Turkish official: Quake-hit Van a 'ghost city'

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Two powerful earthquakes that struck eastern Turkey have left a city of half a million a virtual ghost town, and survivors need relief aid desperately, a local official said Monday.

A magnitude-7.2 quake last month and a magnitude-5.7 quake last week flattened some 2,000 buildings, killed 644 people and left thousands homeless in the eastern Turkish province of Van, where an unusually cold November is forcing survivors to endure even more suffering.

Very few state-owned buildings in the provincial capital, also called Van, survived the quake, provincial Gov. Munir Karaloglu told the state-run Anatolia news agency. Many residents have fled because they …

Scottish Football Results

Results Sunday in Scottish football (home teams listed …

ANALYSTS' ACTION // BEARS

Notable stock ratings issued in the last week. (Trading symbols inparentheses.)

Out of orbit

Orbital Sciences Corp. (ORB) was downgraded to "hold" from"accumulate" by analyst James L. Thayer at Prudential Securities. Theprice target was cut to $10 from $14 per share. It closed Friday at$10.

Zapped

ZapMe! Corp. (IZAP) was downgraded to "market perform" from"strong buy" by analyst R. Keith Gay at Thomas Weisel Partners.

From Ross to dross

Ross Stores Inc. (ROST) was downgraded to:

"Hold" from "buy" by analyst Richard N. Baum at Credit SuisseFirst Boston.

"Outperform" from "buy" by analyst John D. Morris at Gerard KlauerMattison & …

Minnesota fullback Jon Hoese's father dies

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota fullback Jon Hoese's father has died following a stroke.

Terry Hoese passed away on Monday night, according to Gophers coach Tim Brewster and the family's journal on the CaringBridge website. Jon Hoese rushed for three touchdowns and made several key plays in Minnesota's win at Middle Tennessee last week while his dad was hospitalized and …

UAW head chides McCain for Prius 'flip-flop'

The head of the United Auto Workers union says Republican presidential nominee John McCain lost credibility by first saying he bought his daughter a Toyota Prius, then saying she bought it.

Ron Gettelfinger told reporters Wednesday in a conference call that motorists have a right to choose any car they want. He added that McCain should be honest about who bought the Prius.

McCain last year told a student in South Carolina that he bought the car.

But when questioned Sunday by TV station WXYZ in Southfield, Mich., McCain said, "She bought it, I believe, herself."

The UAW has …

MARSHALL FOOTBALL: ; Grahams pursuit of starting job is on hold; Herd quarterback injured right ankle in loss to Southern Miss

HUNTINGTON - A.J. Graham's pursuit of the Marshall startingquarterback job has been put on hold.

The 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman is out indefinitely with a rightankle injury. Herd Coach Doc Holliday said Monday on the ConferenceUSA coaches teleconference that he is "not sure about A.J. yet. He'sgot a cast on his ankle right now. I don't know if he'll be back ornot (for UCF)."

The Herd has a weekend off before hosting the Knights nextWednesday night.

Graham saw his first significant action of his collegiate careerSaturday at Southern Mississippi, completing 10 of 12 passes for 98yards and rushing five times for 16 yards after relieving starterBrian …

LeBron James to Appear in Microsoft Ads

SEATTLE - The ever-expanding LeBron James empire is entering a new realm.

Microsoft Corp. is using the NBA star to promote next week's consumer release of its new Windows Vista operating system. James will make what a Microsoft spokesman described Tuesday as cameo appearances on national television commercials that will begin airing Jan. 30.

James is the first NBA player that the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant has used to promote its products, Microsoft spokesman Lou Gellos said. And Vista may not be the last Microsoft project for the Cleveland Cavaliers guard.

"We're happy with him. And I know his people are happy with it, too," Gellos said. "We're talking …