Barnyard humor // Author milks idea for all it's worth

There are times in all our lives when we have those naggingdoubts about why we do what we do for a living. For Thomas Hageythat moment arrived several years ago when he was stopped by a policeofficer at 6 a.m. on a dark Canadian country road.

Sitting next to Hagey in the cab of his pickup truck was aperfumed pig, its hooves painted with red nail polish. And thenthere was the bag of lingerie - teddies, lace panties, garter belts.

Sure, it was a tad embarrassing. Still, it was a damnfine-looking pig.

Hagey began to explain he was merely taking the pig to a photosession. Sure, that's what they all say. The cop had had enough.

Not wanting to hear …

Hundreds mourn Rangers fan who fell to his death

BROWNWOOD, Texas (AP) — Relatives, friends and fellow firefighters are among the hundreds of mourners at a public visitation for the 39-year-old Texas Rangers fan who fell to his death trying to catch a ball thrown by his son's favorite player.

Shannon Stone died Thursday after dropping head-first about 20 feet from the seats at Rangers Ballpark. Josh Hamilton tossed a ball his way and Stone wanted to …

AP sources: Obama backs high-end health plan tax

President Barack Obama signaled to House Democratic leaders Wednesday that they'll have to drop their opposition to taxing high-end health insurance plans to pay for health coverage for millions of uninsured Americans.

In a meeting at the White House, Obama expressed his preference for the insurance tax contained in the Senate's health overhaul bill, but largely opposed by House Democrats and organized labor, Democratic aides said. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was private.

House Democrats want to raise income taxes on high-income individuals instead and are reluctant to abandon that approach, while recognizing that they will …

`The Blue Room'

NEW YORK Let's get down to what most people want to know about"The Blue Room," the London play that has brought Nicole Kidman toBroadway.

Yes, Kidman, in various stages of demure undress, is just aboutperfect, physically and otherwise. The play, unfortunately, is not,despite director Sam Mendes' highly kinetic production that racesthrough 10 short scenes of seduction.

Arriving Sunday at the Cort Theater on a tidal wave of burblingsfrom the British press, "The Blue Room" is a chilly, neon-litmeditation on sex that playwright David Hare has freely adapted fromArthur Schnitzler's "La Ronde."The production has a stainless-steel heart, despite Kidman'smagnetic …

AIChE part of task force to develop retirement plan

AIChE R leading the efforts of a task force of engineering and science societies that is studying the feasibility of offering retirement packages to their members.

A market survey of the retirement needs of engineers and scientists completed in early summer showed that a significant market exists for a properly designed occupational retirement plan. The survey was conducted under the auspices of the American Association of Engineering Sodeties (AAB) and overseen by a group led by AIChE president Gerhard Frohlich. Ten engineering and scientific societies paid for the survey.

Based on the …

Falling rock kills climber on Oregon's Mount Hood

A 55-year-old physician who had scaled Mount Hood was killed by falling rock that struck him on his way down, authorities said.

Dr. Gary Lee, an experienced climber, was with his son Sunday afternoon when a rock "dislodged from the ice above" and hit him at about 9,000 feet on the 11,239-foot peak, the Hood River County sheriff's office said.

He fell about 1,000 feet before coming to rest in an area of rock and ice above Eliot Glacier, the sheriff's office said.

His body was spotted Sunday evening by helicopter crews from the Oregon National Guard.

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Devils frustrate Leafs; Red Wings win

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Pat Quinn has more to worry about thanlosing by four goals, falling behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven seriesand being outplayed for the third straight game by the New JerseyDevils. In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal Monday night,Quinn saw his Toronto Maple Leafs quit.

"I'm not happy how we played," Quinn said after the Devils' 5-1win at the Continental Airlines Arena. "Part of it was how well theyplayed and part of it was we did not respond. In the third period wedid not compete."

In some ways, that's understandable.

Toronto played its best period of the series in the first periodand got the wide-open, free-skating contest it …

GIG OF THE WEEK; MAKE THAT GIGS OF THE WEEK

With summer here, it's time to start scheduling family vacations: Road trips, camping trips, trips to amusement parks, trips to visit friends and family and even trips to exotic locales. It can get pretty expensive. So, what do you do when you get home and there's not a lot of money left but there is plenty of summer? How about listening to live local music? There are plenty of artists playing in plenty of venues and to see them won't cost you a thing. The following are a few of them playing this week:

Krispen Hartung plays his cool guitar tunes at 6:30 p.m. at Smoky Mountain Pizza on June 29. Niccole Bayley plays and sings her sweet melodies on June 29 at 7:30 at Bardenay in …

Asian players see future closer to home

Manchester United's South Korean winger Park Ji-sung and Glasgow Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura of Japan needed to play in Europe to find fame throughout the world.

Asia's future big names could find their fortunes lie within their own continent.

"I would love to see a Saudi player playing in Korea and a Korean playing in Saudi Arabia," Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam says.

His dream is becoming a reality as Asia develops its own transfer market for the first time.

Clubs in major Asian leagues have long had limits on how many foreign players they could sign. Brazilians are by far the most popular …

Victor Junquera, Menudo backup band member

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) A keyboardist with the backup band forthe Puerto Rican pop group Menudo has been found dead, and policesaid the musician apparently died of natural causes.

The body of Victor G. Junquera, 33, of San Juan, Puerto Rico,was found Friday in his bed at the Park Place Hotel, said Sgt. JimKeane of the police homicide unit.

Dr. John …

McNabb Lifts Eagles Over Vikings, 23-16

MINNEAPOLIS - Donovan McNabb became the latest quarterback to shred Minnesota's woeful pass defense, helping Philadelphia coach Andy Reid get the better of longtime friend Brad Childress in their first head-to-head matchup.

McNabb threw for 333 yards and a touchdown and showed plenty of the mobility he appeared to have lost after major knee surgery to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 23-16 victory over the Vikings on Sunday.

The five-time Pro Bowler looked more like the guy who …

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar accused of sodomy again, flees to Turkish Embassy

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim took refuge Sunday at the Turkish Embassy after police began probing an allegation that he sodomized his male aide, reprising a sex scandal that led to his imprisonment a decade ago.

