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Twenty-one-year-old Redwood City, California, resident Brian J. Hogan, the man identified by Wired.com as the guy who found — and later sold — Apple’s missing iPhone in a bar last month, has a message for

Apple, the engineer who originally lost the precious gadget, and the tech world at large: Sorry about that.

Following a trail of “clues” on social-networking sites and confirming his ID with a source “involved in the iPhone find,” Wired named Hogan on Thursday as the bar patron who made off with Apple’s top-secret

iPhone prototype and then sold it to Gizmodo for $5,000 after an Apple software engineer left the precious phone on a bar stool.

Up until now, Hogan’s identity has been a mystery to the public, but the 21-year-old Nike air max shoes 2009 college student (or at least, he was a college student as

of 2008) may have sensed that he was in trouble after all the hoopla over Gizmodo’s gigantic iPhone scoop last week and the subsequent fallout, including a raid on Gizmodo editor Jason Chen’s house by San

Mateo sheriff’s deputies armed with a search warrant.

Hogan has now lawyered up, and in a statement released through his attorney, the young man says he “regrets his mistake in not doing more to return the phone,” and that he thought his $5,000 deal with

Gizmodo was only “so that they could review the phone,” Wired reports.

According to Hogan’s attorney’s statement, Hogan didn’t see the lost iPhone until another patron at the Redwood City bar came up and asked him if it was his; Hogan apparently then asked a few other patrons

if they’d lost the device before heading out, iPhone in hand, according to Wired.

Initial reports had it that the man who’d taken the iPhone tried repeatedly to call the Apple Care support line to return the phone, but according to the statement in the Wired story, Hogan never personally

called Apple, although a friend of his offered to. The owners of the bar where the iPhone nike air max was lost also told Wired that Hogan never bothered to call

them about the lost hardware, although the anguished Apple engineer who mislaid the iPhone “returned several times” to see if it had turned up.

Meanwhile, CNET is reporting that Hogan had help in finding a buyer for the lost iPhone. The “go-between,” according to CNET: 27-year-old Sage Robert Wallower, a UC Berkeley student who “contacted

technology sites” about the handset. Wallower told CNET that he “didn’t see it or touch it in any manner” but knows “who found it,” adding, “I need to speak to a lawyer … I think I have said too much.”

No one has been charged yet in the case of the lost iPhone, but a deputy district attorney for San Mateo County tells Wired that Hogan is “very definitely … being looked at as a suspect in theft.” (In California,

finding a piece of lost property isn’t a case of “finders keepers”; if you find a lost item and keep it without making “reasonable” efforts to find the real owner, you could be charged with a crime.)

Gizmodo’s Jason Chen also has yet to be charged; law-enforcement officials have reportedly said they’ll hold off on searching the computers and servers seized from Chen’s house until they decide whether

California’s shield law for journalists applies to him.

Back in 2006, MTV spun off its reality hit “Laguna Beach” with “The Hills,” where cameras continued to follow Lauren “LC” Conrad as she moved from Orange County to Los Angeles. “The Hills” quickly became

addictive TV due to the attractiveness of its part soap opera, part documentary format, which begged the question: When is a reality program not really reality? An undeniable guilty pleasure, the show

introduced a slew of pretty, young faces, and even one of today’s most talked-about celebrity Nike air max 360 couples: Speidi. As the landmark series embarks on its

sixth and final season this week, let’s take a walk down memory lane with “The Hills” gang, then and now.

This image provided Wednesday, April 21, 2010 by NASA shows an eruptive prominence blasting away from the sun March 30, 2010 observed by the Solar DynamicsObservatory satellite. NASA on Wednesday unveiled the first images from the new satellite designed to predict Nike air max 360 disruptive solar storms, and scientists say they’re already learning new things.

Returning from Mexico, Michelle Obama made a brief stop Thursday in San Diego to visit a community garden farmed by international refugees that she called a model for building healthy communities across

the nation and around the world.

Obama toured the New Roots Community Farm to promote her “Let’s Move!” campaign against childhood obesity. The event kicked off a $1 billion project by The California Endowment to fund healthy living

initiatives in 14 communities across the state, including the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego, where the community farm is located.

