France News Blog

Parker Says Wedding Cake Will Be French

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

For Tony Parker, only French-made wedding cakes will do. The NBA champion, set to marry "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria next week, is staying coy about plans for the event.

Speaking to reporters Thursday in Paris, the San Antonio Spurs point guard shrugged off questions about the wedding date and venue, believed to be July 7 at a French chateau.

"I don't care where I'm going to get married," he said. "It's a girls' thing." To other queries, he replied: "That's a question you should ask Eva."

Oct. launch planned for `.asia' domain

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) -- Internet addresses ending in ".asia" will be open to governments and trademark owners starting in October, with general registrations coming in 2008. The initial round, which starts Oct. 9, is limited to governments desiring geographical names such as "china.asia" and those with trademarks applied before March 16, 2004, and actively in use. Registrations for other trademarks and for company names begin Nov. 13. The Internet's key oversight agency for domain names, the Intern...

Excerpts from ruling in school cases

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

Excerpts from the Supreme Court's ruling Thursday that struck down voluntary integration plans in public schools in Louisville, Ky., and Seattle:

From Chief Justice John Roberts' majority opinion:

"The districts offer no evidence that the level of racial diversity necessary to achieve the asserted educational benefits happens to coincide with the racial demographics of the respective school districts or rather the white/nonwhite or black/'other' balance of the districts, since that is the only diversity addressed by the plans."

Celebrity dish

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

Spice Girls wanna returnThe Spice Girls wannabe stars again.After a calculated publicity buildup, the original Girl Power group of the 1990s announced Thursday that they have agreed to reunite for 11 concerts around the world in December and January.The shows will be their first concerts since breaking up in 2001, and the first with all five of the original group since Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell quit to pursue a solo career in 1998.“Imagine you got divorced and you’ve ...

Oil Producers Snub Venezuela Deal

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

CARACAS, VENEZUELA - Exxon Mobil Corp. and ConocoPhillips refused to sign deals Tuesday to keep pumping heavy oil under tougher terms in Venezuela's Orinoco River basin, signaling their departure from one of the world's largest oil deposits.

Analysts said the move, however, won't have a major effect on supplies or lead to higher prices at U.S. pumps because production by the two companies will shift to other producers who agreed to the pacts.

Oil production lost to ConocoPhillips or any other oil company will shift to someone else, said James Cordier, president of Liberty Trading Group in Tampa.

Wider use of Latin Mass likely under pope's plan

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI is going ahead with his plan to allow more churches to use the old Latin Mass, a concession to traditionalists that has caused concern among those fearing a rollback of one of the Vatican's key liberalizing reforms.

The pope explained his plans to a group of prelates from Europe and the United States, the Vatican said Thursday, in what was considered an unusual meeting underlining the resistance his proposal created.

Stocks End Flat Following Fed Comments

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks finished flat Thursday after the Federal Reserve said the economy appeared to be growing at a "moderate" pace but offered a cautious reading on inflation. The Dow Jones industrial average, which at one point had been up 70 points after the Fed decision, ended down 5.45, or 0.04 percent, at 13,422.28. Broader stock indicators finished mixed. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped 0.63, or 0.04 percent, to 1,505.71, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 3.02, or 0.12 per...

ONE COMPLICATED STEW: Beautiful, sophisticated 'Ratatouille' is chock-full of story lines

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

Pixar has always made movies for grownups, even if kids were more likely to get more fun out of repeat screenings of "Finding Nemo."

"Ratatouille," however, might be the company's most unapologetic adult offering. It even has a title most 5-year-olds couldn't pronounce -- at least before the commercials began to air.

Orchid gathering may send $18M into bloom

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

When World Orchid Conference, Miami arrives, it will bring growers, vendors and an economic impact of about $18 million - at least according to organizers.

The 19th World Orchid Conference, Jan. 23-27, 2008, is returning to the United States after 25 years in locations including Dijon, France; Shah Alam, Malaysia; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The flower gathering is to be at the Sheraton Miami Mart Hotel and Convention Center.

Parker says cake for wedding with Longoria will be French

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

PARIS For Tony Parker, only French-made wedding cakes will do.

The NBA champion, set to marry Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria next week, is staying coy about plans for the event.

Speaking to reporters Thursday in Paris, the San Antonio Spurs point guard shrugged off questions about the wedding date and venue, believed to be July 7 at a French chateau.

Stratford star remembered for versatility and hard work

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

There was a sense in 1999 that actor William Hutt was playing his final role -- Prospero in Shakespeare's "The Tempest"-- at the Stratford Festival. It was the same year that Mr. Hutt, then 79, was depicted costumed as Prospero on a Canadian postage stamp.

The following year the bridge that crosses Stratford's Avon River at Waterloo Street was named for him. Never one to rest on his laurels when there was acting to be done, Mr. Hutt went on to play several more parts at Stratford, including Prospero again in 2005. That role would prove to be his last. Mr. Hutt, 87, died Wednesday at Stratford General Hospital. He had recently been diagnosed with leukemia.

Terror threat in Europe 'very high'

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

MADRID - The threat of terrorism in Europe remains very high due to anger over the Iraqi war and the growing influence of North African groups linked to al-Qaida, a leading antiterrorism judge warned Thursday.

