With two clubs in the final of the lucrative UEFA Champions League Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich will play for the cup at London's Wembley Stadium on May 25 the top flight in Germany couldn't be healthier.

And it stands in stark contrast to what's happening in other leagues in Europe, according to the US national team's German manager, Jurgen Klinsmann.

"I think there are other countries that are struggling

He went on to identify the leagues that he was referring to.

"Italy and England are struggling big-time," Klinsmann continued. "Even the bigger teams have so much debt that it's scary. I think in the long run Spain will jeopardize its foundation if there are only two teams controlling the whole market. It's not going to work."

Things are different in Germany and in some circles Klinsmann has been credited with his role in the transformation over the last decade.

"The clubs are really healthy in Germany and the infrastructure coming out of 2006 [World Cup] plays a role in that, too," Klinsmann said. "A lot has changed in a wonderful way."

The judge is providing instructions to the jury in a packed courtroom, including some people who lined up at 2 a.m. Thursday to get a spot in the gallery. The prosecutor will later present closing arguments.

The jury will essentially have four choices: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter or acquittal.

First-degree can lead to a death sentence and requires the jury to believe that it was a premeditated act. The basic standard for second-degree murder is that the defendant intentionally caused the death of another person. Manslaughter has a much lower standard.

Arias acknowledges she killed Travis Alexander but says it was self-defense.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

The prosecutor in Jodi Arias' murder trial was set to present closing arguments Thursday in a case that has captured headlines worldwide with lurid tales of sex, lies and a bloody killing.

Arias faces a potential death sentence if convicted of first-degree murder in the June 2008 killing of her one-time boyfriend in his suburban Phoenix home. Authorities say she planned the attack on Travis Alexander in a jealous rage after he wanted to end their tawdry affair. Arias initially denied any involvement in the killing then later blamed it on masked intruders. Two years after her arrest, she said she killed him in self-defense.

Her lies and peculiar behavior, meticulously creating an alibi to avoid suspicion within hours of Alexander's death, have been at the heart of the prosecution's case. Arias said she was too scared and ashamed to tell the truth at the time and didn't want to sully Alexander's name by revealing their raunchy sex and his violent episodes. Alexander was a Mormon, and portrayed himself to friends and family as a virgin and devout follower of the faith who was saving himself for marriage.

Arias says Alexander had grown physically abusive in the months before she killed him, once even choking her into unconsciousness, but she kept seeing him because she was in love.

However, there has been no evidence or testimony during the trial to corroborate her stories that Alexander was violent or owned a gun the very gun she used to shoot him.

The defense has portrayed Alexander as a cheating womanizer who used Arias for sex and abused her physically and emotionally.

Prosecutors have depicted Arias as an obsessed ex-girlfriend who couldn't come to grips with the ending relationship and Alexander's desire to see other women.

"This is not a case of who done it," Prosecutor Juan Martinez told jurors during opening statements in January. "The person who done it, the person who committed this killing sits in court today, the defendant, Jodi Ann Arias."

Martinez went on to describe the couple's steamy relationship and how Arias was clearly more into Alexander than he was into her, and said she had described him as one of the greatest blessings in her life.

"And this love, well, she rewarded that love for Travis Alexander by sticking a knife in his chest. And . he's a good man . And with regard to being a good man, well, she slit his throat as a reward for being a good man," Martinez told the jury.

"And in terms of these blessings," he continued, "well, she knocked the blessings out of him by putting a bullet in his head."

Martinez then described in detail the stabbing, Alexander's fight for his life, the slitting of his throat and the gunshot to his head.

"Mr. Alexander did not die calmly," Martinez told jurors in January.

Alexander suffered nearly 30 knife wounds, was shot in the forehead and had his throat slit. Arias' palm print was found in blood at the scene, along with nude photos of her and the victim from the day of the killing.

She said she recalls Alexander attacking her in a fury after a day of sex. She said she ran into his closet to retrieve a gun he kept on a shelf and fired in self-defense but has no memory of stabbing him.

