MONTREAL, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A new technique that can "hear"the sound of colors may help art restorers identify the pigments in centuries-old paintings, researchers say.



Pigment- Paint- Business- Chemicals- Dyes and Pigments [Links]

PATNA, India, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A Maoist group in India said Thursday it had killed one kidnapped Indian police officer and threatened to kill three other hostages if its demands are not met.



India- Maoism- Asia- Patna- Government [Links]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- George Mitchell, President Obama's special envoy for Mideast peace, said Thursday he believes conflict between Israel and the Palestinians can be resolved.



Middle East- Israel- George J. Mitchell- President of the United States- Warfare and Conflict [Links]

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The former New York CBS television producer convicted of trying to blackmail "Late Show"host David Letterman was released from prison Thursday.



David Letterman- CBS- NEW YORK- Television producer- Late Show with David Letterman [Links]

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- CC Sabathia became the first 19-game winner this season with a one-hitter over eight innings Thursday in the New York Yankees' 5-0 win over Oakland.



New York Yankees- CC Sabathia- NEW YORK- Major League Baseball- Sports [Links]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- President Obama has no plans for a second major stimulus bill to jumpstart the U.S. economy, a spokesman said Thursday.



United States- Barack Obama- President- WASHINGTON- History [Links]

TOKYO, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan accused challenger Ichiro Ozawa of backing money-driven politics Thursday while Ozawa rapped Kan for a bloated bureaucracy.



Japan- Naoto Kan- Ichirō Ozawa- Prime Minister of Japan- TOKYO [Links]

HALAM, England, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- British giant-vegetable growers preparing to display their creations at an annual event say the practice is a time-consuming and delicate one.



Vegetables- Gardening- Plants- Home- Business [Links]

SURREY, British Columbia, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A Canadian woman said her 14-year-old cat, which disappeared during a recent move, turned out to have spent five days hiding inside a box spring.



British Columbia- Canada- Surrey British Columbia- Government- Military [Links]

MIAMI, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Hurricane Earl approached the Outer Banks Thursday, prompting warnings along the U.S. East Coast into Canada, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.



Outer Banks- National Hurricane Center- Hurricane Earl- East Coast of the United States- North Carolina [Links]

BERGAMO, Italy, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The world's first tree cathedral has taken root in a forest near Bergamo in northern Italy, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.



Italy- Bergamo- News agency- Northern Italy- History [Links]

CHICAGO, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Grains closed higher on the Chicago Board of Trade Thursday with the dollar index off 0.17 percent.



Chicago Board of Trade- United States- Chicago- Wheat- Business and Economy [Links]

DETROIT, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Residents of a Detroit high-rise apartment building said bedbug-related stoppage of mail delivery has interfered with their monthly income.



Detroit- United States- Social Security- Business- Philadelphia [Links]

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A Canadian Anglican reverend is asking parishioners to bring in their cellphones and other technological gadgets to receive a special blessing.



Nova Scotia- Canada- Anglicanism- Business and Economy- Mobile phone [Links]

BEIJING, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Chinese President strongly suggested Kim Jong Il should follow China's example by opening North Korea's economy, a South Korean official says.



North Korea- Kim Jong-il- People's Republic of China- Asia- China [Links]

MALMO, Sweden, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A Swedish man who is blind and has Down syndrome and some autistic traits was bound by the arms for much of the last 25 years, officials said.



Sweden- Swedish language- Malmö- Government- Embassies and Consulates [Links]

TEHRAN, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A Kurdish version of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"could be staged in Tehran, Iranian stage director Amir Dejakam said.



Juliet Romeo- William Shakespeare- Tehran- Arts- Works [Links]

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. markets held onto tentative gains Thursday with reports that first-time jobless claims were relatively flat and work hours increased in the second quarter.



United States- Jobless claims- NEW YORK- Dow Jones Industrial Average- Business and Economy [Links]

VATICAN CITY, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Israeli President Shimon Peres asked Pope Benedict XVI for help in releasing Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier seized four years ago by Hamas.



Gilad Shalit- Hamas- Middle East- Pope Benedict XVI- Warfare and Conflict [Links]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A review by Canadian and U.S. consumer protection agencies has found no link between a popular brand of diapers and diaper rash, officials say.



United States- Diaper rash- Canada- Diaper- Procter &Gamble [Links]

BEIJING, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A Chinese lingerie company used a Princess Diana lookalike to launch an undergarment line on the anniversary of her death, prompting criticism from Britons.



Diana Princess of Wales- Lingerie- Chinese language- Princess Diana- BEIJING [Links]

MOSCOW, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Aeroflot filed suit against the city of Moscow, alleging the government caused the Russian airline to lose millions during road repair traffic jams.



Moscow- Russia- Traffic congestion- Administrative Regions- Aeroflot [Links]

HAPARANDA, Sweden, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A 35-year-old man was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail for raping a sleeping woman at a party, despite claims he was sleepwalking.



Rape- Injustice- Crime and Justice- Sleepwalking- Individual Stories [Links]

EVANSTON, Ill., Sept. 2 (UPI) -- An Illinois researcher says his team's controversial government-funded "machine-generated humor"project is a serious attempt to model "human cognitive skills."



Illinois- United States- United Press International- Humor- Recreation [Links]

DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A man was detained and questioned in Florida after he was observed mutilating a dead whale on a beach, conservation officials said.



Florida- Whale- Recreation- Travel- Specialty Travel [Links]