A former high school teacher in New York has been rearrested a day after being sentenced for having a long-running affair with a 16-year-old student.
Heather Kennedy was released on $15,000 bail after her arraignment Saturday on criminal contempt charges.
A prosecutors' spokesman says the new charges reflect letters Kennedy wrote the boy while jailed on earlier …
A new Catholic preschool and kindergarten that eventually willgrow into a full elementary school will open this September in theWest Loop, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin announced Sunday.
Old St. Patrick's School, the first new school in thearchdiocese in 20 years, will begin with a 1989-90 enrollment ofabout 40 children, Bernardin said at a news conference at Old St.Patrick's Church, 700 W. Adams St., in the growing West Loop area.
"Today the West Loop needs a new school. . . . We want toprovide Catholic education wherever there is a need for Catholiceducation," Bernardin said.
Word of the school's opening was first reported …
MADRID (AP) — England's Lee Slattery extended his lead at the Madrid Masters to 2 strokes after shooting a 3-under 69 in the third round on Saturday.
Slattery led by 1 overnight and produced a steady round of three birdies without dropping a shot to finish the day at 14 under for the tournament. He's two shots ahead of Italian Lorenzo Gagli and Australian Brett …
A Thai man arrested for allegedly spying on Thailand's fugitive former prime minister went on trial Tuesday in Cambodia in a politically charged case that could worsen an already bitter diplomatic feud between the two nations.
The trial at Municipal Court in the capital, Phnom Penh, comes after Cambodia's decision last month to name former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra its special economic adviser. The appointment and a subsequent visit by Thaksin to Cambodia set off a feud that has strained relations.
Thai national Siwarak Chothipong, a 31-year-old employee of the Cambodia Air Traffic Service, which manages flights in the country, was accused of …
LEAFLETS are being distributed around Hotwells in the next step inthe fight to preserve one of the last green spaces in the area.
Local people say the area known as Granby Green is public spaceand have been protesting against a firm called Petherton Trust Ltd,which put up a fence around the site.
Many believe that fencing off the area is just a prelude toresidential development and they say the company's claim to the landis doubtful.
Now pamphlets explaining the reasons behind the protest are beingput through the letterboxes of local people by a group called Friendsof Granby Green.
The leaflets claim that the land has not been used for over 30years by …
It's unusual for a man to sing in America. It's not at all unusual in Scotland, where I grew up in the 1950s and '60s. Back there, you went to a house party, and there came a time when everyone gathered in a semicircle around the fire. Everybody had a turn, and you sang or told stories. Whatever it is you did, whatever your little part, you just kind of learned to do it. And when you were asked to perform, you were ready.
So I'm accustomed to being the performer, coming in as a new executive to turn something around. On Day One, I know I have a clean slate, and have to start proving myself from scratch. You don't know me, I don't know you. What I did before means nothing. If …
Barack Obama says he is going to visit Iraq and Afghanistan before the November election.
The presumed Democratic presidential nominee said he spoke with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on Monday about the war and told him he looks forward to seeing him in Baghdad.
Obama has said before he was considering …
Only two of the state Division of Motor Vehicles 23 regionaloffices have Saturday hours. That means every driver who doesnt livein the Charleston or Martinsburg areas has to squeeze in dealingwith the DMV during the work week. Officials say the demand for DMVbranch offices in other parts of the state wouldnt justify the moneythe division would have to spend to pay more employees to work onSaturday. Demand is substantial at the Kanawha Mall branch inKanawha City because that office services the densely populatedCharleston metro area. In Martinsburg, another large populationarea, there are a number of residents who commute back and forth tothe Washington, D.C. area who dont get …
More warriors against AIDS are needed
AIDS is now a more than 20-year-old malady of gargantuan proportions that will take a massive united campaign to assuage.
It is admirable when individuals or organizations come together and contribute their funds or expertise to fight it and other life-threatening infirmities.
The latest in this group: Multi-billionaire Microsoft maven William "Bill" Gates, who recently extended his charitable largess by $100 million to help search for an AIDS vaccine, even as he scolded corporate America for its "unbelievable market failure" for not developing an anti-AIDS antidote, 20 years after the first cases invaded the North American …
Should Bayern Munich win the next two games, its Bundesliga future would be as bright as Franck Ribery's new pink boots.
The France winger has masterminded Bayern's eight-game unbeaten run. After its worst start in more than three decades, Bayern is catching up with the leaders.
The next two rounds bring Bayern against the only two teams above the defending champion: Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim, the novice from the province which has remained at the top against expectations.
Going into the 15th round, Hoffenheim leads with 31 points, three ahead of Leverkusen and Bayern.
Leverkusen, which is ahead of Bayern on goal difference, …
Q. Since other houses in this area have sold quickly, I amconsidering trying to sell my house without a broker. This wouldsave quite a bit of money, which I could split with the buyer. Whatare possible problems?
I realize that by not using a broker, my house would not be inthe Multiple Listing Service. If the buyer has been using a broker,would I have to pay a fee to that buyer's broker? I assume if I amunable to sell the house I can always use a broker later.
A. Yes, some sellers do manage without a broker. Lendersestimate the figure at perhaps 8 percent of sales. Judging from yourquestions, though, you could use some study of real estate law andcustom before …
MALE, Maldives (AP) — The Maldives' military has arrested the chief justice of the country's criminal court after he released an opposition leader who had been detained without a warrant for allegedly defaming the government.
Monday's arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed has prompted all courts in Maldives to boycott sessions Tuesday, in what could become a showdown between the country's first government chosen in free elections and the independent judiciary introduced by former pro-democracy political prisoner President Mohamed Nasheed after coming to power in 2008.
The arrest of a judge by the military is unprecedented in the Maldives, which became a multiparty democracy after 30 …
Today is Saturday, June 2, the 153rd day of 2007. There are 212 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II of England was crowned in Westminster Abbey, 16 months after the death of her father, King George VI.
On this date:
In 1857, 150 years ago, English composer Edward Elgar was born in Worcester, England.
In 1886, President Cleveland married Frances Folsom in a White House ceremony.
In 1897, Mark Twain, 61, was quoted by the New York Journal as saying from London that "the report of my death was an exaggeration."
In 1924, Congress granted American citizenship to all U.S.-born American Indians.
In 1941, baseball's "Iron Horse," Lou Gehrig, died in New York of a degenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; he was 37.
In 1946, the Italian monarchy was abolished in favor of a republic.
In 1966, the U.S. space probe Surveyor 1 landed on the moon and began transmitting detailed photographs of the lunar surface.
In 1979, Pope John Paul II arrived in his native Poland on the first visit by a pope to a Communist country.
In 1987, President Reagan announced he was nominating economist Alan Greenspan to succeed Paul Volcker as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.
In 1995, a U.S. Air Force F-16C was shot down by a Bosnian Serb surface-to-air missile while on a NATO air patrol in northern Bosnia; the pilot, Capt. Scott F. O'Grady, was rescued six days later.
Ten years ago: Timothy McVeigh was convicted of murder and conspiracy in the Oklahoma City bombing. (McVeigh was executed in June 2001.) Conservative President Jacques Chirac of France, forced to share power with Socialists who had routed his party in national elections, handed the premiership to former opposition leader Lionel Jospin.
Five years ago: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat offered Cabinet posts to militant groups as part of a government reshuffle. A fire broke out at Buckingham Palace, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people and marring the four-day celebration of Queen Elizabeth's 50 years on the throne. "Thoroughly Modern Millie" won six Tony Awards, including best musical. American journalist and columnist Flora Lewis died in Paris at age 79.
