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AREA SCHEDULE

High schools

The upcoming schedule for area high schools:

Football

(See complete schedule, this page)

Boys soccer

Friday-Saturday - Hurricane (Class AAA) and Charleston Catholic(Class AA-A) in SSAC State tournament, at YMCA Youth Sports Complex,Beckley.

Girls soccer

Friday-Saturday - George Washington, Winfield (Class AAA) andCharleston Catholic (Class AA-A) in SSAC State tournament, at YMCAYouth Sports Complex, Beckley.

Volleyball

SSAC sectionals (through Thursday) and regionals (Saturday) thisweek; see available schedules under VOLLEYBALL in Scoreboard

Colleges

The …

More Public Schools Dividing Boys, Girls

HARTLAND, Wis. - Lauren Panos was surprised when she walked into her ninth-grade English class in the fall and saw there were no boys.

Her parents had not told her they had enrolled her in a new all-girls class at Arrowhead High School in Hartland, about 25 miles west of Milwaukee. A semester into classes, Panos still isn't sold on the idea.

"All the girls there, they can talk out of turn," the 14-year-old said. "We get really off task and it's really annoying."

More public school systems are looking at separating boys and girls, whether for certain classes or by entire schools, after the federal government opened the door last fall. Supporters say splitting …

Ronaldo wants to score 30 goals by the end of 2009

Ronaldo wants to score at least 30 goals for Corinthians by the end of the year.

"The ideal would be to play one game a week ....and score at least 30 goals," the 32-year-old striker told the O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper in an interview published Sunday.

"It will not be easy ... but we will do the best we can. Thirty is a good number ... a good target."

Ronaldo, who signed a one-year contract with Corinthians late last year, made his debut for the team on March 4, …

Gulf turmoil is changing alignment of Arab world

CAIRO Realignment of the Arab world is being forged as a resultof Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the firm condemnation it generatedfrom the Arab League's summit conference here Friday.

Egypt emerged as the leader of a powerful new Arab bloc that iscommitted to the common defense of Saudi Arabia and is willing todeploy troops and military hardware alongside the alliance of Westerncountries spearheaded by the United States.

This bloc includes Syria, a country long regarded as a radical,pro-Soviet state that put its own national interests and objectivesahead of pan-Arab considerations. Its maverick role as the only Arabstate that backed non-Arab Iran in the Persian …

Semin scores in OT for Capitals.

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The Washington Capitals are back in a familiar spot.

Alexander Semin scored 48 seconds into overtime to give the Capitals a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday and move them atop the Southeast Division.

Nicklas Backstrom and Boyd Gordon also scored for Washington. The Capitals have won four straight, their longest winning streak since Nov. 24-Dec. 1.

The Capitals, the division champion the last three years, are in first place for the first time since they shared the top spot on Jan. 17. Washington has 82 points, one more than Tampa Bay heading into their showdown Monday night in Tampa.

"Hopefully this winning streak can give us the …

Tiger, Lefty Get Back to Golf at Buick

At sunrise Wednesday at Torrey Pines, the PGA Tour began a slow shift back to golf.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have not been on the same piece of property in nearly four months, since celebrating a U.S. victory at the Presidents Cup in Montreal. They were on the first tee together in the chilly morning of the Buick Invitational pro-am _ Woods on the South Course, Mickelson on the North Course _ before making their 2008 debut.

This was one day after a player meeting on the new anti-doping policy that brought the occasional outburst.

This was two days after Woods' first public comments on a Golf Channel anchor getting suspended for jokingly …

Clerical Medical gets GBP1bn boost

Bristol financial services company Clerical Medical has seen newbusiness boosted by more than GBP1 billion - in a year that haschanged the face of the pensions industry in Britain.

At the heart of its growth the firm, which employs 1,500 peoplebetween its Bristol headquarters and Clevedon customer-servicecentre, saw sharply rising sales of pensions as well as general salesinto overseas markets.

In February Clerical Medical, owned by HBOS, took control of theoperating business of failed pension firm Equitable Life in a movethat doubled its funds under management from GBP33 billion to GBP65billion and made it one of the UK's largest insurance groups.

The …

Summary of the Proceedings of the JCESS-CLIVAR Workshop on Decadal Climate Variability

Vikram M. Mehta* and Mike Coughlan+

1. Introduction

The JCESS-CLIVAR Workshop on Decadal Climate Variability was organized under the auspices of the NASA-University of Maryland Joint Center for Earth System Science (JCESS) and the WCRP Climate Variability and predictability Project (CLIVAR) to bring together researchers to assess the state of the science of natural decadal climate variability and its societal impacts, and to formulate a program of research in various aspects of natural decadal climate variability, its predictability, and applications of the predicted information. The workshop was held in Columbia, Maryland, during 22-24 April 1996 and was cosponsored by …

Ken Griffey Jr. hits 600th home run in 1st inning against Marlins

Ken Griffey Jr. became the sixth player in Major League Baseball history to hit 600 home runs on Monday.

The Cincinnati Reds outfielder homered off Florida Marlins lefty Mark Hendrickson in the first inning of the Reds' 9-4 win. Griffey joined Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa.

The 38-year-old homered with Jerry Hairston on third and one out. The left-handed swinger launched a 3-1 pitch 413 feet into the right-field seats.

