Despite the ultimatum by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, thousands of activists camping out in Gezi Park dug in for a potential culmination of their two-week standoff with authorities.

Thousands of protesters also converged on Taksim Square, where the atmosphere was festive. A musician played on a grand piano set up in the center of the square as protesters danced, while a heavy police presence stood by.

In a sign that efforts were being made to resolve the situation through negotiations rather than a police raid, Erdogan was meeting late Thursday with some representatives of the protesters occupying the park.

Eight artists and two members of Taksim Solidarity, a group that has coordinating much of the Gezi sit-in, were involved in the meeting in Ankara, the state-run Anadolu agency said. It was the first time Erdogan has met directly with representatives of the protesters.

Taksim Solidarity member Canan Calagan, who was one of those participating, told The Associated Press before the talks that the meeting "will be meaningful" because it included true representatives of the protesters.

"The language developed so far has, unfortunately, not been suitable. We hope after this meeting that empathy will prevail .... We are trying for this," she said.

However, even if a deal were to be reached, it was no guarantee the sit-in would end. Although the group has emerged as the most high-profile from the occupation that began last month, it does not speak for all the thousands of people camping in the park. Many say they have no affiliation to any group or party.

In Istanbul, the city's governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, also put out an invitation to meet protesters, saying on Twitter he would be available from midnight onward at a cafe in a neighborhood near Taksim for "those who want to meet face to face, group by group ... until the morning if necessary."

Erdogan's final warning in his speech earlier in the day showed he was determined to end the widespread protests that have trained an unflattering spotlight on his Islamic-rooted government.

"We have arrived at the end of our patience," Erdogan told local party leaders in Ankara, the capital.

"I am giving you my final warning," he said, directing his comments toward the protesters.

After a police raid Tuesday cleared Taksim Square of protesters who had been occupying it for nearly two weeks, chances were high that a raid on the adjacent Gezi Park would be ordered if the protesters refuse to leave. A heavy police presence remained on the square into the night Thursday.

In the capital, Ankara, about 200 people, many chanting rhythmically and waving Turkish flags emblazoned with images of modern Turkey's founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, rallied at Kuvalu Park in sympathy with the Gezi Park activists.

Erdogan has set no deadline publically for the park to be cleared, and the Interior Ministry declined immediate comment on the subject. Istanbul's governor insisted no police raid was yet planned, although he didn't rule one out and said the public would be informed ahead of time.

Hulya Avsar, a prominent actress who met earlier Thursday with Erdogan, said he wanted to end the standoff soon.

"'In case they don't withdraw in 24 hours, there will be some sort of intervention,'" she quoted the prime minister as saying. "At that point, I said, 'I will leave' because there was nothing to talk about."

Inside the park, which has turned into a burgeoning tent city complete with a library, a food distribution center, an infirmary, a children's activity center and a plant nursery, many scoffed at the prime minister's tactics and language, insisting Erdogan was turning a deaf ear to the roughly half of Turks who didn't vote for him when he was re-elected in 2011.

"Each of us is already an independent individual, may be also a father or a mother. My Mom and Dad do not think that there is an objection for being here," said demonstrator Hasan Husein Karabulut.

A violent police crackdown May 31 on a small environmental sit-in protesting a development project that would replace Gezi Park with replica Ottoman-era barracks sparked the protests that spread to dozens of cities. They morphed into a broader protest against what many say is the prime minister's increasingly authoritarian style and his perceived attempts to impose his religious and conservative views on a country with secular laws charges Erdogan strongly rejects.

On several days, Turkish police have used water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters. Five people, including a police officer, have died in the clashes and over 5,000 protesters and 600 police have been reported injured.

Erdogan also lashed out at the European Parliament over its non-binding resolution Thursday. In a show-of-hands vote suggestive of a broad majority, the EU Parliament expressed its concern over "the disproportionate and excessive use of force" by Turkish police against the demonstrators.

The EU assembly said it "deplores the reactions of the Turkish Government and of Prime Minister Erdogan" and accused him of driving both sides further apart.

