Alternative Copy Controls Bill Pitched Industry groups are looking for a way around controversial copyright proposal.


Gates: Longhorn changed to make deadlines Microsoft on Friday set late 2006 as the deadline when it will ship Longhorn, the next major version of Windows. But to make that date, it had to delay the full implementation WinFS, an ambitious file system


Microsoft to release next version of Windows in 2006 Microsoft Corp. said it plans to release the next version of its Windows operating system as expected in 2006, but it will not include much-touted new technology for organizing and storing data.


Oracle Refreshes PeopleSoft Offer While it waits for a federal court to rule on its hostile bid for PeopleSoft, Oracle (Quote, Chart) is keeping the deal in play. The database giant extended its previously announced tender offer of \$21 for


VeriSign Loses Round Against ICANN VeriSign (Quote, Chart) has come out on the losing end in its breach of contract and antitrust lawsuit against the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).


Nokia, Vodafone to Drive Mobile Java Wireless players Nokia (Quote, Chart) and Vodafone (Quote, Chart) are teaming up to write the next chapter (of code) in the mobile Java story.


Radcliffe drops out again GREAT Britain #39;s Paula Radcliffe #39;s dropped out of the Olympic Games women #39;s 10,000m with eight laps still to go this morning having made a late decision to compete.


Bob Huggins makes fast start upon return Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins was contrite and sporting a new crew cut as he returned to work Friday after university officials suspended him following his drunken driving conviction in June and told him to rehabilitate


Italy shocked, outraged by hostage #39;s murder ROME: Italy was in shock Friday at the execution of a kidnapped journalist in Iraq, which Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi slammed as a return  quot;to the dark times of barbarism, quot; but he pledged Italian troops would stay.


Zimbabwe Convicts Accused  #39;Mercenary #39; for Weapons A Zimbabwe court Friday convicted a British man accused of leading a coup plot against the government of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea on weapons charges, but acquitted most of the 69 other men held with him.


Mauritania, Burkina row over suspected coup plot Mauritania blasted fellow West African country Burkina Faso as  quot;evil quot; on Friday for allegedly plotting to destabilise the potentially oil-rich Islamic republic.


Workgroup Cluster for Bioinformatics Video See why scientists are adopting Apple technology when they need the power of high-perfomrance computing. Aug 27


Stocks End Up; Techs Gain on Light Volume (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. blue-chips closed at six-week\highs on Friday, helped by reassuring consumer confidence data\and a bounce in technology stocks, but volume was extremely\thin before next week's Republican convention in New York City.


Review panel pleased with Supreme Court choices; Tories criticize procedure (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The first-ever parliamentary panel to review Supreme Court appointments declared Friday it was pleased with the two justices chosen by Prime Minister Paul Martin.


Stocks End Up; Techs Gain on Light Volume  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue-chips closed at six-week  highs on Friday, helped by reassuring consumer confidence data  and a bounce in technology stocks, but volume was extremely  thin before next week's Republican convention in New York City.


Delta Suffers Setback with Debt Committee  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc. DAL.N suffered  a setback this week when a committee of creditors scotched one  of the company's early debt renegotiation efforts, but the  struggling airline still has a chance of restructuring its debt  without filing for bankruptcy, analysts said on Friday.


Dream Team surrender title The US men's basketball team are ousted in the semi-finals by Argentina, beaten 89-81.


Oil price steadies WORLD oil prices firmed overnight after a five-session drop amid renewed concerns over unrest in Iraq despite a ceasefire in its holy city of Najaf.


Delta Suffers Setback with Debt Committee Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) suffered a setback this week when a committee of creditors scotched one of the company #39;s early debt renegotiation


California pharmacies sue drug giants A lawsuit filed by San Francisco attorney Joseph Alioto on behalf of 19 California pharmacies accuses 15 major drug companies of conspiracing to inflate drug prices.


Ryder Cup berths on the line at BMW, Jimenez leads Miguel Angel Jimenez #39;s 66 gave the Spaniard a one-shot lead Friday at the BMW International Open, where European players are in a last-minute scramble to make the Ryder Cup team.


Australia win first men #39;s hockey gold Australia won the Olympic men #39;s hockey tournament for the first time in history on Friday, beating the Netherlands 2-1 with a golden goal.


Olympics-Athletics-Invincible Sanchez storms to gold Red-hot favourite Felix Sanchez made history for the Dominican Republic when he streaked to victory in the men #39;s Olympic 400 metres hurdles final.


Russia downplays terror crash revelations President Vladimir Putin #39;s government has played down revelations of terrorist involvement in the crash of two airliners, apparently not wanting to highlight an embarrassing security


Eritrean Asylum Seekers Force Plane to Land in Sudan A group of 76 Eritreans on a repatriation flight from Libya Friday forced their plane to change course and land in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, where they


Aziz elected Pak PM amid oppn boycott ISLAMABAD: President Musharraf #39;s loyalist Shaukat Aziz was on Friday elected as Pakistan #39;s PM in a national assembly vote boycotted by the opposition in protest of the Speaker #39; decision not to permit their jailed candidate Javed Hashmi to take part in the


Allchin: Don't call it "Shorthorn" Despite the removal of an advanced file system, Longhorn will not be short on features, Jim Allchin tells CNET News.com.


U.K.'s NHS licenses Sun's Java Desktop System Britain's National Health Service bought 5,000 licenses for Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Java Desktop System as an alternative to Windows, in a move that could open the door for greater use of the open-source software by the health agency.


Brief: Siemens warns of ear damage from loud mobile tune Siemens warned customers of a software defect in a range of mobile phones that could cause hearing damage.


Oracle again extends offer for PeopleSoft Oracle extended its offer to acquire PeopleSoft for \$7.7 billion from today to Sept. 10 -- the 10th time is has made an extension since launching the takeover campaign in June 2003.


VeriSign is dealt another legal blow in ICANN suit A federal judge dismissed VeriSign's antitrust claims against the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, dealing another setback to the company in its ongoing legal battle against the Internet's technical coordinating body.


DOJ announces online fraud convictions A huge sweep for online fraud and other Internet-related crimes netted 53 convictions and another 103 arrests, the Justice Department announced.


Xing stuns Ethiopians in 10,000m China #39;s unheralded Xing Huina caused a major shock as she turned the tables on the Ethiopians to storm to gold in the women #39;s Olympic 10,000 metres on Friday.


UEFA Cup champ takes Super Cup with 2-1 victory over Porto UEFA Cup holders Valencia beat European champion Porto 2-1 to win the Super Cup at Monaco #39;s Stade Louis II on Friday. Midfielder Vicente laid on both Valencia goals with Ruben Baraja heading


China Grabs 1st Men's Olympic Gold in Track and Field (Reuters) Reuters - China grabbed its first-ever men's\Olympic gold in track and field on Friday, but it was a night\of misery for Americans, who saw any chance of a fourth\consecutive gold in basketball crushed.


Oil Halts Slide on Iraqi Pipeline Attacks (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices stopped a five-day slide on\Friday on renewed supply concerns after fresh Iraqi pipeline\attacks outweighed an end to a three-week uprising in the city\of Najaf.


Gateway Debuts Cool New PC (PC World) PC World - Desktop features BTX motherboard for improved airflow.


Tenn. Polynesians Standing Out on Field (AP) AP - Tennessee's Albert Toeaina is one of the most recognizable players on the team, and that's before he puts on a skirt.


Microsoft to Release New Windows in '06 (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. will drop a much-touted new technology for organizing and storing data when it releases the next version of its Windows operating system as expected in 2006.


Sky count to track orang numbers Using helicopters to count endangered orang-utans gives very accurate estimates of the great apes' numbers, researchers report in Plos Biology.


Most Air Passengers Not Screened for Bombs (AP) AP - Even with all the security gains since the Sept. 11 attacks, most airline passengers in the United States aren't screened for explosives before boarding a plane.


Olympics Wrap: China Grabs 1st Men's Gold in Track  ATHENS (Reuters) - China grabbed its first-ever men's  Olympic gold in track and field on Friday, but it was a night  of misery for Americans, who saw any chance of a fourth  consecutive gold in basketball crushed.


HP introduces home electronics in fall product lineup HP, the world #39;s second largest computer maker, on Friday introduced a number of consumer products including TVs in unveiling its fall product lineup for the Christmas season.


There #39;s a Catch: Recreation takes toll on marine fish Sportfishing isn #39;t just a tiny, harmless nibble on saltwater-fish populations, according to a new analysis of federal data. FISH COUNT.


As software world awaits ruling, Oracle extends offer With the future of its \$7.7 billion takeover attempt of PeopleSoft Inc. resting in the hands of a federal judge, Oracle Corp. is once again extending its tender offer for investors to tender their shares.


Sprint, SBC in Wi-Fi Deal Sprint and SBC Communications have reached an agreement under which their Wi-Fi customers will be able to use both companies #39; wireless hot spots.


Gateway Debuts Cool New PC Gateway released the specifications this week for a retail desktop PC based on a new motherboard design that should help cool high-end processors and graphics cards.


Linksys and Intel Team On Smart Wireless Solutions Intel Smart Wireless Solutions is being delivered in conjunction with Intel #39;s new Wi-Fi client software, Intel PROSet/Wireless version 9.0, also announced today, and will work with new Intel Centrino mobile technology notebooks and select Linksys wireless


Ericsson pulls Bluetooth division One of the key developers of Bluetooth is shutting down the division that helped foster the personal area networking technology. Ericsson has already started to shut down its 125-worker Technology Licensing


Greek anti-war activists protest visit by Powell Greek anti-war organizations and trade unions staged a big demonstration in downtown Athens Friday night to protest the planned visit to Greece by US Secretary of State


Mack pulls off a last-gasp victory ATHENS, Greece -- American pole vaulter Timothy Mack pulled off a last-gasp clearance at an Olympic record height of 5.95 meters to take the title in Athens.


Najaf ultras surrender shrine NAJAF, Aug. 27. - Militants filed out of the revered Imam Ali Shrine and turned its keys over to representatives of Iraqs top Shiite cleric today following a peace agreement to end three weeks of fighting in this holy city.


Russia finds evidence of blast on jet MOSCOW -- One of the two planes that crashed almost simultaneously in the Russian countryside this week fell apart in midair just moments after sending a distress signal, a senior official said yesterday, adding that the plane might have been destroyed by


Hopes renew as KGL responds to abductors #39; demand Amidst fresh hopes of release of three Indian hostages, their Kuwaiti employer company KGL today declared it had  quot;no presence quot; in Iraq and expected early end to the over month-long crisis as efforts were moving in a  quot;promising  quot;direction quot;.


Ericsson pulls Bluetooth division The mobile developer disbands the unit that developed the short-range wireless technology used in some cell phones and notebook PCs.