Griffey received a standing ovation from the crowd of 16,003 and responded by coming out of the Reds dugout and waving his helmet to the fans.

Controversy ensued in the stands following …

Recruits, players sticking with DePaul

DePaul will have a new coach in two to four weeks, and he islikely to be a current head coach with Midwestern ties.

Bowling Green's Dan Dakich, Creighton's Dana Altman, WesternMichigan's Steve Hawkins, Ohio's Tim O'Shea and Utah's Ray Giacolettiare considered top candidates. Former UCLA coach Steve Lavin might bethe only non-working coach considered.

The new coach can expect to inherit all of DePaul's currentplayers, as well as the three top recruits who committed to departedcoach Dave Leitao in November.

"All the players here are staying, and I've talked to the recruitsand their coaches, and they were very positive," athletic directorJean Lenti Ponsetto said …

JVC Jazz Festival benfits kids of Art and Barbi Porter

JVC Jazz Festival benefits kids of Art and Barbi Porter

On Nov. 23, 1996, jazz saxophonist Art Porter drowned in a boating accident in Thailand just as he was breaking through into international recognition and critical acclaim. He was survived by his wife Barbi and sons Art III and Arrington. In January of this year, his wife passed away, leaving their two sons

The JVC Jazz Festival is presenting a concert for the benefit of the children Art and Barbi Porter left behind Saturday, July 21 at 8 p.m. at Park West. The line-up will feature Brenda Russell, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lorber, Peter White, Marion Meadows, Paul Jackson Jr. and others.

The super-session is being …

Winter weather slows travel in US

A storm system moving across the Great Lakes Sunday forced the cancellation of more than 50 flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, while inclement weather caused long delays at New York City's big airports.

Low visibility in the Midwest also caused delays of up to 90 minutes for flights, aviation officials said.

National Weather Service officials said the storm could dump up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow in northern Illinois.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that airports around the country have been affected by Sunday's weather.

Flights arriving at and departing from New York City's major airports were …

Census Bureau says the US population is 308.7 million, lowest growth since Great Depression of the 1930s

WASHINGTON (AP) — Census Bureau says the U.S. population is 308.7 million, lowest growth since Great Depression of ther 1930s.

Schumer, Emanuel Engineer Party's Win

WASHINGTON - Excuse the fathers of the Democrats' improbable success - Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Rahm Emanuel - if they do a bit of chest-thumping, high-fiving and strutting.

After all, Democrats began 2006 as underdogs in a one-party town and will end it as victors, capturing control of the House and Senate for the first time in 12 years as not a single Democratic incumbent lost a re-election bid.

A wave of anti-war, anti-Republican sentiment propelled Democrats to upend the status quo and seize GOP-held seats across the board. But a good chunk of the credit has gone to the captains of the campaign effort: Schumer and Emanuel, two fast-talking, hard-charging politicians.

"I'd say it was 65 percent Republican mistakes and 35 percent Democratic successes," Schumer said in an interview Thursday. "First and most important, George Bush did not change direction when people were demanding it. We also recruited great candidates ... and we got the resources."

A "political genius," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said of Schumer, the Brooklyn-born, two-term New York senator who oversaw the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The party faced long odds to gain six Republican seats, but sealed it Thursday when Virginia Sen. George Allen conceded to Jim Webb - a Schumer choice.

Reid has already asked Schumer to stay on as chairman, and the senator said: "I'm thinking about it very seriously."

In 2008, Senate Republicans will defend 21 seats and Democrats 12, better Democratic math than this year's 15 and 17 plus one Democratic-leaning independent.

A leadership post is in the works as just reward for Emanuel, the two-term Illinois congressman who oversaw the party's House operation. Democrats needed to gain 15 seats, they got plenty more.

Widely thought to be a potential challenger to Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina for the No. 3 position of Majority Whip, Emanuel announced plans Thursday to run instead for the No. 4 job of Democratic caucus chairman.

Asked the morning after what he was running for, Emanuel said, "You know, you're like my mother. She called last night. Before she could say congratulations, she said, 'What are you gonna do next?'"

The two chairmen recruited conservatives who won in Republican-leaning districts and states, raised millions more than when the political parties had it easier with soft money and carefully picked their targets in the campaign's closing days with a last-minute infusion of cash.

"On the Democratic side, the national Democratic committees raised as much money in all hard money as they did the entire 20002 cycle when they could raise hard and soft money, which is a remarkable achievement," said Michael Toner, chairman of the Federal Election Commission.

Schumer raised $104 million as of Oct. 18, tapping current senators for hefty donations and relying on his long-established ties to the deep-pocketed leaders of Wall Street. This election year, the New York City region alone gave Schumer's DSCC $23 million.

"We did much better in the business community than the Democrats have done in past years," Schumer said.

Emanuel's House campaign committee raised $108 million by Oct. 18, the last public filing period. The single biggest source of cash was other members of Congress, whose candidate committees contributed $15.8 million.

The two Democrats' paths to Washington are as different as their backgrounds.

Emanuel, 46, is a nine-and-a-half-fingered, ballet-dancing lawmaker who earned the nickname "Rahmbo" as political adviser to President Clinton. He's a triathlete who's quick to anger and not afraid to use profanity to make his point.

