Ukraine Opposition Renews Street Protests Over Poll (Reuters) Reuters - Thousands of demonstrators pressing to\install Ukraine's opposition leader as president after a\disputed election launched fresh street rallies in the capital\for the third day Wednesday.


Car Bombers Strike Near Green Zone, 7 Dead  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A double suicide car bomb attack  devastated a police station just outside Baghdad's fortified  Green Zone on Saturday, killing seven people and wounding 57 in  the latest strike against Iraq's beleaguered security forces.


JFK Internet Game Assailed Is this going too far? <br>JFK Reloaded, after all, is an online game that deals with the John F. Kennedy assassination and was made available yesterday -- the 41st anniversary of the president's death.


A Daily Look at U.S. Iraq Military Deaths (AP) AP - As of Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2004, at least 1,229 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. At least 957 died as a result of hostile action, the Defense Department said. The figures include three military civilians.


Rejecting the Next Bill Gates As Condoleezza Rice enters the State Department, she will face a number of pressing foreign policy problems that she cannot solve. This will not be for lack of effort or intelligence on her part. It's just that many foreign policy crises involve the interests and activities of countries across the globe, and changing them takes time. And even then, whether it's Iran, North Korea or Darfur, there is no quick fix that Washington can impose. But there is a growing danger for the United States that needs urgent attention, that can be solved and that is almost entirely within Rice's power to handle. It's the foreign visa crisis. Left unattended, it is going to have deep and lasting effects on American security and competitiveness.


More Visas For Foreign Workers Congress is letting employers hire 20,000 more foreign high-tech workers under a special visa program after businesses reached the annual ceiling on the first day of the government's fiscal year.


Bill Aims to Protect Joint Patents Patents that result from collaboration between universities and companies won new protections from legal challenge under legislation that passed Congress over the weekend.


Thai official shot by accident, not assassination: PM (AFP) AFP - The most senior state official to be hurt in Thailand's restive south was accidentally shot and injured by one of his own guards, the Thai premier has said, discounting initial claims of an assassination attempt.


Viewing The Customer With Spite It makes no sense, but when a huge, faceless corporation rejects you, it still hurts.


Mtl experts knew about C. difficile outbreak but didn't tell province:report (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MONTREAL (CP) - City health officials knew about the deadly C. difficile outbreak at least five months before the provincial Health Department was informed, according to a broadcast report.


Bees survived dino extinction Tropical honeybees survived the devastating nuclear winter thought to have helped kill off the dinosaurs.


Tests Show No Mad Cow, Cattle Prices Rise  WASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - An animal suspected of  having mad cow disease was given a clean bill of health in a  second round of sophisticated testing, the U.S. Agriculture  Department said on Tuesday after cattle prices soared in  expectation of the news.


Waterloo lessons could aid medics \The high survival rate among the injured at the battle of Waterloo could help inform modern medicine.


Prosecutor Blasts GOP for Shielding DeLay (AP) AP - A Texas prosecutor who is leading an investigation into possible illegal campaign spending lashed out at congressional Republicans on Tuesday for changing their rules in order to protect House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.


AIG Nears Settlements with Justice, SEC  NEW YORK (Reuters) - American International Group Inc.  AIG.N, the world's largest insurer by market value, on  Tuesday said it reached preliminary accords to settle federal  criminal and regulatory probes into whether it helped two  companies fraudulently inflate earnings.


Oil Hits \$50 and Bounces Back Under \$49  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Tuesday but  retreated from an earlier break above \$50, as dealers awaited a  U.S. government report that is expected to show a small  increase in thin heating oil stocks ahead of winter.


N.C. Elections Board OKs Most Results (AP) AP - The state elections board certified nearly all results from the Nov. 2 election on Tuesday, but withheld approval of the outcome of two statewide races that are the subject of protests.


Cingular to Cut About 7,000 Jobs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cingular Wireless will cut about 7,000  jobs, or 10 percent of its work force, to cut costs as it  integrates recently purchased AT T Wireless, the company said  on Tuesday.


Diplomats Question Ukraine on Election (AP) AP - The United States urged the Ukrainian government on Tuesday not to certify pro-Russia Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych as winner of disputed presidential elections in the former Soviet republic because of suspected widespread fraud.


SEC, NASD Probe Gifts to Executives  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. market regulators are looking  into gifts of Super Bowl tickets, private jet rides, wine and  expensive golf outings by brokerage firms to mutual fund  executives, officials said on Tuesday.


Wash. GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Ahead (AP) AP - Republican Dino Rossi kept a razor-thin lead in the Washington governor's race as counties raced a Wednesday deadline for recounting 2.8 million ballots  #151; and girded for yet another possible recount.


Two States Accuse Aventis on Flu Vaccine  CHICAGO (Reuters) - The governors of Illinois and New  Mexico accused French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis SASY.PA of  balking in providing data to U.S. regulators in the states'  attempts to secure flu vaccine in the midst of a national  shortage.


Holidays Looking Merry for Web Retailers  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - It's shaping up to be a very  merry holiday season for online retailers.


Ban Yo-Yo Water Ball Toy, U.S. Group Says  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Water-filled yo-yo balls should be  banned in the United States, a public interest group said on  Tuesday as it issued its annual survey of hazardous toys before  the holiday season.


Iran Rules Out Complete Nuclear Dismantling  BEIJING (Reuters) - Iran will never be prepared to  dismantle its nuclear program entirely but remains committed to  the non-proliferation treaty (NPT), its chief delegate to the  International Atomic Energy Agency said on Wednesday.


Three U.N. Hostages Freed Unharmed in Afghanistan  KABUL (Reuters) - Three foreign U.N. workers held hostage  in Afghanistan were freed unharmed on Tuesday, almost four  weeks after their abduction at gunpoint on a Kabul street  raised fears of a wave of Iraq-style kidnappings.


Iraq Meeting Presses Baghdad to Seek Dialogue  SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) - An international  conference on the political future of Iraq on Tuesday pressed  the interim Iraqi government to make sure as many people as  possible take part in Jan. 30 elections.


Court: Australian Suspect Was Al Qaeda 'Sleeper'  MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - An Australian man was  refused bail Wednesday after a court heard he trained at an al  Qaeda camp in Afghanistan, saw its leader Osama bin Laden and  agreed to become a "sleeper" for the terror network.


Politicians Seek Debate on Blair's Iraq 'Misconduct'  LONDON (Reuters) - Parliamentarians will table a motion on  Wednesday demanding a debate on Prime Minister Tony Blair's  "gross misconduct" in leading Britain to war against Iraq.


Venezuelan Car-Bomb Suspect Killed, Weapons Found  CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - A Venezuelan lawyer  suspected in last week's bombing murder of a top state  prosecutor was killed in a gunfight with police on Tuesday  after he tried to ram detectives with his car and opened fire  on them, officials said.


British Muslims push to integrate They are working to repair an image tattered by homegrown radicals - and to find a place in mainstream society.


Ukraine set for talks on crisis Ukraine's president and opposition agree to hold talks, as huge protests over disputed elections continue.


Smoking killing millions globally \Smoking killed almost 5 million people around the world in 2000, researchers have calculated.


Outsource that reporter! Reuters journalists are said to be close to striking over the outsourcing of reporting jobs to India.


South Asian PMs to hold key talks Pakistani PM Shaukat Aziz is to continue dialogue with India in talks with counterpart Manmohan Singh.


Security Council visits DR Congo UN Security Council envoys are visiting eastern DR Congo, where UN troops maintain a fragile peace.


Chirac makes historic Libya trip French President Jacques Chirac is to go to Libya on Wednesday, for the first such visit since 1951.


Gimme some skin! Sure, the Nintendo DS portable game machine is a technical wonder, with its super-sensitive touch screen, built-in wireless capability and


Burma to relaunch democracy talks \Burma sets a new date for a constitutional conference seen as a first step towards democracy.


Football: Ferguson celebrates win Sir Alex Ferguson is "ecstatic" as Man Utd reach the Champions League knockout stage by beating Lyon.


Zimbabwe bans cricket journalists Zimbabwe denies British journalists entry - but England's tour still looks set to go ahead.


Sfor defends pursuit of Karadzic The Nato head in Bosnia defends efforts to detain Bosnian Serb leaders ahead of a war crimes report.


World leaders back Iraqi election World leaders end a conference on the future of Iraq with strong support for the January polls.


Hindu cleric faces fresh charge A Hindu cleric facing murder charges in southern India is also accused of ordering an attack on a former devotee.


40bn criminal networks targeted A new bill aimed at tackling organised crime will be published by the government on Wednesday morning.


UN probing charges of sex abuse by staff UNITED NATIONS -- The UN is investigating about 150 allegations of sexual abuse by UN civilian staff members and soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with some evidence recorded on videotape, a senior UN official said yesterday. The accusations include pedophilia and rape, said Jane Holl Lute, an assistant secretary general in the peacekeeping department. Lute said that there ...


In Colombia, Bush vows aid in drug war CARTAGENA, Colombia -- Under a security web of warplanes, battleships, and 15,000 troops, President Bush praised Colombia's battle against drugs and Marxist guerrillas yesterday and pledged to keep US aid flowing so that  quot;this courageous nation can win its war against narcoterrorists. quot;


U.S. Expanding Iraqi Offensive in Violent Area U.S., British and Iraqi troops began a new offensive sweep across a region south of Baghdad known as the triangle of death.


Rally Against Ukraine Vote Swells Opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko took a symbolic oath of office in his country's parliament Tuesday as supporters rallied to challenge official vote counts that gave an insurmountable lead to his opponent.


U.N. Election Workers Freed in Afghanistan Afghan officials denied Tuesday that they struck a deal with kidnappers who released three foreign U.N. workers unharmed in Kabul.


Iraq's Forbidding 'Triangle of Death' As the offensive against Fallujah ends, U.S. military commanders have begun turning their attention to other restive regions of Iraq, where an insurgency in Sunni Muslim-dominated areas has proved resilient, possibly endangering nationwide elections scheduled for Jan. 30.


Iraqi Prime Minister Encouraged to Meet Opponents An international conference on Iraq is expected to call on the government of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi to meet with its political opponents to encourage them to participate in the country's first democratic elections in January, according to a draft of the conference's final communique.


U.N. Hostages in Afghanistan Freed Three U.N. workers kidnapped in Afghanistan four weeks ago were released unharmed Tuesday, a day after a string of raids by U.S. and Afghan security forces.


Fatah Panel Nominates Ex-Premier for President The most important decision about who will run for president of the Palestinian Authority was made Monday by the Fatah movement's 15-member Central Committee, which nominated former prime minister Mahmoud Abbas as the group's presidential candidate for the Jan. 9 election.


