A skull and jawbones represented the guest of honor: the dinosaur. And before the ceremony began, Bolortsetseg Minjin, a Mongolian paleontologist, posed for photos behind the fossils at a hotel across the street from the United Nations.

Almost a year ago, Bolortsetseg was among those who raised concerns about plans to sell the fossils, fromknown as , at a public auction, saying they were likely taken illegally from Mongolia. Bolortsetseg said she was amazed at the speed with which the case was resolved. []

"This is just like, I want to wake up," she said.

Bolortsetseg pointed out neat letters, CMMD1, written on the fossilized bones. The letters identify this specimen as the first one in Mongolias first dinosaur museum, the Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs, where all Mongolian dinosaurs will be registered in a museum database, she said. Bolortsetseg said she will serve as the museum's chief of paleontology and assistant director.

Off the black market

During the ceremony, Oyungerel Tsedevdamba, Mongolia's minister of culture, sports and tourism, and John Morton, Director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement,signed a certificate of repatriation of the 8-foot-tall, 24-foot-long (2.4 meters by 7.3 meters) specimen.

"By returning this dinosaur, we right a great wrong," Morton said. "This dinosaur skeleton belongs in Mongolia, not on ."

Mongolian law makes dinosaur fossils found within its borders state property, so they cannot legally be exported. Paleontologists supported the Mongolian claim on the Tarbosaurus because nearly complete specimens from this species are only known to be found in a single rock formation within Mongolia. However, fossils from this species and others known to come from this country routinely show up for sale in the United States.

Eric Prokopi, the man who prepared the rough Tarbosaurus fossils and attempted to sell them through a public auction on May 20, 2012, hasto three felony charges related to illegally importing fossils.

From auction to guilty plea

Nearly a year ago, Oyungerel's husband, a U.S. citizen named Jeff Falt, read aand recognized the dinosaur as a species that is known to come primarily from Mongolia. Oyungerel took the news to the office of her boss, Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhia. In response to his claim, the Manhattan U.S. Attorney launched a civil case to take possession of the dinosaur, followed by criminal charges against Propkopi.

"It's been like a cross between Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes," Ann Altman, an American who has acted as a facilitator for the Mongolians, told LiveScience.

The Tarbosaurus is not the sole specimen being returned to Mongolia. Afterin December, Prokopi agreed to surrender a number of other dinosaur fossils from Mongolia and one specimen from China. The Mongolian specimens included fossils from two duck-billed hadrosaurs; a number of birdlike oviraptors, most still embedded in matrix; and a second Tarbosaurus specimen.

A growing list

During the ceremony, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara announced that the list of returns has grown even longer. A fossil dealer in England, named Chris Moore, is surrendering a number of Mongolian fossils as part of an agreement to avoid litigation.

Moore was involved in the ; both he and Prokopi were listed as sellers on Heritage Auctions' consignment agreement for that dinosaur. However, Moore did not become publicly involved in the ownership dispute over the specimen.

Moore is shipping Tarbosaurus and many other fossils to the United States for repatriation to Mongolia. The 18-item list contained in a court document includes fossils from a chickenlike carnivorous dinosaur known as Gallimimus, duck-billed Hadrosaurs, armored Ankylosaurs and others.

The high-profile T. bataar case has sparked more interest in paleontology among Mongolians, Oyungerel said.

"Before T. bataar, we vaguely knew about what we had, we knew we are a land of dinosaurs," she said. "[But] we didn't have a single star who can be a representation of the whole paleontological heritage that we have. That's why Tarbosaurus bataar became like a hero."

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Woods said it took him a week to get over his tie for fourth at the Masters. Next up is The Players Championship, where he has won only once in 15 years and has just one top 10 since that victory in 2001.

"If you're not playing well, you're going to get exposed," Woods said.

