Ablyazov, 50, who had been in hiding since he was sentenced to jail in Britain 18 months ago, was arrested near the Riviera resort of Cannes in July and has been in custody since.

"We have sent a request to the Ministry of Justice of France to extradite this so-called 'businessman' to Russia to be held criminally liable for fraud, money laundering and other crimes," Rossiskaya Gazeta quoted deputy Alexander Zvyagintsev as saying.

Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine brought charges against Ablyazov in 2009 after BTA was seized by Kazakh authorities and declared insolvent. BTA has Russian and Ukrainian subsidiaries.

Ablyazov has denied the charges which he says were fabricated by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to silence him as a political opponent. He cannot be extradited to Kazakhstan because it is not a member of the Council of Europe extradition convention.

French authorities arrested Ablyazov on a request from Ukraine, and on August 1 he was told he was likely to be extradited there.

He is being held in the Aix-Luynes prison in the south of France and a hearing on his possible extradition to Ukraine is expected in September.

No one at the Russian Prosecutor General's Office could be reached from comment. Ablyazov's lawyer was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; Additional reporting by Jean-Francois Rosnoblet in Marseilles; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Encircled by lawmakers from both parties in the Oval Office, Obama praised Democrats and Republicans alike for agreeing finally on what he called a sensible, reasonable approach to student loans even as he cautioned that "our job is not done."

"Feels good signing bills. I haven't done this in a while," Obama said, alluding to the difficulty he's faced getting Congress, particularly the Republican-controlled House, to approve his legislative priorities, such as gun control and budget deals.

"Hint, hint," he added to laughter.

But even the feel-good moment at the White House came with reminders of the bitter partisanship that still makes future deals incredibly difficult for Obama. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, called the law part of the "Republican jobs plan," while House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California said it "stands in stark contrast to the House Republicans' plan to saddle families with billions more in student debt."

The rare compromise emerged only after a frenzy of summer negotiations, with lawmakers at odds over how loan rates should be set in the future even while they agreed that a doubling of rates it kicked in July 1 when Congress failed to act before the deadline would be bad policy and bad news for students.

The legislation links student loan interest rates to the financial markets. It offers lower rates this fall because the government can borrow money cheaply at this time. If the economy improves in the coming years as expected, it will become more costly for the government to borrow money, and that cost would be passed on to students.

About 11 million students this year are expected to have lower interest rates, saving the average undergraduate $1,500 on interest charges on this year's loans.

Boehner called it "a good day" and a fine example of what Washington can accomplish when petty partisanship is put aside.

"With the stroke of a pen, we've now officially taken the politics out of student loans," he said.

Obama cast the student loan deal as just the first of many measures the U.S. needs to make college affordable as a higher-tech economy makes advanced training and education a necessity for many workers.

"The cost of college remains extraordinarily high. It's out of reach for a lot of folks," Obama said, calling it a burden as well on families who have to balance other priorities, like buying a home, with helping fund their children's educations. "We've got to do something about it."

To that end, Obama said he'd be looking to the same coalition of political forces that came together on student loans as he pursues further steps.

White House officials have said Obama plans to lay out a broad and aggressive strategy in the coming months to tackle the spiraling cost of a college education. Even as they passed the bill weeks earlier, congressional officials were already talking about a broader approach to curbing fast-climbing costs and perhaps scrapping the deal when they take up a rewrite of the Higher Education Act this fall.

Rates on new subsidized Stafford loans doubled to 6.8 percent July 1 when Congress couldn't agree on a way to keep them at the previous 3.4 percent rate. Without congressional and presidential action, rates would have stayed at 6.8 percent.

The compromise is a good deal for all students through the 2015 academic year. After that, interest rates are expected to climb above where they were when students left campus in the spring, if congressional estimates prove correct for 10-year Treasury notes.

Undergraduates this fall will borrow at a 3.9 percent interest rate for subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Graduate students would have access to loans at 5.4 percent, and parents would borrow at 6.4 percent. The rates would be locked in for that year's loan, but each year's loan could be more expensive than the last.

Interest rates will not top 8.25 percent for undergraduates. Graduate students will not pay rates higher than 9.5 percent, and parents' rates would top out at 10.5 percent. Using Congressional Budget Office estimates, rates would not reach those limits in the next 10 years.

In all, some 18 million loans will be covered by the legislation, totaling about $106 billion this fall. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would reduce the deficit by $715 million over the next decade.

