Blackhawks beat Canucks in shootout

CHICAGO (AP) — Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane scored in the first three rounds of a shootout to give Chicago a 2-1 victory over Vancouver on Wednesday night, extending the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks' winning streak to four games.

Kane scored on a backhander in the third round, sending the puck between Patrick Luongo's legs.

Vancouver's Mikael Samuelsson then sent a backhand attempt wide.

Samuelsson was the only shooter to miss. Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler converted for Vancouver in the first two rounds. Sedin and Chicago's Viktor Stalberg scored in regulation.

Kings 4, Hurricanes 3

At Los …

Chapman's lawyer: Businesswoman not committed spy

The lawyer for one of the woman who pleaded guilty in a Cold War-era style U.S.-Russia spy case says she did so to get out of jail.

Robert Braun also maintains in a nationally broadcast interview that whatever tasks Anna Chapman carried out over the past several years for her Russian handlers were "minimal under the statute with which she was charged."

Braun told ABC …

Ford CEO resigns; founder's great-grandson takes over

Under mounting pressure from faltering sales and a troubled dispute with Bridgestone/Firestone about a recall of the company's tires, Ford Motor Co. CEO Jacques Nasser, 53, announced his resignation. The announcement was made from Detroit on Oct. 30 that Nasser was stepping down and that William Clay Ford Jr., 44, chairman …

Belgium's KBC bank posts 12 percent rise in fourth quarter net profit

Belgian bank KBC Group NV posted a 12 percent rise in fourth-quarter net profit on Thursday as the strong performance of its Belgian and Central European businesses pulled it through unsettled market conditions.

The bank's chief executive, Andre Bergen, said any impact of the U.S. subprime crisis would be limited and the pessimism it saw in financial markets "we cannot fully reconcile with business reality in our core markets,"

Net profit was euro708 million (US$1.03 billion), up from euro634 million (US$924.7 million) a year …

Beckham in Capello's plans for World Cup

England coach Fabio Capello intends to bring David Beckham to the World Cup if the midfielder plays regularly in his second sojourn at AC Milan.

In an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday, Capello was asked if he would bring the 34-year-old former England captain to South Africa.

The coach …

Chinese family opens hearts in `Great Wall'

Since Richard Nixon's historic trip to China in 1972, whichofficially ended 23 years of U.S. nonrecognition of more than 1billion people, the artistic, cultural, economic and politicalfloodgates between the two superpowers have continued to open wider.

There is a tremendous mutual fascination between Americans andthe Chinese. Much of that fascination, as reflected in newsreporting and filmmaking, has dealt with the big picture, thesweeping panoramas and diversity of both nations - "The Last Emperor"syndrome, if you will.

A vastly different view will unfold from 8 to 10 tonight onWTTW-Channel 11, as the PBS "American Playhouse" series presents "AGreat Wall." A …

Scherzinger, Jones not returning to 'X Factor'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones are out at "The X Factor."

A Fox spokeswoman said Monday that the judge and host will not return for the show's second season. No other details were provided.

Jones, a British TV personality, called his departure "a shame" on Twitter and added that he couldn't complain, "as I've had a great time." He gave no reason why he wasn't returning to the singing contest.

Jones was originally slated to host "X Factor" alongside Scherzinger, who replaced British pop star Cheryl Cole as a judge when executive producer Simon Cowell and other producers had second thoughts about Cole …