Woods was at full exposure Monday night at the Met with girlfriend Lindsey Vonn. For someone who has demanded so much privacy off the golf course, he attended the Costume Institute Gala. Vonn was a guest of Vogue. He posed on the red carpet wearing a black suit, while the Olympic ski champion wore a long white dress with see-through slits. The theme of the gala was "PUNK: Chaos to Coutre."

Woods has always been more about green jackets and claret jugs.

"It was certainly different," Woods said. "Lindsey wanted to try and grow her brand. She's come out with a new perfume and makeup line, so that was a big thing for her and I'm supporting it. As you know, I'm not really big into fashion stuff. The theme was pretty interesting, because obviously I remember some of that stuff when I was a kid. But I certainly didn't wear that stuff."

Are more red carpets on the horizon?

"We'll see," Woods said. "Maybe I can just go in jeans and a T-shirt or something."

Woods is used to the attention as the primary focus of golf since he won the 1997 Masters. He was reminded of how much fans pay attention to him at the Masters, where he was involved in an unusual rules situation that won't seem to go away.

It started with Woods' third shot hitting the flag on the 15th hole and bouncing back into the water on the opening hole. Woods unknowingly took an illegal drop, but he wasn't told about the possible infraction until after he signed his card. Augusta National took the blame, with competitions chairman Fred Ridley saying it didn't initially notice the violation and chose not to ask Woods about it before he signed his card.

Eventually, he was given a two-shot penalty but allowed to stay in the tournament instead of being disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard under Rule 33-7 that gives a committee discretion to waive the disqualification penalty.

The U.S. Golf Association and Royal & Ancient last week said the Masters was within its right not to disqualify Woods. He wound up four shots out of the lead in a tie for fourth, his 15th consecutive major without winning.

Woods said it took him a week to get over his performance at the Masters. He said he was surprised that the drop and how it was handled was still being debated.

"I think Fred explained it pretty well," Woods said. "For some reason, evidently that wasn't accepted."

Woods said he if saw a violation on television, he would not call it in. Television viewers in the case of the Masters, it was David Eger, a respected rules expert have been calling in what they think are rules violations for years.

"I don't ever see myself calling in and saying that Kobe (Bryant) traveled or things like that, or an offensive lineman held," he said. "But it's our sport. And that's what we've done and we've accepted. Certain groups are going to get more heat than others just because they're on TV. It is what it is."

Woods, who now has gone eight appearances without winning the Masters, said he didn't stop thinking about it until he resumed practice a week later. He reserved his comments to the shot where all the debate began a wedge that turned out to be too good. Woods was tied for the lead on the 15th hole in the opening round, and if the ball did not hit the flag, he likely would have had no more than about 5 feet for birdie.

"Unfortunately, I hit a good shot and got a bad break," Woods said. "But I still had an opportunity over the next 36 holes to get it back ... and I just didn't do it."

Woods doesn't have much of an answer when it comes to the TPC Sawgrass.

He has failed to crack the top 20 eight times, the most of any tournament he has played. He is the No. 1 player in the year, and looks like it. In his last three events, he has won twice and tied for fourth. How that translates to the TPC Sawgrass is unpredictable.

"Some of the years, I've driven it well and not hit my irons well, and other years I've hit the ball great and not putted well," Woods said. "And other years I've drove it awful and didn't score well. You've got to have all the facets of your game going here."

"My mother passed away this morning just a short time ago, peaceful with my sister by her side, in her sleep," Bernsen said in a post on Facebook.

Bernsen had been updating the status of Cooper's health on Facebook and Twitter over the past few weeks. Neither the cause of Cooper's death nor what she had been suffering from has been disclosed.

Cooper joined the cast of CBS network's "The Young and the Restless," in its first season in 1973, and portrayed the boozy and wealthy Katherine Chancellor. She was still a cast member at the time of her death although her character recently underwent surgery for a brain tumor.

Known as the "The Duchess" and the "Grand Dame of Genoa City," the Chancellor character is credited with giving the series a dash of controversy during its beginnings and becoming an iconic figure in U.S. television soap opera genre.

