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Barcelona star Lionel Messi will headline Argentina's squad in an international friendly at Switzerland in Berne on Feb. 29. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella announced the squad Wednesday, the same day FIFA's rankings came out showing his national team had fallen out of the top 10 for the first time since 2004. Argentina dropped to No. 11, one spot behind Denmark. Apart from Messi, the squad features most of Argentina's top players. They include Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano, Real Madrid...

An airline spokeswoman says a captain of a plane carrying 46 passengers died during a flight from the Polish capital of Warsaw to Prague. Czech CSA's Hana Hejskova says the co-pilot took charge of the landing. She says the safety of the passengers on the ATR 42 plane was not threatened because the airline's pilots are trained to deal with such incidents. Doctors in Prague could not revive the captain after the plane landed Wednesday. The spokeswoman didn't give any details about the cause of...

Italy's economy, the eurozone's third-largest, slid into recession in the fourth quarter of last year due to a drop in industrial activity and a stagnant services sector, the national statistics agency said Wednesday. The economy contracted by a quarterly 0.7 percent, ISTAT said, marking the second straight quarterly decline _ the technical definition of a recession. For the overall year, the Italian economy still managed to eke out 0.4 percent growth, compared with 1.4 percent in 2010. Italy...

Overall World Cup leader Ivica Kostelic says he hopes to return to competing within a month despite having a knee operation. The defending overall champion underwent surgery in Basel, Switzerland, after partially tearing cartilage in his right knee during his super-combined victory in Russia on Sunday. He said upon return to Croatia on Wednesday that the best case scenario would be returning on March 10 at the World Cup slalom race in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Kostelic holds a 70-point lead over...

From Lindsey Vonn on down, the first impression of the women's downhill course for the 2014 Sochi Olympics was a positive one. The only problem was that the jumps were too large. "I like it. The snow is a little bit soft and it was definitely windy today, but first impression was good," Vonn said after Wednesday's opening training run for this weekend's World Cup races _ a major test event for the games. "There's more terrain on this course than pretty much every World Cup that I've been to."...

Lexus is the top performer in a survey of vehicle dependability released Wednesday, but most other brands also showed improvement in an industry that has reached historically high dependability levels. Consulting firm J.D. Power and Associates polled 31,000 owners of 2009 model-year vehicles and rated brands by the number of problems owners have experienced in the last 12 months. Problems can range from stalling engines and transmission issues to peeling paint and electronics glitches. The top...

Some ships are still being blocked from entering and leaving Antwerp port, as labor action by harbor pilots continues to bite. Over 60 ships were still stuck in limbo both in port and at sea Wednesday because the pilots continued their go-slow actions after a full strike ended Tuesday. Port spokeswoman Tine Vandendriessche said the action cost the port (EURO)1 million ((EURO)1.3 million) per hour, but damage to Antwerp's image as an efficient and flexible port is much bigger. The pilots went...

British police on Wednesday arrested a 43-year-old man suspected in the stabbing death of a popular vicar in rural England. Police did not identify the suspect, but they have appealed to the public for more information in the case. The Rev. John Suddards' body was discovered Tuesday by workmen at the vicarage in Thornbury, a market town 125 miles (200 kilometers) west of London. Police say Suddards was stabbed multiple times in his home. The area around the vicarage has been closed off as authorities...

The Scottish Football Association says the national team will play the United States in a friendly in May. The match on May 26 at the home of NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars will come at the end of an American training camp for Craig Levein's squad, whose 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign starts in September. The sides have not met in the United States since May 1998 when they drew 0-0 in Washington. They drew 1-1 at Hampden Park in Glasgow in November 2005.

The Bahrain Grand Prix is still on for April, despite opposition protests marking the one-year anniversary of a civil uprising against the minority rule in the Gulf kingdom. Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone dismissed Tuesday's massive anti-government protest in Manama as "a lot of kids having a go at the police." "I don't think it's anything serious at all," Ecclestone was quoted as saying in The Guardian newspaper on Wednesday. "It doesn't change our position in any shape or form. "If the...

Novak Djokovic says he felt even more indebted to his compatriots after receiving Serbia's top state honor from President Boris Tadic in a ceremony at the national assembly building on Wednesday. President Tadic said the five-time Grand Slam singles winner deserved the Karadjordjeva Star Medal for "special merits in representing Serbia." Djokovic said in his speech that "my people have indebted me even further with this." He added, "I may have dreamed of raising the trophy at Wimbledon, but...

Susan Sarandon has donated $75,000 to support table tennis programs in New York City public schools. The city Department of Education said Wednesday that the money will pay for equipment and coaching. More than 25 schools have added table tennis this year. Sarandon is the co-owner of a Manhattan table tennis club called SPIN. The actress told The Wall Street Journal that the sport relieves stress and is great for kids who are unfocused and need exercise. Deputy Schools Chancellor Kathleen Grimm...

Alastair Cook scored his second successive century to help England set Pakistan a target of 251 runs to level the four-match, one-day international series at 1-1 on Wednesday. Cook hit 102 to become the first England captain and ninth English batsman to score back-to-back ODI hundreds. He made 137 on Monday as England won by 130 runs at the same venue of Zayed Cricket Stadium to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Ravi Bopara struck 58 not out for his second consecutive half-century, after hitting...

