Democrat Elected as Powerful Belgrade Mayor  BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia's pro-reform Democratic Party  candidate won the powerful post of Belgrade mayor in the runoff  vote on Sunday, beating an ultra-nationalist rival, according  to a preliminary result by independent monitors.


Accountant testifies he lied about Enron barge deal A former Enron accountant testified Thursday that he knew an arrangement to temporarily sell Merrill Lynch some barges just to boost Enron #39;s bottom line was wrong and he planned to lie about it if confronted.


Dubai IT expo opens DUBAI: The Middle East #39;s largest technology exhibition, Gitex, opened yesterday with the international IT industry out in full force to showcase the latest market innovations to an expected 100,000 visitors.


Juventus stretches lead; Roma, Inter draw AS Roma and Inter Milan played to a dramatic 3-3 draw in Sunday #39;s  quot;big match, quot; both losing ground to Juventus, which stretched its Serie A lead by beating Udinese 1-0.


Kirui and Sun are best in half-marathon NEW DELHI: Paul Kirui pulled away from the field in the final stages to claim the men #39;s title and lead Kenya to the team honours in the world half-marathon championships yesterday.


EA Sports 500 results TALLADEGA, Ala. - Results Sunday from the EA Sports 500 race for NASCAR #39;s Nextel Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway, listing starting position in parentheses, driver, car, laps completed with reason out if not running at the finish, and money won:


Samarra residents angry over civilian death toll SAMARRA (Iraq) - Bloodied by weeks of suicide bomb attacks and assassinations, Iraqi security forces emerged on Sunday to patrol the streets of Samarra after a morale-boosting victory in this Sunni Triangle city.


S. Korea Tightens Security After Possible Al-Qaeda Threat Aired South Korea #39;s military and police have tightened security since an audio tape attributed to a top al- Qaeda leader Friday urged Muslims to resist the US and its allies, including Korea, for their roles in Iraq.


Mandelson faces EU job grilling Peter Mandelson faces a three-hour grilling from MEPs before he is able to take up the job as Europe's trade commissioner.


Jets Turn Miami Miscues Into Third Victory The Jets came up with four turnovers by Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler in the second half, including an interception returned 66 yards for a touchdown.


Jobs Report Could Set Direction of Market NEW YORK - The stock market that meandered through September could gain some direction in the week ahead as the Labor Department releases its latest report on job creation.    For all the economic data that Wall Street parses and analyzes every day, the jobs report, scheduled for release Friday, is one of the few that seem to encapsulate the economy as a whole...


Sharon Pledges to Escalate Broad Israeli Gaza Offensive Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pledged Sunday to escalate a broad Israeli offensive in northern Gaza, saying troops will remain until Palestinian rocket attacks are halted. Israeli officials said the offensive -- in which 58 Palestinians and three Israelis have been killed -- will help clear the way for an Israeli withdrawal.


Bonds, Suzuki Win Batting Titles (AP) AP - Barry Bonds won his second National League batting title in three seasons and shattered the on-base percentage and walks records he set two years ago.


Late-Season Heroics Guide Astros Into Playoffs (Reuters) Reuters - The Houston Astros seemed as shocked as\they were happy after beating the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on\Sunday to clinch the National League wild card playoff berth\and cap an improbable late-season comeback.


Funk Ends 6-Year Drought With Win at SFB (AP) AP - Fred Funk birdied the final hole to finish off a final-round 6-under 66 and win the Southern Farm Bureau Classic by a stroke Sunday, his first PGA Tour victory in six years.


Late-Season Heroics Guide Astros Into Playoffs  HOUSTON (Reuters) - The Houston Astros seemed as shocked as  they were happy after beating the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on  Sunday to clinch the National League wild card playoff berth  and cap an improbable late-season comeback.


Ballmer calls security a never-ending battle Microsoft CEO says he believes the situation has improved greatly and can only get better.


Earnhardt Jr. Wins Another Talladega Race Dale Earnhardt Jr. charged from 11th place to a victory and the series points lead in the last five laps of Sunday's NASCAR Nextel Cup race.


THECHAT <em>  After W.A.S.P. rocker and Yankees fan Blackie Lawless sneered at Red Sox fans in this space, we figured it was time to find a hard core Red Sox rooter.  And who better than Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys, the punk/rock/Irish folk band whose "Tessie" -- a remake of an early 20th century Boston anthem, with backup vocals from Johnny Damon, Bronson Arroyo and Lenny DiNardo -- has become de rigueur listening in the Fens? The Murphys are headlining today's scheduled playoff rally at Fenway Park.</em>


Nikkei Seen Rising After Wall St Recovers (Reuters) Reuters - Japanese stocks will probably move higher\on Monday as a recovery in U.S. stocks encourages investors to\seek bargains among lagging issues, including high-tech shares.


Battle of Form (and Function) in MP3 Players To capture what he says is the underserved urban market, Damon Dash of Roc-A-Fella records is launching a new line of MP3 players and other consumer gadgets.


Is It Still Called a Venture Fund When You Use Your Own Money? Halsey M. Minor, the former CNET guru, is now running his own, very private, investment fund.


Battle Between Oracle and PeopleSoft Shifts to Delaware Court Oracle will try to prove that PeopleSoft's directors acted irresponsibly in rejecting Oracle's \$7.7 billion tender offer.


The Widening Web of Digital Lit In the literary corners of the Web, poets denounce T. S. Eliot and fans write new stories for Jane Austen's characters.


Bago shows true colours to lift Arc Royal blue with light blue cross-belts. The colours have been part of racing #39;s fabric for more than 30 years, carried to success across the world by the horses of the Niarchos family.


Boro #39;s rookies outshine Rooney They have enshrined his debut No 8 shirt in the club #39;s museum and they have blown the budget on his transfer fee, but Wayne Rooney found out yesterday that he still does


Solberg world class in losing his title Petter Solberg #39;s current form exhausts superlatives, yet winning the Rally of Italy and completing a hat-trick has done little to improve his chances of remaining world champion.


Houllier is keen on comeback Gerard Houllier is looking forward to a return to Premiership management despite the disappointment of his departure from Liverpool.


Colts start to find their harmony JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- They were singing in the Colts #39; locker room today, singing like a bunch of wounded songbirds. Never mind that Marcus Pollard, Dallas Clark and Ben Hartsock won #39;t be recording a remake of Kenny Chesney #39;s song,  quot;Young, quot; any time soon.


Why they continue to murder Critics of the tactics that the Israel Defense Forces are employing against the terrorists of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al-Aqsa, which have also caused casualties among Palestinian civilians, ignore


Brazil Ruling Party Forced to Run-Off in Sao Paulo Brazil #39;s ruling Workers #39; Party (PT) held onto the mayoralty in at least three major cities in Sunday #39;s municipal vote but will face a tough run


Ahold Sells Spanish Stores The Dutch retailer Ahold has sold its network of almost 600 Spanish retail stores to the private equity group Permira in an \$850 million deal, the two companies said on Sunday.


Pay Go: What it means to US and India A Pay-Go or Pay-as-you-Go means the government will spend only what it gets. This has been widely spoken about by US Presidential candidate John Kerry, in his campaigns.


MLB: San Francisco 10, Los Angeles 0 Jason Ellison, Marquis Grissom and Deivi Cruz had two-run homers Sunday to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 10-0 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers.


Favre adds to his legend Brett Favre #39;s legend is already lengthy, to say the least. Sunday he contributed another page. Favre went down and stayed down for a few tense moments during the Packers #39; opening drive in the second half.


Sao Paulo Mayor Suplicy, Lula Ally, Heads for Runoff (Update1) Sao Paulo Mayor Marta Suplicy, a member of the governing Workers #39; Party, finished second in city elections to Jose Serra, a one-time presidential contender, setting the stage for a runoff


Japan Stocks Higher, Led by Tech Rebounds (Reuters) Reuters - The Nikkei average rose 1.24 percent by\mid-morning trade on Monday as a recovery in U.S. stocks\encouraged investors to seek bargains among lagging issues,\including Hitachi Ltd. and other high-tech firms.


Despite booming economy, no concrete move on debt relief (AFP) AFP - Senior finance officials have hailed a robust global economic recovery, albeit one threatened by surging oil prices, but made little headway pushing China toward currency reform and took no firm steps to ease the debt of the world's poorest nations.


Finance Leaders Urge Vigilance on Terror  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Finance officials from all over the  globe gathered under heavy guard on Sunday to push for a  stepped-up fight against terror financing while warning the  poor must not be forgotten.


Ahold Confident #39; of EU2.5 Billion Asset Goal After Spain Sale Royal Ahold NV, owner of the Giant and Stop  amp; Shop supermarkets in the US, is confident #39; #39; the company can reach its goal of raising 2.5 billion euros (\$3.


Nikkei Opens Higher The Nikkei average rose 1.37 percent at the opening on Monday as a recovery in US stocks encouraged investors to seek bargains among lagging issues, including Canon Inc.


Merck info line swamped over Vioxx recall Hundreds of patients and physicians have contacted a special information line set up by Merck-Israel in the last few days after the international pharmaceutical company voluntarily withdrew Vioxx - one of the world #39;s most popular arthritis and acute


Economic Powers Fail To Agree On Debt Relief WASHINGTON -- Financial officials from the world #39;s economic powers ended their meeting in Washington Sunday without a deal on debt relief for Iraq and other poor nations.


Airbus prepares rival to Boeing #39;s Dreamliner Airbus, the aerospace giant, has started talks with suppliers about building a rival to Boeing #39;s new commercial airliner, the 7e7 Dreamliner.


Tokyo Stocks Rally at Open; Dollar Rises Tokyo stocks surged at the open on Monday, fueled by Wall Street #39;s gains last week. The US dollar was higher against the Japanese yen.


Pinhole camera to seek out new worlds It has the technology to land men on the moon and send probes into the darkest reaches of space. But Nasa #39;s newest project has more in common with school science lessons than Star Wars.


Four Out Of Five Linux PCs End Up Running Pirated Windows A Gartner analyst finds a direct connection between Linux and piracy: many systems come preinstalled with Linux to keep prices down but then bogus copies of Windows get loaded.


MSN Messenger 7 Beta: First impressions I got hold of the beta version of this much hyped up upgrade to the very popular instant messaging client MSN Messenger 7. I installed it on a test machine to see what new things it has to offer me.


Unfinished Business! - Accidental head-butt sends fight to the <b>...</b> 03.10.04 - Las Vegas, NV. -- Brains versus Brawns is what many were billing this fight, but in the end it was blood that won out. The 10-round main event fight from Caesars Palace which was featured on SHOWTIME


Cycling: Freire crosses line and then celebrates VERONA, Italy Oscar Freire loves to visit Verona and is sorry that his job brings him here only every five years and then for just a few days.