Microsoft readies beta for application life cycle management Microsoft is refreshing the beta release of its Visual Studio 2005 developer tool platform to feature the full range of technologies planned for the companys Team System application life cycle management system, Microsoft representatives acknowledged on Friday.


Owner of Tavarez Cap Says It's Legal (AP) AP - Julian Tavarez's baseball cap is dirty and grimy  #151; but not illegal, according to the man who now owns it.


Microsoft Targets 2006 for Next Windows (Reuters) Reuters - The next version of the Windows\operating system, Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT.O) flagship product,\will ship in 2006, the world's largest software maker said on\Friday.


E-Mail Voting Prompts Security Concerns (AP) AP - Missouri will allow members of the military stationed overseas to return absentee ballots via e-mail, raising concerns from Internet security experts about fraud and ballot secrecy.


British police granted more time to quiz radical cleric Abu Hamza (AFP) AFP - British police were granted more time to quiz radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, who was arrested the day before on suspicion of committing or preparing acts of terrorism.


Central America Said on Alert for Attack (AP) AP - All of Central America is on alert for a possible al-Qaida attack against El Salvador for its support of the U.S.-led mission in Iraq, the head of the Nicaraguan army said Friday.


Anglers Have Big Impact on Fish Numbers -- Study (Reuters) Reuters - Recreational anglers may be\responsible for landing nearly 25 percent of over-fished salt\water species caught off U.S. coasts, a study released on\Thursday suggests.


American Champion Tim Mack Wins Pole Vault Gold  ATHENS (Reuters) - American champion Tim Mack won the  Olympic pole vault title on Friday with a Games record 5.95  meters after an engrossing duel with teammate Toby Stevenson.


Police get cleric quiz extension Police have been granted more time to question radical cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri under the Terrorism Act.


Microsoft Targets 2006 for Next Windows  SEATTLE (Reuters) - The next version of the Windows  operating system, Microsoft Corp.'s MSFT.O flagship product,  will ship in 2006, the world's largest software maker said on  Friday.


Aceh governor arrested over graft \\Indonesian authorities arrest the governor of Aceh province for alleged involvement in a corrupt helicopter purchase.


Russian PM assures China on oil exports Russia #39;s prime minister pledged Friday his country would meet its oil export obligations to China, the Interfax news service said.


Global server market continues to grow Factory revenue in the worldwide server market grew at 6.9 percent year over year to 11.5 billion US dollars in the second quarter of 2004, according to a report released Friday by IDC.


Microsoft Scales Back Longhorn Microsoft Corp. on Friday said it has scaled back the next major release of the Windows operating system, code-named Longhorn, opting to drop the next-generation file system, so it can ship the OS in 2006.


US Call Centers Declining The number of US call centers is expected to decline through 2008, with Canada getting many of the jobs the US will lose, a research firm said Friday.


Athens brings out best in Anju AUGUST 27: Say sorry to everybody, she said. No, we wont. Anju Bobby George owes India no apologies. On a night of magic but not quite miracle, Anju broke her own Indian long jump record by


Golden farewell for footballs Famous Five ATHENS: Over the past 13 years, they talked about the team, about being teammates. The members of the US womens soccer team talked about little kids who needed strong female role models - women athletes to look up to, emulate.


Harland #39;s brave display Modern pentathlon was devised by the founder of the modern Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, as the ultimate test of the  quot;ideal, complete athlete quot;.


Chavez celebrates referendum win Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and throngs of his supporters jammed avenues in downtown Caracas on Friday to celebrate the president #39;s defeat of an August 15 recall referendum.


Allchin: Don't call it 'Shorthorn' Despite the removal of an advanced file system, Longhorn will not be short on features, Jim Allchin tells CNET News.com.


Will changes detract from Longhorn's success? Glitches are nothing new to Microsoft, but could delays and confusion surrounding Longhorn be detrimental to the software giant?


Oil prices up but remain below \$44 Oil prices edged higher in Asian trading Friday but remained below the \$44 level following a ceasefire in the battle-torn Iraqi city of Najaf, dealers said.


ECost.com Prices IPO One Week Late PC Mall Inc. spin-off eCost.com Inc. priced its initial public offering at \$5.80 and expects to begin trading on the Nasdaq on Friday, making its debut during a lull for IPOs that is scheduled to last through mid-September.


Server sales sag in the middle According to a report slated to be released Friday by research firm IDC, the worldwide server market hit \$11.5 billion in the second quarter, up 6.9 percent from the same period in 2003.


SEC eases rules on independent board directors After spending the past few years mounting a strong corporate governance campaign, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced Friday that it would start easing its rules


Gateway Rolls Out Cooler, Quieter BTX PC Gateway on Friday announced a new desktop, the 700GR, the first machine to use Intel #39;s BTX architecture, which aligns key components in a wind tunnel-like design for cooler and quieter operation.


Olympics: Ireland #39;s O #39;Connor claims Olympic show jumping gold ATHENS : Ireland #39;s Cian O #39;Connor, riding Waterford Crystal, won the Olympic individual show jumping title at the Markopoulo equestrian centre.


Athens police fire pepper spray at Powell protesters ATHENS - Greek police on Friday used pepper spray on a crowd of demonstrators protesting against the weekend visit of US Secretary of State Colin Powell.


Ferrari - Belgian Grand Prix  Spa-Francorchamps : Practice <b>...</b> Jean Todt: It is a pleasure to be back at this circuit, which is probably the most interesting on the current Formula 1 calendar.


Pakistan Parliament Elects Prime Minister Pakistan #39;s parliament elected former finance minister Shaukat Aziz, a close ally of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, as prime minister on Friday after the opposition


Hostage crisis: KGL halts work in Iraq Dubai: The Kuwaiti firm which has seven truck drivers held hostage in Iraq has decided to halt operations in the troubled country, bowing to the kidnappers #39; condition for their release, it said Friday.


Key warlords join Somali cabinet Powerful warlord Hussein Aideed is named as Somalia's deputy prime minister to complete the cabinet line-up.


Microsoft won't ship WinFS with Longhorn Microsoft today announced a significant change in plans for the next major release of Windows, code-named Longhorn. The new WinFS storage subsystem will not be part of it, as had been previously planned.


QLT #39;s stock falls as US.panel reviews rival drug Shares of QLT Inc. (QLT.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) (QLTI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) dropped 8 percent on Friday as investors waited for the outcome of a review of a rival drug


Markets Cap Winning Week With More Gains All the major stock indexes were up Friday as investors continue to react favorably to a drop in oil prices and better-than-expected economic index reports.


HP Releases its Version of the iPod HP today announced that it will be taking pre-orders for the company #39;s branded version of Apple #39;s uber-popular iPod digital music player.


Microsoft Commits to 2006 Target for Next Windows The next version of the Windows operating system, Microsoft Corp. #39;s (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) flagship product, will ship in 2006, the world #39;s largest software maker said on Friday.


O #39;Connor #39;s first gold for Ireland Cian O #39;Connor has claimed Ireland #39;s first ever equestrian Olympic medal by winning the individual show jumping gold in Athens as rivals ahead of him faltered.


Harland salvages medal from wreckage Britain #39;S Georgina Harland salvaged a precious bronze from the wreckage of a terrible start in the modern pentathlon here yesterday.


Eritrean Deportees Surrender After Hijacking, Diverting Plane To <b>...</b> A group of Eritreans being deported from Libya hijacked their aircraft and diverted it to Sudan earlier Friday, before surrendering to authorities.


Dead bodies found in Najaf court At least 25 charred and bloated bodies were discovered today in the basement of a religious court set up by rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Najaf, but confusion reigns over how they died and why.


News: Website offers Caller I.D. falsification service Not just for phone hackers anymore, a California entrepreneur hopes to sell bill collectors and private investigators on the virtues of spoofing.\


Iraqi Rebels Leave Najaf Shrine, Hand in Weapons  NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Shi'ite fighters left the Imam Ali  Mosque in Najaf Friday and began turning in their weapons,  after tens of thousands of pilgrims celebrated a peace  agreement that ended a bloody rebellion.


Boeing Gets \$891 Mln Air Force C-17 Deal  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co. BA.N has been awarded  an \$891.6 million U.S. Air Force contract modification for  continued maintenance of the C-17 Globemaster III transport  fleet, the Pentagon said Friday.


NYSE Seat Prices Hit 8-Year Low  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The price of a seat on the New York  Stock Exchange fell to its lowest level since 1996, the latest  sign that a shift toward electronic trading and possible  regulatory change is undermining investors' confidence in the  exchange's open-auction system of trade.


Battling Paradorn Reaches Long Island Semifinals  COMMACK, New York (Reuters) - Defending champion Paradorn  Srichaphan withstood a barrage of huge hitting to beat Swede  Joachim Johansson 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 and reach the semifinals of the  Long Island Cup Friday.


Kashmir women's bill voted out Indian-administered Kashmir's state assembly rejects a bill affecting Kashmiri women who marry non-Kashmiri men.


Struggling Rams on Deck Patrick Ramsey will start tonight when the Redskins face the Rams, a team looking to rebound from a 24-7 loss Monday at Kansas City.


Botched Relay Leaves Jones 0-For-Athens ATHENS, Greece - A botched relay handoff doomed Marion Jones' chances of winning even a single medal at the Athens Olympics, a disastrous ending to her summer of turmoil and disappointment. Hoping to win a pair of golds Friday, Jones was shut out instead...


Actor Stewart Recovers From Angioplasty LOS ANGELES - "X-Men" star Patrick Stewart is recovering at home after undergoing an angioplasty procedure earlier this week to widen an artery, his publicist said Friday.    Angioplasty involves the use of catheters to place a small balloon in a narrowed blood channel...


GOP Want Bush to Turn Attention From Iraq NEW YORK - Nervous Republicans are urging President Bush to unveil a robust second-term agenda at his convention next week to shift voters' focus from the unpopular war in Iraq and other issues that are a distraction to his re-election drive. Some contend the party should ditch the GOP-fueled controversy over rival John Kerry's combat record in Vietnam...


Microsoft Commits to 2006 Target for Next Windows  SEATTLE (Reuters) - The next version of the Windows  operating system, Microsoft Corp.'s MSFT.O flagship product,  will ship in 2006, the world's largest software maker said on  Friday.


TiVo 2nd-Qtr Loss Widens, Subscribers Up Digital video recorder maker TiVo Inc. on Thursday said it recorded a wider fiscal second-quarter net loss despite a sharp growth in subscribers, as it increased spending in hopes of accelerating the growth.


Will Russia #39;s oil help fuel Asia #39;s economies? AS OIL prices hovered near record levels, United States President George W. Bush welcomed a personal assurance this week from his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Russia would


Pharmacies claim conspiracy on prices Nineteen California pharmacies filed a lawsuit in state court yesterday accusing the world #39;s largest pharmaceutical companies of conspiring to inflate US drug prices.


