Obama wants Iran sanctions within 'weeks'

WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama said Tuesday he wanted tough new UN sanctions imposed on Iran within "weeks" as visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy blasted Tehran's "mad" nuclear race.

But Obama admitted that key world powers had "not yet" closed wide gaps on the specifics of the biting new measures, as he and Sarkozy made an apparently coordinated effort to up pressure on China and Russia for action.

"My hope is that we are going to get this done this spring," Obama said, warning, as he faces rising domestic pressure on the issue, that he was not interested in waiting months for the new United Nations measures to be imposed.

"I am interested in seeing that regime in place within weeks," Obama said during a joint press conference with Sarkozy which saw both leaders go out of their way to profess US-French friendship.

Sarkozy indicated after his closed Oval Office talks with Obama that months of diplomacy to prepare the way for sanctions must now come to fruition.

"The time has come to take decisions. Iran cannot continue its mad race," Sarkozy said, adding that Europe would stand united in the push for sanctions.

The joint presidential pressure came as G8 foreign ministers meeting in Canada urged "in the strongest possible terms" that Iran cooperate with five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton predicted the next few weeks would see "intense negotiation" in the Security Council on Iran, which the West suspects of developing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

The Obama administration has spent months trying to convince China, which has been reluctant to embrace tough sanctions on Iran, to join the international effort.

Russia has been more amenable, but it is still unclear whether Moscow will embrace the "biting" measures envisaged by Washington.

"Do we have unanimity in the international community? Not yet. And that's something that we have to work on," Obama said, admitting that Iran was a major oil producer and had a plethora of commercial partners.

Sarkozy and Obama said their talks also covered a long list of international issues, including Afghanistan, US peace efforts in the Middle East and the global economic recovery.

The French leader said it was "great news" that the Obama administration had now made financial reform its top priority.

The issue has provoked friction between Washington and Europe, with the United States less willing to call for stringent efforts to regulate global hedge funds than some key leaders in Europe.

Both leaders sought to scotch rumors of bad chemistry between them, calling one another by their first names, ahead of an intimate dinner hosted by the Obamas for Sarkozy and ex-supermodel wife Carla Bruni.

Obama called Sarkozy "my dear friend" and remembered how his daughter Sasha celebrated her eighth birthday in the president's Elysee Palace in Paris last year. He also recalled their first meeting three years ago when Obama was a senator.

"I immediately came to admire your legendary energy and your enthusiasm for what our countries can achieve together," Obama said.

Sarkozy appeared eager to end years of US-French tensions.

"There may be disagreements, but never for the wrong reasons. And as we are very transparent on both sides, there's confidence, there's trust," he said before the two presidents walked out of the press conference with hands over each other's shoulders.

The Sarkozys took time to sample the culinary delights of the US capital, stopping in at famed restaurant "Ben's Chili Bowl," which Obama has also visited, to eat half-smoke hot dogs.

The two leaders met at divergent moments of their political fortunes.

Sarkozy was forced to backtrack on some of his signature reforms, and suffered a humiliation in recent regional elections.

But Obama is reveling in his historic health reform law and clinched a landmark nuclear arms reduction deal with Russia last week.

The private dinner between the couples marks the first time a foreign leader has dined with the Obamas in their private residence at the White House and is seen as a fence-mending exercise after Obama bowed out of a European summit.

"You invite an important head of state to a state dinner, but a friend you invite to your home," said one western diplomat.

But the White House denied it was going out of its way to satisfy Sarkozy with presidential trappings.

"It doesn't seem totally out of the ordinary," Gibbs said.

G8 announces Afghanistan-Pakistan economic 'initiative'

GATINEAU — G8 foreign ministers agreed Monday on an economic "initiative" for the Afghanistan-Pakistan border regions, Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said.

"Stability in the region is critical for global security," Cannon told reporters at the start of two days of G8 talks.

Cannon said the objective of the Pakistan-Afghanistan economic plan was to bolster commercial activity in the economically-depressed border area, with infrastructure investments.

The plan, he said, was developed in consultation with the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Foreign ministers from Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, as well as European Union chief diplomat Catherine Ashton, were meeting to discuss threats such as nuclear proliferation, regional conflicts and terrorism.

Other issues to be addressed at the talks include the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, cracking down on militant bases in Yemen and elsewhere, and the reconstruction of quake-ravaged Haiti.

The meeting in Gatineau, Quebec, near the capital Ottawa, sets the stage for G8 and G20 leaders' summits in Muskoka, Ontario and Toronto in June.

Latin pop icon Ricky Martin tells fans he is gay

LOS ANGELES — Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, in a bombshell to legions of his fans all over the world, confirmed a longtime rumor that he is gay.

"I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am," he wrote on his rickymartin.com website.

With his swiveling hips and scintillating salsa moves, Martin has been an object of adoration by million of fans around the world, especially of the female variety.

The Latin pop singer records and performs mostly in Spanish, but has a huge crossover following in English thanks in large part to his 1999 smash hit "Livin' La Vida Loca" ("Livin' the Crazy Life") and his chart-topping "She Bangs" the following year.

Martin, 38, told his fans that his decision to divulge his sexual orientation marks "an amazing turning point in my life" and it started a few months ago when he began the process of writing his memoirs.

"From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time," Martin wrote on his website.

He said the secret over time had become "too heavy for me to keep inside" and that he joyfully embraces his gay identity as "something worth celebrating."

The pop singer added that he did not come out earlier because advisers over the years had warned that he might ruin his career were he to reveal to his fans that he is gay.

He was also worried about the impact on his young twin sons, who were conceived with the assistance of a surrogate mother.

"Many people told me... 'all the years you've worked and everything you've built will collapse'," he wrote.

"Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage. Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions."

Coming out "fills me with strength and courage," Martin said.

"Today is my day, this is my time, and this is my moment."

Like a number of pop stars of his generation, Martin was a stage and recording star from childhood. He rose to fame as a member of the Puerto Rican boy band "Menudo" in the 1980s, before striking out on a solo career.

Fans were mostly supportive of the singer. His website lit up with postings from supporters writing in Spanish and English, praising him for his decision to live his life honestly and openly.

One fan on Martin's website offered "congratulations on finally freeing yourself from the ball and chain that living a closeted life is."

Another, who went by the name Libracolo, wrote that "the people who genuinely respect you as a father and an artist could care less who you are sleeping with."

"Continue to live your life with the same amount of dignity and pride you have done so far and let the naysayers and the haters burn in hell."

Another, whose signature was merely "proud of you," wrote: "I am so proud of the BIG step you've taken today. I have seen what many of my gay friends go through when hiding their true identity and it's a shame.... I'm sure the people that truly love you (the ones who really matter) will continue to love and are proud of this big step."

But the posts also included a smattering of negative correspondence like the one sent from "sorry for you," who taunted "your soul will burn in hell!"

The five-time Grammy award winner also has been hailed for his philanthropic efforts including his work as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and the creation of his Puerto Rico-based Ricky Martin Foundation to promote health, education and social justice for children around the world.

Pakistan nuclear ambitions give US leverage

WASHINGTON — Pakistan's hopes for civil nuclear cooperation have been a non-starter in Washington, but experts say the United States can use it as a dangling carrot as it seeks influence in Islamabad.

The two nations Thursday wrapped up a first-of-a-kind "strategic dialogue," which the United States hopes will show Pakistan's widely anti-American public that it cares about the country beyond seeking help against Islamic extremists.

US officials stayed carefully on message, pledging respect for Pakistan and never explicitly saying no to its requests -- a refusal that would have been sure to steal the headlines.

Pakistan is seeking a civilian nuclear deal along the lines of a landmark agreement that the United States struck with India in 2008. The South Asian rivals stunned the world in 1998 by carrying out nuclear tests.

Asked about the Pakistani request, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States would listen to "whatever issues the delegation raises" and highlighted a 125-million-dollar US package to boost Pakistan's energy sector.