"Once he establishes a goal he'll never stop until it's done. Sometimes he will be abrasive," said fellow Illinois Democratic Rep. Jerry Costello.

Emanuel grew up in the ritzy Chicago suburb of Wilmette, the son of an Israeli doctor who moved to the United States. He and his brother, Ari, a Hollywood agent, have been inspirations for television characters. Ari Gold, a Type-A superagent on HBO's show "Entourage," is based on Emanuel's brother. "The West Wing" character of aide Josh Lyman was based on the congressman.

As a teenager, Emanuel was more interested in the arts than politics. He studied dance and won a scholarship to train with the Joffrey Ballet but ended up attending Sarah Lawrence College and then got a master's degree from Northwestern University.

His start in politics came after college, when he worked for Paul Simon's 1984 Senate campaign and Richard Daley's run for Chicago mayor in 1989. Then he went to work for a little-known Arkansas governor.

The story behind his half finger: At age 17, Emanuel cut it, developed an infection and spent weeks in the hospital, dangerously ill, before doctors got the problem under control. In the process, they amputated most of the finger.

Schumer, 56, a Harvard-educated lawyer, rose through the ranks in the New York state Assembly and the House before knocking off a Republican heavyweight in 1998 - Republican Sen. Alfonse D'Amato.

He has lived by a few rules this year: Talk to real people all over the state, even traditionally conservative places where Democrats usually get little support; do plenty of small-scale, localized events in sparsely populated areas where voters will at least remember you showed up.

"I have a 24-hour rule," he said. "If the opponent hits you, make sure you answer that charge in 24 hours."

Back in December, Republicans jeered Schumer's suggestion that Democrats could seize the majority by running competitively in states like Tennessee and Montana, saying he was a New York liberal hopelessly out of touch with middle America.

Democrats won Montana and knocked off Republicans in Virginia, Missouri, Ohio, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania.

---

Associated Press Writer Christopher Wills reported from Chicago. Associated Press Writer Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.

Honda F1 chief hopeful of buyer rescuing team

Honda's Formula One team is hopeful of finding a buyer and racing again in 2009, despite the Japanese car manufacturer's decision to quit the sport.

Honda pulled out Friday amid the global economic slowdown, saying it needs to focus on its core business. Honda CEO Takeo Fukui said in Tokyo that the company was open to selling the team.

Honda's F1 chief executive Nick Fry said three prospective buyers had expressed interest in taking over the team, which is based in Brackley, central England, and employs 700 people.

"We're still hoping to be there in Melbourne," Fry said. "This is a completely different situation from prior Formula One teams stopping. This team is one of the best funded, has the best assets, the best resources in the pit lane."

The 2009 season opens with the Australian Grand Prix on March 29. Honda's absence would leave nine teams on the starting grid.

"We have got aspirations to be at the front of the grid and we want to find people who have the same ambitions," Fry said. "We have good grounds for being very optimistic."

But FIA president Max Mosley, head of the sport's world governing body, warned that without drastic cost-cutting, Honda would struggle to attract sponsors or a buyer.

And F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said spiraling costs have to be reigned in if the sport wants to survive the impending recession.

"This is a wake-up call," Ecclestone said. "If you and I wanted to run a Formula One team, we wouldn't need to have to spend what they are spending at the moment _ probably 200 million pounds a year to do it.

"The trouble is the teams are basically run by technicians who should probably be at home playing with their PlayStations rather than spending fortunes to win races."

Mosley said teams must stop investing huge sums of money to gain the "tiniest advantage."

"It's been obvious for a long time that if you employ between 700 and 1,000 people just to put to two cars on the grid 18 times a year that's not rational and sustainable and when you get a credit crunch it becomes a disastrous scenario," Mosley said. "If we don't cut costs we would lose one team after another and we would end up with no teams at all. If the teams don't notice now what's happened, you have to abandon all hope.

"If they don't wake up to it now, they'll probably get a nasty shock in the future."

Honda, which originally entered F1 in the 1960s before returning as an engine supplier in the 1980s, bought out BAR Racing in 2005.

Honda finished ninth in the 2008 constructors' world championship, with Rubens Barrichello 14th in the drivers' standings with 11 points and Jenson Button 18th with just three.

"It was as much a shock for me as it was for anyone else," Button told mechanics in the Brackley workshop Friday. "The first couple of hours were the most painful, but after that I thought, 'What is the point of being down and trying to look at every reason for it? It's not going to change.'"

Button reportedly earns 20 million pounds ($29 million; 23 million euro) a year, even though he has won only one race for the team, in Hungary in 2006.

"We need to stay positive ourselves and as one team because if we are not, no one will be interested in taking it over," he said.

Button's car is already at an advanced stage and ahead of its rivals as preparations continue for the Australian GP, according to team principal Ross Brawn.

"If we can find that investor they won't find a better opportunity than this," he said.

Ecclestone and Mosley are trying to push through cost-cutting measures to safeguard the future of the sport, primarily a standardized engine to be supplied by Cosworth, and transmission from Xtrac and Ricardo from 2010.

