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Australian journalist tells of capture in Iraq TONY EASTLEY: An Australian journalist snatched by insurgents in Iraq, has contradicted claims by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer that he was kidnapped in a part of Baghdad where he was advised not to go.

3World

Basayev Claims Responsibility for Beslan School Hostage Siege A Chechen rebel commander has claimed responsibility for the school hostage siege in southern Russia earlier this month, during which more than 320 hostages were killed, half of them children.

3World

Russia #39;s Putin Defends Reforms, Worries About Clans Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he had no plans to grab more power or change the constitution when reforming Russia #39;s government structure.

0Business

Housing Starts Surge 6.4 Pct. in October WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. housing starts jumped a larger-than-expected 6.4 percent in October to the busiest pace since December as buyers took advantage of low mortgage rates, a government report showed on Wednesday.

0Business

Bush, Kerry Bow to McCain's Wishes on Ads NEW YORK - President Bush and Sen. John Kerry bowed to the wishes of popular maverick John McCain on Thursday, as the president embraced the Republican senator's legal fight against big-money special interest groups airing negative ads and the Democratic nominee scrapped a commercial that featured McCain...

3World

Plus: Cendant reported to buy Ebookers SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Not only did the word quot;blog quot; enter Merriam-Webster #39;s dictionary this year, but Microsoft is getting on the personalized e-journal bandwagon.

1Sci/Tech

Capacity Crowds at Beach Volleyball Rock the Joint ATHENS (Reuters) - At the beach volleyball, the 2004 Olympics is a sell-out, foot-stomping success.

2Sports

Bush, Kerry Stick to Issue Of Security Presidential candidates combed the Midwest for the last few uncommitted voters Thursday, each carrying severe warnings that his rival's victory would worsen the security of Americans.

3World

Cingular Planning Major 3G Wireless Rollout Just as the AT amp;T buy helped Cingular move ahead of Verizon Wireless to the top of the industry in terms of size, the new network would likely give it an overall faster network, a distinction most say Verizon can now boast.

0Business

Tributes flood in for Nicholson Former Tottenham captain Dave Mackay has led the tributes to legendary former Spurs manager Bill Nicholson, who passed away on Saturday aged 85.

2Sports

Rebel threat on the roads leaves Katmandu isolated KATMANDU, Nepal The Nepali capital was largely cut off from the rest of the country on Wednesday after Maoist rebels threatened to attack any vehicles traveling on main roads, in a virtual blockade of Katmandu to press their demands for the release of ...

3World

AIG #39;s War of Words with Watchdogs America #39;s largest insurer is in hot water again with regulators. American International Group (AIG ) said on Oct. 4 that officials at the Securities amp; Exchange Commission and the Justice Dept.

0Business

Halo 2 scores record sales of \$125 million in first 24 hours Halo 2 broke entertainment retail records in its first 24 hours. Microsoft Game Studios said that the video game sold through 2.4 million stores in the US and Canada raking in \$125 million in sales.

0Business

Inflation fall eases rates pressure INFLATION fell again in August, slipping further below the governments 2 per cent target, driven down by clothing and footwear retailers failing to raise prices after a poor summer.

0Business

Fresh bid to dismiss Jackson case Lawyers for Michael Jackson say the singer's child molestation case should be dropped.

3World

Bank of America Fires Back at Parmalat LONDON (Reuters) - Grant Thornton and Bank of America have filed motions in a New York court to remove a U.S. injunction stopping them counter-suing insolvent Italian dairy group Parmalat, which has sued each for \$10 billion.

0Business

Track heads in the right direction RENAULT #39;S Formula One team boss Flavio Briatore paid the Shanghai International Circuit the greatest compliment when he said yesterday: #39;It #39;s going to be difficult to beat this one.

2Sports

Suicide bombers suspected in attack JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Police released yesterday a grainy photo taken by a security camera of a white delivery truck just before it blew up outside the Australian Embassy and said they suspect two suicide bombers in the vehicle set off the explosion, killing seven other people.

3World

Trial of Accused US Vigilantes Resumes KABUL, Afghanistan Aug. 23, 2004 - A defense lawyer for one of three Americans accused of torturing a dozen Afghan prisoners in a private jail showed a video in court Monday of Afghanistan #39;s former education

3World

Reebok Third-Quarter Earnings, Sales Up Athletic shoe and apparel maker Reebok International Ltd. (RBK) on Thursday posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings, helped by improved sales due to acquisitions and the weak dollar.