A nuclear deal could help ease the developing country's chronic energy shortages. But it would also amount to US recognition of Pakistan as the Islamic world's only nuclear power, a point of pride for many Pakistanis.

"At the moment this looks like a non-starter, but it shouldn't be," said Marvin Weinbaum, a scholar at the Middle East Institute and former State Department official.

"There is no reason why we couldn't use this as a bargaining tool to get more cooperation, to say, 'This may not be something we can deliver now, but we would like to work something out with you,'" he said.

"It could have a very positive impact both with the Pakistani elite and public."

But the United States has longstanding concerns about proliferation from Pakistan -- and policymakers are said to have quietly drafted a crisis plan in case the nuclear arsenal risk falling out of government control.

The father of Pakistan's bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan, has admitted leaking nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea, although he later retracted his remarks.

The level of separation between Pakistan's military and civilian nuclear programs also remains a matter of dispute. Pakistan returned to civilian rule in 2008 and President Asif Ali Zardari a year later handed over control of the nuclear program to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

"I think it's extremely premature to be talking about any civil nuclear cooperation between the US and Pakistan at this stage," said Lisa Curtis, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation think-tank.

"It would be more appropriate and important to be talking about conventional military cooperation, economic support and breaking down trade barriers," said Curtis, who served in the State Department in former president George W. Bush's administration.

Bush championed the nuclear deal with India, the signature part of his drive to build an alliance between the world's two largest democracies.

The agreement faced criticism from some members of President Barack Obama's Democratic Party, who argued that it sent the wrong message as India, like Pakistan and Israel, refuses to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"One of the reasons the US was able to move forward in Congress was because of India's solid record against proliferation and Pakistan doesn't have that," Curtis said.

Some critics who believe the Bush agreement was too easy on India said that Pakistan's requests confirmed their fears.

"I think the fact that we gave India such a sweetheart deal set a very dangerous precedent and it's no surprise that Pakistan wants a similar deal," said Leonor Tomero of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

She also said that Pakistan's request was "odd" coming so close to Obama's April 12-13 nuclear security summit in Washington and the Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference a month later.

Takahashi ready to inspire new figure skating generation

TURIN, Italy — Daisuke Takahashi insisted he wanted to inspire a new generation of Japanese men after creating history on Thursday night by being crowned his country's first men's world figure skating champion.

Just weeks after putting Japan on the Olympic men's podium for the first time with his bronze, the 24-year-old led all the way to seal victory with a near flawless free skate to the music from the Italian movie "La Strada".

And he said he hoped his gold would lead the way for Japanese men to be as successful as their countrywomen who have won four world and an Olympic title.

"I really hope that I can spur everybody so that the Japanese men also will do well," he said.

"I'm not going to be complacent about what I have achieved so far. I need to continue to evolve.

"As for the future, I see a lot of little kids. The juniors are doing very well including Yuzuru Hanyu, who won the world junior championships.

"I myself feel that I can't be satisfied with where I am now and I'm always threatened by these younger skaters."

But he showed few signs of feeling under threat in the Palavela with an entertaining routine that brought the crowd to their feet.

Skating last, Takahashi two-footed a quadruple jump, but produced a huge triple axel to score 168.40 for the free skate and an overall 257.70 points.

He finished over ten points ahead of last year's runner-up Patrick Chan of Canada (247.22) with France's 2007 world champion Brian Joubert taking bronze, despite both falling during their routines.

Takahashi is the only medallist from Vancouver competing at the world championships with Olympic champion Evan Lysacek and runner-up Yevgeny Plushenko both opting not to take part.

"I don't know why, but somehow I didn't feel pressure in this competition," said Takahashi.

"I really enjoyed that challenge. I even missed Evan and Stephane (Lambiel) not being here."

It was a triumphant comeback for the skater, who returned this season after missing the entire 2008/2009 campaign after tearing ligaments in his right knee as he achieved his second world medal after silver in 2007.

But he admitted he was still not back at his best.

"Before I had my injury and surgery, I succeeded my quads," he said.

"I was able to do two quads in a programme. I want to be back where I was before. I think that is the major reason of the importance of the quad to me.

"The toeloop is not really consistent the way I want it to be. It is a great challenge for me to continue to work on it.

Chan, who finished fifth at the Olympics, fell during his Phantom of the Opera routine but the 19-year-old was able to extend his narrow 0.1 advantage on Joubert.

"Today it's the silver medal, but I think that it's more gold for the effort I put into this season, coming out from the injury, having a bad Skate Canada's performance and disappointing Olympic performance as well," said Chan.

Joubert, 25, found himself on the world podium for the sixth time in a remarkable comeback following his humiliating 16th place at the Olympics.

He completed two quadruple jumps but fell on the triple lutz which had caused him problems in Vancouver during his routine to Ronan Hardiman's Ancient Land, but held on for third place with 241.74.

"This medal is like a world title for me," said Joubert. "This makes me more confident for the future. I wanted to show I could compete again. I now have the answer and I will come back next season for sure."

However, Takahashi's teammates Nobunari Oda and Takahiko Kozuka had less memorable worlds.

Oda failed to qualify for the free skate after struggling into 28th in the short programme, while Kozuka dropped to tenth overall from fourth after a fall and errors left him just 12th best in the free skate.

"I was very tired from Vancouver and yesterday's competition, I think this is the reason for my mistakes," said Kozuka.

"The first mistake caused the following mistakes. I'm quite satisfied with this experience even if I think I could do better."

Competition continues Friday with Olympic ice dancing champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir leading going into the free dance final as South Korea's Kim Yu-Na opens her bid to defend her world title in the women's short programme.

Police release Frenchman who hacked Obama Twitter page

PARIS — French police have released a hacker who gained access to US President Barack Obama's account in one of his attacks on the wildly popular micro-blogging site Twitter, police said Wednesday.

The unemployed 25-year-old, who lived with his parents and used the pseudonym "Hacker Croll", was arrested Tuesday after an operation conducted jointly with US agents from the FBI that lasted several months.

He was questioned in police custody in the central city of Clermont-Ferrand and has been ordered to appear in court in the same city on June 24.

"He explained how he did it. He's not a genius," said the source.

"He was a young man spending time on the Internet. He acted as a result of a bet, out of the defiance of the hacker. He is the sort who likes to claim responsibility for what he has done," added prosecutor Jean-Yves Coquillat.

Hacking into a database is a crime in France which carries a maximum two-year prison sentence.

San Francisco-based Twitter did not immediately reply to an email from AFP about the arrest while the FBI said it was looking into the report.

In July, leading US technology blog TechCrunch.com reported that it had received a file containing 310 confidential corporate and personal documents from "Hacker Croll" about Twitter and Twitter employees,

TechCrunch said the documents included executive meeting notes, partner agreements, financial projections, calendars, phone logs, office plans, and other information.

TechCrunch published some of the documents and declined to publish others.

Twitter founder Evan Williams acknowledged to TechCrunch at the time that documents had been obtained in the attack but insisted that the hacker did not gain access to any Twitter user accounts.

The hacker, who attacked the Twitter accounts of several US celebrities, had also attacked Facebook pages and email accounts operated by Google and other providers, the police said.

But he had never attempted to profit financially from his hacking activities on Twitter, in which users can send out messages of 140 characters or less, they added.

He had managed to secure Twitter's administrator codes and was able to create, modify or delete accounts at will, the source said, adding that the hacker set up a blog to share his discoveries.

The hacker had no particular technological expertise, said police, but simply guessed people's passwords by working them out from information on their blogs or online pages they had created about themselves, police said.

He would also do this by answering the "secret question" on web-based email accounts -- which people often answer by giving their maiden name or the name of their pet -- and then use this to gain access to Twitter passwords.