Cooper's cast mates took to Twitter to remember an enduring star of U.S. daytime television.

"A very sad day for all of us," co-star Jessica Collins posted on Twitter.

"Heaven just gained one feisty angel," said Melissa Claire Egan, another actress on the series.

Cooper, a daytime Emmy winner, also brought her personal life onto the show in 1984 when footage of her real-life facelift was used to depict her character undergoing the same procedure.

Cooper was born in Taft, California, in 1928 and began her professional screen acting career in the 1953 film "The Redhead from Wyoming."

She also appeared on several television shows in the 1950s and 1960s, including "The Twilight Zone" and "Perry Mason," before joining "The Young and the Restless."

Cooper had three children, Caren, Collin and Corbin, who currently stars on the comedy-drama series "Psych" on the USA Network.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; editing by Jill Serjeant and Jackie Frank)

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia announced a significant boost to its military air power on Friday, committing to buy up to new 100 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, as it shifts its focus back to the Indo-Pacific as China and India beef up forces.

After more than a decade of having forces first in Iraq, and then Afghanistan, Australia wants to focus on the military challenges closer to home, in line with U.S. President Barack Obama's 2011 "pivot" towards the Asia-Pacific.

In a new defense strategy, Australia reinforces that the United States remains its closest ally, but also struck a conciliatory tone towards top trading partner China, noting its rising defense capabilities are a natural outcome from its growing economy.

"The government does not approach China as an adversary. Rather, its policy is aimed at encouraging China's peaceful rise and ensuring that strategic competition in the region does not lead to conflict," the defense strategy said.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying noted Australia's assessment of China in the document "as a partner and not an opponent" and its view that the country's development was "beneficial to the region and world".

"We believe this embodies Australia's emphasis on developing China-Australia relations," she told a news briefing.

As part of Australia's military buildup, Defense Minister Stephen Smith said Canberra was committed to purchasing several squadrons of F-35s and would also buy 12 Boeing Co EA-18G electronic attack planes, modified versions of the 24 Super Hornets already equipping Australia's air force.

"This important decision will assure a first-class air combat capability for Australia through the transition period to the Joint Strike Fighter, which will proceed on its current schedule," Defense Minister Stephen Smith said.

Canberra's decision reinforces positive steps for the F-35, coming on the heels of a decision by Norway to buy six F-35s a year earlier than planned, and the Dutch parliament's decision not to reassess F-35 rivals to replace aging F-16s, despite cost overruns and development delays.

Australia's first two F-35s are due to be delivered in the United States in 2014-15. Australia will initially buy 14 F-35s, building up to three operational squadrons, of around 75 planes. The first squadron is due in service from around 2020.

The decision to stick with the F-35 will give Australia a mixed fleet of Super Hornets, Growlers and the new stealth fighters, matching the U.S. navy capability until at least 2030, Smith said.

The government also holds the option of buying a further 25 F-35s after 2030, to replace the Super Hornets when they are withdrawn from service, bringing the total of F-35s to 100.

STRATEGIC OUTLOOK

The new defense strategy is the first reassessment of Australia's military priorities since 2009, and comes after the 2011 U.S. pivot to the Asia-Pacific. Part of that pivot included U.S. marine rotations through a de-facto U.S. base in northern Australia.

The U.S. troop deployments and Australia's 2009 military strategy both upset China, particularly when Australia bluntly told China it needed to do more to explain its military plans which it said had the potential to concern its neighbors.

China has sharply increased military spending over the past three decades and its navy is now second in size only to the U.S. fleet in terms of numbers, increasing concerns from neighbors, like Japan and South Korea, involved in a series of long-running territorial disputes.

Australia's new strategy stresses the need for both China and the U.S. to build their strategic relationship, and says Australia does not believe it will have to choose between its alliance with the U.S. and its strengthening ties with China.