One year ago: The United Nations General Assembly concluded a conference on AIDS by promising to set "ambitious national targets," but falling short of setting exact financial goals for the fight against the disease. Canadian authorities announced they had foiled a homegrown terrorist attack by arresting 17 suspects. Vince Welnick, the Grateful Dead's last keyboard player, died in Sonoma County, Calif., at age 55.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Milo O'Shea is 82. Actress-singer Sally Kellerman is 70. Actor Stacy Keach is 66. Rock musician Charlie Watts is 66. Singer William Guest (Gladys Knight and The Pips) is 66. Actor Charles Haid is 64. Composer Marvin Hamlisch is 63. Movie director Lasse Hallstrom is 61. Actor Jerry Mathers is 59. Actress Joanna Gleason is 57. Actor Dennis Haysbert is 53. Comedian Dana Carvey is 52. Actor Gary Grimes is 52. Rock singer Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet) is 47. Singer Merril Bainbridge is 39. Rapper B-Real (Cypress Hill) is 37. Actress Paula Cale is 37. Actor-comedian Wayne Brady is 35. Actor Wentworth Miller is 35. Rock musician Tim Rice-Oxley (Keane) is 31. Actress Nikki Cox is 29. Actor Justin Long is 29. Actor Deon Richmond is 29. Rhythm-and-blues singer Irish Grinstead (702) is 27. Rock musician Fabrizio Moretti (The Strokes) is 27. Country singer Dan Cahoon (Marshall Dyllon) is 24.
Thought for Today: "No good deed goes unpunished." - Attributed to Clare Boothe Luce, author, diplomat, member of Congress (1903-1987).
Oh Beom-seok and Lee Jeong-soo scored to give South Korea a 2-0 win over Finland in an international friendly match played in Spain on Monday.
Oh won a battle for the ball inside the area in the 39th minute to open the scoring at the Ciudad de Malaga Stadium.
Lee added the second in the 61st after converting a pass from the flank.
The victory was World Cup-bound South Korea's first against Finland.
Only a few dozen people _ mostly staff, journalists and photographers _ watched the game in the 11,000-capacity stadium.
South Korea is in Group B alongside Argentina, Greece and Nigeria for the finals to be played in South Africa from June 11 to July 11.
LONDON - GlaxoSmithKline PLC has selected the president of its European pharmaceuticals division, Andrew Witty, to succeed Jean-Pierre Garnier as its chief executive officer, the company announced Monday.
Witty, 43, who was chosen over two other internal candidates, joined the company in 1985 and has held his current position since 2003. He becomes CEO in May.
"Andrew's appointment follows a rigorous selection process by the board of directors," said board chairman Sir Christopher Gent.
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On the Net: http://www.gsk.com
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - President Bush paid tribute to new symbols of capitalism in this struggling communist country Monday and offered encouragement for Vietnam's battle against bird flu and other public health challenges.
The president was quickly touring this city, once known as Saigon, before flying to Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, 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 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 where Bush was denounced as a "war criminal' and "terrorist."
While President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a close U.S. ally in the war on terror, Bush is highly unpopular in Indonesia where security forces were probing unconfirmed reports that a suicide bomber was planning to attack during Bush's visit on Monday. Bogor Police Chief Col. Sukrawardi Dahlan said authorities were investigating a report that a man wearing a suicide vest would infiltrate the protests.
Initially, the White House thought Bush would have to fly to Indonesia on a backup Air Force One. There was a problem with a tire upon landing in Ho Chi Minh City, said White House spokesman Tony Fratto. But a replacement tire was found, and the president is scheduled to fly his regular Boeing 747 to Indonesia.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Bush visited the Vietnam stock exchange, where trading began in 2000 and expanded to Hanoi last year. The exchange initially listed two companies and two bonds. Now, there is trading in 56 stocks and funds on the combined exchanges with total capitalization of $3.5 billion.
The president, wielding a red-handled mallet, struck a gong to open the day's trading. Bush hit it three times, shook hands with traders on the floor and met with a group of American and Vietnamese business leaders.
"I am very interested in hearing what the opportunities are like and the obstacles you face," the president told them. "Perhaps the United States can help foster the market economy that is growing here."
"When I read about the recent economic history of Vietnam," he said, "I am amazed at the size of the growth and the fact that people are beginning to realize dreams." Last year, Vietnam's economy grew by a robust 8.4 percent.
He also was visiting the Pasteur Institute for a briefing on its research on HIV/AIDs and other public health problems.
Bush's trip to Asia was his first appearance on the world stage since his Republican Party lost control of Congress and was rebuked for the unpopular war in Iraq.
To Bush's dismay, he was unable to deliver a promised agreement on normal trade relations with Vietnam. It was snarled in Congress but the administration expressed confidence it eventually would be approved.
Vietnam's economy is booming, the fastest growing in Asia, and the country is the world's second-largest exporter of rice. But the benefits have not reached most people. The per capita income is less than $700 a year.
In a city usually teeming with motorcycle traffic, streets were cleared for Bush's motorcade. As he rode by, people waved, laughed and cheered. It was a contrast to the subdued reaction of residents in Hanoi, where Bush participated in the summit and conferred with the leaders of China, Russia, South Korea and Japan.
Bush was in Hanoi to attend the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
The White House supported the summit's closing statement prodding North Korea to return to nuclear disarmament talks and urging nations to keep the pressure on by enforcing U.N. Security Council sanctions.
But the administration was at a loss to explain why the statement was simply read as part of the chairman's wrap-up statement, and not issued as a written document. Another oddity was that the section about North Vietnam was not translated into English when the statement was read.
U.S. officials later said that the reason the North Korea statement was delivered orally, rather than written, was because China did not want to sign a document with Taiwan. Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway colony and did not want to put it on equal footing, the U.S. officials said.
At the summit, Bush met separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao to discuss strategy for yet-to-be-scheduled talks with North Korea. The administration sent U.S. envoy Christopher Hill to Beijing for further consultations.
In their public remarks, Bush and Putin celebrated a U.S.-Russia agreement for Moscow's entry into the World Trade Organization. Bush said Russia's admission to the group was "good for the United States and good for Russia."
With Putin and Hu, Bush also pressed for a U.N. Security Council resolution to pressure Iran to abandon nuclear weapons. It was unclear whether Bush made any headway in persuading China and Russia to drop their reluctance to go along.
Describing Bush's discussions with Putin, White House press secretary Tony Snow said the leaders did not discuss specifics "but they understand that you need a strong resolution that will send the Iranians the clear message that we're not only united, but serious, and at the same time are going to offer them the opportunity to have civil nuclear power, which is of some importance to the Iranian people."
"IF I WANT to do something badly, it usually ends up getting done," says Alia Sabur, who recently celebrated her 15th birthday. Such words coming from most teens would come across as snotty or as an exercise in false bravado. But Alia is not bragging. Her comment is an accurate assessment of her undeniable skills. Though she is in many ways a typical American teenager, Alia possesses mental capabilities beyond those of most people, regardless of their age. Alia is working on a Ph.D. in mechanical and electrical engineering at Philadelphia's Drexel University. She is specializing in nanophotonics, the use of fiber optics to study and create electronic devices at the nanoscalc. Last year, she completed an undergraduate degree in applied mathematics at the State University of New York-Stony Brook, where she graduated summa cum laucle with a 3.96 GPA. Moving from fourth grade to her freshman year of college, Alia started out a physics major but veered into applied math "because I liked the application aspect of it more." She's pursuing an engineering doctorate because she prefers engineering's interdisciplinary approach. Her specialty, for which she's seeking a patent, is a 3D-imaging process that makes the trapping of atoms "easier, simpler, and cheaper." Eventual practical applications could include microsurgical techniques for cancer patients or armies of tiny robots that cleanse clogged blood vessels.
