Orioles to get paid off for Expos #39; move to DC In this crevice of the baseball globe, as the season heads to the bottom of the ninth, nothing has changed. It #39;s an annual rite for both teams by the bay to be in prime playoff position with a week to go, and


Half of men on Pitcairn Island on trial for alleged sex abuse a small, prefabricated affair, consisting of just six cells. They have an incentive to build it well: seven of them could soon be living there.


Is Google working on a web browser! After coming up with Gmail and Google News, rumours are rife that search engine Google is now working on a web browser, reports BBC.


Soldiers' War Blogs Detail Life in Iraq Iraq war blogs are as varied as the soldiers who write them. Some sites feature practical news, war pictures and advice. Some are overtly political, with more slanting to the right than to the left. Some question the war, some cheer it.


Could Newer Browsers Dethrone IE? Every time a new IE security flaw is announced, or whenever someone gets fed up with hackers manipulating their Web browser, Firefox and other Mozilla-based browsers get a bump in the marketplace.


Fans Honour Legend Clough Thousands of football fans fell silent today to honour the life and achievements of legendary manager Brian Clough. A public tribute was held in Nottingham city centre and a minute


Karzai Travels North on First Domestic Trip Since Rocket Attack Afghan President Hamid Karzai Sunday made his first domestic trip outside the capital, Kabul, since a trip cut short by a rocket attack 10 days ago.


Pinochet questioned by investigative judge An investigative judge has questioned former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet for half an hour to decide whether to indict him in one of hundreds of human rights cases stemming from his 1973-1990 rule.


Dolphins and Steelers Will Play Sunday Night (Reuters) Reuters - The Miami Dolphins and\Pittsburgh Steelers will play their scheduled game Sunday night\at 8:30 p.m.


UN refugee chief sees Darfur autonomy as way out of crisis NDJAMENA : UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers said that Sudan should grant more autonomy to Darfur as he began a visit to address the crisis over the exodus of more than 1.4 million refugees from the troubled region.


Israel sends Syria tough message with Hamas strike Widening its pursuit of Hamas beyond the occupied territories, Israel reached into Damascus Sunday, dealing a blow to both Hamas and Syria.


Serena takes China title Serena Williams got back to winning ways with victory over US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final of the China Open on Sunday.


Giants most important game of the year will be an everyday <b>...</b> SAN FRANCISCO - Lets defer to the slugger-philosopher, Barry Bonds, for Saturdays life-lesson. It he said in reference to the San Francisco Giants latest biggest win of the season, is as big as it is today.


Labour delegates force Iraq vote Iraq is chosen for a vote at Labour conference but Tony Blair says he will not apologise for the war.


A win worth a Calypso or two London, September 26: Just the way the Brazil is synonymous with soccer and Tom with Jerry, West Indies cricket has always been synonymous with fast bowlers, with batsmen who had more flair than wood in their willows; and with calypso.


'Wikis' Offer Knowledge-Sharing Online (AP) AP - Taran Rampersad didn't complain when he failed to find anything on his hometown in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Instead, he simply wrote his own entry for San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. Wikipedia is unique for an encyclopedia because anybody can add, edit and even erase. And the Wikipedia is just one  #151; albeit the best known  #151; of a growing breed of Internet knowledge-sharing communities called Wikis.


Sony, Nintendo power up for battle of the portable game consoles (AFP) AFP - Riding on the global success of PlayStation 2 (PS2), Sony has launched its first hand-held game console to challenge rival Nintendo, whose Game Boy Advance monopolizes the worldwide portable game market.


US Airways wants court to cut pay Troubled carrier US Airways has asked a US bankruptcy court to impose big wage and cost cuts, warning that otherwise it might fail to survive.


NFL Game Summary - Jacksonville at Tennessee Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Fred Taylor scored on a one-yard run with nine seconds left in the fourth quarter to lift the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 15-12 victory over the Tennessee Titans at The Coliseum.


Giants 27, Browns 10 Kurt Warner and Michael Strahan made sure the New York Giants didn #39;t have a letdown against the injury-ravaged Cleveland Browns.


Soccer: Vller quits Roma after Bologna loss Rudi Vller said Sunday that he had left Roma of the Italian league. He had been manager for less than four weeks. Roma lost 3-1 to Bologna in Serie A on Saturday, even though its opponents played for 40 minutes with just nine men.


Haitian storm survivors give thanks Amid the destruction from Tropical Storm Jeanne, Haitians have prayed for the 1,500 dead and given thanks that their lives were spared at services on Sunday.


No progress in N.Korea, Japan talks on abductees : Talks between Japan and North Korea aimed at resolving a dispute over Japanese nationals abducted by the North decades ago ended Sunday without progress, Japanese officials said.


UK writing off poor nations' debt Gordon Brown says the UK will write off its share of debts owed by the world's poorest countries to the World Bank.


Half.com to continue at full speed This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half. Online auction giant eBay won #39;t be closing down its Half.


Financial planning an option for Coles COLES Myer Ltd chief executive Mr John Fletcher yesterday said he was interested in branching out from the retail business into financial planning services for the groups customers.


Green Bay Packers INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The showdown between Peyton Manning and Brett Favre turned into an Arena Football League spectacle. Manning threw for 320 yards and five touchdowns in the first half when the Indianapolis


Bill Gates is the richest for 11 years successively Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, still remains the richest person in the USA, according to Forbes Magazine. Gates has been keeping the first place for already 11 year in a raw among the richest Americans.


No ticket matched all four numbers and the MegaBall in Friday #39;s <b>...</b> No ticket matched all four numbers and the MegaBall in Friday #39;s Mega Money drawing of the Florida Lottery. The numbers drawn were 10-18-19-22; the Megaball was 6. Twelve tickets matched four of the numbers


Iran deploys new missile TEHRAN: Iran added one more missile to its military arsenal and the defense minister said Saturday his country was ready to confront any external threat.


Jet lands in UK after bomb alert An Olympic Airlines flight on its way from Athens to New York is diverted to Stansted Airport after a security alert.


U.S. Military Arrests an Iraqi Commander The arrest of a commander of the Iraqi National Guard raises concerns about the loyalty and reliability of the new security forces.


Update 4: Tokyo Stocks Shed 1 Percent, Dollar Up Tokyo stocks shed more than 1 percent Friday, extending declines to a sixth straight session driven by Wall Street #39;s weakness and worries that higher oil prices may crimp corporate profits.


Kim Captures 1-Shot Win at Longs Drugs (AP) AP - Christina Kim made a charge on the back nine Sunday, shooting a 6-under 65 at the Longs Drugs Challenge for a one-shot victory over Karrie Webb and her first LPGA win.


Angels Suspend Guillen Without Pay (AP) AP - Angels left fielder Jose Guillen was suspended for the rest of the season Sunday because of his outburst after being lifted for a pinch runner a day earlier.


U.S. Wants to Lease Swedish Submarine (AP) AP - The United States wants to lease a Swedish attack submarine for naval exercises in the Baltic Sea in a deal possibly worth tens of millions of dollars, defense officials said Sunday.


Japan Ministers Resign Ahead of Reshuffle  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese cabinet ministers tendered their  resignations on Monday, setting the stage for Prime Minister  Junichiro Koizumi to make new appointments aimed at boosting  his popularity and tightening his grip on power after a  set-back in July's upper house elections.


MedImmune CEO Talks Finance and Science David Mott, a Dartmouth-educated Wall Street investment banker, is increasingly leveraging his reputation in the local and national biotech communities.
-The Washington Post


Is Google News Biased? Google News tends to favor news stories with a conservative bias, according to new media observer J.D. Lasica, a claim which Google denies.


Fans put in position of deciding which team comes first Say you #39;re a Raiders fan and the Silver and Black are playing the Broncos in late December. You want Denver to hurt the hurt that only comes with having your hiney handed to you.


Pakistan #39;s top wanted terrorist killed Pakistani security forces Sunday killed the country #39;s most wanted terrorist allegedly involved in an assassination attempt on President Pervez Musharrafand indicted in the murder of a US journalist.


Pakistan al-Qaeda suspect killed Pakistan says it has dealt a major blow to al-Qaeda #39;s operations after its security forces shot dead the country #39;s most wanted terror suspect.


Paralympians stripped of medals for failing tests A visually impaired cyclist from Slovakia, competing in the men #39;s tandem event, was stripped of his silver medal and three weightlifters were slapped with two-year bans after testing positive for banned substances at the Athens


Press blame Right for swaying citizenship votes On Sunday voters rejected government-backed plans to simplify naturalisation procedures for second-generation foreigners. They also turned down a proposal to grant children born in Switzerland to foreign parents the automatic right to a Swiss passport.


Tennis: GB lose out in Davis Cup Great Britain has been relegated from the Davis Cup group with the world #39;s best teams in after losing to Austria. Greg Rusedski lost the crucial match to Stefan Koubek 7-6 6-4 7-5 to see Britain lose out in the tie 3-2.


Experts dampen bird flu fears International health officials at an emergency meeting in Bangkok Monday said there is no evidence that bird flu has been passed from one human to another.


Hamas official killed in blast JERUSALEM -- A Hamas official was killed Sunday when his sport utility vehicle exploded in a neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, seconds after he started the engine, according to witnesses and the Palestinian militant group #39;s leaders, who accused Israel of


Crude oil prices near continued march toward symbolic \$50 US level Crude oil prices neared their all-time record high of \$49.40 US as supply fears in Iraq and other key producers pushed up early trade Monday, while the market took stock of hurricane Ivan #39;s impact on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.


A wandering Congress trips over the US Constitution That is the one-word message of advice that citizens wanted to send to members of Congress at the end of last week. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate looked as if they are having trouble seizing


Diverted London Airliner Given All-Clear A police search concluded there was no threat to a New York-bound Greek airliner forced to make an emergency landing in Britain following a bomb threat that mentioned Iraq, officers said Monday.


Defensive adjustments keep it close The Chargers #39; defense had one of its better games in recent years, despite allowing 23 points. One of the keys was an adjustment to disrupt the Broncos #39; passing game.


Sox punish cocky Yankees BOSTONThese Yankees are an arrogant bunch. Six consecutive first-place finishes tend to do that. But very rarely do you see a team in the heat of a pennant race facing the team chasing them send out a starting pitcher just to see him get work.


It #39;s a record: Singh surpasses Woods again When Vijay Singh started out as a pro golfer more than 20 years ago, \$10 million seemed an unreachable goal. One more victory -- and, the way he #39;s playing, that could be only one more tournament away -- and


Sims 2 plays with life addicts The Sims 2 adds DNA into the mix and much more realistic 3D graphics, which gives the game an eerie feeling of reality.