26 Charged in Va. In Document Fraud  Law enforcement officials said yesterday that they have broken up the largest known document fraud ring in Northern Virginia, charging 26 people in a scheme to sell identification to thousands of Indonesian immigrants nationwide.


Venezuelan Car-Bomb Suspect Killed, Weapons Found

 By Patrick Markey

 CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - A Venezuelan lawyersuspected in last week's bombing murder of a top stateprosecutor was killed in a gunfight with police on Tuesdayafter he tried to ram detectives with his car and opened fireon them, officials said.


Chavez Visit to Spain Sparks Coup Controversy

 By Daniel Flynn

 MADRID (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez'sfence-mending visit to Spain sparked political uproar onTuesday when Madrid for the first time backed his allegationsthat the former Spanish government backed a coup against him.


Venezuelan Car-Bomb Suspect Killed in Shootout

 By Patrick Markey

 CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - A Venezuelan lawyersuspected in last week's bombing murder of a top stateprosecutor was killed in a gunfight with police on Tuesdayafter he tried to ram detectives with his car and opened fireon them, officials said.


Controversial fund  #39;quite modest #39; claims chairman The controversial multi-million pound fund set up by key directors of MG Rover parent company Phoenix Venture Holdings was  quot;quite modest quot;, chairman John Towers has claimed.


Canada may put levies on US imports Canada may impose retaliatory duties on US imports for the first time since 1986, exposing strains in the world #39;s largest trading relationship.


UAL asks its pilots for steep cutbacks Senior United Airlines pilots would have to fly more hours each month and be away from home longer under a sweeping cost-cutting proposal by the ailing carrier.


Eisner testimony countered Walt Disney Chairman George Mitchell said he was asked to become company president before the job was offered to Michael Ovitz, disputing testimony by CEO Michael Eisner.


Wal-Mart will let Chinese union in SHANGHAI, CHINA - Under pressure from the Chinese labor federation, the world #39;s biggest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores, said Tuesday it would permit branches of the official Communist Party-controlled union in its Chinese stores if employees requested it.


Euro Near New High; Asian Stocks Gain (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar hovered near a record low\around  #36;1.31 per euro Wednesday but was steady against the yen\after Russia suggested it might buy more euros, while Asian\stocks rose on expectations of good earnings.


Package deals One day, Ed Blain hopes to deliver sermons from the pulpit. This holiday season, he's happy to help sort packages.


Comcast will raise cable rates in January In what has become as much of a Thanksgiving tradition as stuffed turkey and football, Comcast Corp. moved yesterday to raise New England cable television rates by an average 5.9 percent starting in January.


FDA backs new multiple sclerosis drug The Food and Drug Administration strongly endorsed Biogen Idec Inc.'s new multiple sclerosis treatment, putting the Cambridge firm in position to expand the market for MS drugs and win greater market share. The drug, formerly called Antegren but renamed Tysabri, was developed with Elan Pharmaceuticals of Ireland. The FDA approved Tysabri for use on its own and in ...


Iconic grilled cheese feeds Internet frenzy Diana Duyser will become \$28,000 richer today, stand at the center of a media spotlight, and embark on a nationwide tour starring herself -- and all it cost her was a 10-year-old sandwich.


Video game violence goes to next level What most adults might consider games for kids are anything but, say video game industry critics and two US senators. BY CHARLES HOMANS.


Symbian Says Skulls May Not Be Malware Symbian Ltd., the London-based maker of the Symbian operating system used on high-end smart phones from a variety of manufacturers, says reports of malware may be premature.


NASA Chief Sees Mandate for Bush Space Program The budget increase Congress just voted for NASA is a clear endorsement of President Bush #39;s plan to send astronauts back to the moon and later Mars, the head of the space agency said Tuesday.


IBM #39;s Solid Stake on the Desktop Its Workplace package is catching on with clients, and more software makers are signing on. Still, it #39;s no Windows smasher. IBM launched a bold foray into desktop computing last spring, when it took on Microsoft #39;s


Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Official Soundtrack Double CD November 23, 2004 - You gotta hand it to the folks over at Rockstar games. They certainly know how to milk a good thing to maximum effect.


Software License Costs to Soar in 2005 New evidence from Gartner Group suggests that software licensing costs could see an overall increase of roughly 50 in the next year.


Scientists mimic lotus plant to create self-cleaning clothing Sending your favourite suit to the dry-cleaners could one day be an infrequent practice when  quot;self-cleaning quot; clothing become the norm, thanks to progress in nano-technology, the American Chemical Society has said.


No end to news of brawl The brawl has been over for four days, but there #39;s still plenty to fight about. There was action on several fronts yesterday as the players, the teams, the fans, and law


DWIGHT YORKE RACE TAUNTS: TWO IN COURT Two men will appear in court today accused of racial public order offences involving Birmingham striker Dwight Yorke. Yorke complained to police that he was taunted with monkey chants and other racist abuse


Decision day arrives for Wenger to contest cheat remark LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was to decide later yesterday whether to contest a charge of improper conduct arising out of last months controversial clash with arch-rivals Manchester United.


Leverkusen let nervous Real off the hook says Augenthaler Coach Klaus Augenthaler believes Bayer Leverkusen let a nervous Real Madrid off the hook by allowing the Spanish side to grab a 1-1 Champions League draw on Tuesday.


Williams in Position for Return, But Likely Not to Miami NEW YORK - The bizarre journey of Ricky Williams will end right where it started - back in the NFL. But it #39;s unlikely he will return to the Dolphins.


Surprising Sonics 10-2 after beating T #39;wolves Rashard Lewis scored 27 points, Ray Allen added 24 and the SuperSonics again shot well from 3-point range in a 103-92 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.


Cowboys pull away 90-65 STILLWATER, OKLA. - When Oklahoma State needs a spark, the Cowboys know just where to turn. John Lucas III scored 22 points - including three straight 3-pointers to break open a close game -nd No.


Labor welcomes terror arrests THE arrest of four Indonesians accused of carrying out the Australian embassy bombing in Jakarta was a positive breakthrough in the war against terrorism, Labor said today.


Abbas to defend rights of Palestinian refugees Palestinian presidential candidate Mahmoud Abbas has pledged to honour Yasser Arafat #39;s wishes and fight for the  quot;right of return quot; of Palestinian refugees to Israel.


Troops start new offensive near Baghdad About 5,000 US Marines, British troops and Iraqi forces began an offensive yesterday aimed at clearing insurgents from a cluster of dusty, small towns south of Baghdad.


Israeli officer: I was right to shoot 13-year-old child An Israeli army officer who repeatedly shot a 13-year-old Palestinian girl in Gaza dismissed a warning from another soldier that she was a child by saying he would have killed her even if she was three years old.


Euro Near New High; Asian Stocks Gain  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The dollar hovered near a record low  around \$1.31 per euro Wednesday but was steady against the yen  after Russia suggested it might buy more euros, while Asian  stocks rose on expectations of good earnings.


Cabrera on the Sox' short list? The day after Orlando Cabrera beat his world champion teammates to meeting President Bush, Cabrera's agent said the Red Sox had yet to express any interest in re-signing the shortstop.


Gugliotta forced to take an injury timeout To say forward Tom Gugliotta walked gingerly around the court during shootaround yesterday morning would be an overstatement. Dealing with lower back pain, he could barely shuffle across the paint. So, it was a no-brainer when coach Doc Rivers decided to place Gugliotta on the injured list. The tougher decision was who would take Gugliotta's place.


This week's picks Westford over Acton-Boxboro -- This week at the Discovery Museum, check out the exhibit,  quot;Overcoming spectrophobia. quot;


We Need More Babies! The Continent's plummeting fertility rate is a time bomb, threatening economic growth and social welfare. But what can governments do about it? How states are trying to get people to have more kids


UK Telecoms Watchdog Might Relax 3G License Rules  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain might relax rules about the  speed at which mobile phone operators have to build out  third-generation (3G) networks as part of a radical overhaul to  throw open the highly-regulated market for radio frequencies.


How To Film A Phantom The screen version of the international stage hit is finally here. Can it revive the Hollywood musical?


US knew of 2002 plot on Chavez, papers show WASHINGTON -- The US government knew of an imminent plot to oust Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chavez, in the weeks before a 2002 military coup that briefly unseated him, newly released CIA documents show, despite White House claims to the contrary a week after the putsch.


Abbas vows no retreat from refugee demand RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Palestinian presidential candidate Mahmoud Abbas vowed yesterday never to give up the late Yasser Arafat's bedrock demand that Israel recognize a  quot;right of return quot; of Palestinian refugees.


Freed UN hostages prepare for trip home KABUL, Afghanistan -- Three UN workers held hostage for nearly a month were preparing to fly home after their release yesterday from an ordeal that suggested Taliban-linked militants are adopting the tactics of Iraqi insurgents.


Activists' tool for change in Iran: TEHRAN -- A new movement of passive resistance is quietly sweeping young people in Iran, a response both to the reform movement's failure to introduce political and economic change and conservatives' control over who can run for office, according to Iranian student leaders and political analysts.


Secure Iraqi borders endorsed; concern on US troops SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt -- In the first regional conference on Iraq since the US-led invasion, 20 countries that had been sharply divided over the Iraq war agreed yesterday on several broad steps that would move the country toward a more secure future.


UN says children suffering the most GENEVA -- The fighting in Iraq is ''wreaking havoc quot; on the children, all but preventing relief groups from working in the country, the UN children's agency said yesterday.


PeopleSoft, Oracle standoff likely to continue The battle between Oracle and PeopleSoft is again at an impasse, with the possibility of a proxy fight that could continue into next spring.


U.K. deploys electronic image archiving in all hospitals General Electric and EMC have won a \$200 million deal to install electronic image archiving systems in 70 hospitals in the U.K., as part of an effort to centralize communications and modernize technology throughout the national health system.


Brief: HP to spend \$200M on layoffs Hewlett-Packard expects to spend \$200 million over the next six months on staff reductions, but it didn't say in which areas the cuts would take place.


CA officially taps Swainson for CEO job delays CA World Computer Associates today officially announced that John Swainson, an IBM veteran, has been named president and CEO-elect, as well as a member of the CA board.


Near-Time touts content management tool for Mac OS X The company's new Flow software aims to integrate information from various places under a single interface for ease of use and collaboration, and it generally works well, according to columnist Ryan Faas.


U.K. biometric ID card plan unveiled in the Queen's Speech The U.K. government is proposing legislation that would create a system of ID cards with embedded biometric identifiers that everyone living in the U.K. would be required to have by 2011 or 2012.


CA officially taps Swainson for CEO job, delays CA World Computer Associates today officially announced that John Swainson, an IBM veteran, has been named president and CEO-elect, as well as a member of the CA board.