Just minutes before the EU legislature voted, Erdogan drew Turkish party leaders by dismissing the vote.

"I won't recognize the decision that the European Union Parliament is going to take about us!" Erdogan said, drawing raucous applause from his party members. "Who do you think you are by taking such a decision?"

___

Keaten reported from Ankara. Bassam Hatoum in Istanbul, Ezgi Akin in Ankara and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed to this report.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has summoned Mercedes and tyre supplier Pirelli to its international tribunal in Paris on June 20 on charges of breaking the rules by testing in Spain last month.

"We have faith in the FIA," president Luca di Montezemolo declared at the opening of the new Ferrari museum at the Italian team's Maranello factory on Tuesday.

"I do not wish to comment but I note with satisfaction that the federation is following this incident well," he added in comments reported on the Ferrari website.

"Let's hope Formula One can maintain its professionalism and we have faith that those who attempt to circumvent the regulations are pursued and prosecuted, or rather more prosecuted than pursued."

The FIA is now run by Jean Todt, the former Ferrari principal who presided over the team's most successful years with Michael Schumacher winning five championships in a row between 2000 and 2004.

The Mercedes team principal is Ross Brawn, Todt's former right-hand man as Ferrari technical director up to the end of 2006.

Ferrari, who made an official protest about Mercedes using a 2013 car at the 'secret' Barcelona test when word leaked out at last month's Monaco Grand Prix, also tested with Pirelli in April but with a 2011 car.

The FIA also quizzed Ferrari about that test but decided to take the matter no further because they were deemed to have broken no rules.

Champions Red Bull, who also protested, have accused Mercedes of gaining an important advantage from the 1,000km test. Mercedes say the test was controlled by Pirelli who have said the team had no knowledge of what was being tested.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin editing by Tony Jimenez)

"Reserve release has been boosting EPS and while it likely fades, the tank doesn't look empty yet," analysts led by John McDonald said in a note to clients.

Reserve release as a percentage of earnings is likely to fall from around 22 percent of EPS at the large- and mid-cap banks in 2012 to about 10 percent in 2013 and about 1 percent in 2014, they said.

However, with low interest rates, high liquidity, tightened underwriting and lackluster new lending, credit costs should be able to stay lower for longer, which would help fuel continued reserve releases, the analysts added.

Bernstein analysts also expect net charge off rates to fall below historical average over the intermediate term, as banks benefit from an improving economy, cleaner books, and improved underwriting standards.

Bank of America is likely to benefit the most from the combined impact of lower charge offs and reserve releases, which are expected to constitute about 56 percent of the lender's adjusted annualized first-quarter 2013 earnings. They would be about 55 percent for Synovus Financial Corpand about 52 percent for Citigroup, the brokerage added.

(Reporting By Neha Dimri in Bangalore; Editing by Maju Samuel)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Salesman or scammer, Jim makes and loses several fortunes in North America and the Brazilian jungle, but then loses himself as he runs over anyone who gets in his way.

Old and broke he falls in love with - or at least has serious sexual desires for - Mara, a beautiful and ambitious Israeli woman fifty years his junior. Strangely and perhaps even more unlikely, Mara falls for Jim - or perhaps what he could be if he could again rise from poverty.

"The Dream Merchant: A Novel", published by Thomas Dunne Books for St. Martin's Press in March, is a first novel for Fred Waitzkin, 69, a non-fiction author and journalist known for his critically acclaimed and bestselling 1984 memoir about his chess prodigy son, "Searching for Bobby Fischer".

Waitzkin talked to Reuters about his new book and why his first novel is only coming out as he nears his 70th birthday.

Q: What took you so long to write this book?

A: I always wanted to write a novel. When I was younger, I wanted to start writing fiction but I was not good at it. In the middle part of my career I wrote for the big magazines and I learned a lot about stories. Journalism is tremendous training ground as a novelist. It took me 10 years to write (this book). I am also a slow writer. And I did a tremendous amount of research. I wanted to smell the jungle, go to the brothels, go to the gun shops. I have to see it and feel it as a writer.