DEBKAfile Special Analysis Before deporting him to Lebanon in 1991, the late Yitzhak Rabin called Ezz-Eldin Sheikh al-Khalil the snakes head, singling him out as the terror master who raised and handled Hamas most accomplished terror operatives, Adnan al Hool and


DATA VIEW: Singapore Aug Indus Output Below Expectations SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Singapore #39;s industrial output rose a smaller-than-expected 5.3 on year in August, as the production of pharmaceuticals fell sharply from a high base a year ago.


Adobe updates RAW plug-in with digital negative format Adobe has updated Photoshop #39;s support for digital cameras #39; RAW image formats. The new plug-in adds to the number of camera models supported and includes a utility for converting images into the DNG, digital negative format.


Now Virgin to offer trips to space LONDON, England -- British entrepreneur Richard Branson announced his company has signed a deal to offer the world #39;s first commercial flights to space under the branding  quot;Virgin Galactic.


Kill The Poor I've been a soup van volunteer for three months plus a couple of weeks. I've also been casually mentioning this example of my beneficence in everyday conversation for about the same length of time. I use this particular phrasing, rather than "I work on a soup van", because what I'm trying to emphasise is that I didn't take it up lightly or gingerly. In the beginning, I didn't know exactly how it would turn out, but I did know that I wanted to be good. Between then and now, an awful lot became clear.


Plan B Proposes Its Own Alternatives Donnie Downs, president and chief executive of Plan B Technologies Inc., said the company itself is a "plan B."


European Press Review: Climate Change European editorials on Monday commented on the results of the local elections in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.


SC to hear Zee petition tommorrow Five judges of the top court will hear a petition filed by Zee Telefilms on Tuesday. A three-judge panel of the Supreme Court said a five-judge bench would hear the dispute that threatens the rights of India #39;s


Hurricane Ivan blows Courts #39; profits away MILLIONS of pounds are likely to be wiped off profits at the Caribbean arm of furniture retailer Courts following the devastating impact of Hurricane Ivan.


FM, Reddy to attend IMF-WB meet Finance Minister P Chidambaram will lead a high-level delegation for the annual IMF-World Bank meeting in Washington from October 1, where New Delhi would press for higher aid flows for infrastructure and social development.


Red Hat opens losing propaganda offensive against Sun Opinion Heaven help us all - there #39;s a blog battle being waged between Red Hat #39;s chief cheerleader Michael Tiemann and Sun Microsystems #39; President Jonathan Schwartz.


Microsoft closes Hotmail to Outlook and Outlook Express users From today, new users of Microsoft #39;s Outlook and Outlook Express won #39;t be able to view Hotmail emails for free. The company has announced that in future the service will only be available to subscribers of the MSN premium services costing \$19.


The Wayne Rooney era begins at Manchester United Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson calls him the best English player in the last 30 years, and he #39;s expected to debut for the club Tuesday in its Champions League match at Old Trafford against Turkey #39;s Fenerbahce.


The Sims 2; Demon Stone; The Number Devil Getting a life gets a lot more complicated in this sequel to the best-selling computer game in history.


McData offers SAN consolidation McData plans to introduce a new SAN router this week designed to connect the growing number of isolated SAN networks in corporations.
ADVERTISEMENT

SBC Case Study: Crate   Barrel
What sold them on improving their network? A system that could cut management costs from the get-go. Find out more.


Greek School Bus Crash Kills Seven, Injures 24  KAMMENA VOURLA, Greece (Reuters) - A bus carrying school  students and teachers to the Athens Paralympic Games collided  with a truck in central Greece on Monday killing at least seven  people and injuring 24, officials said.


Walgreen 4th-Qtr Net Rises 18 Percent on Drug Sales (Update1) Walgreen Co., the largest US drugstore chain, said fourth-quarter profit rose 18 percent, helped by sales of prescription drugs. Net income had its biggest gain in almost two years, climbing


Virgin tunes into the online music market  quot;We dont see this market as crowded. There is tremendous growth potential quot; - Zack Zalon, Virgin Digital president. Story in full VIRGIN Mobile, part of billionaire Sir Richard Bransons sprawling business


Before the Bell - ESS Technology drops 4.4 pct Shares of ESS Technology (ESST.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , a maker of computer chips for DVD equipment, fell 4.4 percent in premarket trading on Monday after the company lowered its third-quarter revenue and earnings


Sports Court Hears Hamm Gold Medal Appeal LAUSANNE, Switzerland - Paul Hamm appeared before the sports world's highest court Monday to argue why he should he keep his Olympic gymnastics gold medal.    The Court of Arbitration for Sport convened to hear the appeal from a South Korean gymnast who believes he was unfairly deprived of the gold in the men's all-around event in Athens last month because of a scoring error...


Comcast gets option on TW Cable NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Comcast said Monday that it has an option to cut its stake in Time Warner Cable to 17 percent from 21 percent in exchange for stock in a unit that will hold cable-television systems and cash.


Rivalry Blamed in Philippine Communist Leader #39;s Death A leader of a Philippine communist breakaway group has been killed, in what may be rivalry among former comrades. The shooting is the latest in a series of assassinations of Communist Party defectors.


Touchy Times at Midas The auto maintenance company has a simple business but a complicated prognosis.


Blair, Paisley confer on N. Ireland British Prime Minister Tony Blair met in London with Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley Monday about power sharing with Northern Ireland #39;s Assembly.


Microsoft Lawyer Says Company Able To Comply with EU Antitrust <b>...</b> Microsoft attorney Brad Smith, said:  quot;We will certainly be prepared to comply with the court #39;s order whatever it may be. We have invested a tremendous amount of time and energy and spent millions


Hilfiger tumbles on grand jury probe CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Tommy Hilfiger Corp. tumbled Monday after the company disclosed that a grand jury was looking into the buying-office commissions the retailer pays to a non-US subsidiary.


Siemens, Freescale Extend Auto Partnership Siemens VDO Automotive and Freescale Semiconductor have renewed their automotive relationship, representing about \$245 million for components including ASICs, microcontrollers, analog and sensor components, beginning in 2006.


Stocks Slip on Oil, Downgrade of Semis  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were knocked lower on  Monday, with the Dow dipping briefly below 10,000, as record  high oil prices threatened to hurt corporate profits and a  brokerage downgrade hit semiconductor shares.


Fannie Mae agrees to accounting changes Fannie Mae, facing questions about its accounting similar to those that shook up Freddie Mac last year, has agreed to changes that will bring it in compliance with accounting standards.


Cybertrust CEO Says Merger Driven by Users SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Betrusted Holdings Inc. in New York and TruSecure Corp. in Herndon, Va., last week said they #39;re merging to form a single IT security services vendor.


Presidential campaign turns even nastier (AFP) AFP - The US presidential race hit a new low in nastiness with images of Osama bin Laden and epithets such as  quot;despicable quot; and  quot;un-American quot; bombarding voters before a crucial series of televised debates.


A Graphic Film of Protest, and Cries of Blasphemy The director of a 10-minute film shown on Dutch television hopes to draw attention to what she says is widespread but hidden violence against Muslim women.


Bishop Indicted on Child Rape Charges SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Bishop Thomas Dupre, the former head of the Springfield Diocese, was indicted Monday on child rape charges, accused of molesting two boys in the 1970s, the county prosecutor said...


Sidebar: Microsoft Enters Data Backup Arena SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - CHICAGO -- Microsoft #39;s announcement of a disk-to-disk backup application designed to consolidate data backups on Windows servers positions the company to compete against storage management stalwarts such as Veritas


Button happy with 2nd JENSON Button was happy to settle for runners-up spot despite falling agonisingly short of a maiden Formula One win for the second race in succession.


Holiday Stamps to Be Issued in Oct. (AP) AP - Holiday postage stamps celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa will be issued next month, the U.S. Postal Service announced Monday.


Shaving Time From The Virus Race IronPort Systems has launched the latest version of its IronPort C-Series E-mail Security Appliance, adding Virus Outbreak Filters that the company said could respond to new virus outbreaks within minutes.


US Airways May Liquidate by February ALEXANDRIA, Va. Sept. 27, 2004 - US Airways Group Inc. warned in a bankruptcy court filing that it may have to liquidate by February if a judge does not impose a temporary 23 percent pay cut on its union workers.


Dell, AOL team up in schools initiative ROUND ROCK, Texas -- Dell Inc. and America Online Inc. announced a partnership Monday to provide 5,000 low-income students with free refurbished personal computers and a year #39;s worth of Internet access.


Cisco #39;s SMB Goods Cisco Systems is accelerating its push into the SMB market with the launch this week of entry-level switching modules, an aggregation switch and a Web-based management tool that helps smaller customers gain easier access to high-level features.


Gold Indian Coin Expected to Fetch  #36;27,000 (Reuters) Reuters - An Indian gold coin which is nearly\1,900 years old and shows one of the earliest depictions of\Buddha is to be sold at auction where it is expected to fetch\up to 15,000 pounds ( #36;27,000).


Embattled Mortgage Giant Agrees to Meet New Standards Fannie Mae agreed to keep more cash on hand while it corrects accounting problems, a U.S. regulator said.


Treasuries Benefit on Spike in Crude Oil  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury debt prices climbed on Monday  as investors bet oil prices near record highs might dent U.S.  consumption and force the Federal Reserve to slow the pace of  interest rate hikes.


Mashburn #39;s season blocked by knee injury; may retire Barely more than a year removed from his best season, Jamal Mashburn is likely done playing in the NBA. Mashburn and the New Orleans Hornets announced Monday, a week before the opening


Elephant DNA Could Help Stem Ivory Trade (AP) AP - Analyzing the DNA of elephants may help trace the origins of ivory being sold illegally, information researchers hope will help foil such trade.


NYMEX Oil Rises on Nigerian Rebel Threat  NEW YORK (Reuters) - NYMEX crude oil futures jumped 36  cents in electronic trading on Monday evening to the  psychological \$50 a barrel level, the highest in the 21 years  oil futures have traded on the exchange, as Nigerian rebels  decided an "all-out" war against the government starting Oct.  1.


Dell upgrades high-performance cluster line To boost performance for high-end users, Dell Inc. is upgrading its high-performance computing clusters by adding support for larger Topspin InfiniBand switches and PCIe host channel adapters.


DHS faces IT management challenge, GAO says A  quot;formidable information and technology management challenge quot; faces the Homeland Security Department, according a report released today by the Government Accountability Office.


Oil Near \$50 on Supply Fears in Nigeria Oil prices rose to record highs Monday near \$50 a barrel for US crude as Nigeria emerged as the latest focus for worries about supply in an already tight worldwide energy market.


Cisco switch products target small business Cisco Systems is aggressively targeting small and midsize businesses with a set of Ethernet switching products designed to greatly reduce the cost and complexity of operating a network.


Court to hear case in gymnastics flap One way or another, Paul Hamm #39;s gold-medal odyssey is about to end. Whether he gets to keep the medal and the title he won a month ago in the Olympic men #39;s gymnastics all-around will be up to the sporting world #39;s highest authority.


