Blast at Russian mine kills 13 in industry's latest disaster (AFP) AFP - A blast at a Siberian mine killed 13 men in the latest disaster to strike Russia's accident-prone industry that has been chronically short of funds following the Soviet collapse.


Eurozone economy awash with liquidity, M3 money supply data show (AFP) AFP - The eurozone economy is awash with excess liquidity and that could signal inflationary dangers ahead for the 12 countries that share the euro, official data showed.


Mining firm rejects Xstrata bid WMC, the Australian mining firm, turns down a \$5.5bn bid from Swiss company Xstrata but says it is willing to hold talks on a deal.


Three Foreign Poll Workers Kidnapped in Kabul (Reuters) Reuters - Three foreign election workers were\kidnapped by armed men in the Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday,\government sources and election commission officials said.


NEC posts higher net profit in first half but lowers forecast (AFP) AFP - Japanese computer giant NEC said its interim net profit rose 62.6 percent to 25.2 billion yen (240 million dollars) but it cut its forecasts, citing slower mobile handset and semiconductor markets.


Australian Govt. in Control of Both Houses (AP) AP - Final election results Thursday showed John Howard becoming Australia's first prime minister in 24 years to control both houses of parliament, clearing the way for the conservative leader to push through reforms including relaxing media ownership laws.


Three Foreigners Kidnapped in Afghanistan  KABUL (Reuters) - Three foreign election workers were  kidnapped by armed men in the Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday,  government officials said.


Pakistan Court Again Delays Pearl Case Hearing  KARACHI (Reuters) - A Pakistani court on Thursday again  adjourned an appeal hearing for four Islamic militants  convicted of the abduction and murder of U.S. reporter Daniel  Pearl because a key defense lawyer failed to show up.


Cycling: Tour de France changes  Changes are likely when the Tour de France route for 2005 is announced on Thursday.


Fewer Pledge to Swap Votes Thousands plan to take part this year in an online effort that lets backers of third-party candidates in swing states trade votes with people in less critical locations. But overall participation is lower than in 2000. By Joanna Glasner.


Shell to scrap twin board structure Oil giant Royal Dutch/Shell today said it would to scrap its twin board structure as it battles to restore confidence in the wake of its reserves crisis.


Faster check-clearing benefits all of us A new law takes effect today that #39;s sure to have a positive impact on the nation #39;s payment system. It #39;s also likely to have an impact on those who pull out a checkbook when it #39;s time to pay the bills.


Boeing net surges 78 to \$456 mil. Boeing Co. reported a 78-percent surge in third-quarter net income to \$456 million as it benefitted from strength in its defense business, and tax settlements that helped offset drop-offs in commercial airplane and satellite and launch operations.


Volkswagen Reports Seventh Quarterly Profit Decline (Update1) Volkswagen AG, Europe #39;s largest carmaker, reported a seventh consecutive decline in quarterly profit as domestic demand weakened and sales growth in China slowed, making the full-year profit target harder to reach.


Gold Fields cheers  #39;solid #39; performance However, the gold miner said earnings were down compared to September last year when a sum of R421 million was posted. - An operating profit of R456 million was achieved despite a lower rand gold price and a small planned reduction in gold produced.


Google Improves Local Search With Map Company Buy Google announced its purchase yesterday of Keyhole, a mapping company that uses satellite photographs to produce three-dimensional maps, in a move that could bolster Google #39;s local search capabilities.


Apple stock hits four-year high The action continued in after hours trading, where the company gained another US cent. The company saw stocks climb \$2.33 during the day, a 4.86 per cent increase.


Moon #39;s eclipse like a  #39;rusty ball #39; Stargazers were able to catch a fleeting glimpse of a total eclipse of the moon in the early hours today. The clouds cleared to allow a rusty ball to be seen, despite bad weather, between 3.23am and 4.44am.


Denver will do the Dew - Action Sports Tour, that is Denver will host hordes of skaters, motocross riders and bikers next summer as one of five cities presenting the first Dew Action Sports Tour.


Taiwan  #39;Traditionally Benefits #39; With Republicans in White House Secretary of State Colin Powell #39;s comments this week on Taiwan have upset many on the island, but analysts believe he likely misspoke, and they note


The Economist favours Kerry in US presidential vote (AFP) AFP - The Economist, the weekly bible of the world's top movers and shakers, said it is throwing its support behind Democratic challenger John Kerry in the upcoming US presidential election.


Coronation Begins for Cambodia's New King (AP) AP - Cambodia began three days of celebrations Thursday as its new king, former ballet dancer Norodom Sihamoni, prepared to take over the throne from his father, who was adored by his people for more than 60 years.


Arafat in Serious Condition, Foreign Medics Arrive  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Foreign doctors rushed to  Yasser Arafat's side on Thursday to tend to the seriously ill  Palestinian leader, who for decades has symbolized his people's  struggle for statehood.


You Broke It, You Fix It The new iMac G5 is completely user serviceable. If something goes wrong, Apple ships you the spare parts and you do the work. It's the wave of the future: Soon most PC repairs will be done at home. By Leander Kahney.


Bio Data-Cruncher Hits Jackpot A Harvard biologist scores on three fronts with a genetic discovery in diabetes, an advance toward curing a rare children's disease and a \$500,000 award for scientific creativity. Fifth in a series profiling the MacArthur Foundation 'genius award' winners. By Kari Lynn Dean.


When Hilary Met Larry She was the champion of the music industry. He was the voice of the people. It was a death match made in heaven -- but they found common ground. By Hilary Rosen and Lawrence Lessig from Wired magazine.


Titan Surface Still a Mystery NASA investigators now have the most detailed pictures ever taken of Titan. But the images can't penetrate the mystery that surrounds the Saturnian moon. By Amit Asaravala.


Lexmark Loss Good for Consumers The printer maker's courtroom setback may mean consumer electronics companies won't try to use the Digital Millennium Copyright Act as an all-purpose competition shield anymore. By Katie Dean.


Internet Users Want a Voice About a quarter of Americans have rated products, services or people online, according to the latest Pew Internet    #038; American Life Project survey. The results point to the growing significance of online rating systems. By Daniel Terdiman.


Lost Tribe of Little People On a remote Indonesian island, archeologists were astonished to discover a new, small human species that walked the earth just 18,000 years ago. By Kristen Philipkoski.


Foreigners Blocked From Bush Site Surfers trying to view President Bush's official campaign website are finding it a tad difficult to get in. No explanation has been given, even though the site works just fine in the United States.


English elm 'brought by Romans' English elms could be descended from one tree brought here by Romans 2,000 years ago, scientists say.


Astronomers chart asteroid threat \A team of astronomers steps up a project which one day could preserve the Earth from annihilation.


Abortion row fears over eye cure The restoration of a blind woman's sight using foetal tissues is likely to spark ethical debate, say scientists.


Shell buoyed by hopes for heftier index weighting Shares in Royal Dutch/Shell have risen in Amsterdam and London, lifted by speculation that investors will increase their holdings in the stock to reflect its unified structure.


2nd UPDATE: Xstrata Bids A\$7.4B For WMC, Rivals Circle MELBOURNE (Dow Jones)--Swiss-based Xstrata Plc (XTA.LN) Thursday put WMC Resources Ltd. (WMR.AU) in play, offering A\$7.4 billion for the Australian miner that represents the start of a long bidding war.


Google buys online map provider Acquires Keyhole Corp., for an undisclosed amount and cuts the product price by \$40 and further fueling its rivalry with Microsoft and Yahoo.


New German business wave in Asia takes shape BERLIN - Volkswagen AG #39;s announcement this week that it has forged a new partnership deal with Malaysian carmaker Proton comes as a strong euro and Europe #39;s weak economic performance triggers a fresh wave of German investment in Asia.


Election Workers Kidnapped in Afghanistan (AP) AP - Three foreign election workers were kidnapped Thursday in the Afghan capital, police and Western officials said.


NY Seen Steady as Oil Prices Slip Further  LONDON (Reuters) - Wall Street was set for a steady start  on Thursday, bolstered by fresh falls in crude oil prices to  their lowest level in over three weeks to ease investor  concerns about prospects for economic growth and corporate  profits.


Titan close-up only adds to mystery The first close-up pictures of Titan, one of the most enigmatic bodies in the solar system, parted the veil of its smoggy atmosphere Wednesday but managed to deepen questions about the Saturnian moon #39;s icy surface.


PSP SCE MMO - OMG! October 27, 2004 - While Sony has not outlined exactly how it plans to use that cool WiFi online functionality of the PSP (currently, games only support local peer-to-peer gameplay), the company is charging ahead into the online space with its games.


Bush can #39;t hide from UK surfers Surfers that have been unable to visit the official re-election site of President George W Bush all week can access the site through an alternative address.


Microsoft #39;s Ballmer tells customers to stick with Windows Steve Ballmer, Microsoft #39;s CEO has emailed management and IT professionals in a fierce defence of Windows against Linux and Unix in the Enterprise.


AMD, Tata launch Internet Communicator AMD launches the \$185 Personal Internet Communicator(PIC) in partnership with Tata Indicom to tap the Indian market. MUMBAI: The Austin, TX-based chip vendor AMD calls it the 50x15 initiative : the move towards


KLINSMANN HAPPY WITH FIFA Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann is  quot;thrilled quot; by the news that his team will kick-off the 2006 World Cup at Munich #39;s new Allianz Arena.


Singh gears up for big finish Vijay Singh does not recall the PGA Tour being this strong, with a record five rookies winning this year. One of them, Ryan Palmer, held off the No.


Blast at Russian mine kills 13 in industry #39;s latest disaster MOSCOW : A blast at a Siberian mine killed 13 men in the latest disaster to strike Russia #39;s accident-prone industry that has been chronically short of funds following the Soviet collapse.


China welcomes Russian approval of Kyoto Protocol China welcomed on Thursday Russia #39;s ratification of the Kyoto climate change protocol and urged countries that have not done so to follow suit.


Powell clarifies no change in US cross-strait policy after <b>...</b> WASHINGTON : Secretary of State Colin Powell clarified that US policy on China and Taiwan has not changed, in an apparent bid to assuage Taipei #39;s concerns over remarks he made in a visit to Beijing.


People want to see a resolution of the Kashmir issue: Musharraf Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has categorically stated that Pakistan #39;s Kashmir policy has not been changed and whatever options he presents, should be seen as various ways to resolve this outstanding imbroglio.


European Stocks Rise as Oil Slips (Reuters) Reuters - A sharp fall in oil prices boosted\European stock markets and energy import-dependent Japan's yen\on Thursday, but depressed government bonds as investors\factored in a rosier economic outlook.


Commonwealth chief meets Indian foreign minister (AFP) AFP - Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon held talks with Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh on the first day of his two-day visit to New Delhi, an Indian official said.


Red Cross slams 'misguided aid' Wrongheaded relief work may worsen the situation of disaster victims, warns the international Red Cross.


