U.N. ENVOY SNUBS TALIBAN.(MAIN)

Byline: KARL SCHOENBERGER Knight Ridder

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Progress toward forming a post-Taliban government in Afghanistan appeared stalled on Monday as the United Nations special representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, arrived in Islamabad for a round of consultations with Pakistani and exiled Afghan leaders.

Brahimi snubbed a request for a meeting from the Taliban ambassador to Islamabad, saying he was not optimistic about the possibility of opening a dialogue with Taliban leaders at this time, following the Taliban's arrest and execution on Friday of Afghan Pashtun tribal leader leader Abdul Haq, who was seen as a key participant in political …

Around the region.(Capital Region)

TODAY

COMMUNITY SALES

Annual Shaker Christmas Craft Fair

Where: Shaker Heritage Society, 875 Watervliet Shaker Road, Colonie When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 456-7890; e-mail: shakerwv@crisny.org or http://www.shakerheritage.org Notes: More than 75 local artisans show and sell handmade goods.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS

Ski and Snowboard Expo

Where: Convention Center, Empire State Plaza, Madison Avenue, Albany When: 4-9 p.m. Cost: $8 adults; $4 children 4-11 Contact: 383-6183 or http://www.albanyskiandsnow

boardexpo.com Notes: Winter sporting equipment, fashions and travel accommodations; part of proceeds go to …

Guard C.J. Henry now officially at Kansas

Guard C.J. Henry officially enrolled at Kansas on Tuesday and will be eligible to play next season.

The move reunites Henry with his brother, Xavier, and completes one of the most talented incoming classes Kansas ever had.

"We've been waiting to announce C.J. and are proud to formally do it today," said coach Bill Self, who has been recruiting C.J. since 2004.

Self said the 6-foot-4 Henry will be an immediate contributor despite not having played organized basketball for four years. The Jayhawks were Big 12 champions this season and will be among the preseason favorites for the NCAA title in 2009-10.

The Jayhawks return every …

Lawyer for Springfield Muslims calls on cops to deliver evidence

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Circadian Pattern Found in Sickle Cell Pain Crises.

1999 NOV 29 - (NewsRx.com) -- There is a circadian pattern in sickle cell pain crises, and it differs between the genders.

A. del Mundo, of the University of Illinois, and associates reviewed all patients with sickle cell who presented to the emergency department. They hypothesized that there would be a rhythm to the pain crises.

Their findings, which supported the hypothesis, were presented at the American College of Emergency Physicians Research Forum, held October 11-12, 1999, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The title of their study is "Circadian Variation in the Presentation of Sickle Cell Pain Crisis."

Sex, age, and time of presentation were recorded for …

Pennsylvania Proposing Mandated Set of Disclosures To Mortgage Borrowers.

HARRISBURG, Penn. -- A regulation requiring mortgage companies to use a Department of Banking-mandated disclosure form to protect borrowers is being proposed to the Commonwealth's Independent Regulatory Review Commission.

The recommendation follows a study of mortgage disclosures performed by the department in 2005. That study followed an earlier request from the General Assembly asking the banking department for a statewide study on mortgage foreclosures in the state, said Heather Tyler, communications director, Pennsylvania's Department of Banking.

What the study showed, Tyler said, were widespread issues with appraisals, brokers and lenders. The …

MAN ARRAIGNED IN SALEOF BOGUS YEARBOOK ADS.(CAPITAL REGION)

GLENS FALLS A 22-year-old Glens Falls man was arraigned Thursday on fraud charges after he allegedly collected $90 in checks from two local businesses by falsely representing himself as an advertising salesman for the Adirondack Community College yearbook.

Ernest L. Mears of 7 Harrison Ave., who just began work as a department store clerk, was sent …