Kenyan opposition leader willing to discuss power sharing, calls mass rallies

Kenya's opposition leader signaled he is willing to share power with the government he accuses of rigging elections, but at the same time called for mass rallies _ a move that threatens renewed bloodletting.

Weary Kenyans, some hungry and homeless after a week of violence marked by ethnic clashes, prayed for peace Sunday and begged their leaders to break the political deadlock.

"This fighting is meaningless," said Eliakim Omondi, 17, at a Lutheran church in Nairobi's Kibera slum that was torched last week. "I wish they would just talk and square everything so the fighting will stop."

Pastor Dennis Meeker urged congregants …

reviews in brief

At a certain moment in adolescence, we all realize our parents aren't perfect. Celia West, the main character in Carrie Vaughn's After the Golden Age (Tor, $24.99) never had that moment. As far as the citizens of Commerce City are concerned, her parents are perfect. They're superheroes.

Warren and Suzanne West are better known as Captain Olympus and Spark, Commerce City's most loved and respected costumed heroes. He's super strong and invulnerable; she can control fire. Celia, however, has no powers. That led to an adolescence raging with insecurity and resentment, especially once her parents' arch-enemy, the Destructor, revealed their secret identities to the world.

Now …

WELCOME TO THE 2011 WOOD RIVER VALLEY GUIDE

Getting away from it all doesn't mean you have to A) take out a loan, B) take an extended leave of absence, ^~(TM) or C) dig out your passport. In fact, for those of us who live in Southern Idaho, a grand escape is mere hours away. A short drive can take you to a magical land where your hands don't burn on your steering wheel on a summer day, crisp air greets you in the morning and star-filled skies glitter overhead at night.

OK, so maybe it's not actually magical, but the Wood River Valley offers an all-toorare escape from the city, and one that is completely doable over a single weekend.

This is Boise Weekly's third annual Wood River Valley Summer …

Miss Venezuela is Miss Universe 2008

Miss Venezuela was crowned Miss Universe 2008 on Monday in a contest marked by the spectacle of Miss USA falling down during the evening gown competition for the second year in a row.

The new Miss Universe, Dayana Mendoza, was once kidnapped in her homeland and says the experience taught her to remain poised under pressure.

Tension got under the skin of Miss USA, Crystle Stewart of Texas, who tripped on the train of her bejeweled evening gown as she made her entrance.

During the 2007 Miss Universe contest in Mexico City, Miss USA Rachel Smith also tumbled during the evening gown competition and became an unintended star on YouTube, where the video …

European Central Bank sees pressure ease

While Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke faces pressure to spur the U.S. recovery, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet can take life a bit easier.

For the first time in what must seem like ages, Trichet's monthly press conference Thursday after the central bank's rate-setting meeting will not be engulfed by crisis talk and questions about possible government default.

Following months of procrastination and indecision, Europe's leaders and the ECB appear to have pulled their act together and doused the flames of a government debt crisis that threatened the fabric of the 16-country single currency zone.

The impending sense of …

Missed Putt Sinks Els Emotionally

LOS ANGELES When Ernie Els' 12-foot birdie try on No. 16tantalizingly rimmed in and out of the cup, it probably signaled theend of his chance to win the PGA Championship.

Els began the final round with a three-shot lead at 16-under,but he lost two shots to par on the front nine Sunday. He was backto 16-under and had a chance to move into a tie for the lead, whenhis putt didn't drop at No. 16.

"That putt really, I think, just took everything out of me," Elssaid.

He then bogeyed No. 17 and finished with a 72 that left him tiedfor third with Jeff Maggert.

"I didn't play a great round of golf," Els said.

LOW NINE: Brad Faxon's 7-under-par 28 …

Saudi Aramco picks Samsung for gas project

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia's state-run oil giant Saudi Aramco says it has selected South Korea's Samsung Engineering Co. to build its giant Shaybah natural gas recovery facility.

Aramco said in a statement Wednesday that the project includes the engineering, procurement and construction of all four packages linked to the facility. It did not provide a price tag for the …

McClaren's Twente crowned Dutch league champions

FC Twente won its maiden Dutch league title Sunday after a 2-0 win over NAC Breda.

In the process, Twente coach Steve McClaren became the first English coach to win a major European league title since Bobby Robson with FC Porto in 1996.

Bryan Ruiz and Miroslav Stoch scored on a rain-soaked final day of the season to give …

Ringo keeps on rocking, looks forward to next hit; Ex-Beatle talks music, aging with greatest hits package on the way

Forget "When I'm 64." Ringo Starr has that age in his rearviewmirror.

But the 67-year-old ex-Beatle still has the musical drive andlooks of a rock 'n' roller half his age. And he acts it, too.

Seated recently in a swank hotel room in Beverly Hills, Starrlooked slender in a blazer and slim-fit jeans flecked with blue penscratches (his own scribblings, he disclosed).

His customary shades left his face only once, exchanged for atinted pair of glasses. For the last 20 years, Starr's eyes haveremained well hidden, symbolic of his rock-star cool.

"Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr" -- culled from hissolo career and label-spanning collection of …

Gunmen kill 5 relatives of Sunni fighter in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) — Gunmen wearing military-style uniforms broke into the house of a pro-government Sunni militiaman early on Wednesday and killed five members of his family, including three children, Iraqi officials said.

A police official said the gunmen shot the women and children as they were sleeping in their home in Abu Ghraib, a Sunni-dominated area that used to be a haven for al-Qaida in Iraq.

Seven other family members were wounded in the attack. The militiaman, Hameed al-Zobaie, was not in the house at the time of the attack, the police official said.

A medical official in a nearby hospital confirmed the casualties. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity …

Bubba Watson could be this year's Boo Weekley

NEWPORT, Wales (AP) — Bubba Watson could be this year's Boo Weekley for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, a guy who keeps his teammates laughing, scratching their heads or maybe just wishing he'd shut his mouth every now and then.

Rest assured, the big-hitting Watson won't be laying up — on or off the course — during his week in Wales.

He put it all out there Wednesday during an entertaining and emotional session with the media, whether it was shrugging off the history of the event ("it's no big deal to me"), dismissing the need for serious discussions ("all I'm asking is what team outfit we are wearing that day"), or choking back tears as he spoke of his cancer-stricken father serving …

D. C.

Politicians' penchant persists for pedicide

In politics as so much of life, the worst wounds are self-inflicted. Virginia Senator George Allen learned that the hard way last week, and then came lesson two: lame excuses only make things worse.

Allen joins a venerable club with alumni utterances that include:

* "I am not a crook" (Richard Nixon);

* "I did not have sex with that woman" (Bill Clinton);

* "I voted for it before I voted against it" (John Kerry);

* "Go f*** yourself" (Dick Cheney);

* "Read my lips, no new taxes" (George H.W. Bush);

* "I was brainwashed (George Romney).

It's a bipartisan affliction. Joining Allen in …

Former Officer Gets 17 Years in Beating

A former police officer was sentenced Thursday to more than 17 years in prison for the beating of a biracial man in a case that outraged the city and sent protesters into the streets.

A judge also sentenced Jon Bartlett, 36, to three years supervision and ordered him to pay $16,365 in restitution along with the federal prison sentence of 17 years and four months.

Bartlett was convicted with two other former officers of taking part in the beating of Frank Jude Jr. outside a housewarming party in October 2004.

The other officers, Daniel Masarik, 27, and Andrew Spengler, 28, were scheduled to be sentenced later Thursday.

Bartlett was the ringleader in the attack, Jude wrote in a statement submitted to the court Thursday. Jude feared for his life and had hoped Clevert would give Bartlett the maximum 20-year sentence, he wrote.

"You and your fellow police officer friends attempted to kill me and take my life," he wrote. "Mr. Bartlett, you are a disgrace, a disgrace to all police officers, and every public official in the world."

Bartlett apologized to Jude in court Thursday, but he stood by his claim that he had to deal with unruly suspect.

A federal jury determined in July that the three violated Jude's civil rights and conspired to assault him while acting as officers. Officer Ryan Packard was acquitted of federal charges.

The trial is the second round in a case that has haunted Milwaukee. The three men were acquitted of most state charges by an all-white jury in April 2006, angering the community. Federal authorities filed the civil rights charges six months later.

In the days after the state trial, black and white residents, including the mayor, expressed their outrage at community meetings. Up to 2,000 people marched from the Milwaukee County courthouse to the federal courthouse.

Jude, 29, said he had been at a party on Oct. 24, 2004, when a group of white men who identified themselves as off-duty officers kicked and punched him, put a knife to his throat and jammed a pen in his ears as he begged for mercy. Jude said he heard Spengler call him a racial slur.

"They came close to killing Mr. Jude," said his attorney, Jonathan Safran. "They caused him serious permanent physical injuries and mental injuries he and his family will have to deal with the rest of their lives."

Jude said the confrontation began as he and a friend were leaving the party, when a group of men surrounded their truck and dragged him out, accusing him of taking Spengler's badge. No badge was ever found.

The community has cried injustice since the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a front-page photo in February 2005 showing Jude's swollen, misshapen face just after the beating.

The police department disciplined 13 officers after the beating, including nine who were fired. Two of the fired officers won back their jobs, including Packard after a 20-day suspension.

Four others have pleaded guilty to similar federal charges. One has been sentenced to two years in prison and another a year in prison along with a year of probation, a fine of $3,000 and 100 hours of community service.

Two others are scheduled for sentencing Dec. 6.

Hampton beats Boston U. 51-50 in preseason NIT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Darrion Pellum scored 19 points and Charles Funches scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half as Hampton defeated Boston University 51-50 in the consolation round of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Monday night.

Tied at 47, Funches fed Danny Agebelese for a layup and then made two free throws to put the Pirates (3-1) up 51-47 with 1:04 remaining. John Holland's three-point play brought the Terriers within 51-50 with 46.2 seconds left.