"Hacker Croll" liked to post electronic copies of the pages he hacked into on French online forums to prove that he gained administrator access to Twitter accounts, according to online reports on his activities.

The French hacker was known to police for minor scams that had netted 15,000 euros (20,000 dollars), according to the police.

The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) alerted French authorities to his presence on French territory in July last year.

Four FBI agents worked with French police for several months to track down "Hacker Croll" and stop the attacks on Twitter, which has millions of users across the world.

In January last year, dozens of Twitter accounts, including that of pop star Britney Spears, were hacked into and fake messages sent out.

Hackers knocked the site offline for several hours last August.

While an everyday chatting tool for many, Twitter has become a weapon used by dissidents to circumvent censorship in places where freedom of speech is suppressed.

Twitter said last month that users were creating 50 million messages per day.

The San Francisco-based Twitter does not release figures on the total number of users of the service, which was launched in August 2006.

Nintendo to launch 3D portable game console

TOKYO — Nintendo has unveiled plans to launch a handheld 3D video game console that does not require special glasses, seeking to harness surging interest in images that appear to jump out of the screen.

The Japanese electronics giant, which competes with Sony and Microsoft in the multi-billion dollar video game industry, said the new machine, tentatively called the Nintendo 3DS, would be introduced some time by March next year.

The device will succeed Nintendo's DS series -- the best-selling portable video game console ever with sales of more than 125 million units since its launch in 2004 -- and will be compatible with DS games, the company said.

The announcement on Tuesday comes as handheld game consoles face growing competition from games available on mobile telephones such as Apple's iPhone.

Nintendo, the maker of the hit Wii games console, did not say how much the 3Ds would cost, promising more details in June at the annual E3 videogame convention in Los Angeles.

Consumer electronics makers are battling for a share of the market for 3D televisions and other gadgets, aiming to ride a new wave of interest in the technology thanks to recent movies such as sci-fi blockbuster "Avatar".

Sony is also aiming to make its PlayStation 3 compatible with 3D games but, unlike Nintendo's planned device, users are expected to have to buy a new television and special glasses to enjoy 3D images.

Many experts think consumers are unlikely to rush to buy the premium-priced 3D TVs due to the need for special glasses and because many people have already upgraded to high-definition sets in recent years.

Nintendo is striving to reverse a decline in sales of the DS as well as the Wii home console, which has easily outsold the PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 since its launch in 2006 but has struggled recently due to a lack of new games.

Tiger's tale hits home for golf world, NBA great, porn star

ORLANDO, Florida — Tiger Woods may have irked some with the timing of his television interviews, but his humbling self-analysis drew praise from PGA rival Jim Furyk and NBA star Magic Johnson.

Woods, who will end a nearly five-month break next month at the Masters, spoke to ESPN and The Golf Channel on Sunday about his infidelity in interviews that were broadcast just as Furyk was winning the PGA Transitions Championship.

"We are a little bit disappointed that they chose to air that story at the conclusion of a very exciting tournament," said Transitions managing director David Cole. "We invest a lot of money (seven million dollars) as a title sponsor."

But Furyk understood that the latest chapter in the soap opera that Woods's life has become would trump his personal triumph.

"I wish him well," he added. "I think it's good for him to get his face out there and have people see him. They are going to make their judgments, but I think it allows him to move on and get focused for the next thing."

Woods spoke of multiple affairs and his own break from the core values that helped mold him into a 14-time major champion.

"I tried to stop and I couldn't stop and it was just, it was horrific," he said.

"It was really tough to look at what I had become. That's pretty brutal. I saw a person (in the mirror) I never thought I would ever become."

The story hit home all too well for Johnson, who retired in 1991 after revealing that he had contracted the HIV virus, making brief comebacks for the 1992 Olympics and in the NBA.

Johnson told the Philadelphia Daily News that he was pleased Woods would return to golf.

"I'm glad he's back. I think he should be back," Johnson said. "You have to apologize first to your wife and kids. He did that, I'm sure. Then you apologize to the sponsors and fans. Then you move on.

"You can't live in the past. You've got to get out there and do what you do. He's a golfer, the world's best, so get out there."

Woods kept quiet when asked about many details of his numerous affairs, the November 27 auto crash that launched the scandal and his current relationship with wife Elin.

But The Golf Channel reported that former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer was no longer part of the golf star's media advisory team.

Fleischer "feels like he's becoming too big a part of the story," said The Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman. "He felt like that it was time for Tiger to have complete due and his name doesn't need to keep coming up."

Woods's name came up on the website of porn star Joslyn James, who posted emails and text messages purportedly from Woods that suggested she and Woods were texting each other during last year's PGA Buick Open near Flint, Michigan.

The Flint Journal reported that the messages were on the days of the first and second rounds of the tournament that Woods struggled through and eventually won, and indicated the sender had very little sleep.

Woods said July 30 was "probably one of the worst putting days I've ever had" but on the same day, James claims, Woods sent a message to set up a rendezvous.

"I will leave an envelope at the front desk under ms daniels. Your room will be 305. Get settled and let me know when you are ready to see me. I will be in room 201. You can come down the stair well next to your room. Make sure absolutely no one sees you," the message on James's site said.

An evening text read, "Just so you know i have to get up at 415 tomorrow" while another at 1:27 in the morning said, "Did you get lost. Door is open."

Court: Anna Nicole Smith gets none of oil fortune

SAN FRANCISCO – The elderly Texas billionaire who married Anna Nicole Smith in the last year of his life never intended to leave the former stripper any portion of his vast fortune, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a Houston jury that said J. Howard Marshall was mentally fit and under no undue pressure when he wrote a will leaving nearly all of his $1.6 billion estate to his son E. Pierce Marshall and nothing to Smith.

The ruling was the latest development in the bitter 15-year legal battle. Smith said the elder Marshall promised her more than $300 million, even though there was no written documentation.

The fight between Smith and E. Pierce Marshall started in a sleepy Houston probate court and stretched all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court while outliving its two combatants.

It may reach the high court again.

Kent Richland, a lawyer for Smith's estate vowed to appeal the latest ruling, possibly to the Supreme Court on different issues than those it first considered.

"It really is a unique decision," Richland said. "We have to take it farther."

Pierce's widow and two sons said they hoped the legal battle was close to ending.

"Our only wish would be that Pierce were here to see his vindication," the family said in a prepared statement.

The decision — if it holds up — is bad news for Smith's ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead and their 3-year-old daughter Dannielynn. The child was named Smith's heir in 2008 after she died of a drug overdose at 39 at a Florida hotel.

Birkhead and attorney Howard K. Stern were placed in charge of Smith's estate. Neither returned calls seeking comment.

Stern and two other people have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to provide thousands of prescription pills to the former model before her death.

The convoluted dispute over J. Howard Marshall's money has its roots in a Houston strip club where he met Smith. The two were wed in 1994 when he was 89 and she 26. Marshall died the next year and his will left his estate to his son.

Smith challenged the will in a Houston probate court, alleging the billionaire's son illegally coerced his father to exclude the former Playboy model from sharing the estate. She alleged that her husband promised to leave her more than $300 million above the $7 million in cash and gifts showered on her during their 14-month marriage.

While the probate case was pending in Houston, Smith filed for bankruptcy in Los Angeles, alleging in federal court filings that her husband promised her a large share of the estate.

In late 2000, the bankruptcy court awarded Smith $474.75 million, which a federal district court judge reduced to $89.5 million in 2002.

Between those two decisions, a jury in the Houston probate court ruled in March 2001 against Smith. The jury found the billionaire was mentally fit and under no duress when he wrote out a will that left everything to his son.

Since then, the two sides have been fighting over which court to obey.

Smith argued that the federal courts were in charge because the bankruptcy court was the first to rule.

Pierce Marshall countered the decision was the jurisdiction of the probate court, because that's where the first legal action was filed and the site of the only full-blown trial.