Alia is the daughter of a retired electrical engineer and a former TV reporter. Her mother says Alia was reading and talking at 8 months. At 2, she was reading Charlotte's Web aloud. Alia took to college life from the start. Professors were not inclined to patronize her, something she clearly loathes. And college at the doctoral level is even better, she says.
But if research is her avocation, music is her passion. At 10, Alia heard for the first time Mozart's clarinet concerto and fell in love with it. "I said I wanted to play that piece." By 11, she performed it with a full orchestra. Today, she continues to study clarinet. Once her doctorate is finished, Alia expects to continue work as a researcher and perform as a professional musician. She's sure she can do both because of her talent for light-speed thinking. As she points out: "That's what makes me special." And coming from a child who can read and absorb books at a rate of 100 pages an hour, that's not a boast.
TRIPOLI, Lebanon - White smoke rose from a Palestinian refugee camp Sunday as the Lebanese army resumed its bombardment of Islamic militants holed up there, the third day of a military offensive aimed at crushing the al-Qaida-inspired fighters.
After an overnight lull, artillery shelling could be heard in the morning.
But unlike the first two days of the offensive against Fatah Islam when the army targeted areas on the edges of the Nahr el-Bared camp, Sunday's artillery fire was directed at militant positions deep inside the camp, indicating that troops were advancing further inside.
There was no way to tell exactly how deep the army had advanced into the camp, because the area had been sealed off and journalists were kept away.
Officials said Sunday that a top Fatah Islam militant who was known to send fighters to Iraq was killed in fighting with the Lebanese troops. Naim Deeb Ghali, also known as Abu Riad, was the third-in-command of the group, said Lebanese security officials on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Fatah Islam's deputy commander, Abu Hureira, a Lebanese whose real name is Shehab al-Qaddour, said that Abu Riad, was killed Friday. Asked if Abu Riad was a senior Fatah Islam official, Abu Hureira said, "he is a brother."
As part of the intensifying assault, the army on Saturday added air power to the battle. A helicopter gunship was deployed for the first time since fighting began May 20, firing two missiles and strafing militant positions. The air attack was an apparent attempt to block an escape route to the Mediterranean Sea.
Four soldiers were killed and 10 wounded Saturday in the offensive aimed at uprooting the militant gunmen barricaded inside the camp on the outskirts of this Lebanese port city.
The casualties raised the army's deaths to 38 in two weeks. At least 20 civilians and about 60 militants have been killed, but casualties in the camp in the last two days were unknown because relief organizations were banned from entering. A Fatah Islam official said two fighters were wounded during the past two days.
The Lebanese government has demanded that the militants surrender, saying it's the only way to stop the assault.
The militants "have no choice but to surrender," Prime Minister Fuad Saniora told Al-Arabiya television, adding that the government would "assure this group justice and a fair trial." He said about 250 Fatah Islam members were still in the camp.
But Abu Hureira, vowed the militants would fight to their deaths, though he acknowledged fighters abandoned some positions on the camp's northern edge in a "tactical" withdrawal.
"Let them come. We are ready," Abu Hureira told The Associated Press by cell phone Saturday, gunfire crackling in the background as he spoke. He denied reports that he and the group's leader, Shaker Youssef al-Absi, were wounded.
While the army launched its offensive against the militants, there also were signs that Palestinians trapped inside the camp were trying to squeeze the fighters out. Most of the camp's 31,000 refugees have fled to the nearby Beddawi camp, but at least 5,000 are believed still inside.
Abu Jaber, an official of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - a key Palestinian guerrilla faction that has stayed out of the fighting - told Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. TV that Palestinians were locking up houses and barricading camp neighborhoods to keep militants out.
Lebanese security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make statements to media, said Nahr el-Bared had been strategically divided into three zones. The army was controlling one zone, the militants held another, while Palestinian civilians and guerrillas controlled the third and were refusing the militants sanctuary, they said.
The army alleged the armed militants had taken up positions in the camp mosques and humanitarian centers, holding civilians as "human shields." It was not clear how the military knew this or how many Palestinians were used as human shields. The militants have denied the accusation.
Laura Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, was named last December to serve also as U.S. special representative on issues relating to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). In that position, her principal focus is the treaty's review conference later this year. Her previous diplomatic postings include a broad range of arms control assignments.
Arms Control Today spoke with Kennedy by telephone May 12. She described the U.S. approach to the BWC and the upcoming review conference, which is scheduled to take place December 5-22. The interview covered many of the topics that are expected to be central to the review conference, including verification, peaceful cooperation, and the BWCs intersessional process.
The interview was transcribed by Xiaodon Liang. It has been edited for clarity and length. The text of the full interview is available at http://www. armscontrol.org/interviews.
ACT: Could you bring us up to date on where things stand after the April BWC preparatory committee meeting and tell us what the results ofthat meeting indicate about the outlook for the December review conference?
Kennedy: I'd be delighted. We finished the PrepCom on April 14. It went extremely well - so well, in fact, that we finished a day early, which in my experience happens very, very rarely. Now this was a procedural meeting, but on the other hand, I've certainly been at procedural meetings that were pretty unproductive and nasty, and this went extremely well. It was efficient. As I mentioned, we even finished early, so that is a very good sign. We were also very impressed with the president-designate of the review conference, a colleague of mine incidentally here (in Geneva], Ambassador [Paul] van den IJssel, who was, as one would expect from a chairman, impartial, and, we are delighted to see, effective. It was a very constructive tone, I thought, throughout the discussions.
That is not to say that there were not differences of view; there certainly were and are. But I found that the delegations there were focused on finding solutions and avoiding polemical speeches. That's a good thing. So I think that judging by this and other signs, the outlook for the review conference is a positive one. We, and I mean the U.S. here, certainly see it as a real opportunity to strengthen implementation of the BWC, reinforce its importance and relevance for this next century. Although people properly look at areas of disagreement, there's also a huge amount of common ground in the international community.
ACT: There has been quite a lot of discussion about what threats the BWC should be trying to address. You and other U.S. officials have been quite clear in saying that the focus should include subnational threats as well as national programs and that it should also cover areas, such as the surveillance of natural epidemic diseases, that go beyond "security" as it's normally defined. Can you describe the relative importance of these threats and how the BWC can help to address them? Do other countries generally subscribe to the U.S. approach?
Kennedy: I think the issues that you've identified indeed are ones that were identified by my boss, Undersecretary [of State for Arms Control and International Security Ellen] Tauscher, who came out to Geneva for the annual meeting [of states-parties] in [December] 2009 when she unveiled the U.S. national strategy. She made just those points, that you need to work on this complex of issues.
First of all, we believe that you need to increase confidence that countries are complying with their obligations and effectively implementing the convention. As you know, the U.S. government does not think that a verification protocol would achieve that objective. That, however, doesn't mean we think that the objective is not important or that there's nothing to be done. Very much to the contrary.
Second, the threat of bioterrorism- we think it's real. We think it's important to deal with this problem in order to achieve the aim of the BWC: a world free from the threat of biological weapons. We would be the first to say that this is a complex problem, that the knowledge and materials that could be misused are widely and, of course, appropriately used for important scientific and health purposes. Therefore, we think that you have to take a very nuanced approach, including not only security measures, but outreach to industry, to academia and individual scientists, for example.
