News and Events

Help Haiti Live concert to benefit Compassion International …

The event will benefit Compassion International’s Haiti disaster relief fund provide relief supplies like water, food, cooking items, hygiene kits, medical supplies, temporary shelter, and blankets as well as water purification tablets, tents and tarps, medical supplies. One hundred percent of the donations made online will go directly to Compassion.

Compassion International is a Christian not-for-profit ministry dedicated to the long-term holistic development of children in poverty. the ministry is two-fold: working through the local church “to provide child development programs that release children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty, enabling them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults”; and speaking out “on behalf of children in poverty, informing others of the needs and potential of children and motivating and equipping them to become increasingly involved in holistic child development.”

You can make a donation to Help Haiti Live by visiting the website. you can learn more about Compassion International on the ministry website.

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Help Haiti Live concert to benefit Compassion International …

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Stewart laughs off Oscars speech

Stewart presented a montage of horror films with Twilight co-star Taylor Lautner and admits she found speaking in front of Hollywood’s elite “daunting”.

The nervous actress drew criticism for coughing and clearing her throat in the middle of her speech. But she insists her stumble could have been much worse.

she explains, “I wouldn’t have been able to finish the sentence had I not gone (and cleared my throat). then I would’ve gotten more criticism for not being able to speak at the Oscars – which is worse than clearing your throat at the Oscars. It’s all good. There are a few things that replay in my head like, oh that happened, why? Why?

“A lot of it I find funny. The coughing I did find funny. this is going to baffle some people, but I was so proud of myself that night. I didn’t fall down or anything!”

Stewart laughs off Oscars speech

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Gov.-Gen. tells Haitians they 'are not alone'

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean on Monday called the destruction in the town where she was born “unbelievable,” but expressed optimism that the Haitian people can rebuild their quake-shattered country.

“We are here today to tell you that Haitians are not alone,” Jean told reporters at a news conference with Haitian President Rene Preval.

The Governor-General’s remarks came as she kicked off a two-day trip to Haiti to offer her support for Haitians and the Canadians assisting in the relief effort.

After being greeted at the airport by Preval, Jean travelled by helicopter to the National Palace, where she met with the Haitian president and Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive.

“It’s as if the city has been bombarded. the magnitude of destruction is unbelievable,” said Jean, adding that she was anxious and impatient ahead of the trip.

“The images that we received in Canada with the disaster were just unbearable, but already what I see is people really trying to overcome that incredible ordeal. I was amazed to see how many people were on the streets.”

The Governor-General said Canada is ready to support the reconstruction plan developed by the Haitian government.

“There was a plan, there was a national strategy ready for sustainable development and to fight poverty in Haiti. and I believe that already, even though the circumstances have changed and the situation is more difficult than it was a year ago, something is there,” she said.

“I believe it is feasible (to rebuild). It takes vision. Haiti’s not alone. We’ve heard Canada say it and we’ve heard the international community say it, and we will support that plan.”

The Jan. 12 quake left more than 200,000 people dead and more than a million homeless. Although there have been small signs of progress in the almost two months since the disaster, many of the capital’s residents continue to take refuge in makeshift tent cities.

The Canadian government has allocated $555 million over five years in aid for Haiti, making it the second largest recipient of Canadian foreign aid, after Afghanistan.

Since the quake, the government has pledged also to match at least $128 million in individual donations to an earthquake relief fund.

Jean was born in Port-au-Prince, but her family fled to Canada to escape the brutal regime of “Papa Doc” Duvalier when she was 11.

All the living members of Jean’s immediate family in Haiti survived the quake, but the godmother of her daughter Marie-Eden died in the disaster.

On Monday, Jean once again walked the streets of her native country — this time surrounded by plainclothes RCMP officers and television cameras.

There were echoes of her childhood as she visited the Cathedrale Episcopale, the church where she was baptized. After leaving a wreath amid the crumbled ruins, the Governor General took a chunk of the church with her as a keepsake.

To commemorate International Women’s Day, Jean addressed a women’s rally at the ministry of the status of women and women’s rights.

“Women of Haiti, the entire world knows that you are the pillars of your society,” said Jean, alternating between English, French and Creole.

“It is women who have to find the food and water, while caring for the children and the survivors . . . and it is the women who are the most subject to violence, including sexual violence. we must demand that women’s dignity be respected.”

Dressed in olive and khaki military-style fatigues, Jean then danced on stage with some of the women at the rally. in the crowd, a number of women wore T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan, “Many women fell, but we will persevere. Haiti will not perish.”