US Furious at Proposal That Hamm Return His Gold US Olympic chiefs reacted furiously Friday to a suggestion gold medallist Paul Hamm should give his medal to a South Korean rival under a plan floated by world gymnastics officials.


Iraq #39;s loss overshadowed by Italy #39;s IRAQ #39;S dreams of winning only its second Olympic medal were shattered this morning when Italy beat them in the men #39;s football bronze medal play-off, overshadowed by the killing of an Italian hostage yesterday.


OLYMPICS: Former USC athlete takes silver in Men #39;s 100-meter <b>...</b> Liu Xiang of China tied the 100-meter hurdles world record and set a new Olympic mark Friday, winning the gold medal in 12.91 seconds.


Auteur Zhang ready for Athens surprise show  quot;The world gave me eight minutes, and I will give the world a surprise, quot; said Chinese director Zhang Yimou, who is gearing up for a show at the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics.


The five points of the Najaf peace agreement NAJAF: Rebel cleric Moqtada Sadr and his Mehdi Army were preparing to hand over the keys to the Imam Ali shrine on Friday after Sadr agreed a peace initiative by Iraqs top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to end fierce fighting in the


Musharraf ally elected as new Pakistan PM ISLAMABAD - Pakistan #39;s Parliament elected former Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz as Prime Minister yesterday amid an opposition boycott of the vote.


Developers react to Longhorn delay It's a mixed bag, with some welcoming the early arrival of key features and others unhappy with the fragmenting of Windows.


Intel #39;s  #39;BTX #39; Motherboard Debuts on Gateway #39;s PC Intel #39;s (Quote, Chart) next-generation motherboard design has made its debut in a new Gateway (Quote, Chart) desktop, the company said today.


Experts Welcome, But Doubt, Bush Climate Softening Environmental experts Friday welcomed a hint of a softening in US skepticism about global warming but saw little chance President Bush might


Gold in a flash DID you see Felix Sanchez blinking like a Christmas tree as he efficiently paced himself round the track to win the 400 metres hurdles at the Olympic Games yesterday morning?


Seventh heaven in Spa for Schumi? Victory in tomorrow #39;s Belgium #39;s Grand Prix would not only seal a seventh world title, it would also be his seventh win at Spa in Ferrari #39;s 700th race.


U.S. Urges Venezuela to Ease Rhetoric (AP) AP - The State Department's second-ranking official said Friday the future of U.S. relations with Venezuela could hinge on whether that country tones down its anti-American rhetoric.


Ottawa has money for national drug program, provincial finance ministers say (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Ottawa has the money to set up and pay for a national pharmacare program despite its insistence to the contrary, provincial finance ministers said Friday.


Gymnastics Group Asks Hamm to Give Up Gold Gymnastics officials asked Paul Hamm to give up his gold medal as the ultimate show of sportsmanship, but the U.S.O.C. told them to take responsibility for their own mistakes.


Smarty Jones Casts Shadow Over Field Smarty Jones has been retired to stud in Kentucky, but his presence is felt among the other top 3-year-old thoroughbreds still racing.


IDC: Server market hits \$11.5 billion Fuelled by strong sales of Windows and Linux systems, the worldwide server market grew to \$11.5 billion during the second quarter of 2004, according to numbers released Friday by industry research company IDC. Server shipment revenue was up 6.9 percent from last year's second quarter, and the total number of servers shipped jumped 21 percent during that same period, IDC said.


NYSE Seat Prices Hit 8-Year Low The price of a seat on the New York Stock Exchange fell to its lowest level since 1996, the latest sign that a shift toward electronic trading and possible regulatory change


Quick results unlikely from mad cow meeting but Ottawa hints at <b>...</b> OTTAWA (CP) - Manhattan and mad cow may seem an unlikely combination but Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell will be mixing the two Saturday when he travels to New York City to meet his American counterpart to lobby for an end to the costly mad cow crisis.


Developers react to Longhorn delay Developers had mixed reactions to Microsoft #39;s revamped Longhorn plans Friday, with some unhappy to see the Windows update split into pieces but others pleased with what they see as a more pragmatic approach.


What a nightmare: US men fall to Argentina Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Argentina snapped a 58-game winning streak by the United States two years ago at the World Championships.


Congressman says he may hold hearings on Hamm case WASHINGTON - The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said Friday he may hold hearings on how US and international gymnastic officials handled the case of Paul Hamm #39;s Olympic gold medal.


Clean heels, clean sweep in 200m THE Americans have done it again. Just two days after making a clean medal sweep in the men #39;s 400 metres, Shawn Crawford, Bernard Williams and Justin Gatlin clinched 1-2-3 placings in the 200m.


Hockey: Australia win first men #39;s gold ATHENS - Australia won the Olympic men #39;s hockey title for the first time in history on Friday, beating defending champions the Netherlands 2-1 with a golden goal.


Annus asked to give sample or lose gold Hungarian Olympic hammer gold medallist Adrian Annus must give a fresh urine sample to the IOC by 1400 GMT on Friday or lose his gold medal, a report said.


New Pakistani PM elected despite boycott Pakistan #39;s Parliament has rubber-stamped the President #39;s choice of Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, despite an opposition boycott and angry protests.


'Dream Team' Out of Gold Race After Loss to Argentina  ATHENS (Reuters) - United States failed to reach the men's  basketball final for the first time in 16 years and Italy  shocked previously unbeaten Lithuania Friday to set up an  Olympic gold medal game that nobody expected.


FBI Suspects Israel Has Spy in Pentagon -- CBS News  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI believes there is an Israeli  spy at the very highest level of the Pentagon, CBS News  reported on Friday. The Israeli embassy immediately denied the  report.


Microsoft lays out Windows timing Microsoft vows to release the next version of Windows by the end of 2006 - but  without some key components.


Dollar Tumbles to Record Low Against Euro  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar tumbled to a record low  against the euro on Tuesday after a warning by euro zone  officials on the euro's rise fell on deaf ears, with investors  determined to dump the U.S. currency.


Oil Price Down 8 for Week; Decline Seen in Speculation The price of crude oil dropped almost 8 percent this week, its biggest weekly decline since April 2003.


Harrah's, Caesars: FTC Asks for More Info  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Federal regulators have asked for  more information about casino operator Harrah's Entertainment  Inc.'s HET.N proposed \$5 billion acquisition of Caesars  Entertainment Inc. CZR.N, the two companies said on Friday.


Cable Veterans to Bid in Adelphia Auction  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Several cable industry pioneers may  bid for parts of bankrupt cable operator Adelphia  Communications Corp. ADELQ.PK, joining a list of competitors  that could include Time Warner Inc. TWX.N and Comcast Corp.   CMCSA.O, sources close to the situation said on Friday.


Group of Cities, Counties Sues Microsoft  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A group of California cities and  counties on Friday filed a class action lawsuit against  Microsoft Corp.MSFT.O, saying that the world's largest  software maker overcharged government agencies for software.


US economic growth cools to 2.8 percent pace in second quarter WASHINGTON : The US economy braked harder than first thought in the second quarter, posting a tepid 2.8 percent annual growth rate as consumers gripped their purses, a government report showed.


Conoco leads race for 25 in Lukoil MOSCOW: Us oil major ConocoPhillips is seeking to buy up to 25 in Russian oil giant Lukoil to add billions of barrels of reserves to its books, an industry source familiar with the matter said on Friday.


Travelzoo Breaks Out Like a loose tiger, shares of Travelzoo (TZOO:Nasdaq - news - research), an online travel service with 7 million subscribers, are running amok.


Microsoft #39;s One-Two Punch: Longhorn in 2006, WinFS Later Microsoft promises -- in 2006. The market expected the new desktop operating system in 2004, but the company was distracted with security concerns as it marshaled its forces to finish the Windows XP Service Pack 2.


SBC, Sprint Strike Roaming Accord SBC Communications Inc. and Sprint Corp. today announced a roaming agreement that will provide Sprints customers access to approximately 2,300 wireless Internet hotspots at airports, hotels and other venues operated by SBC.


Repairs to shuttle hole not possible in orbit: NASA CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. - Astronauts in space will not be able to repair a hole the size of the one that doomed the space shuttle Columbia, NASA officials say.


Cell Phone Defect Could Cause Hearing Damage Siemens on Thursday warned users of its 65 series cell phones that a bug in the devices #39; software could cause hearing damage. The problem affects Siemens #39; C65, CX65, M65, S65, and SL65 as well the CV65, CT65, CXV65, and CXT65, the company said.


Greek protestors rally against Powell at Games ATHENS : Nearly 700 demonstrators rallied in central Athens to protest at the arrival of US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is due to attend the Olympic Games #39; closing ceremony at the weekend.


Weightlifter and runner fail tests The Hungarian weightlifter Ferenc Gyurkovics has failed a drugs test and risks losing his Olympic silver medal, a national Olympic committee spokesman said yesterday, while the Russian 400m


One American left as Ward boxes into final round  quot;I wanted him to stay outside, quot; US boxing coach Basheer Abdullah would say later,  quot;and use his speed. quot;. But when it mattered most Friday night - in the closing seconds of the Olympic light-heavyweight


Terrorists suspected of destroying Russian planes Russian officials are checking the identity of two female passengers in their investigiation into almost simultaneous plane crashes earlier this week.


Musharraf #39;s choice elected as new PM Pakistan #39;s parliament elected Shaukat Aziz as its new Prime Minister yesterday. President General Pervez Musharraf named Mr Aziz as his choice as head of government, after his relationship


Radcliffe to run in 10,000 final Paula Radcliffe will run in tonight #39;s 10,000 metres final at the Olympic games in Athens. The decision was announced at 11:30am in Athens, barely 10 hours before the race which begins at 9:50pm (7:50pm Irish time).


Montgomerie makes case for Ryder Cup with 67 Two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen grabbed the first-round lead in the BMW Open at 6-under-par 66, and Colin Montgomerie boosted his Ryder Cup chances by finishing a stroke back on Thursday.


Mack sets Olympic record in 1-2 US finish Pole vaulters are an odd bunch -- friends and fierce competitors who perform gymnastics atop a pole 19 feet above the ground. Right now, no one is doing it better than Americans Tim


Court Tosses VeriSign Suit Vs. Overseers (AP) AP - A federal judge on Friday dismissed an antitrust complaint against a key Internet oversight group brought by a company that controls directories for guiding Internet users worldwide.


California Cities, Counties Sue Microsoft (AP) AP - Several California cities and counties, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, sued Microsoft Corp. on Friday, accusing the software giant of illegally charging inflated prices for its products because of monopoly control of the personal computer operating system market.


Group of Cities, Counties Sues Microsoft (Reuters) Reuters - A group of California cities and\counties on Friday filed a class action lawsuit against\Microsoft Corp.(MSFT.O), saying that the world's largest\software maker overcharged government agencies for software.


