Van Nistelrooy the four-goal hero The Manchester United boss said this week that if the Dutch hitman had four chances he would score with three of them. Well van Nistelrooy did have four chances against Sparta Prague in the Champions League last night .


Shaq slimmer  amp; still big risk We know by now there are three Shaquille O #39;Neals, only one of them formidable. There is the unguardable Attack Shaq, the original.


F1 circuit to be extended to Mother City South Africa will be rejoining the Formula One Grand Prix circuit, SABC radio news reported on Wednesday. Formula One boss Bernie Eccleston, throwing his weight behind a South African bid to join the prestige


He #39;s at home with history This was the afternoon before Game 4 between the Yankees and the Red Sox, a beautiful October afternoon on Newbury St. in Boston, one of the great walking streets anywhere.


SPORTS ROUNDUP: Hockey player, 31, dies Former Nashville Predators center Sergei Zholtok died Wednesday in his native Latvia of an apparent heart ailment, according to the Predators #39; website.


Francis has magic touch Steve Francis made an outstanding debut for Orlando Magic as they opened the new basketball season in the United States with a 93-92 victory over Milwaukee.


Kalam meets Khalifa, offers condolences Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam called on new United Arab Emirates (UAE) president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan here to offer condolences over the death of his predecessor.


Taiwan Court Won #39;t Nullify March Election Taiwan #39;s High Court ruled against nullifying the March 20 presidential election on Thursday, rejecting opposition claims that the vote was marred by fraud and a shooting that


Bashir appeals for Muslim support Alleged Southeast Asian extremist chief Abu Bakar Bashir on Thursday accused police of arresting him on orders of President Bush, and dismissed terror charges against him as  quot;laughable.


GM, Ford sales slip in Oct. GM and Ford sales fell in October as the two largest automakers cut incentives. Sales rose at Chrysler and Toyota, helped by new models.


India ; Zahira volte-face shocks rights activists India News, New Delhi,Rights activists and Muslim leaders were Thursday in shock after a key witness in the worst mass killing in the 2002 Gujarat communal violence did a dramatic volte-face, dealing a blow to efforts to get justice for victims.


Airbus sales to trounce Boeing AIRBUS is poised to thrash archrival Boeing this year in the cut-throat battle to supply the world #39;s airlines with commercial jets, the European manufacturer #39;s parent company said today.


NHL cancels All-Star Game In another sign the NHL season is slipping away, the league yesterday canceled its All-Star Game because of the lockout. No regular-season games have been played since the season was scheduled to begin Oct.


Arafat in intensive care Yasser Arafat #39;s condition has suddenly worsened and he is in intensive care undergoing a new round of tests, Palestinian officials in France said today.


India test-fires BrahMos BHUBANESHWAR: India carried out its sixth test-fire of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile on Wednesday, defence officials said.


Asian Stocks: Japan #39;s Toyota Gains on Bush #39;s Win; Airlines Drop Japanese stocks rose after US President George W. Bush won a second term, boosting optimism that the world #39;s largest economy will sustain its growth.


UK house prices  #39;fell in October #39; UK house prices fell by 1.1 in October, confirming a softening of the housing market, Halifax has said. The UK #39;s biggest mortgage lender said prices rose 18.


Intermec seeks ID tag standard Intermec Technologies Corp. has suspended a licensing policy for use of its radio frequency identification patents in order to help create one industrywide standard for the technology.


Apple blocks music sales to older iTunes com November 3, 2004, 11:26 AM PT. This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


Statistical highlights, Day 1 Rahul Dravid won the toss on Wednesday and elected to bat. This was the first toss that India won in the series. Gautam Gambhir and Dinesh Kaarthik for India and Nathan Hauritz for Australia made their Test debuts.


Tennis: Roddick and Safin ride to the rescue in Paris PARIS : Quickfire Andy Roddick and marathon man Marat Safin sprinkled a little stardust over the beleaguered Paris Masters as the American and Russian crowd-pullers raced into the third round of the 2.45-million-euro tournament.


Lockout costs Atlanta NHL All-Star game The NHL pulled the plug on the 2005 All-Star Weekend in Atlanta on Wednesday, but the decision to cancel this February #39;s event because of the lockout doesn #39;t have any effect on the 2006 All-Star festivities scheduled for Glendale Arena.


Ecclestone: South Africa will host a race  quot;There will be a South African Grand Prix hosted by Cape Town within five years, quot; Ecclestone told South African newspaper Die Burger.


Seau #39;s season over, decision on career next A torn pectoral muscle has ended Seau #39;s season, and perhaps his career. The Miami Dolphins linebacker will undergo an operation today in his hometown of San Diego, and he #39;ll decide later whether to return in 2005.


N.Korea Likely to Resume Talks After US Vote -Seoul North Korea is likely to return to six-party talks on its nuclear programs now that the US presidential election is over, Yonhap news agency quoted South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as saying on Thursday.


Time Warner #39;s net profit down 8  MUMBAI: For the third quarter ended 30 September, the media and entertainment conglomerate Time Warner recorded a net income of \$499 million.


EU fails on Lisbon strategy, says report BRUSSELS, 11/04 - The aim of the European Union (EU) to become the worlds most competitive economy by 2010 amounts to a series of  quot;missed objectives quot;, according to a high level report released on Wednesday.


Update 5: Tokyo Stocks Up on Bush Re-Election Tokyo stocks closed moderately higher Thursday as investors welcomed US President George W. Bush #39;s re-election to a second four-year term.


Ruud response delights Fergie Manchester - Ruud van Nistelrooy #39;s reward for the four-goal display that got Manchester United #39;s Champions League campaign back on track was a suggestion from his manager that the Dutchman now deserved to be bracketed alongside Europe #39;s all-time greats.


Chief rivals to Hamid Karzai concede election defeat in <b>...</b> KABUL, Afghanistan The top challengers in the Afghan presidential election are conceding defeat to Hamid Karzai (HAH #39;-mihd KAHR #39;-zeye).


North Korea may talk nukes SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea is likely to return to talks on its nuclear weapons development now that the US election is over, South Korea #39;s foreign minister said today.


Constellation acquires Mondavi (November 4, 2004) - Constellation Brands Inc. has signed a \$1 billion deal to acquire The Robert Mondavi Corp., a Napa Valley vintner that makes some of the world #39;s most widely known wines.


American Airlines plans 1,100 layoffs American Airlines, the world #39;s largest airline and a major supplier of passenger transport to Hawaii, has announced plans to furlough 450 pilots and 650 mechanics over the next few months because of soaring jet fuel costs.


Film industry to sue online pirates The Motion Picture Association of America is expected to announce a tactical shift in its campaign against movie piracy at a press conference later today.


Weather hots up under wind farms Wind farms can change the weather, according to a model of how these forests of giant turbines interact with the local atmosphere.


FOOTBALL: DEL BOY #39;S GOT IT IN THE KAHN HITMAN Alessandro del Piero scored in the final minute to fire Juventus into the second stage of the Champions League last night. Keeper Oliver Kahn fumbled and del Piero stabbed the ball home to hand the Italians a 1-0 win.


Afghan opposition accepts Karzai #39;s victory The main rivals of Afghan President Hamid Karzai swallowed their bitterness on Thursday over cases of vote fraud and accepted defeat a day after a UN-Afghan election panel declared Karzai the winner of a historic Oct. 9 election.


EDS again postpones Q3 earnings report A review of its Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) contract has forced services provider Electronic Data Systems (EDS) to again postpone its financial report for its third fiscal quarter.


Napster beams songs to Windows smart phones Napster has extended its US music download store and subscription service to Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition-based Smartphones.


A New Dance Partner Miami - Shaquille O #39;Neal looked up from his chair and locked eyes with Dwyane Wade as Wade interrupted O #39;Neal #39;s audience with the assembled news media.


In from the Cold Until this week, only a few things about the strange, long-ago disappearance of Charles Robert Jenkins were known beyond a doubt. In the bitter cold of Jan. 5, 1965, the 24-year-old US Army sergeant was leading


Housing market cools House prices fell at their sharpest rate in four years in October, the Halifax bank says, in another sign that the property boom is over and that interest rates could already have peaked.


Roman women #39; beauty skin cream secrets revealed Cosmetic face cream used by fashionable Roman women was discovered at an ongoing archaeological dig in London, in a metal container, complete with the lid and contents.


Napster claims first with downloads for mobiles Napster has claimed a first with the development of a subscription portable music service that delivers legal audio content to next-generation mobile phones.


iPod and iPod mini win Which? praise Despite Consumer Association accusations that Apple overcharges for iTunes tracks in the UK, its monthly magazine, Which?, continues to celebrate Apple #39;s iPod.


Nokia and Philips trial wireless ticketing Some German bus commuters will soon be able to use their mobile phones as electronic wallets when a new trial of the technology called Near Field Communications (NFC) gets underway.


Cisco Joins MIT Media Lab Consortium RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK - Cisco Systems, an avid supporter of MIT, has joined the MIT Media Labs Digital Life consortium as a sponsor.


Sun:  quot;It #39;s Not That We #39;re Trying to Undercut Linux quot; When last interviewed by SYS-CON Radio at LinuxWorld Conference  amp; Expo, Sun #39;s John Fanelli - senior director of marketing for Sun #39;s Network Systems Group - was adamant that the sheer number of product offerings Sun has delivered into the Linux community


Tough road awaits Lehman Anticipating the US Ryder Cup team will be the underdog - for perhaps the first time in decades - in the 2006 matches at The K Club outside Dublin, Ireland, newly named US captain Tom Lehman figures that will give his squad a psychological advantage and


NHL Cancels All-Star Game; is Season Next? In another sign the NHL season is slipping away, the league canceled its All-Star game Wednesday because of the lockout. No regular-season games have been played since the season was scheduled to begin Oct.


Francis Makes Magic in Opener Steve Francis completed a spectacular debut with a driving layup just before the final horn Monday night, leading the Magic to a 93-92 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA season opener for both teams.


Karzai Declared Winner of Afghan Election Hamid Karzais chief rivals in Afghanistans presidential election conceded defeat today after the US-backed interim leader was declared its first popularly elected leader.


US jets hit Fallujah ahead of expected offensive; residents report <b>...</b> US jets pounded parts of Fallujah on Thursday, targeting insurgents in a city where American forces were said to be gearing up for a major offensive.


Hackers re-open stolen code store An anonymous group of malicious hackers has reopened an online store that sells the stolen source code of prominent software products.


Relax with your PC, urges  #39;Joy #39; campaign The campaign, dubbed  quot;Digital Joy, quot; will cost the companies tens of millions of dollars for its duration in the US to the end of 2004.