Q: You describe great and numerous sex scenes. What does that say about you?

A: Obviously, I like sex scenes. Jim is a lusty guy. There is not a lot written about old men who have love affairs with young women. But it's part of the human condition. Most old men would love to have an affair with a young woman. Men of power do have relationships with young woman. It rejuvenates them. The women who read the book like it.

Q: It's a man's book. Why would women read it?

A: For any reason a woman would read a good book, it speaks to the human condition. It tells a story about the world we live in, the people who live in it. A good book is a good book.

Q: What did your wife and daughter think of the sex scenes, that you their husband/father wrote them? How long have you been married?

A: My daughter (28) was more uncomfortable than my wife (69) but ultimately they loved it. Forty-nine years.

Q: Is this the life you wish you had lived?

A: In fantasy, sure. When I went to Brazil (to do research) I found it intoxicating. Vicariously, I feel I have lived that life. I would not replace my own with it. Writing for six months about certain characters I felt I lived those characters.

Q: Was writing the book therapy for you?

A: All my books are therapy. You live so intensely. You empty out everything that is important to you. I have felt a rape or purging of myself every time I write a book.

Q: Are you a happy man?

A: Yes, but I am a complicated guy. How can you live a life and not feel angst, sadness, nostalgia.

Q: Who was "Jim" in real life?

A: I admired my father hugely. He was a super salesman but he crossed a lot of people, he ruined people. Frankly my father has shown up in all of my books. Jim is not Abe Waitzkin but he is inspired by Abe Waitzkin.

Q: Without giving anything away, was there an alternative ending?

A: The way I write, the greatest things are the surprises. I did not have this novel blocked out. I did not have the last 30 pages at page 150 but I knew the last line 200 pages ahead.

It's not a Dick and Jane novel. There are a lot of ruined women in Jim's wake. In his attempts to remake himself, there are a lot of people ruined.

(Reporting By Nick Olivari; Editing by Elaine Lies and Paul Tait)

(Changes spelling of Abe Waitzkin in 8th answer, typographical error in final answer)

Germany's Federal Constitutional Court, the country's highest, holds a two-day hearing starting Tuesday centering partly on the ECB's offer last September to purchase unlimited amounts of government bonds, a policy that has been widely credited for an easing in Europe's debt crisis. It will also consider whether the euro area's rescue fund, known as the European Stability Mechanism, violates German law.

ECB executive board member Joerg Asmussen told Germany's Bild daily Monday that when the bank "announced the (bond-buying) program, the eurozone was close to an uncontrolled disintegration."

At that point, he said it was up to the ECB to make clear to speculators that "the euro will be defended."

"The program was economically necessary, legally admissible and efficient in terms of its effect," Asmussen said.

The ECB announced the program, dubbed Outright Monetary Transactions, after bank president Mario Draghi had pledged that the bank was "ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro."

The offer to buy bonds issued by heavily indebted countries is conditional on their first asking for help from the eurozone's bailout fund. Though no country has asked for assistance, the prospect of help has reduced tensions in financial markets and sent the borrowing rates of some of the eurozone's most indebted countries, such as Italy and Spain, sharply lower.

Critics in Germany, which as Europe's biggest economy is the major contributor to eurozone rescue packages, argue that the ECB is exceeding its powers by offering to buy unlimited amounts of government bonds.

A court finding that the bond-buying program violates the constitution of Germany, the biggest economy in the 17-nation eurozone, likely would effectively torpedo the OMT. Analysts say that an outright rejection is highly unlikely, though it is conceivable that the German judges could seek further safeguards or refer the case to the European Court of Justice.

"If the (bond) buying program had to be withdrawn, that would have significant consequences," Asmussen was quoted as telling Bild. He did not elaborate.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who along with Asmussen is to testify at this week's hearing in Karlsruhe, underlined the government's support for the ECB.

"The German government is of the opinion that the ECB's decisions are covered by its independence and correspond with its mandate," Schaeuble said in Berlin on Monday.

