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Soboleva strikes indoor gold in Spain

VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — Yelena Soboleva broke her own world record in winning the 1,500m title at the World Indoor Championships on Sunday.

The Russian finished in 3 minutes, 57.71 seconds to shave 0.34 seconds off her former mark, heading off compatriot Yuliya Fomenko (3:59.41) and Gelete Burka of Ethiopia (3:59.75).

It was the second time this winter that Soboleva improved on the record, earning her $90,000 for the title and record as she set the first new benchmark of any event at this year’s championships.

Maria Mutola missed out on a record eighth indoor gold medal, finishing third in the women’s 800m behind winner Tamsyn Lewis of Australia.

At 35 and running in her last indoor championships, Mutola ran a poor tactical race and let Lewis sweep past her on the inside with 300m to go.

Lewis won in 2 minutes, 2.57 seconds, edging Tetiana Petlyuk of the Ukraine by 0.09 seconds.

I should have done better, said Mutola, who finished in 2:02.97.

Lewis said she couldn’t get around the pack from the outside, so she made a move on the inside to win.

I got caught by surprise, Mutola said.

But no one was more surprised than Lewis, the 29-year-old who won her first major title.

I was just hoping to make the final. I did win, didn’t I? Lewis said. Maria is a star. I always wanted to get close to her.

Mutola, who won her first gold in 1993, retired from indoor competition after the race, but the Mozambique runner will now focus on winning a second Olympic gold in Beijing.

In the women’s 400m, Olesya Zykina of Russia won in 51.09 — just 0.01 second ahead of teammate Natalya Nazarova, with Shareese Woods of the United States third.

Nazarova won gold in the 4×400m relay for her seventh gold overall to tie Mutola.

In the last event, Blanca Vlasic of Croatia won her 22nd straight high jump competition, defeating Olympic champion Elena Slesarenko of Russia and Vita Palomar of the Ukraine.

Bryan Clay of the United States earlier won gold in the heptathlon after Olympic champion Roman Sebrle withdrew because of injury.

Clay opened with a win in the 60m and won three more events, scoring a personal best 6,371 points for his second world title.

He could have set a new points record by running under 2 minutes, 45.47 seconds in the final 1,000-meter event but struggled to a last-place time of 2:55.64 — still a season best.

Clay was pleased with the results after suffering serious illness — he recently dropped 12 pounds — and an injured hamstring.

If you had asked me two weeks ago if I would be here, I probably would have told you I wouldn’t be at this meet, said Clay, who was invited after failing to qualify. This just shows how well my training has been going.

The 28-year-old won the decathlon in Helsinki, Finland, in 2005.

In the men’s 400m, Tyler Christopher of Canada won in a world-leading 45.67 seconds, rushing past Johan Wissman of Sweden (46.04) and Chris Brown of the Bahamas (46.26).

Tariku Bekele earned his first major title by winning the men’s 3,000m from Paul Kipsiele Koech of Kenya and fellow Ethiopian Abreham Cherkos.
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Terrorism returns to haunt Spanish polls

MADRID, Spain (CNN) — It’s a rematch in Spain in Sunday’s elections, as the Socialist prime minister, who won an upset victory four years ago in the wake of the Madrid train bombings, faces the conservative challenger.

Socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s first decision upon taking office in 2004 was to pull Spain’s troops out of Iraq, upsetting Washington.

But he’s been upsetting conservatives in Spain a lot more since then, facing blistering criticism from the opposition leader, Mariano Rajoy, who thought he would be elected prime minister last time.

Zapatero has put Spain in the vanguard of European social policy, legalizing gay marriage and making divorces easier to get. The Roman Catholic Church staged a mass demonstration in Madrid last December, blasting the government policies.

The last years of the Zapatero government have been very aggressive against Christians and Catholic values. There is a lack of respect to religious feelings, Lola Velarde, a conservative activist and a leader of the Institute for Family Policies, told CNN.

But on the opposite side of opinion is Teresa Alcala-Zamora, great-granddaughter of Niceto Alcala-Zamora, who was president of the Spain’s Second Republic in the 1930s.

Spain is not a Catholic nation, she told CNN. You can read that in the Constitution.

For Teresa Alcala-Zamora, Spain’s separation of church and state is sacred.

She works for the Progressive Women’s Federation and likes the gender equality law, backed by Zapatero, to help working women.

Lola and Teresa are symbols of a divided Spain which is expected to choose either Zapatero or Rajoy as the next prime minister.

Islamic terrorists killed 191 people in the Madrid train bombings three days before the 2004 elections. In an eerie echo of the past, there was an attack on Friday, just two days before these elections. The government blamed the Basque separatist group ETA for the shooting death of a former Socialist town councilman in northern Spain.

