US stocks open lower as economy slows in Q1

NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks are edging lower after the U.S. reported its economy slowed more drastically in the first quarter than economists expected.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down one point to 16,534 shortly after the market opened Wednesday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell three points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,874. The Nasdaq was off 20 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,082.

The economy slowed in the first three months of the year as winter storms chilled business activity. The Commerce Department said growth downshifted to a barely discernible 0.1 percent annual rate in the January-March quarter, the weakest since the end of 2012.

Twitter fell $5, or nearly 12 percent, to $37.63 in early trading. The social media company's growth disappointed investors when it reported results late Tuesday.

Ohio worker dies in early morning accident

BLUE ASH, Ohio -- A worker in southwest Ohio was pinned between a wall and a metal ramp and died Wednesday in an apparent early morning accident, authorities said.

First responders to a 911 call found a man dead at about 1:15 a.m., police in the northeast Cincinnati suburb of Blue Ash said. Police said he was between the wall and the ramp in a loading area at the SpartanNash warehouse.

Blue Ash police identified him as Donald J. Stevenson, a 65-year-old truck driver from Lima, Ohio.

The Hamilton County Coroner's office was investigating, and authorities said the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified.

SpartanNash spokeswoman Meredith Gremel said the company was also investigating, and that "thoughts and prayers go out to the family." She said she couldn't comment further on the death while the investigation was ongoing.

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based food distribution and retail company was formed last year in a merger of Spartan Stores and the Nash Finch Company.

Groups aim to save rail route through 3 states

SANTA FE, N.M. -- A coalition of communities and private organizations in western Kansas and southern Colorado has pledged to provide $9 million to keep Amtrak's Southwest Chief passenger line on its current route through those areas and northern New Mexico.

The group announced Tuesday that Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, which owns the tracks, has said it will contribute $2 million to the effort, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported (http://goo.gl/8NDFrH ).

In addition, Amtrak has pledged $4 million and the Kansas Department of Transportation has committed $3 million.

The Southwest Chief travels between Chicago and Los Angeles, but part of the current route is in jeopardy because of questions about maintenance and upgrades of track

Amtrak's operating agreement with BNSF expires in 2016. An Amtrak official told New Mexico lawmakers earlier this year that BNSF doesn't want to improve some track used by its slower-moving freight trains to meet higher speed requirements needed for Amtrak's passenger trains.

The money from the coalition would be provided to match possible federal Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery grants.

Kansas previously applied unsuccessfully for one of the grants to help fund its costs for keeping the Southwest Chief on its current route.

No such steps have been taken in New Mexico, where a state study is underway to determine the economic benefits, infrastructure needs and costs involved with the route and possible constitutional constraints. Gov. Susana Martinez's administration is hopeful for federal intervention.

U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, both New Mexico Democrats, have urged a Senate committee to set aside funds for capital improvements for long-distance rail operations throughout the country, including the Southwest Chief passenger line.

"That's the most logical," said Tom Church, Martinez's Cabinet secretary for transportation. "That's the way it's always been funded."

A commitment of $4 million a year for a decade from each of the two railroads and the three states involved would be necessary to keep Amtrak running the Southwest Chief through the areas, including the northern New Mexico communities of Raton, Las Vegas and Lamy, the closest Amtrak station to Santa Fe.

Attempts by the New Mexico Legislature failed earlier this year to secure funding for the state's estimated $40 million share to keep the line operating. In Colorado, legislation that would help identify a funding stream for that state's share is pending.

First Lady Not First Priority For Graduates

Audio for this story from Tell Me More will be available at approximately 3:00 p.m. ET.

Host Michel Martin reflects on the recent controversy over first lady Michelle Obama's upcoming speech to high school graduates in Kansas.

WellPoint 1Q profit falls 21 pct, outlook rises

INDIANAPOLIS -- WellPoint's first-quarter net income fell 21 percent as the nation's second-largest health insurer adjusted to coverage changes introduced by the health care overhaul.

But the Blue Cross Blue Shield insurer touted the underlying strength of its business and once again raised its 2014 forecast after reporting on Wednesday quarterly earnings that topped Wall Street expectations. Its stock climbed in premarket trading after it released results.

The federal overhaul expanded coverage to millions of people starting this year, but the law also enacted taxes and fees, as well as changes to how insurers write their coverage.

Those changes led to insurance coverage with richer benefits and higher costs at the start of the year, spokeswoman Kristin Binns said. Those higher costs came from items like the law's requirement for complete coverage of preventive services and from plans with lower deductibles, which don't encourage patients to hold off on using their insurance.

Deductibles are the amount a patient must pay out of pocket before most insurance coverage starts. With high deductible plans, insurers typically see a rise in claims or expenses at the end of the year as customers pay off their deductibles and then rush to use their coverage before that deductible resets in the new year.

The insurer's general and administrative expenses climbed 28 percent to $2.49 billion in the quarter in part because of these factors, Binns said.

WellPoint has made a bigger bet than some of its competitors on the overhaul, which expands the state-federal Medicaid program and introduced state-based insurance exchanges on which people can buy coverage with help from income-based tax credits. The insurer is counting on its well-known Blue Cross-Blue Shield brand to help sell coverage on 14 exchanges.

It also expects significant growth from the Medicaid expansion. WellPoint's 2012 acquisition of fellow insurer Amerigroup gave it a presence in several states where coverage is expanding. The insurer said Wednesday it added 121,000 Medicaid members in the first three months of the year.

Overall, WellPoint earned $701 million, or $2.40 per share, in the three months that ended March 31. That's down from $885.2 million, or $2.89 per share, in last year's quarter. Earnings excluding one-time items totaled $2.30 per share.

Operating revenue climbed slightly to $17.64 billion. That excludes investment gains or losses.

Analysts, who typically exclude one-time items from their estimates, expected earnings of $2.10 per share on $17.95 billion in revenue, according to FactSet.

Citi analyst Carl McDonald said in a research note that it wasn't clear whether any of the factors that helped WellPoint top earnings forecasts will continue for the rest of the year.

WellPoint Inc. indicated otherwise by raising its 2014 adjusted earnings to greater than $8.40 per share after predicting earnings of more than $8.20 per share last month.

"We are off to a strong start, supporting an increase in our earnings guidance for the full year," CEO Joseph Swedish said in a statement.

Analysts expect, on average, $8.41 per share.

The insurer's shares climbed $2.01, or 2.1 percent, to $97.40 in premarket trading about an hour before markets opened Wednesday. The stock had hit an all-time high of $102.56 last month.

New stun gun orders boost Taser's 1Q profit

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- New orders for its stun guns helped lift Taser International Inc.'s first-quarter profit by 3 percent from the same period a year ago.

The company, which is based in Scottsdale, Ariz., said it received orders for X2 and its new X26P stun guns from law enforcement agencies in Virginia, Texas, North Carolina and other states during the quarter.

Revenue in its weapons unit rose 16 percent to $32.5 million. Revenue from both its Axon wearable video cameras and Evidence.com, an online software that lets police officers upload and store images and videos used as evidence, rose 52.6 percent to $3.7 million.

Taser said its net income rose to $3.4 million, or 6 cents per share, in the quarter ending March 31, compared with $3.3 million, or 6 cents per share, in the same quarter a year ago. Total revenue rose 18.9 percent to $36.2 million from $30.4 million.

CEO Rick Smith said he hopes to grow the company's revenue from outside the country. A police department in London is trying out Taser's wearable cameras and using Evidence.com, Smith said.

Its shares dropped $1.49, or 8.7 percent, to $15.59 in morning trading.

