Wilson earns pole for Toronto IndyCar race

Justin Wilson of England has earned the pole position at the Honda Indy Toronto.

Wilson emerged on top from three-stage qualifying on Saturday with a …

Why Blacks don't vote Republican

The recent votes in the House of Representatives to block reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act and in the Senate to reject an increase in the minimum wage, give powerful voice to the reason why Blacks respond by saying no to Republican candidates.

In this case, we see clearly the politics of the economic and social wings of the party at play.

The current Republican Party was created in the Nixon landslide of 1972 when a substantial portion of the South joined it, adding to its growing economic conservatism a group that was deeply conservative on social values. In combined form, it constituted a political rejection of the government's values and spending at that time …

UK grocer Sainsbury says 3Q like-for-like sales up 3.7 percent

J Sainsbury PLC, Britain's third-largest grocer, on Thursday reported that sales rose 3.7 percent in the third quarter, a point better than the market consensus.

Sainsbury said total sales, including fuel, rose 5.9 percent in the 12 weeks ending Dec. 29 as the company notched its 12th consecutive quarter of sales growth. Total sales excluding fuel were up 4.7 percent, and like-for-like sales including fuel were up 5.1 percent.

"We are pleased to report like-for-like sales growth of 3.7 percent, excluding fuel, for the third quarter," said chief executive Justin King. "This is a good result for the Christmas quarter, and is particularly …

We're happy and we know it

Youngsters are often portrayed as being moody and miserable.But the reality is far from Harry Enfield's tortured TV teens Kevinand Perry.

The pair were always arguing and moaning about life.

But Scotland's young people have never been so happy.

That's according to research carried out by the University ofEdinburgh into the mental health of the country's children.

The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study revealedalmost half (49%) of children aged between 11 and 15 say they are"very happy".

Children were asked to rate their happiness. They were also askedto rate their life satisfaction by marking a place on a ladder. Thehigher up the …

Edison chief to U.S.S.R. for nuclear parley

Commonwealth Edison Chairman James J. O'Connor will travel inMay to the Soviet Union, the site of the world's worst nucleardisaster, to meet with operators of commercial nuclear plants from 29countries.

The plant operators are forming the group, the first of itskind, to set common standards for safe procedures and exchangetechnology, O'Connor said. The group, which is calling itself theWorld Association of Nuclear Operators, will include many Soviet bloccountries, including Cuba, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

"This is a great step forward," O'Connor said Wednesday, afterEdison's annual meeting. "In this industry, we're all held hostage tothe worst performer …

Republican gains foretell national security battle

WASHINGTON (AP) — Big Republican gains in Congress from this week's elections could make it harder for President Barack Obama to keep his pledge to start bringing U.S. troops home from Afghanistan by next summer and dim prospects for several of his administration's centerpiece military and diplomatic initiatives.

The Republican victories Tuesday seem likely to derail congressional efforts to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly in the military, thwart efforts to curb the growth of Pentagon spending and frustrate hopes for quick ratification of a nuclear arms control agreement with Russia.

More Republicans in Washington may also mean trouble for Obama's …

Stock futures push higher amid latest earnings

U.S. stock futures are pushing higher Thursday amid news of dealmaking and a barrage of earnings reports.

The rise in futures comes after gains in Asia and amid relatively flat markets in Europe.

A wave of merger-and-acquisition activity gave investor confidence a boost early Thursday. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said late Wednesday it is buying Medarex Inc. for about $2.1 billion in cash, the latest in a string of acquisitions by the drugmaker.

The New York-based company said it will pay $16 a share for Medarex _ a 90 percent premium over Medarex's closing share price Wednesday of $8.40. Medarex shares nearly doubled in premarket trading, jumping $7.48 to …