) have already broken a school record for losses, had their first losing season since the pre-Bo Schembechler era and will be relegated to watching bowl games for the first time since 1974.
It has been an miserable season for the once-proud program, which hit rock bottom last month when it lost to Toledo. Against the 10th-ranked Buckeyes, who are favored to win by a rivalry-high 20 1/2 points, Rodriguez and the Wolverines can either salvage some pride or add a gloomy final chapter.
"I'm disappointed in the season we've had, but I'm not deterred or discouraged about the direction we're headed," Rodriguez said. "We had more things to get shored up than I originally expected, but none of them are daunting.
"I'm still as excited about the future as I was three months ago."
Rick Leach, Michigan's quarterback from three decades ago, is also fired up about how he believes the new-look program will evolve under Rodriguez.
Leach started watching Rodriguez's high-tempo workouts last spring and has been a regular visitor this fall, standing on the sideline during practices and sitting with Rodriguez during a recent lunch as they swapped hunting stories.
"I loved it when we hired him and I love it more now after spending time with him and getting to know him pretty well," Leach said. "There have been a ton of players who have been through this program and they all have the right to an opinion about him, but personally, I'm proud he's our coach.
"It's painful for a lot of people to see Michigan lose like this, but the wins and losses go on his record and so you can multiple the pain he feels. Nobody has taken more of a brunt for this year than coach, but this wasn't going to be an easy job for anybody."
Lloyd Carr, who announced his retirement a year ago, left behind an experienced defense and an NFL-depleted offense.
Rodriguez has tried to install his renown spread, but he didn't have much to work with at quarterback, receiver or on the offensive line and the unit has outscored only Purdue in the Big Ten.
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, whose staff visited Rodriguez in West Virginia a few years ago to learn about his scheme, has no doubt the Wolverines will eventually find a groove on offense.
"Everyone in the country that's been around coaching would agree that Rich Rodriguez has been one of the most creative and really one of the founders of the spread-style attack," Tressel said. "You know that he's building one building block on top of the next."
Michigan's defense has been disappointing, giving up 28 points a game to rank 10th in the conference, and woes on special teams have led to some of the setbacks that have stunned a school, program and fan base.
Rodriguez has kept his composure for the most part in public, where his every word is dissected, but he has lost it at times privately.
He ranted and raved at his players, without lashing out at individuals, in particular after losses at Notre Dame and Penn State.
"What made him so mad after those games was that some people weren't running hard enough to make plays even when the game was on the line," defensive tackle Terrance Taylor recalled. "The fight wasn't there within some guys and that obviously bothered him a lot. I was frustrated about it, too."
Rodriguez, though, is not about to hide from a challenge or critics.
Instead, he'll just keep picking away at the to-do lists on his index cards to restore Michigan to a national power.
"Some of these problems can be solved quickly," said Rodriguez, thumbing through the 5-by-8 inch cards. "Some will take years, like having quality depth at every position so that the first, second and third guys are so good you could play them all.
"We're not there yet, but we've got a plan to get there."
PITTSBURGH Julian Tavarez isn't going to begin his five-gamesuspension Sunday, after all. Tavarez will start Sunday against thePittsburgh Pirates and next Saturday in San Francisco beforebeginning his suspension April 29. He will miss one start and beeligible to return May 5 against Los Angeles.
What happened to change the original announcement, when majorleague baseball officials said Wednesday they had denied Tavarez'sappeal of a penalty that stemmed from his spring-training altercationwith the Giants' Russ Davis?
President; general manager Andy MacPhail was furious at MLBofficials for what he felt was an onerous suspension. Tavarez wouldhave gone 10 days between starts as it originally stood. He lastpitched Tuesday and would have returned next Saturday in SanFrancisco. To MacPhail, that was twice as harsh and unjustified.
So when the players union informed MacPhail they would file anappeal and put the penalty again on hold, he agreed heartily. As forTavarez, he wants it behind him.
"It's driving me crazy," he said. "I'm just doing what they tellme."
Manager Don Baylor said he's happy Tavarez can pitch Sunday so hewon't have to start Kevin Tapani (3-0) on three days rest.
WHITE TO CENTER: Baylor said he soon might start left fielderRondell White in center and first baseman Matt Stairs in left so hecan play Julio Zuleta or Ron Coomer at first. The Cubs' brain trustdecided in spring-training that starting White in center wasn't agood option to take, but slow offensive starts by Damon Buford andGary Matthews Jr. and a need to play Zuleta and Coomer have dictatedotherwise.
"Stairs will probably go out there (this weekend) and start takingsome fly balls," Baylor said. "We are going to have Coomer back soon.Somebody has to move around for me to keep Zuleta in the lineup."