Her tearful announcement at the Western & Southern Open came less than two months after she pushed through the pain to win her greatest championship on Wimbledon's chewed-up grass.

"My body was really starting to fall apart and I was able to keep it together, go through the pain with a lot of pain throughout this Wimbledon and make it happen," the 28-year-old French player said, tears running down her cheeks. "That was probably the last little bit of something that was left inside me.

"I've been playing for a long, long, long time, and it's time for me now. It is."

She was seeded 15th when she beat Sabine Lisicki for the title at the All England Club, ending the match with an ace. She climbed into the stands to hug her father, Walter, a doctor who drove her 100 miles or so to tournaments in France when she was in middle school.

After another painful time on court during a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 loss to Simona Halep on Wednesday night, she called her father and came to her decision.

"I have pain everywhere after 45 minutes or an hour of play," she said. "I've been doing this for so long. And yeah, it's just body-wise, I can't do it anymore."

Bartoli has been hampered by an injured left foot, right ankle, right hamstring and Achilles tendon injury. She said every part of her body hurt while she was on the court Wednesday, and it's been like that for some time.

She reached a career-high ranking of No. 7 at the start of the 2012 season, but a Grand Slam title eluded her. Bartoli finally won at Wimbledon in her 47th Grand Slam tournament, the most by any woman before winning one. After that title, her ranking moved back to No. 7.

Once the joy of that moment left, the pain returned and she found herself considering the end of her career. Her rough night on the court Wednesday convinced her that she had nothing left, with her Achilles, hip, shoulder and back aching.

She decided to retire without fanfare or second guesses.

"You know, everyone will remember my Wimbledon title," she said. "No one will remember the last match I played here.

"It's been a tough decision to take. I don't take this easily. I mean, I've been a tennis player for a long time and I had a chance to make my biggest dream a reality. I felt I really, really pushed through the ultimate limits to make it happen.

"But now I just can't do it anymore."

WTA Chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster congratulated her on her career.

"She is an inspirational champion and a great ambassador for women's tennis that has dedicated her life to the sport and given so much back to the game," Allaster said. "Fans and everyone at the WTA will surely miss Marion's energy and passion for our sport.

"I am so proud of her for who she is, her values, and for fighting to realize her dream of winning Wimbledon."

___

Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay

Prosecutors on Friday charged the 73-year-old Hewitt with raping a girl under the age of 16 in 1981 in Sun City in northern South Africa. Hewitt also was charged with raping another girl under 16 in Boksburg, a city east of Johannesburg, in 1982.

A third charge of sexual assault of a girl under 18 in Boksburg in 1994 was read out at Boksburg Magistrate's Court.

Hewitt, who won 15 Grand Slam doubles titles, has previously denied the accusations. He did not attend his case's first court hearing, citing ill health.

I was fortunate that the university I attended (at age 45) had a dorm floor specifically for "nontraditional" students like me. In classes, I was able to make friends because my unique experiences enabled me to connect to the material in ways younger students could not, and by sharing those connections, people got to know me. Starting over -- starting something new -- is always difficult, but no education is ever wasted.

If he does want to explore a career in security, "Torn" should take a part-time job while attending school to help cover expenses; universities always need highly skilled employees, and university towns are filled with venues that require such skills. That being said, a diploma will get him further in his future. -- NONTRADITIONAL STUDENT, EKALAKA, MONT.

DEAR NONTRADITIONAL STUDENT: Thank you for sharing your personal experience. Your support and encouragement for "Torn" to complete his college education was endorsed by many other vets and college professors, who find vets to be great students:

DEAR ABBY: I'm concerned that there may be more going on with "Torn" than just that he/she doesn't fit in with peers in school. Being a combat vet and feeling disconnected from peers or having a desire to return to what they knew before (security work) is a sign of PTSD. Missing work is often "code" for survivor's guilt. ("If I could go back and make it right, perhaps my buddy would be here, or I would be with my buddy.")

There are services available for vets suffering from PTSD if they recognize the need to reach out for them. Also, if this vet is using his/her educational benefits, then the chances of there being a training plan to help in readjustment is likely. -- VET WHO MADE IT THROUGH

DEAR ABBY: I am a longtime college professor. Many bright students, young and old, have similar complaints. "Torn," you sound like a great student, as many vets are. Try evening classes. They're usually available to any enrolled student and are the same courses taught in day sections. Students enrolled in these classes are mostly working adults who are more dedicated.

