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NEW YORK (AP) — The New York City health department says one person has died and two others have become severely ill after they contracted a rare disease transmitted by rats. The three cases occurred in the last two months in a Bronx neighborhood. City officials say it's the first time a cluster of cases has been identified. The disease is called leptospirosis (lehp-toh-spuhr-ROH'-sihs). Infections commonly occur through exposure to rat urine. The disease is rarely spread from person to person. It can be treated with antibiotics. The city says it's reducing the rat population in the area and educating residents about the disease. The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/2lOMiA9 ) says that from 2006 to 2016, 26 cases were reported in the city; the Bronx had the highest number with eight. ___ Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com

PARIS (AP) — Kristina Mladenovic, Pauline Parmentier and Amandine Hesse were named in France's Fed Cup team on Wednesday for the first-round match against Belgium. Seventh-ranked Caroline Garcia and Alize Cornet will not take part in the Feb. 10-11 series, however. Garcia is France's best-ranked player but still does not want to return to play for the national team as she prioritizes her singles career. She recently reached the fourth round of the Australian Open. Cornet, ranked 38th, is under investigation by the International Tennis Federation after missing three out-of-competition doping tests in the past year. The 10th-ranked Mladenovic will play singles along with 31-year-old Parmentier, who is ranked 91st. Clara Burel is a reserve. Pierre Cherret, the French Tennis Federation's interim technical director, said it is "enormously frustrating" not to have Garcia in the team. "She does not feel ready to come back into the France team. She's focused on her career, which is what she already told us last year," Cherret said. "Her singles career is her priority. She's asking for time and to be left alone so she can work quietly in her corner." The best-of-five series will be held at the 5,000-seat Vendespace sports complex in Mouilleron-le-Captif, located in the Vendee region of west-central France. France, which lost 4-1 to Switzerland in last year's quarterfinals, won the Fed Cup in 1997 and 2003. Since then, France has lost three times in the final, most recently in 2016 when Garcia was playing.

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Hundreds of people have attended a commemoration ceremony honoring a Croatian general who died after apparently taking poison at a United Nations tribunal that confirmed his war crimes conviction. Two government ministers attended the ceremony organized by a generals' association and held Monday at the main concert hall in Zagreb, the capital. The gathering is seen as a display of resurging nationalism in the European Union's newest member state. Slobodan Praljak gulped what he said was poison after judges at the war crimes court in The Hague, Netherlands, confirmed his conviction in an appeals hearing last month. Dutch authorities and the court have opened investigations into how he obtained the substance. Many in Croatia consider Praljak a hero despite his conviction for war crimes in Bosnia during the 1992-95 war.

VIENNA (AP) — Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz says he's positioning his country as a bridge between the "Visegrad group" of eastern European nations and their western counterparts. Kurz said he agreed with the Visegrad countries — Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia — that a quota system for migrants was unworkable and on the need to strengthen external borders. Speaking alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday, Kurz said that "it's in all of our interests that we work together." Orban says Europe's border-free travel zone can only work with "radical" external border protections like the fence he had constructed. He says: "what's happening today is they want to open the external borders and close the internal ones, this is the exact opposite."

A son who saw a police officer hold a gun to his father's head. A husband whose wife was pulled over driving a Bentley. These unsettling scenes are among the stories from some of the NFL's marquee players, multi-millionaires sharing tales of racial profiling by law enforcement. It is a troubling concern for people of color that has been at the center of the protests begun in August 2016 by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The protests have waned, but the ongoing issue for players — and the black communities they come from — has not. The Associated Press surveyed 56 of the 59 black players at last weekend's Pro Bowl game as part of its look at how African-American athletes have long used their sports platforms to impact social and political change. The AP asked the players whether they or someone they knew have ever experienced racial profiling. All said yes. "You can probably ask any black man out here and the answer is yes," said Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson. "It's not like this is just starting today or a new thing. It's gone on for a long time. I think African-American men have been (victims) of racial profiling for a long time, by either the things they wear or just by the color of their skin." ___ EDITOR'S NOTE: African-American athletes have used their sports platforms for more than 100 years to impact social and political change. As part of AP's coverage plans for Black History Month, we will take a multi-platform look at look at how many have and continue to engage in activism, from Jack Johnson, to Muhammad Ali to Colin Kaepernick. ___ In protesting, Kaepernick and others attempted to highlight the killings of unarmed black men by police, an issue brought into the national spotlight by Black Lives Matter activists after the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri , in 2014. But the message was quickly overtaken by fans offended by the players' decision to kneel during the anthem. "That was the main thing with the protests, to bring awareness so people know what's going on," said Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey. "That's the first step to trying to fix the situation." NFL players who have protested this season have been in the minority, and protests waned as the season went on. Some players are focusing on ways of addressing injustice off the field. "If it affects that many people by taking a knee, just stand up, it's that simple," said Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey. "Taking a knee during the anthem, in my opinion, changes nothing. Giving back to the community, being around the kids and people in poverty, I respect that." For many players, the issue is not one of patriotism, but is personal. "At the end of the day, we're not trying to disrespect nobody," said Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye. "No matter what happens, I feel like somebody is not going to be happy, but we have a lot of respect for our country and respect for the game." Bouye was among the players who recounted firsthand experience with racial profiling. "My dad, when I was growing up ... gun to his head and everything," Bouye said. "That's why it hits close to me. We know that there are issues going on, and maybe some people don't want to bring awareness to them, but we'll find a way." Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said he, his father and his wife have all been victims of racial profiling — even after he became a successful athlete. "It happened to my wife in the past couple of years," said McCoy, who was drafted in 2010. "She got pulled over. She was driving a Bentley. Nice neighborhood, and they pulled her over. All her stuff was right and they just didn't have any reason. It just wasn't right." Black athletes have been finding a way to fight for social change for more than 100 years, from Jack Johnson, to Muhammad Ali to Kaepernick. Their fights have come at great personal expense, from alienation by fellow Americans to incarceration to the loss of their careers. NFL players faced backlash of their own in 2017. During the season, President Donald Trump referred to the players as "sons of bitches" and suggested they be fired. And Trump again condemned the protests in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, juxtaposing the campaign against the patriotic efforts of a white child who has planted thousands of American flags on the graves of veterans. A recent AP-NORC poll showed most Americans think refusing to stand for the national anthem is disrespectful to the country, the military and the American flag. Most African-Americans polled were more likely to approve of the players' protests. Only 4 in 10 Americans polled saw refusing to stand for the flag as an act of patriotism. Players have pointed out that the protests are allowed under free speech, one of the cornerstones of American democracy. Martin Luther King Jr. framed civil disobedience as a commitment to conscience tied to founding revolts of our country like the Boston Tea Party. The issue has loomed over the entire NFL season, which culminates with Sunday's Super Bowl. And a year into his presidency, Trump's Department of Justice has abandoned talk of police reform in favor of support for law enforcement and criticism of activists. Of the players surveyed at the Pro Bowl, 42 said they would support the idea of the NFL going back to keeping teams in the locker room until after the anthem is played, a practice that was changed in 2009 — not that they believe they have much say in what decision league owners will make. "The league does what the league does," said Jackson. "I don't have any say in it, so I don't care." ____ Fred Goodall reported from Orlando. Errin Haines Whack is The Associated Press' national writer for race and ethnicity. Follow her work on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/emarvelous

ISTANBUL (AP) — The head of the Turkish soccer federation says the country will bid to host the 2024 European Championship. Federation president Yildirim Demiroren says Turkey will formally submit its bid on March 2, its fourth effort to host the European Championship. Turkey had bid to host the final games of Euro 2020 but later withdrew its application saying it would concentrate efforts on 2024. Demiroren says "Turkey is the only country in Europe and in the world to have invested in 32 stadiums in the past few years ... We believe that this time, as the (federation) and the people, we deserve to win this."

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Workers on the new Milwaukee Bucks arena are taking a cue from the athletes who will be playing inside — and warming up before hitting the job. Minnesota-based Mortenson is managing the $524 million project, which started last June and is expected to wrap up next fall. Operating Group Safety Director Mel Langlais (lan-GLAY') says the morning sessions with the 500 to 600 workers squatting, stretching and wiggling "in the middle" sets a tone for the rest of the day and gets their minds focused on safety. They also meet in smaller groups midday. Mortenson started daily stretching about 20 years ago. Langlais says some workers were skeptical at the warmup program initially, but it has now become part of their culture.

NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Rizzo has taken quite a liking to the leadoff spot. One night after hitting a leadoff homer in his first career start atop the batting order, the Chicago Cubs' 240-pound (109-kilogram) first baseman did it again. Rizzo drove Matt Harvey's first pitch over the left-center fence at Citi Field for his 15th home run of the season Wednesday, prompting excited high-fives from giddy teammates in the dugout. "I am statistically the greatest leadoff hitter of all-time," Rizzo said after the game. "I would like to retire there." Chicago rookie Ian Happ followed with his seventh homer for a 2-0 lead over the New York Mets, who later rallied for a 9-4 victory. Rizzo was asked about television broadcasters mentioning that he predicted his leadoff homer against Harvey before the game. "That's kind of bogus that they bring out what we talk about in the dugout a lot. That's between me and my teammates and they're putting that on TV," he said. "We talk all the time here, just saying, 'Hey, it's going to be 1-0, it's going to be 1-0 again. But you can't ever predict a home run off a pitcher, especially Matt Harvey, so to put it out there, I'm not too thrilled with all that. But I was saying it before the game, messing around, being loose." The previous night, Rizzo launched Zack Wheeler's second pitch a projected 462 feet to center, sparking a 14-3 rout of the Mets. Happ hit a grand slam off Wheeler in the second inning. Looking to energize his slumping team, manager Joe Maddon batted Rizzo first on Tuesday — making the All-Star slugger the seventh Chicago player to hit at the top of the lineup this year. The defending World Series champions entered Tuesday with a .306 on-base percentage from the leadoff spot, which ranked 24th in the majors. "You just go with it. It's fun," Rizzo said Wednesday. "Obviously you go back-to-back there, it gets the clubhouse really loose. Just statistically, by the books, to lead off the game, I'm the best there ever was. Right now." ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Julia Roberts is stepping out to present her longtime friend and frequent co-star George Clooney with one of the highest honors in film. The American Film Institute says Wednesday that Roberts will be on hand to give Clooney the 46th AFI Life Achievement Award at a gala to be held at the Dolby Theatre on June 7. Roberts has co-starred with Clooney in a number of films including "Ocean's Eleven," ''Ocean's Twelve" and "Money Monster." She also starred in his directorial debut "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind." The AFI tribute to Clooney will be broadcast on TNT on June 21 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Mike Moustakas hit his 18th home run leading off the second inning, Jorge Bonifacio and Lorenzo Cain followed with back-to-back shots in the third and the Kansas City Royals beat the San Francisco Giants 7-2 on Wednesday to complete a two-game sweep. Bonifacio finished with two hits and three RBIs, Whit Merrifield added three hits and three runs while Alcides Escobar singled three times to help Jason Hammel end an eight-game winless stretch on the road that dated to 2016. Hammel (3-6) allowed one run over 6 2/3 innings to beat the Giants for the first time in 12 starts. The right-hander gave up eight hits, struck out four and walked one. Moustakas, one of Kansas City's top hitters over the past two weeks, stayed hot with his home run off former Royals pitcher Johnny Cueto (5-6) that landed in the waters of McCovey Cove. It was the fifth homer in 12 games for Moustakas, who is already just four shy of his career-high. MARLINS 11, ATHLETICS 6 MIAMI (AP) — Marcell Ozuna homered to start the Miami Marlins' comeback from an early four-run deficit, and they beat the Oakland Athletics 11-6 Wednesday to complete a two-game sweep. Ozuna hit his 17th home run to start the second inning, added a double and had three RBIs. Tyler Moore hit his fifth homer and scored three times to help the Marlins overcome a wobbly outing by Edinson Volquez, who had a no-hitter in his most recent home start. Ichiro Suzuki had a pinch-hit single in the fifth for his 365th interleague hit, breaking Derek Jeter's major league record. Ryon Healy hit a three-run homer for the Athletics (27-38), who fell to 11 games below .500 for the first time. They went 1-5 on their trip and lost their ninth consecutive road series, their longest such streak since 1986. Oakland lost after leading by three or more runs three times on the trip. Daniel Gossett (0-1) couldn't hold a 4-0 lead in his major league debut after being called up from Triple-A Nashville, and allowed seven runs, six earned, in 3 1-3 innings. Kyle Barraclough (2-1), the first of six Miami relievers, pitched a scoreless fifth. RED SOX 7, PHILLIES 3 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mookie Betts homered twice and Xander Bogaerts had three RBIs to help the Red Sox beat the Phillies. Betts had four hits and drove in three to lead an offensive barrage off Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson (5-5). Boston tagged him for six runs on nine hits in just five innings. Betts led off the game with a single, had an RBI double in the second, but his biggest hit was a solo home run, his 10th of the season, in the fourth inning after the Phillies had scored three runs to close within 5-3. He had a chance to get the cycle in the ninth inning, but instead of a triple connected for home run No. 11 to put the game out of reach. It was his eighth career multi-homer game. Betts was dazzling defensively as well, and made a stellar diving catch in right field to rob Howie Kendrick of a hit in the fifth inning. BLUE JAYS 7, RAYS 6 TORONTO (AP) — Russell Martin hit a tiebreaking home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Blue Jays to a 7-6 victory over the Rays. Kendrys Morales homered among his two hits and drove in four runs for the Blue Jays, who won after giving up a three-run lead in the top of the eighth. Trailing 6-3, the Rays tied it on Logan Morrison's 19th homer, a two-run shot off reliever Joe Smith (3-0) and Derek Norris' sacrifice fly. Martin then connected for his sixth home run of the season off reliever Jose Alvarado (0-1) over the center-right-field fence in the bottom half. Roberto Osuna ensured it stood up in the ninth, finally forcing Evan Longoria to pop out to second base to earn his 17th save of the season. Tampa Bay lost for just the second time in eight games. DIAMONDBACKS 2, TIGERS 1 DETROIT (AP) — Taijuan Walker pitched five sharp innings in his return from the disabled list, and the Diamondbacks won their fourth straight game, beating the Tigers. Walker (5-3) allowed a run and six hits in his first appearance since May 19. He had been out because of a blister on his right index finger. The Diamondbacks scored two runs in the first inning, and that turned out to be all they needed. Walker was lifted after 82 pitches, but Randall Delgado pitched three scoreless innings of relief. Fernando Rodney struck out the side in the ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances. Jordan Zimmermann (5-5) allowed two runs and six hits in eight innings. Arizona is 9-1 in interleague play this season. The lone defeat was at home May 10 against Detroit. PADRES 4, REDS 2 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Franchy Cordero's go-ahead single in the seventh inning capped a comeback that included Hunter Renfroe's two-run homer, sending the Padres to a sweep-completing victory over the Reds. Jhoulys Chacin (6-5) pitched seven innings, allowing five hits and two runs. With the score 2-2 after Renfroe's tying shot an inning earlier, Padres pinch-hitter Matt Szczur and Jose Pirela scored after drawing walks against reliever Michael Lorenzen (3-2) to open the seventh. The Reds, who have lost their past eight road games, were swept at both Dodger Stadium and Petco Park to go 0-6 on the West Coast trip. Cordero, a rookie center fielder who made his major league debut May 27, hit three home runs in the series and knocked home Szczur with a single to right field. BRAVES 13, NATIONALS 2 WASHINGTON (AP) — Kurt Suzuki homered, Julio Teheran earned his third consecutive victory and the Braves defeated the Nationals to earn a rare series victory on the road against their NL East rival. Brandon Phillips had four hits and three RBIs for the Braves, who had dropped seven consecutive road series against the Nationals and had lost 23 of their last 25 games in Washington before taking two of three this week. Braves outfielder Matt Kemp left the game in the third inning after suffering an apparent leg injury while sliding into third base. Atlanta was in control from the start against Washington starter Tanner Roark (6-4), who gave up two runs before he recorded an out and three total in the first inning. The Braves would add three more in the third, with Nick Markakis scoring from third after Nationals catcher Jose Lobaton's pickoff attempt of Kemp caught first baseman Ryan Zimmerman off guard and sailed into right field. Kemp was thrown out and injured at third on the play. ROCKIES 5, PIRATES 1 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ian Desmond hit his fourth home run of the season and rookie German Marquez pitched effectively into the sixth inning as the Rockies beat the Pirates to snap a three-game losing streak. Marquez (5-3) gave up one run and four hits in five-plus innings as the Rockies avoided being swept for the first time this season. Raimel Tapia went 4 for 4 and scored three times for Colorado. Jake McGee bailed the Rockies out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh. Colorado picked up its major-league best 25th road win. The Pirates managed just one extra-base hit and left eight men on as their season-high four-game winning streak came to an end. Chad Kuhl (1-6) remained winless since the first week of the season. He gave up three runs in five innings and his ERA sits at 5.61 through 12 starts. METS 9, CUBS 4 NEW YORK (AP) — Curtis Granderson opened a five-run eighth inning with his 300th homer, a tiebreaking shot that helped the Mets rally past the Cubs. Injury replacement Lucas Duda added a three-run homer off Hector Rondon, and T.J. Rivera capped the outburst with an RBI single for his third hit. With sluggers Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto on the bench to begin the game, the resurgent Mets came back from a 4-1 deficit and took two of three from the defending World Series champions despite losing second baseman Neil Walker to a left leg injury. Granderson received a standing ovation and came out for a curtain call after connecting in the eighth off Carl Edwards Jr. (2-1). Jerry Blevins (4-0) struck out three of his four batters to earn the win.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — A state lawmaker whose district includes Cooperstown is making a strong pitch to have New York designate baseball as the official state sport. Sen. Jim Seward, a Republican from Milford in Otsego County, points out that nearby Cooperstown is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Last week, he introduced legislation that would make baseball the official sport of New York state. Seward tells The Citizen of Auburn (http://bit.ly/2l7XtUF ) that his proposal was inspired by a letter sent to him last year by a fourth-grade class at Cooperstown Elementary School, where a teacher had students develop the idea during New York state history lessons. The students also pointed out that New York is home to two major league teams — the Yankees and Mets — as well as 10 minor league ballclubs. ___ Information from: The Citizen, http://www.auburnpub.com

New York (AP) — Gold futures trading on the NY Merc Wednesday: (100 troy oz.; dollars per troy oz.)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Marin Cilic felt more than prepared to face Roger Federer in a Grand Slam final for the second time in six months. Last year at Wimbledon, he was hobbled by a blister on his foot and couldn't play his normally attacking style of tennis. Frustrated by not being able to perform in the moment, he put a towel over his head during a changeover and broke down in tears. He went on to lose in straight sets. There were no tears after his five-set loss to Federer in the Australian Open final on Sunday — at least, none from Cilic — but the big-serving Croatian player was frustrated nonetheless. This time, by the decision to close the roof at Rod Laver Arena before the match because of the extreme heat in Melbourne. The tournament referee made a late call to close the roof and Cilic said it was tough to acclimatize to playing indoors after practicing outdoors earlier in the day when the temperature reached a high of 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit). "I have to say that decision, could it have been different? I guess so. I think that it was just little bit difficult to adjust, especially the beginning of the match," Cilic said. "With the roof closed, it was way, way cooler than I expected. That was very, very difficult, especially for the final to be in that kind of a situation." Cilic did have a poor start to the match, getting broken in his first two service games and dropping the set in just 24 minutes. Afterward, he wasn't sure if the decision to close the roof gave Federer an advantage, but it clearly threw off his game. "I had a slow start in the match," he said. "Then catching up most of the time." After Cilic caught up and forced a fifth set, he had two chances for an early break in the first game that would have given him the lead — and continued his momentum. But he made two errors and let the chances slip away, then dropped his own serve twice as Federer ran away with the set. Still, Cilic was pleased just to have made his third major final and coming oh-so-close to adding to his only Grand Slam trophy at the 2014 U.S. Open. He also believes he's closing the gap with the top players in the men's game — the so-called Big Four of Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Literally speaking, he's closing the gap in the rankings, rising to a career-high of No. 3 next week, just behind Nadal and Federer, respectively. But Cilic thinks he's learning how to play better against them, too. His record against the Big Four is still a lowly 7-40 combined, including now 1-9 against Federer. But Cilic did get a win over Nadal when the Spaniard was forced to retire with a leg injury while trailing 2-0 in the fifth set of their quarterfinal in Melbourne. And then he took Federer to a fifth set. "My ultimate goal is to reach No. 1," Cilic said. "Even in these last one or two years, the progress that I did is big. Last year, I improved a lot in different areas. Now in these last couple months, I improved even more. So that gives me big confidence." He realizes it will be tougher to make deep runs at majors when the injured Djokovic and Murray return to full strength, but he's ready for the challenge. "No. 3 feels and looks amazing," he said. "I am continuing to improve. Big time ahead for me."

PHOENIX (AP) — The state's largest utility is fiercely opposing a push to mandate increased use of renewable energy in sun-drenched Arizona. Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona aims to ask voters whether they want the state Constitution to require half of Arizona's electricity come from renewable sources like wind and solar by 2030. The group plans to file more than 225,000 signatures Thursday get the question on the November ballot. California billionaire Tom Steyer is financing the initiative through his NextGen Climate Action group, which supported similar efforts in Nevada and Michigan. Only the Arizona measure spawned a political fight. Arizona Public Service Co. says the proposed constitutional amendment will cause customers' utility rates to skyrocket and harm reliability. Its parent company, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., spent $1.18 million to oppose the initiative in the first three months of the year.

New York (AP) — Copper futures trading on the NY Merc Tue: (25,000 lbs., cents per lb.)

PARIS (AP) — A cold case in France is heating up, with three new arrests this week over the 1984 killing of a 4-year-old boy named Gregory. The investigation has involved family rivalries, judicial bungling and 12,000 pieces of evidence — including about 2,000 anonymous letters — in the three decades since his corpse was pulled from a freezing river in eastern France. The Burgundy gendarme service and Dijon appeals court said in a statement that three people were arrested Wednesday. Local newspaper L'Est Republicain reported that they were a great-uncle, great-aunt and aunt of Gregory's and that they are suspected of complicity in the killing. A relative was initially jailed but released — and then killed by Gregory's father. Then Gregory's mother was accused of killing her son, before being cleared.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) — The corpse of Charles Manson will remain in a morgue for at least another month before would-be heirs can argue in court over who gets his remains. A Kern County Superior Court commissioner on Wednesday set a March 7 hearing in the dispute. A son of Manson, a grandson and a pen pal who collected and sold Manson memorabilia are among those who have filed competing claims. A Los Angeles judge ruled Friday that Manson's estate should be litigated there because it's where the cult leader lived when he was convicted of orchestrating the 1969 killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and eight others. The same judge rejected hearing the remains case because Manson died in Kern County and spent his last years in state prison in Kings County.