Anwar, 60, dismissed the accusation _ made in a police complaint by the 23-year-old aide on Saturday _ as "a complete fabrication." He said he fled to the embassy because he feared for his life.

The dramatic developments that began to unfold a little before midnight Saturday will further roil Malaysian politics, which have been in turmoil since March 8 elections handed the governing National Front coalition its worst-ever …

U.S. Mistakenly Kills 7 Afghan Police

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan police mistook U.S. troops on a nighttime mission for Taliban fighters and opened fire on them early Tuesday, prompting U.S. forces to return fire and call in attack aircraft. Seven Afghan police were killed.

Gunmen on motorbikes, meanwhile, killed two schoolgirls Tuesday in central Afghanistan, as U.S.-led coalition and Afghan troops killed more than 24 suspected Taliban fighters during a battle in the south on Monday, officials said.

President Hamid Karzai's spokesman said the deaths of the Afghan police were "a tragic incident" caused by a lack of communication.

"The police forces were not aware of the coalition's operation," said spokesman Karim Rahimi. "The police checkpoint in the area thought that they were the enemy, so police opened fire on the coalition, and then the coalition thought that the enemies were firing on them, so they returned fire back."

The commander at the remote checkpoint in the eastern province of Nangarhar, Esanullah, who goes by one name, said U.S. gunfire and helicopter rockets killed seven policemen and wounded four.

Maj. Chris Belcher, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, said a combined coalition-Afghan force was ambushed by small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades from two sides while on the way to conduct an operation against a suspected Taliban safe house.

"Afghan and coalition forces took incoming fire and they responded to it," Belcher said. The forces called in air support, he said.

A policeman at the remote checkpoint said police called out for the approaching U.S. forces to halt.

"I thought they were Taliban, and we shouted at them to stop, but they came closer and they opened fire," said Khan Mohammad, one of the policemen at the post. "I'm very angry. We are here to protect the Afghan government and help serve the Afghan government, but the Americans have come to kill us."

Rahimi said the incident was being investigated and showed why Karzai has repeatedly called for increased cooperation and communication between Afghan and international troops, which would also help solve the ongoing problem of civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

In Nangarhar province in March - the same province of Tuesday's police shootings - 19 civilians were killed and 50 wounded by U.S. Marines Special Operations Forces who fired on civilians while speeding away from the site of a suicide bomb attack, casualties that sparked angry protests and denunciations of the U.S. presence there.

A U.S. military commander later determined that the Marines used excessive force.

The International Committee of the Red Cross on Tuesday said the impact of violence on civilians in Afghanistan is worse now than it was a year ago.

Pierre Kraehenbuehl, the ICRC's director of operations, said fighting between armed opposition groups and the Afghan army supported by international forces had intensified significantly in the south and east of the country since 2006 and was spreading to the north and west.

"Civilians suffer horribly from mounting threats to their security," such as increasing numbers of roadside bombs, suicide attacks and airstrikes, he said in a statement.

In central Logar province, gunmen on two motorbikes opened fire on students leaving an all-girls school, killing two schoolgirls and wounding six others, said Education Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar.

In the southern Kandahar province, U.S.-led coalition and Afghan troops killed more than 24 suspected Taliban fighters during an eight-hour battle in Shah Wali Kot in southern Kandahar province, the coalition said Tuesday.

The troops were ambushed by militants, who retreated after several of their fighters were killed. A force of some 30 Taliban later attacked the same coalition convoy, who called in airstrikes on a compound and a vehicle, killing "over two dozen enemy fighters," the coalition said.

Violence has spiked in Afghanistan in recent weeks. More than 2,300 people have died in insurgency-related violence this year, according to an Associated Press count based on U.S., NATO and Afghan figures.

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Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez in Kabul contributed to this report.

Endeavour Begins Moving to Launch Pad

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - For the first time in almost five years, space shuttle Endeavour began moving to the launch pad Tuesday in preparation for a flight which will deliver teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan and her six crew mates to the international space station.

The 3.4 mile journey aboard the massive crawler-transporter started at 8:10 p.m. EDT and was expected to last seven hours.

Endeavour is scheduled to launch on Aug. 7 on the second space shuttle flight of the year, a mission which a NASA manager said "has a little bit of everything."

The last time Endeavour was at the launch pad was in November 2002 before its launch on a construction mission to the space station. It was the last space shuttle flight before the Columbia disaster killed seven astronauts several months later and grounded the space shuttle program for 2 1/2 years.

Endeavour has since undergone a major tune-up. The shuttle's structure was inspected for corrosion. Filter and seals were replaced. More than 1,900 thermal blankets were examined. Two windows were replaced with thicker panes.

Endeavour also has a new system which allows power from the space station to be transferred to the shuttle while docked. If the new system works properly, the 11-day mission will be extended by an extra three days.

"We're really excited to have Endeavour fly again," Kim Doering, NASA's deputy manager of the space shuttle program, said Tuesday. "Obviously, having brand new belts and hoses and having just checked the structure and replaced all the tiles - they're brand new - makes this a very nice vehicle to climb on to."

During the mission, astronauts will deliver a new truss segment, 5,000 pounds of cargo and fix a gyroscope which helps control the station's position. Astronauts plan to take four spacewalks if the mission is extended to 14 days.

"It has a little bit of everything," said Matt Abbott, lead shuttle flight director.

Morgan was selected as Christa McAuliffe's backup in the teacher-in-space program in 1985. McAuliffe died along with six others during the Challenger disaster in 1986. Morgan returned to teaching for several years after the tragedy but was selected as a full-fledged astronaut in 1998.

On her first mission, Morgan will operate the shuttle's robotic arm, coordinate the transfer of cargo and talk from space to students at three schools, if the mission is extended.

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On the Net:

NASA at http://www.nasa.gov/mission-pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Okur Helps Jazz Rout Nuggets 132-105

Mehmet Okur made a career-high six 3-pointers, scoring 27 and adding 11 rebounds as the Utah Jazz added a game to their lead over Denver by routing the Nuggets 132-105 on Saturday night.

Carlos Boozer had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Deron Williams had his seventh straight double-double with 16 assists and 14 points. Utah won its 18th straight home game, one off the team record, and extended its lead over the Nuggets in the Northwest Division to four games.

