FORT HOOD, Texas (Reuters) - A military judge on Thursday again denied a request from accused Fort Hood gunman Army Major Nidal Hasan to remove the death penalty as a punishment option in his forthcoming court-martial on charges of killing 13 people in a 2009 shooting rampage.

At a pre-trial hearing, judge Colonel Tara Osborn also denied requests from the defense that Hasan's trial be pushed back until September 1 and that a media affairs expert be appointed at government expense to assist the defense in jury selection.

Selection of the panel of officers who will act as the jury is set to begin on May 29, although Osborn said Thursday that interviews with prospective jurors might not begin until the following day.

Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, is facing the death penalty for opening fire in Fort Hood, Texas, on a group of soldiers who were preparing to deploy to Iraq on November 5, 2009.

In addition to the 13 killed, 32 were wounded, and Hasan, 42, is paralyzed from the chest down from gunshots fired by two civilian Fort Hood police officers who ended what was the worst shooting at a U.S. military installation.

The defense requested the trial delay because recent media reports about the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings have mentioned Hasan.

"Media coverage was saturated again," Lieutenant Colonel Kris Poppe, the lead defense lawyer, told the judge. "The comparisons are striking and troubling."

But Colonel Steve Henricks, one of the prosecutors, said prominent stories about the Boston bombings had only mentioned Hasan briefly, and Osborn said: "How do we know that nothing else will happen between now and the time of the trial that will bring this case to public attention again?"

Osborn previously denied a request by Hasan's lawyers that the death penalty be removed from consideration in return for a guilty plea. The Uniform Code of Military Justice, the unique law code that governs the armed forces, does not allow a guilty plea to a capital charge.

"The evidence is overwhelming, so the defense has always concentrated on two things: How can we delay this trial and how can we get a reduced sentence?" said Jeffrey Addicott, a former legal adviser to the Army Special Forces and a professor of law at St. Mary's University in Texas.

"The defense is hoping that the more time that goes by, they can just get the government to throw up their hands in frustration and say, OK, we'll just accept a guilty plea."

Osborn has been trying to get the trial schedule on track after extensive delays while the military justice system debated whether Hasan, who is Muslim, should be required to shave his beard to comply with military rules. Osborn has put that issue aside.

Opening arguments in the trial are expected to begin on July 1. Security is being ramped up at Fort Hood's Lawrence J. Williams Courthouse in preparation for the trial. Officials have placed bullet-proof sand-and-fiber barriers close to the building.

Fort Hood is a 340-square-mile (880-square-km) Army post located about 60 miles north of Austin, Texas.

(Editing by Corrie MacLaggan, Scott Malone, Mohammad Zargham and Andre Grenon)

NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - A federal judge has temporarily blocked an auction house from selling basketball great Kobe Bryant's jerseys, championship rings and other memorabilia worth up to $1 million in a case stemming from a dispute between the Los Angeles Laker and his mother.

The All-Star guard has asked the courts to halt the sale of his belongings, which are in possession of his mother, Pamela Bryant, saying he had not been consulted and only learned of the sale in a press release issued by Goldin Auctions.

"Although Pamela Bryant maintained possession of certain of plaintiff's personal property for benefit of plaintiff, he never granted his mother ownership of that property, nor the right to co-sign such property for auction," an attorney for Bryant said in a May 6 complaint filed in a California court.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Guilford in Santa Ana, Calif., on May 8 issued a temporary restraining order blocking the sale until a scheduled May 13 hearing.

Goldin Auctions, which has filed a suit to have the June sale move forward, said Bryant's mother contacted the company in December with an offer to sell the items, including her son's Lower Merion High School jersey and six rings, one of which is his 2000 Lakers championship ring.

Bryant's mother allegedly told the auction house that the memorabilia had been in her possession for 15 years and that her son had told her five years ago the items belonged to her, according to court papers filed by Goldin Auctions.

