Wild come back to down Blackhawks

Niklas Backstrom had no real answers to why the Minnesota Wild have become such a force on the road — as they proved again Tuesday night at the United Center — while posting a mediocre mark at home.

Not that he's complaining.

"I don't know what's going on. Usually it's been the other way around when I've been here," he said after making 31 saves as the Wild roared into the all-star break by beating the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2.

It was Minnesota's 14th road victory this season — one more than all of last year. The Wild are 11-11-2 at home and 14-8-3 away.

"We've been a really strong team at home in our building. This year it's been the other way around," Backstrom said. "We want to be better at home, but it doesn't matter where you take the point."

The Wild won four of their final five games before the break, including three of four on the road.

Yahoo warns of weak Q1, more cost cuts planned

(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc warned that revenue will again slide this quarter as it bleeds traffic to Google and Facebook and as a much-touted search partnership with Microsoft Corp fails to deliver quick results.

Yahoo reported its third consecutive quarter of declining page views on its websites. CEO Carol Bartz, who after two years in charge is facing increasing pressure to turn the once-dominant Internet portal around, promised investors that revenue growth will return in 2011's second half once its tie-up with Microsoft takes off.

"This is still a company in transition that hasn't really got where it needs to be yet," said UBS analyst Brian Pitz.

The company's shares slid roughly 2 percent in extended trading following the earnings report. The weaker-than-expected first-quarter sales forecast came the same day Yahoo announced its second round of layoffs in six weeks, of about 1 percent of its global workforce.

In contrast, rival Google Inc said it is preparing its biggest year of hiring ever in 2011.

Yahoo has struggled to contain costs and jumpstart revenue growth, but Bartz said on Tuesday the company was committed to investing to grow the company and defended the company's progress during Tuesday.

"I will not back down on the fact that we are getting momentum," Bartz said defiantly when an analyst contrasted the company's declining revenue with executives' claims of progress.

"There is a lot going on here," she said, citing new features in the company's Web search product and the successful combination of Yahoo's search advertising service in the United States and Canada with Microsoft in October.

Under the ten-year deal, Yahoo will share 12 percent of its search advertising revenue with Microsoft.

SKorea offers date for meeting with North Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea on Wednesday proposed a date to North Korea for the rivals' first official contact since the North's deadly shelling of a South Korean island late last year.

The proposal for a preliminary meeting in two weeks on resuming high-level military talks came as a senior U.S. diplomat visited Seoul to show solidarity with a close U.S. ally and to talk about ways to deal with North Korea.

The North has made a recent push for talks to ease hostility on the peninsula after weeks of threatening war. The South, which responded to the North's Nov. 23 artillery attack with military drills and threats of its own, has agreed to talks but remains wary of North Korean intentions.

The Koreas will have to put aside their differences for any talks to lead to a new round of international negotiations on the long-sought U.S. goal of ending North Korea's nuclear programs.

South Korea's defense minister sent a message to his North Korean counterpart proposing a Feb. 11 meeting at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula, the Defense Ministry said.

Also Wednesday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg held talks with Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, telling reporters afterward that the allies' ties were as close as "sticky rice cake."

Doctors: Giffords will move Wed. to rehab facility

HOUSTON -- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will be moved to a rehabilitation facility Wednesday morning after doctors upgraded her condition from serious to good, according to the hospital overseeing the Arizona congresswoman's recovery.

Her doctors at Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center Hospital determined that she is ready to move to TIRR Memorial Hermann, another facility where her rehabilitation will begin. That transfer was scheduled for sometime Wednesday morning, pending a review of her condition, according to a statement posted Tuesday night on the hospital's website.

Giffords had been kept in intensive care since her arrival Friday at the Houston hospital from Tucson, where she had been hospitalized since the Jan. 8 shooting. Doctors in Texas said she had been given a tube to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid.

Everyone makes such fluid, but an injury can cause the fluid to not be cleared away as rapidly as normal. A backup can cause pressure and swelling within the brain.

Giffords was critically wounded in the rampage that killed six people and injured 12 others. The three-term Democratic congresswoman was shot in the forehead while meeting with constituents outside a Tucson supermarket.

The assassination attempt cast a somber mood over President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, where many lawmakers in both parties wore black-and-white lapel ribbons to signify the deaths and the hopes of the survivors. Giffords' husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, watched the speech from her bedside in Texas, as he held her hand.

The 22-year-old suspect in the shootings, Jared Loughner, pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges of trying to assassinate the congresswoman and two of her aides. He also faces federal murder charges in the deaths of a federal judge and a Giffords aide, and more charges were expected.

