Ford Motor Co (F.N) will idle its auto plant in Genk, Belgium, for five days starting April 4, to conserve parts following the earthquake and nuclear crisis in Japan that has disrupted supplies for numerous automakers.The shutdown had been set for May but the automaker chose to idle the plant sooner "to ensure we have…

s office check-ups for youth. The idea, urged by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), is to help ward off a newish subset of depression entitled "Facebook depression," wherein kids who haven't yet adapted to the harsh realities of social networking may get distressed and become socially isolated.What does "Facebook Depression" look like? Well, a…

paywall," goes live at 2 p.m. Eastern today. Readers can access up to 20 stories for free every month, as well as a limited amount of gratis content via the Times smartphone app. After that, it's a metered service; $15 a month buys unlimited access to the Times Web site and the premium smartphone app,…

DEAR ABBY: I'm an independent, 41-year-old woman who attracts men who are 10 to 13 years younger than I am. I'm not interested in them because I feel they are only after one thing. Another problem is, when I start getting close to a man my own age, he always makes me feel "smothered." It…

WASHINGTON – The Penguins aren't planning to have Evgeni Malkin back this season.Coach Dan Bylsma nodded his head yes Sunday when asked if he was preparing as if the injured All-Star center won't return until the fall.Malkin tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee when he collided with defenseman Tyler Myers in the…

WASHINGTON – Ford Motor Co. recalled nearly 365,000 F-150 pickup trucks in North America on Thursday to fix a problem with the interior door handles that could lead to the doors opening in a crash.Ford said the recall affects about 280,000 F-150s in the U.S. from the 2009 and 2010 model years built from Jan.…

-- Given that the repressive government of Egypt received $1.5 billion in military and economic aid from the US government in 2010, it’s not surprising that it is also well represented in Washington’s lobbying community on K Street.Chris Good ofnotes that since 2007 the Egyptian government has paid the DC-based lobbying firm PLM Group $1.1…

(Corrects Jan 20th story throughout to reflect that Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S changed forecast EPS figure to 37 cents a share from 35 cents, and adjusted actual EPS figure to 43 cents from 26 cents. The bank therefore beat expectations for profits, rather than missing them. The error first appeared in UPDATE 4)By Dan WilchinsNEW YORK…

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US doctors are treating soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by plunging them back into combat, using a virtual reality game that simulates battle scenes from Iraq and Afghanistan.The therapeutic game, called Virtual Iraq or Virtual Afghanistan, was developed from the X-Box game Full Spectrum Warrior, a combat tactical simulation game…

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) – Where Mike Tomlin ranks among the NFL's top head coaches is open to debate but there is no doubt about where he stands among women football fans after being named the league's sexiest coach.The strong, silent type, Tomlin's unruffled demeanor and smoldering good looks earned the Pittsburgh Steelers coach a top spot…