Microsoft browser market share slips Seattle  Reuters News Service, 4 November 2004 - Microsoft #39;s share of the browser market slipped slightly in recent months but still dominated with 92.


Net Banking Fraudsters Step Up the  #39;Phishing #39; Scam Fraudsters have developed a potent new computer program that steals Internet banking customers #39; details by duping them into opening up


Sharapova struggles early but wins at Advanta championships The treadmill Maria Sharapova has been on since winning Wimbledon earlier this year has spun at blinding speed. From New York to Beijing to Korea to Zurich, the 17-year-old Russian has tried


EADS posts robust 3Q profit growth; ups full-year outlook LONDON, November 4 (newratings.com) - European aerospace giant, EADS (EAD.ETR), has raised its full-year earnings outlook for 2004, after the company #39;s third-quarter profits more than tripled this year.


Enron and Merrill Lynch staff face jail A FIRST Enron executive to face criminal charges has been found guilty along with four former Merrill Lynch bankers in a conspiracy and fraud trial that, while a sideline to the Enron scandal, leads the way to further prosecutions.


Stem cell initiative aids state Passage of the \$3 billion stem cell research initiative, Proposition 71, could help California repeat one of the most celebrated chapters in its business history if one of its most eminent supporters is right.


Microsoft signs \$920m NHS software deal Microsoft Corp has signed a new 500m pound (\$920m) contract to supply a desktop operating system and software to the UK #39;s National Health Service, including provisions to develop a tailored interface for clinical systems.


Internet fraud  #39;phishers #39; widen their net Internet fraudsters have developed a sophisticated new method of using e-mails to capture internet banking customers #39; details.


Solaris 10 to launch November 15 The suspense is finally over. On November 15, Sun Microsystems will finally launch its much-anticipated Solaris 10 Unix operating system for UltraSparc, Sparc64, and x86 platforms.


Utes spread the wealth With quarterback Alex Smith at the controls, unbeaten Utah is second in the nation in scoring. Utah #39;s offensive architects don #39;t take credit for reinventing the spread, the veer, option football or the wheel, for that matter.


Flaws prove too much for Knicks For 3 quarters Wednesday night, the Knicks barely guarded anyone and after tightening that screw, they couldn #39;t make a shot with the game in the balance.


US Jets Pound Parts of Fallujah A US Army and Iraqi military convoy passes through after conducting a joint search operation in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2004.


Bush Election Will Help Middle East Peace - Blair Prime Minister Tony Blair told his Cabinet today that the re-election of President George Bush gave a fresh chance to move the Middle East peace process forward.


Europeans hope to start all over European allies alienated during President Bush #39;s first four years in power offered yesterday to let bygones be bygones, saying they want to work with the new administration and seeking


Time Warner profit falls New York  Reuters News Service, 4 November 2004 - Time Warner yesterday posted an 8 drop in quarterly net profit as it set up a \$500 million legal reserve related to accounting probes at its America Online division and said it will restate results


US auto sales rise in October DETROIT - US auto sales rose 2.2 percent in October as Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. led Asian automakers to a record 35.


Chip trade body revises 2004 sales downward The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) yesterday scaled back its forecast for this year #39;s semiconductor sales, after demand slowed though July, August and September.


Microsoft and Intel team to conquer the living room Microsoft and Intel are joining forces to conquer living rooms in the USA and make further inroads into the coveted consumer electronics space.


Source: Movie Industry To Sue Computer Users LOS ANGELES -- A source said Hollywood studios are preparing to file copyright infringement lawsuits against people they say are illegally sharing movies online.


Slimmer PlayStation triple sales Sony PlayStation 2 #39;s slimmer shape has proved popular with UK gamers, with 50,000 sold in its first week on sale. Sales have tripled since launch, outstripping Microsoft #39;s Xbox, said market analysts Chart-Track.


PalmOne ponders OS options Handheld-computer maker PalmOne is considering moves that would take it beyond the operating system that helped make the company a household name.


UPDATE 2-Gillespie routs India but Kumble hits back Jason Gillespie produced a superb spell of pace bowling to rout India for 104 but Anil Kumble grabbed a five-wicket haul to lead the fightback on the second day of the fourth and final test on Thursday.


Liverpool #39;s Benitez Lauds Understudies After Beating Deportivo Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez, whose team #39;s injury problems worsened before last night #39;s Champions League game against Deportivo La Coruna, praised the squad #39;s occasional players after a 1-0 win in Spain.


Liverpool Football Club boss keen on Cruz The 30-year-old has fallen out of favour at Inter Milan after a bright start to his San Siro career following a move from Bologna in summer 2003.


Attitude angers Beasley Fullback Fred Beasley appears to be on a campaign to shake up his team, particularly the younger players. After Beasley said the team lacked fire on Monday, he was back at it Wednesday, criticizing members


Notebook: Murray out another week or so LOS ANGELES - Their worst opening-night defeat in 27 years became even more difficult for the Sonics to swallow when they learned that Ronald Murray will miss at least the next week because of a strained left quadriceps.


Raptors 95, Rockets 88 Chris Bosh scored 20 points as the Toronto Raptors beat the Rockets, 95-to-88, for Houston #39;s second loss in its first two games of the season.


US Deserter Begins 30-Day Jail Sentence Former US Army Sgt. Charles Jenkins believes his conviction and sentence to 30 days in jail for desertion after nearly 40 years in North Korea is very fair, his defence lawyer said in Japan today.


Time profits fall as cash put in reserve TIME Warner has reported an eight per cent drop in third-quarter net profit as it set up a 270 million legal reserve and said it will restate results for AOL Europe prior to 2002.


News Corp posts 28 rise in profit RUPERT MURDOCHS News Corp media empire has posted a 28 per cent rise in quarterly profit as strong results in newspapers, broadcast and cable television countered weaker performances in its film and Italian pay-TV divisions.


Bank of England Leaves Rate Unchanged It was the third month in a row that the bank #39;s Monetary Policy Committee has frozen the rate. The decision was widely expected following indications that Britain #39;s economy has slowed.


US car sales boost for Japanese Japanese carmakers - including Toyota, Nissan and Honda - increased their market share in the US last month, latest sales figures have shown.


Credit Suisse Reports Higher 3Q Net Profit Credit Suisse Group, Switzerland #39;s second-largest bank, posted a third-quarter net profit Thursday that was more than five times higher than restated results for the same period a year ago.


EDS postpones earnings release com 04-11-2004. Electronic Data Systems has postponed the release of its third quarter 2004 earnings for the second time, as it continues to negotiate with its auditor KPMG over the value


Ancient Roman Skin Cream Gave Women Beautiful Complexion Ancient Roman women had beautiful skin, apparently, they had a foundation skin cream which until recently, no one knew how to reproduce.


Microsoft, Intel promote Digital Joy campaign INTEL AND MICROSOFT are to hold a joint advertising and marketing campaign aimed at plumping a PC at the centre of a converged digital home.


Take us to Mars, Beagle team says The team behind the lost Beagle 2 lander has outlined plans for a third generation craft, Beagle 2: Evolution, that could yet go to Mars.


Microsoft wins 500m NHS IT contract The worlds largest software supplier, Microsoft, has won a nine-year contract worth an estimated 500m to supply IT systems to the NHS.


Tennis: Federer steps out of Davis Cup match GENEVA : Roger Federer has pulled out of Switzerland #39;s Davis Cup first round match against the Netherlands next March to concentrate on holding onto his No 1 world ranking.


Key Events in Yasser Arafat #39;s Life August 4, 1929: Born in Cairo, Egypt, fifth child of Palestinian merchant Abdel Raouf al-Qudwa al-Husseini. 1933: Mother Zahwa dies.


Airbus Deliveries Airbus will deliver at least 315 #39; #39; aircraft in 2004, EADS said. Boeing plans to deliver about 285 planes. Airbus sold 63 planes in the third quarter compared with 50 a year earlier as passenger traffic worldwide rose to levels reached before the Sept.


Penn National to buy Argosy Gaming for \$1.4bn cash NEW YORK, November 4 (newratings.com) - Penn National Gaming Inc (PENN.NAS) has agreed to acquire Argosy Gaming Company (AGY) in a \$1.


Merrill Lynch/Enron Execs Convicted 11/4/04- A Houston jury has convicted 5 men of fraud and conspiracy, while acquitting the only female defendant in the trial of ex-Merrill Lynch and former Enron executives.


Ford settles lawsuit over Goldman IPO shares Ford Motor has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused its chief executive of improperly accepting shares in the initial public offering of Goldman Sachs, which agreed to pay \$13.


US: Constellation and Mondavi merger is go The proposed merger between Constellation and The Robert Mondavi Corp. has been finalised. The two companies yesterday (3 November) signed a definitive merger agreement in which Constellation will acquire


Nokia to bring digital TV to mobile phones By 2006 you will be able to watch television on your Nokia phone. Within two years as many as 20 different TV channels will be made available, Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia #39;s general manager of Multimedia, told the


Apple iTunes locks out older versions Apple has activated previously-announced plans to close its Music Store to users of earlier versions of iTunes. The company revealed its intent last month, when iTunes users accessing the


Cricket: Bowlers take control MUMBAI, India The bowlers dominated on Thursday as 18 wickets fell on the second day of the final test between India and Australia.


NBA: O #39;Neal wins in debut Steve Francis and Shaquille O #39;Neal enjoyed big debuts with their new teams. Kobe Bryant found out he can #39;t carry the Lakers all by himself.


Woods chops down Yao The so-called weak link of the Raptors #39; starting five battled his Houston Rockets counterpart Yao Ming every step of the way as Toronto prevailed in their regular-season opener, 95-88, in front of 19,800 enthusiastic fans at the Air Canada Centre.


Baseball: Maddux wins 14th Gold Glove Greg Maddux won his 14th Gold Glove award and three members of the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals have been honored as the top fielding players at their positions.


Bush May Mean Near-Term Gain, Later Pain for Blair British Prime Minister Tony Blair may be relieved at Iraq ally George W. Bush #39;s re-election but analysts and politicians say any near-term gain could soon give way to problems


US planes pound Fallujah FALLUJAH - American warplanes struck Iraqi positions in the rebel stronghold of Fallujah Thursday, ahead of an expected assault on the city.


#39;Prompt action #39; needed in Darfur United Nations head Kofi Annan has urged the Security Council to take  quot;prompt action quot; to stop intensifying violence in the Sudan #39;s Darfur region.


President Putin hopes to continue co-operation with EU Russian President Vladimir Putin expects that the administrative problems in the formation of the European Commission, the EU #39;s supreme executive body, will be solved sooner or later, and Russia and the EU will continue active co-operation.


