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Report: North Korean leader alive but ill

2012-03-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is alive but seriously ill, a news report said Wednesday, amid mounting speculation over the leader's health after he missed a key national ceremony.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited an unidentified South Korean government official as saying Kim appeared to have "collapsed," a term that in the Korean language is used when a person becomes suddenly ill due to causes including stroke.

The official stressed that it is certain that Kim has not died, Yonhap said.

The report did not give further details.

Kim did not appear at a parade commemorating North Korea's founding 60 years ago Tuesday, …

Shortfalls as opportunities ; Infrastructure is one sector where opportunities missed aren't opportunities lost not at least for the investors. BT presents a snapshot of prospects across a few key sectors.

2012-03-15T04:48:00.000-07:00

On March 11, about 100 school children showed up outside theoffice of the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company at Bharatinagarin Bengaluru bearing gas lamps. They carried posters that read: Ifwe fail, Mr. C.M. you are to blame. and Are we living in the darkages? They were protesting the untimely 2-hour power cuts just aheadof annual exams.

The infrastructure in the IT capital of India, much like that inrest of India, is inexcusable. Most of Bengaluru's famed techiesspend a minimum of two hours every day commuting to and from theElectronic City. It's hardly 20 km from the heart of the city, whichwould take half the time in London, New York or Paris, says MohandasPai, a …

Chip Off Old Block: Stastny, Avs Win

2012-03-15T02:27:00.000-07:00

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Whatever emotions Paul Stastny has about breaking one of his dad's records can wait. The rookie forward is determined to get the Colorado Avalanche back into playoff contention. Stastny did his part Wednesday night, setting up two goals to extend the Avalanche's win streak to five games with a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Fellow rookie Wojtek Wolski sealed it by scoring the go-ahead goal 1:41 into the third period.

But Stastny earned the limelight, extending his point streak to 17 games to match the NHL rookie record set in 1993 by Winnipeg's Teemu Selanne. And he also broke the franchise record set by his father, Peter, in 1980.

"Oh, it won't hit …

Police arrest suspect in fatal school stabbing

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

Dutch police say they have arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man at a school playground.

A 69-year-old man was stabbed to death Tuesday at a playground shared by three primary schools in an upscale neighborhood in southern Amsterdam.

Police say there was no direct threat to school children, but some of them witnessed …

U.S. gains Davis Cup semis

2012-03-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

Andy Roddick played "closer" again for the United States, beatingFernando Gonzalez of Chile in four sets Sunday to clinch the DavisCup quarterfinal in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

The U.S. team next faces Russia, which defeated France in anotherquarterfinal. The Russians will be the home team for the semifinal.

Roddick, who wrapped up a Davis Cup round for the seventh time,defeated Gonzalez 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 to give the United States aninsurmountable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five matchup. Paul Capdevilleof Chile made the final score 3-2 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory againstJames Blake in a meaningless final match.

"I guess I'm the one in the right place at the right …

Kansas Bankers Association CEO Forum: Messages from Washington and the economy

2012-03-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

Members of the Kansas Bankers Association heard a lot about their burning issues in Washington at the KBA's CEO & Senior Management Forum/Annual Meeting last month.

Republican Congressman Jerry Moran, who represents western Kansas' sprawling 1st District, had some advice for bankers in their efforts to get relief from regulatory burden. "The best thing you can do," he said, "is zero in on a particular rule or regulation. That way we can take them on one at a time." Moran commented on other issues of concern to his fellow Kansans, including credit unions, Wal-Mart and the Farm Credit System.

There "isn't enough momentum," he believes, for credit unions to get expanded …

Qatar Holding sells all shares in Nordic stock exchange OMX

2012-03-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

Qatar Holding LLC has sold all its shares in Nordic stock exchange operator OMX AB, it said in a notification to the stock market Tuesday.

The Qatar group owned just under 10 percent of the shares in OMX and had previously applied for permission to buy up to 100 percent of the company.

However, the group withdrew its application in December, signaling it was pulling out of a takeover battle for the …

More Syrian protesters gunned down

2012-03-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

BEIRUT — Syrian security forces killed at least 20 protesters Friday despite promises by President Bashar Assad that the military operations against the 5-month-old uprising are over.

The killings, which came as thousands poured into the streets across Syria, suggest the autocratic leader is either unwilling to stop the violence — or not fully in control of his own regime.

Assad, who inherited power from his father in 2000, is facing the most serious international isolation of his rule. On Thursday, the United States and its European allies demanded he step down.

Military operations have subsided in the past few days, following a fresh crackdown on major flashpoint …

Cash Flows in the Investment Portfolio

2012-03-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Smoothing out risk and reward

Prudent management of a bank's investment portfolio requires a clear understanding of the dynamics of cash flows. A bond, or any financial asset for that matter, is essentially a set of future payments that are purchased with the expectation of a positive return when the entire principal is repaid. And a portfolio of bonds is simply the collective sum of those cash flows from each individual security. If you avoid credit risk and focus only on highgrade securities, you can concentrate on the management of those cash flows to produce a reasonably predictable stream of liquidity, which can be re-invested in future months or years and provide an optimal …

Tseng wins the LPGA Championship

2012-03-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

Yani Tseng of Taiwan became the first rookie in 10 years to win a major, beating Maria Hjorth on the fourth hole of a playoff with a 5-foot birdie on the 18th hole to win the LPGA Championship.

