AP News in Brief

www.nola.com The Associated Press 1/13/03 7:10 AM

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea might get energy aid from the United States and other countries if it resolves concerns over its nuclear weapons development, a top U.S. envoy said Monday after meeting South Korea's president-elect.

Assistant U.S. Secretary of State James Kelly appeared to be offering an incentive to North Korea to give up its nuclear programs, though he did not say whether his comment represented a change in U.S. policy.

U.S. officials have previously said they would not reward North Korea for abandoning its nuclear programs, and that discussions of aid and better ties can only follow steps to dismantle those programs.

"Once we get beyond nuclear weapons, there may be opportunities with the U.S., with private investors, with other countries to help North Korea in the energy area," Kelly said at a news conference in Seoul.

One analyst said the Bush administration seemed divided over how to deal with North Korea, with some officials espousing dialogue and others opposing it.

Steve Case, an architect of merger that created AOL Time Warner, to resign as chairman in May

NEW YORK (AP) -- Blamed by shareholders for AOL Time Warner's sharp fall in fortunes, Steve Case said he will step down as chairman of the conglomerate he helped create -- a marriage of old and new media first hailed as revolutionary but now struggling for a future.

Case's departure means the company's leadership will be without any of the key architects of the blockbuster merger of America Online and Time Warner in 2001. The company said Sunday he would step down in May.

In a brief statement, Case said he had concluded AOL Time Warner was better off without him as chairman.

"Some shareholders continue to focus their disappointment with the company's post-merger performance on me personally," he said.

Analysts had speculated that an accounting scandal, along with anger about a drop of more than 60 percent in the company's stock price, would eventually force Case to resign. And his decision may have been hastened by recent reports of more financial problems at the company.

AOL Time Warner, which took a $54 billion charge last year to account for a decline in America Online's value, is expected to report another multibillion write-down later this month for the same reason -- possibly in excess of $10 billion, according to some analysts.

115 Palestinian minors killed in fighting last year, most by army fire

NABLUS, West Bank (AP) -- One hundred fifteen unarmed Palestinians younger than 18 were killed in 2002, an increase of more than 50 percent from the year before, according to an Associated Press count.

The toll underlines the military's failure to quell riots without killing civilians, particularly minors. Most of the youngsters killed in 2002 were stonethrowers or bystanders hit by Israeli army fire.

Palestinian militants, who target Israeli civilians, killed 36 Israeli minors in bombings and shootings last year.

Saying its soldiers operate in a hostile environment under threat from Palestinian militias, the Israeli government contends that gunmen often take cover behind civilians and that children and teens are sent to the front lines by cynical adults trying to win the world's sympathy by provoking casualties among the young.

However, Israeli human rights activists say Israeli soldiers often receive vague open-fire orders and are not punished if they overreact. "There is no culture of deliberately shooting children. There is a culture of impunity," said Lior Yavneh of the human rights group B'tselem.

Palestinians charge that the Israeli army does nothing to prevent killings of civilians because it wants to instill fear among Palestinians. "The rate of Palestinian children killed at the hands of Israeli soldiers is alarming and requires immediate international intervention," said Saeb Erekat, a Cabinet minister in the Palestinian Authority.

Espionage case appears headed for rare public trial

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- Unless the government quickly negotiates a plea agreement with defense lawyers for a retired Air Force master sergeant, he'll become the focus of the first espionage trial in nearly 50 years that could end in a death sentence.

Jury selection was to begin Monday in U.S. District Court for Brian Patrick Regan, accused of offering satellite secrets to Iraq's Saddam Hussein and others for more than $13 million in Swiss currency.

Although a plea arrangement was possible, many experts said they would be surprised if the government agreed to a deal so near the trial's start.

"I think you can assume any offers that were put on the table have been long since rejected," said Lawrence S. Robbins. He was the losing defense lawyer in the last espionage trial, in 1997, when a federal jury convicted a married couple of spying for East Germany.

Regan's lawyers waged a late, unsuccessful fight to delay the trial because of a possible U.S. invasion of Iraq, one of the countries Regan was accused of offering to sell secrets to.

All sides said they expected jury selection to take as long as two weeks, mostly because of the death-penalty question.

Seven Palestinians, two Israelis killed in escalating violence ahead of Israeli election

JERUSALEM (AP) -- In rapidly escalating violence just two weeks before Israel's general election, seven Palestinians, two other Arab attackers and two Israelis were killed in raids and infiltrations in a 24-hour period.

Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz was evasive when asked about reports that he is planning to step up strikes against Palestinian militants. Mofaz said Israel is facing a growing wave of terror, but that there would be "nothing very much out of the ordinary" in Israel's response.

Palestinian officials have accused Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of escalating military action to deflect attention from corruption allegations that have been hurting his re-election bid. Two Israeli opinion polls indicated Monday that Sharon's Likud party is recovering somewhat from a monthlong drop in support.

Venezuelan president threatens to revoke TV broadcasting licenses as protests continue

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- President Hugo Chavez threatened to revoke the broadcasting licenses of Venezuela's main TV and radio stations, accusing them of supporting opposition efforts to overthrow him through a six-week-old strike.

Chavez said the stations were abusing their power by constantly airing opposition advertisements promoting the strike, which has dried up oil revenue in the world's No. 5 oil exporter but hasn't shaken the president's resolve to stay in power.

Venezuela's main television stations have not broadcast any commercials during the strike except the opposition ads. Media owners say they adopted that stance because Chavez incites his supporters to attack reporters.

Venezuela's largest labor confederation, business chamber and opposition parties began the strike Dec. 2 to demand that Chavez resign or call early elections if he loses a proposed nonbinding referendum on his rule.

'Lord of the Rings,' a box-office favorite, gets two big honors at People's Choice Awards

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" proved a crowd-pleaser at the 29th Annual People's Choice Awards, sharing the favorite motion picture award with co-nominee "Spider-Man" and winning in the best dramatic motion picture category.

The "Fellowship of the Ring" captured the two top awards while its sequel, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," was topping the box office.

At the awards ceremony Sunday night, Mel Gibson was named favorite motion picture actor and Julia Roberts won the favorite actress award, her ninth win in the category.

Jennifer Aniston also made a return engagement as favorite female television performer for her role as Rachel on "Friends," which also won in the favorite comedy series category.

Ray Romano took home the favorite male television performer prize, and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" dethroned longtime top vote-getter "ER" in the favorite television drama series.

Country singer Faith Hill and rap sensation Eminem were named as favorite musical performers.

Raiders beat Jets, 30-10, to head to AFC championship game

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- In blowing out the mistake-riddled New York Jets 30-10 Sunday, the Oakland Raiders advanced to the AFC title game against Tennessee next weekend. Counting the AFL, it is the 14th time the Raiders have gotten this far.

After a 10-10 halftime tie, the Raiders rattled Chad Pennington, the league's most efficient and seemingly unflappable quarterback. And they got big plays from league MVP Rich Gannon throwing to Jerry Porter and Jerry Rice.

Oakland came away with its eighth victory in nine games, getting Zack Crockett's 1-yard TD run after Pennington's first fumble; Gannon's two touchdown passes; and three field goals (29, 34 and 31yards) from Sebastian Janikowski.

The Tampa Bay Bucaneers go to Philadelphia for next Sunday's NFC championship game against the Eagles, who ended the Bucs' season in the first round of the playoffs at Veterans Stadium the past two years.