Obama’s visit follows a week of travel that included a tour of earthquake-ravaged Haiti and a stop in Mexico to launch an agenda about inspiring young people around the world to become involved in their

societies.

Some 80 farmers from a dozen countries work at the 2.3-acre farm, a project of the air max International Rescue Committee that started in June 2009 on city-owned

land. Many grow vegetables, like kale, that they grew in the native countries they left because of civil wars and other violence.

“It’s a model for the nation, for the world,” Obama said after touring the 89 plots, where she hugged the farmers, including a Somalian woman who had Obama’s picture and a map of Africa printed on her

traditional bright blue dress.

The garden provides fresh produce to the refugees and their families. Some of the fruits and vegetables also are sold at a farmers market and to local restaurants, giving the refugees some income. About 90

percent of the farmers have been unable to find a job because they do not have the skills or do not speak English.

Millions of children in the United States live in what Obama called “food deserts,” places where there is no easy access to grocery stores or farmers markets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says about one-

third of children in America are either overweight or obese.

Obama’s campaign has teamed with The California Endowment to support initiatives Air Max Tn 10that promote farmers markets, make

neighborhoods safe and walkable, revamp city parks and get people — especially children — eating healthy and exercising.

The California Endowment plans to grant $100 million a year over the next 10 years to the initiatives designed by members of the 14 communities, said Dr. Anthony Iton, senior vice president of the foundation’s

healthy communities project.

The project seeks to change lifestyles in low-income communities. Iton cited new research showing people live as many as 14 years longer in richer communities that offer safe parks, inviting bike lanes and

organic grocery stores.

“You can predict how long somebody will live based on their address, and we should not be able to do that,” he said, pointing out that even in a physically fit city like San Diego where people bike, surf and sail

daily, there are “pockets” where families have no access to fruits and vegetables and places to exercise.

Obama’s campaign includes introducing healthier school lunches and encouraging food manufacturers to reduce the sugar, salt and fat in foods.

Obama said the San Diego farm shows that “farmers coming from different corners nike air max of the globe recognized a common problem here in America” — the

lack of fresh produce in people’s diets and the health problems that causes.

Refugees speaking different languages raised funds for the farm and then worked side by side, sharing two hoses at first. Since then they have started swapping recipes and losing weight, Obama said.

Tsitsi Mutseta, 43, moved to San Diego from Zimbabwe eight years ago. She said the garden helped ease her mind as she adjusted to her new life in the United States, far from her family. She told Obama it also

has given her peace as she fights cancer.

“I told her I come to the garden to relieve my pain. I get food from the garden that is organic and it connects me with my family because I grew up on a small farm in Zimbabwe,” said Mutseta, a tall woman who

wrapped her arms around Obama and gave her leaves from her kale crop. “She said she would pray for me and she loved what I did in the garden.”

Toyota Motor Corp. is temporarily halting sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 after Consumer Reports issued a rare “Don’t Buy” warning amid concerns the large SUV has handling problems that could cause it to roll

over during sharp turns.

The Japanese automaker said Tuesday it had asked dealers to temporarily suspend sales of the SUV while it conducts its own tests on the GX 460.

“We are taking the situation with the GX 460 very seriously and are determined to identify and correct the issue Consumer Reports identified,” said Mark Templin, Lexus vice president and general manager.

The decision to stop selling the SUV is the latest blow to Toyota’s tarnished safety air max reputation after the recall of millions of cars and trucks over gas pedals that

are too slow to retract or that can become stuck under floor mats. The GX 460 is not covered by the pedal recalls.

But it reflects Toyota’s attempt to respond more quickly to safety concerns after federal investigators accused the automaker of dragging its feet on recalls to address the faulty gas pedals. Toyota faces a $16.4

million fine from the Transportation Department and has until April 19 to decide whether to contest the penalty or accept it.

Toyota said about 6,000 GX 460s from the 2010 model year have been sold since the vehicle went on sale in late December and an estimated 1,600 of the SUVs are at dealerships.

