Views: It is almost cruel to make poor Joyce wait any longer ; Gazette comment [Edition 3]

IMAGINE losing your partner of 53 years and then having to waitmore than four years to find out what happened to him.

This shocking story is what happened to Joyce Compton after herbeloved husband James died in June 2007.

As he died in Basildon Hospital, and he contracted two superbugswhile he was being treated, poor Joyce is still waiting to find outwhy he really died.

James is one of three people who contracted Legionnaire's diseaseat Basildon Hospital before they died. He then picked up anothersuperbug, c-diff, which is one of the things that contributed to hisdeath.

In December 2008, we wrote a story saying that Joyce was hopingto find …

Barack Obama Raises Record $32.5 Million

WASHINGTON - Sen. Barack Obama raised $32.5 million from April through June, his presidential campaign said Sunday, in what is a record for a Democratic running for the White House. That is more than what Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's main Democratic rival, has said she would raise for the reporting period that ended Saturday.

At least $31 million of Obama's total is for party primaries, according to campaign aides.

The first-term senator from …

Indians 9, White Sox 4

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Uplifting Majek Show May Show U.S. a Few Tricks

Jimmy Cliff; Burning Spear; Majek Fashek 8 p.m. Wednesday

China Club, 616 W. Fulton Tickets, $18.50 in advance, $25 at the door 559-1212

Don't be surprised if it rains tomorrow night.

Majek Fashek is in town.

The 27-year-old singer/songwriter is virtually unknown in theUnited States, but at home in Nigeria, he's a pop phenomenon on alevel that hasn't been reached since Bob Marley.

Considered part rock idol and part prophet, Fashek's status as anational hero was sealed during a 1987 concert. Nigeria was in themidst of a long drought, but when Fashek debuted his song "Send Downthe Rain," the skies burst open with a mighty deluge.

…

Jurors: Lack of evidence led to R. Kelly acquittal

Grammy Award-winning R&B star R. Kelly was acquitted on all 14 counts of child pornography June 13.

As the verdict was read, Robert S. Kelly held his head low, cried and said "Thank you Jesus" each time he heard "We the jury find Robert Kelly, not guilty of..."

Kelly's four-person defense team looked concerned when word came around 1:30 p.m. that a verdict had been reached, roughly after 7-and-a-half hours of deliberations over a two-day period.

After he learned his fate, he used his sky blue handkerchief to dab tears that streamed from his eyes, then he tightly hugged his defense attorneys.

The Chicago native, who never took the witness stand, faced up to …

EU leaders say their economy is strong and the euro is stable

EU leaders say their economy can weather the economic storm and their stable currency can withstand what they call "undesirable volatility and disorderly movements of exchange rates."

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso says leaders are confident that the European Central Bank _ which sets interest rates for the euro currency zone _ was right to respond to financial …

Backdated pay rise next month for NHS workers Around 140,000 NHS staff will next month receive a 2.5% pay rise backdated to April, it was to be announced today.

Around 140,000 NHS staff will next month receive a 2.5% pay risebackdated to April, it was to be announced today.

And Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon was also due to tell a conference today she was "concerned" the pay award had not beenimplemented sooner.

Speaking about the backdated rise, she said: "I hope that thisdecision demonstrates that I greatly value the commitment, dedicationand professionalism of NHS Scotland staff."

The pledge was to come in her first major speech to an NHSgathering since her appointment.

Her Labour predecessor, Andy Kerr, announced in March that nursesand other health workers would receive a 2.5% pay rise in two …

VW plans sales onslaught in U.S.

It plans to slash development time and platforms and sell enough vehicles to become the world's third largest automaker.

Ferdinand Piech kept jabbing his hand into his jacket pocket as he sped down the road test-driving the '99 Jetta. He dug and dug until his hand started to bleed. Startled passengers quickly handed him a tissue, and looked quizzically at the Volkswagen chairman. A tailor's needle left in the suit was picking him and Piech was not about to ignore it. That's how he is with everything. If it needles him, you're going to hear about it.

What's nagging him now is keeping the position as the world's third largest automaker in sales, a spot VW wrestled away from …

China edges Australia in team table tennis

China defeated Australia in men's team table tennis 3-0 Thursday, although more unsteady play by Wang Liqin revealed a potential weak spot for a top-ranked team.

The Chinese women, meanwhile, sealed a place in the semifinals with an easy win over their highest-ranked opponent so far, No. 8 Austria.

Wang, ranked No. 4, defeated William Henzell, ranked No. 147, in four close games _ 6-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-9. Wang seemed unable to contain his opponent, sending returns out of bounds or missing shots.

The two-time Olympic medalist also struggled in his doubles match against Greece on Wednesday.

He acknowledges the pressure of meeting the …

Policy suggestions revisited: ; Transition teams helped governor set his agenda

DAILY MAIL CAPITOL REPORTER

As time runs out on Gov. Cecil Underwood's four-year term, he canpoint to some successes tied to the work of transition teams heappointed shortly after winning the election in 1996. In otherareas, accomplishments based on the efforts of more than 150 peoplein five key areas - economic development, education, governmentstructure, health care and technology - are a little less clear.

Although Underwood never explicitly embraced or pledged to followthe recommendations of the transition team, the reports werespecifically drafted with the governor's vision in mind. Theyenvision a more streamlined government and heavily emphasizetechnology and …

Thousands in Indonesia Protest Bush Trip

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - Warmly greeted by world leaders in Vietnam, President Bush drew a different reaction Sunday at his upcoming stop in Indonesia, where thousands angrily protested America's policy in the Middle East and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The White House said it was confident about security precautions for Bush's visit Monday despite police warnings of an increased threat of attack by al-Qaida-linked groups.

The president was to spend just six hours in Indonesia, most of it at Bogor Palace, a presidential retreat outside the capital of Jakarta and far from the scene of protests Sunday where Bush was denounced as a "war criminal' and "terrorist."

…

Iraqi officials: bombs, grenades found in basement of Sunni leader's office

Iraqi troops found bombs, grenades and other explosives Monday in the basement of the office of one of the country's most powerful Sunni Arab politicians, officials said.

The second raid in three days on Adnan al-Dulaimi's compound threatened to re-ignite a crisis that had taken on sectarian undertones after the hard-line Sunni leader accused the Shiite-led government of trying to silence him this weekend.

Iraq's president, a Kurd, weighed in Monday, expressing "dismay" over the government's treatment of al-Dulaimi.

Al-Dulaimi's daughter, legislator Asmaa al-Dulaimi, said a joint U.S.-Iraqi force tried to enter the family's house in …

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The formal drawing room has floor to ceiling windows that open onto pretty balconettes.

This room is linked via wedding doors to the withdrawing room,which is currently being used as the second bedroom.

There is a bath and shower room on this level along with animpressive master bedroom with glazed doors leading to an attractivebalcony.

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To the rear there is access to a privately-owned garage andparking space, which can also be accessed from Camden Road. Thecrescent is about a quarter of a mile from the city centre and is inan elevated position with views..

Dollar hits new lows against yen, and Swiss franc

NEW YORK (AP) — The dollar fell to new lows Monday against the Swiss franc and the Japanese yen, which traders tend to buy when they are seeking safety. It gained against most other major currencies.

Analysts say investors are worried about a possible downgrade of the U.S. credit rating despite an agreement between President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders to raise the debt ceiling and cut spending by trillions of dollars.

If Congress passes the legislation, the government would avoid immediately defaulting on its debts. But the package of cuts won't reduce the country's debt much, said Capital Economics economist Paul Dales. "The long-term fiscal position of the U.S. remains perilous," he said.

And the deal may not reduce the deficit enough to appease Standard & Poor's, said Barclays foreign exchange analyst Sara Yates. The credit ratings agency had warned that it might cut the U.S. government's top-notch AAA rating.

"Investors are sitting at the edge of their seats waiting to see how rating agencies will respond," wrote Kathy Lien of foreign exchange brokerage GFT.

Meanwhile a report from the Institute for Supply Management, a trade group, raised worries about the strength of the U.S. economy. Its purchasing managers' index slid to 50.9, the weakest level since July 2009. The reading was barely above the 50 mark that indicates growth, and suggests that the sluggish pace of economic growth in the first half of the year could continue into the fall.

