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Friday, January 20, 2012
Rihanna, Coldplay to perform together at Grammys
[unable to retrieve full-text content]NEW YORK (AP) ? Rihanna and Coldplay sing together on the group's latest album, and they'll do so again at next month's Grammy Awards.
Republican apologizes, says wasn't urging Obama's death (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? A Kansas Republican leader under fire for sending an email invoking a bible verse to suggest that Democratic President Barack Obama's "days be few in number" apologized on Thursday but said that he would not resign.
Critics said the email forwarded by Speaker of the State House Mike O'Neal, that was later published by the Lawrence Journal-World newspaper, called for Obama's death.
"The forward contained a single verse and was only intended as election commentary regarding the president's days in office. I have apologized, and I am sincerely sorry," O'Neal said in an email.
O'Neal's email sent to friends and colleagues cited part of Psalm 109:8 which in some interpretations reads: 'Let his days be few; and let another take his office.'
The following verse reads, "May his children be orphans and his wife a widow."
Two pastors delivered a petition signed by 30,000 people demanding that the speaker resign. O'Neal issued an apology, but his communications director said the speaker would not be resigning.
"He is using sacred scripture to flippantly suggest people should be praying for the death of the president," said Michael Sherrard, a spokesman for Faithful America, an online interfaith community based in Washington that organized the petition.
(Reporting By Lily Kuo; Editing by Eric Walsh)
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Thursday, January 19, 2012
Mobile finance director challenges council to decide what's not ...
MOBILE, Alabama -- A looming budget deficit has drifted to the Mobile City Council?s back burner in recent weeks, but Barbara Malkove, Mayor Sam Jones? finance director, said Tuesday that the problem still hasn?t been solved.
Jones has predicted a shortfall of about $25.7 million in the city?s 2013 budget, unless the City Council agrees to a new revenue source or major cuts to services.
So far, Jones hasn?t been able to come up with the five votes he would need to raise the city?s sales tax to 5 cents on the dollar, as he has proposed.
If council members are unwilling to raise taxes, what are they willing to cut, Malkove asked them Tuesday.
Several council members have written in emails to constituents that the city needs to focus spending on ?essential services,? Malkove said, but what qualifies as essential?
Without a finance department, nobody would get paid, she said.
?I want input on what qualifies as ?basic,?? she said. ?To us, everything the city does is essential.??
Source: http://blog.al.com/live/2012/01/mobile_finance_director_challe.html
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Chevron: Rig catches fire off Nigeria's delta
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) ? An offshore rig exploring possible oil and gas fields off Nigeria's coast for Chevron Corp. caught fire Monday, and the oil company said officials were still trying to account for all those working there.
Chevron said two workers were missing and 152 others found, but gave no further detail on the missing persons.
The company said it was still investigating the fire, which occurred near its North Apoi oil platform, and which forced it to shut down.
"We immediately flew out people to the nearby North Apoi platform, and have been helping those needing any medical assistance," Chevron spokesman Scott Walker said in a statement.
Chevron did not immediately say what caused the fire. However, Nigeria's government believes a "gas kick" ? a major build up of gas pressure from drilling ? was responsible, said Levi Ajuonoma, a spokesman for the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp.
Chevron and other foreign oil companies in Nigeria pump crude oil in partnership with the state-run company.
Nnimmo Bassey, who runs an environmental watchdog group in Nigeria, said he had received reports from locals nearby that the fire was an industrial incident.
"Workers were trying to contain the gas pressure and they didn't succeed," Bassey said.
The rig is run on Chevron's behalf by contractor FODE Drilling Co., Walker said. Officials with FODE, which has offices in London and Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, could not be immediately reached for comment Monday.
Nigeria is the fifth-largest crude oil exporter to the U.S. It produces about 2.4 million barrels of crude oil a day. However, more than 50 years of oil production has seen environmental damage through delta's maze of muddy creeks and mangroves.