Consumer Reports is closely read by many car buyers before choosing a new car or truck. In January, it pulled its “recommended” rating on eight vehicles recalled by the automaker due to faulty gas pedals.

The magazine said the Lexus problem occurred during tests on its track. In a standard test, the driver approached a turn unusually fast, then released the accelerator pedal to simulate the response of an alarmed

driver. This caused the rear of the vehicle to slide outward.
In normal cases, the electronic stability control should quickly correct the loss of control and keep the SUV on its intended path. But with the GX 460, the stability control took too long to adjust, which could

cause a rollover accident if one of the sliding wheels were to strike the curb or another obstacle, said Gabriel Shenhar, Consumer Reports’ senior auto test engineer who was one of four testers who experienced

the problem.

The magazine said it is not aware of any reports of the GX 460 rolling over. air max 89It tested two separate vehicles, both of which experienced the

problem, but neither rolled over.

The warning label on the model will remain until Toyota addresses the handling issue with the seven-seat SUV.

Templin said in a statement he was “confident that the GX meets our high safety standards” and said Toyota’s engineering teams were testing the GX using Consumer Reports’ specific parameters. Lexus will

provide a loaner car for any customer who bought a 2010 GX 460 and is concerned about driving the vehicle, Templin said.

Customers who have questions or concerns about the GX 460 can call Lexus at (800) 255-3987.

The “Don’t Buy” label is unlikely to hurt Toyota’s broader sales since the GX 460 accounts for a fraction of its total, said Erich Merkle, president of the consulting company Autoconomy.com in Grand Rapids,

Mich. However, it comes at an unfortunate time as the automaker tries to move beyond the recalls.

“I think it will have a bigger impact from a negative-PR perspective than from an actual sales perspective,” Merkle said.

The GX 460, which starts at about $52,000, is built on the same platform as the Toyota 4Runner. However, Consumer Reports said the problem did not occur during similar tests on the 4Runner. According to

Toyota’s Web site, both vehicles are about six feet tall but the GX 460 is about 3 inches taller.

Consumer Reports said the last vehicle to receive such a safety warning was the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited, a large SUV. In that case, testers said the wheels lifted off the road during standard avoidance-

maneuver tests, which also posed a rollover risk.

At the time, Mitsubishi disputed the magazine’s findings and did not air max 90make any modifications to the vehicle, Mitsubishi spokesman Dan Irvin

said. The designation appeared to have little effect on the Montero’s sales, which increased overall during the second half of 2001.

The Montero remained on sale in the U.S. until 2007 and continues to be sold overseas as the Mitsubishi Pajero.

Toyota shares traded in the U.S. fell 52 cents to $79.03.

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Demi Moore, who famously appeared unclothed on the cover of Vanity Fair not once but twice, has never been shy about showing her body. Talking about it, however, hasn’t come as easily.

If a revealing new interview is any indication, the 47-year-old actress is finally as comfortable discussing her chiseled physique as she is showing it.

In the Elle UK cover story for May, which was first reported on by The Daily Mail and the Huffington Post, the mother of three addresses years of rumors that she’s spent a fortune on plastic surgery, and she

opens up about how she overcame an “extreme” body-image obsession. (She also hints that she and Ashton might be expanding their family. More on that later.)

“I have had something done but it’s not on my face,” Moore says in the interview, addressing head-on years of rumors that her remarkably youthful look was the result of surgery.

Instead of going into detail about what that “something” might be, Moore uses the Nike air max shoes 360 opportunity to share the lessons she’s learned from her

own struggle for the “perfect” body.

“I had an extreme obsession with my body,” Moore says. “I made it a measure of my own value. I tried to dominate it, which I did, and I changed it multiple times over. But it never lasted and ultimately it didn’t

bring me anything but temporary happiness. Does being thin resolve anything? No.”

Photos: See stills from Demi’s new movie, “The Joneses.”

After years of apparent preoccupation with her weight, she seems to have attained a healthy body image.

“The irony is that when I abandoned that desire to dominate my body, it actually became the body that I always wanted,” she says. “But it only happened when I stopped trying to control it. At the end of the

day, this kind of obsession is pointless and meaningless.”