Former Blue Jays Pitcher Cerutti Found Dead Former Blue Jays pitcher and television commentator John Cerutti was found dead in a Toronto hotel room on Sunday. He was 44. The baseball team said Cerutti, who was slated to provide color


Fontana: Honda race report A thrilling last-lap shootout between Honda-powered competitors Adrian Fernandez and Tony Kanaan was decided in favor of the former Sunday at California Speedway, as Fernandez edged his rival by just the length of a nosecone to win his third Indy Racing


Freire takes third world crown Spain #39;s Oscar Freire celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the elite road race of the 2004 UCI world road cycling championships.


Journalists team leaves for India LAHORE: A group of 16 Pakistani journalists crossed the Wagah border on Sunday on their way to Srinagar to see the situation in Kashmir themselves.


Mount St. Helens May Take Weeks to Erupt (AP) AP - Mount St. Helens stewed in volcanic gases and low-level earthquakes Sunday, with crowds of eager tourists hoping to glimpse an eruption that scientists said could happen immediately or take a few weeks.


Finance Leaders Urge Vigilance on Terror (Reuters) Reuters - Finance officials from all over the\globe gathered under heavy guard on Sunday to push for a\stepped-up fight against terror financing while warning the\poor must not be forgotten.


Nikkei Up 2 Percent in Late Morning  TOKYO (Reuters) - The Nikkei average rose 2 percent by late  morning trade on Monday as banks extended last week's gains and  strong gains in U.S. semiconductor chip stocks helped push up  Japanese peers such as Advantest Corp.


Drama Before Curtain Call at Theater In December, D.C. developer Joe Horning Horning is to unveil the results of the \$40 million renovation project.


Zients Finds Sweet Spot Batting at the top of the Washington Baseball Club's order is Jeffrey Zients, who has emerged from virtual obscurity to be the guiding hand of the local investment group looking to buy the Expos.


Realtors Wield Power of Intimidating Views In Washington and in the state capitals, interest groups have long chosen to ring government buildings with their own offices as a display of their clout and determination.


Investing Big Money, Lending Their Fame Celebrities bolster investor interest in Prince George's County as more businesses chase the rising wealth of the black middle class.


New Clustering Search Engine to battle Google The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. More like New Clustering Search Engine goes Beta.


Castroneves captures Indy race pole FONTANA (California): Brazils Helio Castroneves dominated qualifying with a lap at 217.479 miles per hour to put his Dallara/ Toyota on the pole for the Toyota Indy 400 on Sunday.


Federer hammers Roddick for 10th title of season BANGKOK: Roger Federer efficiently pounded home a 6-4, 6-0 victory over outclassed Andy Roddick Sunday to win the \$550,000 Thailand Open.


IMF must learn the golden rule Gordon Brown is a man in a hurry. There is, he says, not a moment to be lost if the global community is to have a chance of hitting its millennium development goals by 2015.


Is It Still Called a Venture Fund When You Use Your Own Money? Halsey M. Minor, the founder of CNET, is now running his own, very private, investment fund.


The Broad Reach of Satellite Radio Bob Edwards, formerly of National Public Radio, is set to start broadcasting over satellite radio, which came broadly available in the United States just three years ago.


Meeting Site Stands Nearly Alone In most Internet categories, successful sites have led to copycats. But one growing Internet service has attracted a loyal following but, strangely, no rivals.


Sharon Vows to Escalate Gaza Offensive (AP) AP - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pledged Sunday to escalate a broad Israeli offensive in northern Gaza, saying troops will remain until Palestinian rocket attacks are halted. Israeli officials said the offensive  #151; in which 58 Palestinians and three Israelis have been killed  #151; will help clear the way for an Israeli withdrawal.


Afghan Death Toll Mounts As Voting Nears (AP) AP - The killing in Afghanistan spirals onward, undermining U.S. claims of success in pacifying the country with less than a week to go before an historic experiment with democracy  #151; direct presidential elections.


IAEA Chief Arrives in Seoul for Nuclear Discussion  SEOUL (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog,  Mohamed ElBaradei, arrived in Seoul on Sunday to discuss South  Korea's nuclear experiments after last month's two intrusive  inspections.


A Small New York School, Focused on Theater As educators look for ways to move to smaller high schools, Manhattan Theater Lab is starting out with just over 100 freshmen.


Sources Say Tiger Woods to Wed This Week BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Tiger Woods says he's planning a Caribbean vacation, but Barbados is abuzz with reports that he's set to wed Swedish model Elin Nordegren this week.    Newspapers in Barbados and Ireland have reported that the two are to marry early this week at the Sandy Lane luxury resort on the Caribbean island's west coast...


Private plane set for Space mission pioneering bid to win a \$10 million (5.6 million pounds) prize and prove that space is open for business. space travel as ordinary as a Caribbean cruise.


Educational and Funny Research Honored The King of Sweden was not there and the circumstances were a bit short of pompous, but 15 intrepid scientists attained a modicum of fame last week as this year #39;s winners of coveted Ig Nobel Prizes.


US scientists map genome of greenhouse gas-eating algae US scientists have unraveled the genetic map of a microscopic algae that absorbs huge amounts of greenhouse gases. These organisms are incredibly important in the global carbon cycle, said Virginia Armbrust


Canas beats Burgsmuller to capture Shanghai title SHANGHAI: Argentinas Guillermo Canas thrashed unheralded German Lars Burgsmuller in the final of the Shanghai ATP tennis tournament on Sunday, conceding just one game in the 57-minute match.


NFL Wrap: Barber Runs Over Packers as Giants Win (Reuters) Reuters - Tiki Barber rushed for 182 yards and\ran half the length of the field for a touchdown as the New\York Giants used a stifling defense to upset the Packers 14-7\in Green Bay on Sunday.


Ostertag Out 4-6 Weeks With Broken Hand (AP) AP - Sacramento Kings center Greg Ostertag will be out four-to-six weeks after breaking his right hand in a fall at his home Saturday night.


Now Afghanistan needs a mother MASOODA Jalal has been clocking up some high mileage on the campaign trail for Afghanistans presidential election. The only woman candidate to stand in the October 9 vote, Jalal


Former Blue Jays Pitcher Cerutti Found Dead (Reuters) Reuters - Former Blue Jays pitcher and television\commentator John Cerutti was found dead in a Toronto hotel room\on Sunday. He was 44.


Hockey Stars Raise Money for Firefighters (AP) AP - Comedian Denis Leary hosts a hockey game each year to raise money for firefighters in need. This year, he had added incentive.


NFL Wrap: Barber Runs Over Packers as Giants Win  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tiki Barber rushed for 182 yards and  ran half the length of the field for a touchdown as the New  York Giants used a stifling defense to upset the Packers 14-7  in Green Bay on Sunday.


Former Blue Jays Pitcher Cerutti Found Dead  TORONTO (Reuters) - Former Blue Jays pitcher and television  commentator John Cerutti was found dead in a Toronto hotel room  on Sunday. He was 44.


Motor Racing: Less Can Be More, Say Former Champions  LONDON (Reuters) - Former world champions John Surtees and  Niki Lauda believe Formula One needs to go back to its roots,  at least in the short term, to build a brighter future.


Patriots Make the Bills Pay and Win Their 18th Game in a Row The Patriots, who have not lost since Sept. 28, 2003, joined four teams with 18 consecutive victories.


Giants' Barber Sees Daylight at a Good Time Tiki Barber sprinted for a 52-yard touchdown in the third quarter, the play that the Giants would ride to their third victory of the season.


Giants Just Watch as Astros Clinch N.L. Wild Card On the final day of this regular season, the big league drama did not unfold on the field, but in the San Francisco clubhouse.


Defense Thumps Bills A classic Tom Brady performance and a fumble-return touchdown by Richard Seymour secures an NFL record-tying 18th consecutive with for the Patriots as they beat the Bills, 31-17.


Giants Shake Favre Giants tailback Tiki Barber rushes for 182 yards and Packer quarterback Brett Favre suffers a concussion in Green Bay's 14-7 defeat by New York.


Who's Next for Tito? After a convincing knock out of the brash Ricardo Mayorga in his return from retirement, Felix Trinidad must figure out who to fight next.


Dolphins Flounder After a 17-9 an eyesore of a defeat to the Jets, the Dolphins are winless at 0-4 with little evidence shown on Sunday that brighter days are yet to come.


Disabled Americans Are Pleased With E-Voting While many voter rights' advocates are fighting to decertify electronic voting machines, arguing that they're not reliable, one bloc remains steadfast behind the new equipment - disabled voters who say the machines give them long-denied privacy.


Fannie Mae Stock Ratings Warrant Their Own Analysis   Fannie Mae's stock has dropped about 16 percent in two weeks. And even before the abrupt slide, it's been three years since the stock made any big gains for its investors.


Market on record run THE stock market continued on its bullish performance by noon today, extending recent record highs with BHP Billiton in the vanguard.


SpaceShipOne gears up for final leg of Ansari X Prize SpaceShipOne, the world #39;s first privately developed spaceship, is fueled and ready to embark this morning on a flight into space in a bid to claim the \$10 million Ansari X Prize.


Netflix, TiVo Make Deal Official LOS GATOS, Calif. - Netflix Inc. and TiVo Inc. made official Thursday their deal to create a service that will use high-speed Internet connections to pipe DVD-quality movies into the homes of their mutual subscribers.


Team of the Week As the Premiership takes another break to accommodate a series of World Cup qualifiers, a number of what could be termed England fringe players gave Sven Goran Eriksson some food for thought this weekend.


Kirui, Sun win world half-marathon titles Kenya #39;s Paul Kirui capped an impressive year by winning the men #39;s World half-marathon title Sunday, while China #39;s Sun Ying Jie claimed the women #39;s race.


Vick #39;s aggressive move sets tone for one-sided division rivalry CHARLOTTE -- So often in today #39;s rich-get-richer corporate climate of the NFL, everybody seems to get along just swimmingly. The league #39;s management and the players union have to endure charges of being entirely


Alleged Leader of ETA Is Captured in France The alleged political leader of the armed Basque separatist group ETA and his partner were arrested Sunday along with 19 other accused ETA members during a police sweep in southwestern France, Spanish authorities said.


PM pitches to undecided voters Prime Minister John Howard today made a pitch for undecided voters in the last week of the election campaign. Opinion polls say the coalition leads Labor, but put the undecided vote at about nine per cent, with less than week before polling day.


Asian Tech Stocks Rally, Dollar Edges Up  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A rally in semiconductor-related  stocks, including Advantest Corp., propelled Asian shares  higher on Monday as investors added to a U.S. buying spree and  turned optimistic on earnings prospects.


Internet Grants to Schools Halted as the F.C.C. Tightens the Rules The moratorium on a federal program that provides grants for high-speed Internet and telephone service began two months ago, with no notice.


Piper Rudnick to Merge With Big British Firm Piper Rudnick Gray Cary LLP, a law firm with major operations in Washington, agreed over the weekend to merge with British firm DLA LLP, creating one of the largest combinations ever of law firms from different countries.