Tseng, a 19-year-old with a decorated amateur career, closed with a 4-under 68 and became the second-youngest woman to win a major. Not since Se Ri Pak in the 1998 McDonald's LPGA Championship had a player won a major as a rookie.

"I feel so lucky," Tseng said.

Hjorth appeared to have fate on her side when her fairway metal bounced off the rocks in a creek, over a ledge and across the green, turning a bogey into a birdie on the 15th hole. She closed …

Guzman a bright spot in loss: Phillies 2, Cubs 1: Improving rookie allows one run in 6 innings vs. Phils

2012-03-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

Good news of any kind is welcome for the Cubs this season, soWednesday's news that rookie pitcher Ryan O'Malley does not have aserious arm injury was a positive in the face of a third straightloss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

An arthrogram performed Wednesday showed that O'Malley, who lefthis Wrigley Field debut Tuesday in the fifth, has a mild elbowstrain, far less serious a condition than originally feared. He wasput on the disabled list for a period of rest and medication but isexpected back in two weeks.

The Phillies' good news came in a 2-1 victory that moved them towithin 1oe games of the Cincinnati Reds for the National League wildcard.

The Cubs …

Million Mom March set for Mother's Day

2012-03-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

Million Mom March set for Mother's Day

Steve Young was a 45-year-old father of four boys at 5:30 on the afternoon of June 10, 1996.

His 19-year-old son Andrew was making a left turn on to Howard Street from Clark Street at that moment. Andrew's twin brother was seated in the family car along with friends who had just had one of those adolescent verbal skirmishes with a disgruntled fellow adolescent who was aboard a bicycle.

"When we were kids, it would have ended up with a punch through the car window and they would all have lived to tell about it," Young, a former piano tuner, said Tuesday.

As it turned out, the altercation resulted in the shooting death of …

Brunei tells citizens to brace for future beyond oil reliance

2012-03-14T02:45:00.000-07:00

The government of oil-dependent Brunei wants its citizens to change their lifestyles and prepare for a future when their oil and gas reserves are exhausted.

"It isn't a question about choice or option _ rather it is a question of survival," Brunei's Minister of Energy Awang Yahya said in a speech Wednesday to business leaders in Singapore.

Yahya stressed that oil and gas were not merely an energy source for the tiny sultanate on Borneo island, but the origin of everything from export earnings and employment to government revenue and investment opportunities.

The petroleum sector contributes 94 percent of Brunei's state revenue, 96 percent of its exports, 74 percent of investments and 69 percent of its gross domestic product, Yahya said.

"Every hydrocarbon molecule matters," Yahya said. "We cannot allow utilization of these resources that doesn't bring maximum return or benefits, and wasteful consumption of these resources must not be permitted at all."

Brunei's oil and gas resources have long made it one of Asia's richest economies. Experts have estimated the country's oil reserves should last another 25 years, while its gas reserves are predicted to be enough for 40 years.

Yahya said the government practices conservation policies that cap oil production to 200,000 barrels a day, but added that people need to envision a "sustainable future beyond oil and gas."

"A lot of things need to be changed, particularly the high-energy consumption lifestyle and wastage," Yahya said.

Some officials say Brunei's people are complacent about energy resources because retail fuel prices are heavily subsidized by the government. Citizens also do not need to pay personal income tax despite having relatively high paying jobs and enjoy free health care and education.

In recent years, the government has announced efforts toward economic diversification that include tapping long-neglected coal resources and building a major methanol plant.

Oilers-Flames Sums

2012-03-13T23:53:00.000-07:00

Edmonton 1 0 0_1
Calgary 2 3 1_6
First Period_1, Calgary, Boyd 7 (Iginla, Backlund), 3:45. 2, Edmonton, Gagner 13 (O'Sullivan, Grebeshkov), 12:25 (pp). 3, Calgary, Bourque 18 (Bouwmeester, Iginla), 13:20. Penalties_Horcoff, Edm, major (fighting), 10:35	Giordano, Cal, major (fighting), 10:35	Boyd, Cal (tripping), 10:35	Backlund, Cal (tripping), 18:30.
Second Period_4, Calgary, Boyd 8, 6:48. 5, Calgary, Phaneuf 10 (Lundmark, Jokinen), 7:32. 6, Calgary, Iginla 23 (Giordano, Jokinen), 15:13 (pp). Penalties_McGrattan, Cal, misconduct, 12:40	Cogliano, Edm (interference), 13:21	Souray, Edm (roughing), 13:40	Bouwmeester, Cal (hooking), 17:35	Calgary bench, served by Backlund (too many men), 19:50.
Third Period_7, Calgary, Iginla 24 (Boyd, Bouwmeester), 9:40. Penalties_Souray, Edm, major (fighting), 3:08	Iginla, Cal, major (fighting), 3:08	Bouwmeester, Cal (hooking), 5:22	Potulny, Edm (high-sticking), 16:52.
Shots on Goal_Edmonton 10-9-9_28. Calgary 9-14-7_30.
Power-play opportunities_Edmonton 1 of 5	Calgary 1 of 3.
Goalies_Edmonton, Dubnyk 0-6-1 (30 shots-24 saves). Calgary, Kiprusoff 24-16-8 (28-27).
A_19,289 (19,289). T_2:28.
Referees_Brad Meier, Dan O'Halloran. Linesmen_Mike Cvik, Andy McElman.

