Bashir goes to trial THE terrorism trial against Muslim Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, accused of leading a network linked to al-Qaida, can go ahead, a Jakarta court ruled yesterday.


ADV: Shrink Your Monthly Student Loan Payment Lower your monthly payment and get one easy bill with Loan to Learn #153;. Private student loans or private plus federal are accepted. Apply online for fast approval and competitive rates.


CBI slashes UK growth forecasts The CBI cuts growth forecasts after order books for UK manufacturers drop to their lowest level since the start of 2004.


Manning to Face Detroit, Marino's Record (AP) AP - Peyton Manning won't threaten Dan Marino's record when the Colts play at Detroit on Thanksgiving, but he can take another step toward the milestone the former Miami Dolphins star set in 1984.


Bin Laden Not Hiding on Pakistan Border -Commander (Reuters) Reuters - Al Qaeda chief Osama bin\Laden can not be hiding in Pakistan's tribal lands on the\Afghan border as Pakistani forces have combed the area and\found no hint of him, a Pakistani army commander said on\Thursday.


Budget Flap Imperils Sharon's Gaza Pullout Plan (Reuters) Reuters - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon faced\threats on Thursday from inside and outside his already shaky\coalition that could bring down the Israeli government, force\early elections and delay his Gaza withdrawal plan.


EU Official Now Denies Hamas Contact (AP) AP - The European Union's foreign policy chief denied Thursday that he recently met with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which the EU has blacklisted as a terrorist organization.


Nintendo returns to profit on forex gains, rising software sales (AFP) AFP - Nintendo, the world's largest maker of portable game consoles, said it returned to profitability in the first half after booking large foreign exchange gains.


France to Defends Fed Cup Title at Final (AP) AP - Defending champion France surged into the Fed Cup final, completing a 5-0 sweep of Spain on Thursday behind singles victories by Nathalie Dechy and Tatiana Golovin.


Girl survives rabies without jab \A teenage girl has become the first known person to survive rabies without the benefit of a vaccination, say doctors.


Hero's welcome for Liberia star Huge crowds greet football legend George Weah on his return home to Liberia to launch a presidential bid.


Israelis kill three Palestinians Israeli soldiers killed three Palestinian militants in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Palestinian witnesses say.


PGA grand slam: Mick-tacular performance The Garden Island. POIPU - Not even the sunscreen could cool off Phil Mickelson on his way to the 2004 Grand Slam title yesterday.


Chelsea 0 PSG 0 CHELSEA were barking up the wrong tree as they were muzzled by a PSG team who had failed to win an away game in Europe for seven years.


The Best Online Reference Sites Looking for an answer to a specific question?  Check out this list of the best reference sites of 2004, as compiled by the American Library Association.


Israeli coalition partner #39;s threat raises possibility of early <b>...</b> Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s largest coalition partner threatened to quit Thursday, raising the possibility of early elections that could endanger his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip next year.


Ageing time-tomb brings budget angst How #39;s your health? Feeling well? Expecting to live to a ripe old age? If the answers are yes, then economically speaking, you #39;re not helping.


US spared WTO sanctions -- for now The World Trade Organization on Wednesday held off approving stiff sanctions on US exports ranging from cod to mobile homes intended to punish Washington until it repeals the so-called Byrd amendment.


Auburn Defeats Virginia Tech in Sugar Bowl  NEW ORLEANS (Sports Network) - Auburn's defense solidified  its status as one of the nation's toughest, despite a late-game  scare, and the Tigers completed the first perfect season in  school history with a 16-13 Sugar Bowl victory over Virginia  Tech on Monday night.


Canada hails Arctic Council #39;s climate change document REYKJAVIK, Iceland - Canada #39;s environment minister says people shouldn #39;t underestimate the policy recommendations on climate change announced in Iceland Wednesday.


DoCoMo offering i-mode to mmO2 Japan #39;s dominant wireless operator, NTT DoCoMo, has reached a basic agreement to offer its popular i-mode mobile internet technology to mmO2 OOM.


Microsoft Attacks Piracy  With Free Software Microsoft is making a serious effort to attack piracy: by giving away free copies of Windows XP to pirated users in the UK. The move is currently targeted at consumers who may be using pirated copies of Windows XP by mistake.


Atari #39;s Sid Meier #39;s Pirates! Sails into Stores Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) and Firaxis Games announced today that the highly-anticipated sequel to one of the most popular and loved titles in gaming history has shipped to retail stores nationwide.


Conservation Group Urges Gov #39;t Cooperation Scientists and officials strengthened efforts to forestall the extinction of thousands of species and protect the world #39;s habitats in talks in


Villarreal nabs Figueroa Primera Liga side Villarreal has confirmed the signing of Luciano Figueroa from Mexican club Cruz Azul in a transfer worth a reported three million euros (\$A5.1million).


Notre Dame Coach Hires Assistants (AP) AP - Former head coaches David Cutcliffe, Bill Lewis and Rick Minter joined the staff of new Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis on Monday night.


Clippers Nudge Nuggets 102-98 (AP) AP - Corey Maggette had 33 points and 11 rebounds, and Rick Brunson hit a key 3-pointer with 21 seconds left to lift the Los Angeles Clippers to a 102-98 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.


Solana confirms secret contact with Hamas European Union foreign policy chiefJavier Solana has confirmed that he had secret meetings with the Palestinian group Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement) in an interview with the BBC that was broadcast on Thursday.


Indonesia rejects plea by terror suspect An Indonesian court ruled Thursday the trial of terror suspect Abu Bakar Bashir would proceed, rejecting a plea from the cleric #39;s lawyers to drop the charges.


Budget flap jeopardizes Sharons pullout plan Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is facing threats from inside and outside his largest coalition partner that may bring down the Israeli government, which would force the country to hold early elections and suspend his Gaza withdrawal plan.


Chemical weapons lab found in Fallujah Baghdad - An Iraqi minister said on Thursday that a chemical weapons laboratory was found in the former rebel stronghold of Fallujah, Sky News reports.


Protesters Seek Resignations After Fire Thousands of Argentines angered over safety lapses at a nightclub where a fire killed 183 people, many of them teenagers, marched through capital streets Monday holding pictures of the victims and demanding the resignations of key city officials.


Directors retreat from Reliance Six directors at Reliance Energy resign amid a growing family row over ownership of India's largest private company.


Wurld Media turns p2p swapping to music biz advantage Software developer Wurld Media has devised a way to bridge the gap between the freewheeling peer to peer downloads community and the music companies who would like to be paid.


CCIA chief defends Microsoft payment Ed Black, president of the CCIA, has defended his organisation #39;s decision to take a settlement payment from Microsoft. The Washington DC-based CCIA (Computer and Communications Industry Association) this month


US Appeals Nafta Ruling Against Tariffs on Canadian Lumber By Bloomberg News. The Bush administration yesterday appealed a trade panel #39;s decision that effectively struck down United States tariffs on \$4.6 billion a year of Canadian lumber.


Indian, Pakistani Firms OK Tech Agreement (AP) AP - Private Indian and Pakistani information technology companies will meet in the Pakistani capital next month to tap business opportunities and sign a cooperation agreement.


Chirac vows 'true partnership' with Libya (AFP) AFP - French President Jacques Chirac, who vowed to forge a "true partnership" with Libya, wrapped up the latest top-level Western visit to Tripoli as it returns from years in the diplomatic wilderness.


Finnish authorities warn against using MS Internet Explorer 6 browser (AFP) AFP - Finnish authorities warned computer users against using the popular Microsoft Internet Explorer Six web browser as it has a "serious" security flaw that compromises computer systems.


FCC: 8M Wireless Users Keep Cell Numbers (AP) AP - Nearly 8 million mobile phone users have switched carriers and kept their cell numbers since a new rule allowing that flexibility went into effect one year ago, according to the Federal Communications Commission.


PREVIEW-Rugby-Revenge in the air for someone at Twickenham World Cup final revenge for Australia or  quot;payback time quot; for England #39;s June humiliation in Brisbane -- either cap fits for Twickenham #39;s mouth-watering Saturday showdown between the best of rugby enemies.


More than 2,000 people killed in Fallujah : Iraqi official More than 2,000 people were killed so far in the flashpoint city of Fallujah, an Iraqi senior security official said Thursday.  quot;More than 2,058 were killed and more than 1,600


Arctic People Seek Tropical Team on Global Warming (Reuters) Reuters - Arctic peoples aim to team up with\tropical islanders in a campaign against global warming,\arguing that polar bears and palm-fringed beaches stand to\suffer most.


Rich States' Demands Threaten Environment Treaty (Reuters) Reuters - Demands by the United States and other\wealthy nations to delay the phasing out of a pesticide that\depletes the ozone layer threaten to unravel a key global\environmental treaty, experts said on Thursday.


Conservation Group Urges Gov't Cooperation (AP) AP - Scientists and officials strengthened efforts to forestall the extinction of thousands of species and protect the world's habitats in talks in Bangkok, but governments need to work harder to promote conservation, an international environment agency said Thursday.


Evidence of sex abuse by U.N. Congo staff outrages Annan   The NZ Herald has the story.  More coverage can be found by performing a Google News search for "un congo sex abuse".    Details of the story include the fact that over 150 counts by at least 30 staff members are being investigated, and that this isn't the first time that the U.N. has been so accused.


New rules for Britain's airwaves Control of the UK's radio spectrum is being handed to the business community to promote wireless services.


Students put university on eBay \Students at Exeter University put the institution up for sale on eBay as part of their protest against proposed cuts.


Al-Zarqawi Lieutenant Arrested in Mosul (AP) AP - A lieutenant of Iraq's most feared terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was captured a few days ago in Mosul, the government's national security adviser said Thursday.


Nintendo Returns to Profit in First Half Nintendo Co. returned to profit in the first half of the fiscal year from the same period a year ago as the Japanese video-game maker erased foreign exchange losses and earned more from game sales.


Province unveils renewable energy projects TORONTO - Ontario is launching 10 new projects to create electricity from renewable resources, Energy Minister Dwight Duncan said Wednesday.


Singapore Changi Airport testing biometrics-based system The world #39;s first fully automated check-in and immigration clearance system that uses biometric recognition technology has been on trial at Singapore Changi Airport since Nov. 1.


Gunners go to Liverpool stung by more negative headlines Arsenal gained a 1-1 tie with nine men against a Champions League group winner yet still came home to negative headlines. Thierry Henry scored a quality goal for an equalizer at PSV Eindhoven


INSIDE INFO: Gers ace Souey target The Magpies want a replacement for Jonathan Woodgate and will swoop when the transfer window re-opens in January. Boumsong, Bobo Balde, Manchester United #39;s John O #39;Shea, Chelsea #39;s Robert Huth and Notts Forest #39;s


Police raid Italy #39;s Olympic Committee Finance police have raided Italy #39;s Olympic Committee and the committee organising the 2006 Winter Games, investigative sources say.


