accident555

Clashes in Sadr City, 1 US soldier wounded

2012-03-15T05:49:00.000-07:00

The U.S. military says clashes have occurred overnight in the Shiite district of Sadr City and one American soldier has been wounded.

A U.S. spokesman says fighting began at 11:10 p.m. Thursday when Shiite militants fired small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at U.S. and Iraqi forces in the northeast Baghdad area.

Maj. Mark Cheadle says air support was …

Ken comes out writing to PM

2012-03-15T03:23:00.000-07:00

Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg havebecome involved in the case of a man fighting for recognition forhis part in nuclear bomb tests 50 years ago.

Ken Moses, aged 74, of Kingsley Holt, was serving in the Army onan island in the Indian Ocean when a nuclear bomb was …

Olsen Scores 3 Goals to Lift United

2012-03-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON - Ben Olsen had the first three-goal game of his career to help D.C. United beat the first-place New York Red Bulls 4-2 on Sunday.

Olsen, who has four goals in the past two home games, had not scored more than three goals in any of the previous three seasons for United. He has 24 goals in his MLS career, which began with United (4-3-2) in 1998. New York fell to 6-3-2.

Luciano Emilio's goal in the 49th minute broke a 1-1 tie and came on a crossing pass from Fred. Emilio's shot into the right corner of the net beat diving goalie Ronald Waterreus for New York.

Olsen scored his second goal in the 72nd minute, with assists from Brian Carroll and Christian …

Graduation 2 years later at Bluffton, Ohio

2012-03-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

GRADUATION DAY: Tim Berta was two months away from graduating at Bluffton University in Ohio when he was suffered serious head injuries in a 2007 bus accident that killed five baseball players. On Sunday, he got his …

Technicals remaining an issue during NBA preseason

2012-03-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

MIAMI (AP) — The whistle blew and Heat forward Chris Bosh immediately raised his arms skyward, his way of telling referee Dick Bavetta that he didn't foul anybody.

As far as outbursts go, it was weak.

Nonetheless, it'll cost Bosh $2,000.

It's a scene that's been repeated around the league throughout this preseason plenty of times — way too much for the liking of the NBA players association — and will likely continue when games start counting next week. Stepping toward refs, being demonstrative, even punching the air, it all falls under a newly emphasized respect-the-game umbrella that's led to a surge in technical fouls league-wide.

"The emotion of the game can …

Ann Arbor Film Festival to show 36-plus films, include LGBT night

2012-03-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

New themed programs, five feature documentaries and live movie-based performances comprise six-day line-up

ANN ARBOR - The 46th Ann Arbor Film Festival, which takes place March 25-30, will hold more than 36 screenings, with daily free events, live film-based performances and multiple world premieres.

This year's theme is "It's Time to Watch," and there is much anticipation for one of the most dynamic programs in the festival's 46-year history. Over the course of the six-day event, the festival will showcase five feature-length documentaries, three full animation programs, an exclusive narrative program and several experimentally-focused film programs.

Issues of the …

British Internet bank Egg says it is ending 160,000 customers' credit card agreements

2012-03-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

British Internet bank Egg said Saturday it is terminating about 160,000 customers' credit card agreements, saying their credit profiles had deteriorated.

A British lawmaker called the move unfair, and said Egg's decision should be investigated.

Egg Banking PLC was bought by Citigroup Inc. last year, and the company said the move was the result of a "one-off, extensive risk review of our book" after the acquisition. The figure represents about 7 percent of Egg's credit card customers.

"Egg has given a number of its credit-card customers 35 days' notice that it is ending their card agreements," the bank said in a statement. Egg …

Flat blaze charges denied

2012-03-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

A Man accused of starting a fire in his flat is to face trial.

George Gordon allegedly set fire to paper and an item ofclothing at Flat C, 22 Logie Avenue, Aberdeen, on August 24.

He is also accused of breaking the peace by refusing to open thedoor after starting a fire, putting a sofa in front of the door andthreatening to turn …

Lancaster job fair draws fewer candidates than sponsors hoped

2012-03-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

With unemployment low, most employers can't wait for workers to come to them. Instead, they have to find new ways to attract workers.

But if a recent job fair in Lancaster County is any indicator, companies seeking skilled workers will need to try something more creative to find the workers they need.

Daniel C. Witmer, president of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said only about 200 people showed up for the job fair, held on March 19 at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. According to Witmer, the fair was held at the request of Lancaster-area employers.

"We had been hoping for 400 or 500 (attendees)," said Witmer, who added half of the attendees …

Egypt shuts down office of Iranian TV station

2012-03-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Egyptian authorities have shut down the Cairo office of an Iranian TV network, a security official said Thursday, as the two nations spar over a film that justifies the killing of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat by Islamic militants.