Probes: \$500 million fund is set up for legal problems NEW YORK - Time Warner Inc. said Wednesday it had created a \$500 million legal reserve to deal with ongoing federal probes of its America Online division.


Roman cosmetic secrets revealed The fashion conscious women of Roman Britain used a tin-based foundation to get a pale and appealing look. The evidence comes from a sealed pot of ointment found at an archaeological dig in Southwark, south London, last year.


Van foursome points way for Rooney and co Ruud van Nistelrooy #39;s foursome against Sparta Prague in the Champions League has left Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson hungry for more.


Champions League: Group B - Roma drop out and Real Madrid cling on <b>...</b> Things are getting pretty tight in Group B, after Dynamo Kiev and Real Madrid played out a 2-2 draw in Ukraine. The Spanish giants came from two goals down to earn their point, after goals from Yussuf and Verpakovskis for Kiev.


Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan Named UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan has been named president of the United Arab Emirates, succeeding his father who died Tuesday. The decision was taken by the Supreme Council, hours after world leaders gathered


EU leaders hold talks on Iraq European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels for two days of talks on issues including Iraq, asylum and economic reform. The summit, which will be attended by the 25 national leaders, also provides the first


N Korea may be next on agenda Washington - Re-elected United States President George W Bush will waste little time in trying to get nuclear-armed North Korea back to the negotiating table and dealing with the fallout of Iraq and the war on terrorism on Muslim communities in Asia as he


Taiwan court upholds Chen #39;s election victory TAIPEI - Taiwan #39;s High Court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by opposition parties seeking to nullify the March presidential election and upheld President Chen Shui-bian #39;s victory.


Russia #39;s Watershed The attack on the major Russian oil company, YUKOS, which led to the arrest of its chairman and CEO, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and his shares, and subsequently to his resignation, is a watershed event in post-communist Russian history.


Penn National to Acquire Argosy Gaming Argosy Gaming (AGY:NYSE - news - research) jumped in early trading Thursday, after the company agreed to be acquired by Penn National Gaming (PENN:Nasdaq - news - research) in a \$1.


Nokia Seeks Injunctions Against Vitelcom Nokia Corp. said Thursday it has filed patent infringement complaints against Vitelcom of Spain over Nokia #39;s GSM and GPRS technologies.


Liberty to boost its stake in News Corp. Liberty Media Corp., the company controlled by cable-television investor John Malone, said it entered a transaction with Merrill Lynch  amp; Co.


Nokia #39;s First NFC Product - Why it #39;s Important Nokia has lifted the lid on the worlds first NFC (Near Field Communication) equipped mobile phone by adding the special NFC clip-on shell to their 3220, a tri-band camera phone that is available in two versions (Euro/Asia  amp; America).


Apple forces ITunes users to upgrade MAKERS OF music gear, Apple, has ordered its users to upgrade to the latest version of their online jukebox version 4.5. If they don #39;t they will be unable to download music content from Apple #39;s ITunes Music


Heat rout short-handed Nets in Shaq #39;s debut The greatest center in Miami history isn #39;t sure that adding Shaquille O #39;Neal to the Heat lineup this season makes them a sure thing for the NBA Finals.


About mood and confidence The day ended with India having regained some of the ground they lost in the morning due to their shoddy display with the bat, but throughout, there were displays by the batsmen of the two teams which brought out clearly the mood and confidence levels in


Taiwan court dismisses bid to overturn Chen #39;s election victory TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan #39;s High Court dismissed an opposition legal bid to annul the result of controversial March elections won narrowly by President Chen Shui-bian after a mysterious shooting.


Theede #39;s  #39;Day of Reckoning #39; Looms Yukos is calling for an extraordinary shareholders meeting Dec. 20 to consider whether to file for bankruptcy under the crippling weight of \$14 billion in outstanding tax claims, or to pave the way for an


MCI Posts \$3.4 Billion Loss on Charges Telecommunications firm MCI Inc. on Thursday posted a hefty third-quarter loss, saddled by costs from writing down the value of its network as the reorganized telecom faces intensifying industry competition.


In Living Color NEW YORK (CBS) Apples heavyweight champ iPod has a few new tricks up its sleeve, or rather, on its screen. The newest iPods feature full color screens, and hefty hard drives to store plenty of photos and music.


MSN takes downloads fight to Apple Microsoft has announced an expansion of its MSN Music Store, adding eight new countries to bring the total number covered to 17. The enlargement, says Microsoft, is a significant challenge to Apple, who recently


Sequel has new story, characters Bottom Line: New story, new characters, and a new city:  quot;Grand Theft Auto quot; is back. The long-awaited sequel in this controversial series expands upon the adult-theme material that has made it famous.


Lakers #39; offense offensive Team records for futility fall as Utah allows only 20 field goals. Bryant scores 38, but only Odom joins him in double figures. By Doug Alden.


Conflicting reports about Arafat #39;s health Some reports from Paris say Arafat has slipped into a coma. There have been other reports through the day that Arafat #39;s still unexplained condition has become worse and he is in the ICU.


Czechs extend mandate for troops in Iraq The Czech parliament voted Thursday to extend the mandate for its troops in Iraq by two months, Czech Radio reports. The Czech Republic has around 100 military police in Iraq.


Ivory Coast military planes attack ex-rebel Bouake ABIDJAN (AFP) - Two Ivory Coast military aircraft carried out a second raid on Bouake, the stronghold of the former rebel New Forces (FN) in the divided west African country, a French military source told AFP.


Fate of aid worker in the balance as date with Zarqawi looms The fate of kidnapped aid worker Margaret Hassan hung in the balance as a deadline approached to hand her over to a group led by Islamic militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi unless British troops left Iraq.


Markets welcome Bush victory with a stock rally Wall Street cheered the incumbents victory with a day of active trading and a rise in the major indexes. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 101.


Airbus parent EADS beats forecasts Airbus parent EADS posted higher-than-expected nine-month earnings on Thursday driven by a strong performance in commercial aircraft and raised its 2004 targets.


Asset Writedown Hurts MCI Between them, the three carriers have cut back the value of their long distance networks by \$18.4 billion (AT amp;T #39;s writedown was \$11.


Update 1: CVS Reports Lower Profits on Acquisition CVS Corp. reported lower profits for the third quarter, as the huge drug store operator absorbed the acquisition of some of rival Eckerd #39;s stores, as well as that company #39;s mail order pharmacy business.


UPDATE 5-Credit Suisse Q3 boosted by insurance, one-offs Credit Suisse Group (CSGN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) posted forecast-beating third-quarter earnings on Thursday, as solid insurance income and one-off tax gains


Security Bytes: Pix source code for sale com staff. A group called The Source Code Club says it #39;s selling the blueprint for an older version of the popular Cisco Systems Pix firewall for \$24,000.


Global Warming Has Arrived: Arctic Study WASHINGTON, DC, Nov 1 (OneWorld)  With only eight weeks left before the elves finish their work and Santa Claus mounts his sleigh, an eight-nation study on global warming co-sponsored by the United States has concluded that the North Pole is melting


Chinese astronauts to wear lighter outfits China has developed a light and removable spacesuit for its astronauts set to embark on China #39;s second manned space mission scheduled for next September.


Mets Name Willie Randolph as Manager, Replacing Howe (Update1) New York Yankees bench coach Willie Randolph was hired as the New York Mets #39; manager, replacing the fired Art Howe. Randolph, 50, received his first managerial job late last night and


No change for euro interest rates The European Central Bank has kept eurozone interest rates unchanged at 2 for the seventeenth consecutive month. The decision came amid worries about the economy in the 12-nation eurozone.


Optus rides the offshore wind OPTUS is close to completing a comprehensive review of its customer service operations which is likely to result in some of the 3500 jobs in the area moving offshore.


Accounting writedown leads to \$3.4 billion loss at MCI MCI (MCI), one of the nation #39;s biggest long-distance operators, lost \$3.4 billion in the third quarter because of a previously announced asset writedown of \$3.


Malone to raise voting stake in News Corp Liberty Media tycoon John Malone is planning to almost double his voting stake in Rupert Murdoch #39;s News Corporation, a move that will raise further questions about the future of the company.


Enron Conviction: Milestone Or End Zone? NEW YORK - A federal jury in Houston yesterday convicted four former Merrill Lynch executives and one former Enron executive for a 1999 fraud that helped Enron improve the earnings picture it presented to investors.


Qwest reports \$569 million loss in third quarter DENVER - Qwest Communications International Inc. lost \$569 million in the third quarter, in part because of a \$250 million charge that included higher reserves for potential liability from investigations and securities actions, the company said Thursday.


More Job Cuts Likely At American Airlines DALLAS -- American Airlines #39; chief executive is warning of more job cuts to reduce costs as the carrier struggles to compete with lower-overhead airlines.


Hollywood lawsuits to target illegal file sharing The trade group that represents Hollywood #39;s major motion picture studios is expected to announce Thursday that it intends to file as many as 230 lawsuits in coming weeks against individuals


US in new warming battle  over Arctic Deepening a rift over global warming policy, some European partners are accusing the Bush administration of trying to weaken a report that warns the Arctic is warming almost twice as fast as the rest of the planet.


Over their dead bodies LONDON: A British television channel is looking for volunteers for a documentary which will look into dead bodies during the process of decomposition.


Firefox, bah humbug By John Carroll Special to ZDNet November 4, 2004, 6:11 AM PT. This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


Sun sees brighter days for Linux-Solaris alliance WITH only two weeks to go before Sun Microsystems enters into the open source foray with its Solaris 10 operating system, the Sta.


Mystery behind the origin of cosmic rays unravelled An international team of astronomers has succeeded in solving the 100 year-old mystery about the origin of the cosmic rays by producing the first ever image of an astronomical object using high energy gamma rays.


Bagger just one of girls AS A 14-year-old on a men #39;s handicap of four, Mianne Bagger was recognised as a future champion. Photographed alongside Greg Norman in the magazine Golf World, Bagger would eventually earn international recognition for a much more dramatic swing.


Cursing Russian fires up DESPITE what the song says, you have to be pretty chirpy to love Paris in the autumn when it drizzles, as it #39;s done all week, especially when the tennis often matches the grey and lifeless skies.


Faux pas by Henman Tim Henman was sent packing from the Paris Masters this afternoon as Russia #39;s Mikhail Youzhny inflicted a straight-sets third-round defeat on the British No1.


#39;No shame in failing to this Australian team #39; Former Australia fast bowler Merv Hughes believes that the absence of Sachin Tendulkar in the first two Tests and Sourav Ganuly in the next two is the main reason for India #39;s poor showing in the ongoing series against Australia.


