LISBON, Portugal [AP] —  The agency that sets the Internet addressing guidelines influencing how people navigate the Web defeated a proposal Friday to give adult Web sites their own “.xxx” domain.

Many in the adult-entertainment industry and religious groups alike had criticized the plan, which the Canadian government also warned this week could leave the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers in the tricky business of content regulation.

The 9-5 decision by ICANN’s board came nearly seven years after the proposal was first floated by ICM Registry LLC. It was the third time ICANN has rejected such a bid. Paul Twomey, ICANN’s chief executive, who had described the proposal this week as “clearly controversial, clearly polarizing” abstained from the vote but did not say why.

“We are extremely disappointed by the board’s action today,” said Stuart Lawley, ICM’s president and chief executive. “It is not supportable for any of the reasons articulated by the board, ignores the rules ICANN itself adopted for the RFP (request for proposal), and makes a mockery of ICANN bylaws’ prohibition of unjustifiable discriminatory treatment.”

He added that ICM would pursue the matter further and when pressed by an Associated Press reporter if that could include a lawsuit against ICANN, Lawley said: “I would go so far as to say likely.”

What is certain is that ICANN will no longer hear the proposal but that does not mean that an entirely new application could be drawn up and offered for consideration.

Nearly all of the board members who voted against approving the domain said they were concerned about the possibility that ICANN could find itself in the content regulation business if the domain name was approved. Others criticized that, saying ICANN should not block new domains over fears like that, noting that local, state and national laws could be used to decide what is pornographic and what is not.

“My decision turned on one point and one point only,” said board member Steve Goldstein ahead of the vote. “The last point in our board’s resolution that under the revised agreement that we, ICANN, would be forced to assume ongoing management and oversight roles regarding the content and that is inconsistent with ICANN’s technical mandate.”

Lawley criticized ICANN board members who said they feared the domain would result in content management, telling the AP that “the part of the contract they are now claiming would lead them to content management was put in by them during the contract negotiations.”

Other board members said they believed that opposition to the domain by the adult industry, including Web masters, content providers and others, was proof that the issue was divisive and that “.xxx” was not a welcome domain.

“This application doesn’t meet the request for proposals mainly on the supporting community,” said board member Raimundo Beca of Chile, who voted against the domain. The adult industry, he added, “has been from the very beginning so split about this.”

Porn sites opposed to “.xxx” were largely concerned that the domain name, while billed as voluntary, would make it easier for governments to later mandate its use and “essentially ghettoize sexual information on the Web,” Kernes said.

ICM though had said it would fight any government effort to compel its use and cited preregistrations of more than 76,000 names as evidence of support.

Religious groups worried that “.xxx” would legitimize and expand the number of adults sites, which more than a third of U.S. Internet users visit each month, according to comScore Media Metrix. The Web site measurement firm said 4 percent of all Web traffic and 2 percent of all time spent Web surfing involved an adult site.

It was the third time that ICANN rejected the proposal. The agency tabled and effectively rejected a similar proposal in 2000 out of fear the “.xxx” domain would force the body into content regulation.

ICM resubmitted its proposal in 2004, this time structuring it with a policy-setting organization to free ICANN of that task. But many board members worried that the language of the proposed contract was vague and could kick the task back to ICANN. The board rejected the 2004 proposal last May.

ICANN revived the proposal in January after ICM agreed to hire independent organizations to monitor porn sites’ compliance with the new rules, which would be developed by a separate body called the International Foundation for Online Responsibility.

ICM revised it again a month later to clarify ICANN’s enforcement abilities and to underscore the independence of the policy-making body.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prosecutors asked a judge on Thursday to revoke Paris Hilton’s probation for reckless driving, which could lead to jail time for the celebrity socialite, the City Attorney’s Office said.

A hearing has been set for April 17 for prosecutors to argue that Hilton, 26, violated the terms of her probation by knowingly driving with a suspended license, said Nick Velasquez, a spokesman for the city attorney, Rocky Delgadillo.

The hotel heiress and star of the reality TV show “The Simple Life” was sentenced to three years probation in January after pleading no contest — the equivalent of a guilty plea — to alcohol-related reckless driving.

Five weeks later, police pulled Hilton over again in the city of West Hollywood for driving without headlights and impounded her car, a $190,000 Bentley, when they discovered her license had been suspended, authorities said.

The case was then referred to the City Attorney’s Office.

At the time, Hilton’s spokesman, Elliot Mintz, said his client was not aware that her driving privileges had been curtailed. But prosecutors have since concluded otherwise.

“We are confident that we have sufficient evidence to prove that her license was suspended, and that she had knowledge of that suspension,” Velasquez said.

If found to have breached the terms of her probation, Hilton could be sentenced to up to 90 days in jail, he added.

NEW YORK [AP] —  A headmistress and teacher at an exclusive private Manhattan Montessori school, accused of having sexual relations with two young teen students, was convicted Thursday of sodomizing one of them when he was 13.

Lina Sinha, 40, showed no emotion as the jury foreman reported a partial decision of 11 guilty and two not guilty verdicts on various other charges. The jurors had reported earlier they were deadlocked on the six rape counts against her.

Assistant District Attorney Rachel Hochhauser told the judge her office intended to retry Sinha on the six rape counts.

State Supreme Court Justice Carol Berkman ordered Sinha, who was free on $50,000 bail, jailed on $3.5 million bond. The judge noted the lengthy sentence Sinha faces and her family’s substantial assets as reasons for raising the bail.

The judge scheduled sentencing for April 19.