"Certainly there has been a lot of diplomatic varnish put on the text of this white paper, and there is nothing in there that should offend China outright," said Rory Medcalf, an analyst from the strategic policy think tank the Lowy Institute. "This white paper will certainly be one of the last steps in rebuilding Australia-China relations."

The document also stresses the growing importance of the Indian Ocean region, with India's military growth and with two thirds of global oil shipments passing through the Indian Ocean.

The strategy said the United States was likely to remain the strongest maritime power in the Indian Ocean, although China was likely to increase its presence there in the coming decades, as 80 percent of China's oil imports go through the region.

With Prime Minister Julia Gillard's minority Labor government under pressure to find budget savings to respond to collapsing revenues, Australia's net defense budget has contracted to around 1.56 percent of GDP, or A$24.2 billion. As a percentage, spending is at the lowest level since 1938.

The new white paper makes no commitments on defense spending, but says the government remains committed to a target to increase defense funding to 2.0 percent of GDP when the economic circumstances allow.

(Additional reporting by Rob Taylor and Michael Martina in BEIJING; Editing by Paul Tait, Michael Perry and Ron Popeski)

The government had previously announced it would join the whistle-blower lawsuit brought by former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis under the federal False Claims Act. Tuesday was the deadline for the Justice Department to file its formal complaint.

The Postal Service paid about $40 million to be the title sponsor of Armstrong's teams for six of his seven Tour de France victories. The filing in U.S. district court in Washington, D.C., says the USPS paid Armstrong $17 million form 1998-2004. The lawsuit also names former team Armstrong team director Johan Bruyneel and team management company Tailwind Sports as defendants.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - The Bowl Championship Series will be replaced by the College Football Playoff.

The BCS conference commissioners announced the name of the new postseason system that starts in 2014 on the first of three days of meetings at a resort hotel in the Rose Bowl's backyard. They also will choose the remaining three sites for the six-bowl semifinal rotation and the site of the first championship game to be held Jan. 12, 2015, this week.

The website www.collegefootballplayoff.com is already up and running and allowing fans to vote on a new logo. And there also is a Twitter handle: (at)cfbplayoff.

''It's really simple. It gets right to the point,'' BCS executive director Bill Hancock, who will hold the same position in the playoff system, said at a short news conference with the 10 commissioners of the FCS conferences.

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - The Rose Bowl will celebrate its 100th game on New Year's Day in 2014 as college football's oldest bowl.

To mark the occasion, the game trophy has been modified by Tiffany to add 24-karat yellow gold vermeil accents to the 21-inch tall design that includes a three-quarter size sterling silver football. It was unveiled at the iconic stadium, where the logo for the 2014 BCS national championship game was already on the field.

The stadium also will host the last national title game under the current BCS configuration on Jan. 6.

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PRO FOOTBALL

NEW YORK (AP) - The NFL is increasing security for this week's draft at Radio City Music Hall, with everyone subject to screenings, including use of metal detectors and pat-downs, and searches of personal property.

Even league officials, players and their families will be subject to such measures. The league said that spectators who don't consent to the security requirements will be refused admission. The draft begins Thursday night and has sessions Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

All sports events have ramped up security since the Boston Marathon bombings last week.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Former Baltimore Ravens reserve linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo called on professional athletes to stand up for marriage equality because he said it is ''the right thing to do.''

Ayanbadejo took his support for gay marriage to South Florida, where his career started with Miami in 2003 and where he has lived for the past decade. The 36-year-old Ayanbadejo said he had a ''bigger calling than football'' and this was it. An open proponent of gay marriage, Ayanbadejo spoke in favor of it in November, before Maryland passed a law allowing it, and also prior to the Super Bowl. He also recently spoke at a rally on the steps of the Supreme Court.

DENVER (AP) - Dear incoming NFL rookie: Worried your $8 million contract might get held up by a balky fax machine? Worry no more.

The NFL Players Association announced a deal with an electronic-signature company that will give players being drafted this week, along with their current NFL brethren, access to technology that makes signing a contract as easy as hitting a few buttons on their cellphone.

