Anika Noni Rose as Disney's Princess Tiana now on DVD

When Anika Noni Rose met with Disney years ago, she never thought she'd be approached about a history-making role.

Yet, she was.

Rose is Disney's first African American princess, Tiana, in The Princess and the Frog. The movie was recently released on DVD and Blu-Ray disc.

"I always wanted to be a Disney voice, but I didn't know it would be this. When I met with Disney I had many voices ready in my pocket. I thought I would be the best duck or something completely different," the Connecticut-bom actress told reporters in Chicago as frog earrings dangled from her ears during a recent roundtable discussion to promote the film's video release.

There will be scenes …

Police: roadside Bomb wounds Pakistani troops

A roadside bomb exploded Tuesday near a military truck in northwestern Pakistan, wounding at least five troops and one civilian, officials said.

Local police chief Ibrahim Khan said the bomb was apparently attached to a bicycle and went off in the town of Kohat, about 40 miles south of Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province.

He said the injured had been transported to a hospital, where all were listed in stable condition.

Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas confirmed the attack, but provided no further details.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but it comes two days after a suicide bombing outside a …

The north-east's ever-expanding waste line

The digger lurches in the darkness, shredded paper billowingaround it like snow.

In a giant barn near Oldmeldrum, a new industry is in full swing.

A lorry is being loaded with 27 tonnes of waste paper, ready tomake its three-times-a-week trip to Wales.

As it gets ready to leave on its 400-mile journey, a smaller onearrives with waste paper uplifted from the streets of Ellon.

This is just some of the 11,000 tonnes of paper now beingrecycled in Aberdeenshire every year.

The council formerly paid to dispose of its waste paper but thepressure to be green has made recycled paper a valuable commodity.

Now Aberdeenshire Council has three "bulking …

China: Cotton Imports May Be 40% Less Next Year

China consumes a third of the world's cotton, but may import 40% less of the fiber next year on expectation that domestic production will reach a 20-year high, the U.S. Agriculture Department said.

Imports may decline to 1.1 million tons, or 5 million bales, in the year beginning on August 1st, the Department's Foreign Agricultural Service said in a report. Imports are expected to more than double to 1.83 million tons in the current marketing year, the report said.

The U.S. is the dominant supplier of cotton to China. Fewer purchases by the world's most populous nation may crimp New York cotton futures, which have gained 11% this year. About 60% of the 870,059 tons of cotton …

Stones thrown, tear gas fired at Athens march

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Riot police made heavy use of tear gas and stun grenades to disperse youths throwing stones and petrol bombs at a large march through central Athens Wednesday to protest the Greek government's harsh austerity measures.

The clashes came during a 24-hour general strike that brought most public services to a halt, idled all trains and island ferries, grounded flights for four hours and disrupted public transport.

The unions, like many economic experts, question the effectiveness of more austerity at a time when the economy badly needs growth — or possibly a debt restructuring — to emerge from its debt hole.

The country is expected to need more …

Hiddink to leave as Russia coach

Guus Hiddink will leave as coach of Russia's national team when his contract expires on June 30, raising the prospect of him taking a job, with a number of suitors at club and national level.

Hiddink guided Russia to the semifinals of the 2008 European Championships but the team fell short of qualifying for this year's World Cup.

Hiddink wrote in a Dutch newspaper column that he had spoken with new Russian federation president Sergei Fursenko and "it was decided that we will part ways after the expiration of my contract on June 30."

"We decided this now in order to give the federation enough time to look for a successor," he …

Seinfeld's romance amounted to nothing

Remember when Jerry Seinfeld took up with Jessica Sklar - a merefour months after she wed New York theater heir Eric Nederlander?Well guess what? After all that - including Nederlander divorcingSklar forthwith - Seinfeld and his former lady love are now said tobe kaput. MORE ROMANCE: Gossip lovers are all atwitter about VanityFair's interview with Ellen Barkin, expected to be the next bride ofRevlon head guy Ron Perlman. While Barkin is "ringless" in thestory, the actress sports a knuckle-size yellow diamond Harry Winstonsparkler when she appears anonymously in an ad in the same issue forthe Mondo di Marco clothing line. New York sources report,meanwhile, that the cosmetics czar …