After a Pirates miss, Holland had the ball in the backcourt with 6 seconds left, but Hampton's Kwame Morgan stole the ball and was fouled. Morgan missed the one-and-one, but the Terriers' D.J. Irving was called for charging with 0.6 seconds remaining.

Holland scored 12 points for the Terriers (2-3), who shot only 25.0 percent from the field (16 for 64).

Pellum scored 17 points in the first half and the Pirates led 30-29 at halftime.

Today in History

Today is Thursday, July 14, the 195th day of 2011. There are 170 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 14, 1911, Harry N. Atwood became the first pilot to land an airplane (a Wright Model B biplane) on the grounds of the White House after flying in from Boston; he was greeted by President William Howard Taft.

On this date:

In 1789, during the French Revolution, citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille prison and released the seven prisoners inside.

In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry relayed to Japanese officials a letter from President Millard Fillmore, requesting trade relations. (Fillmore's term of office had already expired by the time the letter was delivered.)

In 1881, outlaw William H. Bonney Jr., alias "Billy the Kid," was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner, N.M.

In 1902, the original, centuries-old Campanile di San Marco in Venice, Italy, collapsed. (The bell tower was rebuilt within a decade.)

In 1913, Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr., the 38th president of the United States, was born Leslie Lynch King Jr. in Omaha, Neb.

In 1921, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were convicted in Dedham, Mass., of murdering a shoe company paymaster and his guard. (Sacco and Vanzetti were executed six years later.)

In 1933, all German political parties, except the Nazi Party, were outlawed.

In 1960, British researcher Jane Goodall arrived at the Gombe (GAHM'-bay) Stream Reserve in the Tanganyika Territory (in present-day Tanzania) to begin her famous study of chimpanzees in the wild.

In 1966, eight student nurses were murdered by Richard Speck in a Chicago dormitory.

In 1976, Jimmy Carter won the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention in New York.

Ten years ago: In a boost for President George W. Bush's hopes to build a defense against ballistic missile attack, the Pentagon scored a hit with an interceptor that soared into space from a tiny Pacific isle and destroyed its target, a mock nuclear warhead. China convicted American business professor Li Shaomin (lee show-mihn) of spying for Taiwan and then ordered him deported. Katharine Graham, the 84-year-old chairman of the executive committee of The Washington Post Co., suffered a head injury in a fall in Sun Valley, Idaho (she died three days later).

Five years ago: Israel destroyed the home and office of Hezbollah's leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah (HAS'-ahn NAS'-ruh-lah), and tightened its seal on Lebanon, blasting its air and road links to the outside world. Spurred by Mideast fighting, oil prices rose to an intraday record $78.40 a barrel. Actress Carrie Nye died in New York at age 69.

One year ago: An Iranian nuclear scientist who'd disappeared a year earlier headed back to Tehran, telling Iranian state media that he'd been abducted by CIA agents. (The U.S. said Shahram Amiri was a willing defector who'd changed his mind.)

(Stations: "taboo," lower case, is correct)

Today's Birthdays: Actor Dale Robertson is 88. Actor Harry Dean Stanton is 85. Actress Nancy Olson is 83. Actress Polly Bergen is 81. Former football player and actor Rosey Grier is 79. Actor Vincent Pastore is 65. Former music company executive Tommy Mottola (muh-TOH'-luh) is 62. Rock musician Chris Cross (Ultravox) is 59. Actor Jerry Houser is 59. Actor-director Eric Laneuville is 59. Actor Stan Shaw is 59. Movie producer Scott Rudin is 53. Singer-guitarist Kyle Gass is 51. Country musician Ray Herndon (McBride and the Ride) is 51. Actress Jane Lynch (TV: "Glee") is 51. Actor Jackie Earle Haley is 50. Actor Matthew Fox is 45. Rock musician Ellen Reid (Crash Test Dummies) is 45. Rock singer-musician Tanya Donelly is 45. Actress Missy Gold is 41. Olympic gold medal snowboarder Ross Rebagliati is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer Tameka Cottle (Xscape) is 36. Country singer Jamey Johnson is 36. Hip-hop musician taboo (Black Eyed Peas) is 36. Actor Scott Porter is 32.

Thought for Today: "The willing contemplation of vice is vice." — Arabic proverb.

(Above Advance for Use Thursday, July 14)

Copyright 2011, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Danis makes 30 saves, Isles beat Sabres 2-0

Yann Danis made 30 saves for his second straight shutout at home, and Sean Bergenheim scored twice in the New York Islanders' 2-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

The Sabres remained tied with Carolina for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Patrick Lalime made 32 saves for the Sabres.

The Islanders are 5-1-3 in their last nine games at Nassau Coliseum.

The Sabres took seven of the first eight shots of the game, but none of them got by Danis, nor did the other two they had in the scoreless first period.

The Islanders got on the board first at 6:13 of the middle period. On a scramble in front of Buffalo's net, Bergenheim came up with the loose puck in the left circle and sent a quick wrist shot between Lalime's pads. It was Bergenheim's 10th goal of the season, and came on New York's first shot of the period.

The Sabres' best chance to tie the game came in the last minute of the period, but Ales Kotalik hit the left post while Buffalo had a 4-on-3 power play.