The auction house said it wired a $450,000 advance to Bryant's parents, Pamela and Joseph.

The items were legally obtained, Goldin Auctions's lawyers said on Friday.

Pamela Bryant "provided certificates of authenticity and attested in a sworn affidavit to their lawful ownership," said attorney Jeffrey Cohen. "Goldin Auctions has already issued a substantial monetary advance for these items and is only interested in proceeding with its legal right to conduct its business without further interference.

A lawyer for Kobe Bryant, Mark Campbell, said in a statement that, "Mr. Bryant's personal property has ended up in the possession of someone who does not lawfully own it. We look forward to resolving this legal matter through the legal system."

(Editing by Paul Thomasch and Leslie Gevirtz)

, released on Tuesday, showed that nation wide home prices did not register a significant change in the third quarter of 2011, with the U.S. National Home Price Index up by only 0.1% from its second quarter level. Home prices are down 3.9% across the board and are now back to their first quarter of 2003 levels. The market consensus was for a 3% decline year over year.

From August to September, housing prices have fallen the most in , with a 5.9% decline, followed by Tampa Bay and , both with a 1.5% drop in housing prices.

, , Washington and Los Angeles remain the most expensive cities in the lower 48 states.

"The plunging collapse of prices seen in 2007-2009 seems to be behind us," says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices. "Any chance for a sustained recovery will probably need a stronger economy."

NEW YORK (AP) -- A prominent New York state senator pleaded not guilty on Monday to embezzlement and other charges alleging he brazenly tried to sabotage a federal fraud investigation of his law practice by seeking inside information from an employee of the Brooklyn U.S. attorney's office.

Sen. John Sampson told the employee who has since been fired that he wanted to identify cooperators in his case so he could arrange to "take them out," prosecutors said in announcing an indictment against the former Democratic leader in the Senate.

The indictment alleges that Sampson embezzled $440,000 from escrow accounts under his supervision as a court-appointed referee for foreclosures. It says some of the funds were funneled into his losing campaign to become Brooklyn district attorney in 2005.

When an interview with the FBI last year concluded with agents accusing the senator of lying, Sampson responded, "Not everything I told you was false," prosecutors said.

The allegations "show the extreme arrogance and hubris involved in this case," U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said at a news conference.

Sampson, 47, was released Monday on $250,000 bond after prosecutors told a judge they already offered him a plea deal that could him behind bars for a maximum of about four years if he pleads guilty to the top embezzlement count and a lesser charge in a nine-count indictment. His lawyer, Zachary Carter, refused to respond in court.

Despite the allegation involving funding for the DA's race and another accusing Sampson of filing false Senate disclosure forms to conceal a $188,500 loan from a real estate developer Carter insisted his case wasn't in the same category as a recent rash of other criminal cases accusing New York lawmakers of abusing their authority for personal gain or to cheat on campaign finance rules.

Carter, a former U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, told reporters outside the court that the case involved "ordinary charges" related to his private life as a lawyer, not "official corruption."

However, Gov. Andrew Cuomo immediately pointed to Sampson's arrest as reason to revive his anti-corruption proposals, which include public financing of campaigns, and the Democratic leadership removed him from his ranking positions and committee assignments.

"There will always be bad actors," Cuomo said, "but it is incumbent on us to reform the system."

FBI Assistant Director George Venizelos said in statement: "We share what may well be the concern of many New Yorkers that 'incumbent' and 'defendant' cannot be accepted as interchangeable."

Sampson's arrest on Monday morning came less than a week after prosecutors revealed that former Sen. Shirley Huntley, a Queens Democrat, made numerous secret recordings of other elected officials for several months last year in a bid for leniency in her own case. Recordings of another, unnamed state senator and two other officials yielded "evidence useful to law enforcement," prosecutors said in court papers.