Jean later travelled to the town of Leogane, where she thanked Canadian troops who have been assisting with the relief efforts. the military has begun to draw down its operations in the country, and is expected to have all its troops withdrawn by mid-April.

“You’ve demonstrated not just your courage, but your strength of spirit,” said Jean. You’re a source of pride to the country you represent.”

To cap the day, Jean briefly toured a camp for homeless people in Leogane, making her the first Canadian dignitary to visit such a camp in Haiti since the quake.

On Tuesday, Jean heads to Jacmel, the seaside town where her mother was born, and where the Governor General spent much of her childhood.

Jean was accompanied by her husband, Jean Daniel Lafond. her daughter, who was adopted from Jacmel, did not make the trip.

Gov.-Gen. tells Haitians they 'are not alone'

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Asian stock markets trade in narrow range again

NEW YORK — Asian stock markets were little moved in early trading Wednesday after investors in the U.S. seemed to pause and look back on a year of recovery from the market’s 12-year lows.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 stock average lost 0.12 percent to 10,555. and the Shanghai composite index fell 0.24 percent to 3,062.

The South Korean benchmark eased 0.22 percent to 1,657. Australian stocks slipped 0.14 percent to 4,813.

Markets in Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia all ticked slightly higher. In the Philippines, stocks rose 0.21 percent to 3,114.

The moves echoed Tuesday trading, when a sparse economic and corporate calendar left little to drive prices in either direction. In the U.S., investors await better job and housing news before growing more optimistic.

Tuesday in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial average rose 0.1 percent to 10,564.38. it is up 4,017 points, or 61.4 percent, above its close of 6,547 on March 9, 2009, but remains 25 percent below its peak of 14,164.53, reached in October 2007.

The S&P 500 index rose 0.2 percent to 1,140.45 on Tuesday. the index is up 68.6 percent in the past year. Including dividends, it’s up about 72 percent.

Asian stock markets trade in narrow range again

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The World at 7 a.m.

The supervisor will be Chris Chester (800-845-8450, ext. 1600). In Photos, Liz Schultz (ext. 1900). In Multimedia/Graphics, Bernadette Tuazon (ext. 7636). Expanded AP content, beyond what appears on this wire, can be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact customersupport(at)ap.org or call 877-836-9477.

NEW & DEVELOPING:

INDIA-TEMPLE STAMPEDE

LUCKNOW, India — a stampede breaks out at a Hindu temple in northern India as thousands of people jostled with each other to get free clothes and utensils, leaving at least 63 people dead and dozens more injured, officials say. by Rajesh Kumar Singh.

AP Photos. AP Graphic.

SINGAPORE-TERROR THREAT

SINGAPORE — Singapore’s Navy warns that a terrorist group is planning attacks on oil tankers in the Malacca Straits, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. by Alex Kennedy.

AP Photos. AP Graphic.

— JOBLESS CLAIMS — Weekly data will be released at 8:30 a.m.

— PRODUCTIVITY — Fourth quarter data will be released at 8:30 a.m.

— US-ARMENIAN GENOCIDE — Committee hearing scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

— FACTORY ORDERS — January data will be released at 10 a.m.

— CONGRESS-JOBS BILL — Afternoon vote expected.

WASHINGTON — Rank-and-file Democrats in Congress remain wary of health care legislation in spite of President Barack Obama’s closing argument for overhauling the system, well aware that success is far from assured and political perils abound. by Erica Werner.

— HEALTH OVERHAUL-GLANCE —Guide to terms used in health care debate.

CHILE-EARTHQUAKE-TWICE CURSED

SAN BERNARDO, Chile — The Desarmes family left their native Haiti two weeks after its devastating earthquake, joining the eldest son in what seemed a refuge from their homeland’s chaos. that sense of security shattered when Chile was hit by one of the most powerful earthquakes on record. by Nicole Winfield.

— CHILE-EARTHQUAKE — Chile’s army rolls out massive disaster aid, marking shifting role for military. AP Photos. AP Videos.

BAGHDAD — Iraqi police officials say nine people have been killed in two suicide bombings, bringing the daily death toll in Iraq’s capital to 16 as hundreds of thousands across the country take part in early voting ahead of Sunday’s nationwide vote. by Rebecca Santana.

