Cisco Systems Q1 net up 29 Net sales for the fiscal Q1 rose 17.1 percent to \$6.0 billion, the sixth straight quarter of sequential growth. directs data over the Internet, said quarterly earnings rose 29 percent on stronger demand for


Fungus hits US soybeans An aggressive fungal disease known as soybean rust has been found on plants in Louisiana, the first US case, threatening a crop valued at \$17.


Magnitude of problem called unclear Water is accumulating on the underground roof of the Big Dig tunnels, according to Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly, who said yesterday that his office is trying to determine whether the pools of water pose any threat of damage to the \$14.


Pilots Saying Yes to Less Money May Save Delta Air The labor cost and productivity problems of major airlines have been intractable for a couple of decades, which makes imminent pay concessions by Delta pilots a hopeful event for the airline, lenders, investors and the industry.


MGM has lofty plans for Strip MGM Mirage on Wednesday unveiled its largest building project ever, a multibillion-dollar plan to create a high-rise neighborhood on the Las Vegas Strip that keeps up with the city #39;s growing population and tourist trade.


Tokyo Stocks Drop After Machinery Data Tokyo #39;s Nikkei average closed down 1.35 percent on Thursday after an unexpected fall in core machinery orders data worsened investors #39; concern over Japan #39;s economic outlook and triggered selling of a wide range of stocks.


Australia jobless at 26-year low Australia #39;s jobless rate is at a quarter-century low, giving a further reward to Prime Minister John Howard following his recent election victory.


Condo Pandemonium Nothing makes New Yorkers pant like a luxury apartment, so when the city announced a few months ago that it would auction off seven high-end condos, a crowd was expected.


Microsoft to double ad revenue: CEO Will double its advertising revenue in five years as it ramps up its search services to rival Web search leader Google Inc. BELLEVUE: Microsoft Corp.


Firefox boy Gatecrashes Bills party A software that 17-year-old Blake Ross started building in 2002 has got Microsoft worried. Its called Firefox, its free, and it beats the pants of Microsofts Internet Explorer.


City man charged with selling Microsoft source code His online profile lists William P. Genovese #39;s profession as  quot;hacking bum quot; and  quot;getting arrested quot; among his likes.


Nelson living magical dream The expression rarely changes, but for a moment, Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson let his guard down. An all-American point guard and consensus college player of the year last season at St.


HOUSTON DRAW FAVOURS HENMAN Tim Henman #39;s hopes of success at the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston were given a major boost by last night #39;s draw. In the group stage, the Briton has avoided Swiss world number one Roger Federer and Australian


Familiar ref for Ruiz-Golota The New York State Athletic Commission will announce today that Randy Neumann will be the referee for Saturday night #39;s John Ruiz-Andrew Golota fight at Madison Square Garden.


Louisville routs TCU 55-28 LOUISVILLE, KY. - Louisville needed less than seven minutes to shake off Conference USA nemesis TCU and roll to another big victory.


Italian kidnap victim freed CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- Andrea Cianferoni, an Italian kidnapped 2:30 pm yesterday by four armed men in the hinterland village of Delabayan of Kauswagan town, Lanao del Norte was released 10:30 am today, in barangay Inudaran of the same town, according to


Australia getting wetter: CSIRO While the south-east of Australia has gone through years of drought, new research shows the rest of the country including the centre, is getting wetter.


No. 20 Notre Dame Defeats Quincy 80-61 (AP) AP - Chris Quinn scored 25 points to lead No. 20 Notre Dame to an 80-61 exhibition victory over Quincy on Wednesday night.


Microsoft Debuts Own Web Search Technology (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. finally debuted its own Web search technology on Thursday, hoping to challenge Google Inc.'s long dominance of the field with results tailored to a user's location and answers from its Encarta encyclopedia.


Palestinian Leaders to Transfer Arafat Powers (Reuters) Reuters - Palestinian leaders\prepared on Thursday to transfer President Yasser Arafat's\powers to three key figures who will take on the most important\roles he held, officials said.


Norway FM takes peace message to Tamil Tigers (AFP) AFP - Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga offered to revive stalled peace talks with the Tamil Tigers in a message conveyed to rebels by Norway's Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, her office said.


India lauds Arafat's lifetime devotion to Palestinian cause (AFP) AFP - President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam led India's condolences on the death of Yasser Arafat, praising the Palestinian leader's lifetime devotion to his people.


Australia to require Aboriginals to make agreements in return for welfare (AFP) AFP - Australia signalled a new hardline approach on welfare for its Aboriginal people as it vowed to end  quot;sit-down money quot; -- generous handouts for doing little.


Pageantry Planned for Bush Inauguration (AP) AP - When President Bush takes his second oath of office Jan. 20 it will be his family's fifth inauguration ceremony, a day of pomp and pageantry set amid the icons of democracy only this city can provide: the U.S. Capitol, the White House, Pennsylvania Avenue.


What future for the Palestinians? The death of their symbol could force the Palestinians to choose between negotiating for the best deal they can get or continue fighting for a dream.


World reaction US President Bush and French President Chirac are among the first to send condolences for the Palestinian leader's death.


SuperSonics Clobber Kings 108-78 (AP) AP - Ray Allen scored 20 points and Rashard Lewis added 18, leading the surprising Seattle SuperSonics to their fourth consecutive victory, 108-78 over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.


Dollar Keeps Gains After Trade Data, Fed  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar held gains against the euro  and traded near two-week highs versus the yen on Thursday after  data showed the U.S. trade gap shrank and the Fed indicated it  would press on with monetary tightening.


After Vioxx recall, the FDA and Merck both claim that all other <b>...</b>  quot;We were wrong about Vioxx, but you can trust us on all those other meds, quot; the FDA seems to be saying. If you enjoy this article, you may also be interested in an article entitled  #39;The FDA remains in state of denial about drug safety questions.


Soy fungus spotted in US The first US cases of Asian soybean rust, a fungus that hinders plant growth and drastically cuts crop production, were found at two research sites in Louisiana, officials said Wednesday.


Bextra report questions effects on heart patients A study suggesting arthritis drug Bextra doubles patients #39; heart attack and stroke risks drew a sharp rebuttal Wednesday from the drug #39;s maker, Pfizer (PFE), as its stock price dipped.


Microsoft gets in on search party Microsoft (MSFT) unveils its much-talked-about revamped Internet search engine on Thursday to compete with Google and Yahoo - but at a test site rather than the main MSN page.


Rowntree Admits: it #39;s Brilliant to Be Back Graham Rowntree still vividly recalls the painful Sunday morning when his World Cup dream was shattered, and admits to this day: You cant prepare yourself for a disappointment like that.


BERNIE LEAVING CF HOT OFFSEASON TOPIC The challenge Kenny Lofton posed to Bernie Williams a year ago turned out to be a bug versus windshield. However, if the Yankees ink free agent Carlos Beltran he will be


Sonics clobber Kings A game between two of the league #39;s top scoring teams from last season wasn #39;t pretty. Both the Kings and Sonics shot below 42 percent in the first half of last night #39;s NBA game at KeyArena.


LeBron leads Cavs back LeBron James has helped Cleveland overcome a 19-point deficit to down Phoenix 114-109 in an overtime NBA thriller. The teenage sensation scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, helping the home side


Europeans evacuated from I Coast European nations led by France were evacuating their nationals from Ivory Coast on Thursday, where an explosion of anti-French violence has made even long-time residents rush to pack their bags.


What is Arafat #39;s legacy? Amin Saikal, the director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University, talks to ABC News Online #39;s Nadia Farha about Yasser Arafat #39;s


Burma crackdown on luxury cars Burma investigates illegally imported luxury cars, the latest repercussion of former PM Khin Nyunt's ouster.


Key interest rate at 2 The Federal Reserve didn #39;t surprise anyone yesterday, as its policy-making body increased its key interest rate by one quarter percent, to 2 percent.


Oracle Promoted A STINGY Offer Oracle Corp. recently learned that PeopleSoft will reject Oracle #39;s \$24.00 a share- its best and final offer. The cash tender offer to purchase all of the outstanding shares of PeopleSoft, Inc.


Soybean rust invades US The first US cases of soybean rust, a fungus that hinders plant growth and drastically cuts crop production, were found at two research sites in Louisiana, officials said Wednesday.


Blame game begins over Big Dig leaks A whistleblower complained about leaks and shoddy construction in a Big Dig tunnel as far back as 2001, but his concerns were ignored by Massachusetts Turnpike Authority officials who downplayed


Business briefs, November 11 The number of Americans filing initial claims for jobless benefits rose less than forecast last week and held below the year #39;s average, a government report showed today.


US Shows Its Muscle In International Trade US trade policy is far from perfect, of course. But election year rhetoric, particularly that on  quot;outsourcing quot; of jobs, may have given some Americans a distorted view of reality.


Ford #39;s out to put a lid on costly incentives Ford Motor #39;s (F) striking market-share plunge should be over within six months, and the company is banking on new products to regain share while allowing it to cut back incentives, CEO Bill Ford said Wednesday in an interview with USA TODAY.


MOUSE MADE OVITZ CHEESY DEAL Hollywood dealmaker Michael Ovitz quietly got a very stingy options package before joining Walt Disney - because insiders thought he might flop.


Merck, FDA to face Congress over withdrawn Vioxx A top Republican lawmaker on Wednesday called on Merck  amp; Co. Inc. to answer questions about its withdrawn drug Vioxx at the first congressional hearing on Nov.


High dose vitamin E death warning People who take even moderately high doses of vitamin E could be putting their lives at risk, mounting evidence suggests.


Microsoft pushes search technology to market Microsoft Corp. #39;s Web search technology, debuting in test form Thursday in 11 languages, promises to answer plain-language questions and give results tailored to a user #39;s region, among


Arctic thaw may open ship lanes, but risks high A faster-than-expected thaw of the Arctic is likely to open legendary short-cut routes between the Pacific and the Atlantic but experts say icebergs and high costs will prevent any trans-polar shipping boom.


Microsoft Expands Indemnification Microsoft (Quote, Chart) has expanded the scope of its intellectual property protection policy to cover customers using current and earlier versions of its software.


THE NEW PUMP The original version of Reebok Pump introduced in 1989 was inflated with the press of a pump button on the shoes tongue.  The new Chinese-produced 2.0 silently inflates itself after you slip into it and take about five steps.


Hypersonic research craft set to fly Monday NASA engineers and researchers are gearing up to end a hypersonic research program with a world-record flight approaching 7,000 mph over the Pacific Ocean.


Singer Love denies bottle attack Courtney Love pleads not guilty to assault with a deadly weapon after being accused of an attack with a bottle.


Kuznetsova wins WTA Tour Championships opener Svetlana Kuznetsova didn #39;t show the form that saw her win the US Open, but she was good enough on Wednesday to win her opening round-robin match at the WTA Tour Championships against an erratic Vera Zvonareva.