Jones #39; Sydney medals safe MARION JONES will be able to keep the three gold and two bronze medals she won at the Sydney 2000 Olympics even if it is proved she was taking banned drugs at the time.


Pesky's patience rewarded Those were tears of joy he didn't even try to hide amid the wild celebration in the Red Sox' locker room last night. Sure, some champagne had been poured on him, but those were Johnny Pesky's emotions on display as he witnessed a scene that he never had a doubt he'd see.


Update 10: Crude Oil Prices Slide Further Crude oil futures slid Thursday to their lowest levels in more than two weeks as concerns over supplies ahead of the Northern Hemisphere winter eased because of a rise in US inventories.


DreamWorks Animation sets IPO at \$28 The generally jovial ogre Shrek might have enchanted moviegoers, but investors are even more interested in shares of the character #39;s creator: DreamWorks Animation (DWA).


German automaker Volkswagen reports drop in net profit (Updated <b>...</b> Automaker Volkswagen on Thursday reported a 65 percent drop in net profit from the same period a year ago amid fiercely competitive markets and difficult


Telefnica rejects bid for maker of Big Brother TELEFNICA, the Spanish telecoms group, is understood to have rejected a bid of at least 2 billion (1.4 billion) for its Endemol television production company, which is behind Big Brother.


Payments rule is one small step in automating banks SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - The Check Clearing Act for the 21st Century, or Check 21, goes into effect this Thursday without a visible hitch.


Sony profits down as rivals up Electronics giant Sony has reported a fall in profits, in contrast to strong gains seen by Matsushita and Canon. Sony, which blamed a fall in sales of televisions and portable audio players, saw half-year


Ballmer launches selective attack on Linux IP protection Steve Ballmer has attacked Linux vendors for failing to adequately indemnify customers against potential intellectual property legal actions.


SGI and Nasa Claim Supercomputer World Record Silicon Graphics Inc and Nasa can claim to have created the world #39;s most powerful supercomputer with the installation of the new Linux and Intel Corp Itanium 2-based  #39;Columbia #39; supercomputer.


Boston baying at moon A cloud of anticipation hung over Beantown last night and it had nothing to do with people waiting for the total eclipse of the moon.


Megson drafts in lawyers to settle contract Gary Megson is preparing to take legal action against West Bromwich Albion to end his contractual dispute with the club and clear the way for a new job.


Davidoff Swiss Indoors, Basel British number one Tim Henman felt more energetic as he looked ahead to his second round encounter against South Africa #39;s Wesley Moodie today at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors event in Basel with the match not scheduled to start before 16:00 local time.


A Classic NY battle At the conclusion of yesterday #39;s post-position draw at Lone Star Park, handicapper Rick Lee announced that the track would entertain a number of head-to-head proposition #39; #39; bets on Saturday #39;s Breeders #39; Cup races.


Russian Coal Mine Explosion Kills 13, Injures 23, Ministry Says A gas explosion in a central Siberian coal mine killed 13 people and injured 23 others, Russia #39;s Emergency Ministry said. The explosion happened at 5:45 am local time in the Listvyazhna


US Airstrike on Fallujah Kills 2 The US military says warplanes bombed a suspected rebel safehouse in the city of Fallujah Thursday, killing two people. A statement says the target was a  quot;meeting site quot; used by allies of wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.


MARGARET IN NEW TAPE PLEA KIDNAPPED aid worker Margaret Hassan was shown on videotape last night pleading for Britain to withdraw its troops from Iraq. The tape, broadcast on Arab TV network alJazeera, also showed her demanding the


DaimlerChrysler Posts  #36;1.27B Net Profit (AP) AP - DaimlerChrysler AG said Thursday it earned euro1.0 billion ( #36;1.27 billion) in the third quarter on good performances from its commercial vehicles division and its U.S. Chrysler arm, rebounding from a large loss a year ago.


FA launches investigation after Stamford Bridge trouble LONDON, Oct 28 (SW) - The English Football Association has officially confirmed an investigation had been launched following incidents at Stamford Bride last night.


Sri Lanka in trouble against Pakistan in Karachi Test (AFP) AFP - Pakistan pacers Abdul Razzaq and debutant Riaz Afridi took two wickets apiece as Sri Lanka struggled to 150-6 at tea on the first day of the second and final Test at National Stadium here.


Israeli Troops Kill Palestinian Girl -- Witnesses (Reuters) Reuters - Israeli soldiers shot dead a 10-year-old\Palestinian girl on Thursday as she was walking to school in a\refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, witnesses said.


Shell Scraps Dual Ownership  LONDON/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Oil major Royal Dutch/Shell  Group RD.AS<SHEL.L> plans to move to a unified corporate  structure, ditching a century-old dual-ownership system blamed  for contributing to a reserves overbooking scandal.


Mideast May Again Become Major U.S. Issue (AP) AP - When President Bush and John Kerry talk about Mideast policy, they say little except to commit themselves to Israel's security. The rivals seem likely to say little more until one of them occupies the White House next year.


MicroStrategy Profit Lights Fire Under Stock MicroStrategy Inc.'s share price  soared 31 percent yesterday, the day after the McLean software company posted better-than-expected third-quarter earnings.


Former cybersecurity czar: Code-checking tools needed DECEMBER 02, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - WASHINGTON -- Software vendors need automated tools that look for bugs in their code, but it may be a decade before many of those tools are mature and widely used, said the former director of cybersecurity for the US


Delta pilots agreed on cost saving package On Wednesday, Delta pilots agreed on cost saving plan of the company as Delta Air Lines is trying to avoid possible filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.


Fed finds economy growing in survey The US economy grew in September and early October despite being restrained by rising energy costs and increased uncertainty over the presidential campaign, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.


WMC turns down \$5.5bn Xstrata bid Australian nickel and copper miner WMC Resources has turned down an offer from Swiss-based Xstrata that valued the company at Aust.


Upbeat Boeing lifts profit forecasts Plane maker Boeing has said its third quarter profits shot up 78 from a year ago to \$456m. The company also gave an upbeat forecast for the rest of 2004 and into 2005.


New U2 iPod Released Apple and U2 have announced the release of a special U2-branded iPod to coincide with the release of the band #39;s new album  #39;How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb #39;.


Sony PSP: December 12th 2004 \$185 Thats when you can get yours and how much you would pay. That is if you live in Japan. Sony today announced the release date and price for its new portable game system.


An Unearthly Ball of Rust in the Sky Amateur stargazers who stayed up late into the early hours today were rewarded with fleeting glimpses of a total eclipse of the moon.


OutKast tops first digital-music sales awards Hip-hip duo OutKast have taken top honours as the recording industry handed out its first awards for music sold through Internet-music services like Apple Computer Inc.


Temps de lecture estim AMD : ERRATUM - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited et AMD lance le communicateur Internet personnel. Les services haut dbit de TATA Indicom facilitent l #39;accs bon march  Internet en Inde.


Langer goes after tea Opener Justin Langer has been dismissed after the tea break but Australia have already built a big lead over India on day three of the third Test in Nagpur.


Magic send Shaq message, 109-103 When the NBA preseason mercifully came to a conclusion Wednesday night for the Orlando Magic, fiery point guard Steve Francis had a pointed message for the rival Miami Heat: The Magic


Federation Council ratifies Kyoto treaty The Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, has ratified the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was signed by Russia in 1997.


Encouraging news on economy A Federal Reserve report painted a generally positive picture of an expanding economy Wednesday, while noting that in some regions, including California and neighboring states,  quot;growth had moderated somewhat.


European Stocks Rise as Oil Slips A sharp fall in oil prices boosted European stock markets and energy import-dependent Japan #39;s yen on Thursday, but depressed government bonds as investors factored in a rosier economic outlook.


Yahoo launches mobile web search Web portal Yahoo has launched a web search service for mobile phone users in the US, according to a report from Reuters today. Its rival, internet search company Google, had introduced an SMS service to access


OutKast take digi-download crown OutKast topped the first US digital music awards, presented by the Recording industry Association of America (RIAA). They took a multi-platinum award yesterday in recognition of 400,000 downloads for  #39;Hey Ya!


Japan appeals for hostage #39;s release Japanese officials tried Thursday to contact the Iraqi militants holding a Japanese hostage, as the 48-hour deadline for his threatened execution approached.


Alleged Terror Leader Goes On Trial In Indonesia The alleged leader of Southeast Asia #39;s most dangerous Islamic militant group has gone on trial in Indonesia charged with terrorist offenses that carry the death penalty.


UK student fraud hits record level A record number of university applications have been cancelled because students presented fake qualifications.


Ramirez MVP of Red Sox Team Full of Valuable Players (Reuters) Reuters - Manny Ramirez completed a perfect day\Wednesday by being named the Most Valuable Player of the 2004\World Series.


Gridlock at ports may dock retailers (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - This could be the year that gridlock steals Christmas.


Red Sox Fans Finally See Team Win Title (AP) AP - Red Sox fans waited 85 years to celebrate this moment. After so many disappointing Octobers, it was finally Boston's turn to enjoy a World Series victory.


Harmony #39;s hostile takeover bid sparks court challenge in South <b>...</b> JOHANNESBURG : A battle over a hostile takeover bid to create the world #39;s largest gold mining group has spilled over into court, with Gold Fields Limited (GFI) accusing rival Harmony of being in breach of South African criminal laws.


Linux Cauldron Gets Another Stir The already-bruising battle for control of the fast-growing Linux market has become even tougher after Dell (DELL:Nasdaq - news - research) announced Wednesday that it will distribute Novell #39;s (NOVL:Nasdaq - news - research) version of the upstart


Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas The violent video game  quot;Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas quot; could eclipse Hollywood #39;s most successful films, even as it draws the ire of critics.


Australia Leads by 300 in Test After Dismissing India for 185 Australia reached 87-1 after dismissing India for 185 to lead by 300 runs at tea on day three of the third cricket Test at Nagpur, edging the top-ranked team closer to a first series win in India in 35 years.


Anglo-American hope for Leeds Leeds United, forced to sell their best players to stay afloat financially in last season #39;s doomed relegation fight, could have new owners in the next 24 hours.


Google Buys Digital Mapping Company Google Inc. has bought digital map maker Keyhole Corp., extending the search engine leader's bid to fend off rivals with a toolbox that can catalog almost anything in the world.


New Web Domain Names Get Preliminary Nod Two new Internet domain names - ".post" and ".travel" - could appear online as early as next year as the Internet's key oversight board announced preliminary approval on Wednesday.


Digital Assistants Continue to Lose Ground Shipments of personal digital assistants declined for the third consecutive quarter as large vendors continued ceding the depressed market to smaller electronics makers, the research firm IDC said Wednesday.


OutKast Tops Digital-Music  Awards The hip-hip duo took top honors Wednesday as the recording industry handed out its first awards for music sold through Internet-music services like Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes.