Authorities confiscated equipment and shut the office of Al-Alam TV on Monday because it was operating without a license, said the security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

However, the head of Al-Alam's Cairo office, Ahmed al-Sayoufi, said the network has been wrongly accused of involvement in the production of the documentary about Sadat and that the …

For the record

2012-03-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

* Bankruptcy filings

The following people filed petitions in U.S. Bankruptcy Court forthe Southern District on Feb. 22, 2001: - William Clyde Johnson,P.O. Box 6433, Bluefield. Chapter 7. Assets: $138,770. Liabilities:$140,261.95.

- Adam Lee Poole, 148 Floral Way, Princeton. Chapter 7. Assets:unknown. Liabilities: unknown.

- Debra Faye Little, Route 1, 3125 N. Cint Ridge, Coolville,Ohio. Chapter 7. Assets: $96,119.98. Liabilities: $47,352.23.

- Julie Mae Hosey. HC 89, Box 524, Millstone. Chapter 7. Assets:$92,200. Liabilities: $129,616.56.

- Doris Rose Beaver, 604 Warren St., Marietta, Ohio. Chapter 7.Assets: $2,095. Liabilities: $13,656.

- …

Marlins 14, Rays 9

2012-03-14T03:55:00.000-07:00


Florida @ Tampa Bay @
ab r h bi @ ab r h bi
Coghln lf 4 4 4 1 Jaso c 2 0 0 0
GSnchz 1b 5 3 4 6 Crwfrd lf 5 1 1 2
HRmrz ss 4 0 0 1 Longori 3b 3 0 1 0
Cantu dh 5 0 1 0 WAyar 3b-2b 2 0 0 0
Uggla 2b 3 2 0 1 C.Pena 1b 5 4 3 1
Barden 2b 1 0 0 0 Zobrist rf 4 1 1 0
C.Ross cf 5 1 2 3 BUpton cf 5 0 1 2
Stanton rf 5 1 2 2 Blalock dh-3b 5 2 3 2
Helms 3b 4 1 1 0 SRdrgz 2b-ss 5 1 1 0
RPauln c 4 2 1 0 Brignc ss 3 0 1 0
Shppch ph 0 0 0 0
Cormir p 0 0 0 0
Kapler ph 1 0 0 0
Totals @ 40 14 15 14 Totals @ 40 9 12 7

Florida 105 410 300_14
Tampa Bay 000 201 141_ 9
E_Helms (1), R.Paulino (3), G.Sanchez (5). DP_Florida 1. LOB_Florida 6, Tampa Bay 9. 2B_Coghlan 2 (10), Stanton (1), Zobrist (13), B.Upton (15). 3B_Stanton (1), Helms (2). HR_G.Sanchez 2 (7), C.Pena (14). SB_R.Paulino (1), Crawford (20). SF_G.Sanchez, H.Ramirez.
IP H R ER BB SO
Florida
Ani.Sanchez W,6-3 7 7 4 4 3 4
VandenHurk 1-3 3 4 1 0 0
Tankersley 1-3 0 0 0 2 0
Hensley 1 1-3 2 1 1 0 3
Tampa Bay
J.Shields L,5-5 3 1-3 9 10 10 3 4
Sonnanstine 3 2-3 5 4 4 1 2
Cormier 2 1 0 0 1 2
WP_Tankersley, Sonnanstine.
Umpires_Home, Jim Joyce	First, Jim Wolf	Second, Derryl Cousins	Third, Marvin Hudson.
T_3:15. A_19,338 (36,973).

2 TV producers involved in Miller recording gone

2012-03-14T01:02:00.000-07:00

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Two TV producers involved in a phone recording that Sarah Palin claimed showed media bias against Republican Senate hopeful Joe Miller are "no longer with" the Alaska station.

KTVA-TV general manager Jerry Bever said an internal investigation showed the recording left accidentally on the phone of Miller's spokesman involved how a Miller rally headlined by Palin might be promoted.

Bever said the "ensuing dialogue went downhill from there."

He couldn't immediately be reached to say if the producers had been fired.

Bever earlier said the discussion centered on "what if" scenarios for covering the rally last week and that the recording's contents had been taken out of context.

Miller's camp claimed that station staff were discussing making up stories about Miller.

Miller spokesman Randy DeSoto says "KTVA has taken a first step in restoring the public's trust."

Analysis: Is this change' US voters believe in?

2012-03-13T22:10:00.000-07:00

Americans may love or hate the new U.S. health care policy, but this much is indisputable: President Barack Obama accomplished a breathtaking feat that has eluded presidents before him.