Arias' grandparents reported a .25-caliber handgun stolen from their Northern California home about a week before the killing the same caliber used to shoot Alexander but Arias said she didn't take it. Authorities believe she brought it with her to kill the victim.

Arias has acknowledged trying to clean the scene of the killing, dumping the gun in the desert and working on an alibi, even attending a memorial service for Alexander before her arrest in July 2008.

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Brian Skoloff can be followed at https://twitter.com/bskoloff

"One of the extraordinary measures of progress that we've seen in this country has been the recognition that the LGBT community deserves full equality - not just tolerance, but a recognition that they are fully a part of the American family," Obama told a news conference.

"I think Americans should be proud that this is just one more step in this ongoing recognition that we treat everybody fairly ... and we judge people on the basis of their character and their performance, not their sexual orientation."

Obama, an avid basketball fan, called Collins on Monday to tell him he supported his decision.

First lady Michelle Obama also tweeted her backing for theNational Basketball Association player, who acknowledged heis gay in Sports Illustrated magazine.

"So proud of you, Jason Collins! This is a huge step forward for our country. We've got your back!" she wrote.

(Reporting By Gabriel Debenedetti; editing by Christopher Wilson)

Two strokes off the pace going into a weather-disrupted final round, Horschel took advantage of rain-softened conditions and preferred lies at the TPC Louisiana as he sealed his long-awaited breakthrough victory with an eight-under-par 64.

The slim 26-year-old, who had recorded top-10s in his three previous starts on the U.S. circuit, stunningly drained a 26-foot birdie putt at the par-five last to post a 20-under total of 268.

Horschel repeatedly pumped his right fist in delight after his ball disappeared into the cup for his ninth birdie of the day, then removed his cap to acknowledge loud cheers from the gallery packed around the 18th green.

"Oh man, it's something I have worked so hard for and there are so many people I need to thank. And they all know who they are," an emotional Horschel told Golf Channel after coping with two weather delays during the final round.

"And for that putt to go in ... I hadn't made a long one all week and I said, 'I am due for a long one, I am due for a long one. Just commit to it.'

"It came off the putter so good and I am so happy it went in. This is unbelievable right now."

Fellow American D.A. Points, playing with Horschel, had been tied for the lead with three holes remaining but settled for second place after closing with a seven-birdie 65.

Overnight leader and 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, bidding for his fourth PGA Tour victory, fell back with an early bogey on the way to a 71 and a tie for fourth at 15 under.

Glover began the day two strokes in front and he parred the first five holes before play was suspended for about three hours as the first wave of thunderstorms rolled into the area.

At that point, his lead had shrunk to just.

THREE-WAY TIE

Soon after play resumed, Points and Horschel briefly moved into a three-way tie at the top as they each birdied the par-five seventh before Jimmy Walker sank a 26-foot eagle putt at the same hole to edge a stroke in front.

Glover slid back with a bogey at the seventh after overshooting the green and hitting a poor chip coming back.

Former Walker Cup amateur Horschel also birdied the eighth and ninth to move one ahead at 16 under before being joined by Walker, who rolled in a 10-footer to birdie the par-four eighth.

While Walker stumbled with a double-bogey at the par-three ninth, where his bump-and-run from below the green failed to crest the slope and rolled back to his feet, red-hot Horschel kept charging forward.

He sank a 14-footer to birdie the 10th and a six-footer at the par-five 11th to get to 18 under, two ahead of Points.

Both players picked up a shot at the par-four 12th, Horschel sinking a 15-footer there to tie the PGA Tour record this season of six consecutive birdies.

Horschel, speeding up in his play, bogeyed the 15th after finding the right rough off the tee and missing the green with his approach.

That dropped him into a tie with Points, who had recorded his sixth birdie of the day at the 13th.

Horschel rebounded with a birdie at the par-four 16th after hitting an exquisite approach to four feet to regain a one-stroke cushion.

Play was again suspended, for just under an hour, due to the threat of lightning shortly after Horschel drove into the left rough off the 18th tee.

