SAP earnings beat estimates Sales in Europe were especially strong, rising 24 percent, the software maker says.


Earnings alert: SAP earnings beat estimates Plus:  EarthLink trims outlook...AT #38;T posts \$7.1 billion loss...Lucent sees first profitable year since 2000...EMC issues sunny report.


Detroit's new song: Have iPod, will travel Electronics companies are devising better ways to link Apple's best-selling audio player to a vehicle's stereo.


Arbitration Court Rules That Hamm Is Gold Medal Winner in Gymnastics The courts decision marked the official end of a controversy that had simmered since Paul Hamm captured the gold after a close finish.


Martha Stewart Appeals, Says Tarred by US Martha Stewart is urging an appeals court to overturn her conviction because she was  quot;tarred quot; by prosecutors #39; implications she committed the uncharged crime of insider


Royal Doulton in takeover talks China maker Royal Doulton has revealed it is in talks about a takeover by Irish rival Waterford Wedgwood. Stoke-based Doulton, which is to close its last remaining current UK factory next year, said it was in  quot;advanced discussions quot; with Waterford.


CIT Group #39;s Q3 profit up 25, tops by a penny WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- CIT Group (CIT) achieved 25 percent growth in net earnings for the third quarter, reporting \$183.9 million, or 86 cents per share, up from \$147.


Update 3: Qwest Paying \$250M to Settle SEC Charges Qwest Communications International Inc., the regional telecommunications company, agreed Thursday to pay \$250 million to settle allegations that it improperly booked millions in revenue and that senior managers sought to cover it up.


Pentium M 765 is fastest Centrino CPU Intel has added a high-end model to its range mobile processors. The Pentium M 765 is based on Intel #39;s market-leading 90nm manufacturing process technology and features 2MB of integrated, power-managed Level 2 cache.


GTA: San Andreas Leaked Rockstar Games issued a press release confirming rumors that illegal copies of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas have appeared online in various forms of download.


Sox exorcise demons with historic comeback New York Times News Service - 10/21/04. NEW YORK - They had been reliable caretakers of a cosmic curse, feasting for decades on the gift that kept on giving: Babe Ruth, purchased from the


Point of fact: Miller among elite When Andre Miller led the NBA with 10.9 assists a game in 2001-02, he had the first stamp of success required to enter the league #39;s pantheon of premier point guards.


Hamm keeps Olympic gold (LAUSANNE, Switzerland) - Paul Hamm will get to keep the gold medal he won two months ago. The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland has rejected an appeal from South Korea #39;s Yang Tae-Young of the Olympic gymnastics all around results.


Football #39;s Scottish Claymores are sacked SCOTTISH Claymores, the Glasgow-based American football team of the NFL Europe League, have ceased operations after 10 seasons. The league called it an economic decision to close down the only American football team in the UK.


Wilkinson sidelined for England test series New England captain Jonny Wilkinson looks set to miss his country #39;s autumn games against Canada, South Africa and Australia as a result of his latest injury.


Bellamy apologizes to Souness after swearing following <b>...</b> Newcastle manager Graeme Souness accepted an apology from Craig Bellamy on Thursday, after the player muttered obscenities at the manager in a 1-1 draw Sunday against Charlton.


Madrid says Morientes not for sale Real Madrid is not planning to transfer Fernando Morientes, the club said in a statement Thursday, denying suggestions the striker was poised to move to Liverpool.


Frederick Gets 8 Years in Iraq Abuse Case US Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Ivan  quot;Chip quot; Frederick is shown in a 2003 photo taken in Kuwait. Frederick, the highest ranking soldier charged in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, was sentenced Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004


British troops to support US in Baghdad LONDON -- Britain has agreed to a US request to redeploy British troops from southern Iraq to an area closer to Baghdad. The british defence secretary made the announcement in the House of Commons.


Unity plea as SBY names Cabinet SUSILO Bambang Yudhoyono began his first day as Indonesia #39;s president yesterday by swearing in his Cabinet - a mix of experts and political appointees whom analysts said could push through


EU official regrets comment Brussels - EU commissioner-designate Rocco Buttiglione sought on Thursday to defuse a row over controversial comments he made about homosexuals and women, offering to give up some powers in return for keeping the job.


Two dozen Lebanese lawmakers say they will boycott presidential <b>...</b> At least 28 lawmakers said they will not take part in talks on forming new government started by Lebanon #39;s president on Thursday, a day after the Cabinet of veteran Prime Minister Rafik Hariri resigned.


U.S. Indicators Fall, 4th Month Straight  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A closely watched gauge of future  U.S. economic activity fell in September for the fourth  straight month after a stronger pace earlier in the year, a  private research firm said on Thursday.


Maytag Profit Slumps; Job Cuts on Track  ATLANTA (Reuters) - Home appliance maker Maytag Corp.  MYG.N on Thursday reported an 80 percent drop in  third-quarter profit, hurt by higher steel and energy costs and  lower sales of its Hoover vacuums.


Farmland bird decline 'slowing' The UK government says that the severe decline in Britain's farmland bird populations is slowing down.


AT T posts \$7.1 billion loss on impairment charge AT T Corp. on Thursday reported a net loss of \$7.1 billion, or \$8.95 per share, for the third quarter of 2004, but that loss included asset re-evaluation and other charges of \$12.5 billion.


HD-DVD Drives Find a Place in the PC NEC, Toshiba will put the next-generation DVD technology in desktops and laptops next year.


Older Voters Worry About Iraq as Well as Drug Costs (Reuters) Reuters - Give elderly voters in\this up-for-grabs Philadelphia suburb an opportunity to air\their fears about health care, and they will. But chances are\the topic will quickly turn to Iraq instead.


ADV: Distance Learning Directory - Online Degrees Bachelor, Master and Post-Grad degrees online from accredited colleges and universities. Business, Education, IT, Healthcare, more. Browse by degree or program. Request info and get started today.


German autoworkers hit streets over plan to cut 12,000 jobs A strike at a General Motors plant in Germany began to squeeze the company #39;s European production Tuesday as a lack of parts halted two other factories, while thousands of


AT amp;T posts \$7.1 billion loss Wired  amp; Wireless continues its reign at the top spot among IT priorities due to widespread IP telephony and wireless deployment.


Qwest settles with SEC for \$250M Qwest Communications International Inc. has agreed to pay \$250 million to settle financial and disclosure fraud charges, the US Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday.


Assessing The Security Threat Of Google #39;s Desktop Search There is some confusion about threats posed by the new search tool. Google says common sense is enough of a patch. By Thomas Claburn.


Microsoft, Swatch Partner on Wireless Watch Microsoft and watch maker Swatch are offering a smart wristwatch that receives news, sports, weather and other information using Microsoft #39;s MSN Direct broadcast technology.


Grand Theft on the internet Games publisher Rockstar is on the warpath after pirates leaked a copy of its forthcoming PS2 game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the internet.


Google continues to grow Since its IPO back in August, the search engine Google has seen its shares rise over 70 in a little over two months. Google shares closed Tuesday at \$147.


Microsoft CEO: Hackers Getting Smarter Microsoft Corp. #39;s chief executive believes it #39;s naive to suggest the software giant can eliminate all security vulnerabilities in its various products even though engineers are trying hard to do so.


Kazaa in Decline According to BayTSP, eDonkey/Overnet had an average of 2.54 million users per day in September while FastTrack had an average of 2.48 million.


Claymores fold from NFL Europe Scotland #39;s NFL Europe franchise has folded due to falling attendance, leaving the league with only one team outside of Germany.


Prince Harry Scuffles With Photographer Britain #39;s Prince Harry was hit in the face with a camera during a scuffle with a photographer outside a London nightclub early Thursday, a royal official said.


Barroso optimistic over EP support for proposed commissioner team Incoming European Commission (EC)President Jose Manuel Barroso said here Thursday that he was optimistic over securing European Parliament (EP) support next week for his proposed 25-member team of commissioners.


US presidential race most expensive in history: study (AFP) AFP - The 2004 US presidential election is set to smash all spending records according to an independent study, which estimates that more than a billion dollars will be spent on the race for the White House by election day.


Spain beats United States to win Davis Cup Andy Roddick searched out Carlos Moya in the throng of jumping, screaming Spanish tennis players, hoping to shake hands. Moya had just beaten Roddick 6-2, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5) Sunday to clinch Spain #39;s second Davis


London shares close just higher; NY regains some losses (AFP) AFP - Leading shares closed just above the gain line, after US indices regained some earlier losses and mining blue chips lent support, dealers said.


TI Working on Television Chip for Phones for 2007 (Reuters) Reuters - Texas Instruments Inc. \has begun developing a chip that could bring television shows\to mobile phone screens in three years.


Wilkinson to miss England games England captain Jonny Wilkinson has been ruled out for four to six weeks with a haematoma in his right arm. The Newcastle fly-half looks certain to miss England #39;s game against Canada on 13 November, plus the


Verdict plunges ruling camp into turmoil Aside from being  quot;shocked, quot; members of the ruling party were at a loss for words following the Constitutional Court ruling that the party #39;s capital relocation plan was  quot;unconstitutional.


Five killed, six injured by tribal rebels during Hindu festival (AFP) AFP - Five people were killed and six wounded in India's northeastern state of Tripura by tribal separatists during a Hindu festival dedicated to the demon-slaying goddess Durga, police said.


Yellowstone May Start Bison Feeder Herds (AP) AP - A proposed quarantine facility for Yellowstone National Park bison to eventually provide herd startups for Indian reservations and wildlife refuges is being considered, state officials say.


Bush Signs Youth Suicide Prevention Law (AP) AP - President Bush on Thursday signed into law a bill authorizing  #36;82 million in grants aimed at preventing suicide among young people.


The Business of Search Engines and Advertising - Look Out! The Business of Search Engines and Advertising - Look Out!\\The major search engines are changing the way they do business with the advertising community. Many SEOs and SEMs have waited patiently for the search engines to recognize the benefits our sector brings. Now that search is sexy however most will ...


TI Working on Television Chip for Phones for 2007  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Texas Instruments Inc. has begun  developing a chip that could bring television shows to mobile  phone screens in three years.


Qwest Agrees to SEC Settlement The regional telecommunications company Qwest agreed Thursday to pay \$250 million to settle allegations that it improperly booked millions in revenue and that senior managers sought to cover it up.


EBay Earns Boost Tech Stocks; Dow Slips  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. technology stocks rose on  Thursday as a strong quarterly earnings report from eBay Inc.,  the world's largest online market place, helped lift the Nasdaq  and Standard   Poor's 500 indexes.


Visteon Posts \$1.36 Bln Loss on Charges  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Visteon Corp. VC.N, the No. 2 U.S.  auto parts maker, on Thursday posted a wider quarterly net loss  of \$1.36 billion, citing charges, and said it expects rising  material surcharges and its high cost structure to hurt results  for the rest of the year.


