Bill Gates remains atop list of richest: Forbes Washington, Sept. 24: Bill Gates kept his ranking atop the richest people in the United States, boosting his worth to 48 billion dollars, but investor Warren Buffett, edged closer, Forbes magazine said today.


Morningstar Says SEC Is Investigating Data for Fund (Update2) Morningstar Inc., a US research firm used by 3 million investors to decide what mutual funds to buy, said the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the company for publishing incorrect performance data for a fund.


Hackers Smell Blood In Common Windows Interface Since Wednesday, a rising tide of attacks which could precede the arrival of a new worm have been attempting to exploit the Windows GDI (graphic device interface) for JPEG files, according to the Internet Storm Center, Bethesda, MD.


Now showing: The galactic storm HILO, Hawai #39;i - Scientists released images yesterday of a collision of two galaxy clusters as they crash into each other like immense storm systems, a process that releases more energy than anything but the Big Bang itself.


E-Biz sites hit with targeted attacks, extortion threats SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - A distributed denial-of-service attack that disrupted Web-based systems at credit card payment processing firm Authorize.


OPA Generational Media Study Yields Interesting Results This week the Online Publishers Association (OPA) announced the results of its latest Generational Media Study, designed to provide a detailed view of the 18 to 34 year-old media consumer.


Cup hero Monty misses cut at The Heritage Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie came down to earth with a bump on Friday when he missed the cut at The Heritage. There was better news, however, for forgotten


Klinsmann #39;s style irritates German FA officials Juergen Klinsmann has made it clear since taking over as Germany coach that he wants to run the team his own way, and not everybody likes it.


Pakistan, India leaders vow cooperation The leaders of India and Pakistan met Friday and promised measures to gradually ease tensions between their nations and explore a peaceful settlement for the disputed Kashmir region.


Chechen Rebel Leader Blames Rival for School Massacre Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov has denied being involved in the Russian school hostage-taking and said another rebel chief, Shamil Basayev, should stand trial for staging it.


Irans nuclear stubbornness by RN Security and Defence editor Hans de Vreij, 24 September 2004. Iran and the United Nations remain on collision course as Tehran sticks by its refusal to end its uranium enrichment programme.


Shell evacuates staff from Nigerian delta conflict Anglo-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch/Shell has evacuated non-essential staff from two flow stations in the Niger delta, where government forces have been attacking rebel militia, a company spokesman said on Friday.


British envoy again blasts Kenya on graft Britain #39;s ambassador to Kenya renewed criticism on Friday that Nairobi lacked the will to stamp out corruption, the latest salvo in a simmering diplomatic spat between Kenya and its international donors.


Security Tight for Afghanistan #39;s Presidential Inauguration As Afghanistan prepares to swear in its first popularly elected president, Afghan and US forces are launching a winter operation to contain anti-government insurgents threatening the new government.


Fingerprint ID Firm Cogent Soars in Debut  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Cogent Inc. COGT.O soared  50 percent in their market debut on Friday after the  fingerprint identification company's initial public offering  priced at the top end of its range.


Priceat Issue With PlayStation Portable (AP) AP - Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Portable, which goes on sale in Japan later this year and overseas next spring, boasts the superb image quality of its home-console counterpart.


Japan Game Makers Count on Mobile Gear for Growth (Reuters) Reuters - Japanese game makers, faced\with a shrinking local market and increasing competition from\overseas rivals, are pinning hopes on mobile platforms such as\handheld machines and cellphones to stir up demand.


Great White Shark Gets Satellite Tracker (AP) AP - Researchers put a satellite tracking device on a 15-foot shark that appeared to be lost in shallow water off Cape Cod, the first time a great white has been tagged that way in the Atlantic.


Japan Game Makers Count on Mobile Gear for Growth  MAKUHARI, Japan (Reuters) - Japanese game makers, faced  with a shrinking local market and increasing competition from  overseas rivals, are pinning hopes on mobile platforms such as  handheld machines and cellphones to stir up demand.


Bosnia Mass Grave Yields 182 Bodies, More Expected  KEVLJANI, Bosnia (Reuters) - Forensic experts said Friday  they had found remains of 182 people, believed to have been  wartime prisoners killed by Bosnian Serb forces, in a mass  grave in western Bosnia and that they expected to find more.


Preaching beyond the Mac faithful In the past three weeks, shares of Apple Computer Inc. have flirted with all-time highs after a wave of reports from investment houses like Piper Jaffray, Merrill Lynch and JP Morgan issued glowing projections about the Cupertino firm #39;s future.


Singer Cat Stevens Demands Probe Into Deportation  LONDON (Reuters) - Yusuf Islam, the singer-song writer  formerly known as Cat Stevens, Friday demanded an inquiry into  why the United States labeled him a security risk and deported  him.


Hurricane Jeanne Takes Aim at Florida WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Hurricane Jeanne trekked westward Friday on a path that could lead to Florida's east coast by Sunday, setting off another round of storm preparations in a state still reeling from three earlier strikes...


6 Egyptians, 2 Iraqis Kidnapped in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen abducted six Egyptians and four Iraqis working for Iraq's mobile phone company, seizing two in a bold raid on the firm's Baghdad office and the others outside the capital, officials said Friday, the latest in a string of kidnappings that have underscored the country's fragile security.    Also Friday, mortars exploded near the Italian Embassy in Baghdad, slightly wounding three Iraqis, the Foreign Ministry in Rome said...