Moore, who appears on the cover of the magazine looking as stunning as ever, doesn’t rule out the idea of cosmetic enhancement in the future.

“You know what? Maybe one day I’ll go under the knife. It just irritates me that air max 95people are constantly saying how much I’ve spent on plastic

surgery,” she tells the magazine, saying the public’s fascination with her looks “feels like school-yard name-calling a lot of the time.” Moore nevertheless understands why people might be curious: “I know it’s

not something I can control. I only hope it’s serving some sort of purpose.”

Moore admitting to past insecurity about her body might come as a surprise to some fans. After all, in 1991, the actress famously posed unclothed for the cover of Vanity Fair while seven months’ pregnant with

her daughter Scout, and then appeared sans garments on the cover again a year later, wearing only an artist’s body paint.

In the Elle UK interview, Moore reflects on the strength she needed to engage in such public displays of nudity.

“I was so brave! I had no sense of the impact that it would have. I just wanted to push the boundaries,” Moore says. “When I said things like ‘I want it all,’ that wasn’t coming from a place of greed. It was coming

from a desire for balance. I wanted to remove the limitations that I felt were being imposed on me. Why couldn’t I be a mother and have a career?”

Speaking of motherhood, Moore, whose daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah with former husband Bruce Willis are now 21, 18, and 16, respectively, hasn’t ruled out having another baby with her husband

Ashton Kutcher, 32: “We talk about it and it’s something that we would like. He’s an amazing father to my daughters already, so I have no doubt that if it’s in our future, it would be another incredible part of our

journey together.”

Either way, Moore will soon be taking on a new bit of motherhood: Her next step, professionally, is to portray the mother of a teenager played by Miley Cyrus. It’s a remake of the 2009 French film “LOL,” in which

Moore will star as the mother of a heartbroken teen played by the star of “Hannah Montana” and “The Last Song.”

Moore tweeted the news after a fan inquired about her work schedule: “Startingnike air max a film in July with Miley called LOL RT @my_lilito: @mrskutcher are u

shooting some movie right now?”

Rescue teams were trying to locate at least 19 trapped miners in a large underground coal mine where an explosion killed seven workers on Monday, the coal company and mine safety officials said.

Nine rescue crews usually made up of six members each were at the mine that covers several square miles, but it was not clear if they had headed underground yet to pull people out, said federal Mine Safety

and Health Administration spokeswoman Amy Louviere.

State mining director Ron Wooten said the blast that happened around 3 p.m. at Massey Energy Co.’s Upper Big Branch mine in Raleigh County, about 30 miles south of Charleston. The company did not

provide details on the extent of the damage or if other miners had made it out on their own.

“We want to assure the families of all the miners we are taking every action possible nike air max to locate and rescue those still missing,” said Massey CEO Don

Blankenship, who confirmed the number of dead and missing in a statement.

He said the names would not be released until next-of-kin were notified.

One injured miner is in intensive care at Charleston Area Medical Center, spokeswoman Elizabeth Pellegrin said.

“We are preparing for other patients,” she said.

The mine is operated by Massey subsidiary Performance Coal Co. It has caches of extra oxygen along emergency escape routes and airtight chambers designed to provide enough air to keep miners alive for

four days if they can’t make their way out, according to Randy Harris, an engineering consultant who oversees installation of high-tech gear.

Federal records show three miners have died on the job at Upper Big Branch since 1998.

The mine produced 1.2 million tons of coal in 2009, according to the mine safety agency, and has about 200 employees, most of whom work underground. They would not have all been working the same shift.

The mine has two production shifts and one maintenance shift and extracts coal from the 72-inch Eagle coalbed, a thick seam for the region in 2010.

Upper Big Branch extracts the bulk of its coal using a machine called a longwall miner that uses a cutting head to move back and forth across the working face somewhat like a 1,000-foot-long deli slicer.

Firefighters in nearby Whitesville asked the town’s First Baptist Church to keep its doors open in case family members of miners come looking for information, Pastor Brian Kelly said. No family members had

arrived by early Monday evening. Kelly said he heard several helicopters flying overhead but didn’t know if they were news crews or medical crews.

