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Farmer left scores of sheep to rot in his field A Farmer who let scores of his sheep rot to death will still be allowed to keep animals, a court ruled.

2012-03-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

A Farmer who let scores of his sheep rot to death will still beallowed to keep animals, a court ruled.

Raymond Allan, 41, abandoned his 700-strong flock on grazing landin Aberdeenshire for weeks.

He allowed his sheep to grow worryingly thin and was eventuallyforced to have many of them killed after they fell ill or becameriddled with disease.

The farmer's field became so littered with rotting carcasses fromhis dead flock that worried neighbours alerted police.

Fiscal Ian Warburton said: "More than 30 sheep had to bedestroyed."

Allan's agent, Bill Adam, pointed out his client had been a farmersince he left school 24 years ago and had never been in …

Marubeni Thailand: Continued strengthening projects with neighboring countries

2012-03-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

THAI TEXTILE & APPAREL INDUSTRY

According to Satoshi Adachi, Vice President and General Manager of the Textile Division at Marubeni Thailand Co., Ltd., the destinations of exports from Marubeni Thailand are one-third each for Europe, the U.S. and Japan. In addition, Marubeni Thailand has attempted the diversification of its exports by strengthening its Thailand-based products with neighboring countries. As part of its projects, trade with China has become a major challenging task. Moreover, an additional challenge for Marubeni Thailand is exports of Thai-made fabrics to India through apparel manufacturing in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Myanmar.

Furthermore, Marubeni Thailand …

India detains 30 after bombings kill 45; group claims attack was revenge for 2002 riots

2012-03-15T02:51:00.000-07:00

An obscure Islamic militant group warning of "the terror of Death" took credit for synchronized bombings that killed at least 45 people in western India _ the second series of blasts in India in two days.

The pair of attacks put India on alert Sunday and security was stepped up at markets, airports and hospitals across the country.

Investigators, meanwhile, scoured Ahmadabad, detaining 30 people for questioning in the ancient city that was hit by 16 bombs around dusk Saturday, said the city's police commissioner, O.P. Mathur. Police also found and defused an unexploded bomb.

But there was scant information about the Indian Mujahideen, …

Chilly start to year-end sales

2012-03-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

It wasn't exactly sales fever.

But shoppers brought a touch of warmth to the chilly high streetin Bath this week.

Bargain hunters appeared to be waiting for prices to be cut evenfurther before parting with their cash - or had made a killing inthe pre-Christmas sales.

Several large stores started their sales before Christmas and arenow offering up to 70 per cent off furniture, shoes and clothing.

The traditional high street stores, boasting discounts of up to50 per cent, drew the biggest crowds on Monday, but there were nolong queues at the checkouts.

By the early afternoon, the city centre had become busier.

Currys in Union Street was …

Tornado-Warning Performance in the Past and Future-Another Perspective

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

Brooks (2004) presents a provocative study of the quality of National Weather Service (NWS) tornado warnings over the past 18 yr through the use of the relative operating characteristic (ROC) from signal detection theory (SDT; Swets 1973; Mason 1980). Primary conclusions, stated as a possible interpretation of plotted results, are that 1) "performance improved from the late 1980s . . . into the 1990s," 2) "the change from the early 1990s to the late 1990s is consistent with a change in the threshold at which decisions are made," and 3) "the primary effect was to improve POD with a small increase in FAR." Brooks sums up his analysis with "Performance in most of the 1990s represents a …

TP Mazembe wins shootout for African Super Cup

2012-03-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

LUBUMBASHI, Congo (AP) — Goalkeeper Muteba Kidiaba scored the winning penalty as TP Mazembe beat FUS Rabat 9-8 in a shootout to win the African Super Cup.

Kidiaba, whose dyed green hair, impressive stops and unusual celebrations were a mark of Mazembe's historic run to the final of the Club World Cup last year, saved a penalty and then converted the clincher Saturday as Mazembe …

Ex-Raiders QB Russell arrested on Ala. drug charge

2012-03-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

Former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell has been charged with possession of a controlled substance _ codeine syrup _ after being arrested at his home in Alabama on Monday, authorities said.

The 24-year-old former LSU star and the No. 1 draft choice in 2007 was arrested as part of an undercover narcotics investigation, said Mobile County Sheriff's spokeswoman Lori Myles. She would not say what led to his arrest. She said he did not have a prescription for the codeine.

Russell, who graduated from high school in Mobile, was booked into the city jail and released soon afterward on $2,500 bond, online records show.