HP quietly begins weblog experiment Hewlett-Packard is the latest IT vendor to try blogging. But analysts wonder if the weblog trend is the 21st century equivalent of CB radios, which made a big splash in the 1970s before fading.


Law may snag Philadelphia Wi-Fi rollout A proposed Pennsylvania law on its way to the governor's desk could pose a hurdle for Philadelphia's ambitious plan to provide broadband Wi-Fi service throughout the city by mid-2006.


Business Integration Glossary This comprehensive glossary provides a definition of terms related to business integration


Torvalds comes out against EU patent directive SAN FRANCISCO - Three prominent open source software developers, including Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, have issued a statement urging the European Union Council to reject proposed legislation that would codify the practice of granting software patents in the E.U.


Enterprise grid group adds Dell, two others The Enterprise Grid Alliance (EGA) on Nov. 30 plans to announce the addition of Dell, UBS Investment Bank, and value-added reseller Avarsys to its fold.


Observers find 201 e-voting problems in Maryland ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND - Poll observers in about 6 percent of Maryland's precincts recorded 201 problems with electronic voting machines during the Nov. 2 general election, according to a report released Tuesday by TrueVoteMD.org.


EU judge calls meeting in Microsoft antitrust case The judge examining whether or not to suspend sanctions in the European Union's antitrust ruling against Microsofthas called a meeting to determine how the case should proceed following the withdrawal of two of its major participants.


HP to spend \$200M on layoffs Hewlett-Packard(HP) plans to spend \$200 million over the next six months on staff reductions, the company said Tuesday in a regulatory filing. It did not specify in the filing which business areas the staffing cuts would affect.


Thomson, VeriSign to build content security service Thomson said Tuesday that it is teaming up with VeriSignto build a digital authorization and authentication service that promises to secure delivery of content such as movies, music, and games.


AMD Releases New Mobile Sempron Will the chip maker ever overcome Intel's advantage in the notebook market?


Thomson, VeriSign Secure Multimedia Content Companies will offer a service that authenticates movies, music, and games.


Philadelphia Faces Wi-Fi Woes Proposed law could prevent the government from offering broadband access.


Are Desktop Search Programs Ready for Prime Time? Copernic Desktop Search does the work without Google's security flaws.


Rating Search Engine Disclosure Practices Which search engines are adequately disclosing their paid placement and paid inclusion practices? Which ones are failing to do so?  A new report offers some surprising insights.


Stocks bounce back from their mid-day slide Stocks shuffled to a mixed finish yesterday, rebounding from mid-day declines as oil prices retreated after surging past \$50 per barrel.


AOL NEARS SEC FRAUD DEAL The Time Warner Inc. chairman and CEO and his legal eagles are said to be close to a deal with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department that would settle the dual


FDA backs new multiple sclerosis drug The Food and Drug Administration strongly endorsed Biogen Idec Inc. #39;s new multiple sclerosis treatment, putting the Cambridge firm in position to expand the market for MS drugs and win greater market share.


Brokers #39; Gifts Investigated Securities regulators are opening up yet another front in their long-running investigation of the mutual fund industry, examining brokerage firms that allegedly gave mutual fund employees


Advocacy group cites troubles in toyland They are sold with colorful names like  quot;Pals on the Go!, quot;  quot;Click Clack Train, quot;  quot;Kinderland Kimy Bathtime quot; and  quot;Flashing Star Wand.


AMD #39;s Sempron Set for Holiday Showdown with Centrino AMD has introduced its latest Mobile AMD Sempron processor 3000, which is designed for thin notebooks. Built to compete with Intel #39;s Centrino, the AMD processor offers Enhanced Virus Protection


IBM signs desktop-software partners IBM has signed on 100 software companies to use software from its Workplace initiative, a plan to gain ground in desktop software.


Media watchdogs complain that video games are violent, oversexed This season #39;s blockbuster video games give players the opportunity to hijack cars, mow down the walking undead with heavy artillery and ogle topless women.


Citrix to Acquire SSL VPN Provider Citrix Systems Inc. on Tuesday announced that it is acquiring a small SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) VPN provider, a move that company officials hope will position Citrix as a major player in the remote-access market.


Donald Puddy, veteran NASA flight director Veteran NASA flight director Donald R. Puddy, who supervised Apollo, Skylab and early space shuttle missions from Mission Control, has died.


Fergie toasts 1 000 games Sir Alex Ferguson looked set to spend Wednesday with a splitting headache after threatening to toast his victorious 1 000th game in charge of Manchester United in epic fashion.


Hyypia Blasts  #39;Disgraceful #39; Decision Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia hit out at the refereeing decision which could rob Liverpool of a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.


Wenger stands by Ruud remarks Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger vowed to fight his Football Association misconduct charge as he defended his right to criticise Ruud van Nistelrooy in public.


Donovan decides to return to Germany New York, NY (Sports Network) - United States men #39;s national team captain and former San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Landon Donovan announced Tuesday he will return to Europe to continue his soccer career and development as a player.


SuperSonics 103, Timberwolves 92 Rashard Lewis scored 27 points, Ray Allen added 24 and the SuperSonics again shot well from 3-point range in a 103-92 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.


Indonesian Police arrest Australian Embassy bombing suspect PETER CAVE: Police in Indonesia believe they #39;ve arrested the kingpin behind the bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta earlier this year.


HIV cases rise among women, report says Women are being infected with HIV at increasing rates in all regions of the world, and their numbers are now nearly equal to men, according to the United Nations and World Health Organization #39;s annual report on AIDS released Tuesday.


Iran sticks by belief that nuclear arms unIslamic: minister Iranian deputy foreign minister Gholamali Khoshrou denied Tuesday that his country #39;s top leaders were at odds over whether nuclear weapons were un-Islamic, insisting that it will  quot;never quot; make the bomb.


Black Watch ready for new offensive The Black Watch battalion is preparing to join US Marines and Iraqi forces in a major new offensive against insurgents. The operation - codenamed Plymouth Rock because it takes place around Thanksgiving - is


Britain to issue first identity cards since World War II LONDON Invoking a global threat of terrorism, the British government announced plans on Tuesday to introduce national identity cards for the first time since the Second World War.


Hong Kong business more confident Business confidence is rising in Hong Kong with a third of companies saying that economic prospects will improve in 2005.


Easy brand 'close to mobile deal' Easy Group is near to closing a Deal with Deutsche Telekom to launch a UK mobile service, the Financial Times reports.


Home sales for month robust  #39;The ongoing stimulus of lower-than-expected mortgage interest rates was the primary driver of strong home sales in October. #39;.


Plasma TVs Lead Gadget Price Declines in Sept. -NPD Falling prices in September for plasma televisions and digital cameras sparked the biggest monthly decline in US consumer electronics prices in five months, according to an industry study prepared for Reuters.


Harvard handles BU Last Tuesday night, Harvard knocked off rival Boston College, which was ranked No. 1 in the country. Last night, the Crimson knocked off another


Infocus: SSH and ssh-agent This article discusses how to take SSH Identity/Pubkey trust relationships to the next level, by using ssh-agent as a keymaster to manage a user's authentication needs automatically.


Pictures on the Go  #147;Carrying around a wallet full of pictures of the kids or the dog is so last year, #148; writes Cathy Lu in Digit.  #147;Apple #146;s iPod Photo makes it as easy to look at your most beloved pictures on the go as it is to listen to your favorite tunes. #148; Nov 23


Keeping Up with iPod  #147;I just received my sixth, an iPod photo, and if I loved my iPod before, I really love it now, #148; writes Bob LeVitus for the Houston Chronicle.  #147;The new iPod photo stores not only your songs, but also your digital pictures. The 2-inch color display is the best little color display I #146;ve seen, and I #146;ve heard many remarks about its clarity and rich, saturated images. Photos look amazing, and iPod photo stores and displays album art for songs which have cover art available. #148; Nov 23


Apple Certified Training Register now for Apple Certified Pro training at DV Expo West. Apple representatives are conducting classes on Apple #146;s high-end video and music applications, including Final Cut Pro HD, DVD Studio Pro, Motion and Logic, Dec 5-10.\ Nov 23


Shhh ... Do You Hear Gunfire? Police departments around the country turn to sound-analysis technology to detect and report gunshots. By Amit Asaravala.


Software Detects the True Artist Dartmouth College computer scientists create software that uses statistical techniques to authenticate art, to sort out real works from fakes. Their first finding: A painting purportedly by Perugino may have been done by four different artists. By Noah Shachtman.


Court Documents Not Fit for Web? States are rethinking their policy of publishing all court documents -- divorces, medical histories, arrests -- on the web. On one hand is the citizens' right to know how their government operates. On the other is their right to privacy. By Jacob Ogles.


A Kinder, Gentler Copyright Bill? The Senate passes a copyright bill that is not as bad as digital rights activists had feared. The bill drops language that would have banned tech that would have allowed people to skip commercials. By Katie Dean.


You, Too, Can Assassinate Kennedy Detractors are horrified, but the developer of a video game that lets players simulate the assassination of President Kennedy says the point is to bolster the lone-gunman theory and debunk the conspiracy theorists.


Suspicion of a Mad Cow Case Proves Unfounded, Tests Find A cow that tested positive last week on preliminary tests for mad cow disease has tested negative on the follow-up, the Agriculture Department announced.


Coloradans Vote to Embrace Alternative Sources of Energy Colorado voters approved a proposal this month mandating that 10 percent of the state's electricity must come from wind and solar power by 2015.


NASA Chief Sees Mandate for Bush Space Program The budget increase Congress just voted for NASA is a clear endorsement of President Bush's plan to send astronauts back to the Moon and later Mars, said Sean O'Keefe.


In a Land Torn by Violence, Too Many Troubling Deaths Colombia's Indian tribes are confronting a sudden rise in the suicide rate of their young members.


The Face of Nature Changes as Art and Science Evolve The idea that artists and scientists glare at each other across a cultural divide is mostly fiction, as the work of the printmaker Joseph Scheer makes abundantly clear.


Your Train Will Be Late, She Says Cheerily Amtrak's computer voice works on frayed nerves by remaining unshakably courteous and tirelessly chipper.


Judge Calls Conference on Microsoft The European Court of First Instance judge called an unexpected hearing to reconsider the evidence that can be used in the Microsoft antitrust case.


Cingular to Cut 7,000 Jobs to Trim Costs After Buyout Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest cellular phone company, plans to cut about 10 percent of its work force as a result of its purchase of AT T Wireless.


From Internet Arm Wrestling to the Magic of Math The renovated New York Hall of Science's new shows include one of the oldest (and best): "Mathematica," a show that continues to inspire wonder and persistent curiosity.