Hurricane Frances Grows Quickly in Atlantic (Reuters) Reuters - Hurricane Frances gained strength and\became a major hurricane with 115 mph winds in the Atlantic on\Friday as it took a path that should carry it north of the\vulnerable northeastern Caribbean islands early next week.


Rookie Johnson Joins Funk in Buick Lead  CROMWELL, Connecticut (Reuters) - Rookie Zach Johnson  produced the day's joint best score, a five-under-par 65, to  join Fred Funk at the top of the leaderboard after the second  round of the \$4.2 million Buick Championship Friday.


Bush Signs Orders to Reform Intelligence WASHINGTON - President Bush on Friday signed executive orders designed to strengthen the CIA director's power over the nation's intelligence agencies and create a national counterterrorism center, responding to election-year pressures to enact changes called for by the Sept. 11 commission...


Oil prices firm after week of decline World oil prices have firmed after a five-session drop after a tentative cease-fire took hold in the Iraqi city of Najaf. New York #39;s main contract, light sweet crude for October delivery, rose eight cents to \$US43.


US Airways #39; Pilots Union to Resume Talks With Airline S Airways #39; pilots union said tonight that it would resume talks with the struggling airline, which is urging its unions to grant \$800 million in cuts to save it from another bankruptcy filing.


Sprint, SBC sign Wi-Fi roaming pact OVERLAND PARK, Kan.Sprint Corp. and SBC Communications Inc. announced they have entered a reciprocal Wi-Fi roaming agreement. Through the partnerships, the carriers customers will be able to access each


Gateway Launches First  #39;BTX #39; Desktop PC Employing the latest in PC technology, the Gateway 700GR is designed on Intel #39;s highly anticipated BTX architecture, which aligns key components in a central wind tunnel.


Police Confirm Pipe Bomb Blast at Stem-Cell Lab An explosion that blew out a number of windows at a Boston-area laboratory specializing in stem-cell research was caused by a pipe bomb, local police said on Friday.


Regulator: British Broadband Prices Still Too High Britain #39;s broadband access charges are still too high and need to be slashed further to bring them in line with other nations, the UK #39;s media and telecoms regulator said Thursday.


Ryder Cup hopefuls boost chances Munich: Ryder Cup wild card favourites Colin Montgomerie and Luke Donald inspired each other to challenge strongly in the first round of the BMW International Open yesterday.


Coup plot conviction increases the pressure on Mark Thatcher A ZIMBABWE court yesterday convicted Briton Simon Mann, a former SAS and Scots Guards officer, of attempting to buy weapons for an attempted coup in the oil-rich West African state of Equatorial Guinea.


Suicide bombs and rebel attacks as disillusioned Chechnya votes THEIR previous leader was assassinated in a bomb blast, scores of their fellow countrymen have been killed this month and yesterday it was confirmed that terrorist explosives were responsible for downing a civilian aircraft last week.


Eighteen hurt in twin blasts in Maharashtra At least eighteen people were injured today in two separate bomb blasts in quick succession at places of worship of minority community in Jalna and Poorna towns in Maharashtra, prompting the authorities to clamp curfew in Jalna.


NASA and Boeing Push for Flying Cars It's a frustrated commuter's escapist fantasy: literally lifting your car out of a clogged highway and soaring through the skies, landing just in time to motor into your driveway. NASA and Boeing are planning to make this fantasy a reality.


Panel Says Americans Need To Eat More Fiber Not just any bread will do: Americans need more fiber, and whole wheat is better than white bread for getting it, a panel of scientists and doctors said Friday. The federal advisory panel was offering its final recommendations for making the government's food pyramid a better guide to proper eating.


Cooler Summers Create Bigger Spiders By LISA SCHENCKER     CHICAGO (AP) -- Midwestern spiders always get big as they prepare to lay eggs, but this year they're even fatter thanks to a cool, wet summer that sustained their favorite snack - insects.    "Right now they're eating like kings," said Field Museum entomologist Petra Sierwald...


Catastrophic Tokyo Quake Expected Within 50 Years By KOZO MIZOGUCHI    TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's capital has a 90 percent chance of being devastated by a major earthquake some time in the next 50 years, according to a study by a government panel.    The study, released earlier this week, marked the latest attempt by scientists to address one of this quake-prone country's most pressing concerns: when the next "Big One" would level one of the world's most densely populated cities...


Briefly: Phone defect could affect hearing roundup Plus: OSDL hires lawyer, opens China office...Ex-Palm CEO Yankowski to head Majesco...Oracle gives PeopleSoft shareholders more time.


California sues Microsoft for antitrust...again Five California counties and two cities sue the software giant under state antitrust laws, for taking advantage of government buyers.


California considers open-source shift Proposed changes in state procurement policies would favor Linux and its offshoots.\


Phone defect could affect hearing Blaring disconnection melody in some Siemens phones could potentially cause ear damage.


Technology Playing Role in Republican Convention Protests Activists are using the Internet to arrange housing for out-of-towners during the Republican National Convention in NYC, organize a mass-flash of underwear emblazoned with anti-Bush messages and tell protesters what to say if they're arrested ("I am going to remain silent. I would like to speak with a lawyer.").


Microsoft to Release Next Version of Windows in 2006 By ALLISON LINN    SEATTLE (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) will drop a much-touted new technology for organizing and storing data when it releases the next version of its Windows operating system as expected in 2006...


Court Tosses VeriSign Suit Vs. Internet Overseers LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A federal judge on Friday dismissed an antitrust complaint against a key Internet oversight group brought by a company that controls directories for guiding Internet users worldwide.    U.S...


E-Mail Voting Prompts Security Concerns By KELLY WIESE    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri will allow members of the military stationed overseas to return absentee ballots via e-mail, raising concerns from Internet security experts about fraud and ballot secrecy...


HP Moves Deeper Into Consumer Electronics Business By MAY WONG    SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Personal computer giant Hewlett-Packard Co...


Funk, Johnson Lead Buick Championship (AP) AP - Fred Funk and tour rookie Zach Johnson had near perfect outings Friday to share a one-stroke lead in the Buick Championship after two rounds.


US Air, Pilots to Reopen Concession Talks  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US Airways Group Inc.  UAIR.O and  its pilots union agreed late on Friday to reopen concession  talks after leaders of the labor group declined to endorse a  plan proposed by management for nearly \$300 million in  givebacks, both sides said.


Oracle and IBM move BPEL to the BPI forefront Breaking down business processes into Web services components was the easy part. Weaving them together into manageable, useful services has proved more ambitious.


Virtual offices will reverse years of isolation IT is undergoing the kind of cultural evolution that companies endured when they first pushed computing technology out to the bulk of their workforces.


US Air, Pilots to Reopen Concession Talks US Airways (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and its pilots union agreed to reopen concession talks late on Friday after leaders of the labor group declined to endorse a plan proposed by management for nearly \$300 million in


DOJ Gets Tough on Cybercrime US Department of Justice said law-enforcement agencies have arrested or convicted more than 150 individuals in a broad initiative against cybercrime.


Clearing The Path For Longhorn Microsoft (Quote, Chart) had little choice but to cut features from Longhorn, its next-generation operating system, analysts and developers say.


Hewlett Packard gets new mp3 players...iPod style One of the biggest talked about items around the consumer electronics world was an announcement earlier this year that computer giant Hewlett Packard would be partnering with Apple to put out an HP-branded iPod.


Radcliffe breaks down again This one lacked the pathos of Sunday #39;s marathon but it was another sad and bewildering early departure for Paula Radcliffe, who managed only 16 circuits in the 25-lap women #39;s 10,000 metres


Ward represents US boxing team #39;s lone chance for gold The underperforming US boxing team lost one of its two Andres Friday when middleweight Dirrell lost his semifinal bout to Kazakhstan #39;s Gennadiy Golovkin, falling out on points, 23-18.


Flying start for Raikkonen McLaren ace the fastest in practice SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (Belgium): McLaren #39;s Kimi Raikkonen and BAR-Honda #39;s Jenson Button upstaged Michael Schumacher in yesterdays practice for the Belgian Grand Prix.


Jury lines up for Kobe Bryant rape trial More than a year after allegations of rape levelled at basketball star Kobe Bryant shocked the world of sport and set in motion a circus of claim and counterclaim, the first wave of jury selection began yesterday.


Roma coach steps down, Voller eyes job ROME: Cesare Prandelli has stepped down as coach of Italian top flight side AS Roma, according to reports here yesterday which also said that former Germany coach Rudi Voller is ready to step in.


Defending champ Srichaphan advances Two-time defending champion Paradorn Srichaphan rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory over Joachim Johansson Friday to reach the semifinals of the TD Waterhouse Cup.


Mann faces 10 years jail over coup attempt linked to Mark Thatcher Simon Mann, the leader of the failed Equatorial Guinea coup attempt that led to the arrest of Sir Mark Thatcher, was last night facing up to 10 years in jail after being found guilty of attempting to possess dangerous weapons by a court in Zimbabwe.


Paris reiterates its support for Turkey #39;s entry into EU French President Jacques Chirac reiterated Friday its support for Turkish membership for the European Union (EU). Chirac noted that  quot;in any case, we should take all the necessary


California sues Microsoft for antitrust--again Five California counties and two cities sue the software giant under state antitrust laws, for taking advantage of government buyers.


HP cues iPod in big product push Hewlett-Packard brands its own version of Apple's music player and introduces a line of consumer products.


Study finds Korean students best at solving problems Korean students topped a problem-solving literacy among 40 countries, breaking a traditional image that they focus on memorizing and lack reasoning capabilities, a major international survey released yesterday showed.


Fed chief warns of  #39;painful #39; decisions WASHINGTON - The nation will face  quot;abrupt and painful quot; consequences unless the government moves quickly to fix the finances of Social Security and Medicare, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday.


Arkansas Could Receive \$337,500 in Securities Settlement The state #39;s securities commissioner says a settlement between securities regulators and two firms likely means \$337,500 for Arkansas.


BELGIUM/BRAZIL:  #39;InBev #39; gets shareholder support Shareholders of Interbrew and AmBev today voted in favour of the two companies merger. AmBevs shareholders also voted in favour of a capital increase and the incorporation of Canadian brewer Labatt at


HP to start selling its iPod Hewlett-Packard said Friday that it would start selling its version of the iPod digital music player next month and would unveil flat-panel televisions, media-enhanced computers and photo printers.


UN report on N.Korea environment says outlook tough North Korea #39;s environment faces a stark future unless urgent action is taken, the United Nations said on Friday in a first report on the communist state #39;s environment compiled with unprecedented help from Pyongyang.


Thousands of Call Center Jobs To Go Overseas Once thriving, call centers now are shrinking, a trend that could threaten thousands of jobs. Because of lower wages overseas, technological advances and new do-not-call regulations, call


Men #39;s Tennis: 4 Seeded Players Advance at TD Waterhouse Cup <b>...</b> Four seeded players came out winners as first round play continued at the TD Waterhouse Cup men #39;s tennis tournament in New York Tuesday.