Oil Near Peaks on Winter Supply Worries  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices held near record peaks on  Thursday after a larger-than-expected decline in heating fuels  in the United States heightened fears of a winter supply  crunch.


Photo gallery: Microsoft revs its car Windows The software juggernaut that conquered the desktop is racing to get Windows into your next car.


President Karzai closes in on victory in Afghan elections (AFP) AFP - Afghan President Hamid Karzai moved closer to winning his country's first presidential election, taking a substantial lead over his nearest rival with more than 60 percent of votes counted, according to official results.


Nuggets' Anthony Cited for Marijuana Possession  DENVER (Sports Network) - Carmelo Anthony of the Denver  Nuggets was cited for possession of marijuana before boarding a  team flight, but the star forward said the drug was left in his  bag by a friend.


Court Says Whales, Dolphins Cannot Sue Bush (Reuters) Reuters - The world's whales, porpoises and\dolphins have no standing to sue President Bush over the U.S.


Saudis fight for stake in 3G firm Police are called to Saudi banks as investors jostle to apply for shares in new mobile phone firm Ettihad Etisalat.


Textron Posts Profit, Raises Outlook  BOSTON (Reuters) - Diversified manufacturer Textron Inc.  TXT.N on Thursday posted a higher quarterly profit and lifted  its full-year earnings estimate on a strong performance by its  Cessna business jet division, sending its shares up nearly 5  percent.


US Airways Pilots' Union OKs Labor Deal US Airways' pilots' union ratified a new labor contract Thursday that will cut their base pay by 18 percent and save the airline \$300 million a year.


Britain agrees to US call to move troops close to Baghdad (AFP) AFP - With the insurgency in Iraq showing no signs of abating as US election day nears, the British government agreed to a request to redeploy 850 crack troops to a volatile area to the west of Baghdad.


Beat Hackers and Learn to Spy at Italy Tech Fair (Reuters) Reuters - Fingerprint sensors, gadgets to pry open\doors and transmitters to spy on unsuspecting targets were\among the wizardry on show at the opening of Italy's biggest\technology fair on Thursday.


Some U.S. Factories Recover, Outlook Dims  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Factories in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic  region rebounded in October, a survey showed on Thursday, but  employment measures declined and the outlook for the future  slid sharply.


Foreign Observers See Problems in Election (Reuters) Reuters - Substantial threats to the integrity\of the U.S. presidential election remain despite an improvement\in election practices since 2000, an international delegation\of election observers reported on Thursday.


Williams Survives to Set Up Sharapova Clash  ZURICH (Reuters) - Venus Williams came through a stiff test  against Serbian schoolgirl Ana Ivanovic on Thursday to book her  place in the Zurich Challenge quarter-finals.


Winter fuel worries keep oil prices above 54 dollars LONDON (AFP) - Oil prices remained stubbornly above 54 dollars, creeping up towards new record summits on worries of a winter supply crunch after a fifth straight weekly fall in US heating fuel stockpiles.


Update 4: Qwest to Pay \$250M to Settle SEC Charges Qwest Communications International Inc., the regional telecommunications company, agreed Thursday to pay \$250 million to settle allegations that it engaged in  quot;massive financial fraud quot; by improperly booking \$3.


Leading Economic Indicator Index Declines A widely watched barometer of future economic activity edged lower in September for the fourth month in a row, suggesting a slowing in economic growth, a private research group reported Thursday.


Martha Stewart #39;s lawyers say prosecutors  #39;unfair #39; NEW YORK - Martha Stewart #39;s lawyers want the home decorating icon #39;s conviction overturned, saying her trial was  quot;unfair quot; because prosecutors failed to make sure the jury understood she was not charged with insider trading.


UPDATE 3-Guidant net profit up as defibrillator sales rise Cardiovascular device maker Guidant Corp. (GDT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said quarterly net profit rose 19 percent, helped by cost-cutting and


Treasuries prices initially slip after Philly Fed US Treasury prices initially slipped and then made a slight recovery after the Philadelphia Federal Reserve #39;s business activity index showed surprising strength.


Bank of Canada Sees Economy Close to Full Capacity A export surge has thrust the Canadian economy into high gear and it is running at close to full capacity, the Bank of Canada said on Thursday, explaining its move to


Coming soon: HDTV -- on your cellphone NEW YORK - Texas Instruments Inc. expects to roll out cellphones capable of showing live high-definition television in the US by 2007, Chief Executive Rich Templeton said Thursday in an interview on CNBC.


Rocking in San Andreas Music, always big in Grand Theft Auto titles, will be front and centre in the upcoming Rockstar Games title Grant Theft Auto: San Andreas.


Handheld Manufacturers Continue Retreat Following Sony #39;s surprising exit from the US PDA handheld market earlier this summer, three other companies have announced their intentions to withdraw from the US handheld market.


HD-DVD Drives Find a Place in the PC NEC, Toshiba will put the next-generation DVD technology in desktops and laptops next year. NEC plans to start selling desktop PCs equipped with HD-DVD (High Definition/High Density-DVD) drives at the end of 2005, the company says.


World #39;s first five-megapixel camera phone Samsung has developed the world #39;s first five-megapixel camera phone. It can also function as a camcorder. (Oh, the espionage... -- Ed.).  quot;South Korea #39;s Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it had developed the


CA posts Q2 loss on restitution charges OCTOBER 21, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Computer Associates International Inc. yesterday reported a 6 increase in revenue during its second fiscal quarter but posted a \$94 million loss after paying to settle government investigations into the company.


Some U.S. Factories Recover, Outlook Dims (Reuters) Reuters - Factories in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic\region rebounded in October, a survey showed on Thursday, but\employment measures declined and the outlook for the future\slid sharply.


Red Sox Fans Savor Baseball History NEW YORK - The Red Sox and their long beleaguered fan are savoring their moment of baseball history. The Sox clobbered the Yankees 10 to 3 to win their first American League Championship since 1986.


Astros, the opportunity to pitch his team into the World Series. <b>...</b> down to walk-off home runs. St. Louis won the first two contests at Busch. when Jeff Kent belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth.


Lehmann in the blunder zone THE calamity-prone Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann will be the centre of more derision from Gunners fans after his two horrendous blunders cost the English giants an important win in a 2-2 draw with Panathinaikos in Athens.


Claymores no more: NFL #39;s European franchise folds Glasgow, Scotland (Sports Network) - The Scottish Claymores, an NFL Europe franchise, folded Thursday due to decreasing attendance.


Paul Hamm says court affirms he #39;s a  quot;champion quot; The Court of Arbitration for Sport today announced it had rejected a South Korean appeal to reduce Hamm to the silver and give the all-around Olympic gold to a gymnast who lost because of a scoring error.


ROBINSON WON #39;T RULE OUT WILKINSON Andy Robinson tonight refused to rule new England captain Jonny Wilkinson out of next month #39;s Twickenham Tests - despite the World Cup hero suffering fresh injury misery.


Bush, Kerry Don't Worry About Tech (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Election Day is less than two weeks away, but so far technology has yet to make more than the occasional cameo appearance on either presidential candidate's priority list.


Soldier Gets 8 Years for Abu Ghraib Abuse, US Military Says A US military judge in Baghdad sentenced Staff Sergeant Ivan Chip #39; #39; Frederick to eight years in jail for abusing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison, a US Army spokesman said by telephone from the Iraqi capital.


Search Begins for Japan Typhoon Victims Rescue workers and Japanese troops waded through sludge Thursday to search for victims of mudslides in Japan #39;s deadliest typhoon in over a decade that ripped across the country, killing 63 and leaving 25 missing.


Russian recruits tell of beatings, torture and sex assaults Russia #39;s once mighty armed forces are riddled with Clockwork Orange-style sadism where senior soldiers subject their junior colleagues to vicious beatings, torture, sexual violence and death threats, a report claimed yesterday.


One Israeli, two Palestinian militants killed in Gaza violence GAZA CITY, Oct 21 (AFP) - An Israeli man and two Palestinian militants were killed Thursday in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip, sources on both sides said.


Two New ThinkPads (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - IBM ThinkPad G41 gets latest mobile processor; T42 gets processor upgrade and better connectivity.


Rockstar Games GTA: San Andreas Leaked The highly anticipated GTA title, San Adreas, has been leaked according to Rockstar Games the creator of the game. The proper authorities are investigating the theft and are continuing to investigate all


India agrees to Bodo rebel talks Delhi says it will join three-way talks with Assam and separatists to end violence in the north-eastern state.


Beat Hackers and Learn to Spy at Italy Tech Fair  MILAN (Reuters) - Fingerprint sensors, gadgets to pry open  doors and transmitters to spy on unsuspecting targets were  among the wizardry on show at the opening of Italy's biggest  technology fair on Thursday.


TI chip brings TV direct to the handset Thanks to a new chip Texas Instruments Inc. is developing, your favorite TV show someday will come to the cell phone nearest to you.


Photo gallery: Microsoft revs car Windows The software juggernaut that conquered the desktop is racing to get Windows into your next car.


Samsung Shows 5-Megapixel Camera Phone Device will capture high-resolution still images and video--and it still makes phone calls.


Dollar Drops on Deficit Concerns  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar fell to new multi-month  lows on Thursday as a deepening sense of gloom over bulging  U.S. deficits outweighed better-than-expected economic data,  analysts said.


US Airways Pilots Ratify 18 Pct Pay Cut  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Pilots at US Airways on Thursday  ratified a concession package that includes pay cuts of 18  percent, a decrease in company contributions to their  retirement plan and increased productivity.


IBM expands China research site in mid-market push Big Blue adds "innovaton center" to its China Research Lab to develop technology catering to small and midsize businesses.


Photo 4: Microsoft revs car Windows The software juggernaut that conquered the desktop is racing to get Windows into your next car.


Cisco buys network security company Perfigo Networking equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc. said that it intends to buy Perfigo Inc. for \$74 million in cash, boosting the company's efforts to secure network "endpoints" and protect them from worms, viruses and hacking.


Qwest agrees to pay \$250 million to settle fraud case Denver-based Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) has agreed to a pay \$250 million fine to settle a wide-ranging fraud investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Associated Press reported Thursday.


Martha Stewart appeals conviction Attorneys for Martha Stewart have appealed her conviction before the US Court of Appeals in New York, claiming her trial was unfair and tainted.


Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index Rises to 28.5 in October The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia #39;s gauge of manufacturing in the region rose to 28.5 in October from 13.4 the month before.


