ABC's Robin Roberts hospitalized again



NEW YORK (AP) Robin Roberts spent two days in the hospital fighting off an infection as part of her recuperation from a rare blood disease, and is off "Good Morning America" this week to rest.

The ABC News morning show host said she felt ill last week while on vacation and was told to return to New York and go to the hospital. She's home now, and posted on Facebook on Thursday that she's feeling much better.

Roberts underwent a bone marrow transplant in September to treat MDS, a blood and bone marrow disease. She was off work for five months before returning to the top-rated network morning show on a part-time basis in February.

She's generally worked three days a week, occasionally four. At the beginning of her return, ABC kept a potential fill-in on call at the studio in case she was feeling too ill to continue, the network said.

Roberts said doctors told her that her setback did not occur because she was working or doing too much.

"It's extremely common, post-bone marrow transplant, to have complications," she wrote. "I'm blessed that mine have not been severe."

She said she planned to be back on the top-rated network morning show next week.

Roberts also wrote that her heart goes out to Boston residents.

"It saddens me that I haven't been able to join my colleagues in covering this important story," she said.

Samsung says considers Hynix chips for its mobile products



SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co is considering purchasing mobile memory chips from rival SK Hynix Inc for future products including its new flagship Galaxy S smartphone to be launched this month, J.K. Shin, head of Samsung's mobile business, said on Thursday.

A supply deal would be a boost to SK Hynix, which relies heavily on Apple Inc as a customer for its mobile dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips.

It also points to tightening chip supplies as mobile gadget makers prepare to upgrade their flagship product lines with greater variety and increased memory storage capacity.

Prices of mobile DRAM chips have increased steadily since early this year, reflecting a tightening supply outlook.

Samsung, the world's biggest maker of DRAM chips, has largely depended on internal supplies of memory chips for its Galaxy range of smartphones, but the market has expected it may also begin looking to outside chip suppliers to ensure no supply disruptions for key models of its Galaxy S smartphone.

The Galaxy S4, which will go on sale later this month, is expected to outsell its predecessors, with monthly sales of about 10 million, and could leapfrog past Apple's iPhone which recaptured the top spot in global smartphone sales in the fourth quarter, analysts said.

Shares in Hynix dropped 2.8 percent on Thursday as Apple suppliers were hit by concerns of weaker demand from the iPhone and iPad maker, after a disappointing revenue forecast by one of its suppliers.

Shares in LG Display Co, which makes flat screens for Apple's iPhone and iPad, tumbled 4.3 percent.

(Reporting by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Edmund Klamann)

Supplier woes stir Apple demand fears, Asian parts makers dive



By Poornima Gupta and Noel Randewich

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc's shares fell below $400 on Wednesday for the first time since December 2011 after a U.S. chip supplier's disappointing revenue forecast fanned fears about weakening demand for the iPhone and iPad as competition intensifies.

The surprise warning by Cirrus Logic Inc knocked down shares of key component suppliers like South Korea's LG Display Co Ltd and Japan's Toshiba Corp on Thursday in Asia, a region that supplies the lion's share of chips, cases and displays for the Cupertino, California-based company.

The Cirrus Logic revenue forecast fueled fears that demand for the iPhone - which makes up more than half of Apple's revenue - is slowing more quickly than expected as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and other rivals that use Google Inc's Android software flood the market with cheaper phones. It has also thrown the spotlight on Apple's quarterly earnings announcement due out next week, with some analysts saying the results could miss already reduced estimates.

"This is a tough environment. Apple is in transition between products," said Michael Yoshikami, a portfolio manager at California-based Destination Wealth Management, which owns about 50,000 Apple shares. Cirrus's warning "makes it more likely Apple's not going to surprise on upside."

Cirrus Logic, which makes analog and audio chips for the iPhone and iPad, warned of a reduced product forecast from one customer - which it did not name. But 90 percent or more of its business comes from Apple, making it a key indicator of demand for iPhones and iPads.

That sent shares of Apple below $400 briefly before they ended 5.5 percent lower at $402.80. The drop wiped off more than $22 billion of market value.

In Asia, shares of flat-screen supplier LG Display shed 4 percent and mobile chip maker SK Hynix slipped 3 percent. NAND flash maker Toshiba and component maker Murata Manufacturing Co Ltd both fell 2 percent.