But he also repeated his caution that expecting central banks' monetary policy to solve every problem, rather than tackling deficits and reforms, is "giving in to the human temptation not to solve today problems that need to be solved today."

"That works for a long time, but it doesn't work forever," he said.

A ruling by the constitutional court is not expected for several months, though such hearings often offer pointers on the judges' thinking.

___

Juergen Baetz in Berlin contributed to this report.

From the Israeli side of the Golan, Syrian tanks and armored vehicles could be seen across the border. Large explosions could be heard throughout the day, and thick smoke and flames rose from the area. Israeli TV stations showed images of Israeli tourists flocking to the Golan to look across the frontier and gawk at the fighting.

Israeli troops along the border were on high alert, although the military said no special actions had been taken in response to the escalation.

By nightfall, the situation appeared to be quieting down. Israel's deputy defense minister, Danny Danon, said forces remained on high alert, but no special actions had been taken.

"We are following very carefully what's happening in Syria," Danon told The Associated Press. "We will do whatever is necessary to protect the interests of Israel."

Israel fears that Islamic militants who have joined the rebel ranks in trying to oust President Bashar Assad will turn their guns toward Israel if they topple the Syrian leader. Islamic groups are believed to be active in the fighting in the Golan area. Israel has also expressed concerns that Assad's sophisticated weapons, could slip into the hands of hostile groups, including Assad's ally, Hezbollah.

The Jewish state has kept a wary eye on the fighting next door since the conflict erupted in March 2011 and in recent months has been bolstering its forces in the area and reinforcing a fence along the frontier.

The rebels overran the border position near the abandoned town of Quneitra early Thursday, holding their positions for several hours before Syrian government troops retook it. The international peacekeepers who maintain a 40-year-old truce receive most of their supplies through that position from Israel.

Fierce gunbattles forced peacekeepers to seek shelter in a nearby base, and the Philippine military said one of its men serving in the force was wounded in the leg when a mortar or artillery shell struck the area. U.N. diplomats said an Indian peacekeeper also was injured.

In Vienna, Austrian leaders said the fighting made it necessary to withdraw their troops.

Defense Minister Gerhard Klug said he expected the withdrawal to be done within two to four weeks, but it is possible to complete it "within a few hours" if new violence threatened the soldiers' security.

"For the first time, it was not possible for the Syrian government to guarantee proper support of the U.N.," he said.

The decision dealt a heavy to blow to the 911-member U.N. force, which includes the 377 Austrian peacekeepers as well as 341 from the Philippines and 193 from India. Croatia withdrew its contingent in March amid fears they would be targeted.

Israel and Syria agreed to creation of the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force after Syria launched military action in 1973 in a failed effort to retake the Golan, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the United Nations is urgently looking for troops to replace Austrians and warned that any military activity in the zone separating Israeli and Syrian forces could jeopardize the long-held cease-fire.

The U.N. Security Council, in a statement, strongly condemned the intense fighting in the area of separation, urged respect for the 1974 disengagement agreement and called on all parties to allow the peacekeepers to operate freely.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it regretted Austria's decision and hoped that it would not lead to "further escalation in the region." It said it expected the U.N. to uphold its commitment.

Israeli military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity under military protocol, said several Syrians wounded in fighting were brought into Israel for medical treatment. Others who entered Israel were returned through alternative sites. It was not clear whether the wounded were fighters or civilians.

Israeli military officials said several errant shells landed in Israeli-controlled territory. Although no injuries were reported, the military restricted access to a main road running along the border for several hours and ordered farmers with fields in the area to remain indoors.

Nadav Katz, 65, of Kibbutz Merom Golan, a communal farm near the crossing, said the area was covered with smoke and residents could hear gunfire and mortar shells exploding nearby.

"We are concerned that things might evolve into something much harsher that will affect us," said Katz. "We like the idea that for 40 years the area was peaceful and quiet. Tourists have been coming, fields have been cultivated and children were born," he said.

Katz said he trusted Israel's army to defend the area, but residents felt betrayed by the fleeing U.N. troops. More than anything, though, he said people viewed the Syrian fighting as a terrible event. "People are simply sad over the slaughter," he said.