OBAMA-THE OUTSIDER-ANALYSIS

WASHINGTON — The throw-the-bums-out mentality is so strong in American politics that even the ultimate insider — the president of the United States — is running against Washington. an AP News Analysis. by Ron Fournier.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS

WASHINGTON — For the third time in seven months, the judgment of those who operate the nation’s air traffic control system has been called into question and raised concerns that the system may not be as safe as officials claim. by Joan Lowy.

DUESSELDORF, Germany — Two German converts to Islam and two Turkish men are convicted over a foiled 2007 plot to attack U.S. targets in Germany and given prison sentences ranging up to 12 years. by Melissa Eddy.

KHAR, Pakistan — Dozens of militants armed with assault rifles attack a security checkpoint in Pakistan’s volatile northwest, sparking a gunbattle that left 30 insurgents and one soldier dead, officials say. by Habib Khan.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — a powerful 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocks southern Taiwan, terrifying residents, disrupting communications and triggering at least one large fire. twelve people are injured, the National Fire Agency says. by Peter Enav.

AP Photos. AP Videos.

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan — a man freed from Guantanamo more than two years ago after he claimed he only wanted to go home and help his family is now a senior commander running Taliban resistance to the U.S.-led offensive in southern Afghanistan, two senior Afghan intelligence officials say. by Kathy Gannon.

— AFGHANISTAN — UN envoy to Afghanistan says it’s ‘time to talk’ to Taliban, find political resolution to war.

DRUG WAR-MEXICO-MAYORS

URUAPAN, Mexico — Antonio Gonzalez insists he has no idea why he was jailed in an unprecedented roundup of elected officials accused of protecting drug gangs. Now freed with six other mayors in an embarrassment for the government, he says investigators told him only that he once lunched with an alleged cartel member. by Alexandra Olson.

BEIJING — China will release its closely watched defense spending plans for 2011 ahead of the opening of its annual legislative meeting. by Christopher Bodeen.

SEOUL, South Korea — several North Korean troops crossed the border with the South this week in apparent pursuit of a defecting soldier and the South fired warning shots, the South’s military says.

DUBAI SLAYING-ESPIONAGE

JERUSALEM — The killing of a Hamas operative in a Dubai hotel may signal the end of an era: the moment when modern technology finally caught up with the cloak-and-dagger world of disguised assassins and fake passports. some believe the fallout — the killers whose faces and aliases were made startlingly public, their movements gone from state secrets to YouTube favorites — could mean a permanent change in the murky world of espionage. by Matti Friedman.

— EGYPT-SLAIN SINGER — Egyptian court orders retrial of Egyptian mogul sentenced to death for murder of Lebanese diva.

— PIRACY — Pirates hit Spanish fishing vessel with rocket-propelled grenade; fire breaks out, no one hurt.

— NUCLEAR-SYRIA — US, EU urge Syria to cooperate with UN probe of suspicious nuclear activities.

ALBANY, N.Y. — Already enveloped in a scandal that has raised unanswered questions about his conduct and brought calls for his resignation, New York Gov. David Paterson faces new charges of violating state ethics laws, a case that a political analyst says could be even more politically dangerous. Paterson is accused of violating state ethics laws when he sought and obtained free Yankees tickets for the 2009 World Series and then may have lied about his intention to pay for them, according to a state report. by Michael Gormley.

LOS ANGELES — The son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy says he was “horrified” when he learned earlier this week that clothing that his father was wearing when he was assassinated in 1968 was being displayed at an exhibit in Las Vegas. by Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch.

TROY, N.Y. — a research consortium wants to turn office windows into multifaceted solar power generators. their grids of clear pyramids help focus the sun’s rays to generate energy and would essentially make buildings look as if they were draped in giant jeweled curtains. by Michael Hill.

ILLINOIS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

CHICAGO — Illinois’ Democratic voters picked a pawnbroker as their candidate for lieutenant governor, and that didn’t exactly end well. so perhaps they won’t mind if the next candidate doesn’t have a job. or is still in school. or isn’t actually a Democrat. At least that’s what some applicants for the no. 2 spot on the Democratic ticket seem to be hoping. by Karen Hawkins.

WASHINGTON — Congress has loosened its grip lately on the nation’s capital city, seemingly willing to let it function more like a state. And none too soon for the district’s 600,000 residents, a population bigger than Wyoming’s packed into a space 1/17th the size of Rhode Island, a city that protests “taxation without representation” right on its license plates. by Jessica Gresko.

SALT LAKE CITY — All five people aboard a Coast Guard helicopter survived a crash in snowy Utah mountains as the crew was making its way home from a security detail for the Winter Olympics. The three most seriously injured had to be airlifted from the remote crash site. by Mike Stark.