He persuaded a deeply divided Congress to pass sweeping legislation remaking one-sixth of the U.S. economy. He did it in a hypermedia world in a hyperpartisan city that he barely knew, that many Americans detest. He did it without most Americans supporting the plan.

But most of all, he brought change _ as promised. But is it the kind Americans want?

Voters who complained they were sick of the status quo must now decide whether this is _ to borrow Obama's campaign motto _ the change they believe in.

That choice will be the basis on which the nation will judge Obama from this November's elections in which control of Congress will be at stake to his likely re-election campaign in 2012. From now until then, the president will try to convince a skeptical public that he's done the right thing.

"This is what change looks like," Obama said on the first day of the rest of his presidency.

Every president brings change to some degree, and politicians always throw around the word during times of great upheaval. But Obama is unusual.

"With him, it's not just change that he wants: It's transformational change to make society a fairer place," says Stanley Renshon, the head of the political psychology program at the City University of New York Graduate Center.

With health care, Renshon said, "he's forcing change that people don't want against their will." And, he said, backlash is possible if Obama is emboldened to push other big measures that divide the country, like immigration reform.

"Call it the audacity of transformation," added Renshon, who is writing a book on Obama.

Obama didn't create the call for change that he ran on in 2008. He seized it, tapping into people's angst as they tired of George W. Bush and Republican rule. The Democrat became the best messenger for change because people could attach their hopes to him, regardless of whether they agreed with the fine print.

"I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views," Obama said in his 2006 book, "The Audacity of Hope."

Two years later, there was an inherent contradiction in his pitch. He promised policy changes ripped from the Democratic playbook. And he promised to be post-partisan. The two don't jibe; he opened the door to criticism and, it turned out, set the table for his first presidential year.

He repeatedly let down those who voted for him. He became the face of the city people abhor. On health care, he engaged in partisan wrangling that voters despise.

But he got it done.

Or as he put it: "We proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things and tackling our biggest challenges. We proved that this government _ a government of the people and by the people _ still works for the people."

People may not see it that way.

"He promised two kinds of change," said Mary Stuckey, a Georgia State University professor of political science and communication. "The political change has taken a backseat to the policy change."

Indeed, while keeping his pledge to overhaul health care, he trampled on his other vow to break a decades-old partisan logjam, to do things differently in Washington. He maintained the appearance of bipartisanship _ he held a meeting on the matter with Republicans and Democrats and included Republican amendments in the final measure _ but, in the end, Republicans opposed the bill.

An AP-GfK Poll in January found that 55 percent said it was too soon to tell if Obama was keeping his promise to change the way things work in Washington _ the same as a year ago. Yet more than a quarter said he was breaking that promise. And 43 percent said Obama had kept only some of his promises while 31 percent felt he had kept hardly any of them.

Republicans sense a political opening in such feelings.

"President Obama has betrayed his oath to the nation _ rather than bringing us together, ushering in a new kind of politics, and rising above raw partisanship, he has succumbed to the lowest denominator of incumbent power: justifying the means by extolling the ends," chided Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor angling to challenge Obama in two years. "He promised better; we deserved better."

He promised change; we got change.

Like it or not.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE _ Liz Sidoti has covered national politics for The Associated Press since 2003.

Cisco to proceed with $3.4 billion Tandberg deal

2012-03-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

Cisco Systems Inc. says it is waiving its condition that 90 percent of shareholders of Norwegian videoconferencing equipment firm Tandberg ASA back its $3.4 billion takeover offer and will close the deal as soon as possible.

Cisco, the world's largest computer networking equipment maker, said holders of 89 percent of Tandberg shares have agreed to the company's $30.32-per-share offer as of Thursday, when the bid expired following a two-day extension. That is just shy of the 90 percent threshold Cisco had set to complete the acquisition.

Cisco, based in San Jose, has struggled to gain shareholder approval of the deal. It sweetened the offer on Nov. 16 after its original bid of about $3 billion was approved by Tandberg's board but attracted less than 10 percent of the Norwegian company's shareholders.

When tendering the new bid, Cisco said 40 percent of Tandberg's shareholders backed the new offer, including the largest minority shareholders _ Folketrygdfondet, Norway's domestic pension fund, and OppenheimerFunds.

Earlier this week, as acceptances crept up to 84 percent, the company said it would decide Thursday whether to withdraw the offer or waive the 90 percent condition. The waiver will lead to negotiations with the remaining shareholders.

Cisco has been focusing on the high end of the videoconferencing market, selling so-called "TelePresence" systems with multiple plasma screens that present life-size images of the participants to provide the illusion of face-to-face communication. With Tandberg, Cisco will get the leading maker of video systems ranging from small "videophones" to full conference-room setups.

The deal also will let the company spend some of the cash that has been piling up in its overseas subsidiaries. By buying an international company, Cisco will avoid the U.S. taxes it would have to pay to bring the money home.