See if your college has online courses, so you won't have to deal with the students in person, although you may have to take part in online discussions. Check out your college's career services office and find a part-time job. This will give you a different peer group, plus give you some experience in your field. Your college's veterans' office may also have helpful resources for you.

I hope these ideas will help your college experience to be more pleasant and productive. -- DR. M. IN OKLAHOMA CITY

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby ator P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

For everything you need to know about wedding planning, order "How to Have a Lovely Wedding." Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Wedding Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

The sun's magnetic field is set toin the next few months. But the shift won't spark an increase in powerful solar storms or other events that could have a damaging effect on Earth and its inhabitants, researchers say.

"The world will not end tomorrow," Phil Scherrer, a solar physicist at Stanford University, told SPACE.com. []

This polarity flip is perfectly normal solar behavior, occurring every 11 years at the peak of our star's activity cycle. But the field reversal doesn't drive the increase inand eruptions of superheated plasma, called coronal mass ejections, that is observed around solar max.

"It's more of an indicator than a causation kind of thing," said solar physicist Todd Hoeksema, director of Stanford's Wilcox Observatory.

From a human perspective, the effects of the field shift will likely be slight and primarily beneficial. For example, the polarity reversal will cause the "current sheet" an enormous surface extending out from the solar equator on which the sun's rotating magnetic field has induced an electric current to become much wavier.

This crinkled current sheet will provide a better barrier against , high-energy particles that are accelerated to nearly the speed of light by faraway star explosions. Galactic cosmic rays can damage spacecraft and hurt orbiting astronauts, who don't enjoy the protection of Earth's thick atmosphere.

Baidu's purchase of 91 Wireless, one of the country's top three app stores by monthly users, fits in with the diversification strategy of China's biggest internet services provider.

Baidu said it expects to close the deal by the fourth-quarter of this year. "The acquisition of 91 Wireless significantly strengthens our mobile app distribution capability," said Chief Executive Robin Li.

Baidu, which has a market capitalization of $49.5 billion, said it had purchased a 57.4 percent of 91 Wireless from Netdragon and the rest from other shareholders.

Baidu shares have risen 41 percent since the beginning of the year, outperforming the NASDAQ 100 Index which is up 18 percent in the same period.

(Reporting by Paul Carsten; Editing by Miral Fahmy)

"Blackfish," explores what may have caused Tilikum, a 12,000-pound orca, to kill three people, including veteran SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010.

News of Brancheau's death during a show at SeaWorld in Orlando inspired director Gabriela Cowperthwaite to explore what happened. SeaWorld first claimed that the trainer had slipped and fallen; later, it said Tilikum had been spooked by Brancheau's ponytail.

The director, who has made documentaries for ESPN, National Geographic, Animal Planet, and the Discovery and History channels, said it took two years to make the film. She procured footage from local and national newscasts, people's personal archives, and through the Freedom of Information Act.

"It was just perseverance when it came to getting footage," she said in an interview. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Once you see that, you can't unsee it. In my mind that gave me my directive. Now that I know the truth, I have to tell the truth. I didn't imagine that I was going to be making this film. I thought I was gonna be making a completely different film about relationships with our animal counterparts. So it was really learning through interviews and stuff and seeing footage."

Key footage became public after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration took SeaWorld to court and the images became exhibits in the case, she said.

She recruited animal-behavior experts, marine park patrons who witnessed whale attacks during performances and former SeaWorld trainers willing to go on the record.

"Personally, I started learning stuff about the animals I didn't know, and I was working there," said former SeaWorld orca trainer Samantha Berg.

Tilikum, born in the wild near Iceland in 1983, was captured and sent to a marine park near Vancouver before he was sold to SeaWorld in Orlando. The film shows divers trapping and kidnapping baby whales for shipment to theme parks while their mothers watched and screeched in agony.

The director says she sought comment from SeaWorld, which owns parks in Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio. But the company declined to appear in "Blackfish."

Another former SeaWorld orca trainer, Carol Ray, said whale watching is a wonderful way to see these majestic animals up close.

"If you could afford to take a family of four to a SeaWorld Park somewhere around the country, then you can also take your family to a place where you can watch the whales from the shore," Ray said. "Those are great opportunities for seeing them where they're supposed to be... When I have friends that come to me and say things like, 'Yeah I really want my kids to see them up close,' (I say), 'You know your kids love dinosaurs right? They do. They are fascinated by them. They have never seen a dinosaur have they?'"