0Business

Pakistani troops raid two terrorist hideouts PAKISTANI troops backed by artillery and aircraft attacked two suspected terrorist hideouts near the rugged Afghan border yesterday, killing and wounding a number of militants, Pakistan army and security officials said.

3World

Committee Recommends Abusive Clergy Ban (AP) AP - A committee overseeing a review of the child protection plan adopted by Roman Catholic bishops has recommended preserving a ban on church work for clerics who molest young people, according to a document the panel has sent to all U.S. bishops.

3World

Nortel Cuts Fewer Jobs, Exits Real Estate OTTAWA (Reuters) - Nortel Networks Corp. <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NT.TO target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">NT.TO</A> 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.

0Business

Some People Not Eligible to Get in on Google IPO Google has billed its IPO as a way for everyday people to get in on the process, denying Wall Street the usual stranglehold it's had on IPOs. Public bidding, a minimum of just five shares, an open process with 28 underwriters - all this pointed to a new level of public participation. But this isn't the case.

1Sci/Tech

Israel seals off Gaza Strip The Israeli army sealed off Gaza Strip Wednesday by shutting down Erez Crossing and the Industrial Zone and prevented Palestinians from leaving.

3World

Iraqi Forces Foundering in Face of Killings and Threats by Rebels Iraqi forces, whose performance is crucial to securing January elections, are riddled with problems, say local U.S. officials.

3World

ROSSI CELEBRATES IN STYLE Valentino Rossi hailed an quot;unbelievable quot; season after celebrating his fourth world championship with victory in Valencia.

2Sports

US troops move toward Fallujah Insurgents and American forces clashed briefly Thursday near the Iraqi city. A large US assault is expected.

3World

UPDATE 3-Alliance Capital profit rises in third quarter Alliance Capital Management Holdings LP (AC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , one of the biggest US money managers, on Thursday said its profit rose in the third quarter

0Business

Sparkle starts shipping GeForce 6600 GT AGP <a href="http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/article/1755/">GeForce 6600GT AGP, as good as it gets?</a> <font size=-1 color=#6f6f6f><nobr>Hardware Analysis</nobr>

1Sci/Tech

France Says Hostages Still Alive a Few Days Ago France said on Sunday two French reporters held hostage with their Syrian driver in Iraq were still alive a few days ago. quot;We are working discreetly, following up leads, reestablishing

3World

Coca-Cola Makes Very Good #39; Bid to End Probe, EU Says (Update2) Coca-Cola Co. moved closer to settling a five-year European Commission antitrust probe after regulators said an offer from the world #39;s biggest soft-drink maker to revamp its sales practices is very good.

0Business

Dogged Astros Refocus Eyes on Texas On the strength of Carlos Beltran and a tireless bullpen, the Astros came back from a three-run deficit on Sunday to defeat the Cardinals, 6-5.

2Sports

No. 12 Mississippi St. Struggles in Opener (AP) AP - Two of the three ranked teams playing on the opening night of the college basketball season cruised to easy wins. Then there was Mississippi State.

2Sports

Game 5 marathon rated highly with viewers Monday's Game 5 of the Red Sox-Yankees series showed an interesting ratings pattern. The window from 5:15-8 p.m., the time allotted for the telecast, did a 42.2 rating and 66 audience share in Boston. Those are terrific numbers for any market. The better news for Fox was that the game was only half-over at that point.

2Sports

MG Rover offers know-how to Chinese partner MG Rover, the ailing British carmaker, has signed a binding agreement to hand over technology and know-how to the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC).

0Business

Update 8: Crude Oil Futures Sink to \$46 Per Barrel December delivery crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange dropped 76 cents to \$46.11 per barrel. The benchmark light, sweet crude remained about \$8 a barrel cheaper than its closing record of \$55.17 recorded Oct. 22 and Oct. 26.

0Business

Retail Sees Solid, Not Stellar, Holidays (Reuters) Reuters - Holiday shopping got off to a flying\start in the United States this weekend.

0Business

Yukos seeks US bankruptcy refuge Embattled Russian oil giant Yukos has filed for bankruptcy protection in a US court in an attempt to prevent the forced sale of its main production arm.