Stocks were mixed on Wall Street as Greece inched closer to a deal to resolve its debt crisis. The Dow Jones industrial average gave up an early gain and was down 12 points at 12,866 around 10 a.m. (1500 GMT) The Standard & Poor's 500 edged up 3 points to 1,354. The Nasdaq composite rose 15 to 2,947. Greece is trying to secure loan extensions and other breaks from its lenders _ notably the other euro zone countries and the International Monetary Fund _ so it won't default on debt obligations...

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has announced a joint venture to develop a residential office and retail complex in London. The agreement with U.K.-based commercial property developer Land Securities Group PLC is to develop the Victoria Circle complex. It involves five new buildings opposite Victoria Station, where the London railway and London Underground meet. The CPPIB says the first phase of the 910,00 square-foot (8,500 square meter) project is expected to be completed in 2016...

Gemma Mengual retired from synchronized swimming on Wednesday, the decorated Spanish athlete saying a lack of desire to compete at the London Olympics influenced her decision. Mengual won 20 world championship medals and helped Spain to Olympic silver in Beijing four years ago. She said her priorities had "changed a lot and it was clear this is not what I wanted any more." The 34-year-old Mengual said she "didn't feel bad" about missing out on the London Games "or else I wouldn't have decided...

The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a stay of execution for a man who raped a 29-year-old mother and left her to drown in the Florida surf more than three decades ago. Sixty-five-year-old Robert Brian Waterhouse is set to die by lethal injection Wednesday evening at Florida State Prison. He has been on death row for more than 31 years _ longer than any inmate previously executed in the state. Waterhouse was convicted in 1980 of killing Deborah Kammerer, whose body was found in the tidal flats of...

A U.S. man faces trial Wednesday on accusations that he forced his young grandsons to hike for miles (kilometers) in the Grand Canyon without food or water in brutal August heat. Christopher Alan Carlson's grandsons, who were 12, 9 and 8 at the time, told investigators that Carlson hit, pushed, choked, and squeezed them and forced their fingers down their throats to make them vomit during trips into the Grand Canyon. Investigators say Carlson told them that the boys were overweight and that he...

UPS is reporting widespread, scattered technical problems affecting tracking and processing of packages. United Parcel Service Inc. spokeswoman Susan Rosenberg said Wednesday that the outages are not affecting the movement of trucks or any other part of the operation. The problem is with some shipping applications that customers use to input and track shipments. Some are reporting problems getting into the system. Rosenberg says a disruption like this is very rare because of the number of overlaps...

The 17-nation eurozone has one foot in recession, according to official figures showing the economy contracted 0.3 percent in the final three months of 2011 from the previous quarter, a clear sign that Europe's debt crisis has spared no country in the single currency bloc. The decline was the first since the second quarter of 2009 and followed a meager 0.1 percent increase in the previous three-month period, Eurostat, the EU's statistics agency, said Wednesday. The figure was slightly better...

Scoreboard Wednesday in the second one-day international between Pakistan and England at Zayed Cricket Stadium: England Alastair Cook c & b Afridi 102 Kevin Pietersen lbw b Ajmal 26 Jonathan Trott c Akmal b Cheema 23 Ravi Bopara c Akmal b Cheema 58 Eoin Morgan not out 25 Extras: (5lb, 10w, 1b) 16 TOTAL: (for four wickets) 250 Overs: 50. Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-116, 3-194, 4-250. Did not bat: Craig Kieswetter, Samit Patel, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn....

Foreign demand for U.S. Treasury debt fell slightly in December after hitting a record high the previous month. A key reason for the drop was that China, the largest holder of Treasury debt, cut its purchases for a third straight month. Total foreign holdings dipped 0.4 percent in December to $4.73 trillion, the Treasury Department reported Wednesday. It was the first drop in foreign holdings of Treasury debt since July. China cut its holdings 2.8 percent to $1.1 trillion. Japan, the second-largest...

A NATO official says the military alliance will buy U.S.-made reconnaissance drones and equipment for over a billion euros (dollars), after the war in Libya highlighted shortcomings in its surveillance and targeting capabilities. The official said Wednesday the total included five Northrop Grumman Global Hawks, ground control stations, analysis equipment, and training for operators. He spoke on condition of anonymity following NATO rules. The official said the order, which coincides with sharp...

Scores Wednesday in the second one-day international between Pakistan and England at Zayed Cricket Stadium: ___ Scores: England: 250-4 (Alastair Cook 102, Ravi Bopara 58, Kevin Pietersen 26, Eoin Morgan 25 not out; Aizaz Cheema 2-49)

U.S. stock futures followed world markets higher Wednesday, as Europe appeared to be inching closer to a Greek bailout deal and several notable corporate developments. Dow Jones industrial average futures added 44 to 12,886, while Standard & Poor's 500 futures rose 6.1 points to 1,353.60. Nasdaq Composite index futures gained 13.50 to 2,589.50. Negotiations over a deal to save Greece from default helped boost some key European markets even as data indicated the eurozone economy contracted...