Gov. Joe Manchin was out of town, but working to get back, according to his office. Chief max 95of Staff Jim Spears was headed to the mine.

At the mine, a worker was electrocuted while repairing equipment in 2003. An equipment operator died when a chunk of rock fell on him from the roof in 2001. Another worker was crushed in a roof collapse in

1998.

Massey Energy is a publicly traded company based in Richmond, Va., that has 2.2 billion tons of coal reserves in southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia and Tennessee, according to the

company’s Web site.

Massey ranks among the nation’s top five coal producers and is among the industry’s most profitable. It has a spotty safety record.

The federal mine safety administration fined Massey a then-record $1.5 million for 25 violations that inspectors concluded contributed to the deaths of two miners trapped in a fire in January 2006. The company

later settled a lawsuit naming it, several subsidiaries and Chief Executive Don Blankenship as defendants. Aracoma Coal Co. later paid $2.5 million in fines after the company pleaded guilty to 10 criminal charges

in the fire.

The United Mine Workers labor union said it has personnel nearby and would help non-union Massey if the company asks. The UMW said it also is ready to help families of workers at the mine. Massey is

virulently non-union and CEO Blankenship’s television set with a UMW fired bullet in it still sits in his office.

In 2006, 12 miners died in a methane explosion at the Sago Mine in West Virginia. Six were killed in the collapse of the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah in 2007.

West Virginia requires all underground mines to have wireless communications and tracking systems designed to survive explosions and other disasters. While not all mines in West Virginia comply with federal

standards, all have systems that meet state requirements, engineering consultant Harris said.

Last year, the number of miners killed on the job in the U.S. fell for a second straight year to Nike air max 360 34, the fewest since officials began keeping records

nearly a century ago. That was down from the previous low of 52 in 2008.

U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration documents show 18 of the deaths occurred in coal mines, down from 29 in 2008; and 16 were in gold, copper and other types of mines, down from 22 in 2008.

The deadliest year in recorded U.S. coal mining history was 1907, when 3,242 deaths were reported. That year, the nation’s deadliest mine explosion killed 358 people near Monongah, W.Va.

The iPad can run two types of third-party apps, both available from Apple’s app store. It can use nearly all existing iPhone apps. These can either run in a small,

iPhone-size window in the middle of the screen, which makes them look tiny, or blown up to double size. The larger size makes them fill the screen, but can make

type inside them look blocky. Still, the dozens I tested all worked properly. And it can run a new class of specially designed iPad apps, of which Apple hopes to have

1,000 at launch. I successfully tested the revamped App Store, which features the iPad apps most prominently when you’re on an iPad.

Based on my very small sample, some app developers may be testing higher prices for iPad apps than the 99 cents or $1.99 typical for paid iPhone apps. The paid iPad

apps I saw ranged from $3.99 to $49.99. Others were free.

Apple has rebuilt its own core iPhone apps for the iPad to add sophisticated features that make the programs look and work more like PC or Mac software. For

instance, there are “popover” menus that make it easier to make choices without leaving the screen you’re on. And, when the iPad is held horizontally, in

landscape mode, as I often preferred to use it, many programs now have two panels, making them faster and more useful. For example, in email, a left-hand panel

shows your message list, while a larger right-hand panel shows the nike air max message itself.

The photo app is striking, and much more like the one on the Mac than the one on the iPhone. The device can even be used as a digital picture frame. The iPod app

is beautiful, too, as are the calendar and contacts app. Unfortunately, Apple excluded some of the more familiar apps from the iPhone, including Weather, Clock and

Stocks.

I tested a small selection of the new third-party iPad apps Apple hopes to have available at launch, and most were also rich and feature-filled, beyond what iPhone

apps offer. These included games such as Scrabble and “Touch Hockey,” a database app, news services and more.

I was able to try a pre-release version of The Wall Street Journal’s new iPad app (which I had nothing to do with designing), and found it gorgeous and highly

functional—by far the best implementation of the newspaper I have ever seen on a screen. Unlike the Journal’s Web site, or its smart-phone apps, the iPad version

blends much more of the look and feel of the print paper into the electronic environment. Other newspapers and magazines have announced plans for their own,

dramatically more realistic iPhone apps.