Increase in home loan approvals

2012-03-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

The number of approvals for new house purchases has defiedexpectations by rising to its highest point in almost two years.

But economists warned of deals becoming more restricted as bankstighten lending conditions. Loan approvals for house purchase roseto 52,854 in November with a total value of Pounds 7.6 billion, thesecond monthly rise in a row and the highest figure since December2009, the Bank of England figures showed. But the number of loansfor remortgaging declined for the second month in a row to reach31,154, worth Pounds 4.1 billion overall, the lowest figure sinceJune last year.

Samuel Tombs of Capital Economics said the increase in newmortgage approvals from 52,786 a month earlier defied the widely-held expectation for a fall.

But he added: "We fear that approvals for new house purchasemight soon start to fall as banks further restrict the availability,and raise the price, of credit in response to the deterioration inwholesale funding markets." Meanwhile, the amount borrowed on creditcards was broadly unchanged in November, while other loans andadvances rose by Pounds 400 million.

Canada objects to 'Buy American' in US jobs bill

2012-03-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

TORONTO (AP) — Canada's trade minister says he's concerned about comments by the U.S. ambassador to Canada in defending the "Buy American" provisions in President Barack Obama's jobs bill.

Ambassador David Jacobson said Tuesday the provisions are necessary if parts of the bill have any chance of passage through a fractious U.S. Congress. He says the bill ultimately will be good for both countries.

The proposal includes a requirement that all iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in public buildings or works be supplied by U.S. firms.

Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast has responded by saying that trade restrictive measures hurt both countries.

Canada won an exemption from the "Buy American" provisions in the U.S. economic stimulus bill in 2009.

Malia triumphs in J.P. House seat race

2012-03-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

Malia triumphs in J.P. House seat race

David G. Yosifon

The youthful optimism that powered Tomas Gonzalez' bid to become the only Latino in the state Legislature slammed into the cold reality of Boston city politics last Tuesday as Liz Malia, the Democratic establishment candidate, was elected in the 11th Suffolk district with nearly 70 percent of the vote.

Malia will succeed her former boss, John McDonough, for whom she worked on Beacon Hill as chief of staff for nine years before McDonough stepped down late last year to take a professorship at Boston College, prompting Tuesday's special election and Malia's candidacy.

Gonzalez, 27, had pinned his hopes for victory on the more than 2,000 Latino voters in the district, which covers Jamaica Plain, as well as parts of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Roslindale, but on election day Gonzalez was able to pick up only 449 votes, losing in all but one of the district's seventeen precincts.

As the polls closed Tuesday night though, Gonzalez looked and talked more like a man at the beginning of a campaign than at the end of one. Surrounded by more than 100 friends, family members, and volunteers at his campaign headquarters on Seaver Street in Jamaica Plain, Gonzales pledged to continue working to engage Boston's Latino community in the city's political life.

"This was never just about this election, this is part of a movement to get Latinos organized and involved in the political process," Gonzalez said.

"The important thing is not whether we won or lost today, but what we can do to continue the energy and interest that this campaign generated."

Gonzalez' campaign manager, Juan Tennyson, a 25-year veteran of political campaigns in Boston's communities of color, said that despite the miserable election-day turnout, the Gonzalez campaign took crucial steps toward establishing a viable political infrastructure among Latinos.

"It was beautiful. We really motivated this community," Tennyson said.

"What we are doing is building our own political machine. We just need certain other components to come together and we will be successful."

Tennyson said the Gonzalez campaign was able to attract support -- both money and volunteers -- from Latinos all over the state. Without the benefit of an elaborate party structure of wards and committees, which Malia as a Democratic insider was able to use effectively, Tennyson said the campaign relied on a very public presence: standing with signs and passing out literature each morning at Egelston square, knocking on doors, and visiting church and community groups.

"We also had strong support from the Latino media. Anybody that listens to Spanish radio or watches Spanish television got to hear Tomas' message," Tennyson said.

Though they are the single largest and the fastest growing minority group in Massachusetts, there has not been a Latino in the state legislature since Nelson Merced, who was the first, left in 1992.