Officials say almost 100 cars were involved in two massive pileups on the major highway that connects the Czech capital Prague with the eastern part of the country and Slovakia. Police and the National Traffic Center say some 40 cars crashed in a series of accidents before midday Wednesday during a heavy snowstorm some 300 kilometers (186 miles) east of Prague. Two people escaped with light injuries. They say dozens of vehicles, including a bus were involved in another crash some 100 kilometers...

For more than a year, Bahia Honda State Park biologist Jim Duquesnel traversed the nature sanctuary with two hopes. He wanted to see a Miami blue butterfly and rid the Florida Keys outpost of as many iguanas as he could. The reason: The Central American invader may be driving the Miami blue into extinction by eating the leaves where it lays its eggs _ a bit of butterfly caviar in every bite. No confirmed Miami blues have been seen on Bahia Honda since July 2010, and with each passing day it becomes...

The Philippines filed a diplomatic protest to the Argentine government after a Filipino fighter was attacked in the ring by fans unhappy he had won a title bout. John Riel Casimero and members of his team were kicked and assaulted when fans hurled chairs and stormed the ring following his 10th-round knockout of local fighter Luis Alberto Lazarte in the IBF junior flyweight championship in Mar Del Plata. Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said Wednesday that his country's embassy...

Kellogg has popped up to buy the Pringles chip brand from Procter & Gamble for $2.7 billion after a similar deal with Diamond Foods was derailed by accounting problems and an executive shakeup at Diamond. The addition will help Kellogg with its goal of becoming as big globally in snacks as it is in cereal. The Pringles business will add to Kellogg's stable of snack brands that include Keebler, Cheez-It and Special K Cracker Chips. Troubled snack food company Diamond Foods and P&G on Wednesday...

Bulgaria's government is halting the ratification of an international copyright treaty that some Internet users say could lead to online censorship. Prime Minister Boiko Borisov said Wednesday that "Bulgarian legislation on Internet piracy and protection of copyrights is strict enough and we do not need ACTA." Backers of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement say it's needed to harmonize international standards to protect the rights of those who produce music, movies, pharmaceuticals and other...

American and EU officials say they've signed an agreement that will allow products certified as organic in Europe or the U.S. to be sold as organic in both regions. Growers and companies on either side of the Atlantic until now had to wait for separate certifications, meaning double fees, inspections and paperwork. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in a statement the partnership agreement, which goes into effect June 1, was signed Wednesday in Nuremberg at the BioFach World Organic...

Borussia Dortmund's chief executive says Juergen Klopp won't be allowed to leave before his contract expires in 2016, even if Bayern Munich or the German national team make an offer for the coach. Klopp is in his fourth season with Dortmund. He won the Bundesliga title last season and the team is currently two points clear at the top of the standings after a 15-game unbeaten run. Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told Bild newspaper on Wednesday that he has "absolute confidence" in Klopp and can...

The United States and Europe are weighing unprecedented punishment against Iran that could cripple the country's financial lifeline but result in higher oil prices for the U.S. and its allies. Underscoring the potential costs, Iran on Wednesday cut oil exports to six European countries. The Obama administration wants Iran evicted from SWIFT, an independent financial clearinghouse that is crucial to the country's overseas oil sales. That would leapfrog the current slow-pressure campaign of sanctions...

Organizers canceled a ski jumping World Cup here on Wednesday because of high winds. It was rescheduled for Thursday morning, when the weather was expected to be better.

Peugeot Citroen on Wednesday forecast a 10 percent drop in car sales in its core French market this year, after booking a loss in 2011, as economic conditions remain tough. The maker of the popular Peugeot 207 hatchback and Citroen C4 Picasso minivan reported that its automotive division made a (EURO)439 million ($578 million) loss at the operating level last year, as restructuring costs more than offset slightly higher revenue. After including the group's car parts, financing and logistics divisions...

Kaiserslautern attacking midfielder Costas Fortounis has been called up to the Greek squad for the first time for a Feb. 29 friendly against Belgium. Greece coach Fernando Santos named the 19-year-old Bundesliga player in an initial seven-man selection on Wednesday for the warm-up match before the European Championship. Also summoned were Fanis Gekas (Samsunspor), Georgios Samaras (Celtic), Alexandros Tziolis (Monaco), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Werder Bremen), Alexandros Tzorvas (Palermo) and...

An Indonesian man was arrested on suspicion that he used rat poison to kill at least four men in recent months, police said Wednesday. Mujianto alias Genthong was arrested Monday in the East Java district of Nganjuk following an investigation into the bodies found in recent weeks, said local police chief Lt. Col. Anggoro Sukartono. He said three dead victims were discovered in January while the fourth was found early this month. Two men who were poisoned last week survived and were receiving...

Japanese football is taking steps to keep organized crime out of the sport in order to avoid the fate of its South Korean counterpart. J-League clubs, players and referees have issued a declaration in Tokyo saying they will take measures to keep anti-social elements out of the sport. The J-League has set up a third-party hotline for anyone associated with Japanese professional football who wants or needs advice in dealing with suspect people. The Japan Football Association has also contracted...

