Beirut, Lebanon
Senior Lebanese officials warned Tuesday that the country was entering a volatile period a day after the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, pointedly evoking the first year of Lebanon's long civil war and urging calm among opposition leaders and thousands of citizens who hold the government responsible for Hariri's death.
Hours later, the U.S. government announced Margaret Scobey, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, was being recalled to Washington for consultations. The decision underscored the rising tensions between the United States and Syria, whose government many Lebanese opposition leaders blame for Hariri's killing.
-Los Angeles Times-Washington Post news service
UW-Madison
A violation of the Wisconsin Student-Athlete Discipline Policy resulted in the suspension of freshman UW women's basketball Lesha Jones Monday. Jones is barred from participating in both competition and practice. Should she pursue an appeal, the outcome of the process will be announced when completed. If Jones does not pursue an appeal, her suspension will continue until the proper legal or university authority deals with her charges.
Madison
Gov. Jim Doyle reported strong economic news Tuesday, announcing state exports increased 10.4 percent in 2004 to a record $12.7 billion.
It is the third straight year export growth has set a record in the state, Doyle said in a statement.
Wisconsin's two largest export markets are Canada, at $4.86 billion, and Mexico, at $1.06 billion. Doyle will visit Mexico in March on his third foreign trade mission. The governor led delegations to China and Japan in 2004.
Madison
Life probably is not so good right now for composer John Tanner, who has agreed to compose a new song for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's \Wisconsin-Life's So Good"" campaign after Tanner's first song drew criticism for similarities to the 1995 song ""Alright"" by the British group Supergrass.
Tourism department officials said earlier they would not scrap the original song unless it became a distraction from the campaign. But spokesperson Jerry Huffman said Tuesday in a statement, ""The public discussion over the music got to the point where it was distracting.""
Tanner, who received $22,000 to compose the first song, will not be paid for the second song, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