Early Monday, the dollar touched a post-World War II low of 76.27 yen and struck a record low of 0.7729 Swiss franc. By late Monday, the dollar was worth 77.07 Japanese yen down from 77.10 Friday and the dollar was worth 0.7816 Swiss franc, down from 0.7884 Swiss franc Friday.

The dollar is down about 6 percent against the yen and 21 percent against the Swiss franc this year.

Traders consider the yen, franc and dollar to be safer bets, even though the dollar's debt woes have made it less appealing. The three currencies tend to rise when investors are nervous about a slowdown in global growth or a crisis.

So even though investors worried about the U.S. economy and financial stability, the dollar still rose against most of the world's other currencies.

In late trading the euro dropped to $1.4265 from $1.4368, and the British pound fell to $1.6296 from $1.6431.

The dollar rose to 95.65 Canadian cents from 95.54 Canadian cents and was higher versus the Australian dollar, the Scandinavian currencies and emerging-market currencies such as the Hungarian forint, Mexican peso and Brazilian real.

45,000 to lose homes this year

Around 123 homes will be repossessed every day during 2008 aspeople struggle to keep up with their mortgage repayments.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said justunder 45,000 people would lose their home during the year as thecost of servicing a mortgage remains close to record levels.

The figure is in line with estimates from the Council of MortgageLenders, which also expects 45,000 homes to be taken over bylenders, while City watchdog the Financial Services Authority saidyesterday that 840,000 mortgages were a "cause for concern" becauseof their riskier lending characteristics.

Stuffed Bushman is finally going home

NEW YORK The stuffed body of a spear-throwing African Bushman willhead back to his native Botswana next month after spending much ofthe 20th century in a Spanish museum.

But he may not be destined for reburial in his homeland, as calledfor by a chorus of international critics who said the display wasracist.

Some Botswanan officials are talking about launching a debate onwhether the Bushman should be preserved as an exhibit instead.

Many museums exhibit Egyptian mummies, and the frozen bodies ofInca human sacrifices are displayed in South America.

"It might be difficult to argue that he should now be preserved,"said Tebelelo Boang, a spokesman at the Botswanan mission to theUnited Nations. "But a debate would be very useful on what shouldhappen to him."

Several African countries, the United Nations and the Organizationof African Unity all say a developed European country has no right todisplay an African man in such a way.

"For black people, it's humiliating," said Alfonso Arcelin, aHaitian-born physician living in Spain.

Preserving and displaying the Bushman in Botswana would enable thestory of his posthumous trek to Europe and back to be more easilytold.

Edouard Verraux, a French scientist and taxidermist, stole theBushman's body from a freshly dug grave in Botswana sometime in thelast quarter of the 19th century.

After having the corpse stuffed and mounted, he placed a spear inthe right hand and a shield in the left, then sold the corpse toFrancisco de Dauder, a Spanish naturalist with a taste for thebizarre.

In 1916, Dauder began displaying the Bushman in a glass case inthe newly opened Dauder Museum of Natural History in Banyoles, 100kilometers northeast of Barcelona.

Quickly given the nickname "El Negro" by local Spaniards, theBushman stood in the company of several other grotesque exhibits,which included a calf with two heads, a double-mouthed piglet andanother calf with seven legs.

For years, the house of horrors attracted the curious, but rarelythe critical. Letters of protest began to arrive in the 1980s afterAfrican immigrants settled in the area. When Spain hosted the 1992Olympics, some African countries even talked of a boycott.

The Bushman will be returned to Botswana under an agreementbetween Banyoles and the Spanish government.

Horseshoe slip up as Marshfield take points

Division 1 leaders Horseshoe Sports lost for only the second timethis season when they went down 2-1 at Marshfield in the RoperRhodes Bathrooms Bath & District Sunday League.

The home side took the lead early in the second half when BenLeslie's free-kick found the top corner of the net and Bobby Jenkinsdoubled the advantage when he beat keeper Ash Tucker from the edgeof the box.

Steve Hill headed home a Shaun Wiles-Richards' cross with 20minutes remaining to give Horseshoe a lifeline but Marshfield heldon for three valuable points.

Dave Cooper scored a hat-trick in the space of eight minutes asGT Sports kept up the pressure with a 10-0 victory over FlanO'Briens.

Cooper's 30-yard strike took his tally to four while SimonGilbert and Ben Charman scored two apiece, Ross Beaverstock added apenalty and Wayne Dryburgh also hit the net.

Kingsmead join GT, Marshfield and Horseshoe in a four-way fightfor the title after a 3-2 success at Claverton Villa.

Dave Lancaster scored with the last kick of the game to earn BathArsenal a 3-3 draw with FC Belevdere in Division 3.

It was goalless before the break but the game kicked into life inthe second period. Mike Brown scored a penalty but Bath Arsenal weresoon 3-1 down to a Rob Minty double and Nick Appelby's strike. Jason Harrison pulled one back with 15 minutes to go beforeLancaster fired in a 25-yard rocket.

Vnnie Parkes and Steven Halliwell netted for Booyas as they beatBristol City Supporters Club 2-0.

Veteran Derek Dunn led the way with a brace as Bathford Rangersbeat PF Locomotive 4-1. Jason New and 16-year-old Jordan Marchantwere Rangers' other marksmen.

Larkhall Veterans beat Crown & Horseshoe 2-1. Crown cancelled outJason Hutchinson's opener before Bruce Fanning won it.

In Division 4, FC Bathelona crashed to a 4-0 home defeat toMarshfield Reserves.

The visitors were three up at the interval with goals from TomBrown (2) and Joe Sheppard, who completed his brace on the hour.

Sam Barnes scored four times and Wayne Spurrell three as DolphinInn ran riot against Claverton Park, winning 10-2. Alex Bridgemanand Craig Perry were their other scorers.

Kevin Newton, Ricky Smith and Richard Hunt grabbed the goals asOdd Down Reserves triumphed 3-0 at Metro Stars.

Graeme Smith scores century as South Africa cruises to 236-0 against Bangladesh

Captain Graeme Smith hit a confident century in an unbroken 236-run opening stand to give South Africa a commanding start to the second test against Bangladesh on Friday.

Smith hit 15 boundaries to reach an unbeaten 133 at tea_ reaching his century in just 127 balls _ and paired with Neil McKenzie (95) as the visitors cruised to 236-0.

His century moved him past 5000 test runs.

The more patient McKenzie brought up his half century off 124 balls with eight boundaries, as the hosts toiled on an unresponsive pitch at Chittagong's Divisional Stadium.

South Africa won the toss and decided to bat first, and after just two sessions looked to have put a lock on the series, having won a competitive opening test by five wickets.

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful used seven bowlers in a fruitless bid to dislodge South Africa's opening pair.

South Africa replaced offspinner Johan Botha with left-arm spinner Robin Peterson in the only change from the first test.

Bangladesh boosted its spin attack, replacing out-of-form batsman Habibul Bashar with left-arm spinner Abdul Razzak.

We Need to Take Hard Look At Our Soft-on-Crime Policies

Justice for the victim has been lost. Criminals are givenprotection by lawyers that they do not have to pay. Then theyare released after living in a free hotel (so-called prisons) forshort times, with free meals and drugs, too. I am particularlydisturbed by sexual criminals; rapists, child abusers, etc. Thisnew case in Sonora, Calif., points up the frustrations of child andmother relating to a child molester who threatened the boy with deathto his mother. I strongly recommend 20 lashes for rapists,sexual molesters, etc. It's done in foreign countries. It works.Our system does not. Laura S. Clark, Greater Grand Crossing I read the story about the woman (Ellie Nesler) in California whoshot to death the man accused of sexually molesting her son on theday after I saw the "60 Minutes" program about the early releaseprograms in our prison system that are letting murderers and allother types of criminals out after serving only a small fraction oftheir sentences ("Killer Mom Was Pushed Too Far, Her Family Says,"news story, April 12). I never thought I would say somethinglike this - and perhaps it's caused by the juxtaposition of these twostories in my mind - but "good for Ellie Nesler!" I'm notadvocating that we all become vigilantes. However, I can understandthe pain and frustration this mother must have felt when she sawwhat the accused had done to her son and when Ellie Nesler shecontemplated what would be done (or not done) to this criminal.