FDA weighs over-the-counter approval of Singulair

WASHINGTON -- Federal health regulators are weighing the risks of permitting Merck to sell its prescription respiratory pill Singulair as an over-the-counter medicine for allergies.

In a review posted online, the Food and Drug Administration raises concerns that the drug could be used inappropriately by teenagers or by patients with more serious conditions, like asthma.

On Friday, the agency will ask a panel of advisers to vote on the drug's safety for nonprescription use.

Singulair, first approved in 1997, was once Merck's best-selling drug with revenue of $4.76 billion in 2011. But sales have plummeted since Singulair's patent expired mid-2012, exposing the brand to lower priced generic competition.

Merck hopes to give the drug a new life as an over-the-counter medication, competing alongside antihistamines pills like Claritin and nasal sprays like Nasacort.

Officials unveil improvements at Metro Airport

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Baton Rouge leaders have unveiled a $12.5 million overhaul of Metro Airport.

The new 14,500-square-foot rotunda area features all the trappings of a busy, modern airport.

The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/1fPMlRR ) other improvements include: floor-to-ceiling windows, decorative terrazzo floor tiles and a power outlet for every seat in the waiting areas.

"The airport has come a long way," said William Daniel, chief administrative officer for Mayor Kip Holden. "It's such a beautiful facility."

The Transportation Security Administration checkpoint has been moved to the rotunda expansion, freeing up space in the original rotunda where visitors without tickets can wait for arriving passengers.

Airport Director Anthony Marino said Tuesday the shift was needed because safety restrictions implemented after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks had limited access to the original rotunda to ticketed passengers.

"The atrium areas were designed for (unticketed guests). We weren't able to fully use those facilities," Marino said. "We had to try to find a way to cure that problem."

Improvements include new carpet and paint throughout the airport, new restrooms and eateries and a new gift shop.

Baton Rouge's airport is home to four major carriers that fly to five non-stop destinations and connections, including Atlanta, Memphis and Charlotte.

It serves about a million passengers a year.

State rejects draft of Wayne County debt plan

DETROIT -- State officials have rejected a draft of a plan to cut more than $175 million of Wayne County's debt.

The Detroit Free Press reports (http://on.freep.com/1rC5V9i ) the decision increases pressure on Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano to get unions and county officials to sign off on the strategy or face the prospect of a state-appointed emergency manager.

Michigan Treasury spokesman Terry Stanton said Tuesday that Wayne County has yet to get approval from the county commission, the county treasurer and unions — a requirement for state approval. The county has until the end of June to get support.

Officials from Ficano's office say the plan would eliminate financial and structural deficiencies.

Ficano spokeswoman June West says the plan presented to the commission in February is still being used as a framework.

Sochi hockey team confirmed by KHL

The Kontinental Hockey League will add a team based in Sochi for next season, a boost to legacy plans for the 2014 Olympic host city.

The club will likely play in either the Bolshoy Ice Dome or Shayba Arena, the two hockey venues located in the Olympic Park, making it the first sports team to be based in an arena used at the Sochi Olympics.

The KHL is widely considered to be the strongest hockey competition outside the NHL. While most of the teams are based in Russia, the league also includes teams in several former communist countries.

Besides Sochi, the KHL also said Wednesday on its website that it will add Finnish team Jokerit and Lada Tolyatti, a club in central Russia, to bring the league to 31 teams in nine countries.

Sochi, a small city on the Black Sea coast, is far from Russian hockey's traditional fan base in central and eastern cities. The nearest KHL team is Donbass Donetsk in Ukraine.

The team has been named the Sochi Leopards by the regional governor, but that is not yet official, the league said.

The confirmation of the team comes a week after Vladimir Katrenko, a director of Russia's state auditing agency, told parliament that the country's Sports Ministry "should take urgent measures" to improve inadequate Olympic legacy plans. The government also wants defunct local football club Zhemchuzhina Sochi to be revived. That team in all likelihood would eventually play at the Fisht Olympic Stadium, a 2018 World Cup venue.

Jokerit, a Helsinki-based club part-owned by Russian billionaires Gennady Timchenko, Arkady Rotenberg and Boris Rotenberg, will be the first KHL team not based in an ex-Communist country. Timchenko and the Rotenberg brothers are considered close allies of President Vladimir Putin and all three were placed on a U.S. sanctions list last month following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

Lada played in the KHL until 2010 before arena problems forced it out. The team, which is owned by the AvtoVAZ car company, moved into a new 6,500-capacity arena last year.

The 2013-14 KHL season ended Wednesday.

Police seek information about alleged kidnapper

BEIRUT: Lebanon's police released Wednesday a sketch of a woman who allegedly kidnapped a new born baby in a Beirut neighborhood, with a request seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspect.

In a statement, the Internal Security Forces asked anyone who might have information about the woman to go to Beirut’s southern suburbs police station in Aouzai or call their hotline on 01-842-403/405. Anyone who comes forward with information will be kept anonymous.

A Major Win for the Open Internet

Ed. note: This is cross-posted on DipNote, the U.S. Department of State's official blog. See the original post here.

Last week, we announced that we were heading to São Paulo, Brazil to attend NETmundial, a global meeting of governments, entrepreneurs, academics, Internet institutions, civil society activists and users to discuss the future of Internet governance. We expressed our hope that NETmundial would make an important contribution to the positive evolution of the Internet and its governance. Our optimism was well-founded. As one of Brazil’s leading Internet scholars and chair of Netmundial Virgilio Almeida brought NETmundial to a close, the U.S. government delegation rose in applause. And almost everyone else in the room rose with us.

We applauded to affirm the Multistakeholder Statement of São Paulo, the ideas it presents, the ideals it embraces, and the multistakeholder process that made it possible. We rose out of appreciation for the Brazilians and the Internet community leaders that brought us together and impressively managed a challenging conversation. And we rose in joint commitment to preserving, promoting, and expanding the benefits of a single, interoperable, open, and global Internet for all of the world’s people.

The success of NETmundial was no small feat. Every sector of society from six continents came together to discuss and debate a path forward for international Internet governance. We outlined principles for Internet governance and developed a path for a way forward. In our open and collaborative meetings in Brazil, we demonstrated the utility of the multistakeholder process for addressing stakeholders’ needs, and set a valuable example for what is possible in other forums. It is a game-changing achievement that the results and outcomes of NETmundial were substantive and meaningful; we can and will build on the momentum it creates for progress.

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NY official says PR Newswire to impose use limits

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York's attorney general says PR Newswire has agreed to require its direct data feed recipients to certify that they won't use the information in high-frequency trading.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says the company, which distributes announcements and press releases about earnings and other business developments, has also agreed to counsel customers intending to release information at the close of the markets to do so after 4 p.m., to ensure that high-frequency traders can't trade on the news in the milliseconds after the closing bell.

In earlier agreements with Schneiderman, Business Wire and Marketwired agreed to stop providing similar market-moving data to high-frequency traders.

Ninan Chacko, chief executive of PR Newswire, says since its inception it has worked to establish practices to provide news to shareholders and the public equitably.

'Live Love Lebanon,’ Tourism Ministry’s plan

BEIRUT: Tourism Minister Michel Pharaoun informed a delegation of the Travel and Tourism Agencies Syndicate of a new plan set to begin next week to boost the number of visitors to Lebanon.

“Live Love Lebanon” will be launched during the Dubai Universal Travel and Tourism Fair, and will include different touristic programs for various Lebanese regions.

Pharaoun said that there was a decision to improve the security situation in Lebanon and distance the country from the regional turmoil, something that would reflect positively on the tourism industry.