FOOTBALL: THIS IS FOR YOU EMLYN ON A night when they came to remember a glorious past, Liverpool #39;s grieving fans were offered a glimpse of their immediate future.


Tooth and nail: Pierce, C #39;s bite Blazers at buzzer With a little more than 34 seconds to go last night, Portland #39;s Ruben Patterson brought his left forearm down across Paul Pierce news #39;s face in rebound traffic, bringing major pain to Pierce #39;s surgically repaired mouth.


Bernie still maintains claim on centerfield Regardless of what he may have told Carlos Beltran when their paths crossed last May, Bernie Williams made it clear yesterday that he won #39;t be conceding centerfield until the Yankees tell him to do so.


Singapore: Arafat #39;s death chance for peace Singapore hopes President Yasser Arafat #39;s death will be  quot;an opportunity for a lasting, just and peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli issue, quot; a spokesman said.


Blair to meet Bush The Prime Minister flies to Washington today for talks with the newly re-elected Republican president, George Bush. Talks are likely to cover the Iraq war, the  quot;road map quot; for peace in the Middle East, the


Darfur warring parties sign new pacts Displaced Sudanese women waiting for food to be distributed Nov. 9, in el-Sereif refugee camp, on the outskirts of Nyala town in Sudan #39;s western Darfur region.


Train driver had just two seconds to brake before hitting car The train driver killed in the Berkshire rail disaster applied his emergency brakes two to three seconds before ploughing into a car parked on the track at a level crossing, an official report revealed yesterday.


Troops find kidnapper sites American and Iraqi military commanders said yesterday that troops had found at least one house in Fallujah that appeared to be the base of some of the hostage-takers


N.Korea Urged to Hold Talks But No Dates-Source Countries involved in six-way talks on North Korea #39;s nuclear program have urged Pyongyang to return to the table sooner rather than later but have not proposed specific


Row over Australian army photo A Sydney newspaper has published a photograph of Australian soldiers posing as members of the Ku Klux Klan. The Daily Telegraph said the soldiers were dressed like that to intimidate young Aboriginal recruits.


Palestinian leader Arafat dies at 75 PARIS -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died early today at a French military hospital where he had lingered in a coma between life and death for the last week. He was 75.


Hostage takers cite pact to free comrades KABUL -- Taliban-linked militants holding three UN hostages said yesterday the Afghan government has agreed to free some of their jailed comrades to prevent the killing of the foreign captives. Afghan state television reported that President Hamid Karzai had decreed the release of prisoners for Eid, the end of the Muslim fasting month, expected on Sunday. But there was no ...


Bosnian Serbs issue apology for massacre BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- The Bosnian Serb government issued an apology yesterday for the 1995 massacre of 7,800 Muslim civilians in Srebrenica, saying it ''shares the pain quot; of the victims' families.


Bush cites opening for peace, leadership WASHINGTON -- President Bush offered a powerful incentive to Palestinians yesterday to rally behind a moderate leadership, signaling the promise of US reengagement and a new opening for peace following Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death.


Cisco hurt on worries about sector #39;s recovery Shares of Cisco Systems fell sharply Wednesday after the company #39;s chief executive, John Chambers, said sales growth would slow this quarter and that it was too early to say whether customers were more optimistic about the economy.


Witness Testifies on Ovitz #39;s Option Terms GEORGETOWN, Del. - The terms on the options Walt Disney Co. gave its former president Michael Ovitz when he was hired were less generous than the terms for many other industry executives, a former compensation consultant testified Wednesday.


Mich. plant workers reach tentative deal REDFORD, Mich. -- Representatives for about 1,300 United Auto Workers members at DaimlerChrysler AG #39;s Detroit Diesel engine manufacturing plant reached a tentative agreement Wednesday, one day after going


NBA Wrap: Wins for Celtics, 76ers, Lakers Lose  BOSTON (Sports Network) - Paul Pierce nailed a jumper at  the buzzer to give the Boston Celtics a 90-88 victory over  Portland at the FleetCenter.


Mass evacuations begin in Ivory Coast ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- France, the United States, and other nations launched one of the largest evacuations of Africa's postindependence era yesterday, requisitioning commercial jets to fly out thousands of foreigners following attacks on civilians and peacekeeping troops.


Court reverses some Falun Gong convictions HONG KONG -- A Hong Kong appeals court cleared some convictions yesterday against 16 Falun Gong followers for protesting outside China's liaison office but upheld more serious verdicts in a case seen as a test of this territory's freedoms under Chinese rule.


Concern many will regroup elsewhere SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq -- This week's invasion of Fallujah is a direct test of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's yardstick for measuring American success against terrorism: The question is whether US and Iraqi forces can capture or kill more insurgents in the rebel city than are being recruited and deployed elsewhere in Iraq.


At times, a fight against boredom FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Through the tiny rectangular windows of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle the five infantrymen peered out at a junkyard of twisted metal and burned-out trucks. They were chafing to get out.


Fortson keeps it  #39;simple #39; as Sonics stick it to Spurs Pink bubble gum popped from Danny Fortson #39;s mouth as he moseyed around the KeyArena court on Sunday night. Moving slower than traffic across the 520 bridge, the Sonics forward definitely travels at a different pace than his teammates do.


Racers tap new sponsors NASCAR teams struggling to finance cars with lucrative sponsorship deals now can begin negotiating with liquor companies after the stock car sanctioning body gave the go ahead Wednesday.


LeFors keeps Cardinals rolling LOUISVILLE, Ky.  Stefan LeFors threw three touchdown passes Wednesday night as No. 12 Louisville rolled to a 55-28 victory over TCU.


Artest gets bum rap from Pacers CLIPPERS 102, PACERS 68---At Indianapolis, Pacers F Ron Artest said yesterday that he asked coach Rick Carlisle for time off because of a busy schedule that included promoting a soon-to


Another road test for  #39;Noles Near the back of its football media guide, the Atlantic Coast Conference lists 71  quot;procedures quot; for determining its Bowl Championship Series representative in case of a tie atop the final league standings.


YOUNG GUNS BRING BACK THE SMILES THE SMILE had been missing from Arsene Wenger #39;s face ever since the Battle of the Buffet. But watching it return at Highbury on Tuesday night, you could see exactly why Wenger has pledged his long-term future to Arsenal.


Down 19, Cavs rally past Suns Cleveland #39;s 7-foot-3 center drained three long jumpers, including a tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, and the Cavaliers rallied for a 114-109 overtime win against Phoenix on Wednesday night, the Suns #39; first loss this season.


National Basketball Association Game Capsules Boston, MA -- Paul Pierce nailed a jumper at the buzzer to give the Boston Celtics a 90-88 victory over Portland at the FleetCenter.


Egypt to Host Military Funeral for Arafat  CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt, where Yasser Arafat began his  political life and where biographers say he was born, will host  a military funeral for the Palestinian president on Friday  before he is buried in the West Bank, officials said.


Afghan UN Kidnappers Await Release of 26 Taliban  KABUL (Reuters) - Kidnappers of three U.N. workers in  Afghanistan said on Thursday they expect the government to  release 26 Taliban prisoners in exchange for their hostages  before the Muslim Eid festival this weekend.


Detroit Diesel deal saves jobs The United Auto Workers union reached a tentative labor agreement with DaimlerChrysler AG #39;s Detroit Diesel Corp. Wednesday that is expected to preserve jobs at the company #39;s Redford plant.


Not just bigger, it #39;s the best When it was revealed developer Rockstar Games #39; Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas would be three times larger than the previously epic GTA: Vice City, I cringed.


Green players, gold future? Just a week ago, following an astonishingly poor effort in their season-opening loss to the Clippers, the plan seemed clear: Hope for the top pick in the lottery.


WTO rules against US gambling ban The World Trade Organisation confirms a ruling that says the US cannot ban internet gambling.


Insurgents resist across Iraq Fallujah is not the only flashpoint. Violence continues to sweep the rest of Iraq. A car bomb exploded near a police checkpoint in Eastern Baghdad, killing at least seven people.


Red Sox owners differ with Boras Let history repeat itself, Jason Varitek's agent, Scott Boras, urged the Red Sox owners in lobbying for them to sign the 32-year-old catcher for five years with a full no-trade clause at a premium wage.


Showalter, Cox are tops Bobby Cox and Buck Showalter were given little chance of success after payroll purges pushed out key players. Proving the predictions wrong, their teams won, anyway, and so did the managers.


Surgical precision With time expiring, Paul Pierce hit a fadeaway 21-footer over the outstretched left arm of Ruben Patterson, giving the Celtics a 90-88 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers last night. Pierce jumped on the scorer's table before teammates quickly lifted him back to the safety of the FleetCenter parquet. Given Pierce's condition, it was a jubilant, yet cautious, celebration.


Votes are in, and so is Remy He planted the seeds for this most improbable ascension to national prominence nearly 20 years ago, shortly after becoming a member of the PGA of America. Back then, Jim Remy was an assistant pro at Worcester Country Club, and while he was just one of the thousands of PGA of America members, hardly anyone could have envisioned him being their ...


BC's Bulman ready to tackle Mountaineers Long before the college football season started, followers of Boston College and West Virginia were eyeing Nov. 13 on their schedules. With Miami and Virginia Tech gone to the Atlantic Coast Conference, it seemed likely that the battle for the Big East title, and a trip to a BCS bowl, would be contested between the Mountaineers and Eagles, 1-2, respectively, ...


Pandolfo gives Rockets a lift When a tournament winds down to the final rounds, the teams with the best players usually hold the advantage. Fortunately for Reading, it had the best field hockey player in the game last night.


Against Clarett, Vrabel lines up alongside OSU There's little doubt Mike Vrabel is the quintessential Patriot, but there's another team he loves and is loyal to -- his alma mater, Ohio State.


Slowing exports hit German growth Germany's economy expands just 0.1 in the third quarter as weak exports offset a growth in domestic demand.


Memphis police ask questions A report on the Memphis Commercial Appeal's website yesterday said Memphis police were investigating every angle of a reported burglary at the apartment of players on John Calipari's basketball team.


Pacers are at a loss All the injuries and Ron Artest's benching finally caught up with Indiana. Elton Brand had 19 points and 16 rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers took control of the lethargic Pacers from the start in a 102-68 win last night, the worst home loss in franchise history.


Boston in running for marathon trials The 2008 US Olympic team marathon trials could be crossing paths with the Boston Marathon.


Today's schedule College hockey: Men -- Suffolk at Stonehill, 7:45 p.m.; Wentworth at WNEC, 8 p.m. Pro hockey: AHL -- Portland at Lowell, 2 p.m.


College football on TV tonight FLORIDA ST. (7-2) vs. N.C. STATE (4-5) When, where: Tonight, 7:30, at Raleigh, N.C. TV, radio: ESPN, WESX (1230). Last season: Florida State won, 50-44. Comments: Last week, the No. 11 Seminoles beat Duke, 29-7, but North Carolina State is reeling after three consecutive losses. Quarterback Wyatt Sexton will get the start for the Seminoles; he replaced Chris Rix last ...