UN: N.Korea Sends Positive Message on Atomic Talks (Reuters) Reuters - North Korea gave a visiting U.N. official\a "very positive message" about resuming stalled six-way talks\on its nuclear programs, the South Korean Unification Ministry\said Wednesday.


Runway accident hampers aid bid Relief efforts in Indonesia hit a setback when Banda Aceh airport is closed to flights after an accident.


Warriors Beat Hornets 115-109 in 3OT (AP) AP - Speedy Claxton scored 21 points, including five free throws in the final 15 seconds of the third overtime, to help the Golden State Warriors beat the New Orleans Hornets 115-109 Tuesday night.


Criticism of U.S. Muted at Iraq Conference (AP) AP - Criticism of the United States was surprisingly muted at an international conference in Egypt that drew fierce opponents to the U.S.-led invasion.


Ntini spell sparks India collapse as test heads for draw (Reuters) Reuters - Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini grabbed three wickets to help bowl out India for 466 and give South Africa a 44-run first innings lead on the final day of the first test on Wednesday.


U.N. Battles Sex Abuse by Peacekeepers (AP) AP - Linked in the past to sex crimes in East Timor, and prostitution in Cambodia and Kosovo, U.N. peacekeepers have now been accused of sexually abusing the very population they were deployed to protect in Congo.


No More QB Controversy in Miami: Fiedler Goes on IR  MIAMI (Sports Network) - Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay  Fiedler was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a herniated  disk in his neck, ending his 2004 season.


Stocks End Little Changed on Oil, Intel US stocks ended barely changed on Tuesday as a late retreat in oil prices pulled the market back from lows, although a broker downgrade of technology bellwether Intel Corp.


Oracle assails PeopleSoft board WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Oracle Corp. executives, lobbying investors to support the company #39;s \$9.2 billion hostile takeover bid, came out swinging Monday against PeopleSoft Inc.


Behind the scenes at Eisner #39;s Disney When Michael Eisner took the helm at The Walt Disney Co. in 1984, he was so unschooled in boardroom etiquette that he sought out a copy of  quot;Robert #39;s Rules of Order, quot; the guide to parliamentary procedure.


Boston Scientific takes over Cook #39;s share of drug rights Bloomington (Star report) --Boston Scientific Corp. has obtained exclusive rights to sell the most popular coating on heart stents, taking over the share previously held by Cook Inc.


Multiple sclerosis drug approved The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a drug for multiple sclerosis that has shown early evidence of being more effective than existing drugs.


Kuwait Detains Soldiers for Plot Against U.S. Forces  KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwaiti security forces have detained up  to eight Kuwaiti soldiers suspected of plotting to attack U.S.  forces in the Gulf Arab state, a security source said on  Monday.


Why some see a hero in simple sandwich It #39;s an unlikely marriage of the sacred and the profane: a decade-old grilled cheese sandwich bearing the purported image of the Virgin Mary, sold to a gambling house that wants to tour the petrified snack around the country for charity.


HDTV: A shopper #39;s survival guide Flat or fat? EDTV or HDTV? LCD or plasma? Anyone who #39;s on the hunt for a new TV set these days knows getting a dream screen can be more confusing than the plotline of Days of Our Lives.


IBM adds fingerprint sensor to ThinkPads IBM has added biometric security to its ThinkPad notebook line, claiming the technology is now ready for prime time. IBM has added a fingerprint scanner to its T42 ThinkPad


NO BABY BLUES FOR GOOSEN Retief Goosen has revealed that he almost decided not to make the trip to Hawaii after the birth of his daughter Ella last Friday.


Yorke: two due in court on race charges Two men are due in court over alleged racist abuse aimed at footballer Dwight Yorke. The Birmingham City striker made a complaint after a game against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday.


NCAA case no worry for Spurrier Shortly after Steve Spurrier arrived at Florida in 1990, the Gators were placed on NCAA probation for a year stemming from a child-support payment former coach Galen Hall made for a player.


Donovan bolts MLS for German soccer team Landon Donovan is leaving the San Jose Earthquakes to rejoin Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, a move that costs Major League Soccer its most successful player.


FOOTBALL: REAL NAZI DISGRACE SPANISH football fans shamed their country again last night by hurling racist abuse at Bayer Leverkusen players during the Champions League fixture at Real Madrid.


RUGBY UNION: NEVER AGAIN ENGLAND coach Phil Larder has threatened Australia with  #39;payback #39; when the world champions meet their favourite enemy at Twickenham on Saturday.


Yao #39;s effort fails to lift Rockets Chinese center Yao Ming had 29 points and nine rebounds but he could not save the Houston Rockets from the 102-96 defeat by the Sacramen to Kings Tuesday.


Notebook: Daniels making an impact MINNEAPOLIS - After a dozen games, Antonio Daniels has established himself as one of the favorites to win the league #39;s sixth-man award.


Kansas trounces outmanned St. Joseph #39;s St. Joseph #39;s picked a bad place and a terrible time to start life without guards Jameer Nelson and Delonte West. With the two stars who led the Hawks to an unbeaten 2003-04 regular season now in the NBA, St.


FIEDLER RULED OUT FOR SEASON Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler will miss the remainder of the season with a herniated disk in his neck. Fielder, who started seven games and played in another for the 1-8 Dolphins, suffered the injury in Sunday #39;s game with the Seattle Seahawks.


Legacy is lesson on fighting terrorism If Yasser Arafat had died at birth, a Palestinian state would today likely be living side by side with a Jewish state, in peace. The Palestinian state would be called Jordan, which claimed and governed the


Raids mounted in latest assault on Iraqi region US, British and Iraqi troops mounted raids yesterday in a swath of territory south of Baghdad in the fourth sizable assault since last month aimed at


US Blames Darfur Rebels for Latest Upsurge in Violence US officials are blaming Darfur rebels for this week #39;s renewed violence in the troubled region of western Sudan. The Sudanese government says more than 30 of its policemen have been killed in Darfur clashes since Monday.


Ottawa talks of trade war against US OTTAWA -- Just a week before George W. Bush arrives for a feel-good visit with Paul Martin, Ottawa is talking tough about a possible trade war with the United States.


Global server sales up 5.5 in Q3 NEW YORK: Global computer server sales rose 5.5 per cent in the third quarter to \$11.5 billion (6.2 billion) from a year ago, but growth was flat in dollar terms from the second quarter, market research firm IDC has said.


Post-merger work force at Cingular to shrink 10 percent Cingular Wireless, the nation #39;s largest cellphone company, will cut about 10 percent of its 68,000 jobs over the next 12 to 18 months as it combines operations with the recently


Auditor targets drugs, native training OTTAWA -- The federal government is wasting tens of millions on prescription drugs and its billion-dollar annual investment in native education is actually losing ground, Auditor-General Sheila Fraser said yesterday.


RBC sells Liberty Insurance to IBM TORONTO -- Royal Bank #39;s RBC Insurance is selling Liberty Insurance Services Corp., its US business process services division, to IBM Corp.


A pitch for presents of peace With only 30 shopping days till Christmas, there #39;s no time to lose. So here are some nifty gift ideas for the youngsters on your list: - JFK Reloaded.


Intel helping clients in Asia to use Linux Intel, the world #39;s biggest semiconductor maker, said it is helping Chinese and Indian customers build personal computers that use the Linux operating system, an alternative to Microsoft #39;s Windows software.


IBM #39;s  #39;most secure laptop #39;  Rs 95,000 IBM India has launched its first ThinkPad with an integrated fingerprint reader at prices beginning from Rs 95,000. ThinkPad, the most secure notebook PC, now features a model that delivers simplified access


Ntini sparks Indian slump India collapsed on the final morning of the First Test in Kanpur but the game was certain to end in a draw. Resuming on 401 for four, the home side were bowled out for 466 to give South Africa a first innings lead of 44.


He #39;s one of a kind TORONTO -- All the batons had been twirled. The confetti had been shot into the air. The Arrr-gos chant had been repeated, oh maybe 100 times.


Actor Must Pay  #36;309,600 in Film Piracy Case (Reuters) Reuters - Warner Bros. has secured\a  #36;309,600 judgment against an actor for allegedly making\promotional "screener" copies of "The Last Samurai" and "Mystic\River" available for bootleg DVD copying and unauthorized\Internet trading, the studio said Tuesday.


Mexican Mob Kills Two Federal Agents (AP) AP - A crowd angry about recent child kidnappings cornered plainclothes federal agents taking photos of students at a school on Mexico City's outskirts and burned the officers alive, the latest example of mob justice in a country beset by corrupt police and high crime.


New mass offensive aimed at insurgents US, British and Iraqi forces are focusing this time on a hotbed south of the capital. BAGHDAD -- About 5,000 US marines, British troops and Iraqi commandos launched raids and arrested suspected insurgents


SAVED FROM DEATH #39;S JAWS ..BY DOLPHINS DOLPHINS herded four swimmers together then scared off a great white shark which had moved in for the kill. The 10ft predator circled as lifeguard Ron Howes, his daughter Niccy, 15, and two of her friends took a dip.


Firefox Browser Takes Market Share From Microsoft's IE (TechWeb) TechWeb - Although Microsoft has nearly 90 of the browser market, its share is down a full five points since May of this year. Mozilla Firefox is doing the damage, with 5.6 million copies downloaded in the last two weeks.


Celtics Place Gugliotta on Injured List  BOSTON (Sports Network) - The Boston Celtics placed forward  Tom Gugliotta on the injured list Tuesday with lower back pain.


Congress Won't Block Tax-Return Provision (AP) AP - A proposal to let more lawmakers see income tax returns is going to stay alive into December, thanks to Democratic complaints over how the one-sentence provision was stuffed into a gargantuan spending bill.


Finalists Named for O'Brien Award  FORT WORTH, Texas (Sports Network) - Oklahoma quarterback  Jason White was one of three finalists announced Tuesday for  the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback.


Singh, Aziz Hold Talks After India-Pakistan Spat  NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz  and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on Wednesday began  talks that are expected to set aside a recent spat over  disputed Kashmir and give a push to a plodding peace process.


Black Boxes Recovered from China Lake Crash Site  BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese divers searching an icy lake  have recovered the two flight recorders from a commuter jet  that crashed seconds after takeoff killing 54 people, Xinhua  news agency said Wednesday.


This pair not pulling punches The old order is passing in boxing and a potential new powerhouse has emerged. Timing always has been the ally of Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins. It is what made the former a six-time world champion and the latter the undisputed middleweight champion through more successful title defenses than any fighter in history.


Turnaround propels Eagles Boston College had been given an early quarterfinal boot from the Big East tournament by the University of Connecticut three weeks ago, but thanks to sophomore back Sam Brill, whose family lives about a mile and a half from BC's home soccer field, it was the Eagles who prevailed by the same score of 1-0 yesterday afternoon in the second ...