Chevron, based in San Ramon, California, produced an average of 524,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Nigeria in 2010. The company has exploration rights to about 2.2 million acres across Nigeria's delta and offshore.
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Iranian lawmaker: Obama proposed talks; US denies (AP)
TEHRAN, Iran ? An Iranian lawmaker claimed Wednesday that President Barack Obama called for direct talks with Iran in a secret letter to the Islamic Republic's supreme leader that also warned Tehran against closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Obama administration officials denied there was such a letter.
Iran has threatened to close the waterway, the route for about one-sixth of the global oil flow, because of new U.S. sanctions over its nuclear program.
Conservative lawmaker Ali Motahari revealed the content of the letter days after the Obama administration said it was warning Iran through public and private channels against any action that threatens the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf.
"In the letter, Obama called for direct talks with Iran," the semiofficial Fars news agency quoted Motahari as saying Wednesday. "The letter also said that closing the Strait of Hormuz is (Washington's) red line."
"The first part of the letter contains threats and the second part contains an offer for dialogue," he added.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast confirmed that Tehran received the letter and was considering a possible response.
In Washington, an Obama administration official denied that Obama sent a letter to Khamanei, saying communication of U.S. views were being delivered through other diplomatic messages. The official would give no further details. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor pointed to earlier comments from the Obama administration that noted the U.S. had a number of ways to communicate its views to the Iranian government. He said the U.S. remained committed to engaging with Tehran and finding a diplomatic solution to its larger issues with Iran's nuclear program.
Spokesmen have been vague on what the United States would do about Iran's threat to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, but military officials have been clear that the U.S. is readying for a possible naval clash.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard, the country's most powerful military force, says Tehran's leadership has decided to order the closure of the oil route if Iran's oil exports are blocked. A senior Guard officer said earlier this month that the decision has been made by Iran's top authorities.
Iranian politicians have made the threat in the past, but this was the strongest statement yet that a closure of the strait is official policy.
Iran's regular army recently held naval war games near the vital waterway that were described by hard-liners as part of preparations to close the strait if sanctions are imposed. The Guard is planning major naval military exercises next month in the same region.
The U.S. last month enacted new sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and its ability to sell petroleum abroad over Tehran's nuclear program. The U.S. has delayed implementing the sanctions for at least six months, worried about sending the price of oil higher at a time when the global economy is struggling.
Closing the strait would have immense world economic impact. Iran is OPEC's second largest oil producer, and oil exports account for 80 percent of Iran's foreign currency income. To Tehran, an oil embargo would be tantamount to a declaration of war that could provoke the Iranian leadership to block the Hormuz strait.
At issue is Iran's nuclear program. The U.S., Israel and others charge that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. Their case was bolstered by a report from the International Atomic Energy late last year, citing evidence that Iran was employing methods and equipment used in making bombs.
Iran has consistently denied that, saying its nuclear program is peaceful, aimed at producing electric power and isotopes for cancer treatment.
___
Associated Press writer Julie Pace in Washington contributed to this report.
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Griner scores 32 as No. 1 Baylor women beat Texas (AP)
AUSTIN, Texas ? Brittney Griner turned in another dominant performance, tying her season high with 32 points to go with 13 rebounds as No. 1 Baylor stayed unbeaten Sunday with an easy 77-59 win over Texas.
Griner made 12 of her first 14 shots and Baylor (17-0, 4-0 Big 12) led by 20 by halftime. Baylor used an early 19-0 run to blow the game open.
Destiny Williams added 21 points for the Lady Bears, who have allowed only two teams, Tennessee and Connecticut, to play them within 10 points this season.
Chassidy Fussell scored 20 points to lead Texas (11-5, 1-3) which stayed in the bottom third of the conference with the loss.
Griner could have approached her career-high 40 points, but started giving up shots with passes to teammates in the second half with the game in hand. She dominated the first half, scoring 21 ? one point below her season average ? as Baylor built a 49-29 lead by halftime.