Coomer (knee surgery) is on a rehab assignment in New Orleans andcould be activated next week in Colorado or San Francisco.
As for White, he will play center if told to do so.
"I don't want to step on anybody's toes," White said, referring toBuford and Matthews. "But if I get loose enough, I'll be fine incenter. If that's what they want, I'll do it."
NEWS FLASH: Tom "Flash" Gordon is scheduled to pitch three timesnext week in the Florida State League for the Cubs' Class A club inDaytona in his long comeback from a strained right triceps. Baylordoesn't expect Gordon-when he is ready for the majors-to instantlydisplace Jeff Fassero, who leads the NL with eight saves.
"It's a nice problem to have," Baylor said. "Why not (have two)?Especially with one guy coming off surgery."
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA gave the green light Monday night for a Fourth of July shuttle liftoff despite worries about a piece of foam that popped off Discovery's external fuel tank while the spacecraft sat on the launch pad.
"We're go to continue with the launch countdown," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator.
The decision was sure to stir more debate about whether the space agency was putting its flight schedule ahead of safety.
Gerstenmaier said there was a "very good discussion" among the NASA officials who made the decision to launch, but "there were no dissenters when we went around the room ... no concerns raised."
He said the astronauts and NASA adminstrator Michael Griffin were also in on the discussion. Griffin "didn't raise any question or comments but he listened intently," Gerstenmaier said.
The 3-inch triangular piece of foam that appeared to come from a 5-inch-long crack late Sunday or early Monday is far smaller than the foam chunk that brought down Columbia, killing seven astronauts in 2003. Gerstenmaier held up the piece of foam, which looked like a wedge of toast.
"I dont think we're taking any additional risk than we did in our original assessment" in going ahead with a launch, he said.
But managers spent most of Monday pondering the problem.
NASA has spent millions of dollars trying to prevent foam from breaking off at liftoff, threatening the kind of damage it did to Columbia. The foam loss on the launch pad is a rare occurrence.
Some outside experts said they were uncomfortable with the agency's decision going ahead, although they didn't have all the information.
Paul Fischbeck, a Carnegie Mellon University risk and engineering professor who has consulted with NASA on the shuttle's delicate heat protection system, wondered why foam had broken off on the launch pad. "It's something you might want to understand before you launch," he said.
The patch of foam fell off an area that covers an expandable bracket holding a liquid oxygen fuel line against the huge external tank. NASA engineers believe ice built up in that area from condensation caused by rain Sunday.
The tank expanded when the super-cold fuel was drained after Sunday's launch was canceled because of the weather. The ice that formed "pinched" some of that foam, causing the quarter-inch-wide crack and the piece of foam to drop off, officials said.
The size of the fallen foam was less than half the size of one that could cause damage, NASA officials said.
Inspectors spotted the crack in the foam insulation during an overnight check of the shuttle. NASA had scrubbed launch plans Saturday and Sunday because of weather problems.
The forecast for a Tuesday liftoff was better than previous days, with just a 40 percent chance that storm clouds would prevent liftoff.
Griffin decided last week that the shuttle should go into orbit as planned, despite the concerns of two top agency managers - including the top safety officer - who wanted additional repairs to the foam insulation.
The mission for Discovery's crew this time is to test shuttle-inspection techniques, deliver supplies to the international space station and drop off European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter for a six-month stay.
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AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this story.
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On the Net:
NEW YORK - David Wright hit a two-run homer and Oliver Perez tossed another gem against the Atlanta Braves, leading the New York Mets to a tidy 3-2 victory Monday night.
Perez outpitched an effective Tim Hudson, who used his top-notch sinker to induce a steady stream of easy grounders. But slumping leadoff batter Jose Reyes scampered around the bases twice and Wright delivered the big blow, sending New York to its fourth straight win and ninth in 10 games.
The NL East leaders took the opener of a three-game series - and they hope to put away their longtime nemesis by the time it's over. Chipper Jones (strained muscle) and Andruw Jones (illness) were scratched from the lineup minutes before the first pitch, leaving Atlanta without two big boppers.
The Braves, who began the day fifth in the NL wild-card race, fell five games behind front-running San Diego. They are 9 1/2 behind New York in the division, their largest deficit this season. Atlanta has 18 games remaining, 11 on the road.
The Mets, who started their surge with a three-game sweep in Atlanta, have a chance to all but lock up their second consecutive NL East title on this nine-game homestand - and they're taking advantage of the opportunity. New York is 4-0 since a 5-5 road trip. The second-place Phillies come in next.
