Bordeaux midfielder Yoann Gourcuff has been named the French league's Player of the Year by his fellow professionals.
The 22-year-old Gourcuff, who is negotiating a permanent move from AC Milan, has scored 12 league goals to take Bordeaux within touching distance of a first league title since …
Northwestern's big man will look bigger tonight when the Wildcatsopen their season against the University of Chicago at Welsh-RyanArena.
Kevin Rankin, NU's 6-11 center, weighs 264 pounds.
That's up from the 245 he weighed as a freshman starter twoyears ago and 10 to 15 more than he weighed last season, when he ranhis string of starts for the Wildcats to 56 games.
"My weight fluctuates, depending on the day," said Rankin, whoseadditional weight is all muscle thanks to a new weight-trainingprogram instituted for the basketball players this year.
In previous years, the players did their weight training underthe direction of Larry Lilja, the …
NEW DELHI (AP) — Pakistan averted a boycott by its weightlifting team at the Commonwealth Games after an official took a last-minute decision to carry the flag into the opening ceremony instead of the lifter who had been nominated.
Shujauddin Malik, the 2006 gold medalist, was supposed to lead Pakistan into Sunday night's pageant, but provincial sports minister Dr. Mohammad Ali Shah reversed the decision.
Team manager Rashid Mehmood told The Associated Press that Shah said to Malik that it was chief-de-mission's right to lead the contingent.
Mehmood said the weightlifters considered withdrawing until Pakistan Olympic Association chief Arif Hasan assured them Shah would …
The Tea Party Express is one of the most visible factions of the national movement that has taken on the appearance of a grassroots groundswell of anger against the federal government.
The organization has led two national bus tours and will begin a third this weekend with a rally against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in his hometown in Nevada.
But the man behind the organization is anything but a fresh-faced activist. The architect of the Tea Party Express, Sal Russo, is a California political operative who has spent nearly half a century campaigning for Republican candidates.
The Sacramento-based political action committee that funds Tea …
The United States and Russia have failed to clinch a new nuclear arms control treaty this year, denying the White House a quick boost in its efforts to demonstrate improved relations with Moscow.
The two sides hope to reach a deal in early 2010, the U.S. said Wednesday.
The American delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller has left for the United States and will return to Geneva for more negotiations in January, the U.S. diplomatic mission in Geneva said.
"Our goal remains to conclude a solid treaty for the presidents' signature as soon as possible," it said.
Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev had been hoping to sign a new deal before the end of the year, but conceded last week at climate talks in Copenhagen that their goal was unlikely to be met.
The 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expired Dec. 5, and both countries have agreed to continue to honor its main provisions until a successor treaty is in place. The START treaty successor is seen as one of the most achievable areas of cooperation. Washington is also seeking help from Moscow on trickier issues such as the standoff over Iran's uranium enrichment program.
START required each country to cut its nuclear warheads by at least one-fourth, to about 6,000, and to implement procedures for verifying that each side was sticking to the agreement.
At a summit in Moscow last July, Obama and Medvedev agreed to cut the number of nuclear warheads on each side to between 1,500 and 1,675 within seven years.
Russian officials have said previously that Moscow wants to simplify START's sprawling web of control measures, which were seen as crucial for both nations to keep an eye on one another's nuclear stockpiles even as the Cold War was ending.
The Kremlin now sees them as too intrusive and unnecessary.
MBABANE, Swaziland (AP) — Swaziland's king has fired a prominent defense official hours after 7,000 pro-democracy demonstrators protested in the capital.
King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch, dismissed the official for failing to providing food to soldiers patrolling the borders.
His removal was announced by the prime minister late Friday. The move suggests the king may be trying to avoid the unrest that has roiled North Africa and forced other longtime rulers out of power.
The king, who has ruled for nearly a century, also warned soldiers to not to be disloyal, citing political turmoil in unnamed countries where soldiers have defected.
An anti-monarchy movement has gained momentum in Swaziland after last month's budget calls to freeze civil service salaries.
Dear Diane: I have a close friend now in her 50s whom I met 10years ago when we both worked for the same company. She was pleasantand industrious. We remained friends after we both went elsewhere,she because of personnel reductions at the company. Almostsimultaneously she lost both her parents.
Somewhere along the line, she began drinking heavily and wasreduced to working on temporary jobs. She joined AlcoholicsAnonymous, but frequently went on drinking without seeking thegroup's aid.
Last week I supplied bail after she hit a parked car. She wascharged with drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident.She had been on her way to a liquor store.
Her life is a mess. Her car needs repair, she does not know anattorney and has no money to pay one. Should she lose her license,as seems probable, her ability to find employment will be badlyimpaired.
My friend seems overwhelmed by events. She listens to advice,but does nothing. She has a history of depression, and I would notforgive myself should she take desperate action.
My question is this: Her brother lives in a nearby state, but hestill believes she is employed and well. Should I call him and tellhim what has happened?
My husband says I should stay out of it because alcoholics mustfind their own way. SPEAK OR STAND SILENT?
Dear Speak: Your friend is one of the growing number of womenwho are afflicted with alcoholism. As is sadly true for manyalcoholics of both sexes, the disease has affected her jobperformance and thus her finances, and may lead to convictions ofserious offenses.
Alcoholism is no longer her only problem. She needs immediatehelp with her legal and financial problems, and then long-term helpwith alcoholism.
Contact her brother, but because of her history of depression,don't discuss your intentions in advance; tell your friend soonafterward of your call. Also telephone your local Legal Aid Societyor county bar association to get names of lawyers who mightrepresent her in the court proceedings. Give these names to yourfriend and (unless her brother intervenes) if you are willing, helpher contact a lawyer.
Because you care about your friend, encourage her to attendAlcoholics Anonymous meetings and to find professional help for herdepression, if appropriate.
Your friend has a lot of mountains to climb. Perhaps all sheneeds to begin climbing the first one is a little more help from afriend.
Dear Diane: I have been going out with my boyfriend for almostthree years now. We are pre-engaged and have picked out anengagement ring.
A few months ago his parents filed for bankruptcy. This brokemy boyfriend's heart. His family turned to him and now he is buyingan apartment building so that his parents and teenage brother canhave a place to live.
My boyfriend has lost all interest in getting married because hethinks he, too, will go bankrupt. I am trying to be understandingbut it is hard when you think that the apartment building he isbuying could be a down payment on our dream house.
I don't know if I am being too self-centered about this wholematter, but I'm afraid I am going to lose him over something hisparents did.
HEARTBROKEN
Dear Heartbroken: Consider yourself lucky to be pre-engaged tosuch a sensitive and sensible guy. If he shows such concern for hisparents and brother, don't you think he'll have the same attitudetoward his own family once he is married?
You seem to be not only self-centered but also shortsighted.The apartment building could produce income and increase in valuesufficiently to give you your dream home and an apartment building.
If you lose him, I don't think it will be over something thathis parents did. Take a minute to reflect on what you are doing.
Send letters to Dear Diane, Box 3254, Chicago 60654.