Bangladesh: Jul.-Aug. Exports Up 3.4%

2012-03-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

According to Export Promotion Bureau statistics, July-August 2005 exports increased by 3.4% from the year before to US$1,753 million.

Exports of woven garments decreased by 9.2% to US$701 million, whereas those of knitwear jumped 19.6% to US$663 million. The elimination of quotas have rapidly increased exports to the EU and U.S.

Exports increased for jute goods, raw jute, leather, chemical products, ceramics, agricultural goods, oil byproducts, computer service, fabrics and handicrafts. Exports of jute goods increased by 13.7% to US$528.6 million.

On the other hand, exports decreased for frozen food, electronics, footwear, engineering products, tea, home textiles and bicycles.

Lackluster U.S. Still Rips Greece

2012-03-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

UNITED STATES 97 GREECE 58

TORONTO It has been eight years since Americans won gold atthe World Championships.

Well, despite a slow start and poor performance, Dream Team II(7-0) routed Greece 97-58 and advanced to the final today in SkyDome.

"And that's what really matters most to us," forward LarryJohnson said. "Everybody saw how flat we were. This was our worstgame by far. Maybe some of us were looking past Greece to thefinal. But we still won."

The Americans will play Russia (6-1), which upset previouslyunbeaten Croatia 66-64 in the other semifinal match.

Superior depth and a 58-31 rebounding edge were the keys to victory Saturday for Dream Team II. Led by guard Reggie Miller, whocame off the bench to score a game-high 14 points, and centerShaquille O'Neal, who added a game-high 16 rebounds, three blockedshots and four steals to his nine points, the United States had sixplayers reaching double figures in scoring.

Mark Price added 13 points, Joe Dumars and Alonzo Mourning 12points apiece, Dominique Wilkins 11 and Steve Smith 10. The Greeksonly had two players in double figures, Efthimis Bakatsias andCostas Patavoukas, who came off the bench for 12 and 10 pointsrespectively.

"I was very disappointed with how we played," U.S. coach DonNelson said. "And you have to give Greece some credit for that.They played a good game. We just had too much talent, and we worethem down."

For the sixth time in seven games, the United Statestrailed in the first half. Dream Team II scored only 40 points inthe first half, its lowest halftime output in the tournament.Shooting 26 percent in the first half, the Americans did not gettheir first double-digit lead until forward Shawn Kemp slammed on abreakaway at the buzzer to forge a 40-30 halftime lead.

It wasn't so much what the Greeks were doing right but what theUnited States was doing wrong. The Americans were sloppy (17turnovers) and shot pitifully (40 percent).

The quickness and crisp perimeter passing of the Greeks hurtthe Americans, who, again, did not get rolling until O'Neal came offthe bench with 11:21 left in the first half and the United Statesdown 17-14.

O'Neal's inside presence drew in the defense for an instant openthree-pointer that Dan Majerle converted to start an 11-0 tear.

"Nobody is going to beat the Americans because they are sotalented," Greek center Panagiotis Fassoulas said. "It's an honor toplay them even though we lost by 40."

Nelson said he is confident his players will perform better inthe final.

"Money on the wood makes the game go good," Nelson said. "Andour team is full of `money' players." SUMMARY, PAGE 31

Heavy Snow Batters Ohio Valley States

2012-03-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

A foot of snow buried parts of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys early Saturday, creating whiteout conditions and keeping many would-be weekend travelers at home.

Winter storm warnings were in effect from eastern Kentucky to upstate New York and northern Maine, the National Weather Service said. Wind up to 35 mph whipped the snow and cut visibility to less than a quarter mile in places, the weather service said.

"We're getting a lot of drifting and poor visibility out here," said State Highway Patrol Sgt. Rod Moser in Circleville, Ohio. Two semitrailers jackknifed on Interstate 71, about 20 miles south of Columbus, he said.

As much as 10 inches of snow fell overnight in Ohio, where up to 5 more inches was possible, and 13 inches fell on north-central Kentucky's Owen County, the National Weather Service said. Louisville, Ky., and Middle Tennessee got up to a foot, the weather service said. Up to a foot was possible by Sunday in western New York, meteorologists said. Even Mississippi got 5 to 7 inches of snow in northern parts of the state, the weather service said.

It was the deepest snow at Louisville since a storm in February 1998 dumped 22 inches over three days, the weather service said.

The wind piled snow into drifts as much as 5 feet high in parts of central Kentucky, police dispatcher John Woosley said.

It was a continuation of the storm that on Friday piled up snow a foot deep in Arkansas and blacked out thousands of homes and businesses from that state to the Great Lakes.