After the shooting, political parties immediately cancelled the final campaign rallies scheduled for Friday night in Madrid, and many wondered what fallout this attack might have on the elections.

Rajoy has accused Zapatero of secretly negotiating with ETA, even after an ETA bomb at Madrid’s airport in December 2006 shattered peace talks aimed at ending ETA’s long fight for Basque independence, which is blamed for more than 800 deaths.

Zapatero denies that he’s soft on ETA, which is listed as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.

Millions of Spaniards, more than third of the 35 million eligible voters, watched the candidates face off in two televised debates, the first ones held here in 14 years.

They bickered over terrorism, but especially over the economy, which Rajoy has turned into a big campaign theme. He senses political opportunity as Spain’s 14-year economic boom is slowing. Unemployment is on the rise and construction has slowed as the real estate bubble bursts.

Juan Manuel Martinez has managed to keep his Madrid real estate business open, while thousands of others have closed. He blames the crisis on Zapatero.

Under the previous conservative government, we hired people and opened new branches. Under Zapatero, we’ve closed those office and laid people off. We’ve gone backward, Martinez told CNN.

A decade-long housing boom, exemplified by new vacation homes along the coast, is slumping. Excess supply and a credit crunch have converged at election time, menacing the prime minister.

A few months ago, it seemed very clear that the government was going to win the elections again. Not today, said Juan Jose Toribio, dean of the Madrid campus of Spain’s leading IESE business school.

Spain’s unemployment, already one of the highest in Europe, is rising.

Vanessa Hernandez was just fired as a secretary for a construction firm. We caught up with her at an unemployment office, where she inquired about her potential benefit payments.

There’s a lot of fear, Hernandez told CNN, in the southern Madrid suburb of Mostoles. The companies are afraid, too, because they don’t have construction projects, so they think the world is going to end.

All of this is a big change for Spain, once among the poorest countries of Europe, but after years of growth, now among the richest. A symbol of the new wealth that many Spaniards have grown comfortable with: four new office skyscrapers going up all at once in Madrid.

Zapatero insists there’s still growth in the economy, just less of it, and he says the the government’s budget surplus will help the nation through the problems.

The slowdown will not be deep or prolonged, Zapatero said in the first of the televised debates. We’ve created three million jobs and have a strong financial system.

Most of the polls give Zapatero a narrow lead, predicting he will repeat with a plurality in the 350-seat Spanish Parliament but not an outright majority.

Yet Rajoy has stayed close in the polls and predicts a surprise for Sunday, as voters weigh the Friday’s attack blamed on ETA and the faltering economy.
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Ohio winter storm: ‘It’s horrible out there’

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Snowplows and cleanup crews will be working overtime Sunday to dig out of a record-setting snowstorm that buried Ohio’s capital city and many parts of Ohio and Indiana.

The winter storm dumped more than 20 inches of snow on Columbus on Saturday, while blizzard conditions shut down highways and stranded air travelers in the region.

The storm eventually swept into the East Coast, battering Pennsylvania and New Jersey with a line of thunderstorms. By early Sunday, tens of thousands were left without electric power.

High winds in Ohio whipped the snow into 3-foot-tall drifts in some places and cut visibility to less than a quarter mile, the National Weather Service said.

It’s horrible out there right now, said 58-year-old Carman Bonfiglio, a FedEx Corp. driver who was stranded at a truck stop in Sunbury, about 20 miles northeast of Columbus.

Trucks are just spinning right here. In my days of driving I’ve never seen anything like it.

We will get through this, Gov. Ted Strickland said Saturday. The snow will stop, the wind will cease, and the sun will shine. But until that happens we need to be smart, take care of ourselves and attempt to be helpful to others.

The storm, which rolled in Friday, dumped 20.4 inches of snow on Columbus, breaking the city’s previous record of 15.3 inches set in February 1910, the weather service said. Cincinnati and Cleveland received about a foot of snow. Watch cars spin out of control on icy roads in West Virginia

State officials urged motorists to avoid the roads. At least nine counties closed roads to non-emergency traffic, meaning that anyone caught driving was subject to arrest unless they were involved in an emergency.

In Indiana, 14 inches of snow fell in Milan, which is about 60 miles southeast of Indianapolis, said the weather service said.

Roads were impassable, prompting the county to declare a local emergency banning all vehicles except for emergency vehicles from the roads, authorities said. See snowy scenes through I-Reporters’ eyes

The winds are starting to pick up now, so we expect some of them to be pretty treacherous, Ripley County sheriff’s Deputy Brian Maynard said of the roads.