Perhaps California taxpayers should thank Nesler for saving themthe cost of housing and caring for this offender during a prison term- and for removing the threat of his early release and subsequentreturn to a life of crime. I'm sure she believes that she was merelyprotecting her child, and I can understand why she would not trustthe "system" to do this for her. Susan Casey, Des Plaines

Can it be that the so-called "bleeding hearts" are againstcapital punishment not out of true concern for the criminals butbecause of their own selfish motives? I think so.

I think that "soft on crime" people are, from birth, incapableof accepting either blame or punishment for their misdeeds. Theylive their lives in an unreasoning terror of any form of chastisementwhatsoever - and, God forbid, Death Row!

Their solution is to take a "nuts to the victim" stance, thusputting everyone else's safety and lives in jeopardy. Paul St. Leger, Crestwood

Inside Story on Kerr: Practice, Practice, Practice From Outside

Steve Kerr lines up his shot.

There's no hand in his face, no faster, taller, stronger athletecollapsing on him to make his long jumper the usual experiment inmental discipline vs. physical limitations.

He lets fly, and the ball . . . misses everything.His younger brother Andrew retrieves the bouncing orb and tossesit back to the best active three-point shooter in the NBA.Older brother is now 1-for-12 from the side of his Lake Forestgarage, where he stands rooted in the same spot, firing shots downthe sloping pavement, to a nine-foot, bent-rimmed, netless hoop thatrocks merrily in the 25 m.p.h. wind."Well," says Andrew, who is visiting from Washington, D.C. "Atleast you're consistent."Kerr is that. Indeed, now that league-leading three-pointpercentage gunner Tim Legler of the Washington Bullets (.522 frombehind the arc on 128 made out of 245 attempts) is out with a kneeinjury, Kerr (.515 on 119-of-231) is the only player in the NBA whohas made more than half his three-point attempts.If he gets on a mini-hot streak - making, say, 10 of 12 to endthe season - he could pass the dormant Legler and win his secondstraight three-point shooting percentage title. Last year he led theleague with a .524 percentage, and this year he's shooting betterfrom 22 feet than a whole bunch of NBA players are shooting from thefree-throw line.This shooting in a sub-tornado wind is just for kicks. Kerrlaughs as a gust takes a shot and bends it like a big-league slider."Hmmm," he says. "Tough court."Kerr is easy-going about almost everything in life except hisbasketball game, which primarily means his shooting. It was noaccident that it was Kerr who salted away historic win No. 70against the Milwaukee Bucks by hitting a three-pointer and a longtwo-pointer to give the Bulls their first lead of the fourth quarter.He then grabbed a rebound, got fouled and drained two free throws toice the game.After the Bucks' Sherman Douglas dragged him to the floor withthat last foul with 13 seconds to go, Kerr actually started laughing.Why? "Because I knew the game was over," he says. "There wereonly a few seconds left."Yes, but if Kerr had clanged the free throws, the Bucks couldhave scored two quick buckets to win, right? "Yeah," he says withan impish smile. "But I knew I was going to make them."He almost always does. He has a free-throw percentage of .927;.Kerr was acquired in 1993 as a minimum-wage candidate to fillthe vacant John Paxson spot-up shooting trunks. Those shorts, ofcourse, are the ones that need to be filled for this athletic Bullsteam to be a full-range powerhouse.But Kerr gets no respect from the refs, so he has to make hispoints himself. From outside.And so what has he done?"I've practiced shooting a lot," he says. Indeed, he is theonly Bulls player to shoot 100 free throws after every practice.Every single practice.Pride drove him to his near-perfect percentage this season.Just as it drove him to shoot again and again in playgrounds, gymsand driveways such as this since he was a wee kid. How many shotshas he put up?"Lifetime?" he asks. "Oh, man."Kerr actually reinvented his shot when he came to the NBA fromthe University of Arizona by imitating the quick releases of JeffHornacek, Mark Price and Craig Hodges. The fundamentals he'd"learned at the John Wooden Basketball Camp didn't work becauseeverybody in the NBA is so quick," he admits. "I'd spot up and takemy little shot, and I got tired of seeing it swatted into the 10throw."So he taught himself to look at the floor, lulling his man intosomething less than full attention, then rising fast and finding thebasket with his eyes in mid-jump, then cutting loose.It's now five hours later and Kerr is playing against theDetroit Pistons at the United Center, helping the Bulls to their71st victory.Earlier, though, in the sun and wind of his driveway, he hadbeen lost in thought."Over a million, I'd guess," he had said.Shots in a lifetime, that is. Almost all from outside.Rick Telander's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday andFriday.

Mexico's Leftist Party Demands a Recount

MEXICO CITY - The party of leftist presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador demanded a ballot-by-ballot recount Tuesday in Mexico's closest-ever presidential race, claiming vote counts were manipulated and renewing fears of violent protests if the fiery politician doesn't get his way.

Lopez Obrador's demand for a full recount of all 41 million votes cast in Sunday's vote set up a possible marathon showdown that could go to Mexico's electoral courts, stirring memories of the bitter Florida recount in the 2000 U.S. presidential race.

"We are going to launch a battle for the legitimacy of the election," said Leonel Cota, president of Lopez Obrador's leftist Democratic Revolution Party, while the candidate trailed conservative Felipe Calderon by about 1 percentage point in preliminary tallies.

"We are convinced of the triumph of our candidate," said Jesus Ortega, Lopez Obrador's campaign manager. "We will demand a recount vote by vote, report by report, polling place by polling place."

At the close of voting Sunday, volunteers at tens of thousands of polling places counted the ballots in each box and attached a report, sending it to district headquarters. A preliminary count of those tallies gave Calderon of the ruling National Action Party a 400,000-vote advantage over Lopez Obrador.

But electoral officials said Tuesday that about 3 million ballots were not part of that count due to problems including ballots that were set aside for being incorrectly marked or appearing invalid. Lopez Obrador initially said such ballots were "missing," but electoral officials said the ballots were in their control and would be examined - and counted if valid.

Interior Secretary Carlos Abascal said recounting every ballot was "physically impossible and also legally impossible."

Abascal said the votes in question had been "been well accounted for and don't change the results" of the preliminary count. Abascal, however, does not have authority over electoral matters.

Under election law, the Federal Electoral Institute will review the ballot-box totals and count all remaining valid votes beginning Wednesday to compile the official results. The president-elect will be named when that count is complete.

Lopez Obrador's party demanded a full review because it claimed some voting places were counted twice while others weren't counted. They will also demand that all voided ballots be reviewed.

It was unclear whether electoral officials would - or even could - meet the party's demands. Mexican law allows for a manual recount only if the sealed packages of ballots have been tampered with, or if the tallies are obviously miscalculated, wrongly filled out or illegible.

Luis Carlos Ugalde, president of the electoral institute, suggested there would not be a major recount. "In exceptional cases, you can open the electoral package but ... the votes were already counted Sunday in the presence of the parties," he said.

Financial markets and the peso rallied for a second day Tuesday as traders apparently believed Calderon, a former energy secretary, would reach the presidency. Calderon told Radio Formula on Tuesday that they were on the right track.

"The people are right, the markets are right in treating this as fact," said Calderon.

Calderon said he would negotiate with other parties to build an agenda for his six-year term, and he urged Mexicans to put questions over the vote behind them.

Lopez Obrador's party expressed fears that the third-place Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, was in talks with Calderon and might recognize the results in exchange for Cabinet posts. PRI candidate Roberto Madrazo's campaign conceded defeat on Monday night.

There were scattered demonstrations in Mexico City in favor of Lopez Obrador, but they were small and peaceful.

Jorge Espindola, a 36-year-old supporter who decorated his 1980 Volkswagen Beetle with Lopez Obrador campaign signs, said supporters will remain calm.

"There may be demonstrations ... but there won't be any violence," he said.