Latino political activists will now turn their attention from Jamaica Plain to Cambridge, where another young Latino, Jarrett Barrios, 30, is running to unseat state Rep. Alvin Thompson in the 28th Middlesex District.

Thompson, who is one of just eight blacks in the state Legislature, is considered by many political observers to be vulnerable to a primary challenge and Cantabrigians are bracing for what some observers fear could become a tug of war between black and Latino activists over who will represent the predominantly white Cambridge district.

Back in Jamaica Plain, representative-elect Liz Malia has become as scarce as she was available during the campaign, when her rapid response team would flood inquiring reporters with quotes, faxes, and phone calls.

Since election day though, Malia's Centre Street headquarters have been bolted shut, and while she thanks the electorate for their support on her answering machine, repeated phone calls from the Banner requesting comments about her immediate plans for the district were not returned.

Photo (Tomas Gonzalez with family members and volunteers)

Vince McMahon defends WWE; Conn. Dems cry tag-team

2012-03-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Wrestling impresario Vince McMahon — who has largely avoided the role of political spouse and whose World Wrestling Entertainment alter ego has been on hiatus during his wife's Senate campaign in Connecticut — has emerged from ringside in the contest's final days, defending a business empire he says has been trashed because of politics.

Democrats call his actions a late tag-team effort to boost Republican Linda McMahon's campaign as she trails in the polls.

Fed up with what he called "malicious and misleading attacks," the bombastic 65-year-old McMahon recently launched an Internet campaign called "Stand up for WWE," whose past policies and programming have been attacked by his wife's opponents.

He also filed a federal lawsuit this week against the top state election official for suggesting that WWE fans who come to the polls cover up their wrestling clothing or paraphernalia, given Linda McMahon's ties to the company. A judge Wednesday ruled in McMahon's favor.

And on Saturday, the WWE is staging a fan appreciation event in Hartford just three days before Linda McMahon hopes to rally enough voters to defeat Democrat Richard Blumenthal for the seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd. WWE announced Thursday it will hand out free merchandise near selected polling places on Election Day to "celebrate" its success with the lawsuit.

Vince McMahon says such efforts have been "a monumental success."

"Certain members of the media, they're a little less likely to write untruths. Elitists, a little less likely to be looking down their noses at us. And even government officials, are concerned about the collective power of you, the WWE universe," McMahon proudly tells the fans in a WWE Web message posted this week.

While WWE and Linda McMahon's Senate campaign both claim the "Stand up for WWE" endeavor is strictly a company initiative, state Democrats have sought a federal elections investigation into whether the company has illegally cooperated with the political campaign.

"Linda McMahon's $50 million attack machine is calling in corporate reinforcements with no respect for the law or the voters of Connecticut," said state Democratic Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo, referring to how much the candidate has said she'll spend on her campaign.

Vince McMahon has appeared politically only once with his wife since she declared her candidacy last fall — in May, when she won the state GOP's endorsement.

Still, his image and reputation have made an impression in a race where the issues of steroid abuses and the WWE's controversial programming have often outmatched policy discussions.

Political opponents have enjoyed showing clips of Vince McMahon — as WWE character Mr. McMahon — forcing a woman to bark like a dog. They also point to his 1994 trial when was faced charges of conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids to wrestlers. He was later acquitted.

Linda McMahon has touted her 30 years as an executive at WWE, and its past incarnations, in saying she has what it takes to turn around Washington.

Her husband of 44 years acknowledges he doesn't have much use for politicians and politics.

"When Linda mentioned to me that she wanted to give this a run and what did I think, I said, 'Well if you're successful, you'll be the only honest politician I know in Washington D.C.,'" Vince McMahon told The Associated Press.

On the campaign trail, Linda McMahon has mostly been accompanied by her paid campaign staff, appearing at times with the couple's daughter Stephanie, or Stephanie's husband Paul Levesque, the wrestler known as Triple H.

And on WWE's programming, the fictional Mr. McMahon has been incapacitated for months after some renegade wrestlers beat him up in June. McMahon told the AP that he hopes to end the character, saying the performances in the ring have become physically grueling.

"This was not about Vince McMahon, it should not have been about WWE, it was about Linda. The campaign was about Linda McMahon running for Senate," WWE spokesman Rob Zimmerman said.

The McMahons transformed a small wrestling company they bought from Vince's father into the success that it's become today, complete with pay-per-view matches and a planned cable TV channel. Both talk about sharing a desk in the old days, not sure whether they could afford to pay their taxes or their staff.

Vince McMahon acknowledges he underestimated the interest, and scrutiny, the Senate race would bring to WWE and the issues he and the company have faced over the years, such as steroids, wrestler deaths and raunchy programming.

And he's also been surprised by how he's been portrayed as a mythic, all-controlling figure who knew what was really going "back in the day," before the company revamped everything from its programming to drug testing.

"I'm supposed to be this Machiavellian character of some kind ... ," he told the AP. "Oh yeah, I'm extremely aggressive, over the top and real matter-of-fact, and I go for the jugular everyday and have an extraordinary work ethic and what have you, but the stories are legendary."