"The average guy in the street doesn't care how many cylinders the car has, doesn't know, or what the capacity of the engine is, doesn't care," Ecclestone said. "We are in the business of entertainment and we should be building race cars to race."

Eddie Jordan, the former owner of Jordan Grand Prix, said F1 giants Ferrari and McLaren have a responsibility to "rein in their costs."

"They will still win but they have to give other teams a better chance," he said.

Review: The rodolfus choir, Bath abbey

This remarkable choir - just 20 singers, all under 25 - isselected by conductor Ralph Allwood from the Summer Choral Coursesheld each year at Eton College.

Among their objectives are the promotion of choral music and theachievement of excellence.

In this sense, then, they are special - dare I say elite singers,and Bath's own Grenville Jones is one of the trustees of theRodolfus Trust, where his promotional flair will be valuable inbringing their music to an even wider audience.

And on the evidence of this concert, their already burgeoningreputation is well deserved.

The first half of the programme ranged from Tallis to Parry, aspan of 300 years, and the opening Tallis motet was sungantiphonally in four groups.

I particularly enjoyed Lotti's Crucifixus, beautifully phrasedand plangent, a delectable Schubert Litany, arranged by theconductor, Bruckner's Christus factus est, and, to finish Parry'sgreat hymn of triumph, I was Glad, with a quite magnificent organaccompaniment from David Goode.

There might have been 50 or 60 singers, such was the sheer volumeof sound, of quite superb quality, with a soprano line mostconductors would die for, young fresh voices in full bloom, scalingthe heights with fearless confidence.

The tenors were especially effective too, and the whole ensemblesound was balanced, expressive and beautifully controlled.

The second half was 20th century and contemporary music,Jonathan Dove, Tavener's Song for Athene - well done the basses, yousustained the low drone to splendid effect - Howell's Te Deumgracefully shaded, an exquisite Eric Whitacre piece, I Thank youGod, Rutter's The Lord Bless you and keep you, very vocal andunderrated, sung with great feeling, and finally, a David Willcockschoral setting of Vidor's famous Toccata, called simply Sing, whichthey did with tremendous panache and energy, the organ again infine form.

David Goode, the head of keyboard at Eton College, gave us two satisfyingly contrasted works: Bach's Art of Fugue and Messiaen'sTransport de Joie, splendidly played with great technical skill,using all the colours of the Klais organ, a rare treat.

A quite exceptionally talented combination of young musicians:come again soon.

Peter Lloyd Williams

Weird Canada

weirdcanada.com

This music blog trawls the depths of Canada's underground music scene and resurfaces with songs from some truly talented, though obscure musicians. Another perk: the blog covers all genres of music and all areas of the country, with writers and editors stationed in nearly every city. (Laura Trethewey)

Drivers unconcerned with dirty tricks

Formula One drivers dismissed the possibility of unfair race tactics during Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix preventing Lewis Hamilton from clinching this year's F1 title.

Asked if he was worried that another driver may force him to abandon the race to favor Ferrari's Felipe Massa, Hamilton said at a Thursday news conference: "I believe every driver that's here is a great sportsman and we're all very competitive, so I just have to trust and believe in everybody and hope we can have a fair, straight race."

Massa, Lewis' only contender for the championship, is second in the standings and needs to win and have Hamilton finish no higher than fifth, or finish second while the Briton finishes eighth or worse.

Asked if he was willing to help Massa win the race, Rubens Barrichello said he was not in a position to help and addressing the possibility of dirty tricks he added: "Imagine me doing something against Lewis. Would Felipe be happy with that? Would he be a worthy champion? I don't think so."

But fans anxious to see Massa become the first Brazilian since 1991 to win a Formula One championship, asked BMW's Robert Kubica to force Hamilton to abandon the race.

On seeing Kubica at a promotional event sponsored by BMW, racing fans shouted in English and Portuguese "smash into Hamilton" and "force him off the track."

Kubica, third in the drivers standings, simply smiled and gave a thumbs down signal

___

HELPING LEWIS: McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen says he will do what he can to help teammate and Formula One world championship leader Lewis Hamilton win Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix.

"I have not received any instructions from the team to help Lewis, but if I can, I will be happy to help," the 27-year-old Finnish driver said.

"If I am no longer in contention for the title, then it is absolutely normal that I should help," Kovalainen added without providing further details.

Meanwhile, defending champion Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari has also promised to do what he can to help teammate Felipe Massa to win the race.

"Felipe will need luck, but maybe we will be able to team up so he can win," he said.

In 2007, the two Ferrari drivers teamed up to give Raikkonen the world championship.

Massa was leading the Brazilian Grand Prix, but allowed Raikkonen to pass him so the Finn could clinch the title.

In the last race, Raikkonen let Massa by toward the end so the Brazilian could earn extra points.

___

PELE ROOTING FOR MASSA: Football legend Pele says he will be rooting for Felipe Massa in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, hoping he will become the first Brazilian in 17 years to win a Formula One championship.

"Of course I am hoping to see Felipe win." Pele told reporters." I know it won't be easy for him but we have to root for him."

He mentioned how Formula One world championship leader Lewis Hamilton let Massa's teammate Kimi Raikkonen snatch away last year's title in Sao Paulo's Interlagos race track, and said "let's hope a Brazilian will win this year's trophy."

