ESTORIL, Portugal, April 13, 2008 (AFP) - Spaniard Alvaro Bautista of Aprilia won the 250 cc category at Sunday's Portuguese MotoGP at Estoril, edging out Italian Marco Simoncelli and Finland's Mika Kallio.

JEREZ, Spain, March 30, 2008 (AFP) - Finland's Mika Kallio of KTM won the 250cc race at the Spanish motorcyling Grand Prix here on Sunday, ahead of Italy's Mattia Pasini and Japan's Yuki Takahashi.

The Finn got off to the quickest start leading for the first of 26 laps before being overtaken by Spanish Aprilia rider Alvaro Bautista, who led the way until the 22nd lap.

CARACAS, Oct 16, 2007 (AFP) - Flush with petrodollars, socialist President Hugo Chavez is cruising toward a vast constitutional overhaul that will let him seek reelection indefinitely, and push Venezuela away from market economics.

The legislature, which is run by Chavez allies, has already approved changes to 33 articles of the constitution that had been sought by the populist president and decided Monday to consider rewriting another 25.

PHILLIP ISLAND, Australia, Oct 14, 2007 (AFP) - Spain's Jorge Lorenzo dominated his rivals to win the 250cc title at the Australian motorcycling Grand Grand Prix by almost 20 seconds on Sunday.

Lorenzo, who also won this round last year, romped home on his Aprilia to beat compatriot Alvaro Bautista by 19.634 seconds and clear out to a lead of 45 points on the 250cc championship table from Italian Andrea Dovizioso.

Dovizioso was third on his Honda, a tenth of a second behind Bautista, and retains a mathematical chance of overhauling Lorenzo for the world title.

MOTEGI, Japan, Sept 23, 2007 (AFP) - 250cc results from the Japanese motorcycling Grand Grand Prix at the 4.8 km Twin Ring Motegi circuit Sunday:

1. Mika Kallio (FIN) KTM 48min 28.585sec, 2. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda at 4.893sec, 3. Hector Barbera (Spain) Aprilia 21.527, 4. Yuki Takahashi (Japan) Honda 23.488, 5. Alex De Angelis (SMR) Aprilia 25.378, 6. Julian Simom (SPA) Honda 42.264, 7. Marco Simoncelli (Italy) Gilera 48.782, 8. Hiroshi Aoyama (Japan) KTM 57.782, 9. Shuhei Aoyama (Japan) Honda 1:09.049, 10. Thomas Luthi (SUI) Aprilia 1:10.837

MOTEGI, Japan, Sept 23, 2007 (AFP) - Finland's Mika Kallio raced to his first 250cc victory of his career at the motorcycling Japanese Grand Grand Prix here Sunday.

The 24-year-old, who has stepped up from the 125cc after finishing second overall in the class for two straight years, won in 48 minutes 28.585 seconds on a KTM, 4.893 seconds ahead of Italian Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso.

Spain's Hector Barbera on an Aprilia came in third 16.634 seconds further back.

ESTORIL, Portugal, Sept 16, 2007 (AFP) - Results and standings after the 250cc category of the Portuguese Grand Grand Prix at 4.18 km Estoril circuit Sunday:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Aprilia 43min 56.458sec, 2. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda at 4.367sec, 3. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Aprilia 6.148, 4. Thomas Luthi (SUI) Aprilia 12.685, 5. Hector Barbera (Spain) Aprilia 13.411, 6. Alex De Angelis (SMR) Aprilia 13.440

Standings after 13 of the 17 races:

ESTORIL, Portugal, Sept 16, 2007 (AFP) - Spaniard Alvaro Bautista, riding an Aprilia, won his second race of the 250cc world championship with victory here Sunday ahead of Italian Andrea Dovizioso and Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo.

Bautista was initally well behind Dovizioso and Lorenzo before catching them in 14th lap and taking the lead in the 16th to 26th and last lap.

Lorenzo, riding an Aprilia, leads the championship with 257 points, ahead of Honda rider Dovizioso on 206 points and Alex De Angelis, riding an Aprilia, on 197.