Junior: Late father  #39;had a lot to do #39; with rescue NEW YORK -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has trouble remembering those frantic seconds when he escaped from his burning racecar. He believes, however, that his late father figured in his survival.


5 dead in Dubai airport accident DUBAI - A steel mesh wall collapsed on workers building a multi-billion-dollar extension to Dubai #39;s international airport yesterday, leaving five dead and 12 injured, authorities said.


Cray promotes two execs Ly-Huong Pham becomes the supercomputer maker's senior vice president of operations, and Peter Ungaro is made senior vice president for sales, marketing and services.


Manchester United admits paying 11m to transfer middle-men The role of agents in multimillion-pound football transfer deals came under fresh scrutiny yesterday after Manchester United revealed payments of 11m to middle-men for their help in signing players.


Sky-high oil prices will ground air transport profits: IATA MONTREAL, Canada : Sky-high oil costs will keep air transport profits in the basement, with losses between three billion and four billion dollars this year, despite a pickup in traffic, the international air trade association said.


UPDATE 3-Walgreen profit rises, more stores planned Walgreen Co. (WAG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the top US drugstore chain, on Monday said quarterly profit rose 18 percent on strong sales of prescription drugs


Troubled Real and Roma meet as Champions League resumes Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - Two clubs with storied tradition but in the midst of current turmoil will meet Tuesday when Real Madrid and Roma highlight Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League group play.


No. 12 Virginia loses key defensive player Charlottesville, VA (Sports Network) - The No. 12 ranked Virginia Cavaliers will be without defensive end Chris Canty for the remainder of the season.


Redskins Underway The Redskins and Cowboys are underway from FedEx Field, a game that marks the first time legends Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells have faced each other since 1990.


Hostages plight clouds meeting of Blairs party BRIGHTON, England The annual conference of Prime Minister Tony Blair #39;s Labour Party opened here Monday under the pall of the war in Iraq, as the fate of the British hostage Ken Bigley remained uncertain amid fresh appeals for his release from family


Senate weighs H-1B visa changes U.S. senators are debating a controversial measure to exempt foreign student graduates from the cap on H-1B visas.


Hamm Pleads Case as the One and Only Champ is Olympic gold medal safe in his parents #39; Wisconsin farmhouse, lovingly tucked into a white gym sock, the gymnast Paul Hamm had one goal in mind when he boarded a plane for Europe last week: to remain the Olympic all-around champion.


Microsoft Crafts Backup Plan (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Microsoft Corp. officials said yesterday that the company has spent millions of dollars preparing a version of its Windows operating system without a program for playing digital music and videos, in the event it loses its bid to postpone antitrust sanctions ordered by European authorities.


Crude Oil Futures Rise Above \$50 on Threat to Nigerian Supply Crude oil futures rose above \$50 a barrel in New York on concern rebel attacks in Nigeria may reduce production while US inventories are near a 29-year low because of disruptions caused by Hurricane Ivan.


President terms Farooqi #39;s death big achievement THE HAGUE: President General Pervez Musharraf Monday described the killing of Amjad Farooqi as big achievement by security forces and said  quot;important terrorist has been eliminated.


Stocks Fall on Oil, Dow Ends Below 10,000 The blue-chip Dow Jones average closed below 10,000 for the first time in about six weeks on Monday as a spike in oil prices to nearly \$50 a barrel renewed concerns about corporate profits while analysts cutting recommendations hurt


AL Wrap: Red Sox Down Devil Rays to Clinch Playoff Spot  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Manny Ramirez belted his  league-leading 43rd homer and Johnny Damon hit a three-run shot  as the Boston Red Sox clinched a playoff spot with a 7-3 win  over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St Petersburg on Monday.


Oswalt wins 19th as Astros keep up the pace Roy Oswalt became the NL #39;s first 19-game winner, and the Houston Astros stayed close in the wild-card race with a 10-3 victory over the St.


Boston Secures Spot The Red Sox clinch a second straight trip to the playoffs, topping Tampa Bay, 7-3, Monday behind Manny Ramirez's 43rd homer.


Gold belongs to Hamm Maybe there #39;s some technical justification for why Paul Hamm was forced to defend his gymnastics gold medal Monday before a sports court in Switzerland.


Vodafone keen on future expansion Vodafone said today it remained keen on purchases in France, eastern Europe and Asia and Africa as it detailed annual cost cuts expected to reach 2.


SHANGHAI ATP: Canas struggles to first round win SHANGHAI: A tired but determined Guillermo Canas of Argentina held off a strong early charge from Spains Guillermo Garcia-Lopez to win his first round Shanghai ATP match 7-6, 6-1 on Monday.


Skipper gives support while league sends warning Moises Alou has a right to his opinion, Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker said Monday. Alou said everything he needed to say Sunday.


Blair readies crucial party speech under Iraq cloud Britain #39;s Tony Blair faces one of the trickiest speeches of his career today, seeking to win back his Labour party after rifts over Iraq and spell out new policies to set up next year #39;s re-election bid.


North Korea Resists Talks on Nuclear Arms North Korea said Monday that it will not resume talks on its nuclear weapons program until the Bush administration ends its  quot;hostile policy quot; against Pyongyang and


Hurricanes, unrest in Nigeria feed supply concerns SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Fueled by new supply worries in the United States and Nigeria, crude-oil futures made history Monday when the price topped \$50 per barrel late Monday and one analyst said additional disruptions could push prices to \$60 per barrel


Former Executive Testifies, Offering Insider #39;s Look at Enron #39;s <b>...</b> A former executive who was a participant in the wrongdoing that helped cripple Enron testified on Monday, providing the first glimpse through the eyes of a principal of


Virgin to Launch Commercial Space Flights by 2007 SEPTEMBER 28, 2004 -- London -- The ultimate high-end incentive trip took another step closer to reality yesterday when Richard Branson, head of the Virgin Group, announced plans to launch commercial space flights by 2007.


Angels 5, Rangers 3 Chone Figgins and Troy Percival saved the Anaheim Angels, and gave them a little boost in the AL West race. Figgins had RBI hits in the last two innings and scored the go-ahead run on an infield grounder.


Oil Nears \$50 as Gulf Storms Curtail Output Crude oil prices settled at \$49.64 a barrel, up 76 cents as traders expressed concern that recent hurricanes had hurt output in the United States.


May have been transmitted between humans- report Thailand confirmed its second death from bird flu Tuesday, and said the fatal case might have been transmitted by a human victim rather than a bird, according to published report.


INDUSTRY REPORT: Gambling -- Casinos to be sold Harrah #39;s Entertainment Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Inc. agreed to sell four casino hotels to an affiliate of Colony Capital LLC for about \$1.


Using DNA to stop elephant poachers It #39;s like doing cold-case detective work on elephants, but University of Washington scientist Samuel Wasser has devised an innovative method for pinpointing the DNA fingerprints of poached elephant tusks.


Cowboys Defeat Redskins 21-18 LANDOVER, Md. - Bill Parcells celebrated the touchdown with a big smile and his fist thrust high in the air...


Israel levels new accusations against Syria Without acknowledging responsibility for the car-bombing death of a Hamas activist in Syria, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim yesterday issued a toughly worded


Japan Shares Fall to Low on Oil Worry  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average fell 0.4  percent to a six-week closing low on Tuesday, marking an  eight-day losing streak, after oil prices topped \$50 a barrel,  fanning concern over the business outlook for Japanese  companies.


Banknorth investors voice doubts on bid Banknorth Group Inc.'s biggest investors are voicing concerns about the proposed sale of a controlling stake to Toronto-Dominion Bank .


Gas prices up 5 cents after Hurricane Ivan CAMARILLO, Calif. - Gas prices jumped more than 5 cents a gallon in the past two weeks, largely because of supply problems related to Hurricane Ivan, an industry analyst said.


Hearing held on Hamm medal Paul Hamm said yesterday that he would give back his Olympic gold medal if sport #39;s highest court ordered him to. But lawyers for the American gymnast and the


Independent directors demanded Black #39;s resignation, investor says Catalyst Fund General Partner I Inc., a disgruntled shareholder of Hollinger Inc., claimed yesterday that the company #39;s independent board members have demanded the resignations of Conrad Black, his wife and other insiders -- a charge disputed by the


US forces bomb Falluja many people were killed. The US military last week claimed to have killed around 100 of Zarqawi #39;s. militiamen who have the area largely under their control.


Hilfiger shares plunge amid probe Shares of Tommy Hilfiger Corp. plummeted 22 percent yesterday following Friday #39;s announcement that the apparel maker #39;s US division received subpoenas from the US Attorney #39;s Office regarding


Soccer Coach Raymond Goethals Dies at 83 (AP) AP - Raymond Goethals, the Belgian soccer coach who led Olympique Marseille to the 1993 European Champions Cup title, died Monday, according to news reports. He was 83.


Citigroup #39;s Krawcheck Named Finance, Strategy Chief (Update2) Citigroup Inc., the world #39;s biggest bank, named Sallie Krawcheck chief financial officer and head of strategy, making her the highest-ranking woman on Wall Street and giving her responsibilities outside the brokerage industry.


Virgin Mobile growth prospects disappoint Richard Branson #39;s Virgin Mobile has forecast substantially higher earnings and margins, but disappointing predictions for service revenue


US Army considers shorter combat tours WASHINGTON -- The US Army may shorten yearlong combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan amid concerns the long and perilous duty is making it difficult to recruit soldiers and keep current ones, officials said yesterday.


AOL aims to boost IM on mobiles AOL has kicked off an initiative designed to make it easier for developers to engineer, test and distribute licensed AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) clients for mobile devices.


Nigerian oil flows despite rebel threat-companies Oil should continue to flow from Nigeria, the world #39;s seventh largest exporter, despite a rebel threat to attack foreign oil workers in an  quot;all-out war quot; due to start on Friday, multinational energy companies said.


UK Bankers Begin Extradition Hearing on Enron-Related Charges Three British bankers will today begin fighting extradition to the US on fraud charges related to Enron Corp., the first test of new British extradition laws.


Pepsi Bottling Profit Rises (Reuters) Reuters - Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. , the\largest bottler of Pepsi drinks, on Tuesday said quarterly\profit rose on volume growth in the United States and Europe.


Microsoft, Amazon.com file phishing, spamming lawsuits Microsoft and Amazon.com Monday filed one joint and several separate lawsuits against companies and individuals accusing them variously of trying to defraud consumers by imitating Amazon and Microsoft, the companies said Tuesday.


Meet UK #39;s  #39;Dr Dolittle #39; of animal behaviour London - Lincoln University in the east of England has appointed Britain #39;s first professor of animal psychiatry, a report said on Tuesday.