Allen Iverson scored 28 and Carmelo added 24 points for the Nuggets, who fell to 1-2 against Utah this season. The Nuggets have 20 games left to try to catch the Jazz, including another meeting in Utah on April 12. The Jazz will have a hard time topping this one.

Utah led 108-75 at the end of the fourth quarter and didn't slow down much in the fourth as the reserves played the final minutes.

The Jazz outran the Suns 126-118 in Phoenix on Friday and kept up the pace against the Nuggets. Okur made his first six 3-pointers for a career high and finished 6-for-7. Kyle Korver and C.J. Miles added two 3-pointers each as the Jazz went 11-for-15 from beyond-the-arc.

Korver scored 12, Paul Millsap had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Matt Harpring scored 10 for the Jazz, who went 50-for-83 from the field.

Denver shot 50 percent in the first half, yet trailed by 23 at halftime after the Jazz made 15 of 21 shots and scored 43 in the second quarter. The Jazz were 6-for-7 from 3-point range as Okur hit all four of his attempts. Utah also got two bonus points because of technical fouls on Anthony and Linas Kleiza as the Nuggets lost their composure.

Anthony got an offensive foul with just 22 seconds left when he elbowed Korver in the jaw. It got even worse for the Nuggets when Anthony Carter was called for a flagrant foul when he stopped Boozer from getting a layup. Kleiza complained and was called for a technical. Korver made the technical free throw and Boozer went 1-for-2, giving the Jazz a 77-54 halftime lead.

Denver only fell further behind in the third as the Jazz continued to shoot well. At the end of the third, Okur had hit all six of his 3-pointers, including one with 6:09 left in the period to give Utah a 95-58 lead. The Jazz passed 100 points with 2:39 left in the period when Boozer's putback gave Utah a 101-67 lead.

Utah led 108-75 at the end of the third and there wasn't much anticipation in the fourth. Utah's starters were on the bench for the last 4 minutes and Denver's had left the game long before that.

J.R. Smith scored 16 and Linas Kleiza had 14 points for Denver.

Notes:@ Iverson scored half of Denver's 26 points in the first quarter. ... Kenyon Martin did not return after taking an elbow from Okur about 9 minutes into the game. The Nuggets said later the Martin had a mild concussion. ... Okur's previous high for 3-pointers in a game was five, set against Memphis in January. ... Utah tied a team record with eight 3-pointers in the first half. ... Utah played its third straight game without F Andrei Kirilenko (hip).

Bills LB Merriman out indefinitely

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — A nagging injury is preventing linebacker Shawne Merriman from getting off on the right foot with his new team, the Buffalo Bills.

Coach Chan Gailey announced Thursday that Merriman will not play against Detroit (2-6) this weekend, and is out indefinitely after aggravating an injury to his right Achilles' tendon in his first practice a day earlier.

The injury occurred early into Merriman's first practice with the winless Bills (0-8), a week after he was claimed off waivers from San Diego. The injury is also to the same tendon that's been bothering him for much of the past year.

"It's short-term more than long-term, but we'll just wait and see," Gailey said. "We'll see what happens next week, or it might be the next, I don't know. We're going to get him well. That's the most important thing. Let's get him well before we put him on the field."

Merriman was hurt early into practice during an individual non-contact drill. After dropping back, Merriman pivoted to his left when he pulled up and began hopping in pain. After consulting with trainers, the player limped off the field and escorted into the team's training facility.

Though he missed practice on Thursday, Merriman was at the facility receiving treatment but did not make himself available to reporters.

The injury is the latest setback for a once-feared pass rusher who earned the nickname "Lights Out" for his hard-hitting style in San Diego.

After registering 39½ sacks in his first three NFL seasons, Merriman's managed just four in his past three years. He missed most of the 2008 season after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery.

His career in San Diego effectively ended last month when the Chargers placed him on injured reserve because of a left calf injury. Merriman had also complained about an injury to his Achilles' tendon.

Merriman did pass a physical upon reporting to the Bills last weekend. And he was in street clothes on the Bills sideline, watching Buffalo's 22-19 loss to Chicago at Toronto on Sunday.

On Monday, Merriman said he's been working out the past few weeks, but didn't know if he was in "football shape" yet. He was eager to begin playing.

"Whatever they want me to do, I'm there," Merriman said. "We're all on the same page in getting ready to go play football."

The Bills were counting on Merriman's pass-rush ability to spark a defense that's had difficulty pressuring opposing quarterbacks. The lack of pressure is being blamed on Buffalo managing a league-worst one interception this season, a year after finishing second with 28.

"It's not good," linebacker Paul Posluszny said, when informed of Merriman's status following practice. "It's the opposite of good."

In claiming Merriman, the Bills picked up the remainder of the player's one-year $3.27 million contract.

Oil hovers below $78 after US crude supplies jump

Oil prices hovered below $78 a barrel Wednesday in Asia after a report showed an unexpected jump in U.S. crude supplies, suggesting a recovery in demand remains uneven.

Benchmark crude for August delivery was down 27 cents to $77.58 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained 76 cents to settle at $77.85 on Tuesday.

Crude inventories increased last week by 3.7 million barrels, the American Petroleum Institute said late Tuesday. Analysts had expected a fall of 1.5 million barrels, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.

Inventories of gasoline and distillates also rose, the API said.

The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration is scheduled to announce its supply report later Wednesday.

"The bears must be satisfied," energy consultancy The Schork Group said in a report. "All told, it was a bearish report."

Crude has hovered above $77 a barrel this week as traders ponder whether global oil demand is strong enough to justify extending a rally from $64 on May 25. U.S. oil supplies had fallen in recent weeks before last week's gain.

In other Nymex trading, heating oil fell 0.29 cent to $2.1100 a gallon, gasoline dropped 0.87 cent to $2.1248 a gallon and natural gas slid 0.7 cent to $4.749 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Brent crude was down 17 cents at $77.87 on the ICE futures exchange.

Euro falls to 7-month low on fear of Greek default

WASHINGTON (AP) — The euro fell to a seven-month low against the dollar Monday on fears of a possible debt default by Greece.