Lopez Obrador's critics have said he would be a radical force akin to leftist President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. He has denied links to Chavez, though he has won strong support from Mexico's poor by promising a change from six-years of conservative policies under outgoing President Vicente Fox, whose historic victory in 2000 ended 71 years of PRI rule.

For decades, Mexico's elections were rigged to ensure the ruling party's victory under the PRI - fraud that allegedly included the 1988 presidential count in which a computer crash was blamed for a stunning turnaround that ensured another six years in power for the party.

Victor Gonzalez, a drugstore chain owner who mounted a quixotic write-in campaign for president - even though electoral law says such votes can't be counted - filed a complaint because authorities declared the ballots void. It was unclear if those accounted for any of the questioned votes.

Analysts estimated that while no party would have a majority in Congress, Calderon's party could greatly increase its representation to between 208 and 210 seats in the 500-member lower house, with Lopez Obrador's party getting about 160 seats and the PRI garnering about 120. Preliminary counts were similar in the 125-seat Senate, though electoral officials had yet to declare winners in many races.

---

On the Net:

Federal Electoral Institute: http://www.ife.org.mx (has English language site)

Mechanicsburg firm acquires N.H. company

A Mechanicsburg dealer in high-tech equipment has bought the assets of the New Hampshire company whose products it distributed.

Mechanicsburg-based Dardick Technical Services formed a new corporation, Darcom Technologies Inc., and acquired the assets of Nashua, N.H.-based Dynatech Wireless Technologies Inc., on Wednesday, Nov. 27.

Dynatech Wireless was a subsidiary of Burlington, Mass.-based Dynatech Corp., a global supplier of high-technology, communications equipment.

Dardick was a dealer/distributor for Dynatech Wireless.

Steve Dardick, chairman and CEO of Darcom, would not disclose the terms of the sale. The NASDAQ-traded company is not required to disclose details of the deal, according to Steven Cantor, manager of corporate communications at Dynatech.

Dynatech Wireless manufactured and sold wireless communications equipment, including the equipment found in headsets worn by drive- through attendants at fast-food restaurants.

About three years ago, Dynatech Wireless introduced a product used by nurses, who communicate with each other through a small radio worn on a belt. A speaker microphone is attached to the collar of uniforms. This communications system is available in 90 hospitals, including Johns Hopkins Bay View Medical Center in Baltimore.

Dynatech began to restructure its operations in April 1994, and wanted to concentrate on its communications-testing equipment and industrial-computer products. So it started to divest more than 25 of its operations.

Dyantech separated the businesses it was selling from its core operations, its sales for the second quarter were at $85.7 million, up 25 percent from $68.5 million a year earlier.

Dynatech's selloff, expected to end in March 1997, proved to be a gain for Dardick.

"We saw this as a great opportunity because we are familiar with the marketplace, and we have been the sole installer of the hospital systems for the past one and a half years," Dardick said. He plans to expand his market to large retail operations, warehouses and nursing homes.

Darcom will have its headquarters in Nashua, and three of Dardick's principals will operate the new company. Besides CEO Dardick, his son, D. Scott, will serve as president and chief operating officer and another son, Thomas M., will serve as executive vice president.

Meanwhile, the former Dardick office at 4902 Carlisle Pike will continue to operate as a sales office under the new Darcom name. The two employees who worked for Dardick will continue to work out of this office.

A good night's sleep can do wonders to relieve ills

Q. I am looking for information on fibromyalgia, which wasdiagnosed recently. My doctor is recommending aerobic exercise, butI have trouble overcoming the pain to do my exercise on theExcercycle I just bought at his recommendation. My doctor is anexpert in such matters, so who am I to question him?

A. People with fibromyalgia have several widespread tender andpainful points in the body combined with fatigue and early-morningstiffness. Patients complain of a lack of energy and the inabilityto get restorative sleep. The examining doctor can identify the1muscle points with gentle probing of the body.

The sleep aspect is important. Sleep disturbance occurs in aspecific kind of sleep, a deep stage. Beyond this, little else isknown about fibromyalgia. And there is no specific cure.Nevertheless, after proper diagnosis, much can be done to help.

For example, there are drugs to relax muscles and permit sleep.Restoring sleep often brings relief. There are drugs that can beinjected into muscle points, and yes, even the aerobic exercise yourdoctor recommends for you can help.

Q. My husband is in good health, but sneezes every evening about6 o'clock. It will happen in a restaurant or at our dinner table, oranywhere at home about that time. He is healthy.

A. A sneeze is a reflex. When the nasal lining is irritated,there is a firing of a series of nerves that terminates in thesneeze. That's not a Nobel-quality explanation, but it might do.

And the answer is to find out what sets off the nerve firings.Is it an aroma, a bright light, spicy food? In fact, the sneeze witha cold is another form of irritation (from the cold virus). We'regetting nowhere. My readers would love to know why your husbandsneezes. Let us know when you find out.

Send questions in writing to Dr. Donohue, Box 19660, Irvine,Calif. 92713-0660.

...And, finally, a bit of advice to bikers, too

... And, finally, a bit of advice to bikers, too

Spring is in full swing now and one of the season's favorite pastimes -- bicycling -- is back in vogue among the many thousands of enthusiasts who cruise up and down the city's major Park District bike paths -- and in the streets.

But there is an inherent danger lurking -- careless or callous drivers and/or belligerent bikers and joggers, as well as skateboarders and others with no sense of propriety when it comes to sharing the streets or park paths provided by the city.

When navigating Chicago's many crowded bike trails and its congested streets, we would advise bicyclists, drivers, joggers and skateboarders -- to keep in mind the "two c's" -- caution and courtesy.

On the streets, of course, the right-of-way should go to drivers, if for no other reason than common sense.

Guess which one will lose when a 175-pound bicyclist on a 20-pound bike takes on a 3,000-lb. auto?

On the bike trails, bicyclists should acquiesce to joggers, the elderly and children and to other bikers who have the obvious right of way.

The Chicago Police Department's Traffic Division reports that in 1997, there were four auto/bike fatalities and two truck/bike fatalities on the roadways.

More recent statistics were only slightly different -- two auto/bike fatalities and two truck/bike fatalities in 1999.

Several bikers and joggers were also injured in unwanted encounters with motorists across the area.

In a town as large as Chicago there is a lot of room for all to indulge their various favorite pastimes.

Be courteous, but most of all, be careful and cautious in the parks and on the streets of the city this summer -- whether bicycling, walking, jogging or skateboarding.

Another bit of advice to bikers and skateboarders: Don't forget those helmets and kneepads!

Article Copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.

Analysis: Emergence of Cain accuser could hurt bid

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain successfully fought a week's worth of sexual harassment allegations in part because his accusers stayed silent.

That changed Monday, when a former employee described an encounter with Cain so tawdry and aggressive it greatly increased the challenge the businessman faces in winning the presidential nomination of a conservative, family-values party.

"I am coming forward now to give a face and a voice to those women who cannot or do not wish to come forward," Sharon Bialek said at a nationally televised news conference organized by her attorney, Gloria Allred. In vivid detail, the middle-aged single mother said Cain had put his hand up her skirt and pushed her head toward his crotch while she visited him seeking job advice in 1997 when he was head of the National Restaurant Association.

Cain's campaign issued a statement calling any claim against him to be "completely false."

Later, in a fundraising email to supporters, Cain wrote: "I held various executive positions in corporate America for several decades. I had thousands of employees working for me. I can't even begin to recall how many conversations I had with people during that time, how many directives I gave, how much friendly banter might have taken place.

The comment was similar to what he's said — and what his supporters have seemed to accept — since the first decade-old allegations of sexual harassment surfaced on Oct. 30.

But now, facing a flesh and blood accuser with very specific and vulgar allegations, Cain could find himself with less room to maneuver as he seeks to overcome this controversy and win the White House.

Cain's unconventional candidacy had long seemed resistant to the normal laws of political gravity.

The motivational speaker and former chief executive of Godfather's Pizza was dismissed as a gadfly at first, but his humor and strong conservative credentials charmed Republicans looking for an alternative to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney even as Cain continued to trail in fundraising and had no discernible campaign operation in key early states.