On resumption, he wisely laid up in two, then struck a wedge approach to 26 feet short of the hole before sinking the birdie putt to clinch an emotional victory.

British world number four Justin Rose, the highest-ranked player in the field, closed with a 69 to tie for 15th at 12 under, level with 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson (66) and four-times major winner Ernie Els (68).

China's 14-year-old Guan Tianlang, after making his second consecutive cut on the PGA Tour, signed off with a two-over 74 to finish at four-over 292, stone last in the 71-strong field.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Gene Cherry)

The owner of Europe's largest film studio, Pinewood said on Monday it would develop 288 acres of land south of Atlanta, Georgia, for a studio facility in a joint venture with River's Rock LLC, an independently managed trust of the Cathy family.

The Cathy family owns the Atlanta-based fried chicken chain Chick-fil-A. It is believed to be their first significant media investment, but no one from Chick-fil-A was available for comment.

Atlanta-area lawyer Douglas Warner, attorney for River's Rock, declined to comment.

Attracting Pinewood is the latest victory for Georgia as it builds itself into a major U.S. production destination. Figures shows that 333 productions were shot in the state last year, boosting public coffers by $3.1 billion, with recent films including "Flight", "X-Men: First Class", and "Fast Five".

Filmmaker and television producer Tyler Perry has a studio in Atlanta, and the popular zombie-themed AMC cable network series "The Walking Dead" is filmed in the southern U.S. state.

Pinewood already owns studios in Canada and Germany and is building facilities in Malaysia and the Dominican Republic. Earlier this month the studio signed a joint venture with Chinese media group Seven Stars, run by media entrepreneur Bruno Wu, to expand its production services into China.

"Georgia has excellent fiscal incentives and a great crew base," Pinewood CEO Ivan Dunleavy said in a statement. "With River's Rock we have a well-resourced partner that is committed to building a first-class studio facility."

Producers can qualify for state income tax credits of up to 30 percent for certain production expenses, according to the Georgia film office.

Under the deal, the land and studio construction costs will be funded by equity from River's Rock and a debt facility from Synovus Bank, with building to begin immediately.

Pinewood will provide the sales and marketing services and own 40 percent of the joint venture that will operate under the Pinewood trademark and be called Pinewood Atlanta.

The Pinewood studio, based outside of London, has been dubbed the home of James Bond with most of the 23 films featuring British spy 007 shot there over the past half century, including last year's box office hit "Skyfall".

Recent films shot at Pinewood include "Jack Ryan" starring Kevin Costner and Chris Pine, and Angelina Jolie's new film "Maleficent". Whether Pinewood might shoot future James Bond films in Georgia was not known.

(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith and David Beasley; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Chris Reese)

It said its jets struck "a terrorist weapon storage facility and a Hamas training installation" after rockets landed in southern Israel the night before. It also closed a closed a key border crossing with the territory. Gaza health officials said nobody was hurt in the strikes.

On Saturday, thousands of Israelis had been outside in parks and forests celebrating the Jewish holiday of Lag Baomer with traditional bonfires. The rockets exploded in open areas and caused no injuries.

Rocket fire from Gaza has declined since a military campaign in November, before which militants were firing rockets on an almost daily basis and launching other attacks on Israeli towns across the border. Sporadic fire still persists however.

The military said it "will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians" and that it will not allow the situation to return to where it stood before the November campaign.

Israel holds Gaza's militant Hamas rulers responsible for all attacks from the territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the attack that the perpetrators will "pay a heavy price." Speaking at a government meeting Sunday, Netanyahu said he will "not allow a policy of sporadic fire" to continue. He said such fire will be met with a "very strong" response.

No group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

A shadowy extremist Muslim Salafi group has been behind recent attacks in the area, including one last month where rockets were fired from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Hamas sees the Salafis as a threat to its rule and routinely arrest members of the ultraconservative movement in Gaza. Salafis view even Hamas's hardline interpretation of Islamic law as too moderate and the two groups have clashed violently in the past.