Traders believe that Greece is increasingly likely to default on its financial obligations. The heavily-indebted country is struggling to convince its neighbors that it has its debt under control. Some are reluctant to release another chunk of emergency aid because Greece is having a difficult time meeting the deficit-cutting requirements of its bailout package.

Senior German officials have hinted in recent days that Greece could undergo an orderly bankruptcy to stem the crisis. A default by any nation using the euro might upend the European economy, making the shared currency less attractive.

Without the emergency loans, Greece would be unable to pay its bills. Debt issued by the Greek government would lose much of its value. That could threaten big banks in France and Germany. The banks hold Greek debt, but investors don't know how much. Shares of some of those banks lost as much as 10 percent Monday.

The instability in Europe drove traders to buy up currencies traders consider to be safer: The dollar and the Japanese yen.

At 1:10 p.m. (1710 GMT) in New York, the euro was worth $1.3604 from $1.3656 late Friday. It had earlier hit $1.3495, the lowest level since February. The euro started the month around $1.43.

The euro also hit a 10-year low against the Japanese yen, falling as low as 103.88 yen.

The British pound fell to $1.5812 from $1.5864 late Friday. The dollar fell to 77.22 yen from 77.43 yen.

In other trading Monday, the dollar edged up to 0.8850 Swiss franc from 0.8841 Swiss franc late Friday, but dipped to 99.58 Canadian cents from 99.73 Canadian cents.

Rights group says Saudi Arabia jailing activists

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — An international human rights group says Saudi Arabia's government is harassing and jailing activists, often without trial, for speaking out in favor of expanding religious tolerance in the kingdom and other rights.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch also says in its World Report 2011, released Monday, that new restrictions on electronic communication in the kingdom were severe.

Under the rules, operators of news websites, discussion forums, blogs, personal websites or those publishing information via mobile phone text messaging or group e-mails will require a government license.

On religion, the predominantly Sunni Muslim kingdom bars the smaller Shiite community from practicing its rituals.

Labor Secretary to Gauge Fenway Fans' Strike Attitude

WASHINGTON Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who has offered to helpresolve baseball's labor dispute, will attend a Boston Red Soxdoubleheader today "to see what the hometown fans have to say aboutall this," a spokesman said.

Reich, a former Yale professor and longtime baseball fan, willtake his son, Adam, 13, to watch the Red Sox play the ClevelandIndians at Fenway Park, assistant deputy secretary Steve Rosenthalsaid Saturday. Reich planned to meet with union representatives fromboth teams.

"He wants to kind of rub elbows with the fans, to take theirtemperature on this," Rosenthal said.

Reich met recently with Fehr and management negotiator RichardRavitch and offered the Clinton administration's help in resolvingthe labor dispute. Neither side has accepted the offer.

The players have set a Friday strike date.

A-Rod, Yankees keep on rolling

Alex Rodriguez hit his major-league-leading 38th and 39th homeruns, and the visiting New York Yankees scored seven runs in thesecond inning en route to walloping the Cleveland Indians 11-2 onSaturday and giving starting pitcher Mike Mussina his 100th victorywith the team.

Rodriguez, who has hit six homers in five games this seasonagainst the Indians, hit a pair of two-run blasts to help theYankees improve to 22-8 since the All-Star break. Jason Giambi alsohomered and Jose Molina went 4-for-5 in place of injured JorgePosada (sore neck) for the Yankees, who moved 14 games above .500for the first time this season.

Rodriguez's first homer completed a seven-run second againstlosing pitcher Paul Byrd (10-5) that sapped the energy out of thefourth capacity crowd at Jacobs Field this season. His second homercame in the eighth and finished off his fifth multihomer game of theseason and the 49th of his career.

All of that was more than enough for Mussina (8-7), who allowedtwo runs and eight hits in 7* innings to become the 16th pitcher towin 100 games for the Yankees. He is only the ninth pitcher in major-league history to win 100 games for two teams, earning his first 147victories with the Baltimore Orioles.

Red Sox 6, Orioles 2

Josh Beckett came within one out of a shutout and became thefirst pitcher in the majors to reach 15 victories, and Julio Lugoand J.D. Drew each had two RBI to pace Boston past host Baltimore.

Beckett (15-5) scattered eight hits and struck out eight in 8*innings. He was lifted after yielding an RBI single to Miguel Tejadaand a run-scoring double to Kevin Millar. After Manny Delcarmenwalked Aubrey Huff, Jonathan Papelbon came on to retire Melvin Moraon a pop-up for his 27th save. The Orioles are the only team in themajors that hasn't been shut out this season.

Tigers 5, Athletics 2

Magglio Ordonez hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning, andJustin Verlander earned his first victory in four weeks to sparkDetroit past visiting Oakland. The result ended the Tigers' three-game losing streak.

Verlander (12-4) hadn't won since July 15 and gave the Tigersonly their second victory from a starter in the last 24 games. Heallowed two runs and seven hits in six-plus innings before fourrelievers finished, with Todd Jones pitching a 1-2-3 ninth for his31st save.

Angels 4, Twins 3

Maicer Izturis highlighted a four-run eighth inning with a two-run homer, and John Lackey (15-6) joined the Red Sox' Josh Beckettas the only pitchers in the majors with 15 victories despiteallowing 10 hits in eight innings as host Los Angeles slipped pastMinnesota.

Royals 4, Blue Jays 1

Alex Gordon went 3-for-3 and fell a double short of the cycle,and Leo Nunez (2-0) allowed one run and two hits in five innings inhis third big-league start to help Kansas City topple visitingToronto. The Blue Jays' Troy Glaus ended an 0-for-27 slump with asingle in the seventh.

Devil Rays 3, Rangers 0

Edwin Jackson (3-11) pitched a four-hitter and struck out eightfor his first career shutout and complete game, and Delmon Young hadtwo doubles, a run scored and an RBI as Tampa Bay blanked hostTexas.

Justice Reid to city: `What happened to the statue?'

Illinois Appellate Court Justice Ellis Reid urged the city of Chicago "to get its act together" and better document its listing of statues given the city's missing military monuments.