US jobless claims tumble 25,000 in a week WASHINGTON (AFP) - The queue of newly jobless Americans shrank last week, providing a dose of good news to the labor market. The number of new claims for unemployment benefits tumbled 25,000 to a seasonally


US buy spurs registrar #39;s share surge Australia #39;s Computershare has agreed to buy EquiServe of the United States for US\$292 million (\$423 million), making it the largest US share registrar and driving its shares up by a third.


Intel launches top end Centrino chip A new top-of-the-range Pentium M processor has been introduced by Intel: model 765, which clocks 2.1GHz, with a 400 MHz system bus and 2MB of Level 2 cache.


TI Goes  #39;Hollywood #39; With TV Chip For Cell Phones Texas Instruments reported Thursday that it is developing a single chip for digital TV that will bring broadcast signals to cell phones.


The Almanac: Storage  Optware Corp. in Japan (www.optware.co.jp/english) has come out with a prototype of what it calls the world #39;s first holographic recording disc for reliable recording and playback of digital movies.


Saskatoon #39;s super microscope set to open SASKATOON - Scientists in Saskatoon are set to unveil a synchrotron on Friday, a state-of-the-art research facility and Canada #39;s largest science project in 30 years.


IBM jumps into Liberty Alliance com October 21, 2004, 7:42 AM PT. This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web Services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


Arsenal rues blunders CHELSEA virtually assured its place in the next round of the Champions League yesterday while calamity-prone goalkeeper Jens Lehmann cost Arsenal a point.


Villarreal #39;s Senna suspended Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna was suspended Thursday by UEFA after failing a drug test back in August.


Pakistan score 256 for eight on second day of Faisalabad Test: Sports India, Cricket: Faisalabad, Oct. 21 : Pakistan scored 256 for the loss of eight wickets on the second day of the Faisalabad test.


Samsung Electronics unveils world's highest resolution chip for handsets (AFP) AFP - South Korea's Samsung Electronics unveiled a new semiconductor chip that it says uses new technology to greatly enhance the quality of images on handset display panels.


Reservist Sentenced For Role In Iraqi Prison Scandal Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Ivan  quot;Chip quot; Frederick, 38, of Buckingham, Va., was sentenced to eight years in prison Thursday for his role in the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison.


Hoon confirms troops switch The Iraq war entered a dangerous new phase today as 850 armoured British troops were ordered to the troubled heart of the country for a massive crackdown on terrorists.


Gag Title Moves South Now, the single biggest postseason flop in baseball history does not belong to the Red Sox, who pass the uncontested title to the Yankees.


Steel Producer Nucor Sees Profit Soar  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nucor Corp., one of the largest U.S.  steel producers, on Thursday reported a more than 25-fold  increase in quarterly profit due to high steel prices, and said  it expected demand to remain strong next year.


Darfur peace talks open in Nigeria (AFP) AFP - The African Union's peace talks on the crisis in the western Sudanese region of Darfur opened in the presence of delegates from the Khartoum government and two rebel groups.


Milosevic Calls for Control Over Own Trial Defense  THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan  Milosevic made a passionate appeal to judges to allow him to  defend himself at his trial Thursday but prosecutors said he  was not fit enough and was thwarting progress.


Merck Profit Falls 29 Percent on Vioxx Merck said lost Vioxx sales and estimated customer returns totaled \$492 million in the third quarter, and the recall slashed net income by about \$553 million.


Qwest Agrees to Pay \$250 Mln to Settle Accounting Case With SEC Qwest Communications International Inc. agreed to pay \$250 million in two installments to settle a two-and-a-half-year investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.


US leading economic indicators decline for fourth straight month NEW YORK, October 21 (newratings.com) - The US leading economic indicators declined for the fourth consecutive month in September this year indicating sluggish economic growth going into 2005.


Janus Capital earnings dip on lower revenue DENVER -- Third-quarter revenue fell 7 percent at Janus Capital Group Inc. as assets under management and investment-management fees fell.


TI plans live TV for mobile phones Texas Instruments is prepping a new single-chip solution designed to bring live broadcast television to mobile phones and other portable devices.


US argues for federal VoIP rules  quot;We cannot avoid this question any longer. It is very likely that treatment of VoIP will have some of the farthest reaching consequences of anything this commission


Miami, capital of Cuban exiles, abuzz with news of Castro #39;s fall MIAMI, Oct 21 (AFP) - Known as the capital of Cuban exiles, Miami was abuzz Thursday with news of President Fidel Castro #39;s accident, with many Cuban-Americans bemoaning that the communist leader only fell on his face, and not from power.


Joint Irish-Palestinian appeal for release of kidnapped aid chief DUBLIN (AFP) - A joint appeal for the release of Dublin-born humanitarian aid worker Margaret Hassan kidnapped in Iraq was issued by the Irish and Palestinian foreign ministers.


Result certain as Afghan election counting continues KABUL: With over half the votes counted by Thursday, Hamid Karzai was on course to win Afghanistan #39;s first democratic presidential election, the climax of momentous change brought by the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.


Start-up crafts nanoparticles for energy, explosions Aluminum, the stuff of cans, explodes in its nano form. A small start-up has decided to harness that property.


GE Chief Bullish on Russian Investment (AP) AP - Russia's energy and rail transport industries are prime for investment by Western investors, the head of U.S. manufacturing and financial giant General Electric Co. said Thursday.


State Government IT Simone Marstiller, Florida's chief information officer, will be online to answer your questions about the challenges facing her office. Filter columnist Cynthia L. Webb will moderate.


Ackerman Resigns As WNBA President Val Ackerman resigned as president of the WNBA, a position she has held since the league started in 1996.


Vauxhall Production to Resume Production of Vauxhall cars will resume on Sunday following disruption caused by a shortage of components because of a strike by workers in Germany, it was announced tonight.


Santander Gets Approval of Abbey Bid Shareholders in Santander Central Hispano on Thursday approved the euro13 billion (US\$16.4 billion) takeover of Abbey National of Britain.


Jobless Claims Drop The Labor Department said the number of workers on the nation #39;s unemployment rolls dipped slightly in the week of October 9, the latest period for which the data is available.


Wireless Swatch Beams MSN Direct Services Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg said that smart watches take advantage of  quot;invisible space, quot; items you carry with you that don #39;t take up any extra space.


Eggs  #39;repaired #39; with DNA A fertility technique that repairs a woman #39;s faulty eggs using DNA transferred from elsewhere in her body has led to the births of 20 children, scientists have revealed.


Big one early in the Big East It may be early in the Big East Conference race, but the winner of Thursday night #39;s Syracuse-West Virginia game (7:30 pm ET, ESPN) will be the favorite and control its own destiny in terms


EU #39;s  #39;big three #39; give Iran last chance Britain, France, and Germany to offer Iran nuclear technology if it ends uranium enrichment efforts. Agence France-Presse reports that Britain, France and Germany are  quot;ready to promise Iran nuclear technology


Q amp;A: The Black Watch redeployment Britain is sending 850 troops from the famous Black Watch regiment and supporting units from the south of the country to a position close to the Iraqi capital - a request that has led to protests


Harry in nightclub scuffle Prince Harry has been hit in the face with a camera and cut a photographer #39;s lip as he pushed it away outside a nightclub in London #39;s West End.


Lebanese president names pro-Syrian politician Omar Karami as next <b>...</b> BEIRUT, Lebanon -- President Emile Lahoud appointed staunchly pro-Syrian politician Omar Karami as prime minister on Thursday and asked him to form the next government, replacing billionaire Rafik Hariri in a move that consolidates Syria #39;s hold on


Russian army  #39;is tackling abuse #39; The office of Russia #39;s chief military prosecutor says a report into alleged abuse of Russian army conscripts does not correspond to reality.


Karzai likely Afghanistan election victor With more than half the ballots counted, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai appeared Thursday to have won by a landslide, the BBC reported.


SCH shareholders approve Abbey National takeover (AFP) AFP - Shareholders of Spain's largest bank, Banco Santander Central (SCH), overwhelmingly approved the 8.5-billion-pound (12.3-billion-euro, 15.3-billion-dollar) takeover of British mortgage bank Abbey National.


Column: M A Rankings Under Scrutiny  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investment banks are in the midst of  the annual fight for bragging rights as the biggest dealmakers  of the year, but this time the rankings -- a key factor in  winning new business -- are under intense scrutiny.


Grand Jury Probes AIG, S P Cuts Marsh  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The storm over the U.S. insurance  industry took a new turn Thursday when American International  Group Inc. AIG.N said a federal grand jury is investigating  products it sold that companies might have used to massage  earnings.


Castro Breaks Knee in Public Fall  HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban President Fidel Castro tripped and  fractured his left knee and right arm in a tumble captured on  live television, the government said on Thursday.


Fix-income deals hurt earnings at JPMorgan NEW YORK JPMorgan Chase, the second-largest US bank, has surprised Wall Street with a sharp drop in third-quarter earnings. The bank, which reported the result on Wednesday, attributed the weaker performance to poor results in fixed-income trading.


Guidant Posts Higher 3Q Profits, Sales Guidant Corp., a maker of cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators, said Thursday that third-quarter earnings, excluding items, rose on slightly higher sales to beat Wall Street expectations.


Intel Bumps Speed Of Fastest Centrino com. Intel on Wednesday added a faster Pentium M processor to its Centrino chip-set bundle for laptops. The Pentium M 765 runs at 2.1GHz, packs 2MB of Level 2 cache, and uses Intel #39;s power-saving technologies to extend battery life, said Intel.


UC Berkeley Hack Not Unusual, Analyst Says in which the hacker gained access to the private information of 600,000 clients and workers in California #39;s In-Home Supportive Services program


Samsung Shows 5-Megapixel Camera Phone Device will capture high-resolution still images and video--and it still makes phone calls. Samsung Electronics will begin selling a cell phone that includes a 5-megapixel digital camera, the company says.


U2 Get in Bed With Apple Mega-band and mega-corp forge <b>...</b> Following the ubiquitous images of U2 gyrating to their new single  quot;Vertigo quot; in a TV spot for Apple #39;s iPod and iTunes, the band and the corporation are set to announce that they #39;ve partnered to release a special-edition iPod pre-loaded with U2 music this


AMERICAN GYMNIST PAUL HAMM WILL KEEP HIS GOLD MEDAL The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland made that announcement today. Hamm received gold in the gymnastics all-around at the Athens Olympics.


Arsenal Football Club boss backs under-fire keeper Arsenal Football Club boss Arsene Wenger has backed his under-fire keeper Jens Lehmann after a poor display in Europe. Speaking to Arsenal official website, Wenger said: When the goalkeeper concedes goals he gets criticised.


TV stations admonished for broadcasting porn star #39;s allegations <b>...</b> Romania #39;s broadcasting watchdog admonished three television stations Thursday for broadcasting a porn star #39;s claim that she had sex with Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu and that the player had used cocaine in the past.