Buffalo put a good amount of pressure on Danis in the third period, but it was the Islanders who capitalized when Bergenheim banged in a quick pass from Frans Nielsen with 2:02 left in regulation.

Notes:@ Islanders captain Bill Guerin skated in pregame warmups, but was not on the bench for the game, leading to speculation he had been traded. ... With defenseman Brendan Witt suspended for five games by the NHL on Saturday for elbowing Calgary's Brandon Prust in the head Friday night, the Islanders called up Andrew MacDonald from Bridgeport to play his first NHL game.

(This version CORRECTS Islanders 2, Sabres 0. SUBS 2nd graf to correct Buffalo's place in standings.)

Defense does it for UCLA; Williams fastest to 500th

The last time the rest of the country looked in on UCLA, theBruins played their way into the national championship game withdefense. They needed a big dose of it Saturday.

The Bruins survived their first serious challenge at No. 1 withlate-game defensive stops in a 65-62 victory over No. 6 Texas A&M inthe John R. Wooden Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

"That was two teams fighting at it pretty hard," Aggies coachBilly Gillispie said. "A lot of mistakes made, but a lot of big-time plays."

Josh Shipp scored 18 points, and foul-plagued Arron Afflalo hadeight of his 13 over the final nine minutes for the Bruins (8-0).Darren Collison added 15 points but had six of the team's 13turnovers.

"They came off a loss to LSU, so we knew we were going to gettheir best shot," Shipp said.

Acie Law scored 21 points for Texas A&M (7-2), which controlledthe boards 34-23 and outshot UCLA in the second half. Dominique Kirkadded 12 points for the Aggies, and Joseph Jones had 11 points and13 rebounds.

No. 3 North Carolina 94, High Point 69: Tyler Hansbrough had 24points, and the host Tar Heels (7-1) gave coach Roy Williams his500th career victory.

Williams reached the 500-win mark in his 19th season, faster thanany other Division I coach. Jerry Tarkanian won his 500th game inhis 20th season.

Texas Tech 98, Centenary 64: Bob Knight moved two wins behind all-time leader Dean Smith on the Division I career victory list.Knight's 877th win broke his tie for second place with Kentucky'sAdolph Rupp and left him behind only the former North Carolinacoach.

No. 2 Pittsburgh 70, Buffalo 67: Aaron Gray scored 19 points andadded 11 rebounds, helping the Panthers (10-0) overcome an 11-pointdeficit and pull out a victory over the Bulls in Amherst, N.Y.

No. 4 Alabama 92, Alabama State 58: Richard Hendrix scored 34points on 15-for-19 shooting to help the Crimson Tide (8-1) coastdespite the absence of stars Jermareo Davidson and Ronald Steele.

Davidson has withdrawn from fall semester after missing someclasses following the death of his girlfriend in a November caraccident. He is expected to be eligible for next Saturday's gameagainst Southern Mississippi once final exams are over. Steele isnursing an ankle injury.

Indiana State 72, No. 15 Butler 64: Gabe Moore scored a career-high 24 points as the host Sycamores ruined the nation's mostsurprising start. Mike Green had 18 points for Butler (10-1), whichshot an uncharacteristic 41.5 percent from the field and was 8-for-28 from three-point range.

It was the third consecutive win for Indiana State (5-3) in the122-game series between the in-state rivals.

SUNDAY'S MAJOR LEAGUE LEADERS

NATIONAL LEAGUE

BATTING_Votto, Cincinnati, .322; CGonzalez, Colorado, .321; Polanco, Philadelphia, .319; Prado, Atlanta, .315; Pujols, St. Louis, .315; Byrd, Chicago, .312; Holliday, St. Louis, .306.

RUNS_BPhillips, Cincinnati, 82; Votto, Cincinnati, 82; Uggla, Florida, 81; Weeks, Milwaukee, 81; Pujols, St. Louis, 79; CGonzalez, Colorado, 78; AHuff, San Francisco, 76.

RBI_Pujols, St. Louis, 86; Howard, Philadelphia, 81; CGonzalez, Colorado, 79; Votto, Cincinnati, 79; ADunn, Washington, 78; Hart, Milwaukee, 78; DWright, New York, 77.

HITS_CGonzalez, Colorado, 140; Prado, Atlanta, 138; Pujols, St. Louis, 137; Braun, Milwaukee, 135; Byrd, Chicago, 135; BPhillips, Cincinnati, 135; Weeks, Milwaukee, 135.

DOUBLES_ATorres, San Francisco, 38; Werth, Philadelphia, 38; Holliday, St. Louis, 32; Loney, Los Angeles, 32; Braun, Milwaukee, 31; Byrd, Chicago, 30; ADunn, Washington, 30.

TRIPLES_SDrew, Arizona, 8; Fowler, Colorado, 8; Victorino, Philadelphia, 8; AEscobar, Milwaukee, 7; Pagan, New York, 7; JosReyes, New York, 7; Bay, New York, 6; CGonzalez, Colorado, 6; Morgan, Washington, 6.

