UN official: Some biofuel plans not headed in 'right direction'

The correct types of biofuels must be promoted to successfully combat climate change _ unlike corn, which has a very low productivity, a senior U.N. environment official said Tuesday.

Plans to expand biofuel production in many parts of the world are coming under closer scrutiny following a recent spike in food prices and fears that two industries may be competing.

"I think it's a question of making sure the correct biofuels are being promoted, and not others," Christophe Bouvier, director of the U.N. Environment Program in Europe, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"There are cases, such as sugar cane in Brazil for …

Arafat brushes off threat of assassination

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat onSaturday brushed off Israeli threats to kill him, as U.S. and otherworld leaders criticized Israel's prime minister for suggesting anact that could plunge the region deeper into chaos.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in interviews published Fridaythat two of his arch foes, Arafat and Lebanese guerrilla leaderHassan Nasrallah, should not feel beyond the reach of assassinationby Israeli forces.

On Saturday, Arafat …

SHOW AND TELL

SHOW AND TELL Matthew Price on Victor Serge THE CASE OF COMRADE TULAYEV BY VICTOR SERGE NEW YORK: NEW YORK REVIEW BOOKS. 336 PAGES. $15.

VICTOR SERGE: THE COURSE IS SET ON HOPE BY SUSAN WEISSMAN

NEW YORK: VERSO. 320 PAGES. $35.

Relentlessly slandered during his lifetime, the work of Victor Serge has nearly been forgotten in ours. Outside a small but devoted fraternity of admirers, he is an obscure presence, dimly remembered and little read, a sad fate for a remarkable writer. A witness to revolution and reaction in Europe between the wars, Serge searingly evoked the epochal hopes and shattering setbacks of a generation of leftists in his voluminous journalism, many …

Markets fall; trading suspended on Russia's MICEX

Russian stocks dropped Monday on declining world oil prices and new struggles for control of the world's largest nickel miner, prompting regulators to suspend trading on one of the country's two exchanges.

The ruble-denominated MICEX was down 5 percent when trading was halted just after 3 p.m. (1100 GMT). The other exchange, the RTS, was down 6 percent.

Trading had resumed Monday for the first time since regulators halted operations on Friday after a seesaw week.

Sergey Karykhalin, chief analyst at Moscow-based investment bank Kapital, said the market was reacting Monday to oil prices, which hovered US$80 a barrel Monday.

He said …

Veteran Oscar reporter offers view from audience

Talk about fantastic finishes. Just when Hollywood figured James Cameron would win the directing and motion picture awards for his super moneymaker "Avatar," it didn't happen that way.

Barbra Streisand announced Sunday night that the Oscar went to Kathryn Bigelow for her direction of the Iraq war drama "The Hurt Locker." The audience in the Kodak Theatre rose and cheered.

Shortly afterward, Tom Hanks quickly told the audience that the prize for best picture went to "The Hurt Locker." Again, the audience rose and cheered. Again, Bigelow went to the stage to give a speech.

On both occasions, she made no mention of her …

Katayama leads PGA; Mickelson makes run

DULUTH, Ga.--This part has never been a problem for PhilMickelson. Once again, he positioned himself to make a run at hisfirst major title.

Mickelson shot his second straight 66 Friday at the PGAChampionship and was just one stroke behind Japan's Shingo Katayamaas the scoring assault continued at Atlanta Athletic Club.

Katayama fired a 6-under-par 64 for a two-round total of 131. Hisscore of 9 under tied the 36-hole record for the PGA Championship,last set by Ernie Els in 1995.

Tiger Woods' fishing buddy, Mark O'Meara, equaled a majorchampionship record with a 63. He was just four strokes back.

What about Woods, who struggled to a 73 on Thursday? He teed …

Japan GP Results

MOTEGI, Japan (AP) — Practice results Friday for Sunday's Japan Grand Prix and the 4.8-kilometer (3.0-mile) Twin Ring Motegi circuit (with rider, country, team and time):

MotoGP

1. Dani Pedrosa, Spain, Repsol Honda, 1 minute, 46.790 seconds.

2. Casey Stoner, Australia, Repsol Honda, 1:46.844.

3. Andrea Dovizioso, Spain, Repsol Honda, 1:46.952.

4. Marco Simoncelli, Italy, San Carlo Honda Gresini, 1:47.188.

5. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain, Yamaha Factory Racing, 1:47.310.

6. Nicky Hayden, United States, Team Ducati, 1:47.381.

7. Hiroshi Aoyama, Japan, San Carlo Honda Gresini, 1:47.785.

8. Valentino …