IAEA uncertain over  quot;undeclared quot; nuclear materials in Iran The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Thursday that his agency is unable to definitively conclude at the present time that Iran does not


THATCHER TRIAL POSTPONED A court in South Africa has postponed until next April the trial of Mark Thatcher on charges he helped fund a coup attempt in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.


Earthquake Shakes Northern Italy ROME -- An earthquake in northern Italy overnight damaged scores of buildings and scared people out of their homes. The quake measured 5.2 and was felt in Milan, Turin, Genoa and Venice.


Rwanda Says Ready to Hit Rebels, UN Urges Dialogue Rwanda insisted on Thursday it would soon attack rebels inside the Democratic Republic of Congo unless they were disarmed, as the UN Security Council


I will speak at an appropriate time: Anil Mumbai, November 25: Anil Ambani, the vice-chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd., said on Thursday he would make a statement at an appropriate time about a controversy over differences with brother and chairman Mukesh.


Axa shares gain on Winterthur purchase report (AFP) AFP - Shares in the French insurer Axa gained in afternoon trade here on a Financial Times report that Axa is in talks to acquire Credit Suisse Group's Winterthur unit.


Paris denies embassy #39;s efforts for bidding 2012 Olympics Paris 2012 moved quickly Thursday to deny the critics from their rivals of taking the advantage of embassies to promote their bid of 2012 Olympics.


Brutal Haddin hundred seals two points Brad Haddin blasted a career-best 154 from 162 balls in a brutal display to earn New South Wales first innings points against Victoria at the Junction Oval.


Myanmar junta announces plan for more prisoner releases YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar #39;s military government said Thursday that it will release 5,311 prisoners in addition to almost 4,000 whose planned release was announced last week.


Oil prices climb in London, New York shut LONDON (AFP) - Oil prices rose over worries about a possible supply shortage of US heating oil stocks during the northern hemisphere winter.


WTO Ready for US Sanctions The World Trade Organization cleared the way on Thursday to impose \$150 million of trade sanctions on the United States, sought by the European Union and others, after lawyers resolved a legal wrangle.


More on Microsoft #39;s new anti-piracy programme particularly in the Far East and Eastern Europe - that they would rather give away copies of Windows XP to people who may


Intel puts Windows and Linux on even keel Intel has released a Quick Start Kit for Linux in Asia, giving a leg-up to system builders offering Linux-based desktop PCs. The kit is similar to those that Intel produces for Windows, said an Intel spokesman.


Kazaa Leverages Skype for Free Net Calls Two of the nets most widely used programs, Kazaa - a peer-to-peer (P2P) filesharing application -nd Skype  -2P internet phone application, have teamed up.


Gunners go to Liverpool stung by more negative headlines Arsenal earned a 1-1 tie with nine men against a Champions League group winner yet still came home to negative headlines. Thierry Henry scored a quality goal for an equalizer at PSV Eindhoven


Londoners urged to embrace 2012 bid To the outside world, Londoners are cold, brusque and unimpressed at the prospect of millions of people turning up on their doorstep to watch the 2012 Olympics.


Robinson glad to be in rugby not football BAGSHOT, England (AFP) - England rugby union captain Jason Robinson has said he is thankful the kind of racist incidents recently experienced in football had no place in his sport.


Taking it easy to the top A WHY-WORRY attitude to three dropped shots on two early holes set up young NSW player Kurt Barnes to rocket to the top of the Australian Open leaderboard yesterday.


European Soccer to Investigate Racism (AP) AP - European soccer authorities opened an investigation into racist abuse by Spanish fans at this week's Champions League game.


Softening in Northern Ireland The British and Irish Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, at talks in London, appear to have pushed Northern Irelands reluctant politicians some way to a restoration of devolved government in Belfast.


Gold surges as dollar falls again The euro jumps to an all time high against the dollar as signs of declining business confidence in Germany increases fears about European competitiveness.


Jets Extend GM Terry Bradway's Contract (AP) AP - Jets general manager Terry Bradway received a two-year contract extension Thursday that will keep him in the organization through 2007.


Oracle wages proxy battle for control of PeopleSoft Oracle nominated four candidates to serve as directors of PeopleSoft #39;s board and said it would fight for control of the company at its annual meeting next year.


Rift deepens, six REL Directors quit The first battle lines were drawn today with six directors of Reliance Energy Limited (REL) resigning. REL is run by Vice Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited, Anil Ambani.


Microsoft EU ruling next month A European Union judge told a closed meeting on Thursday he planned to rule within a month whether to freeze curbs imposed by the EU #39;s executive on Microsoft, lawyers present said.


Yukos shares plunge more than 30 percent MOSCOW (AFP) - Shares in the Russian oil group Yukos plunged by more than 30 percent in midday trading on the Moscow stock exchange to below a dollar per share.


Downturn in growth worries the CBI British manufacturers are reporting that their order books are at their lowest level since January, prompting the CBI to scale back its forecast for economic growth for 2005


Resource stocks boost Toronto stock market as NY shuttered for <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto stock market made moderate gains Thursday thanks to rising oil and gold stocks, while the Canadian dollar moved closer to an 85-cent US close despite a warning about the economy - and hints the Bank of Canada may not be in a


BT Boss Set to Move On Telecoms giant BT today said it was parting company with one of the architects of its transformation from a fixed-line operator. Pierre Danon will join French IT services company


Most Canadians support taxing pot, poll finds Hot on the heels of a national report that the number of Canadians who smoke pot has doubled in a decade, marijuana advocates say their own polls shows strong support for taxing the drug.


Chile Cuts Emissions, Helps Japan, Canada Pig manure in Chile will keep neon lights glowing on Tokyo's Ginza in years to come. It's a grand north-south tradeoff to slow global warming: You reduce your "greenhouse gas" emissions so I don't have to cut back on mine.


Last Rites Sounded for Life-Changing Video Format It changed the lifestyles of a generation but after a lingering death, the last rites have been sounded for the revolutionary VHS home video format.


No Holiday Cheer for Band Aid and iTunes Apple #39;s iTunes Music Store is causing a bit of a stir by refusing to sell the charity Band Aid song  quot;Do They Know It #39;s Christmas?


Winamp security flaw poses new threat We are all used to IE getting a monthly new security bug found, but Winamp? In fact, this is not the first security flaw found in the application.


EU judge to reach decision on Microsoft in December The European Union judge deciding whether Microsoft will have to reform its business practices will continue to take into account arguments made by Novell and a prominent


Yukos board escapes from Russia Fear of arrest has forced all the top executives at Russian oil giant Yukos to flee the country. The entire management board was in London on Thursday, according to the Financial Times.


Mourinho Expecting Tough Draw Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho is expecting his side to get a tough test in the second round of the Champions League despite the Blues having won their group.


Cricket: England tour hangs in the balance England were ordered to stay in South Africa rather than fly to Zimbabwe yesterday after the Harare government barred most British media from covering their five-match cricket tour.


Finance police raid Olympic files Finance police have raided the offices of Italy #39;s Olympic organizers for records on the Turin committee #39;s work ahead of the 2006 Winter Games, officials said on Thursday.


Al-Zarqawi Lieutenant Arrested in Mosul (AP) AP - A lieutenant of Iraq's most feared terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was captured a few days ago in Mosul, and Iraqi troops searching suspected terrorist hideouts in Fallujah discovered a laboratory with manuals on manufacturing explosives and toxins  #151; including anthrax, Iraq's national security adviser said Thursday.


World Should Hold Darfur Rebels Accountable -U.N. (Reuters) Reuters - The world should hold Darfur rebels\accountable for breaking their promises to end violence in the\region of western Sudan, the U.N. envoy to Khartoum said on\Thursday.


India lifts 20-year ban on night viewing of Taj Mahal (AFP) AFP - India's Supreme Court lifted a 20-year ban on night viewing of the Taj Mahal, the 17th century white-marble monument to love in the northern city of Agra.


Replacements light years ahead The video is dead. Its official, although I imagine the mourning period will go on for several years yet. Dixons, the big UK electrical goods chain, has announced it will sell its existing stock of VCRs and then call it a day.


Barghuti to run for Palestinian president: Fatah official RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) - The jailed West Bank leader Marwan Barghuti has decided to run for the post of Palestinian Authority president, a member of the dominant Fatah faction #39;s higher committee said.


Governments #39; response  #39;due soon #39; The two governments are hoping to respond to queries tabled by the DUP and Sinn Fein over the British-Irish proposals on restoring devolution by Friday.


British Troops Raid Rebel Stronghold South of Baghdad Hundreds of British troops raided houses of suspected Saddam Hussein loyalists Thursday in the latest phase of a US-led operation to crack down on guerrilla strongholds in the lawless territory south of Baghdad.


Nayan in Palace, describes 26 days in captivity Get INQ7 breaking news on your Smart mobile phone in the Philippines. Send INQ7 BREAKING to 386. THE RETURN to the Philippines on Thursday night of diplomat Angelito Nayan, whom


Brave old Bhoys not down and out yet CELTIC have thrown themselves a European lifeline at a time when they were in real danger of sinking without trace. Of course, they still have a major task on their hands to make the Uefa Cup spot their own.


England #39;s Zimbabwe tour goes ahead JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- England #39;s cricket tour of Zimbabwe will go ahead after authorities lifted a ban on 13 British journalists, but not in time to save Friday #39;s opening one-day match in Harare.


Iraq says top Zarqawi aide arrested in Mosul BAGHDAD (AFP) - One of the leaders of the top US foe in Iraq , Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was arrested in the northern city of Mosul, national security adviser Qassem Daoud said.


Barcelona Testing, Day 2, 25/11/04 Limited mileage for Franck as he continued electronics development, while Giancarlo completed 85 laps as he continued the settling in process.


Gold surges as dollar falls again The euro jumps to an all-time high against the dollar, raising fears about European growth, and the price of gold rises as people switch out of the dollar.


Europe Rejects Iran's Demand to Use Uranium Equipment Iran is demanding the right to operate uranium enrichment equipment, despite its agreement with the Europeans.


Anil says,  #39;I am not going to comment #39; MUMBAI: Reliance Energy chairman Anil Ambani tonight refused to join issues with his elder brother Mukesh Ambani on the raging battle between them.


Whistleblower earns kudos, fears reprisal WASHINGTON - David Graham says he was surprised when he got back to his Food and Drug Administration office after telling Congress last week the government had allowed unsafe drugs on the market.


Cheat Sheet: Firefox It #39;s a new internet browser. The first full version, Firefox 1.0, was launched earlier this month. In the sense it #39;s a browser, yes, but the differences are larger than the similarities.


Brits Get Replacements for Phony XP Microsoft (Quote, Chart) will swap out phony copies of Windows XP for the real thing, but only in the UK, the company said on Wednesday.