The …

Pennington is NFL's Comeback Player of the Year

2012-03-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - One rotator cuff injury often is enough to ruin apremier athlete's career. Chad Pennington overcame two in two yearsto win The Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.

The New York Jets had become too accustomed to seeing Penningtonleave the field with a damaged right shoulder. After the 2004 seasonand again midway through 2005, he underwent surgery to repair hisright rotator cuff.

There's was so much doubt about Pennington returning to form thatthe Jets had four quarterbacks in training camp last summer,including a second-round draft pick.

So all the seven-year veteran from Marshall did was lead the Jetsto a surprising 10-6 record …

LSU Visits Saban, Tide

2012-03-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

This Alabama-LSU game is a high-stakes division showdown with major Southeastern Conference and national title implications, featuring a once-dominant program battling back toward the top and another trying to stay there.

Enough about that, though.

Will the coaches exchange friendly greetings before the game?

The Nick Saban vs. Les Miles soap opera will be the hottest topic until No. 3 LSU and No. 17 Alabama kick off on Saturday, despite their earnest attempts to focus on far more substantial, if less juicy, matters.

The game, for instance.

It really is a big one, and the two fiery coaches won't make a single tackle, pass or …

Printing money off of the Web

2012-03-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, InnerWorkings went public by using the Internet to bring together buyers and sellers of commercial print jobs. The company today is harnessing its proprietary software and network of more than 6,000 suppliers to profitably impress upon larger customers including John Deere, Kraft and Walgreens the value of its services.

"We believe the enterprise solution is the future of InnerWorkings," said President Eric Belcher.

InnerWorkings, which is based at 600 W. Chicago, has made its mark in the printing world since its inception in 2001. The company's Web-based procurement software and extensive database of suppliers help clients save as much as 20 percent on …

A Quality Culture Can Be the Industry's Core Strength

2012-03-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

The pharma industry must educate the public about the measures it takes to ensure quality products

Years ago, a United States congressman visited one of our manufacturing plants in New York. After touring the facility and meeting the highly experienced professionals dedicated to drug development and production, he understood the measures necessary to ensure that high quality products are manufactured each and every day. He went on to support legislation involving pharmaceutical quality and compliance issues.

Although such a tour would be impractical on a large-scale basis, the pharmaceutical industry must educate the public about the extensive measures it takes to ensure …

French Euro 2008 hopefuls trying to impress Domenech in friendly against Ecuador

2012-03-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

For seven players in France's provisional squad, dreams of European Championship glory end Wednesday.

That's when France coach Raymond Domenech breaks the bad news to them that they won't be among his 23 players for the June 7-29 tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

Many among the current 30-man squad will be feeling twitchy ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Ecuador in Grenoble _ the first of three warmups before France's opening Euro 2008 match against Romania on June 9.

"As long as I have not written the final names down, there will always be hesitation and doubt," Domenech said Monday. "It's not a decision you make with joy …

Cárcel a Supuesto Asaltabancos en El Salvador

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

SAN SALVADOR - Un supuesto asaltabancos deber� seguir tras las rejas mientras es procesado, resolvi� el Juzgado Sexto de Paz de San Salvador.

El sujeto, Wilde Hugo Castell�n Mar�n, es procesado por intento de robo agravado en perjuicio del Banco Agr�cola.

El imputado compareci� a la audiencia inicial en su contra y el tribunal le decret� instrucci�n formal con detenci�n provisional.

La representaci�n de la Fiscal�a General de la Rep�blica lo acusa de haber perpetrado un robo el pasado 27 de mayo en la agencia bancaria ubicada entre la 1.a calle oriente y la 6.a avenida norte de esta capital.

En esa ocasi�n, el sospechoso ingres� al banco con una tarjeta de ahorros que entreg� a una de las cajeras.

Pero anexo a la libreta iba un papel que conten�a un mensaje que dec�a: "Entregue el dinero y guarde silencio, porque si no habr� un derramamiento de sangre".

La cajera, en vez de entregarle el dinero, activ� la alarma y los vigilantes procedieron a capturarlo.

Article copyright El Bohemio News.

Choices, wild cards abound in SF mayor's race

2012-03-14T00:22:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The race to become the next mayor of San Francisco has begun to take shape with a list of eight serious contenders that reads like a who's who of city politics.

The candidates vying to fill the vacancy left by Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom include three Asian-American elected officials competing in a city that is nearly one-third Asian but has never elected an Asian-American mayor. The number of candidates is expected to grow in the months leading up to an Aug. 12 deadline.