That brings me to a third area that's sometimes called health security, which we believe requires sustained attention because the range of possible threats is so broad, and the potential consequences so dire, the international community needs to be prepared to recognize a disease outbreak and respond to it quickly and effectively, whether or not it's recognized as a deliberate attack. So we've got to work together to strengthen disease surveillance and detection capabilities around the world, as well as national and international preparedness, coordination, and response capabilities.
You asked if some of these views were widely shared. I would say that's one of the good-news stories about the BWC, in that the capabilities that I just described are also needed for many other reasons beyond the security area: natural disease outbreaks or disease caused by accidental releases of pathogens from research laboratories]. Certainly, all nations have a shared concern for disease and the need to prevent and deal with it. There's increasingly a shared recognition that when you enhance capabilities to deal with, say, a bioweapons threat, you're also getting benefits across the board in the health area. As we all know, germs know no borders, so this is something that genuinely unites the international community.
ACT: Can we expect to see some effort on iglobal health security] at the review conference, some language in the final document reflecting that?
Kennedy: That's certainly our aim.
ACT: One of the tasks for the review conference is to renew the mandate for the Implementation Support Unit [ISU], the small Geneva-based staff for the BWC. How would you evaluate the ISU's work so far?
Kennedy: I think I can speak for more than just our own view in the U.S., which is that we think the ISU has done an extremely impressive job over the last five years. I would bet with great confidence that there will be agreement to continue the ISU. I would say there's also a lot of support for modestly expanding the ISU, although in these difficult budgetary times around the world, I think some governments might find even a tiny increase very difficult, and nobody is going to just write a check. Everyone will want to sort out priorities and come to a consensus on what should be the work plan, what sort of new mandate, what sort of tasks we would set for the next five years for the ISU. Then, presumably, we will make resource decisions based on that review. People aren't going to say, "Let's just expand."
ACT: What is the U.S. position on whether the ISU should be made permanent?
Kennedy: Frankly, I'm not sure we have a set view on that. I think generally it's been looked at in five-year increments. I think that's a pretty sensible position myself, and I would suspect that most nations think that this everyfive-years review actually makes sense. We certainly would be open to any proposals to make it permanent; but again, let me just go back to the previous point that resources, staffing, and so on should be tied to a consensus on what their tasks should be.
ACT: Another issue is the intersessional process and in what form it will be continued. Currently, the intersessional process is a forum for meeting and discussion between review conferences but not for decision-making. You have said that the process should have greater flexibility and authority. Could you give us some details on what you have in mind?
Kennedy: Sure. I think, as I hope some of my earlier comments made clear, that the intersessional process has been a huge success. When I talked about how the BWC has provided this forum to bring together various actors in the international community, I mean that the intersessional process has been a real winner in this regard, t think this is an issue that is absolutely ripe for a thorough discussion and new steps. It has raised awareness, we've exchanged experiences in this forum, and it's certainly prompted lots of actions at the national level.
If, in the intersessional process, you come up with really useful stuff, like a set of best practices, or guidelines, procedures, in any number of areas, why wouldn't you want to endorse them in that year, rather than waiting until the next review conference years down the road? Why not have the states-parties give themselves the freedom, the mandate, the opportunity to take decisions to do things that are useful and appropriate?
ACT: In 2001 the United States withdrew from talks on a BWC verification protocol, and the talks subsequently collapsed. You said this past December that a "verification regime is no more feasible than it was in 2001, and perhaps even less so, given the evolution of technology and industry." However, some countries, including close U.S. allies, do not share this view. Is the United States pursuing some compromise or alternative approach that could bridge the differences on this issue?
Kennedy: You mentioned the previous efforts to negotiate a verification protocol, and you're certainly right that we abandoned that effort earlier. We went back and did a top-to-bottom review in the new administration and came to the same basic conclusion, that we did not think that a verification protocol was doable for the reasons I spoke to before. But that's not to say that confidence in compliance is not vitally important to promote by enhanced transparency and compliance diplomacy. There are indeed things that we can do in this general area. There's a lot of work, for example, going on with respect to possible changes in the confidence-building measures [CBMs].2 Let me speak to that just briefly.
I think there are three different strands to that discussion. First of all, how do you expand participation? Last year, we had a record number of countries that submitted their CBMs, which are politically binding although not legally binding. But despite the fact that we hit a new high, it's still less than half the membership.3
Two, how do you make the questions more precise so that when you collect all this data, it's consistent and more usable? Number three, are we asking the right questions, are there new types of information we need to be seeking? Conversely, some of the information we've been collecting may be no longer relevant because, for example, it may be available from other sources. These are important questions, and I think there's a lot of willingness to tackle them. We might not be able to come to agreement at the review conference itself, but at a minimum, I would think we would be able to establish a follow-on process to address these issues.
Another aspect of what we can do to answer these concerns is to find the middle ground, given the differences of view on a verification protocol. Initiatives for increased transparency are important. I think they could meaningfully contribute to additional confidence among the states-parties. We're looking at ways we can promote and demonstrate transparency, particularly with regard to biological defense programs. We're looking at various aspects of this general area to increase transparency and confidence in BWC compliance.
ACT: Another area of debate has been peaceful cooperation under Article X of the BWC. What is the likelihood of developing an approach that satisfies the United States and other members of the Australia Group4 that are concerned about loosening restrictions on transfers of dual-use biotechnology equipment and materials, while also addressing the concerns of countries such as Cuba, Iran, and Pakistan that want to see a freer flow of trade among BWC member states to facilitate the peaceful uses of biotechnology?
Kennedy: Excellent question, [which addresses] a balance that is always struck in complex issues like this. But in general, let me say that I am indeed optimistic that there is a constructive way ahead on this issue. Let me just mention a couple of reasons.
I talked earlier about a cross-regional approach, a greater willingness to work on an international community basis. Instead of the haves versus the have-nots, which in many cases has typified the dialogue in the past, I find increasingly that what we generally refer to as the developed countries have embraced capacity-building assistance. It's important for the recipient nations, and it's important for the donor countries, for their respective nationalsecurity interests. We also find that, in the biosciences, the distinction between developing and developed countries is simply breaking down. There's a lot of what we used to call Third World countries that are doing extremely sophisticated science. There's lots of South-South cooperation. It's not just relationships being redefined between donors and recipients, but also between partners and collaborators.
There's a huge amount of cooperation going on in the life sciences, and just because it may not have been identified or have a "BWC Article X" sticker on it doesn't mean that it's not happening. We think that you can defuse the debate because we are as enthusiastic about Article X as, say, a recipient country. We want to stay away from ideological debates because that could be a recipe for deadlock, and I think people recognize that.
There's been talk about an Article X mechanism. We're open to that. We just need to work out what would be meant by that, [and if it isl something everybody can live with.
You mentioned the Australia Group; countries have their own national [export control] regimes or multilateral regimes like the Australia Group. Those are important nonproliferation export control regimes, which we believe in. We think they are absolutely compatible with good assistance programs, which are in our interests as much as the recipient countries'.
ACT: So you're getting positive reactions from countries that, in the past, have expressed concerns about this area, and you anticipate that [the issue of peaceful cooperation] will be resolved amicably and won't hold up consensus at the meeting?
Kennedy: I don't want to be too Pollyannaish. I don't mean to say that there are not real differences of opinion, but I think we can find common ground; we can deal with these issues. At this point, I'm not seeing anything that is a dealbreaker. I think there's more of an interest in finding that common ground and working around areas that divide us.