Cassini Shows Grandeur of Two Saturn Moons JPL -- New views of two of Saturn #39;s moons, Titan and Tethys, represent the most detailed look at these moons to date and show a sharp contrast between them -- one is foggy and one is cratered.


Cricket: One-days and test daze Spare a thought for John Bracewell as New Zealand attempt to repair their already badly-dented reputation in the second test against Australia.


Police besiege town after officers die MEXICO CITY - Mexican police raided a town to search for members of an angry mob who lynched two officers a day earlier, but said they had been powerless to prevent the attack.


Palestine Leaders Pledge Peace to Straw Foreign Secretary Jack Straw today won an assurance from Palestinian leaders that they would act to halt the violence against Israelis amid renewed efforts to restart the Middle East peace process.


WTO Ready for U.S. Sanctions (Reuters) Reuters - The World Trade Organization cleared the\way on Thursday to impose  #36;150 million of trade sanctions on\the United States, sought by the European Union and others,\after lawyers resolved a legal wrangle.


Gold Eyes New Highs (Reuters) Reuters - Gold broke to new 16-1/4-year highs\above  #36;450.00 an ounce on Thursday, before pausing as players\began to eye the next big target of  #36;455, traders said.


Iowa State Still Wary of Brad Smith (AP) AP - He began the season as a serious contender for the Heisman Trophy. He was fast, elusive and had a strong arm  #151; everything you'd want in a quarterback. So whatever happened to Brad Smith anyway?


Delaware judge rejects settlement: Oracle moves to replace <b>...</b> Delaware judge Leo Strine refused to remove PeopleSofts poison pill and alter the shareholder rights plan in a hearing Wednesday.


TiVo Pop-Up Ads Raise Consumer Concerns (AP) AP - Digital video recording pioneer TiVo Inc. has long promised "TV Your Way." But the company's plans for pop-up ads and restrictions on copying have sparked worries that the service may be eroding consumer control in favor of Hollywood and advertiser interests.


After a Decade, Philips Makes PCs Again (Reuters) Reuters - After an absence of a decade, Philips\Electronics is making personal computers again, the company\said on Thursday.  The Netherlands-based electronics\conglomerate, which abandoned the PC business in the early\1990s after suffering big losses, quietly introduced six models\together with British retailer Dixons earlier this week.


Jailed uprising leader Barghouti will seek Palestinian presidency Jailed uprising leader Marwan Barghouti has decided to run for Palestinian Authority president in a Jan. 9 election, seeking to succeed the late Yasser Arafat


Birds Not Being Killed by Wind Farms -Ecologist (Reuters) Reuters - Two major offshore wind farms in Denmark\are giving the lie to fears that birds are being killed by\flying into the huge vanes of such installations, a conference\heard on Thursday.


Junk 'Tree' Testifies to Beirut's Waste Problem (Reuters) Reuters - Environmentalists built a giant\Christmas tree out of garbage in Beirut on Thursday to pressure\the government into cleaning up Lebanon's waste problem.


Last shout on the Inova Microlight keyring Cash'n'Carrion Final clearance at 9 inc VAT and P amp;P


EU sets date for Microsoft appeal A European Union court will rule in December on an appeal by software giant Microsoft to suspend EU sanctions.


Oil prices rise in Europe OIL futures prices rose in Europe today amid concerns about heating oil supplies at the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere winter.


BT Retail head quits to join Cap Gemini Rumours of a boardroom split at BT Group were given further impetus on Thursday with the announcement that Pierre Danon, the outspoken chief executive of BT Retail, the groups consumer-facing


Mystery of world #39;s tallest sand dunes solved The worlds tallest sand dunes, some half a kilometre high, survive in a windy desert in northern China because water cements them together, a new study suggests.


No. 6 Texas Holding Strong Over Aggies (AP) AP - Every year before the annual Texas-Texas A amp;M game, Longhorns students, players and coaches gather for the campus 'Hex Rally' to put the voodoo on the Aggies. Recent history bears evidence of some pretty strong magic.


Preston fired as manager of Livingston after seven losses in a row Livingston has fired manager Allan Preston after seven losses in a row. The Lions are last in the Scottish Premier League with just nine points from 15 games and the owners decided


Brewster appointed manager of Inverness Inverness Caledonian Thistle appointed Craig Brewster as its new manager-player Thursday although he #39;s unable to play for the team until January.


Pakistan: Now #39;s time for peace Pakistan #39;s Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Thursday he believes the time is ripe for peace with arch-rival India. Aziz, who returned Wednesday from his


Terrorists Chemical Weapons Lab Found in Fallujah Iraqi troops, searching terrorist hideouts in Fallujah, discovered a chemical weapons laboratory with manuals on manufacturing explosives and toxins - including anthrax.


Three killed in Samarra blasts Three people have been killed and 14 wounded in separate bomb attacks in the restive Iraqi city of Samarra. One of the blasts was a suicide attack.


News: Warning: critical Winamp vuln Security researchers are warning of a serious - and unfixed - security hole with the popular Winamp media player.


Wake Forest Coach to Show Off No. 1 Team (AP) AP - Give Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser another week or so, and he'll have a better handle on just how good the No. 1 Demon Deacons are and just how good they can be.


EU says defections will not affect Microsoft lawsuit LUXEMBOURG: A European Union judge assessed on Thursday how the desertion of the EUs biggest allies in its anti-trust case against Microsoft will affect proceedings in the five-year legal battle.


Philips sells stake in Vivendi for 720 mn LONDON, November 25 (newratings.com) - Dutch electronics and semiconductor giant, Philips (PHI1.ETR), has sold its entire stake in the French media company, Vivendi Universal.


Stelco, bidders return to court TORONTO - Lawyers for Stelco and the companies involved in the restructuring of the steelmaker were due back in a Toronto court on Thursday for a hearing to approve Deutsche Bank #39;s \$900-million refinancing offer as a benchmark bid.


DeLay, Republicans Reverse Indictment Rule Change (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. House of Representatives\Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas got fellow Republicans on\Monday to reverse a recent rule change that would have allowed\him to keep his leadership post even if indicted.


Georgia's Seniors Show Their Class (AP) AP - When Georgia's seniors are introduced before their final game at Sanford Stadium, the crowd always sends them off with respectful cheers. Well, this group should get a rousing ovation.


Athens Slides Back Into Traffic Anarchy (AP) AP - Taxi driver Manuel Pircolos is fuming. At a dead-stop in traffic, he chain smokes, drums his fingers on the dashboard, and sums up life behind the wheel.


Music labels embrace P2P network Wurld Media has concluded agreements with Sony BMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group to facilitate the licensing of music exchanged on its peer-to-peer music network.


Rich States #39; Demands Threaten Environment Treaty Demands by the United States and other wealthy nations to delay the phasing out of a pesticide that depletes the ozone layer threaten to unravel a key global environmental treaty, experts said on Thursday.


Barnes Leads Australian Open by 2 Strokes (AP) AP - Kurt Barnes held a two-stroke lead Thursday after shooting a 6-under-par 65 in the first round of the Australian Open, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.


Giving Thanks: Jets extend Bradway #39;s contract Hempstead, NY (Sports Network) - The New York Jets on Thursday extended the contract of executive vice president and general manager Terry Bradway through the 2007 season.


Imprisoned Barghuti Runs for Palestinian President The jailed West Bank leader Marwan Barghuti has decided to run for the vacant post of Palestinian Authority president, according to Abdelrahman al-Shomali, member of the dominant Fatah faction #39;s higher committee.


Chirac, Qaddafi Discuss Bulgarian Nurses Fate The fate of the five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya has been discussed by the French President Jacques Chirac and Libyan leader Muammar Quaddafi.


ASEAN eyes European model Vientiane (AsiaNews/Agencies) - This morning the Conference of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) opened in Vientiane, Laos.


Pinochet's bad news birthday  Chile's ex-military ruler Augusto Pinochet marks his 89th birthday amid news that a judge has frozen more of his assets.


US shares take a tumble on oil prices NEW YORK, Nov 23 (AFP) - Wall Street shares slid on Tuesday as oil prices surged higher and investors sensed weaknesses in the technology sector.


Turnpike managers collecting tolls during strike #39;s second day Turnpike officials had anticipated a walkout by about 2,000 toll collectors, maintenance workers and office employees, so they waived tolls all day Wednesday after the strike began at 4 am, costing the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission about \$2 million in


Work longer, Costello urges A FEW months ago Treasurer Peter Costello was telling Australians to go forth and procreate but he now says they should work harder to pay for their old age.


DoCoMo to offer i-mode to UKs mmO2 Japans dominant wireless operator, NTT DoCoMo Inc., has reached a basic agreement to offer its popular i-mode mobile Internet technology to Britains mmO2 Plc.


LG Electronics plans to launch 7MP camera phone While it took the digital photography industry around six years to launch a six megapixel digital camera it seems the mobile phone industry is not hanging about.


Inter Milan seeks redemption win against Juventus It is early in the season for a decisive match, yet Inter Milan-Juventus on Sunday is shaping up as exactly that. Serie A leader Juventus stands 15 points ahead of Inter, but both teams see the meeting as key to their season.


Let #39;s not emulate violence in NBA Attention high school administrators and coaches: Fight Night at the local gym or football field could be coming soon. I hope I #39;m wrong, but unless schools, players and parents take steps in response to recent news reports, it will happen locally.


Sudan - Chris Mullin Statement on Continuing Violence in Darfur I condemn the recent increase in violence in Darfur, including attacks by the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) on Tawilla and at Kalma.


Solana has to retract claim over Hamas Javier Solana, European Union foreign policy chief, was on Thursday forced to issue a retraction after saying he had made  quot;direct contact quot; with Hamas, listed by the EU as a banned terrorist group.


Myskina Issues Ultimatum Over Sharapova (AP) AP - French Open champion Anastasia Myskina will quit Russia's Fed Cup team if Maria Sharapova joins the squad next year, saying she doesn't like the Wimbledon champion's father.


Nations split over post-quota system strategy By Frances Williams in Geneva and Raymond Colitt in So Paulo. Developing countries in the World Trade Organisation remain split over what, if any action, the WTO should take to help smaller textiles producers


US airlines take action on finances United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both took further steps to tackle the US aviation industry #39;s crippling financial crisis, despite the normally quiet Thanksgiving holiday period.


British FM pledges support for Palestinian vote (AFP) AFP - Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw pledged full support for the Palestinian election to find a successor to Yasser Arafat after paying homage to the veteran leader at his graveside.


Morgan backs himself into a corner The last 48 hours have turned into a nightmare for the England  amp; Wales Cricket Board. The one thing that the board wanted to avoid from the off was a repeat of the near-farcical scenes which surrounded the


NFL memo reminds teams about security The NFL sent a memo to all its teams reminding them about the league #39;s commitment to security following last week #39;s brawl at an NBA game.