Along with the airstrikes, Israel responded to Saturday's rocket fire by closing the Kerem Shalom crossing with Gaza. It said another terminal will be open for humanitarian cases.

Once youve reached the last month of the tax year, your options are limited to minimize your income taxes. But there are a few things that could still be done, so dont give up hope.

For example, you could double up your real estate taxes by prepaying next years tax during December. Doing this with, for example, a $3,000 per year real estate tax bill could result in a reduction of tax for the year of $750 if youre in the 25% bracket. Keep in mind though, that youll have forked out this money long before it is actually due in most cases, and for the next year you wont have this deduction available if you used it in this year.

The same could be done with your charitable contributions - theres no reason that you cant make additional contributions to your favorite charities at the end of this year instead of waiting until next year.

You could also send your final estimated state income tax payment due in January of next year during December and claim that payment on this years itemized deductions as well.

Prepaying your January mortgage payment will credit that mortgage interest to this year as well, further increasing your itemized deductions.

Other itemized deductions could be stacked in one year, such as medical expenses (subject to the 7.5% floor) and miscellaneous deductions (subject to the 2% floor).

Its important to keep in mind that the moves that you make this year might reduce your tax now - but you might have an adverse impact on next years income tax by doing so. It will pay to run the calculations based on what you know about this years tax and next years tax to make sure that it is in your best interest to do this.

Heres how it might play out: if you prepaid your next years real estate tax during this year, it might reduce your deductions below the Standard Deduction - which could be a good thing. In doing this, you would get to use the Standard Deduction to increase your tax deductions on next years return when you specifically reduced your deductions for that year by prepaying the deductible real estate tax in during this year. In this fashion you might be making the most of the standard deduction and your itemized deductions year after year - one year using the stacked deductions, the next using the standard deduction.

These prepayment options could have a negative affect if you are subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Prepaying your state tax, mortgage interest and some medical expenses might trigger or cause an increase in AMT. One tactic that you might consider is selling a taxable investment that has an inherent loss; this is especially useful if youve sold another investment at some point in the tax year that has resulted in a taxable gain. Losses can be used to offset those capital gains dollar for dollar, and an additional $3,000 in capital losses can be used to reduce your ordinary income as well.

You can also make up for underpayment of estimated tax by taking a withdrawal from an IRA (especially if youre over age 59) and having tax withheld from the withdrawal. This can also be accomplished by having more tax withheld from your paycheck if youre still working, by filing a new W4. Another significant move you can make includes the Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) - allowing you to bypass recognizing that income, including your RMD. This can only be done if youre at least age 70 and subject to Required Minimum Distributions. The charity receives a contribution, and you get to lower your year-end balance in your account, therefore reducing your RMD for next year. For more details on this, you should check out the .

You can also delay your first RMD (if you reached age 70 this year) until as late as April 1 of next year, although that will mean you have to take two RMDs next year. But in some circumstances that may be the better option.

You can also make a deductible contribution to your IRA, if you qualify - but you dont have to do that before the end of the year, you have until April 15 to do that.

This isnt an exhaustive list of year-end tax moves, just several of the more prominent ones. Hopefully youll find what you need here to help with your year-end tax plans.

Photos: "I admire their commitment to cover all sides of a story in case just one of them has to be accurate," said President Obama. O'Brien described television news as a divided landscape. "Fox News is watched by conservatives. MSNBC by liberals. CNN is watched by the people who clean the offices at CNN. CNN's ratings are so low, that now when the logo comes up, James Earl Jones says, 'You're watching CNN? What the hell!'"

