Germany suspends payments to global health fund

GENEVA (AP) — Germany says it will halt all payments to a $21.7 billion global health fund until it gets answers about serious corruption allegations raised in articles by The Associated Press.

The country's development ministry said its pledge of €200 million ($270 million) for 2011 will be withheld from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria pending a full investigation by Germany into the corruption that the fund's own investigators are turning up.

German Development Minister Dirk Niebel said the serious questions raised in two AP articles on Sunday and Monday require a thorough investigation.

"I take the allegations of corruption and breach of trust …

BP exec optimistic Gulf will rebound from spill

The executive heading up BP's fight to stop a massive underwater oil spill says he's very optimistic that the Gulf of Mexico will recover.

BP PLC Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said on the CBS "Early Show" that in the worst case scenario, the oil leak that has already lasted a month will continue until early August. That's when a new well currently being drilled could be finished …

County, city consolidation hitting snags, Unification of park systems is underway, but merger of emergency, housing areas problematic

DAILY MAIL STAFF

Breaking up is hard to do, but Kanawha County commissioners arefinding that putting things together can be difficult too.

They have gotten the process of merging the county's park systemwith Charleston's park system started, but merging the city andcounty housing authorities is getting off to a slower start andunifying the two government's emergency operations has turned into anasty battle.

At Thursday evening's commission meeting, Commissioner Kent Carperaccused Bill White, the county's emergency director, of having an"abysmal" relationship with city officials. White responded that hegets along with everyone, but Mark Wolford, the city's …

Stocks Rise on Bernanke Comments

Stocks rose unevenly Friday, largely extending the week's rally after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave investors more reason to believe further interest rate cuts are on the way.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose more than 120 points, but the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index didn't join in the rally after weak quarterly results from Dell Inc.

In a speech late Thursday, Bernanke said persistently tight credit conditions, the housing slump and high energy prices will probably create some "headwinds for the consumer in the months ahead," and the central bank will have to be "exceptionally alert and flexible."

The …

India tightens security in Mumbai

Indian authorities increased security in parts of Mumbai after intelligence agencies warned of possible terrorist strikes in the city, where U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to visit this week.

Mumbai police received the warnings earlier in the month, said Naseem Khan, the home minister of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital.

Khan said Wednesday the information had nothing to do with the visit by Clinton, who is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai, India's …

Hess sees `Dallas' on restricted TV menu

HAMBURG, West Germany (UPI) Rudolf Hess, the 92-year-old formerdeputy of Adolf Hitler, passes time in Spandau Prison watching"Dallas" and "Dynasty" and reading War and Peace, according to anewspaper report.

Hess, the sole inmate at the Spandau war crimes prison, wassentenced to life in October, 1946, by the International MilitaryTribunal at Nuremberg. The Soviets, who run the prison along withthe Americans, British and French, have ignored requests for amnestyfor Hess.

One photograph in the Bild newspaper said showed Hess, whoappeared in good shape for his age, reclining in a leather chair, …

Pods Beat Giants, Gain Ground in NL West

SAN FRANCISCO - The crowd showed up to see off Barry Bonds. Jake Peavy showed up to make sure San Diego is around another week.

Peavy won his NL-leading 19th game, and the Padres spoiled Bonds' home finale for San Francisco with a much-needed 11-3 victory over the Giants on Wednesday night.

These resilient Padres might just make a push for a third straight NL West crown.

San Diego remained one game up on Philadelphia and Colorado in the NL wild-card race and pulled within one game of division-leading Arizona after the Diamondbacks lost 5-1 at Pittsburgh.

Peavy (19-6) got Bonds to ground out weakly in his first two at-bats and to flyout to the warning …