“The security situation in Lebanon, except at the border, is better that the situation in many [other] touristic cities,” he said. “There are a lot of strong points that Lebanon has and we should focus on them and show them.”

He said the decline in tourism in Lebanon was not due to the ministry's management but to the crisis the country is suffering from.

French bank warns of possible hit from US fine

PARIS -- BNP Paribas says it may face fines far higher than the $1.1 billion it set aside last year after the French bank became the subject of a U.S. investigation into alleged financial wrongdoing.

In a statement Wednesday Paris-based BNP Paribas, one of Europe's largest banks, says "there is the possibility that the amount of the fines could be far in excess" of the provision.

The bank is one of several that have held talks with U.S. regulators about payments to countries, people or entities that may have breached U.S. sanctions.

BNP Paribas' shares fell 4 percent Wednesday on the Paris stock exchange following the news, which came alongside the group's first quarter results.

Two years ago, HSBC agreed to pay almost $2 billion to settle a similar case.

Southside Bancshares buying OmniAmerican Bancorp

TYLER, Texas -- Southside Bancshares, Inc. has agreed to buy Fort Worth-based OmniAmerican Bancorp, Inc. in a $307 million deal.

The merger was announced Tuesday. Officials say the combined company will have nearly $5 billion in assets.

Southside Bancshares is the parent company of Tyler-based Southside Bank, which has 50 banking centers in Texas.

OmniAmerican Bancorp is the holding company for OmniAmerican Bank, which has 14 branches in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Italy to host support conference for Lebanon Army

BEIRUT: Italy will host a support conference for Lebanon’s Army this summer, an Italian official said Wednesday.

The conference is aimed at enhancing international cooperation to help Lebanon, according to the chief of Italian Defense Staff, Adm. Luigi Binelli Mantilli, who made the announcement at a ceremony to hand over the Italian troops operating under the UNIFIL from Gen. Maoristio Riko to his successor Gen. Fabio Polly.

The Italian official hailed the coordinated training and activities between the Lebanese and Italian armies and said cooperation between the two could be further enhanced in the future.

Mantilli also visited the Italian troops operating in south Lebanon and hailed the role and efforts of the country's mission there.

In Europe, support for NBA punishment of Sterling

The NBA's life ban for Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling won swift support in Europe but also produced calls for soccer to show similar resolve against racism.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini, via his spokesman, both voiced approval on Wednesday.

Blatter tweeted: "Sport says no to racism. I fully support @NBA's decision to ban @LAClippers owner for life after his racist words."

Patrick Vieira, a 1998 World Cup winner with France, also tweeted: "Well done to @NBA, another organisation dealing with racism in exactly the right way. I say again - zero tolerance."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wants Sterling to sell as part of a series of sanctions brought against the league's longest-tenured owner in response to racist comments in a recorded conversation. Silver banned Sterling for life, fined him $2.5 million, and said he will press the other team owners to support his desire to make Sterling sell.

For some in Europe, the NBA's resolve was in stark contrast to soccer leader's failure to eradicate racism that has dogged stadiums and marred matches for decades. Just last weekend, a Villarreal season-ticket holder racially taunted Barcelona defender Dani Alves by throwing a banana at him.

Retired British NBA player John Amaechi noted that players, executives and owners in the American league appeared united in their rejection of Sterling.

"If they can do that to respond to a hateful private utterance, why the hell can't football do that to respond to repeated instances of hate-mongering?" Amaechi said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.

"It's time that we started looking at some of the owners within other parts of sport," outside the NBA, he said. "They're exactly the type of plantation mentality people who don't mind having black people working for them ... But God forbid that they want to come up to the big house."

Amaechi said he doesn't expect the NBA's exemplary punishment of Sterling will jolt soccer into meaningful change. And Blatter's tweet of support for the NBA was "not enough," he added.

"If there was a poster-person for the words 'impotence' and 'apathy,' it would have his face on it," Amaechi said.

"You know what they're going to do? They're going to produce another pretty poster with platitudes plastered all over it. They're going to produce another campaign that has a black player stood next to a white player," he said. "Nothing substantive."

FIFA and UEFA, the European authority, have toughened their sanctions for discrimination in the past year and prosecuted cases more quickly.

A turning point in awareness of widespread problems with offensive abuse at matches came in January 2013 when Kevin-Prince Boateng, then playing for AC Milan, led teammates walking off the field to protest racist insults during an exhibition against a fourth-tier Italian side.

FIFA and UEFA have ordered national and club teams to play matches in empty or partly closed stadiums as punishment for racial abuse incidents, but no World Cup or Champions League team has yet had points deducted or forfeited a match.

Among the most severe judgments, FIFA has banned Croatia defender Josip Simunic for 10 matches — including the 2014 World Cup — for leading fans in chanting a Nazi-era nationalist slogan after a playoff victory against Iceland last November. Simunic has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

'Lego Movie' gives Time Warner boost in 1Q

NEW YORK -- Time Warner's first-quarter net income climbed as revenue grew on the success of properties such as Warner Bros. "The Lego Movie" and the HBO show "True Detective."

The performance topped analysts' estimates. Shares rose in premarket trading on Wednesday.

Chairman and CEO Jeff Bewkes said in a statement that "The Lego Movie" helped create another franchise for the company and led all releases at the domestic box office. Warner Bros. revenue climbed 14 percent to $3.1 billion in the quarter.

Home Box Office scored with "True Detective," the most-watched freshman series in the cable network's history. Bewkes said that "Game of Thrones" continues its surge, with its season 4 premiere earlier this month drawing HBO's biggest audience since "The Sopranos" finale. Revenue at HBO increased 9 percent to $1.3 billion.

Bringing the NCAA Men's basketball final four to cable television for the first time was a win for Turner, pulling in audiences in the key demographics of adults aged 18-34 and 18-49. Turner's quarterly revenue rose 5 percent to $2.6 billion.

For the three months ended March 31, the media and entertainment company earned $1.29 billion, or $1.42 per share. That's up from $754 million, or 79 cents per share, a year ago.

Removing certain items, earnings were 91 cents per share. Excluding publishing division Time Inc. — expected to be spun off in the second quarter — earnings were 97 cents per share.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet forecast earnings of 88 cents per share.

Time Warner's stock added 56 cents to $65.30 in premarket trading about 90 minutes before the market open.

Revenue for the New York company increased 9 percent to $7.55 billion from $6.94 billion, driven by strong performances from Warner Bros., Turner and HBO. Taking out Time Inc., revenue was $6.8 billion.

Wall Street expected $6.63 billion in revenue.

At Time Inc., revenue edged up 1 percent to $745 million on the acquisition of the Affluent Media Group, which was previously known as American Express Publishing Corp.

Time Warner Inc. updated its full-year forecast on Wednesday to account for the planned spinoff of Time Inc. It now foresees 2014 adjusted earnings climbing by a low teens percentage rate from 2013's $3.51 per share. The company previously said that it expected 2014 adjusted earnings per share to rise by the "low-double-digits" from their 2013 level when excluding Time Inc.

Greece expects higher budget surpluses

ATHENS, Greece -- Greece's will achieve better-than-expected budget figures in 2014 year but that unemployment would only decline slowly over the coming four years, the country's finance ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry said it expects to achieve a primary budget surplus — what's left after debt and interest payments — of 2.3 percent of the country's annual economic output, up from its previous prediction of 1.5 percent. By 2018, it expects to post a primary surplus of 5.3 percent in 2018.

Achieving a primary surplus has been one of the main purposes of the austerity medicine the country has taken over the past few years.