Six months before rushing water ripped a huge hole in a channel that drains a Northern California reservoir, state inspectors said the concrete spillway was sound. As officials puzzle through how to repair Oroville Dam spillway, federal regulators have ordered the state to figure out what went wrong. Earlier inspection reports offer potential clues, including cracks on the spillway surface that if not properly repaired could let water tear through the concrete. In recent years, construction crews patched cracks — including in the area where water burrowed a huge pit last week. Damage to the main spillway triggered a series of problems culminating with the first use of the emergency spillway, which quickly began eroding and threatened to unleash a torrent of water on cities downstream. On Tuesday, officials said the immediate danger had passed, and allowed nearly 200,000 residents to go home after evacuation orders scattered them for nearly two days. Inspectors with the state agency that both operates and checks the dam, the nation's tallest at 770 feet, walked the half-mile-long spillway in 2014 and 2015 and did not find any concerns. "Conditions appeared to be normal," the inspector wrote in reports from both years. Last August, a team of inspectors did not check the channel on foot but instead from afar, also concluding that everything looked fine. The inspection came as California was enduring a five-year drought, and the channel rarely was used to relieve pressure on Oroville Lake, which is about 70 miles north of Sacramento. An extraordinarily wet subsequent six months changed that. Dam managers were draining water from the fast-filling reservoir into the Feather River below when the pit appeared last week. Experts said problems like the cracks in the concrete spillway and spots in nearby areas where water seeped from the reservoir through a hillside were common issues with dams. What mattered, said John Moyle, New Jersey's director of dam safety and flood control, was whether dam operators dealt with the problems carefully — patching cracks so they were watertight, and dealing with spots where water was leaking through so they didn't grow to undermine the concrete. The Department of Water Resources declined to answer specific questions about the repair work, saying engineers were focused on ensuring public safety. Robert Bea, professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at University of California, Berkeley, said it's "obvious those repairs didn't work." "We don't have details on the repairs, but they put cement into the cracks and troweled it over," Bea said. "I call it 'patch and pray.'" On Monday, federal regulators told the department it must enlist a group of independent consultants both to assess what went wrong and to recommend long-term fixes. Documents and interviews show that crews were patching cracks in 2009 and 2013. A water resources department spokesman said it was normal for maintenance crews to be troubleshooting cracks in the channel during dry summer months. One resident of the region said he saw crews in the spillway at least once a year for the past several years. "When they have four or five trucks down there, the only thing they have to do is fill cracks," said Don Reighley, a retiree and fisherman who several times a week drives past the channel to launch his boat into the reservoir. One of the state inspectors who went to Oroville Dam in August said authorities may never know exactly what destabilized the spillway. "Any type of evidence that might have been there is gone," Eric Holland of the water resources department's dam safety division said. "Everything has been washed away." ___ Knickmeyer reported from Sonoma, California, Pritchard reported from Los Angeles. John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan, contributed. ___ Contact Pritchard at https://twitter.com/lalanewsman .

BANGKOK (AP) — A Myanmar government spokesman says a petrol bomb was tossed into the residential compound of the country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but she was not at home and damage was minor. Spokesman Zaw Htay says Suu Kyi was in the capital Naypyitaw when the incident took place Thursday morning. He says witnesses saw an unidentified man running away from the residence, after which police found an exploded bottle with gasoline traces inside the compound that had burned external water pipes. Suu Kyi is hugely popular among Myanmar's majority Buddhists, but has been heavily criticized abroad for failing to stake a stand against army abuses against the Muslim Rohingya minority. She holds the official positions of state counselor and foreign minister.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is doing a broad review of how military forces use exercise trackers and other wearable electronic devices, in the wake of revelations that an interactive, online map can pinpoint troop locations, bases and other sensitive areas around the world. Army Col. Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman, said Monday that the review will determine if there should be additional training or restrictions on the use of the devices, such as Fitbits. The Global Heat Map, published by the GPS tracking company Strava, uses satellite information to map the locations of subscribers to Strava's fitness service. The map shows activity from 2015 through September 2017. Heavily populated areas are well lit, but warzones such as Iraq and Syria show scattered pockets of activity that could be caused by military or government personnel using fitness trackers as they move around. Those electronic signals could potentially identify military bases or other secure locations. The Global Heat Map was posted online in November 2017, but the information it contains was only publicized recently. The issue was first reported by The Washington Post. Manning said he was not aware of any compromise to U.S. security by the map and he did not believe there was any move yet to ban the devices. He also said he wasn't aware of any Pentagon effort to reach out to the company or request that the data be taken off line. The Defense Department already has policies and guidelines for the use of social media accounts and other technology. "The rapid development of technology requires constant refinement of policies and procedures to enhance force protection and operational security," said Manning. He said department personnel receive training and are advised to place strict privacy settings on their wireless devices and social media accounts. Also, those devices are not allowed in certain department locations, including classified areas.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant for months has talked about his team's hard work, their ability to battle and devotion to playing a full "200 feet of hockey." In pockets of Game 2 in the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night, the Golden Knights were surprisingly outworked, outbattled and outhustled in losing 3-2 to the Washington Capitals. Game 3 is Saturday night in Washington and Vegas is going to need to up the energy level even further in a frantic series with scoring chances galore. Vegas outshot the Capitals in Game 2, 39-26, but the hustle stats went to Washington, which handed the expansion club just its second home loss of the postseason. Washington had 18 blocked shots to eight for Vegas, helping goaltender Braden Holtby turn things around. He allowed five goals in the opener but was sublime in Game 2 as he made 37 saves — none bigger than stopping Alex Tuck with the paddle of his stick in a sprawling move with just 1:59 left. And while Washington outhit the Golden Knights, 46-39, it was some of Vegas' bigger hits that ignited the Capitals in the second period. Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb flattened Washington's first-line forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, sending him to the dressing room with a little more than five minutes left in the first period. He didn't return. With Kuznetsov out, Washington coach Barry Trotz added Nicklas Backstrom to his top line with Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. And 5:38 into the second period, with the game tied at 1-all and the Capitals on a power play, Ovechkin scored his first career Stanley Cup Final goal to give the Capitals a 2-1 lead. From there, Vegas unraveled and gave up more uncharacteristic chances in front of Marc-Andre Fleury, who has yet to lose consecutive games this postseason. A little less than four minutes after Ovechkin scored, Brooks Orpik broke a 220-game goal drought with the eventual game winner. It was his first goal since Feb. 26, 2016. Though the Golden Knights outshot Washington 15-6 in the third period, the Capitals skated faster, competed better, worked harder and played smarter to steal home-ice advantage with their first-ever Final win. The Capitals return to Capital One Arena, where they have just a 4-5 record in the postseason. ___ More Stanley Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Bormioli Pharma, one of the world’s leading glass and plastic packaging manufacturers for the pharmaceutical sector, offers its innovative dual-chamber AccuRec system as a solution for unstable drug formulations and to deliver value-added medicines. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005055/en/ Bormioli Pharma’s AccuRec dual-chamber packaging system separates solvent and drug powder until time of administration, making it ideal for drug stability challenges and value-added medicines. (Photo: Business Wire) AccuRec is a revolutionary dual-chamber packaging system that lets patients reconstitute, in a few easy steps, an impressive range of oral drug products right in the packaging container. Pre-dosed solvent and drug powder are stored in separate chambers in a tamper-evident and child-proof package; a simple twist releases the powder into the solvent at time of dosing. Drug Stability The AccuRec system, and the precise, effective reconstitution it allows, maximizes drug stability in reconstituted oral medicines by eliminating the need to include excipients with the active ingredient. Excipients are traditionally used in pharmaceuticals to make drugs more stable, but this can contribute to additional adverse side effects from drug toxicity, allergy, or intolerance i. AccuRec circumvents the need for excipients because the chambers prevent active ingredients from contacting and interacting with the solvent until the moment of administration. Until now, reconstitution at the time of dosing has been complex and challenging for patients. The easy-to-use AccuRec system helps eliminate the chance for human error by providing guided self-administration and effective mixing of pre-dosed solvent and drug powder. Value-Added Medicines AccuRec’s design makes it attractive for value-added medicines, which are medicines based on known molecules that address health care needs and deliver relevant improvements for patients, health care professionals, and/or payers ii. The value of existing medicine can be enhanced through a broad range of processes, including reformulation/repackaging. Among the drivers for value-added medicines, patient non-adherence is the top-most compliance concern, according to IQVIA Institute iii. Of the estimated avoidable costs, non-adherence (57%) far outpaced delayed evidence-based treatment practice (13%), antibiotic misuse (11%), and medication errors (9%) among total avoidable costs. Value-added medicines are meant to deliver such benefits as greater convenience, improved compliance, a better patient experience, safety, better outcomes, or a more effective drug. AccuRec is designed to improve the patient experience with easier, simplified drug reconstitution. Turning a complex procedure like reconstitution into an easy one can lead to better patient compliance and offer pharmaceutical companies new ways to solve dosing and compliance problems. “We are very excited by the potential AccuRec offers to stakeholders across healthcare, from payers to patients,” says Anna Malori, Business Development Manager at Bormioli Pharma. “Its simplicity, accuracy, and design make it a suitable solution for drug stability issues and an attractive option for value-added medicines.” Bormioli Pharma will exhibit AccuRec and a range of Type I Glass containers in Booth 2001 at CPhI North America, April 24-26, 2018 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA. The first at-scale commercial rollout of the AccuRec system with a drug manufacturer is expected in the second quarter of 2018. About Bormioli Pharma Bormioli Pharma exclusively serves the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical market with integrated glass and plastic containers, closures and accessories for packaging, using state-of-the-art materials and technologies. This includes transparent and amber bottles in Type I, II, and III glass for a range of dosage forms, as well as child-proof and tamper-evident closures. These products are developed to guarantee drug integrity and improve patient quality of life. Bormioli Pharma is ISO 9001 and ISO 15378 (GMP) certified and registered with the main international control organizations. i Pifferi, G. and Restani, P. (2003) Il Farmaco58 541-550. ii Medicines for Europe http://www.medicinesforeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/4-Value-Added-Medicines_On-Value-Added-Medicines-20160526_AB.pdfiii IQVIA European Thought Leadership; IQVIA Institute 2012 “Responsible Use of Medicine” View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005055/en/ CONTACT: Bormioli Pharma Anna Malori, +39 334 6182183 anna.malori@bormiolipharma.com or Brandwidth Solutions Debra Harrsch, 215-997-8575 dharrsch@bwsmarketing.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA PENNSYLVANIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HEALTH BIOTECHNOLOGY PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING CHEMICALS/PLASTICS PACKAGING MEDICAL SUPPLIES SOURCE: Bormioli Pharma Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 07:30 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 07:30 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005055/en

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge is warning President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman that he shouldn't be trying his case in the press. That includes drafting opinion essays published in other countries. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Paul Manafort that his editing of an op-ed that appeared in an English-language newspaper in Ukraine is not something she is going to tolerate. The judge's warning came after special counsel Robert Mueller's prosecutors discovered that Manafort edited an op-ed published in the Kyiv Post last week. The article appeared under the name of a former Ukraine official. It discussed Manafort's consulting work in Ukraine, which is at the heart of the case against him. The judge has barred Manafort and the prosecution from making public statements about his case.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A white former Connecticut university student accused of smearing body fluids on her black roommate's belongings is expected to ask for a probation program that could result in criminal charges being erased. Eighteen-year-old Brianna Brochu is set to appear Tuesday in Hartford Superior Court. Her lawyer, Tom Stevens, expects her to apply for accelerated rehabilitation. The Harwinton resident is charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief and breach of peace. Police say the former University of Hartford student wrote on Instagram in October about rubbing used tampons on her roommate's backpack and putting her roommate's toothbrush "where the sun doesn't shine." Her roommate says she developed throat pain. Civil rights advocates have called for hate crime charges. Stevens says the roommates had a falling out and Brochu's actions were not racially motivated.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Shares of Eli Lilly and Co. climbed early Tuesday after the drugmaker hiked its 2018 forecast and reported first-quarter earnings that beat expectations. The insulin maker said it now expects adjusted earnings to range from $5.10 to $5.20 per share, with revenue coming in between $23.7 billion and $24.2 billion. That's up from the company's previous forecast for adjusted earnings of $4.81 to $4.91 per share on revenue of $23 billion to $23.5 billion. Analysts forecast, on average, earnings of $4.88 per share on $23.43 billion in revenue, according to FactSet. Lilly reported first-quarter net income of $1.22 billion, after booking a $110.8 million loss in last year's quarter. On a per-share basis, the Indianapolis-based company said earnings, adjusted for asset impairment costs, came to $1.34 per share. Those results also exceeded the average expectation on Wall Street, which was $1.13 per share, according to Zacks Investment Research. The drugmaker posted revenue of $5.7 billion in the period, also beating Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $5.53 billion. Lilly shares gained $1.35 to $81.55 before markets opened Tuesday. The stock had fallen 5 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has stayed nearly flat. _____ Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on LLY at https://www.zacks.com/ap/LLY

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. envoy for Iraq is urging political leaders in this "crucial" post-election period to swiftly form an inclusive new government that works across sectarian and ethnic divides. Jan Kubis told the Security Council on Wednesday that it's essential the new government "works as one" to pursue political, economic and social reforms. He urged Iraq's "political elites to draw the necessary conclusions" from this month's electoral turnout, the lowest since Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003. He cited "the need for improved representation, justice for all, democratic accountability, and good governance void of corruption, sectarian quota system, nepotism and patronage." U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley also called this "a key moment in Iraqi history," saying the next government will make important decisions "that will set Iraq's course for decades to come."

CAIRO (AP) — Mohammed Salah has the ability to light up any team, including Egypt. The Liverpool striker has been in superb form this season, but playing at the World Cup will be a new experience for him. Egypt qualified for the tournament for the first time in 28 years, and its chances in Group A against host Russia, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay mainly rest on the 25-year-old Salah's shoulders. In last month's warm-up games, headers proved to be Egypt's undoing. Salah put Egypt in the lead against Portugal, but Cristiano Ronaldo scored two late goals with his head for the European champions. In a dour game against Greece, Egypt lost 1-0 after another goal was nodded in. Here's a closer look at the Egypt team: COACH Hector Cuper took over in 2015 after a dismal run under former United States coach Bob Bradley. The Argentine inherited a seven-time African champion that had failed to qualify for the last three continental championships. Not only did Cuper lead the team to the 2017 African Cup of Nations, but they reached the final before losing to Cameroon. The World Cup exile then ended with a game to spare in qualifying. The pair of feats halted media criticism of Cuper's tactics and turned him into a national hero. So much so that football federation officials are hoping Cuper reverses plans to leave the job after the World Cup. However, doubts persist over whether Cuper has done enough to improve a squad that is notorious for losing the ball, squandering chances in front of goal and aerial weaknesses. GOALKEEPERS At 45, Essam el-Hadary could become the oldest player to compete at a World Cup. Russia may be his last stop in an illustrious career spanning three decades which took him to clubs in Switzerland, Sudan and Saudi Arabia, where he plays for Al-Taawoun. Despite his vast international experience, El-Hadary must guard against some of the lapses of concentration and poor decision-making that surfaced in recent years. Ahmed el-Shennawy was El-Hadary's backup before being ruled out of the World Cup with a left knee injury. That leaves Al-Ahly goalkeeper Mohammed el-Shennawy, who is no relation, as a possible replacement. DEFENDERS Ahmed Hegazy is the rock of the defense. At 6-foot-4 (1.95 meters), the 29-year-old center back is formidable in the air and has been growing in confidence and authority in the Premier League even as West Bromwich Albion has struggled. Ali Jabr, a teammate for club and country, has been rarely used by West Brom, but he could retain his place in the Egypt back four because of his international experience. Veterans Ahmed Fathy and Mohamed Abdel-Shafy look sure to start, with their runs on both flanks key to feeding the forwards. Substitute defenders will most likely include Saad Sameer and Ayman Ashraf, both of Egyptian club Al-Ahly, and Ahmed Elmohamady of Aston Villa. MIDFIELDERS Egypt will be hoping Mohammed Elneny fully recovers from an ankle injury sustained playing for Arsenal. Elneny and Abdullah Said, who has been playing at Finnish club Kuopion Palloseura, should provide a solid midfield backbone that's a big part of the machine feeding Salah up front. With their commitment and energy, the quality of the pair's performances could prove to be the difference between Egypt appearing disjointed or showing off its flowing football. Their backups include Tareq Hamed of Egyptian club Zamalek and Amr Warda, who plays for Greek club Atromitos. FORWARDS After scoring more than 40 goals this season with Liverpool, Salah will be looking to continue his prolific form on the biggest stage in Russia. Salah, the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year, doesn't get the same service with Egypt as he enjoys at Anfield. But he has shown versatility at Liverpool, changing positions to shake off markers. Salah's partners up front will include Mahmoud Hassan — better known by his nickname Trezeguet — and Mahmoud Abdel-Monaim — also known as Kahrabah. Trezeguet plays for Turkish club Kasimpasa, while Kahrabah plays in Saudi Arabia. Another attacking option is 21-year-old midfielder Ramadan Sobhi, who has been struggling to start for Stoke and has only scored twice in the Premier League this season. GROUP GAMES Egypt, which didn't advance past the opening round in its previous World Cup appearances in 1934 and 1990, will open against Uruguay on June 19. The team based in Grozny will then take on Russia on June 19 and Saudi Arabia on June 25. ___ More AP World Cup coverage: www.apnews.com/tag/WorldCup

MOSCOW (AP) — The wine was flowing under the chandeliers of the luxury London hotel ballroom when Gareth Southgate was given a painful reminder of the most agonizing moment of his playing career. Surrounded by current and former players, Southgate was trying to look forward to his World Cup as England coach when he was taken back 22 years. Inside the awards' dinner speech at the Grosvenor House in April, Southgate had to endure the penalty miss that led to England losing the 1996 European Championship semifinal being a punchline in a speech by Professional Footballers' Association chairman Ben Purkiss. Many athletes would have recoiled at being the object of derision in an audience of their peers. Purkiss later felt compelled to contact Harry Kane to explain a joke at the England striker's expense. But Southgate hasn't tried to hide away from his own misfortune in the glare of the world — from the self-deprecating Pizza Hut advertisement at the time to talks with the England squad now under his command. "When something goes wrong in your life," Southgate advises, "it doesn't finish you." You can even lead the national team. Progress at the World Cup in Russia has been secured by the shootout that has haunted England for so long. A victory over Colombia on Tuesday carried the English into their first World Cup quarterfinal since 2006 and was the work of meticulous planning. England teams have been practicing penalties for years without being able to find a way of coming out on top when games end tied after extra time and the winner is determined by a test of strength between a striker and goalkeeper separated by 12 yards (meters). So much of Southgate's job has been about changing the mindset of a country that is credited with inventing soccer but has been scarred by failures on the international stage, aside from the senior team's only title at the 1966 World Cup. Players had been told for years that penalties were a lottery. Southgate told them it was a process they could own. "It's not about luck," he said ahead of the 4-3 shootout win over Colombia. "It's not about chance. It's about performing a skill under pressure. There are individual things you can work on within that. We have to know who is in charge, who needs to get out of the way, who can speak with clarity to the players." Not fearing failure was a significant psychological hurdle to overcome. Southgate embraced his own public humiliation to help the current generation of players prepare to cope with setbacks. At the St. George's Park training complex in central England, the messages and tactics have been transmitted through the age groups of England teams. Slowly, England is shaking off its losing mentality. Victory in the under-20s World Cup in June 2017 was followed by glory in the under-17s edition in October, and now Southgate's squad remains on track to add a third FIFA title. Whereas past England sides might have recoiled after conceding a stoppage time equalizer to Colombia, this group held on through extra time and broke the penalties' curse. Before Tuesday night in Moscow, England since 1990 had been knocked out of three World Cups on penalties and three European Championships. The only success came at the Euro '96 against Spain before Southgate's miss in the semifinal against Germany. With England fans outnumbered by Colombians in the Spartak Moscow stadium, it was an even greater test of nerves for Eric Dier to make the winning kick against Colombia. "It was like an out of body experience," Dier said Wednesday. "I just tried to stay in the moment." Southgate has been working to remove players from their comfort zone after seeing — as a UEFA technical observer — how Roy Hodgson's England froze under pressure and was eliminated by Iceland in the Euro 2016 round of 16. Players were taken last year to the Royal Marines' Commando Training Centre. One exercise at the boot camp saw players submerged in water. "(Southgate) wanted to change the way we are and try something different," Kane recalled. "Because in recent times we haven't been great for England in tournaments. It's about trying to change that mental attitude." Southgate had initially rejected the chance to succeed Hodgson after the Euro 2016, believing he lacked experience, having only coached a senior team for three years at Middlesbrough until 2009. But after three years as England's under-21s coach, Southgate was jettisoned into the top job in September 2016 by an unexpected vacancy when Sam Allardyce lasted just one game before his brashness and unguarded bar talk forced the English Football Association to part company. At 47, Southgate has been keen to look beyond soccer for inspiration, particularly on trips to NBA and NFL games. He has retained steeliness while bringing compassion and warmth to the job. The defining image, perhaps, of Tuesday in Moscow was not Southgate celebrating but of him consoling Mateus Uribe, whose eyes were covered by his Colombian jersey after his missed kick. That's a reflection of the human touch England players have come to expect from Southgate. "We have spoken a lot about togetherness," Kane said, "and we've got a great bond off the pitch." ___ Rob Harris is at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports ___ More AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/WorldCup

All Times EDT EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 72 49 19 4 102 260 202 Boston 71 45 17 9 99 239 184 Toronto 72 43 22 7 93 243 204 Florida 70 36 27 7 79 212 216 Montreal 73 26 35 12 64 182 232 Ottawa 71 26 34 11 63 197 244 Detroit 72 26 35 11 63 184 224 Buffalo 72 23 37 12 58 172 236 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 72 41 24 7 89 225 214 Pittsburgh 72 41 26 5 87 237 218 Columbus 73 40 28 5 85 205 203 Philadelphia 73 37 25 11 85 218 215 New Jersey 72 37 27 8 82 217 215 Carolina 72 31 30 11 73 194 225 N.Y. Rangers 72 32 32 8 72 208 231 N.Y. Islanders 72 30 32 10 70 231 262 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Nashville 72 48 14 10 106 236 178 Winnipeg 72 43 19 10 96 240 189 Minnesota 73 41 24 8 90 227 210 Colorado 72 39 25 8 86 231 209 Dallas 73 38 27 8 84 209 197 St. Louis 72 39 28 5 83 201 193 Chicago 73 30 34 9 69 208 223 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Vegas 72 46 21 5 97 244 199 San Jose 72 40 23 9 89 219 199 Los Angeles 73 40 27 6 86 211 184 Anaheim 73 37 24 12 86 206 197 Calgary 74 35 29 10 80 204 222 Edmonton 72 31 36 5 67 201 231 Vancouver 72 25 38 9 59 186 236 Arizona 72 24 37 11 59 175 230 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Sunday's Games Colorado 5, Detroit 1 Vegas 4, Calgary 0 Tampa Bay 3, Edmonton 1 Carolina 4, N.Y. Islanders 3 Philadelphia 6, Washington 3 Winnipeg 4, Dallas 2 St. Louis 5, Chicago 4, OT Anaheim 4, New Jersey 2 Monday's Games Columbus 5, Boston 4, OT Nashville 4, Buffalo 0 Florida 2, Montreal 0 Los Angeles 4, Minnesota 3, OT Arizona 5, Calgary 2 Tuesday's Games Columbus at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Dallas at Washington, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Edmonton at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Colorado at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Vancouver at Vegas, 10 p.m. New Jersey at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. Wednesday's Games Montreal at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Arizona at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Boston at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Anaheim at Calgary, 9:30 p.m. Thursday's Games N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Arizona at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Columbus, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Washington at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Edmonton at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Nashville, 8 p.m. Vancouver at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Colorado, 9 p.m. Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m.

