Nation/World briefs

The blast comes at a time of heightened debate over the role of U.S. troops in the war on terror in the Philippines, where Muslim insurgents have battled the government for decades with attacks, bombings and kidnappings.

Three Americans -- a Southern Baptist missionary and her two young children -- were among the wounded. Many of the injured were in serious condition, and officials feared the death toll could rise. The dead included a boy, a girl, 10 men and seven women.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who invited U.S. troops to help train Filipino soldiers in counterterrorism later this year, said the bombing at Davao airport on Mindanao island was "a brazen act of terrorism which shall not go unpunished."

Persian Gulf buildup nears 300,000

WASHINGTON -- The Army's oldest armored division, "Old Ironsides," got orders Tuesday to head for the Persian Gulf as the total of U.S. land, sea and air forces arrayed against Iraq or preparing to go neared 300,000.

The commander who would lead the war, Gen. Tommy R. Franks, met at the Pentagon with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and was to consult with President Bush at the White House on Wednesday. Last week Franks reviewed his war plan with commanders at his Gulf command post.

The pace of troop movements and high-level consultations suggested the military was close to ready for the opening of what would be a multidirectional assault to disarm and depose Iraq President Saddam Hussein.

U.S. may withdraw Iraq resolution

WASHINGTON -- With other nations' opposition hardening, the White House left open the possibility Tuesday that it would not seek a United Nations vote on its war-making resolution if the measure was clearly headed for defeat.

One option under serious consideration was Bush giving Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein a final ultimatum, perhaps with a short-term deadline, in an address next week, two senior White House officials said.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed that a variety of options are on the table and all depend on the outcome of a U.N. Security Council debate on the U.S.-backed war resolution. In a new blow, Russia's top diplomat said Moscow may use its veto against the measure.

Even without a veto from Russia, China or France, the United States still doesn't have the nine votes needed to win approval of the resolution, according to both supporters and opponents. Many undecided council members are looking for a compromise.

'Gimme a 10': Rating looks, bodies increasingly popular on Web and TV

CHICAGO -- It is a quest for 15 minutes of fame that can turn into a few humiliating moments of shame.

Still, a growing number of people are putting themselves out there -- smiling or serious, sometimes scantily clad -- asking strangers on the Internet and even celebrity judges on TV to rate their bodies and looks.

They post their photos on any number of Web sites, where Internet surfers can rate them on a scale of 1 to 10. And now a new TV show -- ABC's "Are You Hot?" -- is bringing the concept to prime time and taking the rating game to a new level.

Some people who've posted photos say the trend shouldn't be taken too seriously. That includes Desiree Koh, who posted photos of two male co-workers on a site called HotorNot.com, one of the first of many rating sites. "It was a form of affectionate ridicule," says Koh, a 25-year-old Chicagoan.

At least one of the co-workers, 28-year-old Heath Shackleford, was a little embarrassed at first but now thinks it's funny -- "especially since the other guy got as low a rating as I did."

Many others post their own photos for all the World (Wide Web) to see.

After eight years, Today Sponge contraceptive goes on sale again

ALLENDALE, N.J. -- The long wait is over for fans of the Today Sponge contraceptive: It's back on sale again, eight years after its sudden demise was immortalized in a hilarious "Seinfeld" episode that coined the term "spongeworthy."

The return of the sponge -- it is now available over the Internet and could be on U.S. shelves in a year or so -- is expected to lead to bulk buying, and perhaps more spontaneous romance, among its fiercely loyal users.

Allendale Pharmaceuticals, a start-up business in New Jersey, bought rights to the Today Sponge from the drug company that discontinued it. Allendale began selling it this month through Canadian Web sites.

More sponges, priced at the U.S. equivalent of about $2.90 each, will hit the shelves at 4,000 pharmacies, Wal-Marts and other stores across Canada, according to Allendale. The manufacturer still needs Food and Drug Administration approval to sell them in U.S. stores.

Witness says Robert Blake included himself in murder scenarios

LOS ANGELES -- A retired stuntman who claims Robert Blake solicited the murder of his wife testified Tuesday that Blake included himself in every killing scenario and wasn't worried about police questions because he is an actor.

Ronald Hambleton, whose credibility was attacked by Blake's defense over several days, was questioned again by the prosecution on key points of his story about solicitations by the actor before Bonny Lee Bakley was shot in a car after the couple dined at Vitello's restaurant on May 4, 2001.

The former "Baretta" star claims he found his wife fatally shot after he returned to the restaurant to retrieve a handgun he carried for protection but accidentally left behind during dinner.

Enforcement of pledge ruling stayed

SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal appeals court on Tuesday stayed enforcement of its ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional when recited in public classrooms, pending an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judge Alfred T. Goodwin issued the order in response to a request from the Elk Grove Unified School District near Sacramento. The daughter of the man whose suit led the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to find the pledge unconstitutional attends school there.

More Americans going to the movies

LAS VEGAS -- More Americans than ever escaped fears of terrorism and talk of war by going to the movies last year, seeing an average of 5.7 films each and paying an average of $5.80 per ticket.

"People want to get away from it all," Motion Picture Association of America president Jack Valenti said Tuesday before delivering an annual address to the ShoWest convention of theater owners meeting in Las Vegas.

Valenti and John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, said the 1.6 billion tickets sold nationwide made 2002 the best moviegoing year since 1957. The figure represented a 10.2 percent increase from 2001.<