When the sexual harassment allegations first surfaced, Cain took to the airwaves to defend himself but ended up giving conflicting answers to questions.

He acknowledged the trade group had made a cash payout to one accuser after denying any money had changed hands. The trade association confirmed that it had reached a monetary settlement with a woman and had released her from a confidentiality agreement she had signed. The woman's lawyer, Joel Bennett, announced late last week his client had decided not to speak publicly.

Throughout the week, Cain and his allies blamed others for the controversy — the news media, Republican rival Rick Perry and liberals supposedly threatened by a conservative black man's success. The absence of names and specific allegations about what Cain was said to have done allowed him to cast himself a victim of an unfair "witch hunt."

His strategy seemed to work at first, with several polls suggesting Cain's position atop the field of Republican presidential contenders remained strong.

A new USA Today/Gallup poll taken before Bialek stepped forward showed Cain and top rival Romney tied at 21 percent support. The poll showed a 53 percent of Republicans thought the charges against Cain were not true.

Then came Bialek, a Chicago-area woman Allred said was a registered Republican with no political motive to bring Cain down. Terminated from her job as a fundraiser for the NRA foundation, she said she reached out to Cain for help getting her job back or finding new work.

Her encounter with Cain took place in a car, Bialek said. She said she was embarrassed by what happened and had never pressed charges.

Bialek said she had decided to go public only after learning other women had had similar encounters with Cain. "We need a leader who can set an example which exemplifies the standard of a person of good moral character. Mr. Cain, I implore you: Make this right," Bialek said.

To be sure, not everyone was buying Bialek's allegations.

"I don't believe that for a minute," said Debbie Dooley, a leader of the Atlanta Tea Party Patriots and a Cain supporter. "I think it's a case where someone has a scorched earth grudge against Herman Cain because they're afraid of him."

Some have also cast doubts on Bialek's association with Allred, a well-known celebrity feminist who has long sought the spotlight. The two women are already booked on several television news programs to further discuss Bialek's accusations. But Dave Welch, a Republican strategist unaligned with any candidate, said the prospects for Cain's candidacy were bad and getting worse.

"I think it's a disqualifier, but people are saying, 'This was so long ago,'" Welch said. "Yes, it was a decade ago and the base doesn't want to believe it. But these are very serious." __ Associated Press riter Philip Elliott in Washington and Shannon McCaffrey in Atlanta contributed to this report. Follow Beth Fouhy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bfouhy

GOLF REPORT

The 67th annual Illinois PGA Championship starts a three-day runtoday at Kemper Lakes with two new faces.

Gary Pinns and Rick Dalpos, who have been struggling on the protours for several years, will make their first appearances in thesection championship.

"I couldn't have played before," said Pinns, "because I wasn't aClass A member of the PGA of America. I didn't find out I waseligible until just before the entry deadline."

Pinns completed the necessary classwork for Class A status andcould create a new niche in Illinois golf history if he can beat a148-man field, almost all club professionals.

No player has won the state's two major titles - the IllinoisOpen and Illinois PGA - in the same year. Pinns won his fifthIllinois Open three weeks ago at Midlane.

"I've thought about that," said Pinns. "I don't know that it'llbe a long-standing thing for me to be able to play in the IllinoisPGA. They (the PGA of America sections) keep changing the rules tokeep guys who play all year from playing in these tournaments."

Pinns, who has been playing on the PGA's new Ben Hogan Tourthis year, will be making his first solo tournament appearance atKemper Lakes.

He and his brother Doug did poorly in his only competitiveround at the 1989 PGA Championship site, a club pro-club championevent in 1980. Gary has played the layout only about five times, thelast at least two years ago.

The Illinois PGA dates back to 1923, the Illinois Open to 1950.Eight players - Bill Ogden, Errie Ball, Bob Harris, Chuck Malchaski,Dick Hart, Jack Fleck, Emil Esposito and Bob Ackerman - have won bothtitles, but none in the same year. GROH TO DEFEND: Bob O'Link's Gary Groh, the IPGA champion threetimes in seven years, could make history, too.

A fourth title would pull Groh even with Jim Foulis. JohnnyRevolta and Ogden won five times.

Groh, who won last year, comes in as the season leader in theIPGA Bernardi Point standings, which determines the section player ofthe year.

"My game has improved since the Illinois Open (he finished11th)," Groh said. "A lot of my problems then came from my puttinggame." He found a new putter, with a titanium shaft, that hasimproved his play on the greens. AMATEURS IN QUALIFIERS: Today offers a good opportunity to comparetwo of Chicago's top new courses.

Wynstone and Bull Valley, both of which opened last year, willhost 101-player, 36-hole eliminations for the U.S. Men's Amateur.Six from each site will advance. All entrants have handicap indexesof not more than 3.4.

Chip Travis, who won the Chicago District Amateur, and JoelHirsch, who will bid for his third straight Illinois Amateur crownnext week, form an ideal pairing at Wynstone.

The U.S. Amateur drew a record 4,765 entries and only 12 wereexempt from qualifying rounds. OAK CLUB OUT: Oak Club of Genoa, formerly Ellwood Greens, instituteda mandatory power cart policy, and it cost the club two tournaments.

The Northern Illinois Men's Amateur Golf Association, whichwon't hold events on courses that require the use of carts, pulledthis weekend's B Flight competition and September's ChampionshipFlight Two-Man Best Ball out of the club.

This week's B Flight tourney will be held at Glenwoodie andSeptember's Championship Best Ball at Fresh Meadows. LPGA CLOSING IN: Steve Lesnik of Kemper Sports Management says a"potential sponsor" has been found for a Chicago Ladies PGA tour event in late summer of 1991 and talks havebegun on a TV contract. BITS: Crystal Lake architect Bob Lohman is redesigning the 27-holeSchaumburg Golf Club, which was known as Golden Acres before theSchaumburg Park District took it over. Construction of a newclubhouse will begin in December. Chicago's Larry Packard was one of six finalists as architect forthe new LPGA Headquarters Championship course in Daytona, Beach, Fla. The Sun Newspapers-Timber Trails Prep Classic will be held Aug. 13.Deadline for entering the event, which is open to all high schoolstudents, is Friday. Fee is $18. For details call (708) 352-8030. The second annual Better Boys Foundation Celebrity tournament willbe held Aug. 20 at Bull Valley. Retired NFL players will form thecelebrity contingent for the five-man scramble. For more informationcall Cheryl Miller (312) 427-4434. Bulls commentator Johnny "Red" Kerr will be featured at the fourthannual Illinois Masonic Medical Center outing Sept. 10 at OlympiaFields. For details call (312) 883-7150. Eighteen teams will compete in the Ram Intercollegiate Sept. 23-25at Dubsdread. Host Illinois will welcome Miami of Ohio, Wisconsin,South Florida, Michigan, Southeastern Louisiana, Rice, Air Force,Wyoming, Colorado, Northwestern, Kent State, Kansas, Kentucky,Washington, Louisville, Missouri and Mississippi for the 54-holeevent. The second annual Revie Sorey Action to Block Out HungerClassic will be held Sept. 24 at Lake Hills. Entry is $150. Fordetails call 708-978-2727 or 219-365-8601. The second St. Charles Open, with a $10,000 purse - $2,000 to thewinner - will be held at Pheasant Run on Oct. 13-14. The field willbe limited to 132 players. For details call Dennis Johnsen or KirkLundbeck, (708) 584-6300, extension 7722.

Experts say taunting wasn't only factor in tiger attack; deficiences at US zoo played role

Police believe the three people mauled by a tiger yelled and waved at the cat from atop a railing before it lunged at them, but experts say that's only a notch up from the type of taunting animals regularly endure at U.S. zoos.

One study concluded that as many as one in four zoo visitors razz the animals in some way, and large predators like tigers are a prime target.

Paul Dhaliwal, one of the two surviving victims, told the father of the teenager killed in the Christmas Day attack that while the three climbed the 3-foot-(meter)tall railing and tried to get the tiger's attention, they never threw or dangled anything into the pen, according to a search warrant affidavit filed late Thursday.