Adding to the unpredictability, the Nov. 8 election also will be the first test of the city's ranked-choice voting system in a competitive mayor's race, and the first time mayoral candidates can take advantage of new public financing rules offering a hefty boost of taxpayer money to participants who surpass certain fundraising thresholds.

Political experts and campaign insiders say these factors will help keep some lesser-known hopefuls competitive and encourage a shift away from cutthroat campaigning by rewarding candidates who form strategic alliances.

Ranked-choice, or instant-runoff, voting allows voters to select up to three candidates for a single office. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice selections, the last-place candidate is eliminated and voters who chose that candidate will have their votes transferred to their second-choice candidate — a process that repeats until one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote. The system has been used in mayor's races in nearby cities as well as races for other San Francisco offices, including city supervisor.

"San Francisco politics is somewhat of a blood sport, but this mayor's race is going to show the culture starting to turn," said Steven Hill, a political reform advocate who ran the successful citywide campaign for ranked-choice voting in 2002. "You win by finding common ground with opponents and building coalitions, and you don't win by getting into a 'me-against-you' situation."

The San Francisco mayor's job has long been a stepping stone to higher-ranking positions, with two former California governors and U.S. senators once holding the position, including current Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Willie Brown and Newsom are among the more recent well-known former mayors.

Though San Francisco is home to the largest percentage of Asian Americans of any county in the continental U.S., it never had an Asian-American leader until Edwin Lee was appointed interim mayor in January. The appointment energized the Asian-American community, and turnout in November is expected to be high.

Some observers predict the three Asian-American candidates — state Sen. Leland Yee, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu and Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting — may form their own slate on the ballot, whether they intend to or not.

"It is likely that the three Asian-American candidates will split the vote on the first counting of rank-choice voting, but the candidate who can skillfully garner the second and third preferences from Asian-American and other voters throughout the city will prevail," said Don Nakanishi, director emeritus of the UCLA Asian Studies Center.

The structure of ranked-choice voting will help ensure that Yee, Chiu and Ting don't cancel each other out as they compete for that powerful voting bloc, said Jim Stearns, Yee's campaign consultant.

"Now, multiple candidates from the same community can inspire additional commitment, enthusiasm and turnout in that community, and ultimately benefit the top vote-getter with the second- and third-place votes of the other candidates," he said.

The math could get more complicated if Lee yields to mounting outside pressure and decides to try to hold on to his position. He has so far insisted he's not interested in staying beyond his interim term and instead hopes to resume his former role as city administrator.

So far, the talk of coalitions remains talk, and it's unclear what partnerships will ultimately develop among the current crop of hopefuls, which also includes City Attorney Dennis Herrera; former city supervisors Bevan Dufty, Tony Hall and Michela Alioto-Pier; and venture capitalist Joanna Rees.

But recent elections in and around San Francisco have served as cautionary tales about the risks of going it alone. In two city supervisor races and the mayor's races in Oakland and San Leandro last fall, the candidate who received the majority of first-choice votes in the initial tally ultimately lost.

"If they weren't aware before, they ought to be aware now that the typical strategy of setting yourself apart is not a wise strategy this time around," Francis Neely, an associate professor of political science at San Francisco State University, said of this year's mayoral contenders.

That message has not been lost on Herrera and Yee, the two candidates who have taken an early lead in fundraising.

"At this point, ranked-choice voting won't just affect our strategy, it is our strategy," said Stearns, who added that the campaign plans to work closely with other candidates.

Alliances will likely form in full public view rather than behind closed doors, said Herrera campaign spokeswoman Jill Nelson.

"Many organizations will endorse more than one candidate, and you may even see candidates endorsing others for second choice," she said.

The hypotheticals may sound complicated, but there's little risk of voters getting overwhelmed, said Richard DeLeon, a longtime political analyst and professor emeritus of political science at San Francisco State. He predicted that four or five "lead players" would emerge from the pack well before Election Day.

"San Francisco has a very high level of political activism and civic engagement at all levels, and people here will sort things out pretty quickly," he said. "And like any election, one candidate could suddenly come in and clear the field."

U.S. Stocks Head for Flat Open

2012-03-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - U.S. stocks headed for a largely flat open Monday following back-to-back sessions last week that brought fresh records for several major market indexes and amid word of a big buyout.