After being locked out of international bond markets in 2010, Greece has relied on billions of euros of bailout funds from its partners in the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund. In return it has had to impose tough spending cuts and tax rises alongside a wide-ranging economic reform program in order to get its public finances into shape and get Greece in a position to stand on its own again.

"Greece is entering a period of stability after many difficult years for businesses and households, and this was accomplished after great sacrifices," Deputy Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said. "The country has safeguarded its place in Europe and regained international credibility. We have met and surpassed our program targets."

The figures were released as part of a revised 2015-2018 budget plan submitted to parliament.

Even though Greece has made progress on the budget front, its economy will take a long time from the battering it has taken over the past few years. Though Greece is poised to start growing again soon after a recession that's left the economy around 25 percent smaller, progress is expected to be slow.

The ministry predicted that unemployment would only fall below 20 percent in 2016 from the current 28 percent or so. By 2020, unemployment is expected to be 15.9 percent, still around double the rate it was before the crisis started.

The social cost of the recession and the rise in unemployment has been acute across the country of around 11 million people.

In several neighborhoods around Athens, thousands of residents gathered Wednesday to receive free food handouts by outdoor market vendors who launched an indefinite strike this week to protest new operating rules.

The shake-up in market rules has triggered strikes and legal protests from a variety of professions — from pharmacy owners to licensed sex workers.

Greece's conservative-led governing coalition is facing a major midterm test at municipal and European Parliament elections next month, with the left-wing opposition vowing to topple the government.

"Yes, people are angry," opposition leader Alexis Tsipras said in a campaign speech late Tuesday. "They are angry with those who in the name of competitiveness condemned ... thousands of companies to closure and hundreds of thousands of families to despair."

Survey: US businesses add 220K jobs in April

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- U.S. businesses boosted hiring in April, according to a private survey, a positive sign the economy may improve after a sluggish start this year.

Payroll processer ADP says private employers added 220,000 jobs in April, the most since November and up from 209,000 in March.

The report says most of the hiring occurred in service industries such as retail, transportation, and professional services. Construction firms added 19,000 jobs, a healthy gain. Manufacturing added just 1,000.

The figures suggest that the government's jobs report, to be released Friday, could show a healthy gain. Economists forecast that report will show employers added 215,000 jobs in April. That would be the most in five months.

The ADP numbers cover only private businesses and often diverge from the government's more comprehensive report.

Billboard offers school district financial boost

HOWELL, Mich. -- An electronic billboard near a school bus garage is expected to bring in $690,000 over 20 years for a Michigan school district.

Howell Public Schools' Board of Education this week unanimously approved a long-term lease agreement allowing CBS Outdoor to use school property for the billboard along M-59.

The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus of Howell reports (http://bit.ly/1fs6nam ) the billboard about 45 miles northwest of Detroit is expected to carry eight rotating messages at a time, and the school district will use one for its own messages.

The billboard, which school officials say is consistent with the property's zoning, is expected to be 10 feet by 36 feet. The planned site is behind Howell High School's campus. Several other billboards already are in place along the stretch of roadway.

Information from: Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, http://bit.ly/1hR36Ob

Circumstances unsuitable for election: Hezbollah

BEIRUT: Conditions are still not conducive for holding the presidential election, Hezbollah's deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said Wednesday after Parliament failed again to vote for a new president.

“It was clear that the first session was a farce, indicating that the circumstances are not suitable for electing a president," Qassem said. "This means that there would be no use of a second, third or fourth session if the situation remains as it is."

Parliament failed for the second time in consecutive weeks to elect a president as the Loyalty to the Resistance and the Change and Reform blocs obstructed the quorum.

The quorum for the last session was secured in last week’s session but the March 8 allies casted 52 blank ballots, while the March 14 candidate Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea got 48 votes with another 16 votes goring towards MP Henri Helou and one for Kataeb leader Amin Gemayel.

Qassem said that his group boycotted the session to ensure that "no plots" are carried out and "we are suprised by things that may not be in harmony with the mechanism to elect a new president.”

The Hezbollah official also said that the best way to elect a new president would be “by consensus.”

“The nature of the country and its sectarian system do not allow one group to choose a president ... so the best way to elect a president is to reach an agreement,” he said.

“Agreements are usually reached outside the session or prior to the session to reach mutual conditions,” Qassem said.

“The president should enjoy a popular base ... he should not challenge others but work towards finding common ground and solutions.”

StubHub plans to ticket, produce its own concerts

NEW YORK -- You will soon be able to buy concert tickets from StubHub for shows produced by StubHub.

The company, which helps brokers and fans buy and sell tickets on its website, announced Wednesday that it will sell tickets to concerts it will produce. It has five shows planned so far featuring "emerging acts" and will launch its first self-produced concert May 18 in Los Angeles.

The performer will be announced next week.

StubHub is getting involved in a business dominated by Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and its Ticketmaster subsidiary. AEG is also a big player in concert promotion and ticketing of concerts at its own venues like the Staples Center in Los Angeles through its ticketing arm, AXS.

StubHub, a subsidiary of eBay Inc., was launched in 2000.

Kahwagi voices gratitude for international troops

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Army Commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi expressed Wednesday gratitude for the international troops operating in Lebanon and stressed the importance of their presence in the country.

“Your presence among us during the hard and dark days reminded the whole world about the existence of this small country when the Lebanese people felt abandoned,” Kahwagi said during a ceremony to honor the UNIFIL and the U.N. Truce Supervision Organization in the Middle East.

“You have always played a pivotal role in the stability of Lebanon and the region; your presence is not only necessary but very useful and will always remain so,” the Army chief said during the ceremony held at the Officers Club in Yarzeh.

“On behalf of the entire Lebanese people, particularly the residents of the south, who have suffered through bad and unjust circumstances, the Lebanese Army expresses its gratitude for your work and sacrifices and affirms its commitment to keep on working with you to protect Lebanon.”

Robert Fin, the head of the UNTSO, hailed the efforts of the military in facing various challenges in the country and voiced satisfaction over the aid offered by the International Group to Support Lebanon to the Army.

“I am glad we have been able to help with the strong support of the Security Council, Secretary-General and the International Support Group in encouraging additional international assistance for the Army to enable it to meet challenges,” he said.

Fin also paid tribute for UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Paolo Serra, who is planning to leave Lebanon this year, and hailed his efforts in overseeing the international troops.

“It may be early to bid farewell but this is a good opportunity to recognize his unique contribution in the United Nations and the relationship of trust which exists between us,” he said.

For his part, Serra said the Lebanese Army proved over and over again its sense of responsibility and commitment to securing Lebanon’s stability and security.

UNIFIL has been operating in Lebanon since 1978 with the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 425 and 426, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

The mandate of the international troops was adjusted twice due to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.

The deployment of the UNFIL in Lebanon was further enhanced in 2006 following the July war between Hezbollah and Israel and the mandate of the international troops was expanded to include monitoring the cessation of hostilities accompany and other tasks.

Salam calls for revival and reforms on Labor Day

BEIRUT: Prime Minister Tammam Salam Wednesday urged workers to support "revival and reforms" to energize Lebanon’s economy.

“I call on Lebanon's workers...to contribute to a much-needed revival and serious reforms in all sectors to rescue the economy, which is on a downward trend,” Salam said in a statement issued in honor of Labor Day, which falls on Thursday.

In a statement, Salam said such a move would put Lebanon back on the global economic map “in a world of fierce competition.”

Salam also hailed Lebanese women workers “who are struggling for existence and for equal rights.”

