WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's choice to be U.S. trade representative is expected to face questions at a Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday about the White House's commitment to pursuing legislation to strike new trade deals as well as his investment in an offshore tax haven.

Obama tapped Mike Froman, his chief international economic affairs adviser, in May to be the next USTR, replacing Ron Kirk who left in early March after four years in the job.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, will press Froman at the hearing at "to engage with Congress to pass TPA (trade promotion authority) legislation," a committee aide said.

The committee's senior Republican, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, will ask whether "the administration will formally request trade promotion authority," said a spokeswoman for Hatch.

Trade promotion authority is major piece of legislation that would allow the White House to submit trade agreements to Congress for straight up-or-down votes without any amendments.

The law expired in 2007 under former President George W. Bush, who had used to it negotiate about a dozen trade deals.

Obama has not formally asked for it to be renewed, although administration officials recently have said they are now prepared to work with Congress on drafting the legislation.

Hatch and Baucus have been in talks with the top Republican and Democrat on the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee in the hope of producing a bipartisan TPA bill that could be approved this year.

The bill has historically been difficult to pass because many Democrats and union groups believe trade deals lead to more jobs moving overseas. As a result, a push by Obama could be needed for a bill to succeed.

Business groups say the legislation is necessary to assure other countries that any deal they strike with the United States won't be picked apart by lawmakers during congressional debate.

The White House already is in a major trade negotiation with 11 other countries in the Asia Pacific region that it hopes to wrap up by the end of the year, and plans to start talks in July with the European Union on a transatlantic free trade pact.

CAYMAN ISLAND ACCOUNT

Froman is also expected to face questions from Senator Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, about investments totaling about $500,000 in a Cayman Island account.

In a statement on Tuesday, Grassley accused Obama of hypocrisy for railing against offshore tax avoidance schemes during his re-election campaign and then nominating Froman for the USTR job, former White House budget director Jack Lew to be U.S. Treasury secretary and Chicago billionaire Penny Pritzker to be Commerce secretary.

"President Obama called the Ugland House the biggest tax scam in the world,'" Grassley said, referring to a building in the Cayman Island where the fund is registered.

"Yet he nominated two top advisers in a row who invested in the Ugland House. He also nominated a Commerce secretary with significant offshore income."

Lew's nomination was approved several months ago, but Pritzker's nomination is still pending.

White House officials said Froman disclosed the Cayman Island investment made through his former employer Citigroup when he joined the administration in 2009 and in annual reports since then.

"Mike Froman has paid every penny of his taxes and reported all of the income, gains and losses from the investment on his tax returns. The existence of this investment is not news. It has been available online for over four years," said White House spokesman Bobby Whithorne.

On the advice of USTR ethics officials, Froman plans to extricate himself from the investment within 90 days if he is confirmed. He was not required by White House ethics official to divest the funds in his old post, Whithorne said.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; editing by Christopher Wilson)

By Tim Kenneally

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - A "Voice" coach's penchant for calling it as he sees it has once again generated controversy.

A mere week after Adam Levine grabbed headlines by blurting out "I hate this country" on the NBC singing competition, Blake Shelton has found himself in a no-doubt unwanted spotlight, after going off on a music critic via Twitter.

Shelton hurled industrial-size portions of vitriol at Houston Chronicle music critic Joey Guerra on Tuesday night, after Guerra wrote about contestant Holly Tucker's departure in less-than-kind words.

In a series of venomous tweets, Shelton called Guerra a spineless coward.

Just kidding; Shelton was much harsher, characterizing Guerra as a "chicken shit" who lacks the "balls" to criticize Tucker - a member of Shelton's team - to Shelton's face.

"OH. Holly Tucker is gone. It took much too long," Guerra wrote in his recap of Tuesday night's episode. "But finally. Back to Baylor University in Waco for you, madam."

That was enough to make Shelton engage in a flurry of what would no doubt be called "fightin' words" in Shelton's neck of the woods.

"It's people like you @joeyguerra that make me sick... Holly is not only a talented singer but a great person that's simply chasing a dream," Shelton wrote.

And then he got nasty.

"How about you @joeyguerra grow some balls and come tell me to my face how terrible some of these kids are face to face..?" Shelton asked of the critic. "You won't. Ever."

And, "You @joeyguerra are a chicken shit. I can't stand a person that makes a point to write hurtful things about kids just trying their best."

And lest Guerra forget just what variety of farmhouse excrement that Shelton believes him to be, the country singer reiterated, "How much do y'all wanna bet he'd NEVER criticize my team OR me like that face to face.... Chicken shit."