While stock futures showed little movement early Monday, investor sentiment perhaps received a boost from renewed talk of acquisition activity, which has been a big driver of the stock market's gains in the past year. Vodaphone Group PLC is weighing whether to make a huge $160 billion bid for Verizon Communications Inc., the Financial Times reported Monday. The newspaper cautioned that Vodaphone has yet to approach Verizon. Vodaphone, the report said, would pursue the deal to obtain full ownership of Verizon Wireless, which Vodaphone and Verizon now own jointly.

In a much more modest but confirmed, deal, restaurant chain operator IHOP Corp. said it would acquire Applebee's International Inc. for about $1.9 billion.

While confidence in last week's advance appeared to hold through the weekend, Wall Street likely wouldn't have been surprised if some investors were inclined to take some money off the table following the sharp gains.

Dow Jones industrial futures expiring in September rose 7, or 0.05 percent, to 13,980, while Standard & Poor's 500 index futures slipped 0.70, or 0.04 percent, to 1,559.40. Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 1.75, or 0.09 percent, to 2,045.00.

Last week's run-up came ahead of a flurry of quarterly results - 11 of the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones industrials are due to report this week - and in advance of key readings on inflation.

Forecasts from companies should help indicate whether they can continue to put up solid profit growth as pricing pressures fluctuate, in part because of forces such as rising oil prices.

On Monday, light, sweet crude futures rose 17 cents to $74.10 in premarket electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei stock average finished flat. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.63 percent, while the often-volatile Shanghai Composite Index fell 2.36 percent.

In afternoon trading, Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.27 percent, Germany's DAX index rose 0.04 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 0.11 percent.

The dollar was mixed against other major currencies, while gold prices rose.

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On the Net:

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

Tournament tests health of Pacific Rugby

2012-03-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

The state of rugby in the sport's most important development region will be measured beginning Saturday when teams from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Pacific Islands compete in the Pacific Nations Cup.

The performances of Fiji and Tonga at the 2007 World Cup in France and recent credible performances by Japan suggest rugby in the region, now heavily funded by the International Rugby Board, is in good health.

Its development will be more closely monitored over the next six weeks as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Japan, Australia A and the New Zealand Maori crisscross the Pacific in pursuit of the regional test championship.

The most recent evidence suggests Pacific rugby is strong and growing stronger. Fiji reached the quarterfinals at the last Rugby World Cup, the same level as Australia and New Zealand. Tonga performed almost equally well, beating Samoa and fully stretching England and South Africa in pool play.

New Zealand and Australia went out of the Cup in the quarterfinals and this year's Pacific Nations Cup will focus attention on some of the next generation of players who will represent those nations in the 2011 tournament in New Zealand.

Fiji has already stated its determination to use the Pacific Nations Cup to consolidate advances made last year.

"We want to be the dominant force in the Pacific and beat Samoa and Tonga consistently," Fiji high performance manager Peter Murphy said. "The lure of test matches is also part of the plan as overseas teams will only want to play the best."

Fiji veteran Mosese Rauluni said it was essential Fiji did not fall back from the standard it reached in France.

"We've all agreed that the standard at the World Cup is the benchmark for us to meet and we cannot accept anything else," he said. "We know how we can play and need to keep playing that way."

Fiji opens its campaign against Samoa in Lautoka on Saturday with a team which features 17 players from the World Cup campaign.

Japan coach John Kirwan hopes the Pacific Nations Cup will see Japan match its Pacific rivals and will focus attention on the need to develop the game in Asia.

"At the moment Japan are 16th in the world. Next we want to get to 11 and then to No. 8. Our goal is Tonga, Fiji and Samoa and then to keep working," Kirwan said.

The New Zealand Maori squad includes former All Blacks Daniel Braid and Jason Eaton and players almost certainly destined for All Blacks selection, among them Canterbury Crusaders utility back Stephen Brett.

"Our Pacific Island rivals are very passionate about their rugby. Japan continues to improve on the international stage and we know Australia A will be a tough team," Maori coach Donny Stevenson said.

Australia A, under coach Phil Mooney, also has a smattering of players with test experience but contains a core of players new Wallabies coach Robbie Deans will develop over the next four years.

Among them is prop Jerry Yanuyanutawa who was recently included in a wider Fiji squad but has given his allegiance to Australia.

In other matches on the weekend, New Zealand Maori host Tonga at Albany and Australia A travels to Tokyo to play Japan.