"Every piece of evidence was considered and every witness exhaustively examined," said Eric Brunstad, the Marshall family's lawyer. "That really should have been the end of it."

On Friday, the unanimous three-judge panel said the bankruptcy court didn't have the authority to decide a probate dispute and thus its $474.75 million award was only an advisory opinion.

The appeals court also said U.S. District Court Judge David Carter should have relied on the probate jury's decision against Smith and tossed the case entirely instead of merely reducing the award to $89.5 million.

Google denied Nexus phone trademark: report

WASHINGTON — Google has been denied a trademark application for its Nexus One smartphone after the US Patent and Trademark Office said the name had been taken by a related product, a report said.

The ruling issued last week said Google's application was denied for the "likelihood of confusion" with a Nexus trademark held since 2008 by an Oregon-based telecommunications company called Integra Telecom, the Wall Street Journal said Wednesday.

Google can still submit further evidence to support its application, the Journal said.

Google said it "continue(s) to claim rights to the Nexus One trademark in the United States, and plan to respond" to the denial.

Google joined the smartphone market in January with its launch of Nexus One in a direct challenge to heavyweight Apple's iPhone handsets, billing it as a "superphone" and the next step in the evolution of its Android software.

Google worked with Taiwanese electronics titan HTC to make the handsets, sold exclusively from the Internet company's online shop at google.com/phone. There are no real-world stores or service centers for the devices.

In a separate suit, Google earlier this month threw its backing behind HTC after Apple accused it of infringing on patents for the iPhone's "user interface, underlying architecture and hardware."

Patent lawsuits are a fairly regular occurrence among technology giants; Apple is currently being sued by Nokia for patent infringement. Apple has fired back a countersuit against the Finnish mobile phone giant.

Masters return will put Tiger Woods to the test

PHILADELPHIA — Tiger Woods' return at the Masters after four months of self-imposed exile, will create a circus atmosphere that will test his ability to perform under maximum pressure, PGA Tour players said.

"We have all put him up on such a pedestal, not only in the golf, but we took for granted the personal side, too," golfer Steve Stricker said Wednesday. "We'll have to wait and see what the golf brings when he comes back.

"He's a strong-minded person and it will I'm sure test him to the limits this time."

Woods has not played since winning the Australian Masters in mid-November after a sex scandal in which he admitted cheating on wife Elin, apologizing for igniting a tabloid frenzy where more than a dozen women have claimed affairs.

Speaking on the eve of the USPGA Transitions Championship, Stricker said Woods' will be under the microscope and can probably expect some negative reaction from some golf fans.

"It's going to be a different feeling for him to come back this time," Stricker said. "After a long lay over and really just the uneasiness of what he's going to get from other people."

South African Retief Goosen is back to defend his Transitions title after halting a four-year PGA Tour winless streak with a win last year at Innisbrook.

Two-time winner Goosen fired a one-under 70 in the final round last year, which was good for a one-shot win over Charles Howell and Brett Quigley.

Other winners in this week's field comprise, Sean O'Hair, Mark Calcavecchia, Carl Pettersson, Vijay Singh, John Huston and K.J. Choi.

Goosen said Woods' return on April 8 is good for the game but it could be a bit of an eye opener as well.

"I don't think he's going to be the bad guy," Goosen said. "He's going to be 99.9 percent the good guy. There's going to be that one percent that's going to make comments and that will probably is going to make him feel a little bit like the rest of us.

"Like playing in the US Open, you have comments from people trying to put you off and make mistakes.

"The most interesting thing to see is what's going to happen when he actually gets out and sees what the crowd is going to react like towards the situation.

"What happened was something that happened off the golf course; not on the golf course. If it was a cheating situation on the golf course or something like that, the players would look at you different."

American Notah Begay said people will see a more humble, down to earth Woods when he comes back.

"He is not a super hero or a robot," said Begay, who is a good friend of Woods and has been in contact with him throughout the ordeal. "He didn't break any laws or spend time in jail but he needs to be held accountable. He has been sort of force fed a degree of humility."

Padraig Harrington said Woods' return will have a profound affect on the PGA Tour.

"It's obviously great for golf that he's back," three-time major champion Padraig Harrington said. "It shows the commitment he has to his family. If he came back earlier, that would give him a better chance at Augusta. He would have been putting golf first. Putting his family first by not warming up for Augusta, it's a good statement."

Said British Open champ Stewart Cink on his Twitter social networking page, "Wow, I've had a lot of calls today from friends who have decided to come to the Masters this year."

Golf world rejoices in Tiger's return

ORLANDO, Florida — Tiger Woods' announcement Tuesday that he will return to competitive golf at the Masters next month touched off joy around the golf world that the world's top-ranked player will be back.

Woods has not played since winning the Australian Masters in mid-November after a sex scandal in which he admitted cheating on wife Elin, apologizing for igniting a tabloid frenzy where more than a dozen women have claimed affairs.

"We need him back out here," said Rocco Mediate, who lost to Woods in a playoff at the 2008 US Open. "If anybody can cut through that stuff, he can cut through it. We'll see. I don't think it's going to knock him down too much."

For those who rely upon the excitement and audience he brings to golf, Woods means money. Even rivals who battle every week to beat Woods say his return gives them an ultimate foe, a drawing card who has boosted prize money levels.

"It's great," South African golfer Trevor Immelman said. "It's tough for a sport when your number one player is not participating. It's fantastic for the game and for the tour and our sponsors to have him back. That's a no-brainer."

US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem looks for Woods to try and capture such prizes as Player of the Year and a playoff crown by appearing in several tour events, although Woods has indicated nothing beyond his Masters comeback.

"I do anticipate a full schedule," Finchem said. "Tiger plays to win and he plays to win everything... To do that he has got to play some tournaments. I look for him returning to his fairly robust schedule."

Woods said he did not think he could be ready to play in time for the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week, the reigning champion telephoning the event's legendary namesake to say he would miss the event for the first time as a pro.

"He sounded good. He had some zip in his voice. He sounded just fine," Palmer told Golf Channel. "He said that he was sorry, that he really didn't feel his game was up to speed to start playing this early."

Palmer expects the comeback path will be a difficult one for Woods.

"I would think for Tiger it's going to be tough. It's going to be something that's going to take him a little time to get used to," Palmer said.

"He knows what he wants to do with his life and the way he's going to handle it and I guess we're going to give him that respect."

But British bookmaker William Hill made Woods a 4-1 Masters favorite just 90 minutes after he announced he would play at Augusta National in the year's first major championship on April 8-11.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he wins just because he's that type of guy," Swedish golfer Carl Pettersson said.

"I'm sure he's going to be motivated," England's Justin Rose said. "The best way for he to put this all to rest is to win the golf tournament so that's obviously going to be his goal."

Royal and Ancient Golf Club spokesman Malcolm Booth was happy to hear about the return of Woods, who is expected to seek his fourth British Open crown in July at St. Andrews, the fabled Scottish course where he has two prior titles.

"We're pleased to hear that Tiger is to return to golf," Booth said. "Golf needs the world number one to be playing."

Rivals are as curious as fans to see how the scandal will affect Woods on and off the course.

"It's going to be very interesting to see what happens at Augusta," said England's Ross Fisher. "There is always an extra element when you have the best golfer in the world taking part."

"It means his family, him and everybody thinks he has got his life where it needs to be and he's just working on his game," US golfer Bubba Watson said.

"It's going to be great for him to get out of the house and play some golf. Hopefully everything's good in his life and he's ready to go and he'll start performing like he used to."

US veteran Jim Furyk said he will be glad to see Woods playing again and whatever is good for Woods will be best for the sport.

"We want the best player in the world out playing golf again," Furyk said. "He's got to do what's best for him. What's good for the best player in the world is probably good for the big picture."

John Daly, a popular US tour veteran, expects Woods to demonstrate "business as usual. Him being inside the ropes, he'll be focused on what he needs to do.