Attorney: CU could face serious NCAA sanctions The University of Colorado could face serious NCAA sanctions if private donations for a summer football camp were used for recruiting, an attorney said.


Reliance vice-chair sees "long days" ahead in rift (Reuters) Reuters - A rift between the Ambani brothers, who run India's Reliance conglomerate, is unlikely to be resolved soon, the younger brother indicated on Thursday after six directors resigned from the board of Reliance Energy Ltd..


Bush Seeks Money for Abstinence Education (AP) AP - President Bush's re-election insures that more federal money will flow to abstinence education that precludes discussion of birth control, even as the administration awaits evidence that the approach gets kids to refrain from sex.


Indian cos. seek business with Pakistan When Pakistan #39;s prime minister made a rare visit this week to India, plenty of people had little interest in talking about regional peace, or the Kashmir militancy, or nuclear proliferation.


Lucas takes podium finish in Macau! Lucas Di Grassi took a podium finish on his maiden visit to Macaus Guia circuit. Quite an accomplishment for the young Brazilian.


Panda handstand makes its mark Remarkable filmwork of pandas in the wild shows how these rare bears engage in some gymnastics to mark their territory.


EU court to rule on Microsoft case mid-December The European Union (EU) #39;s Court of First Instance will decide between 18 and 20 December whether to suspend the European Commission #39;s sanctions against software giant Microsoft


Recording companies to allow legal file swap Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group -- three of the four major recording companies -- have licensed their catalog of music to Saratoga Springs-based Wurld Media, the firm said Wednesday.


Gold Fields calls for halt to Harmony bid Harmony Gold #39;s (HAR) offer and to vote in favour of the transaction with Canada #39;s IAMGOLD.  quot;Over the past six weeks you have been inundated with misinformation in support of Harmony #39;s value destroying, hostile


Russia to take concrete steps in economic cooperation with <b>...</b> The Russian government intends to take concrete efforts to develop trade and economic relations with Venezuela, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said on Thursday, according to the Russian media.


Extremely Critical Winamp flaw p2pnet.net News:- Winamp has an extremely critical security hole that could be exploited by hackers to compromise a user #39;s system.


Pirates Near Shedding Kendall's Contract (AP) AP - Jason Kendall has been one of baseball's steadiest offensive players since his rookie season in 1996, a player who rarely takes an at-bat or a day off. His uniform is always the dirtiest in the clubhouse after a game.


Ranieri believes victory to be turning point Valencia coach Claudio Ranieri believes that his side #39;s Champions League win at Anderlecht on Wednesday will be a turning point for his team, but believes they have to improve further if they are to qualify for the last sixteen.


CSKA Moscow Need Abramovichs Help After Champions League Defeat Theoretically, CSKA Moscow can still qualify for the next round of the Champions League, but last nights home defeat to reigning champions Porto has lengthened the odds greatly.


Troussier for Marseille boss Philippe Troussier and Olympique de Marseille have reached an  quot;agreement in principle quot; for the Frenchman to take over the reins at the troubled outfit.


IAEA: Confidence in Iran #39;s Nuclear Program Has Eroded The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has exempted some centrifuges from its commitment to freeze uranium enrichment and lacks trustworthiness because of past concealment and delays in disclosing information.


Rwanda vows to attack rebels President Paul Kagame said Congo and the international community had failed to tackle the rebels for 10 years.  quot;If the international community cannot take care of this problem


Family feud prompts six directors to quit Six directors of Reliance Energy, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, India #39;s biggest private sector company, yesterday resigned from the board as


England Cricket Tour of Zimbabwe Back On Englands controversial cricket tour of Zimbabwe was back on tonight after a ban on British journalists was lifted. But the Tories accused the Government of having


Fatah Council Backs Abbas for Palestinian President (Reuters) Reuters - The Revolutionary Council\of the Palestinians' dominant political faction Fatah approved\Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday as its candidate to succeed Yasser\Arafat in a presidential election set for Jan. 9.


#39;Sedimental #39; journey nearly over A grand experiment for the Grand Canyon, the controlled flood designed to reinvigorate the Colorado River ecosystem will finish today, while scientific research on the results steps up.


Wenger Confident Of Euro Progress Arsene Wenger is confident that his Arsenal side will progress to the next stage of the Champions League despite missing two key players for the final group game in two weeks.


Microsoft awaits penalties timing Microsoft is expected to hear next month whether antitrust penalties imposed by the European Commission will become effective immediately, or whether they will be suspended for possibly four to five years.


Yukos directors  #39;flee #39; Russia LONDON - The entire management board of the embattled Russian oil company Yukos appears to have fled the country for fear of arrest.


I was kept in the dark: Anil Letter to Mukesh says dilution of powers is not legal; Anil hints at ulterior motive. Anil Ambani has written to his brother Mukesh, saying his powers as vice-chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries


Chicago to Sell City-Related Items on eBay (AP) AP - City officials hope there are people willing to pay plenty of money to own a vintage Playboy Bunny costume, toss green dye into the Chicago River or throw a dinner party prepared by Oprah Winfrey's chef.


Major paedophile trial begins in Portugal (AFP) AFP - Seven people, including a popular TV star and a former diplomat, went on trial in Portugal in a high-profile child abuse case involving minors from a network of state-run children's homes.


Iran Insists on Keeping Some Centrifuges (AP) AP - Iran insisted Thursday it had a right to exempt some equipment from an agreement with the European Union committing it to freeze all parts of a program that can make nuclear weapons-grade uranium  #151; a move that diplomats said threatened to scuttle the deal.


Sharman blends Skype with Kazaa PHOENIX, Ariz., Nov. 25 - Sharman Networks has announced that Kazaa Version 3 will integrate Skype software via the recently released Skype API.


Telenor urges fair regulatory system in Thailand (FT.com) FT.com - Telenor, the Norwegian telecommunications company, on Thursday called for "a level-playing field" in Thailand's mobile industry, urging a newly-established Thai telecoms regulator swiftly to create a fair new interconnection regime.


China to Set Up Wal-Mart Union Branches (AP) AP - China's Communist Party-controlled union is ready to help Wal-Mart Stores Inc. set up union branches at its Chinese outlets "as soon as possible," reports and union officials said Thursday.


India Considers Granting Greater Autonomy to Kashmir India says it would consider granting autonomy to the disputed region of Kashmir to help make peace with Pakistan, but added it will not redraw its borders.


We will curb violence, Palestinians tell Straw The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, today won an assurance from Palestinian political leaders that they would act to halt the violence against Israelis but ruled out a meeting with Hamas.


Hunters Off the Hook for Bison Declines (AP) AP - Big game hunters may be off the hook in the latest twist of a prehistoric whodunit that tries to explain why bison populations sharply crashed thousands of years ago.


Study: Dead Cicadas Help the Soil (AP) AP - Even in death, the 17-year cicadas made their mark. Their decaying carcasses gave a super-size boost in nutrients to forest soil and stimulated seed and nitrogen production in a plant important to the forest ecosystem, researchers reported in Friday's issue of the journal Science.


Summary Box: Cicada Carcasses Help Soil (AP) AP - WHEN CICADAS DIE: Decaying cicada carcasses provide a massive boost in nutrients to forest soil and stimulate seed and nitrogen production in a plant important to the forest ecosystem, researchers reported.


A Madeover Berlin Struggles for Top City Status (Reuters) Reuters - The massive cranes that towered over\Berlin for much of the past decade, an omnipresent symbol of\the city's renaissance, no longer dominate the skyline.


Lastminute losses almost double Shares in online travel firm Lastminute tumble as it reports pre-tax losses of 77m - almost double the figure of a year ago.


Gold Hits 16-Year High as Dollar Plunges Against Euro With the dollar hitting a third straight day of record lows against the euro, gold rose above \$450 an ounce for the first time in more than 16 years.


Bison shed light on big wipeout New data casts doubt on the popular theory that big North American mammals were wiped out by human hunting.


Colts Take 27-9 Lead Against Detroit Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (18) calls a play in the huddle during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears Sunday, Nov. 21, 2004, in Chicago.


Top Yukos Executives, Including 2 Americans, Flee Russia Top executives at the Russian oil company Yukos, including two Americans, have left Russia, saying they fear persecution as a result of the company #39;s continuing dispute with the Kremlin.


Irish cigarette sales slump Cigarette sales in Ireland have fallen by 17.6 percent this year after it became the first country to impose a nationwide ban on smoking in the workplace.


Hunters off the hook for bison declines Big game hunters may be off the hook in the latest twist of a prehistoric whodunit that tries to explain why bison populations sharply crashed thousands of years ago.


Phishing Scams Increase Dramatically Phishing scams increased by more than 100 in October causing banks, financial services firms and popular consumer websites until grief.


Russia, France cruise into Fed Cup final Moscow, Russia (Sports Network) - Russia and France cruised into the Fed Cup final Thursday, completing 5-0 shutouts over opponents Austria and Spain after taking commanding early leads in the semifinals.


IOC urges Turin organizers to resolve problems soon On a day when police inspected Turin #39;s financial records, the IOC urged Italian organizers to sort out their problems soon or risk a crisis of confidence in the 2006 Winter Olympics.


Pakistan PM satisfied over his New Delhi visit Islamabad, Nov 25 (UNI) Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz today expressed satisfaction on what he called positive interactions with the Indian leadership in New Delhi and hoped the dialogue process would continue to move forward.


Toronto stock market registers gains thanks to resource, finance <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Higher oil and gold prices along with a financial services sector on the mend fuelled respectable gains on the Toronto stock market Thursday.


Bengals #39; Palmer leaves practice with back spasms CINCINNATI (Nov. 25, 2004) -- Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer left practice Nov. 25 with back spasms but is expected to play against the Cleveland Browns.


Jailed Barghouti to run in Palestinian presidential election Jailed uprising leader Marwan Barghouti has decided to run in the Palestinian presidential election as an independent candidate to replace late Yasser Arafat,the local Ha #39;aretz daily reported Thursday.


Opera, Mozilla Ready for Prime Time Opera, Mozilla Ready for Prime Time\\Early Internet surfers, which of course means something less than a decade ago for most of us, will remember the days when Netscape was the only real browser in town. For those who don't remember, there was a time when Netscape was for sale in ...


GuruNet Spins Off Answers.com - A Reference Driven Search Engine GuruNet Spins Off Answers.com - A Reference Driven Search Engine\\GuruNet Corporation today announced the release of Answers.com, a site-and-software combination providing instant reference answers rather than lists of search engine links. GuruNet Corporation, through its Answers.com site, plans to generate revenues from ads placed alongside its topic entries, rather than ...


Giants Look for Way to Stop Owens, Eagles (AP) AP - Will Allen doesn't mind watching Terrell Owens do his elaborate touchdown celebrations. The New York Giants cornerback just doesn't want to see the Philadelphia Eagles receiver do it on Sunday at Giants Stadium.