Dhaliwal, 19, was severely injured when the 250-pound (113-kilogram) Siberian tiger named Tatiana clawed its way up the wall of its enclosure, leapt out and mauled him. His brother, Kulbir, 24, was also injured, and their friend, 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr., was killed.

The tiger "may have been taunted/agitated by its eventual victims," Inspector Valerie Matthews wrote in the affidavit. Police believe "this factor contributed to the tiger escaping from its enclosure and attacking its victims," she wrote.

All three victims had marijuana in their systems, and Paul Dhaliwal's blood alcohol level was 0.16 _ twice the legal limit for driving, according to the affidavit.

"Clearly there's the lesson to be learned here," said zoo spokesman Sam Singer. "The lesson is that it's not a good idea to drink, it's not a good idea to be high on dope, and it's not a good idea to taunt a man-eating tiger."

Authorities were weighing whether to seek criminal charges against the Dhaliwals, but their lawyer, Mark Geragos, said they have presented no evidence of a crime. Geragos, who has repeatedly said the brothers didn't taunt the tiger, also noted that the affidavit does not specify any possible counts.

"Basically, they're arguing that if you go to the zoo and wave at the animals, you get the death penalty," he said. "And that's just nonsense."

David Kestenbaum, a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles who has followed the case, said investigators could be pursuing misdemeanor charges related to possessing marijuana, trespassing or giving alcohol to a minor.

"I don't see a felony based on the facts that are public at this point," Kestenbaum said.

Some animal behaviorists said Friday that the visitors' alleged actions would not exonerate the zoo or its accrediting agency, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Zoo officials have acknowledged the wall surrounding the tiger's open-air enclosure was four feet (1.2 meters) lower than recommended by the AZA. The same tiger, a female named Tatiana, ripped the flesh off a zookeeper's arm in December 2006. After that attack, the zoo revamped the bars enclosing the indoor cages where she and other big cats were kept.

"Taunting or not, I just think it's incumbent on the AZA and the zoos to have taunt-proof cages," said wildlife biologist Marc Bekoff, a professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "If you are going to have an animal like a Siberian tiger or other predators, you have to protect the public."

Bekoff said taunting is common at zoos. He said students in his animal behavior courses during the 1990s found that 20 to 25 percent of zoo visitors taunted the animals _ especially predators such as lions and tigers _ by mimicking, yelling, throwing things at them or otherwise aggravating them.

"This is not an isolated incident and the zoo is trying to wrangle itself out," he said. "The kids were not responsible for Tatiana being shipped around like a couch. The kids were not responsible for the enclosure being inadequate. The kids are responsible for the taunting."

Stephen Zawistowski, science adviser for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, also said taunting probably is not the sole reason for the attack.

"When something like this happens, what you find is it's almost never that there was one single thing that went wrong," said Zawistowski. "It's a cascade of things.

"The wall wasn't a height that was appropriate; there was an animal with a past history; there was nobody there to keep track of it; there were people there harassing it. When you click down that list and they all align, you end up with a tragedy," he said.

Zoos frequently have docents or keepers on hand to prevent animals from being harassed, but the San Francisco Zoo has refused to disclose how many employees were working when the attack occurred as the zoo was closing on Christmas Day.

The search warrant affidavit cites multiple reports to police of people taunting animals at the zoo that day. They included a report of a man and a woman throwing rocks at the lions about an hour before Tatiana escaped. Witnesses also told police they saw penguins and monkeys being harassed by groups of four or five male visitors.

After the attack, the zoo posted new signs asking visitors to be respectful of the animals.

On Friday, a judge ruled that lawyers for the city may inspect the two survivors' cell phones, but not their car.

The judge said the city did not present evidence to justify examining the car's contents, but permitted an inspection of the phones because any photos stored on them within an hour before and after the tiger got of its enclosure might shed light on what led up to the attacks.

Bolshevik Women

Barbara Clements. Bolshevik Women. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. xiv, 338. Illustrations. Figures. Tables. Select Bibliography. Index. $64.95, cloth. $24.95, paper.

This is a welcome and necessary addition to the small body of literature on female Bolshevik revolutionaries. The number of full-fledged biographies published in English is limited: three on Kollontai; one on Krupskaia; and one on Armand.1 Rather than focusing on one or several subjects, Clements's most recent effort is a collective biography of Bolshevik women that draws on a data base containing 545 records. The narrative of this work, which is of necessity numerically based and rife with tables and …

Lyon reaches Champions League semifinals

Lyon reached the Champions League semifinals for the first time despite losing 1-0 at Bordeaux on Wednesday.

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh scored right on halftime to keep Bordeaux's hopes of qualifying alive, but Lyon held on to win 3-2 on aggregate.

The Morocco international slide …

M Sobol Inc.(receives loan from Congress Financial Corp., Citibank NA)(Brief Article)(Illustration)

LOCATION: Hauppauge, NY

PACKAGE AMOUNT: $200 mil.

AMOUNT: $200 mil.

BOOK RUNNER: Congress Financial Corp; Citibank NA

TYPE: Rev Cred Fac

PURPOSE: General Corp. Purp., Working Capital, Pay Fees & Expenses

PRICING: LIBOR+275.000bps initially

…

Thieves steal cash from social club.

CASH was stolen from Kineton Sports and Social Club when thieves broke in this morning.

Police were called to the scene shortly after 4am after the alarm had been activated.

The offenders entered the building through a window in the …

CAPITAL REGION RESIDENTS GET DEGREES FROM HERKIMER COLLEGE.(CAPITAL REGION)

HERKIMER Capital Region residents who have received associate's degrees from Herkimer County Community College include:

Joy Amoroso, Mechanicville, travel and tourism.

Melissa Breedlove, Clifton Park, nursery education.

Carrie Bogardus, Hoosick Falls, travel and tourism.

Brad Bouplon, Hoosick Falls, physical therapist assistant.

Jane Egan, physical therapist assistant.

Christopher Hornauer, Sharon Springs, radio-television broadcasting, honors.

Rachel Martino, Hague, physical therapist assistant.

Trista Maxon, Johnsonville, radio-television …

US 1, Switzerland 1

Results Friday from the Davis Cup World Group tie between the United States and Switzerland on indoor hardcourt at Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena:

United States 1, Switzerland 1

…

Son of Miami police chief arrested on drug charges in N.Y.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - The son of Miami's police chief was arrestedfor trying to buy 400 pounds of marijuana from an undercover federalagent, officials said.

A court complaint said Sean Timoney, 25, of Philadelphia gave theagent a gym bag filled with about $450,000 in cash. He's the son ofJohn Timoney, who was Philadelphia's police chief before …

WARNING: PCs Can Be Hazardous to Your Health.(Brief Article)

Unless one happens to drop on your head, personal computers can t kill you. But they can hurt you pretty badly. In fact, computers can be a pain in the neck, the back, the wrists and the eyes.

Every year, nearly 2 million people suffer work-related musculoskeletal disorders, including repetitive strain injury caused by computer use, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

I've experienced my own fair share of computer-related maladies as a result of spending long hours evaluating hardware, software and Web sites, and from reading online publications, exchanging e-mail and participating in online discussions.

OSHA has flip-flopped recently on whether employers are responsible for the ergonomic health of PC-using employees who work in home offices, first ruling they were, then backing off. …

Momentum buys Westinghouse library. (Momentum Distribution Inc.)(Brief Article)

Former Westinghouse executive Ray Donahue's new firm, Momentum Distribution Inc., has acquired rights to the entire library of Westinghouse …

TESTS FOR ANTHRAX AT POND IN DISPUTE.(MAIN)(Correction notice)

WASHINGTON -- FBI investigators who have tested a plastic box and other equipment recovered this winter from a pond near Frederick, Md., have received two conflicting assessments of whether the items are contaminated with anthrax bacteria, the deadly microbes used in the 2001 attacks that killed five people and sickened 13 others, according to government sources.

One test result was positive for anthrax bacteria, but a second laboratory reported finding no trace of the deadly spores, according to investigators close to the case.

Some FBI investigators believe the device, described as a plastic or plexiglass box with holes cut into it that would allow someone …

CD ISLANDERS WIN BATTLE OF CELLAR DWELLERS.(Sports)

Byline: Al Hart Staff writer

OK, so the Capital District Islanders can't finish first in the American Hockey League's Southern Division. They know that.