Spielman says he'll be back Miami Dolphins general manager Rick Spielman said yesterday he's been assured by owner Wayne Huizenga he will return in that role next season.


Fed raises key rate to 2, a 3-year high The Federal Reserve yesterday raised its key interest rate to the highest level in three years, suggesting more increases will follow as the economy gains strength.


Mass. legislators back work on embryonic stem cells Legislative leaders voiced new backing for embryonic stem-cell research yesterday, speaking out after Californians voted to spend \$3 billion to lure the companies and scientists engaged in the much-debated research.


Bills' patience paying off The savior? The Buffalo Bills have always thought so. Bills general manager and president Tom Donahoe believed if the organization was patient in waiting for Willis McGahee's rebuilt knee to respond, he would be a huge success.


Trade gap shrinks to \$51.6b WASHINGTON -- The US trade deficit shrank to \$51.6 billion in September, an improvement brought about as exports posted their best month on record.


Concord company recalls defibrillators A Concord company is recalling 10,000 automated external defibrillators because they didn't work properly and, at times, turned themselves on. Access CardioSystems Inc. is recalling defibrillators that are used by fire departments and hospitals around the nation. Some of the devices are currently in use, while others remained at distributors awaiting shipment.  quot;They're no longer in business. They can't correct ...


Bank's retirement plans face IRS audit CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Internal Revenue Service is auditing the 1998 and 1999 tax returns of Bank of America Corp.'s pension and 401(k) plans, which have been the subject of a class-action employee lawsuit. The nation's third-largest bank disclosed the audit in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.


Retail rivals moving to town A town that hasn't had a grocery store for at least a decade may soon have two. A Super Stop  amp; Shop is set to open today on Plymouth Street in Halifax, and about a year from now, Wal-Mart expects to open a nearby ''supercenter quot; that would include a full-scale supermarket.


Retirees recycle passion into a new career It's a fall weekday, and retired Bedford residents Bob and Lee Evans are hard at work in their new career: leading mud-splattered, middle-aged suburbanites on mountain bikes over a root-laced trail through Chelmsford's Cranberry Bog Reservation.


Consumers flock to online shops E-commerce is looking healthy in the UK although the exact figures are in dispute.


Brazil Defeats Mexico 2-1 (AP) AP - Romario celebrated his retirement from international soccer by scoring two goals to give Brazil's 1994 World Cup team a 2-1 victory Wednesday night over Mexico's World Cup team from that year.


Is Syracuse Football on Permanent Slide? (AP) AP - The players hear it and so do the coaches. The perception is out there that Syracuse football is in a downward spiral.


New EU chief seeks rapid deal in budget haggle (AFP) AFP - The new European Commission hopes to exploit divisions among Europe's richest countries to push through an agreement on the EU's next medium-term spending round as early as next June, officials say.


Egypt to Host Military Funeral for Arafat (Reuters) Reuters - Egypt, where Yasser Arafat began his\political life and where biographers say he was born, will host\a military funeral for the Palestinian president on Friday\before he is buried in the West Bank, officials said.


Holiday Forecast: Continued Growth Of Online Sales (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - When I ordered Christmas presents last week from L.L. Bean's 295-page holiday catalog, I broke my usual routine and did not call the company's toll-free line. Instead I visited the Web site because I thought it might offer bargains and be as quick as a phone call.


Former Prime Minister Named Leader of PLO (AP) AP - Former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, a critic of the most recent Palestinian uprising in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, was named leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization on Thursday within hours of the death of Yasser Arafat.


PeopleSoft Directors Reject Oracle's Offer (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The board of PeopleSoft Inc. yesterday rejected Oracle Corp.'s  #36;24-a-share hostile takeover bid as too cheap, but said it was open to a deal at a higher price.


Trying to Make the Pen as Mighty as the Keyboard Researchers are devising new (and hopefully better) ways to interact with Tablet PC's and other pen-based computers.


Spinach Power Adds Muscle to Batteries Using the photosynthesis of spinach to produce electric current.


PeopleSoft Rejects Oracle; Ellison Appeals To Shareholders He says he will walk away if the majority of shareholders don #39;t themselves sell to Oracle by Nov. 19. By Rick Whiting. PeopleSoft #39;s fate is in the hands of its shareholders.


Vodafone launches 3G services in Europe LONDON -- Cell phone giant Vodafone Group PLC, which has spent years struggling to recoup billions spent on 3G licences, finally launched the cutting-edge service Wednesday in much of Europe and introduced or beefed up its operation in a dozen other


Harmony  #39;driven by shareholder value #39; The board and management of world number six gold miner Harmony are driven by value creation for Harmony shareholders, Harmony Chief Executive Bernard Swanepoel said in a letter released on Wednesday.


Testimony: Ovitz Was Denied Signing Bonus Michael Ovitz wanted a \$50 million signing bonus to become president of the Walt Disney Co., but the directors who eventually hired him were not willing


Delta Outlines New Liquidity Requirements Delta Air Lines said on Monday it will need an additional USD\$135 million in liquidity in early 2006 to meet the requirements of certain financing agreements.


Merck CEO vows firm will survive Vioxx recall Merck  amp; Co. CEO Ray Gilmartin said the embattled drugmaker will  quot;absolutely survive quot; the fallout caused by its decision to pull the arthritis drug Vioxx off the


Still awaiting Microsoft #39;s search entry Microsoft is expected to launch a beta version of its Web search technology on Thursday, with ambitions to catch up to rivals Google and Yahoo.


Fujitsu Siemens Computers launches the LIFEBOOK T4010 Fujitsu Siemens Computers, the leading international IT company, has introduced the LIFEBOOK T4010, its latest convertible notebook with a modular bay that weighs less than 2 kg and integrates the functions of a high-powered notebook with those of a


Sprinter Young banned for life Sprinter Jerome Young, a central figure in a doping case that could cost the US relay team its gold medal from Sydney, was banned for life by the US Anti-Doping Agency yesterday following his second positive test for a banned drug.


NASCAR lifts its ban on liquor ads NASCAR lifted its ban on liquor ads Wednesday, opening the door for teams to be sponsored by distilled spirits.  quot;We felt the time was right, quot; NASCAR president Mike Helton said.


76ers: Williamson helps OBrien capture first home win PHILADELPHIA -- From all indications, this is going to be the year of living dangerously for the 76ers. As they have in their four previous games this season, the Sixers allowed the New Jersey Nets to build a big lead in the first half.


Dutch violence ends with the arrest of two Dutch police arrested two people after a violent 15-hour standoff at a house in the Hague, in which four officers were wounded by a hand grenade.


Train Crash Driver  #39;Had Two Or Three Seconds to Stop #39; The driver of the train which smashed into a car on a level crossing, killing seven people and injuring dozens of passengers, had just two or three seconds to brake


Dollar Steady, Off Record Low Vs Euro  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar held more than a cent above  this week's record low on the euro on Thursday and traded near  a two-week high on the yen, with the market wary of protest  comments out of Europe about the euro's recent rise.


Oil Prices Fall on Signs of Rising Supply  LONDON (Reuters) - World oil prices eased on Thursday as  signs of strong supply on physical crude markets encouraged  dealers to take profits from a bounce in the previous session.


Sri Lanka rates rise unexpectedly Sri Lanka's central bank raises interest rates by half a percentage point, taking the financial markets by surprise.


Consumers flock to online shops Online shops look set to have a good Christmas as UK web-users get the online buying habit.


A DVD Burner Too Far? If you'd like to archive all of yesterday's footage to DVD before your VCR dies, Sony's DVDirect offers an easy, relatively affordable solution.


State won't recoup all lost jobs till '08 WESTBOROUGH -- Massachusetts faces several years of lackluster job growth unless innovations spur the state's listless economy, according to an economic forecast.


Hybrid Phones Keep Getting Smarter The big deal with the Treo 650 is its beautiful, sharp screen and a color liquid-crystal display that offers four times the resolution as the Treo 600's LCD.


A breed apart As a child, Adam Levesque would sit with his grandfather, watching televised nature documentaries featuring exotic animals in their natural habitats. These days, Levesque creates his own wild kingdoms in a Waltham office park with a few clicks of a computer mouse.


PeopleSoft rejects Oracle #39;s takeover bid again NEW YORK, November 11 (newratings.com) - PeopleSoft Inc (PSFT.NAS) has again rejected Oracle Corporation #39;s (ORCL)  quot;best and final quot; takeover bid, while urging its shareholders to reject Oracle #39;s \$24 per share tender offer as well.


Bank of Ireland Posts Rise in Profit The Bank of Ireland reported a 7.8 percent rise in half-year profits Thursday but also revealed a significant drop in investor confidence at its asset management unit.


Nation #39;s first hydrogen fuel pump opens The dilemma: Auto manufacturers have been reluctant to build fleets of hydrogen-powered vehicles before the existence of public hydrogen stations in the United States, while fuel


Fee cuts take toll on stock exchange profits Cuts in listing fees forced by an Office of Fair Trading inquiry have left London Stock Exchange swallowing a 6 per cent fall in interim operating profits.


Vanunu arrested by Israeli police Israeli former nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu is arrested, seven months after release from jail.


Heating oil fears drive up crude Crude oil futures rose more than \$1 a barrel yesterday after the government reported that the nation's supply of distillate fuel, which includes heating oil, shrank for the eighth consecutive week.


Darfur camp raid 'unacceptable' US Secretary of State Colin Powell says he will pursue with Sudan an assault by security forces on a refugee camp.


Microsoft To Spoil Google  amp; Yahoo #39;s Search Party With the announcement of its new search engine, Microsoft is all geared to spoil the search engine party of Google and Yahoo. The software giant today released a beta version of its new MSN search service, claiming


Are MS Idemnification Claims For Real? Microsoft Corp. announced today the expansion of its end-user intellectual property (IP) protection policy to cover customers using a wide range of current and earlier versions of its software.


Trojan invades Russian mobiles A TROJAN HORSE with a name that takes over a PC so that it sends SMS spam to mobile phones has been spotted in Russia. The Delf-HA Trojan contacts a Web site for details on which spam campaign to run and then


Game on: Fans are fired up for release of Halo #39; sequel Three years is an eternity to wait for a sequel. Early Tuesday morn ing,  quot;Halo quot; fans received deliverance with the launch of  quot;Halo 2, quot; one of the most anticipated video games of all time.


NASA to Attempt Mach 10 Flight NASA will attempt to break the aircraft speed record next week by flying a jet plane at 7,000 mph, or nearly 10 times the speed of sound, say planners for the agency #39;s experimental X-43A project.


Intel nuances Itanium; Microsoft ignores it It #39;s no longer Sun Microsystems and IBM working to undermine the Itanium processor. Both the chip #39;s maker - Intel - and close software partner Microsoft are doing the dirty work now.