The unidentified senator brokered a deal in which a businessman gave Huntley a $1,000 payment for helping him get the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to lease him more space at John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to the government papers. Prosecutors declined to comment on reports that the senator was Sampson and there were no charges brought Monday that were related the alleged bribery scheme.

Huntley is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty to mail fraud conspiracy last winter. She admitted embezzling nearly $88,000 from a state-funded nonprofit group she controlled.

Last month, state Assemblyman Nelson Castro, a Bronx Democrat, resigned after admitting that he made similar recordings of colleagues for federal investigators after they told him he would be charged with perjury in yet another corruption investigation.

His cooperation ultimately helped lead to the indictment of a fellow assemblyman from the Bronx, Eric Stevenson, who has been accused of accepting bribes in exchange for legislation that gave a competitive advantage to a business in his district. Stevenson has denied the allegations.

In another recent case, Sen. Malcolm Smith was accused of scheming with New York City Councilman Daniel Halloran, a Republican, to bribe county Republican leaders for the GOP line on this year's mayoral ballot. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Sampson was Democratic majority leader for part of a term that was marked by political gridlock. He rose to the position after Smith, in his partial term as majority leader, lost power during a time of a Republican-led coup. Huntley, Castro, Stevenson, and Smith had no real power in statewide issues or spending, but wielded more power within their own New York City districts.

In 2012, Sampson stripped Huntley of leadership positions when her indictment was announced. He did the same with then-Sen. Carl Kruger when Kruger was arrested in 2011 in a separate bribery probe. Kruger pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

TORONTO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Highfields Capital, a U.S. hedge fund agitating for change at Tim Hortons Inc, may have a hard time convincing institutional investors that the chain that says it sells eight out of every 10 cups of coffee in Canada needs a wake-up call.

The Boston-based activist investor, with an about 4 percent stake in the company, wants Tim Hortons to boost shareholder returns by taking on new debt to buy back its stock.

It is also pushing Tim Hortons to scale back its U.S. expansion and focus more closely on its thriving Canadian business. The fund, which also outlined a second tier list of demands, wants Tims to spin off or sell its distribution business, create a real estate investment trust to house its property assets and bring in new directors with more financial experience.

On Wednesday, Highfields confirmed an earlier exclusive Reuters report about the proposals, and said it currently owns 6.1 million shares of Tim Hortons. The fund said the company is studying its proposals and it looks forward to continuing a dialogue with Tim Hortons.

But the proposals may not be so easy to sell to long-term investors, according to some money managers and investors.

"This business ain't broke and needs no fixin'," said Barry Schwartz, a portfolio manager at Baskin Financial, which owns roughly 130,000 shares in Tim Hortons, according to Thomson Reuters data.

"The company is shareholder-friendly and has rewarded long-term investors with rising dividends and share buybacks, plus the stock performance since the IPO has been terrific," he said.

The shares have more than doubled in value since an IPO in March 2006, when Wendy's Co spun off Tim Hortons.

The proposals from Highfields represent the latest attempt by a U.S. hedge fund to shake up a Canadian company.

Last year, Bill Ackman's Pershing Square won big change at Canadian Pacific Railway after a bitter public battle. Earlier this year, fertilizer company Agrium Inc fended off an attempt by its biggest shareholder, U.S. hedge fund Jana Partners LLC, to break up the company and defeated Jana's slate in a hard fought proxy battle.

SIMILAR DEMANDS

Highfields has made demands that are similar to those put forth by Jana in its fight at Agrium. The fund wanted Agrium to spin off or sell its retail arm and add people with more experience in retail to its board.

But David Baskin, the head of Baskin Financial, sees big differences between the situation facing Highfields and Ackman's successful proxy fight at CP Rail, which resulted in a sweep for his slate.

"Canadian Pacific had a tired board with weak management, chronic underperformance and restive shareholders," he said. "None of that applies to Tim Hortons, which I think is still widely liked by institutional holders."

Tim Hortons' stock has rose about 60 percent over the last five years, while the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index has fallen roughly 13 percent over the period.