The maker of the widely prescribed cancer drug Avastin is warning doctors and patients about counterfeit vials of the product that have been distributed in the U.S. Roche's Genentech unit said Tuesday that the fake products do not contain the key ingredient in Avastin, which is used to treat cancers of the colon, lung, kidney and brain. The drug is a huge money-maker for Roche, generating about $6 billion a year. A spokeswoman said the counterfeit drug has been distributed to health care facilities...

Donations to U.S. colleges and universities rose 8.2 percent in fiscal 2011, crossing back over the $30 billion mark for just the second time ever, according to the latest annual fundraising figures out Wednesday. But the very richest universities accounted for nearly half the growth. Of the $30.3 billion collected by colleges and universities nationwide, $8.2 billion _ or 27 percent _ was raised by just the top 20 institutions. At those universities, fundraising was 15.3 percent higher than the...

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.'s fourth-quarter profit sank 34 percent as an acquisition by the world's largest generic drugmaker improved revenue but raised expenses. The Israeli company said Wednesday its net income dropped to $506 million, or 57 cents per share, in the three months that ended Dec. 31. That compares to $771 million, or 85 cents per share, in the last quarter of 2010. Excluding a variety of one-time items, like acquisition, amortization and impairment charges, Teva earned...

Oil rose to near $102 a barrel on Wednesday after Iran announced it would stop crude exports to six European countries and investors were heartened from positive developments in Europe's sovereign debt crisis. By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark crude was up $1.11 to $101.85 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 17 cents to finish at $100.74 per barrel in New York on Tuesday. In London, Brent crude was up $1.76 at $119.11 per barrel on the...

A group monitoring blood diamonds said Wednesday that mining officials loyal to the authoritarian president are stashing profits from Zimbabwe's diamond fields, and cited fears the money could be used for political violence ahead of proposed elections. Global Witness said in a report circulated Wednesday that its investigations show unspecified amounts of diamond earnings are being hidden in the tax-free havens of Mauritius, Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands. The mining executives include...

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington's power centers is boosting his international profile but offering little insight into the man destined to rule the world's most populous nation. On Wednesday, America could start to learn a little more. Xi will meet congressional leaders, address business executives and policy experts and journey to the Iowa heartland, where he'll reconnect with people who hosted him on a 1985 study tour. On Tuesday, Xi stuck to a tightly scripted schedule...

Four days before a tsunami devastated a Japanese nuclear plant, its operator promised a fuller assessment of the risk of such a disaster _ but not for seven months. The disclosure in a three-page briefing paper obtained by The Associated Press raises questions about whether the utility and regulators were too complacent about studies that suggested a tsunami could overwhelm the defenses at the 40-year-old Fukushima Dai-ichi plant. It also highlights Japan's slow pace of decision-making on an...

Gym Class Heroes and J. Cole will headline the first NBA All-Star pregame concert. Pentatonix and Kayla Brianna also will perform before tipoff on Feb. 26. Gym Class Heroes, led by Travie McCoy, will be joined by Neon Hitch on their single "Get Yourself Back Home." Rapper J. Cole, the first artist signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label, is a recent Grammy nominee. Pentatonix recently earned fame by winning "The Sing Off" and Brianna, daughter of former NBA player Kenny Smith, will debut her single...

Police say one of the first clues the Nike shoes might be fake was the logo of Michael Jordan. The former NBA star had too many fingers, an officer wrote in his report. WSB-TV reports ( http://bit.ly/yKtkCA ) that the image and other tips led Gwinnett County, Georgia, police to seize 78 pairs of Nike sneakers that authorities contend are counterfeit. Police say they're questioning two South Carolina women they say were traveling with the shoes when police stopped their car on Saturday on a highway...

The U.S. and its allies are closely monitoring Syria's stockpiles of chemical arms and portable anti-aircraft missiles, a State Department official says, amid concerns that the country's unconventional weapons could fall into the hands of terrorist or militant groups while the 11-month-old uprising continues. "Syria is a country of significant proliferation concern, so we monitor its chemical weapons activities very closely," the State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity...

The last time China's soon-to-be leader visited Iowa, he slept in a bedroom with green shag carpeting and Star Trek character cutouts on the walls. He ate eggs with a spoon because his host forgot the chopsticks. But apparently Xi Jinping remembered the 1985 stay fondly because he insisted on returning this week to Muscatine, a small farming community he toured to learn about crop and livestock practices. Back then, he was a young Communist Party leader seeking ideas to help his agriculture-rich...

Offloaded by Manchester United after a series of disciplinary issues, 19-year-old West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison is now facing a charge from the English Football Association over a tweet. Morrison is accused of using "abusive and/or insulting words including a reference to a person's sexual orientation," the FA said Wednesday. The tweet was posted a week after Morrison left United after a contract dispute that saw manager Alex Ferguson complain his "demands are unrealistic." Morrison wasn't...

Chris Robshaw will remain as England captain for the rest of the Six Nations after leading the team to opening victories over Scotland and Italy. The flanker was given the armband by interim coach Stuart Lancaster before the tournament, even though he had only one cap for the national team. Lancaster says Robshaw "has shown on and off the field the qualities required to captain a side." Robshaw will captain England for the first time at Twickenham in the match against Wales on Feb. 25. Both...