No. 18 Sun Devils Seek to Stop Wildcats (AP) AP - Arizona State (8-2 overall, 5-2 Pac-10) is averaging just over 30 points. The Wildcats (2-8, 1-6) are averaging a measly 13 points, ranking them 117th in Division I.


France's Pierce Exits Fed Cup Semifinal (AP) AP - Two-time major champion Mary Pierce pulled out of France's Fed Cup semifinal against Spain because of a right shoulder injury, the French tennis federation said on its Web site Tuesday.


Marines Celebrate Thanksgiving in Iraq (AP) AP - Lt. Sven Jensen's U.S. Marines unit survived for weeks on military rations while living rough in Iraq's Fallujah, so he wrangled a truck Thursday and drove his men to the rear for a rare treat: Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sauce.


Bestselling author Hailey is dead British-born writer Arthur Hailey, author of 11 best-sellers, dies at his home in the Bahamas, says his wife Sheila.


Gold Hits 16-Year High as Dollar Plunges Vs. Euro With the dollar hitting a third straight day of record lows against the euro, gold rose above \$450 an ounce for the first time in more than 16 years.


Record number likely to hit road Higher gasoline prices, hotel rates and air fares aren #39;t expected to deter travelers this Thanksgiving. Instead, a record number of people will be on the road and in the air this year, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.


SBC, Yahoo, 2Wire, and Dish Network Partner For Multimedia Entertainment Monster SBC, Yahoo, 2Wire, and Dish Network Partner For Multimedia Entertainment Monster\\SBC Communications and 2Wire Inc.teamed up to deliver a home entertainment service that integrates satellite TV programming, digital video recording, video on demand, and Internet content including photos and music via an award-winning new set-top box  #8212; and ties it ...


Second oil spill this week shuts down Nfld rig ST. JOHN #39;S, Nfld. - Officials have shut down a drilling rig at the Terra Nova offshore oil project following another oil spill Thursday morning.


Hunters Off the Hook for Bison Declines WASHINGTON Nov 25, 2004 - Big game hunters may be off the hook in the latest twist of a prehistoric whodunit that tries to explain why bison populations sharply crashed thousands of years ago.


New game recreates JFK assassination A new video game allows players to simulate the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy. The release of  quot;JFK Reloaded quot; is timed to coincide with the 41st anniversary of Kennedy #39;s murder in Dallas and


Students put university on eBay Students at Exeter University have put the institution up for sale on internet auction site eBay as part of their protest against proposed cuts.


Pirates! Ships! It #39;s unfortunately not the next Uncharted Waters game, but the remake of a classic Sid Meier #39;s title will certainly do... Atari and Firaxis Games announced today that the highly-anticipated sequel to one of


Bengals #39; Palmers leaves practice Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer missed the second half of Thursday #39;s practice while receiving treatment for back spasms.


Iran wants centrifuges exempted from uranium enrichment freeze <b>...</b> Iran insisted Thursday it had a right to exempt some equipment from an agreement with the European Union committing it to freeze all parts of a program that can make nuclear weapons-grade uranium, a move that diplomats said


Rwandan and Congo Leaders to Meet The presidents of Congo and Rwanda could meet soon to calm renewed tensions between the neighboring countries, according to presidential aides.


Madrid 2012 Protests Paris 2012 Bid Promotion Madrid 2012 organizers complained that Paris 2012 had broken bidding rules for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games by using Frances embassies in Oslo and Kuwait to hold events promoting its candidacy.


Salvation Army bell ringers find new donation sites (RALEIGH, North Carolina)-- Wake County #39;s Salvation Army will have dozens of new donation sites this holiday. That #39;s in large part because Target decided not to allow any non-profit groups in front of its stores.


Manning Shines As Colts Gobble Up Lions (AP) AP - Peyton Manning broke one of Dan Marino's records, took a big step toward another and didn't even have to play the whole game to do it. Manning threw for six touchdowns in less than three quarters and raised his season total to 41 scoring passes to lead the Indianapolis Colts past the Detroit Lions 41-9 Thursday.


Paraguay Seizes 300 Kg Cocaine at Brazil Border (Reuters) Reuters - Paraguayan anti-drug agents\seized their biggest cocaine haul in 15 years after searching a\small airplane near the border with Brazil, a state prosecutor\told Reuters on Thursday.


Bison Populations Decimated by Cold, Not Hunting, Study Says North American bison populations suffered a sharp decline long before humans inhabited the continent, indicating that environmental factors, not hunting, wiped out the animals, according to a study published in the journal Science.


Informal six-nation talks on NKorea nuclear drive next month: report (AFP) AFP - Informal six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program may take place in mid-December in Beijing, South Korea's state-run KBS television network reported.


Senate report says Canadians won't cut greenhouse gases until it costs them (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - (CP) - It's time for Canadians to stop paying lip service to climate change and start paying cash in the form of higher bills to tank up their cars and heat their homes, says a Senate report released Thursday.


Away From Home and Family, a Slice of Tradition For U.S. soldiers in Iraq celebrating Thanksgiving away from their families, the day's events showed some traditions can be transplanted, even to the palm groves and farm fields near Baqubah.


University Up for Sale in Spoof Auction which plans to axe three academic departments to save money -as been put up for sale on the internet auction site eBay. The campus is on offer at 10 million in


NFL: Manning Fires Six TD Passes as Colts Rout Lions (Reuters) Reuters - Peyton Manning threw six touchdown\passes, setting a National Football League record with his\fifth straight game with at least four TD tosses, as the\Indianapolis Colts hammered the Detroit Lions 41-9 in U.S.\Thanksgiving Day play in Detroit.


Lehmann slams  #39;arrogant #39; ref Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has accused German referee Herbert Fandel, who sent off two Arsenal players in Eindhoven, of being  quot;very arrogant quot;.


Davidson #39;s Williams Hopes Dashed BAR Honda have dashed Anthony Davidson #39;s hopes for a top drive in 2005, and blamed the Williams team in the process. BAR technical director Geoff Willis said that Williams would not compromise on an  #39;unconditional arrangement.


Ready to partner Bellamy This fixture will be one of the toughest matches we #39;ve faced this season because winning games in France is never easy. Sochaux are flying high in their own league, in third position, and that is no mean feat.


Barcelona still aiming to overhaul Milan Striker Samuel Eto #39;o says Barcelona still want to top their Champions League group despite having safely qualified for the knockout stages with a 1-1 draw against Celtic on Wednesday.


Rebels threaten gates AUSTRALIA #39;s best players will be forced to take a pay cut running into thousands of dollars if a West Indian dispute leaves a second-string Caribbean side touring Australia for the one-day series.


ENGLAND STARS  quot;SADDENED quot; BY ZIMBABWE DRAMA England #39;s players hit out at cricket #39;s authorities tonight and claimed they had been used as  quot;political pawns quot; after the Zimbabwe government produced a spectacular U-turn to ensure the controversial one-day series will go ahead.


Austria #39;s Walchhofer fastest in training at Lake Louise CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Austrians Michael Walchhofer and Hermann Maier finished 1-2 Thursday in training for this weekend #39;s season-opening World Cup downhill race in Lake Louise, Alta.


Myanmar to release another 5,000 prisoners: state radio YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar said it would release a second batch of prisoners taking the total announced in a week to more than 9,000. The military regime said it would free 5,311 prisoners on top of the 3,937


Oracle names proposed PeopleSoft board Oracle has named four candidates that it plans to nominate to the board of PeopleSoft, as it pushes forward with its efforts to try to take control of the rival company.


NFL: Manning Fires Six TD Passes as Colts Rout Lions Peyton Manning threw six touchdown passes, setting a National Football League record with his fifth straight game with at least four TD tosses, as the Indianapolis Colts hammered the Detroit Lions 41-9 in US Thanksgiving Day play in


Olowokandi arrested, tasered outside Indy club NBA player Michael Olowokandi was arrested early Thursday at an Indianapolis nightclub after a dispute with police, during which the Minnesota Timberwolves center was hit twice with an electronic stun gun, police said.


Steaua top after beating Besiktas BUCHAREST, Romania -- Rica Neaga and Cristian Ciocoiu scored in the first half as Steaua Bucharest held on to beat Besiktas 2-1 in a hard-fought UEFA Cup tie to go top of Group B on Thursday.


Arafat #39;s willing executioners Sometimes, when we think we #39;re changing 4 quarters for a dollar, we actually get short-changed. This is the case with the death of Yasser Arafat.


BJP sees no gains from Aziz visit Ranchi, Nov. 25: The BJP has said Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Azizs India visit has fetched no results. A resolution on foreign policy passed at the partys national executive tonight said: No


Minnesota Timberwolves Center Arrested (AP) AP - Minnesota Timberwolves center Michael Olowokandi was arrested early Thursday morning after he refused to leave a club.


EU, Japan to Get WTO #39;s Go-Ahead to Hit Back at US Handouts US queries about how Japan and the European Union will sanction American imports were resolved today, paving the way for retaliation against a US law that has handed \$750 million in customs levies to companies since 2001.


Hunters Off the Hook for Bison Declines WASHINGTON - Big game hunters may be off the hook in the latest twist of a prehistoric whodunit that tries to explain why bison populations sharply crashed thousands of years ago.


Pigeons  #39;sense magnetic field #39; Homing pigeons use the Earth #39;s magnetic field to navigate their way home over long distances, scientists writing in Nature magazine confirm.


Olowokandi arrested in Indianapolis INDIANAPOLIS Minnesota Timberwolves center Michael Olowokandi was arrested early this morning after he refused to leave an Indianapolis club.


Barwick Is New FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick, the head of ITV Sport, was tonight facing the challenge of uniting the national sport behind him as he was announced as the Football Associations new chief executive.


Mickelson shoots 59 American Phil Mickelson registered a 59 to win the Grand Slam of Golf in Kauai, Hawaii. The Masters champion had an eagle putt on the 18th for a record 58 but missed and tapped in for a birdie and a 59, equalling the lowest score in stroke-play history.


UPDATE 1-TV executive Barwick wins top job at English FA Television executive Brian Barwick was given the top job in English football on Thursday when he was appointed Football Association chief executive.


USC's Leinart on Big Stage Against Irish (AP) AP - Carson Palmer kept throwing and throwing, and by the time he was finished with Notre Dame two years ago, Southern California had a one-sided victory and the quarterback had locked up the Heisman Trophy.


Eight Executed in Cancun Drug Killings (Reuters) Reuters - Suspected drug gangsters murdered\eight people execution-style in and around the Caribbean beach\town of Cancun this week as a wave of brutal killings hit\Mexico.


Anil speaks, refuses to join issue Reliance Energy Chairman Anil Ambani on Thursday refused to join issue with his elder brother Mukesh Ambani on the battle raging between them.