Perez (14-9) was cruising until Jeff Francoeur singled in the seventh and Brian McCann hit a two-run homer with two outs, cutting it to 3-2. But the left-hander regrouped, striking out Willie Harris with his 116th pitch.
Aaron Heilman worked a perfect eighth. Billy Wagner got three quick outs for his 33rd save in 37 chances and third in three days. Center fielder Carlos Beltran made a sliding catch for the final out, and the Mets (82-61) moved a season-best 21 games above .500.
Perez allowed five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, improving to 4-1 with 32 strikeouts in five starts against Atlanta this year.
Hudson (15-8) yielded three runs and five hits in seven innings. He beat the Mets in his first two outings against them this season, but has lost twice to New York since Aug. 31.
Beltran drove in Reyes with an RBI groundout in the first. Reyes drew a leadoff walk in the sixth and swiped second for his 75th stolen base. After Luis Castillo's sacrifice, Wright drove a 2-2 pitch to left-center for his 28th homer and a 3-0 lead, drawing more chants of "MVP! MVP!"
After giving up consecutive singles to Reyes and Castillo to start the game, Hudson retired his next 13 batters - all on grounders, including seven straight to second baseman Martin Prado.
Paul Lo Duca ended the string with a line-drive single, then Lastings Milledge struck out and Perez flied to shallow left for the final out in the fifth.
Chipper Jones strained a muscle on his right side during batting practice, potentially a huge blow for the Braves as they try to stay in playoff contention. It was uncertain how long the star third baseman might be out.
Andruw Jones was removed from the lineup because of an illness. Both sluggers were day to day.
Notes:@ Mets LF Moises Alou extended his hitting streak to 15 games with his first triple of the season in the sixth inning. ... Wright got his 31st stolen base in the eighth. ... McCann has hit safely in 29 of his last 34 games.
Burns USA has recently released the Official Brian May Signature Guitar featuring nearly every feature of the original Brian May "Red Special."
[Graph Not Transcribed]
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For more information, contact: ADI, 1275 Newton, Unit 6, Boucherville, PQ J4B 5H2 (450) 449-8177, FAX (450) 449-8180, info@adi-online. net, www.adi-online.net.
Bud Selig, baseball's acting commissioner, backed off the claimthat 19 teams would lose money this year, saying Sunday the minimumnumber was 12 to 14.
Union head Donald Fehr called the original estimate laughable,and management negotiator Richard Ravitch said last week the list wasbased on projections.
"You can debate the numbers," Selig said during an interviewbroadcast by CBS. "But you can't debate a minimum of 12 to 14. Andwe just can't ignore that anymore."
No formal negotiations on management's demand for a salary capare scheduled until Wednesday, two days before Friday's strikedeadline.
Monday's meeting is scheduled to be devoted to non-economicissues and Tuesday's talks are to be at the committee level.
Labor Secretary Robert Reich said fans will be the real losersin a prolonged baseball strike.
Reich and his son, Adam, spoke with players on both teams beforewatching the Boston Red Sox host the Cleveland Indians in adoubleheader Sunday.
"The national economy won't be crippled if baseball stops, butit's just that a lot of 13-year-olds like my son will have brokenhearts," Reich said.
"It's kind of a funny feeling. It almost feels like the last week of the season even though it's onlyAugust," Detroit Tigers pitcher Mike Moore said. "Everyone isscurrying around like they're going home."
Management, too, prepared for a strike. The Baltimore Oriolespredict a revenue loss of up to $13 million. John Harrington, thechief executive of the Red Sox, said his club would lose $6 millionto $8 million if the final 52 days of the season aren't played.
The Clinton administration will not intervene in the disputebetween baseball owners and players unless both sides request suchmediation, Reich said.
Reich met recently with Fehr and Ravitch and offered theadministration's help in resolving the dispute.
Neither side has accepted the offer.
Teams also prepared for the work stoppage by juggling theirrosters. The Red Sox brought up pitcher Todd Frohwirth, who had beenat Class AAA Pawtucket. They wouldn't have to pay his $400,000salary during a strike, saving $2,186 per day.
Selig argued Sunday that these negotiations will determine thefuture of baseball in some markets.
"The consequences of not dealing with these problems are really,really scary," he said. "They have not only serious economicconsequences but they have very serious social consequences in manycities, cities whose ability to have major league baseball is verymuch at stake."
Kent Hrbek of the Minnesota Twins, who last week said he willretire after the season, was wondering how many games he has left.
"It's a sit-and-ponder week," he said. "Is Wednesday my lastgame? Or are we going to keep playing?"