"It's going to be all business for Tiger. I'm glad to see him back. I don't think it's a comeback for Tiger. Tiger doesn't have anything to prove."

Olympic bronze medallist Rochette to miss worlds

OTTAWA — Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette, who won a bronze medal at the Vancouver Winter Olympics four days after her mother died of a heart attack, has withdrawn from next week's World Championships.

The emotional toll of the past few weeks has proven too much for Rochette to compete in the world field at Turin, Italy, according to a statement by Skate Canada that said Myriane Samson will take her spot.

"With everything that has happened over the past few weeks, I have missed a significant amount of training time," Rochette said in the statement.

"That means I'm not prepared either emotionally or physically to skate well at these championships and once again challenge for the podium.

"Whenever I compete I want to give my best to the fans, and to respect the competitive nature of the sport. I just would not be able to do that for either the fans or myself next week."

Rochette, second at last year's worlds, served as Canada's flag bearer at the closing ceremony after her emotional medal performance, joining champion Kim Yu-Na of South Korea and runner-up Mao Asada on the podium.

"I want to thank everyone in both Canada and around the world who have been so supportive," Rochette said. "I want you all to know that your words of encouragement have truly helped me to get through this very difficult time."

Rochette has not been approved to skate in "Thin Ice", a made-for-television exhibition event this week at a US casino at which she was to have performed a tribute to her late mother, Therese.

An International Skating Union (ISU) regulation does not allow skaters to perform in unsanctioned exhibitions such as "Thin Ice" when they withdraw from ISU competitions such as the world championships.

While Skate Canada would likely allow Rochette to skate if the ISU gave her a waiver from the regulation, the ISU cites rules that require approval to come first from Skate Canada, a jurisdictional mess adding to Rochette's stress.

Rochette, 24, performed the emotional tribute to the music of Celine Dion's "Vole" at the exhibition gala in Vancouver following Olympic competition.

Philippines celebrates Pacquiao triumph

MANILA — Filipinos rejoiced Sunday at boxing hero Manny Pacquiao's victory in the United States after the country's electricity provider pulled out all the stops to ensure people could watch the fight.

Live coverage of the 12-round fight between Pacquiao and Ghana's Joshua Clottey went without a hitch after Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes warned: "If people don't get to watch Manny Pacquiao, it's big trouble. That is a national catastrophe."

In the weeks ahead, Manila and the southern Philippines had suffered daily power outages.

As in previous Pacquiao fights, the streets were empty as millions of fans were glued to television sets and radios. Police reported a "zero crime rate" -- a phenomenon seen during previous Pacquiao fights, when even hardened criminals and guerrillas followed the event.

Pacquiao easily defeated Clottey by a unanimous decision to retain his World Boxing Organization welterweight title at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

"I owe this to all my fellow Filipinos, most of all to my family," he told DZBB radio afterwards.

Pacquiao now faces a different sort of challenge, one that could prove even tougher: he is running for a seat in the Philippine Congress at May elections, seeking to represent a district on the southern island of Mindanao. Despite his popularity, Pacquiao lost his first Congressional bid in 2007 and again faces a firmly entrenched opponent.

President Gloria Arroyo joined in celebrations, saying: "The nation again rejoices with and congratulates the people's champion, Manny Pacquiao, in forging another victory for the Philippines."

"With unity and hard work, Manny has again triumphed for his country."

Commenting on the absence of crime during the fight, police spokesman Superintendent Rommel Miranda said: "This really shows that the whole nation was united."

For many observers, the only remaining foe left for the champion is the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather who, like Pacquiao, has been tagged by some pundits as the "best pound-for-pound fighter in the world".

"The world wants to see Manny and Floyd -- no doubt about it," said Boyet Sison, host of popular talk radio show "Hardball", adding that this would be the perfect way for Pacquiao to cap his career.

Pacquiao and Mayweather were expected to fight on March 13 but negotiations unravelled over the American's demands for unprecedented pre-fight blood testing for performance-enhancing drugs.

Asked in a post-fight interview by GMA television about the possibility of facing Mayweather, Pacquiao said: "First he has to win in May."

He referred to Mayweather's May 1 bout against Shane Mosley, which was scheduled after talks on a fight with Pacquiao collapsed.

The champion's mother, Dionisia Pacquiao, however, said she would prefer her son to retire right away.

"I tell my son 'Please stop. What happens if something goes wrong with your body?' I prayed to God that nothing happens to him," she told DZBB.

She brushed aside talk about a big-money match with Mayweather, saying: "Why should we try to chase after the biggest prize? We have enough. God has given him enough blessings already."

Asked about his mother's comments, Pacquiao said: "We will talk about that after I get home."

Fog, heavy snow brings chaos to Games

VANCOUVER — Alpine skiing events on the opening day of the 2010 Paralympics fell victim to the weather on Saturday in a worrying echo of the problems which plagued the recent Winter Olympics.

Weather played havoc with the downhill events, which were due to produce six gold medallists, in in the mountain resort of Whistler.

But instead of melting snow, the problem was fog and heavy snow.

"Men's and women's downhill events scheduled for Saturday have been postponed due to poor visibility caused by persistent fog," Vancouver Paralympic organizers announced in a news release.

Competitors had spent hours at the Creekside venue in Whistler waiting for the weather to clear.

More snow, or snow and rain, were forecast from Sunday through to Wednesday by the Environment Canada weather service.

While authorities issued a warning that the avalanche risk is "extreme" in the area, normally avalanches do not affect the ski resort or transportation corridors.

Early Saturday a bus chartered for the Games slid off the icy Sea to Sky highway between Vancouver and Whistler, but no one was hurt, reported the Vancouver Sun.

Apple begins taking iPad orders in US

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple fans flocked online Friday to be among the first to order iPad tablet computers slated to begin shipping in the United States on April 3.

Apple was offering free shipping on pre-orders but limited buyers to no more than two iPads each in a sign that supplies will be tight when the iconic company's latest creation hits the market.

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad in San Francisco on January 27, billing it as a "revolutionary" device that will carve out a home between smartphones and laptop computers.

The iPad allow users to watch video, listen to music, play games, surf the Web or read electronic books.

The iPad also runs most of the 150,000 applications made for the iPod music player and the iPhone. Apple has promised that the device would come with "12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad."

The iPad model featuring Wi-Fi wireless connectivity will be available in Apple's US stores from April 3 and the model that offers both Wi-Fi and 3G cellular connectivity in late April, Apple said.

The company said both the Wi-Fi and 3G models will be available in Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Switzerland in late April and in additional countries later this year.

Apple said international pricing will be announced in April.

"We're excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before," Jobs said in statement last week.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty forecast iPad sales of six million units this year, a figure she acknowledged was above the "consensus" of between three and four million units.

The iPad has a 9.7-inch (24.6-centimeter) color screen and resembles an oversized iPhone. It is 0.5 inches (1.3 centimeters) thick, weighs 1.5 pounds (0.7 kilos) and comes with 16, 32, or 64 gigabytes of memory.

Apple has been pushing the iPad's abilities as an e-book reader and analysts have described the color screen device as a potential rival to Amazon's Kindle.

Apple said its new iBookstore will include books from the New York Times best-seller list and a number of publishers including Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster.

The cheapest iPad model, with Wi-Fi connectivity and 16GB of memory, is 499 dollars while the most expensive -- which includes 3G connectivity and 64GB of memory -- costs 829 dollars.

Reviewers have been mixed on whether the iPad will be a smash hit like the iPod, which controls over 70 percent of the market for MP3 players, or the iPhone, which completely transformed the smartphone arena.

Space station could operate until 2028, says consortium

PARIS — The consortium of agencies building the International Space Station (ISS) wants to see if the orbital outpost can operate until 2028, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Thursday.