Motorola to Cut 1,000 Jobs, Take Charge  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Telecommunications equipment maker  Motorola Inc. MOT.N said on Tuesday that it would cut 1,000  jobs and take charges of about \$50 million for severance  benefits as it tries to increase productivity.


Viagra bought online 'often fake' Half of Viagra tablets sold on the Internet are fake, research suggests.


National Registry Push Could Ease Drug Study Hunt By LAURAN NEERGAARD     WASHINGTON (AP) -- Scientists are conducting thousands of medical experiments that can offer tantalizing hope to the ill, but tracking them down and getting enrolled can be incredibly difficult.    It might get easier, thanks to a growing push by doctors and lawmakers to force drug companies to list on a national registry every study they conduct...


First Look: Intuit's QuickBooks for Newbies New Simple Start Edition accounting software targets small businesses still using pencil and paper.


PC Sales Hot For 2004, But Will Soon Cool Off PC shipments in the second quarter grew faster than any three-month period since 1999, IDC said Monday, citing the continued pent-up demand for replacement systems as the driving force behind the sales surge.


Stocks Open Higher, Shrug Off Oil Spike  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened higher on Tuesday,  with beaten down shares offering bargains to investors and oil  producer stocks bolstered by crude oil prices breaking through  the \$50 a barrel mark.


Russians Next In Line To Receive Cheap Windows After Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, Microsoft has identified Russia as the fourth market for its low cost scaled down operating system, Windows XP Starter Edition (XP SE).


DNA map of elephants to net Africa #39;s ivory poachers Scientists say a DNA map of Africa #39;s elephant herds will help combat the illegal trade in ivory. The map is a genetic profile of elephant groupings across the continent, from the dense forests of western and central Africa to the vast eastern savanna.


Oil Companies In Nigeria Say They Won #39;t Give In To Threats Major oil companies operating in Nigeria #39;s oil-rich southern region say they will not give in to threats of attacks on their facilities and employees by militias.


Motorola to Cut 1,000 Jobs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Telecommunications equipment maker  Motorola Inc. MOT.N said on Tuesday that it would cut 1,000  jobs and take related charges of about \$50 million to focus on  its wireless business.


Pakistan's Musharraf calls for unity against global terrorism (AFP) AFP - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf kicked off a three-day visit to Italy by calling on the world community to stand united in the fight against global terrorism.


Consumer Confidence Dips in September NEW YORK - Job worries helped push consumer confidence down in September for the second consecutive month, a New York-based private research group said Tuesday.    The Consumer Confidence Index fell 1.9 points to 96.8 from a revised reading of 98.7 in August, according to The Conference Board...


Snap-on warns for 3Q, 2004 Vehicle tool maker sees profit below forecasts amid high steel prices, soft demand in Europe. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Snap-on Inc., which makes vehicle-repair tools, said Tuesday its third-quarter and full-year


Chicago Fed conf. sees US 2005 GDP down at 3.3 pct US economic growth is expected to slow in 2005 due to rising interest rates and high crude oil prices, according to a forecast of participants at a Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago conference released on Monday.


Philippoussis is humbled by Weiner SHANGHAI, China -- Defending champion Mark Philippoussis suffered a first round humiliation in the Shanghai Open, losing to unheralded American Glenn Weiner 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.


Browns' Lee Suggs Ready for Return (AP) AP - Browns running back Lee Suggs, inactive for Cleveland's first three games with a neck stinger, has been granted medical clearance to practice at full speed this week.


Top Seed Federer Struggles Through in Thai Opener  BANGKOK (Reuters) - Top seed Roger Federer toiled to beat  battling Frenchman Nicolas Thomann and reach the second round  of the Thailand Open on Tuesday.


Russia Next to get Windows XP Starter Edition The Windows XP Starter Edition Pilot program has expanded to add a fourth country, Russia, which now becomes the fourth market to join Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.


Freescale Unveils Dual-Core PowerPC Freescale Semiconductor Inc. took some of the wraps off of its dual-core microprocessor design, which the company said would be tailored to embedded applications.


Virgin Starts (70) Mile-High Club With the misery that has plagued the airline industry recently, the last place you #39;d expect to see some inspiring -- heck, potentially rule-breaking -- thinking would be from an airline entrepreneur.


Sudan Reportedly Hiding Arab Fighters in Southern Sudan Under international pressure to disarm and disband Arab militias in troubled Darfur, Sudan #39;s government is instead reportedly moving hundreds, possibly thousands, of the fighters from Darfur to remote areas of southern Sudan.


Lowe's Sees Profit Rising in 2005, 2006  ATLANTA (Reuters) - Home improvement retailer Lowe's Cos.  LOW.N on Tuesday said it expects diluted earnings per share  to rise in both 2005 and 2006 as it benefits from increased  remodeling activity and home ownership.


S amp;P cuts SBC, BellSouth debt ratings WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Standard  amp; Poor #39;s on Tuesday cut the debt rating of BellSouth and SBC Communications, citing stiff competition and potential problems in absorbing AT amp;T Wireless.


Freescale Details 90nm Dual Core Processor Architecture Freescale Semiconductor Inc. today unveiled the embedded MPC8641D Dual Core processor designed to deliver a performance jump and increased system bandwidth while keeping power under control.


US Airways' Holding Pattern A decision on labor relief may be the difference between survival and liquidation.


US consumer confidence down for second month as job woes deepen (AFP) AFP - US consumer confidence fell for the second straight month in September as the outlook for jobs deteriorated, the Conference Board said.


DaimlerChrysler, Bombardier Settle Dispute German-American automaker DaimlerChrysler and Canadian transportation company Bombardier have settled a dispute over the 2001 sale of railcar maker Adtranz, the companies said in statements Tuesday.


Indian-Americans hail Manmohan speech New York, Sep 27 (UNI) Members of the Indian-American community who attended a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh welcomed his speech and expressed confidence that India would soon be a developed economy.


Bombardier, DaimlerChrysler Settle Bombardier Inc. (BBDb.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) and DaimlerChrysler AG (DCXGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) ended a three-year dispute over the Montreal company #39;s acquisition of train


Strong Earthquake Strikes Central Calif. PARKFIELD, Calif. - A strong earthquake struck Central California on Tuesday that was felt from San Francisco to the Los Angeles area...


Real Madrid 4 Roma 2 Real Madrid captain Raul was the hero as he scored twice to help his side overturn a two-goal deficit and beat Roma, easing the crisis with the Spanish club while making even worse what has been a dreadful season so far for Roma.


Hicks Muse Pays for ConAgra's Swift Stake  NEW YORK (Reuters) - ConAgra Foods Inc. CAG.N on Tuesday  said private equity firm Hicks, Muse, Tate   Furst Inc.  exercised its option to buy the company's minority stake in  Swift Foods, and that ConAgra received \$194 million in the  transaction.


More Older People Turning to the Internet to Find Love Mary Bellis Waller, now 64, posted on two Internet dating sites during her search for a companion. Waller was a pioneer of online dating among people her age, and thousands of others age 60 and older are also turning to the Internet to find romance.


Hackers Target Flaw in Microsoft's JPEG NEW YORK (AP) -- In a harbinger of security threats to come, hackers have exploited a newly announced flaw in Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) programs and begun circulating malicious code hidden in images that use the popular JPEG format...


News: Schwarzenegger signs bill banning paperless voting systems The Associated Press By Rachel Konrad


Cendant Near Deal to Buy Orbitz for  #36;1.2 Bln-Source (Reuters) Reuters - Travel and real estate company\Cendant Corp.  is close to an agreement to buy online\travel site Orbitz Inc.  for about  #36;1.2 billion in\cash, a source close to the talks said on Tuesday.


Putin's Chechnya options narrow On the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Chechnya, some say there are few alternatives to negotiations.


New defense consortium aims for greater systems interoperability SEPTEMBER 28, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - An international consortium of 28 defense-oriented companies hopes to develop standards for a network-centric framework that allows a variety of communications and information systems and sensors to interact on a


49ers #39; home to be renamed Monster Park after stereo cable company Some fans think 44-year-old Candlestick Park is already a dinosaur. Now the San Francisco 49ers #39; home stadium has the name to match.


Jury Orders Medtronic to Pay \$109 Mln to Inventor A jury in federal court in Tennessee has ordered Medtronic Inc. to pay at least \$109 million to an inventor in a dispute over rights to spinal fusion technology.


Angry Philippoussis loses again Defending champion Mark Philippoussis crashed out in the first round of the Shanghai Open on Tuesday, losing to American Glenn Weiner 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.


Syracuse Guard Ruled Ineligible for Fall (AP) AP - Syracuse point guard Billy Edelin has been declared ineligible for the first semester of the academic year because he does not meet NCAA academic requirements, school officials said Tuesday.


China Wins Paralympics China dominated the medals race at the Paralympic Games that ended Tuesday, and Chinese officials expect a similar performance when Beijing hosts the games in four years


Amazon sues spammers for misleading consumers SEATTLE -- Amazon.com has filed three lawsuits in King County Superior Court against unidentified defendants who allegedly forged e-mails and Web sites to fool consumers into thinking they are doing business with the Internet retailer.


High-Tech Start-Up Strives For Open-Source Compatibility SourceLabs could create some buzz because of its pedigree team of founders. The company is led by Chief Executive Byron Sebastian, a former executive at San Jose #39;s BEA Systems, who founded the company in spring.


Unrest Spreads To Southern Iraq (CBS/AP) As US forces continued to bombard the restive city of Fallujah and clashed with militants in the streets of Baghdad, there was unrest in the normally quiet British-patrolled city of Basra.


Taiwan Acknowledges Minister #39;s Improper Wording #39; on Singapore Taiwan Foreign Minister Chen Tan- sun, who dismissed Singapore as a country the size of a booger, #39; #39; regretted his improper wording, #39; #39; said Foreign Ministry spokesman Michel Lu.


Why I will clone human cells: Dolly creator THE scientist who made his name by cloning Dolly the sheep said yesterday that he was  quot;very optimistic quot; about gaining a licence to clone human embryos to aid understanding of motor neurone disease.


Redskins Coach Bemoans Questionable Calls (AP) AP - Apparently even a Hall of Fame coach doesn't get a break from the officials.


Salaries Cut 10 at Delta in Bid to Remain Solvent elta Air Lines said yesterday that it was cutting the pay of executives and other salaried workers by 10 percent and making other changes meant to help it avoid a bankruptcy filing.


Gunmen free CNN journalist Palestinian gunmen yesterday released a CNN journalist abducted in Gaza City apparently to pressure members of an Arab minority group not to serve in the Israeli army.


Google Shares, Once Devalued, Just May Be Winners After All Wall Street, which forced Google, the Internet search engine, to sharply lower the price of its shares in its initial public offering in August, has decided that the company is worth a lot more today than it was then.


I.B.M. Supercomputer Sets World Record for Speed An I.B.M. machine has reclaimed the title of fastest supercomputer, overtaking a Japanese computer that had caused shock waves at United States government agencies when it set a computing speed record in 2002.