Turkish jets strike at PKK in Iraq

2012-03-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish warplanes have bombed 20 suspected Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq in a third day of cross-border strikes, the military said Saturday.

Friday's aerial offensive was backed with 85 rounds of artillery fire, according to a statement posted on the military headquarters' website.

Turkey launched its latest cross-border offensive on Wednesday, hours after eight soldiers and a village guard were killed in an ambush near the Iraqi border. It came on the heels of escalated attacks by the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, that have killed some 40 soldiers since July.

The military released footage that it claimed showed attacks on positions — apparently pinpointed with the help of intelligence gathered by unmanned drones — that included a bridge, suspected rebel shelters and caves used as ammunition depots on Mount Qandil on the Iraqi-Iranian border and in the Hakurk area in northeastern Iraq.

The rebels have long used northern Iraq as a springboard for hit-and-run attacks on Turkish targets in their campaign for autonomy in Turkey's Kurdish-dominated southeast.

Turkey has carried out a number of cross-border air raids and ground incursions over the years but has failed to stop rebel infiltration through the mountainous border.

The military statement said all planes returned to their base safely and that work was under way to assess the damage and losses caused.

A PKK spokesman, Ahmed Danis said Saturday that the Turkish strikes had hit bases already destroyed in previous strikes.

"Our fighters left these bases a while ago and now they are in constant mobility. Therefore there were no casualties. But there was damage to homes and land in villages which forced people to leave these areas," he said.

"We do not see any point in launching these strikes on the border areas because the confrontation is taking place deep inside the Turkish areas," he said.

Turkey's Interior Ministry meanwhile, said troops had killed at least four rebels, including two women fighters, in clashes inside Turkey since Thursday.

The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict since 1984.

Yahya Barzanji in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq contributed.

Romania: Official criticized by president resigns

2012-03-13T05:30:00.000-07:00

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Officials say a top Romanian health official has resigned after being criticized by the president for allegedly blocking health reforms.

Health Minister Ladislau Ritli said Tuesday he regretted the resignation of Raed Arafat, a senior official in the Health Ministry who is highly respected in Romania for creating a modern emergency health service.

Arafat's resignation came after he was repeatedly publicly criticized by President Traian Basescu over his opposition to government plans to introduce private emergency health services.

On Monday, Basescu accused Arafat of stirring up public dissent by saying that the proposed measure would make the system less efficient.

Arafat says the current public emergency service is efficient and that Romania's priority should be to save lives not money.

POWELL'S MESSAGE TO ARAFAT: STOP THE TERROR ATTACKS But after three-hour meeting, Palestinian leader wants Israel to halt military operations first

2012-03-13T02:04:00.000-07:00

JERUSALEM--Secretary of State Colin Powell's separate meetingswith Yasser Arafat and Ariel Sharon on Sunday failed to produce acease-fire as Palestinian leaders pressed first for a completeIsraeli troop withdrawal from the West Bank.

Powell's long day of shuttle diplomacy took him to Arafat'sbesieged headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah for a 21/2hour meeting and then to Tel Aviv for his second visit in two dayswith Israeli Prime Minister Sharon.

Powell makes a day trip today to Beirut and Damascus to urge theleaders of Lebanon and Syria to use their influence to preventLebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas from opening another front on Israel'snorthern border that could spawn a regional conflict.

Israel claims that Hezbollah is controlled by Syria and isresponsible for shellings of northern Israel.

Arafat has been holed up in virtual captivity at his Ramallahcompound since the end of March, when Israel launched the militaryincursion into the West Bank and sought to isolate the PalestinianAuthority chairman after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at aPassover Seder in Netanya.

Emerging from the meeting in the war-torn city, Powell said he hada useful and constructive exchange'' that will continue between teamsof staff members again today.

Meanwhile, Israel put on the table offers to Palestinian fighterswho have been trapped in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, oneof Christianity's holiest sites.

The gunmen--estimated by Israel to number 200--would get safepassage to exit, providing they agree to be permanently expelled fromIsrael or to stand trial in Israel, an offer likely to be rebuffed byPalestinian leaders.

Another proposal announced Sunday by Sharon at a Cabinet meetingcalled for a new international conference to discuss various MiddleEast political proposals with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Jordanand Palestinian representatives--with the exclusion of Arafat andonce a cease-fire is in place.

The Jerusalem Post is reporting in today's edition that Sharonsaid, This idea is acceptable to the U.S., and I estimate that withina short period of time this conference will convene, and deal withpolitical solutions in the Middle East and regional development."

Arafat expressed conditional acceptance of the idea. In a phonecall to Fox News, he said, "I am ready for immediate conference, butat the same time immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces."

Powell's quest

The one-hour time zone difference between Ramallah and Jerusalem,cities only 10 miles apart, is symbolic of the gulf Powell is tryingto bridge.

Powell arrived in Israel on Wednesday night to try to negotiate acease-fire after President Bush jumped into the swelling crisis withthe demand that Israeli troops retreat from the West Bank and Arafatoppose terror attacks that have been plaguing Israel.