Crisis in new EU member Latvia after government resigns (AFP) AFP - Five months after entering the European Union, the small Baltic state of Latvia was plunged into political turmoil as its minority coalition government was forced to resign after parliament rejected the draft 2005 budget.


Raytheon Posts Third-Quarter Net Profit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Raytheon Co. reported a third-quarter  net profit on Thursday after a loss in the year-ago quarter.


Dow Chemical Third-Quarter Profit Surges  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dow Chemical Co.'s DOW.N  third-quarter profit surged 86 percent on increased plastics  sales, but demand remains vulnerable to soaring energy costs,  the No. 1 U.S. chemicals maker said on Thursday.


Viacom Posts Third-Quarter Net Loss  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Viacom Inc. VIAb.N<VIA.N> on  Thursday posted a third-quarter loss as a result of charges  from discontinued operations and a writedown of its assets, but  revenue rose on advertising sales growth at MTV and Nickelodeon  cable networks and the CBS television network.


ImClone Posts Profit on Erbitux Sales  CHICAGO (Reuters) - ImClone Systems Inc. IMCL.O on  Thursday posted its third successive quarterly profit helped by  strong sales of its new colon cancer drug Erbitux.


Stocks to Watch on October 28  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks to watch on Thursday:  DELTA AIR LINES DAL.N: The air carrier's pilots union said  late Wednesday it reached a tentative agreement with the  airline on cost savings.


Black in windfall compromise deal Former Hollinger International boss Lord Black reaches a deal with the media group over windfalls from the sale of Telegraph newspapers.


Dow Chemical Third-Quarter Profit Surges (Reuters) Reuters - Dow Chemical Co.'s \third-quarter profit surged 86 percent on increased plastics\sales, but demand remains vulnerable to soaring energy costs,\the No. 1 U.S. chemicals maker said on Thursday.


JetBlue Profit Down 71 Percent (Reuters) Reuters - Low-cost carrier JetBlue Airways Corp.\ on Thursday said third-quarter earnings fell 71\percent as it struggled with skyrocketing fuel prices and tough\competition.


JetBlue Profit Down 71 Percent  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Low-cost carrier JetBlue Airways Corp.  JBLU.O on Thursday said third-quarter earnings fell 71  percent as it struggled with skyrocketing fuel prices and tough  competition.


Sri Lanka upset over monk search Sri Lanka complains after monks were made to disrobe during an anthrax scare at the Canadian High Commission.


Armed Group Claims to Have Iraq Explosives (AP) AP - An armed group claimed in a video Thursday to have obtained a large amount of explosives missing from a munitions depot facility in Iraq and threatened to use them against foreign troops.


Verizon Third-Quarter Profit Flat (AP) AP - Verizon Communications Inc.'s third-quarter profit held steady at about  #36;1.80 billion as declining revenues from traditional phone services at the nation's biggest telephone company were offset by another blockbuster quarter for Verizon Wireless, which added a record 1.7 million subscribers.


Verizon Posts Flat Third-Quarter Earnings (Reuters) Reuters - Verizon Communications Inc. ,\the largest U.S. telecommunications company, on Thursday\reported third-quarter earnings virtually unchanged from the\year before as wireless and high-speed Internet sales offset\losses of local phone lines.


Ovitz, Eisner Relationship Spotlighted in Disney Suit AccountingWEB.com - Oct-28-2004 - A shareholder suit brought about by outrage over the severance package paid to former President Michael Ovitz is unveiling some deep dissention in the House of Mouse, the Wall Street Journal reported.


Big-ticket orders edge up 0.2 as sales of new homes surge Orders to US factories for big-ticket durable goods edged up in September while sales of new homes raced to the third-highest monthly level on record.


Imclone Posts 3Q Profit on Erbitux Sales Biopharmaceutical company ImClone Systems Inc. said Thursday that it swung to a profit in the third-quarter from a year-ago loss due to sales of colorectal cancer drug Erbitux.


Update 1: Volkswagen Reports Drop in Net Profit Automaker Volkswagen on Thursday reported a 65 percent drop in third-quarter net profit from the same period a year ago amid fiercely competitive markets and difficult economic conditions such as a strong euro and high oil prices.


Group backs anti-rollover device An electronic device that senses when a vehicle is about to tip and automatically corrects steering, acceleration and braking can reduce single-vehicle crashes that include deadly rollovers, a safety group said Thursday.


JC Penney names new chairman, CEO JC Penney Co. Inc. named Myron Ullman, a former executive at French luxury goods retailer LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton as its next chairman and chief executive Wednesday, reaching


Bush site restricted to foreigners Web-surfers outside the US have been blocked from visiting the official George W. Bush campaign website. UK-based internet monitoring firm Netcraft first noticed the blockage Monday morning.


Now, Yahoo search on mobile Yahoo has sprung a surprise in the Internet world with its new offering: Yahoo search engine on mobile. With this mobile users can access yahoo search with their mobile phones.


Stargazers enjoy eclipse Amateur stargazers who stayed up into the early hours today were rewarded with fleeting glimpses of a total eclipse of the moon. Bad weather had threatened to obscure


AMD Personal Internet Communicator Launched AMD today unveiled a business strategy with initial participants in India, Mexico and the Caribbean to enable 50 percent of the world #39;s population with Internet connectivity and computing capabilities by 2015 (called 50x15).


ICANN moves closer to approving .post and .travel suffixes Internet users may soon see two new domain name suffixes in their browser window:  quot;.post quot; to identify the postal community and  quot;.


NTT DoCOMo, IBM and Intel team up to secure mobile devices NTT DoCoMo, Intel and IBM have published a jointly developed security specification called the Trusted Mobile Platform. It aims to provide an end-to-end security architecture for mobile wireless devices, including


SAP and HP to offer hosted ERP German software giant SAP is teaming with Hewlett-Packard (HP) to offer midmarket companies in the US a hosted software offering that includes applications, maintenance, services and support for a monthly fee.


MoD to save 600m with EDS #39; admin system The Ministry of Defence said it will save 600m over 10 years with a joint personnel administration system to serve all UK armed forces to be built by global IT services giant EDS.


Sumitomo files new suit in bid to halt UFJ, Mitsubishi Tokyo merger (AFP) AFP - Japan's Sumitomo Trust and Banking -- the trust arm of a rival suitor for UFJ Holdings -- filed a new lawsuit as part of its effort to secure a deal which could create the world's largest bank.


Henman proves he #39;s far from deficient in Basel TIM HENMAN confirmed his well-being despite recently being diagnosed as suffering from magnesium deficiency with a straight-sets win over Antony Dupuis in the first round of the Davidoff Swiss Masters.


Pak #39;s second string seamers restrict Sri Lanka : Rookie bowler Riaz Afridi, grabbed two wickets as Pakistan made Sri Lanka struggle for runs on the first day of the second cricket Test today.


Arafat Seriously Ill but in Stable Condition Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was said to be seriously ill but in stable condition Thursday as a team of international doctors prepared


Sharon wins Gaza test JERUSALEMWith his political life in the balance, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon took the first tentative steps on the path to peace last night, winning parliamentary consent for a plan to uproot Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip and parts of


Iran stays firm on nuclear curbs Top Iranian nuclear negotiator Hossein Mousavian has ruled out a long-term suspension of uranium enrichment. Mr Mousavian told the BBC it was completely illogical for the international


UK troops on way to Baghdad: Japan rejects militants #39; threat BASRA, Oct 27: Hundreds of British soldiers left southern Iraq on a risky mission closer to Baghdad on Wednesday to free up US forces for a possible assault on Fallujah , as Tokyo stood firm after militants threatened to behead a Japanese hostage.


Viewpoint:  #39;Margaret Hassan must be released #39; Kirsten Zaat, a long-time humanitarian aid worker, makes a personal plea for the release of kidnapped colleague Margaret Hassan. When I began my career, Margaret Hassan had already been living in Baghdad for 15 years.


(196) 28-October-2004 - President challenges bishops on morality <b>...</b> President Olusegun Obasajo of Nigeria has challenged Anglican bishops meeting in Nigeria to provide courageous and godly leadership in matters of faith and moral conduct.


Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Has Loss  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia  Inc.MSO.N reported a much wider quarterly loss on Thursday as  its founder's criminal conviction on charges of lying to  investigators continued to weigh on the business.


Aetna Earnings Rise as Membership Rises  CHICAGO  (Reuters) - Health insurer Aetna Inc. AET.N on  Thursday posted a sharp rise in third-quarter profit as it  boosted membership and benefited from a big tax refund from  discontinued operations.


PayPal Makes Amends for Recent Outage Online payment service PayPal said it will essentially waive transaction fees for some customers on Thursday to make amends for the inconvenience caused by about five days of intermittent service outages earlier this month.


Europe likely to opt for biometric passports If current plans succeed, travelers' facial and fingerprint data will be stored on embedded chips.


ImClone Posts Profit on Erbitux Sales ImClone Systems Inc. (IMCL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday posted its third successive quarterly profit helped by strong sales of its new colon cancer drug Erbitux.


Astonomers finger culprit in 1572 supernova An international team of astronomers has identified the surviving companion star to the 1572 supernova explosion witnessed by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.


DaimlerChrysler Operating Profit Rises  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - DaimlerChrysler's DCXGn.DE  third-quarter operating profit rose 7 percent, just below  analyst expectations, as gains at U.S. arm Chrysler helped  offset weaker earnings at premium carmaker Mercedes.


Fort Lauderdale boat show provides a boost to hotels For South Florida hotels, October #39;s end brings more than a change in the weather. It also ushers in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, an annual highlight for many hospitality firms.


Smaller, more powerful PC fuel cell is on the way A new fuel cell for notebook PCs, more compact and powerful than competing technologies, could be on the market in early 2006 at a price of around \$90, its Japanese inventors said Tuesday.


DaimlerChrysler Operating Profit Rises (Reuters) Reuters - DaimlerChrysler's (DCXGn.DE)\third-quarter operating profit rose 7 percent, just below\analyst expectations, as gains at U.S. arm Chrysler helped\offset weaker earnings at premium carmaker Mercedes.


Bush Web Site Bars Overseas Visitors (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The Bush-Cheney reelection campaign has barred people outside the United States from viewing its Web site following an electronic attack that took down the campaign's Internet address for six hours last week, according\\to computer security experts.


Africa Power Firms Join to Light Up Dark Continent (Reuters) Reuters - The latest scheme to spread\electric light in Africa may sound familiar, but this time\African leaders say they have the will, and financial backing,\to succeed.


Dow Chemical Third-Quarter Profit Surges  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dow Chemical Co.'s DOW.N  third-quarter profit surged 86 percent on increased plastics  sales, but demand remains vulnerable to soaring energy costs,  the No. 1 U.S. chemicals maker said Thursday.