Shelton later apologized to his three-million Twitter followers - but notably, not to Guerra - in a tweet explaining that he's "passionate" about nurturing young talent.

"I'm sorry for going off y'all...," Shelton wrote. "But I am passionate about encouraging young people to follow their dreams.. We GOOD people don't need hate."

Except, apparently, when it comes to hating poison-penned music critics.

BUSSETO, Italy (Reuters) - This year's Giro d'Italia claimed two major victims when pre-race favorite Bradley Wiggins and defending champion Ryder Hesjedal withdrew prior to Friday's 13th stage, the pair citing illness as the reason for abandoning the tour.

Wiggins enjoyed a stellar 2012 when he became the first Briton to win the Tour de France and backed that up with a time trial gold medal at the London Olympics before turning his attention towards adding to those titles in Italy.

He looked strong early in the 21-stage race but gradually slipped out of contention, blaming his poor performance on a chest infection that eventually led to his withdrawal.

"Due to a worsening chest infection, the decision was taken for Wiggins not to start the race's 13th stage on Friday from Busseto to Cherasco," his Team Sky said in a statement, adding that Colombian Rigoberto Uran, third overall, was the new team leader.

"We monitored Bradley overnight and this morning we've withdrawn him from the Giro after consulting the team doctor," team principal Dave Brailsford added.

"His chest infection has been getting worse and our primary concern is always the health of our riders.

"Bradley will return to the UK today for treatment and to rest and we hope to have him back on the road as soon as possible. As a passionate racer he wanted to continue but he is simply unable to do so on medical grounds."

After losing more than three minutes on the main contenders on a wet 12th stage, Wiggins was lying 13th overall, 5:22 adrift of leader Vincenzo Nibali of Italy.

The Briton's withdrawal came shortly after defending champion Hesjedal also abandoned the race, with the Canadian's Garmin-Sharp team announcing the news earlier on Friday.

HEARTBROKEN HESJEDAL

Hesjedal had slipped to 38th place, 32 minutes and 55 seconds down on Nibali after suffering badly in the first mountain stages of the race last weekend.

"It's heartbreaking," Hesjedal said in a news release.

"I want to be here for my team and for all the people who have supported me to get me here to this point.

"I built my entire season around the Giro and I came here feeling great, but I have been suffering since the (stage eight) TT (individual time trial).

"We're working on it but we're not sure what's wrong. There's a virus that's been going around, so it could be that, or severe allergies."

Hesjedal became his country's first Giro d'Italia winner when he edged out Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez by 16 seconds after a ferocious two-week duel through the mountains, with the Canadian gaining the upper hand on the final day's time trial in Milan.

Wiggins and Hesjedal's withdrawals follows that of France national champion Nacer Bouhanni, who announced on Thursday evening that he was quitting the race.

Friday's 254-km stage favors the sprinters and runs from Busseto to Cherasco with this year's race finishing in Brescia on May 26.

(Additional reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by John O'Brien)

Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade, a military spokesman, said in a statement that one soldier also was missing as "forces have been engaging a large number of heavily armed terrorists" for the last two days. He did not say exactly where the fighting occurred but that about 20 people were arrested.

There was no independent confirmation of the military's claims.

Olukolade says the extremists are in "disarray" and fleeing to Nigeria's borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

A decree by President Goodluck Jonathan put Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states under emergency rule, allowing the military to arrest anyone and occupy any building it suspects of housing extremists.

The only way to qualify for the elite field of 30 in the PGA Tour's season-opening event was through victory on the U.S. circuit last year and, with no cut and a guaranteed check after Monday's final round, the pickings are certainly favorable.

"It's always great to be here," American Hunter Mahan, a twice champion on the 2012 PGA Tour, told reporters at the Kapalua Resort while preparing for Friday's opening round.

"Obviously you won on the PGA Tour the year before so it's a great start and every player enjoys coming here and wants to start here.

"It's exciting but it's also crazy ... I feel like the year never really ended last year, it just kind of keeps on going. But it's certainly fun to be here."

Masters champion Bubba Watson agreed.

"Who would not want to come to Maui and play golf?" the American left-hander smiled.

"Ride in a golf cart in the pro-ams and practice rounds wearing shorts and then the tournament starts and you have to walk. But other than that it's great.

"A great time for the family, hanging out with friends and seeing the scenery. Playing the golf course is a challenge," Watson said of the par-73, 7,411-yard Plantation layout, "but it's a fun time to start off the year here in Maui."

DOWN TIME

Many of the players competing at Kapalua make the most of what time they have away from the golf course by surfing, swimming and taking the ever popular whale-watching cruises but Mahan said he was unlikely to follow suit.

