1.   CBS said it would no longer even talk to its affiliate advisory board because the station owners had not warned the network the petition was coming.

2.   The asylum petition came late Friday, after Brazil had turned down a similar request earlier this week, the spokesman said.

3.   The petitions came despite the arrests and disappearances of other dissidents in recent days.

4.   The petition comes days after the Guyanese government discovered what it thinks is an international gold smuggling ring between the U.S. and Guyana.

5.   The petition comes just days after the head of the Organization of American States observation team in Venezuela expressed concern that computer glitches could create problems during the elections.

6.   The petition will come up for hearing on Monday, the court sources said.

7.   The petition came after a federal appeals court last August struck down a lower court decision to extradite him to Italy.

8.   The petition may come up for hearing in a couple of days, court sources said.

9.   The petition comes as Gourdine and the NBA were reported to have agreed to an outline for a six-year collective bargaining agreement.