JetBlue Profit Tumbles, Misses Estimates  NEW YORK (Reuters) - JetBlue Airways Corp. JBLU.O on  Thursday said third-quarter earnings fell 71 percent, missing  analysts' lowered estimates, as it struggled with skyrocketing  fuel prices, storm disruptions and competition.


Exxon Profit Soars on Record Oil Prices  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM.N, the world's  largest publicly traded oil company, on Thursday reported a 56  percent rise in quarterly profit, driven by soaring oil and gas  prices in the quarter.


ICANN moves closer to approving .post, .travel domains Internet users may soon see two new domain name suffixes in their browser window: ".post" to identify the postal community and ".travel" for travel industry associations and organizations.


Taking in AT amp;T, Cingular is largest wireless provider Cingular Wireless #39;s dream of becoming the nation #39;s largest mobile phone provider came true yesterday, with final regulatory approval of its \$41 billion purchase of AT amp;T Wireless Services.


Verizon Third-Quarter Profit Flat Verizon Communications Inc. #39;s third-quarter profit held steady at about \$1.80 billion as declining revenues from traditional phone services at the nation #39;s biggest telephone company were offset by another blockbuster quarter for Verizon Wireless, which


Update 1: Sony Profits Surge for Quarter Sony Corp., the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant. said Thursday that its profit jumped 61.6 percent in the latest quarter on improved profitability in its mobile phone joint venture and gains in its movie business, led by  quot;Spider-Man 2. quot;.


New Law Could Sink Check Writers ATLANTA -- New federal laws take effect Thursday that could dramatically shorten the time it takes for a check to clear the bank because the information will now be transmitted electronically.


Neptune Orient Lines Profit Up 13 Percent Neptune Orient Lines Ltd., the world #39;s seventh biggest container shipping company, on Thursday reported a 13 percent rise in third quarter net profit from a year earlier due to growing shipping volume and higher freight rates.


Algeria's Most-Wanted Militant Taken Into Custody (Reuters) Reuters - One of North Africa's most wanted\Islamic militant leaders, accused in the kidnapping of 32\European tourists last year, has been taken into custody in\Algeria, authorities said on Thursday.


Classes turn lunar eclipse into a lesson Huddled around telescopes and bundled up in sweatshirts and stocking caps, Salinas High School students moon-gazed Wednesday night.


SAP, HP Offer Hosted ERP for Midsize Companies SAP America Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. are collaborating on a hosted enterprise resource planning software service for midsize companies in specific vertical markets.


Red Sox win World Series with 3-0 win Weds. to sweep St. Louis (St. Louis-AP) Oct. 27, 2004 - Curse? What curse? The Boston Red Sox have lifted the Curse of the Bambino by completing a four-game sweep in the World Series, beating the St.


Magic Defeat Heat In Orlando ORLANDO, Fla. -- Steve Francis poured in a team-high 22 points and rookie Dwight Howard added 14 with 13 rebounds as the Orlando Magic downed the Miami Heat, 109-103, in preseason action at TD Waterhouse Centre.


US Air Strikes Hit Al-Fallujah 28 October 2004 -- US warplanes today destroyed a house in Al-Fallujah suspected of being used by the guerrilla group of Al-Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.


DaimlerChrysler Posts \$1.18B Quarterly Profit Automaking giant DaimlerChrysler AG said Thursday it earned 951 million euros (\$1.18 billion) in the third quarter on good performances from its financial services division and its U.S. Chrysler arm, rebounding from a 1.7 billion euro loss a year ago when it had a large one-time write-off.


Experts warn of Internet flu vaccine scam Although the United States is experiencing a shortage of flu vaccines this fall, don't be so eager for one that you're duped into purchasing it online.


Sony net profit more than doubles; Spider-Man 2 a boost (AFP) AFP - Global consumer electronics giant Sony said its interim net profit more than doubled to 76.5 billion yen (720 million dollars), thanks in part to its popular movie Spider-Man 2.


IRAQ Kidnappers Tighten Screw on U.S. Allies in Iraq  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Militants piled more pressure on the  United States' military allies in Iraq on Thursday, seizing a  Polish woman and holding a Japanese man under death threat.


Nigerian Protection Force En Route to Darfur  ABUJA (Reuters) - An elite contingent of 50 Nigerian  soldiers flew to Darfur on Thursday aboard a U.S. military  plane, the first of 3,000 extra African Union troops deployed  to monitor a shaky cease-fire in Sudan's vast western region.


Algeria's Most-Wanted Militant Taken Into Custody  ALGIERS (Reuters) - One of North Africa's most wanted  Islamic militant leaders, accused in the kidnapping of 32  European tourists last year, has been taken into custody in  Algeria, authorities said on Thursday.


Moving Ideas Off Campus The transfer of technological innovations from the campus to the capitalist marketplace has been a financial windfall for many schools.


Verizon 3Q Profit Flat Verizon Communications Inc.'s third-quarter profit held steady at about \$1.80 billion as declining revenues from traditional phone services at the nation's biggest telephone company were offset by another blockbuster quarter for Verizon Wireless, which added a record 1.7 million subscribers.


Shell Fuels Gains in European Shares (Reuters) Reuters - European shares posted their best levels\in nearly two weeks, led by pleasing restructuring and earnings\news from oil giant Royal Dutch/Shell, but sharp losses among\basic producers capped market gains.


When two become one Rivalry between the Dutch and British has a long history. Between 1652 and 1672, three wars broke out between two seafaring nations separated by trading interests as well as a few miles of North Sea.


Whitbread unveils sell-offs and savings Pubs and hotels group Whitbread today unveiled an 800 million asset disposal programme and plans to quit its London head office.


Update 4: DaimlerChrysler Posts \$1.27B Net Profit Automaking giant DaimlerChrysler AG said Thursday it earned 951 million euros (\$1.18 billion) in the third quarter on good performances from its financial services division and its US Chrysler arm, rebounding from a 1.7 billion euro loss a year ago when


Marvel 3Q Profit Falls but Sales Surge Toy company Marvel Enterprises Inc. on Thursday blamed a sharp drop in third-quarter profit on a tax swing in the period, but the company still beat Wall Street expectations as sales and license fees soared from sales of Spider-Man merchandise.


China raises lending rate for first time in nearly a decade BEIJING : China has decided to raise its benchmark one-year lending rate to 5.58 percent from 5.31 percent with effect Friday, the first such move in nearly a decade, the central bank said on its website.


Licensing Plan Makes Microsoft a Utility Player Opinion: A decision to continue charging for server software based on CPUs and not cores will make Microsoft server software a much more attractive alternative to utility computing providers.


KHAN-AGE England #39;s Simon Khan, runner-up to Sergio Garcia in Majorca two weeks ago, made a horror start to his first Volvo Masters at Valderrama today.


Barroso sees clutch of changes Jos Manuel Duro Barroso, the incoming president of the European Commission, is expecting to have to make a clutch of changes to the line-up of his executive if he is to get it past a rebellious European Parliament.


Japan Seeks Iraq Hostage Release as Deadline Nears Japan sought international help on Thursday for a Japanese man held hostage in Iraq, with less than 24 hours to go for a deadline set by his captors to behead him unless Tokyo withdraws its troops.


The Gaza gamble MONTHS of terrorist bombings and Israeli army attacks aren #39;t the usual buildup for a major peace initiative. But the Israeli parliament #39;s vote to withdraw from the heavily Palestinian Gaza Strip is a huge breakthrough.


Russian Coal Mine Blast Kills 13, Rescue Efforts Over Rescue efforts at a Siberian mine after an explosion Thursday morning are over, and the bodies of all the 13 dead have been recovered.


A Blog as Big as Texas The  quot;Missing Iraq Explosives quot; pseudo-scandal appears to be falling apart by the hour. Most recent developments are as follows: Russian special forces troops moved many of Saddam Hussein #39;s weapons and related


China welcomes Russia #39;s ratification of Kyoto Protocol China says it welcomes Russia #39;s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol that aims to stem global warming by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.


Resolving Kashmir with a Musharraf model The studied casualness with which Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf presented his big idea on Kashmir this week has not been able to hide its innovative and indeed revolutionary


Tour De France Unveils Route for 2005 (AP) AP - The 2005 Tour de France may give other riders a chance to test Lance Armstrong. The mountaintop finishes are less intense and the time trials shorter, possibly cutting into the strength of the six-time winner. Organizers on Thursday unveiled the 2005 Tour route, which runs from July 2-24, passes through Germany and features 21 stages over 2,222 miles.


Verizon Wireless Plows Ahead Verizon (VZ:NYSE - news - research) Thursday posted a solid quarter as its wireless operation continues to pick up steam. For its third quarter ended Sept.


DaimlerChrysler Operating Profit Rises DaimlerChrysler #39;s (DCXGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) third-quarter operating profit rose 7 percent, just below analyst expectations, as


Glaxo Sees Dip in Third-Quarter Profits British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline PLC reported a 9 percent drop in third-quarter earnings Thursday, citing stiff competition from generic drug makers.


Coca-Cola Enterprises 3Q Falls Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., the world #39;s largest bottler of Coke products, on Thursday said profits fell in the third quarter as the company wrestled with a soft retail environment and a decline in soft drink consumption.


Sony, Matsushita post Q2 gains Sony cuts full-year forecast by 3, Matsushita warns on effects of high oil prices and competition. TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp. Thursday reported a quarterly profit gain thanks to the  quot;Spider-Man 2 quot; hit movie


China Hikes Rates to Cool the Economy (Reuters) Reuters - China's central bank on Thursday raised\interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade in its\boldest move yet to guide its heated economy to a path of\slower growth.


Titan #39;s Big Surprise The Cassini flyby of Titan sent back the most detailed surface images, but the 1000 kilometer cloud formation near the south pole has scientists stumped.


Apple boasts 70 of the music market, analyst asks: can it keep it <b>...</b> The expansion of the iTunes Music Store to nine more countries in Europe means that Apple now reaches almost 70 per cent of the global music market, according to Apple VP Eddy Cue, but Apple


Keyhole bought by Google for 3D mapping Moving ever closer to its dream of being able to catalogue almost everything in the world, Google Inc. has just bought digital map-maker, Keyhole Corp.


Microsoft #39;s Ballmer questions open source Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has again argued the case that open source is not necessarily cheaper, nor more secure than its proprietary counterpart.


Lunar Eclipse won #39;t happen again for four years If you didn #39;t get a chance to see it Wednesday night, you #39;ll have to wait another four years. People all over world had a chance to see a lunar eclipse Wednesday night.


Garcia full of confidence All 12 members of Europe #39;s victorious Ryder Cup team were due to be in action at the Volvo Masters which started in Valderrama, Spain, today.


Faure:  #39;Jacques was a mistake #39; Determined to finish second in the 2004 Constructors #39; Championship, the French team replaced Jarno Trulli with Villeneuve prior to the Chinese GP.


Mainers celebrate Red Sox victory Like others through New England, Boston Red Sox fans in Maine erupted in celebration following their team #39;s first World Series championship in 86 years.