Scottish Claymores bite the dust The NFL Europe League has pulled the plug on the Scottish Claymores in favour of another German team. The Claymores have been part of the NFLEL since 1995, posting an average attendance of 10,799.


Prince Harry scuffles with photographer LONDON -- Britain #39;s Prince Harry was hit in the face with a camera during a scuffle with a photographer outside a London nightclub early Thursday, a royal official said.


China Inc. Quickly Raising Global Profile (AP) AP - Never heard of Sanjiu? Bluestar? Baosteel? Minmetals? You soon might.


Julien Clement Takes Lead at Madrid Open (AP) AP - Julien Clement of Switzerland shot a 7-under 64 Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Madrid Open.


Ancient Baby Bird Fossil Found in China (AP) AP - The fossil of what may be one of the earliest baby birds has been found in northeast China.


IBM to manage customer relations for D B Deal has Big Blue handling data acquisition and delivery, customer service, financial processes for business information provider.


IBM expands China research site in midmarket push Big Blue adds "innovaton center" to its China Research Lab to develop technology catering to small and midsize businesses.


Grand theft intellectual property Irony alert: Game publisher is furious over stolen copy of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," in which players steal lots of stuff.


Merger wounds JP Morgan The sluggish bond market took a toll on another Wall Street behemoth, as JPMorgan Chase reported a 13per cent drop in third-quarter earnings, far worse than Wall Street analysts had expected.


Start-up airline orders 7E7s as part of \$3.8 billion deal Primaris Airlines, a start-up US airline, plans to buy 20 7E7s and 20 737s, the Boeing Co. announced this morning. The deal still is being negotiated, Boeing said.


Analog Devices Lowers 4Q Outlook Semiconductor maker Analog Devices Inc. lowered its outlook for the fiscal fourth quarter Thursday, citing weak demand in September and October.


Olympics: Hamm salutes triple victory from gymnastics controversy WASHINGTON : American Paul Hamm was celebrating what he hailed as a  quot;third victory quot; after being told by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that he could keep the Olympic gold medal he won in the men #39;s all-around gymnastics event in Athens.


In quotes: Troop move reaction The UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon says 850 British troops are to be sent to a US-controlled region of Iraq close to the capital.


Libya Welcomes 7 Italians It Had Expelled (AP) AP - Seven Italians are preparing to return to Libya next month, invited by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi 34 years after they were expelled along with thousands of others from the former North African colony.


Start Spreading the News, New York Loses to Red Sox  NEW YORK (Reuters) - If New Yorkers were not already aware  their beloved Yankees had completed the worst post-season  collapse in Major League history, their media quickly reminded  them on Thursday.


Blue Chips Tumble, Caterpillar Weighs (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. blue-chip stocks slid lower on\Thursday, pulled down by industrial bellwether Caterpillar Inc.\, but technology shares remained higher after eBay Inc.\ posted strong earnings.


Pioneer to produce OLED phone screens next year Effort is part of industrywide movement to bring the brighter, energy-efficient screens to the mass market.


'Grand Theft' of intellectual property Irony alert: Game publisher is furious over stolen copy of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," in which players steal lots of stuff.


US economy losing momentum A US economic barometer weakened for the fourth straight month in September as oil prices surged, showing a loss of momentum heading to 2005, the Conference Board said today.


Samsung To Release 5-Megapixel Phone Samsung Electronics will begin selling a mobile phone equipped with a 5-megapixel figital camera to Korean customers. The multi-function phone stores almost 100 minutes of video, works as


Ebay Explodes to Twice Its Size Executives at eBay apologized to frustrated customers who were frozen out of the online auction #39;s payment transaction service, which experienced at least five days of intermittent failures earlier this month.


Sharp Halts US Sales Of Zaurus PDA Following in the footsteps of other electronic giants, Sharp has decided to discontinue sales of its Zaurus SL-6000 in the US market, although the company will continue to support current users in the United States.


Fossil feathers add weight to evolution theory Chinese palaeontologists say they have found feathers on the fossilised legs of a primitive bird, which back controversial theories that birds descended from four-limbed dinosaurs.


Anthony cited for marijuana possession Carmelo Anthony was cited for marijuana possession before getting on a team flight last week, but the Denver Nuggets #39; star says the drug was left in his backpack by a friend.


Souness won #39;t  #39;give up #39; on Bellamy Newcastle manager Graeme Souness has accepted Craig Bellamy #39;s apology after their training ground bust-up - but warned the striker he has to play by his rules.


State Department Mum on Castro's Health (AP) AP - The Bush administration chose Thursday to urge change in Fidel Castro's Cuba rather than speculate on the health of its aging leader.


UK agrees to US request to redeploy British troops inIraq British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon told the British Parliament on Thursday that the government has agreed to a US request to redeploy British troops in Iraq to relieve American forces.


EU proposes narrowing Buttiglione duties The incoming European Commission president has proposed redefining the duties of controversial conservative justice commissioner Rocco Buttiglione.


African Union Expands Peacekeeping Role in Sudan The African Union has agreed to expand its peacekeeping force in Sudan #39;s Darfur region. The move comes as the Sudanese government begins peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, with Darfur #39;s two rebels groups.


Myanmar Official: Democracy Plans on Track (AP) AP - Military-ruled Myanmar will stick to its plans for gradual democratization despite the abrupt appointment of a new prime minister believed to hold a hard line in dealing with the country's political reform movement, Foreign Minister Nyan Win said Thursday.


US jobless claims down to lowest level in about two months The number of new people claiming for jobless benefits in the United States declined sharply last week, a sign that the recovery in the US labor marketmay be strengthening.


Sanofi-Aventis Sales Up 10.7 Percent Sanofi-Aventis SA on Thursday said revenue rose 10.7 percent in the third quarter, as the company posted its first results since its creation from a tie-up between two French drug makers.


Intel Announces Latest Mobile Chip Intel has announced the latest version of its Centrino mobile processor family, the Pentium M 765, which offers 2 MB of Level 2 cache and a 400-MHz system bus.


These services search beyond the Internet For years, the competition in the search business has focused on finding things on the Web quickly and accurately. And Google has been widely perceived as the winner.


Ancient baby bird fossil found in China WASHINGTON -- The fossil of what may be one of the earliest baby birds has been found in northeast China. The fossil, estimated at 121 million years old, is curled up as though still in its shell.


Husband of CARE worker pleads for her release BAGHDAD - Tahseen Ali Hassan pleaded with kidnappers Thursday to release his wife, the director of the aid agency CARE International in Iraq.


Scuffle feeds Harry #39;s party boy image Prince Harry has long been known as the wilder of Prince Charles #39; and the late Princess Diana #39;s two handsome sons, smoking marijuana, drinking while still underage and frequenting London #39;s trendiest nightclubs.


French Prime Minister expresses concern about loss of passenger <b>...</b> PARIS The French prime minister has expressed concern about the loss of a bag containing explosives at Paris #39; main airport. The bag containing plastic explosives disappeared during a dog training exercise at Charles de Gaulle airport on Friday.


Ebay Explodes to Twice Its Size Despite technical setbacks, the online business is stronger than ever Also: Kazaa loses its foothold as most popular music download site   hellip;. Sharp electronics moves away from U.S. market   hellip;. and more.


Xerox Profit Rises on Printer Sales  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Xerox Corp. XRX.N on Thursday said  third-quarter net income rose 39 percent as it cut costs and  the sales of its more-profitable color digital printers  improved.


Feathered embryo found in China A 121 million-year-old baby bird,  fossilized while still curled in its egg, has been found in China.


Global Exchange to buy IBM services units B2B e-commerce specialist Global Exchange Services agrees to buy IBMs Electronic Data Interchange and Business Exchange Services divisions.


IBM gives grants to universities IBM Research will underwrite 20 research projects with grants under its Shared University Research Program.


Nanoparticles for energy, explosions Aluminum, the stuff of cans, explodes in its nano form. A small start-up has decided to harness that property.


EU Presidency Warns Nations on Deficits (AP) AP - The European Union on Thursday warned four countries  #151; Germany, Italy, Portugal and Greece  #151; that they risked violating budget rules next year if they do not further cut deficits.


FACTBOX-Lawsuits Surround U.S. Election Before It Starts (Reuters) Reuters - Political parties and civil rights\activists have brought a wealth of lawsuits on voting issues\before the Nov. 2 U.S. presidential election even gets under\way.


US Air Pilots OK 18 Percent Pay Cut  CHICAGO (Reuters) - The pilots union at US Airways Group  Inc. AIR.N on Thursday approved a \$300 million concession  package, including pay cuts of 18 percent, to help the ailing  carrier survive its second bankruptcy in two years.


Hershey Profit Up, to Sell Cookies (Reuters) Reuters - Chocolate maker Hershey Foods Corp.\ on Thursday posted a higher-than-expected 16 percent\rise in quarterly profit and said it will get into the cookie\business.


Rogge Presses Berlusconi Over Turin Games IOC President Jacques Rogge pressed Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi to encourage fund-raising and public awareness ahead of the 2006 Turin Olympics.


Bears' Ogunleye Has Tear in Ankle Ligament (AP) AP - Chicago Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye has a small tear in the ligament of his right ankle and won't play Sunday against Tampa Bay.


Karzai victory almost sealed, opposition awaits inquiry (AFP) AFP - With more than half the ballots in Afghanistan's presidential election counted and outright triumph virtually assured for incumbent Hamid Karzai, attention turned to when the winner can be declared and how the losers will react.


Viacom, Disney Settle with FCC  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Children's cable TV channels owned  by Viacom Inc. VIAb.N and Disney Corp. DIS.N have agreed to  settle allegations they violated federal advertising  restrictions for children's programing, U.S. regulators said on  Thursday.


Abbey deal wins Spanish approval Shareholders in Spain's Banco Santander Central Hispano approve the takeover of UK bank Abbey.


Insurgents Kill 20 Iraqis as Violence Surges for Third Day Armed insurgents opened fire on a bus full of civilians and drove a car bomb into a national guard checkpoint in northern Iraq this morning, killing 20 Iraqis in the latest


Stewart: Appeal Claims She Was Victim Of Unfair Trial And justice for all: Martha Stewart #39;s legal defense team requested that a federal appeals court overturn her conviction for lying to federal investigators regarding the sale of her ImClone Systems (nasdaq: IMCL - news - people ) stock in 2001.


Vegas-based Primaris in deal with Boeing A Las Vegas-based startup air carrier plans to be the US launch customer for Boeing Co. #39;s new 7E7  quot;Dreamliner quot; twin-engine jet.


F-Zero Climax Playtest October 21, 2004 - While Nintendo #39;s home consoles tend to see only one (or at most two) versions of the company #39;s most famous franchises, Game Boy Advance is different.