ACT: Could we circle back to one compliance and transparency question? What further measures is the United States prepared to take to reassure other countries that the U.S. biodefense program complies strictly with the BWCs prohibitions on offensive development?
Kennedy: I want to underline for your readers the fact that the U.S. took the lead in terms of making its annual submission of confidence-building measure data public. Last year, we took this initiative; and for the second year, we did so again. That is one enhanced confidencebuilding measure, and we're seeing other countries do that as well.
In terms of transparency, visits and exchanges could be part of the package of transparency measures we're looking at. I won't go any further now except to say that these are some of the transparency initiatives we're looking at on a national basis.
ACT: What are the United States and other countries doing to increase the membership of the BWC and ultimately bring about universal adherence? What are the additional steps to achieve universality that should be adopted at the review conference?
Kennedy: That's a vitally important issue. We only have 164 countries that have joined the BWC. The good news is that this represents the majority of the international community. The bad news is that there is still a good chunk of countries that haven't joined. In most cases, it's not that there is an ideological or political objection to the BWC - by no means. It appears to me to be basically a question of competing priorities. There are countries that say, "Well, we've never had biological weapons, we never plan to have biological weapons, [and] we've never felt threatened by biological weapons. So joining the BWC may be the right thing to do, but it's just not a priority." Some countries have signed and simply have not gotten around to ratifying.
We all know that legislatures get busy, legislative calendars get filled up. But we think it's vitally important to persuade those countries that haven't signed to accede to the BWC; if they've already signed, to do the final work on getting it ratified. We want them to be on the right side of history, to make sure that there are no BWC loopholes or safe havens anywhere.
There are ways to assist countries to join and also to help them in fulfilling the provisions of the convention, which we are doing and will do. We just had a meeting here in Geneva, together with the [BWC review conference] president, with a number of countries that have not yet joined the convention. We want partners in this endeavor around the globe.
We're delighted that, in different regions, various countries have taken the lead [on achieving universal adherence to the BWC]. I think of Kenya in Africa, the Philippines and Indonesia in Southeast Asia, just as a few examples. The EU is very active. We are eager to partner with regional partners. We will use every tool at our disposal to focus on the importance of this issue. For example, when President Obama was just in Brazil, the communiqu� that was signed with the Brazilian president included a specific reference to the BWC review conference. The G-8 put out a very solid statement on the BWC this year.
I think it's really important to tailor it to the specific country. What are your issues? How can we help? Raise it in capitals, in Washington, in the host country capital, in Geneva, in New York. Partner with as many other countries as possible. Do it on a regional basis; if there's a regional group, ask them to put it on their agenda. There are lots of different things that we can do, and we're doing them.
ACT: Just to wrap this all up, given all the difficult issues we've been discussing, what's a reasonable best-case scenario for the outcome of the conference? What would you look for it to produce?
Kennedy: I would like to see an increase in universality, not just in terms of the number of countries joining the BWC, but new ways to enhance, make easier, and make more relevant participation in the regime for those that are already in - maybe reach agreement on some sort of mechanism or way, for example, to better incorporate science and technology [into the review process]. What are ways to stay ahead of that scientific curve? Agree on a solid review on CBMs: what are ways we can make them more accessible and update them? On the ISU, conduct a thorough review of their work, what else they should do, and then make sure that they are appropriately resourced for the agreed mandate. Openness and transparency: as I mentioned before, we want to promote this. If necessary, we're prepared to lead unilaterally, but we would hope that this would spark a trend toward greater national transparency across the board. The intersessional process: continue to enhance that vital forum, bring in more industry and academia. Reinforce the synergy among a broad community of diplomats, scientists, law enforcement officers, public health officials. That is vitally important.
ACT: Thank you very much. We really appreciate your taking the time and going into such detail on the answers.
Kennedy: Thank you again.
[Sidebar]
U.S. Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament and Special Representative for Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Issues Laura Kennedy speaks at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy February 16.
[Sidebar]
We want to stay away from ideological debates because that could be a recipe for deadlock, and I think people recognize that.
[Sidebar]
In this June 2010 photo, a U.S. Navy hospital corpsman carries out a simulation exercise with a system designed to detect biological warfare agents such as anthrax.
ENDNOTES
2. Pursuant to understandings reached at the BWC review conferences in 1986 and 1991, BWC member states are politically bound to submit annual confidence-building measure data declarations covering a variety of topics relevant to compliance with the convention, including unusual outbreaks of infectious disease, maximum-containment laboratories, facilities that produce human vaccines, and national biodefense programs, facilities, and activities.
3. In 2010, 72 of the 163 BWC states-parties submitted confidence-building measure data declarations.
4. The Australia Group is an informal multinational forum of 40 countries plus the European Commission. In an effort to impede proliferation, the group's members harmonize their national export controls on materials and equipment relevant to the production of chemical and biological weapons.
[Author Affiliation]
Interviewed by Daniel Horner and Jonathan B. Tucker1
[Author Affiliation]
1. Jonathan B. Tucker is a member of the board of directors of the Arms Control Association.
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board says pilot error was probably the cause of a helicopter crash on a western Maryland mountaintop that killed four people last year.
The final report released Oct. 6 says 24-year-old pilot Jeffrey Nordaas (NOR-dahss) exercised poor judgment when he chose to fly back to Frederick from Hagerstown on a dark night in adverse weather conditions on July 23, 2009.
The helicopter crashed onto Interstate 70 atop South Mountain near Boonsboro after hitting an unmarked, steel guy-wire.
Also killed were three passengers: 39-year-old George Tutor Jr., 48-year-old Kim Felix and 43-year-old Niall (NEE-all) Booth.
He's no longer the Other Eddie.
In his two-month mayoral campaign, Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th)stepped out of Eddie Vrdolyak's shadow and firmly established himselfas a major political force in his own right.
Burke proved to be a much stronger mayoral contender thanVrdolyak, running even with Ald. Timothy C. Evans (4th) in anOctober Chicago Sun-Times/Channel 7 poll and far ahead of MayorSawyer. His citywide favorable ratings showed significantimprovement as a result of Burke's positive, issues-orientedcampaign.
Vrdolyak, in fact, was so impressed by Burke's success inrehabilitating his image as an outspoken and polarizing politicalfigure that Vrdolyak began copying Burke in admitting past mistakesin their feud with former Mayor Harold Washington.
The silver-haired Burke, 44, who dropped out of the mayoral racelast week and endorsed State's Attorney Richard M. Daley, is likelyto regain the chairmanship of the City Council's influential FinanceCommittee and has emerged as a leading contender for the presidencyof the Cook County Board in 1990.
A former Chicago police officer and the scion of a prominentSouthwest Side Irish political family, Burke has a more loyal andintense personal following than any other white-ethnic politician inthe city with the exception of Daley. No Chicago politician hasgrown more in stature in the 1980s than Burke.
The Burke of the last two months was a much more seasoned andappealing political figure than the Burke who got trounced by Daleyin the 1980 Democratic primary for state's attorney. Just as Sen.Bob Dole of Kansas erased his hatchet-man image through his deftperformance as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Burke cameinto his own as chairman of the City Council's Finance Committee inthe Washington administration.
And just as Dole has been aided by his politically savvy wife,Elizabeth, Burke is likely to be helped in his future politicalcampaigns by his wife, the former Anne McGlone.
When Burke formally quit the mayoral race, he made no excusesabout deferring to Daley. "I have no regrets, only the benefit ofspeaking out on behalf of a great city and its future," Burke said.
If Daley is smart enough to take advantage of Burke'sconsiderable political skills and popularity in the mayoral campaign,Burke should prove to be a major asset.