BANGKOK (AP) — Activists and a lawmaker in northern Myanmar say government air strikes and shelling of ethnic Kachin rebels have killed five civilians and wounded more than a dozen others since Saturday. The government offensive has also trapped more than 3,000 other civilians, miners of amber and their families, in mineral-rich Kachin state. Regional lawmaker La Seng said the injuries included several civilians being treated at a hospital in Kachin state's Tanai township. Local religious leader Je Di, a Baptist minister, said the miners were kept from fleeing to safer areas by military checkpoints blocking the roads out. The Kachin Independence Army, along with about a dozen other armed ethnic groups, has been fighting for greater autonomy from the central government.

BOSTON (AP) — A lifelong advocate of nonviolent resistance who founded the Albert Einstein Institution in Massachusetts has died. Gene Sharp was 90. Institute Executive Director Jamila Raqib says Sharp died at his Boston home on Sunday. Sharp was inspired by his early studies of Gandhi, and his first book published in 1960 was "Gandhi Wields the Weapon of Moral Power: Three Case Histories." He wrote dozens of books and articles on nonviolent resistance that have been translated into more than 50 languages. He spent nine months in jail after an arrest for protesting military conscription during the Korean War. He founded the Albert Einstein Institution in 1983 to advance the study and use of strategic nonviolent action as an alternative to violent conflict.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares skidded Tuesday following Wall Street's biggest loss in more than four months. Japan's benchmark languished as the yen firmed against the U.S. dollar. KEEPING SCORE: Japan's Nikkei 225 index lost 1.4 percent to 23,291.97 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.1 percent to 32,601.62. South Korea's Kospi sank 1.1 percent to 2,567.74. The Shanghai Composite index fell 0.8 percent to 3,495.05 and Australia's S&P ASX 200 gave up 0.9 percent to 6,022.80. India's Sensex lost 0.6 percent to 36,067.22. Shares also were lower in Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia. WALL STREET: The sell-off was led by technology stocks, the biggest gainers in 2017, which accounted for much of the slide. Energy companies also fell as crude oil prices finished lower. Utilities and other rate-sensitive sectors declined as bond yields hit their highest level in almost four years. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.7 percent to 2,853.53 and the Dow Jones industrial average also dropped 0.7 percent, to 26,439.48. The Nasdaq composite lost 0.5 percent, to 7,466.51. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks gave up 0.6 percent to 1,598.11. Losers outnumbered gainers almost five-to-one on the New York Stock Exchange. TRUMP: Also on investors' radar: Tuesday night's State of the Union address by President Donald Trump, and a two-day meeting of the Federal Reserve's policymaking committee that wraps up Wednesday. "This is one of the few prepared speeches that the president will give, so the progress on NAFTA and trade with China is something the market is going to watch carefully," said Mike Baele, senior portfolio manager at U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management. JAPAN: Data for December released Tuesday showed the jobless rate rising to a still low 2.8 percent and retail sales coming in stronger than expected. But household spending and willingness to spend fell, underscoring the need for wage increases during the annual spring labor negotiations that are underway. ANALYST'S VIEWPOINT: "Asian markets are set to see further pullback in the day, caught in the crosswind of the overnight action. In particular, the performance of Apple Inc.'s regional supply chain is expected to come into focus as reports of a production reduction to the company's leading iPhone X floated to the market," Jingyi Pan of IG said in a commentary. ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude fell 71 cents to $64.85 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It lost 58 cents, or about 1 percent, to settle at $65.56 a barrel on Monday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, dropped 52 cents to $68.68 a barrel. It fell $1.06, or 1.5 percent, to close at $69.46 per barrel on Monday. CURRENCIES: The dollar, which fell sharply last week, declined to 108.69 yen from 108.96 yen late Monday. The euro fell to $1.2360 from $1.2383. BITCOIN: The price of bitcoin fell 1.5 percent Monday to $10,987.84 , according to the tracking site CoinDesk. Bitcoin futures on the Cboe Futures Exchange fell 2.5 percent to $10,920.

NIWOT, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--47Lining, a REAN Cloud Company, today announced its Amazon Web Services (AWS) Industrial Time Series Data Connector Quick Start at Hannover Messe, the world’s leading trade show for industrial technology, from April 23-27 th. The Connector Quick Start allows companies to quickly and easily synchronize their industrial time series data to AWS so they can perform advanced predictive and historic analytics using the full breadth of AWS big data and partner services. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005348/en/ Industrial Time Series Data Connector Architecture (Graphic: Business Wire) 47Lining developed the Industrial Time Series Data Connector Service so organizations can leverage their investment in common on-premises industrial process data historians while simplifying the process of making their data available on AWS in formats suitable for advanced analytics. For decades, industrial organizations have been using time series database software to harness data from their industrial devices and systems to provide real-time operational intelligence. By connecting users and devices, these systems play a critical role in helping enterprises address their most pressing business challenges. Now, organizations can reduce costs, accelerate their pace of innovation, and bring together data previously held in silos, by synchronizing their real-time and historic industrial time series data on AWS. 47Lining offers a jumpstart consulting offer on AWS’s Solution Space to help customers get started with use of the Connector. “The AWS Industrial Time Series Data Connector enables us to pull sensor data for assets that we operate for ourselves and on behalf of third-party customers into a data lake,” said Damien Buie, Chief Digital Officer, EDF Renewables. “We can now provide enhanced, near-real-time transparency and analytic capabilities to our customers regarding asset performance.” The Industrial Time Series Data Connector Quick Start can ingest data through either Amazon Kinesis or AWS Internet of Things (IoT) services. The launch of the Connector was developed in close connection with AWS IoT Analytics, a fully-managed service that makes it easy for companies to run sophisticated analytics on massive volumes of IoT data without worrying about the cost and complexity typically required to build their own IoT analytics platform. “47Lining is excited to have the opportunity to offer the AWS Industrial Time Series Data Connector Quick Start to a variety of customers, particularly those in the oil & gas, energy & utilities, and manufacturing industries,” says Mick Bass, Senior Vice President of 47Lining’s Big Data Practice. “The Quick Start will really revolutionize how companies derive insights from their time series data. By eliminating data silos, industrial customers will be able to use a broad array of descriptive, predictive, and real-time analytics, driving insights from their time series data while keeping it secure.” About Hannover Messe Hannover Messe is the world’s leading trade fair for industrial technology. The fair draws over 225,000 attendees and over 6,500 exhibitors each year and is held in Hanover, Germany. Further information about Hannover Messe, the technologies, and the core areas of industry that will be exhibited this year can be found by visiting http://www.hannovermesse.de/home. About 47Lining 47Lining, a REAN Cloud Company, is a Premier Consulting Partner in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network (APN) who has achieved AWS Big Data Competencystatus and participates in the AWS Service Delivery Program with focus on Amazon Kinesis, Amazon Redshift, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon EMR and Amazon Machine Learning. We develop big data solutions and deliver big data managed services built from underlying AWS building blocks. We help customers build, operate and manage breathtaking “Data Machines” for their data-driven businesses. We architect solutions that address traditional data warehousing, Internet of Things (IoT) analytics back-ends, predictive analytics and machine learning to open up new business opportunities. Our experience spans use cases in multiple industries including energy, oil & gas, mining, life sciences, gaming, retail analytics, financial services and media & entertainment. 47Lining and REAN Cloud are registered trademarks of REAN Cloud LLC. Click here to learn more about 47Lining’s Big Data Services. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005348/en/ CONTACT: OneChocolate for REAN Cloud Jaime Tero, +1 415-755-8639 jaimet@onechocolatecomms.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA COLORADO INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT INTERNET SOURCE: REAN Cloud Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 09:30 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 09:30 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005348/en

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania's first female prime minister was sworn in Wednesday as the country's third head of government in a year amid ongoing anti-corruption protests. Viorica Dancila, 54, a European Parliament lawmaker before being elected premier, and her Cabinet took their oaths of office, which were administered by President Klaus Iohannis. Dancila won 282-136 votes in Parliament, far more than the 233 votes she needed to lead Romania's current left-wing government, which the European Union has criticized over legislation that critics say will make it hard to prosecute high-level corruption. Dancila has voiced support for the proposals, which have prompted public protests. The legislation would ban the use of audio and video recordings in prosecutions. Other aspects include holding judges personally responsible for erroneous rulings, and making it possible to seek financial damages from them. The previous two prime ministers were ousted because they were perceived as not toeing the ruling Social Democrat party line, and in particular not giving their full support to overhauling the justice system. Iohannis had harsh words for the new government about the justice system and the economy, saying that there was a "red line" the government shouldn't cross. "Affecting the independence of the justice system is inacceptable," he told ministers. "The ruling coalition shouldn't ignore the signal sent by hundreds of thousands of Romanians who continue to go on the streets to support the rule of law." "People want prosperity in a country where politicians respect the citizens," adding recent government fiscal policy had "rattled the population and the business community." He added: "Instead of simplifying things ... we are faced with uncertainty which risks degenerating into financial instability and major economic imbalances." Dancila, a European Parliament lawmaker, was a relative unknown in domestic politics until this month. Speaking before the parliamentary vote, she promised to raise wages, reduce bureaucracy and build hundreds of kilometers (miles) of new highways and railway lines by 2020. Dancila, who will head a Cabinet of 27 ministers, will likely act in the role of an administrator, with government policy decided by powerful Social Democrat chairman Liviu Dragnea, who can't be prime minister because of a conviction for vote-rigging. A court froze Dragnea's assets in November over a charge of embezzling EU funds. He denies wrongdoing. She was booed by a small group of protesters as she arrived at parliament Monday. But party members handed her a bouquet of red roses and greeted her with applause as she walked through the palace built by late Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu, which now houses Parliament. "The goal of my mandate is for Romania in 2020 to be in the top half of the EU's strongest economies so that young people no longer leave from Romania, and those that have left want to return," Dancila told lawmakers. Mihai Tudose resigned as prime minister earlier this month after the party withdrew its support for him. He replaced Sorin Grindeanu, who was forced out of office in a no-confidence vote brought by his own party in June.

BEIJING (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May has arrived in China on a visit focused on hashing out new trade arrangements once Britain leaves the European Union. May flew Wednesday to the central industrial center of Wuhan and is traveling later to Beijing for talks with Premier Li Keqiang (LEE kuh-chee-AANG') and President Xi Jinping (SHE JIN'-ping). May is accompanied by 50 British business leaders, including the chief executives of Jaguar Land Rover and drug firm AstraZeneca. She will also visit the financial hub of Shanghai before heading home on Friday. May wants to burnish the "golden era" between the countries announced by Xi during a state visit to Britain in 2015. Bolstering ties with China, the world's second-largest economy, became more urgent after Britain voted in 2016 to leave the EU.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--, a global procurement intelligence advisory firm, has announced the release of their ‘ . ’ The insights and data in this report provide a strategic analysis of the supply markets, factors influencing purchasing decisions, procurement best practices, pricing models, supplier landscape, and an analysis of the supplier capability matrix for the . This report breaks down the data and analysis behind the procurement of acrylic resins and acts as an all-inclusive guide for making smart purchasing decisions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006425/en/ Acrylic Resins Procurement Report.(Graphic: Business Wire) “The growing use of the acrylic resins in the manufacture of light guides in LCD contributes to the growth of the market,” says SpendEdge procurement analyst Anil Seth. “Also, APAC is considered as the largest contributor to the global acrylic resins market, both in terms of production and consumption,” added Anil. Looking for more insights from this report? SpendEdge sample reports are free of charge and provide insights that focus on cost-saving aspects of procurement and optimization of category spend. Procurement analysts at SpendEdge highlight the following top three market trends that are contributing to the growth of the Global Acrylic Resins Market: Increasing adoption of bio-acrylic resins Adoption of manufacturing technologies that can increase efficiency Increase in joint ventures between global and regional players This report is available at USD 1000 discount for a limited time only: Increasing adoption of bio-acrylic resins In the acrylic resins category, the suppliers are shifting toward bio-acrylic resins that use renewable raw materials such as sugar and glucose syrup. This shift toward the bio-acrylic resins will help the buyers reduce the overall cost of acrylic resins. Adoption of manufacturing technologies that can increase efficiency Globally, the suppliers are replacing old technologies with the latest technologies to increase their production efficiency. These technologies will help the suppliers reduce their production costs by eliminating additional costs associated with electricity. Increase in joint ventures between global and regional players In the acrylic resins category, the suppliers are focusing on entering into joint ventures to expand their reach across potential regions. This also helps the buyers procure high-quality acrylic acid at cost-effective rates. to gain detailed insights into the current market trends. Get unlimited access to all our reports. Our Insights platform provides ready-to-use procurement research reports, latest supplier news, innovation landscape, markets insights, supplier tracking, and much more at the click of a button. We also reports to meet clients’ requirements. Related Reports: About SpendEdge SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are a preferred procurement market intelligence partner for Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence that helps sourcing and procurement professionals make informed decisions. These innovative procurement solutions help enterprises transform structural capabilities, improve execution efficiency, and fast-track time to savings. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006425/en/ CONTACT: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Consultant US: +1 630 984 7340 hello@spendedge.com KEYWORD: INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MANUFACTURING CHEMICALS/PLASTICS SOURCE: SpendEdge Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 04:15 PM/DISC: 04/23/2018 04:15 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006425/en

MOSCOW (AP) — Six-time Olympic gold medalist Viktor Ahn wants to know why he has been barred from next month's Pyeongchang Games. Ahn is a short-track speed skater who was born in South Korea but switched allegiance to Russia ahead of the 2014 Sochi Games. Russian officials say the International Olympic Committee has refused to grant Ahn an invitation amid its vetting of the country's athletes for possible doping links. "It is outrageous that there is no concrete reason which explains my exclusion from the Olympics, and furthermore people now view me as an athlete who used doping," Ahn wrote in an open letter to IOC President Thomas Bach. Competing in South Korea would have been "an especially significant part of my career for several reasons," said Ahn, who won his first three Olympic titles while competing for his native country. "I hope that the IOC will ultimately declare their reason for my exclusion, so I will be able to defend my honor and dignity." Ahn's letter was published on Friday by the Russian Skating Union, hours before the IOC published its rules of conduct for Russian athletes and officials who will be at Pyeongchang. All Russian athletes must sign an IOC-drafted integrity declaration confirming they are not currently under investigation for a doping violation, and agree to be removed from the team if their statement proves incorrect. The spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, when asked about Ahn's letter, said Russia would support all athletes, whether they take part in the Olympics or are barred. "Intensive contacts are under way with the International Olympic Committee to clarify the situation and so that the interests of our athletes who are able to take part in the Olympics are completely secured and respected," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "There are athletes who are disputing their rights in a legal context. There are athletes who are appealing to public opinion. There are athletes who are appealing to the Olympic committee leadership. That is their right." The IOC hasn't confirmed which Russians will be invited to compete in Pyeongchang, and hasn't explained any individual decisions. However, it has said newly obtained records from the Moscow anti-doping laboratory played a role in the decision-making. Russia announced 169 athletes would represent the "Olympic Athlete from Russia" (OAR) team on Thursday. The list didn't contain Ahn or some other Russian medal contenders, including cross-country skiing world champion Sergei Ustyugov and biathlete Anton Shipulin. The IOC refusals for some are separate from the doping bans for 43 Russian athletes because of what the Olympic body ruled was a doping program and cover-up at the Sochi Games. Of those, 42 have launched appeals at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and verdicts in 39 cases heard in Geneva are due to be published next week. Strict rules imposed on Russian medal winners in Pyeongchang were published in the IOC conduct guidelines Friday. The official Russian flag can be hung in an athlete's bedroom in Olympic villages, though with "no public visibility." Inside Olympic venues, athletes must not accept the Russian flag from a spectator nor sing the national anthem. "Any 'alternate' victory ceremonies organized for OAR athletes and/or team officials are not permitted." Also, the International Biathlon Union said it could cancel a World Cup in Russia in March in light of "newly available information." The IBU didn't say what it received, though the IOC said on Wednesday it was sharing doping-related information from its vetting process with international sports federations. The World Cup in Tyumen is due to be the first in Russia since 2015. ___ AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James scored 24 points, Jae Crowder made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:21 left and the Cleveland Cavaliers began a long stretch without injured All-Star Kevin Love by holding off the Miami Heat 91-89 on Wednesday night. The Cavs rebounded from a troubling loss at Detroit — Cleveland gave up 125 points to the undermanned Pistons — and prevented the Heat from overtaking them for third place in the Eastern Conference standings. Cleveland played its first game since Love broke his left hand against the Pistons. The five-time All-Star is consulting with surgeons in New York, and it's possible he'll undergo an operation as early as Thursday. Love, who could miss two months, already has screws in the hand from a previous procedure after he broke it in 2009 with Minnesota. While he's out, the Cavs have to hold themselves together. Goran Dragic scored 18 and Josh Richardson 15 to lead the Heat, who went just 3 of 28 on 3-pointers. Miami had a last chance after Cleveland's Kyle Korver made one of two free throws with seven seconds left, but Heat forward James Johnson, harassed by James on the baseline, couldn't get off a shot before the horn sounded. The Cavs have been enveloped in drama all season. There have been injuries, blowout losses, persistent trade rumors and more story lines than a day-time soap opera. "As The Land Turns," coach Tyronn Lue said with a sigh following his pregame media availability. The chaos could continue, but for at least one night things didn't get any worse for the Cavs, who went 6-8 in January and have been plagued by shoddy defense. It was the first time they've held a team under 90 points since Nov. 20. Despite going just 1 of 16 on 3-pointers, Miami overcame a 14-point deficit to take a 50-48 lead at halftime. TIP-INS Heat: The tragic death of former NBA player Rasual Butler devastated Miami coach Erik Spoelstra and forward Udonis Haslem. Butler was drafted by Miami and played three seasons there. "I'm shocked. It's horrible, horrible news for all of us," said Spoelstra, who got emotional talking about Butler, who was killed along with his wife in a single-vehicle rollover in Los Angeles. "He's one of our favorite people that's come through the organization." Haslem is the only player left with the Heat who played with Butler. "Blindsided me," he said. "I immediately took to Rasual when I got here. Another competitor, guy like myself, fearless. We just hung out a lot." ... Miami fell to 17-6 when holding opponents under 100 points. Cavaliers: James committed six of his seven turnovers in the first half and didn't get his first assist until 11:16 remained in the third quarter. ... Lue started Crowder because he wanted to match up with Johnson, but Cleveland's lineup could change on a game-to-game basis. ... James has scored in double digits in 841 consecutive games — 25 shy of Michael Jordan's record. ... In the loss at Detroit, James (10,932) passed Dirk Nowitzki (10,917) for eighth place on the career field goals list. Next up is Elvin Hayes (10,976). UP NEXT Heat: Continue a four-game trip Friday in Philadelphia. Cavaliers: Host the Houston Rockets on Saturday. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. military says that an American soldier has died as a result of injuries sustained during a vehicle incident in eastern Afghanistan. A statement released by the U.S. forces on Tuesday says that two other American service members were injured in the incident, which took place in eastern Nangarhar province on Monday. According to the statement, the U.S. forces were not in contact with enemy forces at the time. It says the injured soldiers are receiving medical treatment. The statement added that U.S. Gen. John Nicholson, commander of the U.S. troops in Afghanistan, expressed his deepest sympathies and prayers to the families and friends of the fallen and injured service members. It provides no further information. The military did not identify the dead service member.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican says it is "surprising and regrettable" that a cardinal suggested that Pope Francis was out of the loop on negotiations between the Holy See and China, saying he is "faithfully" informed about developments and follows the issue with care. The Vatican statement Tuesday was issued a day after the retired archbishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, penned an extraordinary Facebook post revealing the behind-the-scenes drama over the contentious issue of bishop nominations in China. Zen confirmed the Vatican had asked for a legitimate bishop to stand down in favor of an excommunicated one favored by Beijing. Zen said when he met with Francis Jan. 14 to discuss it, the pope said he didn't favor such an outcome, suggesting a rift with the Vatican secretariat of state.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan state security has detained nearly two dozen people allegedly involved in violent acts against officers during an overnight raid that left several apartment buildings in shambles. Residents at the Los Verdes complex in Caracas say officers fired weapons, destroyed elevators, broke doors and windows and shot to death at least one pet dog. Witness video showed an armored truck plowing through a metal yellow gate leading to the building. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says the raid amounts to "state terrorism." Interior Minister Nestor Reverol says 23 people identified as "terrorists" were detained for their alleged involvement in an attack on a national guard captain and three sergeants. Two months of political upheaval in Venezuela have left nearly 70 dead, thousands detained and hundreds injured.

Taipei (CNA) - Taiwan attaches importance to its relations with Japan and hopes to forge closer ties with the country, Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said Tuesday. Speaking with a visiting delegation of Taiwanese expatriates in Japan, Chen described Japan as an important ally and said that the two sides are closely tied in terms of culture and economy. He said bilateral relations moved a step closer when the Japanese government made the decision to change the name of its representative office in Taiwan from the "Interchange Association, Japan" to the "Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association" at the beginning of this year. It also changed the Chinese name of the organization by adding the names "Japan" and "Taiwan," he said. Despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties, cooperation between the two countries remains strong, both in terms of economy and culture, the vice president said. Two-way tourism has also flourished, he went on, noting that Taiwanese visitors to Japan reached 4.56 million last year, while Japanese tourists coming to the island stood at 1.89 million. While Taiwan is seeking to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and pushing its "5+2 Industrial Innovation Program," Chen said the government hopes that Taiwanese expatriates can also use their influence to help Taiwan forge an economic partnership agreement with Japan. Meanwhile Chen extended his gratitude to the delegation for its long-term support for Taiwan, and for its help in promoting bilateral friendship.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Hunter Renfroe's infield single in the ninth inning led to two runs when third baseman Miguel Rojas followed with a throwing error, lifting the San Diego Padres to a 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night. Closer Brad Ziegler (0-5) coughed up a one-run lead when he loaded the bases with one out. Renfroe hit a chopper to Rojas, who was charging. He double-clutched his throw, which was low to first baseman Justin Bour. When the ball skipped away from Bour, Freddy Galvis came home with the winning run. Matt Strahm (1-2) got the win for working the final two innings. The Marlins lost for the 14th straight start by Jose Urena, a franchise record, which included 12 from this year. The right-hander entered the game receiving 2.84 runs per game, the third-lowest average in the majors, and got more measly support Wednesday. Urena got just two runs on Starlin Castro's homer before departing after six innings following a strong performance. He surrendered a run, three hits and two walks. He struck out six in a 93-pitch effort. Reliever Drew Steckenrider gave up a two-out double to Manuel Margot in the seventh but got pinch-hitter Jose Pirela looking on a 95-mph fastball to strand the tying run. Clayton Richard had won two of his last three starts and was relying on his slider in inducing the Marlins into harmlessly pounding the ball into 14 groundouts. The left-hander exited after seven innings of two-run ball. He allowed four hits and a walk, with five strikeouts. Richard wiggled out of a jam after hitting Lewis Brinson to start the fifth and allowing JT Riddle's single. But when Urena tried to sacrifice, catcher Raffy Lopez made a fine play, pouncing on Urena's bunt and retiring Brinson at third to change the inning. With two outs, J.T Realmuto walked to load the bases but Richard got Castro on a grounder to end the threat. Franmil Reyes continued his hot streak with his third home run in three days, pulling the Padres to 2-1 in the fourth inning. The rookie right fielder took a high fastball the opposite way, his fourth homer in six games clanging off the right-field foul pole. Urena had sat down eight straight before Reyes' blast. Richard retired the first 10 batters he faced. Then Realmuto singled up the middle and Castro hit his third home run of the season, a two-run, fourth-inning shot that landed 423 feet away in the Padres' bullpen over the fence in left-center. TRAINER'S ROOM Padres: C Austin Hedges (elbow) has resumed his throwing program after meeting with team doctors. UP NEXT Marlins: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (1-2, 5.22) gets the nod for the final contest of the four-game series on Thursday with his second career start against the Padres. He beat San Diego in 2016, allowing four runs and seven hits over six innings. Padres: RHP Jordan Lyles (1-1, 3.83) makes his fifth start of the season, which matches his total from the previous two years. He worked the second-longest perfect game in Padres history on May 15, blanking the Rockies for 7 1/3 innings.