"There are no identified technical constraints to continuing ISS operations beyond the current planning horizon of 2015 to at least 2020," it said in a press release after a meeting of ISS partners in Tokyo.

"The partnership is currently working to certify on-orbit elements through 2028," it said.

The Tokyo meeting gathered space agency heads from the United States, which is shouldering the main burden of building the ISS, from Canada, Japan and Russia and as well as from ESA.

Costing a reputed 100 billion dollars, the ISS has been hit by budget overruns and setbacks, including the loss of two of the US space shuttles, used to hoist components into low Earth orbit.

The station is due to be completed this year after a 12-year construction effort.

But its future beyond 2015 has recently been under cloud because of NASA's budget constraints.

That sparked fears within ESA that years of investment will yield little scientific reward before the station is mothballed.

In his draft spending plans for 2011, President Barack Obama pledged to extend the US commitment to the ISS to 2020 or beyond, NASA said in February.

Obama also confirmed the shuttle fleet's phaseout this year, promised help for commercial manned missions in space and dropped the so-called Constellation programme his predecessor George W. Bush announced in 2004 to return Americans to the Moon by 2020.

Lakers struggling to escape late-season funk

LOS ANGELES — The euphoria from Kobe Bryant's latest game-winning shot didn't last much longer than it took for the celebratory streamers to fall from the Staples Center roof onto the Toronto Raptors' heads.

Despite their 47-18 record and their perch atop the Western Conference standings, Bryant and his teammates say the Los Angeles Lakers are in their worst funk of the season. If they constantly must rely on Bryant's brilliance to bail them out at the buzzer, as he has done roughly twice a month this season, the superstar realizes their NBA title defense is likely to be gut-wrenching — and short.

"This thing tonight was garbage," Bryant said Tuesday night after the Lakers beat Toronto 109-107 on Bryant's 17-foot fallaway jumper with 1.9 seconds left.

Bryant was referring to the Lakers' efforts to correct the bad habits they evinced during a winless road trip last week, resulting in their first three-game losing streak in two years. But no Lakers player has been terribly happy with any part of their play over the past three weeks, dating back before their one-point loss to Boston on Feb. 18.

Coach Phil Jackson says they're overthinking on offense, and Bryant is questioning their defensive effort. Lamar Odom is angry that the pedestrian likes of Orlando's Matt Barnes and several Raptors have been cocky enough to trash-talk the champs.

"It's giving these teams a quiet confidence where they think they can beat us," said Odom, visibly furious after the narrow escape against Toronto. "I don't expect that. We've got to take it to teams. (They're) way too confident against us."

After ending their skid against the Raptors despite getting outplayed for most of the first three quarters, the Lakers are headed down the home stretch of the regular season, starting another three-game road trip Friday in Phoenix. They'll play 11 of their last 17 on the road, with every game a marquee event for opponents attempting to prove themselves for a playoff push.

The Lakers' purple road jersey always has a metaphorical target on its back. But the fast-starting, hard-finishing club that led the NBA standings for much of the season before falling behind Cleveland is having trouble playing with the consistency necessary to thrive under all that scrutiny.

"We need to play harder and execute a little better," said forward Ron Artest, who has scored more than 15 points just once in the last month. "Overall, we are not playing great. We're trying, and we continue to try. We had some awesome plays at the end (against Toronto), and we just have to make plays like that throughout the entire game."

Bryant has hit six or seven game-winning shots this season, depending on who's counting, including a preposterous banked-in 3-pointer to beat Miami in December. He has also missed a few, including a shot in Toronto and another last Sunday in Orlando, where the Lakers ended their trip with a loss in an NBA finals rematch.

When Bryant connects, it's the only memory of the game for most fans — yet Bryant knows his buzzer-beaters only mask problems because the Lakers didn't play terribly well in the previous 47 minutes.

"We scored a lot of points tonight, (but) that's not going to win championships," Bryant said after beating Toronto. "You've got to stop people."

Bryant is particularly disappointed by the Lakers' defense, which has allowed the last five opponents to score at least 96 points. Bryant committed two offensive fouls and generally played with a scowl during the first half against Toronto, clearly disappointed the Lakers hadn't built on their improved defensive effort last Sunday — one day after he yelled at his teammates during a meeting.

"Our defense in Orlando was much better," Bryant said. "The effort we had in Orlando will make it tough for teams to beat us four times in a series."

Jackson has been similarly critical of his team, though not with Bryant's outspokenness. Jackson noted five players at Monday's practice had hand injuries, including Bryant's broken finger, affecting their flow on offense.

"That leads to fumbles, turnovers and bad shots," Jackson said. "Everybody is guilty of not moving the ball, though."

Until last weekend, Los Angeles had never lost three straight since All-Star big man Pau Gasol arrived and helped them to consecutive Western Conference titles, culminating in last year's championship.

Gasol seems less upset about the Lakers' slump than many of his teammates, noting their road-heavy schedule in the second half of the season after playing a home-loaded early-season schedule.

"So far, we've been struggling," said Gasol, who contributed little in the second half against Toronto. "We've been playing well in stretches, but not consistently, and we've got to figure that out. We couldn't really find the energy for a while. Once we do, we'll be back on track."

Kiss for kids: Classic-rockers developing children's TV show with Cdn studio

TORONTO — Kiss is coming for your kids.

The classic-rock band has finalized a production and development deal for a new children's TV series with Canadian studio E1 Entertainment.

Founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley will collaborate with the company to create a comedic half-hour television series.

E1 will handle production and worldwide distribution for the as-yet untitled series, which will be executive produced by Simmons, Stanley, John Morayniss and Frank Saperstein.

It will be the first television show for the veteran band, but not their first attempt at creating something specifically for the small screen.

Fans will remember the group's ill-fated 1978 TV movie, "Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park," a live-action fantasy that the group went on to routinely disparage in interviews.

The announcement comes during a busy period for the band.

In October, the face-painted rockers dropped their first disc in 11 years, "Sonic Boom." The release coincided with an extensive North American tour.

They also appeared during last year's "American Idol" finale and were featured as Dr. Pepper pitchmen in prominent spots during the Super Bowl.

With the new show, they hope to reach a younger audience of potential fans.

"Coupling E1's successes and ingenuity with the global force of KISS guarantees an express pass into the homes of our youngest KISS Army members with a show of superior quality," Stanley said in a release.

Obama bemoans hardship in Women's Day speech

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama warned on Monday that women in America still faced unfairness and hardship, as he vowed to fight for gender equality at a White House reception on International Women's Day.

"I didn't run for president so that the dreams of our daughters could be deferred or denied," Obama said.

"I didn't run for president to see inequality and injustice persist in our time."

Obama was joined by his wife First Lady Michelle Obama, the first female secretary of state Madeleine Albright, and his rival-turned-ally and current top US diplomat Hillary Clinton at an event in the East Room of the White House.

"Even as we reflect on the hope of our history, we must also face squarely the reality of the present -- a reality marked by unfairness, marked by hardship for too many women in America," Obama said.

"I ran for president to put the same rights, the same opportunities, the same dreams within the reach for our daughters and our sons alike."

The president also praised Clinton and US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice for making the alleviation of suffering of women a priority in US foreign policy, including lifting restrictions on access to family planning.

Michelle Obama introduced her husband with a joke: "I get to speak first while he stands and watches. I love this," she said to laughter.

"Look at me adoringly," she told her husband.

"I can do that," the president quipped.

"With sincerity," she said, sparking loud laughs.

The 10 funniest tweets during the Oscars broadcast

The commentary on social media during the Academy Awards broadcast was often more entertaining than the show itself.

Here are 10 of the funniest Oscar tweets. Think of them as notes from the peanut gallery.

_"Shhhh. I'm live tweeting from directly under Sandra Bullocks chair." — Rainn Wilson (rainnwilson), actor.