EU seeks decision on Oracle-PeopleSoft deal by next month LONDON, September 24 (newratings.com) - The European Commission has expressed its intention to reach a final decision on Oracle Corporation #39;s (ORCL.


CONGRESS PASSES TAX CUT BILL Election year politics result in the passing of a multi-billion dollar tax cut package. The Senate overwhelmingly approved the measure 92-3 last night.


Stocks Set to Open Mixed Stocks were set to start mixed on Friday, as traders absorb a small drop in durable goods orders and the higher price of oil. On Thursday, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 70.


New Microsoft spam lawsuit takes different tack In addition to its recent failed attempts at making its Sender ID framework a standard,  #39;Net-wide solution to the problem of spam, Microsoft has also filed over 100 lawsuits against the spammers themselves.


Increase your breast measurements by this ringtone Some of the silly tunes Japanese pay to download to use as the ring tone for their mobile phones sure have their knockers, but it #39;s for precisely that reason that a well-known counselor is raking it in at the moment, according to Shukan Gendai (10/2).


Bowden Bowl not fun for the Bowdens When Clemson finally beat Florida State in an Atlantic Coast Conference game last season, Tommy Bowden #39;s celebration was noticeably subdued.


Tennis: Grand Slam showdown set as Sharapova faces Kuznetsova in <b>...</b> BEIJING : Maria Sharapova will have Russian pride as well as a small measure of revenge in mind when she faces fellow Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova Saturday in the semi-finals of the 585,000 US dollar China Open.


March to glory A boisterous crowd of at least 50,000 was packed five-deep along Melbourne #39;s Flinders St to catch a glimpse of the Lions and arch rivals Port Adelaide ahead of today #39;s AFL grand final.


SBY puts victory celebrations on ice FIVE days after Indonesia #39;s first presidential election, neither candidate has claimed victory or conceded defeat, even though it is now clear President Megawati Sukarnoputri cannot possibly win.


Longtime Blackhawks Coach Billy Reay Dies (AP) AP - Billy Reay, who played on two Stanley Cup champions with Montreal and became the winningest coach in Chicago Blackhawks' history, died at 86.


Former Knight Assistant Accepts  #36;35,000 (AP) AP - Indiana University agreed to pay  #36;35,000 to former basketball assistant Ron Felling, who was fired by Bob Knight after a postgame confrontation in 1999.


Zaballa in Breakaway Stage Win  COLLADO VILLALBA, Spain (Reuters) - Spain's Constantino  Zaballa, riding for the Saunier Duval team, broke away early in  the day for an easy win in Friday's 19th stage of the Tour of  Spain over Avila and Collado Villalba.


PC makers begin holiday desktop onslaught No, apparently it's not too early to think about holiday shopping. Gateway, HP and others are prepping new PCs for store shelves...


USAir Looks for 23 Percent Union Pay Cut (Reuters) Reuters - US Airways Group Inc.  will\ask a bankruptcy court on Friday to impose emergency pay cuts\of 23 percent on unionized workers if an agreement with the\workers is not reached during the day.


Airbus drops out of Microsoft case Airbus has withdrawn its request to intervene in Microsoft #39;s antitrust appeal--a blow to the software giant #39;s efforts to show that the European Commission #39;s ruling will have effects far beyond the IT industry.


Japan Game Makers Count on Mobile Gear for Growth Japanese game makers, faced with a shrinking local market and increasing competition from overseas rivals, are pinning hopes on mobile platforms such as handheld machines and cellphones to stir up demand.


India, Pakistan Leaders Hail New Chapter in Ties The leaders of India and Pakistan on Friday hailed a new era in often fraught relations between the two south Asian nuclear rivals and agreed to study a joint pipeline project as part of closer economic ties.


Congress delivers 146-billion-dollar tax cut WASHINGTON : Congress approved a 146-billion-dollar tax cut endorsed by both President George W. Bush and his rival John Kerry but criticized as a budget buster by some economists.


Morningstar under SEC probe for incorrect data The SEC is looking into whether the financial-information provider failed to correct inaccurate data it published regarding a single mutual fund in a timely manner.


Report: EU Close To OK #39;ing Oracle Takeover Of PeopleSoft Amid reports that the European Commission is poised to approve Oracle #39;s proposed takeover of PeopleSoft, a spokesperson for the European Union said Friday that the EU #39;s competition commissioner, Mario Monti, would like to finish the case before he leaves


Progress Energy cuts outlook Power company Progress Energy Inc. lowered its 2004 earnings outlook Friday because damage from Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan limits the amount of tax credits the company can claim for its synthetic fuel production.


Scanner Tool Released To Thwart JPEG Attack With security experts predicting a large-scale worm attack is only a matter of days away, Microsoft (Quote, Chart) has released a scanning tool to help users identify vulnerable versions of the GDI libraries that handle JPEG processing.


Galaxies rent asunder in huge cosmic collision An international team of astronomers has observed the perfect cosmic storm: the most powerful collision of two galactic clusters ever recorded.


Microsoft: Windows XP SP2 downloads  #39;on target #39; Microsoft is still confident of hitting its target of 100 million Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) downloads by the end of next month.


Cyclist Richard Virenque retires Paris, France (Sports Network) - French cycling star Richard Virenque announced Friday that he is retiring. Virenque was known for his fierce mountain climbs, but his cycling career was also tainted by his


Soccer: Wenger pledges future to Gunners LONDON : Arsene Wenger has confirmed that he intends to sign an extension to his contract at Arsenal, ending speculation that he could be lured away from Highbury to become the new Real Madrid coach.