HOME RUNS_ADunn, Washington, 31; Pujols, St. Louis, 30; Votto, Cincinnati, 28; Uggla, Florida, 27; Reynolds, Arizona, 26; Fielder, Milwaukee, 25; CGonzalez, Colorado, 25.

STOLEN BASES_Bourn, Houston, 39; Morgan, Washington, 29; Pagan, New York, 28; CYoung, Arizona, 25; AMcCutchen, Pittsburgh, 24; JosReyes, New York, 23; ATorres, San Francisco, 23.

PITCHING_Jimenez, Colorado, 17-3; Wainwright, St. Louis, 17-6; Halladay, Philadelphia, 15-8; THudson, Atlanta, 14-5; CCarpenter, St. Louis, 13-4; Nolasco, Florida, 13-8; Latos, San Diego, 12-5; Arroyo, Cincinnati, 12-7.

STRIKEOUTS_Halladay, Philadelphia, 175; Lincecum, San Francisco, 169; Wainwright, St. Louis, 158; Kershaw, Los Angeles, 157; Hamels, Philadelphia, 157; JoJohnson, Florida, 156; Gallardo, Milwaukee, 154.

SAVES_HBell, San Diego, 35; BrWilson, San Francisco, 33; FCordero, Cincinnati, 32; Wagner, Atlanta, 29; Capps, Washington, 26; Nunez, Florida, 26; FRodriguez, New York, 25.

Chinese submersible makes its deepest test dive

BEIJING (AP) — A manned Chinese submersible successfully reached its lowest-ever depth Tuesday and can explore more than 70 percent of the world's sea floor, China's oceanic institution said.

The test dive comes amid increased tension in the South China Sea, where China and its neighbors dispute ownership over areas that potentially hold huge oil, gas and mineral reserves.

The three men on board took less than three hours to dive to a depth of 16,590 feet (5,057 meters), where they took photos of marine life, according to a statement posted on the State Oceanic Administration's website.

A follow-up dive will take samples from the seabed, it said, without saying when that would take place.

The Chinese-made Jiaolong — named after a mythical sea dragon — is designed to reach a depth of 23,000 feet (7,000 meters), state-run Xinhua News Agency said, quoting chief designer Xu Qinan.

Japan's Shinkai 6500 has the greatest depth range of any manned research vehicle in the world today — 21,325 feet (6,500 meters), a depth that enables travel to at least 98 percent of the world's sea floor.

The U.S. Navy conducted the deepest ever dive by a manned submersible in 1960 — the Bathyscaphe Trieste descended 35,800 feet (11,000 meters) to the Pacific's Mariana Trench.

China's test dive was carried out in "an international area" of the Pacific Ocean, Xinhua said.

The State Oceanic Administration plans to carry out a 23,000-foot (7,000-meter) test dive in 2012, Xinhua said.

China started the Jiaolong project in 2002. It was the fifth country to send a man 11,500 feet (3,500 meters) below sea level, after the United States, France, Russia and Japan, Xinhua said.

Lincoln’s gold pen going to Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — Abraham Lincoln's 14-karat-gold reversible pen and pencil often used during his White House tenure will be donated Friday to the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.

The pen/pencil will be placed in a public display inside the museum after the donation, along with a letter from Robert Lincoln, Lincoln's son, detailing his desire to play billiards.

"Lincoln lived in that generation in which he died with both a goose quill pen on his desk and a 14-karat-gold reversible pen and pencil," said James Cornelius, the library's curator. "That is how far he came as an individual and that is how far the country came in a generation."

Margaret Tillinghast Porter Davis, from Massachusetts, will donate the items. Her great grandparents, who knew the Lincolns, originally gave her the items. The pen/pencil is the first sold gold item donated to the library.

The 14-karat-gold combination pen/pencil from Abraham Lincoln's White House desk will be donated to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Poll: 95 percent of Azeris support Olympic bid

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — The organizers of Baku's bid for the 2020 Olympics say an opinion survey shows that 95 percent of Azerbaijan's people support the initiative.

Baku is one of six cities bidding for the games, along with Tokyo, Istanbul, Madrid, Rome and Doha, Qatar.

A statement from the organizers says the poll results were based on interviews with 1,000 people in three cities — Baku, Ganja and Sumgait. It did not state a margin of error for the poll, or how the 5 percent not supporting the bid responded.

Packaging co. settles for $25M in nightclub fire

A packaging company sued after a Rhode Island nightclub burned down five years ago has agreed to pay $25 million to survivors and relatives of the 100 people killed, according to court papers filed Friday.

The settlement with Elmwood Park, N.J.-based Sealed Air Corp. is the latest in a series stemming from the February 2003 fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, which began when pyrotechnics used by the rock band Great White ignited flammable soundproofing on the club's walls.

The settlement brings to nearly $150 million the total amount of money offered to survivors and victims' relatives. It also moves the case, which initially named dozens of people and companies as defendants, closer to a resolution.

The victims' lawyers say Sealed Air made polyethylene foam that was installed in the club in 1996. They say the foam burned too easily and produced toxic gas.