Griner made 9 of 11 shots in the first half and Williams pumped in 15 points. The performance was similar to Griner's effort on Texas' homecourt last year, when she outscored the Longhorns 23-22 in a lopsided Baylor victory.
Texas had upset No. 12 Texas A&M on the road earlier in the week, but the Longhorns' best chance of containing Griner was sitting on the bench with a medical boot on her right leg. Forward Cokie Reed, who gives Texas its strongest muscle under the basket, strained the leg in practice Saturday and school officials announced about an hour before the game she would not play.
That left senior post Ashley Gayle and freshman Nneka Enemkapali to deal with Griner. But Gayle picked up three fouls in the first 13 minutes and Enemkapali looked nervous, failing to even hit the rim when a defensive switch left her with an uncontested layup in the early going.
Griner scored 10 in the 19-0 run. The Longhorns pulled back within 11 when Fussell made consecutive 3-pointers before Baylor closed the first half with a 9-1 burst.
Gayle, who scored 17 in Texas' win over Texas A&M, picked up her fourth foul just 51 seconds in to the second half. She finished with 12 points and was never a factor as Griner and Baylor never let the Longhorns rally.
Baylor scored 58 points in the paint and held Texas to just 33 percent shooting.
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Monday, January 16, 2012
Davydenko baffled by Federer silence on grievances
Switzerland's Roger Federer answers questions during a press conference at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Sarah Ivey)
Switzerland's Roger Federer answers questions during a press conference at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Sarah Ivey)
CORRECTS MISSPELLING OF RUSSIAN PLAYER'S FAMILY NAME - Russia's Nikolay Davydenko reacts to the chair umpire during his first round match against Italy's Flavio Cipolla at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Sarah Ivey)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) ? Roger Federer's reticence to join other players in voicing complaints about issues affecting the men's game came under fire again at the Australian Open on Monday.
Former No. 3-ranked Nikolay Davydenko said he didn't understand why the 16-time Grand Slam champion wasn't supporting the push to address player grievances, including the schedule and the distribution of prize money.
Davydenko's remarks came a day after Rafael Nadal criticized his Swiss rival for sitting back while others speak out and "burn themselves."
"I don't know why Roger is not supporting the players," Davydenko said. "Because he don't want ... any problems. He's nice guy. He's winning Grand Slams. He's from Switzerland. He's perfect.
"He don't want to do anything, he just try to be an outsider from this one."
For the second time in six months, rumors of a possible strike emerged following Saturday's player meeting in Melbourne. Davydenko said a strike was still a distant prospect, but that the players would meet again at the Indian Wells Masters tournament in March.
"The ATP should try to do something between now and Indian Wells," he said. "For sure, all the top 100 players will go there and just see what will be changed."
The Russian said he did not support the idea of a shorter season, a change that is backed by Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, but he agrees that prize money has not increased in line with growing profits at Grand Slam tournaments.
Prize money is also an issue at the Indian Wells tournament, where Davydenko said those players who lose in the first round can sometimes make a loss after paying tax and travel costs to contest the tournament.
Federer did sit with the players and listen at Saturday's meeting, according to Davydenko, who also said the top four players were supposed to meet on Sunday.
"I don't know what was happening," Davydenko said. "You need to ask why (of) Federer. I'll also be interesting what Federer says. If you guys ask Federer why he don't want to do, why he don't want to support players, I will be interested in the answer."
Nadal reacted strongly on Sunday when it was suggested that Federer disliked it when players complained openly about problems on the tour because it tarnished the image of tennis.
"No, I totally disagree," he said in comments translated from Spanish. "For him it's good to say nothing. Everything positive. 'It's all well and good for me, I look like a gentleman,' and the rest can burn themselves.
"Everyone is entitled to have their own opinions."
____
AP Sports Writer John Pye contributed to this report.
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