Chronology of Saudi attacks Gunmen stormed the US consulate in Jeddah today in the latest of a stream of attacks against foreigners and foreign interests in Saudi Arabia, many of them blamed on the al-Qaeda network.


Stocks continue record breaking run The Australian stock market continued on its bullish performance by noon today, extending recent record highs with BHP Billiton in the vanguard.


SBA Offers Discounted Loans for Disaster Victims The Small Business Administration steps up aid to businesses affected by recent weather-related disasters. Oct. 4, 2004 --As home and business owners throughout Florida and the Southwestern US pull things


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


THAILAND-BLAST-FIREWORKS The death toll from a blast that ripped through a fireworks factory in central Thailand rose to 11 on Monday, police said.  quot;At this moment the death toll is 11 and one person is in the ICU, quot; Police Lt.


Six Shot Dead in New Northeast India Violence (Reuters) Reuters - Suspected tribal rebels stormed\a remote village in India's northeast on Monday and shot dead\six people, police said, raising to 62 the death toll in a new\wave of violence that erupted in the region at the weekend.


Yudhoyono Wins Indonesia Poll- Preliminary Result (Reuters) Reuters - Former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono\has won Indonesia's presidential election run-off in a\landslide, preliminary final results showed on Monday.


Joint Operation Hauls in ETA Suspects (AP) AP - Two of Spain's most wanted terror suspects and at least 16 other alleged members of the armed Basque separatist group ETA were captured Sunday in a vast French-Spanish police operation, authorities said.


Israel Expands Raid with Air Strike Near Gaza City  GAZA (Reuters) - Israel expanded its military offensive in  northern Gaza, launching two air strikes early on Monday that  killed at least three Palestinians and wounded two, including a  senior Hamas leader, witnesses and medics said.


Taiwan Chen Plans National Day Speech on China  TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said he  will make an important policy statement on relations with  arch-foe China in his National Day address on Oct. 10.


The Money Man Alan greenspan #39;s official title is Chairman of the US Federal Reserve. But he functions as something akin to America #39;s economic Prognosticator in Chief.


As Afghan Vote Nears, Taliban Isn't Only Worry Many Afghans say they are more worried about a different source of abuse and intimidation during the presidential elections: pressure from local militia commanders to vote for certain candidates.


Out of Hiding in Samarra As U.S. and Iraqi troops patrolled the battered streets of Samarra, the central Iraqi city reclaimed from insurgents in two days of lopsided battle, residents emerged Sunday reporting thirst, hunger and casualties among the civilian population, according to news service accounts from the city.


Asian Tech Stocks Rally, Dollar Edges Up (Reuters) Reuters - A rally in semiconductor-related\stocks, including Advantest Corp., propelled Asian shares\higher on Monday as investors added to a U.S. buying spree and\turned optimistic on earnings prospects.


Japan Shares Up 2 Percent by Midday  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese stocks rose 1.9 percent by  midsession on Monday as a strong performance by U.S.  semiconductor-related stocks gave a push to Japanese peers such  as Advantest Corp. and as banks extended last week's gains.


Finder of first Peking Man skull commemorated in Beijing An exhibition is being held in Beijing to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Pei Wenzhong,the discoverer of the first Peking Man skull.


Trash Begins to Clutter Space Station There #39;s no space in the space station. With no garbage pickup by shuttles for nearly two years, the international space station is looking more and more like a cluttered attic.


Ernie rids himself of demons Kilkenny - World number two Ernie Els and Denmark #39;s Thomas Bjorn have finally rid themselves of the golfing demons that threatened to derail their careers.


Federer wins Thailand Open World number one Roger Federer thumped second-ranked Andy Roddick in straight sets 6-4, 6-0 to win the Thailand Open in Bangkok on Sunday.


Atlanta uses fourth-quarter spurt to drop Panthers CHARLOTTE - As Jake Delhomme walked off the field Sunday, he turned to Atlanta Falcons cornerback Kevin Mathis and said, I bet youd like to play against me every week.


San Francisco 49ers SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- The St. Louis Rams still have plenty of offensive firepower. The same could not be said for the San Francisco 49ers.


Rightist Tokyo governor Ishihara says war kept Asia safe from  <b>...</b> Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara is a gracious host, settling comfortably into a white leather chair and patiently listening to a question from a visitor.


Singapore #39;s speech ran counter to basic rights The nation has always been independent from China. Not for a single day has it been ruled by China. Twenty-three million Taiwanese -- 7.7 times the number of


Lazard #39;s Wasserstein Faces Board Dissent Over IPO, People Say Bruce Wasserstein #39;s plan to sell shares of Lazard LLC, the world #39;s largest closely held investment bank, may face opposition from the firm #39;s 11-member board tomorrow at a meeting in Paris, people familiar with the matter said.


Issing sees inflation above target Inflation rates in Europe are unlikely to fall below the European Central Bank #39;s 2 percent target for the rest of the year because of high oil prices, ECB board member Ottmar Issing said Sunday.


Northwest #39;s CEO Deplanes And then there was one. Northwest Airlines (NWAC ) reported Oct. 1 that its CEO, Richard H. Anderson, is quitting to take a job in the health-care industry.


So Much For Hollowing Out Lying 800 kilometers south of Tokyo on the island of Kyushu, Oita prefecture is hardly the kind of place you would expect to find the trendsetting titans of Japan Inc.


A Gusher Of Cash For Domestic Drilling While the rest of the country frets over surging energy prices, a small but growing group of businesses is fueling a boom of sorts in the US oil patch.


Els closes with 69, edges Bjorn to win WGC title The pressure to win made Ernie Els feel like he was in a major. Given all he has been through this year, his victory in the American Express Championship sure felt like one.


Astros can clinch last playoff berth Sunday BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) -- It would be fitting for the Houston Astros to clinch a playoff spot at Minute Maid Park, but they will have to do it without Roger Clemens.


Guillermo Canas wins championship at Shanghai Open Guillermo Canas won his third title of the year yesterday with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over unseeded German Lars Burgsmuller at the ATP Shanghai Open.


Turkey At The EU #39;s Door Turkey #39;s decades-long quest to join the European Union looks set to take a great leap forward. On Oct. 6 the European Commission in Brussels is due to release its opinion on whether Turkey has met the legal


Giants See Daylight at Right Time Tiki Barber sprinted for a 52-yard touchdown in the third quarter, the play that the Giants would ride to their third victory of the season.


Jets Grab, Pick and Sack to Victory A stirring defensive effort by the Jets produced 7 points, 4 turnovers, 4 sacks and a victory over the Dolphins in Pro Player Stadium.


Earnhardt Takes Lead Despite winning Sunday's race and taking the overall Nextel Cup lead, Dale Earnhardt Jr. could lose points after cursing in an interview.


Japan to Ask U.S. to Remove Some Okinawa Bases -Paper  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan plans to ask the United States to  move some U.S. marine bases from its southernmost prefecture of  Okinawa to a location outside Japan, the daily Yomiuri Shimbun  said on Monday.


Poll gives Kerry post-debate lead After the first TV debate in the US presidential campaign, polls give good news for the Democrats.


In Russia, Dissent Grows Over Moves to Curb Autonomy President Vladimir V. Putin's plan to concentrate more power in the Kremlin has inflamed popular discontent.


Haitian Death Toll From Storm Nears 2,000 GONAIVES, Haiti - The death toll from floods unleashed by Tropical Storm Jeanne rose sharply to nearly 2,000 people, with many still missing, as officials said they found hundreds more bodies in Haiti's devastated northwestern region.    Officials, who had previously put the toll at 1,550 dead and about 900 missing, could not immediately provide specifics on the higher toll announced Sunday night, but said hundreds more bodies were found in recent days in areas outside the hard-hit town of Gonaives...


Results Show Da Silva Leading Brazil Vote Brazilian voters gave a boost to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in nationwide municipal elections on Sunday, according to initial results, in the first electoral test for the leftist leader and his plans to remake Latin America's biggest country.


SunGard to Spin Off Data Unit SunGard, which provides software and services to top financial companies, plans to spin off its disaster data recovery business into a separate publicly traded company.


Hitting History: Seattle outfielder singles in first two at-bats <b>...</b> What once looked like a forgettable season-ending weekend at Safeco Field came alive Friday night. Ichiro Suzuki became major league baseball #39;s single-season


Gadaffi Family Vow to Help Free Hostage Members of the Gadaffi family have pledged to support efforts to free British hostage Kenneth Bigley, his brother claimed today. Paul Bigley said that Colonel Gadaffis London-based


MANNY MUSU HEADS TO ITALY The five-year-old naturalised Australian girl seriously injured in last month #39;s bombing outside Australia #39;s embassy in Jakarta is leaving hospital in Singapore for Italy.


Khmer Rouge face genocide trial CAMBODIA #39;S legislature has approved a UN pact to put surviving Khmer Rouge leaders on trial for genocide. Atrocities claimed nearly two million lives during their rule in the late 1970s.


Manny flies to Italy after stunning recovery SINGAPORE (AFP): A five-year-old Indonesian girl critically injured in last month #39;s bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta flew to a new life in Italy on Monday after making a spectacular recovery at a Singapore hospital.


Pakistani Journalists Arrive in India for Unprecedented Kashmir <b>...</b> A group of Pakistani journalists has arrived in India for an unprecedented visit to the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. Indian officials say the delegation crossed the border between the two nuclear


New Tungsten Boasts Big Storage PalmOne's Tungsten T5 comes with 256MB of flash memory, so you never risk losing your data.


Yahoo Local Officially Launches After just two months in testing, Yahoo has pushed its local search out of beta and is giving the service prominent exposure on the Yahoo home page.


Michael Peltier: Some insurers waiving mulitple deductibles Homeowners unfortunate enough to get slammed by multiple hurricanes in the past seven weeks have had to face the risk of another less deadly but more expensive disaster.


Mariners Notebook: Ichiro pads hit parade Sisler set the all-time record for hits in a season in 1920 with 257, wresting the record from Ty Cobb, who #39;d set it nine years earlier with 248.


Henry scores two as Arsenal crushes Charlton 4-0 London, Oct 04 - Thierry Henry scored twice as arsenal easily beat Charlton 4-0 to extend its unbeaten premier league streak to 48 matches and bounce back from alleged team disunity.


Pats capitalize on others #39; mistakes On the road, the momentum and most of the crowd against them, and trailing their division rivals by seven points, the Patriots responded to the challenge with a tying touchdown


The Broad Reach of Satellite Radio XM Satellite's recruitment of well-known personalities, including Bob Edwards, has been the most aggressive effort to date to win listeners.


Taiwan Nervous That China Embargo May End (AP) AP - Taiwan is getting jittery about a new push within the European Union to lift a 15-year embargo on weapons sales to China  #151; the communist giant that's been threatening to attack this tiny democratic island.