"The actual threat for Europe is high, very high indeed, " Jean-Louis Bruguiere, a top investigator of Islamic terrorism in France, told reporters.

"The Iraqi conflict has nurtured the Islamic groups living in Europe, " he said, adding that Iraq also remains a magnet for the recruitment of Islamic extremists.

Pair gears up for 500-mile trek

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

With a combined 100 years under their belts, area residents Randy White and Bob Whipkey are gearing up for a 500-mile bike ride with Lance Armstrong.

Click to enlarge

Later this month, White and Whipkey will take part in Register's annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa — the longest, largest and oldest touring bike ride in the world.

Palestine's crooks and kooks

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

With these Mediterranean accents, it's easy to speak well of Lana

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:30:04 +0000

It was the bard William Shakespeare who penned "summer's lease hath all too short a date." When it comes to the seasons, we are in agreement; for restaurants, however, it can be a very good thing. Fans of Cafe Lana's original Cumberland Street location mourned the passage of their favorite lunch cafe. But with the owners of the building making other plans for its use, Lana chef-owner Drazen Romic was forced to find another location for his cafe named after his daughter. Just like a face-lift can...

We opted for a bright start, literally and figurative

West Potomac Says Farewell

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:18:57 +0000

For her first grade Christmas, Lydia Petkoff received her first plastic bat and ball and a softball career that lasted until early high school was born.

Petkoff's father Richard remembers taking his small blond-haired daughter out to the front of the house on that early Christmas day. He told her where to stand and he moved a couple of steps away to toss the ball to her nice and easy.

On her first try, Lydia Petkoff hit clear over the roof of the house. After that success, she wanted to hit the ball over the house again and again and again. Her father stayed outside with her tossing her the ball over and over, he said.

Just say Oui to Ratatouille

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:18:57 +0000

If your kids are clamoring to see Remy the rat scamper about the kitchens of Paris in the latest Disney offering, perhaps it's time to introduce them to the original ratatouille: The hodge podge concoction of familiar vegetables often considered the classic dish of France's Provencal region.

The name derives from the French army's slang word rata, meaning "chunky stew," giving rise to theories that it was served as a hearty, easy dish to the French army.

"Basically, it's chunky vegetable stew," said Adam Grandt, sous chef at Carlos in Highland Park. Ratatouille can often be found, in one form or another, on the French restaurant's ever-changing menu.

U.S. Stocks Flat Ahead of Rate Decision

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:18:57 +0000

Stocks Flat Ahead of Fed Rate Decision

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:18:57 +0000

Today In History - June 28, 2007

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:18:57 +0000

Today is Thursday, June 28, the 179th day of 2007. There are 186 days left in the year.

Todays Highlight in History:

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serb nationalistthe event which triggered World War One.

Federer advances to Wimbledon 3rd round

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:18:57 +0000

Pope Approves Wider Use of Latin Mass

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:18:57 +0000

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI has approved a document that relaxes restrictions on celebrating the Latin Mass used by the Roman Catholic Church for centuries until the modernizing reforms of the 1960s, the Vatican said Thursday.

Benedict discussed the decision with top officials in a meeting on Wednesday and the document will be published in the next few days, the statement said. The meeting was called to ''illustrate the content and the spirit'' of the document, which will be sent to all bishops accompanied by a personal letter from the pope.

The decision comes after months of debate. Some cardinals, bishops and Jewish leaders have opposed any change, voicing complaints about everything from the text of the old Mass to concerns that the move will lead to further changes to the reforms approved by 1962-65 Second Vatican Council.

Stocks rally after wobbly day of trading as Fed holds 2-day meeting

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:18:57 +0000

NEW YORK | Wall Street rallied Wednesday, reversing the Dow Jones industrial average's three-day losing streak, but investors still appeared skittish ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision.Stocks initially dropped after the Commerce Department said orders for durable goods plunged 2.8 percent in May following three months of increases. Later, the market shrugged off the report and clawed its way back up, boosted by some takeover deals and strong earnings reports, particularly from...

Top judge warns of high terror threat

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:18:57 +0000

MADRID, Spain—The threat of terrorism in Europe remains very high due to anger over the Iraqi war and the growing influence of North African groups linked to al-Qaida, a leading anti-terrorism judge warned Thursday.

"The actual threat for Europe is high, very high indeed," Jean-Louis Bruguiere, a top investigator of Islamic terrorism in France, told a press conference in Madrid.

"The Iraqi conflict has nurtured the Islamic groups living in Europe," he said, adding that Iraq also remains a magnet for the recruitment of Islamic extremists.

Wall Street enjoys rally

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:18:57 +0000

Stocks initially dropped after the Commerce Department said orders for durable goods plunged 2.8 percent in May following three months of increases.

Later, the market shrugged off the report and clawed its way back up, boosted by some takeover deals and strong earnings reports, particularly from ConAgra Foods Inc. and software maker Oracle Corp. of Redwood Shores.

The Dow rose 90.07, or 0.68 percent, to 13,427.73, after dropping 77 points earlier Wednesday. The blue-chip index had lost a total of 208 points in the previous three sessions.