It was a continuation of the storm that on Friday piled up snow a foot deep in Arkansas and blacked out thousands of homes and businesses from that state to the Great Lakes. Louisville, Kentucky, and parts of Tennessee got up to a foot, while northern Mississippi got 5 to 7 inches of snow, the weather service said.

Secondary roads and bridges were snow-covered and icy in Tennessee and Kentucky on Saturday morning, but much of that had melted by the afternoon when temperatures climbed into the upper 30s.

One Ohio traffic death was blamed on the weather Friday, with two in western New York state and one in Tennessee. Two people were killed as tornadoes struck several Florida communities.

Three men in the Cleveland area and one in the Columbus area died Saturday while shoveling snow, authorities said.

At Port Columbus International Airport, a plane skidded a few hundred feet off a runway while landing late Friday, but no one was hurt, airport spokeswoman Angie Neal said.

Many flights into and out of Ohio were delayed or canceled on Saturday. Watch ‘delay after delay’ in Ohio

All flights in and out of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport were canceled Saturday, airport spokesman Todd Payne said. Crews struggled all day to clear the runways.

There was really no reason to keep it open, Payne said. We have 30-mile-an-hour sustained winds.

The airport, which has about 250 daily flights on the weekends, was scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m. Sunday, but flight delays were possible, he said.

The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team, unable to make its departure flight, postponed its game at No. 13 Connecticut until Sunday.

Hundreds of other weekend events were canceled, including Ohio girls high school basketball championship games in Columbus and several Kentucky boys basketball tournament games. The University of Louisville canceled Saturday classes.

A warm-up was not expected until Tuesday, when the forecast called for temperatures in the lower 40s, the weather service said.

Flooding could be a concern if it warms up too quickly, said Nancy Dragoni, director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.

We’re hopeful that there’ll be enough time for some of the water to go down in the rivers and creeks and streams so we can absorb the snow when it melts, she said.

New Jersey got as much as 3 inches of rain from the storm, and heavy wind and rain caused power outages and downed trees late Saturday there, as well as in Pennsylvania and New York. More than 100,000 customers were without power during the peak of the storm in New Jersey, utility companies in the state reported.

A section of the New Jersey Turnpike was closed for about three hours while downed power lines and debris were removed. NJ Transit halted two train lines into New York City until Sunday because of downed trees, officials said.

In the Philadelphia area, Peco Energy officials say up to 80,000 customers are without power due to rain and high winds, and flight delays at Philadelphia International Airport are up to about 90 minutes.
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Battle over Liverpool intensifies

GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) — Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks launched an angry attack Saturday on the Dubai consortium battling for control of the English Premier League club, criticizing its behavior during negotiations.

Dubai International Capital agreed late Friday to cede to Hicks’ condition that his Anfield partner George Gillett Jr. would be limited to selling 98 percent of his stock, equating to 49 percent of Liverpool, which beat Newcastle 3-0 on Saturday.

But Hicks told The Associated Press that he’s upset with DIC’s lead negotiator Amanda Staveley, saying she has been leaking private correspondence between the pair to the British media.

If she thinks that is an appropriate way to acquire a stake in Liverpool FC, she had better think again, Hicks said in a statement to the AP.

The heightened dispute was a blow to fans’ hopes that a partnership breakthrough could restore stability to the club after months of turmoil. Watch how Hicks and Gillett have failed to win over fans

As for Amanda Staveley, who has a reputation for being pretty smart, she should know better than to publicly put words in my mouth, particularly words that she knows, or should know, perfectly well aren’t true, Hicks said. She should also know better than to release actual copies of my private correspondence to the press.

Staveley has also said that DIC, the investment arm of the Dubai government, would try to dominate Hicks by bankrolling the club with its superior financial clout and pledged to work on forcing Hicks into selling his 50 percent stake.

Staveley could not be reached for comment.

Hicks insisted that no deal has been brokered with DIC and that it faced competition to acquire even a minority stake.

DIC is one of several potential minority investors we are or will be talking to, he said.

This week Hicks rebuffed DIC’s $993 million bid for the whole club. That would have included paying off the refinancing package Americans Hicks and Gillett negotiated in January for the loan used to purchase the Reds.

Instead, in the short term, DIC is resigned to working with Hicks.

Subject to renegotiation of a partnership agreement and subject to the stringent minority shareholder protection rights we would be prepared to accept a 49 percent shareholding in Liverpool FC, said Staveley, who works for financial advisory firm PCP Capital Partners. We have decided that this arrangement provides the best possible solution to the situation and would be in the best interests of the club and their loyal fans.