The meeting with Arafat was postponed a day after a suicide attackFriday at a Jerusalem bus stop killed six bystanders and thePalestinian woman who detonated the bomb. The next day, Arafat issueda statement in Arabic condemning terror, and the meeting wasrestored.

During the exchanges Arafat spoke in Arabic for about an hour andsaid his priority was to see Israeli withdrawal,'' said a seniorState Department official who did not want to be identified.

On religious sites, he talked especially about Bethlehem and thechurch there. He talked about humanitarian issues, particularlyJenin,'' the official said.

Deaths and devastation at the Jenin refugee camp--which wasestablished in 1953--have become a major embarrassment to Israel, andon Saturday Powell said the United States was particularlyconcerned'' about the conditions in the camp, joining a chorus ofhumanitarian organizations.

Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said the reason internationalobservers have not been allowed into the camp to report on conditionswas there was still an exchange of fire in Jenin.''

But the Israeli government lifted some travel restrictions onjournalists and took a small group in to tour the wreckage in thecamp that is the result of the military campaign to root outterrorists and the infrastructure that supports suicide strikes onIsrael.

Powell talked for about 45 minutes in the meeting with Arafat andsent a very clear message,'' said the official, that the bombing hadto stop.'' Powell stressed the point throughout the meeting, theofficial said.

The pattern of bombings is a barrier to moving forward. It makeseverything more difficult to move forward. It was a very clearmessage from the secretary.''

Little progress was made. Palestinian Parliament Speaker AhmedQuriea, who attended the meeting, told the Associated Press: "We toldSecretary Powell that we shall not discuss any subject before Israelpulls out" from towns and villages occupied since March 29. Israeliforces remain in the main West Bank towns of Jenin, Bethlehem, Nablusand Ramallah.

Arafat's cake

The Palestinians served their guests chocolate cake, which wasbrought by the Norwegian ambassador a few days ago and saved so theycould serve it with a bit of coffee.

In Washington, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice saidBush was open to the notion of an international security conference.Well, of course, we would consider anything that would help in thissituation. We don't want to act prematurely here,'' she said on Meetthe Press.''

Also on the show, Nasser al Kidwa, the Palestinian representativeto the United Nations, was dismissive of the Sharon safe passage planto resolve the standoff at the Bethlehem church.

I think the fact that the Israeli tanks are imposing militarysiege on the Church of Nativity is scandalous," al Kidwa said. "Itshouldn't have taken place in the first place, and what is now comingout from the Israeli side is as much scandalous.

"I mean, they are proposing either to have those people facing theIsraeli courts or for them to leave the country. That is deportation,very serious violation of the . . . Geneva Convention. It isprohibited under international law, but this is reflective of theIsraeli thinking.''

The northern border

Powell will make an unscheduled detour to Lebanon and Syria todayto do what he can to keep two weeks of largely overshadowed borderclashes there from sparking a descent into a wider regional war.

Since the Israeli assault on Palestinian West Bank towns began,the sparsely populated border area bisected by what the UnitedNations has dubbed the "Blue Line" has seen a daily back-and-forthbarrage of artillery shells, missiles, rifle fire and bombs.

So far, casualties have been light for Israeli army troops,Lebanon-based Hezbollah guerrilla fighters and villagers on bothsides of the 70-mile front, which meanders along hills of scrub androcks. But that could quickly change--a fact spurring Powell todivert from his diplomatic focus on the West Bank.

"The Palestinian arena, despite all its importance, may soonbecome secondary to the northern arena," Israeli Army Maj. Gen. DanHarel warned this weekend.

A tinderbox since Israel seized it from Lebanon and Syria duringthe 1967 Arab- Israeli war, the area holds the potential not only totrigger another Lebanon-Israel conflict, but also to draw in Syriaand even Iran.

Contributing: Scripps Howard News Service

Festive French wines uncork Christmas cheer

2012-03-12T23:05:00.000-07:00

There's no place like home for the holidays, so the song says.So I try to create an authentic French Christmas dinner each year formy husband, who misses his homeland most at this time of year. I'vegrown to love the traditional foods and enjoy matching them withFrench wines.

A fine toasting wine to kick off our holiday is Christian SenezBrut Champagne ($13-$15 at Sam's, 1000 W. North) from Fontette insouthern Champagne. This unusual 100 percent Pinot Noir sparkler ispale gold with a lemony floral nose, fruity berry flavor and finebeading that lingers through a long dinner.

A well-known alternative is Perrier Jouet Grand Brut non-vintage($26.50). More Pinot Noir than Chardonnay, this champagne hasobvious charms. It's easy to appreciate, forthright with a honeynose and fruity grapey flavors.

On Christmas Eve we usually share a fresh shellfish stew, lessheavy than a bouillabaisse and more like a San Francisco fish soup.It's well-matched with Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Cuvee Theo1984 ($14). An atypical Gewurztraminer, this deep gold wine is morefruity than spicy, full of apricot, litchi nut and peach flavors. Italso compliments fish in cream sauces.