Harvard handles BU Last Tuesday night, Harvard knocked off rival Boston College, which was ranked No. 1 in the country. Last night, the Crimson knocked off another local foe, Boston University, 2-1, at Walter Brown Arena, which marked the first time since 1999 that Harvard had beaten them both in the same season.


Huskies line up to score One line did most of the work as the Northeastern men's hockey team defeated Merrimack, 5-1, in a Hockey East contest last night in North Andover.


Transactions BASEBALL Baltimore (AL): Named Jim Richardson, Mark Ralston and James Keller scouts. Cleveland (AL): Signed Ps Kenny Rayborn and Jake Robbins and OF Ernie Young to minor league contracts. Los Angeles (NL): Purchased contracts of INF Brian Myrow and OF Jason Repko from Las Vegas (PCL), Ps Franquelis Osoria, Ryan Ketchner, and Derek Thompson from Jacksonville (SL), and C Russell ...


Third-seed Schuettler crashes out of Chennai Open (AFP) AFP - The ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament began on a dramatic note when unfancied Frenchman Oliver Patience knocked out third-seeded Rainer Schuettler of Germany in the first round.


Baghdad Suicide Car Bomb Kills at Least Four (Reuters) Reuters - A suicide car bomb exploded on Tuesday\at a police post near an entrance to the fortified Green Zone\complex in Baghdad, killing at least four people, a policeman\at the scene said.


Skulls trojan targets Symbian smartphones A new trojan on the internet attacks the Nokia 7610 smartphone and possibly other phones running Symbian Series 60 software.  quot;We have located several freeware and shareware sites offering a program, called


UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MONTE CARLO, November 23 (Champions League) - A controversial Javier Saviola goal left Liverpool #39;s hopes of a place in the Champions League second round hanging by a thread as Monaco claimed all three points in the Principality.


CARROLL #39;S COCK-UP ON A VERY GRAND SCALE WHEN he switches on the television on a Saturday night Sir Alex Ferguson must cringe at the sight of Peter Schmeichel in the pundit #39;s chair.


Question and Answer Carol Williams, a family nurse practitioner and director of women #39;s services at the McDowell Healthcare Center in Phoenix, talks about World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. This year #39;s focus is on women and girls.


3 Kidnapped UN Workers Are Released in Kabul The release of three United Nations workers who had been held hostage for more than three weeks took place early Tuesday in what appeared to be an orchestrated handover.


Japan will never war with China: PM SANTIAGO: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Monday his country would never go to war with China and that bilateral ties were satisfactory.


Sounding the alarm over too-loud toys The growth in electronic toys that sing, provide realistic sound effects and make other noises has led to yet another hazard for children, a consumer advocate group said Tuesday.


Dell puts Sun in shade on server share MARKET RESEARCH firm IDC said that revenues in the worldwide server market grew by 5.5 per cent in the third quarter of this year, valued at \$11.5 billion.


Nokia smart phones under attack LONDON: All Nokia smart phones need to be on a watch out now, as a malicious wallpaper programme which hijacks the main page of the 7610 handset is on the prowl.


XFce 4.2 - the Future is Now! No doubt, all of you have heard of Xfce and those who haven #39;t will hear about it soon anyway. I remember trying out Xfce for the first time back on SuSE 9.0.


Monaco 1, Liverpool 0 Fuming Rafael Benitez slammed the controversial Monaco goal which left his Liverpool side in desperate danger of missing out on the Champions League second round.


Fergie #39;s Keepers: the Good, the Bad, the Awful Roy Carrolls blunder in Manchester Uniteds Champions League victory over Lyon at Old Trafford last night almost put a dampener on Sir Alex Fergusons 1,000th match in charge of the club.


Minority hiring activists miffed over USC  #39;search #39; When South Carolina hired former Florida coach Steve Spurrier on Tuesday without conducting an organized search that included more than one candidate, it didn #39;t sit well with the Black Coaches Association.


ADV: Term Life Insurance - For Peace of Mind ReliaQuote can bring you the peace of mind of term life insurance. Compare rates from top-rated life insurance companies online in minutes. Save up to 70 #37;. It couldn #39;t be easier!


China deal could see production increase THE head of MG Rover has held out the prospect of increased production at the car giant #39;s UK factory under plans to link up with China #39;s biggest auto manufacturer.


Tomkins in focus in quiet start to London trading An agreed bid for aiports operator TBI was the most notable feature for investors in a flat open to trading in London on Wednesday.


Martha wings it for 1st jail Thanksgiving There probably will not be any polished silver, napkin rings or acorn craft centerpieces, but Martha Stewart #39;s Thanksgiving is sure to be unique this year.


Pornographer sues Google A California-based pornographer says it has sued Google, alleging that its leading internet search engines are illegally allowing people to view hijacked versions of its nude photos and to access its website with stolen passwords.


Yorke staying at Birmingham City Football Club Doubts had arisen over Yorkes future at St Andrews following the racial abuse he suffered at the hands of two Blackburn Rovers fans at Ewood Park over the weekend.


Reds give Ferguson anniversary present Manchester United gave Alex Ferguson a 1,000th game anniversary present by reaching the last 16 of the Champions League yesterday, while four-time winners Bayern Munich romped into the second round with a 5-1 beating of Maccabi Tel Aviv.


Lethargy helps  #39;Cats #39; historic win, 91-89 The Pistons ended up on the wrong side of history Tuesday night at the Charlotte Coliseum. They became the first defending NBA champion to lose to an expansion team since


Middle East ; Iran Rules Out Complete Nuclear Dismantling  quot;Americans also have no right to raise something like this, quot; he said, adding that Iran had never used its nuclear power program for weapons production.


Four saved from death #39;s jaws  by a pod of dolphins FOUR swimmers confronted by a great white shark off the coast of New Zealand were saved by dolphins that came to their rescue. The three-metre (10ft) shark came


Hearing Set After Microsoft Rivals Quit  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The judge considering Microsoft  Corp.'s appeal against European Union sanctions has convened a  closed meeting for Thursday after two more major opponents of  the U.S. software giant withdrew from the case, a court  spokesman said on Wednesday.


British Airport Owner TBI OKs Takeover British airport operator TBI PLC said Wednesday it has agreed to a takeover by Spanish transport and communications company Abertis and Spain #39;s national airport authority Aena.


Toy makers, interest groups disagree on safety WASHINGTON -- In an exercise that #39;s become as much a Thanksgiving tradition as turkey and football, the federal government and private interest groups yesterday released lists of dangerous toys and graphic video games they say should be avoided by young


Canada Mulls Trade Sanctions Against US Canada said on Tuesday it was considering whether to slap trade sanctions on a wide range of US imports to retaliate for Washington #39;s refusal to abandon a controversial anti-dumping law.


Gold Fields acceptances up  Harmony The number of acceptances received from world number four gold miner Gold Fields #39; shareholders is increasing, marketing director for world number four gold miner Harmony Ferdi Dippenaar said on Wednesday.


\$28,000 for mother of all sandwiches A grilled-cheese sandwich said to bear the image of the Virgin Mary has been sold for \$28,000 in an eBay auction, according to the online casino that bought it from a woman in Hollywood, Fla.


Intel aims for Microsoft #39;s Linux jugular CHIP GIANT Intel is making a concerted attempt to push the Linux OS in China and India, countries with citizens numbering over two billion.


The VHS is Dead Ronnie Coote writes  quot;The UK #39;s largest retailer of electronics is phasing out VHS VCRs. Sales of DVD players have outstripped VCRs by 40-to-1 recently.


Pakistani and Indian prime ministers hold rare talks in New Delhi Amid repeated cautions that no breakthrough was expected, the prime ministers of India and Pakistan came together Wednesday for a rare meeting, despite tough positions stated


Bhutto wants to return to Pakistan Benazir Bhutto has demanded the right to return to Pakistan, a day after her husband #39;s release on bail after eight years in jail, the BBC reported Tuesday.


Hearing Set After Microsoft Rivals Quit (Reuters) Reuters - The judge considering Microsoft\Corp.'s appeal against European Union sanctions has convened a\closed meeting for Thursday after two more major opponents of\the U.S. software giant withdrew from the case, a court\spokesman said on Wednesday.


Parents need to understand video games: expert A US group released its annual warning about antisocial video games, but a University of Toronto professor says he #39;s only really worried about a very narrow category of such interactive entertainment.


Naming Mount St. Helens New Dome Confusing (AP) AP - A dome by any other name would erupt so strong. But, alas, what's in a name might have tormented Shakespeare as it has even the most savvy of scientists.


Tiny carbon cylinders set record Researchers at Oxford and Nottingham universities create the smallest "test tubes" known to science.


S.Africa Says Thatcher Must Answer Equatorial Guinea (Reuters) Reuters - Mark Thatcher must\submit to questioning in a South African court this week over\charges he was involved in a foiled coup plot in oil-rich\Equatorial Guinea, the Cape High Court ruled Wednesday.


India, Pakistan differ over gas pipeline from Iran (Reuters) Reuters - India said on Wednesday that a proposed  #36;4-billion gas pipeline from Iran via Pakistan could be built only if overall economic ties with Islamabad improved, but Pakistan said the project itself could boost relations.


Tiny carbon cylinders set record Researchers at Oxford and Nottingham universities make it into the record books by creating the smallest "test tubes" known to science.


How lizards walk on water The mystery of how a type of lizard "walks" on water may have been solved, a group of US scientists believe.


'Sympathy' for England over tour World cricket boss Ehsan Mani hints England could pull out of Zimbabwe without penalty.


FDA Approves a Multiple Sclerosis Drug The Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved a drug for multiple sclerosis that has shown early evidence of being more effective than existing drugs.


Web holiday shopping up 25 in 2004 U.S. online retailers rang up holiday sales of \$23.2B between Nov. 1 and Dec. 26, up 25 from the same period in 2003, according to a survey released today by Goldman Sachs, Harris Interactive and Nielsen/NetRatings.


Red Cross tsunami victims' Web site overwhelmed A Red Cross Web site designed to help relatives locate survivors of last week's Indian Ocean tsunami partially crashed last week after being overwhelmed by traffic in its first 24 hours, a spokesman said.


Wenger will not yield Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has vowed to fight his FA misconduct charge as he defended his right to criticise Ruud van Nistelrooy in public.


Liverpool #39;s Luis Garcia out for up to a month Liverpool #39;s Spanish midfielder Luis Garcia will be out of action for up to a month after limping off with a hamstring injury after just two minutes of their 1-0 Champions League defeat in Monaco on Tuesday.