When Sinha was first arrested, prosecutors told the court she was a flight risk because she has ties to India.

Sinha’s lawyer, Gerald Shargel, said later outside court, “We’re very confident about the appeal. We intend to pursue it as expeditiously as possible.” He said he expected his client’s parents to come up with a bail package.

The key witnesses against Sinha were the two students she was accused of seducing, the first student in June 1996, when he was 13 and an eighth grader, and the second when he was 12 and a seventh grader.

The first student, now a 24-year-old police officer, tried to end the affair in 2004, prosecutors said, and the teacher tried to exact revenge by reporting to police at least 10 times that he raped a young girl and brutally assaulted Sinha.

In October 2005, police charged Sinha with raping him.

Meanwhile, prosecutors said, Sinha started a sexual relationship in January 2001 with the second student. That boy, now 19 and on probation from his last arrest, said he had sex with Sinha at least six times when he was 12.

Sinha was arrested on charges of raping him in May 2006.

Prosecutors said Sinha tried to bribe the youth to lie to investigators by buying him sneakers and a prepaid telephone and by giving him $400 cash.

Sinha has been a teacher for 16 years at the Montessori International School of New York, which was established by her parents in 1969 and encourages students to learn and develop their creativity at their own pace. The parents own two similar schools in the city.

Besides the sodomy and witness bribery counts, Sinha was convicted on several counts of criminal impersonation and falsely reporting an incident, all misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail.

The Montessori teaching method was founded in Italy a century ago. It encourages independent learning and promtes the idea that children can teach themselves with little help from adults.

Athens GA [AJC.com] — Get a good look at Uga VI in the coming months because, after this fall, he’s stepping out of the limelight.

The Georgia Bulldogs’ beloved mascot, the sixth in a line of pure white English bulldogs dating back to 1956, is set to retire following the Bulldogs’ 2007 football season.

Savannah attorney Sonny Seiler, who has owned the dogs since he was a student in the 1950s. “We want a dog that presents well, not one that slouches around. Uga VI has been wonderful. He still stands up for most of the games and he’s the biggest dog we’ve ever had. But dogs get old like people do.”

Uga VI, whose given name is “Uga V’s Whatchagot Loran,” turns 9 in July. Seiler said the dogs are retired by the time they are 10 regardless.

“It’s hard work being the world’s greatest mascot,” he said.

Rumors have swirled in recent weeks that Uga VI would be replaced before this coming season. Seiler thinks they may have been started last season since Uga VI no longer runs ahead of football team as it comes onto the field at Sanford Stadium.

“This is straight from the dog’s mouth,” Seiler said. “Uga is in excellent shape for his age. I have every reason to believe he’ll serve one more year. If there’s anything that’s wrong with him it’s that he’s too damn fat like his owner.”

Seiler said Uga VI will at G-Day on April 7 and has several commitments this summer, including shooting a television special on tailgating for the Paula Deen Show on the Food Network.

As for what dog will become Uga VII, that’s a tightly-guarded secret, as always. There is more than one from which to choose.

“I’ll just say if we needed to put our hands on a puppy, we’d be ready,” Seiler said. “We try to use the youngest one so he’ll be around as long as possible.”

 Better put them on double-secret probation!!!z

GREENCASTLE, Ind. —  A sorority accused of evicting members based on appearance and popularity at DePauw University sued the school Wednesday over its decision to expel the organization.

Oxford, Ohio-based Delta Zeta, which had been accused at DePauw of asking only attractive, popular students to remain active members, filed the claim in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, accusing the university of breaking promises and contracts, defaming the sorority, and interfering with its business relationships.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive and compensatory damages, a public apology, a return to the university’s Greek system and a retraction of certain statements about the sorority. It also asks that DePauw acknowledge “that Delta Zeta did not make any decision based on appearance and race.”

Delta Zeta attorney William Nolan of Columbus, Ohio, said the sorority hoped it could reach a settlement with DePauw, a 2,200-student private liberal arts school about 40 miles west of Indianapolis.

DePauw spokesman Ken Owen said the university disputed many of the sorority’s allegations.

The chapter started the school year with 35 women in its house, compared with 100 members or more at other DePauw sororities, and removed 23 from active membership after a restructuring last fall. Delta Zeta has maintained the evictions were based on the members’ lack of commitment to recruiting pledges.

Eight of the 23 women have hired an attorney to handle grievances.

University President Robert G. Bottoms on March 12 evicted Delta Zeta from the school’s Greek system, starting this fall, saying the university was unhappy with the sorority’s policies and actions.

JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA - The Jacksonville City Council cast a unanimous vote against adult entertainment on Tuesday, rejecting a proposal to allow strip clubs and other sexually-oriented establishments to remain in their existing locations.

The proposal was drafted as part of a free-speech lawsuit filed against the city by three nude clubs and one employee in response to a 2005 zoning controversy.

In July 2005, the Jacksonville council approved new regulations requiring adult businesses to maintain at least a 500-foot distance from homes and 1,000 feet from schools and churches. The council decided in November 2005 to void a grandfather clause that permitted existing businesses to stay open until a change in ownership, demanding that all adult businesses in violation of the ordinance to close or move by 2010.

City council members told the Jacksonville Tribune that the unscheduled vote on the issue was the result of public demand for tougher adult zoning restrictions.

“These people have come here today and said, ‘Fine. We’re the taxpayers, we’ll pay the bills,’” said Councilwoman Suzanne Jenkins. “Let’s … keep going until we win.”