Ailing Dutch soccer opts for play-off system AMSTERDAM - The Dutch football association KNVB announced on Friday that starting from the 2005-06 season, a play-off system will be introduced in the Premier Division to determine which teams qualifies for the Champions League and the UEFA Cup.


Zarqawi steers media, targets Blair over hostage In grinding out the agony of British hostage Kenneth Bigley in Iraq, his captors have shown media skill and chilling political calculation to exert maximum pressure on Prime Minister Tony Blair.


Russia Terrorism Plan Meets Mixed Reviews UNITED NATIONS Sept. 24, 2004 - China on Friday welcomed a Russian draft resolution to draw up a new list of terror suspects who would be subject to extradition in a stepped-up global campaign against terrorism.


Ashford Hospitality a Welcome Find The hotel REIT's increasing dividend demonstrates that management's innovative business model is succeeding.


WWE's Customizable PPV The organization will let fans help call the shots on an upcoming pay-per-view event.


Commerce One Sinking Fast The dot-bomb survivor is down to its last \$700,000. Also: Viacom partners with a second Chinese media company   hellip;. Boeing downplays the speed of the airplane market's recovery   hellip;. and more.


Farmers  #39;Cry Wolf #39; Over Losses to Predators Sept. 23, 2004 - Cougars, wolves, lions and other predators inflict relatively few losses on livestock and farmers gain only a temporary boost if these marauders are culled, the British weekly New Scientist announced Wednesday.


Billy Reay, Hawks #39; winningest coach, dead at 86 Billy Reay, the winningest coach in Blackhawks history and a two-time Stanley Cup champion as a player, died Thursday at age 86. Reay, who had suffered from cancer


A touch of Michigan Under Kirk Ferentz, Hawkeyes find success with <b>...</b> Four hundred fifty miles of Midwestern highway separate Iowa City from Ann Arbor, but the football programs at the University of Michigan and Iowa are much closer than that.


Check this out Two 2-0 teams, Terrell Owens and Steve Mariucci make the Eagles-Lions matchup about as attractive to Bay Area fans as an early-season game not involving the 49ers or Raiders can be.


Behind the hostage crisis Nobody could fail to be moved by Lil Bigley #39;s televised plea to Iraqi militants to have mercy on her son Ken, the 62-year-old British contractor who has been held by the Tawhid and Jihad Group for the past week.


Nigerian President Says AU Willing to Send 3,000 Troops to Darfur Nigeria #39;s President Olusegun Obasanjo says the African Union is ready to send 3,000 troops to Sudan #39;s western Darfur region.


Bombers target oil facilities; 2 sailors killed Suicide attackers detonated explosive-laden boats near oil facilities in the Persian Gulf on Saturday, killing two US Navy sailors in a new tactic against Iraq #39;s vital oil industry.


UN Official Suggests More Autonomy for Darfur The chief of the United Nations refugee agency says the Sudanese government should grant more autonomy to Darfur to help end a conflict that has claimed some 50,000 lives.


Commerce One Sinking Fast Commerce One, an internet software maker valued at \$20 billion at the peak of dot-com mania, is poised to go to a pauper #39;s grave.


Legendary NHL coach Reay passes away Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - William T.  quot;Billy quot; Reay, the winningest coach in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks, passed away on Thursday afternoon in Madison, Wisconsin.


Chiefs head coach Vermeil apologizes for remark about running back Coach Dick Vermeil of the Kansas City Chiefs apologized for his belittling remark about running back Larry Johnson. Vermeil had said it was time for Johnson  quot;to take the diaper off


India, Pak replace hot air with gas pipeline NEW YORK: The prospect of a mutually beneficial gas pipeline through Pakistan to India has supplanted the hot air of bilateral bickering between two countries.


Backflipping into controversial art (Friday 24 September 2004) Controversy surrounding a current art exhibition (earlier reports here) being held in Berlin has deepened after an unusual stunt pulled on Wednesday by a German gymnast, said to be protesting over the dark legacy which is attached to the artworks on


Dallas vs. Seattle SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Mike Holmgren and Bill Parcells oppose each other for the first time since Super Bowl XXXI on Monday night when the Seattle Seahawks host the Dallas Cowboys.


'A Massive Experiment' In Voting (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Trust the computer. That's what Maryland told Linda Schade.


WWF Calls for Ban in Trade of Great White Sharks (Reuters) Reuters - A leading environmental group called\Friday for protection for the great white shark and humphead\wrasse coral fish, whose numbers have plunged because of\overfishing and China's growing appetite for exotic foods.


Banning the Bible to Get Out the Vote There have been some rumors floating around lately about an RNC ad that is being sent to people living in the Bible Belt about how 'liberals' want to "ban the Bible" (what that really means, I don't know, but there you have it).  It ain't a rumor folks, this is U.S. Presidential Campaign 2004, at its finest.


Unions agree to Alitalia #39;s plan to split into two LONDON, September 24 (newratings.com) - Italian airline company, Alitalia (ALI.FSE), has reached an agreement with eight trade unions to support the plans to split the company into two separate entities, while the ninth and last union is expected to


Boeing downplays jet market upturn forecasts by Airbus NEW YORK, September 24 (newratings.com) - Boeing Company #39;s (BA.NYS) Chief Executive Officer, Harry Stonecipher, said today that the European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, was exaggerating the pace of the recovery in the commercial jet market.