The well-timed deal between the NFLPA and DocuSign comes two days before the draft and with memories of the Denver Broncos-Elvis Dumervil fax fiasco still fresh on everyone's mind. Last month, the Broncos and their defensive end were unable to seal the deal on a restructured contract because Dumervil couldn't get the signed paperwork back to the team in time via fax.

CINCINNATI (AP) - James Harrison is bringing a healed body and his old No. 92 with him down the Ohio River. Next goal: Get a Bengals ring to go with all that Steelers bling.

The former Pittsburgh linebacker signed a two-year contract, completing the deal he agreed to four days earlier. The five-time Pro Bowl player had to find a new team when he couldn't agree on a restructured contract with the Steelers, who needed to get under the salary cap. The 2008 Defensive Player of the Year wound up going downriver to play for an AFC North rival, one that knocked Pittsburgh out of the playoff chase in a head-to-head game last December at Heinz Field.

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PRO BASKETBALL

CLEVELAND (AP) - Mike Brown and the Cavaliers are getting back together.

Brown, who led the Cavs to the playoffs in all five seasons he coached them from 2005-10, has agreed in principle to a contract to return as their coach for a second time, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

Brown hasn't yet signed his new deal, but has agreed to take the job, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations were ongoing. Brown's hiring could be announced as early as Wednesday. The sides are working through the length of the deal and other matters, but Brown's back with the team he guided to its greatest successes.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Mike Dunlap is one and done with the Charlotte Bobcats, fired after a single season.

The Bobcats went 21-61 under Dunlap, finishing with the second-worst record in the NBA ahead of only the Orlando Magic. Charlotte won just seven games in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, but tripling last season's victory total and a three-game winning streak to close the season weren't enough to save Dunlap's job.

Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said he and general manager Rich Cho met with players and Dunlap before approaching owner Michael Jordan and asking him to make a coaching change.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana forward Paul George was honored as the NBA's Most Improved Player.

The announcement came less than a week after the 6-foot-9 forward finished his breakthrough regular season and less than 48 hours after he became only the second player in franchise history to record a triple double in the NBA playoffs. He had 23 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in the Pacers' 107-90 Game 1 win over Atlanta - giving the Pacers their first 1-0 series lead since 2006.

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BASEBALL

NEW YORK (AP) - Stadium operations officials from the 30 big league baseball teams will meet this week and are expected to discuss whether to make any security changes in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Major League Baseball said the session Thursday in New York was planned before the attacks last week.

''This stadium operations meeting scheduled for later this week was not a product of the incidents in Boston,'' MLB spokesman Michael Teevan said. ''It is a part of our ongoing efforts to discuss state-of-the-art security measures with the clubs, and it's standard operating procedure.''

Among the security topics that could be discussed are backpacks that fans bring into ballparks.

DENVER (AP) - Atlanta Braves right fielder Jason Heyward was placed on the 15-day disabled list after an appendectomy.

The team said late Monday that Heyward had surgery at Rose Medical Center in Denver.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez said before the opener of Tuesday's day-night doubleheader against Colorado that there was no set timetable for Heyward's return. The Braves recalled infielder Tyler Pastornicky from Triple A Gwinnett to fill Heyward's roster spot.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin returned to San Diego's lineup and said he has spoken with Dodgers right-hander Zach Greinke following a scuffle that left the pitcher with a broken left collarbone and Quentin with an eight-game suspension. Quentin charged Greinke after he was hit by a pitch during a game April 11, leading to a bench-clearing brawl in San Diego.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The commemorative plaque honoring home run king Barry Bonds' record 756th clout has gone missing from AT&T Park.

San Francisco Giants spokeswoman Staci Slaughter said that the reigning World Series champions in the process of replacing the plaque, which hung on the brick facade inside the ballpark beneath the flag court area in right-center field until a few days ago. The team is investigating where the missing hardware might be, Slaughter said. There is still white glue on the brick wall where the plaque used to be.