LG Display will report earnings on Monday and SK Hynix next Wednesday.

BEARISH ON SUPPLIERS

"We've been bearish about shares of Apple's suppliers for quite some time," said Andrew Wang, Chief Investment Officer of Manulife Asset Management in Taiwan.

"It is now very clear that Apple's market share has reached the peak, given that Samsung has taken a big chunk of it and HTC has had a few nice models since last year," he said, referring to Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp.

Cirrus's weak forecast followed a 19 percent decline in first-quarter sales at Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, Apple's main contract manufacturer. The Taiwanese company makes an estimated 60 to 70 percent of its revenue assembling iPhones and iPads, and carrying out other work for Apple.

Hon Hai shares were down 1.2 percent on Thursday.

Since its September 2012 peak, Apple has lost 40 percent of its market value or more than $280 billion - slightly more than Google Inc's entire capitalization - battered by worries about the effect on Apple's industry-leading margins if it is forced to do faster updates of its products to keep up with rivals.

Some say Apple will not be able to sustain its high gross margins as competition in the tablet and smartphone markets leads to lower prices. Shorter product cycles limit Apple's ability to bring down component costs, Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi said in a note to clients.

"It's a reminder of weakening demand and the challenges around product transitions," Shannon Cross, of Cross Research, said. "There's not a lot of conviction about what the second half is going to look like."

NERVES

Investors are growing increasingly nervous about Apple's growth prospects.

Shares of other chipmakers and Apple suppliers - including Qualcomm Inc, Avago Technologies Ltd, Broadcom Corp and Skyworks Solutions Inc - fell between 2 and 6 percent on Wednesday.

Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope said in a note on Wednesday that Apple's momentum could weaken further before it launches new products later this year.

Apple, which relies heavily on new products to drive its revenue growth, has not had a launch since last October when it unveiled its 7.9-inch iPad mini and an updated full-size iPad.

In the past week, analysts had reduced their estimates for Apple's March quarter revenue on average to $42.53 billion from $42.68 billion.

Apple is expected to report a 9 percent increase in quarterly revenue on April 23, with net profit expected to decline 17 percent to $9.59 billion, or $10.08 a share, for its fiscal second quarter, according to average analysts' estimates.

Bernstein Research's Sacconaghi, who lowered his quarterly revenue estimate to $41.1 billion from $42.4 billion, said he expects mixed results with Apple's revenue coming in below consensus and earnings per share largely as expected.

(Additional reporting by Edwin Chan, Faith Hung in TAIPEI, Miyoung Kim in SEOUL, Ayai Tomisawa in TOKYO; Additonal reporting and writing by Mari Saito; Editing by Maureen Bavdek, Andrew Hay, Leslie Adler, Cynthia Osterman and Chris Gallagher)

'The Legend of Zelda' game coming to Nintendo 3DS



LOS ANGELES (AP) The princess-rescuing adventurer Link is coming to the Nintendo 3DS.

The Japanese gaming giant announced plans Wednesday to bring a new "The Legend of Zelda" installment to its hand-held gaming system.

Nintendo of America Inc. president Reggie Fils-Aime said Tuesday that the new "Zelda" game would be set in the world of "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past," which was originally released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo console.

The as-yet-untitled 3D follow-up will be released later this year and feature a new story and levels, as well as gameplay that allows sword-wielding Link to transform into a 2D drawing.

"It fully utilizes the Nintendo 3DS," said Fils-Aime. "It gives the game a sense of depth, and this puzzle-solving mechanic of being able to launch into a wall and navigate through walls to get into places that Link wouldn't normally be able to get into is exceptionally fresh."

It will mark the first all-new game starring Link for the glasses-free 3D hand-held device.

Other games announced coming to the 3DS include new "Yoshi's Island" and "Mario Party" titles.

Fils-Aime said more than 20 million 3DS games have been sold since the device debuted in 2011.

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang

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Online:

http://www.nintendo.com/3ds

Indian court gives Dutt 4 more weeks before prison



NEW DELHI (AP) Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt was granted more time to work before going to prison for a 1993 weapons conviction linked to a deadly terror attack, though he likely won't be able to finish his four pending films.

The Supreme Court's order Wednesday gives him four more weeks beyond the original deadline, which was Thursday. Dutt had appealed to the court that he needed six months to complete his pending film commitments, which film industry experts have said are worth at least $20 million.

