Baltimore shows its new muscles in season-opening win over Red Sox

BALTIMORE - For most of the night, Pedro Martinez looked like hissame, old self.

That, however, just wasn't good enough against the new version ofthe Baltimore Orioles.

Javy Lopez homered and drove in three runs, and fellow newcomersRafael Palmeiro and Miguel Tejada both had two hits to lead theOrioles past the Boston Red Sox 7-2 on Sunday night in Lee Mazzilli'sfirst game as Baltimore's manager.

Martinez experienced an uncharacteristic lapse in control whileyielding three second-inning runs, and the Red Sox never recovered.It was his third loss in 14 career games against the Orioles and hisfirst defeat in seven opening day starts.

The Orioles last year …

Priest Due in Court in Conan Case

The priest accused of stalking Conan O'Brien was kind and caring, nothing like the obsessed man who allegedly told the late-night talk show host he was "tracking him through space and time," his seminary mentor said.

The Rev. David Ajemian, a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston, was arrested last week while trying to enter a taping of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" in New York City despite being warned to stay away by NBC security personnel. He was arraigned on charges including stalking and aggravated harassment and ordered held for psychiatric evaluation.

Ajemian, 46, was scheduled to appear in court Friday for an update on the case, said …

EU dismisses Zimbabwe sanctions challenge

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The European Union says it imposed economic restrictions on Zimbabwe's president and his party leaders in agreement with member states based on European laws.

Nick Westcott, the EU's visiting chief delegate for Africa, told reporters Tuesday that Zimbabwe has the right to challenge the sanctions in the European courts. He said that the "legal process" would be allowed to run its course to …

Foreign Aid

Wall Street tactics akin to the ones that fostered subprime mortgages in America have worsened the financial crisis shaking Greece and undermining the euro... One deal created by Goldman Sachs helped hide billions in debt from the budget overseers in Brussels.

-The New York Times.

The Goldman folks said, "Greeks, you're …

BYU Student's Body Found in Canyon

PROVO, Utah - The body of a Brigham Young University student missing for more than a week was found in a canyon Sunday, authorities said, and investigators were trying to determine how she fell to her death.

The body of Camille Cleverley, 22, was found at the base of a 200-foot cliff east of Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon, said Utah County Sheriff James O. Tracy.

Cleverley's father, Joel, identified her at the scene, Tracy said, and it appeared that she had been dead for several days. The Utah medical examiner's office took the body away from the canyon Sunday evening.

Provo police Capt. Cliff Argyle said the woman's body had injuries consistent with a fall, …

Turkey: tear gas accidentally fired at school

Police accidentally fired tear gas into a school during a clash on Thursday with residents of a shanty town near Istanbul, a private television station reported.

About 10 children and a 4-month-old baby were hospitalized after suffering the effects of the tear gas, NTV reported.

Television footage showed dozens of children fainting, crying and wiping their eyes after the tear gas canister was set off in a building of their school. Parents were seen carrying children out of the building. At least one woman …

Amend Constitution to allow fund audits

It should arrive as no surprise that when the Illinois SupremeCourt says the state auditor general has no constitutional authorityto come nosing around in its books, a bunch of other state agencieswould say: same here.

At least a score of public agencies have now said that how theyhandle billions of dollars in public funds is not subject to audit bythe Illinois auditor general.

Among those that reportedly have denied the auditor access arethe Illinois State Historical Society, S.S.C. for Illinois (the lobbygroup for the superconducting super collider), Chicago TechnologyPark and the Illinois State Museum Society. Others, such asfoundations at Northern, Western, …