___

BARRICHELLO IN LIMBO: Still without a team for next season, Rubens Barrichello says his career is "on hold" but that he was hopeful he will be racing again next year.

"I don't want to stop," Barrichello said Thursday at a news conference at Sao Paulo's Interlagos race track. "I won't stop because I think I deserve better. I am driving better than when I finished second in the championship behind Michael (Schumacher)."

"The day I feel that I don't have it anymore I will stop, but up until now I have been driving better than ever," he added.

He said he was still talking to Honda, his current team, and to other teams as well, but did not provide details.

Prize furnishes buying power

Douglas Green of the South Side looked in the Chicago Sun-Timesand discovered he was $200 richer.

Another way of putting it is that he's a winner in the $500,000Chicago Sun-Times Magic Grid game.

Asked what he intends to do with his prize, Green said, "I justbought some furniture, so I'll use it as a down payment."

Green, a security officer at St. Bernard Hospital, has beenplaying the Magic Grid game since it started. Each day, differentMagic Grid game prizes have been offered.

Faye Robinson of the West Side and Stanley Dudkowski of Elmhurstwon trips for two to Cairo, Egypt, last Sunday. And the game's firstwinner, Elaine Rice of Berwyn, collected $5,000 cash.

The game ends Sunday, when the prizes will be trips for two toVienna, Austria.

Prospective winners should contact the Sun-Times Magic GridHotline at 321-2390 before 10 a.m. to see if they qualify for prizes.

Magic Grid game panels have been printed in each edition of theSun-Times, Sunday through Friday.

For game rules and further details, see Page 21.

Cohen, Arnaldo

Cohen, Arnaldo, Brazilian pianist; b. Rio de Janeiro, April 22, 1948. He received training in piano and violin at the Federal Univ. of Rio de Janeiro. In 1970 he took first prize in the Beethoven Competition, and then in the Busoni Competition in 1972. After making his London debut at the Royal Festival Hall in 1977, he appeared in various venues in the British capitol and also on the Continent. From 1988 to 1992 he played in the Amadeus Piano Trio. He made his U.S. debut as a soloist with the Lexington (Ky.) Phil, on Sept. 15, 1995. His N.Y. recital debut followed on Feb. 9, 1997, at the Frick Collection. Cohen displays a fine talent for the Romantic repertoire.

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

PRAISING ARIZONA

PRAISING ARIZONA

3:10 to Yuma showcases two great actors

Every once in a while, two great actors face off on screen-and it feels like time is stopping around them: DeNiro and Pacino in Heat, Hopkins and Foster in The Silence of the Lambs, Hoffman and Hackman in Runaway Jury. The movies may not always be classics, but the scenes involving the stars almost always are. Like jazz musicians sharing a stage, the performers seem to draw energy from the riffs laid down before their own.

That's the vibe created by Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in 3:10 to Yuma, a remake of a 1957 Western diat feels thrillingly vital. Bale plays Dan Evans, an Arizona homesteader who lost a leg in the Civil War. Deep in debt and in danger of losing the family ranch to railroad expansion, Evans accepts an offer of $200 to join the party transporting infamous bandit Ben Wade (Crowe) to the prison train arriving in a nearby town. It's a short trip, but could end up seeming much longer with the devious Wade along for the ride, and his cold-blooded gang in pursuit.

Director James Mangold ( Walk the Line) gives notice from the first scene that he's willing to trust his audience more than genre generally does. It takes a few disorienting minutes before it's clear what's going on at the outset. Mangold builds on that tension- once he rolls into some good old-fashioned shoot-outs, combining the appeal of vintage Western action with the grittier modern approach mastered in Unforgiven. As a minimalist man-vs.-man thriller, it delivers the goods.

But its biggest thrills come from those two men. At first, Wade looks suspiciously like the kind of character who's going to turn into a sum of his quirks. He makes pencil sketches of things and people that catch his eye; he quotes Scripture; he commands horses with little more than a low whistle. Screenwriters-and-actors-too often become enamored with these little bits of business. Crowe, fortunately, is too savvy to go there. Wade remains an elusive character-one moment a steely-eyed opportunist, the next a slick charmer.

Evans may be easier to pin down-a beaten-down man clinging to a last chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his family, particularly his disillusioned teenage son (Logan Lerman)-but he's harder to play. While Bale has often seemed too aloof an actor to immerse himself fully in a role, here he conveys the gravitas of a man with a very specific moral imperative: not bringing the bad guy to justice but finding self-respect.

Crowe and Bale play wonderfully off one another for nearly two hours, but they find a perfect groove as Evans and Wade hole up in a hotel, waiting for the clock to tick down to the train's 3:10 arrival time. Crowe has to do a lot of the heavy lifting-it's much more essential that we see Wade come to understand Evans than vice versa-but they hit a perfect complement between Wade's hard-edged arrogance and Evans' weary determination.

3:10 to Yuma delivers plenty of other small pleasures, particularly thanks to a terrific supporting cast. Ben Foster nails the icy amorality of Wade's second-in-command Charlie Prince, while Alan Tudyk nicely underpays the timid veterinarian forced into duty as doctor-cum-deputy. Between the slick script and the nerve-wracking build-up to Evans' and Wade's dash to the depot, the film almost never fails to be satisfying.