"I don't particularly like the water that much," Mahan said. "I get seasick pretty easily, so I won't be out in the water too much.

"There's a hundred different things you can do here. At the same time, this is great weather and I'm trying to work on my game a little bit and make sure I get enough time for that."

While the Maui attractions are certainly plentiful for the competitors and their families, seven leading players who had qualified for the PGA Tour's season-opener have opted not to travel to Hawaii, mainly for tournament scheduling reasons.

Those notable absentees are world number one Rory McIlroy, second-ranked Luke Donald and Justin Rose (fourth), along with former Kapalua winners Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia.

American veteran Steve Stricker, who clinched his 12th PGA Tour victory by three shots at Kapalua last year, is back to defend his title.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

Dangote Cement, Nigeria's biggest cement producer, said it expected turnover of around 81.6 billion naira in the first quarter, compared with 64.1 billion naira it achieved in the same period in 2012.

The company which is majority owned by billionaire tycoon Aliko Dangote earlier this month shut down a fifth of its production capacity because of a glut in the market caused by imported cement from Asia.

It is yet to release its 2012 full year results.

Obama says in Saturday's radio and Internet address that he believes leaders in Congress may be able to reach an agreement that can pass both houses before taxes rise and spending cuts take effect at the end of the year.

He urges "Washington politics" to not get in the way of "America's progress."

In the Republican address, Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt says "inaction shouldn't be an option" and the nation can avoid going over the fiscal cliff if Obama and the Democratic-controlled Senate work with Republicans to solve the problem.

___

Online:

Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov

GOP address: www.youtube.com/gopweeklyaddress

"I didn't want to hear it, so I've told him, 'If you try to leave, well, you didn't see me and tell me, so you can't,'" said Clark, the Steelers' free safety. "'That would make you not to be a man of your word, and I know you as such.'"

Clark needn't worry. The 75-year-old LeBeau has every intention of returning in 2013 for what would be a 55th consecutive season in the NFL.

LeBeau opened his first meeting of the week with his defense by telling players he'll come back for a 10th season as Pittsburgh's defensive coordinator.

LeBeau, a Hall of Famer, publicly will only say his status is in the hands of head coach Mike Tomlin. But with the defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL for the second consecutive season and fifth time in nine years, there's little reason to think Tomlin would make a change.

"Let's just say I really like Pittsburgh and I really like working for the Steelers," LeBeau said after practice Thursday. "Coach Tomlin will tell you if he wants me back or not. It will be up to Mike."

Asked as a follow-up if he would come back if asked, LeBeau smiled and said, "I love Pittsburgh."

The city has come to love LeBeau, too, after he orchestrated a defense that has ranked in the top five of the league in 10 of his 11 seasons as defensive coordinator. LeBeau also held the job in 1995-96 under former head coach Bill Cowher.

Not even the famed Steel Curtain defenses of the 1970's statistically, at least can match what LeBeau's units have accomplished. Only two Steelers teams during their run of four Super Bowl titles in six years under Chuck Noll were No. 1 in total defense.

Since LeBeau returned for his second stint with the franchise in 2004, the Steelers have been to three Super Bowls winning two and have had the No. 1 defense five times.

"We know he's the best in the game," veteran linebacker Larry Foote said. "I think everybody else around the league knows it. A lot of times in the games it turns into a chess match, and he wins his share."

Known as the architect of the so-called "zone blitz," LeBeau's teams have been known for the confusion they cause and for their pressure on opposing quarterbacks. His record against rookie starting quarterbacks over the past nine years is 14-2.

His resume after more than a half-century in the league earns the respect of players but it's his calm and fatherly demeanor that endears those who play for LeBeau to him.

They openly campaigned for LeBeau to get into the Hall of Fame for his 14-year career with the Detroit Lions that included 62 interceptions. LeBeau wept when, on New Year's Day 2006, his players en masse showed up for a game against Detroit wearing his throwback No. 44 Lions jersey.

"One of the joys of coming to work as a Pittsburgh Steeler free safety is getting to see Coach Lebeau every year," Clark said.

LeBeau, who was head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2000-02, doesn't look like a man who will be 76 when next season opens.

"He's like a grandfather but I don't want to say grandfather because he doesn't really act like a typical grandfather," Foote said. "He's a man of a lot of jokes and wisdom and he encourages everybody.

"He can get around, especially when all his buddies come in. He's always screaming, always running around, doing push-ups."