Israeli military officials played down the significance of Thursday's fighting. They said that Quneitra is important symbolically to Syria, given its history and location along a main route to Damascus. The town has been largely abandoned since the 1967 war, though the crossing is sometimes opened to allow Druse residents to export produce or cross into Syria to study or to marry their brethren.

Israeli officials say they have no interest in taking sides or getting involved in the fighting.

But the military has intervened on several occasions, firing at targets inside Syria in response to shelling that landed in the Israeli-side of the Golan.

In one such incident last month, Syrian troops targeted an Israeli jeep they said had crossed the cease-fire line into the Syria-controlled sector. Syria said it launched two missiles in self-defense, accusing Israel of violating the cease-fire deal.

The Israeli air force has also carried out several airstrikes in recent months on weapons shipments believed to be headed to Hezbollah.

Fighting between Assad's forces and mainly Sunni rebels has already spilled over Syria's borders into Turkey and Lebanon, where factions that support opposing sides have frequently clashed.

Moshe Maoz, a Syria expert at the Hebrew University, played down Thursday's incident. He called it a small victory for the Surian military and said little would change even if the rebels gained control of the crossing.

"It's symbolic, but neither al Qaida nor the mainstream groups are going to shoot at Israel because they know Israel will retaliate very heavily," he said.

___

Federman reported from Jerusalem. Diaa Hadid in Jerusalem and George Jahn in Vienna also contributed to this report.

The NFL rewarded the San Francisco Bay Area on Tuesday with hosting rights for the 2016 championship game, slotting the 50th Super Bowl in the 49ers' high-tech Santa Clara stadium scheduled to open next year.

The league also voted at its spring meetings to give the 2017 game to Houston, which last hosted the big game in 2004.

"After losing a Super Bowl, it feels really good to win a Super Bowl," said 49ers CEO Jed York, whose team lost to Baltimore in the NFL title game in February. "We are so excited to be able to put on the 'Golden Super Bowl' in the Golden State."

The back-to-back, first-ballot votes also sent a message to South Florida that it needs to settle its squabble over renovations at the Miami Dolphins' stadium before it will get a chance to host its 11th Super Bowl.

"I can tell you that I think the stadium is a very import part of any of these proposals. The condition of the stadium is a factor," commissioner Roger Goodell said. "I think it's the stadium, at the end of the day. Their proposal was really quite exciting. I think owners would like to be in Miami. But it's competitive right now."

The 49ers are preparing to begin play in 2014 in what they are billing as the most technologically advanced stadium in the world the first cashless, ticketless venue in NFL championship history, with WiFi capability for 75,000 people. The 2016 Super Bowl will be the first in northern California since the 1985 game at Stanford Stadium.

When Goodell announced the 2016 decision, members of the San Francisco bid committee let out a roar of approval, then toasted each other with champagne. Asked what he believed swayed the owners to vote for San Francisco, York added: "It's the willpower of an entire area that gave an overwhelming push for us."

It was the first time in a decade that a Super Bowl was awarded on the first ballot. York said 25 percent of the proceeds from the game will be donated to fight poverty in the Bay Area.

"The Bay Area has been waiting for a (title) game since 1985. We have a stadium now," said Daniel Lurie, a leader of the San Francisco bid. "We are just thrilled and couldn't be happier about this."

Houston staged the 2004 Super Bowl, which is perhaps best known for Janet Jackson's halftime "wardrobe malfunction." That was just two years after Reliant Stadium opened.

"I think a lot of them just felt like, 'Hey, it's Houston's time,'" Texans owner Robert McNair said. "They knew we could do a good job. From 2004 to '17, that's 13 years. So I agree, I think it's Houston's time."

Miami has hosted 10 of them including the Jets' upset of the Colts in 1969 and is tied with New Orleans for the most. But South Florida got rejected twice after the Florida Legislature did not support financing to renovate Sun Life Stadium a likely backlash over the Marlins' new baseball stadium.