Philip Morris lab discovered passive smoking risk in 1982: Lancet PARIS (AFP) - A lab owned by US tobacco giant Philip Morris uncovered evidence in the early 1980s about potential risks from passive smoking but its findings were never made public, a study charges.


Gran Turismo 4 finished Sony Computer Entertainment held a party in Tokyo yesterday to celebrate the completion of Polyphony Digital #39;s long-awaited Gran Turismo 4, which is set for release in Japan - and, apparently, in North America - this December.


IBM drives Euro-supercomputer grid European researchers can now use a new supercomputing network to help them in their work.  quot;We have just completed testing, quot; said David Henty with the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre, a member


Serena fights back, Davenport off to a flier in LA Serena Williams came back from a set and two breaks down to beat Anastasia Myskina 4-6 6-3 6-4 on the opening night of group play at the WTA Championships on Wednesday.


ONeill unhappy at Celtic Football Club defeat Martin ONeill felt Celtic Football Club should not have lost their lead in last nights Old Firm game. John Hartson gave the Bhoys a 1-0 lead midway through the second half but a late goal from Dado Prso


Juventus beats Fiorentina 1-0, increases lead atop Serie A Uruguayan midfielder Ruben Olivera scored his first Serie A goal in the 72nd minute Wednesday to help Juventus increase its Italian league lead to six points with a 1-0 win over rival Fiorentina.


Alan Henry: British Grand Prix Ferrari sources have said unofficially that they will support the commercial arrangements agreed on Tuesday by the other nine formula one teams which should remove the last hurdle preventing the 2005 British grand prix from being confirmed on the final


NASCAR OKs liquor sponsorships NASCAR returned to its roots Wednesday by lifting a ban on liquor ads on cars, opening the door for teams to be sponsored next season by distilled spirits.


Pires feels wrath of the France national coach IT RARELY pays for players publicly to question their coach or manager, and after criticising Raymond Domenech, the France coach, Robert Pires was yesterday dropped from the national squad to play Poland in a friendly on Wednesday.


Grizzlies find Lakers perfect cure for 0-4 start MEMPHIS, Tenn. - After four opening losses, the Memphis Grizzlies were reeling and irritable. The intensity and fastbreak offense that led them to a franchise-record 50 wins and first playoff appearance last season were missing.


Seminoles may have finally solved leadership puzzle When Alonzo Jackson had his much-publicized finger-pointing episode after a loss to Notre Dame two years ago, it became the impetus for Bobby Bowden #39;s decisions to close the locker-room doors


SL vindicated over Murali The head of Sri Lanka Cricket has expressed relief and gratitude that Muttiah Muralitharan will be able to use his full weaponry under new laws.


'Huge' potential for gene therapy \Scientists have taken an important step towards a new way of treating disease by switching off key genes.


Current Quotations  quot;With him disappears the man of courage and conviction who, for 40 years, has incarnated the Palestinians #39; combat for recognition of their national rights.


Israeli police detain nuke whistleblower Vanunu Israeli police have detained nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu for questioning, a security source told Reuters without citing reasons.


20 dead in Russian hostel blaze AT LEAST 20 people had died in a fire which engulfed a hostel in a remote Siberian town, news agencies reported today. Rescuers have found 20 bodies in the charred remains of the hostel in Kyzyl, ITAR-TASS reported.


World Scene ABUJA, Nigeria - Sudan bowed to international pressure yesterday for a ban on military flights over the Darfur region, where 1.5 million people have been forced from their homes, and signed two landmark peace deals with rebels.


Author Chang found dead aged 36 Best-selling writer Iris Chang is found dead in her car in California with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.


Japan chasing mystery submarine \Japan's navy keeps pace with an unidentified submarine spotted inside the country's waters on Wednesday.


Q A: What follows Arafat? The BBC News website looks at the key questions arising from the death of Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestinian cause for more than 40 years.


A Dreamer Who Forced His Cause Onto World Stage  For virtually his entire adult life, Yasser Arafat had one dream, and he pursued it with such energy and zeal -- some would say fanaticism -- that he came to personify the dream itself.


Cup draw serves up Gunners clash HOSTILITIES between Manchester United and Arsenal could well resume after the sides were paired in the quarter finals of the Carling Cup.


Brit deal  #39;one year only Even if British and French grands prix are held next year, negotiations will go back to square-one when a 2006 deal is mooted. Minardi #39;s Paul Stoddart said an eleventh hour teams #39; agreement to stage the voluntary


US holds most of Fallujah as fight goes on FALLUJAH, Iraq -- US forces have seized control of up to 70 percent of this rebel stronghold, US and Iraqi officials said yesterday, as American and Iraqi troops battled insurgents along the city's main street and confronted isolated pockets of gunmen who had slipped back behind US lines.


Despite Tour Championship loss, Woods back to No. 2 in the <b>...</b> PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Sports Network) -- Tiger Woods may have squandered a 54-hole lead for only the third time in his PGA Tour career Sunday at the Tour Championship, but his second-place finish was enough to


Palestinians Attack Settlement After Arafat Dies  GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian militants angry over Yasser  Arafat's death attacked a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip  on Thursday in what they said signaled the start of a new round  of clashes against Israel.


Milestone for 'land of the lemur' Madagascar moves to protect its remarkable biodiversity, more than trebling the area of forest and wetland in special reserves.


California Hangs on to Beat Southern Miss  HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Sports Network) - Thomas Decod blocked  a potential game-tying point after touchdown and Wendell Hunter  returned it for a two-point conversion as fourth-ranked  California hung on for a 26-16 win over Southern Mississippi at  M.M. Roberts Stadium.


Norway FM takes peace message to Tamil Tigers COLOMBO - Sri Lankas president Chandrika Kumaratunga offered to revive stalled peace talks with the Tamil Tigers in a message conveyed to rebels by Norways foreign minister Jan Petersen, her office said on Thursday.


MetLife plans debut sterling bond -leads MetLife Inc. (MET.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 1 US life insurer, plans to issue a debut sterling-denominated bond, joint bookrunners Deutsche Bank, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland said on Thursday.


Lawyers hold high noon in Marlboro Lights case SPRINGFIELD -- Lawyers squared off Wednesday over whether the Illinois Supreme Court should overturn the largest verdict for damages in the state #39;s history: a \$10.


Taiwan Chip Giant Seeks Strong Partnerships The head of the world #39;s largest contract chip manufacturer said Thursday it will cost an estimated \$1 billion (euro 776 million) for his company to develop the latest chip production technology.


Microsoft pushes search technology to market SEATTLE Microsoft launches Web search technology today that it hopes will give it a share of the market dominated by Google. The new search engine will initially be available only on a special test site.


Firefox 1.0 Makes Flashy Debut A decade ago, geeks greeted the release of Netscape #39;s new web browser with great anticipation. A similar sense of expectation surrounded each subsequent version of Netscape Navigator and, to a much lesser


Google delivers POP3 Gmail Google will introduce POP3 (Post Office Protocol) support in the next few weeks for Gmail users, allowing them to download their email from the service using mail clients.


Passive smoking risk  #39;kept secret #39; A LAB owned by US tobacco giant Philip Morris uncovered evidence in the early 1980s about potential risks from passive smoking but its findings were never made public, a new study charges.


Euro supercomputer network boots up A new pan-European supercomputing network has opened to help scientists in the EU with their research.  quot;We have just completed testing, quot; said David Henty of the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre, a member


IBM readies SME tools IBM will announced the pre-release of several tools for SMEs designed to speed development of solutions built on IBM middleware. The tools support the IBM Solutions Builder Express Portfolio, which provides


American sprinter banned for life American sprinter Jerome Young was banned from competition for life Wednesday by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. For the second time, Young tested positive for a banned


Booze boost to Nascar Nascar will allow liquor companies as sponsors for its Nextel Cup and other stock-car racing next season, ending a 30-year ban and creating a new funding source for racing teams.


France coach offers hope to Anelka France coach Raymond Domenech has insisted Nicolas Anelka remain in his plans, but not in the near future. Along with Arsenal #39;s Robert Pires, Anelka was left out of the national squad to face Poland in a friendly at the Stade de France on November 17.


Wolfpacks slim bowl hopes ride on beating Florida State tonight RALEIGH - Its about to strike midnight on North Carolina States football team unless it can deliver tonight. The Wolfpack is one loss away from elimination from bowl consideration when it plays its home finale against No.


Blair to push for Mid East peace BRITISH Prime Minster Tony Blair called for new efforts to revive the Middle East peace process today after the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and just hours before he sets off to visit US President George W. Bush.


Report: Chinese fighter jets interfere with The Taiwanese president #39;s flight to an outlying island several weeks ago was diverted because 28 Chinese fighter jets were spotted in the area, a major Taiwanese newspaper reported Thursday.


Google #39;s index expands and Gmail goes POP In a posting on the company #39;s own blog on Wednesday, Bill Coughran, vice-president of engineering, announced that Google #39;s index now exceeds eight billion pages.


No charity at Nets #39; stripe A night after they managed to score a measly 64 points in a win over Portland, the Nets reached 100 in Philadelphia. But they still could not score when they needed to.


Taiwan offers to cut troops by 100,000 Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian Wednesday offered to cut the island #39;s troops by 100,000 to ease military tensions with mainland China.


Israel Arrests Nuke Whistleblower Vanunu for 'Leak' (Reuters) Reuters - Israeli police arrested nuclear\whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu on Thursday on suspicion of\spilling more state secrets seven months after he completed an\18-year prison term for treason.


Afghan UN Kidnappers Await Release of 26 Taliban (Reuters) Reuters - Kidnappers of three U.N. workers in\Afghanistan said on Thursday they expect the government to\release 26 Taliban prisoners in exchange for their hostages\before the Muslim Eid festival this weekend.


EBay Acquires Web Site From Netherlands (AP) AP - Online auction giant eBay Inc. has acquired the most popular classifieds Web site in the Netherlands for about  #36;290 million, the company announced.


Deutsche Telekom Boosts 3rd-Quarter Profit (AP) AP - German phone giant Deutsche Telekom AG said Thursday its third-quarter net profit jumped to 1.39 billion euros ( #36;1.73 billion) amid growth at its wireless and Internet businesses, and raised its full-year forecast.


Nigerian oil unions vow to disrupt crude exports (AFP) AFP - Nigeria's main oil unions said that their members will join next week's planned nationwide general strike and warned of disruptions in the country's exports of crude to the world market.


PeopleSoft rebuffs Oracle offer (TheDeal.com) TheDeal.com - CEO David Duffield says offer undervalues the software company; board touts growing license sales.


Blogs Fuel Election Fraud Fears Political scientists say the surprisingly high number of votes for President Bush in Florida can be explained by demographic trends -- it wasn't because of rigged voting machines. But the election process is so opaque that the conspiracy theories won't go away. By Kim Zetter.


Firefox 1.0 Makes Flashy Debut Mozilla's new web browser is smart, fast and user-friendly while offering a slew of advanced, customizable functions. By Michelle Delio.