Start Spreading the News, New York Loses to Red Sox If New Yorkers were not already aware their beloved Yankees had completed the worst post-season collapse in Major League history, their media quickly reminded them on Thursday.


Turkey Corrects Its Corruption Report Turkey #39;s downward trend on the Corruption Perceptions Index over the last four years has stopped. Its grade rose from 3.1 to 3.2 this year.


Qwest Confirms \$250 Million Settlement with SEC Qwest neither admitted nor denied guilt, but in accordance with the judgment promised not to violate federal securities laws in the future.


Viacom, Disney Settle with FCC Children #39;s cable TV channels owned by Viacom Inc. (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Disney Corp. (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) have agreed to settle allegations they violated


Mortgage rates hit 6-month low NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Long-term mortgage rates fell again this week to the lowest level in six months, Freddie Mac reported Thursday.


Caesars Profit Rises, But Outlook Lags Caesars Entertainment Inc.(CZR.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday posted a rise in third-quarter profit as Las Vegas hotels filled up and Atlantic City properties squeaked out a profit that was unexpected by the company.


Rockstar Games and Interscope Records Reveal Grand Theft Auto: San <b>...</b> With the game set in the early 1990 #39;s, the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack will feature a large variety of tracks spanning the FM radio dial of the West Coast during this particularly influential period in American music and culture.


Ballmer: We need a \$100 PC com October 20, 2004, 9:00 AM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been enterprise directories as organizations spawn projects around identity infrastructure.


Holiday Online Sales Growth To Slow This Year (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Retailers that saw impressive growth in year-over-year online sales during last year's holiday season should not look for the same results this year, according to estimates by Forrester Research.


ONeill stays positive after severe Champions League defeat GLASGOW, Oct 21 (SW) - Celtic manager martin ONeill remained positive and hopeful after last nights 3-0 defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk, admitting everything was still possible.


Samsung To Release 5-Megapixel Phone (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Korean-based Samsung Electronics announced Wednesday that it will sell a new multifunction mobile phone, the SCH-S250, equipped with a 5-megapixel digital camera. The new phone will be available to Korean customers later this month.


Intel Announces Latest Mobile Chip (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Intel announced Wednesday the latest member of its Centrino mobile processor family, the Pentium M 765 chip. The 765 now is the company's flagship mobile processor for consumer and business notebooks, according to IDC analyst Alan Promisel.


Aristide Denies Ties to Violence in Haiti and Calls for Dialogue The exiled former president of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, angrily denied accusations on Wednesday that he was fomenting violence in his homeland and accused Haiti #39;s interim leader of brutally suppressing dissent.


Sales Force Automation Back in the Spotlight (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - In the hype of the CRM boom a few years ago, \sales force automation software seemed largely forgotten. Though not quite a dinosaur, it certainly was not a hot topic.


Experts Calculate Risk of Uncontrolled Hubble Re-entry (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - If NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST) fireballs into Earth's atmosphere on its own, the reentry of that massive orbiting observatory violates the space agency's own safety standard.


Summary: Nations' Ecological 'Footprints' (AP) AP - The 10 nations with the largest "ecological footprint," according to a study by the conservation organization WWF.


Life, the Universe and Everything: How Astronomy Addresses the Big Questions (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - There are some questions \  that have curdled the brains of hominids ever since they developed the power \  to ponder. Questions like  quot;what is the nature of evil? quot; or  quot;what \  caused the Cambrian explosion? quot; not to mention Freud's famous stumper, \   quot;what does a woman want? quot;


Castro 'All in One Piece' After Fall HAVANA (AP) -- Cuban President Fidel Castro tripped on a step and tumbled to the ground after leaving the stage at a graduation ceremony, fracturing a knee and arm but quickly returning to say that he was all in one piece.''.


Venus Williams Edges Teenager at Zurich Former champion Venus Williams was pushed to two tiebreakers over two hours by 16-year-old qualifier Ana Ivanovic of Serbia-Montenegro before reaching the Swisscom Challenge quarterfinals Thursday.


Update 6: Qwest to Pay \$250M to Settle SEC Charges Qwest Communications International Inc., the regional telecommunications company, agreed Thursday to pay \$250 million to settle allegations that it engaged in  quot;massive financial fraud quot; by improperly booking \$3.


US leading indicator slides again The US Index of Leading Economic Indicators, a key gauge of where the nation #39;s economy is headed, fell for the fourth time in a row last month, according to a report Thursday.


Alaska Air Posts Quarterly Profit Alaska Air Group, the parent of Alaska Airlines, on Thursday reported a quarterly profit, even as high fuel prices cut into earnings at rival carriers.


Intel Debuts M 765, the Newest Centrino Chip The M 765 is made using Intel #39;s newest 90 nm process. It will begin shipping immediately in Centrino-based consumer and business devices.


US hard line on cloning back at UN The United States was set to bring its call for a total ban on human cloning back to the UN on Thursday as the world community again struggled for consensus on the divisive issue.


Grand theft intellectual property com October 21, 2004, 10:50 AM PT. A stolen copy of the latest sequel in one of the top-selling video game series of all time began circulating on the Web late Wednesday, the second high-profile game theft in a week.


XP SP2 Downloads Surpass 100M Mark Two months after the heavily hyped release of Microsoft #39;s Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), the company has exceeded its delivery projections for individual users and small businesses.


Astros' Beltran Gets Chance to Shine (AP) AP - Carlos Beltran was a star long before he joined the Houston Astros. He was smacking homers and scoring runs for awful teams in Kansas City for years. His glove dazzled minor league scouts in Wilmington and Wichita before that. And his speed was evident even as a schoolboy in Puerto Rico. Still, this postseason has provided a showcase for Beltran unlike any other.


Ecclestone gets tough with Silverstone (AFP) AFP - The race to save the British Grand Prix descended into acrimony with Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone issuing a libel writ against Jackie Stewart.


Wall St. Week Ahead: the Tax Man May Bite  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks may come under pressure this  week as investors sell shares at year's end to prepare for tax  season. But crude oil prices, earnings outlooks and moves in  the dollar will also be closely watched.


Marino, Young Nominated for Hall of Fame (AP) AP - Quarterbacks Dan Marino and Steve Young and wide receiver Michael Irvin are among nine first-time nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.


With Yankees Slain, 'Miracle' Sox Eye Bigger Demon  BOSTON (Reuters) - "Miracle Workers." So proclaimed The  Boston Globe on Thursday after the Red Sox -- baseball's  perennial also-rans -- finally brought down the "Evil Empire,"  taking a giant step toward their first World Series title in 86  years by ousting the New York Yankees in dramatic fashion.


Connecticut Begins Insurance Probe  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Connecticut has issued 35 subpoenas in  recent days to insurance companies and brokers doing business  in the state, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said on  Thursday.


Business Flying Seen Up 10 Pct in 2005  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Business travel by air is likely to  increase by about 10 percent in 2005 after an initial recovery  in 2004 but the uptick is seen aiding mainly low-cost carriers,  a U.S. industry survey released on Thursday found.


Excess Chip Stockpiles Surge Above \$1 Bln -ISuppli  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Surplus stockpiles of  semiconductors ballooned 38 percent to \$1.1 billion in the  third quarter, according to preliminary estimates by market  research firm iSuppli.


Connecticut Begins Insurance Probe (Reuters) Reuters - Connecticut has issued 35 subpoenas in\recent days to insurance companies and brokers doing business\in the state, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said on\Thursday.


With Yankees Slain, 'Miracle' Sox Eye Bigger Demon (Reuters) Reuters - "Miracle Workers." So proclaimed The\Boston Globe on Thursday after the Red Sox -- baseball's\perennial also-rans -- finally brought down the "Evil Empire,"\taking a giant step toward their first World Series title in 86\years by ousting the New York Yankees in dramatic fashion.


Briefly: IBM gives grants to universities roundup Plus: Sun expands pay-as-you go supercomputing...SGI works on Linux performance software...Good Technology supported by HP, Samsung.


Western investors eye Russia's wireless market Rapid growth of the country's cell phone market has companies dreaming of a speed-dial to success. But the risks are high.\


Apple warns of store shut-off for older iTunes If you've been clicking "remind me later" for those pesky update windows, Apple's closing its music store to you.


First Look: Big Sound for Small Spaces Niro 400 package offers easy setup and good audio, but falls short on surround sound.


Consent decrees hit Viacom for \$1 mil, Disney for \$500K Federal regulators reached consent decrees with Viacom and Disney on Thursday for violating the rules limiting the amount and type of commercials the networks aired on children #39;s #39; TV shows.


Martha Stewart #39;s Lawyers File Appeal NEW YORK -- Lawyers for Martha Stewart have told a federal appeals court that she suffered a  quot;fundamentally unfair quot; trial at the hands of prosecutors who incorrectly suggested she was accused of insider trading.


Central bank vague on future rate hikes, BMO bullish on economy The Bank of Canada remained vague Thursday about how quickly interest rates will continue to rise, while a separate report suggested the economy is poised to enjoy strong gains in the year ahead.


Islamic Group Alleges Abuse of French Law (AP) AP - A powerful Islamic organization alleged Thursday that officials were abusing a new law banning religious symbols from schools by expelling Muslim girls who were wearing printed bandannas  #151; not Islamic head scarves.


Egypt FM, intelligence chief to visit Israel next month (AFP) AFP - Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit announced that he and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman intend to visit Israel next month to discuss bilateral issues as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


Jobless, Factory Index Signal Growth  NEW YORK (Reuters) - A drop in U.S. jobless claims in the  latest week and an upward spurt in a regional manufacturing  index signaled continued growth for the U.S. economy at the  start of the fourth quarter.


AT T Posts \$7.1 Billion Loss  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AT T Corp. T.N, the No. 3 U.S.  telephone company, on Thursday reported a \$7.1 billion  third-quarter loss due to \$12.5 billion in charges for cutting  asset values and jobs as it retreats from consumer services.


Annan Backs Stem Cell Studies, Differs with Bush UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday endorsed scientific studies that involve the cloning of human embryos, differing with the Bush administration #39;s push for a treaty to ban such research.


NEC SX-8 takes supercomputing crown Not content with being the top of the top 500 with its Earth Simulator, NEC has surpassed itself with its new creation - the SX-8.


Shaggy band of ballplayers winks at the impossible In the wee hours of last Sunday morning, when the nation #39;s collective clicker had long since abandoned the Yankees-Red Sox debacle


Hamm Gets to Keep Gold Medal LAUSANNE, Switzerland - The last battle of the Athens Summer Olympics is over. The dispute over who won the men #39;s all-around gymnastics Gold Medal has been resolved, at least officially.