Noting the packed room of reporters and television cameras,Burke quipped that he had attracted a larger crowd making his exitfrom the mayoral race than he had in his entrance two months earlier.
Jerry Austin, the Ohio political consultant who served as JesseJackson's national campaign manager in the 1988 Democratic primariesand who worked for Burke in the mayoral campaign, is already toutingBurke for the County Board presidency in 1990. Austin also thinksthat Burke has long-term potential to be a governor or a U.S.senator.
In confiding at his news conference that he would like to seekhigher political office again, Burke listed the mayor's office, thegovernorship and County Board presidency as the three jobs that wouldbe challenging to him. Burke said that he would defer to George W.Dunne's candidacy for a sixth term as County Board president if Dunneseeks re-election. But if Daley becomes mayor, it's more than likelythat Richie will attempt to replace Dunne with Burke.
Steve Neal is the Chicago Sun-Times political editor.
Authorities investigating the Austrian man accused of imprisoning and raping his daughter are awaiting old court records that media say document a 1967 rape allegation.
Lower Austria prosecutor Gerhard Sedlacek says the file on 73-year-old Josef Fritzl should arrive Monday or Tuesday.
Police say Fritzl confessed to fathering seven children with his now 42-year-old daughter Elisabeth he locked up for 24 years. They say three of the children were locked away in a dungeon cellar and that Fritzl confessed to burning the body of one child after it died in infancy.
Sedlacek told The Associated Press Saturday that he did not yet know the contents of the file. He refused to confirm reports that Fritzl had a previous record for a sexual crime.
HASTINGWOOD: Fire crews were called to a heavy plant vehiclealight in Hastingwood Road on Thursday.
Crews from Harlow, Old Harlow and Epping were called to tacklethe blaze just before 6pm, where the fire had spread to an adjacentskip.
They had extinguished the flames by 7pm.
On the same night, crews from Ongar and Epping were called to ahouse fire in Magdalen Laver.
The fire began at 6.30pm, but using two sets of breathing gear,they were able to put out the flames by 7pm.
European stock markets gave back early gains Thursday as sentiment continued to be hit by concerns about the continent's debt crisis and a seeming lack of political cooperation in addressing it.
In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 62.78 points, or 1.2 percent, at 5,095.30 while Germany's DAX slid 106.16 points, or 1.8 percent, to 5,882.51. The CAC-40 in France was 66.36 points, or 1.9 percent, lower at 3,445.31.
Things aren't expected to get any better when Wall Street opens shortly _ Dow futures dropped 134 points, or 1.3 percent, to 10,271 while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 futures slid 16.6 points, or 1.5 percent, to 1,093.30.
Earlier, European stocks had steadied following triple-digit point declines on Wednesday but investor worries about the debt crisis were never far from the surface _ on Wednesday, stocks around the world took a hammering after Germany's regulator said it was banning so-called naked short-selling of eurozone government bonds and shares in ten key German financial institutions until March 31.
In a typical short sale, a trader sells borrowed shares in hopes of buying them cheaper later and profiting on the difference. A "naked" short is when traders sell shares without borrowing them first. It's one way of betting a financial asset will fall in value.
Investors were unsettled partly because Germany's move against the practice was unilateral without any consultation with its partners in the eurozone, and suggested to some an uncoordinated policy response.
"Investor sentiment remains shaky amid intensifying talk about financial regulation," said UBS analyst Geoffrey Yu.
"The question of EU unity following Germany's unilateral naked short-selling ban has investors particularly on edge, along with concerns on the sustainability of the European rescue package and the potential dampening effect that fiscal tightening could have on global growth," Yu added.
In the currency markets, the euro was down 0.6 percent on the day at $1.2350. However, that's still way up from the four-year low of $1.2146 recorded Wednesday in the wake of the German ban.
David Buik, markets analyst at BGC Partners, said currency traders have banked their profits and are now awaiting developments, "either further political blunders or full-on evidence that austerity packages really have been implemented and that the situation really has improved."
Earlier, Asian stock markets dropped in the wake of Wednesday's declines in Europe and the U.S. Renewed tensions between North Korea and South Korea did not help nor did unrest on the streets of Bangkok.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average dropped 1.5 percent to 10,030.31 after the government said the economy grew 4.9 percent in the first quarter, less than analysts expected. Australia's main index fell 1.6 percent to 4316.50 while shares in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Indonesia also fell.
Singapore's benchmark index fell 0.8 percent despite strong first quarter economic growth. The government said Thursday that Singapore's gross domestic product jumped 16 percent from a year earlier.
South Korea's Kospi index fell 1.8 percent to 1,600.18 after the government announced that an investigation showed overwhelmingly that North Korea fired a torpedo that sank the Cheonan warship and killed 46 sailors. North Korea has denied involvement in the sinking and vowed Thursday to wage "all-out war" if punished for the sinking of the ship.
Thailand's stock market was closed Thursday after a confrontation between the army and anti-government protesters sparked rioting and arson in Bangkok. The exchange was one of the building's torched by rioters but damage was largely limited to its ground floor.
Benchmark crude for June delivery was down $1.58 to $68.29 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract added 46 cents to settle at $69.87 on Wednesday after dropping earlier in the session to $67.90, the lowest since September.
____
Associated Press Writer Alex Kennedy in Singapore contributed to this report.
Chinese shares fell Thursday after the rise in oil prices prompted worries about lower earnings for refiners and airlines.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.7 percent to 3,485.6. The Shenzhen Composite Index for China's smaller second market fell 1.5 percent to 1,063.9.
Even institutional investors have "become short-term-minded" following China's May 12 earthquake, quickly buying and selling, said Huatai Securities analyst Chen Huiqin.
"Investors are expecting the economy to benefit from the post-earthquake reconstruction work in June or July, but until then, trading is likely to remain choppy, especially under the shadow of surging oil prices," she said.
Light, sweet crude for July delivery rose to a record above US$135 a barrel Thursday in electronic trade on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Chinese refiners fell on the expectation that their costs for imported crude would rise. The sector was also weighed down by the government's public dismissal of rumors that it might end controls that bar refiners from passing on rising crude costs to consumers.
China's biggest oil company, PetroChina Ltd., fell 2.2 percent. Its No. 2 competitor, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., or Sinopec, shed 0.9 percent. Their shares had risen earlier this week on rumors that price controls might end.
Air China and China Southern Airlines both fell 4.4 percent on a similar concern that the higher oil prices would hurt their earnings.
China's currency, the yuan, hit a record against the U.S. dollar for a fourth straight day, rising to 6.943 to the dollar.
Alexandra Dulgheru, a Romanian qualifier ranked No. 201, won the Warsaw Open on Saturday in her WTA Tour debut by beating Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-0.
In a match played in strong wind and twice interrupted by rain, the 19-year-old Dulgheru used an array of groundstrokes and drop shots to break her eighth-seeded opponent eight times. Bondarenko, ranked No. 39, was the runner-up in this tournament in 2007.
"My first plan was to try and pass the (qualifications) of the tournament, and doing that was a great achievement for me," Dulgheru said. "I did not expect this and I'm really happy that I won."
Bondarenko had two chances to serve out the first set but couldn't capitalize, with Dulgheru breaking to force a tiebreaker. Bondarenko rallied with two breaks in the second to lead 4-0 before the match was delayed about 25 minutes because of rain.
Dulgheru broke serve to lead 2-0 in the final set before rain again sent the players from the court. After play resumed about 10 minutes later, Dulgheru reeled off four straight games to close the match.