Sometimes when I add a bit of cayenne, a lot of tomato and anoverdose of garlic to my shellfish dish, a spicier, tannic wine isrequired for balance.

Cotes du Ventoux 1985 La Vieille Ferme ($5-$5.49) makes a greataccompaniment. The Cotes du Ventoux vineyards lie between Provence,my husband's home, and the Rhone Valley on the Vaucluse plateau.These wines are a cross between Provence and Rhone wine styles andare made from a blend of grapes from both regions: Grenache Noir,Cinsaut, Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignan. The cherryish and cassisflavors remind me of a Provence red and the solid, tannic structureis typical of the Rhone. What a great bargain this wine is. Let itaerate a bit in your glass to grow softer and fruitier.

One of my husband's favorite first courses for Christmas day isboudin blanc, homemade white sausages stuffed with a chicken mousseseasoned with thyme, bay and allspice.

Louis Latour Chardonnay 1985 ($7.49) makes a great partner.Light gold, this crisp Burgundy has the rich cheese and vanilla noseof an expensive Meursault from the Cote de Beaume. Yet it is madefrom grapes grown much farther south, in the chalky soil of Ardechenear Avignon.

Little known but definitely worth seeking out is Couly-DutheilChinon Les Gravieres ($10.49). Fittingly described as "taffeta wine"by French writer Rabelais, this northern Loire valley Cabernet Francpossesses an earthy, herbaceous nose. Soft, smooth, attractivelymauve, it is lighter in acidity than southern Loire Cabernet Francs.

Or try Haut Medoc from the St. Laurent region, 1981 Chateau LaTour ($11.49). The chateau, unique in Bordeaux, is a moated medievalcastle. The wine - a traditional Bordeaux blend of 53 percentCabernet Sauvignon, 33 percent Merlot, 10 percent Cabernet Franc and4 percent Petit Verdot - is well balanced with a beefy, cedar nose,rich berry flavor and long finish. Drink it through a cheese coursealso.

Always reliable, La Foret Pinot Noir 1985 ($9.29) from thefamous Burgundian Joseph Drouhin is light-bodied with an allspice andmace nose and cherry-berry flavors perfect with beef or even atraditionally American holiday entree, turkey.

With a buche de Noel (genoise sponge cake roll decorated toresemble a log or buche), try Piper Heidsieck Extra Dry ($26.50),which is frothy, apple-flavored and crisp with a touch of sweetness.

GOP: Offsetting cuts must cover payroll tax relief

2012-03-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican congressional leaders stressed a willingness Wednesday to extend a Social Security payroll tax cut due to expire Dec. 31, setting up a year-end clash with Democrats over how to pay for a provision at the heart of President Barack Obama's jobs program.

"We just think we shouldn't be punishing job creators to pay for it," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, scorning a Democratic proposal to raise taxes on million-dollar income earners.

Instead, Senate Republicans called for a gradual reduction in the size of the federal bureaucracy, as well as steps to make sure that million-dollar earners don't benefit from unemployment benefits or food stamps. They also recommended raising Medicare premiums for individuals with incomes over $750,000 a year.

House Speaker John Boehner said flatly that any tax cut extension will be offset by cuts elsewhere in the budget to avoid raising federal deficits. Numerous Republican officials noted that Obama had said the same thing was true of the plan he unveiled in a nationally televised speech to Congress in September.

The events in Congress, coupled with Obama's fresh appeal for renewal of the payroll tax cut while speaking Wednesday in Scranton, Pa., indicated that leaders in both parties want to seek a compromise less than a week after Congress' high-profile supercommittee failed to find common ground on a related economic issue, a plan to reduce deficits.

Yet nearly a full year before the 2012 elections, it also appeared that lawmakers in both parties are eager to compete for the political high ground before any compromise can be struck on the payroll tax or an extension of unemployment benefits that Republicans also said they might approve.

In a visit to blue-collar northeastern Pennsylvania, Obama warned of a "massive blow to the economy" if Republicans oppose his call for a renewal of the payroll tax cut approved a year ago as a way to stimulate economic growth.

"Are you going to cut taxes for the middle class and those who are trying to get into the middle class, or are you going to protect massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires?" he said, referring to Republicans.

"Are you going to ask a few hundred thousand people who have done very, very well to do their fair share or are you going to raise taxes for hundreds of millions of people across the country?"

Speaking later in New York City, Obama later sounded more conciliatory toward Republicans such as Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

"For the last couple of days Mr. Boehner and Mr. McConnell have both indicated that it probably does make sense not to have taxes go up for middle class families, particularly since they've all taken an oath not to raise taxes," Obama said. "And so it's possible we'll see some additional progress in the next couple of weeks that can continue to help strengthen the economy."

Senate Democrats have set a vote for later in the week to pay for the tax cut renewal by imposing a permanent 3.25 percent surtax on individuals or couples earning more than $1 million a year, a political maneuver designed to cast Republicans as the protectors of the wealthy at a time when unemployment is at 9 percent nationally.