John Daly came back to the U.S. skeleton team primarily seeking one thing, and it wasn't a medal. It was closure. The perfect scenario for Daly four years ago at the Sochi Olympics would have been for him to put together four great runs, and end his sliding career on his sport's biggest stage feeling like he couldn't have done any more. He had three great runs, only to see a disaster-filled fourth run take away any chance for a medal and drive him into a teary start on retirement. Daly returned to sliding a couple years ago, got back on the national team and he'll be in the Pyeongchang Olympics next month, savoring the opportunity to get it right this time. He and 2014 Olympic bronze medalist Matt Antoine are the two sliders who qualified to represent the U.S. in men's skeleton. "It's not unfinished business, but more like an unfinished feeling," Daly said. "The fourth run of your Olympics is supposed to be the most fun run of your career. I didn't get that. I didn't get that closed feeling, that closed-chapter feeling of my career. And that's kind of what I want. That's what I'm looking for." That said, a medal is very much a lure as well. He's not going to Pyeongchang as a medal favorite — Daly has been in eight World Cup races since unretiring and his best finish is a pair of 10th-place showings when competing against the world's best. But he's trending in the right direction, feeling more and more natural on the sled again as the year has gone along. And coaches, all season, have raved about Daly's work ethic. "I think he finally realizes that he's getting back to his old sliding self and just looking forward for redemption at the Olympic Games," USA Skeleton coach Brian McDonald said. Daly doesn't even try to avoid what happened in Sochi. He knows it's as big a part of his story as anything else. Daly and Antoine were contending for the bronze medal, and going into the fourth and final heat of the two-day competition Antoine was in third place, Daly in fourth. There are narrow grooves in the ice, and sliders try to keep their runners — the pieces of steel that the sled slides on — in them at the start to try and begin on the straightest path possible. Daly started running as fast as he could, going all-out for the medal. And then his sled popped out of that groove, sending him out of control. All his speed was immediately gone, he knew the medal hopes were over and he endured a cold ride to the bottom on the way to a 15th-place finish. "I couldn't go out like that," Daly said. It's one of the few topics where Daly's voice almost turns somber. On almost any other matter — including his hair, which is coiffed perfectly at all times and made him a celebrity in Sochi — he tends to be hilarious. He's made a series of videos over the years with close friend and U.S. bobsledder Steve Langton, did some Olympic promos last year where he discussed crushes, and even recently appeared on "Top Chef" as a celebrity judge. At 32, he knows his third Olympics might be the finale. He's pulled off his comeback while working full-time in the medical sales industry for a company in Washington, and done so with their blessing. "Anyone who knows me knows how much I wanted this," Daly said. So he's now off to Pyeongchang, simultaneously relaxed and ready. "It's about putting it together on that day," Daly said. "I've been there many times. The Olympics is something that really gets to me as far as the nerves. There's an energy you can use there to step up and be a champion — or watch somebody else be one. I've got to go and slide the way that I know I can." ___ More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org

U.S. stocks dipped Wednesday as investors worried about weak retail sales and oil prices sank. The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the third time in six months. On Wednesday: The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 2.43 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,437.92. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 46.09 points, or 0.2 percent, to 21,374.56. The Nasdaq composite declined 25.48 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,194.89. The Russell 2000 index retreated 8.41 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,417.57. For the week: The S&P 500 is up 6.15 points, or 0.3 percent. The Dow is up 102.59 points, or 0.5 percent. The Nasdaq is down 13.03 points, or 0.2 percent. The Russell 2000 is down 4.13 points, or 0.3 percent. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 199.09 points, or 8.9 percent. The Dow is up 1,611.96 points, or 8.2 percent. The Nasdaq is up 811.77 points, or 15.1 percent. The Russell 2000 is up 60.44 points, or 4.5 percent.

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso's government says gunmen have killed two policemen who were patrolling a market in the West African nation's northern Baraboule district. The government said Monday that police troops and anti-terrorist forces have been sent and are searching the area near Petegoli in Soum Province in search of the assailants. Soum province is home to radicalized preacher Ibrahim Malam Dicko, who vowed to close all government administration in the north. His men have forced schools to close in several rural areas in Soum province. The killings come amid mounting violence near Burkina Faso's border with Mali. Last week 26 people died after their truck hit explosives in Mali. Extremists seem to be stepping up attacks after vows to prevent the deployment of a force of neighboring countries to fight extremism.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The Latest on a suicide attack outside a restaurant in Somalia's capital (all times local): ___ 9:05 p.m. Police say there is confusion whether gunmen are inside a restaurant in Somalia's capital after a suicide car bomb detonated at its gate. Capt. Mohamed Hussein at first said gunmen were fighting their way inside the restaurant and that a hostage situation was underway. Hussein now says it's possible the attack ended with the car bombing outside the Pizza House restaurant. The restaurant is just meters away from another establishment popular with the city's elite. The Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab often targets high-profile areas in Mogadishu. ___ 8:45 p.m. Police say a suicide bomber has detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at the gate of a popular restaurant in Somalia's capital. Capt. Mohamed Hussein says a hostage situation is under way at the Pizza House restaurant. Hussein has no immediate information about any casualties. The Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu, including hotels, military checkpoints and areas near the presidential palace. It has vowed to step up attacks after the recently elected government launched a new military offensive against it.

Taiwan News went to Dongmen market to interview ordinary Taiwanese about their opinion on the late comedian Chu Ke-liang (豬哥亮), a famous but also highly controversial figure in the Taiwanese entertainment world. The famous entertainer Chu Ke-liang, whose real name is Hsieh Hsin-Ta (謝新達), has entertained the Taiwanese people since 1980. He is often praised for his attempt to keep the Taiwanese language alive and stimulating young people to be aware of their cultural heritage. In spite of everything there are still voices of anger after he had gone into hiding in the mid 90s to avoid a reported NT$1 billion (US$33 million) gambling debts. The 70-year-old actor and comedian, known for his trademark bowl haircut, lost his fight against colon cancer on May 15 after it was discovered 3 years ago. He was mourned by his family and his fans who lost their Iconic figure and childhood memory. The following were interviews with people in Dongmen Market in Daan District. The interviewees were asked what their favorite Chu Ke-liang film, TV show, joke, and what they personally think of him. "A-pei" ( Grandpa), hat seller "Chu Ke-liang was a very good guy! A really good guy. He was always polite to others and treated them well. His daughter (Jeannie Hsieh) is really pretty and when she got in a car accident, he borrowed a lot of money to help her get treatment abroad. The only bad point about him was that he was a gambler. He was so much in debt, that he just disappeared for 15 years without a sign of life! This was a huge shock for us at that time! I never thought he would be able to loose that much money. It's more than what I made in my entire life. He was a crazy guy with four wives and five kids." Chen Chung-yuan, 63, mutton seller "I really loved to watch his TV shows and movies. Especially "Tsan Ting Hsiu" (餐廳秀), one of his most famous TV shows. Chu Ke-liang is our Taiwanese Charley Chaplin and helped to revive our Taiwanese Dialect. The language had almost been forgotten before he started to do his shows entirely in Taiwanese." Li Shih-tsung, neighborhood chief of Dongmen

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Christchurch-based Crusaders can consolidate their place atop the Super Rugby table when they play the Hamilton-based Chiefs in an abbreviated 16th round, before the tournament breaks for June internationals. The Crusaders moved five points clear in first place when they convincingly beat their closest rival, the Wellington-based Hurricanes, last weekend and have the chance to lengthen that lead and extend their winning streak to 10 games against the fifth-placed Chiefs. The manner in which the Crusaders beat the Hurricanes, while missing six current All Blacks who were either injured or suspended, has led some commentators to declare it a certainty that the eight-time champions will win the title for the second straight year. Coach Scott Robertson said the victory of a severely-depleted side over the star-studded Hurricanes "was just a very proud night in the Crusaders history." "I think the fans weren't sure what to expect and that probably sums it up, the amount of emotion that was shown post-game," Robertson said. He said the Crusaders are not taking for granted a win on Saturday in what appears an easier match against a Chiefs team heavily hit by injuries. "The Chiefs have an extremely good scrum," Robertson said. "Given their injuries they have done a great job with the players that have come in for them - as have we, so it will be a great battle." The Hurricanes must quickly recover from their poor performance against the Crusaders to keep pace with the tournament leaders three rounds from the end of the regular season. Coach Chris Boyd said any lessons learned from the loss to the Crusaders would not be applicable to the Highlanders, who play a different type of game. "They kick more than anyone else," Boyd said. "They're very good at strike play. They're quite prepared to say 'well you have the ball and we'll knock you over and you make the mistake and we'll pick it up and score.'" The New South Wales Waratahs also have a chance to consolidate their lead in a tight Australian conference before Super Rugby breaks for test series between Australia and Ireland, New Zealand and France and South Africa and England. The Waratahs, who face the Queensland Reds on Saturday, lead the conference by a point from the Melbourne Rebels who meet the Auckland-based Blues in a round from which the South African teams are absent.

RICHFIELD, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018--National Interstate Insurance Company (“National Interstate”) is pleased to announce that Stephen Winborn, Senior Vice President of Claims and Risk Management for National Interstate Insurance Company, recently received the Robert T. Franklin Award at the 2018 Defense Research Institute (DRI) Trucking Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The award is named in honor of the late Bob Franklin, co-founder of Franklin & Prokopik, P.C. and founder of the DRI Trucking Law Committee. This is just the second time the award has been given. The award nominations are judged on commitment to the trucking industry, education of the industry and loyalty to the industry, aiming to select an individual who is a true champion of the trucking industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005886/en/ Stephen Winborn, Senior Vice President of Claims and Risk Management for National Interstate Insurance Company, recently received the Robert T. Franklin Award. (Photo: Business Wire) Mr. Winborn has been involved in the defense and operation of insurers and transportation companies for over 25 years, and has assumed roles of increasing responsibility throughout his career. As Senior Vice President, he leads a dedicated team of Claims professionals at National Interstate. “I considered Bob a colleague and personal friend, and had the privilege of co-presenting with him on a variety of topics at industry events over the more than 15 years I knew him,” said Mr. Winborn. “I am grateful to have been chosen as the recipient for this award named in honor of Bob.” In presenting the award, Tamara B. Goorevitz Esq., of Franklin & Prokopik, announced, “It was an honor to participate in presenting the Robert T. Franklin Award to Mr. Winborn on behalf of the DRI Trucking Law committee. His leadership and dedication to the trucking industry, his professionalism and his ardent support of his team at National Interstate and the attorneys with whom he works made him deserving of this honor. I am fortunate to know him personally and have witnessed his character and the respect and loyalty he shows to all those with whom he works. These characteristics truly embody the spirit of the Robert T. Franklin Award.” “Steve has been a valued partner to the DRI Trucking Law Committee for nearly two decades, and a stellar defender and protector of the commercial transportation industry for longer than that,” said co-presenter, Jack Laffey of Laffey, Leitner & Goode LLC and current DRI Law Institute Chair. “He has also served as a client to so many of our members in the most respectful, professional and collegial of ways that it is a privilege and an honor to work with him defending our clients/insureds.” “We are proud of Steve’s accomplishments and this coveted award recognizes his work in our industry,” said Tony Mercurio, President & CEO of National Interstate. “Steve brings significant value to our company everyday,” Mr. Mercurio stated. The next Robert T. Franklin Award will be presented at the 2020 DRI Trucking Conference. An Insurance Experience Built Around You National Interstate Insurance Company offers insurance products and services, including alternative risk transfer programs, focused on the transportation industry. We provide insurance solutions that address the unique needs of our customers, which include passenger, moving and storage, and truck transportation companies. National Interstate and its insurance subsidiaries, including Vanliner Insurance Company and Triumphe Casualty Company, are rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. Founded in 1989, we are headquartered in Richfield, Ohio with operations in Kapolei, Hawaii and Fenton, Missouri. National Interstate Insurance is a member of Great American Insurance Group. The members of Great American Insurance Group are subsidiaries of American Financial Group, Inc. (AFG). AFG’s common stock is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFG. About DRI DRI is the leading organization of defense attorneys and in-house counsel. Membership in DRI provides access to resources and tools for attorneys who strive to provide high-quality, balanced and excellent service to their clients and corporations. DRI is host to 29 substantive committees whose focus is to develop ongoing and critical dialogue about areas of practice. DRI provides access to resources and tools to grow your practice – members can search a database of more than 65,000 experts, attend renowned CLE seminars, conferences and webcasts, network with 22,000+ like-minded defense practitioners and more. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005886/en/ CONTACT: National Interstate Insurance Company Amanda Genther,Media Relations, 330-523-5482 amanda.genther@natl.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA ILLINOIS OHIO INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRANSPORT TRUCKING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE INSURANCE LEGAL OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SOURCE: National Interstate Insurance Company Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/30/2018 10:00 AM/DISC: 05/30/2018 10:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005886/en

HOUSTON (AP) — Texans coach Bill O'Brien says he wouldn't have let Tom Savage re-enter Sunday's game after an alarming hit that gave him a concussion and left the quarterback's hands shaking if he had seen the video of the hit. Savage was injured with about nine minutes remaining in the second quarter of Houston's 26-16 loss to San Francisco when he was driven to the ground on a hit by Elvis Dumervil. Replays showed Savage looking dazed after his head hit the ground with both of his arms shaking and lifted upward. He was taken to the medical tent where he stayed for less than three minutes before returning to the bench and going back in for the next series. Savage threw two incompletions on that drive, and Houston's team doctor approached him after he returned to the sideline at the end of that possession. He was then evaluated again and taken to the locker room after it was determined that he did have a concussion. On Monday O'Brien said: "There's no video on the sideline. All there are are tablets. There's no video, there's nothing like that. With benefit of seeing the video ... (and) the care for the player, I would've never let that player back in the game, and I don't believe that (trainer) Geoff Kaplan would've allowed that player back in the game. I don't have benefit of the video. I did not see anything." Also on Monday an NFL spokesman said the league is looking into whether concussion protocol was properly followed after Savage was injured. League spokesman Joe Lockhart said the NFL and the players' association "together will conduct a thorough review of the incident focused on whether the protocol was properly followed, but we're also continuing looking at the protocol to look for ways to improve and strengthen it." ___ AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner contributed to this report. ___ For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

Arsenal paid a club-record fee of 63.75 million euros ($80 million) to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, completing the overhaul of the team's attack that was triggered by Alexis Sanchez's departure to Manchester United. In potentially the most significant move in the Premier League on the final day of the January transfer window, Aubameyang joined Arsenal in a deal that should result in Olivier Giroud leaving the club in the coming hours — reportedly to London rival Chelsea. The 28-year-old Aubameyang will compete with, or maybe complement, offseason signing Alexandre Lacazette up front as Arsenal looks to make up an eight-point deficit to the Champions League qualification positions in the Premier League. Another new face in Arsenal's attack is Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the playmaker who arrived from Manchester United last week as part of the swap deal that took Sanchez to Old Trafford. Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang linked up to great effect when they played together at Dortmund in the 2015-16 season, scoring 62 goals between them in all competitions. Mkhitaryan welcomed Aubameyang in a video message on Arsenal's Twitter feed. In total, Aubameyang scored 98 goals in 144 games for Dortmund in the German league after joining from Saint-Etienne in 2013 and was the top scorer last season with 31. Only eight players from Europe's top five leagues have scored more goals than the Gabon striker since the start of 2014-15 season. Arsenal inadvertently posted a video on its website in the early hours of Wednesday, during which manager Arsene Wenger confirmed the signing of Aubameyang in an in-house interview after the Premier League game against Swansea on Tuesday. The video was quickly taken down. Arsenal lost to Swansea 3-1 in a game that exposed its weakness up front without the explosive Sanchez around. It left Wenger's team in sixth place with 13 matches left. The fee for Aubameyang was identical to that paid by Manchester City for France under-21 international Aymeric Laporte on Tuesday. That was also a club record — but it could be broken a day later if City manages to bring Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez to Etihad Stadium. City has reportedly made its move for English soccer's Player of the Year for the 2015-16 season following an injury to Leroy Sane that has ruled the Germany winger out for up to seven weeks. Another deal that could go through on Wednesday is Tottenham's signing of winger Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain. Moura was pictured arriving in London on Tuesday ahead of a medical examination. ___ More AP Premier League coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/PremierLeague ___ Steve Douglas is at www.twitter.com/sdouglas80

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Cambridge Analytica employee Christopher Wylie has arrived on Capitol Hill, where he is talking to House Democrats about his time with the data mining firm affiliated with President Donald Trump's campaign. Wylie's visit is part of a Democratic attempt to keep congressional focus on Russian meddling in the 2016 election and whether Trump's campaign was involved. He is talking to Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday and Democrats on the House intelligence committee Wednesday. The GOP-led House intelligence panel shut down its Russian meddling probe last month, saying they don't see any evidence of collusion or coordination. Wylie sparked a global debate over electronic privacy in March when he was part of an effort to reveal that Cambridge Analytica had gathered millions of Facebook profiles to influence elections.

NEW YORK (AP) — One reason for the steeliness in Norah O'Donnell's demeanor the morning after the sexual misconduct accusations against former "CBS This Morning" co-anchor Charlie Rose were revealed became apparent on Monday. O'Donnell was working on a six-month investigation into sexual assault at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the first report on what was found aired Monday on "CBS This Morning." CBS said more than a dozen current and former cadets at the Air Force believe their cases had been mishandled and that they faced retaliation. She said that her statement on the morning of Nov. 21 that women cannot achieve full equality in the workplace until there is a reckoning on sexual misconduct was affected by what she learned talking to the Air Force cadets.

BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Today, the NIO House opened at Auto China 2018, giving attendees a first-hand look at how NIO is revolutionizing the user experience. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006711/en/ NIO ES8 interior (6-Seater) (Photo: Business Wire) NIO also unveiled a six-seat version of the NIO ES8, showcased the NIO EP9, the fastest electric car in the world, and unveiled a new variation of its vision car, EVE. EVE’s new variation is inspired by Beijing and features new colors, updated materials and redesigned rims. The six-seater ES8 uses a 2+2+2 seat layout with easier access to the third row. The six-seater ES8 features the same high-performance and intelligent features as the seven-seater ES8. The six-seater ES8 will be available for order this year with deliveries set to begin in the first half of 2019. NIO also showcased seven exterior colors for the NIO ES8. The NIO House at Auto China 2018 is located in Hall E3 of the China International Exhibition Center New Venue and represents NIO’s vision of a premium user experience that goes beyond the car. NIO will also host ten ‘seeds’ talks at NIO House, where NIO Executives, ES8 users and other Nobel Prize laureates will share opinions, ideas and inspiration. All NIO Houses, including the one at Auto China 2018 feature a Forum, an open floorplan with a kitchen, living room and workspaces, a store for users to purchase NIO merchandise and Joy Camp, a children’s play area. The NIO House at Auto China 2018 will be open from April 25 to May 4, 2018. Outside of Auto China 2018, permanent NIO houses have officially opened in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. “We’re creating a new auto show experience for our users with our NIO House,” NIO Founder, Chairman and CEO, William Li, said. “NIO wants people to enjoy owning a car again. Our presence at Auto China and the vehicles, products and services that we deliver this year are another step forward towards realizing our vision.” About NIO: Our mission is to shape a joyful lifestyle for our users by offering smart, premium electric vehicles and providing the best user experience. NIO was founded in November 2014 as a global company, with world-class research and development, design and manufacturing centers in Shanghai, Beijing, San Jose, Munich, London and nine other locations. NIO now has more than 5,000 employees from nearly 40 countries. By the end of 2018, NIO will have city operations and services teams in 169 different cities throughout China. The NIO Formula E Team secured the inaugural Drivers’ Championship title in 2015. In 2016, NIO unveiled the fastest electric car in the world, the EP9. The EP9 set the lap record for an electric vehicle at the Nürburgring Nordschleife and three other world-renowned tracks. In 2017, NIO unveiled its vision car EVE and announced the NIO EP9 set a new world speed record for an autonomous vehicle at the Circuit of the Americas. NIO officially launched the ES8, a seven-seat high performance electric SUV, in December 2017 with deliveries slated to begin in 2018. MORE INFORMATION: www.nio.com Twitter: @NIOGlobal Facebook: @NIOGlobal Instagram: nioglobal LinkedIn: NIO View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006711/en/ CONTACT: for NIO Annie Weckesser Annie.weckesser@nio.io KEYWORD: UNITED STATES ASIA PACIFIC NORTH AMERICA CHINA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: VENTURE CAPITAL MANUFACTURING AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES/FUELS AUTOMOTIVE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OFF-ROAD TRUCKS & SUVS SOURCE: NIO Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 09:30 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 09:30 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006711/en