Airbus withdraws Microsoft backing in EU suit Airbus has withdrawn a filing that gave support for Microsoft in an antitrust case before the European Union #39;s Court of First Instance, a source close to the situation said on Friday.


Kenya to get delayed loan from IMF Kenya has met all economic conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which could result in the release of a delayed loan to the east African country, a visiting IMF mission announced here Friday.


Week in review: Dig that crazy beat Several major forces in the music industry changed their tunes this week, as industry giants and niche players alike try to stay on top of the fast-changing market.


Thin glaciers get thinner in Antarctica Some of Antarctica #39;s glaciers are melting faster than snow can replace them, enough to raise sea levels measurably, scientists have reported.


MS Sues Web Hoster Over Spam Microsoft dons its lawyers with shining armor as it goes after 9 more companies responsible for SPAM, including some for hosting companies which send unsolicited mail and offer to protect them.


ComReg calms auto-dialler storm Auto-dialler programmes have plagued Irish phone users since the beginning of the year. The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has received some 300 phones calls from consumers regarding excessive


Red Hat exec takes Sun to task on open source com September 24, 2004, 10:11 AM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half.


Cricket: Lara in target range of pacemen LONDON - England will target Brian Lara in the Champions Trophy final after the West Indies captain was felled by a delivery from Shoaib Akhtar in the semifinals.


Wenger committed to Arsenal Arsene Wenger has once again moved to reassure fans that he is staying at Arsenal and has promised he will sign his new contract before the year is out.


Report: Dolphins win grievance against Williams Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Former Dolphins running back Ricky Williams was ordered by an arbitrator Friday to pay a huge sum of money to Miami, which filed a grievance against the star after he retired just prior to training camp this season.


Soccer: Nedved calls time on Czechs PRAGUE : Juventus star Pavel Nedved has told the Czech Republic football federation he has retired at the age of 32 from international soccer after winning 83 caps.


BISHOPS WORRIED ABOUT ITALIAN HOSTAGES (AGI) - Vatican City, Sept. 24 - In these hours, the  quot;incessant prayer of the Christian community continues quot; for the liberation of the two Italian hostages in Iraq.


Campbell agrees new deal at Highbury Sol Campbell today revealed he has agreed to sign a new long-term contract at Arsenal. The England defender expects to tie up a few loose ends over the next couple of weeks before making an official announcement


IMF May Lend Kenya \$35 Million The International Monetary Fund may release to Kenya a \$35 million loan in December after the country reins in spending on salaries and sets up an anti-corruption commission, a fund official said Friday.


So what is it about Win2k security MS won #39;t enhance? If you want the  #39;security enhancements #39; of Windows XP SP2 but you #39;re running an earlier version of Windows, then you #39;re going to have to upgrade, Microsoft has been confirming to the public prints this week.


Fannie Mae Slides on Accounting Issues (Reuters) Reuters - Fannie Mae  shares fell as much\as 3.5 percent on Friday, bringing losses for the week to about\16 percent, as investors grew wary of potential widespread\accounting problems at the No. 1 U.S. housing finance company.


Fannie Mae Slides on Accounting Issues  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fannie Mae FNM.N shares fell as much  as 3.5 percent on Friday, bringing losses for the week to about  16 percent, as investors grew wary of potential widespread  accounting problems at the No. 1 U.S. housing finance company.


Oil Companies Negotiating for SPR Crude  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two major oil companies and a small  Louisiana refiner are negotiating with the U.S. Department of  Energy to borrow crude from national emergency reserves as  crude production in the Gulf of Mexico only slowly recovers  from Hurricane Ivan, sources said on Friday.


Agreement lets MGM survive merger with Sony Under a definitive agreement reached Thursday by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. and a consortium led by Sony Corporation of America, MGM will continue to operate as a private movie-making company


China Minmetals Begins Talks to Buy Canada #39;s Noranda (Update2) Noranda Inc., Canada #39;s biggest mining company, began exclusive talks on a takeover proposal from China Minmetals Corp. that would lead to the spinoff of Noranda #39;s aluminum business to shareholders.


Symantec plugs holes in firewall Most IT Managers won #39;t question the importance of security, but this priority has been sliding between the third and fourth most important focus for companies.


Williams, Kuznetsova in China Open semi-finals Serena Williams breezed into the China Open semi-finals on Friday when Russia #39;s Nadia Petrova retired with an ankle injury during the second set of their quarterfinals match.


Serie A Review: Round 14 Nothing changed at the top of Serie A as all top teams won their games to keep the distance between one another unaltered. Juventus came back from behind against Lazio to win thanks to another goal by Ibrahimovic


Real lose ground on Barca Real Madrid paid the price for resting key players as a goalless draw at Villarreal saw them fall nine points behind league leaders Barcelona on Sunday.


Group: Illegal Ivory Easy to Get Online (AP) AP - Online sales of illegal ivory are booming in the United States despite a longtime global trade ban, conservationists charge.


So what is it about Win2k security MS <u>won't</u> enhance? Expect clarification soonest


Thus shares plunge after warning Shares in telecoms group Thus drop nearly 25  as worries about stiff competition force the company to issue a profit warning.


Nova Scotia Court Allows Gay Marriages (AP) AP - Nova Scotia became the sixth Canadian province or territory to allow gay marriages when the provincial Supreme Court ruled Friday that banning such unions was unconstitutional.


