Lockheed, Northrop 4Q Earnings Rise

WASHINGTON - Defense contractors Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Co. posted higher fourth-quarter earnings Thursday as government spending in areas like military hardware and information and technology remained strong.

Earnings for defense firms have risen steadily in recent years behind big spending increases on defense programs and equipment as the Pentagon fights wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many defense analysts expect that to continue when President Bush releases his 2008 budget and a supplemental spending request in the coming weeks.

Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed, the nation's largest defense contractor, has been one of the biggest benefactors, meeting …

UN calls for probe on slain Kenyan activists

A U.N. official has called for an independent probe into the overnight killing of two Kenyan human rights activists in the Kenyan capital.

A student was shot dead in a riot sparked by the killings.

Philip Alston, the U.N.'s Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, had met last month with the two activists killed overnight Thursday _ Oscar Kamau Kingara and John Paul Oulu _ in an investigation of police killings.

Kingara was the head of the Oscar Foundation, which had released a report on extrajudicial killings and the disappearance of thousands of Kenyans in police custody. Oulu was the foundation's communications and advocacy …

BASEBALL BITS

Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers and Mike Moore of theOakland Athletics have been named the American League Player andPitcher of the Month for July, the league said Tuesday.

Yount, a 15-year veteran, hit .395 in July and was among theleague leaders with 24 RBI, 22 runs scored and a .455 on-basepercentage.

Moore compiled a 5-0 record in July with a 2.30 earned runaverage. Nolan Ryan of Texas needs 35 more strikeouts to reach 5,000. Jose DeLeon of the Cardinals struck out eight Monday night againstNew York, giving him the National League lead with 135. Cleveland's Joe Carter has hit 20 home runs in four consecutiveseasons. Larry Doby, Al Rosen, Hal Trosky …

Japan's TEPCO to use gas to offset nuke power loss

TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo Electric Power Co. says it plans to install gas turbines at two thermal power plants to partially offset power shortages caused by the loss of capacity at disaster-stricken power plants.

TEPCO said Friday the new turbines would boost its generating capacity to 50 million to 52 million …

Oil prices drop below US$124 a barrel in Asia after mixed US inventory report

Oil prices dropped below US$124 a barrel Thursday in Asia after the U.S. government issued a mixed report on the country's petroleum reserves.

The Energy Department said diesel stockpiles there rose last week, and news of the build eased concerns about the fuel used to transport most food and consumer goods. The government also said crude oil inventories were up, but not by as much as expected.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery fell 46 cents to US$123.76 a barrel in Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midday in Singapore. The contract fell US$1.58 to settle at US$124.22 a barrel on Wednesday.

In its report, the …

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Community Foundation's HOPE Fund launches media partnership to promote growing LGBT leadership of color

DETROIT- The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan announced Tuesday a unique media partnership between Issue Media Group and Between The Lines. Aimed at highlighting local LGBT leaders of color, the partnership is supported by The HOPE Fund's Racial Equity Initiative.

The first step in the partnership is the wide release and distribution of a HOPE Fund-produced short film called "Growing Leadership." Over the last several years, The HOPE Fund has made grants to several organizations serving LGBT people of color. The film focuses on the leaders of these organizations and what it takes to incite and inspire others to make the region a more welcoming place.

"There is …