Last month the top court sentenced Dutt to five years in prison for illegal possession of weapons supplied by Muslim mafia bosses linked to the terror attack that killed 257 people in Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment hub.

The 53-year-old actor originally had been sentenced to serve six years in prison on the charge of possessing an automatic rifle and a pistol that were supplied to him by men subsequently convicted in the bombings.

Dutt served 18 months in jail before he was released on bail in 2007 pending an appeal. The Supreme Court reduced his prison sentence to five years.

The actor's case is part of a sprawling Mumbai bombings trial that has lasted 18 years. Dutt maintains he knew nothing about the bombing plot and that he asked for the guns to protect his family his mother was Muslim and his father Hindu after receiving threats during sectarian riots in Mumbai.

The 1993 bombings were seen at the time as the world's worst terrorist attack, with 13 bombs exploding over a two-hour period across Mumbai. Powerful explosives were packed into cars and scooters parked near India's main Bombay Stock Exchange and other sites in the city. In addition to the 257 dead, more than 720 people were injured in the attack.

The bombings were believed to have been acts of revenge for the demolition of a 16th century mosque by Hindu nationalists in northern India in 1992. After the demolition, religious riots erupted, leaving more than 800 people dead, most of them Muslims.

Despite the long-drawn case and his stint in jail, Dutt's Bollywood career flourished over the past two decades. He gained enormous popularity for a series of Hindi films in which he played a reformed thug who follows the teachings of nonviolence advocate and Indian independence hero Mohandas Gandhi.

In addition to the four projects underway, two other movies that Dutt recently completed filming were being readied for release.

Film industry insiders said the time would not be enough for Dutt to complete all his projects.

"One month is too short for the volume of work that Sanjay has on his plate. We are hoping to wrap up as much as we can," said Rensil D'Silva, producer of one of Dutt's films.

Celebs address security concerns at annual NY gala



NEW YORK (AP) The Tribeca Film Festival was born out of the 9/11 terror attacks and celebs attending an annual Vanity Fair gala in New York City Tuesday to kick off this year's event were mindful of the shadow cast by Monday's explosions at the Boston Marathon.

Police and security guards were visible at the festival Tuesday night, where there was an outdoor metal detector for arriving guests.

Whoopi Goldberg said she understood if some people were apprehensive about going out in crowded, public areas.

"I say that's alright. We're out for you," she said. "Stay until you feel better. But we're out here and we got your back."

The actress and TV personality is a juror at the festival this year and directed a documentary that is holding its world premiere called "I Got Somethin' to Tell You" about comedian Moms Mabley.

Aida Turturro, best known for her role on TV's "The Sopranos," said it's important to live your life and not be scared.

"You never know. I mean you can die by crossing the street or you can get hit by a car. ... I think the best thing is to continue life because if you don't they're winning," she said. "If they keep you from living your life than they've won. They've taken your life away from you right there."

Meantime, Jane Rosenthal, the co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, said essentially the event must go on.

"Our hearts are with everyone in Boston," she said. "We can't let terror or fear deter us from doing anything so we're going on with our film festival and as the President and the Mayor says we're gonna keep on doing what we do."

The bombings in Boston, carried out with kitchen pressure cookers packed with explosives and lethal shrapnel, killed three people and injured more than 170. No suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made.

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who attended the gala, said he hoped increased police presence would calm people's fears.

"We believe that by increasing uniform presence we've sort of raised the comfort level. People understandably feel a little anxious after a terrible event ... in Boston, so we do that to again make people feel a little more comfortable and let them know we're on the job."

The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 17 through April 28.

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Online:

http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival

Alicia Rancilio covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow her online at http://www.twitter.com/aliciar

Gospel singer George Beverly Shea dead at 104



(Reuters) - George Beverly Shea, a gospel singer with a deep baritone voice who teamed with Billy Graham for more than 60 years, died on Tuesday after a brief illness, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said. He was 104.

Shea, was born in Ontario, Canada, where his father was a Wesleyan Methodist minister. He first sang for Graham in 1943 and joined the first of Graham's city-wide crusades in 1947, the association said.

"Bev was one of the most humble, gracious men I have ever known and one of my closest friends," Billy Graham said in a statement announcing his death. "I loved him as a brother."

Shea recorded more than 70 albums and received 10 Grammy Award nominations, winning one in 1965. He also received a lifetime achievement award from the organization in 2011.