Keenly aware of where his defense ranks, LeBeau could have gone out with a team that has a chance of finishing the season No. 1 in the NFL in total defense, passing defense and rushing defense. Heading into the season finale Sunday against Cleveland (5-10), the Steelers are No. 2 in rushing defense and No. 1 in the other two categories.

But those stout numbers haven't translated into enough victories this season, with Pittsburgh (7-8) set to miss the playoffs for only the third time in LeBeau's 14 seasons on the staff. He was Cowher's defensive backfield coach from 1992-94.

Despite the gaudy overall rankings this season, LeBeau's Steelers weren't the "closers" they were in the past. Four times, Pittsburgh blew a fourth-quarter lead. The Steelers also uncharacteristically finished in the bottom half of the NFL in sacks and turnovers forced.

"The truth of the matter is we didn't get off to a really good start on defense this year," LeBeau said. "I don't think it was ever quite as bad as it was perceived to be, but we weren't playing the way we wanted to play. For, I'd say over a month and a half now, our third down numbers have been good. We got a little behind early in all phases, but these guys stayed together and played pretty doggone good defense and got us back to where we like to be, up near the top of the bunch."

As usual, LeBeau credits the players for the defense's success. That's just one reason why they share such adulation for him.

"He sets the tone," Foote said. "He's the reason. He always brings us guys together. He puts us in the right situation to make plays."

Notes: TE Heath Miller was named team MVP after a vote by the players. Miller, who has a team-high 71 receptions and is tied for the team lead with eight touchdowns, had surgery Thursday to repair multiple torn ligaments in his right knee. He is the first tight end to win the award. ... RT Mike Adams was named team rookie of the year and NT Casey Hampton was given the "Chief Award" for cooperation with the media.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

The maker of Photoshop and Acrobat software said the move, which it announced on Thursday, would accelerate efforts to bring "community" features to its Creative Cloud line of design software, which it introduced last year.

Creative Cloud is a service that includes many of Adobe's flagship programs for handling tasks such as editing photos and videos, designing publications as well as building websites. It is sold via subscriptions that also come with web-based services such as remote storage and access to online communities.

The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle; Editing by Richard Chang)

I could give you excuses about why the affair started up again, but the truth is we both knew it was wrong and continued to do it anyway. I never stopped loving him and I thought it would bring him back to me.

Today I found out from Jordan's fiancee that they have set their wedding date for next spring. She said they would like for me to come. As if it wouldn't be painful enough to go to the wedding, his fiancee has also asked me to do her hair for the occasion. (I'm a hairstylist.)

Abby, Jordan and I are still having an affair. I want to tell her, but I don't want him to hate me. I believe this wedding is a big mistake for many reasons, not just the obvious. Please give me some outside advice. -- CAN'T HELP MYSELF IN OHIO

DEAR CAN'T HELP YOURSELF: OK, the first thing to do is wake up, smell the coffee and accept that resuming the sexual relationship with Jordan has not had the desired effect. He will be marrying someone else.

Next, concentrate on saving yourself and waste no more of your time on him -- that is, if you would like a permanent, monogamous relationship with someone. Jordan has given you ample proof that he is incapable of being faithful to one woman.

And last, tell his fiancee that you do not plan to attend the wedding or do her hair because you are in love with Jordan and have been sleeping with him since last summer.

DEAR ABBY: I have known my husband for seven years and I love him very much, but I am no longer "in love" with him. Somehow along the way the spark has fizzled.

We have a wonderful family and have been through so much together. I don't want a divorce. I want to make our marriage work, and so does he. So how do I get my spark back? -- SPARKLESS IN TEXAS

DEAR SPARKLESS: That you and your husband want your marriage to work means it is capable of being resuscitated. While you didn't give any details, it is possible that you have been "through so much" that it didn't allow you to concentrate on each other. Exhaustion and distraction can cause a spark to fizzle.

A way to reignite it would be to spend more time alone together, participate in activities you both enjoy, and make time on a regular basis to talk, relax and touch each other. And if necessary, enlist the services of a licensed marriage counselor.

DEAR ABBY: My sister relinquished custody of her kids in a divorce 30 years ago. I recently made contact with them to re-establish lost ties. The contact I made with the daughter has been a wonderful success. The other resulted in complete -- and understandable -- rejection.

Now my sister, who didn't want to open the door, blames me for her heartache because her son rejected her. Was I wrong for bringing at least one of them back into the family? -- SISTER IN THE SOUTH

DEAR SISTER: Because you did it over your sister's objections, I think you were. While the daughter seems interested in establishing contact -- at least for now -- your sister has now "lost" her son twice. And if the daughter eventually backs off, your sister will be zero for two.

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 an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order "How to Be Popular." Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)