And they can't finish in one of the top five places in the division and thereby gain one of the playoff berths in the upcoming Calder Cup playoffs. They know that, too.

But the Islanders in this, their first season in the AHL, can avoid finishing last in the seven-team Southern Division. They took a big step toward realizing that goal Sunday night by tripping the Newmarket Saints 6-3 before 2,285 at Houston Field House.

Sean LeBrun had two goals and Derek Laxdal had three assists (one less than the team record) to help CD (26-40-9, 61 points) go two points ahead of Newmarket (25-43-9) in the "Race to Avoid the Cellar."

The Islanders, who face a hectic final week with …

Emerging oil rig evidence shows lack of regulation

The first firm evidence of what likely caused the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil blowout _ a devastating sequence of equipment failures _ drives home a central unsettling point about America's oil industry: key safety features at tens of thousands of U.S. offshore rigs are barely regulated.

Wednesday's hearings by congressional and administration panels _ in Washington and in Louisiana _ laid out a checklist of unseen breakdowns on largely unregulated aspects of well safety that appear to have contributed to the April 20 blowout: a leaky cement job, a loose hydraulic fitting, a dead battery.

The trail of problems highlights the reality that, even as the U.S. …

Abbas asks US to step into settlement dispute

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he has asked the U.S. to settle a dispute with Israel over settlement expansion that is threatening to derail Mideast peace talks.

Israel's 10-month partial freeze on new construction in West Bank settlements ends Sept. 26, and Israeli officials have indicated they will not extend the freeze as is. Abbas has said he'll quit peace talks with Israel unless the restrictions remain in place.

Abbas said late Monday that he has asked the U.S. "to intervene in the settlement issue."

The Obama administration has promised an active role in the talks, Abbas told reporters accompanying him on his way back from …

CARTER TO VISIT CUBA.(Brief Article)

The Bush Administration said it will allow former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to visit Cuba in May, reports The N.Y. Times (April 9, 2002). The visit will be the first by a former American president to the island since the 1959 revolution. Mr. Carter plans to lead a small delegation, including his wife, Rosalynn. "President Carter looks forward to meeting Cubans from all walks of life, and …

Raw / processed materials.(SECTION 1)

ABRASIVE, Grain & Powder

Advanced Processes Inc.

AluChem Inc.

C-E Minerals#

Electro Abrasives Corp#

Engis Corp.

Ferro Corporation, Electronic Material Systems

Fujimi Corporation

The Jet Pulverizer Co., Inc.

Kraft Chemical Company

Matrix Enterprises

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Saint-Gobain Abrasives#

Saint-Gobain Zirpro#

Superior Graphite Co.

U.S. Electrofused Minerals Inc., T/A Elfusa-U.S.A.#

UK Abrasives, Inc.#

Washington Mills#

ACID

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Kraft Chemical Company

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

ALGINATE

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

ALKALINE EARTH & ALKALINE EARTH COMPOUNDS

Gelest Inc.

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

SMAHT Ceramics. Inc.

ALKALI & ALKALI COMPOUNDS

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

ALLOY POWDER

Goodfellow Corp.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Kraft Chemical Company

Noah Technologies Corporation

ALUM

C-E Minerals#

HAl Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

ALUMINA

Advanced Ceramic Technology

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Almatis

AluChem Inc.

Astro Met Inc.

Axner Pottery Supply#

Baikowski Int'l. Corp.#

Baikowski Malakoff Inc.#

Bracker's Good Earth Clays, Inc.#

C-E Minerals#

Ceradyne, Inc.#

Ceralox, Div. of Sasol North America Inc.

Cetek Technologies, Inc.

CoorsTek, Inc., International Headquarters#

Du-Co Ceramics Co.

Electro Abrasives Corp.#

ETEC Gesellschaft fuer Technische Keramik mbH

Extec Corp.

Ferro Corporation, Electronic Material Systems

Fusion Ceramics Inc.

Goodfellow Corp.

HAl Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Huicheng International Trade Co., Ltd.

IJ Research, Inc.

International Ceramic Engineering, Advanced Ceramics Division

The Jet Pulverizer Co., Inc.

Lock 3 Company

Machined Ceramics Inc.

McDanel Advanced Ceramic Technologies, LLC#

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

Refractory Minerals Co., Inc.

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

Saint-Gobain Ceramics#

SMAHT Ceramics, Inc.

Superior Technical Ceramics Corp.

Valley Design Corp, East

Washington Mills#

Activated

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

AluChem Inc.

Ceralox, Div. of Sasol North America Inc.

Cetek Technologies, Inc.

HAl Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Kraft Chemical Company

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

Calcined

Almatis

AluChem Inc.

Baikowski Int'l. Corp.#

Baikowski Malakoff Inc.#

Ceralox, Div. of Sasol North America Inc.

Cetek Technologies, Inc.

Electro Abrasives Corp.#

Ferro Corporation, Electronic Material Systems

Fujimi Corporation

Fusion Ceramics Inc.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Laguna Clay Co.#

Matrix Enterprises

Panadyne, Inc.

Refractory Minerals Co., Inc.

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

Sheffield Pottery, Inc.#

Colloidal

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Wesbond Corp.#

Fused

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

C-E Minerals#

Ceramic Solutions, Inc.#

Cetek Technologies, Inc.

CoorsTek, Inc., International Headquarters#

Electro Abrasives Corp.#

Fujimi Corporation

Matrix Enterprises

Panadyne, Inc.

Pred Materials International, Inc.#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

U.S. Electrofused Minerals Inc., T/A Elfusa--U.S.A.#

UKAM Industrial Superhard Tools, LEL Diamond Tools International, Inc.

Washington Mills#

High-Purity

Advanced Ceramic Technology

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

AluChem Inc.

Astro Met Inc.

Baikowski Int'l. Corp.#

Baikowski Malakoff Inc.#

Ceralox, Div. of Sasol North America Inc.

Ceramic Solutions, Inc.#

Cetek Technologies, Inc.

CoorsTek, Inc., International Headquarters#

Goodfellow Corp.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

IJ Research, Inc.

Insaco

International Ceramic Engineering, Advanced Ceramics Division

The Jet Pulverizer Co., Inc.

Machined Ceramics Inc.

McDanel Advanced Ceramic Technologies, LLC#

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pred Materials International, Inc.#

Superior Technical Ceramics Corp.

UKAM Industrial Superhard Tools, LEL Diamond Tools International, Inc.

Valley Design Corp, East

Hydrated

Almatis

Baikowski Malakoff Inc.#

Fusion Ceramics Inc.

The Jet Pulverizer Co., Inc.

Kraft Chemical Company

Laguna Clay Co.#

Mid-South Ceramic Supply Co

Noah Technologies Corporation

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

Sheffield Pottery, Inc.#

Platelet

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Reactive

Almatis

AluChem Inc.

Baikowski Malakoff Inc.#

Ceralox, Div. of Sasol North America Inc.

Cetek Technologies, Inc.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Panadyne, Inc.

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

Single Crystal

Ceralox, Div. of Sasol North America Inc.

CoorsTek, Inc., International Headquarters#

Goodfellow Corp.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

IJ Research, Inc.

Insaco

UKAM industrial Superhard Tools, LEL Diamond Tools International, Inc.

Spray Dried

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

Tabular

Almatis

AluChem Inc.

C-E Minerals#

Fusion Ceramics Inc.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

UKAM Industrial Superhard Tools, LEL Diamond Tools International, Inc.

Transformation-Toughened

Astro Met Inc.

Cetek Technologies, Inc.

CoorsTek, Inc., International Headquarters#

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

IJ Research, Inc.

Insaco

International Ceramic Engineering, Advanced Ceramics Division

UKAM Industrial Superhard Tools, EEL Diamond Tools International, Inc.

Trihydrate

Almatis

R. E. Carroll, Inc.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

The Jet Pulverizer Co., Inc.

Kraft Chemical Company

Noah Technologies Corporation

Panadyne, Inc.