NASA to Attempt Mach 10 Flight Engineers for the space agency's experimental X-43A project prepare to break the aircraft speed record. But the hypersonic jet flight could be NASA's last. By Amit Asaravala.


These Traffic Numbers Are Real Tens of thousands of web publishers are too small to show up on industry-standard traffic reports, so they can't attract advertisers. But I/Pro, a small traffic-auditing firm, says it can change all that. Commentary by Adam L. Penenberg.


Fancy Express to Nowhere Sure, there's the slick technology and stunning visuals, but the animated Polar Express doesn't do the book any favors. By Jason Silverman.


Has TiVo Forsaken Us? Sometime in the next few months, your machine will quietly download a patch that makes it respond to a new copy-protection scheme from software maker Macrovision. By Lucas Graves from Wired magazine.


Britain #39;s Black Watch Back in Basra, Will Leave Iraq This Month Britain #39;s Black Watch regiment, deployed to back up US forces outside Baghdad since the end of October, has returned to its base in Basra in southern Iraq, said a UK defense ministry spokesman.


Show Time for Stem-Cell Science It's time to get down to business for stem-cell scientists and administrators after the tremendous boost they received from the passage of California's Proposition 71. Two advisory board appointments have been made; there are 25 to go. By Kristen Philipkoski.


Diebold to Settle E-Voting Suit The company will pony up \$2.6 million to settle a lawsuit over allegedly flawed electronic voting systems it sold to California counties. Surprise: E-vote activists still aren't happy.


WTO rules against US gambling ban The WTO case was brought by the Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda, host to many of the online casinos whose use is illegal in the US.


Cisco Stock Falls on Tech Spending Concerns Shares of technology bellwether Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) fell more than 6 percent on Wednesday, as the company #39;s disappointing revenue outlook


Mixed response to Louisiana #39;s first US soybean rust cases After decades of spreading the fungus across the globe, the wind was expected to bring soybean rust to the United States to threaten crop production and carry a hefty


EBay buying Dutch Web site EBay Inc., the world #39;s largest online marketplace, said Thursday it was buying Marktplaats.nl, a Dutch classified advertising Web site, for about \$290 million in cash.


Microsoft readies new search engine A new battle in the multibillion-dollar online search war begins today as software giant Microsoft unveils a test version of its new search engine, looking remarkably like one of its chief rivals, Google.


Open-source browser set for challenge A new front has been opened in the long-dormant browser war, with an open-source program called Firefox aiming to challenge Microsoft #39;s dominant Internet Explorer.


Microsoft Passes on Itanium Microsofts upcoming Windows for clustered computers operating system will not support Intels powerful Intanium 2 chipset according to News.


With  #39;Scramjet, #39; NASA Shoots for Mach 10 They call it a  quot;scramjet, quot; an engine so blindingly fast that it could carry an airplane from San Francisco to Washington, DC, in about 20 minutes -- or even quicker.


Sneaker makers bank on high-tech Sneaker makers are selling a new wave of technologically advanced athletic shoes, in hopes of bringing back the age of the \$100-plus sneaker.


BYTE OF THE APPLE Apple (AAPL ) CEO Steve Jobs has always approached his job with the zeal and showmanship of a populist politician. Jobs has another attribute common to the political classes, namely that even


New SMB Tools Hit IBM AlphaWorks Site IBM Wednesday released new SMB tools on its emerging technology Web site to help customers deal with compliance issues as well as enable Business Partners to build solutions on WebSphere Express software.


Showalter, Cox voted managers of the year Buck Showalter won his first American League Manager of the Year award 10 years ago after leading the New York Yankees back into contention.


Celtics 90 Trail Blazers 88 Pierce returned after taking a hit in the mouth during the final minute. He played with a mouth guard following seven hours of dental surgery after being hit with an elbow during Saturday #39;s win at New York.


Bout vs. Holyfield puts Donald in the spotlight The first time Larry Donald told his buddies he was fighting four-time heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield, they thought he was kidding.


Palestinians attack settlement after Arafat dies Palestinian militants angry over Yasser Arafat #39;s death have attacked a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip in what they said signalled the start of a new round of clashes against Israel.


N.Korea urged to resume talks next month The United States has conveyed a proposal to North Korea to resume six-nation talks on its nuclear drive next month, South Korean officials said Thursday.


Thousands in Kashmir Protest Alleged Rape Police in Kashmir fired tear gas and used batons Wednesday to disperse thousands of people protesting the alleged rape of a woman and her daughter by soldiers.


World ; Tamil Tigers forcibly recruit child soldiers: report World News, New York,Sri Lanka #39;s Tamil Tiger guerrillas have recruited thousands of child soldiers despite signing a peace pact in February 2002, Human Rights watch said in a report released Thursday.


We seize servers, you can't complain - US gov Indymedia seizures Site owners have 'no standing'


Hamas warns against leadership that excludes it The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) warned on Thursday that any preparations to form a new Palestinian leadership without the participation of Hamas would be illegal.


Israel re-arrests whistleblower Vanunu Nuclear whistle blower Mordechai Vanunu was arrested today for allegedly revealing classified information, seven months after he completed an 18-year prison sentence for treason, police said.


President and Foreign Minister express condolences on death of <b>...</b> Finnish President Tarja Halonen and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erkki Tuomioja (SDP), have expressed condolences to the family of President Yasser Arafat and to all Palestinians.


Iran says will give response on nuclear deal soon TEHERAN - Iran will probably give its formal response on Thursday to Britain, France and Germany on whether it will agree to a suspension of some of its nuclear activities in order to avoid possible UN sanctions, a top official told AFP.


Charles Kartman to Visit Pyongyang, North Korea Japan #39;s Asahi Shimbun reported from Washington on Thursday that Charles Kartman, executive director of the Korean Energy Development Organization (KEDO), would make a four-day trip to Pyongyang beginning Saturday.


Taiwan denies President Chen #39;s plane targeted by Chinese fighter <b>...</b> TAIPEI: Taiwanese authorities have denied reports that President Chen Shui-bian #39;s plane was targeted by Chinese fighter jets when he was flying over the Taiwan Strait.


Tamil Tigers contact Sri Lankan president The chief of Sri Lanka #39;s Tamil Tiger rebels sent an unexpected message to the country #39;s president via Norwegian peace brokers on Thursday, offering ways to revive stalled peace talks aimed at ending a two-decade civil war.


2nd round of talks on Darfur concludes The second round of talks between the Sudanese government and two rebel groups on the Darfur crisis concluded on Wednesday in the Nigerian capital Abuja, China Radio International reported Thursday.


Stocks Headed Higher; Fed Outlook Pleases  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures rose on Thursday,  pointing to a higher market open, as oil prices fell toward \$48  a barrel and Wall Street seemed encouraged that the Federal  Reserve would not accelerate its pace of interest rate hikes.


Palestinians Pour Out Grief Over Arafat's Death  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinians streamed into  the streets of the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Thursday in an  outpouring of grief over the death of Yasser Arafat, the  enduring symbol of their nationalist cause.


Only Injury Can Stop Peerless Federer at Masters Cup  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Last season, Roger Federer left  Houston not even the top-ranked player of the year.


Jones to Buy Barneys in \$400 Mln Deal  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mid-priced clothing retailer and maker  Jones Apparel Group Inc. JNY.N said on Thursday it was buying  Barneys New York Inc. BNNY.OB in a deal worth \$400 million as  a move to expand into luxury apparel retailing.


Blockbuster Interested in Hollywood Chain  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Blockbuster Inc. BBI.N, the largest  U.S. video rental chain, on Thursday said it has contacted  Hollywood Entertainment Corp. HLYW.O about acquiring its top  rival for \$700 million.


Cisco reports record profit but outlook disappoints For the second quarter in a row, No. 1 network-gear maker Cisco (CSCO) reported record profit but saw some signs of economic weakness.


Vodafone launches music 3G and its handsets make a step to answer the need for all-in-one mobile media devices. The company expects 3G to begin gaining mass market


First case of soybean rust in US 11/11/2004 - The US Department of Agriculture #39;s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service yesterday confirmed the presence of the countrys first case of soybean rust, found on soybean leaf samples taken from two plots in Louisiana.


Blockbuster Interested in Hollywood Chain Blockbuster Inc. (BBI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the largest US video rental chain, on Thursday said it has contacted Hollywood Entertainment Corp.


Tiffany 3rd-Qtr Profit Falls to \$20.8 Mln; Sales in Japan Drop Tiffany  amp; Co., the No. 1 US luxury jewelry retailer, said third-quarter earnings fell to \$20.8 million as sales declined in Japan, the company #39;s second-biggest market.


Coke Cuts Long-Term Earns, Volume Targets Soft drink giant Coca-Cola Co. (KO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , stung by a prolonged downturn in North America and other markets, announced on Thursday that it was lowering key long-term earnings and sales targets.


Big leaks in Big Dig tunnels irk bigwigs The Big Dig is riddled with leaks that are dumping millions of gallons of water into the \$14.6 billion tunnel system, according to an engineer hired to investigate the cause of a massive leak in September.


Update 2: Germany #39;s Lufthansa Posts 3Q Profit German airline Lufthansa posted a euro125 million (US\$155 million) net profit in the third quarter, more than making up losses from a year ago thanks to stronger demand for air travel, the company said Thursday.


Bank of Ireland profit up Bank of Ireland has reported a 5 percent rise in first-half profits, in line with predictions made in its September trading update, and says it is confident about the outlook for the full year.


Tiffany Earnings Fall  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Luxury jeweler Tiffany   Co. TIF.N on  Thursday said quarterly profit fell 26 percent, hurt by  lackluster sales in Japan and higher costs for precious metals  and diamonds.


Microsoft unveils new internet search engine Microsofts first search technology went live on Wednesday. The software giant claims that the preliminary or beta version of its MSN Search stands out from other search engines because it offers more


Gmail starts to download messages Google will gradually roll out Pop3 support over the coming weeks to Gmail users, allowing them to download e-mail messages from Gmail servers to e-mail applications.


Boeing and Northrop Grumman forge space alliance Boeing and Northrop Grumman have inked a memorandum of agreement which will see the two aerospace giants join forces to compete for the contract to build NASA #39;s Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) - part of the Agency #39;s Constellation project to send robotic


French competition body rejeccts #39; open iPod #39; claim The French Competition Council has rejected Virgin France #39;s claim that Apple #39;s FairPlay technology should be licensed to other companies #39; online music stores.


New Trojan Virus Sends Spam to Russian Mobile Phones A new Trojan virus has appeared in Russian that hijacks PCs and sends spam via SMS text messages to mobile phones. After infecting a PC, the Delf-HA Trojan sends spam to the St.


Microsoft offers indemnification for all Microsoft Corp has upped the ante in its claims to offer better intellectual property indemnification than Linux vendors by extending to all end users its IP protection policy, which was previously only available to volume licensing customers.