Vandeweghe keeps interest in forward White The Nuggets could be re-signing free-agent forward Rodney White in the near future if White is able to resolve his off-court problems.


SEC Wants Fixes, Instead of  Fines Rather than rapping knuckles after abuse is uncovered, chairman William H. Donaldson wants the SEC staff to work with and get to know Wall Street well enough to get the jump on problems before  investors lose money.


Feds: Syrian Clampdown on Terror Positive (AP) AP - A Syrian crackdown on terror groups would be the best way to halt violence in Syria and promote peace in the Middle East, the State Department said Monday after the assassination in Damascus of a leader of Hamas' bombing unit.


Currency Trading Rises to Record \$1.9 Trillion a Day (Update3) Foreign-exchange trading surged to a record daily average of \$1.9 trillion this year as hedge funds and other money managers increased bets on currencies, according to the Bank for International Settlements.


Hackers take advantage of Microsoft #39;s JPEG flaw NEW YORK - In a harbinger of security threats to come, hackers have exploited a newly announced flaw in Microsoft Corp. programs and begun circulating malicious code hidden in images that use the popular JPEG format.


Astros 2, Cardinals 1 Jeff Bagwell drove in two runs and Brandon Backe pitched five solid innings to help the Houston Astros gain ground in the NL wild-card race with a 2-1 win over the St.


China, Singapore Say World Must Help Calm Taiwan Row China and Singapore on Monday urged the international community to help calm Beijing #39;s dispute with Taiwan over its push for independence.


Tokyo Stocks Turn Lower by Midday  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei fell 0.19 percent by  midday on Wednesday, erasing initial gains and extending losses  into a ninth straight day as worries about high oil prices and  domestic economic uncertainty hit exporters and tech stocks.


Gunners Ready for Tough Test Fredrik Ljungberg admits Rosenborg have exceeded expectations in the Champions League, but is looking to put one over on his Scandinavian cousins tonight.


Kasprowicz Prested #39; after Aussies lose series-opener Michael Kasprowicz will miss the must-win second limited-overs international in Sydney, but not because of his disastrous late over that gave New Zealand a stranglehold on the first game, Australian cricket selectors said Monday.


Official: MLB to Move Expos to Washington WASHINGTON - Major League Baseball will announce Wednesday that Washington will be the new home of the Montreal Expos, bringing the national pastime back to the nation's capital for the first time in 33 years, The Associated Press has learned.    A city official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington has been notified by Major League Baseball of the impending announcement...


Real Back on Track David Beckham could not hide his relief after Real Madrid overturned a two-goal deficit to defeat Roma 4-2 in Champions League Group B. Madrid opened their campaign with a shock 3-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen


Gangs on Prowl in Storm-Wracked Haiti (AP) AP - Victims who lost relatives, homes and belongings in Tropical Storm Jeanne are now tormented by street gangs who attack food convoys, raid homes at night and shoot those who get in their way.


Business Glance SOMERS, NY - Pepsi Bottling Group Inc., the largest bottler of PepsiCo Inc. beverages, Tuesday said its profit for the latest quarter rose 4.4 percent as volume improved.


Particle lab celebrates 50th birthday The European research facility which helped shape our view of matter and invented the world wide web is exactly 50 years old.


Taiwan FM apologises for  #39;rude words #39; against Singapore TAIPEI (dpa) - Taiwan Foreign Minister Mark Chen apologised to Singapore on Tuesday over the words he used in describing the Southeast Asian city-state.


Liberty rally to edge Shock Bethany Donaphin didn #39;t have time to think when she got the ball with the score tied and clock winding down in regulation. Donaphin hit a turnaround jumper with 0.5 of a second remaining to lift the host New


Motorola cuts may not hurt Chandler Although Motorola Inc. announced it is cutting 1,000 jobs at its facilities worldwide, Chandler economic development officials Tuesday said the city should not see a negative impact at the company #39;s two sites.


Sales boost for House of Fraser Shares in UK department store group House of Fraser have risen after the firm said it had cut half-year losses and was seeing solid sales growth.


Tendulkar not giving up on first Test India #39;s star batsman Sachin Tendulkar says he may be fit for next week #39;s first Test against Australia, after revealing the tennis elbow injury was showing  quot;tremendous improvement.


The Crusade Against Evolution In the beginning there was Darwin. And then there was intelligent design. How the next generation of 'creation science' is invading America's classrooms. By Evan Ratliff from Wired magazine.


Shares Gain While Oil Holds Near \$50  LONDON (Reuters) - European stock markets rose and absorbed  three separate share placings on Wednesday, boosted by Wall  Street's strong finish while oil prices held close to \$50 a  barrel ahead of U.S. oil inventory data.


New \$50 bill designed to counter counterfeits WASHINGTON - The green is still there, but with touches of blue, red and yellow. A stylized image of the Stars and Stripes now waves in the background.


Angels Ascend to First-Place Tie With A's (AP) AP - For the first time in over three months, the Angels are back in first place.


BlueGene sneaks past Earth Simulator The Earth Simulator, an NEC supercomputer, is surpassed, at last. IBM announced yesterday that its Blue Gene/L supercomputer had achieved a sustained performance of 36.


Microsoft #39;s low-cost operating system Aimed at making cheaper PCs, Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled low-cost Windows XP Starter Edition operating systems in India in Hindi targetting the first-time home users.


Supernova Warning System Will Give Astronomers Earlier Notice Duke University -- A Supernova Early Warning System (SNEWS) that detects ghostlike neutrino particles that are the earliest emanations from the immense, explosive death throes of large stars will alert astronomers of the blasts before they can see the flash.     SNEWS "could allow astronomers a chance to make unprecedented observations of the very early turn-on of the supernova," wrote the authors of an article about the new system in the September issue of the "New Journal of Physics."     They also noted that "no supernova has ever been observed soon after its birth."     Big stars end their lives in explosive gravitational collapses so complete that even the brilliant flashes of light usually announcing these extremely rare "supernova" events stay trapped inside, unseen by astronomers, for the first hours or days...


Fannie Mae woes may hit stock If Fannie Mae (FNM) is hampered by new limits on its operations, shareholders of the USA #39;s biggest mortgage-investment company are likely to feel the pinch more than the nation #39;s mortgage borrowers.


India to get started on Starter Edition The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant today announced a year-long pilot program to start shipping the Windows XP Starter Edition to India in early 2005.


India 4th largest economy: World Bank Ahead of the International Monetary Fund-World Bank meeting, the World Bank on Tuesday placed India as the fourth largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, even as it said the country lagged behind in technology and efficiency.


Cricket: Dubai global academy The International Cricket Council are to open a global cricket academy designed to improve standards of lesser nations.


Telecom equipment maker Agere to cut 500 employees, 7.6 of <b>...</b> Telecommunications equipment maker Agere Systems Inc. said Wednesday it will lay off 500 employees, or 7.6 per cent of its workforce, as part of a corporate restructuring.


JPEG exploit could beat antivirus software Most IT Managers won #39;t question the importance of security, but this priority has been sliding between the third and fourth most important focus for companies.


No-Confidence Vote Planned Against Palestinian PM  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Lawmakers angered by the  Palestinian leadership's failure to make reforms plan to force  a parliamentary no-confidence vote that could bring down the  government appointed by Yasser Arafat, legislators said.


Air Canada to Buy 45 Aircraft From Embraer Scheduled to fly out of bankruptcy-court shelter this week, Air Canada announced a deal Wednesday to buy 45 Embraer aircraft in a deal worth at least \$1.


IBM Says Its Supercomputer Is World's Fastest  NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.  on Wednesday said it has developed the world's fastest  computer, putting it back on top after a Japanese supercomputer  claimed the title some two years ago.


.Mac bumps up storage capacity, improves mail (MacCentral) MacCentral - Apple has improved the services offered to subscribers of .Mac. Previously, the amount of storage for a basic .Mac account was 100MB, with a maximum of 15MB for e-mail. The service's base online storage has been increased to 250MB, e-mail service has been enhanced, and the cost of upgrading has been reduced. .Mac's basic subscription price remains the same -- US #36;99.95 per year.


Oil Falls Below \$49 on Nigeria Cease-Fire  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices dropped from record highs  above \$50 a barrel on Wednesday as the U.S. government reported  a surprise increase in crude stocks and rebels in Nigeria's  oil-rich delta region agreed a cease-fire.


Invading Bullfrogs Appear Nearly Unstoppable The North American bullfrog population is booming. That may sound like good news, but it isn't #151;not when the frog has leaped far beyond its native habitat.


Microsoft to offer stripped-down XP in India BANGALORE, INDIA -- Microsoft Corp. will introduce the Windows XP Starter Edition in India early next year, the company said Wednesday, two days after announcing similar plans for Russia.


Jos. A. Bank Profit Jumps Jos. A. Bank Clothiers (JOSB:Nasdaq - news - research) posted a handsome third-quarter profit Monday, as strong Internet and catalogue sales helped drive a 17 hike in net income.


U.S. Asks Laos to Check Massacre Report (AP) AP - The State Department said Monday it is taking seriously allegations that Laotian military forces may have massacred children of the country's Hmong ethnic minority.


Date with destiny for private rocketeers LAS VEGAS - A three-seat rocket plane with stubby wings and a nose studded with round windows will try to blast out of Earth #39;s atmosphere above the Mojave Desert today to qualify for a US\$10 million (\$15.


Stewart #39;s Prison Chosen That prison is located in West Virginia which means that she is not headed to a facility in Connecticut or Florida, as she had hoped.


EU antitrust ruling on MCI overturned In a fresh blow to Europe #39;s antitrust enforcers, a top appeals tribunal said regulators wrongly blocked MCI WorldCom #39;s aborted bid to buy Sprint Corp in 2000.


Verizon Wireless Offers AOL Mail Verizon Wireless has launched AOL Mail, a move that will give its Get It Now customers, who are AOL members, wireless access to their e-mail.


Sports: Cobbs out for the season DENTON, Texas Last season #39;s NCAA rushing and scoring leader will miss the rest of this football season. North Texas running back Patrick Cobbs has sprained ligaments in his left knee.


Air Canada confirms order for 45 Embraer jets MONTREAL : Air Canada said it sealed a deal with Brazil #39;s Embraer SA for 45 Embraer-190 aircraft, worth 1.35 billion US dollars at list price.


Start-up OQO to launch hand-size PC Want a full-fledged Windows XP computer that's about the size of a Pocket PC? Tiny machine debuts after two years of delay.


Baseball #39;s return: a long time coming for DC The last time the nation #39;s capital was home to the national pastime, the game was literally a riot. Fans stormed the field with two outs in the ninth inning of the Washington Senators #39; farewell appearance at RFK Stadium on Sept.