Argentina Completes Dream Team's Downfall (AP) AP - Bronze is the best the American men can do in basketball, and the reason is simple: A hastily assembled assortment of NBA stars couldn't beat a better team  #151; Argentina. Manu Ginobili scored 29 points to lead his nation to another victory over the country that used to dominate the sport, an 89-81 win in the Olympic semifinals Friday night.


Microsoft Sets 2006 Target for Next Windows Version (Reuters) Reuters - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) said on Friday\it will ship the next version of Windows in 2006, but  scaled\back plans to include a new system for finding and storing\information in its flagship operating system.


FBI Suspects Israeli Spy at Pentagon -- Govt Sources (Reuters) Reuters - The FBI is investigating whether\Israel had a spy at the highest level at the Pentagon who\obtained classified documents about Iran for the Jewish state,\U.S. government sources told Reuters on Friday.


Russia Blames Terrorism for Downed Plane (AP) AP - Russian officials said Friday they detected traces of a high explosive in the wreckage of one of two crashed jetliners, branding it the work of terrorists, while an Islamic group claimed its suicide attackers brought down both planes because of the war in Chechnya.


Palmeiro Not Bitter Back in Texas (AP) AP - Rafael Palmeiro didn't return to Texas a bitter man. There are too many good memories at the place he called home the past five seasons, and where he hit his 500th homer last year.


Iraq Militants Leave Shrine in Peace Deal (AP) AP - Militants filed out of the Imam Ali Shrine, closed the doors behind them and turned over the keys to Iraq's top Shiite cleric Friday, symbolizing their acceptance of a peace deal to end three weeks of devastating fighting in this holy city.


Serena Says She's 90 to 95 Percent Back (AP) AP - The first thing you notice is the scar. It's a jagged 2-inch line running just above Serena Williams' left knee, a reminder of the surgery that sidelined her for the last half of 2003 and the start of this season.


Troops capture 34 Iraqis; three Iraqi Guardsmen killed by roadside <b>...</b> US troops have captured 34 Iraqis, including 10 wanted for making explosive devices to attack coalition forces, the military said Tuesday.


GOP Wants Bush to Draw Attention Off Iraq NEW YORK - Nervous Republicans are urging President Bush to unveil a robust second-term agenda at his convention next week to shift voters' focus from the unpopular war in Iraq and other issues that are a distraction to his re-election drive. Some contend the party should ditch the GOP-fueled controversy over rival John Kerry's combat record in Vietnam...


Microsoft Sets 2006 Target for Next Windows Version  SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O said on Friday  it will ship the next version of Windows in 2006, but  scaled  back plans to include a new system for finding and storing  information in its flagship operating system.


Northwest charges for in-person, phone ticket bookings CHICAGO : Controversial new Northwest Airlines fees for tickets booked by telephone or in person at airport counters went into force.


Also from this section When four years ago Ian Schrager opened the Sanderson, his latest venture in ultra-hip hotels with chic interiors, eye-watering prices and a clientele to match, he declared:  quot;London is hot right now.


Sounds Like (Real) Desperation It #39;s hard to have sympathy for RealNetworks (Quote, Chart), and believe me, as a paying customer, I #39;m really trying. The company is spending -- and losing -- a lot of money to spruce up its image with consumers.


HP brand to inject new life into ink Hewlett-Packard #39;s new  quot;Vivera quot; brand name for ink products could make a good impression in customers #39; minds, according to analysts.


Explosives found in Russian crash MOSCOW Russia #39;s security service announced Friday that investigators had found traces of explosives in the wreckage of one of the two passenger airliners that crashed almost simultaneously on Tuesday, and declared its downing a terrorist act.


Spotlight fails to focus on Palestine hunger strike BETHLEHEM Several thousand Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails were on their 13th day of a hunger strike on Friday, but the Israeli government has provided few concessions and there has been relatively little interest from the outside world.


Singapore #39;s moment Singapore is rich, but seldom envied. Outsiders have long viewed the gleaming city-state that attained its independence in 1965 as a tidy but soulless place, the nanny state that banned chewing gum.


Microsoft tackles AMD conflict in SP2 Microsoft says SP2 may not work on computers powered by chipmaker's 64-bit processors under certain circumstances.


Trilog eases Domino to Java transition Trilog Group this week rolled out an integrated J2EE  development framework designed to let IBM Lotus Notes developers use their existing skills for J2EE development projects.


US Air, Pilots to Reopen Concession Talks US Airways Group Inc. (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and its pilots union agreed late on Friday to reopen concession talks after leaders of the labor group declined


Panel Supportive of Pfizer, Eyetech Eye Drug An experimental drug developed by Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Pfizer Inc. for preserving vision in the elderly received a generally positive review from a US advisory panel on Friday.


A dynasty shattered ATHENS Larry Brown, the US coach, leaned back against the scorer #39;s table, searching for support on a sinking ship. His best player, Tim Duncan, had just fouled out, and the options for an American team that


Harland leaves 11 rivals trailing to clinch bronze medal There is no sport like modern pentathlon for encouraging speculative hindsight. What might have happened if Georgina Harland had shot a little more accurately?


Italy Hostage Death in Iraq Stuns Nation (AP) AP - Recalling the horror the nation felt when its first hostage was killed in Iraq, word that a second Italian hostage was slain brought condemnation from the pope Friday and fueled debate over Italy's role in the war-torn country.


Pakistan Parliament Elects Prime Minister (AP) AP - Pakistan's parliament elected former finance minister Shaukat Aziz, a close ally of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, as prime minister on Friday after the opposition boycotted the vote, saying it was undemocratic.


Montreal stepfather charged with sexually assaulting 10-year-old girl (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MONTREAL (CP) - A 37-year-old man was formally charged Friday with sexually assaulting his new wife's 10-year-old daughter.


Jones Fails to Win Medal in Long Jump or Relay ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- A botched relay handoff doomed Marion Jones' chances of winning even a single medal at the Athens Olympics, a disastrous ending to her summer of turmoil and disappointment. Hoping to win a pair of golds Friday, Jones was shut out instead. An hour after she finished fifth in the long jump, Jones was unable to make the handoff in the 400-meter relay when Lauryn Williams left too early.


Potential Bryant Jurors Arrive at Trial (AP) AP - Kobe Bryant's trial began Friday with 300 prospective jurors arriving at the county courthouse to fill out questionnaires, the first step toward choosing 12 people who will decide whether the NBA star is guilty of rape.


Microsoft to Release Next Windows in '06 (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. will drop a much-touted new technology for organizing and storing data when it releases the next version of its Windows operating system as expected in 2006.


Mets Sign Cuban Defector Alay Soler (AP) AP - The New York Mets signed Cuban defector Alay Soler on Friday, giving the pitcher a three-year deal worth  #36;2.8 million.


Calif. Revives Marine Sanctuary Proposal (AP) AP - State wildlife officials announced plans Friday to revive a program to create marine reserves along California's 1,100-mile coast.


Scientists: Salmon Hatchery Policy Flawed (AP) AP - The proposed new federal policy for salmon hatcheries is based on a flawed reading of the Endangered Species Act, hindering efforts to restore wild salmon runs with hatchery fish, scientists say.


A Shorter Longhorn for Microsoft The signs of trouble surrounding Microsoft #39;s massive Longhorn development project have been building for months. But on Aug. 27 the software giant bowed to the inevitable.


Just let it drop You know your sport #39;s federation has some problems when it makes figure skating look fair and impartial. The International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG), unable to recognize


Prandelli Cedes Roma Reins Cesare Prandelli has become the second manager to leave a major European side this summer without coaching a single competitive match, quitting his new AS Roma post to care for his ailing wife.


McGill breaks records in Kutztown Kutztown, PA (Sports Network) - Jill McGill fired an eight-under 64 on Friday to post a 14-under-par 130 and take a four-shot lead midway through the Wachovia LPGA Classic.


HP iPod clone: out today p2pnet.net News:- In the ludicrous war for a share of the insignificant corporate online music business, HP is firmly in the Apple trenches.


Kenteris was disrespectful to athletes Thursday night #39;s 200 metres final started with a disgraceful display by some of the Greek fans in the stadium in response to the absence of their local favourite and defending champion, Kostas Kenteris.


Sharapova signals intent for US Open If Maria Sharapova wins the US Open, which starts at Flushing Meadows on Monday, she will at least be assured of having a mobile phone that works.


Friday #39;s Golf Capsules Fred Funk and tour rookie Zach Johnson had near perfect outings Friday to share a one-stroke lead in the Buick Championship after two rounds.


Economy More Sluggish Than First Thought (AP) AP - Weighed down by high energy prices, the economy was even more sluggish than initially believed during the second quarter. But Federal Reserve policy-makers believe the pace will pick up in coming months, something President Bush is counting on as the election approaches.


Gwynn's No. 19 to Be Retired by Padres (AP) AP - Tony Gwynn will have his number retired by the San Diego Padres on Sept. 4.


HP-Apple Partnership Yields New IPod (AP) AP - Hewlett-Packard Co. unveiled its own version of the iPod portable music player Friday, showing the fruits of a groundbreaking partnership it had previously announced with Apple Computer Inc.


Employers Kicking In More To 401(k)s (Investor's Business Daily) Investor's Business Daily - Fueled by the ongoing economic rally, businesses are boosting their contributions to 401(k) plans.


Olympics Wrap: Bad Day for U.S., New Dawn for China  ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States suffered their worst  day of the Athens Olympics on Friday when a tearful Marion  Jones flopped, their basketball "Dream Team" were humiliated  and they captured only one of the 20 golds on offer.


Sponsors to Return to Masters Next Year Augusta National Golf Club will restore commercials to the Masters next year, lifting the ban on advertising it imposed in 2003.


Oil prices climb as fears over Iraq turmoil loom LONDON: World oil prices rose yesterday on concerns over the possibility of further unrest in major producer Iraq despite a ceasefire in Najaf, where fighting has raged for weeks, traders said.


No gold for US after 89-81 loss to Argentina This would be the loss to finally confirm -fter considerable evidence had strongly suggested it  -t the best American players just can #39;t cut it worldwide on their ability to dunk anymore.


Focus brings US vaulters gold and silver  quot;When I vault, I don #39;t think about winning and I don #39;t think about losing, quot; Mack said.  quot;I just think about two things: the bar and using my arms.


McGill takes 4-shot lead in Wachovia Jill McGill fired an eight-under 64 Friday for a tournament record 14-under 130 and a four-shot lead midway through the Wachovia LPGA Classic.


Payments for retirees  #39;will strain US economy #39; WASHINGTON: An ageing US population will strain public finances and hurt the economy without swift fixes to the social safety net, such as raising the age for full retirement benefits, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said yesterday.


Longhorn Due in 2006 - It #39;s Official Microsoft has set 2006 for the official launch of its Longhorn operating system, which will debut without several of the features originally planned.