New Owners Plan To Cut 829 SouthTrust Jobs BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The new owners of SouthTrust Corp. have told state officials they plan to cut 829 jobs in Birmingham between January 2005 and March 2006.


UEFA Cup: Villarreal downs Middlesbrough 2-0 Antonio Guayre #39; #39; Betancor and Javi Venta scored in each half to earn Villarreal a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough in UEFA Cup Group E on Thursday.


NFL Game Summary - Indianapolis at Detroit Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Peyton Manning continued his amazing season, tying a career-high with six touchdown passes, as Indianapolis trounced Detroit, 41-9, in the traditional Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field.


Ponting wants best West Indies team to tour Australia Ricky Ponting has said he would be disappointed if senior West Indies players, including batsman Brian Lara, did not join the team #39;s one-day series tour


Just say No(tre Dame) TONY Rice? Who is he? Tim Brown? He #39;s that old receiver the Raiders cut loose, right? Ara Parseghian? Isn #39;t he the guy who coached back in the  #39;30s and  #39;40s?


Oracle to Make PeopleSoft Nominations (AP) AP - Oracle Corp. plans to nominate four candidates for election to rival PeopleSoft Inc.'s board of directors as part of its battle to acquire the rival software company.


Stripper shortage reflects industry demands for more demeaning acts: expert (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Contrary to Immigration Department claims, there is no shortage of native-borne exotic dancers in Canada, says a University of Toronto law professor who has studied the strip club business.


Cricket: England players' dismay England's players claim to have been used as "political pawns" over the Zimbabwe tour crisis.


Football: Boro's hopes dashed Middlesbrough suffer their first defeat in Europe this season and will have to wait to secure their Uefa Cup knockout spot.


Yukos CFO delays return to Moscow after summoned for questioning A half-dozen executives of embattled oil giant Yukos have left Russia and the company #39;s chief financial officer said Thursday he won #39;t return until he learns whether the government is planning charges against him.


EU in push to reduce red tape The European Union has launched a new drive to reduce its regulatory burden on companies, in a bid to tackle one of the most frequent complaints made by business.


Microsoft IE losing out to Firefox? London: Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer(IE)is facing some stiff competition from Firefox as web analysts have revealed that the proportion of surfers using Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer (IE) has dropped to below 90 percent.


Colts Quarterback Sets Passing Record (AP) AP - Colts quarterback Peyton Manning set an NFL record by throwing at least four touchdown passes in a fifth straight game, getting four in the first half alone against the Lions on Thursday.


Four-goal Newcastle breeze into last 32 of UEFA Cup Last season #39;s UEFA Cup semi-finalists Newcastle United marched into the last 32 with their third successive win in the group stage on Thursday.


Webber #39;s drive time MARK Webber revealed he can already feel the winning potential of his new team after just one day #39;s testing in Spain. The Australian was speaking as controversy engulfed his Williams team back in England when


Olowokandi jailed for nightclub incident Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Minnesota Timberwolves Michael Olowokandi spent Wednesday night in jail after police needed a stun gun to compel him to leave a club.


UEFA Cup: Lazio rallies to 2-2 draw with Partizan Second-half goals by Paolo Di Canio and Simone Inzaghi rallied Lazio to a 2-2 home draw with Partizan Belgrade in a UEFA Cup Group E match on Thursday.


USC #39;s Leinart gets opportunity to influence Heisman voters Carson Palmer kept throwing and throwing, and by the time he was finished with Notre Dame two years ago, Southern California had a one-sided victory and the quarterback had locked up the Heisman Trophy.


UEFA Cup: Schalke beats Ferencvaros 2-0 Schalke beat Ferencvaros Budapest 2-0 in their UEFA Cup match on Thursday to leapfrog over idle Feyenoord Rotterdam to the top of Group A. Support your favorite team with official UEFA Cup gear from the FOX Soccer Shop!


Palestinian firebrand is to run for president from Israeli cell MARWAN BARGHOUTI, the Palestinian leader jailed for life in an Israeli prison, re-emerged as a pivotal figure in Palestinian politics last night when senior Fatah officials


ASEAN peace pact signing  #39;unlikely #39; PRIME Minister John Howard today said Australia was unlikely to sign a non-aggression pact with its Asian neighbours. The issue is reportedly causing tension ahead of Mr Howard #39;s visit to Laos for the ASEAN leaders #39; summit next week.


EU judge plans Microsoft ruling within a month This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been enterprise directories for several months, but for many IT managers, ERP (enterprise resource planning) and open source initiatives are on the horizon.


Big leap in foreign investment in India Foreign direct investment inflows to India leapt by almost 70 per cent in the first six months of the year but are still running at only a tenth the volume of China.


Immoral, unjust, oppressive dictatorship. . . and then there #39;s <b>...</b> ROBERT MUGABES Government is pushing through legislation designed to prevent human rights organisations from operating in Zimbabwe.


UEFA Cup: Liedson lifts Sporting Sporting Lisbon ended Dinamo Tbilisi #39;s interest in the UEFA Cup with a crushing 4-0 victory at the Boris Paichadze stadium in Georgia.


Yukos Board to Develop Short-Term Emergency Plan #39; (Update1) OAO Yukos Oil Co. will draw up a short-term emergency plan #39; #39; to prepare for the sale of OAO Yuganskneftegas, the company #39;s main oil-producing unit, and the expropriation of other assets.


Oracle to nominate four candidates for PeopleSoft board REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. Oracle has announced plans to nominate four candidates for election to rival PeopleSoft #39;s board of directors.


More oil spilled off Newfoundland ST. JOHN #39;S, NFLD. - Another spill at Newfoundland #39;s Terra Nova oil field has added about 1,000 litres to the 165,000 litres of crude spilled Sunday.


Israel downplays EU meetings with Hamas Israel has responded coolly to reports of secret contacts with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana has revealed there has been some contacts, but he has


UN warns Rwanda on Congo threats The UN Security Council has warned Rwanda not to attack the Democratic Republic of Congo to flush out Hutu rebels based there, reports Anne Mugisa.


PM wouldn #39;t like to see rising dollar PRIME Minister John Howard hopes the Australian dollar does not keep on rising because it would make us less competitive. Mr Howard said although he wouldn #39;t say Australia was heading for tough times, there


Board pledges to defend Yukos The board of directors of embattled oil giant Yukos said Thursday it will continue to defend the company from a criminal probe it called politically motivated amid reports that board members have fled Russia.


A Familiar Ring There #39;s no rest for the Salvation Army bell ringers as the holidays arrive. They #39;re out in force this season, gathering money to help the less fortunate.


Magpies hammer French Newcastle cruise through to the knock out phase of the Uefa Cup with a convincing 4-0 away to Sochaux. The French side made a promising start, Jeremy Menez free kick forcing Shay Given to make a diving save.


Austria #39;s Michael Walchhofer surprising himself in downhill <b>...</b> LAKE LOUISE, Alta. (CP) - Austria #39;s Michael Walchhofer is surprising himself as he gets ready for the first World Cup downhill race of the season.


Qaeda believed to be calling for action in Afghanistan BAGRAM AIR BASE: Al Qaeda is believed to have called its followers to action in response to the massively attended vote last month that elected President Hamid Karzai, said a top US commander.


Djamshid says farewell and thank you to Canada on eve of long trip home (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - A 10-year-old Afghan boy whose struggle for life captured the hearts of Canadians bade a fond farewell to the country that rescued him Thursday as he prepared for a long journey home to a life of abject poverty.


Oil Prices Rise in Europe Oil futures prices rose in Europe Thursday amid concerns about heating oil supplies at the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere winter.


Japanese Stocks May Rise; Nintendo, AOC, JFE, NTT Seen Gaining Japanese stocks may rise after companies including Nintendo Co. and AOC Holdings Inc. raised their full-year earnings forecasts. Expectations of a strong Christmas sale season are


Philips sells 3 stake in Vivendi for 720mil euros AMSTERDAM: Royal Philips Electronics NV has sold its entire 3 stake in Vivendi Universal for around 720 million euros. The transaction closed on Wednesday and is expected to result in a non-taxable gain of 300 million euros in the fourth quarter.


Safety groups give warning about unsafe toys Before you go holiday shopping, children #39;s safety groups said you should check their lists twice to find out which toys could hurt your kids.


Nfld. oil spill more serious than originally thought ST. JOHN #39;S, Nfld. -- An oil spill on Newfoundland #39;s Grand Banks is larger than first reported. The Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board now says that up to 1,000 barrels of oil may have spilled into


KarstadtQuelle Reaches Pact With Rebel Investors (Update2) KarstadtQuelle AG, Germany #39;s biggest operator of department stores, reached an agreement with investors who mounted legal challenges to the company #39;s plan to raise 535 million euros (\$709 million) in a share sale.


FDI in branded retail may be allowed NEW DELHI, Nov. 25. The Centre plans to open the doors to foreign direct investment (FDI) in the retail segment so long as it does not impact the domestic retailers in the same sector.


China, India and Pakistan stall WTO talks on textile quotas GENEVA: Major textile exporters China, Pakistan and India on Thursday stalled talks at the World Trade Organisation on assistance for smaller textile-producing developing countries likely to be affected by the end of import quotas next January, diplomats


Cicada infestations boost nutrients for forests WASHINGTON - Insects that emerge every 17 years in the eastern United States provide valuable nutrients to forest ecosystems when they die, an ecologist says.


Henry a doubtful starter EINDHOVEN: Thierry Henry is doubtful for Arsenal #39;s Premiership clash with Liverpool on Sunday after aggravating a lingering achilles tendon problem in the stormy Champions League draw with PSV Eindhoven here on Wednesday.


O #39;Neill hails Celtic performance in Barcelona Celtic manager Martin O #39;Neill has hailed his team #39;s performance as  quot;phemomenal quot;, as they kept their European hopes alive.


Lazio 2-2 Partizan Belgrade: FT Report ROME, November 25 (UEFA Cup) - Paulo Di Canio was the hero as he brought Lazio back from two goals down against Partizan Belgrade but their UEFA Cup campaign may be beyond salvation.


Fan slapped with fine, five-year ban for racially abusing Yorke LONDON (AFP) - A British court slapped a 1,000-pound (1,880-dollar) fine and a five-year football ground ban on a fan for hurling monkey chants at Birmingham City striker Dwight Yorke.


Bowe to Miss Fight Due to Shoulder Injury LOUISVILLE, Ky. Nov 25, 2004 - Former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe will not fight Kenny Craven on Saturday because of a shoulder injury.


Sportsview: Manning Still Needs Ring (AP) AP - Peyton Manning had barely made it to the locker room, and already the talking heads on the network NFL shows were debating his place in history.