Reid, who back in the 1970s lived at the Lake Point Towers across the street from Olive Park, said he remembers a statue of the late Milton Lee Olive III who was killed on Oct. 22, 1965 during a search and destroy mission in the vicinity of Phu Cuong. On that day in Black history, Olive, 18, spotted a live grenade. He grabbed the grenade, holding it Clutching it tightly to his stomach and allowing it to explode. The show of unselfish bravery saved the lives of four of his comrades, who are still alive today.

The late Mayor Daley dedicated Olive Park in memory of Milton Lee Olive who was the first African American to have received a Congressional Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War, yet the mystery of Milton Lee Olive's missing statue continues to puzzle Reid and Chicago's Veteran Affairs Director Rochelle Crump. They along with several veteran groups are demanding to know the whereabouts of the missing Vietnam Memorial Fountain that had been erected at State and Wacker prior to the massive Wacker Drive repair project, and they want the statue returned.

"It's a life-size statue dressed as a paratrooper. I remember walking many times past the statue," said Reid.

Reid said the missing statue "is too much of a loss for the Black community because it was and still can be an inspiration to many young people both in and out of the military.

"The city and the Park District should begin a thorough search to find the statue.

"I remember reading about art work that came up missing and nobody knew where it went. The City and the Park District must do a better job of accounting for its art work," Reid said.

Texans WR Johnson skips practice, wants new deal

Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson wants a new contract.

The Pro Bowl wideout skipped the team's first voluntary practice of the offseason Monday and no one is sure when he'll join the team.

Johnson has five years left on an eight-year contract worth $60 million that included $15 million in guarantees. The Texans restructured his first contract with two years remaining.

General manager Rick Smith said the situation is "very difficult" because Johnson has so much time left on his current contract.

"It is because it's something that's not customary, that's not common," he said.

Still, the GM said he was willing to talk with Johnson.

"I'm not real worried about that because we redid him with two years left on his original deal and that was three years ago and over the first three years of that deal _ even if you ask him _ he's been well compensated," he said.

Johnson, who is entering his eighth season, has had more than 1,500 yards receiving in each of the last two years for the Texans.

The team's policy under Smith has been to only negotiate with players who are participating in team activities. Smith pointed to what star middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans did last offseason when he was unhappy with his contract.

"One of the things that was real smart on his part was the fact that he was upset that we had not been able to come to terms with an agreement, but he came back and was a part of the offseason workout and he was with his teammates, he was a leader and he did things the right way," Smith said. "He played his contract out and he was rewarded."

Johnson's absence is another distraction for a team that has been dealing with Brian Cushing's upcoming four-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The 2010 season could be a pivotal one for the team, which is coming off its first winning record but has never reached the playoffs.

"You'd like to have all your people out here working, especially when we're trying to go do something we never have done," Smith said. "So the ideal situation is to have everybody working together, but as we talked about last week, you've got to be able to deal with distractions."

Smith said he has spoken to the receiver but wouldn't divulge details about their conversations.

"Obviously we want Andre here," coach Gary Kubiak said. "I know he and Rick are talking, so we'll get it worked out. We're not worried about Andre. He'll do his job."

Airlines cut compensations for delays

Be grateful for the meal voucher some airlines offer passengersto tide them over a long flight delay. It may not compensate you forthe inconvenience, but read the conditions on the ticket.International carriers contract to make their "best efforts" totransport passengers and their baggage with "reasonable dispatch."That's it.

Practices recommended by the International Air TransportAssociation include switching delayed travelers to another scheduledflight or rerouting them at no extra charge. No mention of thecomplimentary meals, transportation, long-distance phone calls andhotel rooms infrequent fliers may feel they're entitled to whenflights are delayed or canceled.

Still, in the interests of good customer relations, mostcarriers do extend these courtesies under certain conditions. Stormyweather usually isn't one of them. In an era of deregulation andhigh operational costs, many airlines have changed traditionalpolicies regarding weather-related delays.

Air Canada, for example, offers "limited expenses" only topassengers stranded in a storm. These include a hotel reservationand a discount voucher to cover part of the overnight tab.

If foul weather washes out a KLM departure, the Dutch airlineoffers in-transit passengers complimentary hotel accommodation.Travelers using a hometown gateway rate free transportation back tothe city. If the flight is delayed more than three hours everyone'sentitled to a meal voucher.

Air France advises that a meal and hotel facilities are"standard procedure" if passengers are stranded overnight under anycircumstances.

British Airways will spring for overnight hotel rooms forout-of-towners and provides resident passengers with free transportto the city and back. After an hour delay, the carrier cools offtesty customers with a refreshment voucher, a meal ticket after twohours.

All airlines try to avoid the hassle of delays and cancellationcaused by weather or what the industry refers to as "mechanicals" bycalling passengers before they head for the airport. Generally thephone crew starts with first class ticket-holders and works downthrough business class, family groups with children and handicappedtravelers. But the phone never rings for some passengers. It paysto call the airline or airport for the latest departure news beforeleaving home.

When delays or cancellations are the result of mechanicalfailures - or anything else the company can't blame on God or theweather - airlines assume more responsibility for passenger care andcomfort.

Their first priority is to book alternative flights on their ownor another carrier, or to reroute passengers to their ultimatedestination. When the company's at fault, it doesn't expectcustomers to absorb the expense of rerouting or the rare pleasure ofgetting bumped up to first class if there's no room in steerage.

Most U.S. carriers follow a fixed delay-and-cancellation policythat usually applies only when the airline is at fault and the flightis held up for more than four hours after 10 p.m.

Delta offers all connecting passengers hotel accommodation, ameal voucher and one long-distance call if the flight is delayedlonger than four hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Eastern doesn't promise much except a seat on the next availableflight when mechanical failures or weather scramble the schedule.Rerouted passengers stranded in an airport far from home can expecthotel rooms and necessary meals "as a courtesy only."

Connecting passengers flying Continental and United are assuredof meals and hotel rooms when the companies are responsible forovernight delays. American plays it by ear, leaving customer-servicedecisions up to the manager on duty.

With services pared to a minimum, homeward-bound travelersshould consider the possibility of delays before leaving the hotel.Travel-smart passengers double-check departure times and keepovernight necessities with them.

Canadian paper company workers go on strike

TORONTO - About 5,000 employees of Abitibi-Consolidated, Canada'slargest pulp and paper company, went on strike today at 11 papermills in eastern and central Canada.