Perhaps that's what makes its central tete-a-tete even more satisfying. The movie is good enough that diey never have to be showy. They just find the harmony that makes for a show-stopping duet.

This story originally appeared in the Salt Lake City Weekly.

[Sidebar]

3:10 TO YUMA (R)

Directed by James Mangold

Starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale

Opens Friday

On deck for '99

A sneak peek at what's around the corner.

BMW Z3 Coupe: The spirit if the pratically sporty MGB GT and Volvo P1800ES live on in BMW's Z3 coupem to be assembled in Spartanburg, SC. Derived from the sporty M Roadster, whose chassis, suspension and 240-hp inline six it shares, the little hatchback coupe is expected to debut in the U.S. next fall. Volume should be around 10,000 units in the first (1999) season, bumping Spartanburg's output to beyond 50,000 cars.

AUDI TT COUPE: Due in the U.S. in early '99, Audi's TT coupe is built on the VW Golf/Audi A3 platform (as is its TTS roadster sibling, due Stateside in 2000). The TT will be powered by 150-hp and 210-hp turbocharged 1.8L inline fours, with five valves per cylinder. Drivelines will include 6-speed manual gearboxes, standard front-wheel drive and optional Quattro all-wheel drive, and possibly a continuouslyvariable transmission.

1999 GMT800: This heavily disguised GMT8OO is GM's long-awaited answer to the stylish Dodge Ram and Ford F-series. The disguise hides a more aggressive split grille and more rounded front-end. Underneath, the truck is a technological hotbed with hydroformed rails and dramatically reduced part counts. A new V-8 code-named L18 is also under development that will compete head-to-head with Chrysler's V-10. Horsepower target is in the 300+ range. Chevrolet will market the new truck as the Silverado.

FORD RANGER: A new Ranger 4door should hit U.S. showrooms in two years. The modified crewcab arrangement sharply cuts down on bed space. It's less than six feet. A 4-cylinder diesel is reportedly scheduled for overseas delivery only. Another Ranger variation, a show truck called the Adrenalin, is still planned for a future lineup.

1998-1/2 LEXUS RX300: This is the concept car version of the upcoming Lexus RX300, but it's practically identical to the production vehicle. The RX will be spun off the ES300 platform and sport four-wheel-drive and the Lexus 3.0L engine. Lexus hopes the new vehicle will establish a niche between station wagon buyers and sport-utility owners. Price, of course, is not established, but Lexus officials say the objective is to make the vehicle surprisingly affordable.

AMs' vows to autism group

AFTER the election in May of last year, the National AutisticSociety asked all 60 members of the Assembly to pledge that theywould promise to work on behalf of the thousands of people affectedby autism in Wales. Now to start off 2012 Assembly Members inCarmarthenshire are reaffirming their pledges.

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas said: "I wasdelighted to sign the pledge. I have a fantastic relationship withthe Carmarthenshire branch and I am always happy to help whether itbe questions to the First Minister or by campaigning on theirbehalf."

Rebecca Evans, one of the Mid and West Wales area's four AMs,said: "I have been working closely with the National AutisticSociety and many of their branches so I know at first hand theimportant work they do." Around 30,000 people in Wales have someform of autism.

Malaysia's new lawmakers take oath of office to join Parliament after historic polls

Malaysia's newly elected lawmakers took the oath of office Monday to join a revamped Parliament, which for the first time in 40 years has a huge opposition presence that threatens to unseat the government.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose National Front coalition suffered stunning losses in the March 8 elections, was the first one to take the oath, followed by Cabinet ministers and other lawmakers.

"Being chosen as member of Parliament , I vow to honestly fulfill my obligations as such," said Abdullah, dressed in a black and gold traditional Malay shirt and cap.

He said he would give "true loyalty to Malaysia" and defend the Constitution, reading the Malay-language oath in the Dewan Rakyat, or People's Chamber _ the decision-making 222-member lower house of Parliament.

The other lawmakers read out the same oath.

Since the opposition has more numbers now "they may want to speak more, they may want to criticize more. It is our duty to respond accordingly, " Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters. "Both sides have a role to play," he said.

Parliament will formally open Tuesday when Malaysia's constitutional monarch, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, addresses the two houses of Parliament. The People's Chamber will then meet for a 16-day first session until May 27.

For the first time in Malaysia's history, the opposition leader in Parliament is a woman _ Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, head of the People's Justice Party.

Wan Azizah said Parliament will more lively after decades of virtual one-party rule.

"We will be highlighting many issues about the economy, corruption, and judicial transparency," she said.

Wan Azizah is the wife of former deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the brains behind the party as well as the chief strategist of the opposition alliance that includes his party as well as the left-leaning Democratic Action Party and the religion-based Pan Malaysian Islamic Party.

Anwar brought the three groups together to present a united opposition to Abdullah's National Front in the general elections, scoring spectacular gains that boosted the opposition's total strength in Parliament from 19 to 82. The National Front was reduced to 140 seats _ the first time since 1969 that it failed to win a two-thirds majority.

There will also be a record 24 women members of Parliament, including 10 from the opposition.