PLEASANT HOPE, Mo. (AP) — An employee has been seriously injured in an explosion at a pyrotechnics plant in southwest Missouri. KSPR-TV reports that a fire subsequently broke out Tuesday at the AM Pyrotechnics plant in Pleasant Hope, which supplies big fireworks shows. Fire Protection District Fire Chief Jake Agee says there was a report of a loud explosion and by the time firefighters arrived, more explosions had taken place. Firefighters said most of the workers left the building before the fire, but one person remained inside. Agee says the woman was removed from the building with serious injuries and flown to a hospital. Agee says several fire departments responded to the blaze and that the cause of the explosion is under investigation.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--ExxonMobil has introduced Achieve™ advanced PP, featuring new products that offer a significant step beyond traditional PP performance. Built on technology innovations, these products allow customers to challenge reality. Now customers can rethink what is possible in a range of applications, including: automotive parts, rigid packaging, nonwovens, and appliances. The performance of Achieve advanced PP combined with value chain collaboration enables customers to unlock new business opportunities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005232/en/ Amazingly eye-catching appliances using Achieve(TM) advanced PP - with superior gloss and stiffness compared to standard ICP, Achieve advanced PP allows brand owners to economically produce appearance parts for appliances. (Photo: Business Wire) Achieve advanced PP eliminates trade-offs associated with conventional polymers. For example, improving the stiffness and toughness balance in automotive applications is possible; in rigid packaging, stiffness and processing efficiency can now be increased together; and, in appliance parts, high gloss can be attained economically. “Achieve advanced PP specifically addresses our customers’ desire for innovation and growth. Through collaboration and our combined expertise, these advanced PP solutions can unlock new business opportunities,” said Cindy Shulman, ExxonMobil Vice President of Plastics and Resins. “Our Achieve advanced PP launch further demonstrates our commitment to the industry, complementing our recently announced plans for a PP investment on the U.S. Gulf Coast.” Delivering extraordinarily tough automotive parts, this advanced PP is inspiring compounders and auto makers to challenge reality. With 35 percent higher impact versus standard impact copolymers, Achieve advanced PP enables tougher, lighter vehicle components that are durable and safe. Plastomer loading can be reduced by up to 50 percent for cost saving opportunities. Enabling remarkably rigid containers, cups and tubs for the retail and food service industry, Achieve advanced PP is encouraging manufacturers to challenge reality. Exploiting high melt strength, designers can deliver stiffer packaging and gain economic benefit from excellent processing. Opportunities exist to downgauge wall thickness by up to 15 percent and increase line speeds by 7 percent for higher output. Packaging made with Achieve advanced PP is microwaveable, reusable and is widely recyclable. Achieve advanced PP sets the benchmark for tremendously comfortablenonwovens. It allows brand owners to challenge reality by providing outstanding barrier properties and up to 15 percent higher fabric strength that can be tailored to meet the needs of diapers, wipes, adult incontinence, and feminine care products. Delivering amazingly eye-catching appliances, this widely recyclable advanced PP is ideal for upgrading standard impact copolymer solutions or replacing over-engineered ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). Achieve advanced PP helps brand owners challenge reality because parts with 20 percent higher gloss than standard PP can now be economically produced. “Achieve advanced PP is motivating brand owners and manufacturers to rethink what is possible with PP,” said Shulman. “Using this advanced PP eliminates trade-offs in performance, processing and end-of-life handling.” Customers can use Achieve advanced PP to challenge reality and unlock new opportunities, while being supported by the ExxonMobil brand values of global reliability, product consistency and technical support that are critical for business growth. About ExxonMobil Chemical ExxonMobil Chemical is one of the largest chemical companies in the world. The company holds leadership positions in some of the largest-volume and highest-growth commodity chemical products. ExxonMobil Chemical has manufacturing capacity in every major region of the world, serving large and growing markets. More than 90 percent of the company’s chemical capacity is integrated with ExxonMobil refineries or natural gas processing plants. To learn more, visit www.exxonmobilchemical.com. Note to Editors: The terms, “we,” “our,” "ExxonMobil Chemical," or "ExxonMobil" are used for convenience, and may include any one or more of ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, or any affiliates they directly or indirectly steward. The ExxonMobil Logo, the Interlocking X Device, ExxonMobil, and Achieve are trademarks of ExxonMobil. The specific data provided herein are based on the laboratory test results, and will vary depending on the different operating conditions. Download images from ExxonMobil Chemical Newsroom at View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005232/en/ CONTACT: ExxonMobil Chemical US Media Line: +1 832 625 4000 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA TEXAS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MANUFACTURING AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING CHEMICALS/PLASTICS ENGINEERING PACKAGING OTHER MANUFACTURING AUTOMOTIVE GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE SOURCE: ExxonMobil Chemical Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 05:30 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 05:30 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005232/en

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Several South Korean skiers are heading to North Korea to train with its athletes in a conciliatory gesture the countries planned to mark the Winter Olympics in the South. The chartered flight carrying about 20 athletes is heading to North Korea's Kalma Airport before the skiers head for Masik ski resort. The skiers are reserve members of South Korea's national team and won't be participating in the Pyeongchang Games that start Feb. 9. Seoul officials say the South Korean athletes will fly back Thursday accompanied by North Korean alpine and cross-country skiers who will compete in the Olympics. South Korea is preparing to host hundreds of North Koreans during the Games in which it sees as an opportunity to resume meaningful communication with its rival.

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are striking a different note with the music for their upcoming wedding, mixing gospel with choral works as the soundtrack for what they pledge will be a joyful occasion. Kensington Palace said Tuesday that Harry and his American fiancee "have taken a great deal of interest and care" in selecting the wedding music. The palace says there will be performances by the St George's Chapel choir and Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir, a gospel group from southeast England. The performers include 19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who says he was "bowled over" when Markle called to ask him to play during the ceremony. The couple has revealed details of their May 19 upcoming wedding over several weeks, with more to come. ___ For complete royal wedding coverage, visit https://apnews.com/tag/Royalweddings

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--With their co-counsel, Keller Rohrback L.L.P. commenced litigation on April 20, 2018, against Ford Motor Company, Robert Bosch GmbH, and certain subsidiaries and executives over an alleged conspiracy to evade emissions testing in 2011-2018 F-250, F-350, and F-450 Super Duty trucks equipped with 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel engines. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006376/en/ Keller Rohrback L.L.P. filed a lawsuit against Motor Company and Robert Bosch GmbH on April 20, 2018. (Photo: Business Wire) Testing indicates that Ford and Bosch are complicit in the marketing and sale of trucks that are spewing excessive levels of harmful pollution into the atmosphere, Keller Rohrback alleges. Over 500,000 of Ford’s best-selling F-Series trucks may be affected. Owners and lessees of these vehicles have been misled by Ford’s failure to disclose that these trucks could only achieve advertised fuel efficiency and performance by cheating emissions tests, according to the lawsuit. The suit claims Ford failed to tell regulators and consumers that the Power Stroke engines’ emissions system does not operate in accordance with emissions standards at all times and was programmed to allow the engine to pollute at much higher levels in certain normal driving conditions. Lynn Sarko, the managing partner of Keller Rohrback L.L.P., a leading consumer protection firm, has been appointed by federal courts to leadership roles in multidistrict litigation against Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler over emissions cheating in diesel cars and trucks. Since then, hundreds of concerned consumers from around the country have contacted Keller Rohrback to find out what they can do to help ensure that Ford and Bosch are held responsible for their conduct by compensating consumers and fixing polluting trucks. If you, a friend, or a family member owns or leases any of the affected vehicles described above, please contact attorneys Gretchen Freeman Cappio or Ryan McDevitt by phone at 866.560.4043 or via email at Cars@kellerrohrback.com to discuss our investigation and your potential claims against Ford and Bosch. About Keller Rohrback L.L.P. Keller Rohrback L.L.P., with offices in Seattle, Oakland, Phoenix, New York, Montana, and Santa Barbara, serves as lead and co-lead counsel in class actions throughout the country. Our Complex Litigation Group is proud to offer its expertise to clients nationwide, and our trial lawyers have obtained judgments and settlements in excess of $23.25 billion. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006376/en/ CONTACT: Keller Rohrback L.L.P. Gretchen Freeman Cappio or Ryan McDevitt, 866-560-4043 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 3200 Seattle, WA 98101 cars@kellerrohrback.com www.krcomplexlit.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA WASHINGTON INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LEGAL SOURCE: Keller Rohrback L.L.P. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 03:37 PM/DISC: 04/23/2018 03:37 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006376/en

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX had a royal audience as it launched a satellite for Luxembourg. The Falcon 9 rocket blasted off late Wednesday afternoon from Cape Canaveral, Florida, hoisting GovSat-1 for the government of Luxembourg and SES, the country's prime satellite operator, SES. The satellite will support both military and civilian security efforts. Witnessing the launch were Luxembourg's Prince Guillaume and his wife, Stephanie. The country's prime minister, Xavier Bettel, and other high-ranking officials also were present. The rocket's first-stage booster — which also flew last spring — was not recovered this time. Instead, it dropped into the Atlantic. With GovSat-1 now in orbit, SpaceX can focus on next week's debut of its new, big Falcon Heavy rocket. The test flight is scheduled for Tuesday.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is cautioning bishops to avoid politicking, business and high society. Francis elevated to bishops' rank three priests during a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica on Monday evening. He said bishops should "abandon the temptation to become princes," and that they are tasked "more with serving than dominating." He told them to be available to priests in their jurisdiction "the same day, or at most, the next day" after being sought. Francis told the three they were chosen "not for business, not for high society, not for politics." In his five years as pope, Francis has insisted clerics must serve the rank-and-file and avoid seeking glory. The new bishops are: Monsignors Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag from Pelplin diocese, Poland; Alfred Xuereb, Gozo diocese, Malta; and Jose Avelino Bettencourt, Ottawa archdiocese in Canada.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The government has told Taiwan Power Corporation to complete the removal of 100,000 barrels of nuclear waste from Orchid Island within the next nine years, reports said Wednesday. The small island off the coast of Taitung County in the southeast is populated mostly by indigenous people, while the country’s environmental movement has for years demanded a solution from the government and from Taipower. The Cabinet-level Atomic Energy Council (AEC) reportedly agreed to separate the issues of the removal from Orchid Island and the search for a new location. The barrels from the island will first be transported either to the Third Nuclear Plant in Pingtung County or to the Longtan Institute of Nuclear Energy Research in Taoyuan City, reports said. The preparations for the move by sea would take five years, the move itself four years, according to the timetable designed by Taipower. As to the eventual end destination for nuclear waste from Taiwan’s three operating nuclear plants, the AEC reportedly told Taipower not to limit the possibilities to remote uninhabited islands or isolated areas, but to take all of Taiwan into consideration. The utility should change the past practice of only looking at relatively socially vulnerable areas, the AEC reportedly said. The selection process needed to include close cooperation and consultation with the local authorities and population, the Cabinet body said. Following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami which caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, Taiwan’s own environmentalist movement gained force, leading to the government shelving plans to build a fourth nuclear plant. The new government of President Tsai Ing-wen, which came to power last May, has promised to turn Taiwan into a nuclear-free country by 2025.

BC-BBA--Top Ten BASEBALL'S TOP TEN By The Associated Press AMERICAN LEAGUE G AB R H Pct. Betts Bos 48 184 52 66 .359 Brantley Cle 44 181 30 62 .343 Simmons LAA 53 197 32 66 .335 Altuve Hou 57 233 33 78 .335 Segura Sea 51 218 37 72 .330 MMachado Bal 56 219 30 71 .324 JMartinez Bos 53 205 36 66 .322 Castellanos Det 51 204 28 65 .319 MDuffy TB 39 156 10 49 .314 Ramos TB 42 159 16 49 .308 Home Runs Trout, Los Angeles, 18; JMartinez, Boston, 18; JoRamirez, Cleveland, 17; Betts, Boston, 17; MMachado, Baltimore, 16; Gallo, Texas, 15; Judge, New York, 15; KDavis, Oakland, 13; Encarnacion, Cleveland, 13; 4 tied at 12. Runs Batted In JMartinez, Boston, 47; MMachado, Baltimore, 45; JoRamirez, Cleveland, 40; Judge, New York, 40; Lowrie, Oakland, 39; Haniger, Seattle, 39; KDavis, Oakland, 38; Benintendi, Boston, 38; Betts, Boston, 37; 2 tied at 36. Pitching Severino, New York, 8-1; Kluber, Cleveland, 8-2; Morton, Houston, 7-0; Porcello, Boston, 7-2; Verlander, Houston, 7-2; Happ, Toronto, 7-3; Snell, Tampa Bay, 7-3; Rodriguez, Boston, 6-1; Tanaka, New York, 6-2; 2 tied at 6-3.

PARIS (AP) — A group of French men — including doctors, lawmakers, a judge and a surfing champion — is speaking out against sexual harassment and violence, and calling on other men to join the cause. In an essay published Tuesday in Le Monde, scores of men say "all of us have benefited" from sexism in public life, and "we have perpetuated these inequalities." Insisting that "not all men are stalkers, aggressors or rapists," they urge men to rethink their relations with women, show more respect and publicly support victims of abuse. The men praised efforts to expose systemic sexual misconduct since revelations stemming from Hollywood last year, and denounced critics who say the #metoo movement has gone too far and demonizes men. France has had a mixed reaction to the movement.

OKUMA, Japan (AP) — The final pieces of a jelly roll-shaped cover are being put in place atop Fukushima's most damaged nuclear reactor. Huge cranes have been installed to begin removing 566 sets of still-radioactive fuel rods from a storage pool later this year. It's taken seven years just to get this far, the first concrete step toward dismantling the Tokyo Electric Power Co. nuclear plant, damaged in an earthquake and tsunami. Cleaning up the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant is a monumental task expected to take three to four decades. Taking out the stored fuel rods is only a preliminary step. Ahead lies the uncharted challenge of removing an estimated 800 tons of melted fuel and debris, six times the amount from the 1979 Three Mile Island accident.

PHOENIX (AP) — As some cities reaffirm support for sanctuary policies that protect immigrants, Phoenix finds itself in an unusual position to push back against any immigration actions by the new White House. The Phoenix City Council on Wednesday will discuss a petition to adopt the sanctuary label, following the lead of Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and others in a city with one of the nation's largest populations of immigrants in the country illegally. But the effort is complicated by the fact that Arizona's landmark 2010 immigration law, known as SB1070, bars any Arizona city from becoming a sanctuary. The Phoenix metro area is home to about 250,000 immigrants in the country illegally, according to a report last week from the Pew Research Center. The report is based on data from 2014. New York, Los Angeles and Houston have the highest number of immigrants who lack legal status. Cities are doubling down on sanctuary policies in light of an order by President Donald Trump requiring immigration authorities to arrest and deport more people. The city policies vary but essentially bar local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Phoenix has a Democratic, immigrant-friendly mayor who has denounced Trump, but his hands are tied because of SB1070. The law requires local police to question the immigration status of people suspected of being in the country illegally while enforcing other laws or in the course of an investigation. Most of the law was gutted by the courts, but city leaders say the surviving sections prevent local government agencies from restricting the enforcement of federal immigration law. Still, pressure has mounted on Mayor Greg Stanton from immigrant advocacy groups who want the city to adopt sanctuary policies and from police and Republican leaders who oppose the measure. City attorney Brad Holm says in a letter to the city manager that the petition for sanctuary status is "legally impermissible." "It demands that the council break state law. If the petition were adopted, a court could fine the city for breaking the law, and the attorney general could seek forfeiture of state-shared revenue," Holm wrote. Stanton last week blasted the Trump administration over the deportation of 35-year-old Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, a Phoenix-area woman who until now had been granted leniency by Obama policies that aimed to protect immigrants without violent pasts and who have ties to the community. Garcia de Rayos was arrested in Phoenix during a routine check-in with U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement and was deported the next day to Nogales, Mexico. "Rather than tracking down violent criminals and drug dealers, ICE is spending its energy deporting a woman with two American children who has lived here for more than two decades and poses a threat to nobody," Stanton wrote on Twitter. Stanton denounced Garcia de Rayos' deportation, but immigration activists called on him to use his power and not just his voice. "If there was ever a time when we need your courage and we need you to stand up and we need you to put actions behind saying that Phoenix PD is not gonna become a mass deportation machine, it's now," said Francisca Porchas, of Puente Arizona, an immigrant rights group. "This is when we need Mayor Stanton, the city council, the state, everybody who is of conscience to stand up and defy this racist law."

ERIN, Wis. (AP) — Dustin Johnson has been in complete control of his golf game during his rise to No. 1. But at home? Paulina Gretzky calls the shots, especially when it comes to naming their children. Johnson revealed Monday that their second child, another boy, was named River Jones Johnson. Asked where the name River came from, he said, "Mama." The middle name was easy to explain. Jones is the maiden name of Gretzky's mother (Janet Jones), and the last name of Johnson's late grandmother (Carole Jones), his biggest influence during his teenage years. But back to River. What was Paulina thinking? "I can't think how she thinks, that's for sure," Johnson said. "I don't know where she got it. I tried to ask. She said, 'I don't know, I just like the name.'" They plan on calling him Riv, which is how several people refer to Riviera. That's where Johnson won big this year at the Genesis Open to reach No. 1 in the world and start his three-tournament winning streak. So maybe there's something to that. "That was how she got started was from Riviera," Johnson said. "But I didn't come up with that on my own." ___ WHAT WILL PHIL DO NEXT?: Bad news for Phil Mickelson without even being at Erin Hills: The forecast calls for a reasonable chance of storms for all but one day this week — Thursday, when he'll be in California for his daughter's high school graduation. Mickelson has yet to withdraw, saying he will need a four-hour delay in the first round of the U.S. Open to have any chance of flying to Wisconsin (more than three hours in the air) and getting to the first tee. He is to play at 2:20 p.m. in Wisconsin. Graduation is noon (Wisconsin time). At least his caddie, Jim "Bones" Mackay, made it to Erin Hills to scout the course on the rare chance of Mickelson making it to the U.S. Open. Mackay thinks Erin Hills is perfect for Mickelson, mainly because of wide fairways and the need for a great short game. "He wants it, obviously, as badly as he wants anything else," Mackay told Fox Sports. "So it would be a really cool thing if it worked out for him tomorrow. Knowing Phil and knowing how much he wants to play, it wouldn't surprise me if he left if rain wasn't in the forecast. You never know out here with this kind of humidity. Storms can roll up unexpectedly. "I'm leaving him alone, but it wouldn't surprise me if he left, flew a little bit and then if the guys tee off at 2:20, turn around and go home." ___ RING THE BELL: In a sunken patch of rough, just beyond the seventh tee box at Erin Hills, stands a rusted-out bell with the clapper removed. When Erin Hills was first built, the bell stood near the green on what was then a blind par-3. Since the putting surface was not in sight from the tee box, players had to ring the bell to let the next group know the green was clear. A white rock behind the green was positioned every day to indicate the aiming point for the day's pin position. The hole was nicknamed the "Dell Hole," after a similar hole at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland. But during one of the course redesigns, then-owner Bob Lang ordered the area in front of the green bulldozed to make room for a new set of tees, and what had been the eighth hole was lengthened and turned into the new par-5 seventh. "It was a unique hole," said Steve Stricker, the Wisconsin native who was invited to play Erin Hills in the early days. In the end, he agreed with Lang, who felt the USGA would never bring a U.S. Open to a course with a blind par-3. Fortunate, then, that Erin Hills was originally built with 19 holes. What is now the par-3 ninth used to be called the "Bye Hole" — playable but didn't count on the scorecard. Stricker said he always thought that was the better of those par-3s. "So I don't know if that stuck with them or they thought the same thing," he said. "But I wasn't a big fan of the blind par-3." ___ SLOGAN TWEAK: For years, the U.S. Open has been referred to as the "toughest test in golf." So it was interesting to hear USGA executive director Mike Davis refer to it on more than one occasion as the "ultimate test in golf." That was a conscious decision. "We really got branded as the toughest test not by ourselves but by others," Davis said. "It's not necessarily bad. And we're not shunning the fact that it is a tough test. We get to the Women's Open it's going to be a tough test. There's history, well over a century of history of that with the USGA. But I will tell you when we sit and talk as a group and we're setting a golf course up, we are never — never — talking about, 'We have to have even par win' or 'We have to make this as tough as possible." He said the choice of "ultimate test" is a goal to test every skill. The toughest test? Davis said the USGA could make it any U.S. Open as tough as it wanted, as could any other organization that runs big tournaments. The PGA Tour made The Players Championship plenty tough when it rolled the greens twice last year in the third round, when 60 of 76 players made a double bogey or worse and there were 149 three-putts in one round. That's why Davis prefers "ultimate." "You're hearing us talk more about that simply because ... we're not just trying to make that the toughest test," he said. ___ HONORARY STARTER: It was a big deal for Bob Ford to get the Bob Jones Award, the USGA's highest honor. It got even better when he was asked to be the honorary starter at the U.S. Open for as long as he wants the job. Ford retired last year as the head professional at Oakmont, which has hosted the U.S. Open a record nine times. He still works the winter months as the head pro at Seminole in south Florida. "Very cool," Ford said Wednesday. "It's an incredible privilege and honor that I've been asked to do that. And as President (Diana) Murphy said last night, I can do it as long as I want to, and that's very cool. It will bring a little stability and continuity to the position." Ford said he went through his own version of a practice round, especially making sure he pronounces the names correctly. The first player to tee off on No. 1 Thursday is Jordan Niebrugge (KNEE-brew-ghee). ___ National Writer Eddie Pells contributed to this report.