FERGIE READY TO RING CHANGES Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will rest some of his star players for the final Champions League group game against Fenerbache on December 8. With qualification to the last 16 assured after Tuesday


Iowa upends No. 15 Texas Pierre Pierce hit a 25-foot jumper with 44 seconds left to give Iowa the lead for good, and the Hawkeyes beat No. 15 Texas, 82-80, last night in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational.


RuSPORT teleconference transcript Q: You mentioned several times about chemistry being so important. Whenever you get a group of demanding people together, it is extremely important.


Kabul kidnappers release three UN workers The Afghan government denied making a deal with the kidnappers who released three UN hostages after four weeks in captivity yesterday.


Indonesian police arrest Australian embassy bombers Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesian National Police Chief General Da #39;i Bachtiar said on Tuesday that the police had captured the alleged perpetrators of the bomb blast in front of the Australian embassy in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Sept.


Malki: Abu Mazen should oversee transition If Marwan Barghouti really wants to be chairman of the Palestinian Authority, he should withhold his candidature at this time and allow Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) to take responsibility for the transition into the post-Arafat era.


US shutters Mumbai offices The United States closed diplomatic offices in the Indian commercial hub of Mumbai Tuesday. Its action was based on intelligence that terrorists may be planning attacks on US interests in New Delhi


Guardian panel Nobody is quaking The Guardian panel, broadly representative of people across Britain, was established in the run-up to the last general election. In 2001 most of the respondents, after some reservations, backed Labour.


Chinese crash black boxes found The flight recorders from a plane that crashed in northern China at the weekend, killing 55 people, have been found after a three-day search.


County plant to produce MS drug Biogen Idec and Irish drugmaker Elan Corp. won government approval yesterday to sell a new multiple sclerosis drug, Tysabri. The drug, which some analysts predict will bring in \$2 billion


What happened to the Chiefs? In August in River Falls, Wis., it was raining. A feeling of unease came over Dick Vermeil. Coaches are sensitive to what others would regard as of little importance, none more so perhaps than the emotional Vermeil.


UN: N.Korea Sends Positive Message on Atomic Talks The South Korean Unification Ministry said Nov. 24, 2004, that North Korea gave a visiting UN official a  #39;very positive message #39; about resuming stalled six-way talks on its nuclear programs.


Dollar keeps falling against euro The dollar hits yet another record low against the euro on Wednesday amid speculation Russia may increase reserves of the single currency.


Hearing Set After Microsoft Rivals Quit The judge considering Microsoft Corp. #39;s appeal against European Union sanctions has convened a closed meeting for Thursday after two more major opponents of the US software giant withdrew from the case, a court spokesman said on


Skulls: is it a malware for Symbian based devices or not? Symbian downplayed current reports of a new malware developed specifically for smartphone devices based on Series 60, a platform developed by Nokia and based on the Symbian OS.


PARCELLS LOOKS FOR BETTER Bill Parcells had a bad first Thanksgiving Day experience as coach of the Dallas Cowboys but is hoping for a better one this year when the Chicago Bears visit Texas Stadium.


Shaun Rogers Emerges As One of NFL's Best (AP) AP - Shaun Rogers is in the backfield as often as some running backs. Whether teams dare to block Detroit's star defensive tackle with one player or follow the trend of double-teaming him, he often rips through offensive lines with a rare combination of size, speed, strength and nimble footwork.


Russian Scientist Jailed for Spying for China (Reuters) Reuters - A Russian scientist convicted of spying\for China was sentenced to 14 years in a high security jail\Wednesday, Russian news agencies reported.


Australia welcomes arrest of embassy bomb suspects The Australian Government has welcomed the arrests of four key suspects in the bombing of Australia #39;s embassy in Jakarta in September.


S.Africa Says Thatcher Must Answer Equatorial Guinea Mark Thatcher must submit to questioning in a South African court this week over charges he was involved in a foiled coup plot in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, the Cape High Court ruled Wednesday.


Court Sentences Russian Scientist Danilov to 14 Years for <b>...</b> A court in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Siberia, on Wednesday sentenced Russian physicist Valentin Danilov to 14 years in prison for spying for China.


Spurrier Takes Over at South Carolina (AP) AP - Steve Spurrier might give his brash, visor-throwing style an overhaul now that he has returned to college football.


Ukraine Opposition Marches on President's Office  KIEV (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Ukrainian opposition  supporters marched on the president's office on Tuesday seeking  to install their leader in office, defying poll results they  said had been rigged by a pro-Moscow government.


Chavez Visit to Spain Sparks Coup Controversy  MADRID (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's  fence-mending visit to Spain sparked political uproar on  Tuesday when Madrid for the first time backed his allegations  that the previous government supported a coup against him.


Straw begins Middle East mission UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrives in Israel for two days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.


Conference Urges Iraq To Involve Opposition Representatives of two dozen nations and international organizations attending a conference on the future of Iraq pressed the country's interim government Tuesday to work harder to encourage opposition forces to participate in elections scheduled for January.


Medics Testify to Fallujah's Horrors  FALLUJAH, Iraq -- The first time Jose Ramirez saw a human body ripped apart by a rocket, it took hours for him to regain his composure. Nothing in his training as a Navy medical corpsman had prepared him for the sight of the dead Marine brought in September to the military field hospital outside Fallujah.


Report: HIV Spreading Faster Among Women The epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus  infection is growing more rapidly in women \than in men in almost every part of the world, according to a new report.


Lost Generation Coddles Its Young As a growing economy produces new wealth and a spreading middle class in China, the epochal Cultural Revolution has receded to the distant past in just one generation.


Pennsylvania Turnpike workers go on strike Toll collectors and other Pennsylvania Turnpike workers went on strike Wednesday, union officials said. The strike began in the pre-dawn hours of the day before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel days of the year.


United Marks Ferguson Milestone With Champions League Success Alex Ferguson said Manchester United #39;s best form is returning after the team marked his 1,000th game as manager by reaching the single-elimination stages of soccer #39;s Champions League for the eighth straight year.


ON FOOTBALL Parcells had a plan, and he stuck with it Watching Parcells use the media this week provided another example of why he #39;s one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. Parcells has used his regular news conferences to send messages to


Freed hostages meet Karzai and smiled for photographers after discussing their captivity with him at his presidential palace in Kabul. Reporters were not allowed to ask questions, but Nayan said he was well and grateful for the support he received from home.


Thatcher: I feel like a corpse in a river Sir Mark Thatcher today told how his life had been  quot;destroyed quot; by charges that he helped finance a failed African coup. The son of former prime minister


Palmer: Americans Need to Widen Horizons  SYDNEY (Reuters) - Arnold Palmer has taken a swing at  America's top players, criticizing their increasing reluctance  to travel abroad to play in tournaments.


Mass. home sales fall 5.3 Offering evidence of a possible shift in the housing market, the Massachusetts Association of Realtors reported yesterday that sales of single-family homes fell for the third straight month in October and that the number of homes and condos on the market is up 7.6 percent from a year ago.


Amid suburban glut, project rises It may not look monumental. But the fact that it's happening is significant.


Skinner gets shareholders #39; vote of confidence Investors gave new McDonald #39;s Corp. Chief Executive Jim Skinner a vote of confidence Tuesday, driving the company #39;s shares up 72 cents to \$30.10, a 2.45 percent gain, the day after Charlie Bell resigned the top job.


Elan gets FDA approval for Tysabri MS treatment LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Elan (UK:ELA) (ELN) and partner Biogen (BIIB) said the FDA has approved new drug Tysabri to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.


Illinois group warns parents of potentially dangerous toys As the holiday season gears up, consumer advocates are again warning parents to do their homework and be vigilant about keeping dangerous toys out of the hands -- and mouths -- of kids.


US braces for trade backlash WASHINGTON - The World Trade Organization is set to give the go-ahead today for sweeping retaliation against the United States from Canada, Europe and others for its continuing refusal to dismantle illegal trading laws.


#39;Gold Fields acceptances up #39; increasing, marketing director for world number four gold miner Harmony (HAR) Ferdi Dippenaar said on Wednesday. However, Dippenaar wouldn #39;t disclosure the exact level of acceptances received from Gold Fields #39; shareholders.


Cingular To Cut 10 Percent of Workforce ATLANTA - With the merger of AT amp;T Wireless complete, Cingular is making plans to cut its 68,000-person workforce by 10 percent, the companys CEO told The Associated Press on Tuesday.


Airgo Says Linksys to Use Chips for Wireless Gear  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Airgo Networks said on Monday the  Linksys unit of Cisco System Inc. will use its chips in  equipment for high-speed wireless networking, bolstering  support for the start-up chip maker's technology.


Copycat killer of JFK to net \$100,000 A new downloadable computer game is offering online gamers a jackpot of \$100,000 for the most accurate interactive copycat killing of President John F. Kennedy.


First malicious virus invades cellphones A virus has struck Nokia smartphone users. Once downloaded, the virus, called Skulls, replaces all phone desktop icons with images of a skull.


NASA #39;s O #39;Keefe to meet Chinese space agency chief The head of the Chinese space agency, Laiyan Sun, will meet for the first time with NASA Administrator Sean O #39;Keefe Dec. 2 in Washington for an  quot;informal quot; session.


AMD launches Sempron for low power notebooks AMD has released the Mobile AMD Sempron processor 3000  #39;for Thin and Light Notebooks #39;. The low-power processor is aimed at entry-level notebooks, as opposed to the 3000 Mobile AMD Sempron Processor for Full-Size Notebooks.


Playing the Touching Game Think fast -- Mario #39;s plummeting to Earth, and there #39;s nothing for the poor little guy to hang onto. So you take your stylus and draw him a trampoline.


Two fans charged for racial taunt of Yorke Two men were charged with public disorder Tuesday for for alleged racially taunting Birmingham City striker Dwight Yorke, police said.


ROUND-UP United through put Liverpool falter Roy Keanes Manchester United booked their place in the knock-out stages of the Uefa Champions League with a victory at home to French champions Olympique Lyonnais on Tuesday, but Liverpool were defeated by their own French nemeses, last seasons


Lucas sparks Oklahoma State John Lucas III scored 22 points, Joey Graham added 16 and No. 6 Oklahoma State pulled away in the second half to beat Arkansas-Little Rock 90-65 Tuesday night.


Carmelo Up Close com. DENVER (News 4) Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony says he has a tactic when he finds himself in frustrating situations with opposing fans.


Powell hails tsunami relief bid US Secretary of State Colin Powell pledges America's full support for the tsunami aid effort, as he visits Thailand.


Professor Spurrier back in college; get ready to take notes The NFL made him look inferior. His old school wanted him to stand in line and take a number. The more things change, the more Steve Spurrier remains the same.