Loss of teams, but not power Jay Wright has heard this before. The Villanova coach is in his third season at the Wildcats #39; helm, and this is the third time he #39;s heard that the Big East is in decline.


Tour De France  #39;05 Should Suit Armstrong #39;s Rivals With his record six victories, Lance Armstrong has proved he can win the Tour de France over any course. Thursday organizers unveiled a 2005 route that suits his rivals rather than the American.


Fla. County to Replace Absentee Ballots (AP) AP - With voters jamming phone lines saying they haven't received absentee ballots in the mail, elections officials planned to mail out thousands of replacement ballots.


Royal Dutch/Shell to Unify The new group, to be called Royal Dutch Shell, will be headquartered in the Netherlands with a single board, chairman and chief executive.


ADV: Free Anti-Virus Scan If your computer is slowing down or crashing, you may have a virus. Scan now to find out!  Detects viruses, spyware and worms. Includes free spam and popup blockers.


China raises rates to cool growth China increases its interest rates for the first time since 1995, a move widely seen as a further attempt to prevent its economy from over-heating.


Loews Posts Profit vs Year-Earlier Loss (Reuters) Reuters - Loews Corp. , the conglomerate\controlled by the Tisch family, on Thursday posted a\third-quarter profit compared with a year-earlier loss, when\its CNA Financial affiliate increased its reserves for\asbestos, lawsuits and other matters.


Irish Priest Who Disrupted Games Acquitted of Abuse  LONDON (Reuters) - A former Irish priest who disrupted the  Athens Olympics and the British Grand Prix was acquitted  Thursday of indecency with a seven-year-old girl.


S Africans 'armed to the hilt' South African civilians own more guns than the police and military combined, a study finds.


Algeria 'terror leader' arrested Algeria takes custody of one of its most wanted terror suspects, handed over by Libya, the government says.


Aid rushed to storm victims Food and supplies arrive in the Philippines, hit hard by back-to-back storms. More than 600 are dead, and nearly 400 are missing. BY OLIVER TEVES.


Blogs Are Great for Search Engine Ranking Blogs Are Great for Search Engine Ranking\\Blogs have had a profound effect on communications and marketing since their development and early adoption but are still a mystery to many. According to Google Definitions (enter: define:Blog into Google search window), Blogs can be several things to different people but the simplest ...


Shell to become one company, scrap dual boards LONDON : Royal Dutch/Shell announced radical plans to merge its separate holding companies in an overhaul of its corporate governance structures after a review triggered by its oil reserves scandal.


Tribune Profit Stumbles on Scandal Costs Tribune Co. (TRB.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said quarterly profit slumped 32 percent, hurt by costs to reimburse advertisers after a circulation scandal


Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Has Loss Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.(MSO) reported a much wider quarterly loss on Thursday as its founder #39;s criminal conviction on charges of lying to investigators continued to weigh on the business.


Viacom Posts a Loss on Charges Viacom Inc. (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) (VIA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday posted a quarterly loss on charges related to the spinoff of video rental chain Blockbuster


Check 21 will sink the float on checking accounts A new law that takes effect today will shorten the time a check takes to clear -- and muddy the finances of check writers who rely on the  quot;float.


Fiat third-quarter net loss rises, operating loss is slashed MILAN : Troubled Italian automaker Fiat Auto reported an 11 percent increase in third quarter sales to 4.5 billion euros (5.7 billion dollars) compared with the same period last year and cut its operating loss 18 percent to 270 million euros.


CEE profits fall 20 Coca-Cola Enterprises said its profits fell more than 20 percent in the third quarter, thanks in part to soft retail sales in North America.


China Hikes Interest Rates China on Thursday announced it would hike interest rates for most deposits and loans by 0.27 percentage points, the first rise in nine years.


Mobile Phone Gaming to Top  #36;1 Billion in '04 (Reuters) Reuters - Video game and mobile phone companies\are set to make money this year as customers use phones to zap\space invaders or sink game-winning golf putts, pushing the\mobile gaming market over  #36;1 billion, a study said.


Group Claims to Kill Kidnapped Iraq Troops (AP) AP - An Iraqi extremist group said on its Web site Thursday that it had killed 11 Iraqi troops taken hostage south of Baghdad and posted video of the bound men being shot or beheaded.


Google Acquires Satellite Map Company In a deal that could give a boost to local search marketing, search engine giant Google said yesterday it acquired Keyhole Corp., which sells online satellite maps.


Photographs of the  #39;World Series #39; Eclipse Earth cast an eerie shadow on the Moon Wednesday during a total lunar eclipse that delighted skywatchers on several continents. It was the first total lunar eclipse ever to coincide with a World Series game.


Samsung claims DRAM design-win in AMD low-cost  #39;PIC #39; SAN JOSE, Calif. - South Korean DRAM maker Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., said Thursday (Oct. 28) that it  quot;played an integral role in the development and manufacturing quot; of the Personal Internet Communicator (PIC), announced by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.


BYTE OF THE APPLE Every time I write a column about Apple, I get e-mail from people telling me they don #39;t have antivirus software and don #39;t run a firewall because Macs are inherently safer than PCs.


Cole fires Chelsea victory It is a pity that violence during and after Chelsea #39;s 1-0 Carling Cup third-round victory over West Ham at Stamford Bridge overshadowed yet another out-standing performance from Joe Cole.


Double the delight for Fleming CHITTAGONG: A double century from Stephen Fleming placed New Zealand in a prime position heading into the third day of the second cricket test against Bangladesh tonight.


Aussies pile on the runs in Nagpur Led by Simon Katich, Aussies piled on the runs against a hapless Indian bowling attack taking a firm step to conquer the Final Frontier on the third day of the third Test at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur on October 28.


PIZZA IN OUR TIME ARSENAL AND Manchester United held boardroom  quot;peace talks quot; last night in a bid to calm the war between the two Premiership giants.


Sauber has no regrets signing Villeneuve Peter Sauber says he has no regrets signing former world champion Jacques Villeneuve for next season. The Canadian was asked to fill in for Jarno Trulli in the final three races of the season by Renault, who


Lecce sparkle thanks to teenager Bojinov Teenage striker Valeri Bojinov reaffirmed his growing reputation on Wednesday with two goals as Lecce snatched a 2-2 draw with Inter Milan.


For openers, Curry, Davis will be on bench The NBA mandate to crack down on malicious attempts to injure didn #39;t last until even the start of the regular season. At least that was one conclusion that could be drawn from the punishments


Intelligence reform stalls in US Congress (AFP) AFP - Legislation to reform the US intelligence system after the September 11 attacks and failures in Iraq has fallen victim to partisan wrangling, endangering lawmakers' goal of sending a bill to the White House before the November 2 election.


US soldier and at least three Iraqis killed in clashes, blasts RAMADI, Iraq - At least two Iraqis were killed and eight people wounded, including three US marines, in clashes Thursday between rebels and US troops in the restive Iraqi city of Ramadi, hospital and military sources said.


Girl trapped 5 days after quake TOKYO, Japan -- Rescuers are trying to free a young girl trapped in a van beneath a landslide following Japan #39;s deadliest earthquake in a decade.


Iraq ; Russia smuggled Saddam #39;s weapons: Report The Russian involvement in helping disperse Saddams weapons, including some 380 tons of RDX and HMX is still being investigated, Shaw said.


Russia ratifies Kyoto protocol. MOSCOW, October 27 (Itar-Tass) - The Federation Council, or Russian parliaments upper house, ratified on Wednesday the Kyoto protocol to the UN frame convention on change of climate.


Mobile Phone Gaming to Top \$1 Billion in '04  LONDON (Reuters) - Video game and mobile phone companies  are set to make money this year as customers use phones to zap  space invaders or sink game-winning golf putts, pushing the  mobile gaming market over \$1 billion, a study said.


AMD Rolls Out Low-Cost Net Access Device in India  BOMBAY (Reuters) - U.S. chip maker Advanced Micro Devices  AMD.N has unveiled a low-cost Internet access device that  could cost just a few hundred dollars, aimed at first-time  technology users in the developing world.


Jobless Claims Up More Than Expected  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new  claims for unemployment benefits rose 20,000 last week, the  government said on Thursday in a report that continued to be  somewhat inflated by hurricane-related claims.


China's Central Bank Hikes Interest Rate  BEIJING (Reuters) - China's central bank on Thursday raised  interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade in its  boldest move yet to guide its heated economy to a path of  slower growth.


Oil Extends Its Retreat from Record Highs  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil extended its retreat from record  highs on Thursday, taking two-day losses to 6 percent after an  unexpectedly large rise in U.S. crude inventories spurred  speculative funds to take profits.


Viacom Posts a Loss on Charges  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Viacom Inc. VIAb.N<VIA.N> on  Thursday posted a quarterly loss on charges related to the  spinoff of video rental chain Blockbuster Inc.BBI.N, but  cable network advertising sales and profits rose strongly.


Shell stuns City with revamp ANGLO-DUTCH giant Shell stunned the City today by unveiling plans to scrap its century old corporate structure and create  #39;one company, one board and one chief executive.


Update 1: Viacom Posts Loss on Blockbuster Charge Viacom Inc., the media conglomerate that owns CBS and MTV, posted a third-quarter loss of \$487.6 million Thursday as its earnings were hit by a \$1.


New Check Regulations Go Into Effect Today Some consumer advocates are worried new check regulations that go into effect today will catch consumers by surprise. Checks will now be cleared electronically, reducing the amount of time


Russia Denies Involvement in Iraq Weapons (AP) AP - Russia angrily denied allegations Thursday that Russian forces had smuggled a cache of high explosives out of Iraq prior to the U.S. invasion in March 2003.


AMD Rolls Out Low-Cost Net Access Device in India (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. chip maker Advanced Micro Devices\ has unveiled a low-cost Internet access device that\could cost just a few hundred dollars, aimed at first-time\technology users in the developing world.


Vettori destroys Bangladesh Chittagong - Spin bowler Daniel Vettori claimed 10 wickets to guide New Zealand to the verge of victory on Thursday in the second Test against Bangladesh.


Dons seal back-to-back Parkhead wins Celtics lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League table was cut to four points on Wednesday night when an injury time goal from John Stewart gave plucky Aberdeen their second successive victory at Parkhead.


Lawyer: Cop Not Responsible For Snelgrove Death BOSTON -- A police commander working to control the rowdy crowd around Fenway Park after the Red Sox won the American League pennant last week was not responsible for the death of a college student.


DreamWorks Animation Seeks Splashy Debut DreamWorks Animation Inc., riding on a wave of recent hit films including "Shrek 2" and "Shark Tales" was looking for friendly waters on Wall Street Thursday with its highly anticipated initial public offering.


Alcatel Swings to Profit (AP) AP - French telecommunications equipment maker Alcatel SA swung to a profit in the third quarter, helped by cost-cutting and a rebound in the mobile communications industry, the company said Thursday.