Travelzoo Shares Rise as Offering Rumor Fades (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Internet travel site\Travelzoo Inc.  rose nearly 4 percent on Wednesday as\market rumors of a secondary stock offering faded.


Will iTunes ever make a lot of money for Apple? On its latest earnings call (7/14/04), a question was asked about the profitability of iTunes, and management responded by stating that it made just a small profit.


Salesforce.com Launches On-Demand Support System On-demand CRM provider Salesforce.com Wednesday rolled out a parallel service its calling Support.com and aiming at corporations with far-flung call centers, help desks, and on-call technicians.


Hungary's Parliament Elects Prime Minister (AP) AP - Parliament on Wednesday elected one of Hungary's wealthiest businessmen as prime minister, ending two months of political uncertainty.


Washington Baseball Fans Await Word on Expos (Reuters) Reuters - Baseball fans in the nation's\capital were anxiously awaiting formal word on Wednesday that\the financially beleaguered Montreal Expos would relocate to\the city for the 2005 season.


Workers from 4 SF hotels go on strike Hotel workers at four San Francisco hotels have commenced a two-week strike this morning after working without a union contract for more than six weeks.


CSKA Moscow 2 Paris St Germain 0 CSKA Moscow clinched their first-ever Champions League win on Wednesday as Paris St Germain #39;s revival came to a shuddering halt at the Lokomotiv Stadium.


Microsoft open-sources Web authoring application Company's third open-source contribution is the first time it has shared code for actual application.


Colombia back in business, needs reforms-Uribe Colombia is back in business and the Andean country has ample room for growth backed by aggressive and transparent government policies but with some challenges


SpaceShipOne Rolls Toward Victory MOJAVE, California -- A Southern California aerospace team took a big step toward capturing the \$10 million Ansari X Prize Wednesday, but not without surviving a scary moment when the pilot found himself in a rapid spin as he roared across the threshold


Mammoth toxic algae bloom sighted off Washington state coast SEATTLE - A toxic algae bloom 30 miles wide has been detected 15 miles off the northwest coast of Washington state, the largest and most potentially lethal yet found by scientists in the region.


U.S. Stocks End Higher  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday  as investors snapped up semiconductor shares at bargain prices  and bought some blue chips after crude oil retreated from  record high prices.


Salesforce.com launches on-demand support com September 29, 2004, 2:57 PM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half.


Disney Rules Out New Deal with Pixar Studios In January Disney and Pixar terminated their talks to extend a distribution partnership that has created such cartoon hits as  quot;Finding Nemo quot; and the  quot;Toy Story quot; series.


Apple beefs up .Mac storage limits Customers of Apple #39;s .Mac Internet service can hit the delete button less often now that the company has boosted the amount of storage it gives subscribers.


Diamondbacks Ink Fassero Phoenix, AZ -- The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed free agent pitcher Jeff Fassero for the remainder of the 2004 season. The move comes just five days after he was released by the Colorado Rockies.


Judge Clears Release of Kobe Evidence (AP) AP - A judge cleared the way for the release of documents and other evidence in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case on Wednesday.


Cendant to Buy Orbitz for \$1.25 Billion  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Travel and real estate heavyweight  Cendant Corp. on Wednesday said it will buy travel Web site  Orbitz Inc. for about \$1.25 billion, making it the  second-largest competitor in the online travel industry.


For Neglected Video, a Hollywood Touch A growing cottage industry is taking customers' raw home video and putting it on DVD, in some cases producing short movies with sophisticated cinematic effects and a musical soundtrack.


Time on a Chip: The Incredible Shrinking Atomic Clock Researchers are developing tiny atomic clocks that could be made using standard semiconductor processes and slipped into cellphones, hand-held computers and global positioning system receivers.


Expos set for Washington Expos president Tony Tavares told reporters of the move after the Expos #39; final home game. That news was later confirmed to Washington mayor Anthony Williams by MLB officials.


Instant messaging worm exploits JPEG flaw (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Security experts have spotted the first attempts to create an Internet worm that propagates using instant messages and exploits a recently disclosed flaw in Microsoft software.


IBM Says Blue Gene Breaks Speed Record (AP) AP - IBM Corp. claimed unofficial bragging rights Tuesday as owner of the world's fastest supercomputer. For three years running, the fastest supercomputer has been NEC's Earth Simulator in Japan.


Web Founder Says Cooperation Needed (AP) AP - The inventor of the World Wide Web told a technology conference on Wednesday that making the Web more useful hinges on a familiar challenge: Getting the players behind the technology to agree on standards governing how computers communicate with one another.


Britain extends citizenship rights to Gurkha soldiers (AFP) AFP - Britain has extended full citizenship rights to Gurkha soldiers from Nepal who serve in the British armed forces, Prime Minister Tony Blair has said.


Catch a piece of history but hire a lawyer first When Steve Williams picked up the ball Barry Bonds had just hit for his 700th home run, he thought he had his hands on a piece of history.


Red Hat acquires AOL #39;s Netscape server software In a move to add more open-source arrows to its quiver, Linux seller Red Hat has acquired the Netscape server software products of AOL Time Warner, the companies plan to announce Thursday.


I.B.M. Agrees to Settle Part of Giant Pension Case I.B.M. said that it had agreed to pay \$320 million to its employees to settle in part a class-action lawsuit over its pension plan.


Immunity in Ebbers Case Opposed in U.S. Filing NEW YORK, Sept. 29 -- Federal prosecutors told a judge in a filing late Tuesday night that they have evidence that former WorldCom Inc. chief executive Bernard J. Ebbers knew company officials had improperly tinkered with the telecommunications firm's accounting to boost its publicly reported profits.


Success For Spaceship One MOJAVE -- Burt Rutan #39;s space ship one made its first trip into sub-orbital outer space in pursuit of the \$10 million Ansari X Prize.


Typhoon Meari kills nine in Japan moving northeast over large parts of the country including Tokyo, with winds up to 67 miles per hour. Media reports said at least nine had died, but public broadcaster NHK said the toll had reached 11.


ALL EYES ON WOODS #39; FITNESS With world number one Vijay Singh missing because of Hurricane Jeanne and Masters champion Phil Mickelson another no-show, there was even more attention than usual on Tiger Woods at Mount Juliet in County Kilkenny this afternoon.


Schwarzenegger Signs 'Foie Gras' Bill (AP) AP - California will end the force feeding of ducks, geese and other birds to produce the gourmet liver product foie gras by 2012 under legislation signed Wednesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzengger.


Microsoft, Amazon File Lawsuits Against Spammers Microsoft and Amazon.com have joined forces to take legal action against US and Canadian-based companies for allergy sending fraudulent e-mails to Amazon and Hotmail users, claiming to represent these companies.


Microsoft, Amazon to combine forces Individually theyve been unstoppable in their respective industries. Theyre both legends that have survived the dot com burst and came out winners.


An Interview with Bill Baker, SQL Server BI General Manager This article is the first in a new, regular series of articles and interviews with top Microsoft program managers. Our goal is to give you a close-up, helpful and informative look at things


Australian PM fails to apologize on wrong pre-war intelligence on <b>...</b> Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Thursday he won #39;t automatically follow his British counterpart Tony Blair who has said he could apologize for faulty evidence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.


Around The Region In another move to cut costs, Continental Airlines is closing 14 of its ticketing offices systemwide, including three in the Houston area.


Grand Jury Adds to HealthSouth Charges Federal prosecutors yesterday announced new perjury and obstruction-of-justice charges against HealthSouth Corp. founder Richard M. Scrushy, accusing the former chief executive of the rehabilitation


Greenland criminals take road back to society, not prison (AFP) AFP - Some 20 people gather for a lunch of whale meat and potatoes inside a large wooden building facing a frozen fjord bathed in sunlight. No, these are not tourists on vacation, but rather criminals serving time in one of Greenland's open penal centers.


Senate Bill Aims at Makers of File-Sharing Software The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering a copyright bill that stands at the center of the file-sharing debate.


Car Crashes Into Japan Parliament Gate -Jiji (Reuters) Reuters - A car crashed into a gate of Japan's\parliament building in central Tokyo on Thursday and caught\fire, Jiji news agency said.


Pedro, Red Sox offer up few Rays of hope In Pedro Martinez stats, news #39; first start since conceding to the New York Yankees stats, schedule by declaring that the Red Sox stats, schedule #39; rivals were his daddy, #39; #39; the Tampa


Sales, Sun surge ahead The Connecticut Sun had an off game last Saturday, when they dropped the opener of their WNBA Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Washington Mystics.


Poor? Who #39;s poor? Poverty is down The proportion of people living on less than \$1 a day decreased from 40 to 21 per cent of the global population between 1981 and 2001, says the World Bank #39;s latest annual report.


Lehman in Talks to Buy UK Hedge Fund -WSJ (Reuters) Reuters - Investment bank Lehman Brothers\Holdings Inc. is negotiating to buy GLG Partners, a large\British hedge fund, the Wall Street Journal reported on\Thursday, citing unnamed sources.


Israeli Tanks Surge Into Gaza Refugee Camp -Witnesses  GAZA (Reuters) - A column of Israeli tanks surged into the  heart of the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on  Thursday as the army broadened its sweep for militants behind a  deadly rocket attack on an Israeli town.


Sharapova Sweeps Into Korea Open Quarters  SEOUL (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova  disposed of Japan's Miho Saeki 6-3, 6-1, on Thursday to sweep  into the quarter-finals of the Hansol Korea Open.


Patriots have memory to feel sorry about Do not bring up last season. Patriots coach Bill Belichick despises talk of the past, except when it helps him prepare his team for the upcoming week.


Neck stents boosted in two studies Boston Scientific Corp. and Medtronic Inc. , competing to enter the US market for stents that keep neck arteries open, said separate studies showed their devices prevent complications including stroke after 30 days.


IBM Claims Its BlueGene Supercomputer Is the Fastest IBM Corp. on Wednesday said it has developed the world #39;s fastest computer - a 16,000-processor version of its BlueGene/L supercomputer.


NFL: QB shuffle: Miami gives Fiedler the ball By all accounts, Jay Fiedler is a good guy. He signs autographs, performs charity work and always speaks well of others, even the New York Jets.


Thailand Tackles Bird Flu Epidemic BANGKOK, Thailand Sept. 30, 2004 - Millions of volunteers led by emergency teams fanned out across Thailand on Thursday in a new drive to fight bird flu after the prime minister gave officials 30 days to eradicate the epidemic.


Rough ride won #39;t stop next X Prize shot The rolling experienced by SpaceShipOne on its first Ansari X Prize flight on Wednesday will not jeopardise the team #39;s chances of winning the \$10 million purse, team members said in a post-flight briefing.


Dolphins won #39;t let Jets fans rankle them DAVIE  Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt promoted quarterback Jay Fiedler in hopes of providing a spark to his winless squad. Perhaps simply playing the archrival Jets will be enough to jump-start a season on the brink.