Skype  amp; Siemens Bring Wireless VoIP Siemens have announced the availability of a range of handsets that works with (Voice over IP) VoIP software, Skype. Simply by plugging the a USB adapter in to a computer running an updated version of Skype


EC delivers ContentGuard concerns The European Commission has formally notified Microsoft Corp and Time Warner Inc of its objections to the companies #39; proposed joint ownership of ContentGuard Inc.


USADA bans Jerome Young for life after second doping violation The decision by the US Anti-Doping Agency comes after the Fort Worth runner #39;s second positive test for an illegal steroid. The former 400-meter world champion tested positive for the banned drug EPO at a meet in July.


Silent Assassin What more does a player like Retief Goosen need to do to be taken seriously? By Jim Gorant. Goosen has quietly moved up to fourth in the World Ranking.


Winning  #39;no matter #39; to Pakistan Skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq said taking part was more important than winning ahead of Pakistan #39;s first match in India for over five years.


Distilled spirits can sponsor NASCAR NASCAR, a sport whose history was built upon the backs on moonshine runners in the Southeast in the 1940s, returned to its roots somewhat Wednesday when it announced it would


Sixers, Cavaliers win in overtime Allen Iverson hit the tying jumper with 7.2 seconds left in regulation, and Corliss Williamson scored 7 of his 15 points in overtime to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 108-100 victory Wednesday night over the visiting New Jersey Nets.


Jefferson unfazed by Clarett #39;s barbs com. Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel talks with running back Maurice Clarett during the 2002 Michigan game. With apologies to immortal running back Red Grange, at least


Romario scores twice in  quot;Grand Farewell quot; friendly Romario scored twice as Brazil beat Mexico 2-1 in Los Angeles on Wednesday in a match tagged as the  quot;Grand Farewell quot; to the famed Brazilian striker.


FOOTBALL: I THOUGHT A SEMI-FINAL SPOT WAS IN BAG AFTER WE SCORED MARTIN O #39;NEILL reckoned Celtic were set to continue Rangers #39; run of misery in Old Firm showdowns. O #39;Neill was convinced that John Hartson #39;s 66th-minute header might just be enough to clinch a place in the last four of the CIS Cup.


Afghan women offer to take place of UN hostages A group of 20 Afghan women offered on Thursday to take the place of three foreign UN workers held hostage for the past two weeks by a Taliban splinter group.


Minnelli faces sex claim in court Singer Liza Minnelli's ex-bodyguard accuses her of forcing him to have sex with her to keep his job.


BearingPoint Chief Blazer Quits; No Reason Given BearingPoint Inc. chairman and chief executive Randolph C. Blazer resigned abruptly yesterday after leading the McLean consulting firm for more than four years.


Dot-Com Back: Varsity Group Turns the Corner Inside    Varsity Group Inc. 's 11th-floor headquarters in the District, clutter twentysomethings in jeans are doubled and tripled up in small offices. A rear wall is about to be knocked down to make more room. For the first time in four years, the e-commerce company is bursting at the seams.


Internal Investigation Delays WebMethods' Quarterly SEC Filing WebMethods Inc. said yesterday it has delayed filing its quarterly financial results because an employee in one of its international subsidiaries has raised concerns about some of its business dealings.


Microsoft Debuts Own Web Search Technology Microsoft Corp. finally debuted its own Web search technology on Thursday, hoping to challenge Google Inc.'s long dominance of the field with results tailored to a user's location and answers from its Encarta encyclopedia.


Firefox Browser Alternative to Microsoft Web surfing has belonged almost exclusively to Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer ever since it buried Netscape's pioneering browser. That doesn't seem to have bothered the developers of the Mozilla Firefox, a feisty new kid on the block that's worth a serious look.


Robot Is Pivotal Member of the Force The youngest, smallest member of the Virginia State Police bomb squad can fearlessly pick up an unidentified bomb, walk into a tense hostage situation and hand a cell phone to a gunman. And he requires no food, water, insurance benefits or sleep.


Disease raises fears for plants Trees and plants are to be cut down in woodland near Redruth in southwest England after the discovery of a new disease.


MPs warn over rusty ship disposal Britain's old ships are being dismantled in "unacceptable" conditions in the developing world, an MPs' committee says.


Huge potential for gene therapy \Scientists have taken an important step towards a new way of treating disease by switching off key genes.


Fed raises rates another quarter-point The Federal Reserve raised short-term interest rates a quarter-point for the fourth time in five months Wednesday, extending its campaign to keep inflation in check after the economy showed impressive job growth over the past three months.


PeopleSoft to reject Oracle #39;s  #39;best and final #39; offer Oracle said today that it has learned that PeopleSoft will reject its \$8.8bn, \$24 a share,  quot;best and final quot; cash tender offer.


Vodafone launches new 3G phones Vodafone has ushered in a new era in mobile communications with the launch of 3G (third generation) services in 13 countries, including the UK.


Fungus poses soybean threat A fungus capable of damaging soybean crops has arrived in the United States for the first time, causing concern among northeast Indianas agriculture industry that the fungus could spread here as soon as next summer.


Sold to eBay: Dutch Classified Site eBay (Quote, Chart) has acquired a popular online classifieds Web site in the Netherlands, the company said Wednesday. The San Jose, Calif.


Bechtel #39;s big headache Boston #39;s Big Dig, a new system of freeway tunnels beneath the city and its harbor, has started springing leaks, and Massachusetts officials say San Francisco #39;s Bechtel Corp.


Update 3: Lufthansa Posts Third-Quarter Profit German airline Lufthansa posted a 125 million euro (\$155 million) net profit in the third quarter, more than making up losses from a year ago thanks to stronger demand for air travel, the company said Thursday.


Bank of Ireland profits up 6 Bank of Ireland has announced that profits before tax were up 6 from 670m in the six months to the end of September last year to 713m this year.


Boston Highway Project Said Full of Leaks BOSTON - The Big Dig - Boston #39;s newly opened \$14.6 billion highway tunnel project - has a seriously flawed wall that contractors knew about as early as 1999, and is riddled with hundreds of smaller leaks, consultants reported in another embarrassment for


Jones to Buy Barneys in  #36;400 Mln Deal (Reuters) Reuters - Mid-priced clothing retailer and maker\Jones Apparel Group Inc.  said on Thursday it was buying\Barneys New York Inc.  in a deal worth  #36;400 million as\a move to expand into luxury apparel retailing.


Only Injury Can Stop Peerless Federer at Masters Cup

 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Last season, Roger Federer leftHouston not even the top-ranked player of the year.


Blockbuster Interested in Hollywood Chain (Reuters) Reuters - Blockbuster Inc. , the largest\U.S. video rental chain, on Thursday said it has contacted\Hollywood Entertainment Corp.  about acquiring its top\rival for  #36;700 million.


Cox Voted NL Manager of the Year Bobby Cox, who guided the Atlanta Braves to an unprecedented 13th consecutive division title, was elected National League Manager of the Year in balloting by the Baseball Writers #39; Association of America.


Clarett, Ohio St. both flunked The Maurice Clarett who appears on the pages of ESPN the Magazine should never have had trouble getting A #39;s and B #39;s in college.


Cricket: Sri Lanka says ICC ruling buries Muralitharan controversy COLOMBO : Sri Lanka #39;s cricket governing body welcomed the new bowling rules of the International Cricket Council (ICC), saying the decision will finally end the controversy over Muttiah Muralitharan #39;s action.


Tiffany Earnings Fall (Reuters) Reuters - Luxury jeweler Tiffany   Co.  on\Thursday said quarterly profit fell 26 percent, hurt by\lackluster sales in Japan and higher costs for precious metals\and diamonds.


Blockbuster Offers to Buy Hollywood Chain  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Blockbuster Inc. BBI.N, the largest  U.S. video rental chain, on Thursday said it has contacted  Hollywood Entertainment Corp. HLYW.O about acquiring its top  rival for \$700 million.


Tiffany Profit Falls on Weak Japan Sales High-end jewelry retailer Tiffany  amp; Co. said Thursday that third-quarter profit fell 26 percent to miss Wall Street expectations by 5 cents per share, due to weak Japan sales, high diamond and precious metal


Trading spurt lifts London Stock Exchange turnover The London Stock Exchange says first-half turnover rose as trading activity on its electronic platform grew despite mixed market conditions.


France rules Apple #39;s DRM denial not anti-competition The French government #39;s competition watchdog this week dismissed a complaint brought by VirginMega, which alleged Apple #39;s refusal to license FairPlay ran contrary to French anti-trust law.


#39;Murder game #39; is making a killing A CONTROVERSIAL video game developed by a city company and described by critics as a  quot;murder simulator quot; has become the fastest selling title ever to hit the shelves in the UK.


EU lays out objections to ContentGuard deal The European Commission has set out its formal objections to Microsoft and Time Warner taking control of digital rights management company ContentGuard Holdings.


US: NASCAR lifts spirits ad ban Diageo, the world #39;s leading premium drinks business, has announced one of the company #39;s spirits brands would participate in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) for the first time ever beginning with the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season


A look at top games and assorted other notes in Week 14: No. 10 Virginia Tech (9-2) at No. 9 Miami (8-2): 1 pm today. TV: WTAE. ... Virginia Tech wins the ACC outright and the automatic BCS bid with a win.


TiVo hacks flourish Voided warranty, electrocution, the wrath of Hollywood--so what? Nothing seems to hinder the TiVo hacker.


IOS glitch leaves some Cisco gear open to attack A software vulnerability in some Cisco Systems Inc. routers and switches could allow an attacker to cause the devices to hang, the vendor warned this week.


World Recalls Arafat the Icon, Hopes for Peace (Reuters) Reuters - Thousands poured onto Palestinian\streets to mourn Yasser Arafat on Thursday while world leaders\praised him as an icon of his people's struggle whose death\could usher in a new Middle East peace drive.


Dignitaries Expected at Arafat's Funeral (AP) AP - The following dignitaries are expected at Yasser Arafat's funeral in Cairo on Friday, according to Palestinian planners and other officials.


Oracle's 'best and final' offer rejected (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - PeopleSoft's board of directors rejected Oracle's  #36;9.2 billion takeover bid Wednesday, thrusting the business software maker's fate in the hands of its shareholders.


And that #39;s a wrap for Hokiesand QBRandall The Virginia Tech quarterback connected with Eddie Royal for a 39-yard pass early in the fourth quarter that would provide the winning margin in a 16-10 triumph over Miami, wrapping up the ACC championship


Fed raises its key rate to 2, traders expect another hike In a meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee Wednesday, the policy makers fulfilled the expectations of the analysts announcing a quarter-point rise in its target for the Federal funds Rate, bringing it 2 from 1.75, the highest level since November


Crude futures hover around \$49 mark Singapore: Crude futures stayed close to the US\$49 mark in Asia today, amid renewed fears that heating oil supplies may not meet demand for the coming Northern Hemisphere winter.