A German union has called on ground workers at Frankfurt Airport to walk off the job for seven hours Thursday in a dispute over pay and working conditions. News agency dapd reported Wednesday that the GdF union, which represents air traffic control employees, called for workers overseeing operations on the tarmac to stage a walkout from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. (1400 GMT to 2100 GMT). Frankfurt is Germany's busiest airport and continental Europe's second-busiest. GdF is engaged in a dispute with airport...

Brazilian striker Michel Platini Ferreira Mesquita has signed with Dinamo Bucharest, despite fighting on the pitch with two Dinamo players last week. Dinamo official Nicolae Badea said Michel Platini was contracted for three seasons. The 28-year-old namesake of the European football boss has previously played for Bulgaria's CSKA Sofia. Last week, in a friendly, Platini fought with two Dinamo players and was sent off. In an interview with Gazeta Sporturilor, published on Wednesday, Platini says...

The Detroit Red Wings were businesslike about breaking an NHL record with their 21st straight win at home. The Red Wings tapped their gloves and sticks on goaltender Joey MacDonald after beating the Dallas Stars 3-1 late Tuesday as if it was just another victory. Then, they skated toward center ice and raised their sticks to acknowledge the cheering fans _ a rare gesture _ before going back to their usual routine of working up another sweat with a postgame workout. "It was nothing different...

Britain's economy is likely to grow slowly this year in a "zigzag" pattern of quarterly gains and setbacks _ barring a disaster in the eurozone, the governor of the Bank of England said Wednesday. Introducing the latest quarterly Inflation Report, Mervyn King said austerity cuts at home and financial uncertainty among major trading partners in Europe are holding back growth. The report prepared by the Bank's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee forecast growth of 1 percent in 2012 and 1.8 percent...

Adam Scott was on the range at Riviera on Tuesday and had every reason to feel like a stranger. He is the only player from the top 10 in the world who has yet to play a tournament this year. "I may have to introduce myself to a fair bit of people," Scott said. Waiting until the Northern Trust Open to begin his 2012 season was only partially by design. Scott had planned to be at Kapalua for the U.S. PGA Tour opener, but he had his tonsils taken out in December. He said the recovery time for an...

Bailed-out Portugal managed to raise (EURO)3 billion ($3.9 billion) in a debt auction Wednesday despite concerns that a deepening recession could force it to ask for more international financial help. Portugal has enacted broad spending cuts to reduce its massive debt load, but after a double-dip recession in 2011, the government is forecasting a further 3 percent contraction this year. The downturn could leave Portugal short of funds, meaning its European partners and the International Monetary...

Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish is visiting his Cleveland Browns counterpart to pick up coaching tips amid mounting fan protests as the club battles against relegation from the Premier League. American sports tycoon Randy Lerner, who owns both teams, asked McLeish to go to the NFL team to spend two days shadowing coach Pat Shurmur. Villa says "Lerner believes there are universal transferrable methods both clubs can employ." A 1-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday left Villa three places above...

Switzerland defender Scott Sutter has joined FC Zurich on loan for the rest of the season after falling out of favor at Young Boys. Young Boys says in a statement that it wishes Sutter luck after he was no longer a first choice for coach Christian Gross. Sutter, who was born in England, had talks with Blackburn last month but a move to the Premier League fell through. The 25-year-old Sutter is eligible to represent Switzerland through his Swiss father. He played two international matches in...

The final five qualifying places for the women's Olympic basketball competition will be determined at a 12-nation tournament shortly before the 2012 Games open. The June 25-July 1 event in Ankara comprises three-team groups playing round-robin matches, with two advancing from each pool to the quarterfinals. Four quarterfinals winners advance to London, and the four losers play a knockout bracket to decide the fifth qualifier. The groups are: Japan, Puerto Rico and Turkey; Argentina, Czech Republic...

Congo's government has suspended the licenses of two aviation companies operating in the Central African nation after one of their planes crashed over the weekend, killing a top adviser to President Joseph Kabila and four others. Minister of Transport Joseph Martin Kitumba said in a statement released late Tuesday that the licenses of Air Katanga Express and Katanga Wings had been suspended as Congolese and American experts investigate the crash of the Gulfstream 3 jet. The Katanga Express plane...

Istanbul has submitted its 2020 Olympic bid file to the IOC, completing the field of five candidate cities. The Istanbul delegation delivered it documents to the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday, the deadline for formal bid submissions. Submitting their files on Monday and Tuesday were Tokyo; Doha, Qatar; Madrid; and Baku, Azerbaijan. Rome dropped out Tuesday when Premier Mario Monti said the government would not offer financial support at a time of economic crisis in Italy. Istanbul...

Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov and Bolton winger Martin Petrov are out of Bulgaria's friendly at Hungary later this month. Coach Lyuboslav Penev didn't say why the pair will be missing for the Feb. 29 game in Gyor when announcing his squad on Wednesday. Penev failed to persuade Dimitar Berbatov to return to the squad. The Manchester United forward retired from international football in 2010, saying the national team is too stressful. Five players from current Bulgarian league leader...