Man arrested for fatally stabbing elderly parents SAITAMA -- A middle-aged man who fatally stabbed his parents has been arrested, police said. Hideo Nakajima, an unemployed man from Soka, Saitama Prefecture, apparently called police shortly before 8 pm, Wednesday.


Multiple Bombings Kill At Least 37 In Capital _ At least three bombs exploded near a US convoy in western Baghdad on Thursday, killing 37 people and wounding more than 50, officials said.


Jobless Claims Rise on Hurricanes The number of Americans seeking initial jobless benefits jumped by 18,000 last week, the government said on Thursday, but it attributed the entire rise to the effects of hurricanes that have battered the southern United States.


General Mills goes whole grains NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - General Mills announced plans Thursday to start using healthier whole grains in all of its ready-to-eat cereals, including children #39;s cereals such as Trix, Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms.


Cricket: Ponting out of two Tests against India SYDNEY : Australia captain Ricky Ponting #39;s thumb injury has forced him out of the opening two cricket Tests against India starting next week, Cricket Australia (CA) said.


Musharraf meets Pope John Paul Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf met Pope John Paul II, who urged him to adopt a  quot;spirit of dialogue and tolerance quot; in his region.


Gurkhas win citizenship fight The Gurkhas who have served in the British Army have won an historic fight to be allowed to apply for British citizenship. The decision comes after a lengthy fight by the Nepalese soldiers for the right to


Footage Shows 10 New Hostages in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Arab news network Al-Jazeera showed video Thursday of 10 new hostages seized in Iraq by militants.    Al-Jazeera said the 10 - six Iraqis, two Lebanese and two Indonesian women - were taken by The Islamic Army in Iraq...


GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares and dollar turn south after US data European shares turned negative and government bonds were struggling for direction on Thursday after US data showed subdued inflation numbers, flat spending and a rise in unemployment.


Going Private: The Promise and Danger of Space Travel A flurry of space tourism milestones and announcements in recent days signals that human spaceflight is shifting from governments to the private sector, space experts say.


Blue Chips Drop After Merck Announcement  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips were lower on Thursday  after drug company and Dow component Merck   Co.MRK.N said it  was withdrawing a key drug, casting a dark mood over the market  as oil prices remained above \$49 a barrel.


Palm Shows New SmartPhone OS Rev PalmSource #39;s latest iteration of the Palm OS operating system, code named Cobalt, is expected to be available in consumer mobile phone devices in the first half of 2005.


Woods plays through the pain barrier The uncertainty over Tiger Woods #39; participation at the World Golf Championship at Mount Juliet ended this morning when the American ace decided to play despite injury.


What Do Women Want in a Presidential Candidate? (Reuters) Reuters - Tammy Hough is a life-long\Republican, a socially conservative stay-at-home mother and a\woman who puts American security as a top priority, so many\pundits see her vote as an easy one for President Bush. But\she's not so sure.


Tough Talks Ahead After EU Is Criticized Efforts to forge the world's largest free trade zone between the European Union and South America's Mercosur economic bloc are unlikely to be concluded by an Oct. 31 deadline, the EU said Thursday, with both sides declaring each other's trade offers insufficient.


Pharma Groups Work on EPC Issues Sept. 30, 2004Reacting to calls from pharmaceutical retailers, distributors and manufacturers, EPCglobal has added a new action group to specifically study the pharmaceutical industry


Red Hat taps Netscape to broaden its landscape Linux seller plans to release Netscape Enterprise Suite as open-source software in a bid to expand beyond its core product.


Net firms: Don't tax VoIP The Spanish-American War is over and a "temporary" tax created to pay for it should not be extended to Internet phone calls, industry groups tell the IRS


General Mills converting all US cereals to whole grain GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. -- Breakfast cereal maker General Mills is converting all of its cereals to whole grain. The company says it becomes the first leading food company to make the move involving cereals.


Nortel Cuts Fewer Jobs, Exits Real Estate  OTTAWA (Reuters) - Nortel Networks Corp. NT.TO on  Thursday said it would eliminate about 10 percent of its work  force, slightly less than previously estimated, and consolidate  real estate in a cost-cutting plan that will save \$500 million  in 2005.


23 Palestinians, 3 Israelis Die in Gaza Fighting  JABALYA, Gaza (Reuters) - Twenty-three Palestinians and  three Israelis were killed Thursday, Gaza's bloodiest day for  more than two years, as Israel's army struck back after a  rocket attack killed two Israeli children in a border town.


Tesco steps up RFID efforts Tesco is rolling out radio barcode technology across its 98 Tesco Extra stores to track high-value items between its internal distribution centres and its outlets.


Baghdad Bombings Kill One US Soldier, Wound 13 WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2004 -- A series of car bombings in Baghdad today killed one American soldier and wounded 13 others. The bombings also killed at least two Iraqi policemen and reportedly injured scores of other Iraqis.


August Chip Sales Growth Slows on High Inventory  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Global semiconductor sales growth  slowed to 1 percent in August as electronics makers reacted to  growing inventories in Asia by limiting orders of chips, an  industry trade group said on Thursday.


Hasbro's No Conehead Its Saturday Night Live version of "Trivial Pursuit" is good strategy for staying ahead of age compression.


Cubs brushed back Chicago loses wild-card lead after ninth-inning <b>...</b> Austin Kearns knows he #39;ll be back home in Louisville, Ky., once the regular season ends on Sunday. The Cincinnati Reds outfielder did his best Wednesday to keep the Chicago Cubs


Glory days long gone for Roy Jones What a shocker! The great Roy Jones lying unconscious on the canvas for five minutes. And who was the man who put him there? Unlikely light-heavyweight journeyman Glen Johnson - who, by his own admission, isn #39;t that flash.


POLITICAL POINTS  1:27 PM Sorry Is the Hardest Word It did not go unnoticed among the press corps traveling with President Bush that British Prime Minister Tony Blair apologized this week to fellow Labor Party officials for the fact that, as it


IBM Claims Computing Crown (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - IBM (NYSE: IBM - News) has new bragging rights. Press reports indicate that the technology giant has created the world's fastest supercomputer two years after a Japanese computer claimed that title.


Red Hat Acquires Netscape Server Software (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Red Hat (Nasdaq: RHAT) has acquired Netscape \server-software products of AOL Time Warner (NYSE: AOL), as part of the Linux vendor's "open-source architecture" strategy.


Dunn Sets Major League Strikeouts Record (AP) AP - Cincinnati Reds slugger Adam Dunn set the major league record for strikeouts in one season with 190, when he fanned in his first two at-bats Thursday against the Chicago Cubs.


Privacy questions arise as RFID hits stores BALTIMORE--Proponents of radio frequency identification used to have a quick and easy response to consumer advocates charging that the technology posed an alarming threat to privacy.


Bush, Kerry brace for key presidential debate (AFP) AFP - The US presidential candidates were set to go head to head in a bruising, high-stakes televised debate, with Republican incumbent George W. Bush aiming to lock in his lead in the race and Democratic challenger John Kerry banking on a comeback.


Treasury Chief Urges Debt Relief for Poor Nations Global lenders need to offer more grants and debt relief to poor countries and tailor lending toward the private sector, Treasury Secretary John Snow said today.


Bay Bridge span faces re-bid, possible redesign The eastern span of the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge, currently under construction and over budget, will be re-bid, according to Sunne Wright McPeak, secretary of California #39;s Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, which oversees Caltrans, the


EBay Expands PayPal Buyer Protection Up to \$1,000 PayPal, eBay Inc. #39;s (EBAY.O: Quote, Profile, Research) online payment service, will expand its US buyer protection program to cover up to \$1,000 for qualified transactions, the company said on Thursday.


Merck Pulls Arthritis Drug from Market  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merck   Co Inc. MRK.N pulled its  arthritis drug Vioxx off the market on Thursday after a study  showed it doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke. The move  sent the company's shares plunging almost 27 percent and erased  \$25 billion of its market value.


Baseballer shot on bus CLEVELAND Indians righthander Kyle Denney was reported to be in a stable condition after being shot in the leg on the team bus yesterday.


Born to coach For the reason, with apologies to Michael Vick, look no further than the third-youngest head coach in the NFL. James Lawrence Mora, the son, is already starting to look suspiciously like father James Earnest


Notes: Two-strike, two-out blues Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker talked to LaTroy Hawkins on Thursday, and said he #39;ll go to the right-hander again if the team is in a save situation.


August chip sales up Global semiconductor sales rose 1.1 percent to \$18.2 billion in August from the previous month and it appears as though chip inventories are declining, an industry trade group said Thursday.


ON SOCCER Rooney #39;s United debut makes cost look cheap The much-anticipated debut of Wayne Rooney for Manchester United lived up to its billing. It didn #39;t take long for Rooney to make a splash as he became the first United player in 99 years to score a hat trick in his debut.


Update 2: General Mills to Make Cereals Whole Grain The Trix Rabbit and that Lucky Charms leprechaun are going on a whole-grain diet. General Mills announced Thursday that it will convert all of its breakfast cereals to whole grain.


Kendall Gives Jets' Offensive Line a Boost (AP) AP - Ask Curtis Martin to pick one of the most important additions to the New York Jets this season, and he has a quick answer: left guard Pete Kendall.


Dog Extinctions Show Why Bigger Isn #39;t Better Fossils from extinct dogs show why bigger is not better -- giant meat-eating animals died out because they relied too heavily on hunting other big animals, scientists reported on Thursday.


Bid to create grocery giant METCASH stunned long-term suitor Foodland (FOA) yesterday with an audacious \$846 million takeover bid to create a supermarket heavyweight better able to compete with its bigger rivals.


Opportunity Rings (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - This past summer 25,000 consumers, aged 18 to 24, received short text messages on their cell phones alerting them to numbers on 225 million bottle caps of Snapple iced tea, pink lemonade and the like. People holding a winning number, announced by text message and traditional media, landed overseas trips and walk-on parts on TV shows.


Ichiro now one hit from Sisler #39;s hits record In a fitting microcosm of the Seattle Mariners #39; season, Ichiro Suzuki took oen more step toward history while his embattled team suffered another loss.


Bombs kill 35 children in Iraq Three bombs exploded at a neighborhood celebration today in western Baghdad, killing 35 children and seven adults, officials said.


Is Piracy Pushing Linux Sales? More PCs run the alternative OS, but many will end up with a pirated version of Windows, report says. Linux may be shipping on a growing number of PCs sold in the emerging markets of Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.


Witnesses to Confront Cali Cartel Kingpin Thirteen years into their probe, U.S. investigators have assembled a team of smugglers, accountants and associates to testify against Colombian cartel kingpin Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela.