UN official proposes autonomy for Sudan's embattled Darfur region (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - N'DJAMENA, Chad (AP) - The UN High Commissioner for Refugees proposed autonomy for the troubled Darfur region of Sudan - a solution the government has resisted. But it said Friday it would be willing to discuss the position anew in an effort to end the violence that has killed 50,000 people.


US warns of heightened risk of terror attacks in South Korea (AFP) AFP - The United States has warned of heightened risk of terror attacks and violent action on American government facilities and personnel in South Korea following Seoul's dispatch of troops to Iraq.


Bush, Kerry Economic Budgets Exceed  #36;1T (AP) AP - President Bush and Democratic Sen. John Kerry have starkly different economic priorities with a common thread: price tags exceeding  #36;1 trillion that could pump already huge deficits skyward over the next decade.


Officer in Kerry Motorcade Hurt in Pa. (AP) AP - A highway patrol officer traveling Friday with Sen. John Kerry's motorcade fell off his motorcycle and suffered minor injuries.


Fla. Rep. Goss Sworn in As New CIA Chief (AP) AP - In an Oval Office ceremony, Porter Goss was sworn in Friday to head the CIA and lead an intelligence community which has faced intense criticism for failures and faulty information prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the Iraq war.


U.S. Sees Chances of Saddam Trial in 2004 'Remote'  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The chances of trying former Iraqi  leader Saddam Hussein in 2004 are remote, a U.S. official said  Friday, casting doubt on remarks by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi  who said the trial could begin as early as October.


Kerry faults Bush over Bin Laden John Kerry says President Bush was wrong to pursue Saddam Hussein instead of Osama Bin Laden.


Prince Harry set for army career Prince Harry will join the army in early 2005 after passing his Sandhurst entrance exams, says Clarence House.


Bahamas put on hurricane warning The Bahamas and Florida are readying themselves for the latest savage hurricane to hit the region.


U.N. Aid in Haiti Held Up by Lack of Help From Government The United Nations began distributing about 40 tons of food from two different places in Gonaves today.


Kerry Attacks Bush's Handling of Campaign Against Terror Senator John Kerry said attacks were on the rise and the Bush administration was "in confusion" about how to respond.


Official: Iraq Elections Are Open to All WASHINGTON - The No. 2 official at the State Department said Friday that the elections planned for January in Iraq must be "open to all citizens," contradicting Defense Secretary Donald H...


Upturn in Oil Prices Leave Stocks Mixed NEW YORK - A fresh upturn in oil prices left stocks mixed Friday even as a satisfactory report on durable goods orders provided new evidence that the economy might be gaining traction. Downbeat outlooks from a pair of microchip makers weighed on tech stocks...


6 Egyptians, 2 Iraqis Kidnapped in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen abducted six Egyptians and four Iraqis working for Iraq's mobile phone company, seizing two in a bold raid on the firm's Baghdad office and the others outside the capital, officials said Friday, the latest in a string of kidnappings that have underscored the country's fragile security.    Also Friday, a rocket hit the busy Baghdad thoroughfare Palestine Street...


Red Hat exec takes Sun to task on open source Michael Tiemann criticizes software rival Sun for its support of patents and for keeping Java proprietary.


Symantec plugs holes in firewall Security specialist issues patches for vulnerabilities that could have allowed denial-of-service attacks against some hardware models.


Crude futures prices continue to climb HOUSTON, Sept. 24 -- Oil futures prices continued to climb Thursday as traders shrugged off a decision by the US Department of Energy to loan two refiners a relatively small amount of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.


SEC Probe of Computer Associates Eyeing Ex-Chief Wang The Securities and Exchange Commission said in its complaint that during the years Charles Wang was in charge of Computer Associates between January 1, 1998, and September


Report: Dolphins Win Grievance Against Williams (Reuters) Reuters - Former Dolphins running back Ricky\Williams was ordered by an arbitrator Friday to pay a huge sum\of money to Miami, which filed a grievance against the star\after he retired just prior to training camp this season.


Google: Searching for the desktop? According ZDNet #39;s survey of IT professionals in August, application development is the last priority, but nonetheless an important one.


Canadian rocket bid put on hold Less than 10 days before its scheduled rocket launch, the da Vinci Project says its bid to win the \$10 million Ansari X Prize is on hold for the next couple of weeks.


HP #39;s Fiorina: Sometimes IT spending is a  #39;bad thing #39; SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Not expecting a rush of IT spending during the last three months of 2004, Hewlett-Packard Co.


Wenger says he #39;s committed to Arsenal and not tempted by Madrid Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said Friday he had no desire to leave the club and planned to sign a new contract to keep him at Highbury until at least 2008.


Williams told to repay Dolphins \$8.6 million Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams was ordered Friday to repay the team more than \$8.6 million for breaching his contract when he suddenly quit before training camp.


Knee Injury Forces Czech Football Captain to Retire Czech Republic football captain Pavel Nedved has announced his retirement from international play. The 32-year-old Nedved said his recurrent knee injury does not allow him to compete for both his club and his country.


Biopic fails to go beyond one-dimensional portrayal of Rose Generally, you won #39;t find a wig listed above the marquee of a movie, but if ESPN wanted to bill the true star of Hu\$tle, a dark and mostly disappointing depiction of Pete Rose #39;s gambling days as Reds manager, it would organize a conference call


Six Egyptians snatched in Iraq seized in Baghdad were abducted west of the capital, an Egyptian diplomat in Baghdad said on Friday. and the abduction of two Italian aid workers from their office earlier this month.


