Prosecutors to investigate rigging claims in Spain

The Spanish football federation has asked prosecutors to investigate reports that players from second-division club Tenerife were bribed to lose a match to allow Malaga to be promoted to the top flight.

Spanish news reports said this week that former Tenerife player Jesus "Jesuli" Mora had admitted during a meeting with Real Sociedad president Inaki Badiola that he and his teammates had received money to throw the game against Malaga.

Malaga beat Tenerife 2-1 in the last round of last season in June. Malaga's promotion meant Sociedad stayed in the second division.

Jesuli reportedly said he was paid 6,000 euros (now $7,600), and …

New AIDS cases set record in city

A record 29 new cases of AIDS were reported in Chicago lastmonth, three more than the previous record set in February, accordingto the Chicago Health Department.

Of the 361 cases of AIDS reported here since 1980, 178 of thevictims have died, including three from the March group. Only 12women have been diagnosed with AIDS since testing began.

All of the …

Colorado Beats Calgary 5-4 in Shootout

DENVER - Ryan Smyth had a goal and an assist, then scored the decisive goal in the shootout as the Colorado Avalanche rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the Calgary Flames 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Jarome Iginla, who had two goals and an assist, had Calgary's only goal in the shootout.

The Flames took a 4-0 lead on Iginla's second goal of the game 2:50 into the second period. Iginla took a pass from Alex Tanguay, blew by defenseman Brett Clark and beat Peter Budaj with a high shot. That ended Budaj's night, who was pulled in favor of Jose Theodore.

That's when the Avalanche started their comeback, and it came with plenty of help from the Flames. Three of …

Niger opposition leader released after arrest

A party spokesman says that Niger's main opposition leader was released two and a half hours after he was arrested and questioned by police.

But Hindatou Mamane, the information secretary of the country's opposition Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism, says their leader's release is conditional. He says police told …

Burning couches now a felony

Fire starters, beware: The city of Morgantown will begin filingfelony charges against people caught setting celebratory street andtrash bin fires, and convictions can carry prison time.Traditionally, the hometown of West Virginia University has reliedon its misdemeanor malicious burning ordinance to handle studentsand others who start hundreds of potentially dangerous bonfires eachyear. Conviction carries a mandatory $1,000 fine. But FireDepartment Capt. Ken Tennant and Police Chief Ed Preston saidWednesday theyre teaming up this year to add the third- and fourth-degree state arson charges to their tool kits. Conviction could meanone to three years in prison, depending …

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Olympic games will cost the city, bring wave of business

When the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games descend upon Idaho next month, Boise is poised to garner 75 percent of a potential $11 million windfall generated by the influx of people coming to watch and participate in the games. The substantial figure is based on the fact that Boise will be the venue for three-fourths of the activities associated with the games.

But while the games are a welcome and much-needed revenue boon for Boise's private businesses, many of which have been struggling as the recession deepens, the games, which begin Feb. 7, will cost the City of Boise a chunk of change.

At its Jan. 13 …

China says quake killed 12.5 million farm animals, will hurt rice production

China's devastating earthquake killed 12.5 million farm animals _ mostly chickens _ and wrecked vegetable crops and irrigation systems needed to grow rice, the government says.

More than 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of vegetables and more than 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of wheat were destroyed by the May 12 quake in Sichuan province, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

Damage to irrigation systems could prevent farmers from growing rice on as much as 100,000 hectares (250,000 acres) of rice paddies, the ministry …