Cowboys Sign QB Johnson to 3-Year Deal

2012-03-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

IRVING, Texas - Brad Johnson signed a contract Monday night with the Dallas Cowboys, who wanted a veteran quarterback to team up with Tony Romo. Johnson's agent, Phil Williams, said the quarterback got a three-year contract. Williams wouldn't discuss financial details of the deal.

Cowboys officials didn't respond to messages Monday night, and the team had not announced the deal. On their Web site, the Cowboys reported they were "close to adding" Johnson to the roster.

The 38-year-old Johnson became an unrestricted free agent last week when the Minnesota Vikings, in a long-expected move, released the 15-year veteran. Johnson won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay after the 2002 season.

Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe as the Cowboys' starter in the seventh game last season and earned a spot on the NFC Pro Bowl team. Dallas made the playoffs as a wild-card team, but lost in the first round of the playoffs against Seattle after Romo's botched hold on a short field goal attempt in the closing seconds.

The Cowboys last week released Bledsoe, the first overall pick in the 1993 draft by New England. Bledsoe, due a $1 million roster bonus, would have made $4.5 million next season. He said he wasn't interested in being a backup.

Minnesota coach Brad Childress indicated at the end of last season that Johnson would be welcomed back in a mentoring role. But Johnson - who has a fierce competitive drive that belies his easygoing demeanor - said he still believes he can be a starter.

The Cowboys want Johnson to be a mentor to Romo, who didn't take a snap in his first 3 1/2 seasons before taking over midway through last season.

When Williams was asked what Johnson's role in Dallas would be, he responded, "He just signed the contract" and wouldn't elaborate.

Germany, Qatar urge continuing Mideast peace talks

2012-03-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's chancellor and the ruler of Qatar called Wednesday on Israelis and Palestinians to press forward with peace talks, while the two nations took steps to further strengthen their economic ties.

Moving ahead with the Mideast peace process is in everybody's interest, Angela Merkel and Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani stressed at a joint news conference following a meeting in Berlin.

Merkel urged both sides to show a "willingness to compromise." She added the Arab countries' peace initiative has played an important role in launching the latest negotiations. "Now those talks should be continued," Merkel said.

Al Thani, speaking through a translator, said the peace talks should be continued and appealed to Israel to show "the wisdom to allow the foundation of a Palestinian state, because this would lead to security and stability in the region."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently threatened to withdraw from the newly launched U.S. brokered negotiations if Israel resumes building in the West Bank settlements. He said he wants to discuss the matter at a meeting of the 22-member Arab League next Monday.

While in Berlin Al Thani also met with German President Christian Wulff and Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle.

"The economic ties with Qatar are excellent and offer both sides good opportunities," Bruederle said in a statement.

Germany's economy minister and his counterpart Sheik Jassem Al Thani signed, among others, a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the development of solar powered energy.

Business ties between both countries have recently intensified.

Qatar Holding LLC, a state-backed investment company, owns around 17 percent of carmaker Volkswagen AG's shares since last year, making it the Emirate's largest single investment.

Germany's state-owned railway company Deutsche Bahn AG, in turn, has signed a contract worth some $26 billion to build a railway system in Qatar from scratch — a key part of the natural gas-rich Gulf sheikdom's expansion plans.

Merkel called Qatar "a very attractive place for investments", and stressed that the Emirate was also welcome as an investor in Germany, adding "the cooperation of Qatar and the Volkswagen AG is an outstanding example for that."

U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq at 3,760

2012-03-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

As of Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007, at least 3,760 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 3,071 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

The AP count is 12 higher than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Friday at 10 a.m. EDT.

The British military has reported 168 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 21; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia, three; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Romania, South Korea, one death each.

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The latest deaths reported by the military:

- No deaths reported.

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The latest identifications reported by the military:

- Army Sgt. Lee C. Wilson, 30, Chapel Hill, N.C., died Thursday when an explosive detonated near his vehicle in Mosul; assigned to the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Regiment, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Two soldiers died Friday of wounds suffered Thursday when an explosive detonated near their vehicle in Mosul. Both were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Regiment, Fort Bliss, Texas. Killed were:

- Army Spc. Jason J. Hernandez, 21, Streetsboro, Ohio.

- Army Spc. Thomas L. Hilbert, 20, Venus, Texas.

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On the Net:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/

Correction: US-Buffett Stock story

2012-03-13T06:18:00.000-07:00

In a July 7 story about billionaire Warren Buffett donating 512,169 Class B shares of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. stock, The Associated Press erroneously reported that he gave the stock to three charitable foundations. He divided the stock among five charitable foundations, which were named in the story.

