CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- The International Churchill Conference, dedicated to the study of Winston Churchill, international affairs and statesmanship, holds its 27th meeting in South Carolina.

As many as 250 scholars and history buffs are expected to attend the events beginning Thursday with a series of receptions and with conference sessions beginning Friday at the College of Charleston.

The main topic of this year's conference is Churchill in the News and will feature footage of the British leader from the Movietone archive at the University of South Carolina. Celia Sandys, a granddaughter of Churchill, is attending.

Churchill was a good friend of financier and statesman Bernard Baruch, who owned Hobcaw Barony plantation near Georgetown. The meeting opens with a bus trip to the property.

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