0Business

Nikkei Sinks Due to Exporters TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average fell 2 percent at the opening on Monday as investors shied away from exporters including Toyota Motor Corp. after a fall in the dollar below 107 yen stoked concerns about their earnings.

0Business

Cablevision Narrows Loss on Revenue Surge Cablevision Systems Corp. on Tuesday said it narrowed its third-quarter loss as revenue jumped 20 percent, buoyed by subscriber growth.

0Business

Options expensing delay not enough,say US senators A group of Republican senators vowed on Thursday to use the closing days of Congress this year to try and stop accounting rulemakers from requiring the expensing of stock options.

0Business

Expanding West Major League Soccer's two expansion teams, Real Salt Lake and Club Deportivo Chivas USA, will join the Western Conference for the 2005 season.

2Sports

Kidnappers In Iraq Seize Lebanese-American Contractor An Iraqi security official said gunmen abducted a Lebanese-American contractor who worked with the US Army in Iraq. Officials said gunmen snatched him when he answered the door at his Baghdad home overnight.

3World

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.

2Sports

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.

1Sci/Tech

Nakatani expects a big day at BC No stranger to brash statements, jockey Corey Nakatani has a firm goal for Saturday #39;s Breeders #39; Cup program at Lone Star Park.

2Sports

Mars Rovers Relay Images Through Mars Express European Space Agency -- ESAs Mars Express has relayed pictures from one of NASA's Mars rovers for the first time, as part of a set of interplanetary networking demonstrations. The demonstrations pave the way for future Mars missions to draw on joint interplanetary networking capabilities...

1Sci/Tech

Major League Baseball Box Score COLORADO (7) VS ARIZONA (1) - MID 6TH - IN PROGRESS COLORADO ab rh rbi bb so lob avg A Miles 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 .302 R Clayton ss 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 .

2Sports

Mobile phone sales hit second-quarter record: Gartner (AFP) AFP - Global sales of mobile telephones hit a record 156 million in the second quarter, a study published by the US research group Gartner showed.

1Sci/Tech

Apple Sues Over Web Leak of Advance Products (Reuters) Reuters - Apple Computer Inc. is\suing anonymous people who leaked details about new products by\posting information on the Internet, court documents showed on\Friday.

1Sci/Tech

UPDATE:NZ F amp;P Healthcare 1H Net Up; Currency Hedge Helps WELLINGTON (Dow Jones)--New Zealand medical equipment maker Fisher amp; Paykel Healthcare Corp. (FPH.NZ) said Wednesday it is confident it can better the high revenue growth

0Business

Leyland has emerged as a managerial candidate Jim Leyland just might be ready to manage a Major League Baseball team again, and he will reportedly interview for jobs with the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets, according to the NY Daily News.

2Sports

Seven suspected terrorists arrested in Spain Spain #39;s Interior Minister says police have broken up a radical Muslim cell, plotting to bomb the country #39;s National Court.

3World

Japan steps up efforts for Iraq hostage release Japan has made last-ditch efforts to secure the release of a Japanese hostage facing execution in Iraq. A Japanese government official says efforts are still being made to free Shosei Koda, 24, but there have been no reports of any progress.

3World

Hershey Profit Up, to Sell Cookies CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chocolate maker Hershey Foods Corp. <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=HSY.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">HSY.N</A> on Thursday posted a higher-than-expected 16 percent rise in quarterly profit and said it will get into the cookie business.

0Business

Powell to Japan; US Troops, N.Korea on Agenda Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit Tokyo for two days next weekend to discuss security and trade as well as stalled talks aimed at ending North Korea #39;s nuclear ambitions, Japanese officials said on Sunday.

3World

Sinn Fein Says N.Irish Deal Nears; No Bush Call (Reuters) Reuters - The leader of Sinn Fein, Northern\Ireland's main Catholic party and the political ally of the\Irish Republican Army (IRA), said Sunday he believed his\Protestant rivals were ready to agree to a peace deal.

3World

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.

0Business

Comcast Profit Falls Short of Forecasts Comcast Corp. (CMCSA.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , the largest US cable operator, on Wednesday posted a quarterly profit that fell short of Wall Street forecasts but reported better-than

0Business

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.