Haitian Death Toll From Storm Nears 2,000 (AP) AP - The death toll from floods unleashed by Tropical Storm Jeanne rose sharply to nearly 2,000 people, with many still missing, as officials said they found hundreds more bodies in Haiti's devastated northwestern region.


Kerry Says Republicans Suppressing Voting (AP) AP - Republicans have been trying to suppress voting in states where the presidential race is too close to call, Democratic nominee John Kerry said Sunday at one of the city's largest predominantly black churches.


Brazil's Ruling Party Faces Sao Paulo Run-Off Vote  SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - President Luiz Inacio Lula da  Silva's Workers' Party (PT) won the mayoralty of six state  capitals in Sunday's municipal vote but was forced into a  run-off to defend its hold on the race's biggest prize, the  city of Sao Paulo.


China holds firm over yuan reform Chinese banking officials say they will not rush any moves to ease the yuan from its tight peg against the US dollar.


Crude Oil Prices Ease Slightly Crude oil prices eased slightly in early morning Asian trade Monday after pushing above the psychologically important \$50 mark for the first time last week.


Citigroup #39;s Yamada, Top Technical Analyst, Sees Dow Falling The Dow Jones Industrial Average failed three times this year to exceed its previous high and fell to about 10,000 each time, most recently a week ago.


Rams Defeat Winless 49ers 24-14 (AP) AP - There was nothing wrong with the St. Louis Rams' offense that a trip to San Francisco couldn't fix. Marc Bulger passed for 186 yards, Marshall Faulk rushed for 121 more and St. Louis sent the woeful 49ers to their first 0-4 start in 25 years with a 24-14 victory on Sunday night.


Rock to the rescue of Malaysia Taking a break from fiery sermons, Malaysias fundamentalist Islamic opposition group enlisted rock singers to loosen up its image.


Nikkei Up 2.5 Pct in Afternoon  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average jumped 2.5 percent  by mid-afternoon on Monday as semiconductor-related stocks such  as Advantest Corp. mirrored a rally by their U.S. peers while  banks and brokerages extended last week's gains.


UPDATE 1-ECB #39;s Noyer urges fiscal discipline, reforms Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer on Sunday urged countries to tighten their public finances and implement reforms to help generate non-inflationary growth.


Don #39;t bank on double-digit returns from funds Most investors envy Jack R. Meyer with his double-digit returns over the past year, but even he says he will have trouble making much money in the years to come.


Accountant testifies he lied about Enron barge deal HOUSTON, Texas - A former Enron accountant testified this week that he knew an arrangement to temporarily sell Merrill Lynch some barges just to boost Enron #39;s bottom line was wrong and he planned to lie about it if confronted.


Sony drops copy-control CDs Sony Music Entertainment Japan has decided to drop the copy-protection on its CDs from November 17 onwards. Copy protection was introduced by the company in January last year.


Sci/Tech ; Viral movies possible with RealPlayer flaw  quot;Anyone who has RealPlayer is affected, and there are many people with RealPlayer, quot; said Marc Maiffret, chief hacking officer at software security company eEye Digital Security, the company that discovered the security issue.


Funk ends six-year victory drought Fred Funk can relax. He doesn #39;t have to carry six years #39; worth of frustration anymore. The 48-year-old US Ryder Cup player won his sixth PGA Tour title Sunday, closing with a birdie for a one-stroke victory in the Southern Farm Bureau Classic.


Brazil #39;s Workers #39; Party gains in mayoral voting President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva #39;s left-leaning Workers #39; Party posted significant wins in nationwide municipal elections Sunday and expanded its reach into Brazil #39;s mammoth interior.


Susilo thanks Indonesians for electing him : Former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono thanked Indonesians on Monday for electing him as the next president and said he would work hard to resolve the country #39;s problems.


Cambodian Assembly Ratifies Khmer Rouge Trial Pact The Cambodian parliament ratified an agreement with the United Nations on Monday on setting up a tribunal to try surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime responsible for the deaths of 1.7 million people.


Hurricanes Likely To Cause Insurers #39; Rates To Rise MIAMI -- Four hurricanes in just six weeks are likely going to force Florida #39;s top two insurers to raise rates or reduce their business in the state.


Telecom denial over AAPT Telecom yesterday denied its AAPT consumer business in Australia was on the block, reports NZPA. The company played down chief financial officer Marko Bogoievski #39;s statement in a media report from New York


Sony of Japan abandons copy-control music CDs, adapting to <b>...</b> Sony Corp. #39;s music unit is abandoning its CDs that use built-in technology that limits copying them, after pushing the program for two years.


US users know more about boobs than viruses US COMPUTER users know more about the Janet Jackson #39;s breast exposure than they down about their own anti-virus software, according to a survey.


Thailand bird flu deaths increase A girl has died of bird flu in Thailand, the 11th confirmed victim of the disease this year. Kanda Srileung-On died in the north of the country, hours after testing positive for the virus, apparently caught from infected chickens.


Afghan campaign picks up as Karzai heads for Berlin Afghan President Hamid Karzai #39;s deputies campaigned for him on Saturday ahead of presidential elections seven days later, while the candidate himself prepared to fly to Germany to collect an international award.


Khmer Rouge tribunal pact OKd in Cambodia Cambodia #39;s legislature on Monday approved a long-delayed agreement to put surviving Khmer Rouge leaders on trial for atrocities that claimed nearly two million


Shares Dip Amid Economic, Security Fears  LONDON (Reuters) - European shares fell and government  bonds rose on Monday following an attack on a U.S. consulate in  Saudi Arabia and as Friday's weak U.S. jobs data continued to  chip away at economic confidence.


Former General Yudhoyono Wins Indonesia Poll  JAKARTA (Reuters) - Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has won  Indonesia's presidential election run-off in a landslide,  capping a rapid rise to power for the former general who has  vowed to create jobs, stamp out graft and fight terrorism.


Yudhoyono set to claim victory Counting in Indonesia's  presidential election is nearly over, with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono the easy winner.


US launches new raids on Falluja US air strikes on the rebellious Iraqi city of Falluja kill at least seven people, hospital officials say.


Tuesday's Debate Has New Importance After what Republicans acknowledge was President Bush's faltering performance in his televised encounter with Democratic nominee John F. Kerry, the vice presidential debate has assumed critical importance, with Republicans depending on Vice President Cheney to halt the ticket's slide in momentum.


A Brutal Sexual Assault Galvanizes Swazi Women  MANZINI, Swaziland -- Gugu Pungwayo couldn't bear to read the newspaper article. She recalled that she glanced at the headline, then put the paper down. Picked it up again. Put it down. Again. And again.


Sharapova Wins Hansol Korea Open Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova won the first-ever Korea Open on Sunday. The top-seeded 17-year old Russian beat Poland #39;s Marta Domachowska in straight sets -- 6-1, 6-1 -- in less than an hour.


Elbaradei Expresses Hope for Quick Settlement of S. Korea #39;s <b>...</b> Mohamed ElBaradei, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency has voiced hopes for a quick and conclusive settlement of his agency #39;s probe into South Korea #39;s past nuclear experiments.


PHILIPPINES PRESS: Smart, Mobile One In Talks For Tie-Up MANILA (Dow Jones)--Smart Communications Inc., the top mobile phone operator in the Philippines, is in talks with Singapore #39;s Mobile One Ltd.


X Prize try today may set history A maverick California company is poised to launch a bid today to win the \$10 million Ansari X Prize, a global competition expected to spur a  quot;personal spaceflight revolution.


October is computer safety month A survey by the National Cyber Security Alliance has suggested one in three Americans think they #39;re more likely to win the lottery than get to a computer virus.


Whats common to country music WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 1: Researchers who found a link between country music and suicide, and a man who patented his combover hairstyle won IgNobel Awards for true but funny experiments.


Who Els but Ernie for title DOING SA PROUD: Ernie Els holds the World Golf Championship trophy after winning at the Mount Juliet course in Ireland yesterday. (AP).


FANS WANT TRINIDAD- HOPKINS II IT took just eight explo- sive rounds for Felix  quot;Tito quot; Trinidad to put himself back atop boxing #39;s mantle of greatness.


TESTING TIMES FOR OWEN Striker Michael Owen is facing a battle to prove his form and fitness as the pressure grew on his starting place for Englands World Cup qualifier against Wales.


Arms, Cars Top Schrders China Trip German Chancellor Gerhard Schrder arrived in Beijing on Monday for a three-day visit focusing on expanding trade ties and the European Unions ban on arms sales to China.


Automakers improve side-impact protection Responding to a tough insurance industry crash test, automakers are making major strides to improve the safety of family sedans, according to new data released Sunday.


Smart, Mobile One in talks for tie-up Philippines mobile phone operator Smart Communications Inc. is in talks with Singapore #39;s Mobile One for a possible tie-up, BusinessWorld reported Monday.


Fannie #39;s funny accounting Fannie Mae #39;s newly discovered accounting artifices could give lagging reform efforts in Congress some impetus. Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are financial behemoths and political sacred cows - escaping


Astronauts conduct fall cleaning in space So, a few weeks ago, the two astronauts who live there tossed out some junk, like so many old hubcaps for the trash heap. And the throwing away - done during a recent spacewalk -as done cautiously so


Oil prices boosting BP's fortunes Oil giant BP reports buoyant trading in the third quarter, with production up by 11, on the back of soaring crude prices.


Priest #39;s gift will help students afford college MARINE CITY -- Following a lifetime of helping people through his church work, the Rev. Donald Bartone #39;s \$575,000 gift will help renew that dedication nearly two years after his death.


Freddie Mac finds stability in this week #39;s mortgage rates Mortgage rates inched up last week, but they remained well below the year-high levels set during the spring. Freddie Mac, in its weekly survey released Thursday, reported that rates on 30-year


The wrong stuff: junk in space station So a few weeks ago, the two astronauts who live there tossed out some useless junk, like so many old hubcaps for the trash heap. And the throwing-away -- done


Around the world The death toll from floods unleashed by Tropical Storm Jeanne rose sharply Sunday to nearly 2,000 people, with many still missing, as officials said they found hundreds more bodies in Haiti #39;s devastated northwestern region.


Khmer Rouge tribunal approved Cambodia has ratified legislation to set up a UN-assisted tribunal which will put leaders of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime on trial.


Macromedia readies Captivate for demos and simulations Macromedia on Monday is announcing Captivate, formerly known as RoboDemo, for recording onscreen activity and building software demonstrations and interactive simulations.


PalmOne unveils Tungsten T5 In a crowded corporate market where handhelds and handsets are fighting it out for supremacy, PalmOne will introduce a device this week it hopes will cut through the noise.


SBC has one-stop message service Residential and small business customers of SBC Communications Inc. in Flint, Ann Arbor and metro Detroit can now access their home and wireless voice mail as well as e-mail accounts


Sugar business sours as US goes diet crazy Mary Poppins was wrong.  quot;A spoonful of sugar quot; doesn #39;t cut it anymore. In a diet-obsessed culture, many Americans are going sour on sugar.