One Ohio traffic death was blamed on the weather Friday, with two in western New York state and one in Tennessee. Two people were killed as tornadoes struck several Florida communities.

Many flights into and out of Ohio were delayed or canceled. At Port Columbus International Airport, a plane skidded a few hundred feet off a runway while landing late Friday, but no one was hurt, airport spokeswoman Angie Neal said. Dozens of flights were canceled Friday in Cleveland and Columbus.

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport remained open as 25 plows worked around the clock to keep runways clear, airport spokesman Todd Payne said. The airport has about 250 daily flights on the weekends.

Continental Airlines, which uses Cleveland as a hub, canceled about two-thirds of its flights Saturday, Payne said. "I would imagine, based on Continental's figures, we'll probably cancel about 50 flights today," he said. About 60 Delta Air Lines flights were canceled at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, airline spokeswoman Gina Laughlin said.

More than 100 motorists had to be rescued from stuck vehicles during the night in Louisville, said Kerri Richardson, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jerry Abramson. Kentucky had about 1,000 plows on state roads, said Chuck Wolfe of the highway department.

Hundreds of weekend events were canceled, including Ohio girls high school basketball championship games in Columbus and several Kentucky boys basketball tournament games. The University of Louisville canceled Saturday classes.

___

Associated Press writer By Will Graves in Louisville contributed to this report.

Honour for coaching legend torrance

2012-03-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

The trophy everyone wants to get their hands on is obviously theClaret Jug, but many more awards are given out during Open week.

Legendary coach Bob Torrance picked up the Association of GolfWriters Award for Outstanding Services to golf.

One of his most famous pupils, Ireland's Padraig Harrington,presented Torrance with the award at Tuesday night's dinner, and paidtribute to the 75-year-old's undiminished enthusiasm for the gameafter 60 years.

"At Wentworth recently Bob came up to me and said 'I've justbroken the record, 15 and a half hours,"' said Harrington, who hasbeen coached by Torrance for 11 years.

"I didn't know what he meant until he explained he'd been workingon the driving range for 15 and a half hours, from 5.30 in themorning until 9pm at night - and that was only because he was kickedoff at 9!"

Pentagon says China is working toward ability to limit use of space by adversaries

2012-03-13T03:18:00.000-07:00

China is developing the ability to limit or prevent the use of satellites by potential adversaries during times of crisis, the U.S. Defense Department says in a report to Congress.

The report, the latest in a series of annual assessments of China's military power, says Beijing views its efforts in space warfare not only as a practical advance of military power but also a boost to national prestige.

In space and other aspects of China's military modernization, the Pentagon stuck to its often-repeated view that China's first priority is to build a broad-based capability to prevent Taiwan's government from declaring independence. It said China's focus on space warfare is an important part of that Taiwan strategy.

"China further views the development of space and counterspace capabilities as bolstering national prestige and, like nuclear weapons, demonstrating the attributes of a world power," the report said.

China typically objects to the Pentagon's depiction of its military programs and policies. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Monday's report.

At a Pentagon news conference, David Sedney, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, predicted the Chinese would protest this year that the report is "anti-China" and misleading. Sedney said that for the first time, U.S. and Chinese officials will meet to discuss the report; he said it was being briefed Monday to China's senior military representative in Washington.

The Chinese military, known as the People's Liberation Army, is acquiring technologies to improve its ability to operate in space and is "developing the ability to attack an adversary's space assets," the report said.

"PLA writings emphasize the necessity of `destroying, damaging and interfering with the enemy's reconnaissance/observation and communications satellites,' suggesting that such systems, as well as navigation and early warning satellites, could be among initial targets of attack to `blind and deafen the enemy," the report said.

The Bush administration was highly critical of China's shootdown in January 2007 of one of its weather satellites. Washington asserted the orbiting debris created by the attack poses a danger to other assets in space.

Last month, when the Pentagon shot down a dead U.S. spy satellite, China expressed concern as well, although U.S. officials said the shootdown did not mean the United States had dropped its objections to possessing a permanent anti-satellite capability.

More broadly, the Pentagon report released Monday asserted that Beijing's reluctance to share details about its military buildup risks Asia's stability. It said the world has limited knowledge of the motivations, decision-making and capabilities of China's military modernization. This includes a lack of clarity about China's defense spending. Washington contends that Beijing understates that spending program by the equivalent of tens of billions of dollars.

"The lack of transparency in China's military and security affairs poses risks to stability by increasing the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation," the report said. "This situation will naturally and understandably lead to hedging against the unknown."

This year's report places increased emphasis on misgivings about China's space programs and potential for space warfare. It also said China is improving its own satellite capability, including construction of a new satellite launch complex on Hainan Island.

It also said China expects to replace all foreign-produced satellites in its inventory with home-produced models by 2010.