Group of Cities, Counties Sues Microsoft A group of California cities and counties on Friday filed a class action lawsuit against Microsoft Corp.(MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , saying that the world #39;s largest software maker overcharged government agencies for


Hewitt in form ahead of US Open LONG ISLAND, New York -- Lleyton Hewitt continued his US Open preparations with a 6-1 6-4 win over Michael Llodra en route to the quarterfinals of the ATP Long Island Cup.


MLB: Houston 15, Chicago Cubs 7 Carlos Beltran hit a pair of homers and drove in four to lead Houston to an easy 15-7 win over the Chicago Cubs in a slugfest Friday.


Powell warning WASHINGTON: Militia fighters loyal to radical Shi #39;ite Moqtada Al Sadr have left the Imam Ali shrine and the United States does not want them to recover their strength, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said last night.


Siemens Says Cellphone Flaw May Hurt Users and Its Profit Siemens, the world's fourth-largest maker of mobile phones, said that a flaw that can create a piercing ring in its newest phone models might hurt earnings.


Bush Signs Orders for Intelligence Reform (AP) AP - President Bush on Friday signed executive orders designed to strengthen the CIA director's power over the nation's intelligence agencies and create a national counterterrorism center, responding to election-year pressures to enact changes called for by the Sept. 11 commission.


Warning Anew About Retiree Expectations The chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Alan Greenspan, warned that the government might have to scale back programs like Social Security and Medicare.


U.S. Growth Pace for 2nd Quarter Is Revised Downward, to 2.8 The economy grew at a 2.8 percent annual rate from April through June, as oil prices limited consumer spending and contributed to a record trade deficit.


Consumers fuel growth The country #39;s economy has accelerated, carried by strong household and government spending, to reach its fastest annual pace in nearly four years, official figures show.


Piercing tone may dent Siemens sales FRANKFURT: German phone maker Siemens could see a dent in its mobile handset sales and may post a loss in the unit after it halted sales of faulty models that have a sharp ringtone sparking fears of hearing damage, it said yesterday.


Truckers decide to withdraw strike New Delhi: The truck operators tonight decided to call off their seven-day-old strike from Saturday after reaching an agreement with the government on the vexed service tax issue.


Next Version of Windows for PC #39;s to Ship in 2006 icrosoft laid out its plan yesterday for shipping the next version of its Windows operating system for personal computers in 2006, but to meet its timetable the company has scaled back its technological ambitions for the product.


MOTOR RACING: I #39;LL BE SIMPLY SECOND BEST JENSON BUTTON last night admitted he #39;d give up chasing personal glory in tomorrow #39;s Belgian Grand Prix for the sake of his team.


Hewitt, Paradorn reach Long Island second round Lleyton Hewitt has defeated Olivier Mutis at the \$US380,000 ATP Long Island event to move within one victory of reaching 50 match wins for the fourth time in five years.


Ratings Win Gold for NBC BC should be FedExing thank you notes to Michael Phelps, Carly Patterson, Natalie Coughlin, Paul Hamm and other American Olympians who have lifted it to the type of strong prime-time ratings


Sudan accused of sharing bases with militia A human rights group yesterday published a detailed list of the locations of what it claimed were 16 bases in Sudan being used by the Janjaweed militia that is largely responsible for the Darfur crisis.


Hamza police granted more time Detectives have been granted more time to question cleric Abu Hamza on suspicion of being involved in terrorist offences. The Muslim cleric was arrested at Belmarsh prison under the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion


Court Tosses VeriSign Suit Vs. Overseers (AP) AP - A federal judge dismissed an antitrust complaint against a key Internet oversight group brought by a company that controls directories for guiding Internet users worldwide.


Survey: Linux Has Long Way to Go in Retail (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - A new study by VDC finds Linux in barely 2 percent of retailers' point-of-sale systems; it also indicates more strength for bar-code systems and more stumbling blocks for RFID.


Group of Cities, Counties Sues Microsoft (Reuters) Reuters - A group of California cities and\counties on Friday filed a class action lawsuit against\Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O), saying the world's largest software\maker overcharged them for software.


Bovina, Dechy to Meet in Pilot Pen Finals (AP) AP - Nathalie Dechy advanced to the final of the Pilot Pen tournament, using quick, accurate play to beat Lisa Raymond 6-4, 6-0 Friday.


Second Seed Dementieva Hammered in New Haven  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Second seed Elena Dementieva's hopes  of a first title in 2004 ended in double-quick time when she  was hammered 6-1, 6-1 by fellow Russian Elena Bovina in the  semi-finals of the \$585,000 New Haven Open on Friday.


Suit by Cities Says Microsoft Overcharged icrosoft, which has agreed to pay \$1.8 billion to settle consumer antitrust suits, has been sued by California munciplaties, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, over claims that the company overcharged them for its Windows software.


Red Sox Trip Tigers 5-3 (AP) AP - Manny Ramirez singled and scored before leaving with a bruised knee, and the streaking Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 5-3 Friday night for their 10th victory in 11 games.


Mets Thump Dodgers 9-2 (AP) AP - Gerald Williams singled twice in a six-run first inning and the New York Mets broke out of their offensive funk in a big way, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-2 Friday night to end a five-game losing streak.


Greenspan Cautions on Baby Boomer Benefits (AP) AP - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday the country will face "abrupt and painful" choices unless Congress acts quickly to trim Social Security and Medicare benefits for the baby boom generation. He said the government has promised more than it can deliver.


US Airways Pilots' Union Decides to Resume Talks The US Airways pilots' union said it would resume talks with the airline, which is urging its unions to grant \$800 million in cuts to save it from a bankruptcy filing.


Insurgents Quit Mosque in Najaf After Peace Deal Guerrillas loyal to Moktada al-Sadr ceded control of the holy site to the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, but did not give up their guns.


Bush to tout economic trend in NYC WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Through thick and thin, President Bush has consistently extolled the virtues of lowering taxes to make the economy stronger.


US Needs Pro Boxers for Fighting Chance He was showered again with boos as he approached the ring for his semifinal light-heavyweight bout. Once inside the ropes, he was tossed around by Utkirbek Haydarov of Uzbekistan.


Venezuela Withdraws Ambassador From Panama (AP) AP - Venezuela withdrew its ambassador from Panama on Friday to protest outgoing President Mireya Moscoso's argument that she pardoned four Cuban emigres for fear they might be sent to Venezuela and executed.


Team USA Beats Russia 2-0 in Exhibition (AP) AP - Now that the preliminaries are over, Team USA appears ready for the World Cup of Hockey.


Airplanes Vulnerable to Bombers, Experts Say Despite urgings from Congress and the Sept. 11 commission, U.S. commercial jets remain vulnerable to suicide bombers, aviation security experts said.


Winners With Wallets Economic size wields major influence over how well a nation does at the Olympics.


Federation Requests Hamm Give Up Gold The letter from the International Gymnastics Federation arrived hand-delivered on Thursday night, more than a week after Paul Hamm won the men #39;s all-around gymnastics event


TRACK AND FIELD A Bungled Pass Costs US in Relay The ending was so sudden on the crowded back curve, so unexpectedly futile, that it seemed only fitting to Marion Jones after the year she has had.


Bullpen keeps up good work With all the firepower the Red Sox have been displaying lately, its good to know the pitching staff isnt taking anything for granted.


Streaking Braves Stop Giants 5-3 (AP) AP - Barry Bonds hit a three-run shot for his 694th homer, but Chipper Jones' two-run drive helped the Atlanta Braves beat the San Francisco Giants 5-3 Friday night for their fifth straight victory.


N. Korean Leader's Mistress Reported Dead (AP) AP - A mistress of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il  #151; whose son with him is considered a possible successor  #151; has died of an illness, according to media reports.


Mets Thump Dodgers Gerald Williams singled twice in a six-run first inning and the Mets broke out of their offensive funk in a big way.


Avoid anti-US talk, Chavez told Venezuela's president can improve ties by avoiding inflammatory remarks, the US State Department says.


Greenspan Urges Look at Senior Benefit Costs Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan on Friday urged Washington policymakers to consider reducing future Social Security and Medicare benefits, saying that


AT amp;T Uses Its Long Past to Promote Its Near Future T amp;T may be your grandma #39;s phone company, but it is also trying to be the company of the future with its Internet phones. Even as it is getting out of the business of providing traditional phone


Black-and-blue Sox win again Thanks to a variety of unforeseen circumstances over the past few days, Red Sox manager Terry Francona has gone from mere lineup crafter to juggler.


Deja vu as Yankees beat Blue Jays 8-7 Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui and Bernie Williams each hit home runs as the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-7 on Friday.


Jobs, tax cuts key issues for Bush President Bush says himself there #39;s still work to be done to keep the economy growing. But when the Republicans gather next week in New York for their national convention, much of


Detroit Fights California Bid to Open Car Pool Lanes to Fuel <b>...</b> Larry David tools around in one on his HBO series. Cameron Diaz drives one in Los Angeles. So do Leonardo DiCaprio and Rob Reiner.


White House report says people cause global warming People are responsible for the spike in global warming in the last 30 years, says a new US government report. The verdict, long accepted by most scientists, has encountered resistance from the Bush administration


Russia Confirms Plane Crash Terror Link A widely-suspected terrorist connection became an official claim when Russian authorities said they found traces of explosives in the wreckage of one of two passenger jets that crashed almost simultaneously, killing all 90 people on board.


Bibby out as coach at USC Henry Bibby was fired Monday as the men #39;s basketball coach at Southern California. The move came four games into his ninth season, and assistant Jim Saia was appointed the Trojans #39; interim coach for the rest of the season.


Indians Hold Off White Sox 6-3 (AP) AP - C.C. Sabathia struck out 11 in six innings and Ronnie Belliard hit a three-run homer to lead the Cleveland Indians over the Chicago White Sox 6-3 Friday night.


'Cachirulo,' of Mexico Theater, Dies at 79 (AP) AP - Enrique Alonso "Cachirulo," an actor, writer and producer whose long-running television show made his name practically synonymous with children's theater in Mexico, died Friday. He was 79.


NYC Police Arrest 250 in Bicycle Protest (AP) AP - Nearly 250 bicyclists were arrested during a mass protest that passed Madison Square Garden Friday night, the first major police crackdown on demonstrators just days before a wave of activists were expected to descend for the Republican National Convention.


Bangladesh Shuts for Another Strike Over Attack  DHAKA (Reuters) - Offices, schools, shops and businesses  across Bangladesh shut down Saturday for the second strike in  less than a week called by the main opposition party to protest  against a grenade attack that nearly killed its leader.


Rams Roll Past Redskins 28-3 (AP) AP - Torry Holt and the St. Louis Rams finally had something to celebrate.