Hicks is on the verge of acquiring a majority interest by buying 2 percent of Gillett’s stock and is insistent on not relinquishing his position. But DIC’s determination to gain full control hasn’t wavered.

Tom Hicks knows that in the long run we will be 100 percent owners of the club, but we are prepared to play a waiting game, Staveley said in comments that angered Hicks. We will be able to pay the price for the financing of the club and construction of a new stadium.

Both Hicks and Gillett were in telephone contact with Staveley on Friday, but a deal was yet to be signed.

Hicks has a team of lawyers in Dubai ready to meet with DIC’s legal representatives early next week.

Hicks can block Gillett from selling because of a preemption agreement that says one partner can’t sell his stake without the other’s approval.

Liverpool fans have mounted a stream of protests against the turmoil in the Anfield boardroom, with the Kop backing the DIC bid to remove the American owners in chants at half time in Wednesday’s 4-0 victory over West Ham.

But this compromise deal could only add to the uncertainty which has blighted Liverpool’s season.

Gillett had been offered up to $158 million, including a share of future profits, to sell his full stake and end his turbulent year in English soccer. It is unclear what he will be offered for 98 percent of his stake.

Hicks and Gillett bought Liverpool for $431 million in March 2007, and each own 50 percent of the club.
found here.

Battle over Liverpool intensifies

GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) — Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks launched an angry attack Saturday on the Dubai consortium battling for control of the English Premier League club, criticizing its behavior during negotiations.

Dubai International Capital agreed late Friday to cede to Hicks’ condition that his Anfield partner George Gillett Jr. would be limited to selling 98 percent of his stock, equating to 49 percent of Liverpool, which beat Newcastle 3-0 on Saturday.

But Hicks told The Associated Press that he’s upset with DIC’s lead negotiator Amanda Staveley, saying she has been leaking private correspondence between the pair to the British media.

If she thinks that is an appropriate way to acquire a stake in Liverpool FC, she had better think again, Hicks said in a statement to the AP.

The heightened dispute was a blow to fans’ hopes that a partnership breakthrough could restore stability to the club after months of turmoil. Watch how Hicks and Gillett have failed to win over fans

As for Amanda Staveley, who has a reputation for being pretty smart, she should know better than to publicly put words in my mouth, particularly words that she knows, or should know, perfectly well aren’t true, Hicks said. She should also know better than to release actual copies of my private correspondence to the press.

Staveley has also said that DIC, the investment arm of the Dubai government, would try to dominate Hicks by bankrolling the club with its superior financial clout and pledged to work on forcing Hicks into selling his 50 percent stake.

Staveley could not be reached for comment.

Hicks insisted that no deal has been brokered with DIC and that it faced competition to acquire even a minority stake.

DIC is one of several potential minority investors we are or will be talking to, he said.

This week Hicks rebuffed DIC’s $993 million bid for the whole club. That would have included paying off the refinancing package Americans Hicks and Gillett negotiated in January for the loan used to purchase the Reds.

Instead, in the short term, DIC is resigned to working with Hicks.

Subject to renegotiation of a partnership agreement and subject to the stringent minority shareholder protection rights we would be prepared to accept a 49 percent shareholding in Liverpool FC, said Staveley, who works for financial advisory firm PCP Capital Partners. We have decided that this arrangement provides the best possible solution to the situation and would be in the best interests of the club and their loyal fans.

Hicks is on the verge of acquiring a majority interest by buying 2 percent of Gillett’s stock and is insistent on not relinquishing his position. But DIC’s determination to gain full control hasn’t wavered.

Tom Hicks knows that in the long run we will be 100 percent owners of the club, but we are prepared to play a waiting game, Staveley said in comments that angered Hicks. We will be able to pay the price for the financing of the club and construction of a new stadium.

Both Hicks and Gillett were in telephone contact with Staveley on Friday, but a deal was yet to be signed.

Hicks has a team of lawyers in Dubai ready to meet with DIC’s legal representatives early next week.

Hicks can block Gillett from selling because of a preemption agreement that says one partner can’t sell his stake without the other’s approval.

Liverpool fans have mounted a stream of protests against the turmoil in the Anfield boardroom, with the Kop backing the DIC bid to remove the American owners in chants at half time in Wednesday’s 4-0 victory over West Ham.

But this compromise deal could only add to the uncertainty which has blighted Liverpool’s season.

Gillett had been offered up to $158 million, including a share of future profits, to sell his full stake and end his turbulent year in English soccer. It is unclear what he will be offered for 98 percent of his stake.

Hicks and Gillett bought Liverpool for $431 million in March 2007, and each own 50 percent of the club.
found here.