2Sports

Israeli Officer Arrested Over Killing of Gaza Girl (Reuters) Reuters - Israeli military police on Tuesday\arrested a commander accused by comrades of riddling the body\of a Palestinian schoolgirl with bullets after fellow soldiers\killed her.

3World

Symantec warns of weakness in its firewall and gateway products Security specialist Symantec has admitted to a number of vulnerabilities in its firewall and gateway products. The weaknesses make them liable to denial of service attacks and other compromises.

1Sci/Tech

Bosox strike deal with Mirabelli; Yanks, Flaherty close The Boston Red Sox have signed backup catcher Doug Mirabelli to a two-year deal worth \$3 million, making him the first of the World Series champions #39; 16 free agents to re-sign.

2Sports

Merck #39;s Board Adopts Severance Plan for Top Officials (Update5) Merck amp; Co., seeking to keep managers from leaving after the withdrawal of its Vioxx painkiller, adopted a plan to give severance payments to more than 200 executives should control of the company change.

0Business

AL Wrap: Indians, Twins Split Unique Doubleheader NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ben Broussard belted a two-run homer to give the Cleveland Indians a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins to salvage a split of a unique doubleheader on the final day of the regular season on Sunday.

2Sports

Patriots Begin Title Defense with Narrow Win Over Colts The New England Patriots began their quest for successive Super Bowl titles with a tight 27-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the opening game of the NFL season in Foxboro Thursday.

2Sports

Bill Clinton Helps Launch Search Engine Former president Bill Clinton on Monday helped launch a new Internet search company backed by the Chinese government which says its technology uses artificial intelligence to produce better results than Google Inc.

1Sci/Tech

EU offering economic incentives to Iran to suspend uranium <b>...</b> CARROT AND STICK: The EU is hoping Iran will cease its nuclear program before the IAEA meets later this month. Another option could be economic sanctions.

3World

Wenger commits future to Arsenal Arsenal FC have agreed a three-year contract extension with manager Arsne Wenger, retaining the Frenchman #39;s services until May 2008.

2Sports

Reliance battle seen getting messier in days ahead: Business India: Mumbai, Nov 26 : The much talked about family feud over the control of Reliance Industries, India #39;s largest industrial house, is set to turn into a full-fledged boardroom battle that may entail a revamp of the company #39;s management.

0Business

Monsanto Says Justice Dept Closes Inquiry NEW YORK (Reuters) - Monsanto Co. <A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=MON.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote">MON.N</A> on Wednesday said the U.S. Justice Department has closed an inquiry into potential antitrust issues regarding a key ingredient used in its Roundup herbicide.

0Business

Nothing doing Well, that didn #39;t go very well, did it? Everybody knew the NHL planned on turning down the NHLPA #39;s latest offer yesterday, but the hockey world still held its breath when the two adversaries met face to face

2Sports

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.

3World

Will Bills be more receptive? FOXBOROUGH -- Hello, Mike Mularkey. Welcome to opportunity. Watch that game film of New England-St. Louis last week?

2Sports

Fed Raises Interest Rate A 4th Time, To 2 Percent The Federal Reserve suggested that it would continue to raise interest rates gradually through much of next year.

0Business

More harmful drugs may be on the market After writing about hundreds of individual and class-action lawsuits that have been filed on behalf of consumers who developed cancer, suffered heart attacks or other medical problems from hormone replacement therapy drugs and Vioxx, an FDA employee now

0Business

Sony Shift to Support MP3 <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news/posts/20040923-4222.html">Sony considers adding native mp3 support to its players</a> <font size=-1 color=#6f6f6f><nobr>Ars Technica</nobr>

1Sci/Tech

Italian taken hostage in Iraq: report (AFP) AFP - An Italian national working for a British non-governmental organisation has been taken hostage in Iraq, the Italian news agency ANSA reported, quoting Italian intelligence sources.

3World

Saban hiring on hold DAVIE - The Dolphins want Nick Saban, and the LSU coach could be on his way. Although LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman said Friday that quot;an offer is very imminent, quot; the Dolphins are committed to adhering

2Sports

James Lawton: In mourning for big fights of Las Vegas En route to Las Vegas for the world heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and Britain #39;s Danny Williams, there is, inevitably, an old stirring of that anticipation which is familiar to almost anyone who has attended a big fight.