UPDATE 1-Peugeot/Citroen pull-out deals a double blow French stablemates Peugeot and Citroen dealt rallying a double blow on Thursday with the shock announcement that they were pulling out of the world championship at the end of 2005.


Boston Red Sox 2004 Review Second (AL East) wild card winner; def. Anaheim in ALDS; def. NY Yankees in ALCS; def. St. Louis in World Series. The curse is finally dead, as


Toronto Raptors Team Report - November 4 (Sports Network) - Chris Bosh scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Toronto to a 95-88 win over Houston at the Air Canada Centre.


Beasley calls out his 49ers for effort Bee Staff Writer. SANTA CLARA - Despite their youth, injuries and lousy 1-6 record, the one thing the 49ers have managed to avoid this season is locker-room dissension.


Europe leaders lavish with faint praise GEORGE Bush #39;s closest allies in Europe greeted his re-election as a boost to the war on Islamic extremism but most European leaders barely managed to conceal the sense of disappointment they shared with most of the public across the continent.


Indonesian cleric accuses US, Australia of mastering his trial By Channel NewsAsia #39;s Indonesia Bureau Chief Haseenah Koyakutty. JAKARTA : Indonesia #39;s top terror suspect Abu Bakar Bashir has dismissed his trial as a joke, saying that the only reason he is being detained


Ivory Coast ceasefire broken Bouake - Ivory Coast warplanes launched a second wave of bombing raids on a northern rebel-held stronghold on Thursday afternoon, reopening attacks after a more than year-old cease-fire in the west African nation.


Queen #39;s plea to old enemies: learn from history BERLIN: The Queen laid a wreath at a Commonwealth war cemetery in eastern Germany yesterday on the second day of a state visit in which she urged Britain and Germany to learn from history.


ECB keeps the rates at 2 percent The Governing Council of the European Central Bank decided to keep the interest rates at 2  on Thursday. The same day, the Bank of England also announced the decision to keep its key rate unchanged at 4.75.


Australian unit lifts profit at SingTel SINGAPORE Singapore Telecommunications said Thursday that profit in the second quarter of its fiscal year rose 62 percent from a year earlier as it signed up more mobile phone subscribers in Australia and cut expenses for takeovers.


Why Malone #39;s buy is good News SUDDENLY, The News Corporation Inc chairman Rupert Murdoch and the Murdoch family are in a similar position to most other listed company management teams.


Stocks steady on retail results Consumers return to stores in October, but holiday shopping looks tame. Oil holds above \$50 per barrel. Constellation seals the deal for Mondavi.


Harmony unveils cost saving plan measures, which it said would deliver at least one billion rand per annum in improved pre-tax operating profit at Gold Fields #39; South African operations.


Microsoft, Intel Spread Digital Joy Microsoft and Intel are joining forces to conquer US living rooms and make further inroads into the coveted consumer electronics space.


Mystery behind the origin of cosmic rays unraveled An international team of astronomers has suceeded solving the 100 yearl old mystery about the origin of the cosmic rays by producing the first ever image of an astronomical object using high energy gamma rays.


Gillespie rips through India Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie sparked an Indian collapse Thursday before spinner Anil Kumble hit back with five wickets as bowlers dominated the second day of the fourth Test.


United in control at old Trafford Ruud van Nistelrooy added another brace to his incredible European goals collection as Manchester United put their Premiership woes behind them at Old Trafford.


Palestinians Meet Amid Reports of Arafat #39;s Declining Health Senior Palestinian officials convened meetings in the West Bank today in response to conflicting reports over the declining health of Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat, who has been in a


Flanigan kidnappers  #39;negotiating with Afghan govt #39; A militant group threatening to kill three United Nations hostages including a Northern Irish woman Annetta Flanigan said today it was talking to the Afghan government about its demand to free Taliban prisoners.


Arafats health said to be deteriorating ISN SECURITY WATCH (04/11/2004) - There were conflicting reports of Palestinian President Yasser Arafats health on Thursday, as various sources claimed that he had slipped into a coma or was being anesthetized after having lost consciousness three


PRESIDENT PLEASED WITH COURT RULING ON ELECTION: AIDE Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu are pleased with a Taiwan High Court ruling against an opposition  quot;pan-blue alliance quot; lawsuit contesting the March 20 presidential election, Chen #39;s chief of staff said Thursday.


UPDATE 2-Qwest posts quarterly loss after SEC settlement Qwest Communications International Inc. (QN: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 4 US local telephone company, on Thursday reported a third-quarter loss as it settled


American Airlines Says More Job Cuts Arriving FORT WORTH, Texas -- American Airlines says more job cuts are on the way after the airline had already planned about 1,000 layoffs.


Titan: A Good Mystery When was the last time you read a good mystery novel, or munched popcorn while watching a mystery flick at your local theater? Odds are, either of these entertainments set you back at least \$10 and lasted a few hours.


Caner-Medley strikes plea agreement University of Maryland basketball player Nik Caner-Medley has reached a settlement with prosecutors on a disorderly conduct charge involving an altercation in the Old Port in July, lawyers said.


BALTIMORE ARE MEN IN BLACK The Baltimore Ravens will look a bit more intimidating when they face bitter rivals the Cleveland Browns for the second time this season on Sunday night.


Boston Celtics Team Report - November 4 (Sports Network) - The Boston Celtics got their season off on a losing note on Wednesday, as they dropped a 98-95 decision to the Philadelphia 76ers at the FleetCenter.


Apple rolls out iPOD Photo As expected, Apple last week launched iPOD Photo, a new version of its portable digital music player that has been optimized to handle photos as well.


Phishers develop sophisticated lure Fraudsters have developed phishing emails capable of automatically stealing bank log-in details without requiring users to click on a website link, email filtering firm MessageLabs warns.


Bagger happy to be trailblazer Mianne Bagger is more than prepared for her spell in the spotlight after becoming the first transsexual to earn a place on the women #39;s European Tour.


Scots name Burns temporary manager Assistant manager Tommy Burns has been put in temporary charge of Scotland following the resignation of Berti Vogts, the Scottish FA said on Thursday.


Gunners mystery revisited To write about Arsenal #39;s problems in Europe is to sound like a broken record. The mystery about the Gunners #39; inexplicable failures in the Champions League is increasingly becoming one of the most oversubscribed areas of football analysis.


Mets, Phillies, Astros Name New Managers New York Yankees acting manager Willie Randolph, filling in for manager Joe Torre serving a game suspension, gestures as he yells to the bench during the Yankees 4-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, in this Oct. 2, 2004 file photo.


Van Gogh murder suspect has terror links The main suspect in the Amsterdam slaying of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh has links to a radical Islamic terrorist group, the BBC reported Thursday.


Britain will not back Iran war, says Straw Britain will not back military action against Iran if President George W Bush decides to confront Tehran in his second White House term, Jack Straw has said.


Dow jumps more than 100 points THE US stock market rose sharply on news that Mr George Bush was re-elected. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones climbed 101.32 points, or 1.01 per cent, to close at 10,137.


News Corp posts strong results LOS ANGELES: Rupert Murdoch #39;s News Corp has posted a 28 per cent rise in quarterly profit as strong results in newspapers, broadcast and cable television countered weaker performances in its film and Italian pay-TV divisions.


Update 9: Crude Futures Hold Above \$50 A boost in US crude supplies and the end of American election uncertainties brought some calm to oil markets Thursday, with crude futures falling but still holding above the \$50 mark.


European Economies: ECB Keeps Rate at 2, Sees Risks Augmenting The European Central Bank kept its benchmark interest rate at 2 percent, a six-decade low, to support an economic recovery that is being undermined by record oil costs and rising unemployment.


Jobless Claims Dip, Productivity Slows Fewer Americans filed jobless claims last week and worker productivity slowed sharply in the third quarter, government data showed on Thursday, hinting at better conditions in the country #39;s sluggish labor market.


Honeywell to Sell Its Polyester Unit Honeywell International Inc. (HON.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it has agreed to sell its high-tenacity polyester fiber business to private equity firm Sun Capital Partners by the end of 2004.


Lehman Selected Captain of 2006 US Ryder Cup Team On Wednesday, November 3, Tom Lehman was selected to captain the 2006 US Ryder Cup Team. Lehman, a member of three Ryder Cup Teams and winner of the 1996 British Open, was chosen by the PGA of America to guide


Depor need another  quot;miracle quot; after Liverpool defeat Deportivo Coruna need a miracle to make the Champions League knockout stage after Wednesday #39;s 1-0 home defeat by Liverpool, the club #39;s president said Thursday.


Brown staying with United until 2008 Manchester United today ended the uncertainty over Wes Brown #39;s future at the club by announcing the central defender has agreed a new four-year contract.


Arafat in intensive care PARIS: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is in a coma in critical condition, a senior Palestinian official says. Arafat has been in intensive care in a French military hospital outside Paris since Wednesday afternoon.


World: Mixed Reviews For Bush European leaders urged President Bush to work closely with America #39;s allies on issues like terrorism and the environment in his second term, while critics of the president worried re-election would embolden him to pursue conservative policies


Arabs remind Bush of Mideast peace commitment Arab governments have reminded US President George W. Bush of his commitment to Middle East diplomacy, in the hope a second Bush administration will pay more attention to one of their top priorities.


Bharti, six Asian mobile operators form alliance to unify <b>...</b> Business India: Singapore, Nov.4 : Seven Asia-Pacific mobile phone operators, including Bharti of India, with a combined total of over 56 million subscribers, on Wednesday formed an alliance aimed at creating a unified regional network.


SBC, BellSouth let their fingers do the walking SBC Communications and BellSouth will acquire YellowPages.com with the goal of building the site into a nationwide online business index, the companies said Thursday.


Sears sales up slightly in October; apparel still slumping HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. Hoffman Estates-based Sears, Roebuck and Company has reported a slight increase in October same-store sales today despite continuing weak results in apparel.


Roman women #39; beauty skin cream secrets revealed: Health India: London, Nov 4 : Cosmetic face cream used by fashionable Roman women was discovered at an ongoing archaeological dig in London, in a metal container, complete with the lid and contents.


Microsoft, Intel Plan Joint Campaign for Media Center Under the advertising slogan  quot;Digital Joy, quot; Microsoft and Intel plan a national television advertising campaign in the US, with plans to take the campaign to other countries next year.


Mutu Banned Seven Months by English FA for Taking Cocaine Adrian Mutu, fired by Chelsea last week after failing a doping test for cocaine, was banned for seven months and fined 20,000 pounds (\$36,800) by England #39;s Football Association.