Multibillionaire Dolphins owner Stephen Ross contends $350 million in stadium improvements are badly needed, but he doesn't want to pay for them by himself. Nor does he want a scaled-down renovation of the 26-year-old facility.

"I suspect there's a couple of state reps down in Miami-Dade County where I live who are going to look at this and realize this was a huge mistake," South Florida bid committee chairman Rodney Barreto said. "We had the better bid. I could just look at the body language from the NFL staff. It's a shame. We may not see another Super Bowl for another 10 years."

Ross said South Florida "won't stop trying" to get one.

Next Feb. 2, the game goes outdoors in a cold-weather site for the first time, at MetLife Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. If that gamble pays off for the NFL, look for other cities in similar climates Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver to bid for future Super Bowls.

The 2015 game will be played in the Phoenix area.

Earlier Tuesday, owners approved a $200 million loan for stadium construction in Atlanta. The multipurpose stadium could cost as much as $1 billion, with team owner Arthur Blank committed to funding most of it. Blank called the decision by the team owners an "important milestone" in moving the project forward. The owners also approved financing for renovations of stadiums in Charlotte and Philadelphia.

Speaking with reporters after the votes, Goodell also said:

The draft will be held between May 8 and May 17 next year because the venue, Radio City Music Hall, is hosting an Easter show in April. He expects the draft will remain in May, with other adjustments to the NFL's calendar, including the dates for the combine and the opening of free agency, to be discussed with the players' union.

A third international game in upcoming seasons could be added now that both games for 2013 in London have sold out.

The Pro Bowl could be moved from Hawaii back to mainland cities after the 2014 game, but will still be held on the Sunday one week before the Super Bowl.

Expanding the playoffs, and cutting two games off the preseason, still are being discussed. A reduced preseason could happen with either the current 16-game regular season or with an 18-game schedule.

___

AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner contributed to this report.

CHICAGO (AP) -- Only six insurance carriers have told the state of Illinois they want to sell a combined 165 health policies on the state's online insurance marketplace under the nation's new health care law numbers far lower than expected, raising concerns the trend will hold true across the country.

Fewer health plans could mean less competition and possibly higher premium prices. Officials in President Barack Obama's home state had anticipated some 260 health plans would be offered by 16 different insurance carriers, based on a survey the Illinois Department of Insurance conducted last fall.

The Illinois numbers are an early indicator that insurance companies are backing away from full participation in the online marketplaces, said Robert Laszewski, a former insurance executive turned industry consultant.

"I'm hearing that from other carriers in other parts of the country as well," Laszewski said. "They are terribly fearful that if there's a poor launch (of the marketplaces) they're going to get blamed for a mess."

The carriers may participate in the marketplaces in their core customer states, bypassing other states in the first year, he said.

Insurers are concerned, in part, that people who have expensive medical conditions will sign up immediately for coverage through the exchanges, while healthier customers will wait. That could leave an insurer, at least initially, without enough premium revenue to handle the medical bills it receives. They're also concerned about how fees and coverage restrictions mandated by the law will affect the profitability of their plans.

But Gov. Pat Quinn expressed optimism in a statement released Wednesday, saying he's "very encouraged" multiple plans are being offered.

Mike Claffey, a Quinn spokesman on health care, said the prediction of higher numbers "included multiple subsidiaries of several different insurers" and plans "the federal government later ruled out for states not operating their own (marketplaces). The Department of Insurance is confident that the number of plans filed will allow for robust competition between insurers and broad choice for consumers across the State."

The national health law requires most Americans to have health insurance beginning Jan. 1. Many people who are now uninsured will buy health insurance through the government online marketplace because they'll be able to get tax credits to help pay for it. The online marketplaces one in every state are scheduled to be up and running by Oct. 1.

Fewer health plans on the exchanges could affect the cost of premiums people pay for coverage. Proponents of the Affordable Care Act say the online marketplaces will help hold down premium hikes because insurers will be competing against each other as customers compare several policies side by side to find the best match.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Aetna Inc. have told analysts that their involvement in the health insurance marketplaces across the country will depend on whether they're financially viable for the companies. On a conference call with investor analysts Tuesday, Aetna officials said they might pull their products from the online marketplaces at the last minute.