That said, shares of some of Tim Hortons' U.S.-based rivals have outpaced the Canadian chain.

McDonald's Corp shares have climbed about 70 percent over the same period, while Starbucks Corp has nearly quadrupled in value.

"Tims' performance has been somewhere between good and very good, given economic conditions in a hyper-competitive sector. So I would guess it will be hard for these guys to get traction but maybe the stock will respond anyway," Baskin said.

The shares closed up 4 percent at $56.32 on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, while Tims' Toronto-listed shares rose by a similar margin to C$56.77.

TOUGH LANDSCAPE

Despite its growth and strong performance, analysts concede that the Canadian coffee chain faces strong headwinds.

Analysts have questioned whether the brand - which arguably trails only hockey and the maple leaf as a symbol of Canada - can continue to grow at home.

Tim Hortons - with some 3,400 company-owned and franchised stores in Canada - has virtually saturated the market. At the same time, U.S. rivals such as McDonald's and Starbucks have also stepped up their presence north of the border, limiting Tim's organic growth potential.

"We don't view either player as an immediate threat to Tim Hortons' scale and strong brand perception," said R.J. Hottovy an analyst at Morningstar. "But we believe competition will become increasingly fierce in the decade to come, leading to more aggressive price wars."

Highfields may have some success in building a case for spinning off Tim Hortons' real estate assets into a new publicly traded REIT - a path that other players have taken. Canada's top food retailer, Loblaw Cos, said earlier on Wednesday that it plans to complete the initial public offering of its REIT in early July.

"Canada is a more conducive market than the U.S. right now, when it comes to REIT conversions," said Hottovy, noting that a company spinning off the assets can still maintain a controlling interest in a REIT in Canada.

Tim Hortons in the past has panned the REIT idea, as it owns only 20 percent of its retail real estate assets. The company declined to comment beyond saying it remains focused on creating shareholder value.

"(We) always welcome constructive dialogue with our shareholders. We don't comment on specific conversations," said Tim Hortons spokesman Scott Bonikowsky.

BUYBACK PLAN

Highfields also faces a tough task convincing long-term investors that a debt-funded share buyback is a sound plan.

John Goldsmith, deputy head of equities at Montrusco Bolton, a firm that owns nearly 260,000 Tim Hortons shares, questions whether the strategy makes sense over the long term, even though low interest rates have made it more attractive for activists to push companies to take on cheap debt to fund buybacks.

"This might temporarily add value per share mathematically, the question is does this create sustainable value add or simply a one-time pop?" he said.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Irene Nattel said layering on $3.4 billion in debt to fund a buyback might add to earnings. But it puts Tim's investment-grade rating at risk, potentially raising borrowing costs and moderating any earnings per share gains for the company.

Tim Hortons is being advised by Citigroup Inc and RBC Capital Markets - both banks declined to comment.

(Additional reporting by Solarina Ho and Allison Martell; Editing by Frank McGurty, Bernard Orr)

Mojtaba Atarodi, 55, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Iran's Sharif University of Technology, had been detained on suspicion of buying high-tech U.S. laboratory equipment, previous Iranian media reports said.

The trade sanctions were imposed over Iran's nuclear programme, which Iranian officials say is for peaceful energy purposes only but Washington says is secretly geared to developing the capability to produce nuclear weapons.

Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency said Atarodi arrived in Tehran on Saturday, after a stopover in Muscat on Friday.

Upon arriving at Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport on Saturday, Atarodi told reporters that he had tried to buy simple equipment for his personal lab to conduct academic research when he was detained by U.S. authorities, according to state-run Press TV.

There was no immediate U.S. comment on Atarodi's case.

Oman, a U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state which also enjoys good relations with Tehran, has previously helped mediate the release of Western prisoners held by the Islamic Republic.

Omani authorities had worked with U.S. officials to speed up Atarodi's case and return him home, the foreign ministry in Muscat said in a statement carried by local media.