Report: Dolphins Win Grievance Against Williams  MIAMI (Sports Network) - Former Dolphins running back Ricky  Williams was ordered by an arbitrator Friday to pay a huge sum  of money to Miami, which filed a grievance against the star  after he retired just prior to training camp this season.


Company Withholding \$5 Million Bonus for Armstrong  DALLAS (Reuters) - A Dallas company that specializes in  underwriting prize money is withholding a \$5 million bonus to  Lance Armstrong until it investigates claims the Tour de France  champion used performance-enhancing drugs.


Most Airlines Raise Fares Due to Fuel (Reuters) Reuters - A fare hike that raises tickets by  #36;5\each way announced by American Airlines earlier this week to\offset record high jet fuel appears to be sticking among other\U.S. airlines, an industry source said on Friday.


Most Airlines Raise Fares Due to Fuel  DALLAS (Reuters) - A fare hike that raises tickets by \$5  each way announced by American Airlines earlier this week to  offset record high jet fuel appears to be sticking among other  U.S. airlines, an industry source said on Friday.


Stocks Up on Durable Goods News  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks got a mild boost on Friday  as government data showed better-than-expected demand in August  for durable goods other than transportation equipment.


U.S. to Loan Strategic Reserve Crude Oil  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two refiners will borrow crude oil  from the national emergency reserve to replace output lost due  to Hurricane Ivan and another oil major may be next to tap the  stockpile as prices near all-time highs.


Find.com Business Search Engine Adds Content Providers Find.com Business Search Engine Adds Content Providers\\Find.com, a search engine for business professionals, today announced that it has signed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC, IBISWorld, IOMA, Datamonitor, and Mintel as new premium content providers for the business search engine. Find.com was founded in June 2004 to provide a solution for business professionals in ...


Bankruptcy Judge Rules Against United Airlines A bankruptcy judge ruled against United Airlines and sided with unions who said the company submitted unsubstantiated factual claims about its plan to terminate pension programs.


Emisphere Wins Novartis Over Emisphere warrants close attention, although massive profits are not in the near-term cards.


Mutual-fund rating firm gets  #39;Wells notice #39; over data NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Morningstar Inc., the mutual-fund research firm, faces potential civil charges over failing to promptly correct inaccurate data it published, the company said Friday.


Update 5: Oil Prices Climb Despite Gov #39;t Statement Oil prices inched closer to \$50 a barrel Thursday even as the Bush administration considered tapping the nation #39;s emergency stockpile of crude on behalf of refiners whose supply was disrupted by Hurricane Ivan.


Rafa: There is light after Stevie Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez believes his team will be able to deal with the loss of influential skipper Steven Gerrard without much fuss over the next eight weeks.


Jones does flip-flop on career The last time we saw Roy Jones Jr., he was getting drilled in shocking fashion by Antonio Tarver on May 15. Afterwards, he would tell anyone in sight that he simply couldn #39;t find the motivation


British leaflets asks Iraqis to look for hostage LONDON The British Foreign Office says its embassy in Baghdad has printed 50-thousand leaflets urging Iraqis to help find a kidnapped British citizen.


StanChart may enter battle for Absa Emerging market lender Standard Chartered has been linked with the purchase of South Africa #39;s Absa Group - a move that could create one of the fiercest financial takeover battles in the country #39;s history.


EU set to clear Oracle #39;s \$8 bn bid for PeopleSoft The European Commission is set to clear the \$7.7 billion hostile takeover bid by Oracle for rival software group PeopleSoft in a move that is likely to pave the way for the creation of a new US software giant.


Marathon shares hit record high after upgrade Shares of Marathon Oil Corp. (MRO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) rose to historic highs on Friday after Smith Barney raised its rating on the company, saying long-term oil prices


Microsoft #39;s New Suit Microsoft #39;s (Nasdaq: MSFT) SenderID technology may not be hitting it off with other technology companies, but the company #39;s continuing on the anti-spam crusade that it started talking up back in January.


Da Vinci Team Delays Launch A team of Canadian volunteers chasing a \$10 million prize for launching a privately financed reusable space vehicle is backing off its plans to blast off next week, leaving just one competitor on the starting line for the jackpot.


Study: Security measures often overlook human factor Threats to data security are mounting, especially from within organizations, but top executives aren #39;t helping their companies keep pace, a new study has found.


Retired Williams owes Dolphins: report SPORTS NETWORK - Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams on Friday was ordered by an arbitrator to pay a huge sum of money to the NFL team, which filed a grievance against the star prior to training camp.


Liverpool prepares for life without Gerrard Liverpool, England (Sports Network) - Liverpool will take the field Saturday against Norwich without the familiar face of captain Steven Gerrard there to guide them.


Spaniard Constantino Zaballa wins 19th stage Spain #39;s Constantino Zaballa broke away early and finished more than a minute ahead of his closest competitors in winning the 19th stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Friday.


Haitians mob food trucks as frustration grows with slow storm <b>...</b> GONAIVES, Haiti (CP) - Left with almost nothing after tropical storm Jeanne devastated this city, residents buried unclaimed corpses in mud-clogged backyards while mobs attacked aid trucks and even neighbours bringing them food.


Carmakers #39; excessive spending hurts F1, says Mosley World motorsport head Max Mosley has fired a salvo at Formula One carmakers in the wake of Ford #39;s decision to quit, accusing some of damaging the sport by throwing money at it.