Dolphins save swimmers from shark attack A school of Dolphins has saved a group of swimmers from a great white shark attack. The amazing rescue happened when lifeguard Rob Howes took his daughter and her friends for a swim off the northern New Zealand coast.


Ex-Israeli army chief drowns Former Israeli army chief of staff Rafael Eitan has died after drowning at Ashdod Port, south of Tel Aviv. He was 75. Eitan reportedly fell from a breakwater structure into


DRC: UN sex abuse probe teams arrive in the Congo NAIROBI, 24 Nov 2004 (IRIN) - The UN has sent two teams to investigate 150 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by civilian and military personnel serving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a senior UN official in New York City told


Russia jails scientist for spying A Russian physicist convicted of spying for China has been jailed for 14 years by a court in Siberia. Valentin Danilov was cleared in 2003 of passing space secrets to China, but the result was later overturned.


World Bank warns Sri Lanka to watch taxes, peace bid (AFP) AFP - The World Bank has welcomed Sri Lanka's move to boost tax revenues and pump money into rural areas, but warned a return to war with separatist Tamil rebels could be disastrous for economic stability.


Airport back in Ivory Coast hands French troops in Ivory Coast pull back from some of their positions at the main airport in the largest city, Abidjan.


Housing report slams US and Sudan The US, Russia and Sudan are accused of being the biggest violators of housing rights.


China stresses N Korea 'stable' \A senior Chinese official bolsters ally North Korea, amid contradictory reports of possible changes.


How good is UK.gov at its own security agenda? Comment Joined-up thinker wanted


Grenade blast in Kashmir wounds six (Reuters) Reuters - Separatist militants threw a grenade at a paramilitary picket in Indian Kashmir on Wednesday, wounding six civilians, a police officer said.


Pacers Give Fans Something to Cheer About (AP) AP - The Indiana crowd jumped to its feet with a jubilant roar when Jamaal Tinsley scored off a steal by Fred Jones in the third quarter. After a long weekend of enduring the embarrassing fallout from their brawl in Detroit, the Pacers used a makeshift lineup and gave their fans plenty to cheer about.


More injury woe for Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is without Luis Garcia for up to a month as his injury list lengthened last night. Garcia suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of the 1-0 Champions League defeat at Monaco and will be sidelined until around Christmas time.


Golovin gives Fed Cup holders France 1-0 lead Tatiana Golovin, making her Fed Cup singles debut, beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-3 to give under-strength champions France an early 1-0 lead in their semi-final against Spain on Wednesday.


Parcells hints Henson has good chance of opening at QB Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells shied away from serious talk about rookie Drew Henson playing quarterback in Thursday #39;s game in a conference call with Chicago media Tuesday, but admitted to hometown writers there is a  quot;good chance #39; #39; he will make his


Bradley slips past Loyola; Iowa upends No. 15 Texas Marcellus Sommerville scored 27 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and stole the ball three times Tuesday night to spark Bradley #39;s 64-62 victory over Loyola in Peoria.


Spurrier back in the game Steve Spurrier might give his brash, visor-throwing style an overhaul now that he has returned to college football. Spurrier took over yesterday at South


Red Sox putting fans #39; cash into Fenway revamp A day after rolling out another hike to baseball #39;s priciest tickets, Red Sox brass scrambled to show the Nation #39;s faithful that the extra cash will be put to good use.


Auburn Defeats Virginia Tech in Sugar Bowl  NEW ORLEANS (Sports Network) - Jason Campbell passed for  195 yards and a touchdown, Auburn's defense solidified its  status as one of the nation's toughest, and the third-ranked  Tigers completed the first perfect season in school history  with a 16-13 victory over No. 9 Virginia Tech in the Sugar  Bowl.


Indonesia Arrests Four Suspects in Embassy Blast Indonesian police have arrested four suspects, among them a bomb-maker, over a blast outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta that killed 10 people in September, police chief Da #39;i Bachtiar said Wednesday.


International Iraq conference, window-dressing Many words, little action from international conference which was meant to help solve bloody violence in Iraq. By Marc Burleigh - SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt.


Palestinian economy  #39;in decline #39; Despite a short-lived increase in Palestinian jobs in 2003, the economy is performing well below its potential, said a World Bank report.


No. 7 Stanford Beat Eastern Washington (AP) AP - Candice Wiggins scored 18 points and No. 7 Stanford defeated Eastern Washington 91-50 Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Great Alaska Shootout.


Elan Corp. Shares Jump on US Drug OK Shares in Elan, Ireland #39;s major pharmaceutical company, jumped nearly 3 percent Wednesday after American authorities approved a new drug engineered to help sufferers of multiple sclerosis.


New CEO predicted to follow same path McDonalds Corp. s choice of an insider to replace ailing Chief Executive Officer Charlie Bell should keep the company on the path that has led


Update 1: Time Warner expected to pay SEC \$750 million to settle <b>...</b> Time Warner is nearing settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department on the accounting scandal in AOL.


Genting gets lift from plan to build casinos in Britain KUALA LUMPUR Shares of Genting, Asia #39;s biggest publicly traded casino group, rose Wednesday on expectations that the company #39;s plan to develop Las Vegas-style casinos in Britain with Stanley Leisure would bolster profit.


WMC finds more ore in Outback SINGAPORE Ever since WMC Resources rejected Xstrata #39;s \$5.8 billion takeover offer last month, saying it was insufficient, WMC #39;s chief executive, Andrew Michelmore, has been saying that there was more to his company than meets the eye.


Durable Goods Orders Slip Unexpectedly Orders for long-lasting US-made goods unexpectedly slipped 0.4 percent last month as demand for computers, cars and civilian aircraft slumped, a government report showed on Wednesday.


Jobless Claims Down in Latest Week The ranks of Americans filing initial claims for jobless pay shrank by more than expected last week to 323,000, government data showed on Wednesday, while continued claims fell to a 3-1/2 year low in more good news for the US labor


Nortel Says Exchanges Don #39;t Take Delisting Action (Update1) Nortel Networks Corp. said the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange won #39;t commence suspension or delisting actions because of the company #39;s delay in filing certain financial reports.


Regulators study gift-giving firms NASD, which is the regulatory arm of the Nasdaq stock market, and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating about two dozen firms, including brokerage firms and mutual fund companies, to determine whether brokers handed out expensive gifts


Book ranks Fairbanks high in crime Fairbanks has been labeled the fourth most dangerous metropolitan area in the nation by the publisher of a reference book,  quot;City Crime Rankings.


Urgent meeting in Microsoft case A new round has opened in the European Commission anti-trust battle against Microsoft as the judge hearing its appeal called for a closed meeting.


41-cent stamp could be on way The US Postal Service is expected to start seeking approval for a double-digit percentage increase in postage rates early next year.


Gold Fields loses US bid judgment Gold Fields says it is confident it will fend off a hostile takeover from rival gold producer Harmony despite losing a key legal challenge.


GE to Buy Ionics for  #36;1.1 Billion (Reuters) Reuters - General Electric Co.  on Wednesday\said it would buy Ionics Inc.  for about  #36;1.1 billion to\build out its water treatment and services business.


Jobless Claims Down in Latest Week (Reuters) Reuters - The ranks of Americans filing\initial claims for jobless pay shrank by more than expected\last week to 323,000, government data showed on Wednesday,\while continued claims fell to a 3-1/2 year low in more good\news for the U.S. labor market.


Durable Goods Orders Slip Unexpectedly (Reuters) Reuters - Orders for long-lasting U.S.-made\goods unexpectedly slipped 0.4 percent last month as demand for\computers, cars and civilian aircraft slumped, a government\report showed on Wednesday.


Before the Bell: Connetics Falls (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Connetics Corp. \fell 15.5 percent before the opening bell on Wednesday after\the drugmaker said the U.S. health officials concluded that its\drug for treatment of seborrheic dermatitis was not effective.


Jobless Claims Fall to Three-Month Low (AP) AP - America's factories saw orders for big-ticket goods drop in October after brisk activity in the previous month, highlighting the sometimes bumpy recovery experienced by the nation's manufacturers.


Virgin Mary toastie sells for 15,000 A grilled cheese sandwich bearing the image of the Virgin Mary has been sold for nearly 15,000 on eBay. Florida jewellery designer Diana Duyser auctioned off the ten-year-old toastie saying it was time to share her  quot;miracle quot; with the world.


Citrix buys Net6 Server-based computing firm Citrix yesterday announced a deal to acquire SSL VPN vendor Net6 for approximately \$50m cash. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.


Torvalds denounces EU patent law Three prominent open-source software developers have urged the EU to reject a law that would codify the practice of granting software patents in Europe.


AMD #39;s 2005 mobile push off to early start Gericom and Packard Bell NEC plan to use the Mobile Sempron 3000 chip in new notebooks before the end of the year, but AMD #39;s new processor looks unlikely to overturn Intel #39;s solid advantage in the notebook market.


Scientists flood the Grand Canyon to restore sandbanks and save <b>...</b> A man-made flood is roaring through the Grand Canyon in a bold experiment to restore the sandbanks of the Colorado river and to save fish and plants that have been disappearing over the past 40 years.


New browser wins over net surfers The proportion of surfers using Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer (IE) has dropped to below 90, say web analysts. Net traffic monitor, OneStat.


BT #39;s New Music Service Hopes To Be Different Blueprint, in conjunction with BT, plan to launch a new service for hosting, managing and distributing digital music and related content online, which could substantially accelerate the growth of the market to the benefit of artists, record companies


Automated phishing on the rise, experts say Fraudsters are achieving higher levels of automation for phishing scams, using software tools and botnets to increase the reach of their work, according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group.


Be your own telecom, wireless firm suggests A local startup is selling technology to enable the average person to set up and manage their own WiFi wireless network. BeeTelecom Inc.


NBA Needs to Look in Mirror, Not Just at Artest Ron Artest has some time off now to assess where his life and his career are going. He can get some help. He is only 25 and it #39;s not as if he can #39;t revive his career next season.


Real rue missed opportunity against Leverkusen Real Madrid were in rueful mood after missing out on securing a place in the last 16 of the Champions League after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bayer Leverkusen at the Bernabeu.


Bayern back in confident mood after Maccabi win Whatever problems Bayern Munich face in their quest for a European and domestic treble this season, a lack of self-belief is unlikely to figure among them.


Roundup: Jos Anigo resigns as Marseille coach Anigo, 43, had taken over in January from Alain Perrin. He will be replaced by another former Marseille coach, Albert Emon, who was in charge of the reserve team.


Dechy, Golovin put France up 2-0 on Spain after singles MOSCOW -- Nathalie Dechy and Tatiana Golovin gave France a comfortable 2-0 lead in its Fed Cup semifinal against Spain after winning their opening singles Wednesday.