2Sports

Sun Micro Posts Narrower Quarterly Loss SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Network computer maker Sun Microsystems Inc. on Thursday posted a narrower quarterly loss as revenue rose for the second consecutive quarter on higher sales of servers after three years of declines.

0Business

Postal Service to Use Motorola Devices (AP) AP - Motorola Israel Ltd. said Monday it will provide the U.S. Postal Service with new hand-held scanning devices under a three-year deal worth about #36;300 million.

1Sci/Tech

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.

1Sci/Tech

British industry at best in 10 years Manufacturing industry is enjoying its strongest performance for almost 10 years, according to a survey by the Engineering Employers Federation.

0Business

US troops reach centre of Fallujah as 48 killed in Baquba and <b>...</b> FALLUJAH: Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi on Tuesday imposed a night curfew in Baghdad as US troops with crack Iraqi soldiers surged into the heart of Fallujah in a hail of explosions and gunfire on the second day of the largest operation in Iraq since

3World

Share-deal ban signals MGM deal MOVIE studio Metro-Goldwyn Meyer has reportedly banned some of its staff from buying or selling its shares, stoking speculation that a multibillion-dollar takeover of the group could be days away, with Time Warner the favoured candidate.

0Business

Hurricane Watch Issued for Gaston Off S.C. COLUMBIA, S.C. - A hurricane watch was issued for the South Carolina coast Saturday as forecasters predicted Tropical Storm Gaston would make landfall near Charleston on Sunday night...

3World

IT seeing steady but slow growth: Forrester projects 7 percent <b>...</b> Tech companies waiting for a big resurgence in spending on computer hardware, software, networks and staff better plan to wait about four more years, Forrester Research projected yesterday.

1Sci/Tech

US ends Jamaica #39;s Cup hopes Eddie Johnson scored his fifth goal in three games Wednesday and the US national soccer team eliminated Jamaica from 2006 World Cup contention with a 1-1 tie at Columbus, Ohio.

2Sports

Dogs in Training to Sniff Out Cancer Experts have trained unwanted dogs into supersniffers that can detect drugs or bombs. Now they're focusing on a new threat #151;prostate cancer.

1Sci/Tech

F1 power struggle now in session. The legal battle for control of Formula One gets underway in earnest today, with Bernie Ecclestone and the three German banks that make up the major shareholding in the sport going to court to decide who has the right to power.

2Sports

Second seed Dementieva hammered in New Haven The French Open runner-up, who had progressed to the last four with ease, was completely out of sorts as seventh seed Bovina wrapped up victory in only 56 minutes.

2Sports

Will Your Next Cell Phone Have a Hard Drive? Hitachi Global Storage Technologies and Intel are pushing the development of an interface technology that they hope will smooth the adoption of compact hard drives into mobile phones, PDAs, and digital music players, the companies say.

1Sci/Tech

Lloyds TSB cashes in on VoIP Lloyds TSB is gearing up to roll out one of the largest converged networks in Europe, a 500m 70,000 phone VoIP infrastructure linking all the bank #39;s branches and cash points.

1Sci/Tech

Kremlin rules out public inquiry on Beslan LONDON President Vladimir Putin of Russia has ruled out a public inquiry into the Beslan school siege and snarled at those who think he should do business with Chechen militants, two British newspapers said Tuesday.

3World

Blasts hit Bangladesh party rally A series of grenade blasts has rocked an opposition party rally in the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, killing at least 13 people. There were seven or eight explosions at the Awami League headquarters, as leader Sheikh Hasina addressed a crowd.

3World

Shares of Large Drug Makers Fall NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of large drug makers fell on Thursday after a top U.S. cardiologist questioned the safety of new arthritis drugs and the performance of U.S. regulators in monitoring drug safety.

0Business

European Abortion Debate Turns Divisive (AP) AP - European Parliament legislators on Thursday turned a fight over abortion rights in Portugal into an emotional and divisive debate on women's rights and the division between church and state.

3World

Jobs #39; Apple vs Beatles #39; Apple p2pnet.net News:- It #39;s Apple vs Apple again - that #39;s to say Steve Jobs #39; Apple versus The Beatles #39; Apple. Apple-B claims Apple-J infringes its trade mark and the latter, quot;is likely to be forced into a multimillion

1Sci/Tech