Is This the Week Patriots #39; Streak Ends? Is This the Week the Patriots #39; Streak Ends? New England Favored by 6 1/2 Points Over Jets. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, center, is sandwiched in a sack by New York Jets linebacker Sam Cowart


Alaska Air Group profit up 51 percent Alaska Air Group Inc. posted third-quarter net income of \$79.2 million, or \$2.94 per share, which compares with \$40.7 million, or \$1.


British troops shift at US request Heavily armored, elite British troops will move closer to Baghdad, allowing US forces to redeploy and ratchet up operations against militants in Falluja and other rebellion-stoked cities.


Federal Grand Jury Probes AIG  NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal grand jury is investigating  products American International Group Inc. sold that companies  might have used to make their earnings look better, AIG, the  world's largest insurer by market value, said on Thursday.


'Israeli raid kills two in Gaza' An Israeli aircraft fires a missile at a vehicle in the Gaza Strip, killing two people, Palestinian officials say.


AMD targets developing world with low-cost PC Advanced Micro Devices Inc. next week plans to unveil a sub-\$300 PC for the developing world as the company tries to get a jump on a potentially enormous market.


Older iTunes versions being shut out, Apple warns If you've been clicking "remind me later" for those update windows, Apple's closing its music store to you.


Qwest to Pay \$250 Mln to Settle SEC Fraud Charges (Update2) Qwest Communications International Inc., the fourth-largest US local-telephone provider, agreed to pay \$250 million to settle US Securities and Exchange Commission allegations that it


UPDATE 3-AT amp;T posts \$7.1 bln loss on writedown, job cuts AT amp;T Corp. (TN: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 3 US telephone company, on Thursday reported a \$7.1 billion third-quarter loss due to \$12.


Intel #39;s Centrino Gets Speed Tweak Yesterday, Intel took the wraps off of a speedier version of its Pentium M, the heart of the company #39;s wireless notebook platform for unwired professionals, aka Centrino.


Group Warns on Consumption of Resources GENEVA Oct 21, 2004 - Humanity #39;s reliance on fossil fuels, the spread of cities, the destruction of natural habitats for farmland and over-exploitation of the oceans are destroying Earth #39;s ability to sustain life, the environmental group WWF warned in a


Grand theft intellectual property A stolen copy of the latest sequel in one of the top-selling video game series of all time began circulating on the Web late Wednesday, the second high-profile game theft in a week.


Button confident of 2005 chances Jenson Button says he can thrive with BAR in 2005 despite his bitter contract dispute with the Formula One team. Button agreed to join Williams next season but was told he must stay with BAR by the contract recognition board.


News / What The Papers Say Ruud van Nistelrooy could still face a UEFA ban after his alleged elbow on Sparta Prague defender Pavel Pergl. The United striker thought he had escaped when the referee cleared him of misconduct in Tuesdays game.


Afghanistan close to finishing vote count; Karzai in lead US-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai was nearing victory in Afghanistans presidential vote, election officials said, as the number of ballots counted passed the half way mark.


Update 6: Insurance Broker Fee Probe Expands New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has broadened his probe into insurance brokerage fees to include life and health insurance company practices.


Update 1: Merck, Lilly Struggle on Recall, Poor Sales Merck  amp; Co. profits plunged in the third quarter in the wake of the recall of its Vioxx arthritis drug and Eli Lilly  amp; Co.


Rates up another quarter-point OTTAWA - Interest rates are up and are likely going higher but don #39;t lock in that variable-rate mortgage, experts advised Tuesday after the Bank of Canada raised interest rates a further quarter-point.


British takeover of Spanish bank approved Santander, Spain - Shareholders of Spain #39;s largest bank, Banco Santander Central, on Thursday approved the 8,5-billion takeover of British mortgage bank Abbey National.


Darfur peace talks delayed troops to monitor renewed fighting in Darfur, where 1.5 million people have been driven from their homes. Ethiopia and Chad to the talks in the Nigerian capital, which analysts say have little chance of success.


Pictures of Lilly I wish I weren #39;t old enough to remember the old Who classic,  quot;Pictures of Lily, quot; and I #39;m sure the management at Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) would like to forget the last few weeks.


Vauxhall reveals big losses and cuts 340 UK staff VAUXHALL lost more than 115 million last year, twice as much as it lost the previous year. The company blamed the competitive car market.


Wedgwood woos Royal Doulton TWO of the greatest names in the British china industry look set to merge after Waterford Wedgwood said it is in talks to take over Royal Doulton, the ailing Stokeon-Trent porcelain maker.


Microsoft distributes XP security update Microsoft says it has distributed about 106 million copies of its major security update for the Windows XP operating system. Microsoft completed work on the update


GTA: San Andreas Leaked The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. It #39;s like a free ride when you #39;ve already paid.


Microsoft #39;s CEO Steve Ballmer: We need a \$100 PC What #39;s one of Steve Ballmer #39;s biggest headaches? It #39;s not Linux or security breaches. It #39;s piracy, the Microsoft CEO said Wednesday.


Red Sox stages baseball #39;s greatest comeback NEW YORKJust three outs from getting swept out of the American League championship series three nights earlier, the Red Sox finally humbled the dreaded Yankees, winning Game Seven in a 10-3 shocker on Wednesday night to become the first major league


Ecclestone gets tough with Silverstone LONDON (AFP) - The race to save the British Grand Prix descended into acrimony with Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone issuing a libel writ against Jackie Stewart.


Karzai nears victory in Afghan election as vote count proceeds Interim leader Hamid Karzai nudged closer to victory in Afghanistan #39;s landmark presidential poll with nearly two-thirds of the vote counted, officials said Thursday.


Grand Jury Probes A.I.G. American International Group said a federal grand jury is investigating products it sold that companies might have used to massage earnings.


Amazon Posts Higher Quarterly Profit (Reuters) Reuters - Online retailer Amazon.com Inc\ on Thursday posted a higher quarterly profit, fueled\by strong international sales and its free shipping offer.


Bills Extend Defensive Coordinator's Deal (AP) AP - Defensive coordinator Jerry Gray signed a contract extension with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.


Woman Hurt in Red Sox Celebration Dies (AP) AP - A college student died Thursday of a head injury suffered in a clash between police officers and a crowd of Red Sox fans who poured into the streets outside Fenway Park to celebrate their team's victory over the New York Yankees.


Agassi Wins in Straight Sets in Madrid (AP) AP - Andre Agassi breezed past fellow American Vince Spadea 6-1, 6-3 Thursday night to reach the quarterfinals in the Madrid Masters.


Amazon Posts Higher Quarterly Profit  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Online retailer Amazon.com Inc  AMZN.O on Thursday posted a higher quarterly profit, fueled  by strong international sales and its free shipping offer.


Nasdaq Ends Up, Dow Slips  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The tech-driven Nasdaq Composite Index  got a 1 percent boost on Thursday on gains in the semiconductor  sector, but the blue-chip Dow ended down slightly after  Caterpillar Inc. CAT.N warned about higher steel prices and  other costs.


Oil Near Peaks on Winter Supply Worries  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices held near record peaks on  Thursday after a larger-than-expected decline in heating fuels  in the United States heightened fears of a winter supply  crunch.


Gilead Sciences 3rd Quarter Profit Rises  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc. GILD.O on  Thursday reported higher quarterly net profit on increased  sales of its HIV drugs.


Treasuries Lower, Oil Worries Limit Slide  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury debt prices eased on  Thursday but a warning on oil from a top Federal Reserve  official moderated the downward tug from strong regional  manufacturing figures.


Brits, French, Germans give Iran 'last chance' In Terrorism and Security daily update: Europeans offer nuclear technology if Tehran ends uranium enrichment efforts.


Insurance industry probe goes coast-to-coast The investigation of insurance industry practices launched by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer isn #39;t just spreading to include more insurers, it has set off a frenzy of scrutiny nationwide, from California to Connecticut.


Walkout Ends for GM Workers 10/21/04- The assembly line began is rolling again at a General Motors plant in western Germany. More than two-thirds of the workers there have decided to end a 6-day walkout protesting the threat of job cuts.


Caesars Profit Up on Vegas Hotel Business Caesars Entertainment Inc. on Thursday posted a rise in third-quarter profit as Las Vegas hotels filled up and Atlantic City properties squeaked out a profit that was unexpected by the company.


Stewart, from prison, seeks to have conviction overturned NEW YORK -- Martha Stewart, trying to clear her tarnished name even as she serves a prison term, claims in her appeal that her trial was tainted by  quot;a barrage quot; of unfair suggestions that she was charged with insider trading.


Sharp Retreats From US PDA Market com. In a retreat from the US PDA market, where it once was a dominant player, Sharp Electronics reported Wednesday that it is cutting back on its PDA offerings in the US retail market.


Cubs Hire Speier As New Third-Base Coach (AP) AP - Former All-Star shortstop Chris Speier was hired by the Chicago Cubs as their third-base coach Thursday.


BOMBERS FANS LEFT CURSING FATE Shooed the ghosts of the Bambino and the Iron Horse and the Yankee Clipper and the Mighty Mick, on his 73rd birthday, no less, and turned Yankee Stadium into a morgue.


Clement surprise leader at Madrid Open, Montgomerie four back Switzerland #39;s Julien Clement is the surprise leader of the Madrid Open golf tournament after carding a 7-under-par 64 on Thursday.


Israel Missile Strike Kills Hamas Leader (AP) AP - An Israeli aircraft fired two missiles at a vehicle traveling in the Gaza Strip late Thursday, killing two people including a senior Hamas member at the top of Israel's most-wanted list, a spokesman for the militant group said.


Harry scuffles with photographer AP - Prince Harry scuffled with a paparazzi photographer outside a nightclub early Thursday, further feeding his growing public image as a rebellious party boy.


Sharon appears to have majority for parliament vote on Gaza <b>...</b> Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appeared to have locked up enough support Thursday to win a coming parliamentary vote on his Gaza withdrawal plan despite deepening fissures within the ruling Likud Party.


Latest Linux Vulnerabilities Get Patches (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Graphics library and kernel functions are open to attack, but the current Linux kernel addresses the problems.


Microsoft Profit, Revenue Rises (Reuters) Reuters - Microsoft Corp. , the world's\largest software maker, on Thursday said its first quarter\profit climbed as personal computer sales and business demand\fueled higher sales.


Tentative Alaska Land Swap Raises Drilling Fears (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. officials on Wednesday\announced a tentative land swap that they say would enlarge an\Alaska wildlife refuge but that critics charge would open up\the area to oil and gas development.


Humans Have Fewer Genes Than Previously Thought (Reuters) Reuters - A more refined analysis of the human\genome, or book of life, shows people have fewer genes than\previously thought, an international team of scientists said on\Wednesday.