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) - With his voice quivering at times, Eddie Jordan returned to Rutgers and took over as coach of the scandal-marred basketball program, promising to move forward and restore the dignity, pride and integrity to a university embarrassed by abuses that forced the firing of coach Mike Rice.

In choosing the 58-year-old Jordan, Rutgers turned to one of its greatest sports heroes to restore the image of university tarnished by a former coach who grabbed players in practice, threw balls at them and uttered gay slurs. The hiring came a little less than three weeks after Rice was fired after a videotape of his practice tantrums was televised. The ensuing scandal forced the resignation of athletic director Tim Pernetti, a top university lawyer and an assistant coach.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Two former Syracuse University basketball ball boys have asked a judge to reinstate their slander lawsuit against the school and head coach Jim Boeheim over comments the Hall of Famer made following the firing of his longtime assistant amid a sex abuse scandal.

Attorneys for Bobby Davis and Mike Lang filed a 54-page brief with the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court in Rochester in March. State Supreme Court Justice Brian DeJoseph threw out their lawsuit in May, ruling that comments made by Boeheim after assistant coach Bernie Fine was fired were not statements of fact but were opinions that are protected from defamation lawsuits.

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AUTO RACING

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Penske Racing will take its appeal of penalties and fines against defending champion Brad Keselowski and teammate Joey Logano before a three-member NASCAR panel next week.

NASCAR selects the panel from a list of 48 people - former car owners, crew chiefs and drivers, as well as current track promoters and industry veterans. Their identities will not be revealed until after their decision, which can be appealed to NASCAR chief appellate officer John Middlebrook. The May 1 appeal will be conducted at the Research and Development Center in Concord. NASCAR seized parts from the rear suspensions of both Penske cars during pre-race inspections at Texas, accusing the team of using unapproved parts in the rear housing.

Tuesday's primary elections set up an eight-week sprint to the June 25 election.

In Markey, the race pits a longtime liberal politician known for environmental advocacy against Gomez, a fresh-faced social moderate with a distinguished biography and untested political skills. On paper, it looks like a competitive contest, but Republicans quietly concede that Markey is the strong favorite in a state where only around 11 percent of voters are registered Republicans.

"As we've shown before in the state, anything can happen in a special election," said Republican strategist Ron Kaufman, Massachusetts' national committeeman.

Indeed, little-known Republican state Sen. Scott Brown stunned Democrats in his 2010 special election U.S. Senate victory in a contest that became a referendum on Obama's healthcare overhaul. So far, at least, this race has drawn little national interest, even before being overshadowed by the Boston Marathon bombings.

And unlike the last special election, this one will have little bearing on the immediate balance of power in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats have an effective 55-45 majority.

But Massachusetts Democratic party leaders promised they would not repeat the mistakes of the last special contest, when they largely took success for granted.

"We have absolutely learned a lesson. As long as I'm around, we will never leave primary day thinking we're all set," Massachusetts Democratic Party chairman John Walsh said Tuesday, vowing an aggressive grassroots strategy to rally Democrats across the state behind Markey.

Gomez, 47, won a three-way primary against former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and state Rep. Daniel Winslow. Markey, 66, a member of Congress for the last 36 years, defeated fellow U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch on the Democratic side.

"This election, ladies and gentleman, will not be easy," Markey said in his primary victory speech, suggesting that national Republicans were prepared to "move mountains of money to buy this election."

Gomez, meanwhile, painted Markey as a longtime Washington insider in a speech that included moments of Spanish. He said he was playing Little League Baseball when Markey was first elected to Congress.

In many ways, Gomez fits the profile of a new brand of politician that Republican leaders are looking for. The Republican National Committee released a report in March calling for better minority outreach and more inclusive tones on immigration and social issues.