The proposal has no chance of gaining the 60-vote Senate majority needed for approval.

The Senate Republican alternative, unveiled in late afternoon, envisions extending an existing pay freeze for government workers through 2015 — a provision that would apply to lawmakers. It also proposed gradually cutting the government workforce by 10 percent, or 200,000 positions.

Additionally, Republicans recommended taxing away the value of unemployment benefits and denying food stamps to any household with an income of $1 million or more, as well as raising the Medicare premium paid by individuals who earn more than $750,000 a year.

Republicans said their proposal would raise about $221 billion over a decade, covering the cost of a one-year extension of the existing payroll tax cut and leaving $111.5 billion left over for deficit reduction.

"The Democrats can say they just want some people to pay a little bit more to cover this or that dubious proposal," said McConnell, who also noted that there were misgivings inside his party over Obama's proposed tax cut extension.

"Think about that. The Democrats' response to the jobs crisis we're in right now is to raise taxes on those who create jobs. This isn't just counterproductive. It's absurd."

Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, said the GOP plan as written won't pass. "Now that Republicans have reversed their position on this middle-class tax cut, we look forward to working with them to negotiate a consensus solution," he added.

The extension of unemployment benefits is also included in the jobs program Obama announced in the fall, at a cost of $48.5 billion over a decade.

The overall cost of Obama's plan was $447 billion over 10 years, and his recommendations concerning the payroll tax account for well half the amount.

Under bipartisan legislation Obama signed late last year, the 6.2 percent payroll tax paid by workers on incomes up to $106,800 was cut to 4.2 percent through the end of 2011. The president has proposed reducing that further, to 3.1 percent, for 2012.

In addition, he is asking lawmakers to grant a similar tax break to businesses by halving the 6.2 percent they pay on workers' wages, up to $5 million in payroll.

Those two changes carry a cost of $247.5 billion, according to the White House.

The millionaires' surtax was a late change in the president's proposal, insisted upon by Senate Democrats who balked at some of Obama's initial proposals.

Initially, Obama proposed higher taxes on family incomes over $250,000 and on the oil and gas industry.

The first request troubled Democratic senators from states like New York, New Jersey and California, where large numbers of families would be hit by the increase. The second drew opposition most prominently from Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, whose state is home to numerous oil and gas operations.

The president also proposed higher taxes on hedge fund managers and corporate jet owners.

Those increases also disappeared, although supercommittee Republicans said they would be willing to accept the corporate jet increase as part of a deal that made big cuts in federal spending.

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Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.

Facebook teams with Time Warner to fight bullies

2012-03-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook and Time Warner are ganging up on bullies to address a problem that torments millions of children and young adults.

The partnership announced Tuesday calls for Facebook and Time Warner to use their clout to raise awareness about bullying and encourage more people to report the abuses when they see them.

Facebook's participation reflects a growing recognition that its online social network consisting of more than 750 million people has become an outlet for harassment as well as friendship.

"We believe that by working together with parents and teachers, we can teach young people to speak up and stop bullying," said Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer.

The anti-bullying campaign will be waged on the Internet, on TV and radio and several major U.S. magazines. It's being billed as "Stop Bullying: Speak Up," a theme that Time Warner's Cartoon Network has been trumpeting since last year.

Now the message is being extended to Time Warner's CNN on TV and in three of its magazines, People, Time and Sports Illustrated. CNN's Anderson Cooper will host a town hall focused on bullying in October while the magazines will all delve into the topic during the same month.

By the time most kids return to school later this summer, Facebook plans to release a new application that will broadcast a user's pledge to stop bullies. Facebook already introduced a feature to make it easier to report online bullies, or "cyber" bullies, four months ago as part of a White House conference that President Barack Obama held on the topic.

The White House estimates that 13 million students, or nearly one-third of the school-age population in the U.S., are targets of bullying. In a 2009 survey by The Associated Press and MTV, half of the people from 14 to 24 years said they had been cyberbullied.

The harassment, ranging from a person's sexual orientation to their fashion tastes, can lead to emotional problems, drug abuse and, in extreme instances, suicide.

Other media outlets catering to young people have also adopted anti-bullying stances. For example, Viacom Inc.'s Nickelodeon television network unveiled a public service campaign advising its target audience of children ages 2 to 14 on how to counter taunting texts, emails and Facebook posts.

Taiwan's defense ministry says direct air links with China would threaten island's security

2012-03-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

Taiwan's defense ministry says direct air links with rival China would threaten the island's security by exposing air force operations.

The comment in a statement Friday appears to put the ministry at odds with President-elect Ma Ying-jeou, who wants to lift a decades-long ban on direct flights in order to bolster economic ties.

The ban came about when the two sides split amid civil war in 1949. China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory, and has threatened war if the island moves to make the break permanent.

The outgoing ruling Democratic Progressive Party rejected direct air links with China partly because of security concerns.