Amgen bone drug shows success Amgen Inc. said Sunday results of a small trial showed its experimental osteoporosis drug increased bone density in post-menopausal women, potentially reducing the risk of fractures associated with the bone-thinning disease.


Wiseman Dairies in talks to sell stake Scotland #39;s biggest dairy firm, Robert Wiseman Dairies RWD.L , says it is in talks with farmers #39; co-operative First Milk, which supplies Wiseman with milk, about buying a 15 percent stake in Wiseman.


Cheers as Mugabe slaps down Moyo He has lost his position on the key body of the ruling party Zanu-PF but retains his seat in cabinet. Mr Moyo is the architect of tough media laws which have seen the banning of foreign correspondents and the closure of the only private daily paper.


Shuttle #39;s spring 2005 launch delayed The first shuttle flight since the Columbia tragedy has been pushed back by NASA. This is due to hurricane damages and implementation of new safety measures.


State cancels two technology contracts The State Technology Office plans to cancel two multimillion-dollar contracts, now that several investigations have discovered two companies were given unfair advantages.


Trinidad #39;s sights on Hopkins In the wee hours yesterday morning, promoter Don King stood at a podium inside Madison Square Garden and -- in the midst of a bombastic assault on his


McClaren: I hope I haven #39;t helped Wales in World Cup ENGLAND coach Steve McClaren hopes he has not handed Wales the World Cup blueprint to curb the threat of Wayne Rooney. McClaren #39;s Middlesbrough manfully threw up the barricades at Old Trafford yesterday as


Earnhardt cusses up a controversy Two fresh tires helped Dale Earnhardt Jr. win the EA Sports 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway yesterday, but a four-letter word he said in Victory Lane might cost him the points lead.


Vick powers Atlanta past Carolina again As linebacker Keith Brooking headed to the Atlanta Falcons locker room, he bellowed to nobody in particular: We own the South, baby!


Stung by one that got away It should have been the perfect cap to another precious win for Corey Dillon. For the first time in his three games as a Patriot, Dillon


13 More Killed In On-going Gaza Violence Dubai, Oct. 4 (NNN): At least 13 Palestinians were killed as Israel continued its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, with an air strike in the north, during the past 24 hours.


Car bomb kills 8 in Baghdad Two blasts have shaken separate areas of central Baghdad, with one car bomb blast near the heavily defended Green Zone killing at least eight people and wounding 30, doctors and witnesses say.


Pope puts 5 faithful on path to sainthood VATICAN CITYPope John Paul II yesterday honoured two figures linked to controversy, beatifying German mystic Sister Anna Katharina Emmerick, whose violent visions of Christ #39;s suffering helped inspire Mel Gibson #39;s film The Passion Of The Christ, and the


Iraqi, US Forces Patrol Sunni Triangle SAMARRA, Iraq -- Iraqi security forces are patrolling the Sunni Triangle city of Samarra after US and Iraqi soldiers claimed victory in retaking the city from insurgent forces.


Detainees fight British anti-terrorism law Nine Muslims held indefinitely without charge in Britain are challenging the country #39;s highest court against their detention. The nine are among 11 foreign men held under the Anti Terrorism, Crime and Security


Update 3: Economic Powers Vow Aid for Poor Nations Rich nations pledged an agreement soon on forgiving the debt burden weighing on poor nations in Africa, Latin America and Asia but remained divided on reducing billions of dollars of Iraqi debt.


Some insurers limited Vioxx Some large health insurers are feeling vindicated after Merck #39;s decision to withdraw its painkiller Vioxx from the market because long-term use raises the risk of heart attack or stroke.


Market ends at record OFFSHORE gains drove the share market to record levels today, albeit on lower than average volume because of little trade in three states which are having public holidays today.


Reaching the limits of space inside the space station So a few weeks ago, the two astronauts who live there tossed out some useless junk, like so many old hubcaps for the trash heap. And the throwing-away - done during a recent spacewalk -as


Coral copyright plan faces Apple, MS barriers NEITHER APPLE nor Microsoft will join a consortium formed today to address digital rights management for music and films. But the Coral Consortium has heavyweight firms Sony, Samsung, Philips, Matsushita, HP and 20th Century Fox backing their plans.


Sony Corp abandons copy-control music CDs Sony Corp #39;s music unit is abandoning its CDs that use built-in technology that limits copying them, after pushing the program for two years.


Red Hat Buys Technology from Netscape Linux distributor Red Hat Inc. RHAT.O said on Thursday that it had bought Netscape #39;s computer user identification and management technology from America Online Inc.


Two explosion rock Baghdad #39;s city center and Green Zone A car bomb blew up near one of the entrances to the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad on Monday, wounding many civilians, witnesses and security sources said.


Turkey Confident of EU Membership Turkeys prime minister said yesterday that admitting his Muslim-majority country to the European Union would contribute to reconciliation between civilizations and expressed confidence that the EUs executive will recommend opening membership


Poverty poses threat, finance leaders told World finance leaders ended their annual meeting yesterday with renewed pledges to promote global prosperity, amid warnings that the battle against poverty had taken a back seat to the war on terrorism.


Pol Pot and his change from man to beast Philip Short took four years to write this biography, after completing his much-praised life of Mao Zedong () in 1999. He has trawled deep and wide, reading what are probably


Karzai skips campaign trail, visits Germany instead Afghan President Hamid Karzai was in Germany yesterday to receive an award, his office said, just days before his war-plagued nation will hold its first direct presidential election.


Iran rebuffs Kerry nuclear proposal Washington says Iran plans to use its nuclear facilities to make atom bombs. Tehran says it merely wants to. US President George W. Bush wants Iran referred to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions.


Smaller auditors find niche While the Big Four are pulling back from the small-company market, a passel of regional and  quot;second tier quot; national accounting firms are eagerly filling the gap.


Lastminute.com Says Annual Profit to Be at Low End of Forecasts Lastminute.com Plc, an unprofitable UK travel company, expects profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to be at the lower end of its forecasts next fiscal year as the company struggles to cut costs.


Mount Vernon City Library to close books on rural readers MOUNT VERNON - Mickey Bambrick, who home-schools her 5-year-old son, is already on the second reading of the books at her small public library in La Conner, Skagit County.


Chance to try out new MSN Messenger Web surfers in the United States and five other countries will be invited this week to begin using a new version of MSN Messenger that includes a search function in the message window, reports on the Web said.


EU braces for revolution if Turkey joins club Admitting mainly Muslim Turkey into the European Union would mark nothing short of a cultural, economic and political revolution for Europe, analysts say.


Indonesia #39;s Yudhoyono Wins Presidential Election (Update2) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has won Indonesia #39;s presidential election after the former general garnered support from three-fifths of voters, the General Election Commission said.


Bomb victim makes good recovery A five-year-old Indonesian girl critically injured in last month #39;s Australian embassy bombing in Jakarta has made a remarkable recovery and will leave hospital this week, press reports said yesterday.


Macromedia readies Captivate for demos and simulations (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Macromedia on Monday is announcing Captivate, formerly known as RoboDemo, for recording onscreen activity and building software demonstrations and interactive simulations.


Nobel Prize Winners to Be Announced (AP) AP - The guessing game over who will take home the world's most coveted awards ends this week with the announcement of the 2004 Nobel Prize winners.


IMF sees rising oil prices having little impact on global growth (AFP) AFP - Rising oil prices are unlikely to deal a major blow to global economic growth although the trend may seem  quot;uncomfortable, quot; a researcher with the International Monetary Fund says.


German food retailer Spar sells 50-pct stake in Netto discount to ITM (AFP) AFP - Spar, Germany's eighth-biggest food supermarket chain, plans to sell a 50-percent stake in its discount arm Netto to its French parent company ITM Entreprises, Spar's new chairman Stephan Schelo said in a newspaper interview.


Asian Stocks Surge, Dollar Edges  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian shares jumped to multi-month  highs on Monday on a rally in semiconductor-related issues,  including Japan's Advantest Corp., and European stocks were set  to rise after a rally in U.S. markets.


Live-in lab  CAMBRIDGE -- Greater Boston's newest cutting-edge research lab boasts no test tubes, lasers, or printed circuit boards -- at least none in plain view. It looks like what it is: a clean, modern, and sparsely furnished 950-square-foot condominium near Central Square.


Small drugstores seek advantage in prepackaged pills NEW BEDFORD -- The fight for a bigger slice of the pharmacy business in New Bedford is being waged in a converted bank branch on the north side of town.


What's your TLA IQ? Acronyms are the secret language of technology and biotech. If you have to ask what they mean, you're not an insider. There are even acronyms on top of acronyms: someone who peppers his speech with TLAs is fond of using ''three-letter acronyms. quot;


Fastow might be called as hostile witness in Enron trial HOUSTON -- Enron Corp.'s former finance chief, Andrew Fastow, is not a defendant or a prosecution witness in the first criminal trial to emerge from the energy company's crash, but he could be called to testify for the defense -- possibly as a hostile witness.


EMC debuts data-management software The Hopkinton data storage company EMC Corp. will roll out a set of new products today, aimed at filling out the company's  quot;information lifecycle management quot; strategy.


Prototype keyboards go against type If you attended last week's Emerging Technologies Conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, you probably weren't on the lookout for ways to become a better typist. This is MIT, after all -- Rocket Science Central. Couldn't they offer something more challenging?


7-Eleven enhances prepaid cellphone service 7-Eleven Inc. , the convenience store chain that launched its own prepaid cellphone brand last spring, is rolling out two big enhancements this week in New England markets: premium handsets with cameras and FM radios, and minutes that don't expire for a full year.


Ahold to sell off its Spanish holdings AMSTERDAM -- The Dutch supermarket retailer Ahold, seeking to streamline global operations and reduce debt, said yesterday that it will sell its holdings in Spain to Permira Funds, for roughly \$849 million.


State Street fund tops August sales State Street Corp.'s SPDR Trust was the best-selling mutual fund with US investors in August, according to estimates by Financial Research Corp. It was the first time an exchange-traded fund led monthly fund sales.


Buying a stereo with the Dropkick Murphys The bass should be in your face. That's what Matt Kelly, of Boston's popular punk rock band Dropkick Murphys, thinks is the mark of a great stereo system. And he should know. Kelly, 29, is the drummer for the band that likes to think of itself as a bit of an Irish lucky charm for the Red Sox.


AT amp;T, Vonage Cut Prices on Internet Calling AT amp;T Corp. and Internet telephone provider Vonage said on Thursday they were cutting prices for their residential Internet calling services by \$5 per month, the strongest


Els earns title as Woods is relegated Ernie Els got the better of Thomas Bjorn yet again yesterday to win his first solo World Golf Championships title. And on a horribly wet and windy day at Mount Juliet in County


Pantherscontain Vick,butstilllose CHARLOTTE, NC The Carolina Panthers finally found a way to contain Michael Vick, but it didn #39;t matter. The Atlanta Falcons still found a way to win, moving to 4-0 to match the best start in franchise history.