US Launches Massive Offensive on Baghdad BAGHDAD, November 24 (IslamOnline.net  amp; News Agencies) - US-led occupation troops took Tuesday night, November 23, their offensive from Fallujah to Baghdad with some 5,000 US marines, British troops and Iraqi commandos launching full-scale raids into


Colombian fighters lay down arms Some 450 members of Colombia #39;s feared rightwing paramilitaries have disarmed en masse in a football field as part of the process to end the civil war.


Newcastle and Dnipro Win Third Straight (AP) AP - Newcastle and Ukrainian club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk maintained their perfect records in the UEFA Cup group phase on Thursday to virtually guarantee a place in the knockout stage.


WTO close to action against US BRUSSELS The World Trade Organization is expected to approve on Friday the imposition of trade sanctions worth \$150 million on the United States by the European Union, Japan, Canada and others after a legal issue was resolved Thursday.


Consumer confidence takes tumble in Germany Business confidence in Germany, Europe #39;s largest economy, fell to its lowest level in more than a year in November as the euro #39;s climb to a record high against the dollar threatened exports and unemployment at a five-year high crimped consumer spending


Philips sells stake in Vivendi Philips Electronics, Europe #39;s largest maker of CD players, said Thursday that it had sold its 3 percent stake in Vivendi Universal, owner of the world #39;s biggest music company.


Analysts want Ambani brothers to come clean on the ownership issue <b>...</b> Business India: Mumbai, Nov 25 : A rift between the Ambani brothers who run the country #39;s business conglomerate - the Reliance Group - today spilled into the board room of power utility Reliance Energy Ltd.


Computers Help Authenticate Paintings Art collectors spend millions to buy masterpieces, but the masterpiece they buy today could prove to be virtually worthless tomorrow if they aren #39;t careful.


Google up on Goldman #39;s \$215 stock price target Shares of Web search leader Google (GOOG) rose more than 5 in extended trade Tuesday after Goldman Sachs analyst Anthony Noto put a \$215 price target on the stock.


Newcastle #39;s stand-ins prove to be line perfect STEVE McCLAREN returned to Spain for the second time in little more than a week and, although there was no recurrence of the Neanderthal noises that marred Englands defeat in Madrid, he was again made to endure a substandard performance from one of his


Pampling jumps to front QUEENSLANDER Rod Pampling made four birdies on the front nine to grab the outright lead in the second round of the Australian Open in Sydney.


Australia is unlikely to sign nonaggression pact with Asean Prime Minister John Howard said Friday he is unlikely to sign a nonaggression pact with Australia #39;s Asian neighbors. The issue is reportedly causing tension ahead of Howard #39;s visit


NK awaits better climate for talks With global attention focused on whether and when North Korea will return to six-party talks on its nuclear weapons program, Pyongyang officials are  quot;sincere quot; in wanting a denuclearized peninsula and await a  quot;better atmosphere quot; to resume discussions, a


Fearing Prosecution by Kremlin, Top Executives of Yukos Leave Russia Top executives at the Russian oil giant Yukos, including the company's American chief executive and chief financial officers, have left the country.


Could Be Days Before Terra Nova Restart - Petrocan CALGARY, Alberta - It could could be days before Canada #39;s second-largest offshore oil project, Terra Nova, restarts after being shut down last weekend when crude spilled into the ocean, an official with operator Petro-Canada said Thursday.


Target Stores Ban Holiday Bell Ringers SEATTLE - A major department store chain is telling the Salvation Army to take its bell ringers someplace else. Target Stores is taking the extreme action claiming the bell ringing gives the Salvation Army an unfair advantage.


Deep freeze dealt death knell to bison WASHINGTON - Hunters may not be to blame for the decline in bison populations, according to a new study that points the finger at climate change.


EU tries to hold Iran to nuclear weapons deal The European Union was last night attempting to salvage a hard-fought deal with Iran after Tehran insisted on exemptions to its agreed suspension of activities that could produce a nuclear weapon.


Yukos top managers leave Russia fearing arrest MOSCOW - The top management of oil major Yukos has left Russia fearing arrest under a Kremlin drive to  quot;decapitate quot; the country #39;s largest oil exporting company, a Yukos source said on Thursday.


Resignations jolt India #39;s Reliance A rift between the Ambani brothers who run India #39;s Reliance conglomerate appeared to spill into the boardroom of power utility Reliance Energy Ltd.


Suspension-hit Pacers sign two players (AFP) AFP - The Indiana Pacers signed forwards Tremaine Fowlkes and Britton Johnsen to fill gaps left by the suspensions of three players involved in a brawl at Detroit last week.


Sunni Politicians Urge Iraq Election Delay (AP) AP - Leading Sunni Muslim politicians Thursday urged postponement of the Jan. 30 national elections, and a senior official said the government had agreed to meet outside the country with Saddam Hussein supporters to try to convince them to abandon the insurgency.


9 Found in Apparent Cancun Drug Killings (AP) AP - Police found the bodies of nine people, including three federal agents, in two areas Thursday near this Caribbean resort city, apparent victims of drug killings, officials said.


Life behind bars in South Africa Mark Thatcher, in court over a coup plot, has built a new life amid the millionaires #39; mansions of Constantia. Raymond Whitaker reports.


No playin #39; around, toys called unsafe As local kids make their holiday lists, parents might want to check them twice for potentially dangerous toys. Consumer advocates yesterday released a list of 61 toys they contend have deficient labeling or hazardous parts.


Apple iTunes don #39;t know it #39;s Christmas-time at all THE Apple iTunes music store has refused to sell the charity Band Aid song Do They Know Its Christmas? because it would damage the companys dominance of the download market.


McClaren pays for lack of ambition WITH a minimum of drama and an economy of effort - qualities that are seldom applicable to the club -ewcastle United last night qualified for the knockout phase of the Uefa Cup.


Australia Bats First in Second Cricket Test Against NZ Australia captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat first against New Zealand in the second and final cricket Test at Adelaide.


Real racist chants investigated Uefa is investigating Real Madrid over racist chanting after Tuesday #39;s Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen. Video footage from the match, which finished 1-1, appeared to show Real fans making Nazi


The railroading of Ron Artest I am not about to condone the Indiana Pacer #39;s behavior for charging into the stands and swinging at some Detroit Piston fans. As a professional and public figure, he has a responsibility to take the high road with unruly fans.


Britain condemns upsurge in violence in Sudan #39;s Darfur The British government on Thursday condemned the upsurge of violence in Darfur, and called on rebels and the Sudanese government to stop fighting.


THE TOY SHOP FOR KIDS OF ALL SIZES AN EXCLUSIVE toy shop which was featured in blockbuster films Home Alone II and Big reopened its doors yesterday. The ceremony marked a big turnaround for FAO Schwarz.


Dallas Cowboys Stuff Chicago Bears 21-7 (AP) AP - Drew Henson will have to wait before he's the star of the Dallas Cowboys offense. Right now, the youngster turning heads is rookie running back Julius Jones. Jones burst up the middle for a 33-yard touchdown on Dallas' first drive and was still going strong at the end, scoring again from the 4 midway through the fourth quarter to help the Cowboys beat the Chicago Bears 21-7 Thursday.


Driving hard into the future of TV THERE is never a right time to buy technology. Something cheaper, faster and better specified will be on the market before you have even got your product out of its box.


Jailed Leader to Run for Arafat's Job (AP) AP - Marwan Barghouti, a fiery Palestinian leader serving multiple life terms in an Israeli prison, indicated Thursday that he is running for Yasser Arafat's position as head of the Palestinian Authority, defying the traditional leadership and scrambling the political picture ahead of the Jan. 9 election.


Marseille to hire Troussier Marseille, France (Sports Network) - French power Marseille have reached an  quot;agreement in principal quot; for Philippe Troussier to become its new head coach.


Iraqi Officials to Meet With Rebels to Discuss Political Role The Iraqi foreign minister said today that the interim Iraqi government planned to meet soon in Jordan with leaders of the insurgency to try to persuade them to take part in legitimate politics here.


Peoplesoft deal to trigger industry consolidation PeopleSofts shareholders tendered 60.8 of their shares to Oracle on November20th, which in TBRs (Technology Business Research) opinion makes this acquisition approximately 95 plausible.


Troussier to take over at Marseille FORMER Japan manager Philippe Troussier was in  quot;advanced talks quot; to become Olympique Marseilles new coach last night as the club president became the latest casualty of the clubs poor form.


Suspension-hit Pacers sign two players The Indiana Pacers signed forwards Tremaine Fowlkes and Britton Johnsen to fill gaps left by the suspensions of three players involved in a brawl at Detroit last week.


Milestone for UConn; Millstone for Rutgers In the postgame scrum underneath Rutgers Stadium, Connecticut Coach Randy Edsall paused for a moment and reflected on that day in December 1998 when he began the daunting


Straw hopeful as he visits Arafat #39;s grave JACK Straw, the Foreign Secretary, visited the grave of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat yesterday at the end of a two-day trip to Israel and the West Bank to help revive the Middle East peace process.


Julius Jones Sparks Cowboys' Victory Drew Henson will have to wait before he's the star of the Dallas Cowboys offense. Right now, the youngster turning heads is rookie running back Julius Jones.


Dollar Struggles, Hits Record Low Vs Euro (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar struggled to keep above a\record low against the euro and its lowest in nearly five years\against the yen on Friday in a holiday-thinned market.


Dollar's Fall Pushes Gold Above \$450 Gold rose above \$450 an ounce for the first time in more than 16 years, driven by investors looking for an alternative to the American currency.


Acceptable price for oil barrel, 50 US dollars. Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said today in Moscow that 50 US dollars per barrel of oil is an acceptable price adding that OPEC (Oil Petroleum Exporting Countries) must make sure the price does not drop below 30 US dollars.


Lebanon Cleric Doubtful on Iraq Elections (AP) AP - Lebanon's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric is voicing doubts about holding national elections in Iraq, a major departure from his Iraqi colleagues who support the vote.


Souness delighted: Newcastle in fantastic position Newcastle United trounced Sochaux 4-0 to stay on course for the next phase of the UEFA Cup. After weathering an early storm, Newcastle ran riot as Lee Bowyer, Shola Ameobi, Craig Bellamy and Laurent Robert all struck for the Magpies.


Zimbabweans left in the dark By a special correspondent in Harare. These were the words of an advertisement for the series between Zimbabwe and England, placed in the sports pages of Thursday morning #39;s Herald newspaper.


Potential Arafat Successor Gains Approval Amid Talk of a Rival Mahmoud Abbas, the new chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, won a vital vote on Thursday evening from the Palestinians #39; dominant political faction approving


Uranium deal threat as Iran pushes for exemptions IRAN insisted yesterday that it had a right to exempt some equipment from an agreement with the European Union to freeze its uranium enrichment programme - a move diplomats said threatened to scuttle the deal.


UK's undersea 'ticking timebombs' Wrecks and abandoned munitions around the British coast risk exploding unpredictably, an expert says.