Buono needs bypass According to a source close to the family, the 54-year-old CFL coaching legend, who spent 16 seasons in the Calgary Stampeders organization, has known for the past six weeks but kept the shocking news a closely guarded secret.


Indian PM accepts invitation to visit Pakistan Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accepted an invitation Wednesday to visit Pakistan from his Pakistani counterpart Shaukat Aziz.


New Coalition Offensive Leads to Arrest of Dozens of Insurgents in <b>...</b> American, British and Iraqi troops are continuing their effort to root out insurgents south of Baghdad, in an operation aimed at clearing the way for elections to be held in January.


Straw welcomes Israeli poll pledge The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, today welcomed Israel #39;s announcement that it would allow international observers to monitor forthcoming Palestinian presidential elections.


US consulate reopens in Mumbai after terror threat The United States reopened its consulate in Mumbai on Wednesday after closing it the previous day saying that it had information about a terrorist threat.


Hundreds Pay Last Respects to Rafael Eitan (IsraelNN.com) After 11:00am, the coffin of former IDF Chief of Staff and former Minister of Agriculture Rafael (Raful) Eitan arrived at his home community of Tel Adashim.


Asia-Pacific Upbeat on Economic Outlook A global survey of consumer confidence released Wednesday shows that European consumers are generally pessimistic about the economic outlook for the next 12 months, people in the Asia-Pacific are optimistic and Americans lie somewhere in between.


Durable Goods Orders Slip Unexpectedly  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting U.S.-made  goods unexpectedly slipped 0.4 percent last month as demand for  computers, cars and civilian aircraft slumped, a government  report showed on Wednesday.


Stock Futures Steady Before Flow of Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock futures rose  on Wednesday,  pointing to a higher market open, before a slew of U.S.  economic data, as oil prices dipped lower ahead of weekly  inventory figures.


Mortgage Applications Fell Last Week -MBA  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Applications for home mortgages in the  U.S. fell last week even as mortgage rates edged down, an  industry group said on Wednesday.


HEADLINE STOCKS: Stocks to Watch, Nov. 24  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks to watch on Wednesday  include H R Block Inc., Michaels Stores Inc., Tech Data Corp.,  and Microsoft Corp.


Hearing Set After Microsoft Rivals Quit  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The judge considering Microsoft  Corp.'s appeal against European Union sanctions has called a  closed meeting for Thursday to decide what action to take after  two more major opponents of the U.S. software giant withdrew  from the case.


Merck Maintains Quarterly Dividend  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merck   Co. Inc. MRK.N has declared  its regular quarterly dividend, maintaining its status as one  of the richest dividend payors among blue-chip stocks, even  following the withdrawal of its arthritis drug Vioxx and  subsequent loss of nearly \$27 billion in market value.


Durable Goods Orders Fall in October America's factories saw orders for big-ticket goods drop in October after brisk activity in the previous month, highlighting the sometimes bumpy recovery experienced by the nation's manufacturers.


Rumsfeld: Druyun Had Little Supervision Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld blamed an Air Force procurement scandal on high turnover in top management positions, which he said reduced the amount of "adult supervision" of major weapons contracts over the past decade.


Gold Fields loses US bid judgment Gold Fields loses a key legal decision in its fight against Harmony's \$8.2bn hostile takeover bid but remains confident that its shareholders will reject the bid.


Economy 'stronger than forecast' The UK economy probably grew at a  faster than predicted pace in the third quarter, putting pressure on the Bank of England to raise rates again.


Hi-tech tools fuel phishing boom Reports suggest phishing gangs are turning to automatic tools to mount more attacks than ever.


Election Protests Continue in Ukraine Tens of thousands of supporters of opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko demonstrated in Ukraine's capital for a third day Wednesday, and one of his allies said the only thing to negotiate with government authorities is the transfer of power.


Iran Making New Uranium Demands Iran is demanding that it be allowed to make an exception in its commitment to freeze all uranium enrichment activities so it can operate about about two dozen centrifuges, diplomats said Wednesday.


Airgo Says Linksys to Use Chips for Wireless Gear (Reuters) Reuters - Airgo Networks said on Monday the\Linksys unit of Cisco System Inc. will use its chips in\equipment for high-speed wireless networking, bolstering\support for the start-up chip maker's technology.


UPDATE 1 Marseille coach Anigo quits, replaced by Emon Olympique Marseille coach Jose Anigo resigned on Tuesday because of poor results. Anigo, who took over in January from Alain Perrin, will be replaced for


Iran  quot;will never end quot; nuclear programme Iran #39;s foreign minister says that Tehran will never fully dismantle its nuclear capabilities, also voicing the country #39;s concerns about the threat of a pre-emptive strike by Washington.


Embassy bomb chief escaped with bribe #39; INDONESIAN police have arrested another four men over the September carbombing of the Australian Embassy amid suggestions the bomb mastermind - and most wanted -r


Sudanese Cease-Fire Breaks After New Clashes Government helicopters and warplanes bombed the town of Tawila in North Darfur on Tuesday after rebel fighters attacked police stations there Monday, breaking a renewed


Former Pakistani PM wants to end exile Pakistan #39;s former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, has demanded the right to return from exile, one day after her husband was freed on bail after eight years in prison.


Safety advocates warn of potentially fatal toys The yo-yo water ball -- a liquid-filled ball attached to a stretchy elastic cord -- looks like it could provide a lot of entertainment for children.


Air France KLM Sees Growth After Strong Quarter Air France KLM posted stronger than expected second-quarter operating profits on Wednesday and maintained its sights on full-year growth despite the strain on its fuel bill from escalating oil prices.


Video games turn sharply to violence This season #39;s blockbuster video games give players the opportunity to hijack cars, mow down the walking undead with heavy artillery, shoot police officers and ogle topless women.


Torvalds comes out against EU patent directive In the statement, issued Tuesday, the three developers argued that the legislation, called the software patent directive, would be harmful to the European economy.


BT And Blueprint Jointly Develop Innovative Music Distribution <b>...</b> In yet another move in the legitimate digital music market, BT and Blueprint have jointly developed a new service based on Blueprints Open Royalty Gateway (ORG) and Song Centre software that allows copyright holders to take more control of their


India could have forced result: Ganguly Captain Sourav Ganguly today said India would have forced a result in the first cricket Test against South Africa on a lifeless track had they won the toss and batted first.


Thoughts on Tysabri #39;s Approval For those that missed it last night, Biogen Idec (BIIB:Nasdaq - news - research) and Elan Pharmaceuticals (ELN:NYSE ADR - news - research) received FDA approval for their new multiple sclerosis drug, now called Tysabri (formerly known as Antegren.


10 of jobs on the block at Cingular; office jobs targeted Cingular Wireless will cut close to 10 of its 68,000 jobs over the next 12 to 18 months as it combines operations with the recently acquired AT amp;T Wireless, the chief executive of the nation #39;s largest cell phone company said Tuesday in an


Wall Street stocks end mixed amid another rise in oil prices Wall Street stocks were mixed Tuesday as crude oil prices again topped 50 dollars per barrel, while brokerage downgrade hurt technology stocks.


Rebels keep up attacks in central and north Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 20 - Violence surged through central and northern Iraq on Saturday as a tenacious insurgency led by Sunni Arabs kept up relentless assaults in several major cities, including Baghdad, Ramadi


UN Congo staff investigated over abuse THE UN is investigating about 150 allegations of sexual abuse by UN civilian staff and soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, some of it recorded on videotape, a senior UN official confirmed yesterday.


China #39;s space chief coming to US Another possible step toward cooperation in space between the United States and China is now on the calendar. The head of the Chinese National Space Agency will travel to Washington


Hamburg Gets New NFL Europe Franchise (AP) AP - The Hamburg Sea Devils joined NFL Europe on Wednesday, meaning five of the league's six teams are in Germany.


Authorities intend to file charges in NBA brawl (AFP) AFP - Prosecutors expect to file charges against Indiana Pacers players and Detroit Pistons supporters in the wake of a brawl last Friday that led to record suspensions and at least nine people injured.


Man Accused of Scamming NFL Players (AP) AP - A 29-year-old Maryland man was charged with theft after calling NFL players Donovan McNabb, Darrell Green and Warren Sapp and convincing them to wire him money.


Rwanda Threatens to Attack Rebels in Congo -UN (Reuters) Reuters - Rwanda has threatened to attack a\Rwandan rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of\Congo, the United Nations mission in Congo said on Wednesday.


Easy Victory for Tar Heels in Semifinals Rashad McCants scored 27 points and North Carolina rode a sharp first half to a 94-81 victory over Tennessee last night in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii.


Straw arrives in Middle East Foreign secretary Jack Straw is today beginning two days of talks in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Mr Straw will meet Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon before travelling on to the West Bank for


CRIME FIGHT TOPS UK AGENDA The British government will introduce new laws to fight crime, terror and drugs in the run up to the next general election. The legislative programme outlined in the Queen #39;s speech includes plans to introduce


Women Voters Declines San Diego Appeal (AP) AP - The League of Women Voters of San Diego said Tuesday that it will not appeal a judge's ruling in the city's mayoral election, dealing another setback to Councilwoman Donna Frye's write-in bid.


Boxing Dispute Clouds Copyright Bill (AP) AP - Congress will have a narrow opportunity when it returns to pass legislation making it a crime to use video cameras to record films in movie theaters, but the bill could be floored by a fight over a federal boxing commission.


NATO Chief to Open Arab Relations Drive in Algeria  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The head of NATO will make an  unprecedented visit to Algeria on Thursday, the opening move in  a drive to beef up cooperation with the Arab world on  counter-terrorism, defense reform and military training.


Pakistan's PM Says Peace with India Hinges on Kashmir  NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz  said on Wednesday he remained hopeful that peace could be  achieved with India, but progress on the bitter dispute over  Kashmir represented the key to better ties.


Iran Wants to Amend Nuke Freeze, EU Says No  VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has requested that it be permitted  to continue conducting "research and development" with  centrifuges, machines that can be used to develop material for  nuclear weapons, diplomats said on Wednesday.


Dutch Shocked by Public Death Wish from Muslim  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch leaders on Wednesday condemned  comments by a Muslim teacher who said he hoped for the death of  a popular politician, further stoking religious tension  prompted by the murder of a filmmaker critical of Islam.


UN ex-hostages' joy at release Three UN workers released after being held hostage in Afghanistan speak of their joy at being freed.


Sales of existing homes drop WASHINGTON - Sales of existing homes edged down a less-than-expected 0.1 percent in October as low mortgage rates continued to support a record year, a trade association report showed Tuesday.


Kenya author returns to testify Ngugi wa Thiong'o, goes back to Kenya to give evidence against four men accused of attacking him and his wife.