Anwar did not contest the elections, being barred from holding public office because of a corruption conviction. The ban expired on April 14 and he is likely to contest a by-election to enter Parliament later this year.

Anwar says the corruption conviction was the result of trumped up charges by then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during a power struggle. He was also convicted of sodomy but that conviction was overturned.

The first session of Parliament will be keenly watched for signs of possible defections by National Front members to the opposition. Anwar has claimed he has the support of at least 30 government lawmakers, enough to bring down the government.

If the government collapses before Anwar enters Parliament, the prime minister's post will go to his wife in her capacity as the leader of the opposition in the house.

Asked if she will become the country's first woman leader, Wan Azizah said: "There may be a chance if there are enough members of Parliament on our side. Wait for the right time."

Venezuela's Chavez welcomes Russian warships

Russian warships sailed into a Venezuelan port Tuesday, greeted by a 21-gun salute and an eager welcome from President Hugo Chavez as Moscow seeks to expand its influence in Latin America.

Russians sailors dressed in black-and-white uniforms lined up along the bow of the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko as it docked in La Guaira, near Caracas. The deployment is the first of its kind in the Caribbean since the Cold War and was timed to coincide with President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Caracas _ the first ever by a Russian president.

Chavez, basking in the support of a powerful ally and traditional U.S. rival, wants Russian help to build a nuclear reactor, invest in oil and natural gas projects and bolster his leftist opposition to U.S. influence in Latin America.

Chavez also wants weapons _ he has bought more than $4 billion in Russian arms, including Sukhoi fighter jets, helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles, and more deals for Russian tanks or other weaponry may be discussed after Medvedev arrives Wednesday.

Russia's deployment of the naval squadron _ the behemoth flagship Peter the Great, the missile destroyer and two support vessels _ is widely seen as a demonstration of Kremlin anger over the U.S. decision to send warships to deliver aid to Georgia after its battles with Russia, and U.S. plans for a European missile-defense system.

But Bush administration officials mocked the show of force.

"Are they accompanied by tugboats this time?" U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack joked to reporters in Washington. He noted that Russia's navy is but a shadow of its Soviet-era fleet, and reasserted U.S. dominance in Latin America.

"I don't think there's any question about ... who the region looks to in terms of political, economic, diplomatic and as well as military power," McCormack said. "If the Venezuelans and the Russians want to have, you know, a military exercise, that's fine. But we'll obviously be watching it very closely."

Venezuelan sailors stood at attention along the pier where the destroyer docked, while two support ships also pulled into port. The Peter the Great, the largest ship in the Russian fleet, anchored offshore in the distance due to its size.

When Russia sent two strategic bombers to Venezuela in September, some drew comparisons to the Soviet Union's deployments to Cuba during the Cold War.

But both countries have also shown signs of trying to engage President-elect Barack Obama.

And Chavez told reporters that it's ludicrous to invoke the Cold War to describe the naval exercises beginning Dec. 1.

"It's not a provocation. It's an exchange between two free countries," Chavez said.

Russia's ambitions to make inroads in Latin America may be checked by global events. Both Venezuela and Russia are feeling the pinch of slumping oil prices, and their ability to be major benefactors for like-minded leaders is in doubt given the pressures of the world's financial crisis.

The maneuvers starting Dec. 1 "should be viewed largely as a propaganda exercise," said Anna Gilmour, an analyst at Jane's Intelligence Review.

"Pragmatic Russian policy suggests that it will content itself with a brief high-profile visit, rather than a longer-term deployment that could cause severe tensions with the U.S., at a time when Russia may be looking to re-engage with the new administration," she said.

Next week, the warships will participate in exercises enabling sailors to practice reconnaissance, anti-drug patrols, anti-terrorism and search and rescue operations. There will also be anti-aircraft exercises involving Venezuela's newly bought Sukhoi fighter jets, though no live ammunition will be used, Rear Adm. Luis Morales Marquez said.

He said two of the Sukhois welcomed the ships with a flyover early Tuesday as they neared the coast.

Medvedev's tour this week to Peru, Brazil, Venezuela and Cuba was planned before the financial crisis, and Russia must now downsize its ambitions in Latin America because its pockets are no longer so deep, said Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor of Russia in Global Affairs Magazine.

"Russia will have to put off big projects like the construction of a gas pipeline across South America," Lukyanov said. The proposed natural gas pipeline is Chavez's brainchild, a controversial and ambitious plan for which he has explored Russian investment.

But Russia still has an economic interest in selling more weapons and boosting business in Latin America, and Venezuela can help "open the doors," noted Venezuelan political scientist Ricardo Sucre Heredia.

"It's a win-win relationship for the two countries," Sucre said. "Russia gains in terms of its international power and its presence, and Venezuela gains in terms of having an ally."

____

Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Desmond Butler in Washington contributed to this report. Ian James reported from Caracas.

Penguins fire Therrien

The Pittsburgh Penguins fired coach Michel Therrien on Sunday, less than a year after he led the NHL team to the Stanley Cup finals.

Dan Bylsma, coach of the team's minor league American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, was installed as interim coach with 25 games remaining in the season.

Even with Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, who rank first and second in the NHL in scoring, the Penguins have struggled to a record of 27 wins to 25 losses this season. They're in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, five points out of eighth and the final playoff spot.