Ken Aurichio, a spokesman for Sealed Air, said packaging material was allegedly misused as soundproofing, and noted that it was never determined the company even made the material in the club. Sealed Air did not admit wrongdoing, and its insurer will pay the settlement, he said.

"Though Sealed Air was not responsible for the fire, we believe that this result is in the best interest of all concerned," Aurichio said.

The foam at issue in Friday's settlements is different from the flammable polyurethane foam placed on the building's walls by club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, who took over the club in 2000.

Other defendants that have reached settlements include Clear Channel Broadcasting, whose rock radio station promoted the show; Anheuser-Busch Inc.; The Home Depot Inc.; and a pyrotechnics manufacturer. Several other foam companies agreed last month to pay $30 million to settle.

The settlements are all subject to approval by a judge and the families.

The defendants that remain include the state of Rhode Island; the local fire inspector who failed to cite the club for foam; and American Foam Corp., which sold polyurethane foam to the Derderians.

In 2006, the Derderians pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and former Great White tour manager Daniel Biechele, who ignited the pyrotechnics, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Biechele is out on parole. Michael Derderian is in prison, but will be paroled next year. His brother received a sentence of probation and community service.

(This version CORRECTS that the Derderians pleaded "no contest," and not "guilty," to involuntary manslaughter.)

Stores Tempt Thanksgiving Day Shoppers

The start of the holiday shopping season crept earlier into Thursday as retailers lured shoppers to stores and online ahead of the traditional Black Friday kick-off.

For the second year in a row, CompUSA Inc. opened its doors on Thanksgiving, with stores scheduled to open at 9 p.m., except in Massachusetts where local laws preclude holiday hours. CompUSA also added an extra incentive for consumers this year by providing pumpkin pie for those in line.

Iconic toy store FAO Schwarz _ with locations in New York, Chicago and Las Vegas _ opened its doors on the holiday as well. Store hours for the three locations were 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In the past, holiday shopping on Thanksgiving Day was limited to discount stores like Kmart and Wal-Mart, as well as grocery retailers and 24-hour convenience stores like 7-Eleven Inc. Kmart, operated by Sears Holdings Corp., is taking it one step further, offering for the first time Thanksgiving Day specials on TVs to GPS systems.

"Some people just can't wait until Friday," said Kirsten Whipple, a Sears spokeswoman. "Thanksgiving dinner is done and they have moved on." Kmart's special Thanksgiving deals include an Olevia 32-inch LCD HDTV for $419.99 and a Magellan GPS system for $129.99.

Dozens of shoppers at Kmart in Raleigh, N.C., were met with doughnuts and coffee as early as 7 a.m., and when the store opened, they quickly cleared the shelves of top-selling items: Nintendo's Wii, selling for $249.99; the Magellan Maestro 3100 Navigation System for $129.99 and 32-inch Olevia LCD television for $419.99.

Rick Long was one of the first shoppers in line and snagged his only planned purchase: the 32-inch flat screen.

"There's actually one that's going to be cheaper tomorrow, but there's going to be a bigger line," Long said after hoisting his purchase into the back of his car. "So, I figure paying the extra $20 is worth it."

The lure of discounted computers brought Janice Kosak-Ceasar to a Best Buy store north of Houston at 4:45 a.m. Thursday _ 24 hours and 15 minutes before its holiday sale opening.

Kosak-Ceasar, along with her 9-year-old son, Caydin, were first in a line of about 12 people bundled in winter clothing and sleeping bags.

"I'm doing this for my mom," said Kosak-Ceasar, 36, a registered nurse from nearby Spring. "She really wants a laptop, so here I am. Kind of stupid, huh?"

Joy Greene, a nursing assistant, found Thanksgiving Day shopping to be a delightful interlude.

"Lots of people are home cooking and the store is basically free for me to roam and get what I need," Greene said as she roamed the aisles at a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Gates, a suburb of Rochester, N.Y. "It's good. You don't have to push to get this, to get that.

"Turkey's on," she added. "I left my daughter checking on that till I get back."

Ellen Davis, spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation, said the Thanksgiving openings may be a way of generating early enthusiasm ahead of a holiday season that's widely expected to be sluggish. Still, she said, no matter how stiff the competition is, for those new in the game, opening on Thanksgiving is still considered a tough decision when weighing employee time off and other factors.

"I think at this point Thanksgiving is still very revered in the retail industry," Davis said. "A lot of retailers just don't want to touch Thursday."

Web shopping is a different matter. More retailers are pushing shoppers to buy online on Thanksgiving, instead of just researching deals for Black Friday, named because it was traditionally when stores became profitable.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which last year offered one or two online specials on Thanksgiving, is offering specials on 20 to 30 products online. CompUSA.com is featuring one-day, online-only sales on Thanksgiving _ on products including computers, LCD flat-panel TVs and portable DVD players _ and free shipping on certain items.

Amazon.com Inc. held a poll to allow visitors to vote for items they want to see drastically discounted beginning Thursday. The Web site also is offering shipping incentives and other deals spanning the weekend.