Ukraine Court Delays Results in Vote Dispute The unexpected ruling shifted momentum in the capital toward the official loser, Viktor A. Yushchenko, and the thousands of demonstrators in Independence Square.


Flush With Victory, Crusader Against Same-Sex Marriage Thinks Big Phil Burress, a self-described former pornography addict, has become a Paul Revere for the movement against same-sex marriage.


Splish, splash: United Utilities leaves investors tingling all <b>...</b> Water is good for you, as the Government #39;s medical advisers keep reminding us. What they don #39;t say is that water companies aren #39;t too bad for your financial health, either.


US Dollar Hits Another Low Against Euro A window display in London showing the financial prices, Thursday Nov. 25, 2004. The dollar has dropped to an all time low against the Euro.


Troussier sets to take over Marseille Olympique Marseille expected to reach a deal with former Japan coach Philippe Troussier  quot;within 48 hours quot;, said the French first division club Thursday.


The long journey from  #39;Football Focus #39; to focusing football Brian Barwick is said to relish a challenge. Quite whether he #39;s capable of handling arguably the toughest one in British sports administration remains to be seen, but at least he will take up


NFL: Indianapolis 41, Detroit 9 Peyton Manning equaled a career high with six touchdown passes Thursday in carrying Indianapolis to a 41-9 blasting of Detroit. It was the fifth straight game in which Manning


For Knicks, 11 Games Down, 71 to Go and they would surely like to - the Knicks could look over their shoulders at mid-November and feel mildly satisfied. In the two-week span from Nov.


Nepal Sets January Deadline for Rebels to Begin Peace Talks Rebels fighting to replace Nepal #39;s monarchy with a communist republic have until Jan. 13 to begin peace talks, Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said.


Australia raises hackles in Asia over refusal to sign peace pact (AFP) AFP - Prime Minister John Howard said Australia is unlikely to sign a non-aggression pact with its Asian neighbours despite reports its stance is causing friction ahead of his visit next week to Laos for the ASEAN leaders' summit.


Oracle puts up four for target #39;s board Oracle has opened a new front in its 17-month battle to take over rival software company PeopleSoft, announcing a slate of nominees to challenge the existing board of directors at its annual meeting next year.


Venezuelan president says OPEC output OK as is, \$30 US a floor <b>...</b> Venezuela #39;s president said Thursday he supports keeping OPEC oil production at current levels, contracting comments by his energy minister who said last week that Venezuela would support a production cut.


FAO opens flagship Manhattan store FAO Schwarz, the upmarket toy retailer that has been closed for nearly a year, yesterday opened its redesigned flagship Manhattan store in time for the start of the holiday spending season.


Barclays says on track to meet full-year profit forecasts; shares <b>...</b> Barclays PLC, Britain #39;s third-biggest bank, said Thursday it is on track to meet analyst expectations of a full-year profit before tax of 4.5 billion pounds (\$8.5 billion US), despite a flat performance from its domestic retail banking


Climate may have been bison #39;s main killer, not man WORK by a British scientist may show that humans were not responsible for the bison almost becoming extinct in the 19th century, it was disclosed yesterday.


China to launch lunar orbiter by Late 2007 China will launch its lunar orbiter Chang #39;e 1 to explore the moon #39;s environment and study the thickness of its soil by the end of 2007, according to a senior Chinese space expert in India.


Budget ax falls on lunar probe Politics, Texas-style, led to NASA and its shuttle program getting their best treatment in decades from Congressional budget writers.


Villarreal 2-0 Middlesbrough Middlesbrough were denied the point they needed to move into the knockout stage of the Uefa Cup by a classy Villarreal side. A defensive Boro were soon on the back foot and keeper Mark Schwarzer made three fine first-half stops.


Paris 2012 accused over embassies Paris 2012 organisers have been accused of breaking Olympic bid rules by using French embassies to promote the city. Madrid 2012 have made an official protest to the International Olympic Committee #39;s (IOC) ethical commission.


Knicks #39; defense consistently bad The list of  quot;bests, highests and biggests quot; accomplished by Toronto in its 114-91 blowout of the Knicks on Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre really was quite impressive.


Taj night visits approved LUCKNOW: India #39;s top court has opened the country #39;s most famous monument, the Taj Mahal, to night viewing, allowing visitors to gaze at the dazzling marble monument by moonlight for the first time in two decades.


Jakarta Court Says Cleric Bashir Trial Can Proceed The trial on terrorism charges of Indonesian Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, accused of leading a regional network linked to al Qaeda, can go ahead, a Jakarta court ruled Thursday.


Nepal Gives Rebels Until January for Peace Talks Nepal will push ahead with planned elections if Maoist rebels do not respond by Jan. 13 to a government offer for peace talks to end a bloody revolt, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said on Thursday.


Nissan Motor stops work at four plants Nissan Motor, the Japanese carmaker, has been forced to stop production at three of its four car assembly plants in Japan for five working days after running out


All-round advance at United Utilities United Utilities, the water and electricity distributor, raised first-half pre-tax profit by 13 per cent to 188m following growth across all its operations.


Cabinet ministers suspended after Congo's parliament alleges corruption (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - President Joseph Kabila suspended six cabinet ministers and 10 directors of state-run companies Thursday after a parliamentary inquiry alleged they had embezzled government funds.


From road rage to fan rage, civility takes a beating When professional athletes start slugging fans, severe penalties pretty much are a no-brainer. So few tears will be shed for the nine basketball players suspended - at the cost of millions in salary -fter


Ontario reveals plan to broaden child care options for kindergarten kids (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - The daily dash between kindergarten and day care could one day be a thing of the past for Ontario parents under a provincial plan unveiled Thursday to dramatically increase the number of available day care spaces.


N.Korea, US to Discuss Six-Way Talks in Dec: Nikkei A North Korean official will visit the United States next month for talks with US counterparts on resuming six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea #39;s nuclear program, a Japanese newspaper reported on Friday.


Many See Hope in Parkinson's Drug Pulled From Testing Some Parkinson's patients say drug developer Amgen robbed them of their only hope by ordering all patients off an experimental drug.


The Heart of the Hartz Commission Peter Hartz, as chairman of a commission to overhaul Germany's economy, became synonymous with far-reaching, often unpopular, reforms.


Indonesian Food Giant Undergoes a Transformation as the Political Winds Shift The head of the world's largest instant noodle manufacturer is trying to transform what was one of Asia's most influential overseas Chinese operations.


Rule Change in Oregon May Alter the Landscape Under the measure, property owners who can prove that environmental or zoning rules have hurt their investments can force the government to compensate them.


The perfect shop for children who like to toy with money AMERICAS Thanksgiving Day brought good news for the child who has everything. Almost a year after it went bankrupt and closed down, FAO Schwarz, the worlds most renowned toy shop, yesterday reopened its store on New Yorks Fifth Avenue.


UK growth forecast cut LONDON: A leading business group cut its 2005 forecast for British economic growth yesterday, blaming a combination of high oil and commodity prices, slowing global growth and domestic interest rate rises.


Remortgages surge as new home loans begin to weaken By Malcolm Moore, Economics Correspondent (Filed: 26/11/2004). Increasing numbers of homeowners are renegotiating their mortgages to take advantage of the slowing property market, the British Bankers Association said yesterday.


War codebreaker cracks an enigma of love A CODED message from the 18th century that has baffled generations of cryptologists may be nothing more than a loving dedication to a mourned wife or lover, according to a leading codebreaker.


DoCoMo closes in on UK i-mode deal NTT DoCoMo, Japan #39;s largest mobile phone company, will announce an agreement next week for UK operator MMO2 to offer its i-mode services in the UK next year, according to people close to the deal.


What really drove buffalo from the plains?  quot;The country was one black robe, quot; said early explorers on the North American continent as they surveyed the herds of buffalo.


Beijing city slammed over Microsoft deal The Beijing municipal government has come under fire for damaging China #39;s nascent software industry by giving United States software giant Microsoft the lion #39;s share of a large software purchase order.


Barwick handed post as FA chief executive Brian Barwick last night accepted the chief executive #39;s position at the Football Association following a final round of interviews earlier in the day.


UConn edges Rutgers, works way toward bowl Dan Orlovsky threw three touchdowns and Connecticut virtually assured itself of a bowl bid in its first season as a football member of the Big East Conference with a wild 41-35 victory over Rutgers on Thursday.


UN blames rebels in Darfur The rebel Sudan Liberation Army was solely responsible for restarting the fighting in north Darfur, the chief UN envoy for Sudan, Jan Pronk, said yesterday.


CBI trims growth forecast and calls Brown optimistic The CBI accused Gordon Brown of being  quot;too optimistic quot; over the health of the economy yesterday, as the employer #39;s organisation downgraded its own forecast for GDP growth next year.


Has the mystery of the Holy Grail been solved? For centuries the whereabouts of the Holy Grail, supposing it exists at all, has exercised the minds of scholars and tested the endurance of treasure hunters.


Nissan to Halt Auto Output at 3 Plants in Japan for 5 Days The Nissan Motor Company said Thursday that a shortage of steel would force it to temporarily halt production at three of four of its auto factories in Japan, an unusual step


Contract Stirs New Talk on Disney Job By Reuters. Peter Chernin, president of the News Corporation, has signed a new contract that makes it easier for him to take the top job at another publicly traded company.


Olowokandi jailed for nightclub incident Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Minnesota Timberwolves center Michael Olowokandi spent Wednesday night in jail after police needed a stun gun to compel him to leave a nightclub.


Arizona challenges No. 1 Wake Forest Wake Forest will put the No. 1 men #39;s basketball ranking on the line against an Arizona team anxious to atone for an early misstep when they meet Friday night in the Preseason National


9 Found in Apparent Cancun Drug Killings (AP) AP - Police discovered the bodies of nine people, including three federal agents, at two sites outside this resort city. Authorities said the killing were probably linked to a drug turf war.


India pitches Kashmir autonomy for Pakistan peace (Reuters) Reuters - India said on Thursday it could consider giving a large amount of autonomy to the disputed region of Kashmir to help make peace with Pakistan, but said it was not willing to redraw its borders to settle half a century of enmity.


Yudhoyono visits strife-torn Aceh Indonesia's new president visits Aceh province,  where the army is involved in a major offensive against rebels.


India Suggests Greater Autonomy for Kashmir  NEW DELHI, Nov. 25 -- India said on Thursday that it could consider giving a large amount of autonomy to the disputed region of Kashmir to help make peace with Pakistan but was not willing to redraw its borders to settle a half-century of enmity.


Burma Says It Will Free Over 5,000 More Prisoners  RANGOON, Burma, Nov. 25 -- Burma announced Thursday that it would release more than 5,000 prisoners, and a senior official said a top dissident who was democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's closest aide would also be freed before long.