Allergy Free Soybean Plant Found in Ill. (AP) AP - Plant geneticist Ted Hymowitz knew that finding an allergy-free soybean would take a painstaking search through thousands of varieties. So Hymowitz got a grant, fetched a hammer and pounded away until he proved he was right.


Taliban target Cheney visit to Karzai ceremony The Taliban has said that it is aiming to disrupt the inaugaration ceremony of Afghanistan #39;s new president, Hamid Karzai, which will be attended by Dick Cheney, the American vice-president, Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary.


Vibrator shuts down Australian airport (AFP) AFP - Hundreds of airline passengers suffered disruption to their travel plans when a major regional airport was shut down for an hour after a humming and vibrating adult sex toy was mistaken for a bomb.


Bush, Kerry Forces Woo the Undecided (AP) AP - Put Barbara White down as undecided in the race for the White House.


Mideast Dispute Fades U.S. Political Issue (AP) AP - At a time of some of the worst fighting in years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict wasn't even mentioned in last week's presidential debate and has been little discussed during the campaign.


Supreme Court Addresses Prison Sentences (AP) AP - With thousands of prison sentences on the line, the Supreme Court will decide whether judges have too much power to tack on extra cell time in a case that one justice said could wreak havoc on courthouses nationwide.


Israel Urged to Limit Military Response (AP) AP - The State Department called on Israel Friday to limit its military response to a rocket attack by Hamas that killed two small Israeli children.


Powerful Bomb Blasts Shake Central Baghdad  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two bomb blasts shook separate areas of  central Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 10 people and  wounding 70, while U.S. and Iraqi forces pursued their  offensive against rebel strongholds elsewhere in the country.


Taiwan Chen Plans National Day Speech on China  TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said on  Monday he will make an important policy statement in his  National Day address on Oct. 10 that aims to soothe tense  relations with arch-foe China.


UN Nuclear Chief Wins S.Korean Cooperation Pledge  SEOUL (Reuters) - Top international nuclear regulator  Mohamed ElBaradei won a pledge from South Korea on Monday to  cooperate with the U.N. watchdog in the run-up to a report that  Seoul hopes will lift suspicions of clandestine atomic  activities.


Taipei battles ant infestation \The red fire ant, vicious and sometimes fatal, has infested the Taiwanese capital Taipei.


Vibrating trousers treat angina Patients with heart disease are being offered a  treatment with a difference - vibrating trousers.


Axed TV presenter joins Russian Newsweek The dismissal in June of Leonid Parfyonov, one of the best-known screen faces in Russia whose programme often tested the limits of Kremlin-defined political correctness, triggered fears of further crackdown on media freedom.


35 accused of Qaeda-linked plot to bomb targets in Lebanon BEIRUT -- A military prosecutor has charged 35 Arab nationals and alleged members of an Al Qaeda-linked terror group with plotting to bomb foreign targets in Lebanon, including the Italian and Ukrainian diplomatic missions, judicial officials said yesterday.


957 reported dead in '04 as Afghan election looms KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- The killing in Afghanistan spirals onward, undermining US contentions of success in pacifying the country with less than a week to go before a historic experiment with democracy: direct presidential elections.


Friendships drive Islamic terrorists, CIA veteran says PARIS -- Three years after the Sept. 11 attacks forced the West to take a collective crash course on Islamic terrorism, the myths endure: The militants are impoverished and uneducated. Lifelong religious fervor drives them to embrace jihad. Al Qaeda aggressively recruits and brainwashes the men.


Cambodia ratifies deal to try Khmer Rouge leaders PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia's legislature approved a long-delayed agreement today to put surviving Khmer Rouge leaders on trial for atrocities that claimed nearly two million lives during their murderous rule in the late 1970s.


Blair deputy tells political challengers to steer clear LONDON -- Tony Blair's deputy, John Prescott, warned potential leadership rivals yesterday they would not be forgiven for challenging Britain's prime minister and threatening electoral success.


Leader of Haitian Senate arrested PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Gunfire erupted in a slum teeming with loyalists of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide yesterday, sending people scattering through the trash-strewn streets following days of political clashes that have left at least 14 dead.


Some question choices for honors by pope Pope John Paul II yesterday honored two figures linked to controversy, beatifying a German mystic whose violent visions of Christ's suffering helped inspire Mel Gibson's movie ''The Passion of the Christ, quot; and an Austrian emperor whose troops used poison gas. Before 30,000 people, including royalty and government representatives from Latin America and Europe, the pontiff also beatified an Italian nun ...


Victorious Iraqi forces patrol Samarra SAMARRA, Iraq -- Bloodied by weeks of suicide bombings and assassinations, Iraqi security forces emerged yesterday to patrol Samarra after a morale-boosting victory in this Sunni Triangle city, and US commanders praised their performance.


Nobel Prize Winners to Be Announced STOCKHOLM, Sweden - The guessing game over who will take home the world's most coveted awards ends this week with the announcement of the 2004 Nobel Prize winners.    The first announcement comes Monday with the physiology or medicine prize, followed by a week of announcements of winners for physics, chemistry, economics, peace and possibly literature...


Israelis Press Ahead With Gaza Offensive JERUSALEM - Five days into Israel's largest offensive in Gaza in years, army commanders were talking of an operation lasting weeks, while officials looked even further ahead - to Israel's planned evacuation of Gaza settlements next year.    Early Monday, the bodies of four Palestinians were brought from the northern town of Beit Lahiya to a Gaza hospital...


Two Blasts Rip Through Baghdad, Killing 8 BAGHDAD, Iraq - A car bomb exploded at an entrance to the Green Zone, a heavily fortified area in Baghdad that houses the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government buildings, killing at least eight people and wounding about 50, hospital and military officials said...


New Attack Kills Six More in India Strife GAUHATI, India - Suspected rebels woke up sleeping villagers in northeastern India and fired on them with automatic weapons early Monday, killing six and raising the death toll to 63 from three days of violence in a region where dozens of ethnic rebel groups are fighting for separate homelands.    Seven people also were wounded when the group of heavily armed militants descended on Gelapukhuri, a village 130 miles north of Gauhati, the capital of Assam state, said police officer P...


Oil settles above \$50 US NEW YORK -- The price of oil settled above \$50 US a barrel for the first time yesterday amid concerns over tight supplies globally and hurricane-related production problems in the Gulf of Mexico.


Siemens wins 2.7-bln-euro services contract from BBC MUNICH, Germany : German electronics giant Siemens said that its Siemens Business Services unit had signed a 2.7-billion-euro (3.3-billion-dollar) contract to supply technology services to the British Broadcasting Corporation.


Dairy firm in talks to sell stake Scottish dairy firm Robert Wiseman is in talks about selling a 15 stake in the company to farmers #39; co-operative First Milk. The firm said the price of any deal is expected to be 250 pence per share, a 10 premium on Friday #39;s closing price.


Mideast #39;s largest IT fair opens in Dubai DUBAI: The Middle East #39;s largest technology exhibition, GITEX, opened here Sunday with the international IT industry out in full force to showcase the latest market innovations to an expected 100,000 visitors.


SpaceShipOne a Flight Away From \$10M Prize MOJAVE, Calif. Oct. 4, 2004 - Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen has sunk more than \$20 million into developing a manned rocket that reaches space.


Space station strategy Bill Gerstenmaier from NASA #39;s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, has been manager of the International Space Station (ISS) programme for just over two years.


palmOne Announces the Tungsten T5 Its not really much of a surprise at this point, but at least we can now openly talk about the T5 and its specs. The palmOne Tungsten T5 features a Tungsten E-esque design, a brilliant 320x480 display, 256MB RAM, Bluetooth and several software updates.


Rooney brought down to earth After a debut that was the stuff of fantasy, Wayne Rooney was introduced to the real Manchester United yesterday. The 18-year-old could have been forgiven for thinking that life


#39;We own the South #39; Linebacker Keith Brooking makes the claim after 4-0 Atlanta matches the best start in franchise history. By Associated Press. CHARLOTTE, NC - The Atlanta Falcons stormed off the Panthers #39; field, a victory in hand and a message for the rest of the NFL.


North-born trainer lands Arc jackpot Northumberland-born trainer Jonathan Pease was cracking open the champagne last night after winning one of the top prizes in racing.


Juventus stretches Serie A lead with 1-0 win at Udinese Juventus beat Udinese 1-0 on a second-half goal by Uruguayan striker Marcelo Zalayeta and stretched its Serie A lead to two points ahead of surprising Messina on Sunday.


Owens makes Bears sit up and take notice Told that he ticked off the Chicago Bears with his latest touchdown celebration, Terrell Owens shrugged.  quot;Oh, well, quot; the Eagles wide receiver said today after his team #39;s 19-9 victory over the Bears at Soldier Field.


WR Clayton has mixed emotions on rookie year In some ways, this is shaping up as a fine rookie season for Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Michael Clayton, a first-round draft pick this year out of LSU.


Baghdad car bomb kills eight, wounds dozens BAGHDAD - Doctors at a central Baghdad hospital said on Monday at least eight people were killed and 30 wounded in a car bomb blast near one of the entrances to the heavily fortified Green Zone.


Virus found in a dog for first time Asia #39;s deadly bird flu has been found in a dog for the first time in Thailand, authorities said yesterday, as the country battles a second major outbreak of the virus this year.


Terror suspects appeal to Law Lords Nine foreign terror suspects held indefinitely without charge in Britain will challenge their detention before the country #39;s highest court today.


Red Sox enter playoffs with seasoned performers The last two Saturdays of July changed the 2004 Boston baseball season. Before the final two weekends of the seventh month, the Red Sox were alarmingly average. The Olde Towne Team, swollen with the second-highest payroll (\$130 million) in the majors, was finishing a third consecutive month of .500 baseball and a season of great expectations looked like it might ...


Garciaparra still interested in Cubs BASEBALL Nomar Garciaparra can become a free agent after the World Series and will consider returning to the Chicago Cubs, his team for the final two months this season.  quot;Do I know what's going to happen, what is going on? That I can't foresee, quot; Garciaparra said before yesterday's season finale against Atlanta, one day after the Cubs were eliminated from ...


Sky high for Angels BALTIMORE -- It came to this: After traveling 41,442 miles, facing 25,592 pitches, and enduring more ups and downs than their Delta charter, the Red Sox yesterday happily ended the 2004 regular season where they began it in the visiting clubhouse at Camden Yards.


Astros live wild life HOUSTON -- Phil Garner savored the taste of champagne, the smell of his cigar and the wild celebration going on in the Houston Astros' clubhouse.