"After every game I was feeling more and more tired, so I'm very happy that I managed to pull through in the end, to just play with her, because she had a really good rhythm and she was not letting me do my game so well," Dulgheru said.
Dulgheru did not qualify for the French Open. Bondarenko takes on 20th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in the first round at Roland Garros.
Syracuse, one of three unbeaten teams in Division I, is on top of The Associated Press' college basketball poll for the fifth straight week.
The Orange received 60 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel. Kentucky, which got the other No. 1 votes, North Carolina and Baylor remained second through fourth.
Ohio State moved up one spot to fifth and was followed by Michigan State, Indiana, Duke, Missouri and Kansas in the Top 10.
Baylor and No. 15 Murray State are the other unbeatens.
Creighton, which was out of the poll for one week, moved back in at No. 23, while Seton Hall, which has won 11 of 12, moved in at No. 24, its first appearance since January 2001.
Wisconsin, ranked as high as No. 9, fell out from 18th after its third straight loss. Harvard, which was ranked three of the last five weeks, fell out from 22nd.
No rivalry at these Winter Olympics has been more hotlycontested than the struggle for the first-ever women's hockey goldmedal.
In 14 meetings over the past 18 months, the United States andCanada have skated to a 7-7 draw. Along the way, the bad bloodbetween the teams has been evident in shouting matches, high sticksand illegal body checks.
But after Tuesday's decisive game -- to break their tie anddecide the gold medal -- where will women's hockey go? The sport hasbeen one of Nagano's hippest and most appealing sports, with ticketsfor the final almost impossible to get. (The game was to be playedTuesday at 4 a.m. EST and replayed from 7 to 9 a.m. on WUSA-TV-9).But once the battle is over, women's hockey will disappearuntil the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002.Players are struck by the paradox -- hot today, frozentomorrow.In U.S. forward Karyn Bye's home town of River Falls, Wis.,many store windows have signs wishing her good luck. She is gettingabout 40 e-mails a day from fans."I wish I could be two people; one here and one back home toget a feel for how big this is," Bye said. "People are sayingwomen's ice hockey is the talk of the Olympics. I really don't thinkI can grasp it."But while women's hockey is just now becoming popular, thereis no professional league in which the players can continue theircareers."For us, it's like you work, you work, the whole teamtravels together for a year, and then it's over," said U.S. teamcaptain Cammi Granato.Women's basketball leaped toward professional play in NorthAmerica with a U.S. gold medal from the 1996 Summer Games inAtlanta. Within months, the women's professional American BasketballLeague began play, followed in June 1997 by the Women's NationalBasketball Association, with both leagues filled with Olympicplayers.But women's hockey is not professionally viable. There havebeen rumblings of a professional league coming out of New Hampshirefor the last month, but players here have played down thatpossibility."I don't think women's hockey is ready for a professionalleague yet," Granato said. "The sport just doesn't have the depthfor something like that and, for us, this isn't really what all ofthis is about right now."The women here see their Olympic experience as an opportunityto grow the game at the grass-roots level, much the way the women'ssoccer and softball teams in Atlanta encouraged local development intheir sports."This is an opportunity for all of us," Granato said of theirhumble and realistic expectations. "This is our chance to show theworld, all different types of people, that women can play hockey."Just by reaching the gold medal game, the U.S. women haveshown what they can do, said Anita DeFrantz, the U.S. member of theInternational Olympic Committee's executive board and a formerOlympic rower."They've already made an enormous difference," said DeFrantz,who will be awarding the medals Tuesday night. "Now young girls canaspire to be hockey players. It's just tremendous."For hockey to grow from grass roots upward, for it to beembraced by a professional sports culture, will be a slow, arduousand perhaps impossible process.The majority of high schools in the United States do not havea men's hockey team, much less a women's squad. In 1990-91, therewere only 149 female teams at any level -- an average of three teamsper state, according to USA Hockey. That number has grown to 910female teams in 1996-97, although the average is still low, 18 teamsper state. International depth is also a problem. While themen's Olympic hockey tournament is being billed as a "dreamtournament" because the talent is so spread out it is impossible tocall any one squad a "dream team," the women's tournament has beenmuch less competitive. The United States and Canada have crushed thefour other teams here by a combined score of 61-19.In Canada, a few more opportunities exist for girls and forwomen, although few in that hockey-crazed country believe it couldsupport a serious professional league, either. Many of Canada'selite women play in the amateur Central Ontario Women's HockeyLeague, but the talent pool is so shallow that when the nationalteam began touring last year, three of the six teams stoppedoperating because of a lack of players, Canada Hockey spokesman JohnMacKinnon said."There are a lot of places where there is nowhere for a girlto play," said U.S. defenseman Angela Ruggiero, a California native."You just have to play on the boys' teams. When I first startedthere were hardly any teams at all, but then Wayne Gretzky came toLos Angeles, and the rinks came."Most of the 20 women on the U.S. team will leave here andreturn to lives as college students or coaches; one is a high schoolstudent. Granato is one of only two female Olympic hockey playerswho have seriously explored options in the National Hockey League.Granato, whose brother Tony plays for the NHL's San Jose Sharks, hasspoken to the New York Islanders about a tryout next year; Canadiangoaltender Manon Rheaume once played in the Tampa Bay Lightningorganization. But as a goaltender, Rheaume was not subject to theNHL's hard hitting. Granato, who weighs 140 pounds, fears she wouldnot be able to fight off NHL opponents 50 pounds heavier."With us, not only do you have an offseason, but there'snowhere for you to go next year if you're out of college," Granatosaid. "We realize that after this, it's over until the nextOlympics."
A Medal, but No Pot of Gold; Red-Hot Women's Hockey to Melt AwayNo rivalry at these Winter Olympics has been more hotlycontested than the struggle for the first-ever women's hockey goldmedal.
In 14 meetings over the past 18 months, the United States andCanada have skated to a 7-7 draw. Along the way, the bad bloodbetween the teams has been evident in shouting matches, high sticksand illegal body checks.