Google Chrome, Firefox add 'Do Not Track' features

(Fast Company) -- Following increased pressure from the FTC, Google and Mozilla are introducing opt-out features to their Chrome and Firefox browsers.

Soon, users will have the option to stop personalized advertisements, ads tailored to your Web-surfing habits that have sparked significant privacy concerns.

Will these new features allay privacy fears and FTC meddling?

Last month, the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection proposed a "Do Not Track" tool to curb concerns over personalized or behavioral advertising.

The FTC hoped the tool might be similar to the "Do Not Call" registry -- the system that deterred telemarketers from causing so many headaches -- but offered very few technical details.

Such a comprehensive opt-out registry, as some have pointed out, would be difficult to implement. Unlike "Do Not Call," which relies on unique telephone numbers, "Do Not Track" could not depend on similar identifiers, as IP addresses are constantly changing.

Google and Mozilla have addressed some technical issues with their features, but are far from offering streamlined opt-out systems. On Chrome, the feature is available as an extension called Keep My Opt-Outs, which enables users to save opt-out preferences even once a browser's cookies have been cleared.

Oscar nominations for lead actress announced

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- The 83rd annual Academy Award nominations for lead actress in a motion picture have been announced in Beverly Hills, Calif., by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The category's nominees announced Tuesday morning are: Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right";

Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"; Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone'"'; Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"; Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine."

The Oscars will be presented Feb. 27 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, hosted by Anne Hathaway and James Franco.

European royals making plans for William's wedding

LONDON (AP) -- The invites for the royal event of the year aren't even in the mail, but some among the European blue-blood set say they have already been given a quiet tap on the shoulder.

Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia and the Romanian royals say they're among the hundreds of privileged guests expected at the wedding of Britain's Prince William and his fiance Kate Middleton in London on April 29.

Formal invitations to the widely anticipated event aren't expected to go out until February. But the Romanian royal family will be among those attending, its office told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia said in a statement posted to his website that he and his wife, Crown Princess Katherine, had also been invited.

"Their Royal Highnesses are delighted to attend the marriage and are very happy for the young couple," the statement said.

It wasn't immediately clear whether any other European royalty had already received an informal save-the-date for the wedding at historic Westminster Abbey. A British royal spokeswoman declined to comment on the guest list, which is still being finalized.

'Crop circle' in Indonesian rice paddy

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Thousands of curious onlookers are flocking to central Indonesia to look at a "crop circle" in a rice field following rumors it was formed by a UFO.

Though clearly sculptured by humans - it looks like an intricately designed flower - the 70-yard-wide (70-meter-wide) circle has drawn so much attention that police have blocked off the area with yellow tape.

Villagers have started charging entrance fees.

Guntur Purwanto, chief of Jogotirto village in Sleman district, said the circle appeared in the middle of the green rice paddies over the weekend.

Among those turning out Tuesday and offering opinions were officials from Indonesia's space agency, well-respected astronomers and nuclear agency officials. All agree it was not left by an UFO.

Monkey with history of biting humans escapes, gets caught

Tokyo (CNN) -- After a day on the run, Lucky the monkey ran out of luck.

The infamous primate -- known for biting more than 100 people near Shizuoka, Japan, in the fall of 2010 -- escaped from a Japanese park Monday morning and was captured around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Rakujuen Park in Mishima, Japan.

Lucky, who is about 4 or 5 years old, escaped when her handler opened an inner door of her cage for cleaning without locking an outer door, according to the park.

Officials in Mishima worried that Lucky could pose a danger to residents and instructed them to lock their doors while she was on the loose, city official Hiroo Sugiyama said.

A caretaker at the park captured Lucky with the help of a witness. No injuries were reported, according to the park.

In last year's biting spree, Lucky bit most of the victims on the hands or legs. She has been in the care of Rakujuen Park since October 2010, the park said.

`Social Network,' `King's Speech' aim for Oscars

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- Academy Awards voters are poised to set up a showdown between a tongue-tied monarch and a viper-tongued Web whiz kid.

"The Social Network," a tale about the prickly founder of Facebook, and "The King's Speech," a saga of Queen Elizabeth II's stammering dad, are among likely nominees for Hollywood's biggest prize as Oscar nominations are announced Tuesday.

The two films are the best-picture front-runners. With a best-drama win at the Golden Globes and top honors from key critics groups, "The Social Network" seems to have the edge. But "The King's Speech" pulled off an upset over the weekend for the main prize at the Producers Guild of America Awards, whose winner often goes on to claim best picture at the Oscars.

For the second-straight year, the Oscars will feature 10 best-picture nominees after organizers doubled the field of contenders from the traditional five to open up the competition to a broader range of films. That returned the show to a setup it had from 1931 to 1943, when 10 films were typically nominated for best picture but as many as 12 were sometimes in the running.