Coca-Cola Revises Financial Targets ATLANTA - Coca-Cola Co. will damp growth prospects for next year and outline plans to increase  quot;marketing and innovation expenses quot; by as much as \$400 million on an annual basis when management speaks to analysts and investors later Thursday.


UPDATE 2-Adriano crushes Messina, Milan in Parma comeback Late goals from Brazilian Kaka and midfielder Andrea Pirlo gave AC Milan a 2-1 win at lowly Parma in Serie A on Saturday. Brazilian Adriano hit a devastating first half


New Intel Itanium Inside Unisys, HP Servers Itanium #39;s goals, which were lofty when the new architecture was first announced, have come down to reality. Instead of touting the 64-bit Itanium 2 as the sole architecture of the future, Intel


Manchester United 2, Crystal Palace 0 Sir Alex Ferguson could not resist a wry smile after learning his Manchester United side had been paired with arch-rivals Arsenal in the last eight of the Carling Cup.


Clarett, Owens best seen but not heard CONSIDER THE SOURCE. That #39;s always good advice when evaluating a dispute, and never more true than in recent football developments.


Raptors big men key in ending Jazz win streak The Utah Jazz knew they were going to lose sometime, they just didn #39;t think it would be to guys named Chris Bosh and Loren Woods.


Forces find hostage  quot;slaughterhouses quot; in Fallujah Iraqi troops have found  quot;hostage slaughterhouses quot; in Fallujah where foreign captives were held and killed, the commander of Iraqi forces in the city said Wednesday.


Bullets, Tears, Hopes of Peace After Arafat's Death  LONDON (Reuters) - Firing bullets into the air and weeping,  thousands of people streamed into Palestinian streets to mourn  Yasser Arafat on Thursday while world leaders praised him as a  symbol of his people's struggle for statehood.


Aboriginal welfare plans cause stir An Australian government rethink of its welfare system for Aborigines sparks widespread controversy.


Blue chip lowers long-term growth targets NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Coca-Cola Co. said Thursday it anticipates weakness in several key markets in 2005 and lowered long-term targets for both volume and operating income growth.


Blockbuster seeks to buy Hollywood Entertainment NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Blockbuster Inc. wants to acquire rival Hollywood Entertainment for \$700 million in a move that would broaden Blockbuster #39;s standing as the world #39;s largest movie rental company.


D.Telekom sees DSL, US growing higher in Q4 Europe #39;s biggest phone carrier Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) expects customer growth in its high-speed Internet business and at its US mobile business to accelerate in the fourth quarter compared with the


US Airways to Keep Flying Most Planes US Airways Group Inc. said Thursday has reached agreements with its lenders and lessors for continued use and operation of substantially all of its mainline and Express fleet.


Gold Fields loses high court bid to halt Harmony takeover JOHANNESBURG : South African mining giant Gold Fields lost a high court bid to halt a hostile takeover by rival Harmony Gold, which is seeking to create the world #39;s biggest gold producer, a court official said.


Shell Executive:Hydrogen Fuel Station In DC Is Just The Start NEW YORK - The hydrogen fuel station for fuel-cell vehicles that opened Wednesday in Washington, DC, is intended to bring the technology to the attention of lawmakers and show its usefulness and safety for retail use, said Jeremy Bentham, chief executive


Hollinger International Has Spent \$46.3 Million on Black Probe Hollinger International Inc., publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times, said it spent \$46.3 million this year on an internal investigation of former Chief Executive Conrad Black and others.


Hong Kong #39;s De Facto Bank Matches Hike Hong Kong #39;s de facto central bank on Thursday raised its key rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 3.50 percent, matching the latest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve.


New MSN Search - down Yesterday, thanks to judicious leaks from Bill and the Boyz, the media splashed Microsoft to launch MSN Search and today, thanks to Microsoft #39;s official announcement, it #39;s Microsoft launches MSN Search.


Major telcos tout Wi-Fi roaming pact Wi-Fi hotspot owners BT Openzone, Singapore #39;s StarHub, Malaysia #39;s maxis, Japan #39;s NTT Com, T-Mobile, Australia #39;s Telstra and Telecom Italia have entered into a broad roaming agreement to allow each company #39;s customers to access the others #39; networks.


Reebok Revives Pump Sneaker The shoe features an air chamber that molds itself to the shape of the wearer #39;s foot. But unlike its Pump predecessor, the new shoe inflates itself automatically.


Intel #39;s running out of Itanium options Suppose you threw a party and no-one came? Intel has put the streamers out, the sandwiches have had the crusts cut off and the punch bowl is full.


Evolution Warning Labels On Books Challenged In Court Playing fair, or promoting religion? Parents, civil liberty advocates and suburban-Atlanta school officials are in federal court over the issue of warning stickers on science textbooks.


Caborn urges motor sports to seize F1 opportunity The survival of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone represents a major incentive for the British motor sports industry to secure its international reputation, Sports Minister Richard Caborn this morning claimed.


Warne says new ICC rules on chucking could cause confusion Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne said Thursday a new proposal on bowling deliveries in cricket - brought about by the  quot;chucking quot; controversy involving Sri Lanka #39;s Muttiah Muralitharan - could cause confusion for umpires.


Sainz takes parting shot at world rally set-up Spanish motor rally legend Carlos Sainz took a gentle swipe at the state of the world championship on Thursday after his glorious career ended with a whimper.


Phoenix Suns Team Report - November 11 (Sports Network) - The Suns fell in overtime to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 114-109, on Wednesday at Gund Arena. Shawn Marion paced six Phoenix players in double figures with 22 points and Quentin Richardson had 21.


NASCAR lifts liquor sponsorships UNDATED NASCAR has lifted its ban on hard-liquor ads on cars, easing restrictions aimed at cleaning up the image of a sport that traces its roots to good ol #39; boys running moonshine through the hills of Georgia and the Carolinas.


New Jersey Nets Team Report - November 11 (Sports Network) - The New Jersey Nets were defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers, 108-100, in overtime on Wednesday at the Wachovia Center.


Los Angeles Clippers Team Report - November 11 (Sports Network) - Elton Brand scored a game-high 19 points and hauled down 16 rebounds, while Bobby Simmons netted 18 as the Los Angeles Clippers routed the Indiana Pacers, 102-68, on Wednesday at Conseco Fieldhouse.


MLB All-Stars beaten again in Japan Sapporo, Japan (Sports Network) - Daisuke Matsuzaka went the distance on a five-hitter to lead Japan to a 5-1 victory over the Major League Baseball All- Stars in the sixth of an eight-game exhibition series.


Hoosier hunter injured in deer attack NORTH VERNON, Ind. -- A 69-year-old bowhunter was treated for injuries he said he suffered during a wrestling match with an angry deer.


Shuttlesworth resigns as president of SCLC The Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, a native of Birmingham, says he is resigning from his position as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.


Troops to Evacuate Britons from Ivory Coast British forces are to carry out an evacuation of British nationals from the strife-torn west African state of Ivory Coast, it was announced today.


Iran Will Likely Freeze Nuke Enrichment-Official A senior Iranian official said on Thursday he was optimistic Iran would halt its uranium enrichment program as Europe demands, in a move aimed


Coca-Cola Cuts Long-Term Earnings Targets  ATLANTA (Reuters) - Soft drink giant Coca-Cola Co. KO.N,  stung by a prolonged downturn in North America and other  markets, announced on Thursday that it was lowering key   long-term earnings and sales targets.


Philip Morris Hid Link to Research Facility - Study (Reuters) Reuters - Philip Morris, one of the world's\leading tobacco manufacturers, was involved in research into\the health effects of smoking 30 years ago but did not reveal\data on the dangers of passive smoking, scientists said on\Thursday.


Target Posts Higher Quarterly Profit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Target Corp. TGT.N, the No. 2 U.S.  discount retailer, on Thursday posted a higher quarterly  profit, boosted by stronger sales and gains from the sale of  its Mervyn's department store chain.


Oil Falls on Signs of Rising Crude Supply  LONDON (Reuters) - World oil prices eased on Thursday as  signs of strong supply on physical crude markets encouraged  dealers to take profits from a bounce in the previous session.


Jones to Buy Barneys in \$400 Million Deal  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jones Apparel Group Inc. JNY.N, a  mid-priced clothing retailer and maker, said on Thursday it was  buying Barneys New York Inc. BNNY.OB in a deal worth \$400  million as a move to expand into luxury apparel retailing.


Global Markets: Shares, Dollar Rise  LONDON (Reuters) - European shares rose to fresh 6-1/2  month highs on Thursday as the dollar firmed and oil eased from  \$49 a barrel while poor German economic growth data buoyed  bonds.


Steroid users will get slap on wrist Who is Barry Bonds trying to kid? The San Francisco Giants #39; slugger, who in 2001 whacked 73 home runs to set a new, single-season record, reportedly told investigators that he unknowingly took


US Air to Keep Flying Most of Its Planes  NEW YORK (Reuters) - US Airways Group Inc. UAIRQ.OB,  which filed for bankruptcy protection in September, on Thursday  said it reached agreements with its lenders and lessors that  will let it keep flying most of its planes.


Spitzer Find Warmth in Heart of Darkness (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - NASA's infrared eyes are probing the beginnings of both stars and planets.  In two separate observations, the Spitzer Space Telescope has uncovered the warm glow from a possible stellar infant and an icy disk where planets may one-day form.


Quantum Astronomy: The Double Slit Experiment (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - This is a series of four articles each with a separate explanation of different phenomena. Each of the four articles is a piece of a mosaic and so every one is needed to understand the final explanation of the quantum astronomy experiment we will be proposing to do possibly using the Allen Array Telescope and the narrow-band radio-wave detectors being build by the SETI Institute and the University of California, Berkeley.


Blockbuster Offers to Buy Hollywood Chain
\

 CHICAGO (Reuters) - Blockbuster Inc. <BBI.N>, the largest\U.S. video rental chain, on Thursday said it has contacted\Hollywood Entertainment Corp. <HLYW.O> about acquiring its top\rival for \$700 million.


Elizabeth Edwards' Cancer Has Not Spread (AP) AP - A biopsy has shown that a lump in Elizabeth Edwards' breast has not spread, a family spokesman said, as the wife of former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards commenced chemotherapy.


Egypt to Host Military Funeral for Arafat  CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt, where Yasser Arafat began his  political life and where biographers say he was born, on  Thursday prepared a funeral for the Palestinian president, who  was declared dead in Paris in the early morning.


Palestinians mourn their leader Palestinians mourn the death of Yasser Arafat, their leader of 40 years - Israel sees a new chance for peace.


Falluja troops under heavy fire US marines come under sustained attack from several directions in their makeshift HQ in the Iraqi city of Falluja.


Zimbabwe 'faces food shortages' MPs say Zimbabwe will run out of food before next year's harvest, despite government assurances.


Stocks Open Higher; Fed Offers Relief (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks opened higher on Thursday,\with oil prices slipping on signs of strong supplies and Wall\Street encouraged that the Federal Reserve seemed unlikely to\accelerate the pace of interest rate hikes.