"Blackfish" opens in Los Angeles and New York on Friday.

They were found guilty of failing to declare 200 million euros ($268 million) through a Luxembourg company to authorities and given a one year and eight months suspended jail sentence. They were ordered to pay a penalty of 500,000 euros (about $670,000) to tax authorities.

The court, however, acquitted them of misrepresenting income of 416 million euros (around $560 million) each, even though the statute of limitations had expired on the charge.

The designers have denied the charges. Defense lawyer Massimo Dinoia pledged to appeal the ruling, saying the fact the court issued an acquittal on a charge that had expired, instead of just letting it fall to the statute of limitations, "means the proof of their innocence is evident."

Two years ago, a judge threw out a tax evasion and fraud case against the pair, whose label Dolce&Gabbana is a Milan fashion mainstay. Italy's high court later ruled the designers could be prosecuted for tax evasion, though not for fraud.

Three other defendants, including two managers, were also convicted in the scheme and given suspended sentences of one year and four months. A sixth defendant was acquitted.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- For sale by owner: Major sponsorship for NASCAR's most popular driver.

Act fast, time is running out.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is not only looking for his first win of the season, he's still hunting for a big-bucks sponsor for 12 Sprint Cup races this season.

Earnhardt said he's not worried, a sign that perhaps Hendrick Motorsports has a deal on the horizon.

"It is important to try to fill out what we have this season and we will," Earnhardt said Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "I don't have any doubt at all that we will get that done. I think we almost have to look forward beyond that to try to find out who is going to be the partner that we can put a long term deal together that matches up with what we want to do in the future."

That's part of the problem. Hendrick and Earnhardt would love to find a primary sponsor that would fund what's left on this season's slate as well as 2014, and possibly beyond. With 16 races left, putting together a multi-year deal with a committed corporate backer seems almost impossible to pull off.

"It's just all the dollars and cents are accounted for at this point in the year," Earnhardt said. "That doesn't mean we can't put some things together and do some creative stuff with some people and some partners that we already have."

Earnhardt's sponsorship woes started when Pepsi, through Diet Mountain Dew and Amp, sliced its sponsorship from 20 races to five in 2013. The National Guard did bolster its support of the No. 88, going from 16 to 20 races. Earnhardt, who's made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship each of the last two seasons, is somewhat hindered in finding the right fit because of conflicts with committed corporate sponsors. For example, his Pepsi deal is the reason he ditched Budweiser when he signed with Hendrick for the 2008 season.

It's not like he doesn't have options. Earnhardt is one of the superstar faces of NASCAR. Even as the wins have dried up, he was still voted NASCAR's most popular driver for each of the last 10 years. Owner Rick Hendrick isn't interested in sponsors looking to work their way in for a race or two, or the kind of companies that would conflict with his corporate image.

Earnhardt was set to drive an unsponsored race at Daytona until Hendrick put the National Guard on the No. 88. He'll use the National Guard again for Sunday's race at Indy.

Another reason he can be picky: The sponsorship he does have on the 88 is so lucrative that he has one of the highest-funded cars in the garage even with available inventory.

He's also kept an eye on sponsorship for his Nationwide Series program competing under the JR Motorsports banner. Great Clips signed on as primary sponsor for 28 races this season. Great Clips and Hendrick on Friday announced a three-year extension through 2016 that bumped its primary sponsorship from three Cup races a season to 10 for Kasey Kahne's No. 5 Chevrolet. Great Clips also will serve as a major associate sponsor.

Great Clips will be on Kahne's car this weekend in Indianapolis and again for the Sept. 22 race at New Hampshire.

"They continue to see a great return on investment, and we're focused on continuing that trend by performing at a high level on the racetrack while delivering business wins," Hendrick said.

Earnhardt, though, said he didn't know how Great Clips' increase would affect its future relationship with his Nationwide program. He seems just as confident that he'll find the right sponsors.

"We have some potential to have some really interesting things announced down the road with that," he said. "Due to how well we've run this year and how we've been able to turn that program around, we definitely caught the eyes of a few sponsors and potential partners. So, we're looking a lot better on that front, too. I think everything is going to be fine. I don't believe anybody needs to be too concerned at this point."