Toys "R" Us' site and eToys.com are both featuring a slew of online specials just for Thanksgiving. Toysrus.com is featuring up to 65 percent savings on everything from Matchbox cars to Spider-Man 3 interactive figures, while eToys.com is offering up to 60 percent off on select items.

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AP Writer Mike Baker in Raleigh, N.C., and Business Writers Ben Dobbin in Rochester and John Porretto in Houston contributed to this report.

Iran rejects US accusation it is training Taliban

Iran dismissed on Wednesday accusations by the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan Gen. Stanley McChrystal that Tehran has helped train and arm Taliban insurgents.

"Those kinds of lies are designed to conceal the failures of the (NATO forces) in Afghanistan," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said.

On Sunday, McChrystal told reporters in Kabul that Iran _ Afghanistan's western neighbor _ has generally assisted the Afghan government in fighting the insurgent group.

"There is, however, clear evidence of Iranian activity _ in some cases providing weaponry and training to the Taliban _ that is inappropriate," he said. McChrystal did not provide details on how many fighters allegedly were trained in Iran.

Speaking in Brussels, where he met with EU officials and European lawmakers, Mottaki said that "in Afghanistan, Iran has always been part of the solution," and that Tehran was cooperating with the government in Kabul to stabilize the war-torn nation.

But he lambasted "erroneous" U.S. policies, blaming them for the ongoing conflict.

"When they arrived in Afghanistan eight years ago, the Americans said they would bring stability, destroy the drug trade and eliminate extremists and terrorists."

Instead, the extremists are still there today, drugs production is at record levels, and instability has engulfed the entire country, he said.

"The result is that ... extremism and fundamentalism have spread throughout the region," Mottaki said.

Mottaki also played down the possibility that the U.N. Security Council will adopt a U.S.-backed resolution calling for further sanctions against Iran over its refusal to stop enriching uranium.

He said its chances of passage were "very, very small," and that Russia and other security council members were already working to modify it.

Mottaki praised a deal reached between Iran and Brazil and Turkey, providing for a fuel-swap intended to address concerns that Iran may be enriching uranium for nuclear weapons. U.S. officials have criticized the agreement, in part because it does not stop Iran from continuing to enrich uranium.

"There have always been two options on the table _ the option based on cooperation, and the second based on confrontation," he said. "The American position is based on confrontation, while the deal (with Turkey and Brazil) is based on cooperation."

He said Iran intended to build up to 20 nuclear electrical power stations in the future, because they were 10 times cheaper to operate than fossil-burning plants.

School nutrition bill could be revived in Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Michelle Obama's campaign for healthier school lunches could be revived in Congress after two key Democrats said they will drop opposition to using funding from food stamps to pay for it.

Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Jim McGovern of Massachusetts have said they will support House passage of a $4.5 billion child nutrition bill that passed the Senate earlier this year. Backed by some anti-hunger groups, the two lawmakers led opposition to passage of that version before the election because it is partially paid for with $2.2 billion taken from future funding for food stamp programs.

Since then, a push from the White House, which promised to help restore the food-stamp money, and political reality after the midterm elections — the bill would probably not fare as well when Republicans take over the House in January — appear to have softened opposition.

DeLauro said Tuesday that she is willing to support the legislation, which would improve lunches in schools and expand feeding programs for low-income students, with the food stamp cuts because Democrats will have a better opportunity when Congress returns to use another piece of legislation to try to restore the money and increase access to feeding programs for hungry kids.

"The view was that before the election, we couldn't get (those) two pieces we wanted to get," she said.

A spokesman for McGovern, Michael Mershon, said he was willing to support the bill because he had gotten "sufficient assurance" from the White House that it will work to restore the food stamp cuts.

Rep. George Miller of California, the Democratic chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, said he hopes to see the legislation passed in the coming weeks but added that the Obama administration must keep its promise to restore the funding.

"The White House must also deliver on its promise of additional commitments to prevent cuts to the food stamps programs in this tough economy," Miller said in a statement.

If House Democrats are able to pass the Senate version of the bill, it would go straight to President Barack Obama for his signature. It could be a small victory for the party after widespread defeat in last week's elections.

It is unclear how long the lame-duck legislative session to end the two-year Congress will last when lawmakers return to the Capitol next week. If Democrats are not able to move the bill to the president's desk, supporters will have to start over in the new Congress. Though some Republicans support the bill, many have objected to its cost.

The first lady has lobbied aggressively for new school lunch standards as part of her "Let's Move" campaign to combat childhood obesity. The standards, which would be decided by the Agriculture Department, would not remove popular foods like hamburgers from schools but would make them healthier, using leaner meat or whole wheat buns, for example. Vending machines could be stocked with less candy and fewer high-calorie drinks.

Creation of new standards, which public health advocates have sought for years, has unprecedented support from many of the nation's largest food and beverage companies. The two sides came together on the issue as public pressure to remove junk foods from schools increased.

"I think it seems like now the bill is ready to pass," said Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who has been working on the issue for a decade. "If the House fails to pass child nutrition, it would derail 10 years of work to finally get sugary drinks and junk foods out of school vending machines."