Twins hit road again Ben Broussard hit a two-run homer to lift the Cleveland Indians to a 5-2 victory over the Twins on a strange afternoon in Minneapolis, sending AL Central champion Minnesota to Yankee Stadium for the start of the playoffs.


For Angels, wings and a few prayers OAKLAND, Calif. -- First of all, clear the dusty library shelves of all history books. The Angels of today, about to face the Red Sox in the American League Division Series, were mostly schoolkids when their haloed forefathers fought the Sox for the '86 American League pennant.


Grieve land? Not this time Somewhere between misery and mediocrity reside the Cleveland Browns. Ten years after Art Modell's midnight run to Baltimore and six years since the franchise was readmitted to Club NFL, Browns fans are still looking for a reason to wear their Dawg Pound masks other than to cover their tears of shame.


Another opponent is left smarting ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Two plays. Two decisions. The difference between two teams. Many things and not many things separated the New England Patriots from the Buffalo Bills yesterday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, but two plays made clear why the Patriots have won their last 18 games while the Bills have now lost six straight and 10 of their last ...


Stung by one that got away ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- It should have been the perfect cap to another precious win for Corey Dillon. For the first time in his three games as a Patriot, Dillon scored a touchdown, and he did so in grand fashion, bulling his way in from 15 yards.


Offenses veer in 4th quarter ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- By the sheer numbers, they seemed equal enough. What separated them, like what has separated Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady for most of their careers, had nothing to do with arm strength or raw talent.


In crunch, Dolphins perfectly awful MIAMI -- The New York Jets went conservative yesterday, waiting for the mistakes that have doomed the Miami Dolphins in every game this season.


Happy returns for Revolution If Chicago defeats Columbus at Soldier Field Wednesday, the Fire will lead the Revolution by six points for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth. But the Revolution could be in position to earn the tiebreaker advantage when they meet the Fire at Gillette Stadium Oct. 16.


Sun shine again on way to Finals Taj McWilliams-Franklin burst into tears at the buzzer, her emotions finally getting the best of her.


Better late than never: Auburn climbs into mix The Auburn Tigers are coming. Steadily, but picking up speed and power. In the Southeastern Conference, the preseason chatter was about Louisiana State, the defending co-national champion, and perhaps Georgia.


PalmOne #39;s T5, Physician Friendly PalmOne has introduced the Tungsten T5 handheld with 256MB of flash memory aimed at physicians and healthcare professionals. The Tungsten T5 handheld #39;s flash memory protects information even if the device


ROWNS 17, REDSKINS 13; Redskins 1-for-11 on third downs Finally on the field, Lee Suggs got the Browns running in the right direction. Suggs, who missed the first three games with a neck injury, rushed for 82 yards and scored on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter.


Delaware to see Oracle-PeopleSoft (TheDeal.com) TheDeal.com - The takeover fight moves to Delaware's Court of Chancery, even as PeopleSoft dismisses its CEO.


Musharraf agrees war on terror makes world less safe Visiting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf agreed with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) here on Monday that the war on terror had made the world less safeand was not addressing the underlying causes of conflict.


Bird Flu Kills Nine-Year-Old Thai Girl, 31st Victim (Reuters) Reuters - Asia's bird flu epidemic, which experts\fear could spawn a human pandemic, has claimed its 31st victim,\a nine-year-old Thai girl who had contact with infected\chickens at home.


BP production up 11 percent Oil major BP #39;s BP.L oil and gas production has risen 11 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, with sharply rising Russian output counteracting falls elsewhere, as oil prices soared to new highs.


UPDATE: 20th Century Fox Joins Blu-ray Disc Indus Group TOKYO (Dow Jones)--Hollywood movie studio the 20th Century Fox of News Corp. (NWS) said Monday it has joined an international industry association to develop and promote the Blu-ray Disc format - one of two


Lastminute.com Says Profit to Be at Low End of Range (Update1) Lastminute.com Plc, an unprofitable UK travel company, expects profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to be at the lower end of its forecast in fiscal 2005 as the company struggles to cut costs.


The looming national benefit crisis The long-term economic health of the United States is threatened by \$53 trillion in government debts and liabilities that start to come due in four years when baby boomers begin to retire.


Kodak wins Sun Java patents case, wants \$1bn Kodak is returning to court this week to claim \$1bn in damages and unpaid royalties from Sun Microsystems. The court found in favour of the camera company on Friday and ruled that Sun had infringed Kodak #39;s Java patents.


Siemens buys BBC technology for 150m Siemens have landed a ten-year deal to provide IT services to the BBC in an outsourcing contract, worth about 200m a year. The German technology group has been selected as part of a cost-cutting initiative


Voice over IP coming to NMCI If plans by officials at the Navy and EDS work out, the Navy Marine Corps Intranet could soon become one of the largest systems using voice-over-IP technology in the world.


Violence Erupts in Southern Thailand A massive airdrop of paper birds intended to promote peace failed to halt violence in Thailand #39;s restive south, with a spate of new attacks Monday that targeted soldiers and local officials.


SpaceShipOne set to take X-Prize The rocket plane SpaceShipOne is just one flight away from claiming the Ansari X-Prize, a \$10m award designed to kick-start private space travel.


Israeli Spy Freed in Exchange for 6 Students Egypt set free an Israeli intelligence agent, Azzam Azzam, in exchange for six Egyptian students. One of Azzam #39;s relatives spoke to Israeli Radio and said that Azzam entered Israel through the Taba control point in the city of Eylat and was looking well.


India clinch home TV deal India fans will be able to watch the Test series against Australia after a domestic television deal is reached.


Twin Car Bombs Explode in Baghdad, Killing at Least 10 A car bomb exploded near an entrance to Baghdad's Green Zone, killing at least 10 people and wounding 76. Less than an hour later, a second car bomb blew up near the Baghdad Hotel.


In The Service: EDS Gets Intranet Project Back On Track EDS #39;s effort to build the Navy and Marine Corps Intranet has been plagued by problems ever since the services vendor won the original \$6.


PalmOne unveils 256MB Flash drive T5 PDA PalmOne launched the Tungsten T5, its first PDA to ship with 256MB of memory and the first to operate as a USB Flash drive, this morning, as anticipated.


Tech powers seek antipiracy accord A consortium of technology companies hopes to create a common antipiracy language, ending the Babel of copy-proofing technologies that has rendered much digital content and hardware incompatible.


Sony abandons copy-protected CDs Sony is abandoning its copy-protected CDs that use built-in technology to limit copying them. The CDs allow users to copy their music once for free onto a personal computer, but use the internet to charge a fee for subsequent copies of the same disc.


Ferguson praise for Boro Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson refused to criticise his side after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Middlesbrough.


Pack goes  #39;poof #39; with Favre on sidelines The Green Bay Packers finally got a glimpse of life without Brett Favre on Sunday. And with their franchise quarterback watching the last 1 1/2 quarters from the sidelines, there wasn #39;t much life in the Green Bay Packers.


Sfa Eye Euro 2008 The Scottish Football Association have confirmed their interest in staging Euro 2008 if UEFA are not satisfied with the preparations being made by Austria and Switzerland.


Eight killed in Baghdad blasts Security personnel carry a victim of one of two bomb attacks in Baghdad. Photograph: Akram Saleh/Reuters. At least eight people were killed and 50 wounded today in two car bomb attacks in central Baghdad.


ETA KINGPIN HELD IN RAIDS THE suspected leader of Basque terror group ETA #39;s political wing was arrested in France yesterday. Mikel Iriarte, 43, had been on the run since 1993.


Poland Leaves Iraq December 2005 Poland will withdraw its troops from Iraq by the end of 2005 according to Poland #39;s Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski, AFP announced.


Humming sex toy shuts Australian airport SYDNEY - A vibrating sex toy in a trash bin sparked a security scare and shut a regional Australian airport for almost an hour, officials said Monday.


Already 3-0, they are hard to contend with ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- OK, so now the Patriots are 3-0 on this exhib-, no, wait, these games actually count , don't they?


Alleged Apple Flash iPod 'partner' signs with Rio SigmaTel's chips claimed to have won Apple's support


Americans fear lightning more than hackers That #39;s according to a straw poll of 493 people performed by the US non-profit group the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), which carried out a survey in mid-September at the Digital Edge Expo in Washington, DC.


Trinidad #39;s win stops the bleeding After boxing suffered a one-two punch with knockouts of Oscar De La Hoya and Roy Jones Jr. on successive weekends, Felix Trinidad swept away the devastation in a swift lesson about the battered game #39;s resiliency.


Win puts Junior in points lead TALLADEGA, Ala. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. was nearly perfect on the racetrack. His only slipup Sunday came during a postrace television interview.


Fill 'er Up, With Microbes Researchers are goading tiny organisms like bacteria and algae into producing fuels like hydrogen and methane. The process is not useful yet, but the technology could be a solution to the energy problem. By Amit Asaravala.


Schroder reaffirms support for Turkeys bid The European Commission is expected later this week to recommend EU membership talks with Turkey. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan are anticipating a  quot;positive report.


Bird flu kills one in Thailand, resurfaces in Indonesia Bird flu has killed a nine-year-old Thai girl, raising the country #39;s toll from the deadly disease to 11 this year, a Health Ministry spokeswoman said on Monday.


Bigley possibly handed to new group British Iraq hostage Kenneth Bigley may have been handed over to a new group, his brother Paul says. Bigley, a 62-year-old engineer, was seized 18 days ago with two Americans


Genome Model Applied to Software Open-source developers attempting to reverse-engineer the mysteries of private networking software turn to genomics research. They're applying algorithms developed by biologists to decipher the secrets of closed networks. By Danny O'Brien.


Geeks Take on the Mississippi Wired News takes a trip down the historic Great River Road that winds along the full length of the mighty Mississippi. The route along 'Ol' Man River' is surprisingly rich in techie tinkerers. By Michelle Delio.


Change in the Chinese Wind Looking for ways to satisfy a growing need for power and reduce pollution, China is turning to wind power, along with other green alternatives. By Stephen Leahy.


Pinpointing Voters on a Map Voter databases are old hat to political campaigns. But by taking that same data and overlaying it on a map -- a technology called geographic information systems -- operatives are becoming more effective at getting out the vote. By Jacob Ogles.


The Crew of Halo 2 Meet the special-effects gods who created the most anticipated game of the year. By David Kushner from Wired magazine.


E-Voting Fans: The Disabled Many voter rights' advocates are fighting to decertify electronic voting machines, arguing they're not reliable. But one bloc is behind the new equipment -- disabled voters who say the machines give them privacy.


California Goes After Spyware The Golden State passes a law aimed at cracking down on what some feel is the internet's next scourge -- spyware. But critics say it's only a partial step toward protecting consumers.


Vioxx: How Safe Is FDA Approval? The problems with Vioxx, taken off the market last week, raise questions about the Food and Drug Administration's safety review process. Observers say longer clinical trials should be required.