'Expendables' endures at No. 1 with $17 million

2012-03-13T02:35:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sylvester Stallone's action tale "The Expendables" led the box-office for a second-straight weekend with $17 million.

A rush of newcomers had so-so debuts, led by the "Twilight" spoof "Vampires Suck," which opened at No. 2 with $12.2 million.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "The Expendables," Lionsgate, $16,968,032, 3,270 locations, $5,189 average, $65,357,117, two weeks.

2. "Vampires Suck," Fox, $12,202,831, 3,233 locations, $3,774 average, $18,566,733, one week.

3. "Eat Pray Love," Sony, $12,111,162, 3,082 locations, $3,930 average, $47,214,078, two weeks.

4. "Lottery Ticket," Warner Bros., $10,652,297, 1,973 locations, $5,399 average, $10,652,297, one week.

5. "The Other Guys," Sony, $10,163,337, 3,472 locations, $2,927 average, $88,253,482, three weeks.

6. "Piranha 3D," Weinstein Co., $10,106,872, 2,470 locations, $4,092 average, $10,106,872, one week.

7. "The Switch," Miramax, $8,436,713, 2,012 locations, $4,193 average, $8,436,713, one week.

8. "Nanny McPhee Returns," Universal, $8,407,685, 2,784 locations, $3,020 average, $8,407,685, one week.

9. "Inception," Warner Bros., $7,838,179, 2,401 locations, $3,265 average, $262,031,594, six weeks.

10. "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," Universal, $5,201,970, 2,820 locations, $1,845 average, $20,898,255, two weeks.

11. "Despicable Me," Universal, $4,662,065, 2,236 locations, $2,085 average, $231,056,990, seven weeks.

12. "Dinner For Schmucks," Paramount, $3,520,805, 2,149 locations, $1,638 average, $65,800,919, four weeks.

13. "Salt," Sony, $3,410,012, 1,794 locations, $1,901 average, $109,895,105, five weeks.

14. "Step Up 3D," Disney, $3,150,401, 1,592 locations, $1,979 average, $36,868,951, three weeks.

15. "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," Warner Bros., $1,701,134, 1,580 locations, $1,077 average, $39,660,611, four weeks.

16. "Toy Story 3," Disney, $1,523,124, 730 locations, $2,086 average, $403,803,642, 10 weeks.

17. "The Kids Are All Right," Focus, $818,213, 404 locations, $2,025 average, $18,239,725, seven weeks.

18. "Get Low," Sony Pictures Classics, $713,794, 146 locations, $4,889 average, $1,697,877, four weeks.

19. "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," Summit, $566,864, 557 locations, $1,018 average, $297,216,798, eight weeks.

20. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," Disney, $476,035, 472 locations, $1,009 average, $60,605,526, six weeks.

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Online:

http://www.hollywood.com/boxoffice

___

Universal Pictures and Focus Features are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.; Rogue Pictures is owned by Relativity Media LLC; Overture Films is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corp.

Oduya Leads Devils Past Flyers

2012-03-12T23:35:00.000-07:00

Low-scoring defenseman Johnny Oduya had a goal and three assists and the New Jersey Devils scored five times on the power play in a 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.

The Devils beat Philadelphia for the fifth straight time this season to move into first place in the Atlantic Division.

Patrik Elias and Zach Parise each had a pair of goals, and Jamie Langenbrunner and Dainius Zubrus also scored for New Jersey.

The Devils equaled the team record for power-play goals and fell one short of the franchise mark. New Jersey had five power-play goals two other times in club history. The club was known as the Colorado Rockies when they scored six power-play goals in an 8-6 win over the Flyers on Feb. 19, 1980.

Daniel Briere, Mike Knuble and Jeff Carter had Philadelphia's goals.

The Flyers hadn't lost in regulation in their previous eight games and were 10-1-2 in the last 13. But they hardly looked like a team playing for first place.

Philadelphia mostly outplayed New Jersey at even strength. The problem was stopping the Devils' suddenly potent power play. New Jersey came in 28th in the NHL with a conversion rate of 14 percent.

With Oduya playing like Wayne Gretzky in his prime, the Devils capitalized on almost every opportunity on the man advantage.

Oduya came in with nine points in 40 games this season, and recorded multiple points for the first time in 117 career games. He scored New Jersey's first goal to tie it at 1 and assisted on three of the next four.

Zubrus scored from the slot to give the Devils a 3-2 lead late in the first period. Elias made it 4-2 midway through the second. Oduya set that one up with a perfect, one-handed centering pass.