Affected by the strike are four paper mills in Ontario, five inQuebec and two in Newfoundland. Seven other mills in Canada.

Twelve killed in clashes between Yemeni troops and Shiite rebels

A security official and an eyewitness say at least 12 people have been killed in renewed clashes between Shiite rebels and Yemeni troops in and around the northern province of Saada.

The clashes overnight Sunday come only two days after a bomb-rigged motorcycle blew up amid a crowd of worshippers in front of a mosque in Saada, where a rebellion by a small Muslim sect has been raging for four years.

The official says five soldiers and six rebels died in Menabeha, an area a few kilometers (miles) north of Saada. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to talk to the media.

An eywitness says a sixth soldier died in a separate area 15 kilometers (9 miles) northwest of Saada. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal by the government.

Hendrick drivers tough to catch in the Chase

DOVER, Del. - Chad Knaus slung the champagne bottle over hisshoulder the way a businessman would carry his jacket after a longday of work. The casual approach seemed fitting for Jimmie Johnson'screw chief. Winning a Chase race and celebrating in Victory Lanereally has become just another day in the office for every member ofthe No. 48 team.

Johnson's win at Dover International Speedway made HendrickMotorsports 2 for 2 in Chase for the championship races. Mark Martinkicked off the 10-race run with a win and helped make Hendrick 1-2in the championship points standings.

Lurking behind them in eighth place is teammate Jeff Gordon, atwo-time winner of this week's race at Kansas Speedway.

That the Hendrick drivers - except for non-Chase driver DaleEarnhardt Jr. - would be in the hunt for the Sprint Cup title isabout as surprising as another baseball postseason with the Red Sox,Yankees, Angels and Phillies. Johnson and Gordon have sevenchampionships, and the 50-year-old Martin is in prime position toshed the "best driver to never win it all" label that has beenattached to him for years. Holding the points lead, this might behis year.

Nine other drivers want to make the Hendrick boys work for achampionship. But it could be too late to end team owner RickHendrick's three-year run of championships.

Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne, 10th-12th in theChase standings, need top-five runs and an immediate string of badluck for the drivers up front to have any realistic shot atcontention.

"Everybody is going to have a 15th-or-worse-place finishsomewhere along the way," Gordon said. "It could possibly be worsethan that when you get to Talladega and Martinsville, those placeswhere the unknown is there."

Johnson finished 15th in two Chase races last season en route tothis record-tying third straight Cup championship. He won threetimes, including Kansas, and finished in the top 10 the other fivetimes. Do that again, and it might be impossible for any driver tocatch Johnson. He's off to a fast start in this year's Chase,finishing fourth and first.

"If you get off to a quick start, it makes your life a littleeasier," Johnson said. "It doesn't change the fact that you couldhave a problem later on in the Chase. It's 10 races and they all theplay the same."

Johnson also has a record 15 Chase victories since the format'sinception in 2004. There's a reason Johnson seemingly gets better asthe season moves along. Yes, a Hendrick team will almost assuredlyhave the top engines, car and personnel in the sport, but it's acommitment to winning on and off the track, every week, that hasthem driven to win.

"I think as the season progresses, we get smarter," Knaus said."Not that everybody else doesn't. But really as a group, we worktogether and try to get our drivers on the same page, try to get ourcrew chiefs and teams on the same page."

That all-for-one approach in which all four Hendrick teams shareinformation has surprised a veteran like Martin. On the brink ofwalking away from NASCAR a handful of times this decade, Martin hasenjoyed a career renaissance at Hendrick. He leads the series withfive wins, winning the Chase race at New Hampshire, and enjoys a 10-point lead over Johnson in the standings.

"We race each other hard on the racetrack, but off the racetrack,we all work for the same goal," Martin said.

If any of the three Hendrick drivers are vulnerable over thefinal eight races, it might be Martin. He's had three finishes thisseason of 40 or worse and four others in the 30s. Neither Johnsonnor Gordon have had a 40th-place finish this season. Most of thepoor finishes haven't been Martin's fault - he got caught up in theBig One at Talladega for example - but the fact is he's had badresults. Get wrecked at unforgiving Talladega again in November andthis sentimental title run could hit a massive stumbling block.

Gordon has the most work ahead to get in the thick of Chasecontention. He's 122 points behind Martin and has to pass sevenother drivers before he can park in first place. He does have fourtitles, but has yet to win one in the Chase format. Gordon talked atDover about how the 10-race format doesn't necessarily fit his styleand wouldn't complain if the old system came back. Of course itwon't, and Gordon realizes that. He also knows he can find a way tomake it work.

"You can have a great year, you can win as many races as youwant, but you've got to have everything going your way in thosefinal 10," Gordon said. "I still think it comes down to the bestteam, overall team, that's going to win the championship."

Wins help in the Chase, and those trips to Victory Lane havedried up for Gordon. He has just one this year and was winless lastseason. He was seventh in the final standings last year and runner-up in 2007 - the closest he's come to that fifth championship since2001.

Gordon wants to keep that championship at Hendrick, and he wantsto be the driver to bring it home.

"There's going to be times where your teammates are going to outrun you, they are going to do a better job of all of the details andyou have to give them credit when they do it," he said.

"But it makes you work that much harder to get those details puttogether for the next race so that you can go out and accomplish thesame thing."

Daughter haunted by dad's claim of innocence

She is haunted by her dad's words -- that he was innocent of murder charges.

He made this statement to 28-year-old Shirlynda Williams-Hamilton, the daughter of Ald. Shirley Coleman (16th), just before he was executed. Now she is on a mission -- to clear her father's name.

Convicted of murdering and raping Linda Goldstone in a 1978 abduction outside of the Northernwestern Prentice Hospital, Hernando Williams was executed on March 22, 1995.

But before he died, he answered his daughter's persistent question. Did you kill and rape that woman? Her father asked that she believe his answer, and challenged her to dig for the truth that he said would clear his name.

As …

Iraq's battle for football control turns sectarian

Iraq is again dangerously close to being banned from international football for alleged government meddling in the leadership of Iraqi Football Association after armed men stormed into the headquarters last week waving arrest warrants.

