Nylander Powers Rangers Past Thrashers

ATLANTA - For the New York Rangers, scoring first was the key. Michael Nylander scored two goals, including one 15 seconds into the game, and added an assist Friday night to power the New York Rangers to a 5-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers.

Jaromir Jagr had three assists and Matt Cullen added two more for the Rangers, who won for the fourth time in five games and ended Atlanta's four-game winning streak.

"It's huge to take a 1-0 lead right away," Jagr said. "It always helps with the confidence."

The Rangers got off to a quick start by scoring on two of their first three shots in front of Atlanta's first sellout crowd (18,545) of the season.

First it was …

US plan to arm militias scares some in Afghanistan

A U.S.-backed plan to create militias and give them guns to fight the Taliban is drawing criticism from local authorities in areas where the first units are being rolled out, raising questions as to whether the effort can succeed in Afghanistan.

The militias have been compared to the U.S.-fostered Awakening Councils in Iraq, which have often been credited with reducing violence there, and are similar to neighboring Pakistan's tribal armies which also have been touted as a success.

On Saturday, Afghanistan's interior minister announced the program had begun, and that the United States would be paying for all aspects, including buying Kalashnikov automatic …

Mart takes news hard

NEW YORK Stock prices closed sharply lower Tuesday in activetrading as Wall Street expressed its disappointment over a decisionby the Federal Reserve Board to boost the discount rate.

The Dow Jones industrial average, which dropped 11.73 Monday,fell 28.27 to close at 2,079.13. The Dow has lost about 55 points inthe past four sessions.

Declines swamped advances 1,206-339 on the New York StockExchange on volume of 200.1 million shares.

The volume, however, included about 52 million shares of HoustonIndustries. The stock carries 9.3 percent dividend yield and goesex-dividend today.

Shortly after the market opened, the Federal Reserve Board saidit …

Kuwait holds SKorea to 1-1 in searing heat

KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Defender Hussain Fadel scored an equalizer in the 54th minute as Kuwait held South Korea to a 1-1 draw in searing conditions for their World Cup Asian qualifier.

Fadel's shot canceled out Park Chu-young's goal which had given the visitors the lead in the 9th minute Tuesday, when temperatures reached an energy-sapping 44 Celsius …

New York agricultural secretary uses food, baseball bat to promote products in Cuba

New York Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker came to Cuba on Monday armed with steaks, wine, cheesecake and a feast of other products from his state, as one of America's top food producers looks to crack the communist-run island's food-import market.

But in case all that food doesn't whet Cuba's appetite, New York is betting baseball might.

Hooker, leading the state's first official trade mission to Cuba, also brought an engraved wooden Rawlings Sporting Goods Co. bat and presented it to Pedro Alvarez, chairman of Cuba's food import company, Alimport.

"I think it's only fitting that you see here and now one of the great forest products …

He wants 'alone time,' causing girlfriend to pout; He worries

Dear ABBY: I have been dating "Kate" for a year. She's caring and down-to-earth. We have so much in common, and time goes by quickly when we're together.

That's why, when a new job brought Kate closer to my place, I told her she could stay with me, so her commute would be less stressful while she gets used to the job. I enjoy making us dinner, since I get home two hours before she does.

After being single and living alone for six years, I want a relationship. Maybe in the future I'll want her to move in with me. We spend weeknights together and go out as a couple every weekend. But I also like "my time" and "my night out."

I am a part-time publicist for an …

Tobo Tenax Supplying Carbon Fiber for Low-Weight Compressed Natural Gas Tanks to Thailand

Toho Tenax Co., Ltd. the core company of Teijin Group's carbon fiber business, will supply "Tenax" carbon fiber for compressed natural gas tanks developed and manufactured by Metal Mate Co., Ltd., a leading pressure-vessel manufacturer in Thailand. Toho Tenax envisions sales of US$10 million annually under the agreement, which establishes Toho Tenax as the exclusive supplier of carbon fiber to Metal Mate.

"Tenax" carbon …