— MISSING TEEN — a convicted sex offender charged with murdering 17-year-old Chelsea King while raping or attempting to rape her was linked to the crime by DNA from semen found in her clothing, a state Justice Department spokeswoman says. AP Photos.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates about 500 children have strangled on the cords of blinds and shades since the early 1980s, an average of about one child each month. Yet the government has failed to require manufacturers to design safer blinds and shades, relying instead on the industry to develop its own standards. by Christine Simmons.

AP Photo. AP Graphic. AP Audio.

MALE SEXUAL HARASSMENT

WASHINGTON — during more than two years as a food runner at an upscale steakhouse in Scottsdale, Ariz., John Pilkington says his male supervisor repeatedly groped, fondled and otherwise sexually harassed him. Pilkington is the star witness in a federal lawsuit against the restaurant, one of a growing number of men claiming they are victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. by Sam Hananel.

VOTING MACHINE CONTROVERSY

WASHINGTON — The largest voting machine company in the country bought its biggest competitor six months ago without advance fanfare. Now, the Justice Department is investigating whether to unwind the merger that put a privately held Nebraska company in control of the voting machines in nearly 70 percent of the nation’s precincts. by Pete Yost.

— CONGRESS-JOBS BILL — Senate Democrats have delivered the first of several promised election-year jobs bills, passing a measure blending highway funding eagerly sought by the states with tax breaks for companies that hire unemployed workers.

— US-ARMENIAN GENOCIDE — a congressional panel votes on a resolution that would declare the Ottoman era killing of Armenians constituted genocide, a move that could alienate Turkey, a NATO ally with a pivotal role for U.S. interests in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

TOKYO — Toyota’s Prius remains the top-selling car in Japan despite the automaker’s global recall woes that included braking problems with the hit hybrid. by Yuri Kageyama.

LOS ANGELES — Infomercial king AJ Khubani has made a fortune hawking products and has spent the better part of three decades looking for the next hot thing to sell to insomniacs hooked on late-night TV. But now he’s changing his approach by assembling an “American Idol”-like panel of judges and taking them on the road. by John Rogers.

— GREECE-FINANCIAL CRISIS — Greece to issue new 10-year government bond a day after announcing new austerity cuts. AP Photos.

— WORLD MARKETS — European markets drift ahead of central bank statements, as Greece confirms bond issue. AP Photo.

— OIL PRICES — Oil hovers below $81 in Asia as investors anticipate increased crude demand.

— WALL STREET — Stocks trading in a narrow range ahead of reports on jobs, factory orders, home sales.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Jack Nicklaus is going to appear at next month’s Masters. He’ll be surprised if Tiger Woods isn’t there, too. by Tim Reynolds.

— TIGER WOODS-CADDIE — Tiger Woods’ caddie, Steve Williams, says he’s mad at Tiger over infidelities.

ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:

— US AIRWAYS-SULLY RETIRING — Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger, hailed a hero after piloting the US Airways flight that landed on the Hudson River in January of last year, is retiring.

— T25-GRINER’S PUNCH— NBaylor dunk sensation Brittney Griner likely to be disciplined for punching opponent in face.

— ETHICS-RANGEL — Rangel steps down from tax-writing chairmanship, underscoring ethics worries for Democrats. AP Photos.

— MEDITERRANEAN-CRUISE SHIP ACCIDENT — Passenger on Mediterranean cruise ship: Wave ordeal that killed two people was terrifying.

— PRESIDENTS WEB VIDEO — a comedic Davos? SNL ‘presidents’ gather for Web video summit on funny or Die. AP Photo.

— CALIF TIGER SALAMANDER: FX108, a California tiger salamander is shown at Los Vaqueros Watershed near Brentwood, Calif.

— US REFINERY FIRE: NMART101, Smoke and flames billow from a storage tank that caught fire at the Navajo Refinery in Artesia, N.M.

— MARS ORBITER: LA103, a view of an inverted crater in the Arabia Terra region of Mars is among the images taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in early 2010.

SEARCH FOR “APTOPIX” TO FIND TOP AP STAFF AND FREELANCE PHOTOS.

FOR DETAILS on graphics and interactives, see the Interactives & Graphics Digest.

The World at 7 a.m.

News and Events

Help Haiti Live concert to benefit Compassion International …

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Stewart laughs off Oscars speech

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Gov.-Gen. tells Haitians they 'are not alone'

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Asian stock markets trade in narrow range again

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The World at 7 a.m.

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