Holder Henman Crashes Out of Paris Masters Holder Tim Henman, beaten 7-5, 6-1 at the Paris Masters by Russian Mikhail Youzhny in the third round Friday, has turned his sights toward the Masters Cup.


Slumping Bayern face the hottest Bundesliga team Felix Magath wanted a victory against Juventus to ensure smooth sailing in the Champions League so that Bayern Munich could concentrate on catching up in the Bundesliga.


Utah Jazz Team Report - November 4 (Sports Network) - The Utah Jazz began their 2004-05 campaign with a 104-78 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Delta Center on Wednesday night.


Michigan Tech makes a quick turnaround Michigan Tech will continue one of the most improbable comebacks in college football history on a grand stage Saturday when it plays two-time defending NCAA Division II champion


Kidnappers extend deadline THE United Nations said today it was increasingly worried about three of its election workers, abducted at gunpoint in Kabul a week ago by militants who have threatened to kill them.


US Recognises Macedonia State, Greece Protests The president of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) has announced that the US recognised his country simply as  quot;Macedonia quot; with the approval of US Secretary of State Colin Powell.


Israel #39;s Gaza commander resigns Brig Gen Shmuel Zakai is believed to have told reporters that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered an operation in Gaza that the army thought unnecessary.


US labour productivity grows at 1.9 per cent pace in third quarter The productivity of America #39;s workers grew at a 1.9 per cent annual rate in the third quarter, the smallest gain since late 2002, the government reported Thursday.


EADS profit soars, earnings forecast up PARIS, Nov 4 (AFP) - The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company reported Thursday that its nine-month net profit more than doubled, thanks largely to sales of Airbus aircraft, and raised its full-year forecast.


Alcan profit soars on higher aluminum prices MONTREAL - Third-quarter profit at Alcan Inc. almost doubled, the company said Thursday, crediting higher aluminum prices and more shipments.


Hackers reopen stolen code store with Cisco source An anonymous group of malicious hackers reopened an online store that sells the stolen source code of prominent software products and is offering the code for Ciscos PIX firewall software to interested parties for US\$24,000, according to messages


Human Corpse to Be Shown Rotting on TV A British television channel is seeking a terminally ill volunteer to donate their body after death so it can be filmed as it decomposes.


Scientists Close in on Source of Cosmic Rays An international team of astronomers believe they have solved a mystery that has been perplexing scientists for 100 years -- the origin of cosmic rays.


Stuff That Crossed My Mind At a certain point, usually after the night terrors start, I realize I absolutely have to write a column about Some Great Topic. And when I haven #39;t been creative enough to think of Some Great Topic, rather


MSN Music expands farther into Europe Microsoft Corp. #39;s MSN Music online download service fired another salvo this week at Apple rival iTunes Music Store by announcing its expansion into new European countries.


Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - A Second Look A collection of IGN editors from all over the network chime in with their opinions on the biggest PS2 game of the year. November 02, 2004 - Getting the highest score in the history of IGN #39;s PlayStation 2 channel


Spurrier withdraws name from Florida vacancy Gainesville, FL (Sports Network) - Steve Spurrier will not coach the Florida Gators again after he withdrew his name from consideration in the process to select a new head football coach at the university.


Dravid urges batsmen to hit back Stand-in India captain Rahul Dravid has called on his batsmen to make amends for some dire first-innings batting in the fourth test against Australia.


Ruud boys plot big City kill for Fergie WHAT a Champion act ... now give me an encore when we take on Manchester City at the weekend. That was Sir Alex Ferguson #39;s challenge to his team today after their Ruud van Nistelrooy-inspired 4-1 win over


Andrade gives Liverpool the initiative The omens had appeared grim, but the reality is giddy. Liverpool were missing three of their most potent performers last night, yet Rafael Bentez #39;s first game back in his homeland yielded the Merseysiders #39; first victory in Spain for 21 years.


Citroen, Peugeot to leave rallying Citroen and Peugeot have announced they will be withdrawing from the World Rally Championship at the end of 2005. The French manufacturers cited tough conditions in the car market for their decision.


Turin Olympic chief set to quit The official in charge of organising the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics is set to quit because of a power struggle. The Italian government has appointed Mario Pescante to oversee the Games, to the fury of Valentino


Troutman lifts Michigan Tech line The Michigan Tech football team did not highly recruit Saugatuck #39;s Kurt Troutman out of high school. He nearly never played for the Huskies because he couldn #39;t pass their base conditioning drill.


Attacks force aid group from Iraq The international relief group Medecins Sans Frontieres is stopping its activities in Iraq because of  quot;escalating violence quot; in the country that is endangering its staff and other aid workers.


US to Recognize  #39;Republic of Macedonia #39; Macedonia #39;s president has confirmed that the United States has informed him of plans to officially recognize his country as the  quot;Republic of Macedonia, quot; a decision that drew protests from Greece.


Sheikh Zayed buried, sadness overwhelms UAE A large funeral was held yesterday afternoon for Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan, late president of the United Arab Emirates, who died on Tuesday evening at 86 year old of which he had spent 33 years as a president for the country.


Alcan #39;s Q3 results lifted by Pechiney NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Alcan Inc. rose 3 percent Thursday, drawing support from the Canadian metals giant #39;s third-quarter results in which profit nearly doubled due to strong industry fundamentals and contributions from its Pechiney unit.


Germany unveils debt cut measures The German government has unveiled a series of measures aimed at bringing the country #39;s public deficit back below the eurozone #39;s 3 of GDP limit in 2005.


Microsoft, Intel team set to conquer US living rooms Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp. are joining forces to conquer US living rooms and make further inroads into the coveted consumer electronics space.


Mystery behind the origin of cosmic rays unraveled: World News: Washington, Nov 4 : An international team of astronomers has suceeded solving the 100 yearl old mystery about the origin of the cosmic rays by producing the first ever image of an astronomical object using high energy gamma rays.


Frank signs four-year extension with Nets New Jersey Nets coach Lawrence Frank was given a four-year, \$10 million contract extension, the team announced Thursday. The deal was made public about 12 hours after the Nets suffered


EU, Iran to hold talks - Teheran torn in nuclear dispute TEHERAN - Iranian officials are preparing to hold talks with Germany, Britain and France on over its controversial nuclear programme with Teheran torn between willingness to compromise and the urge to maintain national pride.


Reserve is set aside for AOL Time Warner has said that it set aside \$500 million to pay for potential penalties from a government investigation into accounting practices at America Online, a step that led to a 7.8 percent decline in profit in the third quarter.


Air Berlin to Order 70 Airbus A320 Planes Air Berlin, Germany #39;s second-biggest airline, has agreed to order 70 Airbus A320 aircraft, worth 4 billion euros (\$5.09 billion), with options for 40 more, it said on Thursday.


MCI reports \$3.4B loss, but says it #39;s back on track NOVEMBER 04, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - MCI Inc. reported a \$3.4 billion third-quarter loss today, due mainly to a write-off of the value of its assets, as the company #39;s efforts to recover from bankruptcy were


UPDATE 2-Ace, Marsh fire employees amid industry probe Broker Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos. and insurer Ace Ltd. (ACE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) have fired a total of six employees in recent days as a result of internal investigations related


Cisco Source Code Offered for Sale an anonymous group of hackers -- has surfaced on the Internet once again. This time, the SCC is selling source code for a Cisco security application in another blatant violation of copyright regulations.


Google Browser - The Future of the Internet? Editor - FirstScience.com. I have been experimenting of late with various internet browsers as potential replacements for Microsoft Internet Explorer.


Spam Is Finally a Crime A brother and sister who sent junk e-mail to millions of America Online customers were convicted in the nation #39;s first felony prosecution of internet spam distributors.


Napster Claims First with Downloads for Mobiles The Napster To Go portable digital music subscription service, which was previewed in September, works via a plug-in to Windows Media Player 10.


Handango to provide content for Nokias Preminet US mobile downloads provider Handango is to be a content provider through the Finnish mobile handset maker Nokias Preminet solution, making its mobile content available as part of the end-to-end content distribution and transaction service for mobile


Tom Lehman: A closer look Many people in golf are asking that today. He certainly wasn #39;t A-list and he wasn #39;t Larry Nelson either. But you couldn #39;t find a more solid guy to lead the United States into Ireland for the 2006 Ryder Cup Matches.


Vote: The Battle of Pennsylvania The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers will clash in the Battle of Pennyslvania on Sunday. The Eagles will be trying to stay undefeated while the Steelers are hoping rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger


Sudan hopes for normalised ties with Washington Sudan on Thursday welcomed the re-election of President George W. Bush and expressed hope that ties with Washington, strained over the Darfur crisis which the United States called genocide, would be normalised.


Qwest Posts 3rd-Qtr Loss; Increases Legal Reserves (Update4) Qwest Communications International Inc. posted a third-quarter loss of \$569 million after setting aside more money to settle lawsuits stemming from a three-year, \$3.


Update 1: Air Berlin to Buy Up to 110 Airbus Jets German budget airline Air Berlin and its Austrian partner NIKI are buying up to 110 new jets from Airbus, which the European aircraft maker will start delivering next year.


SBC, BellSouth to buy yellowpages.com BellSouth Corp. and SBC Communications Inc. have teamed up to buy the online directory publisher www.yellowpages.com Inc. for an undisclosed amount.


Red Lobster Posts Higher Same-Store Sales Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said October same-store sales at its Red Lobster restaurants rose for the first time since February on the success


Shadows Loom Over Sun #39;s Open-Source Plans Sources close to the vendor say an intense, high-level debate continues about Sun #39;s open-source Solaris plans, which were first announced in June.


Handango Answers Preminet Call Handango has signed on as a  quot;key content provider quot; of mobile content and applications on Nokia #39;s recently announced Preminet platform.


New phishing scam even more insidious LONDON: Fraudsters have developed a potent new computer program that steals Internet banking customers #39; details by duping them into opening up a bogus e-mail, a British security firm said Wednesday.


Frank-ly speaking: Nets sign head coach to extension East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - The New Jersey Nets have signed head coach Lawrence Frank to a multi-year contract extension.


Champions League: Group C - Juve seal qualification, plus roundup The big clash in Group C featured Juventus #39; visit to Bayern Munich. It was not until the 90th minute that the game was settled, Allesandro Del Piero hitting the winner for the Italians.


Elvis sure hero will be a hit at Tynecastle STEVEN PRESSLEY enjoyed some rare old tussles against John Robertson during the Gorgie legends playing career - now the Hearts skipper cant wait to work with the new Tynecastle boss.