Also Read: He also described the menu for the dinner as halibut and filet mignon "or as CNN's John King reported it, lasagna and couscous." President Obama unveiled Spielberg's next movie project and showed Spielberg in a video talking about the project being "Obama""and starring "Daniel Day-Lewis." The video then showed "Day-Lewis"actually the Presidenttalking about what it was like to play Obama and having to put on makeup including the big ears. The president joked repeatedly about himself and the press. Noting the opening of President Bush's library last week, President Obama said he wanted to put his own library where he was born, but thought it would be better in the United States. He also took a second swing at the joke. "These days, I look in the mirror and I have to admit, I'm not the strapping young Muslim socialist that I used to be," he said. He said that he and the press have somewhat different jobs. "My job is to be president. Your job is to keep me humble. Frankly I am doing my job better," he said. He also suggested he was thinking of following the First Lady's style tips, and then was shown in various pictures sporting bangs like those adopted by Michelle Obama. O'Brien, making his second appearance hosting the dinnerhis last was in 1995noted some of the progress the President had made. "He's hard at work creating jobs. Since he was first elected the number of popes has doubled, and the number of Tonight show hosts has tripled," said O'Brien, who also made light of the hosting duties. "Last year Tom Brokaw criticized this event for having too many superstars and A-list celebrities. When I told Tom I would be attending this year, he said, 'That's more like it.'" O'Brien also noted the woes of the print media. "Some people say print media is dying, I don't believe it. Neither does my blacksmith," he said. O'Brien also suggested that the success of "Homeland" and "House of Cards" and the dinner indicated "Hollywood can't get enough of your world." He announced Turner Broadcasting intends to make a major miniseries about the big power players in Washington and revealed the cast with pictures. According to O'Brien, the cast included Bob Barker as Vice President Biden, Higgins from Magnum PI. As David Axelrod and Mr. Bean as House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan. The speeches followed an appearance by the White House Correspondents Association president Ed Henry who said that despite the Hollywood presence at the dinner, the association in the face of criticism has taken some steps to ensure the attention doesn't get out of hand. He pointed to the association trademarking the White House Correspondents Association dinner name and then asking a group offering "swag" at a predinner party connected to the dinner, to stop doing so. "Our dinner has to be about politics, not swag." Henry also offered a video that mixed Kevin Spacey and the cast of "House of Cards" with politicians. Before the speeches, Hollywood stars did a Washington version of the red carpet, chatting with entertainment reporters. In interviews by E!, livestreamed this year for the first time, PSY, a last minute guest of CBS News, expressed some amazement at the crowd. "I didn't know how big this is until last night," he said. "I just came in from Korea." Sharon Stone, who has been in Washington for several days on behalf of the Creative Coalition, said the nice thing about the events is for a night politics is put mostly aside. "Let's say we are all bi for tonight," she said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With signs of a slower economy mounting, the near-term outlook for U.S. stocks isn't rosy, but investors may find comfort next week from the world's major central banks.

The Federal Reserve will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the report of weaker-than-expected, first-quarter growth could reinforce expectations the Fed will keep purchasing bonds at a pace of $85 billion a month.

Low interest rates and ample liquidity provided by the Fed and other central banks have buoyed global equity markets because low borrowing costs for businesses and consumers lead to richer corporate profits. Major U.S. stock indexes hit record highs earlier this month.

"As long as it looks like central banks are on your side and on investors' side as far as providing more liquidity, that's going to help improve sentiment," said Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

"I don't think (Fed officials) have got enough data since the last meeting to really justify changing policy. I really don't think they're going to look at slowing the pace of purchases until probably September."

A strong commitment from the Fed to continue its stimulative policy, coupled with corporate earnings that have mostly exceeded lowered forecasts, could help Wall Street extend a rally despite signs that the U.S. economic recovery is losing momentum.

Even though the market ended flat on Friday, its performance for the week was positive. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 1.7 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.1 percent and Nasdaq Composite Index rose 2.3 percent

The economy expanded at a 2.5 percent annual rate in the first quarter, the Commerce Department said on Friday, short of expectations of 3.0 percent and setting a cautious tone.

A heavy slate of key economic indicators will be released next week, including personal income and spending, the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing and services activity indexes, pending home sales, the Chicago purchasing managers' index and consumer confidence from the Conference Board.

The highlight of the week will come on Friday when the Labor Department releases its employment report for April.

Economists polled by Reuters are looking for job growth of 150,000, up from 88,000 in March. The unemployment rate is likely to remain unchanged at 7.6 percent.

