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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 1:35 p.m., Thursday, May 3, 2007

National & world news highlights

Associated Press

Republican candidates face off tonight

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — Ten Republicans who often evoke Ronald Reagan hope the Gipper's magic rubs off as they face each other at the late president's library in the first GOP debate of the 2008 race. The setting and the state were fitting.

Republican top-tier contenders Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney — as well as some of their underdog rivals — have embraced the conservative icon's legacy and called for their party to return to the limited-government that Reagan espoused in the 1980s, effectively distancing themselves from Bush.

Delegate-rich California also has become an important stop in the GOP campaign now that the state has moved up its primary to Feb. 5, far earlier than in elections past.

Eight months before the first GOP primary votes are cast, top issues such as the Iraq war, immigration, taxes, abortion, gay marriage and terrorism were certain topics during the debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library north of Los Angeles.

The focus was on the strongest contenders — Giuliani, the former New York City mayor; McCain, a four-term Arizona senator, and Mitt Romney, the ex-governor of Massachusetts.

Rice raises issue of Iraq borders in meeting with Syria

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt — In a highly anticipated meeting, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Syria's foreign minister of U.S. concerns about his country's porous border with Iraq Thursday — the two nations' first Cabinet-level talks in years.

"I didn't lecture him and he didn't lecture me," Rice said afterward.

Prospects dimmed for a more dramatic face-to-face discussion between Rice and Iran's foreign minister.

"We haven't planned and have not asked for a bilateral meeting, nor have they asked us," she said.

The 30-minute session with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem marks a diplomatic turning point for the Bush administration, which had resisted talks with Syria and Iran despite the recommendations of allies abroad and the Iraq Study Group and lawmakers from both parties at home.

Bush aides restart negotiations with Democrats on Iraq funding

WASHINGTON — President Bush's top aides sat down with Democrats on Capitol Hill Thursday to discuss the Iraq war in the first serious overture by both sides to cooperate.

Both sides came armed with ideas and notebooks and talked for some 45 minutes. They agreed to meet again early next week and not to divulge details to outsiders in the spirit of cooperation.

Ultimately, however, no deal was struck.

"There is nothing off the table — including timetables" to end the war, reported Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "Nothing."

The round of meetings came two days after Bush vetoed $124.2 billion legislation that would have funded wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but also would have ordered troops to begin coming home from Iraq by Oct. 1.

Venezuelan president threatens to nationalize banks

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Thursday threatened to nationalize the country's banks and largest steel producer, accusing them of unscrupulous practices.

"Private banks have to give priority to financing the industrial sectors of Venezuela at low cost," Chavez said. "If banks don't agree with this, it's better that they go, that they turn over the banks to me, that we nationalize them and get all the banks to work for the development of the country and not to speculate and produce huge profits."

It was not clear if Chavez was only referring to Venezuelan banks like Mercantil Servicios Financieros CA and Banco Provincial SA, or if he was also aiming the threat at major international banks with subsidiaries in the country, such as Citigroup Inc. and Spanish banks Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA and Banco Santander Central Hispano SA.

Chavez also warned the government could take over steel producer Sidor, which is majority controlled by Luxembourg-based Ternium SA. Shares of Ternium fell 3.9 percent to $26.15 in U.S. trading after Chavez's comments.

Sidor "has created a monopoly" and sold the bulk of its production overseas, forcing local producers to import tubes and other products from China and elsewhere, Chavez said.

GM reports first-quarter profit slumped

DETROIT — The troubled mortgage market spilled onto General Motors Corp.'s balance sheet Thursday as first-quarter profits dropped 90 percent from a year ago due mainly to losses at GM's former financial arm.

But the fact that the nation's largest automaker still lost money on its North American operations seemed to trouble industry analysts more than losses at GMAC Financial Services because GM is more than a year into a massive restructuring plan that includes cost cuts and multiple new products.

The net profit of $62 million, or 11 cents a share for the January-March period, was GM's second consecutive quarterly profit, although it was down from $602 million, or $1.06 per share, a year ago.

GM said in Thursday's report it had record vehicle sales of 2.26 million worldwide and showed improvements in its automotive operations in the latest quarter.

Its earnings excluding one-time items fell short of Wall Street expectations and its shares fell more than 5 percent.

British queen arrives in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. — Queen Elizabeth II arrived Thursday for the commemoration of Jamestown's 400th anniversary and praised the cultural changes that have occurred since she last visited America's first permanent English settlement 50 years ago.

The last time the queen helped Virginia mark the anniversary of its colonial founding, it was an all-white affair in a still-segregated state. Thursday's visit was starkly different.

"Over the course of my reign and certainly since I first visited Jamestown in 1957, my country has become a much more diverse society just as the commonwealth of Virginia and the whole United States of America have also undergone a major social change," the queen said in speech to the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, the first stop on her visit.

"The melting pot metaphor captures one of the great strengths of your country and is an inspiration to others around the world as we face the continuing social challenges ahead," she said.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said the message couldn't be more timely or appropriate.

'Tarzan' actor in 1950s films dies at age 80

BALTIMORE — Gordon Scott, a handsome, muscular actor who portrayed an "intelligent and nice" Tarzan in 1950s movies, has died. He was 80.

Scott, who had been living in a working class section of south Baltimore, died Monday at Johns Hopkins Hospital of post-heart surgery complications, a hospital spokesman said.

Scott made 24 movies including "Tarzan and the Lost Safari" (1957), "Tarzan's Fight for Life" (1958), "Tarzan and the Trappers" (1958), "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" (1959) and "Tarzan the Magnificent" (1960).

The cast in the 1959 movie included Sean Connery and Anthony Quayle.

Tarzan, the vine-swinging hero of the jungle, was created by the author Edgar Rice Burroughs. Scott was among a long line of actors, including Johnny Weissmuller, Elmo Lincoln and Larry "Buster" Crabbe, who portrayed him.