I also found iBooks, Apple’s book reader and store, easy to use, and read a couple of books on it. I consider the larger color screen superior to the Kindle’s, and

encountered no eye strain. But the iPad is much heavier than the Kindle and most people will need two hands to use it. The iBooks app also lacks any way to enter

notes, and Apple’s catalog at launch will only be about 60,000 books air max 89versus more than 400,000

for Kindle.

I did run into some other annoying limitations. For instance, the email program lacks the ability to create local folders or rules for auto-sorting messages, and it doesn

’t allow group addressing. The browser lacks tabs. And the Wi-Fi-only version lacks GPS. Also, videophiles may dislike the fact that the iPad’s screen lacks wide-

screen dimensions, so you either get black bars above or below wide-screen videos, or, if you choose an option to fill the screen, some of the picture may get cut off.

All in all, however, the iPad is an advance in making more-sophisticated computing possible via a simple touch interface on a slender, light device. Only time will tell

if it’s a real challenger to the laptop and netbook.

Think your Mr. Next has the potential to be Mr. Right? Before you leap without looking, take an honest inventory. See how many of the following five essential traits

he possesses.
Dating Trait #1: He listens to you
The best way to know if Mr. Next is interested in (and worthyof) being a candidate for Mr. Right? He listens to you. You’ll know he’s listening when he shows genuine

concern, consistently remembers things you’ve told him (your birthday, favorite food, best friend’s name, etc.), and offers emotional support in honest and thoughtful

ways.
Dating Trait #2: He connects with you easily
We’ve all been in those relationships that take W-O-R-K (and suck the life force out of us in the process). When a relationship works on its own, it feels effortless, easy,

and fluid. You don’t have to force anything, forgive anyone, or turn a blind eye sunglasses to red flags or gut-

twisters. Instead, you communicate and collaborate with comfort, compatibility, and undeniable chemistry. If and when you experience this kind of interaction, you are

on to something really special.
Dating Trait #3: He wants the real you
So often, women feel the need to sacrifice some part of themselves to make a relationship work. In the right relationship, there’s no need. You don’t have to hide, tone

down, or apologize for any aspect of you or your fabulous life. With the right partner, you’re not only able to be yourself, but you’re better able to be the best version

of your most authentic self — no compromises needed.
Dating Trait #4: He’s trustworthy
A relationship without trust is doomed from the start. But a relationship with abundant trust? A fabulous foundation for real and lasting love! Built over time, trust is

based on the simple belief system that your partner has your best interests at heart and will never intentionally hurt you (and vice versa). If and when you discover that

Mr. Next is 100 percent trustworthy, you’ll have no trouble giving your heart to Adidas Sunglasses him. In return, he’ll most likely give you his heart and pave the way for a lasting, loving relationship to unfold.
Dating Trait #5: He enriches your life
In the wrong relationship, your partner tears you to emotional shreds, brings you down, and in general drains your energy. In the right relationship, he enriches your

life, inspires you to be your best self, and brings a sense of peace and possibility to you. You’ll know Mr. Next is enriching your life if and when he encourages and

supports you professionally, personally, and spiritually. And when he does, he may just be Mr. Right!
Does your Mr. Next possess all five qualities? If so, congratulations! You have done your homework, chosen wisely, and are now well positioned for relationship

success.
If not, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back into the dating pool with a clearer understanding of who you want to date. Remember, finding your life partner

isn’t always easy, but by being clear, honoring yourself, and acting accordingly, you’ll cut down on wasted time with Mr. Wrong and Mr. Next, and ultimately make

room for Mr. Right.

The Iraqi prime minister held talks with a radical Shiite group he once tried to destroy in bloody street battles, both sides said Wednesday, showing his willingness to put aside animosities with some of his

fiercest enemies to ensure a second term in office after a divisive election.