Gomez is the son of Columbian immigrants and speaks fluent Spanish. He supports gay marriage, but says it should be decided state by state. He personally opposes abortion, citing his Catholic faith, but hasn't advocated overturning Roe v. Wade.

Over more than three decades in Congress, Markey quietly built a legislative portfolio that included work on energy, telecommunication, national security and the environment. When oil began spilling into the Gulf of Mexico following an offshore explosion, Markey pushed to make live video footage of the spill available.

The Democrat begins the race with a significant financial advantage. He led all other candidates in fundraising and had won the backing early on of Kerry and a large segment of the Democratic establishment.

Gomez, who launched a career in private equity after leaving the military, has already loaned his campaign at least $600,000.

He has the backing of a so-called super PAC that can raise and spend unlimited sums of money. Eric Fehrnstrom, previously a top aide to former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, advises the outside group, known as the Committee for a Better Massachusetts.

A handful of Romney's team is playing key roles on Gomez' campaign.

Still, some Republicans in Washington are quietly pessimistic about the race because of the political realities of Massachusetts, where Democrats enjoy a 1-million-voter registration advantage. Unaffiliated voters make up almost 53 percent of the electorate.

Republicans also concede that Gomez isn't always comfortable in the spotlight. Save for an unsuccessful bid for town selectman, he has never run for political office.

"If you're looking for an experienced, slick talking politician, I'm definitely not your guy," Gomez told supporters Tuesday night. "If you are looking for an independent voice, a new kind of Republican, take a look at our campaign and I'd welcome your support."

Markey suggested the race could have national implications. "This campaign is about standing up to the special interests and the extreme tea party Republicans who want to stop progress and send our country in the wrong direction," he said. "I am ready for that fight."

__

Associated Press writers Steve LeBlanc and Bob Salsberg contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton, already the front-runner in the minds of many Democrats for the 2016 U.S. presidential election, is writing a memoir about world affairs and her time as secretary of state that will likely fuel more speculation about her political future.

The presidential prospects of Clinton, the wife of former President Bill Clinton, are a subject of feverish speculation in Washington and elsewhere as Democrats look to see over the horizon past President Barack Obama.

The book, her fifth, is to be published next year, and a tour to promote the memoir in 2014 would serve only to generate more guessing about her plans for 2016.

Her inner circle insists Clinton has made no decision one way or the other. This has not stopped the formation of a "Ready for Hillary" political action committee to promote her potential candidacy and seek volunteers and monetary contributions.

Among the subjects Clinton will explore are the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the overthrow of the Qaddafi regime in Libya, the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Arab Spring, diplomacy pertaining to Iran and North Korea and relations with U.S. allies.

"Hillary Clinton's extraordinary public service has given her a unique perspective on recent history and the challenges we face," said Jonathan Karp, president and publisher of the Simon & Schuster Publishing Group who will edit Clinton's as-yet untitled book.

The book will also address trends in economics, energy and climate change, democracy and human rights, the critical role of women and girls, technology and innovation and health and human development, Simon & Schuster said on Thursday.

When she left the State Department February 1, Clinton, 66, had been suffering from a blood clot near her brain. She said she needed some time to rest and to settle on ways she can help women and children in the United States and around the world.

She is now re-emerging. Last month she announced that she now supports marriage rights for gay Americans. Back when she ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 she had backed civil unions for gay couples.

On Tuesday night in Washington, she spoke about global women's rights at an event held by the non-governmental organization Vital Voices, sharing the stage with a potential 2016 rival, Vice President Joe Biden.

She will give her first paid speech in Dallas on April 24, the day before she attends ceremonies there marking the opening of George W. Bush's presidential library.

Polls show Clinton as the runaway frontrunner at this stage among Democrats for their party's 2016 presidential nomination and that she leads all potential Republican contenders, including former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

(Additional reporting by Chris Michaud in New York and Susan Heavey in Washington; editing by Jackie Frank)

The pardon was announced on state television Tuesday amid renewed calls for President Thein Sein's government to release hundreds more political prisoners still believed to be behind bars.