But after Tuesday's decisive game -- to break their tie anddecide the gold medal -- where will women's hockey go? The sport hasbeen one of Nagano's hippest and most appealing sports, with ticketsfor the final almost impossible to get. (The game was to be playedTuesday at 4 a.m. EST and replayed from 7 to 9 a.m. on WUSA-TV-9).But once the battle is over, women's hockey will disappearuntil the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002.Players are struck by the paradox -- hot today, frozentomorrow.In U.S. forward Karyn Bye's home town of River Falls, Wis.,many store windows have signs wishing her good luck. She is gettingabout 40 e-mails a day from fans."I wish I could be two people; one here and one back home toget a feel for how big this is," Bye said. "People are sayingwomen's ice hockey is the talk of the Olympics. I really don't thinkI can grasp it."But while women's hockey is just now becoming popular, thereis no professional league in which the players can continue theircareers."For us, it's like you work, you work, the whole teamtravels together for a year, and then it's over," said U.S. teamcaptain Cammi Granato.Women's basketball leaped toward professional play in NorthAmerica with a U.S. gold medal from the 1996 Summer Games inAtlanta. Within months, the women's professional American BasketballLeague began play, followed in June 1997 by the Women's NationalBasketball Association, with both leagues filled with Olympicplayers.But women's hockey is not professionally viable. There havebeen rumblings of a professional league coming out of New Hampshirefor the last month, but players here have played down thatpossibility."I don't think women's hockey is ready for a professionalleague yet," Granato said. "The sport just doesn't have the depthfor something like that and, for us, this isn't really what all ofthis is about right now."The women here see their Olympic experience as an opportunityto grow the game at the grass-roots level, much the way the women'ssoccer and softball teams in Atlanta encouraged local development intheir sports."This is an opportunity for all of us," Granato said of theirhumble and realistic expectations. "This is our chance to show theworld, all different types of people, that women can play hockey."Just by reaching the gold medal game, the U.S. women haveshown what they can do, said Anita DeFrantz, the U.S. member of theInternational Olympic Committee's executive board and a formerOlympic rower."They've already made an enormous difference," said DeFrantz,who will be awarding the medals Tuesday night. "Now young girls canaspire to be hockey players. It's just tremendous."For hockey to grow from grass roots upward, for it to beembraced by a professional sports culture, will be a slow, arduousand perhaps impossible process.The majority of high schools in the United States do not havea men's hockey team, much less a women's squad. In 1990-91, therewere only 149 female teams at any level -- an average of three teamsper state, according to USA Hockey. That number has grown to 910female teams in 1996-97, although the average is still low, 18 teamsper state. International depth is also a problem. While themen's Olympic hockey tournament is being billed as a "dreamtournament" because the talent is so spread out it is impossible tocall any one squad a "dream team," the women's tournament has beenmuch less competitive. The United States and Canada have crushed thefour other teams here by a combined score of 61-19.In Canada, a few more opportunities exist for girls and forwomen, although few in that hockey-crazed country believe it couldsupport a serious professional league, either. Many of Canada'selite women play in the amateur Central Ontario Women's HockeyLeague, but the talent pool is so shallow that when the nationalteam began touring last year, three of the six teams stoppedoperating because of a lack of players, Canada Hockey spokesman JohnMacKinnon said."There are a lot of places where there is nowhere for a girlto play," said U.S. defenseman Angela Ruggiero, a California native."You just have to play on the boys' teams. When I first startedthere were hardly any teams at all, but then Wayne Gretzky came toLos Angeles, and the rinks came."Most of the 20 women on the U.S. team will leave here andreturn to lives as college students or coaches; one is a high schoolstudent. Granato is one of only two female Olympic hockey playerswho have seriously explored options in the National Hockey League.Granato, whose brother Tony plays for the NHL's San Jose Sharks, hasspoken to the New York Islanders about a tryout next year; Canadiangoaltender Manon Rheaume once played in the Tampa Bay Lightningorganization. But as a goaltender, Rheaume was not subject to theNHL's hard hitting. Granato, who weighs 140 pounds, fears she wouldnot be able to fight off NHL opponents 50 pounds heavier."With us, not only do you have an offseason, but there'snowhere for you to go next year if you're out of college," Granatosaid. "We realize that after this, it's over until the nextOlympics."
UPCOMING COVERAGE FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 8:
SPAIN-PROTESTS
MADRID, Spain _ Spanish truckers begin an indefinite strike over rising fuel prices.
UPCOMING COVERAGE FOR MONDAY, JUNE 9:
EUROPE-BUSH
U.S. President George W. Bush embarks on a European tour including Britain, Germany, Italy, the Vatican, France, and attending the annual US-EU summit in Slovenia. Through June 16.
GERMANY-FRANCE
STRAUBING, Germany _ German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and members of their Cabinets meet. News conference expected at 1545GMT.
BRITAIN-TRUMP
STORNOWAY, Isle of Lewis _ …
ABU DIS, West Bank -- A quick push to reach a truce with Israel,but no crackdown on militants despite U.S. pressure -- that's howPalestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia summed up his agenda in aninterview with The Associated Press on Monday, a day after takingoffice.
Qureia's basic approach differs little from that of hispredecessor, Mahmoud Abbas, who also wanted to end the Israeli-Palestinian violence but resigned in frustration last month, afterjust four months in office.
Like Abbas, Qureia appears to have no formula for breaking thedeadlock with Israel that has frozen the U.S.-backed "road map" peaceplan: Israel refuses to move forward until the Palestinians …
Palestinian premier hoping to develop truce with IsraelABU DIS, West Bank -- A quick push to reach a truce with Israel,but no crackdown on militants despite U.S. pressure -- that's howPalestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia summed up his agenda in aninterview with The Associated Press on Monday, a day after takingoffice.
Qureia's basic approach differs little from that of hispredecessor, Mahmoud Abbas, who also wanted to end the Israeli-Palestinian violence but resigned in frustration last month, afterjust four months in office.
Like Abbas, Qureia appears to have no formula for breaking thedeadlock with Israel that has frozen the U.S.-backed "road map" peaceplan: Israel refuses to move forward until the Palestinians …
Extracurricular policy off to a slow start
In January, the School Reform Board handed another chore to high school teachers: Keep closer tabs on students involved in extracurricular activities, including athletics.
Under a policy the board approved in December, students face, for the first time, grade and course-load requirements for participation in after-school activities, and athletes face higher academic requirements for staying on the team.
"The biggest deal is for the teachers who have to do the evaluations," says Trent Eaton, sponsor of Bogan High School's computer club. "It is another piece of paperwork." Eaton already has checked with Bogan's dean of …
Jones Intercable hasn't yet decided whether to appeal BCI Telecom Holding's (BTH) victory in the Jones Internet Channel case, but the MSO is keeping its options open. Attorneys for the cable operator late last week filed a notice of appeal with U.S. District Court Judge Richard Matsch. The notice protects Jones's right to …
Topspin: Veteran West Texas tunesmith Joe Ely celebrates his 60th birthday this month with the release of "Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch" (Rack 'Em, 2007), as well as a new book, "Bonfire of Roadmaps" (University at Texas Press), a collection of his poetic road journals.
At heart, Ely's a storyteller with an acute attention to detail, in whichever media he chooses to express himself. The songs on this potent disc are all newly recorded (although some of them were written as long ago as the mid-'80s), and they range from hard driving rockers ("Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes," inspired by the Hurricane Katrina disaster) to the tender "Little Blossom." Best of the …
Since Vietnam has mostly withdrawn from Cambodia the chances of the Khmer Rouge regaining power have been considerably increased. The Khmer, in fact, have today acquired something of a new-found legitimacy, joined as they are with two other groups (including that of Prince Norodom Sihanouk) in fighting the Vietnam- backed Cambodian regime.
The fear for Cambodia is that either the 11-year-old war will continue indefinitely, or that, once the anti-government forces win, the Khmer Rouge, being the strongest faction in the group, will be well poised to eliminate their allies and begin once again their unholy war against civilization.
Under the circumstances it is …
Kobe Bryant has won the NBA's MVP award for the first time, the Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site Friday night, citing anonymous sources familiar with the outcome of voting by media members.
The newspaper reported that commissioner David Stern will be in Los Angeles next week to present the trophy to Bryant.
"We have not been told anything by the league," Lakers spokesman John Black told The Associated Press.
Bryant, who entered the season as the league's two-time defending scoring champion, had finished third in the MVP voting twice _ after the 2002-03 campaign, when he averaged 30 points for the first time, and again last season, …
David Cone had a season-high 11 strikeouts and Brian McRae hadthree hits and drove in two runs Thursday as the visiting Kansas CityRoyals tripped the Minnesota Twins 4-2 to pull within two games ofthe idle White Sox in the West.
The victory enabled the Royals, who have won four consecutivegames, to earn their first sweep in Minnesota since 1981. GeorgeBrett, who entered the game in a 2-for-29 slump, added an infield hitand his 14th home run for the Royals.
Cone (9-11) gave up three hits and two walks in seven shutoutinnings. It was the 34th time in his career he struck out 10 or morebatters in a game.
"Cone had the strike ball working today," Royals …