Scobee Kicks Jaguars Past Packers 9-7 (AP) AP - Josh Scobee's confidence grew with every kick. So did his chances of becoming the Jacksonville Jaguars' kicker.


Rangers Beat Staggering Orioles 6-4 (AP) AP - John Wasdin pitched six strong innings in his return from the minors, and the Texas Rangers handed Baltimore its 11th consecutive loss by beating the Orioles 6-4 Friday night.


Thai goes for giant Airbus THE already healthy order book of Airbus in Broughton has been given a further boost with an order for A380 superjumbos from Thailand.


SEC Looks Into Van Eck he Van Eck Associates Corporation, a manager of the Van Eck mutual funds, has said the Securities and Exchange Commission may seek civil penalties against it and two executives in connection with improper trading.


AL Capsules Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui and Bernie Williams each homered and the New York Yankees held on for an 8-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.


Ramirez injured as Red Sox beat Tigers 5-3 for 10th win in 11 <b>...</b> Manny Ramirez banged a ball off his knee. Keith Foulke had a stiff back. Neither was available at the end of the game, and yet the Boston Red Sox keep winning.


Bonds #39; 694th homer not enough Barry Bonds continued to edge closer to the magic 700 home run mark Friday night, blasting a three-run homer -- the 694th of his career -- in the San Francisco Giants #39; 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.


Thatcher was trying to flee #39; South Africa before arrest Mark Thatcher was preparing to flee South Africa when he was arrested over his alleged involvement in a botched coup attempt, police in Cape Town alleged Thursday.


Vikings Give 49ers Third Straight Loss (AP) AP - With their starters playing into the second half, the Minnesota Vikings looked as if they would easily overmatch the depleted San Francisco 49ers.


Responding to Howe, Mets Decide Not to Go Quietly Although the Mets' manager is not an orator, he apparently gave his team a reason to keep playing Friday night.


Venezuela envoy quits Panama Venezuela withdraws its ambassador from Panama, in an on-going row about a pardon for four Cuban exiles.


In Palm Beach, Results of 2000 Still Stir a Fight Although Democrats hold a solid majority in Palm Beach County, Fla., it is so big that even a small shift among its 700,000 voters could make a difference in November.


Let baseball solve its own problems Ever vigilant for new frontiers of American life where Congress can dictate the rules of behavior, elected officials in the nation #39;s capital have cast their eye on Major League Baseball.


Rams Stomp Redskins The St. Louis Rams' offense, led by receiver Torry Holt and rookie running back Steven Jackson, riddled the Redskins from all sides and gained a 28-3 victory on Friday.


Eskandarian Out D.C. United forward Alecko Eskandarian will miss Saturday's match at New England because of a sprained left ankle, but the injury is not severe.


Terror Suspected in Crash The Russian government abruptly shifted gears Friday and concluded that at least one of the two planes that fell out of the sky almost simultaneously this week was blown up by terrorists.


Killing of Hostage Confounds Self-Image of Italians   ROME, Aug. 27 -- By all accounts here, Enzo Baldoni, the latest victim in Iraq of a videotaped killing at unknown hands, was a kind, light-hearted man.


Russia Reports Evidence of Terror Attack The Russian government abruptly shifted gears Friday and concluded that at least one of the two planes that fell out of the sky almost simultaneously this week was blown up


Bangladesh Shuts for Another Strike Over Attack Offices, schools, shops and businesses across Bangladesh shut down Saturday for the second strike in less than a week called by the main opposition party to protest against a grenade attack that nearly killed its leader.


Indian hostages maybe released soon Hopes for the release of Indian hostages, being held in Iraq, rose after the KGL said that it has met the demands of the kidnappers.


Saints Hold Off Bears 17-13 in Preseason (AP) AP - Third-team quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan set up his own go-ahead touchdown run with a long pass Friday night and the New Orleans Saints beat the Chicago Bears 17-13.


Typhoon Chaba approaches southwestern Japan (AFP) AFP - Typhoon Chaba was approaching Japan and was expected to bring heavy rain and high winds to large areas in southwestern regions over the weekend, officials said.


Bush Asks McCain to Help the Fight Against Political Ads President Bush says he wants to join Republican Senator John McCain in the fight against political ads by outside groups. The announcement comes just weeks after McCain called for Bush to condemn an anti-John


Firm Guilty Of Declaring False Shelter A federal judge ruled yesterday that Long Term Capital Management, the giant investment fund that nearly imploded in 1998 and received a \$3.


New Windows Planned for 2006 Microsoft Corp. announced yesterday that it will leave out some planned features from its next major operating system to meet a goal of rolling out a new version of Windows in the second half of 2006.


Microsoft denies flaw in XP upgrade Microsoft Corp. is flatly denying what it calls  quot;misguided reports quot; of a flaw in its new Windows XP Service Pack 2 upgrade that exposes security information to hackers.


Home raided for clues in biotech b Investigators raided a Framingham house in search of evidence in the bombing of a Watertown biotech lab yesterday, rifling through the house but making no arrests as federal agents continued an intensive probe, authorities said.


Jury Selection Begins in Bryant Rape Case Three hundred residents of Eagle County, some in Porsches and some in battered pickups, arrived at the small rural courthouse in this mountain village


Killing of Hostage Confounds Self-Image of Italians By all accounts here, Enzo Baldoni, the latest victim in Iraq of a videotaped killing at unknown hands, was a kind, light-hearted man.


Aziz elected as opposition boycotts vote: Premier-elect outlines <b>...</b> ISLAMABAD, Aug 27: Amid opposition protests and boycott, the ruling coalition in the National Assembly on Friday elected former finance minister Shaukat Aziz as prime minister, who vowed to give the country a competent government.


Typhoon Chaba nears Japan TYPHOON Chaba is expected to bring heavy rain and high winds to large areas in south-western Japan over the weekend. At noon (1pm AEST), the typhoon was located at 290km west of Minami-Daitojima island, with


The billion dollar election Last year some election watchers made a bold prediction that this presidential election would set a record: the first half billion dollar campaign in hard money alone.


Ping-Pong politicking in Hong Kong HONG KONG More than three decades after China used Ping-Pong diplomacy to start resuming ties with the United States, Beijing is trying it again - this time in an attempt to influence elections in Hong Kong.


Union leaders urge one more try Leaders of the pilots #39; union at US Airways said on Friday that they had directed their negotiating team to resume talking with the company over \$295 million in labor concessions.


Changes to Longhorn Big changes are afoot for the next version of Microsoft Windows, code-named Longhorn. Microsoft announced on Friday that it is now targeting 2006 for broad availability of Longhorn.


Researchers: Fishermen need more restrictions Millions of casual fishermen reel in more of the nation #39;s most prized saltwater fish than previously thought, researchers say, prompting them to urge tougher regulation of recreational fishing.


IRAQ, FASSINO: NO TURNING POINT, WE STILL OPPOSE MISSION (AGI) - Rome, Italy, Aug.27 - According to Fassino, Baldoni #39;s killing  quot;is the umpteenth proof that the situation in Iraq is fragile, unsafe and still critical, unlike many people said quot;.


France to receive Iraqi president Jacques Chirac announced France would receive the Iraqi President, Ghazi al-Yawar, in early September. French President Jacques Chirac announced the decision during a major


Plummer Guides Broncos Past Texans 31-17 (AP) AP - The Denver Broncos were hoping to find some kind of offensive rhythm headed into the regular season.


Ninety years on, only faint echoes remain of Samoa's German past (AFP) AFP - Ninety years after imperial Germany was chased out of the South Pacific few signs remain in Samoa that this was once Berlin's colonial pearl.


Singh No. 1, Daly comeback kid There was no debate that Vijay Singh was No. 1 in golf this year, but John Daly grabbed his share of the spotlight with his resurgence in play and popularity.


Warner Sharp in Giants' Loss to Jets After two preseason games in which they played to a virtual draw, Kurt Warner edged ahead of Eli Manning in the Giants' quarterback competition.


100 Cyclists Are Arrested as Thousands Ride in Protest Thousands of cyclists rode through the streets of Manhattan in a Republican-bashing, environment-promoting display of bike power that resulted in more than 100 arrests.


2-Run Homers Lift Angels Over Twins 9-6 ANAHEIM, Calif. - Adam Kennedy and Garret Anderson each hit a two-run homer, and the Anaheim Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 9-6 Friday night for their ninth straight victory...


Drug to Help Avert Blindness Moves Closer to Approval yetech Pharmaceuticals #39; drug to treat the leading cause of blindness in the elderly appeared to move closer to a broad government approval yesterday after an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration spoke favorably about it.


US Air pilots ready to resume talks SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - US Airways #39; pilots union said late Friday it was ready to resume contract talks with company management, a step crucial to the airline #39;s future.


Truckers call off strike following agreement with Govt NEW DELHI: The All India Motor Transport Congress on Saturday called off their seven-day old  #39;indefinite #39; truckers strike after it reached on an agreement with Government on the contentious issue of service tax and various other demands.


Microsoft To Release New Windows OS In 2006 Microsoft will broadly release its long-awaited new Windows operating system code-named  quot;Longhorn quot; in 2006, according to a company statement.


Hamm Should Hold Onto Gold Athletes are marinated in preparation for years, and grilled in harsh evaluation or simply bask in recognition for decades. And during competition, each competitor can handle no more than the prescribed circumstances.


Olympics: Jones can #39;t hang on to success Marion Jones, who left Sydney four years ago with a record five medals, will depart Athens with none after a disastrous night at the Olympic Stadium.


Rooney hands in transfer request EVERTON manager David Moyes will steadfastly block Wayne Rooneys transfer from Goodison Park if he does not get the valuation he wants for the England striker before Tuesdays transfer deadline.


Raikkonen looks to add consistency Kimi Raikkonen completed the formalities with his now customary Friday flourish. Just as he did in Hungary, Raikkonen ended the first day of practice at the top of the


US team #39;s class clown grip-and-rips #39; his way to a pole vault <b>...</b> He #39;s a California surfer dude, an air guitar virtuoso -- and the US Olympic team #39;s resident class clown. Toby Stevenson also happens to be very good at what he does: the pole vault.


Jury Selection Begins in Kobe Bryant Rape Case Hundreds of prospective jurors in the high-profile Kobe Bryant rape case turned up on Friday for jury selection in a trial of the star athlete that lawyers said is shaping up to be full of rancor.


Mariners 7, Royals 5 Bret Boone hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Seattle Mariners #39; had a season-high six home runs in a 7-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals Friday night.


Tech faces talented So. Cal as an 18-point underdog Were so young, Trojans coach Pete Carroll said. Half our team has only been here for two semesters.. Of the 48 players on Techs two-deep roster, 17 are freshmen or sophomores.


PREVIEW-Open-Agassi ready for one final flourish When Andre Agassi withdrew from Wimbledon with a hip injury earlier this year, it seemed as if the career of one of the most charismatic players in the history of the game was nearing its end.