Clashes between Army, gunmen near Syria border

HERMEL, Lebanon: Clashes erupted between Lebanese Army soldiers and a group of gunmen Wednesday near the border with Syria, wounding two people, a security source told The Daily Star.

The source said a soldier and a gunman were wounded in the clashes, which broke out in the Rahwa region on the outskirts of the northeastern town of Arsal.

The National News Agency said Syrian gunmen ambushed a Lebanese Army unit in the area, wounding two soldiers.

In the swim with the moguls of ABC's 'Shark Tank'

NEW YORK -- Perhaps the title overstates the case.

The tycoons of the ABC reality series "Shark Tank" wouldn't feed on your leg. They're not even out to eat the lunch of budding entrepreneurs who come before them in the Shark Tank (actually a stage at Los Angeles' Sony Studios, where the Sharks convene two or three times a year for mammoth taping sessions). They're just after a healthy serving of any future feast.

So each Shark must decide whether to invest his or her own cash and expertise in a given opportunity, whether it's a kiddie train ride at the mall, boneless baby-back ribs, or a pot of boiling water that can charge a cellphone. Maybe they try to outbid one another. Often they argue over whether the deal is a winner or a bust.

The show, now in its fifth season, airs Fridays at 9 p.m. EDT. This week at 8 p.m., a companion special, "Shark Tank: Swimming With Sharks," gathers updates on more than a dozen of the show's more memorable entrepreneurs — and the Sharks who bit.

Recently five of the Sharks (technology specialist Robert Herjavec couldn't make it) joined a reporter for a bite at a Manhattan restaurant, and they said a mouthful. Here's a boiled-down version:

"Queen of QVC" and inventor Lori Greiner: "Why did I agree to be on the show? Because they asked!"

Fashion and branding expert Daymond John: "I did it because I wanted to diversify my portfolio, but I was only getting pitched clothing companies. People thought since I was the FUBU (urban streetwear) guy I'd come to a meeting with gold teeth and baggy jeans and start break dancing."

Venture capitalist Kevin O'Leary: "Because each Shark has made it on his own from different sectors of the economy, we bring different disciplines to the table. Any one of my fellow Sharks might see something in a deal that I don't. To be competitive, I try to see it through their eyes."

Mark Cuban, owner of AXS TV and the Dallas Mavericks: "On the show, we all have our little branding angles. I try to be the guy who gives the advice. Lori tries to be the one who encourages. Daymond is the homey. Kevin is right to the point; it's all about money. And Barbara is going to be brutally honest."

Real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran: "The best advice was from (executive producer) Mark Burnett: 'What makes great TV is just to be yourself.' How freeing was that! So my first concern is always: Am I gonna lose money? Second concern: Can I MAKE money? A distant third: Is this good TV? And no one's in our ear saying, 'Do this, say that.' Doesn't happen."

Cuban: "It's OUR money! The producers can't tell us what to do!"

John: "I'm always amazed at how they take 15 cameras and an hourlong pitch and turn it into six to eight minutes, and yet it plays out exactly like the pitch happened."

Cuban: "The hard part on 'Shark Tank' is finding a clever way to say no."

Corcoran: "A way you haven't used a hundred times before!"

Cuban: "One pitch, I was thinking, 'There's no way I'm interested. Now I've got to come up with a clever way to go out.' And then the guy called me Cubes. He goes, 'Hey, Cubes!' And that was all I needed: 'Cubes?! I'm out!'"

O'Leary: "After you go in on a deal on 'Shark Tank,' a due-diligence period begins."

Cuban: "They'll come on and say, 'My widget costs 50 cents to make.' Then you do your due diligence and find it costs $4 to make UNLESS you get to a billion units — THEN it gets down to 50 cents!"

Corcoran: "Out of 26 businesses, I have four that are clear winners, two that have paid me back, two that WILL pay me back. The rest? Come to my office: I have every entrepreneur in frames on my wall. The minute I realize I'm not gonna ever make money on THAT one, I flip him over to remind me not to spend more time on it. (Laughing.) It's dead to me!"

Cuban: "The real work isn't shooting the show. It's managing and dealing with the companies afterward."

Greiner: "Eighty percent of my deals are doing well. My biggest problem is the ones who don't listen when you advise them to do something."

O'Leary: "The first season, everything we saw was absolute crap. Then in season three, real deals started to show up. That was the first time I thought, 'My goodness, this really IS a platform to launch products and services!'"

Cuban: "There's no better platform anywhere. If I had a choice between putting something on six minutes of 'Shark Tank' (averaging 7.3 million viewers this season, plus CNBC's reruns on Sunday nights) or on the home page of Amazon, I'm taking 'Shark Tank' every time."

Corcoran: "No contest."

Greiner: "Of course, being recognized from the show can be a problem. Before, if I just wanted to run to the grocery store, I'd be in my nightgown and throw on a coat, no makeup, and go. That doesn't work anymore."

John: "People pitch me on the street. But I tell them I'm either Ashy Larry from 'Chappelle's Show' or Cee Lo (Green)."

Cuban: "The show has actually reduced pitches I get from people. Now I say, 'If you want to be on "Shark Tank," you can't tell me now. Go to ABC.com and apply.' I just deflect it to the show."

Corcoran: "I think the celebrity is GREAT. When I started on the show, I fired the shrink I had for years because of my tremendous need for attention. Now I save that money every week!"

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EDITOR'S NOTE — Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore@ap.org and at http://bit.ly/1fQf9JA Past stories available at http://bit.ly/1iHB0It

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Online:

http://www.abc.com

MidSouth posts strong first quarter

LAFAYETTE, La. -- Lafayette-based MidSouth Bancorp. says first-quarter earnings soared to $6.7 million, or 57 cents per share, compared to $3.1 million, or 27 cents per share, a year ago.

However, the results included $3 million of executive officer life insurance proceeds. Chief Operating Officer Gerald Reaux Jr. died on Feb. 9. Without the insurance money and $160,000 in after-tax related noninterest expenses, MidSouth posted operational earnings of 33 cents per share.

MidSouth President and Chief Executive Officer C.R. Cloutier tells The Advocate (http://bit.ly/1u3zF2Z) the company was "extremely pleased" with its operating earnings, which were aided by strong loan growth.

MidSouth, which has assets of $1.9 billion, has 62 branches in Louisiana and Texas.

5 Things to Know in Florida for April 30

Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.

JURY SELECTION GOES INTO 3RD DAY IN TAMPA TRIAL

Many of the possible jurors called to serve in the trial of a Tampa mom accused of killing her kids have read or heard news coverage about the case. Prosecutors, defense attorneys and Hillsborough County Judge Emmett Battles on Tuesday saw 50 potential jurors. About 25 were excused and some were asked to return Thursday. Julie Schenecker is on trial for two counts of first-degree murder. Police say she shot and killed her two teenagers in January 2011.

GREAT WHITE SHARK TRACKED IN GULF OF MEXICO

Scientists say the satellite tag for a great white shark has appeared in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida's west coast. Ocearch, a non-profit organization that researches and tracks sharks, reports that "Betsy," a 12-foot, 1,400-pound female, was found swimming about 63 miles off Boca Grande on Friday. The shark was tagged during an August 2013 Ocearch expedition off Cape Cod.

BUDGET CLOCK STARTS TICKING FOR FLORIDA LEGISLATURE

Florida legislators should be able to end their session on time. A nearly $77.1 billion state budget was delivered to state legislators at 8:35 p.m. on Tuesday. By Florida law, legislators must wait 72 hours before taking a final vote on a new budget. The session is scheduled to end on Friday. The budget is the one bill each year that the Florida Legislature must pass.