_"Charlize Theron would like to thank R. Crumb and my 16-year-old id for designing her outfit tonight." — David Itzkoff (ditzkoff), New York Times reporter.

_"Just got lost for a minute, sorry. Where was I? Oh yeah ... Zach Effron's (Zac Efron) eyes!" — Rob Corddry (robcorddr), comedian.

_"Looks like a Young Victoria sweep." — David Wain (davidwain), comedian.

• "Shortest Oscar story in history: ( ! > $ )" — Roger Ebert (ebertchicago), film critic.

_"Jeff Bridges is quickly closing in on Matthew McConaughey for `best actor who has become a character from an early movie.'" — Bill Simmons (sportsguy33), ESPN columnist.

_"Oscars Fun Fact — Samuel L. Jackson spends 40 percent of his yearly income on Kangol hats ..." — Eric Stangel (EricStangel), "Late Show With David Letterman" writer-producer.

_"Oh, Sam Worthington, your glasses make me think you're imperfect and therefore accessible." — Mindy Kaling (mindykaling), actor-writer.

_"Oprah's about to tell everyone in the audience there's an Oscar under their seat." — Foster Kamer (weareyourfek), blogger.

_"James Cameron is going into his own hurt locker right now." — Paul Scheer (paulscheer), comedian.

'Transformers,' Bullock make Razzies worst list

LOS ANGELES — "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" was picked as last year's worst picture at Saturday's Razzies, and Sandra Bullock won worst actress for "All About Steve" — on the eve of her expected Academy Awards triumph for another film.

Voters at the Razzies, which poke fun at the Oscars by giving out prizes for Hollywood's critical misfires, chose Bullock for her romantic comedy flop. "All About Steve" came and quickly vanished at theaters in between her 2009 hits, "The Proposal" and "The Blind Side," the latter expected to win Bullock the best-actress Oscar on Sunday.

If Bullock takes best-actress for "The Blind Side," she will be the first person ever to win an Oscar and a Razzie over the same weekend.

"She's in the unprecedented position, Saturday she's the worst, and the very next night, she's back on her feet, and she's the best," said Razzies founder John Wilson. "We certainly don't wish her ill at that other awards show."

Throughout awards season, Bullock has been good-natured about it, joking about the Razzies attention she has gotten along with the Oscar esteem.

Bullock and "All About Steve" co-star Bradley Cooper also shared the Razzie for worst screen couple.

The "Transformers" sequel won two other Razzies, worst director for Michael Bay and worst screenplay for Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

Bay and his team probably will not lose any asleep over it, though. Though reviled by critics, "Transformers" took in $402.1 million domestically, No. 2 on the 2009 box-office chart behind "Avatar."

The worst-actor Razzie went to siblings Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas for "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience."

The Jonas' pal Miley Cyrus, star of "Hannah Montana: The Movie," lost the worst-actress category to Bullock. But her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, was named worst supporting actor for the big-screen "Hannah Montana."

Sienna Miller received the worst supporting-actress Razzie for the action tale "G.I. Joe."

Will Ferrell's action comedy flop "Land of the Lost" had come in tied with "Transformers" for the Razzies lead with seven nominations, but it was nearly shut out in every category.

Once ballots had been counted from the roughly 650 Razzies voters, "Land of the Lost" was tied for the group's worst remake, rip-off or sequel prize. Razzies founder Wilson, who always votes last, gave the tie-breaking vote to "Land of the Lost."

"It really did stink and I thought, well, it ought to get something, because it is a very bad movie," Wilson said.

Razzie voters also made worst-of-the-decade picks, with John Travolta's science-fiction debacle "Battlefield Earth" winning worst picture.

Among all-time Hollywood dreck, "Battlefield Earth" is "like the 800-pound mongrel gorilla in the room," Wilson said. "It's one of my favorite type of bad movies. It's so bad, it's entertaining, in ways that the people who made it had no idea it would be."

Paris Hilton was chosen as the decade's worst actress for movies such as "The Hottie and the Nottie" and "Repo: The Genetic Opera." Eddie Murphy, a 2009 Razzie nominee for "Imagine That," was named the decade's worst actor for such bombs as "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," "I Spy" and "Meet Dave."
On the Net:

* http://www.razzies.com

Surgeons in Trail, B.C., pick up tab to keep operating rooms open

TRAIL, B.C. — Surgeons at a Trail, B.C., hospital have come up with a unique response to operating room closures in their southeastern B.C. community.

They plan to pay the salaries of operating room staff at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, in hopes of heading off the planned closure of one OR suite.

Doctor Michael Hjekren says one of four operating rooms at the hospital is expected to be shut down Mar. 8.

He says that would force postponement of scheduled surgeries, so doctors decided to keep the operating room running by footing the bill for staff salaries.

Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital is funded by the Interior Health Authority and Hjekren says physicians in Trail are still awaiting IHA's response to their plan.

Haiti refugees, aid workers risk malaria: US study

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands of Haitians living in makeshift shelters and thousands of aid workers providing relief since a powerful quake rocked the country in January are now threatened by malaria, a US report said Thursday.

"Displaced persons living outdoors or in temporary shelters and thousands of emergency responders in Haiti are at substantial risk for malaria," the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in its weekly morbidity and mortality report.

Malaria caused by plasmodium falciparum, which is the most deadly and severe form of malaria, is endemic in Haiti, and the mosquito that carries and transmits it "frequently bites outdoors," the report said.

More than one million people were left homeless by the 7.0-magnitude quake on January 12, which Haiti's civil protection agency has estimated killed more than 222,000 people.

The impoverished Caribbean nation is now being battered by one of two rainy seasons, and malaria transmission in Haiti traditionally peaks in May or June, after the rains have stopped, the CDC said.

Haiti reports 30,000 confirmed cases of malaria each year to the Pan American Health Organization, but the real incidence of the mosquito-borne illness is probably as high as 200,000 cases, the CDC report said.

In the six weeks following the January 12 earthquake, the CDC received reports of 11 patients who had been infected with malaria while in Haiti.

Seven were US emergency responders, including six members of the US military; three were Haitian residents who travelled to the United States, including one adoptee; and one was a "US traveller."

Six of the eight Americans did not take anti-malaria tablets as they should have while in Haiti, the report said.

An estimated 243 million cases of malaria around the world in 2008 led to almost 863,000 deaths, according the World Health Organisation.

4 days to go: Oscar producers move into the Kodak

LOS ANGELES — Oscar producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic are bridging stage and screen with an advanced, automated set at the Kodak Theatre and a super high-tech program planned for TV viewers.

After days of technical tests on their stage setup, Shankman and Mechanic moved into the Kodak Theatre Wednesday, where they're seeing their whole show come to life — in person and on screen.

"Today's the first day we're up fully running," Mechanic says. "We had three days of tech and now it's camera..."

"Camera, scripting, scenic transition, we're camera-blocking some stuff," Shankman says, finishing his partner's sentence.

"This is probably as technically advanced a show as you've ever seen or as you will have ever seen," Mechanic says.

"But what I really like about it, and yes that's true," Shankman says. "But on the monitors it actually looks much more simple in a weird way. It's elegant and it is more advanced but it's actually very focused and very simple."

Mechanic says the March 7 Oscar show "is actually probably better for TV" than many of its predecessors. Then he showed a reporter a brief, high-tech treat for TV audiences that those at the Kodak probably won't see.

The two men — Mechanic a studio chief, Shankman a producer, director and choreographer — met through the Oscar gig, and the show they're planning is "an amalgam of our talents," Mechanic says.

Other secrets the two can spill days before the big show?

No special gesture is planned to recognize victims of recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, Shankman says.

"Neither Haiti nor Chile are nominated in this show," he jokes, adding, "if political issues sneak into the show, it will definitely not be because of us."

And despite nixing performances of nominated songs, the producers say they plan to devote more time to presenting the contenders for best score.