New Staley to face old teammates The election might be over, but Pennsylvania will remain a battleground state at least until Nov. 7, when Super Bowl candidates Pittsburgh and Philadelphia collide in Heinz Field.


Players excited to have Randolph If the Mets had any problems with the fact that Omar Minaya had hired a career Yankee as the club #39;s new manager, it wasn #39;t obvious Thursday morning.


CITROEN AND PEUGEOT ANNOUNCE RALLY PULL-OUT The World Rally Championship has been dealt a blow with news of plans for Citroen and Peugeot to withdraw after next season. The series was looking strong after Ford committed for another four years this week


French hospital denies reports PARIS - A hospital official in France on Thursday denied reports that Yasser Arafat had died as the result of an undisclosed illness.


Indonesian cleric ridicules trial Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Ba #39;asyir has told a court that charges linking him to the 2002 Bali bombings and other attacks were  quot;jokes quot;.


Afghan militants set new deadline for UN hostages KABUL - Militants who abducted three United Nations hostages in Afghanistan warned they will decide on Friday whether to kill them because talks have broken down, news reports say.


Violence kills 10 people in Thailand over past two days Bangkok (VNA) - The Thai police said violence has killed at least 10 people, including nine Buddhists and one Muslim, over the past two days.


Ivory Coast Military Bombs Rebel City Government warplanes bombed the largest city in Ivory Coast #39;s rebel-held north twice on Thursday in what a government military commander said was the launch of a new offensive to reunite the war-divided nation.


Crude Oil Little Changed After Yesterday #39;s Election-Led Rally Crude oil was little changed after rallying more than 2 percent yesterday when US President George W. Bush #39;s re-election signaled the government probably will continue its policy of buying oil for a national reserve.


Asian telecom firms come together Seven Asian telecommunications firms are coming together to invest between \$30m and \$40m (16.3m and 22m) in new mobile phone services and technology.


Former Merrill bankers, Enron executive convicted over Nigerian <b>...</b> WASHINGTON : Four former Merrill Lynch bankers and a former Enron executive were convicted by a Texas jury on criminal charges for carrying out a fraudulent deal that helped the notorious energy trader inflate its earnings.


Motorola Agrees to Buy Crisnet Inc. Motorola Inc., the second-largest maker of wireless handsets, said Thursday it agreed to purchase Crisnet Inc., a privately-held developer of records management and related systems for criminal justice and public safety customers.


Update 3: Holiday Outlook Brightens for Retailers The outlook for the holiday season brightened Thursday as many of the nation #39;s retailers reported an improvement in sales in October.


Open-source details hold up Solaris release com November 4, 2004, 10:00 AM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been enterprise directories for several months, but for many IT managers, ERP (enterprise resource planning


Napster Announces Smartphone Music Service Napster is making its new Napster To Go service available on AT amp;T #39;s Audiovox smartphone. It comes with 28.5mb of internal flash memory, which holds up to 6 songs.


The Hitman is Back November 04, 2004 - The Hitman franchise is alive and growing, as Eidos announced today the fourth game in the series, Hitman: Blood Money, is in development at Io-Interactive.


Kahn rejects blame for loss despite late blunder Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn rejected the blame, despite his last-minute blunder, for his team #39;s 1-0 loss against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday.


Villeneuve checks in with Sauber Former champion Jacques Villeneuve will have his first test for Sauber in Spain this month after a seat fitting at the Formula One team #39;s Swiss factory on Thursday.


Turin Olympic organizer resigns Turin, Italy (Sports Network) - Valentino Castellani, the chief organizer of the Turin Olympic Committee, has announced his decision to resign.


Karzai Vows Crackdown on Warlords, Drugs Hamid Karzai pledged Thursday to use his five-year term as Afghanistan #39;s first elected president to crack down on warlords and the country #39;s booming drug economy.


Ivory Coast Military Attacks Rebel Positions Military and rebel commanders in Ivory Coast say war has resumed, after military planes carried out raids on northern rebel positions.


Oil could hamper euro zone growth The head of the European Central Bank said Thursday there is growing concern about higher energy prices increasing inflationary pressures.


Penn National Bets on Argosy The consolidation wave in the gaming industry has taken yet another somewhat shocking turn. Wednesday afternoon, casino and racetrack operator Penn National Gaming (Nasdaq: PENN


Jobless Claims Dip, Productivity Growth Slows Fewer Americans filed jobless claims last week and growth in worker productivity slowed sharply in the third quarter, government data showed on Thursday, hinting that


MSN Music expands reach to give iTunes a serious challenge Eight more European countries got access to Microsofts MSN Music Store today. This comes in wake of Apples similar move to provide iTunes access to more European countries.


Coastal NI under threat from melting Arctic Rising sea levels could put many of Northern Irelands most vulnerable coastal areas under threat if carbon dioxide emissions are not cut immediately, a new report has claimed.


Kumble, Kartik check Australia after Indian batting collapse: Sports India, Cricket: Mumbai, Nov 4 : Spinners Anil Kumble and Murli Kartik Thursday bowled well to restrict Australia #39;s first innings to 203, a lead of 99, and make up for another Indian batting collapse on the second day of the fourth and final


Spurrier #39;s decision not that surprising Steve Spurrier obviously did a lot of soul-searching over the last two weeks, and his decision to withdraw his name from consideration for the Florida job comes down to the fact that Florida


Robbo focused on fight ahead As well as taking part in the Uefa Cup - Robbo #39;s first game in charge is tonight against Schalke - the Gorgie club are also surrounded by an ongoing controversy about where they will play in the future.


Eagles #39; Westbrook listed as questionable Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook is listed as questionable for Sunday #39;s Keystone State showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.


Peugeot and Citroen to quit WRC Although the Ford Motor Company has committed itself to the FIA World Rally Championship for the next four years, the Citroen and Peugeot teams have decided that they are not going to continue, at least as long as the WRC remains as expensive as is


Nets sign Lawrence Frank to four-year contract extension The deal was announced by the team Thursday, about 12 hours after the worst opening-night loss in Nets #39; history, 100-77 to Shaquille O #39;Neal and the Miami Heat.


Minister says three British soldiers killed in Iraq LONDON - Three British soldiers in the Black Watch regiment, the forces moved closer to the Iraqi capital to back up American troops, have been killed in an attack, the government said Thursday.


Israeli military commander of Gaza quits Israel #39;s military commander of the Gaza Strip area, Brig.-Gen. Shmuel Zakai, announced his resignation Thursday amid a leaked media report scandal.


BellSouth, SBC in new JV; to buy YellowPages.com NEW YORK, November 4 (newratings.com) - SBC Communications Inc (SBC.NYS) and BellSouth Corporation (BLS) have agreed to acquire the online directory publisher, www.


Pfizer Shares Fall on Report of Celebrex Deaths Pfizer Inc. #39;s shares fell as much as 6.2 percent on Thursday on a Canadian newspaper report linking its arthritis drug Celebrex to 14 deaths.


Gates: Microsoft Launches MSN Music In Eight New Nations Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) launched its MSN music download service in eight new European countries on Thursday. The software colossus made the move a mere week after iTunes, the category killer


Researchers Grow Sperm Nursery Cells from Mice US researchers said on Friday they had found sperm nursery cells in mice, grown them in lab dishes and used them to father baby mice.


First Gamma Ray Image Summary - (Nov 4, 2004) European astronomers have produced the first image of an object using high energy gamma rays - the most penetrating form of radiation known.


Spurrier withdraws from Florida coaching search After spending more than a week thinking about it, Spurrier decided Thursday to remove his name from consideration to replace Ron Zook.


Peugeot, Citroen will withdraw at com staff writers. The parent company of Peugeot and Citroen has announce that due to the economy affecting the car market, they will withdraw from World Rally Championship competition at the end of the 2005 season.


Benitez delight after crucial win Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez admitted victory against Deportivo La Coruna was vital in their tight Champions League group. Jorge Andrade #39;s early own goal gave Liverpool a 1-0 win.


Argentina #39;s Sorin joins Villarreal Argentina left back Juan Pablo Sorin has joined Villarreal from Cruzeiro, the Spanish club said on its website. Villarreal said Sorin #39;s contract will run until 2008 although it gave no details of a transfer fee.


Altria CEO Says May Split Company The chief executive officer of Altria Group Inc. (MO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said the maker of Marlboro cigarettes and parent of Kraft Foods Inc.


Fremont Settles Mutual Fund Timing Case Fremont Investment Advisors of San Francisco has agreed to pay \$2.1 million in restitution and \$2 million in civil penalties to end a mutual fund timing case, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer announced Thursday.


Freddie Mac says 30-year mortgage rate rose to 5.7 Mortgage rates increased this week for the first time in a month, while holding close to the lowest since early April, according to Freddie Mac.


GM Recalls 1.5 Million Vehicles in North America General Motors Corp. has recalled nearly 1.5 million vehicles in North America, including 946,817 sport utility vehicles, to fix tail lights that could loosen and flicker, the automaker said on Thursday.


Hubble spots triple eclipse on Jupiter Three large moons hang in the daytime sky above Jupiter in a newly released image, casting a trio of shadows on the planet. Such a triple eclipse occurs only once or twice per decade.


Nokia plots enterprise move Phone maker Nokia has detailed moves that it hopes will make it the supplier of choice for mobile email and messaging devices for corporates.


Kenyon slams  #39;weak #39; FA over Mutu ban Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has criticised the seven-month ban handed out to Adrian Mutu, claiming the FA had shown themselves to be  #39;weak over the issue of drugs #39;.


India claw their way back after batting collapse Mumbai: India clawed back after a miserable batting display to restrict Australia #39;s first innings lead to 99 runs and keep themselves afloat in the fourth and final cricket Test here on Thursday.


Turin Winter Games President to Resign The president of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games is to offer his resignation because he no longer has the support of the Italian government.


3 British troops killed in Iraq Three British soldiers who had recently been deployed to provide cover for US troops in Iraq have been killed in an attack, according to the government.


Dr Kalam pays tribute to the late UAE president Dubai, Nov 3 (UNI) President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam paid glowing tributes to the late President of the UAE His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and said that the UAE has lost its father figure.


Update 4: European Central Bank Keeps Rates Unchanged The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday, saying high oil prices meant uncertain prospects for Europe #39;s economic recovery.


BellSouth, SBC Communications to purchase YellowPages.com ATLANTA BellSouth and San Antonio-based SBC Communications are joining forces in an effort to lead the way in Internet-based phone directories.


Intel and Microsoft to spread  quot;Digital Joy quot; for the holidays Intel and Microsoft are reportedly teaming up for a year-end marketing blitz to educate consumers about new digital entertainment-oriented PCs and other associated gadgets.