Stocks Open Lower; China Rate Hike Weighs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened lower on Thursday  on the heels of a two-day rally, with Wall Street looking  poised for a pull back, while China's interest rate hike adds  concerns that global economic growth may slow.


Dow Chemical Profit Surges 86 Percent  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dow Chemical Co.'s DOW.N  third-quarter profit surged 86 percent on increased plastics  sales, but demand remains vulnerable to soaring energy costs,  the No. 1 U.S. chemicals maker said Thursday.


Stocks surge for second day on falling oil prices By George Chamberlin , Daily Transcript Financial Correspondent. Stocks rallied sharply Wednesday for the second consecutive session.


China hikes interest rates for first time in nine years China on Thursday announced it will raise interest rates for one-year loans by 0.27 percentage points to 5.58, the first increase in more than nine years.


Aetna Third-Quarter Profits Up HARTFORD, Conn. - Aetna Inc. Thursday reported a huge surge in third quarter profits from a one-time tax refund and increased revenue from higher membership.


Weak Sales Hurt Coke Enterprises Earnings Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s largest bottler of Coca-Cola drinks, reported on Thursday a 20-percent drop in quarterly profit


Unemployment Claims Jump by 20,000 The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose last week by 20,000, the largest jump in a month, the Labor Department reported Thursday.


Canon posts record profit as digital camera boom continues (AFP) AFP - Japan's Canon Inc. said it posted a record profit for the three months to September due to strong overseas demand for digital cameras, especially in Europe, and revised up its full-year earnings forecast.


Iraq carnage kills 21 as UN official warns time not ripe for polls BAGHDAD (AFP) - At least 21 people were killed in the latest in a renewed spree of attacks to hit Iraq , as a top UN official issued a stark warning that elections could not be held in the current climate of violence.


New .travel, .post domains get preliminary nod Two new Internet domain names -quot;.post quot; and  quot;.travel quot;  -ld appear online as early as next year as the Internet #39;s key oversight board announced preliminary approval on Wednesday.


Hero Kezman plays down missile strike ONCE again today the talk in football circles south of the border is all about mayhem among fans as English football suffered another night of shame.


Aussies turn screws on India NAGPUR - World champions Australia have marched boldly towards their first series win in India in 35 years after taking an imposing 415-run lead with seven wickets in hand in the third Test.


Texas not popular choice The Breeders #39; Cup is making its first visit to Texas and not everyone thinks the world of it. There has been grumbling about the tight-turned turf course that has scared away many European runners.


SAP, HP Offer Hosted ERP for Midsize Companies (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - SAP and HP are offering a hosted enterprise resource planning application service to go after midsize companies that are taking their business to competing applications subcription services.


Another woman kidnapped in Iraq A POLISH-Iraqi woman has been kidnapped in Baghdad, the Iraqi interior ministry confirmed after Arab television station Al-Jazeera broadcast a videotape of the hostage.


Australia #39;s conservative government wins control of both houses of <b>...</b> Prime Minister John Howard has won control of both the upper and lower houses of parliament, clearing the way for the conservative leader to push through reforms including relaxing media ownership laws.


Control of US Senate hinges on handful of hard-fought contests (AFP) AFP - A handful of nail-biter contests could flip control of the US Senate to the Democrats in the November 2 election, while the House of Representatives is expected to remain firmly in the grasp of George W. Bush's Republican Party.


Kidnappers Tighten Screw on U.S. Allies in Iraq  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Militants piled more pressure on  Washington's military allies in Iraq on Thursday, seizing a  Polish woman and holding a Japanese man under death threat.


4 Iraqis Tell of Looting at Munitions Site in '03 Three Iraqi witnesses and a security chief said that looters stormed Al Qaqaa just days after U.S. troops swept through on their way to Baghdad in early April 2003.


Crude Drops for Second Day as China Increases Interest Rates Crude oil futures fell, posting their biggest two-day decline in London in two months, after China #39;s central bank raised interest rates for the first time in nine years in an attempt to stem inflation.


AirTran CEO Sees Another Airline Liquidation Soon The US airline industry, riddled with excess supply, will see a significant drop in capacity, or far fewer seats, as a result of at least one airline liquidating in the next year, according to AirTran Airways Chief Executive Joe Leonard.


Whitbread to sell historic brewery WHITBREAD #39;S new chief executive Alan Parker today made his first mark on the leisure giant, unveiling 800m of disposals and plans to sell its historic brewery on Chiswell Street.


Volkswagen Reports Seventh Quarterly Profit Decline (Update4) Volkswagen AG, Europe #39;s largest carmaker, had a seventh consecutive decline in quarterly profit on higher sales incentives and the strength of the euro versus the dollar.


Google acquires digital mapping firm With an internet connection, users enter an address or other location information and Keyhole #39;s software accesses the database and takes them to a digital image of that location on their computer screen.


49ers notes: Rattay #39;s forearm is sore again Bee Staff Writer. SANTA CLARA - The 49ers were hoping to return from their week off with a roster full of healthy bodies. Instead, they went through Wednesday #39;s practice with their most


Romanian Earthquake Felt in Turkey The earthquake, which occurred in Romania last night, measuring 6.2 on the Richter Scale, was also felt in Turkey. First reports say nobody was killed or injured in the earthquake.


COSATU deportations illegal IN a dramatic turn of events to the ill-fated Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) #39;s fact-finding mission, the government on Tuesday night dumped the delegation at the Beitbridge border post, in defiance of a High Court order barring the


Dollar Falls, Market Ponders China's Move  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar fell in choppy trade on  Thursday as traders tried to sort out what a surprise interest  rate hike from China meant for currencies.


SEC Probes DaimlerChrysler  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - DaimlerChrysler AG DCX.N  DCXGn.DE said on Thursday the U.S. Securities and Exchange  Commission has opened a probe into the automaker's compliance  with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which includes  anti-bribery provisions.


In healthy Indian job market, developers want it all BANGALORE, INDIA -- As hiring picks up in Bangalore, India, the city's software professionals are again acquiring the spoiled-brat image they had in the late 1990s, when the dot-com boom increased staff requirements at Indian outsourcing companies.


Edward C. Baig: Personal Tech - Google Desktop Search a cinch (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Google Desktop Search a cinch; superb though not perfect.


Dollar Falls, Market Ponders China's Move (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar fell in choppy trade on\Thursday as traders tried to sort out what a surprise interest\rate hike from China meant for currencies.


Japanese high-tech manufacturers enjoy higher profits but outlook mixed (AFP) AFP - Major Japanese electronics makers posted higher profits in the six months to September but reported mixed forecasts for the year to March on uncertain US economic prospects and high energy costs.


Governments can override charter rights in some cases, Supreme Court rules (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Newfoundland was justified in deferring pay equity payments to female health-care workers more than a decade ago, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled.


Yahoo Jazzes Up Mobile Search Yahoo Jazzes Up Mobile Search\\Google SMS started serving search results to mobile users in the US just a few days back. Now Yahoo! follows it with even more comprehensive feature set. Google SMS is currently text based for the results; Yahoo! jazzes them up with maps, website icons, as well ...


Economy builds steam in KC Fed district The economy continued to strengthen in September and early October in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions covered by the Tenth Federal Reserve District, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City said Wednesday.


China raises rates to cool growth China has raised its core interest rates for the first time in nine years, as the country #39;s central bank moves to rein in the booming economy.


Tribune earnings fall 33 percent CHICAGO - Tribune Co. said Thursday its third-quarter profits dropped 33 percent, pushed lower by investment losses and the cost of settling with advertisers following circulation scandals at two of its newspapers.


Gillette #39;s Income Up \$475 Mln for Quarter Gillette Co. (GN: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday posted stronger-than-expected quarterly profit, driven by sales of higher-priced products such as its battery-powered M3Power men #39;s


DreamWorks Animation debuts today Riding the tail of a shark, DreamWorks Animation Inc. arrives on Wall Street today in the most high-profile entertainment company initial public offering in years.


Google buys digital mapping company Keyhole maintains a multi-terabyte database of digital images of geographic locations, culled from satellite and aerial snapshots.


Russia Postpones Launch of Soyuz-M2 Space Booster The Russian military has postponed the launch of the Soyuz-M2 space booster rocket scheduled for this week. The Soyuz-M2 booster was scheduled to lift off from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northwest Russia on


Study finds spyware, viruses everywhere By Carilyn Shropshire, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette / Scripps Howard News Service. Natalia Rudiak of Carrick could not figure out why her trusted laptop was acting sluggish and sometimes unresponsive.


Bjorkman battles past Arthurs Australian tennis player Wayne Arthurs has lost his first round match at the Stockholm Open, losing in three sets to Swedish veteran Jonas Bjorkman.


Football365 #39;s Quotes Of The Week On the  #39;tackle #39;, the penalty, Gary Megson on gardening, Jose #39;s fuzzy math, Keggy practicing for the Bar, Souney provides us with a fireside chat.


Leeds holds board meeting to discuss takeover of troubled soccer <b>...</b> Leeds United called a board meeting Thursday to consider a 25-million-pound (\$55.7 million Cdn) takeover by a British-American consortium.


Soccer: Milan #39;s 3-0 victory keeps Juventus in sight ROME : Three goals in a vastly improved second half gave AC Milan a 3-0 win against bottom club Atalanta and cut Juventus #39; lead at the top of Serie A to two points.


Polish Woman Abducted in Iraq A Polish woman has been abducted in Iraq, according to a videotaped message by Iraqi extremists. The tape was aired by al-Jazeera on Thursday.


British soldiers take up positions south of Baghdad Hassan al-Jarrah in Najaf, Nadeem Majeed in Baghdad and Tribune news services contributed to this report. BAGHDAD -- In a move intended to free US forces for an expected


Armed group kidnaps 11 Iraqi national guards: website A militant group has abducted 11 members of the Iraqi National Guard, said a statement posted on the group #39;s website on Tuesday.


Britons die in Jordan bus crash At least six Britons are believed to have died in a crash in Jordan near the ancient city of Petra.


Kerry Calls Red Sox 'America's Team' (AP) AP - Count Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts among those Boston baseball fans who have waited a lifetime to see the Red Sox win the World Series.


Delta Stock Up After Pilots' Deal Reached (Reuters) Reuters - Delta Air Lines Inc.  has\reached a tentative contract with its pilots that will save the\cash-strapped airline  #36;1 billion annually, sending its shares\soaring almost 25 percent on Thursday.


Stocks Fall After China Raises Rates  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Thursday morning  after China's central bank said it was raising interest rates  for the first time in nine years, fueling concerns that global  economic growth may slow.


Campbell delivers win ATLANTA - Let there be no doubt: The Auburn football team is the undisputed champion of the Southeastern Conference. And let it be written that Jason Campbell made it so.