Flyers goaltender Antero Niittymaki was pulled for Martin Biron after Parise made it 5-2 with 5:27 left in the second. Niittymaki, who was 6-0-1 in his last seven starts, allowed five goals on 19 shots.

Carter scored with 8 seconds remaining in the second period to get the Flyers within 5-3. But Elias and Parise scored less than a minute apart early in the third period to put the game out of reach.

A feisty first period featured two fights and another scrap involving a few players. Flyers rookie Steve Downie excited the sellout crowd when he bloodied David Clarkson's left eye in the second fight in a three-minute span.

Devils goalie Martin Brodeur looked shaky early, but finished with 24 saves.

Notes: The Flyers beat New Jersey 4-0 in Philadelphia in the teams' first meeting in October. ... Elias' goal gave him 600 career points. ... The seven goals were the most scored by the Devils and most allowed by the Flyers this season. ... Oduya was the 221st pick by Washington in the 2001 NHL entry draft. He signed with the Devils as a free agent after playing five seasons in Sweden.

Brazil's Julio Cesar to miss Mexico game

2012-03-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar will not play against Mexico on Tuesday because of a left thigh muscle injury.

The Brazilian football federation says the injury is not serious but the Inter Milan goalkeeper won't recover in time for the friendly match in Torreon.

The 32-year-old Julio Cesar was hurt in Brazil's 1-0 win over Costa Rica on Friday and had to be substituted in the second half.

Botafogo goalkeeper Jefferson is expected to replace Julio Cesar against Mexico.

Julio Cesar has been given permission by Brazil coach Mano Menezes to return to Milan.

He is likely to miss Saturday's club game against Catania but could return for Inter's Champions League match at Lille three days later.

Pakistan faces chaos, elections in doubt after Bhutto killing

2012-03-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

The assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto deals a stunning blow to liberal political forces trying to combat rising Islamic extremism in Pakistan.

Gathering unrest by her supporters also risks tipping the volatile country into chaos, and puts additional pressure on President Pervez Musharraf as he struggles to keep order and stay in power.

It scuppers hopes of Western governments that the charismatic, two-time former prime minister could team up with Musharraf and galvanize Pakistan's struggling fight against Taliban and al-Qaida militants after Jan. 8 elections that are now themselves in doubt.

"This assassination is the most serious setback for democracy in Pakistan," said Rasul Baksh Rais, a political scientist at Lahore's University of Management Sciences. "It shows extremists are powerful enough to disrupt the democratic process. Musharraf's major concern now will be maintain law and order and make sure this does not turn into a major movement against him."

Bhutto died Thursday when an attacker shot her and then blew himself up as she left a political rally in Rawalpindi, a city near the capital where Pakistan's army has its headquarters. It was second suicide attack against her since her tumultuous homecoming from an eight-year exile in October.

The other key opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif _ whose government was ousted in the 1999 coup that brought Musharraf to power _ quickly announced he was boycotting the parliamentary elections that are meant to usher Pakistan toward civilian government after years of military dominance.

Talat Masood, a retired general and now a political analyst, expected Bhutto's party to follow suit _ a move that would rob the vote of legitimacy.

Musharraf could become a political casualty of the unfolding crisis amid perceptions his government failed to provide adequate security for Bhutto. She had accused elements in the ruling party of backing militants to kill her _ claims that could gain more traction now despite government denials.

At the very least, the government will appear to be losing its grip over Pakistan.

"Conditions in the country have reached a point where it is too dangerous for political parties to operate," Masood said.

He anticipated that Musharraf, who recently suspended the constitution for six weeks and purged the Supreme Court of judges who could have scuppered his own election to a new five-year term, could take drastic steps. "It is possible they could declare an emergency again," he said.

Musharraf, who was himself targeted twice in Rawalpindi by al-Qaida bombers in December 2003, gave no immediate sign of an authoritarian backlash to Bhutto's assassination. He declared three days of national mourning and vowed to fight the terrorists behind her killing.

Only a few months ago, he held direct talks with Bhutto and later signed a corruption amnesty that paved the way for her return from exile.

But Anthony Cordesman at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, warned that any suspicion that Musharraf had a role in Bhutto's killing or knew about the plot and failed to prevent it could pitch Pakistan "to the edge of civil conflict."

"Much will depend on whether some Islamist extremist movement announces that it committed the attack, but even then a substantial number of Pakistanis will still see the Musharraf government as being at least indirectly involved, and there would be a flood of destabilizing conspiracy theories," he said.