Apple also announces European version of iTunes Music Store and <b>...</b> Soon, Canada will finally get its own iTunes digital music store. The long-expected announcement came at a press conference held in California last week.


Mets introduce Randolph as skipper The Mets introduced Willie Randolph as their new manager Thursday afternoon, giving the Brooklyn native a big welcome in a press conference at Shea Stadium #39;s Diamond Club.


Strike vote called at Disney World Union leaders at central Florida #39;s Walt Disney World have asked its rank and file to vote to approve a strike because contract negotiations have stalled.


Centuries-Old Makeup Reveals Roman Beauty Secrets an ancient Roman beauty cream made of refined animal fat and tin-oxide -- have recreated the formula. They found that contains


Nicotine Addiction Gene Identified Researchers say they have identified brain cell receptors that appear to be responsible for nicotine addiction, a finding of clear importance for smokers who are desperately trying to kick the habit.


Microsoft: Security requires teamwork Microsoft said Thursday that it is enjoying success with its campaign to increase IT security for customers of its products worldwide.


BT Reaches New Broadband Heights UK telecom giant BT announced its best-ever quarter in terms of wholesale broadband connections. In the three months to Sept. 30, the carrier had more than 600,000 new connections.


Capriati Hangs On to Stay in WTA Championships Race, Sharapova <b>...</b> All three seeds in action won Wednesday at the WTA stop in Philadelphia in (3) Maria  quot;Cell Phone Mannequin quot; Sharapova (d.


Ba #39;asyir dismisses bombing charges as  #39;joke #39; The elderly Muslim cleric who is on trial for the bombings in Bali and at the JW Mariott Hotel in Jakarta, Abu Bakar Ba #39;asyir, mocked the court on Thursday and challenged it to pile on the charges.


Asia views Bush victory as boost for war on terror Most Asian countries yesterday hailed the re-election of George W. Bush as a boost for the global  quot;war on terror, quot; but some asked the US president to look beyond to other issues as he begins a fresh four-year term.


Genzyme to buy back rights Genzyme Corp. of Cambridge, Mass., agreed Thursday to buy back the sales and marketing rights for Synvisc, a pain treatment for people suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee, from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals of Collegeville, Pa.


Update 1: Asset Writedown Leads to \$3.4B MCI Loss MCI Inc., one of the nation #39;s biggest long-distance operators, lost \$3.4 billion in the third quarter of 2004 due to a previously announced asset writedown of \$3.


Nokia says handset market to slow, share to rise HELSINKI--The world #39;s largest mobile phone maker, Nokia, expects slowing mobile phone growth in 2005 but plans to launch more handsets next year and take market share, the firm said on Thursday.


You mean we can alienate customers AND throw money down a rathole? <b>...</b> Odd, I don #39;t recall registering as a Republican ... : Looks like the e-voting machines used in Tuesday #39;s election weren #39;t as problem-free as their manufacturers would have us beleive.


Film Association To File Lawsuits Against Online Movie Swappers LOS ANGELES -- The Motion Picture Association of America announced Thursday it will work with its members and other film studios to file lawsuits against people who have illegally traded digital copies of movies over the Internet.


Debate Rages over Sun Open Source Plans Sun Microsystems is scheduled to launch Solaris 10, the newest version of its Unix-based operating system, on November 15th. But the fate of a plan to release an open-source version remains unclear.


United Need to Be in Ruud Health Ruud van Nistelrooys four-goal haul against Sparta Prague has only underlined his huge importance to Manchester United - and when his fortunes rise and dip so too do his teams.


Lecavalier signs with Russian team, says Richards headed there <b>...</b> Vincent Lecavalier signed with a Russian team Thursday to play during the NHL lockout and said Tampa Bay Lightning teammate Brad Richards will be joining him.


Arafat in grave condition PARIS -- French doctors say Yasser Arafat is still alive, though his condition  quot;has become more complex. quot;. Earlier, Luxembourg #39;s prime minister told reporters as he arrived at a summit in Brussels that Arafat had died.


Father of soldier in anxious wait A father of a Black Watch soldier has spoken of his worry for his son #39;s safety following reports that three soldiers have been killed in Iraq.


Pfizer #39;s Bextra Faces  #39;Headline Risk #39; Prudential Equity Group maintained a  quot;neutral weight quot; rating on Pfizer (nyse: PFE - news - people ) after Canadian news reports surfaced linking its arthritis drug Celebrex with cardiovascular side effects.


Altria Prepares Possible Split, Shares Up Altria Group Inc. (MO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) has begun preparing itself for a possible break-up, once tobacco lawsuit hurdles are cleared, to realize fair value for


BellSouth, SBC Buy YellowPages.com SBC and BellSouth are teaming to provide national online yellow pages and local Internet search to beat back a challenge from Google (Quote, Chart), Yahoo (Quote, Chart) and others.


Hollywood studios to sue computer users for online films piracy Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), formed by major Hollywood movie studios, said Thursday it seeks to sue computer users suspected of illegally distributing movies over the Internet.


Intel, Microsoft To Debut  #39;Digital Joy #39; Campaign Microsoft corporate Vice President Tom Button said his companu and Intel want consumers to realize how PCs can help them get the most out of their entertainment experiences, from digital movies and music to photos and TV programs.


IBM: Practice Makes Perfect for the SOA Initiated IBM #39;s Global Services division has created a practice to help customers with Web services management tools scale to larger service-oriented architectures (SOA).


Randolph introduced as Mets manager The Mets introduced the longtime New York Yankees coach as their new manager Thursday at Shea Stadium. Randolph takes over from Art Howe, fired at the end of the season.


Three Black Watch soldiers dead Defence minister Adam Ingram today told MPs that three members of the Black Watch regiment had been killed in central Iraq. Mr Ingram was unable to give details of the incident in his Commons statement but


Greece protests US move of recognizing Macedonia Greece on Thursday sharply protesteda US decision to recognize the former Yugoslav state on its northern border as  quot;Macedonia quot;, the same name as a northern Greek province where Alexander the Great was born.


Jurors Begin 2nd Phase Of Enron-Merrill Lynch Trial Houston -- Jurors returned to a Houston federal court Thursday to begin the second phase of the Enron-Merrill Lynch fraud and conspiracy trial.


Ontario Finance Minister Says Deficit Is Unchanged at C\$2.2 Bln Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara said government spending and revenue rose almost equally in the first six months of the fiscal year, leaving the provincial budget deficit unchanged


Hollywood launches legal assault on illegal movie downloaders LOS ANGELES, Nov 4 (AFP) - Hollywood studios on Thursday launched a major new legal onslaught against online film piracy, announcing that they are suing people who illegally download movies from the Internet.


quot;World of Warcraft #39; debuts Nov. 23. Blizzard Entertainment has confirmed that World of Warcraft, its highly anticipated online world title, will debut on Nov. 23.


Drug Test Sidelines Mutu for Seven Months Romanian soccer star Adrian Mutu as he arrives at the British Football Association in London, ahead of his disciplinary hearing, Thursday Nov. 4, 2004.


Aussie-India test could be over in three days BOMBAY: Australia #39;s Jason Gillespie produced a superb spell of pace bowling to help rout India for 104 only for Anil Kumble to keep home hopes alive on the second day of the fourth cricket test overnight.


Yankees happy for Randolph For the first time since 1993, Willie Randolph won #39;t be in a Yankees uniform on Opening Day when New York opens its season next April.


Bush outlines his vision A triumphant George Bush has attempted to reach out to the world, insisting that  quot;every civilised country quot; has a stake in the US-led war on terror.


Microsoft, Intel Want To Bring  #39;Digital Joy #39; To The Home Joy during the holiday season usually comes from family and friends, but this year Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp. want it to also come from the PC.


Telecom Q1 Result On Track Telecom reported first quarter net earnings after tax of \$193 million, an increase of 19.1 percent on the same quarter in 2003. Reported net earnings included an abnormal item of \$10 million relating to the


Celebrex Report Hits Pfizer Shares Shares of Pfizer (PFE:NYSE - news - research) dropped Thursday after a Canadian newspaper reported that the arthritis drug Celebrex is  quot;suspected of contributing to at least 14 deaths.


GM, Ford October Sales Fall, Japanese Up General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday posted weaker US vehicle sales for October due to fewer blow-out incentives as inventories of older model 2004 vehicles declined.


Movie Industry Suing Hundreds Of Alleged Online Pirates A year after the recording industry opened fire on illegal file-sharers with hundreds of lawsuits, the movie industry has followed its lead.


Growth Factors Confer Immortality to Sperm-generating Stem Cells Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have identified the growth factors essential to allow spermatogonial stem cells -- the continually self-renewing cells that produce sperm -- to exist in culture indefinitely.


New Beagle mission plan revealed The details of the next Beagle mission to Mars have been announced by the team behind Beagle 2. Lead Beagle scientist Colin Pilger has outlined plans for putting a new robotic laboratory on the Red Planet.


President of Turin 2006 organising committee resigns: report ROME (AFP) - The president of Turin #39;s organising commmittee (TOROC) for the 2006 winter Olympic Games resigned in protest at what he sees as the Italian government #39;s meddling in the organisation of the Games.


Devil Rays outfielder Baldelli to have surgery St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Tampa Bay Devil Rays centerfielder Rocco Baldelli is scheduled to undergo knee surgery on Friday.


PGA got it right naming Lehman Ryder Cup captain Thats my observation following the official announcement Wednesday that Tom Lehman will be the 2006 US Ryder Cup captain. It was a surprising move by the sponsoring PGA


Three UK soldiers killed in central Iraq Three British troops have been killed and others injured in an attack in central Iraq, British Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram confirmed on Thursday.


New bombing raid on rebel I. Coast north, French say two dead ABIDJAN (AFP) - Ivory Coast government forces carried out bombing raids of former rebels on the country #39;s main northern town, Ivory Coast military officials told AFP.


CEO: Altria preparing to break up company NEW YORK (Dow Jones/AP) -- Altria Group Inc. is beginning to make the needed preparations to possibly split up into several parts in order to maximize shareholder value, chairman and chief executive Louis Camilleri said Thursday.


Viacom to bid for Marketwatch com November 4, 2004, 10:28 AM PT. This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


MPAA Targets Movie Downloaders The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) plans to begin filing copyright theft lawsuits Nov. 16 against users of peer-to-peer (P2P) networks who illegally trade movies over the file-swapping networks.


Lab-grown sperm fathers baby mice US researchers say that they have found sperm nursery cells in mice, grown them in lab dishes and used them to father baby mice. They say the development could lead to easier ways to genetically manipulate


Devil Ray Baldelli will undergo knee surgery Tampa Bay center fielder Rocco Baldelli hurt his left knee playing baseball at his Cumberland, RI, home and will undergo surgery on Friday.