He was released after follow-up approaches by Iran's foreign ministry, its spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA).

In a report on its website dated January 7, 2012, Press TV said Atarodi was taken into custody on his arrival in Los Angeles on December 7, 2011, accused of buying advanced lab equipment.

Iran and the United States severed relations after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the pro-Western monarchy in Tehran.

In 2011, Iran freed into Omani custody two U.S. citizens who had been sentenced to eight years in jail for spying.

Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, among three people arrested while hiking along the Iraq-Iran border in 2009, were flown to Oman after officials there helped secure their release by posting bail of $1 million. They denied being spies.

The third detainee, Sarah Shourd, had been freed in September 2010, also by way of Oman.

(Reporting by Saleh al-Shaybani and Sami Aboudi; additional reporting by Zahra Hosseinian in Zurich and Yeganeh Torbati in Dubai; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

The Unification Ministry in Seoul said 43 South Koreans began departing from Kaesong late Monday night and arrived in the South just past midnight after officials arranged vehicles to carry them across the border.

But it wasn't immediately known when the wage negotiations would take place and the remaining seven South Koreans would return home.

The departure of the last South Koreans would empty out the jointly run complex, located just across the border in the North Korean town of Kaesong, for the first time since it opened in 2004 and possibly lead to the permanent closure of the last symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.

Amid high tensions, North Korea suspended operations at Kaesong in early April, withdrawing all of its 53,000 workers and barring South Korean factory managers and trucks with supplies from entering the complex. It was the most significant action taken by North Korea as it sought to show its anger over South Korean-U.S. military drills and U.N. sanctions imposed over Pyongyang's February nuclear test, its third.

North Korea's accompanying torrent of warlike rhetoric included threats to launch nuclear strikes on the U.S., although it has recently shown some tentative signs of willingness to talk.

The U.S.-South Korean drills, which North Korea calls war preparations, ended Tuesday, the United States Forces Korea said.

Kurt Campbell, the former top U.S. diplomat for Asia, told reporters at a forum in Seoul that there was substantial concern with the way Pyongyang has treated what was supposed to be a venue to improve inter-Korean relations.

But he said what has happened at Kaesong wasn't a watershed moment like the shelling of a front-line South Korean island or the sinking of a South Korean warship, two attacks that killed 50 South Koreans in 2010. Pyongyang denies involvement in the sinking.

South Korea began withdrawing its remaining nationals from Kaesong on Saturday, citing a shortage of food and medicine for them, after North Korea rejected an offer to hold talks on the complex.

Kaesong, which combines South Korean knowhow and technology with cheap North Korean labor, is the last remaining cooperation project between the Koreas. The Korean Peninsula officially remains at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Other collaborative programs, including tours from South Korea to a scenic North Korean mountain, have been stalled in recent years because of confrontation between the rival Koreas.

A group of businessmen with factories in Kaesong sought to visit North Korea on Tuesday but could not because Pyongyang didn't approve the trip, the Unification Ministry said.

__

Hyung-jin Kim reported from Seoul. AP writers Sam Kim and Foster Klug contributed to this report from Seoul.

Gatherings were mostly peaceful Monday night following Louisville's 82-76 victory the school's third title, and first title since 1986. Louisville police said most of the 23 arrests were due to drunken or disorderly conduct.

Hundreds streamed onto Cardinal Boulevard after Louisville's win, screaming, dancing and lighting off small fireworks in revelry that lasted into the early hours.

But things got out of hand as the celebration was winding down early Tuesday, with police in riot gear and an armored car arriving after large, unruly crowds refused to disperse.

Several scuffles followed and some partiers threw bottles at police, hitting an officer in the head, said police spokeswoman Carey Klain. The officer received minor injuries and was treated at a hospital and released, Klain said. Police responded to the bottle throwers with pepper spray.