In a similar vein, the report said China appears to be developing a cyberwarfare capability.

"In the past year, numerous computer networks around the world, including those owned by the U.S. government, were subject to intrusions that appear to have originated within the PRC," the report said, using the initials for the People's Republic of China. "These intrusions require many of the skills and capabilities that would also be required for computer network attack."

The overall military buildup in China has increased in recent years, the Pentagon said.

"China's expanding and improving military capabilities are changing East Asian military balances; improvements in China's strategic capabilities have implications beyond the Asia-Pacific region," the report said.

The main short-term focus of China's military buildup is the Taiwan Strait, the report said.

As of November 2007, the Chinese military had deployed between 990 and 1,070 short-range ballistic missiles to garrisons opposite Taiwan, according to the Pentagon's latest estimate. That compares with 900 such missiles reported in last year's Pentagon report. Taiwan, 100 miles (160 kilometers) offshore, was separated from the mainland when Chinese Nationalist forces fled there in 1949 as Mao Zedong's communists took final control of the mainland.

Every spring, the Pentagon is required by Congress to provide a comprehensive assessment of China's security and military strategy, an analysis of developments in its military doctrine and capabilities, and an update on the security situation in the Taiwan Strait.

U.S.-China military relations have been strained in recent years over numerous issues, not limited to American concerns about the scope of Beijing's military buildup. But there also have been some positive moves, including two agreements signed last week in Shanghai _ one on installing a telephone hot line between the Chinese Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Defense Department, and the other on research in Chinese military archives related to U.S. soldiers listed as missing in action from the Korean War of the early 1950s.

___

On the Net:

The report can be viewed at: http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/China_Military_Report_08.pdf

MCC responding to fetal alcohol disorders

2012-03-13T00:16:00.000-07:00

Winnipeg, Man.

As the impact of fetal alcohol disorders becomes clearer, Mennonite Central Committee Canada is exploring ways to help.

Approximately 3 in every 1,000 births in North America are affected by fetal alcohol syndrome (from mothers ingesting alcohol while pregnant), while 30 to 50 infants per 1,000 have fetal alcohol effects, according to experts at a workshop organized by MCC Manitoba in March.

"Alcohol is a solvent. It can literally dissolve brain tissue and that can mean inconsistent growth in the brain of the unborn fetus," said Dorothy Schwab, a community liaison for alcohol and drug-exposed children at Health Sciences Centre.

"It affects everything from the ability to learn to knowing how to act appropriately in a social setting.... It is a permanent condition."

Primary disabilities--like slower cognitive processes, memory problems and the inability to understand consequences--are a direct result of damage to the brain by alcohol. Secondary disabilities--like poor self esteem, anxiety and aggression--result as individuals develop defensive behaviours to help them cope, says Schwab.

Children with a fetal alcohol disorders will always need someone to help them deal with daily life. There is no standard approach because of the wide range of symptoms.

MCC Canada has developed a pamphlet titled "Come Walk with Me--A Christian response to fetal alcohol-related disabilities" for church and community groups. MCC Manitoba is currently exploring program ideas related to fetal alcohol disorders.

Ike and Barb Brown (not their real names) have three adopted children. Given the struggles their family has dealt with, they suspect that two of their children have fetal alcohol effects.

"We have sought and received a tremendous amount of professional help but it wasn't what our kids needed," says Barb. "The years have been very difficult." Counsellors helped them establish consequences for their children's behaviour, but their children never "caught on."

Following continued incidents of theft and violence, their son moved into a foster home. Eventually their daughter was suspended from school and moved out as well.

"Our son looked like an 18-year-old but he had the comprehension of someone much younger than that. Our daughter wanted independence but she was unable to keep a job," says Barb.

Schwab says there is an increasing volume of material available as more parents share their stories. Intervention includes allowing the affected individual to be part of the process, adapting to individual need, providing concrete concepts and creating structure.--MC Canada release

PCB to ask Kaneria to answer fixing allegations

2012-03-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Pakistan Cricket Board has asked legspinner Danish Kaneria to reappear before its integrity committee and respond to allegations he was involved in fixing county matches.

A judge in London sentenced Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield to four months in prison for on-field corruption last week and accused Kaneria of pressuring teammates from the county side to fix matches.

"Danish Kaneria will again be called to appear before the integrity committee to explain his position," the PCB said Monday in a joint statement with the England and Wales Cricket Board and International Cricket Council.

Kaneria denies the allegations and claimed he had been cleared by British police, the ECB and ICC. Both cricketing organizations deny the claims, however, saying the legspinner has never been issued with a clearance certificate.

The PCB has overlooked Kaneria for the national team since Westfield's case surfaced in 2010, forming an integrity committee to hear his case and which has yet to clear him.