Some hunger groups have signed on to passage of the Senate version despite the cuts.

Billy Shore, founder and executive director of the hunger group Share Our Strength, said the chances of the bill's passage with DeLauro and McGovern's support are "much, much better now."

"Now that we are at the end game ... we think it's time to get behind this bill," he said.

Monica Mills, of anti-hunger group Bread for the World, said her group has also signed on because "all in all, it's a step forward."

Egypt power cuts deepen suffering in fasting month

Since Muslims began their daily dawn-to-dusk fast for the holy month of Ramadan two weeks ago, Egypt has been hit by its worst power outages in decades.

The cuts at the height of summer with daily temperatures hovering around 100 degrees, along with rising food prices and water shortages, have Egyptians fuming, sweating and cursing during a month in which their sacrifices are supposed to bring them closer to God.

Newspapers nearly every day run photographs of families huddled in near darkness around candles or oil lamps. And Egyptians are venting their frustration on the government, adding to a list of grievances over what critics argue is its rampant disregard for anything other than catering to the elite and holding on to power.

"They often cut us off 15 or 20 minutes after iftar," said Ali Ibrahim, a 23-year-old university student who lives in one of Cairo's most crowded, low-income neighborhoods, referring to the sunset break fast meal. "That hardly gives us enough time to pray and eat. What makes it worse is that when the power is off, so is the water. So, you have no electricity, you are sweating and you cannot cool off with a shower," he added. "It's too much."

Last week, an angry crowd temporarily blockaded part of a major highway south of Cairo with a barricade of burning tires. Others have called on the embattled electricity minister to quit while newspaper reports maintain that the outages have led to a spike in crime in parts of the country.

Egyptian officials say the blackouts _ that mostly hit during the evenings for up to three hours even in the swankiest of Cairo neighborhoods _ are necessary to protect the national grid from collapse as a result of higher-than-usual consumption caused by an enduring heat wave.

They have sought to reassure the public with a flurry of announcements about bolstering power capacity in coming months, while urging consumers to reduce waste. They have also debunked reports in the country's independent media that the export of natural gas to Israel has left them with insufficient fuel to run their gas-fired power stations.

Complaints about services _ or the lack of them _ are not new in Egypt, where nearly half of the 80 million citizens live below or near poverty-level income of about $2 a day.

Since the start of the year, Egyptians have protested over rising food prices, a new minimum wage and better working conditions. But the gripes about the power have resonated given the onset of Ramadan. They are another mark against President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party ahead of parliamentary elections in November and presidential polls next year.

During the month of Ramadan, devout Muslims abstain from food and drink and try to cleanse their thoughts and emotions of anger and other ills. The sacrifices, which also include no smoking or sex during the fast hours, are aimed at bringing them closer to God and gain better appreciation of what they have.

But the outages have tested that resolve.

"Unfortunately, the government is dealing with this crisis in a manner that is biased in favor of the rich," said Mahmoud El-Askalany, head of the Society of Citizens Against Rising Prices, a consumer rights group. "They are keeping the power in the cities where the rich live and cutting it off from villages."

Asked in a television interview earlier this week how long the outages would last, Mohammed Awad, the head of the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company which controls the country's state-run electricity firms, responded: "As long as people are refusing to cooperate."

The cuts "will continue until God brings down the temperature and people stop switching on all their air conditioners," he said.

The country's estimated generation capacity of 25,000 megawatts has been sorely tested, with consumption hitting over 23,000 megawatts.

"It is a problem of management and not capacity," said Wael Ziada, chief Egypt economist at Cairo-based investment bank EFG-Hermes.

Cabinet spokesman Magdy Rady said this week that Egypt would start up a new 375-megawatt power station north of Cairo and hopes to boost output from the Aswan High Dam's hydroelectric turbines by 175 megawatts. Later in the year, another power station south of Cairo is slated to come online, producing an additional 140 megawatts.

That may come too late to cool tempers during Ramadan.

Last week, Mubarak, Egypt's ruler of nearly 30 years, took the unusual step of summoning the oil and electricity ministers to his office for urgent _ and highly publicized _ talks on the blackouts. Days later, on Monday, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif convened the Supreme Energy Council to discuss the issue.

For critics, such steps offer little more than the tired photo ops and platitudes offered by officials as each new problem surfaces in the country.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AWARDS FOR 2006 GO TO MARYLAND LIVESTOCK FARMS

Eastern Shore, Maryland

At their farm near Chestertown, Maryland, Edwin and Marian Fry milk 250 cows and raise 225 replacement heifers annually as they spread dairy manure on crop fields. This summer, they also won the Patrick Madden Award for Sustainable Agriculture. "The award is SARE's way of encouraging a whole farm approach to agriculture," says Fred Magdoff, Northeast SARE regional coordinator. "We look for farmers who see their farms as a natural, complex system and use that understanding to become profitable and sustainable." Add the Frys: "As part of an American farming tradition, we have strong values associated with land stewardship and the addition of food. ... We help consumers recognize that healthy food comes from healthy earth."