Iran leader reasserts arms views NEW YORK Iran #39;s foreign minister has said that his country will never give up its right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful use, though he denied any intent to produce nuclear weapons.


Experts Predict Mount St. Helens Eruption (AP) AP - The flurry of earthquakes at Mount St. Helens intensified further Thursday, and one scientist put the chance of a small eruption happening in the next few days at 70 percent.


Minding the Search Engine Business Microsoft just swears that it hasn #39;t given up on Internet Explorer and that it #39;s really, really important to the future of Microsoft, to the next version of Windows, etc.


Singer: Minaya returns home NEW YORK -- Omar Minaya stood behind a small lectern in a danky room in the bowels of Shea Stadium, and allowed his life to flash before his eyes.


Tigers split at Tampa After riding Jeremy Bonderman #39;s four-hitter to an 8-0 victory over Tampa Bay in Thursday #39;s first game, the Tigers watched their worn-out bullpen come unglued -- again -- when


Three Hold First-Round Lead at SFB Classic (AP) AP - John Senden closed his 7-under 65 with his second eagle of the round and shared the lead with Harrison Frazar and Glen Day after the first round of the Southern Farm Bureau Classic on Thursday.


Biggest threat to Britain #39;s grand prix heritage Henry Ford once said that his factories didn #39;t make cars,  quot;they make money. quot; It is a philosophy Bernie Ecclestone would surely understand more than most after his surgically dispassionate decision yesterday not to include the British grand prix on the


Rick Fox Retires Rick Fox retires Thursday, ending a 13-year pro career during which he was part of three NBA championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers.


Brewers Hand Cards Fourth Straight Loss (AP) AP - Matt Morris struggled in his final tuneup for the playoffs, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 Thursday night to send the NL Central champions to their first four-game losing streak of the season.


IAAF to increase anti-doping measures The IAAF will increase testing and funding as well as cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency in its bid to detect and stem the use of new performance-enhancing substances, the sport #39;s governing body said Sunday.


Creators of private spaceship announce plans for second launch <b>...</b> The creators of a private rocket plane will go ahead with plans for another launch next week in a quest to claim a multimillion-dollar prize, despite a harrowing flight in which the spacecraft rolled dramatically while hurtling toward


Mariners torment old foe A #39;s Ichiro, Madritsch and Cabrera are having a blast in an AL West race they watched from a distance. OAKLAND - George Sisler stayed on top for at least another day, but the Seattle Mariners took down the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday.


MLB: Milwaukee 7, St. Louis 6 Scott Podsednik and Keith Ginter both had a homer and three RBI Thursday night to help Milwaukee edge St. Louis, 7-6. In his final start prior to the playoffs, St.


Fannie Mae criminal probe begun Federal prosecutors in Washington have opened an investigation into possible wrongdoing at mortgage giant Fannie Mae, just days after regulators accused


Sports in brief He yelped after his second drive. His knees buckled after making contact on the sixth tee. . (See photo at left.) He stopped a half-dozen times and lifted his shirt so his caddie could rub heating cream between his shoulder blades.


US launches probe of Fannie Mae woes WASHINGTON -- Federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into possible wrongdoing at mortgage giant Fannie Mae , just days after regulators accused the company of shoddy accounting practices, according to sources familiar with the probe.


British Grand Prix gets axed The British Grand Prix has been dropped from the provisional calendar of Formula One races for next year, media reports said yesterday.


80 Killed in U.S. Offensive in Iraq SAMARRA, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a major assault Friday to regain control of the insurgent stronghold of Samarra, and hospital officials said at least 80 people were killed and 100 wounded...


SpaceShipOne,take two The SpaceShipOne team will attempt to win the \$10 million Ansari X Prize on Monday, the 47th anniversary of the start of the first space race when the Soviet Union launched its Sputnik satellite.


BA flight makes emergency landing in Amsterdam, escorted by F-16 <b>...</b> A British Airways passenger plane flying from Berlin to London reported an unspecified security threat and made an emergency landing in Amsterdam on Thursday, escorted by two Dutch F-16 jet fighters, the airline said.


Different Shea provides late-game heroics for Hanover Hanover boys' soccer coach Jim Sylvia is beginning to see a pattern in his team's play. Luckily, it's not the kind of trend to complain about.


UEFA Cup Round-up Newcastle eased their way into the UEFA Cup group stages on Thursday night as Alan Shearer and Patrick Kluivert hit the goals trail again in a 5-1 victory over Bnei Sachnin in Israel.


Bush, Kerry Differ on Approach to North Korea  SEOUL (Reuters) - The determination of North Korea to  develop nuclear arms could harden after President Bush and his  rival, Senator John Kerry, clashed over how to proceed with  six-party talks on Pyongyang's ambitions, analysts said.


Huskies trip up Pitt Connecticut linebacker Alfred Fincher matched his career high with 17 tackles and helped the Huskies secure their first Big East win as a conference member


Friday is all right for fighting Tonight will be a busy one on the local fight scene with two cards. At the Bayside Expo Center, Ray Oliveira will take on Hicklet Lau for the vacant International Boxing Union welterweight title. On the same card, heavyweight prospect Matt Godfrey (4-0, 2 KOs) of Providence will face Andrew Hutchinson.


Nikkei Closes Higher After Strong Tankan  TOKYO (Reuters) - The Nikkei average closed up 1.49 percent  on Friday, the first day of the fiscal second half, as a strong  reading in the Bank of Japan's "tankan" business survey  prompted investors at home and abroad to jump into the market.


Netflix, TiVo Promise New Service The two companies say they will jointly develop a set-top box to download movies over the internet. Netflix will arrange the movie licensing from Hollywood studios, and TiVo will take care of the product technology.


Indonesia police identify embassy attacker Indonesian police on Friday identified the man they suspect was the suicide bomber in an attack on the Australian Embassy in Jakarta last month, and said the 30


Wen calls for better leadership from party BEIJING - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday pledged to improve the leadership of the Communist Party at a time when its popularity is waning.


Dare you fight the possessed tomatoes? Quirky, stick-figure "Kingdom of Loathing" shows continued promise of independent game-writing.


Netflix, TiVo sign VoD alliance Netflix, the online DVD rental company, and TiVo yesterday said they will work together to deliver movies digitally down the wires, presumably specifically to the latter #39;s PVR equipment.


Genome mapped of CO2-absorbing algae US scientists have charted the genetic map of a microscopic algae that absorbs huge amounts of greenhouse gases.  quot;These organisms are incredibly important in the global carbon cycle, quot; said Virginia Armbrust


Millwall to complain to UEFA The Lions lost 3-1 to Ferencvaros - failing to progress to the next round of the UEFA Cup - on a night that saw four visiting fans suffering stab wounds and numerous other incidents of inter-fan violence.


Rejuvenated Real out to start scoring goals It has not gone unnoticed in Spain that the four goals Real Madrid put past Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday equalled their tally in five league matches after one of their worst starts to a domestic campaign for many years.


Net giants adopt anti-spam system Some of the net's biggest players such as AOL, Hotmail and Yahoo are stepping up efforts to combat spam.


EU Accuses Microsoft of Paternal View Microsoft Corp. said Friday that small companies and their customers would suffer most if it is forced to remove its digital media software from Windows, while the European Union accused it of being "paternalistic" in trying to decide what's best for everyone.


Bin Laden Deputy Purportedly Seeks Strikes (AP) AP - An audio tape purportedly released by Osama bin Laden's deputy calls for attacks on U.S. and British interests everywhere, according to a broadcast Friday by Al-Jazeera television.


Chirac seeks vote on Turkey bid French President Jacques Chirac says France should hold a referendum on Turkey's entry to the European Union.


Saudi setback hurts BAE Systems BAE Systems shares slid more than 4 per dcent in early trade after the company, while announcing  quot;good progress quot; on its Eurofighter contracts, admitted further troubles in the controversial al-Yamamah programme.


Arthritis drug withdrawn after trial A prescription painkiller used by more than 250,000 Australians to treat arthritis has been withdrawn from sale after a clinical trial found it doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke.


GAME DAY PREVIEW Game time: 7:30 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- After a season in which they fired their coach, the New York Liberty are hosting the top-seeded Connecticut Sun Friday in Game One of the best-of-three Eastern Conference finals.


EU set to launch 'transit camps' EU ministers agree to set up five pilot reception centres in Africa to process asylum applications.


Sun makes run for supercomputing title With the economy slowly turning up, upgrading hardware has been on businesses radar in the past 12 months as their number two priority.


Spears, Stosur advance to quarterfinals American Abigail Spears advanced to the quarterfinals of the Korea Open on Wednesday with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 win over second-seeded Shinobu Asagoe of Japan.


Threat of Extinction Looms Over Larger Species Being the biggest dog may pay off at feeding time, but species that grow too large may be more vulnerable to extinction, new research suggests. Over 50 million years a succession of large carnivores evolved in North America, diversified, and then died out.


SpaceShipOne ready for X Prize Designer Burt Rutan #39;s SpaceShipOne cracked through Earth #39;s atmosphere and into outer space Sept. 29. Pilot Mike Mevill guided the aircraft to an altitude of 102,870 meters.


Red Hat Buys Technology from Netscape (Reuters) Reuters - Linux distributor Red Hat Inc. \said on Thursday that it had bought Netscape's computer user\identification and management technology from America Online\Inc., a unit of Time Warner Inc.


SpaceShipOne's 2nd Shot at X Prize Slated for Monday (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - The second attempt by the rocketplane SpaceShipOne to soar into space and snag \  the  #36;10 million Ansari X Prize is planned for Monday, officials announced last \  night.


Siemens in 2.69bn deal with BBC German industrial giant Siemens has signed a 2.69bn contract to deliver technology services around the world to the BBC, a deal that will see it acquire the broadcasters technology subsidiary.


Two Millwall fans stabbed, hospitalized BUDAPEST, Hungary -- UEFA has charged Hungary #39;s Ferencvaros after their fans threw missiles and shouted racist abuse in Thursday #39;s UEFA Cup tie against Millwall.


Grizzlies make Swift move Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - The Memphis Grizzlies Friday re-signed forward Stromile Swift to a one-year contract. Terms of the deal were not released.


Hewlett-Packard buys Synstar Palo Alto-based Hewlett-Packard Co. has bought IT services company Synstar plc, of Bracknell, England for about \$293.3 million. Synstar has some 1,500 customers across Europe, selling IT support for various computer platforms.


Sun ships Java upgrade, focuses on ease of use OCTOBER 01, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Sun Microsystems Inc. this week released Java 2 Platform Standard Edition (J2SE) 5.0, an upgrade of its programming language with more than 100 new features designed to bolster


Ford Down, Nissan Up in September Sales  DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co. F.N posted its fourth  consecutive month of weaker U.S. sales with a 7 percent drop in  September results on Friday, and the automaker doubled its  incentives on some models to kick-start sales this month.