BEIJING, (AFP) ― A city in southern China is considering passing a law to protect people who help strangers from being sued, after a case in which an injured toddler was ignored by 18 passers-by, a report said Wednesday.Officials in Shenzhen are drafting rules that would protect well-intentioned rescuers from legal action if their efforts failed “as long as there was no negligence or deliberate sabotage,” the China Daily said.There have been renewed calls for such laws in China after the death l

WARSAW (AP) ― A Boeing airliner from the U.S. carrying 231 people was forced to land on its belly Tuesday in Warsaw after its landing gear failed to open, triggering sparks and small fires. No one was hurt, but some passengers sobbed as they prayed for a safe landing.Capt. Tadeusz Wrona, who handled the descent so smoothly that many on board thought the Boeing 767 landed on its wheels, was instantly hailed a hero in Poland and online, where within hours he was the focus of several Facebook fan p

NEW YORK (AFP) ― New York’s autumn art sales got off to a weak start Tuesday with a celebrated bronze sculpture by Degas, two important Picassos and a dreamy Matisse among works failing to sell at Christie’s.Only 51 of 82 lots sold, a total of 62 percent, possibly reflecting jitters among big collectors at a time of renewed anxiety over stock markets and the stability of the euro.“Petite danseuse de quatorze ans,” which shows a childlike ballerina with one foot extended, was meant to be one of t

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― People who took yoga classes for chronic lower back pain experienced more lifestyle improvements and better overall health than those who sought a doctor’s advice, said a study published Monday.The research in the U.S. journal the Annals of Internal Medicine, led by scientists at the University of York, included more than 300 people and was described as the largest of its kind to date in the United Kingdom.Researchers derived their study samples from a group of people who were

TOKYO (AFP) ― After months of being told to strip off to keep cool for summer, Japanese workers were Tuesday being urged to wrap up for winter in an energy-saving “Warm Biz” campaign.As the nation continues to face possible electricity shortfalls in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster that has left dozens of atomic reactors offline, the government is asking people to keep warm the old-fashioned way.Officials are telling homes and offices to set heaters and air conditioners no higher than

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) ― Novak Djokovic made his return after missing six weeks with a back injury and defeated Xavier Malisse 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in the first round of the Swiss Indoors on Tuesday.The top-ranked Serb overcame some difficult moments before improving his record this season to 65-3.Djokovic arrived on the court for the first time since Sept. 18 wearing a fright mask resembling rock star Alice Cooper the night after Halloween. Dressed all in black, Djokovic broke his Belgian opponent’s

SHANGHAI (AP) ― Except for the red carpet in bunkers on the practice range, signs posted in English and Chinese, and bicycles competing with BMWs for space on the road, the HSBC Champions looks like any other World Golf Championship.Too bad the PGA Tour doesn’t see it that way.The tour opened itself to criticism ― and even silly whispers of a conspiracy ― by deciding to wait until after the HSBC Champions before sending ballots for its postseason awards. The tournament counts as an official win

PITTSBURGH (AP) ― The Steelers’ injury-riddled linebacker corps already has forced coach Mike Tomlin to get creative.Inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons has moved outside. Young players like rookie Chris Carter and second-year man Stevenson Sylvester have been pushed into more prominent roles.And there’s a good chance Tomlin will need another brainstorming session.The coach said Tuesday he’s not ruling out any options, but the answers likely will come from his current roster, as the Steelers prep

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lindsay Lohan returns to court Wednesday to learn whether a judge will agree with a prosecutor advocating that the actress be returned to jail for failing to complete a community service assignment at a women's shelter.Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner revoked Lohan's p

Group F leader Arsenal draws at home against MarseilleLionel Messi broke the 200-goal barrier for his Barcelona career with his second straight hat trick in a 4-0 win at Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday night that advanced the club to the Champions League knockout stage.AC Milan also advanced with a 1-1 tie at BATE Borisov, but Arsenal and Chelsea were held to draws and will have to wait until their final two games to earn a spot in the second round. Jonas scored the second-fastest goal in Champions Le

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has lost his appeal against extradition to Sweden to answer sex crime allegations.   In a judgment Wednesday, Judges John Thomas and Duncan Ousely said that Assange, who was in court to hear the verdict, should be sent to Sweden to be questioned over the al