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018--Biovation Labs today announced that Ashantai Yungai has joined the natural products and supplement contract manufacturer as the new Quality and Compliance Manager. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005159/en/ Contract manufacturer Biovation Labs has named Ashantai Yungai as its new Quality and Compliance Manager. “Quality and compliance are at the heart of our operations and, in fact, our entire business model,” said Justin Bath, President of Biovation Labs. “Ashantai has a deep background in helping ensure process, people and equipment are all aligned to meet the stringent demands we face from regulators, clients, consumers and our own high standards of quality. As a contract manufacturer, quality is paramount, and Ashantai is highly qualified to bring continual improvement and excellence at every stage of the supplement manufacturing process.” Yungai’s background is in chemistry. Prior to Biovation Labs, he was a synthetic organic chemist at Myriad Pharmaceuticals, which then became Myrexis Pharmaceuticals. He worked on creating drugs in hopes of alleviating diseases disorders such as Alzheimer’s, HIV and cancer. His chemistry background has also been utilized in analytical testing, running tests such auto titration and loss on drying (LOD), and LC instrumentation at companies such as Reckitt Benckiser (RB) and Teva Pharmaceuticals. While at Teva, he transitioned into quality assurance in 2016. He began specializing in quality assurance and documentation accuracy and quality. Working as peer review he was responsible for compiling research and data, and ensuring accuracy and completeness for legal and regulatory compliance. Yungai received his Bachelor of Science degree from Dillard University in New Orleans. He received his Master of Science degree from the University of Utah. “Biovation Labs is setting new standards of innovation and quality in the nutraceutical and supplement contract manufacturing space,” Yungai said. “As the Quality and Compliance Manager, I look forward to sustaining this standard of excellence, and serving the wide variety of clientele that turn to Biovation Labs to rapidly and accurately meet their manufacturing needs.” About Biovation Labs Biovation Labs is a nationally leading, cutting edge contract manufacturing, formulation, private label and supplier company within the $141 billion Natural Products industry. It works within the life science space, manufacturing products for supplement and nutraceutical companies worldwide. In January 2018, the company moved into its new 104,000 square-foot corporate headquarters, which houses a state-of-the-art, high capacity manufacturing facility, serving the needs of both large and early-stage companies. Biovation Labs is a cGMP certified, NSF and FDA registered manufacturing facility. For more information visit www.biovationlabs.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005159/en/ CONTACT: Springboard5 Tim Rush, 801-208-1100 tim.rush@springboard5.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA UTAH INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HEALTH ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE FITNESS & NUTRITION PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING OTHER MANUFACTURING NATURAL RESOURCES AGRICULTURE GENERAL HEALTH SOURCE: Biovation Labs Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/30/2018 10:00 AM/DISC: 05/30/2018 10:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530005159/en

PARIS (AP) — Floodwaters peaked in Paris on Monday and were threatening towns downstream as the rain-engorged Seine River winds through Normandy toward the English Channel. Rivers swollen by France's heaviest rains in 50 years have engulfed romantic quays in Paris, swallowed up gardens and roads, halted riverboat cruises — and raised concerns about climate change. The Meteo France weather service said January has seen nearly double normal rainfall nationwide, and the rains in the past two months are the highest measured for the period in 50 years. "I'm amazed. I've come to Paris since 1965, most years, and I've never seen the Seine as high," said Terry Friberg, visiting from Boston. "I love Paris with all my heart but I'm very worried about the level of the river." Flood monitoring agency Vigicrues said the water levels in Paris hit a maximum height of 5.84 meters (19 feet, 2 inches) on the Austerlitz scale early Monday. That's below initial fears last week, and well below record levels of 8.62 meters in 1910, but still several meters above normal levels of about 1.5 meters on the Austerlitz scale. And the waters are expected to stay unusually high for days or weeks. That's bad news for tourists hoping to cruise past Paris sites on the famed "bateaux mouches" riverboats, or visit the bottom floor of the Louvre Museum, closed since last week as a precaution. Riverside train stations along the line that serves Versailles are also closed, and will remain that way for several more days. Water laps the underside of historic bridges, and treetops and lampposts poke out of the brown, swirling Seine. South African tourist Michael Jelatis, visiting Notre Dame Cathedral on an island in central Paris, was among many people linking the floods to global warming, blamed for increasing instances of extreme weather. "Around the world we're all aware that things like this, unusual weather, are happening. I mean back home we are in a serious drought at the moment as well," he told The Associated Press. Overall, Paris is better prepared than when it was last hit by heavy flooding in 2016, and Parisians have largely taken disruptions in stride this time. Other towns on the surging Seine have seen it much worse. The floods have caused damage in 242 towns along the river and tributaries already and more warnings are in place as the high waters move downstream. In Lagny-sur-Marne south of Paris, Serge Pinon now has to walk on a makeshift footbridge to reach his home and its flooded surroundings. His basement is submerged in water, as are the plants he was trying to grow in a backyard greenhouse tent. He lost a freezer, a refrigerator, a washing machine and dryer to flood waters. "We're up to the maximum, maximum and now we're just waiting for it to go down," he said. "This year the flood has risen more rapidly than usual. Here it usually rises in a regular fashion and we have the time to see it coming we can save things. But this time it rose too quickly." Elsewhere in the town, street signs stick out of the water and a lonely boat floats in the Marne River, once accessible from the riverbank but now unreachable on foot. Mayor Jean-Paul Michel said that residents are used to seasonal floods, but this one is exceptionally long-lasting, now in its third week. "So it goes on and on, and we think it's going to carry on for (another) long week before the flood starts subsiding," he said. ___ AP journalist Angela Charlton contributed to this report.

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO's chief says the military alliance would be concerned if reports that Russia has violated a Cold War-era treaty by deploying a cruise missile prove true. U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that the missile became operational late last year, possibly violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty on the development and testing of cruise missiles. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that "compliance with arms control agreements is of great importance and especially when it comes to treaties covering nuclear weapons." He said that "any non-compliance of Russia with the INF Treaty would be a serious concern for the alliance." His remarks in Brussels came before chairing the first meeting of NATO defense ministers with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

PARIS (AP) — It is a dream come true for U.S.-based climate scientists — the offer of all-expenses-paid life in France to advance their research in Europe instead of in the United States under climate skeptic President Donald Trump, two of the winners say. American scientist Camille Parmesan and British scientist Benjamin Sanderson are among the 18 initial winners, including 13 based in the U.S., who were named recipients of French President Emmanuel Macron's "Make Our Planet Great Again" climate grants. Macron congratulated the winners during a brief ceremony in Paris on Monday evening, ahead of a climate summit that gathers more than 50 world leaders in the French capital Tuesday. In an interview with The Associated Press, Parmesan expressed elation at the prospect of spending the next five years doing her research in France instead of the United States. A scientist from the University of Texas at Austin, she is a leader in the field on how climate affects wildlife. She lived for a few years in the United Kingdom for family reasons and was considering returning to the U.S. until Trump's election. "He very, very rapidly has been actively trying to erode science in the U.S.A. and in particular climate science," she said. "And it's hard for two reasons: Funding is becoming almost impossible, and in a psychological sense." Parmesan answered with enthusiasm Macron's appeal for climate researchers to come work in France, minutes after Trump's rejection of the Paris climate accord. "It gave me such a psychological boost, it was so good to have that kind of support, to have the head of state saying I value what you do," she said. Parmesan, who said she is looking forward to improving her French, will be working at an experimental ecology station in the Pyrenees mountains. Sanderson, who also worked in the U.S., told the AP that he found it "very reassuring" that France is "openly encouraging climate research." He said his application was motivated by "the fact that France is making a stand on prioritizing climate change research, but also it's increasingly hard to get research funding in the U.S." Sanderson used to work at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, on risks and uncertainties under climate change. For the next few years, he will be living in Toulouse, in southern France, where the country's national meteorological service is based.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Once he'd become the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles, the questions to Roger Federer shifted to another major milestone. The record for most major singles titles is 24, set by Margaret Court across the amateur and professional eras. Serena Williams set the Open era record last year when she beat her sister Venus in the Australian Open final for her 23rd major title. That win 12 months ago — Serena Williams' last before taking time out for her pregnancy and the birth last September of her daughter — coincided with Federer's drought-breaking triumph at Melbourne Park. Federer's win over Rafael Nadal in the 2017 final ended a Grand Slam drought dating back to Wimbledon in 2012. He followed that up by winning the Wimbledon title and finished last year at No. 2. Now that he has successfully defended a Grand Slam title for the first time in almost a decade — he won the U.S. Open five consecutive years from 2004 to 2008 (equaling his longest streak of five Wimbledon titles from 2003-7) — people are speculating about his chances of matching Court's record. "I didn't think 20 was ever possible, to be honest. But, no, I think it's too far," Federer said. "Those numbers are surreal. They're amazing. I'm very happy if it stays at 20. What a moment." Federer didn't hide his emotion after beating sixth-seeded Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena on Sunday night, shedding tears as he accepted the trophy. Even the great Laver, sitting in the crowd, was compelled to get a photo of it for posterity. At the age of 36 years, 173 days, Federer became the second-oldest man to win a Grand Slam singles title in the Open era after Ken Rosewall, who won the 1972 Australian Open at 37. The father-of-four said careful planning and staying injury-free could keep him in contention at the big tournaments. "I've won three Slams now in 12 months. I can't believe it myself," Federer said. "I've just got to keep a good schedule, stay hungry, then maybe good things can happen." Here's what else we learned at the Australian Open: — Marin's moment: Cilic moved up to No. 3 in the rankings with his run to the final, which included a victory over Nadal in the quarterfinals. It was his second final in the last three majors and he's growing in confidence that he can add another Grand Slam title to his 2014 U.S. Open breakthrough. — Wozniacki's win: Caroline Wozniacki is finally a Grand Slam champion, holding off top-seeded Simona Halep in three tough sets. She was seeded No. 2 and playing her 43rd major, and the victory lifted her to No. 1 in the rankings for the first time in six years. Wozniacki said she was most pleased she won't ever have to answer any more questions about what it's like to have held the top ranking without winning a major. — Halep's heart: The 26 year-old Romanian was playing her first major as the top seed, had to save match points in the third round and in the semifinals and spent more time on the courts at Melbourne Park than any other woman in the tournament. In the end, she had to settle for a third Grand Slam final loss. But it was her first away from Roland Garros, and should increase her resolve. She'd made first-round exits in the two previous years at the Australian Open. — Tough at the top: Wozniacki was the fourth different major winner on the women's side since Serena Williams last played, and three of them (Wozniacki, Jelena Ostapenko at the French and Sloane Stephens at the U.S. Open) were first-time Grand Slam champions. Five women held the top ranking in 2017, and already there's been a change at the top this year. N.B. Serena Williams has already announced her comeback. — Moving up the ranks: Among the notable movers were Angelique Kerber, the former No. 1 and a two-time major winner, returning to the top 10 after her run to the semifinals. Elise Mertens moved from No. 37 to No. 20 after making the semifinals on debut at the Australian Open. — Missing men: Between them, Federer and Rafael Nadal have won the last five majors, with injuries sidelining some other stars of the game. Six-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic returned here from six months out with a right elbow injury but was stunned by Hyeon Chung. Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, went out early after struggling with his injured left knee. Five-time finalist Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori didn't contest the season-opening major. Nadal, who retired in the fifth set of his quarterfinal against Cilic because of hip muscle problem, said tour organizers need to pay attention to the injury toll and investigate what is causing it. — Chung's charge: The 21-year-old Chung became the first Korean to reach the semifinals at a major, and certainly got plenty of attention. Winner of the ATP Next Gen Finals last November, he took out fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev and Djokovic but his "blisters on blisters on blisters" forced him to retire in the second set of his semifinal against Federer. He'll learn from the experience. — And now for the weather: If tennis fans and pundits didn't know what the WBGT reading is, they should now. That's the combined measure of heat, humidity and breeze that dictates whether the Australian Open heat policy is enacted or not. Tournament referee Wayne McEwen has the option of closing the roof and suspending play on outside courts when the temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) reaches 32.5C (90.5F). He used his discretion to shut the roof on the last day, making the men's final indoors. Tennis Australia said the WBGT reading didn't reach the threshold on any previous day of the tournament.

CAIRO (AP) — When the sole candidate running against Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi held a rally in downtown Cairo recently, all of 30 people showed up. And that wasn't even the biggest sign of the hollowness of his campaign. Even more telling was one of the chants by the supporters of Moussa Mustafa Moussa, a virtually unknown politician who surfaced just so el-Sissi wouldn't run alone. It was hardly a resolute victory cry. "Whether Moussa wins or el-Sissi wins, either is our president!" they shouted. There is no question the general-turned-president el-Sissi will win a second four-year term. But the March 26-28 election will likely be remembered as the event that signaled Egypt's break with the little pretense it had left of democratic rule, seven years after a popular uprising toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in the name of democracy. The election was preceded by a purge of would-be opposing candidates, unprecedented even under Mubarak's nearly 30-year rule. Authorities also clamped down on the media, even egging the public to report anyone they feel is depicting Egypt in a bad light. The question raised by many observers is why such extreme measures were taken to ensure a vote el-Sissi would probably win anyway. El-Sissi seems convinced a genuinely contested election could destabilize the country, allow Islamists a back door into politics or interfere with his drive to revive the battered economy. El-Sissi was first elected in a 2014 landslide after, as army chief, he led the military's ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. He kept much of that popularity while ferociously cracking down on Islamists and secular dissenters. He has insisted stability must take priority over freedoms as he carried out large-scale infrastructure projects and painful austerity reforms. With those reforms, el-Sissi has succeeded in bringing some life back to the economy, though at the cost of inflation. El-Sissi has also made a name for himself on the international stage as a champion against Islamic militancy. After the election, el-Sissi and his supporters will very likely attempt to get rid of the constitution's two term limit on the presidency, said Paul Salem, a senior Middle East expert from the Washington-based Middle East Institute. "It might be the view of el-Sissi and his administration that this is needed for stability for economic and security reasons," Salem told The Associated Press. "My own personal view is that this buys stability for the short term but makes any transfer of power which has to happen sooner or later much more difficult." El-Sissi hasn't bothered to campaign in person. Instead, the streets of Cairo and other cities have been swamped in a tidal wave of billboards, banners and posters with his image declaring: "He is the hope." A decent turnout is the one thing left to give the election a measure of respectability. El-Sissi's supporters have organized rallies urging the public to vote. Pro-government media proclaim that voting is a religious duty and failing to do so is "high treason." Moussa's supporters chanted at his rally that would-be boycotters are traitors and cowards. Imad Hussein, the pro-el-Sissi editor of Al-Shorouk newspaper, criticized the handling of the election, not because the field was engineered but because it wasn't done smoothly. "We, of course, hoped to have a genuinely contested election," he wrote last month. "But since we don't have that, the government was supposed to at least prepare the stage to make it look democratic." The methodical elimination of opponents suggested el-Sissi felt a vulnerability, particularly to a candidate rooted in the military who could exploit possible cracks in his popularity, whether over pain from economic reforms, resentment over crackdowns or frustration over continued militant violence. Several candidates dropped out citing intimidation and harassment. But the harshest treatment was dealt out to two former generals: former military chief of staff Maj. Gen. Sami Annan and former air force general Ahmed Shafiq, who came a close second in the 2012 presidential election. The 70-year-old Annan was arrested three days after he announced his candidacy in January and is still in a military prison. One of his top aides, Hisham Genena, was beat up by thugs and later arrested as well. Even before his arrest, Annan was under surveillance for months and was directly advised to not to run, said senior security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. "He was fully aware of the consequences ... The warnings were crystal clear," one official said. Shafiq was living in the United Arab Emirates when, in November, he announced plans to run. The Emiratis promptly deported him to Egypt, where he was immediately detained in a hotel. For days, security officials berated him to drop out of the race as pro-government media launched a campaign to discredit him, warning of corruption cases and exposure of alleged sexual indiscretions. Shafiq buckled, announcing his withdrawal on Jan. 7. He remained effectively under house arrest, the officials said. Annan and Shafiq would have offered an alternative for voters seeking change but wary of parting company with the military. But more worrisome, their candidacies fueled speculation about possible fissures within the military, which prides itself on iron-clad unity and secrecy. It is not known whether their bids to run against el-Sissi had any support among senior officers. But other developments have raised question marks, such as unexplained dismissals in past months of the military's chief of staff and the head of the General Intelligence Directorate, Egypt's version of the CIA, who also hails from the military. Government-controlled media have briefly mentioned conflicts among security and intelligence agencies, and there have been unconfirmed reports of top generals being sidelined. "The regime is super sensitive," said Michael W. Hanna, an Egypt expert from New York's Century Foundation, "but it may also be facing internal tensions and rivalries that are seeping out into the public domain."

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said on Wednesday that any new name proposed for his country would be put to a public referendum. His comment came as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Greece appeared to be nearing agreement on a name-change for Athens' northern neighbor. "We agree on the foundations and principles of the accord," Zaev told journalists. He said more details would be disclosed after a phone call with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday evening or Thursday. "We'll only reveal all the details afterwards," Zaev said. The name dispute goes back to 1991 when Skopje declared its independence from war-torn Yugoslavia, and the new government chose the name "Republic of Macedonia." The name choice infuriated Athens. Historically Macedonia or Macedon was a sizable country that included territory that today is northern Greece. Ancient Greek ruler Alexander the Great was also known as Alexander III of Macedon. Concerned that the new country might have territorial ambitions, Greece insisted that their new neighbor be referred to as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM. That is the name under which they were admitted to the United Nations in 1993. As a member of both NATO and the European Union, Greece has veto power over prospective members, and has used that authority to block their neighbor from joining both organizations. Some possible names Athens is demanding that any name change for its northern neighbor be backed with a constitutional amendment and for it to be applied to the "erga omnes" ("towards all") legal principle, meaning it is to be used universally both in and out of Macedonia. Several countries, including the United States and Russia, have already recognized the country as "Macedonia." Prime Minister Zaev said parliaments in both countries would need to ratify any agreement before it could be put to a public vote. He said that the time between parliamentary approval and a plebiscite would be "around a month," adding that a referendum would likely be held in September or October. Zaev also said it was important to resolve the issue well ahead of a NATO summit meeting on July 11-12. "We want to give Greece sufficient time to send a letter to NATO," ahead of the summit, he said. Among the names being rumored are "New Macedonia" and "Upper Macedonia." The latter is reportedly a favorite, a senior Macedonian official told AFP. Zaev, however, remained tight-lipped on the possible choices. "I would not comment on certain benchmarks, adjectives or additions to the name," Zaev told journalists, "because we are in the final phase of a possible solution for a more than 25-year-old problem." bik/msh (AFP, AP) Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on House Republicans' vote to release a classified memo on the Russia investigation (all times local): 10:15 a.m. House Speaker Paul Ryan is defending a vote by Republicans on the House intelligence committee to release a classified memo on the Russia investigation. The memo purports to show improper use of surveillance by the FBI and the Justice Department in the Russia probe. Ryan told reporters Tuesday that "there may have been malfeasance at the FBI by certain individuals." He said there should be "transparency" on the issue. The committee voted to release the four-page memo on Monday. It could become public in the next few days. The memo has become a political flashpoint, with President Donald Trump and many Republicans pushing for its release and suggesting that some in the Justice Department and FBI have conspired against the president. ___ 1:30 a.m. Republicans on the House intelligence committee have voted to release a classified memo that purports to show improper use of surveillance by the FBI and the Justice Department in the Russia investigation. The four-page memo Republicans voted to release Monday has become a political flashpoint, with President Donald Trump and many Republicans pushing for its release and suggesting that some in the Justice Department and FBI have conspired against the president. The memo was written by Republicans on the committee, led by chairman Rep. Devin Nunes of California. Republicans have said the memo reveals grave concerns about abuses of the government surveillance powers in the Russia investigation. Democrats have called it a selectively edited group of GOP talking points that attempt to distract from the committee's own investigation into Russian meddling.

BERLIN (AP) — Austrian media are reporting that a tunnel-boring machine has caught fire at the construction site of a railway tunnel under the Alps that will link Austria with Italy. Public broadcaster ORF reported Monday that about 50 workers were in the tunnel at the time the fire broke out. It said 18 of them whom officials initially were unable to contact are believed to have taken shelter in a container inside the tunnel. It said the blaze has apparently been extinguished. The Brenner tunnel is supposed to be completed in 2025, cutting journey times between Innsbruck and northern Italy.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch appeals court has convicted a man for helping his ailing, 99-year-old stepmother to take her own life a decade ago, a case that has become a focal point in the fierce debate in the Netherlands about end-of-life issues. The city court in Den Bosch gave Albert Heringa a suspended six-month sentence Wednesday, meaning he will not go to prison unless he commits another crime. While euthanasia by a physician under strict conditions is legal in the Netherlands, helping someone take their own life is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine. Heringa was convicted in 2013 of giving his stepmother, who took her own life in June 2008, "a combination of medicines." He was not punished, but an appeals court ordered a retrial.

CLEVELAND (AP) — The family of a Cleveland retiree whose shooting death was recorded and shared on Facebook is suing the social media company for failing to notify authorities about threats posted by the shooter. The wrongful death lawsuit filed over the April slaying of Robert Godwin Sr. calls Facebook negligent because it has extensive data-mining capabilities but didn't catch and report the shooter's threats of violence before the shooting. A lawyer for Facebook didn't address those specific allegations in a statement to WJW-TV, but she expressed sympathy for Godwin's family and noted that content violating Facebook's policies is removed when users report it. Gunman Steve Stephens shared video of shooting the 74-year-old Godwin along a Cleveland street. The 37-year-old Stephens killed himself two days later after a police chase in Erie, Pennsylvania.

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 49 34 12 3 71 175 125 Boston 47 29 10 8 66 156 116 Toronto 51 28 18 5 61 162 146 Detroit 48 19 21 8 46 126 146 Montreal 49 20 23 6 46 129 156 Florida 47 19 22 6 44 132 158 Ottawa 47 15 23 9 39 124 166 Buffalo 49 14 26 9 37 114 163 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 49 29 15 5 63 150 138 Columbus 49 27 19 3 57 131 137 Pittsburgh 51 27 21 3 57 151 153 New Jersey 48 24 16 8 56 144 146 Philadelphia 49 24 17 8 56 141 141 N.Y. Islanders 50 25 20 5 55 172 180 N.Y. Rangers 50 25 20 5 55 153 151 Carolina 49 22 19 8 52 137 154 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Winnipeg 50 29 13 8 66 164 136 Nashville 47 29 11 7 65 145 123 St. Louis 51 30 18 3 63 148 130 Dallas 50 28 18 4 60 155 134 Colorado 48 27 18 3 57 157 139 Minnesota 49 26 18 5 57 144 140 Chicago 49 23 19 7 53 146 136 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Vegas 48 32 12 4 68 164 128 San Jose 48 26 15 7 59 143 133 Calgary 49 25 16 8 58 137 135 Los Angeles 49 26 18 5 57 139 121 Anaheim 50 24 17 9 57 141 141 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 Vancouver 49 19 24 6 44 127 159 Arizona 50 12 29 9 33 118 172 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Sunday's Games Central All-Stars vs Pacific All-Stars: Pacific 5, Central 2 Metropolitan All-Stars vs Atlantic All-Stars: Atlantic 7, Metropolitan 4 All-Star Game Final: Pacific 5, Atlantic 2 Monday's Games No games scheduled Tuesday's Games Minnesota at Columbus, 7 p.m. San Jose at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Florida at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Boston, 7 p.m. Ottawa at Carolina, 7 p.m. New Jersey at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Montreal at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Chicago at Nashville, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Vegas at Calgary, 9 p.m. Colorado at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games N.Y. Islanders at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 8 p.m. Thursday's Games Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

JERUSALEM (AP) — German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem after talks were canceled last year when the diplomat met with an Israeli whistleblower group critical of the military. Standing alongside Netanyahu on Wednesday, Gabriel said: "Israel always can count on Germany as a fair partner to defend the security of Israel." Netanyahu abruptly canceled a meeting in April with Gabriel over his meeting with Breaking the Silence, a group of Israeli army veterans critical of the country's military actions in the West Bank and Gaza. Israeli leaders oppose the group's work, citing the anonymity of its claims and its outreach efforts abroad to foreign audiences. The incident sparked a rare diplomatic feud with Germany, one of Israel's closest and most important allies.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state TV says a 6-magnitude earthquake has jolted a western region near the border with Iraq. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage from the temblor, which struck Monday near the site of a 7.2-magnitude quake that caused more than 600 deaths in November. Iran is prone to near-daily quakes as it sits on major fault lines. In 2003, a 6.6-magnitude quake flattened the historic city of Bam, killing 26,000 people.