FLORIDA HOUSE REJECTS PLAN TO SHIFT CITIZENS POLICIES

The Florida House is rejecting a proposal that could shift homeowners away from Citizens Property Insurance and into unregulated out-of-state insurers. The Florida Senate last week narrowly voted for a property insurance bill that would allow homeowners seeking coverage from Citizens to be shifted to a private surplus line insurance company. Surplus line companies are not subjected to the same regulations as companies based in the state.

EX-HIALEAH MAYOR, WIFE ACQUITTED IN TAX CASE

Former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and his wife have been acquitted of all charges following a federal trial on accusations they filed false tax returns and lied to federal agents. Jurors reached the not guilty verdicts Tuesday for Julio and Raiza Robaina after about six hours of deliberations.

White House Warns Highway Trust Fund Is Low On Funds

The Obama administration has sent to Congress a four-year $302 billion infrastructure bill. It proposes closing corporate loopholes to make up for lost revenues from the gas tax.

Laredo merchant gets 18 months for fake goods

LAREDO, Texas -- A South Texas merchant caught with nearly 6,000 bogus designer items has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

A federal judge in Laredo on Tuesday also ordered 47-year-old Yi Hui Chen to make more than $428,000 in restitution. Chen, who operated J Design in downtown Laredo, pleaded guilty last May to trafficking in counterfeit goods.

Undercover agents bought fake designer products including handbags, clothing and luggage. The items were portrayed as being from Burberry, Cartier, Chanel, Coach, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Prada and Rolex.

Prosecutors say Chen is a U.S. legal permanent resident from Taiwan but is expected to face deportation proceedings after serving time in prison.

Exelon buying Pepco Holdings for $6.83 billion

CHICAGO -- Energy provider Exelon is buying Pepco Holdings Inc. for $6.83 billion to create a large electric and gas utility in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The deal will combine Exelon Corp.'s electric and gas utilities BGE, ComEd and PECO with Pepco's Atlantic City Electric, Delmarva Power and its namesake utility.

The combined utility businesses will serve approximately 10 million customers and have a rate base of approximately $26 billion.

Under terms of the deal, Exelon will pay $27.25 per Pepco share, an 18 percent premium to the company's $23.10 closing price on Tuesday.

Shares of Pepco rose $1.51, or 6.6 percent, to $24.30 before the opening bell on Wednesday.

Chicago's Exelon will put $100 million into a customer investment fund to be used across the Pepco utilities' service territories as each state public service commission feels is appropriate for customer benefits, such as rate credits, assistance for low income customers and energy efficiency measures.

Exelon President and CEO Chris Crane will serve in those roles for the combined company. Pepco Chairman, President and CEO Joseph Rigby will stay in his positions until the transaction closes. He had announced in January that he plans to retire in the first half of 2015. To help ease the transition, he'll step down as CEO near the end of this year after his successor is chosen.

The deal is expected to significantly add to Exelon's adjusted earnings in the first full year after the acquisition is complete.

Both companies' boards unanimously approved the transaction, which is targeted to close in 2015's second or third quarter. The deal needs approval from Pepco shareholders and regulatory approvals.

Exelon also announced mixed first-quarter results on Wednesday. The company reported adjusted earnings of 62 cents per share on revenue of $7.24 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet predicted earnings of 69 cents per share on revenue of $6.56 billion.

Eurozone inflation rises to 0.7 percent in April

LONDON -- Inflation across the 18-country eurozone rose in April, official figures showed Wednesday, but not as much as had been anticipated in the markets. Even so, few economists think the European Central Bank is quite ready to back another stimulus to the eurozone economy.

Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, said consumer prices rose by 0.7 percent in April from the year before, up from the previous month's 0.5 percent.

The expectation in the markets was for a slightly bigger rise to 0.8 percent. An increase had been predicted largely because of the timing of Catholic Easter, which often prompts a rise in prices. Last year it fell in March so that increase dropped out of the annual comparison.

Despite the rise, many economists expect inflation to fall again in coming months. However, the ECB thinks deflation, or an outright fall in prices, is unlikely. Deflation can weigh on the recovery as falling prices may prompt consumers to delay purchases and businesses to be reluctant to invest.

Following Eurostat's estimate of inflation, the euro rallied somewhat to $1.3820 from $1.3790, likely because traders think inflation isn't low enough to prompt further stimulus from the ECB just yet. Looser monetary policy tends to weigh on the value of a currency.

"April's figures might ease some of the immediate pressure on the ECB to provide more policy support, but they don't alter the big picture of growing deflation dangers in the currency union," said Jonathan Loynes, chief European economist at Capital Economics.

The ECB holds its monthly policy meeting next Thursday but few economists think it's ready to back further measures despite some recent hints that it's ready to do more to shore up the economic recovery and prevent potential deflation. The ECB has a target of keeping inflation just below 2 percent.

If it did act, the ECB could further cut the benchmark refinancing rate from the current 0.25 percent or even launch a program to create new money in the economy, similar to the one pursued by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Most economists think the ECB will want to see inflation falling further before backing more stimulus.

Daimler earns rebound strongly on new model sales

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Automaker Daimler AG said Wednesday that net profit almost doubled in the first quarter, as new Mercedes S-Class and E-Class models fueled sales growth.

The company gave an upbeat outlook for this year and predicted stronger demand for cars in the world's developed countries — including recovering Western Europe.

Net profit rose to 1.086 billion euros ($1.498 billion) from 564 million euros in last year's quarter. Revenue increased 13 percent to 29.5 billion euros. The net profit figure was short of the 1.173 billion euros foreseen by analysts surveyed by financial information provider FactSet, and Daimler shares fell 2.2 percent at 66.35 euros.

The company credited its efforts to update its model line and continue growth in unit sales in China and the United States. The new version of the luxury S-Class more than doubled sales for the brand's flagship model, which brings fat profit margins, and the company's range of smaller cars saw sales growth as well.

The company has also reorganized its China sales operation, whose troubles weighed on earnings last year and contributed to the company having to issue a profit warning. The year-ago quarter was also burdened by heavy expenditures on new plants and equipment, spending that is intended to increase future profits.

CEO Dieter Zetsche said that "our strategy is paying off, our investments are bearing fruit."

Sales in China for the Mercedes-Benz brand rose 52 percent to 70,300 vehicles. The China rebound helped overcome a slide in the company's home market, Germany, where sales fell 3 percent to 59,100 — even as overall sales in Western Europe rose 5 percent.

The company said revenues and earnings would "significantly increase" this year over last year, fueled by stronger growth in the world's richer countries such as the United States and Western Europe.

Tenants’ rights committee issues recommendations

BEIRUT: The Committee to Defend Tenants Rights issued a series of recommendations Wednesday that could appease both renters and landlords.

The recommendations called for fighting "injustice" against landlords while guaranteeing the tenants’ right to compensation.

A Committee statement said responsibility for the housing problem ultimately lies with the government.

Tenants have staged protests following a new rent draft law that was approved by Parliament earlier this month.

They have argued that the controversial bill, which awaits the signature of the head of state before it becomes law, will displace many families.

Jumblatt congratulates Saudi king on accession anniversary

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Magic Johnson pleased with ban on Sterling

SAGINAW, Mich. -- Hall of Fame basketball player Magic Johnson said the decision to ban Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life from any association with the NBA for making racist comments marks "a great day for the United States."

Johnson on Tuesday reacted to the punishment for Sterling announced earlier in the day by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver that included a $2.5 million fine. Silver also called on NBA owners to force Sterling to sell the team.