Authorities in a restive region in far western China are holding public lectures in villages and communities to promote patriotism and discourage illegal religious activity. The official Xinhua News Agency cited officials as saying Wednesday that the lectures were be held throughout the year in Xinjiang. The area is largely populated by minority Uighurs who are predominantly Muslim. Xinhua says officials will discuss "the danger of illegal religious activities" as well as advocate "proper dress...

The chairman of Al Wasl says his aim is to keep coach Diego Maradona happy. Maradona said last week that he would consider leaving the UAE club if the player budget wasn't increased significantly next season, complaining he wasn't able to compete with other teams. On Wednesday, Marwan bin Beyat said he had not heard directly from Maradona about his concerns but said his aim was to "always make him happy." He said he has told Maradona to put "his requirements for next season in writing" and they...

West Virginia University's journalism school is creating a fund for international travel to honor a professor and former Associated Press correspondent who died earlier this month. The George Esper International Study Enhancement Fund will support students participating in either study abroad or a faculty-led international trip. Esper taught at WVU after retiring from a 42-year career with the AP, much of it as a war correspondent. He refused to leave his post at the end of the Vietnam War,...

West Virginia University's journalism school is creating a fund for international travel to honor a professor and former Associated Press correspondent who died earlier this month. The George Esper International Study Enhancement Fund will support students participating in either study abroad or a faculty-led international trip. Esper taught at WVU after retiring from a 42-year career with the AP, much of it as a war correspondent. He refused to leave his post at the end of the Vietnam War,...

Malaysia's central bank says economic growth slowed sharply to 5.1 percent last year and warns prospects for 2012 are clouded by Europe's ongoing debt crisis. Bank Negara Malaysia says growth cooled to 5.2 percent in the fourth quarter but was still robust as sustained domestic demand helped offset slowing exports. The economy grew 5.8 percent in the third quarter and 7.2 percent in the second quarter and 4.8 percent in the first quarter. It says this put full-year growth at 5.1 percent, down...

A trade group is warning that a far-right party's controversial website soliciting complaints about central and eastern Europeans could damage Dutch business in the region. Geert Wilders, the maverick lawmaker best known for his outspoken criticism of Islam, has ignited a storm of protest this week for his Freedom Party's site, which has further eroded the Netherlands' cherished image as a bastion of tolerance. Michel de Bruin, the leader of a group that helps Dutch companies do business in eastern...

The Czech Republic's Statistics Office says the country's economy shrank by a 0.3 percent in the final three months of 2011 to slip into recession after a brief recovery. The economy contracted for the second consecutive quarter after it was down by 0.1 percent in the third quarter _ the technical definition of a recession. The Czech Statistics Office also said Wednesday the economy grew by 1.7 percent for the last year as a whole, according to preliminary figures. The economy contracted by...

England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and elected to bat Wednesday in the second one-day international against Pakistan. England retained the same team while Pakistan made three changes for the match at Zayed Cricket Stadium. Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has been replaced by Abdul Rehman, Aizaz Cheema is preferred in place of fellow paceman Wahab Riaz, batsman Azhar Ali replaces Asad Shafiq. England leads 1-0 in the four-match series after winning the first ODI by 130 runs on Monday...

Bayern Munich's doctor says Breno will be sidelined "long-term" after the Brazilian defender underwent knee surgery last week. The operation was to remove an inflamed mucous membrane from Breno's right knee. Doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt is quoted in Wednesday's edition of Munich's TZ newspaper as saying it is too soon to know when Breno will play again. Mueller-Wohlfahrt says "this is long-term, it needs time." Breno's contract expires at the end of the season. He is under investigation...

Zambia soared in the FIFA rankings after winning the African Cup of Nations, and Germany climbed to second behind World Cup winner and European champion Spain in monthly standings published Wednesday. Zambia rises 28 places to No. 43, becoming the continent's fourth-ranked nation after starting the African Cup in 16th place. Ivory Coast, which lost Sunday's final in a penalty shootout, is the highest African nation at No. 15. Co-host nations Gabon and Equatorial Guinea both were rewarded for...

Johanna Schnarf of Italy took advantage of an early start number to lead the opening downhill training session on the 2014 Sochi Olympics course Wednesday. After the first three skiers flew high off the slope's two big jumps, course officials began waving flags to slow skiers down as they approached those sections. The first skier on course, Schnarf clocked 1 minute, 49.78 seconds. Overall World Cup leader Lindsey Vonn was second, 0.01 behind, and Lotte Smiseth Sejersted of Norway was third,...

Results Wednesday from the opening training session for a women's World Cup downhill on the Rosa Khutor course: 1. Johanna Schnarf, Italy, 1 minute, 49.78 seconds. 2. Lindsey Vonn, United States, 1:49.79. 3. Lotte Smiseth Sejersted, Norway, 1:49.83. 4. Veronique Hronek, Germany, 1:51.63 5. Marie Marchand-Arvier, France, 1:51.87. 6. Viktoria Rebensburg, Germany, 1:52.29. (tie) Elisabeth Goergl, Austria, 1:52.29. 8. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 1:52.61. 9. Marion Pellissier, France, 1:52.82. 10....