Myanmar has routinely denied the existence of political prisoners, saying all people sentenced to jail have been convicted legitimately of breaking the nation's laws. Nevertheless, hundreds of prominent political detainees have been freed since the former general took office two years ago after a long-ruling army junta was dissolved.

In February, Thein Sein appointed a 16-member committee to review the cases of inmates identified by opposition groups as prisoners of conscience. Some cases are complicated because they involve bombings or threats to state security or national stability. Rights groups say many other people were wrongfully convicted and given extreme sentences for actions that would not be considered crimes elsewhere.

Ye Aung, a former prisoner and a member of the government committee, said at least 59 political prisoners were released Tuesday and that at least 300 others remain incarcerated, most of them members of ethnic minorities.

Opposition leaders and rights groups have accused the government of using political prisoners as "bargaining chips" releasing some to prove progress, holding others to push the West to ease more sanctions.

The last major prisoner release coincided with a visit to the country by President Barack Obama. Tuesday's pardon came after the European Union dropped all political and economic sanctions against Myanmar to support the country's "remarkable process" in democratic reforms, while warning that it must control recent ethnic violence.

"Amnesties almost always coincide with international events. Today's amnesty coincides with the lifting of EU sanctions," said Ko Ko Gyi, who was released from jail last year and is one of the country's most prominent former political prisoners.

"The government should acknowledge the existence of political prisoners and release them all," he said.

One of those released Tuesday from Yangon's notorious Insein prison, Zaw Moe, said he was among at least five political prisoners freed there. But he said he could not be content because "many of my friends remain" behind bars. "I'm worried about them."

Zaw Moe had been sentenced to an 18-year term in 2008 for alleged links to dissident groups fighting against the former military government.

Veteran filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who is 2013's jury president, will make this an Oscar-winning quartet a rare event for a festival that prides itself on celebrating less mainstream, independent cinema.

"The Oscars (connection) is a coincidence as all this people are friends of Cannes. And don't forget that these stars are also involved and engaged in independent cinema," Cannes Artistic Director Thierry Fremaux told The Associated Press.

"It has to be legitimate and glamorous... They all have their (unique) place in the jury," he added.

Kidman, who trod the Riviera festival's red carpet last year for the nominated "Paperboy," will certainly add a glamour factor, but will join a host of lesser known, but equally important, industry names including Romanian director Cristian Mungiu who won the festival's prize for best screenplay in 2012 for "Beyond The Hills."

Other jurors include French actor Daniel Auteuil, Indian actress Vidya Balan, Scottish director Lynne Ramsay, and Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase.

They will all vote on the 19 nominated films, which include a sprinkling of works by old Cannes favorites like Roman Polanski, the Coen Brothers and Steven Soderbergh, to decide the winner of the coveted Palme d'Or. The festival's top accolade will be awarded on May 26.

In what will please those who have accused Cannes of sexism in the past, again this year the jury is balanced between genders.

"It's tradition: a male or female president, then four women and four men. It's important that at a time when women's in cinema is under scrutiny, to stick to this tradition," said Fremaux.

Last year, Cannes was accused of sexism for a compiling a Palme d'Or shortlist of films that included no women directors. This year, there is only one female Palme d'Or contender, from the sister of former French first lady Carla Bruni, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi with her feature "A Chateau in Italy."

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Thomas Adamson can be followed at Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP

Moore was taken to a local hospital Thursday night with a concussion. While there, he developed bleeding around his heart and was flown to Grand Junction, Colo., for surgery.

The 25-year-old was performing a flip when he caught the skis of his sled on the top of a jump. He went over the handlebars and the heavy machine ended up rolling over him. He walked off the course with some help.

Later in the competition, his younger brother, Colten, crashed as well. Colten Moore was taken to the hospital with a separated pelvis. He won't need surgery.

The Moore brothers are from Krum, Texas.