World

NEW YORK - Carnival Cruise Lines prices have taken a dip this spring, according to pricing data, and some industry observers blame headlines about problems on several Carnival ships. Todd Elliott, owner of Cruise Vacation Outlet, said his agents had seen a drop in price of 20 percent or more for equivalent cruises. "Rates are far lower than I have seen in a while; for example, the Carnival Dream, seven nights, Eastern Caribbean out of Port Canaveral, May 4 is $299 per person," he said.

SYDNEY LEFT HOLDING A BAG Police said a 25-year-old woman was changing her baby's diaper in the backseat of her car in a suburban shopping center parking lot yesterday when she felt someone pulling at the bag of dirty diapers near her leg. A man kicked her and punched her in the face to get the bag, causing bruises and breaking her tooth. The thief got away.

For $39,000 (plus tax and delivery charges), you can own the world. Well, you can own a replica of it. The geophysical globe, six feet in diameter and 500 pounds, was delivered yesterday to the new Rand McNally Map & Travel Store at One Liberty Place in Center City. A crew of six was needed to carry the globe and hoist it, hemisphere by hemisphere, into place, suspended from the ceiling. The store, Rand McNally's fifth, will be open to the public on Aug. 31.

This war is . . . the end of Europe, the end of the United States, the end of Serbia, and the end of Kosovo. But it is the beginning of the world. Why? This illegal war (because it was taken on without the United Nations) confirms the existence of a right in principle to intervene in cases of serious violations of human rights in any country. It is a first step in a process that is leading to the creation of a global police. We are living through the first war of globalization.

Ruairi Ward, 8, enjoys unseasonably warm temperatures while playing with a plastic globe yesterday in Rittenhouse Square. Ruairi, who is from Ireland, is visiting relatives here.

If people choose to buy Allen Iverson's CDs, that's up to them. It's freedom of speech. It's like buying cigarettes or booze. People may be offended, but if people are going to make him richer by buying his CDs, it must be the world accepts it. I don't agree with what he said and it's offensive, but it's like what the President did. Notice: He's still in office. Kelly Hall Richboro Have an opinion on the news or issues of the day? Call Voicebox, The Inquirer's voice opinion line, 24 hours a day at 215-854-4405.

What is it like to don the white toque of a chef? About 30 students from a home economics class at Scott Intermediate School in Coatesville traveled to Clemente's Ristorante in West Chester on Monday to find out for themselves.

IN THE electric-blue state of Pennsylvania, I often find myself defending my limited support for President Bush. I wouldn't describe myself as a red-blooded conservative, though I have been known to strike an extremely conservative pose on some issues. But recently I have tired of defending a man mocked and criticized by blood-thirsty liberals who refuse to see anything but the worst. Perhaps, in one final attempt, someone might listen. It strikes me as odd that so many were ready to crucify Bush after his first term.

ASUMMER SOMETHING to rave about: The gorgeous arrangement of perennial flowers and ornamental grasses has graced the median of Spring Garden Street for nearly a decade, but this year the color is particularly arresting. The arrangement is part of the "public landscape" program of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Philadelphia Green, which since 1987 has worked with corporations, government and ordinary citizens to transform the public areas that mark visitors' entrances into the city.

What's a busy mother to do? Monday should be the night you get to catch up on all the shows you DVRed on Sunday night. But the networks aren't giving you much of a chance, particularly if you happen to be a fan of The Voice or Dancing With the Stars , both of which soak up two-hour blocks on Mondays. There are fresh temptations, too, for viewers who like the traditional TV fare of sitcoms and dramas. Hammocked between How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls , CBS has the peskily charming Partners at 8:30 p.m. Joe (David Krumholtz - Jeff Daniels' psychiatrist on Newsroom )

WASHINGTON - The U.S. has identified five men who might be responsible for the attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, last year, and has enough evidence to justify seizing them by military force as suspected terrorists, officials say. But there isn't enough proof to try them in a U.S. civilian court as the Obama administration prefers. The men remain at large while the FBI gathers evidence. But the investigation has been slowed by the reduced U.S. intelligence presence in the region since the attacks, and by the limited ability to assist by Libya's post-revolutionary law enforcement and intelligence agencies, which are still in their infancy.

Rafsanjani off Iran's ballot list TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's election overseers removed potential wild-card candidates from the presidential race Tuesday, blocking a top aide of outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a former president who revived hopes of reformers. Their exclusion from the June 14 presidential ballot gives establishment-friendly candidates a clear path to succeed Ahmadinejad, who has lost favor with the ruling clerics after years of power struggles. The official ballot list, announced on state TV, followed a nearly six-hour delay in which the names were kept under wraps.

FLYERS DEFENSEMAN Erik Gustafsson scored to help Sweden become the first home team to win the world hockey championships in 27 years, beating Switzerland, 5-1, yesterday in Stockholm for its ninth title. Vancouver Canucks star Henrik Sedin had two goals and an assist, and Buffalo Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth made 26 saves to help Sweden become the first team to win the title on home ice since the Soviet Union in 1986. Switzerland earned its first medal in 60 years. "It was a tight game," Sedin said.