Bhutto was the figurehead of Pakistan's most prominent political family and party _ a mantle she adopted following the execution of her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1979 during a former military regime. Her demise was a shock to Pakistanis, capping one of the most turbulent years in the country's six-decade history that has shaken Musharraf's standing both at home and abroad.

Taliban militants that have caused havoc in neighboring Afghanistan in recent years have become a threat to Pakistan's own stability _ not only grabbing effective control of tracts of the volatile northwestern frontier, but launching attacks in cities elsewhere.

Western allies, particularly the U.S. and Britain, viewed Bhutto as a potential ally for Musharraf who could stand up to this growing militant threat and galvanize the campaign against terrorism, amid signs that al-Qaida's leadership has reconstituted itself inside Pakistan, posing a risk to global security.

"In a society becoming increasingly intolerant, she was being viewed by the international community as a person who could make a difference as a moderate politician, who, if she came to power, could turn the tide of religious extremism in this country," said Zaffar Abbas, an editor for the respected Dawn newspaper.

The Bush administration, which had invested much diplomatic capital in achieving a rapprochement between Musharraf and Bhutto scrambled Thursday with the implications of her death.

Christine Fair, a South Asia expert with Rand Corp., said that demands for Musharraf's departure will increase after Bhutto's assassination. But Washington still views him as a critical ally and "likely does not have a plan" for the contingency of him stepping down in these circumstances, Fair said.

In a harbinger of the political instability that now beckons, Sharif, a longtime rival of Bhutto, sounded defiant Thursday, and Bhutto's supporters rampaged across Pakistani cities.

"We will take the revenge on the rulers," a tearful Sharif said after he rushed to the Rawalpindi hospital where Bhutto was taken and sat beside her corpse.

Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, the largest secular political group in Pakistan, itself faces a challenge to find a successor to the former prime minister. The party proved largely ineffectual in opposition to Musharraf during her years in exile or as a bulwark against extremism.

"She was the most powerful leader with a liberal background and had the confidence to confront religious extremists ... Among Pakistanis in general there will be fear about the future," said Hasan-Askari Rizvi, a political analyst and author.

But Cordesman stressed the domestic turmoil was very unlikely to endanger the safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. The government has rejected suggestions that Islamic militants might assault or infiltrate secret facilities where the weapons are stored.

"They are not stored where public riots or demonstrations can affect them, and there is no reason the military should become unstable or their security should be compromised," Cordesman said.

____

Matthew Pennington is AP's bureau chief in Islamabad and has covered Pakistan since 2003.

A public health approach to the prevention of childhood overweight

2012-03-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

Objective: To develop and pilot test a growth assessment program in the Calgary Health Region that would provide continuous measured data on the prevalence of overweight among pre-school children attending for vaccination and assessment, and promote lifestyle behaviours that help children achieve healthy growth.

Methods: Resources were developed to support a three-strategy approach to promote healthy growth (feel good about yourself, have fun being physically active and enjoy healthy eating). A protocol for growth assessment was developed with multidisciplinary input. Public health nurses (PHN) were trained in standardized measurement techniques and resources for families. Children's weight and height measurements were plotted on the CDC Growth Charts (2000) and were used to identify children as overweight ([Symbol Not Transcribed] [greater or equal to]95[Symbol Not Transcribed] percentile), healthy weight ([Symbol Not Transcribed] [greater or equal to]5[Symbol Not Transcribed] <95[Symbol Not Transcribed] percentile) or underweight (<5[Symbol Not Transcribed] percentile). Data was analyzed centrally to convert Weight-for-Stature to BMI-for-Age to identify children at-risk of overweight ([Symbol Not Transcribed] [greater or equal to]85[Symbol Not Transcribed] percentile <95[Symbol Not Transcribed] percentile). Parent evaluations were conducted to examine the acceptability of the growth assessment. PHN questionnaires were conducted to examine perceptions of the visit and adequacy of resources.

Results: Data from 383 children was obtained. Overweight occurred in 8% of children (8% of boys and 8% of girls); 17% were at risk of overweight (22% of boys and 14% of girls) and 2% (1% of boys and 3% of girls) were underweight. Parent evaluations indicated that the majority were either very happy/happy with the information received during the visit. PHN counseling confidence significantly improved.

Implications and conclusions: This approach to identifying overweight children appeared satisfactory to families and PHN in an environment with limited resources for treatment of childhood overweight.