Mulroney Sparkles on the Diamond, ‘Yankees’ Learn

--Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney briefly swapped the hardball world of politics for a softball diamond in Vancouver, British Columbia, and came up a winner there too. His Canadian team squeaked by their rivals from the United States, 13-12, in a celebrity game for charity, and Mulroney, at first base, was named player of the game. Security was heavy but the prime minister joked that there were no police around him because “they’re not good enough to make this cut . . . this is the big league.” Among those on the losing side were Los Angeles Kings hockey standout Wayne Gretzky, his wife, actress Janet Jones, and actors Gene Hackman and Richard Dean Anderson. Also in the game were former hockey star Gordie Howe and actresses Catherine Mary Stewart and JoBeth Williams. Wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen, playing for Canada, got the only standing ovation when the teams were announced. Musician-producer David Foster, who organized the game, said it raised as much as 250,000 Canadian dollars to help families of children who need organ transplants.

--More than 900 fans spent the weekend at the third annual Three Stooges convention in Trevose, Pa., competing in a Curly sound-alike contest, nyuking along with the trio’s filmed comedies and bidding on Stooge memorabilia. Autographs of the original Three Stooges--Moe Howard, Curly Howard and Larry Fine--were available for $1,500. “Everybody’s been a Stooge at one time in life and can relate to it,” Phyllis Reighter said. She and her husband, Frank, organized the convention with the head of the national Stooges fan club, Gary Lassin. Phyllis Reighter said that Sally Starr, who appeared in the Stooge film “The Outlaws Is Coming,” was at the conference.

--Buck Owens, Tanya Tucker, Anne Murray and other country music artists are going to adopt 18 bald eagles from Alaska that will be released into the wild in Tennessee. Bob Hatcher of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said the national symbol has been making a comeback in that state.

--Former President Jimmy Carter will leave this week for a mission to Ethiopia and Sudan, hoping to encourage government leaders to talk peace with rebels.