Spurrier won #39;t return to Gators Former Florida Coach Steve Spurrier said Thursday he will not be a candidate to replace Ron Zook as coach of the Gators.  quot;I have informed Jeremy Foley, our athletic director, that


Hurricanes looking for defensive improvement Pass pressure has been poor, tackling sloppy and the intensity of earlier this season absent. Players appear tentative, confused and surprisingly ordinary.


Nets sign Lawrence Frank to 4-year contract extension A day after signing his first long-term contract as an NBA head coach, Lawrence Frank wasn #39;t in a mood to celebrate. Between the joy of extending his childhood dream and the news conference to announce it


Israel blocking Arafat burial in Jerusalem Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has reaffirmed that he would block moves to bury Yasser Arafat in Jerusalem, public radio reported Thursday as medical sources said the Palestinian leader was clinically dead.


Crude oil prices climb Crude oil climbed more than \$1 in New York on the re-election of President George W. Bush, who has been filling the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve.


ECB as expected keeps rates at 2 pct, eying euro FRANKFURT - The European Central Bank held interest rates steady as expected on Thursday for the 17th month in a row, uncertain about how resilient the euro zone economy will prove to a strong currency and high oil prices.


Telecom NZ May Report 14 Rise in 1st-Qtr Profit (Update1) Telecom Corp., New Zealand #39;s largest phone company, probably increased first-quarter profit 14 percent as it spent more on marketing and cut prices to lure customers to its mobile and high-speed Internet services.


MCI Reports \$3.4 Billion Loss MCI Inc. (MCIP.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday reported a \$3.4 billion third-quarter loss as it wrote down the value of its assets due to a withering price war for long-distance telephone service.


Viacom to Bid for MarketWatch Viacom Inc. plans to submit a bid to buy financial news provider MarketWatch Inc., according to a filing Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


BellSouth, SBC Communications purchase of YellowPages.com ATLANTA - BellSouth Corp. and SBC Communications Inc. again are joining forces in an effort to lead the way in Internet-based phone directories, with a planned purchase of www.


Fremont settles SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Fremont Investment Advisors agreed Thursday to pay \$4.1 million to settle federal and state regulatory allegations that it permitted market timing and late trading in its funds.


Update 1: Source: Film Industry Suing Computer Users Taking a cue from recording companies, Hollywood movie studios are preparing to file copyright infringement lawsuits against computer users they say are illegally distributing movies online, a source familiar with the studios #39; plans said Wednesday.


IBM ups investment in modular-software push com November 4, 2004, 1:03 PM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been enterprise directories for several months, but for many IT managers, ERP (enterprise resource planning


Microsoft to Help Users Prep for Patching Microsoft will give customers advance notice of its monthly security updates in an effort to help them prepare to install related software patches, the company announced today.


Blizzard Entertainment Announces World of Warcraft  #39;Street Date #39; <b>...</b> IRVINE, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 4, 2004 -- Highly Anticipated Massively Multiplayer Online Game to Release Simultaneously in Multiple Regions for the Holiday Season.


Strong broadband business at BT BT has reported a rising share of net broadband additions during its fiscal second quarter, signalling its position in the business was not as bad as some had analysts had feared.


Shaq tries to put Miami vise on LeBron After a solid performance on an injured leg in his Heat debut, Shaquille ONeal will get to play in front of the home crowd when Miami hosts LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at AmericanAirlines Arena.


A one-Man show: Ruud blasts four past Sparta RUUD van Nistelrooy answered Sir Alex Ferguson #39;s prayers with four goals as Manchester United got its Champions League campaign back on track with a 4-1 win over Sparta Prague yesterday.


Three British soldiers killed in suicide attack Three soldiers of the Black Watch regiment were killed by a suicide car bomb at a checkpoint. One translater was also killed. The attack comes as US forces launched fresh air and artillery strikes on Fallujah


Karzai Pledges Crackdown On Commanders, Drugs 4 November 2004 -- Afghan President-elect Hamid Karzai today pledged to use his five-year term to crack down on commanders and the country #39;s drug economy.


UPDATE 4-Oil eases in post-US election lull Oil prices eased on Thursday, trimming gains from a \$1 rally the previous day following President George W. Bush #39;s US.election victory.


Viacom says it plans to bid for all of MarketWatch NEW YORK, Nov 4 (AFP) - Media-entertainment giant Viacom Inc. expects to make a bid for financial newsgroup MarketWatch Inc., according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing disclosed Thursday.


Altria considers breakup Altria Group Inc., the parent company of cigarette maker Philip Morris and Kraft Foods Inc., may split into three separate units to improve shareholder value, according to Chief Executive Louis Camilleri.


Molecule may be key to nicotine addiction WASHINGTON - California researchers fiddled with a single gene to create mice hypersensitive to nicotine, pointing to a single molecule partly to blame for nicotines addictive allure.


IT expert eyes RP as Internet program hub A Sun Microsystems executive expressed confidence that highly skilled workers in the Philippines and in Vietnam will make the two countries the center for the development of the Internet program Java in Southeast Asian.


Ruud and Roy Special MUCH as Ruud van Nistelrooy (left) enjoys playing in the Champions League, Sir Alex Ferguson enjoys seeing his star striker perform like he did against Sparta Prague.


Brennan to leave Vermont job after season Tom Brennan, longtime Vermont basketball coach, announced Thursday that he will leave the job after the 2004-05 season.  quot;This will mark 19 of the most wonderful years of my life


Palestinians Transferring Arafat #39;s Financial Power PARIS -- Palestinian officials are starting to transfer some of Yasser Arafat #39;s power, as the longtime leader #39;s health appears to be deteriorating.


Bush says main objective in Iraq is free elections _ President Bush insists it #39;s not a waste of time to try to promote freedom in places like Iraq and other parts of the Middle East.


OPEC to monitor impact of US election on oil prices JAKARTA: OPEC president Purnomo Yusgiantoro said Thursday the cartel would monitor any impact from the re-election of US President George W. Bush on oil prices.


Qwest posts quarterly loss after SEC settlement WASHINGTON, DC--Qwest Communications, the No. 4 US local telephone company, reported a third-quarter loss on Thursday due to a decline in revenue and having settled charges with US regulators.


BellSouth, SBC to Jointly Buy YellowPages BellSouth Corp. and SBC Communications Inc. are expanding their partnership beyond Cingular Wireless with a joint purchase of YellowPages.


Ontario Budget Deficit Is Unchanged at C\$2.2 Billion (Update1) Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara forecast the province will end the current fiscal year with aC\$2.2 billion (\$1.8 billion) budget deficit, unchanged from what he predicted in May.


Movie Industry Targets The Internet In Piracy Battle The movie industry on Thursday said it plans to start suing later this month people who have illegally swapped movies on the Internet, saying the practice represents the greatest economic threat ever faced by the industry.


Microsoft Adds Europe to Download Music Service Apple #39;s iTunes store currently has coverage in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.


Turin Olympics chief organizer resigns, citing power struggle The chief organizer of the 2006 Turin Olympics is quitting in a power struggle with the Italian government, just 15 months before the start of the Winter Games.


VfB Stuttgart 3-0 Benfica: FT Report STUTTGART, November 4 (UEFA Cup) - VfB Stuttgart went clear at the top of Group G with a convincing win over Portuguese giants Benfica.


Smoot Happy With Progress of Contract Talks Cornerback Fred Smoot said today that he is enthused by the progress of negotiations with the Washington Redskins on a contract extension and hopes to play his entire career with the team.


EP Socialist Group hails Barroso #39;s revamping efforts President of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament (EP) Martin Schulz on Thursday hailed the efforts by incoming President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso in revamping his team for approval.


Altria Preparing for Possible Split-Up Altria Group Inc. (MO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) has begun preparing itself for a possible break-up to gain fuller market value for its businesses, its chief executive


Linux #39;s Latest Moneymaker NEW YORK - A Salt Lake City startup called Linux Networx has just closed a second round of venture funding for a staggering \$40 million, further proof of investors #39; appetite for Linux as a solid, high-growth alternative to Windows and Unix.


Spurrier Won #39;t Be Back Next Year Former Gator football coach Steve Spurrier will not be back coaching the Gators next fall. In a statement released just before noon, Spurrier said that he told Athletic Director Jeremy


Israel and Palestinians brace for worst with Arafat  #39;brain dead #39; JERUSALEM : Political leaders in Israel and the West Bank steeled themselves for the end of the Yasser Arafat era as the vanguard of the Palestinian nationalist struggle for the past four decades lay brain dead in a Paris hospital.


How Europe Sees It Europeans were right. It was a world election. They favored Kerry, roughly 6-1. Now they must live with the result. Europeans opposed Bush largely because they believe his


Nokia Says Handset Market to Slow, Share to Rise Nokia (NOK1V.HE: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s largest mobile phone maker, expects slowing mobile phone growth in 2005 but plans to launch


Sears Sales Rise on Appliance Strength Sears, Roebuck  amp; Co. (SN: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said sales at stores open at least a year rose 1.9 percent in October, breaking a string of six straight monthly declines, helped by growth in appliances.


Movie Studios Plan Lawsuits This Month Against Online Pirates LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood studios say they will file hundreds of lawsuits later this month against individuals who swap pirated copies of movies over the Internet.


Sperm Stem Cells May Treat Infertility Nov. 4, 2004 -- Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania have successfully grown stem cells that make sperm, which could eventually lead to new treatments for male infertility.


Phishing Without a Lure While the victims of the latest phishing technique may not have to click on a link to be victimized by the effort to steal information, the attack is similar to traditional phishing scams because


Ivory Coast Warplanes Bomb Rebel City Ivory Coast warplanes bombed the largest city of the rebel-held north in wave after wave of attacks Thursday, breaking a more than year-old cease-fire in the civil war that split West Africa #39;s one-time economic powerhouse.


UN envoy warns of deteriorating security situation in western <b>...</b> The security situation in Sudan #39;s troubled western region of Darfur would further deteriorate as both the Sudanese government and the region #39;s rebelgroups seem to


Manulife 3rd-Qtr Profit Rises on Hancock Purchase (Update1) Manulife Financial Corp., Canada #39;s biggest insurer, said third-quarter profit rose 81 percent, bolstered by its C\$19 billion (\$16 billion) acquisition of John Hancock Financial Services in the US.


NY state economic development agency approves proposal NEW YORK -- A proposal for a \$1.4 billion stadium for the New York Jets professional football team inched ahead on Thursday as the Empire State Development Corp.