DETROIT (AP) — With his team in a slump that threatened to derail a once-promising season, Stan Van Gundy boldly put the Detroit Pistons on a new path. Where it will lead is anyone's guess. The trade that brought Blake Griffin to the Pistons includes plenty of risk. The 6-foot-10 forward with an All-Star pedigree has a lengthy highlight reel and an injury history to match. But in his fourth season as Detroit's coach and team president, Van Gundy wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. If healthy, Griffin is the type of player who could lift this franchise significantly — and not just this season. "The hardest thing to do in this league is to get a proven star," Van Gundy said Tuesday. "You get very few opportunities to do it." Detroit has made the playoffs once under Van Gundy, but when the Pistons lost their eighth straight game Sunday, this season seemed to be slipping away. Detroit has looked lost without injured point guard Reggie Jackson, and although center Andre Drummond is signed long term, the future appeared murky at best. Guard Avery Bradley was on an expiring contract, and recent draft picks Luke Kennard and Stanley Johnson look more like role players than stars. The Pistons weren't in a clear rebuilding mode, but improving the roster wasn't going to be easy. So Detroit took a gamble, sending Bradley and leading scorer Tobias Harris to Los Angeles for Griffin in a six-player trade announced Tuesday morning. The deal also cost the Pistons a first-round draft pick. "It's a great addition," said Detroit forward Reggie Bullock, who once played with Griffin on the Clippers. "We're getting an All-Star-caliber player coming to a team to add onto the one that we already have." The upside is obvious. The Pistons have been mediocre for most of the past decade, but they've never picked higher than seventh in the draft during that period. Detroit isn't considered a major free agent destination, so if the Pistons were going to acquire a player like Griffin, this was one way to do it. Griffin agreed to a $171 million, five-year deal with the Clippers in July, so Detroit can keep him for a while, albeit at a prohibitive cost. "Everybody can view that differently. 'Oh wow, you're locked into 140 million dollars-plus.' Yeah, but he's locked into us too, as one of the best players in the league," Van Gundy said. The 28-year-old Griffin has averaged 21.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists in his career, and he and the 24-year-old Drummond could be a formidable frontcourt tandem. Van Gundy acknowledged that the NBA has become more perimeter oriented, but he says there is value in trying to build a different type of team. "Like the Tampa Bay Rays in baseball. Everybody wanted power hitting and on-base percentage. They couldn't get that. What did they go do? They went and built it on relief pitching and defense, and were very, very competitive for years," Van Gundy said. "So we're not in a situation where we can be that choosy, and we can't necessarily go and try to do it the same way as everybody else." The question is whether Griffin can stay healthy. The Clippers drafted him first overall in 2009, but he missed the 2009-10 season after surgery on his broken left kneecap. He also missed 21 games last season and 47 in 2015-16. If Griffin isn't able to stay on the court, that big contract will become quite a burden for the Pistons — and even if he is healthy, Detroit may need to be creative to build a capable supporting cast around him and Drummond. Van Gundy already suggested that it will be hard for the Pistons to make another major move before this year's trade deadline next week. "If you look at our roster, and the fact that we gave up a pick and the whole thing, we don't have a ton of assets now to really do anything major," he said. "But it doesn't mean something couldn't come up." No matter how this deal turns out, it feels like a tipping point for Van Gundy, the kind of trade that could define his tenure in Detroit. The Pistons will have a hard time withstanding any significant decline in Griffin's performance, but if he remains the star he's been for much of his career, his arrival could be a big step in the right direction. "Since we've gotten here, all of our discussions have talked about, you know, how do you get that guy? How do you get the real superior talents in this league?" Van Gundy said. "You've got to have one of those guys." ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball ___ Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister

American Aquarium, "Things Change" (New West) American Aquarium is a most appropriate name for the band that made "Things Change," because frontman BJ Barham presents his life for all to see. Earnest and intense, the North Carolina native sings about marriage, parenthood and divorcing his former band. He quotes his wife, his father and Tom Petty. He delves into his drinking, his politics and his passion for writing songs and righting wrongs. The humor Barham shows in concert is mostly absent. But he's likable and literate, delivering heavily autobiographical heartland rock with heart on sleeve. Best is the anthemic opener, "The World Is On Fire," which recounts the reaction in the Barham household to the 2016 presidential election. Weepy pedal steel reflects the mood before Barham sings, "We must go boldly into the darkness and be the light." There's empathy for those who voted the other way, too. On "Tough Folks" Barham sings, "I saw firsthand what desperation makes good people do." The album's supporting cast — including producer John Fullbright — is fully invested in helping Barham explore his inner Springsteen, before power chords give way to twang down the stretch. On the closing "'Til the Final Curtain Falls," a lovely, gospel-tinged ballad of devotion, Barham sounds more relaxed but still fully committed, even as he leads the band out in a spacey coda.

BOSTON (AP) — The estranged husband of former Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault and other charges. Bryon Hefner was released on personal recognizance Tuesday after appearing in Suffolk Superior Court to face charges of sexual assault, distributing nude photos without consent and criminal lewdness. He was also ordered to stay away from the alleged victims and the Massachusetts State House. His trial was scheduled for March 2019. Several men have accused Hefner of misconduct, prompting Rosenberg to step down as Senate leader in December. The Amherst Democrat is still a member of the Senate, and the two have since separated. An independent investigation continues into whether Rosenberg violated Senate rules. Hefner's attorney has said his client intends to contest the evidence and witnesses against him.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The month of May has come to a close, as people throughout Taiwan prepare for the true summer heat to begin. But don’t let the high temperatures keep you indoors, because there is plenty to keep you occupied and entertained in the first week of June. Here is a list of events we think readers might enjoy around Taipei from June 1- June 8. Festivals and Exhibitions The Taipei Literature Film Festival begins on May 31 and continues until June 14. The festival will feature a variety of events and lectures on some of the most iconic performers, authors and directors of the 20 th century. In addition to an incredible list of films being screened there are also special lectures (in Chinese) planned for Saturday and Sunday. A celebration of art, music and creativity is taking place on Saturday June 2 and Sunday June 3. The ACID EFKT Festival will take place at the Grassroots space (120草原自治區 Grassroots) on Linsen North rd. There will be live music performances, along with opportunities to learn and practice arts and crafts at various skill workshops. If you’ve got the creative itch and want to join an exciting social event with like minds, be sure to check out the event, which is scheduled to run from Noon until midnight both days this weekend. The Graduate Institute of Fine Arts departments at Taipei National University of the Arts will be hosting an art exhibition from June 1 to June 10 entitle “Difference and Identity: Contemporary Cross Cultural Encounter through Arts.” The goal is to explore identity and cross-cultural communication through art. The exhibition is being held at the Beitou Public Assembly Hall (北投公民會館). An opening reception for the event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday June 1. Check the Event page for more information. Food and Market Events Both days this weekend, June 2-3 the Carousel Market group (Carousell 旋轉拍賣) is hosting one of their amazing second hand market and auction events. Vendors will bring their used items, and collections of all sorts of goodies. Guests at the event can barter or trade with vendors or join special auction activities. The event starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday on Choushan rd. near the Library of National Taiwan University. If you are a photography buff, or just like exploring niche markets for vintage gear, then there is a must-go event for you happening in Taipei, Sunday, June 3 at the Wanjing Photo Gallery (萬鏡寫真館). A vintage photographer’s market (古寫真市) event is being held near Guting MRT station that will feature a variety of vendors selling classic cameras and components, various types of film, vintage prints, as well as an array of vintage books on photography and film. If photography is your thing, this event is for you. Music and Entertainment If you’re looking for a place to watch the NBA Finals in Taipei with other sports fans, consider joining the crowd at the Brass Monkey for live viewings of the Warriors Vs. Cavaliers. The first game is scheduled for 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, June 1. Pet lovers are invited to the PAINT SIP art space near Taipei 101 for an afternoon to Paint Your Pet on June 3. Pet owners are encouraged to bring their pets for a relaxing social afternoon of animal fun and creativity. The event is NT$1,600 per person (or NT$1,400) if you sign up as a group and starts at 1:00 p.m. For fans of stand-up comedy, don’t miss a great opportunity to check out some local talent this Friday night. The Taiwan Whackpats of Comedy and the Royal Art Café are hosting “Comedy Night Returns,” which is sure to be one of the “funniest Friday night in Taipei, featuring Taiwan’s best comedians.” The show starts at 9:30 p.m. prompt, entrance is NT$250. Check the event page for more info. If you’re looking for a relaxing Sunday night and an opportunity to make new friends, and maybe practice you Chinese of your English, then check out the Triple B Social (BBQ, Beer, and Board Games) at the Lab (众樂Lab). Food and board games will be available from Noon until 9 p.m on June 3. The organizers are planning to make the Triple B Social a regular monthly gathering. Go check it out! National Theater and Concert Hall Harry Potter fans, act quickly, because there are only a few seats left for the three performances of Harry Potter and the Philiosopher’s Stone in Concert which is being shown Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the National Concert Hall. If you’ve ever wanted to experience a Harry Potter adventure accompanied with a full orchestra, now is your chance. The Taiwanese theater group Storyworks is performing their work entitled “As you like it” (偽婚男女) a touching but comedic story about family, marriage and sexuality. The story follows two gay couples that attempt to make their family members happy by agreeing to marriage with each other’s partners. There are four performances of the show this weekend June 1 – June 3 at the National Concert Hall. Next week on Wednesday June 6, the Ukrainian National Ballet will have the first of three performances at the National Theater in Taipei. There are still tickets available for what are certain to be spectacular performances from the Kiev Ballet ensemble and the Ukrainian National Opera. Performances will also be held Thursday, June 7, and Friday, June 8. Visit the official event page for more info. Also on June 6 is the 50th anniversary performance of Taipei Civic Symphony Orchestra. It will be held at the National Concert Hall at 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from NT$300 to NT$1000. There are a variety of other performances happening at the National Theater and Concert Hall all the time. Check their calendar to see what else is happening. Regular Hangouts If you want to put your English to use and enjoy an open forum to discuss different topics and hear presentations in English, check out the iEnglish Club English Gathering every Saturday. If you're looking for a family friendly group to practice your English or your Chinese, consider checking out events with Language Exchange Taipei. They are having a free language exchange on Sunday afternoon at Lifehouse Taipei. The LEIT Language Exchange group regularly hosts a huge number of activities. Check their events page for friendly hangouts and language exchange opportunities. This Saturday, June 2 there is a social networking event at the EPL Steakhouse and Lounge. (Image from Rhythm & Soul Nights FB Event Page) Also at EPL Steak House, check out Rhythm and Soul Nights, a regular event planned for Wednesday evenings. A team of DJs will be bringing you the best sounds from the '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s and beyond, covering Motown, Stax, Northern Soul, '90s neo-soul and more. An open mic will also be available for those who want to share their own music, poetry, or spoken word performances. Check out it out on June 6. Music starts at 8:00 p.m. For those new to Taipei, or who have been here a while but still haven’t seen all the city has to offer, consider taking a walking tour with "Like it Formosa.” Tours happen regularly every week, with four different types of tours to choose from, depending on what you want to see. And depending on your interests, check this list of meet up groups regularly to see if there is anything up your alley.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine defense chief reacted guardedly Wednesday to President Donald Trump's remarks on fighting terrorism in his first State of the Union address, saying Manila would lend its support whenever the efforts of the two nations coincide. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told The Associated Press it did not really matter that Trump failed to mention U.S. policy on the South China Sea disputes involving China, the Philippines and four other governments, saying "that's his call." "If our efforts against terrorists coincide, well and good, we cooperate," he said. "But in reality, each country will be addressing its own security problems by any legal means at its disposal." The U.S. deployed surveillance aircraft to help Philippine forces quell an Islamic State group-linked siege in southern Marawi city last year. Lorenzana did not comment on Trump's order to the Pentagon to keep the Guantanamo Bay detention center open in contrast to the failed efforts of former President Barack Obama to shut down the prison for high-profile terrorism suspects.

Global Forecast as of 12:00 GMT Wednesday, January 31, 2018 _____ City/Town, Country;Wednesday's Weather Condition;Wednesday's High Temp (C);Wednesday's Low Temp (C);Thursday's Weather Condition;Thursday's High Temp (C);Thursday's Low Temp (C);Thursday's Wind Direction;Thursday's Wind Speed (KPH);Thursday's Humidity (%);Thursday's Chance of Precip. (%);Thursday's UV Index Abidjan, Ivory Coast;Partly sunny;31;25;A shower;31;25;WSW;15;81%;66%;6 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates;Partly sunny, breezy;21;16;Partly sunny;22;16;NW;22;56%;2%;5 Aleppo, Syria;Mostly sunny;14;3;Mostly sunny;14;4;E;8;70%;5%;3 Algiers, Algeria;Turning out cloudy;17;11;Partly sunny, nice;18;9;NW;11;61%;55%;3 Amsterdam, Netherlands;Rain, mainly early;10;3;Cloudy with a shower;6;3;W;25;80%;81%;1 Anchorage, United States;Cold with sunshine;-8;-15;Mostly sunny, cold;-10;-16;NNE;11;64%;6%;1 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan;Mostly sunny, chilly;6;-3;Plenty of sunshine;14;2;NW;8;33%;25%;3 Astana, Kazakhstan;Turning cloudy;-9;-24;Partly sunny, colder;-14;-24;S;11;93%;10%;1 Asuncion, Paraguay;A stray thunderstorm;32;25;Mostly cloudy, humid;34;25;SE;10;65%;44%;5 Athens, Greece;Partly sunny, nice;17;8;Clouds and sun;16;8;SSW;9;66%;6%;3 Auckland, New Zealand;Windy this afternoon;26;21;Heavy rain, windy;23;19;W;38;85%;94%;2 Baghdad, Iraq;Plenty of sun;18;3;Plenty of sunshine;19;5;N;8;37%;0%;4 Banda Aceh, Indonesia;A heavy p.m. shower;34;23;A p.m. shower or two;31;22;ESE;8;72%;74%;9 Bangalore, India;Sunny and nice;29;13;Sunny and pleasant;30;13;E;11;31%;0%;8 Bangkok, Thailand;A few showers;33;23;Not as warm;28;20;ESE;11;58%;14%;3 Barcelona, Spain;Partly sunny;15;6;Rain tapering off;11;4;NW;16;74%;86%;2 Beijing, China;Plenty of sunshine;4;-8;Partly sunny;4;-7;NNW;14;18%;3%;3 Belgrade, Serbia;Partly sunny, mild;13;1;Partly sunny, mild;14;7;SSE;12;63%;27%;2 Berlin, Germany;A little rain;9;3;Periods of sun;6;1;SW;17;65%;56%;2 Bogota, Colombia;Mostly cloudy;21;7;Mostly cloudy;21;7;ESE;9;66%;44%;9 Brasilia, Brazil;Overcast, a t-storm;27;20;Showers and t-storms;26;19;NNW;16;77%;81%;4 Bratislava, Slovakia;Becoming cloudy;7;2;A little rain;7;2;NW;9;86%;88%;1 Brussels, Belgium;Rain tapering off;9;1;A passing shower;6;1;W;15;75%;81%;1 Bucharest, Romania;Sunshine;10;-3;Mostly sunny, mild;10;-1;W;8;72%;1%;2 Budapest, Hungary;Clearing;8;4;A touch of rain;11;4;WNW;16;66%;85%;1 Buenos Aires, Argentina;Partly sunny;30;22;Sunny;31;23;NNE;10;58%;1%;11 Bujumbura, Burundi;Variable cloudiness;31;18;Mostly cloudy;31;20;WNW;5;38%;44%;7 Busan, South Korea;Increasing clouds;6;-2;Plenty of sunshine;7;-3;NNW;11;33%;0%;3 Cairo, Egypt;Sun and some clouds;20;10;Mostly sunny;20;9;NNE;12;46%;0%;4 Cape Town, South Africa;Sunshine and nice;24;15;Sunny and pleasant;27;17;SSW;15;53%;2%;11 Caracas, Venezuela;Partly sunny;26;19;Sun and some clouds;25;19;ENE;6;65%;44%;8 Chennai, India;Sunny and nice;31;18;Sunny and pleasant;32;18;NE;9;55%;0%;7 Chicago, United States;Milder;7;-4;Periods of sun;-2;-14;NW;26;46%;14%;3 Colombo, Sri Lanka;A p.m. t-storm;31;23;A t-storm in spots;32;23;NE;14;65%;76%;8 Copenhagen, Denmark;A little rain;5;2;Spotty showers;4;1;SSW;24;73%;83%;0 Dakar, Senegal;Partly sunny, breezy;22;16;Breezy with some sun;21;16;N;26;78%;0%;7 Dallas, United States;Partly sunny, breezy;22;11;Partly sunny;18;4;NE;16;55%;2%;4 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;Clouds and sun;32;24;A t-storm in spots;32;24;NE;18;72%;45%;10 Delhi, India;Partly sunny;24;11;Hazy sun;26;11;NW;8;58%;0%;4 Denver, United States;Partly sunny;12;-4;Morning flurries;4;-3;ENE;12;66%;58%;2 Dhaka, Bangladesh;Mostly sunny, nice;24;14;Hazy sunshine;27;16;N;7;52%;2%;5 Dili, East Timor;Cloudy with showers;32;25;Spotty showers;31;24;WSW;12;73%;80%;5 Dublin, Ireland;A shower or two;6;2;A brief shower;6;0;NW;33;75%;40%;2 Dushanbe, Tajikistan;Increasing clouds;9;-3;Mostly sunny;9;-4;N;7;28%;1%;3 Gibraltar, Gibraltar;Breezy with rain;16;13;Some sun, a shower;16;9;W;20;81%;66%;3 Hanoi, Vietnam;Cloudy;14;8;Mostly sunny;17;9;SE;8;46%;7%;5 Harare, Zimbabwe;Variable cloudiness;26;17;A shower or t-storm;25;18;ENE;11;72%;66%;9 Havana, Cuba;Partly sunny;24;17;Nice with some sun;26;20;E;15;55%;42%;5 Helsinki, Finland;Clouds and sun;-2;-3;Breezy with snow;-1;-4;SW;30;96%;91%;0 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam;Turning cloudy;32;24;Partly sunny;32;23;SSW;7;70%;12%;6 Hong Kong, China;Colder this morning;14;7;Mostly sunny;15;10;NE;14;51%;8%;5 Honolulu, United States;A touch of rain;27;23;Showers;28;23;S;24;73%;94%;2 Hyderabad, India;Sunny and nice;32;14;Sunny and nice;32;15;E;9;26%;0%;6 Islamabad, Pakistan;Mostly cloudy;21;9;Hazy sun;23;8;NNW;10;63%;0%;4 Istanbul, Turkey;Mostly sunny;11;5;Sunny and mild;15;10;SSW;13;68%;19%;3 Jakarta, Indonesia;A shower in the a.m.;31;24;Cloudy, a t-storm;31;25;W;14;75%;68%;7 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia;Mostly sunny;29;20;Sunshine, pleasant;29;20;N;10;55%;3%;5 Johannesburg, South Africa;A t-storm in spots;25;16;A shower or t-storm;28;17;NW;12;54%;66%;12 Kabul, Afghanistan;Mostly cloudy;5;-7;Plenty of sunshine;7;-8;WNW;8;28%;0%;4 Karachi, Pakistan;Mostly sunny, nice;28;15;Hazy sunshine;30;13;N;8;44%;0%;5 Kathmandu, Nepal;Sun and some clouds;16;6;Partly sunny;19;6;SSE;7;67%;16%;5 Khartoum, Sudan;Sunny and beautiful;29;14;Sunny and nice;31;17;N;19;21%;0%;7 Kiev, Ukraine;Mostly cloudy;4;-2;Partly sunny;5;1;S;15;67%;33%;1 Kingston, Jamaica;A shower;30;23;A shower or two;30;23;NE;13;63%;69%;5 Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo;Variable cloudiness;32;24;More clouds than sun;32;24;SW;8;67%;85%;8 Kolkata, India;Sunshine and nice;29;13;Hazy sun;27;14;NNE;10;53%;0%;5 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;A t-storm in spots;33;23;A heavy thunderstorm;33;23;ENE;4;78%;86%;7 La Paz, Bolivia;A t-storm in spots;14;6;Showers and t-storms;13;6;SE;10;77%;86%;9 Lagos, Nigeria;Mostly sunny;34;24;Mostly sunny;32;25;SSW;9;76%;1%;9 Lima, Peru;Clouds and sun;25;20;Sun and clouds;24;20;S;13;75%;44%;12 Lisbon, Portugal;Periods of sun;17;9;Sunny and breezy;14;8;N;26;66%;3%;3 London, United Kingdom;Clouds, then sun;9;3;A shower in spots;6;2;NW;23;68%;52%;2 Los Angeles, United States;Mostly sunny, warm;27;13;Partly sunny, warm;26;13;ENE;7;37%;1%;4 Luanda, Angola;Partly sunny;31;25;Partly sunny;31;25;SSW;9;70%;38%;12 Madrid, Spain;Mostly sunny;14;1;Showers around;11;0;NNE;8;57%;70%;3 Male, Maldives;A thick cloud cover;30;27;Couple of t-storms;30;27;NNE;19;76%;77%;3 Manaus, Brazil;Cloudy, a t-storm;30;25;A t-storm or two;30;25;N;11;80%;91%;5 Manila, Philippines;Partly sunny;30;23;An afternoon shower;32;23;E;6;68%;50%;7 Melbourne, Australia;Partly sunny, breezy;19;11;Partly sunny, nice;22;13;SSE;17;51%;15%;10 Mexico City, Mexico;Clouds and sun;21;7;Partly sunny;22;8;NE;6;35%;27%;7 Miami, United States;Partly sunny;23;19;Some sun, pleasant;25;18;E;16;61%;16%;3 Minsk, Belarus;Inc. clouds;0;-2;A little snow;3;0;SSW;17;81%;90%;0 Mogadishu, Somalia;Sunshine and breezy;30;23;Clouds and sunshine;30;24;ENE;22;64%;1%;7 Montevideo, Uruguay;Clouding up;29;19;Sunny and nice;30;21;NNE;9;63%;1%;11 Montreal, Canada;Snow this afternoon;-6;-7;A little snow;2;-11;WSW;7;76%;84%;1 Moscow, Russia;A thick cloud cover;-2;-13;Mostly cloudy;-8;-11;SSE;8;70%;71%;1 Mumbai, India;Partly sunny;36;17;Hazy sunshine;35;17;N;10;42%;0%;6 Nairobi, Kenya;A t-storm in spots;28;14;Sunshine;29;13;NE;21;43%;1%;12 New York, United States;Breezy and cold;1;-1;A touch of p.m. rain;8;-2;SW;12;54%;81%;1 Nicosia, Cyprus;Partly sunny;18;5;Partly sunny;18;6;SSE;8;70%;3%;3 Novosibirsk, Russia;Turning sunny;-14;-23;High clouds;-12;-21;ESE;7;83%;0%;1 Osaka-shi, Japan;Clouds and sun;6;0;Rain and drizzle;6;1;NNE;6;73%;80%;1 Oslo, Norway;Snow, some ice early;3;-2;A little snow;1;-6;NNE;7;80%;83%;0 Ottawa, Canada;Heavy snow;-7;-8;Showers of rain/snow;2;-14;W;17;81%;78%;1 Pago Pago, American Samoa;Inc. clouds;30;25;Cloudy with showers;29;25;NNW;12;82%;99%;4 Panama City, Panama;Spotty showers;32;25;An afternoon shower;33;25;NNW;18;66%;70%;8 Paramaribo, Suriname;Partly sunny;30;23;Brief a.m. showers;29;24;NE;13;81%;85%;7 Paris, France;Rain;10;2;A passing shower;7;1;WNW;17;59%;80%;1 Perth, Australia;Plenty of sunshine;31;20;Some sun;29;21;ENE;16;41%;1%;11 Phnom Penh, Cambodia;Sun and some clouds;34;23;Mostly sunny, nice;31;22;W;9;59%;10%;8 Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea;Cloudy with a shower;30;23;Downpours;26;21;N;26;87%;100%;3 Port-au-prince, Haiti;Partly sunny;32;21;Periods of sun;31;20;SE;10;47%;7%;6 Prague, Czech Republic;A little rain;9;4;Cloudy;6;1;SW;15;71%;38%;1 Pyongyang, North Korea;Clouds and sunshine;1;-17;Plenty of sun;-1;-14;N;5;38%;0%;3 Quito, Ecuador;A t-storm in spots;22;11;An afternoon shower;22;12;NNE;13;54%;83%;11 Rabat, Morocco;Variable cloudiness;16;6;Mostly sunny;16;9;WSW;7;73%;57%;4 Recife, Brazil;Showers around;31;26;A shower or two;31;26;ESE;14;68%;82%;7 Reykjavik, Iceland;Partly sunny, chilly;-1;-5;A bit of p.m. snow;1;0;SE;14;59%;85%;0 Riga, Latvia;Mostly cloudy;1;-1;Rain and snow;3;-1;SSW;13;93%;76%;0 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;A little a.m. rain;28;22;Spotty showers;28;23;NW;15;70%;82%;12 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;Mostly sunny;17;6;Sunny;20;6;ENE;8;23%;0%;5 Rome, Italy;A passing shower;13;8;Cloudy with a shower;15;11;S;16;72%;86%;1 Saint Petersburg, Russia;Some sun;-6;-14;A bit of p.m. snow;-5;-6;ESE;17;76%;88%;0 San Francisco, United States;Partly sunny;16;9;Periods of sunshine;18;10;WNW;9;69%;1%;3 San Jose, Costa Rica;Clouds and sun, nice;26;19;An afternoon shower;27;17;ENE;19;62%;41%;9 San Juan, Puerto Rico;Turning sunny;28;23;Mostly sunny;27;23;ENE;20;63%;42%;6 San Salvador, El Salvador;Sunshine, pleasant;25;17;Mostly sunny, nice;26;18;N;11;66%;6%;8 Sana'a, Yemen;Nice with sunshine;24;6;Mostly sunny, nice;23;7;E;8;43%;28%;8 Santiago, Chile;Plenty of sunshine;33;16;Plenty of sun;33;16;SW;9;35%;1%;11 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;Mostly sunny;27;21;Sun and some clouds;26;20;NNE;12;67%;9%;6 Sao Paulo, Brazil;Mostly sunny;18;5;Sunny and cooler;13;3;NNW;16;71%;0%;3 Seattle, United States;A touch of rain;8;6;Occasional rain;9;7;SSE;11;84%;95%;0 Seoul, South Korea;Mostly cloudy;1;-9;Plenty of sunshine;1;-8;N;7;37%;0%;3 Shanghai, China;Cloudy and chilly;3;-1;Partly sunny, chilly;6;0;NW;13;62%;0%;4 Singapore, Singapore;Heavy p.m. showers;35;25;A t-storm in spots;32;26;N;20;75%;60%;8 Sofia, Bulgaria;Partly sunny, mild;10;-4;Clouds and sun, mild;10;-2;S;8;78%;2%;3 St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda;Mostly sunny, nice;26;23;A shower in spots;27;21;ENE;15;65%;66%;6 Stockholm, Sweden;Bit of rain, snow;2;0;Cloudy;2;-2;SSW;9;91%;59%;0 Sydney, Australia;Cooler;22;18;A morning shower;21;18;SSE;20;54%;75%;4 Taipei City, Taiwan;Rain and drizzle;16;11;A little a.m. rain;13;12;NE;17;74%;72%;1 Tallinn, Estonia;A snow shower;-1;-3;Periods of snow;2;-2;SW;20;83%;85%;0 Tashkent, Uzbekistan;Partly sunny;5;-4;Mostly sunny;9;-3;NNE;6;53%;1%;3 Tbilisi, Georgia;Partial sunshine;8;-1;Mostly sunny;5;-4;NNW;25;57%;0%;3 Tehran, Iran;Sunny and chilly;6;-3;Plenty of sunshine;8;-2;NNE;10;31%;0%;4 Tel Aviv, Israel;Mostly sunny;19;9;Plenty of sun;20;10;NE;9;62%;0%;4 Tirana, Albania;Partly sunny;16;4;Spotty showers;15;7;ESE;7;63%;84%;1 Tokyo, Japan;Partly sunny;9;1;Rain and drizzle;6;2;NNE;15;68%;88%;1 Toronto, Canada;Cloudy, not as cold;2;0;Partly sunny;3;-11;WNW;28;76%;31%;2 Tripoli, Libya;Sunshine;19;9;Mostly cloudy;21;14;SSE;5;52%;0%;3 Tunis, Tunisia;Mostly sunny, nice;19;8;A passing shower;19;11;S;11;55%;56%;1 Ulan Bator, Mongolia;Clouds and sun, cold;-17;-32;Mostly cloudy;-20;-33;NNW;10;68%;59%;2 Vancouver, Canada;A p.m. shower or two;6;3;Cloudy, rain;6;5;ENE;9;78%;94%;0 Vienna, Austria;Turning cloudy, mild;10;1;Periods of rain;8;2;W;9;74%;87%;1 Vientiane, Laos;Cloudy, not as warm;22;13;Cloudy;23;14;NE;7;44%;10%;2 Vilnius, Lithuania;Mostly cloudy;3;-1;A bit of rain;3;-1;W;21;87%;71%;0 Warsaw, Poland;Turning cloudy;6;2;Morning rain, cloudy;6;0;SSW;13;90%;75%;0 Wellington, New Zealand;Increasing clouds;24;21;Very windy, a shower;26;16;NNW;49;72%;69%;9 Yangon, Myanmar;Abundant sunshine;32;14;Sunny and pleasant;32;15;WSW;6;49%;0%;6 Yerevan, Armenia;Turning sunny;4;-3;Mostly sunny;4;-9;ESE;5;46%;10%;3 _____ Copyright 2018 AccuWeather _____ Keywords: Forecast, Global, Celsius