SL vindicated over Muralitharan Sri Lanka Cricket says efforts to convince the ICC Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action was legitimate have paid off.


Microsoft launches search engine (AFP) AFP - Microsoft launched its own Internet search engine in a move aimed at challenging market leaders Google and Yahoo.


Germany's carnival season bursts into life (AFP) AFP - Thousands of people in costume took to the streets of western Germany as the annual carnival season started with a series of events that will go on until February.


BT's Net Profit Increases 14 Percent in 2Q (AP) AP - BT Group PLC, Britain's largest phone company, reported a 14 percent increase in second quarter net profit on Thursday, as growth in mobile telecommunications, broadband and IT services outweighed more declines in its traditional residential telecoms revenue base.


U.S. Beats South Korea in Under-19 Soccer (AP) AP - The defending champion United States defeated South Korea 3-0 at the FIFA Under-19 Women's World Championship on Thursday behind goals from Angie Woznuk, Amy Rodriguez and Sheree Gray.


Microsoft Rolls Out MSN Search Beta (PC World) PC World - Software giant says the final version will be available next year.


High court to hear wine case Juanita Swedenburg first planted grapes 24 years ago to help pay the taxes on her 130-acre Valley View Farm near Middleburg in the heart of Virginia #39;s hunt country.


ATA to cut most of its Chicago flights Low-fare airline ATA has announced plans to lay off hundreds of employees and to drop most of its flights out of Midway Airport in Chicago.


Twins keep US alive in Davis Cup finals SEVILLE, Spain  There was one final thing to do before dispatching Spain #39;s doubles team of Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo on Saturday at Estado Olimpico.


Junk mailers get the human touch Online criminals are getting better at targeting people's sensibility to hack into their computers.


Rogers Communications moves to take back full ownership of Rogers <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Rogers Communications Inc. is proposing a share exchange to take back the 11 per cent of Rogers Wireless that it does not already own.


Coca-Cola Cuts Long-Term Earnings Targets Soft drink giant Coca-Cola Co. (KO), stung by a prolonged downturn in North America and other markets, announced on Thursday that it was lowering key long-term earnings and sales targets.


Bowser sales pump Coles SHARES in Coles Myer raced to another record high yesterday as chief executive John Fletcher forecast double-digit sales growth for 2004-05 after a barnstorming start to the financial year.


US Airways To Maintain Most of Fleet, United Bidding Out Regional <b>...</b> NOVEMBER 11, 2004 -- Bankrupt US Airways this morning said it had reached agreements with lenders and lessors to continue operating nearly all of its mainline and US Airways Express fleets.


Intel Readies Centrino-Style Push for Desktops  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. INTC.O will unveil  next year a bundle of chips designed for home entertainment  computers, and support the move with a branding campaign  modeled on the successful launch of its Centrino chips for  notebook computers, a person briefed on the matter said.


Google to give Gmail POP3 support, plans antivirus Google Inc. will roll out POP3 (Post Office Protocol) support gradually over the coming weeks to Gmail users, who will be able to use the feature to download e-mail messages


Stormy Uranus takes astronomers by surprise Uranus may not be the most boring planet in the solar system after all - new images suggest the outer planet experiences weird seasonal weather patterns.


ESA #39;s lunar probe closes on target In a matter of days the European Space Agency #39;s (ESA) SMART-1 spacecraft will enter orbit around the Moon. It will adjust its position and prepare for the scientific investigation of the lunar surface that will begin in January.


NASA experimental scramjet prepares for Mach 10 attempt LOS ANGELES -- The future of hypersonic flight is uncertain, but next week a tiny unmanned NASA jet will try to hurtle into that unknown on a one-way trip at 10 times the speed of sound.


Microsoft Launches Its Own Web Search Tool  SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. unveiled a preliminary  version of its Web search engine late on Wednesday, in its  first attack on Google Inc. leading position in the market.


Cricket: A new twist on bowling International cricket is set to revise the most controversial of the 42 laws that govern the playing of the game, based a report from an expert committee.


Odds and Ends When hunter Jim Mick went into the forest to bag himself a deer, he never expected to come out empty-handed -- and badly bruised. The 69-year-old bowhunter was treated for injuries


The Irony Of Arafat Yasser Arafat died as the leader of a country that does not yet exist, and therein lies the tragic nature of the former leader and the ongoing tragedy of the people of Palestine.


NEWS ANALYSIS Tension in the Netherlands Everything started with the murder of radical film director Theo Van Gogh by a  quot;drug addict quot; of Moroccan origin in the Netherlands, where terror can strike even at the traffic lights in broad daylight.


Indian PM announces troop reduction in Kashmir Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced that the number of troops in insurgency-hit Kashmir will be reduced this winter in view of an  quot;improvement quot; there, a statement said.


Raptors hand Utah first loss The Raptors posted a stunning victory against a previously undefeated opponent last night, but they lost one of their key players, possibly for a while.


UN workers abducted in Afghanistan phone home as militants seek <b>...</b> Two of three UN workers kidnapped in Afghanistan called home to reassure relatives they are all right, as negotiators tried Tuesday to secure their release after 12 days in the hands of Taliban-linked militants.


Egypt Prepares to Receive Arafat's Body (AP) AP - Egypt put its security forces on maximum alert and workers spruced up a modest mosque at Cairo's international airport Thursday in preparation for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's funeral, which will include a procession led by a horse-drawn carriage.


Intel Names Otellini as Next CEO Paul Otellini, a 30-year Intel Corp. veteran who oversaw the launch of the Pentium processor in the 1990s, will replace chief executive Craig Barrett when he steps down to become chairman in May, the semiconductor giant's board of directors announced Thursday. -AP


Is Health Insurance Killing Retirement? Here's hoping you won't have to choose between health and comfort.


Intel board approves Otellini as CEO Paul Otellini, currently president and COO, will replace outgoing chief Craig Barrett in May. \<br /> Photo: Barrett's mea culpa \


EU seeks clarification of US delay in WTO air row EU trade chief Peter Mandelson wants clarification of the US stance in threatened WTO action over aid to Airbus, his spokeswoman said Friday after a US official indicated Washington was delaying such action.


Target 3rd-Qtr Net Rises 78 After Sale of Two Chains (Update1) Target Corp., the second-largest US discount retailer, said third-quarter profit surged 78 percent after selling its Marshall Field #39;s and Mervyn #39;s chains.


Bangladesh announces 3-day mourning for Arafat The Bangladesh government on Thursday announced a three-day national mourning in memory of Palestine President Yasser Arafat, who died this morning.


Intel board appoints Otellini as CEO Intel Corp.'s board of directors Thursday elected current president and chief operating officer (COO) Paul Otellini as the company's next chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding Craig Barrett who was named new chairman of the board.


Microsoft trots out MSN Search beta A beta version of the search engine Microsoft Corp. is developing went live Thursday, offering users an interface and a set of features that make the product begin to resemble established search engines from competitors Google Inc., Yahoo Inc., Ask Jeeves Inc. and America Online Inc. (AOL).


Techs Can't Find Hangover Cure There's plenty of good news out there in the technology sector, but nearly five years after the great Nasdaq bust of 2000, bellwether firms like Cisco Systems continue to struggle. -washingtonpost.com


MSN Beta Search Engine Somewhat Launched MSN Beta Search Engine Somewhat Launched\\It's finally happened, MSN has launched their new beta test of the autonomous MSN Search - their own search engine. No longer is MSN dependent upon Looksmart or Inktomi and other partners (wasn't Direct Hit one of them in the past?) to produce search results ...


Google GMail Opens Up to POP Google GMail Opens Up to POP\\Google wants us to take it as email portability, but I think it as a surprise package that would lure back even the harshest critics of GMail. Google GMail yesterday added 2 new features in their beta mail service that includes the much-demanded POP support. ...


Sharp Unveils First Blu-ray Disc Recorder Device features two optical drives and a 160GB hard drive for storing content.


Microsoft Rolls Out MSN Search Beta Software giant says the final version will be available next year.


Will Microsoft Lose The Browser Wars? Will Microsoft Lose The Browser Wars?\\Until recently, software giant, Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser enjoyed a relatively unchallenged position as the most popular Web browser in the world.\\Despite lawsuits and charges of unfair competition from the likes of Netscape and others, Microsoft dominates browser software with over 90 market share.\\Microsoft's ...


PeopleSoft dips after rejecting Oracle #39;s latest bid SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - PeopleSoft shares fell in premarket trade Thursday after the company rejected Oracle #39;s latest takeover offer of \$24 a share, worth at least \$8.


Target Q3 up 78, lifted by Mervyn #39;s sale NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Target Corporation said earnings rose 78 percent in the third quarter, boosted by one-time gains from the sale of its Mervyn #39;s store chain.


Intel Names Otellini Chief Executive After Barrett (Update3) Intel Corp. named President Paul Otellini as its next chief executive officer, choosing a salesman instead of an engineer to run the computer-chip maker for the first time.


CORRECTED (OFFICIAL)-US Airways lenders OK aircraft use In NEW YORK story headlined  quot;US Airways lenders let carrier keep using aircraft, quot; please correct paragraph 3 to read ... US Airways said it has agreed to cure and perform for all but 36 aircraft, and has reached interim arrangements for 14 of these .


Verizon Wireless Names Townsend As CFO Wireless phone carrier Verizon Wireless on Thursday said it named John Townsend as vice president and chief financial officer of the company, beginning in January.


BT #39;s Net Profit Rises 14 Percent BT Group PLC, Britain #39;s largest phone company, reported a 14 percent increase in second quarter net profit on Thursday, as growth in mobile telecommunications, broadband and IT services outweighed more declines in its traditional residential telecoms


Microsoft Crawling Google Results For New Search Engine? I was questioned today by a developer who was watching a particular IP address scan his site. The IP was 65.54.188.86 and is registered to Microsoft Corp.


Microsoft disses Itanium 2 p2pnet.net News:- Microsoft #39;s Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition doesn #39;t like servers built around Intel #39;s Itanium 2 chip.


UWB group completes key radio spec The Multiband OFDM Alliance (MBOA) has finished its ultrawideband (UWB) radio physical layer (PHY) specification. What this array of abbreviations means is that UWB chip makers can now finalise their designs


Yusuf Islam: Back to Music British musician and peace activist formerly known as Cat Stevens, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam after conversion to Islam, has signaled a comeback.


Potential Arafat Successor to Remain in Israeli Prison Israel has ruled out releasing jailed Marwan Barghouti, a leading Palestinian figure who is widely seen as the strongest candidate to succeed Yasser Arafat.


Elcoteq Focuses on Design to Tap Hefty Demand  SALO, Finland (Reuters) - Elcoteq ELQAV.HE is targeting  growth by strengthening its focus on design services to tap  surging demand in the mobile handset market, Europe's top  electronics manufacturing services firm said.