The battle over who will lead Iraq's most popular sport after an election set for Saturday has become a window into Iraq's sectarian politics that has officials struggling to form a new government more than four months after inconclusive March elections.

The political bickering between the current Shiite prime minister and his Sunni-backed rival over who will lead the government has spilled over into Iraq's football with the …

Sensories: a time to be heavy, a time to move. (Project).(project by painter Cecile Hartmann)(Brief Article)

A project by Cecile Hartmann

Cecile Hartmann is an artist with a will to intervention: a reactivation of the painting as dissident vector of animation in public space. Her paintings are strapped onto performers' backs as they move through demonstrations, through the Paris subway, on the road at night. Not so much to make an effect, but rather to signal - to a contemporary tyranny of the future - the decline of the …

Fort Drum to publish names, faces of arrested.(Main)

FORT DRUM - Upset with an increase in the number of 10th Mountain Division soldiers using illegal drugs and being arrested for alcohol-related offenses, Fort Drum will begin publishing the names and photos of offenders in its post newspaper, …

J. RICHARD MCCAUGHIN.(CAPITAL REGION)

SARATOGA SPRINGS J. Richard McCaughin, 84, of Loughberry Mobile Home Park died Monday at his residence.

Mr. McCaughin was born in Ticonderoga, Essex County. He was a graduate of Ticonderoga High School, and also completed several accounting courses at the General Electric Company.

For 18 years, he worked in production and buying for the General Electric Co. in Binghamton, Broome County, before retiring in 1971. He also was employed for several years as a bookkeeper for Connolly Bros. Dairy in Schenectady.

Mr. McCaughin was a member of the General Electric Quarter-Century Club and …

No team yet relegated ahead of penultimate round

Newcastle coach Alan Shearer will chase his second win in a row Saturday in a late bid to avoid relegation that is being aided by Hull's alarming slide.

The Magpies captured their first Premier League victory under their former striker by beating fellow struggler Middlesbrough 3-1 on Monday, climbing out of the relegation zone and dropping Hull into the last three for the first time this season.

"We've got the feel-good factor back but I've said to (the players), 'Let's not go back in there again,'" Shearer said on Friday. "If we don't carry that on, it will be wasted."

Newcastle's late revival, after taking only two points …

Yury Lyubimov at the Taganka Theatre, 1964-1994

Birgit Beumers. Yury Lyubimov at the Taganka Theatre, 1964-1994. Contemporary Theatre Studies, vol. 21. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers, 1997. xviii, 361 pp. Illustrations. Notes. Appendices. Select Bibliography. Index. $126.00, cloth. $42.00, paper.

Birgit Beumers argues that Yury Lyubimov's productions at the Taganka Theatre "are tied not to the system under which they were created, but to the society he lived in and to the audience he played for." This is why her monograph aims to characterize Lyubimov "through his artistic work" rather than dwelling on his disagreements with the Soviet authorities that reached their apogee in 1984, at which time he was dismissed from …

Ascot Expands in the U.S. and Asia.(Brief Article)

ASCOT (LONDON) PLANS TO EXPAND custom processing activities in the U.S. and build custom manufacturing capacity in Asia, says Ascot executive chairman Howard Dyer.

Ascot is looking to buy or build a fine chemicals plant in Asia "by 2005 at the latest," says Dyer. The company will also spend $4 million to increase custom processing capacity by 25% at Specified Fuels & Chemicals (SFC; Houston) by the end of this year. Ascot bought SFC last month (CW March 22, p. 9).

Meanwhile, Ascot subsidiary Mitchell …

New enzyme research data have been reported by researchers at Washington State University.(Report)

"The phosphatidylcholine-using phospholipase D (PLD) isoform PLD2 is widely expressed in mammalian cells and is activated in response to a variety of promitogenic agonists. In this study, active and inactive hemagglutinin-tagged human PLD2 (HA-PLD2) constructs were stably expressed in an EL4 cell line lacking detectable endogenous PLD1 or PLD2," researchers in the United States report (see also Enzyme Research).

"The overall goal of the study was to examine the roles of PLD2 in cellular signal transduction and cell phenotype. HA-PLD2 confers PLD activity that is activated by phorbol ester, ionomycin, and okadaic acid. Proliferation and Erk activation are unchanged in …

Santa's whiskers protected.(End Page)(an actor Brady White's beard protected under insurance coverage from Lloyd's of London )(Brief article)

When Santa isn't supervising the elves, entertaining children at the mall or maneuvering his sled onto rooftops, he's negotiating insurance coverage for one of his most valuable assets.

At least that's the way it must be for one of America's most sought after Santas.

Lloyd's of London says it insures the long white beard belonging to Rhode Island resident Brady White.

Mr. White, who bills himself as "Santa to the Stars,'' has portrayed St. Nicholas in films, television, print advertisements and live appearances. The lengthy list of corporate brands he has helped promote or made …

Interim leader: Up to 2,000 dead in Kyrgyz clashes

Kyrgyzstan's interim president said Friday that 2,000 people may have died in the ethnic clashes that have rocked the country's south _ many times her government's official estimate _ as she made her first visit to a riot-hit city since the unrest erupted.

Kyrgyz Health Ministry officials figures have put the number of killed in rampages led mainly by ethnic Kyrgyz against Uzbeks at 191.

"I would increase by ten times the official data on the number of people killed," Interim President Roza Otunbayeva said, according to her spokesman, Farid Niyazov. She said current figures don't take into account those buried before sundown on the day of death in …

US agents helped launder millions in drug proceeds

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's government allowed a group of undercover U.S. anti-drug agents and their Colombian informant to launder millions in cash for a powerful Mexican drug trafficker and his Colombian cocaine supplier, according to documents made public Monday.

The Mexican magazine Emeequis published portions of documents that describe how Drug Enforcement Administration agents, a Colombian trafficker-turned-informant and Mexican federal police officers in 2007 infiltrated the Beltran Leyva drug cartel and a cell of money launderers for Colombia's Valle del Norte cartel in Mexico.

The group of officials conducted at least 15 wire transfers to banks in the United States, …

Supply line.(contracts and joint ventures)

Superior rolls with GM wheels

LOS ANGELES - Superior Industries International Inc. of Van Nuys, Calif., has won contracts to supply aluminum wheels for several General Motors vehicles for the 2003 model year.