USPO Ditches Home Photo Stamps Make a stamp? Nope, no more, says the U.S. Postal Service. Though most used the service to create postage from images of their dogs, babies and weddings, some folks made legal postage out of images of not-so-nice people.


Hungarian PM celebrates as referendum flops Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany has hailed the failure of a nationalist inspired referendum on Hungarian citizenship as a victory for common sense.


SBC gizmo saves time by checking time-saving gadgets In the old days, before so much time was eaten up by time-saving gadgets, you could check all your communications in one place -- your mailbox.


HK Shares End Up At 7-Mo High; Led By China,Property Stks HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Hong Kong shares closed at a seven-month high Monday, led by China-related and local property stocks, with recent Wall Street gains boosting sentiment.


Some consumers getting that sinking feeling Consumers who cut it close by paying bills from their checking accounts a couple of days before depositing funds will be out of luck under a new law that takes effect Oct. 28.


This support for Kerry came at a bad time Last Thursday #39;s presidential debate was still in progress when the e-mails started trickling in from citizens around the country.


Alleged Apple Flash iPod  #39;partner #39; signs with Rio Hopes that Apple may be preparing a Flash-based iPod appeared to be dashed on Friday when the company #39;s alleged MP3 chip partner announced a deal with Apple portable player rival Rio.


Owens makes Bears sit up and take notice After scoring the Eagles #39; lone touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens lay down in the end zone and did six sit-ups.


GRADING THE JETS The stats were ugly: One offensive touchdown, 1-for-11 on third down, three sacks, fewer than 150 yards passing, and no consistency.


Gaza Strip bloodshed continues Violent clashes are continuing in the Gaza Strip on the fifth day of Israeli attacks in the region. At least three Palestinians were killed in early morning raids launched shortly after Israel #39;s army chief


US, Iraq control Samarra SAMARRA, Iraq - US and Iraqi forces in Samarra on Sunday finished retaking the last insurgent-controlled neighborhood, completing a relentless three-day push through this ancient city in a first step toward wresting control of important central Iraqi


Latest mobiles 'open to attack' The latest generation of mobile phones is vulnerable to hackers, a security conference is told.


SpaceShipOne set to take X-Prize The rocket plane SpaceShipOne is just one flight away from claiming the \$10m Ansari X-Prize.


Mini lab offers on the spot tests The research arm of the MoD has come up with a portable lab that can used by vets, doctors and the food industry.


Oil Eases on Nigeria Peace Pact (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices eased on Monday after rebels\in Nigeria withdrew a threat to target oil operations, but\lingering concerns over stretched supplies ahead of winter kept\prices close to  #36;50.


Optimism Lifts Stocks, But Oil Haunts  LONDON (Reuters) - Optimism about corporate earnings and  continued global economic strength drove European and Japanese  stocks higher on Monday, although oil prices near \$50 a barrel  kept investors edgy.


Nintendo Raises Net Profit Estimate  OSAKA (Reuters) - Japanese game maker Nintendo Co. Ltd.  raised its full-year net profit forecast by 20 percent on  Monday, citing a stronger dollar and solid demand for software  titles for its handheld GameBoy Advance machine.


'Personal spaceflight revolution' beckons SpaceShipOne is just one flight away from claiming the Ansari X-Prize, a \$10m award designed to kick-start private space travel.


Sharp Expects Record Operating Profit  OSAKA (Reuters) - Sharp Corp., the world's largest maker of  liquid crystal display televisions, said on Monday it expected  operating profit for the April-September first half to rise 32  percent to a record on strong demand for LCD TVs.


Man Utd confirms bid approach Shares in Manchester United rally on Monday as the club confirms it has received a takeover approach.


US economy in peril as debts come due in  #39;08 The long-term economic health of the United States is threatened by \$53 trillion in government debts and liabilities that start to come due in four years when baby boomers begin to retire.


Kodak wants \$1 billion Java damages from Sun LOCAL NEWSPAPER The Democrat and Chronicle reports that Kodak will demand \$1 billion in damages from Sun Microsystems in a landmark case over Java.


Saga in 1.35bn management buyout Holidays-to-insurance company Saga has been sold in a 1.35bn (\$2.43bn) management buyout deal backed by private equity firm Charterhouse.


Singapore Shares End Up; Hits 2004 High Singapore shares rose to fresh highs for the year Monday, with market sentiment buoyed by Wall Street #39;s broad gains on Friday, traders said.


Asian Stock Markets Close Higher Asian stock markets close higher across the board Monday following gains on Wall Street, with key indexes hitting new record highs in Indonesia and Australia.


Going with the Grain General Mills is converting all of its breakfast cereals to whole grain, making it the latest food company to undergo a nutritional makeover amid calls by government and consumer groups for healthier eating.


Internet Explorer Vs. Firefox NEW YORK - The world of Web browsing has reached a tipping point. Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer browser has been and remains the de facto standard for Internet users.


Protecting Children Online When They are Most at Risk - New New radio and online advertising, which targets children with safety advice when they are most at risk - when they are actually online, was unveiled by Home Office Minister Paul Goggins today.


AT amp;T and Vonage do battle Voice over IP calls are getting cheaper - Vonage and AT amp;T both announced lower monthly charges late last week. AT amp;T said it would reduce its monthly charge by five dollars to \$30 a month for unlimited local and long distance calls in Canada and the US.


Wi-Fi, WiMAX dead and gone, fibre pundits say IT #39;S BEEN a heck of an interesting two days here in Iceland. I #39;ve seen some interesting technology, heard some inventive speeches and met some people with different ideas.


Vivisimo #39;s Clusty Takes on Google Search engine company Vivisimo have launched the beta of their new Clusty search engine, and it #39;s open to the public to try out.


Man United gets bid approach The world #39;s richest soccer club Manchester United says it has received a takeover approach from an unnamed suitor, sending its shares higher and fanning speculation that


Fergie Roo-ing Wayne #39;s debut THIS was not the plan Sir Alex Ferguson had in mind for suppressing Wayne Rooney fever. The Manchester United boss has no doubt been wincing at the Rooney hysteria following his sensational debut hat-trick against Fenerbahce.


Clijsters #39; career  #39;could be over #39; Belgian superstar Kim Clijsters #39; career could be over after she broke down again with a troublesome wrist injury playing in a tournament in her home country at the weekend.


Christie kicking himself Steve Christie, a 15-year veteran, knows there are no excuses for missing field goals of 30 and 33 yards, even if they were into a swirling wind.


No one comes to defense on turnover-plagued day They spent the summer marveling over their lineup changes and their improvement, the big-name veterans they signed and the strategic concepts they imported from the champion New England Patriots.


Two Blasts Rip Through Baghdad, Killing 15 BAGHDAD, Iraq Oct. 4, 2004 - Two car bombs ripped through Baghdad streets on Monday, with one blast killing at least 15 people and wounding 81 at an entrance to the Green Zone, the seat of the US Embassy and key Iraqi government offices, officials said.


Early miscues slow Eagles After three weeks of near-perfection in the red zone, the Philadelphia Eagles finally faltered Sunday in Chicago against the Bears.


No agreement on Iraq debt relief WASHINGTON The world #39;s economic powers, which ended three days of meetings yesterday, insisted they are moving closer to a deal on debt relief for Iraq and other poor nations even though an agreement has proved elusive.


Lastminute.com hit by  quot;challenging quot; summer Online travel store Lastminute.com LMC.L says earnings for its crucial summer quarter will come in towards the lower end of expectations, sending its stock down 5 percent in early trade.


Kodak may scoop 580m in court win EASTMAN Kodak is in line for a \$1.06bn (580m) payout after winning a controversial patent lawsuit against Sun Microsystems. A jury has ruled that Sun #39;s Java software infringes several software patents that Eastman Kodak bought in 1997.


Campaigns Spending Little on Web Ads (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The presidential ad war online is beginning to look more like a skirmish.


Nintendo Raises Net Profit Estimate (Reuters) Reuters - Japanese game maker Nintendo Co. Ltd.\raised its full-year net profit forecast by 20 percent on\Monday, citing a stronger dollar and solid demand for software\titles for its handheld GameBoy Advance machine.


Three Cosmic Explosions Could Precede Supernovae (Reuters) Reuters - A trio of powerful explosions\emanating from three different regions in space could mean\astronomers might see stars blowing up within days, scientists\said on Friday.


Campaigns Spending Little on Web Ads The presidential ad war online is beginning to look more like a skirmish.


CSSI to Make Its Way in the Sky CSSI Inc. of Washington  was picked by the United States and the United Nations to carve out more airspace in the crowded sky.


BioSET Offers New Twist on the Healing Touch Doctors routinely use plates, rods and screws to bolt a nasty bone fracture back together. But all of that hardware won't help heal the bone and muscle tissue surrounding the injury, said Thomas G. Roueche, president and chief executive of BioSurface Engineering Technologies Inc. of College Park.


Jaguar Gets Low Crash Test Score The 2004 Jaguar X-Type got the worst rating of any midsize sedan in side-impact crash tests conducted by the insurance industry.


S Korea to scrutinise Citigroup South Korea's markets watchdog says it is to inspect Citigroup's local operation, days after regulators censured the bank's Japanese business.


Secrets of smell land Nobel Prize \Two US scientists win the Nobel Prize for Medicine for uncovering the secrets of the human sense of smell.


Worldpay struck by online attack Internet payment system Worldpay is under attack from hackers delaying transaction times for hundreds of online retailers.


Stocks Ascend as Oil Eases and Techs Gain US stocks moved higher late on Friday morning in a broad-based advance, as oil prices dipped, shares of PeopleSoft Inc. (PSFT) boosted the tech-heavy Nasdaq and


HK stocks end at 7-month high Hong Kong #39;s top share index hit a seven-month high on Monday, with both blue chips and China stocks gaining ground as markets rallied throughout the region.


Merck woes weigh on stocks Wall Street closed out a dismal third quarter with a mixed performance Thursday after Merck  amp; Co. said it would be forced to remove its best-selling Vioxx arthritis drug from the market.


SpaceShipOne goes for X-Prize glory SpaceShipOne will today attempt to reach an altitude of 100km for the second time in less than a fortnight, and thereby claim the \$10m X-Prize for the first private space vehicle to accomplish the feat.


Former con man joins crime battle FORMER con artist Frank Abagnale, whose life was portrayed in the film Catch Me if You Can, has been recruited to help in the battle against cyber crime as spokesman for the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) in a forthcoming campaign.


United face takeover bid Manchester United have received a  quot;preliminary approach quot; regarding a  quot;possible offer quot; to takeover the club. The club #39;s board said they are  quot;seeking clarification of this proposal quot; and that at this stage  quot;it is unclear whether any offer will be made quot;.


Funk finds winner #39;s circle again Fred Funk birdied the final hole to finish off a final-round 6-under 66 and win the Southern Farm Bureau Classic by a stroke Sunday, his first PGA Tour victory in six years.