"Today's (GDP) data suggests maybe the momentum is much weaker that what was priced in," said John Praveen, chief investment strategist at Prudential International Investments Advisers in Newark, New Jersey.

"We have had a very strong rally, so people are looking for any trigger for profit-taking," he said. Praveen said the market could see a 5 percent pullback in the months ahead should upcoming data prove weaker than expected.

Stocks have had a wild run over the past week after hackers attacked the website of stock broker Charles Schwab Corpand a false report on the Associated Press's Twitter account about explosions at the White House sent the market into a brief tailspin.

On Thursday, a software glitch shut down the Chicago Board Options Exchange for half the day, preventing trading in options on two of the stock market's most closely watched indexes and delivering the latest blow to confidence in the way U.S. financial markets operate.

EUROPE, EARNINGS

The European Central Bank meets on Thursday and investors will watch to see if it delivers an interest-rate cut as the euro zone economy deteriorates further. Further monetary easing would encourage investors to buy riskier assets and boost stocks.

"The market has been rallying on the fact the ECB might actually start to do something; if the U.S. market reacts in the same way, that might get the market rallying," said John Canally, investment strategist and economist for LPL Financial in Boston.

With earnings reporting now half over, investors will look to see if companies can continue to exceed profit estimates despite lackluster revenue.

According to Thomson Reuters data, of the 271 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings for the first quarter, 69 percent have beaten analysts' expectations, above the 63 percent average since 1994.

However, only 43.9 percent have topped analysts' revenue forecasts, well below the 62 percent average since 2002 and the 52 percent rate for the last four quarters.

Analysts now see earnings growth of 3.8 percent this quarter, up from expectations of 1.5 percent on April 1.

Next week Dow components reporting results will be Pfizerand Merck . Other companies scheduled to report include Loews Corp , Aetna Inc , Chesapeake Energy , Visa Inc , Viacom Incand Kraft Foods Group Inc .

David Joy, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial, based in Boston where he helps oversee about $700 billion in assets, said the lackluster figures suggest the second quarter may not be as robust as hoped.

"Right now, markets are going through an adjustment process, trying to figure out just how robust the economy is here and overseas as well," Joy said. "You have investors sort of biding their time. They are invested, but not with complete conviction."

(Reporting By Wanfeng Zhou; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- A Chinese factory fishing ship that burned last week off Antarctica has sunk without anyone on board, Chile's navy said Monday.

The vessel Kai Xin caught fire and its 97 crew members were rescued by a Norwegian ship. Then it began to drift in unmanned and in flames, zigzagging dangerously close to glaciers.

The Chilean navy said an official representing the ship's owner confirmed that the vessel went down Sunday afternoon near Bransfield Strait at the Antarctic peninsula.

A Chilean navy tugboat was searching for the ship's remains and stood ready to contain any spilled fuel.

The first alert of the sinking came from the Chinese fishing ship Fu Rong Hai, which on its way through Antarctic sent an email to the shipowner saying the Kai Xin no longer appeared on radar. Crewmembers then saw fishing nets and small boats drifting in the chilly waters.

Chile's navy told the Fu Rong Hai to remain there until the navy tugboat Lautaro reached the site and began to search for the sunken ship.

Officials had feared a damaging oil spill. But Capt. Juan Villegas, maritime governor for Chile's portion of Antarctica, said that appeared unlikely now.

"An environmental disaster is ruled out because of the fire on board," Villegas told The Associated Press. "Experts say that if there was any fuel on board it has burned out by now."

The 104-meter (341-foot) Chinese vessel was built in 1990, according to the website of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

The Kai Xin was operated by Shanghai Kaichuang Marine International Co., a company that specializes in deep-sea fishing, fisheries products and processing. The ship used pelagic trawling to fish and could sail in loose pack ice, according to the commission.

A company statement posted last week said the fire occurred while the ship was fishing. It said Kaichuang would investigate the cause of the accident and the extent of the damage before releasing more details.

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Luis Andres Henao on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LuisAndresHenao