"We are entering these exchanges very carefully," Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini told analysts Tuesday during a conference call to discuss earnings. UnitedHealth is the nation's largest health insurer, and Aetna is the third largest, based on enrollment.

In Illinois, one factor that could help competition on the health insurance marketplace is the nonprofit Land of Lincoln Health. The health law created a category of insurance carriers called Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans, or "co-ops." Land of Lincoln Health, the only co-op in Illinois to receive federal approval, received a $160 million federal loan to begin operations.

Dan Yunker, Land of Lincoln Health CEO, said Wednesday the organization hopes its premium prices will be the lowest on the marketplace. The company has submitted multiple health plans to the state.

Prices will be kept low, Yunker said, because consumers will govern the co-op, and "our executives are never going to take huge big paychecks."

While other carriers wouldn't say how many plans they submitted in Illinois, Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp. offered 35 plans to Illinois officials, said spokesman Greg Thompson. HCSC operates the Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan in Illinois.

"HCSC has filed its Qualified Health Plan (QHP) applications in each of the states in which it operates," Thompson said. "Our filings reflect our commitment to expanding access to care in our states and our intention to offer an array of competitively priced products and services to our existing and potential customers on and off the health insurance exchanges."

The 165 health plans submitted will be reviewed by the Illinois insurance department to see if they meet requirements set out in the national health law. The department will recommend whether or not the plan should be certified as a "qualified health plan" to federal Health and Human Services on or before July 31. The federal agency will make the final determination by Aug. 31.

"I am very encouraged that we have seen multiple plans being offered on the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace," Quinn said in a statement. "This means that people and families that have been struggling to obtain health coverage will have many options to choose from when we begin the open enrollment process beginning in October of this year."

___

AP Business Writer Tom Murphy contributed to this report from Indianapolis.

___

AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/CarlaKJohnson

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - After initially resisting the urge to return for another installment, "Skyfall" director Sam Mendes is in early discussions to direct the next James Bond movie for Sony, MGM and Eon Productions, TheWrap has learned.

Mendes had been focusing his attention on launching the West End stage musical "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," prompting Bond producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to meet with other filmmakers for the coveted gig, including Nicolas Winding Refn ("Drive").

Now that a light has appeared at the end of the "Chocolate" tunnel, Mendes has told the producers that he's open to returning to the 007 franchise, which is riding sky high on the strength of "Skyfall's" $1.1 billion worldwide gross.

As recently as last week, Mendes' publicist told TheWrap that he was "out" of the running, following vehement denials on April 24 ("Absolutely NOT TRUE He is definitely moving on") and May 9 ("It ain't happening").

Sony declined comment, but an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap that Mendes is in talks to take the Bond mantle again.

Mendes is in line for a major payday if he returns, and should his deal close, production on the 24th James Bond movie would start next year. Daniel Craig will don the tuxedo once again, and "Skyfall" writer John Logan has been enlisted to write the script.

Mendes and Craig teamed to deliver just the right combination of brains and brawn for "Skyfall," which was the best Bond movie yet thanks to Javier Bardem's villain, Roger Deakins' cinematography and Adele's catchy theme song.

Mendes, who is represented by CAA, won an Oscar for directing "American Beauty." His other credits include "Road to Perdition," "Jarhead," "Revolutionary Road" and the charming comedy "Away We Go."

Mendes' probable hiring was first reported by Deadline.

The Nig Creek pipeline, about 40 kilometres northwest of Buick in the northeast Interior, ruptured last June, and caused a fire to spread to surrounding forests.

The fire also caused a Bonavista Energy Corporation pipeline nearby to rupture as well.

The TSB investigation finds that pipes made using a certain welding technique increase the chances of defects such as cracks and raises the risk of a pipe failure.

Westcoast Energy was told by the National Energy Board to make necessary repairs, and it has scheduled various inspections and reviews of the pipeline.

The board says it expects that any changes that result from the company's assessments will lead to better emergency response times in the future.