The Penguins lost to the Detroit Red Wings in six games in last year's Stanley Cup finals.

The firing came a day after the Penguins blew a 2-0 lead in a 6-2 loss in Toronto. The Maple Leafs scored five times in the third period.

Pittsburgh has just one road win since Dec. 26.

"We believe we need a change in direction and, with 25 games remaining in the regular season, our goal remains to finish strong and qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs," general manager Ray Shero said. "Dan Bylsma is one of the bright young coaches in the game and has done an exceptional job as the head coach in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season.

"We also would like to thank Michel Therrien for his significant contributions to the Penguins organization."

The 38-year-old Bylsma will coach his first game with the Penguins against the New York Islanders on Monday. He played nine NHL seasons as a right wing with Los Angeles and Anaheim from 1995-2004.

Canadian-born Therrien became coach of the Penguins in December 2005, after 2 1/2 seasons at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, replacing Eddie Olczyk. He engineered the club's turnaround from a struggling franchise to a Stanley Cup contender. He was a finalist for coach of the year in 2006-07, after the Penguins improved by 47 points over the previous season. That ranks as the fourth-best turnaround in a season in NHL history.

Therrien, coach of Montreal from 2000-03 who led the Canadiens to the playoffs in 2001-02, is the fifth NHL coach to be replaced this season and second this month. Ottawa fired Craig Hartsburg two weeks ago.

NY congressman convicted of drunken driving

Rep. Vito Fossella was convicted Friday of drunken driving in suburban Virginia, another blow from a late-night traffic stop that exposed secrets of his personal life and wrecked his career.

After a daylong trial at Alexandria General District Court, Judge Becky Moore found Fossella guilty of driving under the influence when he was pulled over for running a red light shortly after midnight on May 1. The arrest led to revelations that he had fathered a child from an extramarital affair, and he decided not to seek re-election. Fossella, New York City's only Republican congressman, was first elected to the House in 1997.

The judge said she would hold a hearing Dec. 8 to determine if prosecutors had met the legal threshold for high blood alcohol content, which would mean a mandatory five-day jail sentence.

Crying friends hugged Fossella in the courtroom after the verdict.

"Don't worry. It'll be OK," he told them.

The congressman declined to speak to reporters as he left the courthouse but issued a statement saying he was grateful the trial gave "an honest and straightforward account" of the events.

"I made a serious mistake and I want to again apologize for setting the wrong example," he said. "I believe we live in a nation of laws, that no one person is above the law and I look forward to the judge's final determination in December."

Fossella's day in court featured hours of dry, technical testimony, but also talk about a White House party, an Intoxilyzer 5000 breath-test machine and the congressman's bowels.

The afternoon before his arrest, Fossella had been at the White House celebrating the New York Giants' Super Bowl victory, but witnesses insisted no alcohol was served or consumed there.

Later, he went to dinner with friends where he had "no more than a glass and a half" of wine, he testified, plus a few more sips at a tavern.

Police officer Jamie Gernatt said he stopped Fossella's car that night for running a red light, and the driver, Fossella, appeared to be drunk.

"There was a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the car and his lips were stained red," Gernatt testified. The police officer said Fossella told him he'd had two or three glasses of wine, but had bloodshot eyes and made mistakes in sobriety tests.

Police say his blood-alcohol content level was 0.17 percent, more than twice the legal limit, and under state law anyone convicted of having a BAC above 0.15 must serve a mandatory five-day jail term.

In announcing her verdict, the judge said she would hear arguments on that issue later.

Through the day's evidence, Fossella listened glumly but intently to the evidence. At one point, he looked incredulous as Gernatt described one of their conversations on the night of the arrest, but otherwise he showed little reaction.

Another officer, Richard Sandoval, described strange behavior by Fossella when he was brought to a police station to submit to a breath test by the Intoxilyzer 5000.

At one point, according to Sandoval, Fossella asked to go to the bathroom and was told he couldn't. At that point, the congressman said he would have to defecate in the room.

Sandoval said he told Fossella they were "guests" at the police station, and "he wasn't going to defecate" in it.

On the witness stand, the congressman denied the story, saying that the officer had yelled at him and mocked him at times during the breath testing.

Defense lawyer Jerry Phillips challenged the types of field sobriety tests given to Fossella and spent hours trying to prove the Intoxilyzer 5000 machine gave bad readings due to interference from police radios and because Fossella used a hand sanitizer.

The judge rejected a defense claim the first officer had no grounds to arrest Fossella.

Police said the married 43-year-old told them when he was pulled over that he was headed to see his sick daughter. Given that his wife and children live in New York, that statement set off alarms and eventually led to the revelation he had secretly fathered a daughter, now 3 years old, with a Virginia woman, Laura Fay, a former Air Force officer and congressional liaison.

After admitting the relationship, Fossella announced he would not seek re-election, a drastic fall for a politician once viewed as a potential mayor of New York City. His downfall has also created an opportunity for Democrats to gain a seat in Congress in November.

Fossella's troubles have only further hurt his state party's election chances next month. If a Democrat wins Fossella's seat, it will mark the first time in 35 years that all of New York City has been represented by Democrats.