He was a member of the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame and the Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame and was inducted into the inaugural class of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists' "Hall of Faith" in 2008.

Shea, who lived in North Carolina, is survived by his wife, Karlene, and his children from his first marriage, Ronald and Elaine. His first wife, Erma, died in 1976.

(Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Paul Simao)

Fox removes 'Family Guy' episode from websites



NEW YORK (AP) Fox has pulled from websites a recent episode of "Family Guy" that depicts mass deaths at the Boston Marathon, and has no immediate plans to air it again.

Fox spokeswoman Gaude Paez said Tuesday the episode has been removed from Fox.com and Hulu.com.

In the episode, which originally aired March 17, protagonist Peter Griffin is asked by sports announcer Bob Costas about his performance at the marathon. A flashback shows Peter mowing down runners with his car.

"I'll tell ya, Bob, I just got in my car and drove it," Griffin says. "And when there was a guy in my way, I killed him."

Later, Peter befriends a terrorist who, unbeknownst to him, is plotting to blow up a bridge. When Peter dials a cellphone the friend has given him, explosions and screams are heard. On some websites, an edited clip has been circulating that fuses the two scenes, making it seem incorrectly as if the explosion was at the marathon. Some commenters have implied that the show "predicted" the bombings.

"Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane took to Twitter on Tuesday to vent anger over the edited clip and offer condolences to victims of Monday's bombings at the marathon.

"The edited 'Family Guy' clip currently circulating is abhorrent," MacFarlane tweeted. "The event was a crime and a tragedy, and my thoughts are with the victims."

French chef Alain Ducasse wins lifetime achievement award



LONDON (Reuters) - French chef Alain Ducasse was given a lifetime achievement award on Monday by The World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards for "pushing the boundaries of excellence in cooking" over a 30-year career.

Ducasse, 56, is one of the world's most decorated chefs who won his first three Michelin star award at the age of 33 with Le Louis XV restaurant in the H tel de Paris in Monaco.

He was the first chef to win three Michelin stars in three different cities and his empire now includes more than 20 restaurants around the world, a culinary publishing house, and a culinary institute.

"This is an acknowledgement from the restaurant world itself of chef Ducasse's achievements and positive influence," said William Drew, Editor of Restaurant magazine, organizers of The World's 50 Best Restaurants.

He added in a statement that the award acknowledged not only Ducasse's reputation for innovative French cuisine but also his influence over a generation of chefs and restaurateurs.

The lifetime achievement award is voted for by a 936-strong international voting panel who comprise the World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy.

Past winners include Americans Thomas Keller and Alice Waters, Spain's Juan Mari Arzak, French chefs Jo l Robuchon, Paul Bocuse, Albert and Michel Roux, Italy's Gualtiero Marchesi, and Austrian Eckart Witzigmann.

(Reporting by Paul Casciato, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

Ozzy Osbourne apologizes to family for drink and drugs binge



LONDON (Reuters) - Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne apologized on Tuesday for bingeing on drink and drugs over the last year and a half but said he was not getting a divorce from his wife Sharon.

The British singer's comments on his Facebook page were a response to media speculation about the state of his marriage, with reports that he and Sharon had split up after more than 30 years and were living separately.

"Just to set the record straight, Sharon and I are not divorcing," Osbourne, 64, said on his Facebook page. "I'm just trying to be a better person."

He said he had been drinking and taking drugs for the last year and a half and had been in a "very dark place", but has now been sober for 44 days.

Osbourne, who made his name as lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, has frequently spoken over the years about his battle with drugs and alcohol and has spent time in rehabilitation clinics.

"I would like to apologize to Sharon, my family, my friends and my band mates for my insane behavior during this period ... and my fans," wrote Osbourne.

The Osbournes have become one of Hollywood's most famous couples since starring in a reality television show, "The Osbournes", alongside two of their children, Jack and Kelly, which gave an insight into their family life in Beverly Hills.

Son Jack also dismissed the rumors of a family bust-up.

"Last time I check (sic) a lot of British news papers weren't amazing sources of accurate information. Moving on..." he wrote on Twitter.

Sharon Osbourne, 60, was a regular panelist on U.S. reality TV talent show "America's Got Talent" and played out a battle with colon cancer in public.

(Reporting by Paul Casciato, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)