Delta Stock Up After Pilots' Deal Reached  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc. DAL.N has  reached a tentative contract with its pilots that will save the  cash-strapped airline \$1 billion annually, sending its shares  soaring almost 25 percent on Thursday.


Gateway taps out photo, MP3 player beat The PC maker is coming out with its own hard-drive-based MP3 player--a miniature unit that displays color photos.


Yahoo Search Cleans Cluttered Look Yahoo Search Cleans Cluttered Look\\Yahoo Search has introduced a Google clone search page but who will see it? If you visit the Yahoo home page, you'll see a couple of hundred links to all their services such as Yahoo Jobs, Yahoo Dating, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Movies, Yahoo Stores, ...


Shrek 3: The Wall Street Years Hollywood has a new star this morning. But you won't find this star on the Walk of Fame. Instead, you'll have to head 3,000 miles east to Wall Street, where the much-anticipated IPO from DreamWorks Animation is having its debut. -washingtonpost.com


Call for curbs on discarded fish Newcastle scientists urge the EU to ban fishermen catching fish which are later thrown back into the sea.


San Francisco to Expand Wi-Fi Program (AP) AP - The mayor says San Francisco plans to rapidly expand its free wireless Internet access program and will soon make free computers available at housing projects and community centers.


Voters Checking Out Other Sides' Sites (AP) AP - Are right-leaning voters spending all their online time on Rushlimbaugh.com? Are left-leaning voters locked into the like-minded Talkingpointsmemo.com?


Aspyr, Wideload offer Rebel Without a Pulse details (MacCentral) MacCentral - In late August Aspyr Media Inc. and Wideload Games first announced plans to collaborate on a new game release. On Thursday Aspyr and Wideload Games offered the first details about the game, including platform information and a release schedule. "Rebel Without A Pulse" is the game, and it'll be published worldwide for Mac, PC and Xbox consoles in the summer of 2005.


British-Irish national kidnapped in Afghanistan: Straw (AFP) AFP - A person with dual British-Irish nationality was one of three UN election workers kidnapped in Afghanistan, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said.


Oil Extends Slide, U.S. Inventory, China  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil extended its retreat from record  highs on Thursday, taking two-day losses to six percent after  an unexpectedly large rise in U.S. crude inventories spurred  speculative funds to take profits.


Spaniard Lara Stung Into Action at Volvo Masters  SOTOGRANDE (Reuters) - Spain's Jose Manuel Lara was the  latest to be stung into action on the European Tour after  another wasp struck -- this time at the Volvo Masters.


Update 2: Viacom Posts Loss on Blockbuster Charge Viacom Inc., the media conglomerate that owns CBS and MTV, posted a third-quarter loss of \$487.6 million Thursday as its earnings were hit by a \$1.


Loss-making FEER goes monthly HONG KONG - Dow Jones  amp; Company, which publishes vital business and financial news and information, announced that the Far Eastern Economic Review will change its format from a news weekly to a monthly magazine of issues and ideas, largely written by


\$7.4bn bid for WMC WMC Resources is almost certain to be taken over after the Anglo-Swiss Xstrata group put Australia #39;s last major diversified mining company in play with a \$7.


Coke Enterprises NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Coca-Cola Enterprises managed to top its recently lowered third quarter profit outlook by a tad, but slumping sales and volume tugged its bottom line lower and should keep the bottler in the soup for the rest of the year.


Mystifying findings In its first close encounter with Titan, a planet-sized moon of Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft has given scientists intriguing glimpses of an alien world with fewer clouds than expected


Red Sox end wait with surprising ease ST. LOUIS, Missouri This was for the believers. For Ted Williams and for Yaz and all the others who spent a career beneath a boulder that kept rolling down a hill.


2005 Tour de France to start on French island, go through Germany PARIS - The route for the 2005 Tour de France was announced by organisers at the Palais de Congres in Paris Thursday and will start with a 19 kilometre time trial on the French island of Noirmoutier and will also have two stages in Germany.


Total control: PM seizes the Senate JOHN Howard yesterday ended 8 years of Coalition frustration by winning outright control of the Senate. His breakthrough came after Nationals candidate Barnaby Joyce


THEN: VHS v Betamax HOLLYWOOD studios are locked in a battle over adopting a standard for high-definition Digital Video Disc technology, in an apparent replay of the 1980s struggle between VHS and Betamax video formats.


Stocks Fall as China Raises Rates  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Thursday morning  after China's central bank said it was raising interest rates  for the first time in nine years, fueling concerns that global  economic growth may slow.


SEC Probing DaimlerChrylser  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - DaimlerChrysler AG DCX.N  DCXGn.DE said on Thursday the U.S. Securities and Exchange  Commission has opened a probe into the automaker's compliance  with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which includes  anti-bribery provisions.


No Alcohol Found in Ex-NFL Player Who Died (AP) AP - Former NFL player Justin Strzelczyk did not have alcohol or drugs in his system when he died after leading police on a highway chase, authorities said.


AOL to Give Away Anti-Virus Software to Members (Reuters) Reuters - America Online, the world's largest\Internet service provider, plans to offer its 23.4 million U.S.\subscribers a premium anti-virus software service, McAfee\VirusScan Online, for free in November.


Twelve dead, including nine British tourists, in Jordan bus accident (AFP) AFP - Twelve people, including nine British tourists, were killed when their bus overturned and crashed into a truck near the ancient city of Petra, a Jordanian official said.


Close-ups of Saturn moon received The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft #39;s flyby of Titan, the largest Saturnian moon, provided scientists Tuesday with ringside seats to view the solar system #39;s


Russia postpones test launch of new booster rocket Russia has postponed the test launch of a new booster rocket scheduled for Friday, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. The launch of the Soyuz-2 medium-size rocket from Russia #39;s


O #39;Neill tries to lower expectations Martin ONeill today warned the Celtic supporters to expect the Bank of Scotland Premier League champions to lose more points this season than in the past.


AOL to Give Away Anti-Virus Software to Members  NEW YORK (Reuters) - America Online, the world's largest  Internet service provider, plans to offer its 23.4 million U.S.  subscribers a premium anti-virus software service, McAfee  VirusScan Online, for free in November.


UPDATE 3-Viacom posts loss on charges; sets \$8 bln buyback Viacom Inc. (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) (VIA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday posted a quarterly loss on charges from spinning off the Blockbuster Inc.


New Web domain names get preliminary nod Two new Internet domain names -quot;.post quot; and  quot;.travel quot;  -ld appear on-line as early as next year as the Internet #39;s key oversight board announced preliminary approval on Wednesday.


Nationals eye greater party room power The National Party leader in the Senate says his party will have more influence now it has delivered the Coalition a majority in the Senate.


Switchboard.com: The King Of Local Search Switchboard.com: The King Of Local Search\\Forget about local search with Google, Yahoo! or MSN. They don't have a clue. When it comes to great local search, Switchboard.com is king! And no matter how hard Google, Yahoo! and MSN try, when it comes to local search, they'll never even be in ...


'Pirates' kill Bangladesh crew The bodies of 14 Bangladeshi fishermen are found locked in the ice hold of their trawler in a suspected pirate attack.


Red Sox Fans Exult at End of World Series 'Curse'  BOSTON (Reuters) - Thousands of bleary-eyed Red Sox fans  showed up for work on Thursday still stunned and giddy after a  night of celebrating something many thought impossible: a World  Series victory for baseball's perennial also-rans that put an  end to an 86-year-old curse.


Nortel delays financial report--again Accounting scandal continues to drag out as company once again delays reporting results for first half of 2004 and all of 2003.


Xstrata makes play for WMC SHARES in WMC Resources surged 36 per cent yesterday after it revealed it had become a takeover target for Swiss mining giant Xstrata.


Red Sox Fans Exult at End of World Series 'Curse' (Reuters) Reuters - Thousands of bleary-eyed Red Sox fans\showed up for work on Thursday still stunned and giddy after a\night of celebrating something many thought impossible: a World\Series victory for baseball's perennial also-rans that put an\end to an 86-year-old curse.


Edwards' Down-Home Style Fills a Gap for Kerry (Reuters) Reuters - Democratic Sen. John Edwards\wasn't born a millionaire, and he doesn't let voters forget\that.


Backman Exits Mets' Managerial Hunt (AP) AP - Wally Backman pulled out of the New York Mets' managerial hunt to focus on his bid to get a job with the Arizona Diamondbacks.


Viacom Posts Loss; Sets \$8 Bln Buyback  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Viacom Inc. on Thursday posted a  quarterly loss on charges from spinning off the Blockbuster  Inc. video rental chain, but its shares rose on a  larger-than-expected stock repurchase and higher cable network  advertising sales.


Bankrupt U.S. Airways Posts Wider Loss  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bankrupt US Airways Group Inc.  UAIRQ.OB on Thursday reported a wider third-quarter net loss  as storms and high fuel prices hurt results.


Exxon boosted by oil price boom Exxon Mobil becomes the latest oil firm to report surging profits, driven by crude's recent record-breaking climb.


Deja Vu as Florida Struggles to Hold Pristine Election (Reuters) Reuters - Lawsuits, missing absentee ballots and\accusations of bias -- from afar Tuesday's presidential\election in Florida already looks like the Third World-style\fiasco of 2000 that everyone wanted to avoid.


Arafat in Serious Condition, Foreign Medics Arrive  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Foreign doctors on Thursday  tended to seriously ill Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who  for decades has symbolized his people's struggle for statehood.


Nigerian Protection Force Arrives in Darfur  EL-FASHER, Sudan (Reuters) - An elite contingent of 50  Nigerian soldiers arrived in Darfur on Thursday aboard a U.S.  military plane, the first of 3,000 extra African Union troops  deployed to monitor a shaky cease-fire in Sudan's western  region.


Delta Dodges Bankruptcy Bullet A tentative \$1 billion agreement reached by Delta Air Lines and its pilots union late Wednesday seemed to come at a painful, but practical cost.


AMD rolls out PIC It #39;s called a  quot;personal Internet communicator, quot; described as an affordable and simple way to connect to the Internet, and it #39;s being marketed by Sunnyvale #39;s Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.


Linux vendors hit back at Ballmer #39;s email In a 2,600-word email sent to Microsoft customers and partners on Wednesday, Microsoft #39;s Steve Ballmer drove home the key themes of Microsoft #39;s  quot;Get The Facts quot; campaign.


Part of the ECT News Network The holiday gaming season officially opened Tuesday with the release of  quot;Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. quot; The third in the immensely popular line of video games is expected by analysts to sell at least 4.5 million copies, sales figures that would put it in


Wakefield Knows Before Game 4 of the World Series, Tim Wakefield was asked what Boston would be like if its Red Sox finally won a world championship.


China set for at least three Euro golf events The European golf tour will feature three, and possibly four, tournaments in China next season. The new schedule, released Thursday at the Volvo Masters, begins Nov. 25-28 with the China Open in Shanghai.