Gilead Sciences Profit Rises 55 Pct  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc. GILD.O on  Thursday said its quarterly net profit rose 55 percent on  increased sales of its HIV drugs.


Woman Hurt in Red Sox Celebration Dies (AP) AP - A college student died Thursday after suffering a head injury in a clash between police officers and a crowd of Red Sox fans who poured into the streets outside Fenway Park to celebrate their team's victory over the New York Yankees.


Sluggish Global Sales Trim Coke Profit  ATLANTA (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co. KO.N on Thursday  reported a sharp drop in quarterly net income due to weak sales  of its soft drinks, juices and bottled waters in Germany and  other key markets.


Mobile phones to get TV reception I was pretty amazed to see 3D graphics coming to mobile phones, and now it looks like TV is coming to them too! Texas Instruments has started work on a chip that


Coke Profit Hurt by Sluggish Global Sales (Reuters) Reuters - Coca-Cola Co.  on Thursday\reported a 24 percent drop in quarterly net income due to weak\sales of its soft drinks, juices and bottled waters in Germany\and other key markets.


Coke Profit Hurt by Sluggish Global Sales  ATLANTA (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co. KO.N on Thursday  reported a 24 percent drop in quarterly net income due to weak  sales of its soft drinks, juices and bottled waters in Germany  and other key markets.


Calif. Warns Residents of Possible ID Theft State officials warned California residents Wednesday to take preventative steps against ID theft after an unknown hacker gained access to a database at the University of California, Berkeley.


Pirates Hotwire  #39;Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas #39; Both Rockstar Games and Microsoft are in pursuit of the gaming robbers. While Microsoft has made it clear that it is  quot;aggressively pursuing the source of the illegal act, quot; Rockstar has


NEC Nips IBM in Supercomputer Race Beginning in December, NEC will rent out SX-8s for about \$11,000 per month. The single-node model, with up to eight CPUs, has a peak performance of 128 gigaflops.


Yankees #39; Owner Congratulates Boston Red Sox (New York-AP, October 21, 2004) - It #39;s not the kind of statement George Steinbrenner hoped to be making. The New York Yankees owner is congratulating the Boston Red Sox for their come-from-behind playoff victory over the Yankees.


Google patches one security hole, but another surfaces Search engine darling Google Inc. has patched a hole in its search engine the could have allowed malicious hackers to modify the content of the Google search results page or silently modify search results, but a new hole may have already appeared.


Presidential candidates differ in IT questionnaire U.S. President George Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry both advocate universal access to broadband and stronger cybersecurity but the two candidates disagree in their approaches in answers given in a tech policy questionnaire released by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).


Israeli Missile Strike Kills Top Hamas Leader An Israeli aircraft fired two missiles at a vehicle traveling in the Gaza Strip late Thursday, killing two people including a senior Hamas member at the top of Israel's most-wanted list, a spokesman for the militant group said.


Google Profit Up in 1st Reported Quarter (Reuters) Reuters - Web search leader Google Inc.\, in its first earnings report as a publicly held\company, on Thursday posted a profit of  #36;52.0 million in the\third quarter on strong Web search advertising.


British judge to rule on life-support for fatally ill baby (AFP) AFP - Legal authorities in Britain faced an ethical dilemma over whether doctors should continue to prolong the life of a nine-month-old baby who suffers from a rare genetic disorder.


U.S. Would Respect Fair Iraq Election (AP) AP - Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday the United States would recognize the election of a Shiite Muslim government in Iraq provided the voting is free, fair and open.


Microsoft Profit, Revenue Rises  SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O, the world's  largest software maker, on Thursday said its quarterly profit  climbed as sales rose, but the company's revenue forecast for  the current quarter fell below Wall Street estimates.


Amazon Profit Misses Estimates  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc AMZN.O on  Thursday posted a higher quarterly profit but its stock fell  more than 4 percent as the online retailer's results failed to  top Wall Street expectations.


Google Profit Up in 1st Reported Quarter  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Web search leader Google Inc.  GOOG.O, in its first earnings report as a publicly held  company, on Thursday posted a profit of \$52.0 million in the  third quarter on strong Web search advertising.


AIG Faces New Grand Jury Probe  NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal grand jury is investigating  products sold by insurer American International Group Inc. that  companies might have used to make their earnings look better,  AIG said on Thursday.


Bangladesh stress threat is only a hoax NEW DELHI: With regard to the safety of the Indian cricketers, High Commissioner Veena Sikri sent in a report to her MEA bosses. Sports ministry and the BCCI were brought into the picture.


U.S. Drugmakers Hurt by Competition  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merck   Co. MRK.N and two other U.S.  drugmakers posted weak third-quarter results on Thursday, hurt  by intensifying competition and the loss of sales from drugs  found to be potentially dangerous.


Occidental Profit Up 70 Pct  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Occidental Petroleum Corp. OXY.N,  among the top U.S. oil and gas producers, on Thursday said  quarterly profit shot up 70 percent, spurred by the dramatic  rise in oil and gas prices in recent months.


Cricket: Back in breathtaking business New Zealand partially resurrected their stricken tour of Australia last night when they won the first of their three-match one-day series with a hair-raising two balls to spare.


Update 3: Outgoing Kmart Chief Gets \$90M in Options Outgoing Kmart chief executive Julian Day is getting about \$90 million in stock options for his leadership at the discount chain, which emerged from bankruptcy in May.


Britain Agrees to Move Troops Closer to Baghdad (Reuters) Reuters - Britain agreed on Thursday to send\troops to dangerous areas near Baghdad, a politically perilous\step for Prime Minister Tony Blair who could face a sharp\backlash if casualty rates start rising.


Fossil in China May Show Ancient Bird Development, Study Says A fossilized bird embryo with feathers was found in northeastern China, which may be evidence that early birds were more developed at birth than their modern ancestors, according to a study in the journal Science.


106 million Windows XP SP2 #39;s distributed Microsoft says it has distributed about 106 million copies of its major security update for the Windows XP operating system. Microsoft completed work on the update, called Service Pack 2, more than two months ago.


GTA San Andreas Leaked By Pirates Rockstar #39;s PS2 title Grand Theft Auto San Andreas has become the latest high-profile game to be leaked onto the Internet significantly ahead of its release date.


Call to Arms: Marino and Young head HOF #39;s nomination list Canton, OH (Sports Network) - Former All-Pro quarterbacks Dan Marino and Steve Young, both first-year eligible candidates, head a list of 89 former players, coaches, and contributors who comprise a list of preliminary nominees for enshrinement to the Pro


Feyenoord Rotterdam 3-0 Hearts: FT Report Hearts suffered a 3-0 defeat in their UEFA Cup group stage opener against Feyenoord in a game marred by controversial refereeing decisions.


Venus advances to meet Sharapova in Zurich Zurich, Switzerland (Sports Network) - Former world No. 1 Venus Williams advanced on Thursday and will now meet Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals at the \$1.


British government to redeploy troops to central Iraq The British government says it #39;ll honor the US request to send a battalion of troops to central Iraq. British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon says there #39;s  quot;a compelling military operational justification quot; for the redeployment.


Sharon appears to have majority for parliament vote on Gaza <b>...</b> Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has locked up enough support to win a scheduled parliamentary vote on his Gaza withdrawal plan, but is deeply concerned about growing fissures within the ruling Likud Party, aides said Thursday.


Britain agrees to Iraq troop-shift as US soldier jailed for prison <b>...</b> BAGHDAD : Hundreds of British troops prepared to move closer to Baghdad to help crush rebel strongholds, as a US soldier was jailed for eight years for his part in Iraq #39;s prisoner abuse scandal.


PeopleSoft Posts Third-Quarter Profit  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - PeopleSoft Inc. PSFT.O on  Thursday reported a quarterly net profit, after a year-earlier  loss, as the company saw stronger sales of its  business  software than what it had forecast earlier despite its  continued fight to block a takeover from rival Oracle Corp.


Amazon Posts Profit, Shares Fall  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc. AMZN.O on  Thursday posted a higher quarterly profit on strong  international sales but its stock fell more than 4 percent as  the results from the online retailer failed to top Wall Street  expectations.


Why Sand Dunes Go Boom The sounds made by dune avalanches has mystified people for centuries. California scientists test an explanation by sliding down the sand on their rear ends.


"Faces of Africa" Photographers on Their 30-Year Endeavor Photographers Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher discuss their experiences from over 30 years in Africa capturing and recording faces and customs. <i>With photo galleries.</i>


Can Wild Bees Take Sting From Honeybee Decline? The decline of domesticated bees threatens North America's food supply. Some researchers believe original wild bee species could come to the rescue.


Microsoft tops its earnings expectations September quarter was a good one, but software maker's revenue forecast for current period falls short of analysts' expectations.


French Billionaire to Be Questioned (AP) AP - French tycoon Francois Pinault is to be questioned on behalf of U.S. authorities Friday in connection with the Executive Life affair, a judicial source said.


Powell Criticizes Lebanese PM Choice (AP) AP - The strengthening of Syria's influence in Lebanon's government prompted Secretary of State Colin Powell to renew his criticism of Syria after a brief period of praise.


Nigerians Charged in Assassination Plot (AP) AP - The Nigerian government for the first time Thursday publicly disclosed a foiled coup plot, charging four military officers and a civilian with conspiring to topple the government by shooting down a helicopter carrying President Olusegun Obasanjo.


PeopleSoft Posts Third-Quarter Profit (Reuters) Reuters - PeopleSoft Inc.  on\Thursday reported a quarterly net profit, after a year-earlier\loss, as the company saw stronger sales of its  business\software than what it had forecast earlier despite its\continued fight to block a takeover from rival Oracle Corp.


Man U hosts Exeter in FA Cup 3rd round Premier League club Newcastle will play Yeading FC, a tiny soccer club ranked six leagues below, in the third round of the FA Cup.


Bush Criticizes Kerry on Health Care DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- President Bush criticized Sen. John Kerry's plans for health care and medical liability reform on Thursday, saying the result would be even higher costs and more federal involvement.


Coca-Cola posts lower 3Q profit Coca-Cola Co. on Thursday reported a sharp drop in quarterly net income due to weak sales of its soft drinks, juices and bottled waters in Germany and other key markets.


Amazon Profit Misses Estimates Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday posted a higher quarterly profit but its stock fell more than 4 percent as the online retailer #39;s results failed to top Wall Street expectations.


Google 3rd-Qtr Profit More Than Doubles on Web Advertising Google Inc., the world #39;s most-used Internet search engine, said net income more than doubled to \$52 million after sales of Web advertising rose.


Turkey gains OECD #39;s support for its bid for EU Turkey Thursday gained in Paris the support of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for its bid for the European Union (EU).


Astronaut to meet his newborn daughter Mike Fincke, whose daughter became the first child born to an astronaut in orbit June 18, is preparing to return to Earth and his family in Texas.