FC Sion has lost its latest legal case against football authorities after a Bern regional court rejected the club's request for an injunction against the deduction of 36 league points by the Swiss Football Association. The Swiss FA says it is "satisfied" with the ruling which leaves Sion stuck on minus-4 points in a Swiss top division reduced to nine teams with Neuchatel Xamax having collapsed into bankruptcy. Sion can appeal to Bern canton (state) High Court. The Swiss FA punished Sion after...

Sue Turner, the manager of Britain and Ireland's Curtis Cup team and a leading figure in women's golf in Britain, has died. She was 50. The Royal & Ancient, golf's governing body, released a statement late Tuesday saying Turner died after battling illness since last autumn. Turner was due to manage Britain and Ireland's female amateurs in the Curtis Cup against the United States from June 8-10 at Nairn, Scotland. "Whilst Sue will not be there now in person, I know she will be there watching...

Buoyant sales in Asia helped French dairy giant Danone SA post strong revenue growth last year, but overall profits were pressured by high commodity costs. With Europe's debt crisis raging and Europe's economy struggling, the maker of Activia yogurt and Evian water is pushing into new markets. Chairman and CEO Franck Riboud said Wednesday that those efforts were bearing fruit, and that 2011 marked the first time that emerging economies accounted for more than half of group sales. Sales in Asia,...

FIFA rankings for February (January positions in parentheses): 1. Spain (1). 2. Germany (3). 3. Netherlands (2). 4. Uruguay (4). 5. England (5). 6. Portugal (7). 7. Brazil (6). 8. Italy (9). 9. Croatia (8). 10. Denmark (11). 11. Argentina (10). 12. Chile (12). 13. Russia (13). 14. Greece (14). 15. Ivory Coast (18). 16. Switzerland (16). 17. France (15). 18. Sweden (17). 19. Bosnia-Herzegovina (19). 20. Ireland (23).

Already writing the NBA's best story, Jeremy Lin has now scripted a thrilling finish. Nothing about the kid from Harvard should be a surprise anymore. When he launched a 3-pointer in a tie game with a half-second left in Toronto on Tuesday night, the result seemed obvious. "I knew it was going in," Knicks guard Iman Shumpert said. Who would doubt it at this point? Lin's 3-pointer capped his finishing flurry of six straight points to close the game as the Knicks rallied for a 90-87 victory over...

The German economy, Europe's largest, shrank by a mere 0.2 percent in the final three months of 2011 and grew by a solid 3 percent percent for the year as a whole, the Federal Statistical Office reported Wednesday. The quarterly decline in Germany's gross domestic product was slightly than the 0.3 percent expected. Combined with an unexpected increase in the French economy, there are hopes that the 17-nation eurozone economy may not have contracted as much as the 0.4 percent anticipated _ figures...

Officials says Filipinos working abroad have sent home $20.1 billion last year, up 7.2 percent from 2010. Juan de Zuniga Jr. of the Philippine central bank said Wednesday the amount is around 9 percent of GDP and surpasses the banks' projected 7 percent rise. He says the diversity of destinations and skills as well as a large network of money transfer facilities available have made remittances resilient despite the political turmoil in parts of the Middle East and North Africa and a weaker global...

American attempts to get major Asian importers of Iranian oil to rein in their purchases are faltering as allies South Korea and Japan give U.S. officials a polite brushoff. Emerging giants India and China may even increase their purchases, further stymieing Washington's efforts to force Iran to curtail its nuclear program. In 2011, Japan, South Korea, India and China accounted for 60 percent of Iran's oil sales, and the U.S. initiative _ backed up by financial sanctions _ is meant to dig away...

France's GDP grew slightly in the last quarter of 2011, the national statistics agency said Wednesday, bringing total economic growth for the year to 1.7 percent, just off government estimates. The figures beat the Insee agency's own estimates _ it had predicted the economy would contract in the fourth quarter. Instead, GDP advanced 0.2 percent. Insee has also said it expects a contraction in the first quarter of this year. It's still unclear, though, whether that will be sufficient to keep France...

The latest Republican presidential contender to surge in polls, Rick Santorum is trying to turn his newfound strength into something lasting that will establish him as the conservative challenger to Mitt Romney. But things don't look so strong for the former Pennsylvania senator just beneath the surface. Three new polls show Santorum, coming off a stunning sweep of three state contests last week, has pulled even with presumed front-runner Romney in the race to challenge President Barack Obama...

South Korean baseball's governing body says professional clubs are questioning their players amid growing allegations of match-fixing. The questioning comes after media reports said a broker told prosecutors that match-fixing had taken place in baseball. The broker was arrested last week with several former and current volleyball players for alleged match-fixing in that sport. The Korea Baseball Organization said Wednesday that a pitcher said he had turned down a match-fixing offer by the operator...

A bobbing little pompom put on a peak performance at the Westminster Kennel Club. Malachy the Pekingese wobbled off with best in show Tuesday night, becoming America's top dog much to the delight of an adoring crowd that called his name. "He saved all his energy for the ring today," handler David Fitzpatrick said. The 4-year-old Peke won his 115th overall best in show title. He beat out a Dalmatian, German shepherd, Doberman pinscher, Irish setter, a Kerry blue terrier and wire-haired dachshund...