Editorial: End of Siege It is the Iraqi people who come best out of the end of the Najaf siege. This has been a triumph for the moderate majority who until yesterday felt themselves powerless to influence the wretched course of events in their own country.


Chinese Pottery Yields Leftovers of Stone Age Happy Hour Imagine the long centuries of the Stone Age, when life was, by definition, hard and there was not a tipple to be had. People in the Middle East came to find a pleasing remedy in the marvel


Athletics Rally to Beat Devil Rays 8-7 (AP) AP - Erubiel Durazo hit a two-run homer, Eric Chavez also connected and the Oakland Athletics rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 8-7 Friday night.


Truck operators call of week-long strike Truck operators today called off their week-long strike after an agreement with the Government to form a committee to study the vexed service tax issue.


Microsoft sets 2006 Longhorn release LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -- Microsoft said Friday that it plans to broadly distribute the next version of its Windows operating system -- dubbed  quot;Longhorn quot; -- in 2006, but conceded that it had to pare down a much-anticipated search feature to move ahead with


Derek makes Tigers topple like dominoes: Red-hot Sox continue <b>...</b> At times like this, it is important to remember a simple truth: No matter how much they have improved, no matter how much promise they may show at times, there is something they have yet to escape.


Brunell Fits Gibbs Best Patrick Ramsey's struggles have made Joe Gibbs's starting quarterback decision an easy one.


J. Gordon Nabs Pole Jeff Gordon wins the pole for the Sharpie 500, his sixth of the season, at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway with a speed of 128.520 mph.


Braves Feeling Chipper Chipper Jones' two-run homer helps the Atlanta Braves beat the San Francisco Giants 5-3 Friday night for their fifth straight victory.


Bringing the Funk Tour veteran Fred Funk shares the lead with rookie Zach Johnson as each enters the weekend at 8-under in the Buick Championship.


Preview: Day 15 The penultimate day of the Olympics will see Kelly Holmes aiming for success in the 1500m.


New calm in revolt-wracked Najaf Inhabitants of the Iraqi city of Najaf enjoy their first night of peace in several weeks after a ceasefire deal.


Typhoon Chaba approaches southwestern Japan TOKYO : Typhoon Chaba was approaching Japan and was expected to bring heavy rain and high winds to large areas in southwestern regions over the weekend, officials said.


Mixed media: Justice for all INTERNATIONAL NEWS AGENCY: Pre-trial hearings at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, of prisoners taken in the US  quot;war on terrorism quot; are  quot;designed to convict quot;, says one expert.


Re-Fighting Vietnam The most contentious issue of the upcoming presidential election so far is history. Whoever expected that wed be re-fighting thirty and forty year old arguments about the Vietnam War?


Weisel settles charges San Francisco investment bank Thomas Weisel Partners on Thursday agreed to pay \$12.5 million to settle allegations that some of the stock research the bank published during the Internet boom was tainted by conflicts of interest.


US Open tennis: Tough draw for Agassi, Roddick Andre Agassi will have to get through top-seeded Roger Federer if he wants to make the semifinals. Venus Williams will have to get through No.


Iraqi rebels leave Najaf shrine left. The fighters had defied US military firepower and the interim Iraqi government for three weeks. accept a peace deal to halt the fighting, after a day of violence in which 110 Iraqis were killed and 501 wounded.


Former Sun, BEA executives forge grid venture DECEMBER 06, 2004 (INFOWORLD) - Former executives from companies including Sun Microsystems Inc., BEA Systems Inc. and Oracle Corp.


Soft money, hard politics Much of the nation #39;s media makes it seem as if soft-money spending on campaign ads by the so-called  quot;shadow parties quot; is a Republican thing.


Personal, corporate bankruptcies take dip Bankruptcies, dominated by personal filings, fell by about 1 percent in the year that ended June 30, with business bankruptcies falling almost 4 percent, the Administrative Office of the US Courts said Friday.


Keep track of hometown heroes: ATHENS, GREECE - The United States Olympic Committee pumped renewed fury into the Paul Hamm gymnastics saga on Friday, slamming the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) for asking Hamm to return his gold medal.


Boxers take more hits as Dirrell gets bronze Or maybe he simply is unfamiliar with the preferred code of behavior following a boxing match: you lose, you whine. Dirrell would be no good at it, however.


Marathon elite face a 35-year course record in Athens race Runners who finish Sunday #39;s Olympic marathon will be watched over by a 63-year-old white-haired Englishman who established the still-unbroken course record 35 years ago.


US horse hurt while winning jumping bronze; Ireland takes gold American rider Chris Kappler won bronze in show jumping Friday, but his accomplishment was bittersweet. Kappler #39;s horse, Royal Kaliber, broke down on course in a timed jumpoff and was taken from the Olympic


Likud voters want Sharon to pursue coalition: poll JERUSALEM: Most members of Israel #39;s ruling Likud party want Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to press on with talks to widen his coalition despite a vote by the Likud executive barring any such move, a poll showed on Friday.


Twelve bodies found in post-storm search At least 12 people have been confirmed killed by Typhoon Aere, 17 remain unaccounted for, and 86 others were injured as it swept across northern Taiwan earlier this week, according to a post-typhoon damage control report by the Interior Ministry yesterday


Typhoon bears down on Japan Powerful typhoon Chaba is slowly bearing down on Japan, threatening to unleash strong wind and heavy rain throughout southern and western parts of the country over the weekend.


Jets Befuddle Giants' Manning in 17-10 Win (AP) AP - After weeks of wowing the New York Giants with his passing, poise and promise, Eli Manning showed that even the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft can have his rookie moments.


Short Jump, Bad Handoff End Jones' Games (AP) AP - For Marion Jones, Sydney must seem far more than half a world away. Those Olympics were some dreamland where she ruled track and field with a golden touch and a sweet smile, winning five medals that turned her into an international superstar.


Virginia Tech Seeks Luster Against USC (AP) AP - Three straight late-season stumbles have taken the luster off Virginia Tech. Now the Hokies are looking to get it back, and there's no better way to do that than to knock off No. 1 Southern California.


Truck maker delays report Truck maker Navistar International Corp. on Monday delayed its quarterly earnings report because of an anticipated restatement, although the company said the restatement was not expected to be material and gave an encouraging forecast.


Continental takes part in upstart ticket network Feeling continued pressure from the low-cost carriers, Continental Airlines is joining six other airlines in a ticket distribution network that will save them money.


Microsoft cuts key Longhorn feature By scaling back, company hopes to hit a 2006 release. Microsoft Corp. is dropping a highly touted new feature from its plans for the next generation of Windows -- scaling back ambitions for its biggest product


Message to Kerry: Investment income is income, too. Lets see how many weeks it takes before John Kerry and Co. stop repeating the now discredited statement that American households are not keeping pace with inflation.


SI.com ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Shannon Stewart  #39;s mental error provided the spark for the red-hot Anaheim Angels . Stewart #39;s blunder led to a five-run sixth inning as the Angels extended their winning streak


Homer-happy Mariners end skid A four-pitch sequence in the fifth inning Friday night produced something the Mariners hadn #39;t done in nearly eight years. Miguel Olivo hit a home run to left-center field.


AI welcomes revoking of Pinochet #39;s immunity MADRID: Amnesty International applauded on Friday the decision by Chile #39;s Supreme Court to revoke the immunity from prosecution of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, calling it  quot;a first step toward justice.


U.S. Tops Russia 2-0 at Hockey Exhibition (AP) AP - Forget all that talk about Team USA having goalie problems. Robert Esche and Rick DiPietro combined on a shutout, and John-Michael Liles arrived just in time to score a goal to lead the defending champion Americans to a 2-0 victory over Russia on Friday night in their final World Cup exhibition game.


U.S., Afghan Soldiers Arrest 10 Suspects (AP) AP - U.S. and Afghan soldiers conducting a sweep in southern Zabul province arrested 10 suspected Taliban after a firefight in a forbidding mountain area, the governor said Saturday.


McGill Takes Lead at Wachovia Classic (AP) AP - In-N-Out Burger was looking mighty tempting to Jill McGill.


Republican National Convention Donors (AP) AP - A local committee helping the Republican National Committee hold its New York convention raised roughly  #36;60 million to  #36;70 million in private money for the event. Corporate donors include:


BA Directors Join Workforce in Bid to Avoid More Chaos British Airways top directors, including chief executive Rod Eddington, will be helping out at Heathrow airport today as the airline strives to avoid the flight cancellation chaos of the last few days.


STOCKS  amp; BONDS Markets Rise a Bit Despite Sluggish Growth of the <b>...</b> sluggish gross domestic product reading was nonetheless better than expected, prompting investors to send stocks slightly higher yesterday.


Argentina topples NBA stars ATHENS -- Bronze is the best the American men can do in basketball and the reason is simple: A hastily assembled assortment of NBA stars couldn #39;t beat a better team -- Argentina.


Jones loses last chance for medal at Athens ATHENS -- American Marion Jones is going home without a medal. Jones, who won five medals and arguably was the biggest star of the Sydney Games four years ago, finished fifth in yesterday #39;s long jump and -- barely


Activists enter Acropolis to protest Powell visit Greek activists have hoisted a massive banner on the Acropolis against the scheduled visit of US Secretary of State Colin Powell, due in Athens for the Olympics this weekend.


Button driven on by lure of second place JENSON Button will settle for second best in tomorrows Belgian Grand Prix at Spa- Francorchamps. The Englishman concedes Ferrari are out of reach and has set his sights on helping BAR overhaul Renault for


Unranked Hokies look for fast start LANDOVER, MD. - It #39;s been awhile since Virginia Tech entered a season unranked, with modest expectations. A win over No. 1 Southern California would change perceptions of this year #39;s Hokies in a hurry.


ELI #39;S TIME COMING, BUT KURT #39;S IS HERE August 28, 2004 -- When the Giants #39; reg ular season starts September 12 in Philadelphia, Tom Coughlin should start Kurt Warner over Eli Manning.


Russian Air Disaster Was Suicide Attack, According to US Sources Traces of explosives found in one of two downed Tupolev planes match explosives used in the 1999 bombing attacks of Moscow apartments by Chechen separatists, according to two US government sources.


Police Continue Questioning Abu Hamza Hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza faces yet more questions today after police were given more time to hold him on suspicion of being involved in terrorist offences.


Venezuela ratifies referendum vote Venezuela #39;s electoral authorities Friday ratified the results of a recent referendum that kept President Hugo Chavez in power.


France ready to help more in Iraq - Chirac PARIS - France is ready to play a greater role in rebuilding Iraq and has invited Iraqi President Ghazi Yawar for talks in Paris next month, President Jacques Chirac said in a speech on Friday.


Bodies of 2 Turkish hostages found The bodies of two Turkish hostages have been found in the northern Iraqi town of Baiji. Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite TV reported that the two Turkish captives had apparently been killed by gunfire.