"It was a great day for the United States," Johnson told reporters in Saginaw, Mich. "It was a great day for the NBA and it was a great day for all people of all races, but especially African-Americans and Latinos who he was speaking out against."

TMZ released an audio recording last weekend of Sterling talking to a female companion. In the recording, Sterling questions her association with minorities, including Johnson.

"I'm just happy that Commissioner Adam Silver came down hard and showed that we can't let people get away with this, even if you're an owner," Johnson said. "I hope that the fans now return to the Clipper games ... and the Clipper players can move forward, too, and all of us."

Johnson, who grew up in Lansing, Mich., and played at Michigan State, was in Saginaw for the "Magic of a Promise" fundraiser.

Blight fight leaders to speak at Detroit event

DETROIT -- Leaders involved in projects aimed at eradicating blight and repurposing vacant land in the city will take part in a panel discussion before the Detroit Economic Club.

The program is scheduled at Wednesday afternoon at the Westin Book Cadillac.

Rock Ventures President and Chief Executive Matt Cullen, HantzGroup chief John Hantz and Blight Removal Task Force co-chair Glenda Price are on the panel.

The Blight Task Force aims to develop a plan to remove every blighted house and building in Detroit and clear the thousands of vacant lots in the city.

Price is president of the Detroit Public Schools Foundation. Cullen also is a member of the Blight Task Force. Hantz is behind a massive tree-planting effort on blighted land that has been cleared.

BOJ stays course amid calls for bolder reforms

TOKYO -- Japan's central bank has kept its ultra-loose monetary policy unchanged despite signs that growth was moderating even before a recent sales tax hike.

The Bank of Japan ended a policy meeting Wednesday by saying it will maintain its current pace of asset purchases. That was expected, since the BOJ needs time to monitor the impact of the 3 percentage point increase in the sales tax, to 8 percent, that took effect April 1.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's formula of strong government spending and lax monetary policy helped the world's third-largest economy emerge from a long deflationary slump last year.

But pressure for more action is building, with even the International Monetary Fund urging the government to press ahead with long-promised reforms to sustain growth.

In a report issued Monday, the IMF said the effects of Abe's program of inflationary stimulus appeared to be waning.

"A successful transition to self-sustained, deflation-free growth remains uncertain," it said, warning that slower growth for Japan would hurt regional economies with close links such as South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.

Abe has promised to introduce the specifics of his growth strategy by June.

"The next three to six months are absolutely critical. It's time to deliver," Gerald Curtis, a Japan expert at Columbia University, said after Abe told a recent conference organized by the Economist magazine that Japan was capable of "dramatic change."

Abe has promised tax cuts and other measures to encourage more corporate investment, but has not yet spelled out the specifics of his reform program.

In a half-year outlook issued Wednesday, the BOJ said its monetary easing is working and will continue as long as necessary to ensure its "price stability target" of 2 percent inflation.

But it acknowledged a wide range of uncertainties, including slower-than-expected growth in exports.

Data released Wednesday were lackluster.

— Industrial output rose 0.3 percent in March from the month before, better than the 2.3 percent decline in February but still meager given the jump in retail sales before the tax hike.

— Base wages fell 0.4 percent from a year earlier, though bigger bonus payments pushed cash earnings up 0.7 percent in March from a year earlier.

— A survey of small and medium-size companies showed sentiment darkening in April to its worst level in over a year.

Abe has proposed a slew of potential reforms, including an easing of labor regulations to allow more unpaid overtime, an expansion of temporary hiring of foreign workers and an increase in job opportunities for women.

Japan's participation in the 12-nation, U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks is seen as one way to force changes in some industries such as agriculture and health services, dominated by politically powerful vested interests.

It is unclear just how quickly any such changes might materialize. Marathon negotiations with U.S. trade officials last week failed to yield a hoped-for "basic agreement" on slashing tariffs and other barriers for U.S. farm products.

Such concessions, though politically difficult, are part of a process of expanding access for Japanese manufacturers to faster-growing markets in the region as Japan's own population ages and shrinks.

Japanese companies increasingly are stepping up production and acquisitions in overseas markets while skimping on investments in their home market, where wages have been stagnating for years.

Abe's inflationary economic strategy will succeed only if consumer demand picks up as a result of higher wages, economists say.

"Incomes are not expanding fast enough to offset high inflation," Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a commentary.

Japan's largest trade union federation, Rengo, has negotiated an average base wage increase of almost 2,000 yen ($20) a month, the biggest increase in years. But the group represents only one in 10 workers.

"The upshot is that if consumers want to maintain their current living standards they will need to continue running down their savings," Thieliant said.

Lebanon boosts MERS monitoring: Abu Faour

BEIRUT: Health Minister Wael Abu Faour said Wednesday Lebanon was stepping up its defenses against the deadly MERS virus.

“There is no need to panic,” Faour said following a meeting with the Lebanon-based representative of the World Health Organization, Hasan Bushra.

He said the laboratory at the government-run Rafik Hariri Hospital has been equipped for testing for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

“The ministry has boosted its monitoring team and is taking samples of the reported cases for analysis,” Abu Faour said.

He said the health ministry was following up on the MERS coronavirus with the WHO on daily basis.

Abu Faour said there were no special measures at the airport to detect visitors who may be infected with MERS, but urged Hajj pilgrims to be alert against the virus.

Iran cancels $2.5 billion Chinese oil contract

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's official IRNA news agency says the country has canceled a $2.5 billion deal with a Chinese state oil company over what authorities say were delays in fulfilling its contractual obligations.

The state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation had signed a contract with Tehran in 2009 to develop the giant Azadegan oil field in the southwest of the OPEC member state.

Wednesday's report from IRNA says Iran's oil ministry had given the Chinese company 90 days to meet its obligations or face expulsion from the project. When that did not happen to Iranian satisfaction, IRNA says officials decided to terminate the project.

CNPC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Global stocks mixed after Japan policy unchanged

BEIJING -- Global stocks were mixed Wednesday as investors looked ahead to a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting after Japan's central bank left monetary policy unchanged despite signs of weaker economic growth.

Oil fell below $101 as markets shrugged off new sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.1 percent to close at 14,304.11 after the Bank of Japan avoided changes in its ultra-loose policy despite concern that an April 1 consumption tax hike will sap growth. The Shoko Chukin survey showed business confidence in April sank to its lowest level since February 2013.

"Firms do not expect conditions to recover quickly," Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a report.

China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index added 0.3 percent to 2,026.36. Singapore, Bangkok and Manila also rose.

In Europe, France's CAC-40 lost 0.4 percent to 4,479.66, while the Dax in Germany shed 0.2 percent to 9,564.99.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng tumbled 1.3 percent to 22,152.24 after Chinese pork supplier WH Group, which bought U.S. producer Smithfield Foods last year, canceled a planned multibillion-dollar initial public stock offering. It blamed weak investor demand and market volatility.

Investors looked ahead to the end of a two-day U.S. Federal Reserve policy meeting. The Fed was expected to stick to plans to reduce monthly bond purchases by $10 billion this month. Also due out Wednesday were preliminary first-quarter figures on growth in the world's largest economy.

"U.S. growth is expected to show the smallest growth read in a year, but leading indicators remain mildly positive, meaning it is unlikely there will be any change" in Fed policy, strategist Evan Lucas of IG Markets said in a report.

Also out Thursday are Chinese manufacturing data for April.

Seoul's Kospi shed 0.1 percent to 1,961.79 amid concern nationwide grief over a ferry sinking that killed at least 204 people and left 100 missing might affect economic growth as people cancel trips and social events.