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Chesapeake Energy Corp. has announced plans to increase its drilling budget and rig count in 2017, saying that confidence is growing in the hard-hit energy market. The Oklahoma City-based company said Tuesday that it would increase its capital expenditures to $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion this year. That's compared to 2016 numbers of $1.65 billion to $1.75 billion. Chesapeake CEO Doug Lawler said in a statement that the move will "position Chesapeake for significant production and earnings growth" in 2018. Chesapeake says it plans to operate an average of 17 rigs in 2017, compared to an average of 10 rigs in 2016. The company will release its fourth-quarter earnings report on Feb. 23. In November, Chesapeake reported a loss of $1.16 billion, or $1.54 per share, in its third-quarter results.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Swedish prosecutors on Tuesday charged an Uzbek man who rammed a stolen truck into a crowd in downtown Stockholm in April, killing five and injuring 14, with terrorism, attempts to carry out a terror act and causing others to be endangered. Rakhmat Akilov is the only suspect and has already confessed. Akilov was arrested hours after he drove a stolen beer truck into a crowd of shoppers on a busy pedestrian shopping street and crashed it into an upscale department store in Stockholm's city center on April 7. According to the charges obtained by The Associated Press, Akilov had offered to the Islamic State group that he would carry out an attack in Stockholm on behalf of IS, and had gathered information about possible targets. It was not clear whether they had accepted his offer. Investigators found a memory card with "material that can be connected to IS," including execution videos. Akilov also caused an explosion inside the truck he had stolen when a suspected bomb made of five gas canister with 38 screws, blades and smaller metal objects exploded. The blast caused "extensive damage to the vehicle," according to the charges. The Uzbek construction worker, who was 39 at the time of the attack, was subject to deportation from Sweden ahead of attack as his asylum application had been rejected. Swedish prosecutors and his defense lawyer plan separate news conference later Tuesday.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on sexual misconduct allegations against actor Steven Seagal (all times local): 1:15 p.m. A lawyer for Steven Seagal says the actor adamantly denies sexual assault allegations made by two women against the action star. Faviola Dadis said at a news conference Monday that Seagal toucher her sexually without her consent in 2002 when she was 17, and Regina Simons said Seagal assaulted her in 1995 when she was 18. Seagal's attorney Anthony Falangetti said later Monday that the accounts of both women are "completely fictitious and totally made up." He says the allegations are a disservice to women who are victimized because of real predators in the film industry. The women are the latest of several who have come forward in recent months to accuse the 65-year-old action actor of sexual misconduct. He has denied all of the allegations. ___ 11:30 a.m. An aspiring actress says she was 17 when actor Steven Seagal sexually assaulted her during a supposed casting session in 2002. Faviola Dadis said at a news conference Monday that she had recently moved to the U.S. from the Netherlands when she was invited to a Beverly Hills hotel room to audition for Seagal for a film he planned to make about Genghis Khan. The 33-year-old former model says only Seagal and his bodyguard were in the room when the actor reached under her bikini top and then grabbed her genitals. Dadis said she ended the audition and immediately left. She says she feared being blacklisted if she reported Seagal, and only recently filed a police report. Los Angeles County prosecutors say they are reviewing the case. Seagal's attorney Anthony Falangetti did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

New York (AP) — Cocoa futures trading on the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) Monday: (10 metric tons; $ per ton) Open High Low Settle Change May 2472 Down 75 May 2535 2568 2439 2445 Down 77 Jul 2555 2591 2465 2472 Down 75 Sep 2569 2602 2480 2487 Down 72 Dec 2565 2592 2481 2487 Down 70 Mar 2553 2575 2470 2476 Down 66 May 2558 2558 2478 2482 Down 63 Jul 2556 2556 2489 2491 Down 61 Sep 2568 2568 2496 2499 Down 60 Dec 2594 2594 2506 2509 Down 62

WASHINGTON (AP) — Janet Yellen's final Federal Reserve policy meeting will likely bring an uneventful end this week to her four-year tenure as Fed chair but perhaps offer hints of the central bank's approach to interest rates in the months to follow. Yellen, the first woman to lead the world's most influential central bank, will step down when her term expires at the end of this week. She will be succeeded by Jerome Powell, a Fed board member whose nomination as chairman the Senate approved 84-13 last week. Powell, who has served on the central bank's board since 2012, is a lawyer and investment manager by training and will be the first Fed leader in 30 years not to hold a Ph.D. in economics. President Donald Trump chose Powell for the post rather than offer Yellen a second term despite widespread praise for her performance as chair. The evidence so far suggests that a Powell-led Fed will generally follow the same cautious approach to raising interest rates that Yellen pursued during her tenure as Fed chair, at least in its early months. With the job market healthy and inflation tame, most economists say there is little reason for any abrupt change in Fed policy. "Chair Yellen gets to leave on a high note, with strong growth and low unemployment," said Diane Swonk, chief economist and a managing director at audit firm Grant Thornton. The unemployment rate is at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent, and the economy expanded at a solid 2.6 percent annual rate in the October-December quarter, helping lift growth for all of 2017 to a decent 2.3 percent. Synchronized growth in major regions across the global economy has helped energize the U.S. economy. And a sweeping tax overhaul that Trump pushed through Congress last month is expected to further support U.S. growth. Traders in the financial markets foresee a 96 percent chance that they Fed will leave rates alone when its meeting ends Wednesday, according to data tracked by the CME Group. The next rate increase is expected in March; traders see a 78 percent likelihood then. The March policy meeting will also be the first time that Powell is scheduled to hold a news conference, something the leader of the Fed does four times a year. Economists are roughly divided on whether they think Fed's policymakers will raise rates three times this year, as they did in 2017, or four times. The pivotal factor will likely be how inflation performs. For the past six years, inflation has been a no-show, running below even the Fed's target level of 2 percent. A tight job market, with pressure building for pay increases, and potentially higher consumer and business spending resulting from the Republican tax cuts, could accelerate inflation this year. "I think the Fed will end up moving rates up either three or four times, and it will depend on how the data comes in," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University, Channel Islands. "If the tax cuts lift business and consumer confidence and result in a much stronger economy, then we will see four rate hikes." Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, said he was foresees four rate increases this year beginning in March. Zandi expects the Fed to accelerate its pace of increases because he thinks unemployment will fall further, leading to wage increases and a pickup in inflation. "Everything is pointing to a more aggressive Fed this year," Zandi said. The Fed has modestly raised its benchmark rate five times since December 2015, when it began tightening for the first time since the height of the financial crisis in 2008. When the crisis erupted, the Fed cut its rate to a record low near zero to help rescue the financial system and the economy and then held it there for seven years. Because the Fed has raised rates only gradually over the past two years to avoid slowing the economy, its key rate remains in a still-low range 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent. With most analysts foreseeing a rate increase in March, the Fed may decide to signal that likelihood when it issues a statement after its meeting ends Wednesday. The lineup of Fed regional bank presidents who vote on the central bank's rate policy — a lineup that rotates each year — is expected to be somewhat more "hawkish" this year. Fed hawks are those who are less likely to favor low rates to maximize employment and more likely to back rate hikes to prevent future high inflation. With Yellen's departure, the seven-member Fed board will have four vacancies. Marvin Goodfriend, a conservative economist, has been nominated by Trump for one of the vacant board seats. Trump has yet to make nominations for the others.

NEW YORK (AP) — Snoop Dogg will be celebrating Super Bowl week with two of his favorite things: worship and women, headlining BET's annual pre-Super Bowl gospel concert and the Playboy party. The busy week also features performances by Jennifer Lopez, Pink, Cardi B and the Chainsmokers. Super Bowl 52 will take place Sunday at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota, where the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the New England Patriots. The biggest of the stars, though, is Justin Timberlake: Before he headlines the halftime show, he will hold a listening party Thursday at Paisley Park for his new album, "Man of the Woods," to be released Friday. Pink will also play double duty: She will sing the National Anthem before the Big Game, and will perform a concert Friday night at Nomadic Live! at The Armory. Friday's events include a Rolling Stone magazine party with Migos, 21 Savage and T-Pain; Ellie Goulding and Kygo at Mystic Lake; and Golden Globe-nominated "Insecure" actress Issa Rae speaking at the NFL's third "In the Huddle" Women's Summit For Young Women. Rae's "Insecure" co-star, Yvonne Orji, will co-host BET's gospel concert with Pastor John Gray on Thursday, where performers include Faith Evans, Sheila E., Donnie McClurkin, Erica Campbell and Tye Tribbett. Thursday will also include the EA Sports Bowl with Imagine Dragons, Machine Gun Kelly and Mura Masa at The Armory, while The Chainsmokers will perform at Mystic Lake. Lopez will headline the DirecTV Super Saturday Night concert — a show Taylor Swift performed at last year. Maxim will hold a party Saturday with Cardi B and Post Malone, while Dave Matthews Band and Florida Georgia Line will also hold concerts that night. It's the same day Snoop Dogg will DJ Playboy's Big Game Weekend Party (he will also hold a screening Friday for his new Netflix show, "Coach Snoop.") Kelly Clarkson and Sheila E. will perform concerts ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday, while Diddy, DJ Khaled, French Montana, Cardi B, G-Eazy and Busta Rhymes will perform at the first annual Players Ball Extravaganza after the game.

MONTREAL (AP) — The World Anti-Doping Agency is looking into possible integrity issues with urine-collection bottles that were redesigned after the Russian Olympic doping scandal. WADA said it learned on Jan. 19, less than a month before the start of the Pyeongchang Games, that the bottles could be susceptible to manual opening upon freezing of a sample. Investigators found that Russians were able to surreptitiously open bottles at the Sochi Olympics and exchange dirty urine samples with clean ones previously provided the same athlete. That led to a redesign of the bottles, and WADA said if there is, in fact, a flaw, it "will raise concerns and questions." Russia's Olympic committee has been banned from the Pyeongchang Games, and this weekend, the International Olympic Committee said it had approved 169 Russian athletes to compete as "Olympic Athletes from Russia."

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Japan will send its helicopter carrier the Kaga on a two-month journey to the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean next September, the Reuters news agency reported Wednesday. The move is seen as countering Chinese aspirations in the area, especially its aggressive posture on disputed islands in South East Asia. Reuters quoted two unnamed Japanese officials as saying the Kaga’s tour served to underline “a free and open Indo-Pacific,” with stops planned in Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka. The Kaga is a 248-meter-long helicopter carrier designed as a destroyer with anti-submarine capabilities. The ship, launched only last year, is as large as any Japanese aircraft carrier during the Second World War, Reuters reported. Tokyo reportedly wants to make the journey a regular annual occasion, as last year it sent the Kaga’s sister ship, the Izumo, on a similar tour. For this year’s event, an escort ship will accompany the helicopter carrier while joint drills with navies from regional countries were likely, Reuters said.

There were condolences and tears for nearly 24 hours. Politicians from around the world commented on the tragedy. Journalists have been working non-stop. Then it turns out that there was no assassination after all. Instead, it was a special operation conducted by Ukraine's security services that has left more questions than answers. Was it necessary for Ukraine's security services to fake the death of Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko in order to foil a genuine assassination attempt? Solving a crime does not require such a performance. Perhaps, Kyiv wanted a wider audience for what was planned and felt a staged assassination could ensure the international publicity it wanted. Kyiv can use the case to blame Russia for organizing Babchenko's murder, but, on the other hand, the Kremlin now is accusing Kyiv of manipulating the international community with a fake story. Can the Ukrainian authorities be trusted? How will the world react now if a tragedy in Ukraine really happens? Wait a day or two just in case? Kyiv is driving itself into a blind corner if it does not present solid evidence in the future. Even if there is comprehensive support for allegations against the alleged organizer of the planned crime on behalf of Russia, Ukraine runs the risk of losing whatever trust and credibility it has. Could Babchenko's wife had been kept in the dark? As stated at a press conference after the special operation, Babchenko'sfamily was not informed of the plan. The journalist apologized in a live broadcast to his wife: "Special apologies to my wife, Olechka, there was no other option." Earlier it was reported in a police statement that his wife has found Arkady wounded and called the police and an ambulance. This is a contradiction that needs to be clarified. How did Ukraine's security services manage to reach an agreement with the perpetrator of the crime? The man who allegedly killed a journalist collaborated with Ukraine's security services. According to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko, after Ukraine's security services found out about the assassination plans, they managed to achieve cooperation with the perpetrator. But so far there have been no more additional details. That's not enough information to get the full picture of what really happened.

LEGAZPI, Philippines (AP) — A significant amount of ash has fallen on towns near the Philippines' most active volcano after energetic eruptions of lava from the crater. Mount Mayon in northeastern Albay province has been erupting more than two weeks, and 84,000 people who fled the danger zone are staying in schools and other crowded shelters. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said one large lava eruption lasted more than an hour and a half late Monday. The ash plume reached 1.5 kilometers (.9 miles) above the crater and caused significant ashfall in the towns of Camalig and Guinobatan. Mayon has been belching red-hot lava fountains, huge columns of ash and molten rocks into the sky and plunging communities into darkness with falling ash since Jan. 14. It has remained at alert level four on a scale of five, indicating a more violent eruption could be imminent. Scientists have warned that despite the repeated eruptions of lava, Mayon is still swollen with magma below the surface and could erupt explosively. No injuries have been reported in the current eruption, but authorities have struggled to keep people out of the danger zone 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater. They are worried the eruption may last months, disrupting the lives and livelihoods of people in Mayon's shadow. Provincial leaders say disaster funds are running low and have said supplies like facemasks will be depleted if the eruption lasts. The government has raised the possibility of creating a permanent "no man's land" around Mayon, a sensitive and complicated proposal that would affect tens and thousands of people living in the fertile farmlands nearby. One possibility is expanding a national park around the base of the volcano, where trees could grow and become a buffer against volcanic flows endangering villages and towns. Mayon has erupted about 50 times in the last 500 years, sometimes violently. In 2013, an ash eruption killed five climbers who had ventured near the summit despite warnings. The Philippines has about 22 active volcanoes. The explosion of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 was one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing hundreds. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) — Allison Mack, the TV actress who starred in The CW network's "Smallville," was bailed out of jail on Tuesday and met with a chaotic scene outside a courthouse where she's charged with helping recruit women as sex slaves for the leader of a self-improvement group in upstate New York. A federal judge in Brooklyn agreed to release Mack, who was arrested last week, on $5 million bond and place her under home detention in California. She'll be living with her parents at their home in Los Alamitos as she awaits trial. Mack, 35, appeared in tan jail smocks for a brief court appearance. She only spoke to answer "yes" when the judge asked her if she understood the bail conditions. Among those conditions: No contact with current or former members of the secretive group known as NXIVM. She'll also be subject to electronic monitoring and restrictions on computer and cellphone use. By the time Mack left the courthouse more than two hours later, she had switched into a jean jacket, gray slacks and sneakers. She stared straight ahead in silence as she and her lawyers fought through a media scrum to a waiting car, with at least three photographers tripping over each other and toppling to the sidewalk along the way. The actress played Chloe Sullivan, a teenage friend of Superman, on "Smallville." Since that series ended in 2011, she has played only minor roles. Prosecutors said she helped recruit women for NXIVM leader Keith Raniere by telling them that they were joining a purported female mentorship group, prosecutors said. Instead, the victims "were exploited, both sexually and for their labor," and even branded with Raniere's initials, prosecutors said. Federal authorities raided a residence near Albany where NXIVM was headquartered in March. The organization also ran programs in Mexico. Raniere, 57, was arrested in Mexico, brought to the U.S. on March 26 and is being held without bail in Brooklyn on sex-trafficking charges. At the time of Raniere's capture, Mack was living with him at a luxury villa in Puerto Vallarta, according to court papers.

MONTREAL (AP) — Roberto Luongo stopped 28 shots for his third shutout of the season and 76th of his career, leading the Florida Panthers to a 2-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. Aaron Ekblad and Aleksander Barkov scored to help the Panthers inch closer to a playoff position, pulling three points behind idle new Jersey for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Florida has two games in hand on the Devils. Antti Niemi finished with 38 saves for Montreal, which was shut out for the second straight game and 12th time this season — including three against the Panthers. The Canadiens were coming off a 4-0 loss at Toronto on Saturday. The opening 10 minutes saw two fights, one of which had Ekblad sparring with Nicolas Deslauriers. It may have fired up the big defenseman because he stole a puck from Michael McCarron, deked past defenseman Jeff Petry and beat Niemi with a move to the backhand for an unassisted goal with 1:29 left in the opening period. Jacob De La Rose thought he had tied it for Montreal 17 seconds later, but a video review showed Alex Galchenyuk was offside by a toenail and it was waived off. Barkov got his 26th of the season at 6:23 of the third when his shot from the left side went in off Montreal forward Logan Shaw. Star goalie Carey Price returned to the Montreal lineup after concussion suffered Feb. 20. He backed up Niemi. UP NEXT: Panthers: At Ottawa on Tuesday night as they continue a stretch of seven of eight on the road. Canadiens: At Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.