Ore., Ariz. Prolific Passers Square Off (AP) AP - Derek Anderson and Andrew Walter have combined to throw for just under 10 miles in their careers.


Pre-Dinosaur Reptile Discovered -- Long-Necked Hunter Today researchers announced the discovery of a new species of ancient reptile. The 230-million-year-old remains of the long-necked, aquatic predator were found in China.


"'CSI' Effect" Is Mixed Blessing for Real Crime Labs Popular television shows like <I>CSI: Crime Scene Investigation</I> have heightened public interest in forensics. So what is the job of a crime-scene investigator really like?


EU Likely To Approve Oracle #39;s Hostile Bid for PeopleSoft EU approval of the Oracle-PeopleSoft deal would mirror events that have occurred in the United States, where the Justice Department had argued in favor of blocking of the bid but a court in San Francisco overturned the recommendation.


Progress Energy Cuts Earnings Outlook Because Of Hurricanes RALEIGH, NC -- Progress Energy says it will take nearly \$300 million to restore downed electrical lines, splintered utility poles and blasted transformers in hurricane-ravaged Florida.


The Rail World (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - In 1986 Rohan Vos, a wealthy South African auto-parts dealer, bought several vintage railcars for his private amusement. He wanted to take his wife, four children and four dogs on a jaunt. He phoned Spoornet, the main state railway of South Africa, to rent a locomotive. Sure, said Spoornet. But the price caused Vos to blanch. Well then, suggested the officious official, Vos would simply have to take along some paying passengers.


Sony Embraces MP3 Format The MP3 design modification is a major move for Sony, which has been criticized for a product that only allows its own format to be played.


Is Sun Turning against Linux and Red Hat? An Elephant writes  quot;Groklaw is reporting, based on a ZDNet UK story, that Sun #39;s strategy for survival in the near future is based on trying to equate Linux with Red Hat, and then attack Red Hat as too small to support enterprises.


ID Biomedical Gets U.S. Flu Drug Deal  MONTREAL (Reuters) - ID Biomedical Corp. IDB.TO IDBE.O  signed a 10-year U.S. distribution deal for its Fluviral drug  that could reap sales of \$2.3 billion and help U.S. authorities  fill a flu vaccine shortage, the company said on Monday.


ICC Champions Trophy: England to take on Windies at Oval LONDON, September 25 (Online): Host England and surprise package West Indies would meet in the final of ICC Championship Trophy in Oval on Saturday (today).


Coaches take back seat as the formula kicks in DURING 21 years in coaching, I #39;ve been lucky enough to reach the grand final five times. These games represent the pinnacle of your career, but at the same time produce a very strange sensation.


Turkey #39;s EU Bid Back on Track Brussels and Ankara say they have resolved their differences over Turkey #39;s penal code reforms. According to EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen, there are  quot;no more obstacles quot; barring the launch of EU accession talks with Turkey.


Russia, China Hold Trade, Anti-Terrorism Talks Russian President Vladimir Putin and China #39;s prime minister, Wen Jiabao, have met in Moscow for talks on trade and the fight against terrorism.


6 Egyptians, 4 Iraqis Kidnapped in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen abducted six Egyptians and four Iraqis working for Iraq's mobile phone company, seizing two in a bold raid on the firm's Baghdad office and the others outside the capital, officials said Friday, the latest in a string of kidnappings that have underscored the country's fragile security.    Also Friday, a rocket hit the busy Baghdad thoroughfare Palestine Street...


Elliot Smith CD Released Year After Death PORTLAND, Ore. - It's been almost a year since singer-songwriter Elliott Smith committed suicide, and fans and friends will be looking for answers as the posthumous "From a Basement on the Hill" is released...


Russia Terrorism Plan Meets Mixed Reviews UNITED NATIONS - China on Friday welcomed a Russian draft resolution to draw up a new list of terror suspects who would be subject to extradition in a stepped-up global campaign against terrorism. But the United States and France eyed the plan with a measure of caution...


Stocks Move Higher As Oil Prices Dip NEW YORK - Stocks moved modestly higher Friday as a dip in oil prices and a satisfactory report on durable goods orders cheered investors at the end of a losing week.    In midafternoon trading, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 39.75, or 0.4 percent, at 10,078.65...


Briefly: TV chip company gets \$19 million roundup Plus: Oracle extends deadline on PeopleSoft bid...MLB sells game clips for 99 cents...TiVo hires marketing chief...Jail time for California swappers?


PalmSource: Give or Take PalmSource cuts its losses in the first quarter, but lost business from Sony leaves the outlook uncertain.


Where'd the Term 'Blue Chip' Come From? You know, this is information that you just can't get anyplace else. Unless you look for it.


TV chip company gets \$19 million Scotland's CRLO Displays, which specializes in a type of LCOS chip for large-screen projection TVs, nabs funding.


Study: Security measures often overlook human factor Top execs quicker to throw money at tech solutions than to properly train employees--who could be the real problem.


PalmSource: Give or Take Shares of PalmSource (Nasdaq: PSRC) are down 17 to \$20.80 today after the company reported its first-quarter results yesterday afternoon.


Sony Finally Gets In Tune with MP3s The electronics giant belatedly decides to support the popular digital music format on its hard-drive players. Watch out, Apple. Ah, remember the  #39;80s.


Billy Reay, former Blackhawks coach, dies Billy Reay, the winningest coach in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks, has died after a struggle with cancer. He was 86, the Arlington Heights, Ill.