Superior is supplying wheels for the Hummer H2, Buick LeSabre, Cadillac Escalade and DeVille, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.

Dana, Emerson form venture

TOLEDO, Ohio - Dana Corp. of Toledo, Ohio, and Emerson of St. Louis have a tentative agreement to create a joint venture to develop electric motor actuators.

The motors initially will be used on electric-hydraulic power steering and electric power steering systems marketed …

Area pets hope for homes.(Capital Region)

The Mohawk & Hudson River Humane Society has been providing shelter for lost, abused and unwanted animals since 1887. Its animal care facility is the largest in the Capital Region, receiving an average of more than 9,000 animals per year.

The society hosts adoption centers at PetSmart stores in East Greenbush and Glenmont, with hours from 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, along with cat adoption clinics at PetSmart, Latham Farms, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. The society's animal care facility is at 3 Oakland Ave. in Menands. It's open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondaysm through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 to 4 p.m. …

PG&E POWER PLANT PROPOSAL MOVES A STEP CLOSER.(BUSINESS)

Byline: CLAIRE HUGHES Business writer

ATHENS -- If its proposed half-billion-dollar power plant is approved, PG&E Generating Co. would make a minimum of $72 million in payments in lieu of taxes over 22 years under an agreement the company has reached with the Greene County Industrial Development Agency.

Terms of the property tax PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement have been agreed to by representatives of the company and the three entities that would receive taxes in the deal -- Greene County, the town of Athens, where the plant would be sited, and Catskill Central School District. But the agreement will not be final until voted on by the IDA board of …

Detection of hepatic disseminated tumor cells is a powerful prognostic factor.

2003 OCT 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Detection of hepatic disseminated tumor cells is a powerful prognostic factor.

According to a study from Germany, "Approximately 30-50% of all colorectal cancer patients with a resectable primary tumor will subsequently develop metastatic disease due to tumor cell dissemination.

"In the case of limited solid hepatic metastasis, resection of the primary tumor and the respective hepatic metastasis can be curative. Our aim was to evaluate the incidence of hepatic DTC in patients with solid liver metastasis and to describe their prognostic impact," wrote C.C. Schimanski and colleagues, German Cancer Research Center, …

ICBA seeks revision of SEC rule

Calling the rule "unnecessarily complex, restrictive, burdensome and costly," the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) is urging the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to substantially revise and reissue for public comment its rule implementing the securities title of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.

In a comment Letter on the interim final rule, ICBA Chairman Robert Gulledge, chairman, president and CEO of Citizens Bank, Robertsdale, Ala., said the rule is incompatible with congressional intent to allow banks to continue to engage in traditional banking activities that involve securities transactions without registering as broker-dealers.

"The net effect of …

Continental Updates Status of Arrangement with Jinchuan Group.

Continental Minerals Corporation (TSXV: KMK,

OTCBB: KMKCF) ("Continental" or the "Company") announces that it has delayed by 10 days the formal shareholders vote on the statutory Plan of Arrangement with Jinchuan Group Ltd ("Jinchuan"). The vote was scheduled for February 18 and is required as a principal condition for Jinchuan's proposed acquisition of 100% of Continental, as described in the Company's news releases of September 17 and December 20, 2010.

Delaying the vote was necessitated by the need to clear certain remaining US Securities and Exchange Commission requirements. The Company is also advised by Jinchuan that it has obtained the key Chinese National …

WILDCATS IN PLAYOFFS.(SPORTS)

The Adirondack Wildcats (21-9) will take on the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs (14-16) at 3 p.m. Friday in the opening round of the United States Basketball League Post-Season Festival in Enid, Okla.

The Wildcats are ranked third and Pennsylvania is ranked sixth.

The Wildcats finished …

Bank returning $10.1M in credit card settlement

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Nebraska bank is returning more than $10 million to customers and paying a $250,000 fine after federal regulator said it employed deceptive practices that resulted in excessive fees.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. announced Tuesday that World's Foremost Bank, which holds about $2.9 billion in assets, agreed to the settlement, which included an order to halt several practices.

Among …

EDUCATION REFORM PROJECT.(in El Salvador funded by World Bank)(Brief Article)

El Salvador has received a US$88 million Loan from the World Bank (No. 4320-ES) to partly cover the cost of the Education Reform Project. Funds will be used to acquire goods, contract works, services and consultants. No deadline was announced. Details: Unidad de …

Bringing Christmas to college campus; Foreign students at Siena recall their traditions as they experience holiday in America.(Capital Region)

Byline: WENDI LYNN STEFFKE - Staff Writer

COLONIE - Though Advent finds them in a foreign country, some Siena College students from abroad say they find ways to bring a taste of home to the season.

Baked goods, stories of other traditions, decorations and church events all incorporate memories of past Christmas celebrations.

At the same time, the international students say they enjoy experiencing the holiday American style.

"It's fun having the people of God come together from many parts of the world," said sophomore Christian Wolf of Germany. The biggest difference the 21-year-old Wolf has noticed, compared to his homeland, is the focus on …

Egypt court fines Mubarak, two ex-ministers $90 mn

Cairo, May. 28 -- An Egyptian court Saturday ordered a fine of 540 million Egyptian pounds ($90 million) on former president Hosni Mubarak and two ministers for damaging the economy by cutting off mobile and internet services during the anti-regime protests, state media reported.

The Administrative Court of State Council ordered Mubarak to pay 200 million Egyptian pounds to the state treasury, former prime minister Ahmed Nazif 40 million Egyptian pounds and former interior minister Habib el-Adli 300 million Egyptian pounds, said state news agency MENA.

This was the first court conviction against Mubarak since he was forced to step down Feb 11 after the 18-day protests.

The fine would be taken from their own assets and will be in compensation for the damages they caused to the economy when they ordered a shutdown of the mobile and internet services during the nationwide demonstration which erupted Jan 25.

Mubarak shut down internet and blocked mobile phone services Jan 28 in a bid to prevent activists from using social network services like Twitter and Facebook to organise the protests.

Published by HT Syndication with permission from Indo-Asian News Service.

For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com