For the past two years, Kaneria had been trying to clear his name and even appealed to the Sindh High Court in Karachi to try and overturn his unofficial suspension. But the court dismissed his appeal last year, saying it was not within its jurisdiction.

Essex police cleared Kaneria of criminal charges in September 2010 following allegations he was involved in spot-fixing during a county match against Durham in 2009.

The PCB's integrity committee has directed Kaneria to provide copies of the tapes of his Essex police interview.

The legspinner was once an integral part of Pakistan's test team, claiming 261 wickets in 61 tests at an average of 34.79.

Venezuelan, Libyan leaders meet

2012-03-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

Caption only.

Firm, local hospitals discuss occupational venture

2012-03-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

A Texas-based, occupational-health company has been in Harrisburg for about a month, and there's already talk of a joint venture with two local hospitals.

PinnacleHealth, Community General Osteopathic Hospital and Dallas-based OccuSystems Inc. have been discussing the possibility of forming a joint venture. OccuSystems manages doctors' practices and specializes in occupational health care.

In addition to helping patients who got hurt on the job, OccuSystems conducts drug screenings, pre-employment tests and physical examinations for transportation employees.

OccuSystems is the parent company of Concentra Medical Centers. Concentra has an occupational-health center in Swatara Township and has had one in York for the past two years.

If the venture becomes a reality, these three entities would have joint ownership of a business that would provide occupational-health services in the Harrisburg area.

But it would be competing with the Alliance sup 4 Health WorkNet, the area's first community-based, regional occupational-medicine program, now open for business in Mechanicsburg and Hummelstown. A third WorkNet site is planned to open later this spring along South Cameron Street in Harrisburg.

WorkNet cooperates with nearly 1,000 doctors in the Alliance sup 4 network. "There's enough room in the market for all of us. We certainly believe we have a product that's competitive, if not better," said Robert Watkins, administrative director for the Alliance sup 4 Health WorkNet. "We're locally managed, and we have the strength of the four best hospitals behind us." WorkNet was formed in the summer of 1996 and grew out of occupational-medical practices, such as those at Holy Spirit Hospital and Penn State's Hershey Medical Center.

The two regional entities would compete on quality of care, price, availability and location, Watkins said.

OccuSystems manages the practices of more than 100 doctors in more than 60 occupational health-care centers in a dozen states. Sales for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 1996, were $170 million, according to OccuSystems.

The company is forming a national network quickly, so when it enters a market, an independent hospital has to decide whether it wants to compete or partner with the group, said Jeff Wiles, executive director of systems advancement (marketing and planning) at Community General Osteopathic Hospital.

OccuSystems acquired one New Jersey-based and four Maryland-based occupational-health companies in 1996 and another in New Jersey in February. If the Harrisburg venture comes to fruition, an employee would go to Concentra for an initial visit and perhaps some follow-up treatment. If surgery were required, the patient would go to the hospital.

Added Bill Wilkison, administrative director of ambulatory services for Pinnacle, "This is an opportunity for us to affiliate with a top-quality, national company whose only business is occupational-health services. We feel our services can bring more benefits to employers in the region."

Concentra has a computer database for all its patients, enabling it to track them throughout their working lives. "This proprietary system gives employers reliable information and that goes well beyond what we've been able to provide to employers," Wilkison added.

OccuSystems also has contracts with large national employers, a number of which have local offices, and that is another attraction for Pinnacle.

The company already has four similar joint ventures, none of which are on the East Coast.

"So much of what we do requires a hand-and-glove relationship with specialists and hospitals," said Tom Ward, vice president of operations for the eastern region of OccuSystems.

Ward said OccuSystems strives to get employees back to work as quickly as possible. Currently, employers spent a lot on legal and administrative costs rather than on medical care for employees who get hurt on the job.

Wiles and Wilkison said it is premature to say how a joint venture would affect the jobs of doctors currently working at both hospitals.

But Ward said OccuSystems has brought doctors to its system when it formed other joint ventures. OccuSystems has also honored the original tenure agreements of doctors who transferred to OccuSystems as a result of a joint venture.

Nashville Moves Into 8th in West

2012-03-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Nashville Predators are back on the right side of the Western Conference playoff race. The Buffalo Sabres are about out of the chase in the East.

Dan Ellis shut out Columbus for the second time in four days, and the Predators mastered the Columbus Blue Jackets again with a 2-0 win on Friday night.

Coupled with Vancouver's 4-0 loss at Minnesota, the Predators moved into a tie with Canucks at 86 points. But Nashville is in eighth place, just above the postseason cutoff, because of one more win than Vancouver. Each club has four games remaining.