Texas Instruments working on live TV for mobile phones Texas Instruments have announced the development of the wireless industry #39;s first digital TV on a single chip for mobile phones, which will capture broadcast signals and allow mobile phone users to watch live TV program broadcasts.


Cisco buys security start-up Cisco Systems is making an acquisition designed to reinforce its security lineup, the company said Thursday. The networking giant announced it will pay \$74 million in cash for San Francisco start-up Perfigo, a developer of network access control products.


IBM Gets Behind Federated-Identity Standard IBM on Thursday said it has joined the Liberty Alliance, indicating that industry support is shifting toward the identity-management group #39;s standard for using a single ID and password to access Web services across organizations.


Building planets is a slam-bang art These disks are not remnants of the protostellar clouds from which the stars themselves formed, according to the astronomers, who plan to publish in The Astrophysical Journal.


Agassi Makes Madrid Masters Quarterfinals American tennis player Andre Agassi serve to his fellow countryman Vincent Spadea during his ATP Masters series tennis match in Madrid, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004.


Save Silverstone: drivers . Scot Coulthard called for Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone to reach an agreement with the owners of Silverstone, the British Racing Drivers #39; Club (BRDC), to save the race from extinction.


Marino, Young, Irvin head NFL Hall of Fame first-timers Quarterbacks Dan Marino and Steve Young and wide receiver Michael Irvin are among nine first-time nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.


Williams Survives to Set Up Sharapova Clash Venus Williams came through a stiff test against Serbian schoolgirl Ana Ivanovic on Thursday to book her place in the Zurich Challenge quarter-finals.


Israel Kills Top Hamas Rocket Maker in Gaza Strike Israel killed the top bombmaker and rocket engineer of the Hamas militant group on Thursday in an airstrike in Gaza City, days before a key parliamentary vote on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s Gaza pullout plan.


Typhoon Tokage takes Tokyo TOKYO -- Officials say 63 people are dead and more than two dozen missing after Typhoon Tokage ripped across Japan. One resident of a small Japanese island said his mother was buried alive by a mudslide, telling


Microsoft reports fiscal first-quarter earnings up 11 percent Microsoft Corp. said its fiscal first-quarter earnings rose 11 percent, beating analysts #39; expectations, as the company benefited from stronger-than-expected computer and server shipments.


Ancient Baby Bird Fossil Found in China The fossil of what may be one of the earliest baby birds has been found in northeast China. The fossil, estimated at 121 million years old, is curled up as though still in its shell.


Bangladesh floored by Franklin hat-trick Pace bowler James Franklin snapped up a hat-trick as New Zealand bowled Bangladesh out for 177 on the second day of the first test on Wednesday.


Google Reports \$805 Million in Gross Revenues for Third Quarter Google Reports \$805 Million in Gross Revenues for Third Quarter\\Google (GOOG on the stock market) today announced financial results for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2004. Total revenue in the quarter totaled a record \$805.9 million, representing a 15 percent increase over the second quarter of 2004 and a 105 ...


Microsoft: 1Q Earnings Up 11 Percent (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. said its fiscal first-quarter earnings rose 11 percent, beating analysts' expectations, as the company benefited from stronger-than-expected computer and server shipments.


Microsoft Profit, Revenue Rise  SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. MSFT.Oon Thursday  said its quarterly profit climbed as revenue rose 12 percent,  but its shares fell as investors failed to account for the  effect of the expensing of stock-based compensation in  assessing the earnings.


Google Profit Up in 1st Reported Quarter  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Web search leader Google Inc.  GOOG.O, in its first earnings report as a publicly held  company, on Thursday posted a higher net profit as revenue more  than doubled on strong Web search advertising.


Caterpillar Earnings Rise But Shares Fall  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Caterpillar Inc. CAT.N said on  Thursday its quarterly earnings more than doubled on strong  demand for its engines and heavy earth-moving equipment, but  concerns about high costs helped drag the shares down more than  4 percent.


Dorfmeister wins Super-G at Lake Louise LAKE LOUISE, Alta. (CP) - Austria #39;s Michaela Dorfmeister won the opening women #39;s World Cup super giant slalom race of the season Sunday.


PeopleSoft Posts Profit  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - PeopleSoft Inc. PSFT.O on  Thursday reported a quarterly net profit, after a year-earlier  loss, as the company saw stronger sales of its  business  software than what it had forecast earlier despite its  continued fight to block a takeover from rival Oracle Corp.


Robo-vacuum wins wall-to-wall praise at confab Robot fans cheer news that the "Roomba" has sucked up its 1 millionth buyer--a 'bot breakthrough,' they say.


How To Create Dynamic Headlines For Your Google AdWords Ads How To Create Dynamic Headlines For Your Google AdWords Ads\\Relevancy is the key to the success of all advertising.  If your ad conveys the right message at the right time, to the right people, then you stand a very good chance of increasing the response to your ad. If ...


Russian Official: Hazing Report Inaccurate (AP) AP - Russia's military prosecutor said Thursday that Human Rights Watch was mistaken in its accusations of widespread hazing in the military and said Russia had already made serious efforts to combat the problem.


Red Sox #39;s Feat: As far back as I can remember In the world of sports, when a great feat is accomplished, sometimes it takes a while for everything to set in and for people to gain a full appreciation for what just transpired.


Martin's bid to scrap Canada Health Act nixed at last minute: Copps (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Prime Minister Paul Martin wanted to scrap the Canada Health Act when he was a deficit-fighting finance minister, says Sheila Copps in a politically explosive new memoir.


Israel-SA forging new links Johannesburg - Israeli deputy prime minister Ehud Olmert said on Thursday he hoped his groundbreaking visit to South Africa would signal the start of a new era in ties, despite Pretoria #39;s clear backing for the Palestinian people.


Google Reports First Profit as Public Company Google's third-quarter profit more than doubled, reflecting a continued surge in the online advertising distributed by its Internet-leading search engine.


Google shares up on profits jump Shares in Google jump to a new high in after-hours trading as the internet search firm reveals its first results since floating on the Nasdaq.


Israeli army faces a revolt from the right A growing dissident movement opposes Israel's planned withdrawal on religious and nationalist grounds.


End to India's brutal 'Robin Hood' After eluding capture for decades by winning over villagers, India's violent bandit was killed this week.


Amazon 3Q Profit Rises, Misses Estimates Amazon.com Inc., the online retailing giant, on Thursday reported profits that surpassed year-ago results but came in below analyst expectations.


Flat revenue strangles Coke profit Coca-Cola (KO) reported a 24 drop in third-quarter profit on flat revenue, but beat analysts #39; reduced expectations that were issued after the beverage giant #39;s previous warnings.


Gold Falls From 6-Month High After US Jobless Claims Decline Gold prices in New York fell from a six-month high after US jobless claims dropped to the lowest in six weeks, spurring speculation that the dollar may gain, boosting the cost of precious metals for buyers holding euros.


Samsung Debuts 5-Megapixel Camera Phone The Samsung SCH-S250 5-megapixel camera phone will enable users to take photos as good as those taken with a mid-range digital camera, Samsung says.


The Red Sox celebrate after Game 7 of the ALCS. (Doug Pensinger <b>...</b>  You just know that somewhere on this planet, at about 11:30 Saturday night, a bunch of stressed-out people losing their grip on reality began a four-day group-therapy retreat at some sanitarium.


Blair Risks Backlash in Iraq Troop Move Britain agreed on Thursday to a US request for Britain troops to move to dangerous areas near Baghdad, a politically risky step for Tony Blair who could face a sharp backlash if casualty rates start rising.


Candidates Hit Crucial Swing States of Ohio and Pennsylvania President Bush attacked John Kerry's health plan; Christopher Reeve's widow backed Mr. Kerry, citing his stem cell policy.


Henry Relishes Job of Covering Owens (AP) AP - No Sharpies. No situps. No pom-pom shaking. No spikes.


Purdue Looks to Stop Losses to Michigan (AP) AP - Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton has no trouble remembering how he felt after last year's game at Michigan.


Google Earnings Report Shows Ad Boost Google Inc.'s third-quarter profit more than doubled, reflecting a continued surge in the online advertising distributed by its Internet-leading search engine.


Microsoft scales back Passport ambitions Microsoft's decision to reposition its .Net Passport identification system comes as Monster.com is dropping support for the authentication service.


Microsoft scales back Passport ambitions Microsoft's decision to reposition its .Net Passport identification system comes as Monster is dropping support for the authentication service.


Two IBM services units acquired by GXS owners IBM Global Services has agreed to sell its Electronic Data Interchange and Business Exchange Services businesses to Francisco Partners, the majority owner of electronic data transmission vendor Global eXchange Services Inc.


Scandals Have Thrown Sports for a Loss the third soldier of this apocalypse, the third leg on this perfect and perfectly unholy triangle of sports scandals. If sports truly offers


Presidential candidates differ in IT questionnaire The Computing Technology Industry Association asked both campaigns to answer 12 technology-related questions to help the trade group's 20,000 members get information about their views.


IBM signs \$180M outsourcing deal with Dun   Bradstreet IBM has signed a seven-year IT outsourcing deal with Dun   Bradstreet under which it will transform and manage key business functions and financial operations for the company.


Capgemini plans 500 more jobs in India by April Indian subsidiary has grown from around 300 staff early last year to about 2,000 today, and serves over 100 customers around the world.


VeriSign tallies \$40.3M net income in Q3 Internet infrastructure vendor VeriSign Inc. today reported net income of \$40.3 million for the third quarter of 2004, a reversal of the \$31.3 million loss it posted in the same quarter one year earlier.


SAP reports jump in Q3 revenue and profit Boosted by strong sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and with continued growth in the U.S., SAP AG, the world's largest maker of business management software, posted a third-quarter rise in revenue and net income.


California warns on massive ID theft Names, addresses, telephone and Social Security numbers, and the birth dates of as many as 1.4 million Californians, may have been stolen by the hackers who broke into a university computer in August.


Q A: SAS International chief on global best practices Art Cooke, president of SAS International, offers some practical advice for U.S. companies with global operations.


Consumer Goods Companies Set to Reassure  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three U.S. consumer products makers  will give a peek into their strategies this week and while the  sector has been plagued by rising costs and stiff competition,  analysts are optimistic about their prospects.


Intel Cancels Plan to Enter Digital TV Chip Market  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. INTC.O on Thursday  said it has canceled its plan to enter the digital television  chip business, marking a major retreat from an initiative that  was intended to broaden the computer chip maker's market focus.


Earth #39;s Solar System Shaped by Brush with Star, Astronomers Say The outer reaches of our solar system may have been shaped long ago by a close encounter with another star that tore up both nascent planetary systems like colliding buzz saws, astronomers said today.