"The tourism and recreation sectors should have been hit the most, with the knock-on effects expected to spread to accommodation, transport and retail trade," DBS Group said in a report.

Sydney's S&P ASX 200 rose marginally to 5,489.10, while Taiwan's Taiex declined 0.9 percent to 8,791.44.

India's Sensex added 0.3 percent to 22,529.08.

In the United States, the Dow Jones industrial average future was off 0.1 percent in pre-market trading on the Chicago Board of Trade. The future for the broader Standard & Poor's 500 lost 0.2 percent.

In energy markets, U.S. crude for June delivery declined 90 cents per barrel to $100.37 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That came after sanctions announced by the United States and Europe on Russian officials, businesspeople and companies were less severe than traders had feared. The contract climbed above $101 on Monday, adding 44 cents to close at $101.28.

The dollar was off 0.2 percent at 102.33 yen and the euro was flat at $1.381.

EU court throws out UK challenge to financial tax

BRUSSELS -- The European Union's top court has dismissed a British challenge to the introduction of a tax on financial transactions by 11 European nations as premature.

Even though the EU's largest economies are pushing for the levy, Britain sought to challenge it because the City of London is the continent's biggest financial hub and the measure could undermine the global competitiveness of its banks.

The tax system is pursued under EU's "enhanced cooperation" provision which allows some countries to press ahead with more integration if an overall deal is not possible.

The court ruled however that since such a tax has yet been fully introduced, it could not examine the essential consequences of the deal.

Britain could still challenge the tax at a later stage.

Berri adjourns second round of presidential election for lack of quorum

BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned Wednesday the second round of presidential election for lack of quorum.

Only 76 MPs entered the General Assembly hall, prompting the speaker to adjourn and schedule the third round of polls for May 7.

This was a breaking news item, click here for full story

Body found in abandoned Beirut mansion

BEIRUT: A man's bullet-riddled body was discovered Wednesday in the abandoned mansion of late Prime Minister Takieddine Solh in the Beirut neighborhood of Clemenceau, security sources said.

The sources told The Daily Star police found the body of Mohammad Shirri, 59, during a search operation.

They said Shirri went missing on April 6.

A police investigation led to the discovery of the killer, identified as Liwaa Khatib, a Syrian national, the sources added.

They said Khatib confessed to the crime, which he said had committed after his relationship with Shirri deteriorated.

Spanish economy grows at fastest rate since 2008

MADRID -- The Spanish economy grew at its fastest rate in six years in the first quarter, a strong indicator that the country is recovering from a severe crisis.

The National Statistics Institute said Wednesday the economy expanded by 0.4 percent January through March. It was the best quarter since the first three-month period of 2008, when the economy grew by 0.5 percent.

The first quarter rate was double that of the previous three-month period.

Compared with a year earlier, the economy grew by 0.6 percent in the quarter, the first annual growth figure after nine quarters of contraction.

Spain emerged from a double-dip recession in the third quarter of 2013 but is still battling with a 26 percent unemployment rate.

Ban on non-compete agreements gaining momentum

BOSTON -- A push to eliminate so-called non-compete agreements in Massachusetts is gaining momentum on Beacon Hill.

Gov. Deval Patrick has said the agreements — designed to discourage workers in high-tech companies from quitting and taking their skills to a competitor — are stifling competition.

On Tuesday the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development backed a bill that mirrors Patrick's proposal.

Patrick has said tougher protections for trade secrets are a better solution to prevent workers from sharing information with new employers.

Massachusetts High Tech Council President Chris Anderson has said employers who spend money training and education employees have legitimate concerns if an employee opts to work for a competitor.

Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki said eliminating non-compete agreements and adopting trade secrets protections will help Massachusetts remain a leader in the global innovation economy.

Man shoots, wounds 6 at metro Atlanta FedEx center

KENNESAW, Ga. -- It was before sunrise when the young man drove to the FedEx package-sorting center where he worked outside Atlanta, armed with a shotgun and Molotov cocktails. At 5:54 a.m. Tuesday, police said, Geddy Kramer opened fire on a guard at the entrance to the business.

When he emerged from his car, a witness said, he had ammunition draped across his chest "like Rambo." He shot more people inside the sprawling warehouse, police said, sending other co-workers scattering as gunfire rang out. One man injured himself trying to flee.

Kramer then made his way to a trailer where he killed himself, ending the rampage. Police declined to say what his motive was, but the explosive devices indicate his destructive intensions. The explosives weren't used and all six victims survived their wounds.

"It was chaos," said David Titus, a FedEx truck driver who was waiting to get into the center just before 6 a.m. when he saw a man walk up and shoot a security guard in the abdomen.

He said the man then went inside and more gunshots rang out from inside the building.

"Everyone was running, ducking and hiding, trying to get out of there," Titus said.

FedEx clerk Liza Aiken said she was working when she heard something drop, looked to her left and saw the gunman.

"He had bullets strapped across his chest like Rambo" and held a knife, Aiken said.

By around 6 a.m., dozens of officers from multiple agencies swarmed the center about 25 miles north of Atlanta that sorts packages and loads them onto vehicles for delivery. The police secured the perimeter and blocked roads leading to the FedEx center. Dozens of workers were taken by car and bus to a skating-rink parking lot to call relatives for rides. Some family members got out of their cars and hugged the workers.

The suspect, identified by police as the 19-year-old Kramer of Acworth, worked as a package handler at the sprawling facility, Cobb County police Sgt. Dana Pierce said. Investigators have an idea of what his motive may have been, but they declined to disclose it.

The package center was shut down and the entrance surrounded by crime-scene tape. The full investigation was time-consuming because authorities had to search every part of the 500,000-square-foot facility for evidence.

Later in the day, the man's car was towed from the scene and employees were allowed back to pick up their vehicles.

Three of the victims were critically wounded, though only one remained in critical condition by late Tuesday afternoon.

A 28-year-old man who underwent surgery was in critical condition late Tuesday, while a 52-year-old woman who underwent surgery was upgraded to stable, police said. A 22-year-old man's condition was also upgraded to stable.

Among the others wounded were a 42-year-old woman and two men, ages 38 and 19.

Another man hurt his knee trying to flee the shootings.

The gunman's father, Scott Kramer, released a statement expressing the family's condolences to the shooting victims.

"Our prayers are for their complete and speedy recovery. Our thoughts are also with all the workers at FedEx who were affected by Geddy's actions. We make no excuses for his actions and are shocked and devastated by them. There really are no adequate words at a time like this," Kramer said.

The company offered no details about the attack, saying only that it was "focused on the needs of our team members and cooperating with the law enforcement investigation of this tragedy."

Associated Press writer Phillip Lucas in Atlanta and researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

Pedestrian fatally hit, driver suffers heart attack

BEIRUT: A Lebanese motorist suffered a heart attack Wednesday soon after he fatally struck a 29-year-old man on Jeita road.

Security sources told The Daily Star Milad N., 56, was taken to St. Joseph Hospital’s intensive care unit after having a heart attack minutes after he struck and killed Roni Saadallah Atallah early in the morning.

The sources said Milad was being closely monitored at the hospital.

14 Creepy Abandoned Military Sites From Around the World

Designed as a pyramid for an unknown reason, the Mickelsen Safeguard Complex near Nekoma, N.D., was a radar system intended to find and destroy missiles launched at the U.S. Inside the complex, along with radar, were 30 Spartan antiballistic missiles and 16 Sprint missiles.

Because of a treaty with the Soviet Union that limited the number of weapons complexes each country could have, Mickelsen didn't even stay in service for an entire year. The complex was deactivated on Feb. 10, 1976.