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

H. C. Spinks Clay Co. Inc., Franklin Industrial Minerals, A LHoist Group Company

Zirconia-Toughened

Cetek Technologies, Inc.

CoorsTek, Inc., International Headquarters#

Goodfellow Corp.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

IJ Research, Inc.

Insaco

International Ceramic Engineering, Advanced Ceramics Division

Panadyne, Inc.

SMAHT Ceramics, Inc.

UKAM Industrial Superhard Tools, LEL Diamond Tools International, Inc.

ALUMINA FIBERS, Polycrystalline

Goodfellow Corp.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Rath Incorporated

Thermal Ceramics#

ALUMINUM CARBIDE

CoorsTek, Inc., International Headquarters#

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

H.C. Starck GmbH, Ceramic and Surface Technology#

H.C. Starck Inc., Ceramic and Surface Technology#

UKAM Industrial Superhard Tools, LEL Diamond Tools International, Inc.

ALUMINUM FLUORIDE

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Chivine Resources, Inc.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Almatis

AluChem Inc.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

ALUMINUM NITRIDE POWDER

Advanced Material Technologies#

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Cetek Technologies, Inc.

Goodfellow Corp.

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

Pred Materials International, Inc.#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

H.C. Starck GmbH, Ceramic and Surface Technology#

H.C. Starck Inc., Ceramic and Surface Technology#

TOKUYAMA#

ALUMINUM OXIDE

Abrasive Grade

C-E Minerals#

CoorsTek, Inc., International Headquarters#

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Matrix Enterprises

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

Washington Mills#

Fused Brown

C-E Minerals#

CoorsTek, Inc., International Headquarters#

Electro Abrasives Corp.#

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Huicheng International Trade Co., Ltd.

Matrix Enterprises

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

U.S. Electrofused Minerals Inc., T/A Elfusa--U.S.A.#

UKAM Industrial Superhard Tools, LEL Diamond Tools International, Inc.

Washington Mills#

Fused White

C-E Minerals#

CoorsTek, Inc., International Headquarters#

Electro Abrasives Corp.#

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Huicheng International Trade Co., Ltd.

Matrix Enterprises

Panadyne, Inc.

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

Pred Materials International, Inc.#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

H.C. Starck GmbH, Ceramic and Surface Technology#

H.C. Starck Inc., Ceramic and Surface Technology#

U.S. Electrofused Minerals Inc., T/A Elfusa--U.S.A.#

UKAM Industrial Superhard Tools, LEL

Diamond Tools International, Inc.

Washington Mills#

ALUMINUM SHEET FOR ENAMELING

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

ALUMINUM SILICATE

C-E Minerals#

International Ceramic Engineering, Advanced Ceramics Division

Machined Ceramics Inc.

Minco Inc., A Ceradyne Company

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

Superior Technical Ceramics Corp.

UKAM Industrial Superhard Tools, LEL Diamond Tools International, Inc.

ALUMINUM SULFATE

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

ALUMINUM TITANATE

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

ETEC Gesellschaft fuer Technische Keramik mbH

HAI Advanced Material Specialists, Inc.

Machined Ceramics Inc.

AMMONIUM, Compounds of

Kraft Chemical Company

Laguna Clay Co.#

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

STRATCOR, Inc.

R. T. Vanderbilt. Co. Inc.

AMMONIUM PARATUNGSTATE

Carbochem Inc.

ANDALUSITE

C-E Minerals#

ANTI-SETTLING AGENT

Bracker's Good Earth Clays, Inc.#

ANTIMONY AND COMPOUNDS

Noah Technologies Corporation

ANTIMONY OXIDE

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Arlington International, Inc.

Bracker's Good Earth Clays, Inc.#

Ceramic Color & Chemical Mfg. Co.#

Kraft Chemical Company

Laguna Clay Co.#

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

Sheffield Pottery, Inc.#

ANTIMONY SULFIDE

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

BassTech International

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

APLITE

U.S. Silica Co.

ARSENIC

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Kraft Chemical Company

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

ARSENIC OXIDE

Noah Technologies Corporation

BARIUM, Compounds of

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

BassTech International

Ceramic Color & Chemical Mfg. Co.#

Ferro Corporation, Electronic Material Systems

Kraft Chemical Company

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

BARIUM CARBONATE

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Axner Pottery Supply#

BassTech International

Bracker's Good Earth Clays, Inc.#

Carbochem Inc.

Fusion Ceramics Inc.

The Jet Pulverizer Co., Inc.

Kraft Chemical Company

Laguna Clay Co.#

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

Sheffield Pottery, Inc.#

BARIUM SULFATE

Carbochem Inc.

R. E. Carroll, Inc.

BARIUM TITANATE

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

BassTech International

CoorsTek, Inc., International Headquarters#

Ferro Corporation, Electronic Material Systems

The Jet Pulverizer Co., Inc.

Machined Ceramics Inc.

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

BARIUM ZIRCONIUM SILICATE

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

SMAHT Ceramics, Inc.

BAUXITE

Huicheng International Trade Co., Ltd.

Lock 3 Company

Louisville Fire Brick Works, Shuck Industries

U.S. Refractories, Hitchins Refractories LLC

Calcined

C-E Minerals#

Huicheng International Trade Co., Ltd.

Louisville Fire Brick Works, Shuck Industries

U.S. Electrofused Minerals Inc., T/A Elfusa--U.S.A.#

U.S. Refractories, Hitchins Refractories LLC

Sintered

C-E Minerals#

Cetek Technologies, Inc.

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas Europe#

Rio Tinto Alcan, Specialty Aluminas North America#

BENTONITE

Axner Pottery Supply#

Bracker's Good Earth Clays, Inc.#

Fusion Ceramics Inc.

Kraft Chemical Company

Laguna Clay Co.#

Sheffield Pottery, Inc.#

H. C. Spinks Clay Co. Inc., Franklin Industrial Minerals, A LHoist Group Company

R. T. Vanderbilt, Co. Inc.

BERYLLIA

Brush Ceramic Products

Goodfellow Corp.

Noah Technologies Corporation

UKAM Industrial Superhard Tools, LEL Diamond Tools International, Inc.

Valley Design Corp, East

BERYLLIUM & BERYLLIUM COMPOUNDS

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Brush Ceramic Products

Goodfellow Corp.

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

Valley Design Corp, East

BINDER

Active Minerals International LLC, Attapulgite Div.#

Advanced Processes Inc.

BassTech International

Esprix Technologies

Ferro Corporation, Electronic Material Systems

Fusion Ceramics Inc.

Haiku Tech

LignoTech USA#

Richard E. Mistier Inc.

Refractory Minerals Co., Inc.

Shamrock Technologies

Tape Casting Warehouse

R. T. Vanderbilt, Co. Inc.

Wesbond Corp.#

Zschimmer & Schwarz Inc, US Division#

BISMUTH OXIDE

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Arlington International, Inc.

GFI Advanced Technologies Inc.

The Jet Pulverizer Co., Inc

MCP Metalspecialties Inc.

Noah Technologies Corporation

BISMUTH TITANATE

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

Ferro Corporation, Electronic Material Systems

MCP Metalspecialties Inc.

Noah Technologies Corporation

BONE ASH

Axner Pottery Supply#

Bracker's Good Earth Clays, Inc.#

Kraft Chemical Company

Laguna Clay Co.#

Mid-South Ceramic Supply Co.

Sheffield Pottery, Inc.#

BORAX

Axner Pottery Supply#

Bracker's Good Earth Clays, Inc.#

Fusion Ceramics Inc.

Kraft Chemical Company

Laguna Clay Co.#

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

Rio Tinto Minerals#

Sheffield Pottery, Inc.#

Anhydrous

Kraft Chemical Company

Rio Tinto Minerals#

BORIC ACID

Bracker's Good Earth Clays, Inc.#

Fusion Ceramics Inc.

Kraft Chemical Company

Laguna Clay Co.#

Noah Technologies Corporation

Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc.

Rio Tinto Minerals#

Sheffield Pottery, Inc.#

BORIDE

Advanced Material Technologies#

Alfa Aesar, A Johnson Matthey Company

BAE Systems Advanced …