Police: No alcohol, drugs in ex-Steeler #39;s system Former NFL player Justin Strzelczyk did not have alcohol or drugs in his system when he died after leading police on a highway chase, authorities said.


Terrorists release new video of Hassan BRITAIN was bracing itself for another hostage outrage in Iraq as a harrowing video of the Care International worker Margaret Hassan was released.


Virus variant targets Google A new variant of the Zafi virus attacks Google, Microsoft, and the Hungarian Prime Minister


Burned before, Kyocera recalls cell phone batteries Cell phone maker flags defects in three product lines. The recall follows a rash of flaming or exploding devices.


Logic Express 7 Ships Apple has begun shipping Logic Express 7, music composition and production software that delivers professional quality audio and MIDI tools at an affordable price of \$299. With new Apple Loops support, software instruments and high-quality effect plug-ins, Logic Express 7 allows musicians to create, record, edit, and mix music. Oct 28


Altana suffers new setback in launch of blockbuster asthma drugs (AFP) AFP - German drug maker Altana said that it had postponed its application for approval of its new asthma treatment Roflumilast in the United States because additional clinical trials on the drug were taking longer than expected.


National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Saturn #39;s mysterious moon Titan held onto its secrets despite a close reconnaissance by the Cassini spacecraft #39;s cameras and instruments.


Volvo Masters lacking former pedigree Els sealed the order of merit a few weeks ago and, just like last year when he became number one in Europe for the first time, could not be persuaded to play for love nor money.


UPDATE 1-Mauresmo joins Zvonareva in Linz quarter-finals World number two Amelie Mauresmo shrugged off a thigh strain to cruise into the last eight of the Linz Open with a 6-4 6-0 win over Marta Domachowska on Thursday.


Stuttgart Slip Again Against Ten-Man Bremen VfB Stuttgart blew a gilt-edged chance to go back to the top of the Bundesliga on Wednesday night after leading ten-man Werder Bremen for most of a match they eventually lost 2-1.


Henman back in form LAST week, Tim Henman had blood tests that revealed a magnesium deficiency after defeat in Madrid. Yesterday, however, the British No 1 looked fully recovered with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over


Russian upper house ratifies Kyoto Protocol Russia #39;s upper house of parliament has ratified the Kyoto Protocol, leaving President Vladimir Putin #39;s signature as the final step to kickstart global efforts to control climate change.


Fleeing MP arrested in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe police arrested an opposition MP as he tried to flee the country on Thursday to escape a one year jail term for assaulting the justice minister during a parliamentary debate over land seizures.


Some Car Dealer Groups Hurt by Weather  DETROIT (Reuters) - AutoNation Inc. AN.N and two other  car dealership companies on Thursday posted weaker quarterly  earnings, blaming the hurricanes that hit the U.S. Southeast  this summer or costly incentives used to boost sales.


Harmony #39;s hostile takeover bid sparks court challenge in South <b>...</b> A battle over a hostile takeover bid to create the world #39;s largest gold mining group has spilled over into court, with Gold Fields Limited (GFI) accusing rival Harmony of being in breach of South African criminal laws.


NZ interest rates rise The cash rate in New Zealand now sits at 6.5 per cent after Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) again raised interest rates by 25 basis points, the sixth such increase since January 2004.


Shanghai Auto signs deal to buy Ssangyong Motor Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. China #39;s largest carmaker, yesterday reached a final contract with creditors of Ssangyong Motor Co.


Overseas Surfers Barred From Bush Poll Site Washington, Oct. 28 (NNN): Since Monday morning, surfers outside the US have been barred from visiting the official re-election site of President George Walker Bush.


ICANN Negotiates New Domains Internet users may soon see two new domain name suffixes in their browser window:  quot;.post quot; to identify the postal community and  quot;.


Exxon Mobil Profit Up 56 Percent  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM.N, the world's  largest publicly traded oil company, on Thursday said quarterly  profit surged 56 percent, driven by soaring oil prices and  strong results from refining operations.


Bigger than the Boston tea party FOR the first time in 86 years, there was no last-minute home run and no fielding error to break the hearts of the Boston Red Sox fans.


Australia press for crucial win Nagpur - Simon Katich fell one run short of his century on Thursday as Australia moved toward a third Test win and their first series triumph on Indian soil in 35 years.


Vice chairman wants Wenger to stay for life Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein revealed he hoped Arsene Wenger would stay at the club for life after the manager agreed to extend his stay at Highbury.


Spaniard Lara stung into action at Volvo Masters Spain #39;s Jose Manuel Lara was the latest to be stung into action on the European Tour after another wasp struck -- this time at the Volvo Masters.


ICANN Negotiates New Domains (PC World) PC World - Net overseer moves toward approving industry-specific.post,.travel.


Andhra Pradesh to export farmers to East Africa (Reuters) Reuters - Andhra Pradesh plans to send hundreds of farmers to east Africa to cultivate farmland in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, officials said on Thursday.


Nigerian Protection Force Arrives in Darfur  EL-FASHER, Sudan (Reuters) - A contingent of 50 Nigerian  soldiers arrived in Darfur on Thursday aboard a U.S. military  plane, the first of 3,000 extra African Union troops deployed  to monitor a shaky cease-fire in Sudan's western region.


Kroll Defends Arrested Employees International security consultant Kroll Inc. took out ads in Brazil's largest newspapers Thursday to defend five employees arrested amid allegations Kroll illegally spied in its probe of a bitter corporate dispute.


Oil slides again, dips below \$52 NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Oil prices tumbled again Thursday as traders anticipated lower demand from economic powerhouse China on the heels of an unexpectedly large rise in US crude inventories.


GLOBAL ECONOMY-China rate hike could avert global slowdown China #39;s hike in interest rates was a double-edged sword for many investors and economists. At one level, it suggested that Chinese growth is


Road Trip: University of Wisconsin There are many reasons to jump around in Madison. For one, that scary good Badgers football team. By Adam Duerson. The Wisconsin Badgers football team raise their helmets during the start of the game.


Aetna Posts \$1.29 Billion in Earnings  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Aetna Inc. AET.N on Thursday posted a  steep rise in quarterly profit as the health insurer boosted  its forecast for the rest of this year and gave a 2005 profit  estimate above analysts' views, pushing shares up 5 percent.


11 Iraqi troops executed, video shows BAGHDAD - An Iraqi extremist group has posted a video on its website showing the exceution of 11Iraqi troops who #39;d been taken hostage near Baghdad.


Pak. will not show  #39;unilateral flexibility #39; on Kashmir: Kasuri : Both Pakistan and India need to compromise over Kashmir, or else the issue will continue  quot;for another 100 years, quot; Pakistan #39;s Foreign Minister said today.


Grocer recovers from strike Shares of Albertsons fell more than 8 per cent to \$23.65 after the number two US supermarket chain missed quarterly earnings expectations and warned full-year profit would be at the low end of estimates.


Photo: Gateway's MP3 Photo Jukebox player The PC maker is coming out with its own hard-drive-based MP3 player--a miniature unit that displays color photos. \


U.K. government report cites merits of open source LONDON -- Open source software proponents received a potential boost from the U.K. government on Thursday with a release of a report citing the well-documented advantages on the server side, but also growing maturity on the desktop front.


Study: Firms see mixed results in outsourcing Survey of U.S. and European companies finds that less than half consider outsourcing financial functions to be cost effective.


News: Bush Web Site Bars Overseas Visitors The Bush-Cheney reelection campaign has barred people outside the United States from viewing its Web site following an electronic attack that took down the campaign's Internet address for six hours last week, according to computer security experts.\


Digital Agenda: 10 facts you should know about broadband President Bush and Sen. John Kerry's positions on the issue are closer than anticipated.


QuickTime, RealPlayer Patch Security Holes Flaws in media players could automatically download malicious code, let hackers in.


China Raises Interest Rates for First Time in 9 Years (Update6) China #39;s central bank jolted global financial markets by raising its benchmark interest rates for the first time in nine years to cool the world #39;s fastest-growing major economy.


DaimlerChrysler posts \$1.2 billion net profit The Auburn Hills-based Chrysler Group made a profit of \$269 million in the third quarter, even though worldwide sales and revenues declined, contributing to a \$1.


Gillette posts \$475M US profit in quarter on strong sales of <b>...</b> Gillette Co. said Thursday its third-quarter profit rose 14 per cent as customers traded up to its premium-line shaving and dental care products and it sold more Duracell batteries due to the recent hurricanes.


King Pharmaceuticals profits drop, may restate returns BRISTOL, Tenn. Bristol-based King Pharmaceuticals is reporting a 74 percent drop in third-quarter profits, and says it #39;s evaluating whether to restate results because of a high level of product returns.


Limited Bush Web Access Drives Away US Voters Abroad Less than one week before the US presidential election, incumbent George W. Bush is denying access to potential voters who access his campaign website from foreign locations.


New MySQL Ready to Serve MySQL AB has made version 4.1 of its database software available to the public after months of testing customer production deployments.


FA to investigate Chelsea-West Ham violence after League Cup match The Football Association will investigate the crowd violence that marred Chelsea #39;s 1-0 win over West Ham in the League Cup. Mateja Kezman, who scored the only goal Wednesday night at Stamford


Iran-UN Nuke Showdown Likely Iran is unlikely to accept European incentives aimed at getting it to suspend uranium enrichment, diplomats said Thursday, raising the likelihood of a showdown with the UN nuclear watchdog agency next month.


Editorial: Faint hope in Gaza Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has won parliamentary endorsement of a plan to remove all 8,000 Israeli settlers and the troops who protect them from the Gaza Strip.


Missing ballots heighten fears of renewed voting chaos in Florida (AFP) AFP - The bizarre disappearance of tens of thousands of ballots has fueled worries over Florida's ability to avert a repeat of the chaos of 2000, when Americans were kept guessing for 36 days who won the election.


Ryanair to repay illegal subsidy Budget airline Ryanair puts 4m euros into an account, in order to repay illegal subsidies should it lose a European court case.


Taylor Charged With DUI Free safety Sean Taylor was arrested by Virginia State Police on Thursday and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and refusing to take the alcohol breath test.


D'Backs to Open RFK Washington's new Major League Baseball franchise, the former Montreal Expos, is tentatively scheduled to play its first game in the District on April 15 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.


Redskins' Taylor Arrested on DUI Charge (AP) AP - Washington Redskins rookie Sean Taylor was arrested early Wednesday on charges of driving under the influence and refusing a breathalyzer test.


AOL to give antivirus software away in Version 9 Citing the urgent need to protect its users from online threats, America Online Inc. (AOL) will begin bundling antivirus software from McAfee Inc. with the latest version of its software, AOL 9.0, according to a statement from the company.


Q amp;A on the new check-cashing law A federal law known as Check 21 takes effect Thursday, and whether that #39;s cause for celebration or commiseration is a matter of much debate.