Other prospects this season include the boxing drama "The Fighter," the sci-fi blockbuster "Inception," the psychosexual thriller "Black Swan," the survival memoir "127 Hours," the Western "True Grit," the lesbian-family tale "The Kids Are All Right," the crime stories "The Town" and "Winter's Bone" and the animated smash "Toy Story 3," the top-grossing movie released in 2010.

Monkey with history of biting humans escapes, gets caught

Tokyo (CNN) -- After a day on the run, Lucky the monkey ran out of luck.

The infamous primate --- known for biting more than 100 people near Shizuoka, Japan, in the fall of 2010 -- escaped from a Japanese park Monday morning and was captured around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Rakujuen Park in Mishima, Japan.

Lucky, who is about 4 or 5 years old, escaped when her handler opened an inner door of her cage for cleaning without locking an outer door, according to the park.

Officials in Mishima worried that Lucky could pose a danger to residents and instructed them to lock their doors while she was on the loose, city official Hiroo Sugiyama said.

A caretaker at the park captured Lucky with the help of a witness. No injuries were reported, according to the park.

In last year's biting spree, Lucky bit most of the victims on the hands or legs. She has been in the care of Rakujuen Park since October 2010, the park said.

Iraq calls for lifting of Philippine travel ban

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Iraq's ambassador called Tuesday on the Philippines to lift its travel ban to Iraq, saying Filipinos can benefit by taking part in his war-damaged country's reconstruction.

Ambassador Wadee Al-Batti was reacting to a recent Philippine government reiteration of a travel and workers' deployment ban to high-risk countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Lebanon, Jordan and Somalia.

He said peace and order has greatly improved in Iraq since the Philippines first imposed the ban in 2004, but that no country can guarantee against terrorist attacks.

There are now some 50 embassies in Baghdad and not all of them are located in the Green Zone, an indication of the better security situation there, Al-Batti said. He was referring to the well-guarded area that houses the U.S. Embassy, Iraqi government offices and the parliament.

Nissan plant keeps Japan jobs, sends green message

YOKOSUKA, Japan (AP) -- The Leaf electric car is rolling down the bustling assembly line at Nissan's Oppama plant, taking the place of a gasoline engine compact whose production was moved abroad last year.

The Oppama plant in the Tokyo suburb of Yokosuka is a showcase for Nissan Motor Co.'s ambitions to be a leader in green auto technology. And the plant, shown to reporters Tuesday, is good publicity for the company amid recent moves by Japanese automakers including Nissan to send production and jobs overseas.

The Leaf, which started being delivered in late 2010, replaces the March subcompact whose production was moved to Thailand last year - the first case of a mass-selling model from a major Japanese automaker being produced overseas and then being imported back for sale in Japan.

In the same way that Detroit has lost auto jobs in the last few decades, moving production abroad is a growing shift among Japanese automakers. They have felt more urgency to cut costs lately because of the surging yen, which makes Japan's exports more expensive overseas.

But Nissan Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga says it's important to keep auto production in Japan, even though it's easier to make short-term profits with overseas production.

He points out the Leaf, which sells for under 3 million yen ($36,000) with government subsidies in Japan, is worth about three times the March, ensuring more value for Japanese production.

The Leaf's suggested retail price including destination charge in the U.S. is $33,600. Some states offer incentives and rebates for the electric car, and a taxpayer can claim a $7,500 federal tax credit for purchasing a Leaf in the U.S.

"We cannot allow Japan's manufacturing prowess to be rotted away, just because of the high yen," Shiga told reporters earlier this week.

Models packed with new technology like the Leaf could be the answer.

Jackson's doc to plead not guilty in star's death

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael Jackson's doctor is ready to go to trial on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the superstar's death, his lawyers say.

Dr. Conrad Murray was expected at a Tuesday arraignment, where his lawyers say he will plead not guilty. They said he will not seek a plea bargain and that they had no qualms about going to trial in spite of strong prosecution evidence at a preliminary hearing aiming to prove that the doctor's gross negligence killed Jackson.

"We're going to go to trial," said defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan. "I think our case is really solid. We were very pleased with the way the evidence went at the preliminary hearing... This should result in an acquittal."

Others outside the case were not as confident of Murray's chances.

"If I were advising him, I would be talking to the district attorney to see what they would be willing to accept," said criminal defense attorney Steve Cron. He said that an offer of probation with community service and temporary suspension of Murray's medical license would be worth considering if it were proposed.

"I think there's a good chance he's going to go down on this," said Cron. "If they go to trial, they've got a lot of explaining to do."