A few revelers received minor injuries, said University of Louisville spokesman John Drees. He said two were injured in falls and another suffered a cut foot.

The citywide party could be repeated Tuesday night if the Cardinals' women's team beats Connecticut for the NCAA championship in New Orleans.

"It's huge," said freshman Paul DeNeve. "We have not only won tonight but the women's team plays tomorrow."

For now, though, fans are savoring the Cardinals' men's achievement.

"This means everything," said Connor Millay, 19, a Northern Kentucky University student who traveled to Louisville despite facing two tests Tuesday.

"I've been waiting for this my whole life," Millay said. "My dad experienced this. My grandpa experienced this. I needed one of these."

Elsewhere around town, Cardinals faithful partied in dormitories and around campus, in bars and restaurants and in living rooms after Louisville claimed its third national championship.

Most chose the quiet comforts of home over the noisy crowds that assembled in the Fourth Street Live! entertainment district. But when Louisville emerged victorious at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, emotions were felt everywhere.

"We've been waiting for this for the past 27 years," said Joe Barnes, 61, a University of Louisville alumnus who walked among the thousands of students on Cardinal Boulevard. "This has been one of the best teams that U of L has had. Ever. They've showed more spirit, more hustle. They believe in each other."

The men's championship was a nervous watch for Louisville's fan base, which saw the Cardinals trail by 12 in the first half before rallying to 38-37 at the break. Louisville eventually went ahead and led by 10 in the second, withstanding Michigan's attempts to come back.

Krissy Van Laan and friend Lindsay McDaniel had their spots at the Ri' Ra' Irish Pub, staying all the way through and witnessing the mayhem that unfolded immediately afterward.

"Everybody was so excited. It was unbelievable," Van Laan said. "Once it got down to four seconds left, I knew we had it. People were running out in the streets and excited. This is just unbelievable."

Abby, I have taken this really hard. I have cried every day since she had the abortion, and I'm torturing myself thinking this is my fault because I went against everything I believe in when I supported her in her decision.

Why am I beating myself up about this? Is it because she's my daughter, because I am pro-life or both? How can I stop blaming myself for her decision? -- TORTURED IN THE SOUTH

DEAR TORTURED: The decision about whether or not to terminate the pregnancy wasn't yours to make; it was your daughter's. Being pro-life, you have your own convictions, but you acted as a loving parent should -- you supported your child. If you feel you could benefit from counseling to help you through this, ask your doctor for a referral.

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are having a disagreement and I'm wondering if you could weigh in. We keep a handgun hidden in a locked safe in our bedroom. (An access code is required to open it.) We also have a 1 1/2-year-old daughter.

On the recommendations of a co-worker, we recently hired a baby sitter whom we used for an evening while we attended a party. She seemed like a nice young lady.

My problem is, when she arrived, my husband immediately announced that we had a gun upstairs. He felt it was her "right" to know. I think, because the gun isn't accessible, the information was useless to her and actually may have put our family in danger. How do we know she won't mention it to someone who will target us for a break-in in order to steal it?

To me, having a (secured) firearm in our house is no one else's business but ours. What do you think? -- NOT THE WILD WEST

DEAR NOT THE WILD WEST: I think you are correct. This is a subject that should have been discussed before the young woman was hired. Your husband exhibited poor judgment by sharing what should have been confidential information.

DEAR ABBY: My colleagues and I are concerned about a close friend and co-worker. He insists that it's not against the law to read books while driving. He says he does it only on highways because everyone is going the same speed and direction and you only need peripheral vision.

In every other aspect of his life, this man follows the rules to the letter and is a highly respected teacher. Is it true that this is legal? -- CONCERNED IN OHIO

DEAR CONCERNED: Of course not! A distracted driver who is reading books is at least as dangerous as one who is eating, texting, applying makeup, shaving or talking on a cellphone. This "highly respected" teacher doesn't have my respect; he's a menace on the highway.

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.)