A man already sentenced to 200 years in prison for killing four people in a rampage of stabbings and carjackings across New York City is facing sentencing for slashing a subway passenger at the end of his bloody spree. Maksim Gelman is expected to get 25 years in prison Wednesday for the subway attack. The 24-year-old pleaded guilty last month to attempted murder for the subway stabbing. It happened in Manhattan. The victim survived and helped knock Gelman down before police arrested Gelman....

Left-arm fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe took a hat trick as South Africa beat Canterbury Province by 20 runs in Wednesday's Twenty20 match on its New Zealand tour. Tsotsobe had opener George Worker caught by Morne Morkel for four with the fifth ball of his first over, bowled former New Zealand test batsman Peter Fulton for a duck next ball then trapped one-day international Shanan Stewart lbw with the first ball of his second over. That reduced Canterbury to 9-3 in the fourth over as it replied...

Robby Ginepri earned just his third ATP Tour match win since 2010 when he easily beat Xavier Malisse 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday in the opening round of the SAP Open. Ginepri, still battling back from a serious mountain bike crash, had no trouble at all while dispatching the Belgian in just 56 minutes. His victory provided some relief for home fans, with Americans scoring three wins against five losses for the day. Bulgarian qualifier Dimitar Kutrovsky beat Dennis Lajola 6-7 (7), 6-3, 7-6 (3), Luxembourg's...

American businesses are finding their prospects in China clouded by surging costs, intense competition and regulatory interference, despite the country's crucial importance for their survival, according to a report released Wednesday. The report coincides with an official visit to the U.S. by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who has said he hopes to promote cooperation in a relationship dogged by friction over currency policy and other issues. Nearly 80 percent of companies participating in...

The Miami Heat became the first NBA team in 33 years to win three straight road games in as many days as they beat the Indiana Pacers 105-90 on Tuesday. Miami is also the first club in 42 years to win each of the three by double digits. Phoenix was the last to win three in a row on the road in consecutive days, in 1978-79. Milwaukee was the last team to win all three by at least 10 in 1970-71. LeBron James scored 23 points and nearly produced his first triple-double in 11 months, while Dwyane...

Monday SAN JOSE, California (AP) _ Results Tuesday from the $600,000 SAP Open, an ATP World Tour event played on indoor hard courts at HP Pavilion (seedings in parentheses) Singles First Round Dimitar Kutrovsky, Bulgaria, def. Dennis Lajola, United States, 6-7 (7), 6-3, 7-6 (3). Gilles Muller, Luxembourg, def. Tim Smyczek, United States, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. Denis Kudla, United States, def. Jack Sock, United States, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3. Steve Darcis, Belgium, def. Scott Johnson, United States,...

The U.S. and its allies are closely monitoring Syria's stockpiles of chemical arms and portable anti-aircraft missiles, a State Department official says, amid concerns that the country's unconventional weapons could fall into the hands of terrorist or militant groups while the 11-month-old uprising continues. "Syria is a country of significant proliferation concern, so we monitor its chemical weapons activities very closely," the State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity...

Adelaide United must play Persipura Jayapura on Thursday in a bid to qualify for the Asian Champions League after the Indonesian side was controversially reinstated to the competition. Adelaide was initially given a direct passage into the Champions League main draw after Persipura was ruled ineligible because it plays in the unsanctioned Indonesian Super League. However the club appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and was provisionally reinstated earlier this month to the Champions...

Iranian patrol boats and aircraft have shadowed a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group as it transited the Strait of Hormuz. Tuesday's passage ended a Gulf mission that displayed Western naval power amid heightened tensions with Tehran, which has threatened to choke off vital oil shipping lanes. But officers onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln said there were no incidents with Iranian forces and described the surveillance as routine measures by Tehran near the strategic strait, which is jointly controlled...

China's central bank governor expressed confidence in the euro at an appearance Wednesday with visiting European Union leaders and said Beijing will keeping buying the debt of European governments. China also will encourage its companies to invest in Europe, Zhou Xiaochuan said during an event at a university with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. "We have confidence in the eurozone," Zhou said of the 17 nations that use the euro...

A newly assertive Supreme Court is taking on the Pakistani government and army in a series of high-profile cases, signaling a power shift in a country vital to U.S. efforts to fight Islamist militants and negotiate peace in Afghanistan. The jury is still out on the implications. Some believe the court's actions are part of a necessary, if messy, rebalancing in a country that has long been dominated by the army or seen chaotic periods of rule by corrupt politicians. Others view the court as just...

An Egyptian Cabinet minister has stoked tension with the U.S. over funding nonprofit groups working for democracy in Egypt, accusing Washington of intentionally seeking to create chaos to prevent the country from prospering. The comments published Tuesday in state media were made by International Cooperation Minister Faiza Aboul Naga, a leftover from the old Hosni Mubarak regime. She made them in October during testimony to two judges investigating allegations the groups used foreign funds to...