Nouri al-Maliki’s outreach to a powerful faction within the Iranian-backed Iraqi National sunglasses Alliance could also lead to the recreation of the wide-

ranging Shiite alliance that dominated Iraq’s politics for a lengthy stretch after the ouster of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Final results from the March 7 parliamentary election are expected to be released Friday, but no single group is likely to dominate the 325-member assembly, meaning a governing alliance will have to be

forged.

In a sign of the maneuvering, al-Maliki made a public show Wednesday of meeting with President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, in an attempt to woo Kurdish supporters to his side.

And late in the evening, members of the Iraqi National Alliance held a news conference to discuss their own talks with al-Maliki’s main challenger, the Iraqiya coalition of Sunnis and Shiites led by former Prime

Minister Ayad Allawi — a clear signal that in Iraq’s rapidly moving political scene few alliances are off the table.

On Tuesday night, the prime minister met with two representatives of the radical Shiite group led by anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

While it is too soon to say whether those talks will lead to a more concrete alliance, both al-Maliki and the Sadrists would have something to gain. The overture may be an attempt to show Allawi that he cannot

hope for Sadrist support in his own efforts to regain the premiership.

The Sadrists, who have gone from fighting U.S. troops on the streets to a powerful political organization, could turn their street credentials into government power.

The Sadrists are widely thought to have the largest number of seats in the Iraqi National PRADA Sunglasses
Alliance, and many analysts question whether the Sadrists might break off from the INA. Al-Maliki has also reached out to the other main party in the Shiite alliance, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council.

Ali al-Adeeb, a candidate on al-Maliki’s State of Law list, and a senior Sadrist official, Karrar al-Khafaji, both confirmed Tuesday’s meeting. Al-Khafaji said the negotiations with al-Maliki were “positive” and that

the two sides have “common ties.”

Al-Khafaji said “no details, just general guidelines” were discussed Tuesday. He added that one of the “most difficult” issues in the talks was the post of the future prime minister.

Al-Maliki is unpalatable to many Sadrists because of his crackdown on their militiamen in the southern city of Basra and in their eastern Baghdad stronghold. Al-Maliki has also refused to release al-Sadr’s

followers held in Iraqi jails.

A Sadrist official in the holy city of Najaf, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, played down Tuesday’s talks, saying nothing has been achieved and that

Sadrists were still firmly opposed to al-Maliki continuing as prime minister.

Whoever gets the top job will oversee Iraq as U.S. forces go home and help determine whether the country can overcome its sectarian divisions.

With 95 percent of the votes counted so far, al-Maliki and his supporters are in a dead heat with a coalition led by Allawi, a secular Shiite who has attracted a strong following among Iraq’s Sunni community for

his anti-Iran rhetoric.

Talks on forming a governing coalition could drag on. The last government took nearly six months to form.

The Kurds, who control their autonomous region in the north, will play a key role in forming the government. Al-Maliki’s meeting Wednesday with Talabani appeared to be a public display for local reporters in

which the two men highlighted their past history but said little of substance and took no questions.

Both leaders said they had discussed efforts to bring about a new government.

“We are old allies that have fought together against dictatorship in order to establish the democratic, federal and independent Iraq,” Talabani said. “God willing, our efforts will continue to form a new coalition

government.”

A tie-up between al-Maliki’s list, the Kurds and the Sadrists could prove to be a winning combination, giving Maliki nearly enough seats to form a government, said Michael Hanna, an Iraq analyst with the

Century Foundation.

“If Maliki’s able to cut a deal with the Sadrists, that’s a big deal,” Hanna said, adding that there are still significant hurdles to overcome.

Scattered violence killed at least 10 people across Iraq Wednesday. In Baghdad, gunmen killed five Iraqi soldiers in a drive-by shooting on a checkpoint in a Sunni suburb near the airport.

In the western city of Hit, a suicide bomber targeting a police colonel killed the nike air max colonel’s brother and two workers helping rebuild the officer’s home

after it had been targeted by another suicide bomber over a month ago, a police official said.

A police officer in Baqouba was killed trying to dismantle a bomb, and one person was killed in the northern city of Mosul by a grenade that targeted a police patrol, officials said.