"There's not much room for error," Nashville forward Radek Bonk said. "It doesn't mean anything if we don't win the other games. It's great for us. Elly was unbelievable again. He stole the game again for us."

Jan Hlavac and Bonk scored on consecutive shots in the second period and Ellis made a career-high 43 saves.

"I hope it's not a peak, that there's still higher to go," Ellis said. "I just want to try to help this team to get into the playoffs.

"We have four more games and we have to win more than Vancouver does, and we'll get ourselves a spot in the playoffs."

That prospect doesn't look so good for the Sabres, who reached the Eastern Conference finals each of the past two years.

Buffalo blew a late lead to Montreal and lost 4-3 in overtime. That left the Sabres stuck in 10th place in the East, two spots and four points behind Boston with only four games remaining.

In squandering a 3-1, third-period lead for the second consecutive home game, Buffalo inched closer to being eliminated.

"We've got to learn," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "There's not a lot of learning time left, but you have to learn from it. It's painful and you've got to move on."

In other NHL games Friday night, it was Carolina 7, Atlanta 1; New Jersey 5, Philadelphia 4 in a shootout; St. Louis 4, Detroit 3 in overtime; Colorado 5, Edmonton 4 in a shootout; and San Jose 3, Anaheim 1.

Nashville is 15-0-1 in its past 16 meetings with Columbus, matching the longest current points streak for one team against another. That's 31 of a possible 32 points head-to-head the past two seasons.

Ellis, who had played one NHL game heading into this season, beat the Blue Jackets 3-0 on Tuesday night, stopping 36 shots.

"We're very confident with him the last couple of games," Bonk said. "Over 40 shots and two shutouts _ it's just unbelievable."

Over in Buffalo, Tomas Plekanec rallied the Canadiens with two goals in a span of 2:16, including the tying tally with 15 seconds left. Christopher Higgins then netted the winner 3:38 into overtime.

That put Montreal back atop the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of idle Pittsburgh.

"It's a huge two points for us," Plekanec said. "We didn't play well, but we showed some character in the end."

Wild 4, Canucks 0

At St. Paul, Minn., Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Brent Burns scored with the man advantage for Minnesota and sent Vancouver to its fourth straight loss.

Roberto Luongo was pulled for the second straight game, after giving up two goals in each of the first two periods. Bouchard scored for the first time in six weeks for Minnesota, which stretched its lead in the Northwest Division to three points over Calgary.

Niklas Backstrom posted his fourth shutout of the season and set a franchise record with 31 victories.

Devils 5, Flyers 4, SO

At Newark, N.J., Brian Gionta, Patrik Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner scored in the shootout to lead New Jersey to a 12th straight home victory over Philadelphia.

New Jersey snapped a season-high, five-game losing streak (0-4-1) and ended Philadelphia's four-game winning run. Every Devils shooter beat goalie Martin Biron in the tiebreaker.

Johnny Oduya had his first two-goal game for the Devils, who jumped over Ottawa into fourth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Philadelphia is in seventh, two points behind the New York Rangers and one ahead of Boston.

Hurricanes 7, Thrashers 1

At Raleigh, N.C., Tuomo Ruutu and Jeff Hamilton each scored two of Carolina's five franchise-record tying, power-play goals in a rout of Atlanta.

Eric Staal had a goal and two assists, Joe Corvo also scored with the man-advantage and Trevor Letowski added a short-handed goal for the Hurricanes.

Cam Ward made 25 saves in his career-high 16th straight start for the Hurricanes, who extended their Southeast Division lead over Washington to four points with four games left.

Blues 4, Red Wings 3, OT

At Detroit, Brad Boyes' second goal of the game and 40th of the season gave St. Louis an overtime win against NHL-leading Detroit.

Johan Franzen scored twice and Brian Rafalski netted Detroit's other goal. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk each had three assists, and Chris Osgood stopped 17 shots.

Avalanche 5, Oilers 4, SO

At Denver, Joe Sakic forced overtime by scoring with 5.9 seconds left in regulation, then added the decisive tally in a shootout for Colorado.

Wojtek Wolski and Milan Hejduk also scored in the shootout for the Avalanche, who pulled even with Calgary for sixth in the West playoff race with 90 points.

Tom Gilbert had a goal and an assist, and Dwyane Roloson made 32 saves for Edmonton. The Oilers, with 84 points, are two points behind Nashville.

Sharks 3, Ducks 1

At Anaheim, Calif., Brian Boucher made 23 saves for San Jose, which wrapped up the Pacific Division title and snapped the Ducks' 10-game home winning streak.

The Sharks, who have points in 18 straight games (16-0-2), won their third division crown.

Boucher shut out the Ducks after the first period, and Jeremy Roenick and Curtis Brown scored second-period goals.