Finally, there will be nearly 70 dancers in the show, but Oscar hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin aren't likely to be among them.

Says Mechanic: "Are they putting on tutus? No."
On the Net:

* http://www.oscars.org Click Here!

Microsoft CEO: Google merits regulatory scrutiny

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer intends to keep the regulatory heat on Google as his company strives to lessen its rival's dominance of Internet search.

In an appearance Tuesday at a search engine conference, Ballmer said Microsoft believes Google Inc. has done things to gain an unfair advantage in the Internet's lucrative search advertising market. He didn't specify the alleged misconduct.

"We are expressing some of the issues and frustrations we see" with antitrust regulators, Ballmer said. "Sometimes (it's) unsolicited, sometimes because we have been asked."

Google declined to comment Tuesday. But it has said its actions are aimed at providing better experiences for Web surfers and advertisers.

Yahoo Inc., which is about to team up with Microsoft in search, seems less inclined to get regulators involved as the two companies gang up on Google.

"I am actually not interested in government intervention in anything," Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz told reporters during a Tuesday lunch to celebrate the company's 15th anniversary. "I think for the most part markets work. I don't wish antitrust on anyone."

Microsoft already has helped convince U.S. regulators that Google would break antitrust laws in two proposed deals: a search advertising partnership with Yahoo that was scrapped in 2008 and a digital books settlement that still needs federal court approval. Yahoo also lobbied regulators to oppose the agreement that would give Google the electronic rights to millions of hard-to-find books.

Ciao, an online shopping comparison service owned by Microsoft, has filed an antitrust complaint against Google in Europe. Regulators there say they are looking into those allegations and similar ones made by two other sites, Foundem and ejustice.fr.

Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, has had its own troubles with regulators. Its bundling of personal computer software triggered a court dispute with the U.S. Justice Department that forced the company to change the way it packages software with its Windows operating system. Microsoft later tussled with EU regulators, too.

Since Microsoft's own antitrust showdown started in the late 1990s, more people have been relying on their computers chiefly as a conduit to the Internet. The evolution has turned Google's Internet gateway and other online services into a major threat to Microsoft, which has tried to respond by investing billions of dollars in search technology.

Microsoft has made little headway. Even with some progress since unveiling an upgraded search engine called Bing nine months ago, Microsoft remains a distant third in the U.S. search market.

Ballmer is counting on Microsoft's 10-year search partnership with No. 2 Yahoo to help close the gap. Regulators cited Google's 65 percent share of the U.S. search market as one of the reasons for allowing Microsoft and Yahoo to work together.

When the alliance kicks in late this year, Microsoft will start processing search requests on Yahoo's Web site and pay most of the ad revenue to its new partner. As Microsoft fields more search requests, Ballmer expects the company to collect more data that it could analyze and use to help improve search results. That, in turn, could help the company lure away Google users.

"There is an advantage to having the power of two, as opposed to the power of one," Ballmer told the crowd at the Search Marketing Expo.

When asked whether he thought Microsoft would overtake Google in Internet search, Ballmer indicated it probably will be a long time before there's a changing of the guard.

"I don't know how old I will be when that will happen," said Ballmer, 53.

As part of its efforts to challenge Google, Microsoft has sought help from Twitter and Facebook — two popular services for sharing information and photographs.

Microsoft, like Google and Yahoo, pays an undisclosed sum for better access to Twitter's index of short messages. In a bigger partnership, Microsoft spent $240 million for a 1.6 percent stake in Facebook and processes search requests on that site.

Responding to questions, Ballmer played down the possibility of Microsoft buying Twitter or Facebook, which are both privately held.

Shares of Microsoft, which is based in Redmond, Wash., fell 56 cents, or 1.9 percent, to close Tuesday at $28.46. Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., gained $8.37, or 1.6 percent, to $541.06, while Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo lost 6 cents to $15.73.

US slams new Jerusalem settlements as 'counter-productive'

WASHINGTON — The United States criticized Israel on Monday for authorizing more Jewish settlements in annexed Arab east Jerusalem, describing the move as "counter-productive."

"We've relayed our strong concerns to the government of Israel, that this kind of activity, particularly as we try to relaunch meaningful negotiations is counter-productive and undermines trust between the parties," said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley.

The Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Friday that the government had given the green light for 600 new homes in a Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem, drawing anger from the Palestinians.

"We have seen reports that plans for 600 housing units in Pisgat Ze'ev in east Jerusalem, originally deposited in 2008, have advanced in the approval process, although we understand that the total number of units has been reduced from the original plan," said Crowley.

"We also understand that this is not a final approval for the project, but it is a step in that direction."

Israel's continued expansion of settlements is one of the biggest obstacles to the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians, now suspended for more than a year.

"The Palestinians insist they will only return to the negotiating table if Israel agrees to a complete freeze on settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem," said Crowley.

"We continue to urge both parties to refrain from unilateral actions that, whether intended to or not, undermine trust and efforts to resume negotiations that will bring an end to the conflict and result in a two-state solution.

"We believe it is of great importance that negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians resume as soon as possible."

Israel announced a 10-month moratorium on new building permits for settler homes in the occupied West Bank in late November but it excludes east Jerusalem.

Israel insists that the entire city is its "eternal, indivisible" capital, but the Palestinians are determined to make the city's eastern sector the capital of their promised state.

About 200,000 Jewish settlers live in east Jerusalem alongside 270,000 Palestinian residents.

Israeli settlers celebrate amid Hebron tensions

HEBRON, West Bank — The settlers sang, danced and drank themselves into a stupor, ignoring the growing outrage of the Palestinians who make up the vast majority of this West Bank town.

As they do every year on the Jewish holiday of Purim, the settlers donned costumes -- one was a clown, another a Palestinian -- and drank and danced to celebrate a biblical miracle that saved the Jews from the ancient Persians.

But this year the holiday comes amid growing unrest over an Israeli plan to renovate the Tomb of the Patriarchs, a flashpoint holy site revered by Jews and Muslims in the heart of the town of more than 160,000 Palestinian Muslims.

There have been days of clashes since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he wanted to include the burial site of the biblical figure Abraham in a national heritage plan.

The move has sparked international outrage and the United States has attacked it as a "provocative" act that could further imperil its hope of relaunching Israeli-Palestinian peace talks suspended during the Gaza war over a year ago.

But on Sunday hundreds of settlers in Hebron expressed little concern as they waved Israeli flags and marched through the ancient streets guarded by a roughly equal number of tense Israeli soldiers.

Jews are encouraged to celebrate the two-day holiday by drinking large amounts of alcohol, and on Sunday many revellers staggered through the streets drunk at midday.

"The Tomb of the Patriarchs is all we have," declared rabbi Baruch Marzel, who heads the 600 Jewish settlers installed in an enclave in the heart of the Palestinian city.

"If we do not have rights to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, (then) we do not have the right to be a nation."

The West Bank town and the holy site have for decades been the scene of violent tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Muslims revere Abraham, or Ibrahim, as a prophet and worship at a mosque built above the tomb.

The Ibrahimi mosque is split in half and shared uneasily, with Jews worshipping in a part that has been converted into a synagogue.

This year Purim falls close to the anniversary of the infamous 1994 shooting massacre of 29 Palestinians inside the mosque by the US-born Jewish extremist Baruch Goldstein, who was beaten to death by survivors in the resulting melee.

Amazingly, there were no disturbances aside from occasional volleys of stones thrown by small groups of Palestinian youths. At one point the soldiers made the settlers stop to allow Palestinian children to go home from school.

But Abdelaziz, a 49-year-old grocer watching the procession go by, was hard-pressed to conceal his disgust.

"They make fun of us each year. They are even happier than the previous years because of the announcement by Netanyahu," he seethed.

"It is a provocation," said Adnan al-Jaabar, an 18-year-old Palestinian. "The sanctuary is ours, not the Israelis'."