Zaballa in Breakaway Stage Win Spain #39;s Constantino Zaballa, riding for the Saunier Duval team, broke away early in the day for an easy win in Friday #39;s 19th stage of the Tour of Spain over Avila and Collado Villalba.


Commerce One runs out of cash After spending several years in a protracted death spiral, Commerce One Inc. is finally on the verge of ending its misery by running out of cash. The San Francisco software maker laid off most of its staff this week and said in a Friday regulatory filing that it is down to its last \$300,000 in operating cash.


News: JPEG exploit toolkit spotted online A toolkit designed to exploit a recently-disclosed Microsoft JPEG vulnerability has been released onto the net.\


Politics over policy When it comes down to a choice between good politics and good policy, which usually wins? Let #39;s put it this way: We don #39;t call it the political Play of the Week for nothing.


UPDATE 1-Marathon shares hit record high after upgrade Shares of Marathon Oil Corp. (MRO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) rose to historic highs on Friday after Smith Barney raised its rating on the company, arguing that oil prices would


Microsoft Ups The Spam War Ante The vendor adds to its growing list of spam lawsuits one aimed at a service provider that hosts spammers. By Thomas Claburn. Cheapbulletproof.


FDIC Warns Consumers on E-Mail  #39;Phishing #39; Scam The FDIC on Friday issued an alert about an increasingly common e-mail scam designed to steal personal information and money from millions of unwary consumers.


Mandrakesoft in Bid For EAL5 Certification Linux vendor Mandrakesoft is teaming with a consortium of European partners in an effort to win Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 5 (EAL5), the highest security certification for defense and other highly sensitive areas of governmental IT


Wolves not entirely to blame for farm losses Paris - Wolves, lions, cheetahs and other predators inflict relatively few losses on livestock and farmers gain only a temporary boost if these marauders are culled, New Scientist says.


Dolphins-Steelers Still Set for Sunday The Miami Dolphins plan to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday despite the threat of Hurricane Jeanne. The hurricane is expected to hit Florida #39;s east coast this weekend, most likely Sunday morning.


Rice, No. 5 Texas will run right at each other AUSTIN Texas coach Mack Brown has been looking for ways to keep his team focused on the present. UT will face Oklahoma on October ninth in Dallas.


Rumors Aside, Browser Is a Logical Step for Google (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Google's next move may be to add a browser offering to its portfolio of \Internet products. A New York Post news report suggests that the \search-engine giant has added employees to develop such a technology based on \the open-source Mozilla browser.


Product Review: Motorola MPx200 Smartphone (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Motorola's (NYSE: MOT) sleek and stylish MPx200 smartphone incorporates the productivity features of a Windows Mobile 2002 personal digital assistant -- even the ability to play MP3 files -- along with a GSM-based mobile phone.


Senate's Cellular Stand (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - It's been four months to the day since I last wrote on the subject of the cell phone industry's plan to publish your unlisted cell phone number for all the world to see -- and charge you for the privilege. Fortunately, the U.S. Senate has not been sitting on its hands all this while. Yesterday, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee approved a bill on the proposed "E411" cell phone directory, sending it on to the full Senate for a floor vote.


Report: Storage-Resource Management Drives Industry Growth (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Storage-resource management software is, for the first time, the leading growth driver in the overall storage-software market, according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Storage Software Tracker.


Hidden Costs of Online CRM - Part 3 (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - It is low in cost, it delivers enterprise-level functionality, and it spares a company the ordeal of an extensive implementation project. It is hosted software, and many say this once-fledgling software space is now in its prime as more and more companies -- both buyers and sellers -- jump on the bandwagon.


Most Airlines Raise Fares to Offset Fuel (Reuters) Reuters - Most U.S. airlines, trying to offset\record high jet fuel prices, have boosted air fares in North\America by as much as  #36;10 on round-trip flights.


FDIC Warns About E-Mail 'Phishing' Scam (Reuters) Reuters - The FDIC on Friday issued an alert\about an increasingly common e-mail scam designed to steal\personal information and money from millions of unwary\consumers.


Oil Ends Up on Supply Worries  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices ended higher on Friday,  shrugging off a U.S. government move to lend out some strategic  crude stocks as traders said the amounts were too small to  alleviate supply shortage worries.


Lawsuits Besiege Fannie Mae on Accounting  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fannie Mae FNM.N, under fire from  regulators, is facing a groundswell of lawsuits from  class-action specialists for billions of dollars in stock  losses stemming from the company's faulty accounting.


Sri Lankan protest at price rises More than 1,000 opposition activists protest in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, about the rising cost of living.


Putin says state oil firms could bid for Yukos assets LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Russian President Vladmir Putin told a group of media executives  quot;the state #39;s goal has not been, is not and will not be quot; to nationalize the country #39;s emabattled oil giant Yukos (YUKOY) , AFX News reported, though said that state firms


Trump Optimistic About Future for Gambling Company NEW YORK -- As reported by Reuters:  quot;A scuttled deal to rebuild Donald Trump #39;s casino empire on Thursday left the star of  quot;The Apprentice quot; optimistic he could forge a new agreement, but bond analysts were wary of the prospects for the money-losing


Verisign plans authentication management VeriSign Inc. officials are launching a managed security service that they believe can cut up to 40 percent of the cost of deploying strong authentication throughout an enterprise.


Consortium Aims To Beef Up Linux Security The consortium plans to make bringing Linux up to the Evaluation Assurance Level 5 (EAL5), which is part of an internationally recognized security certification called Common Criteria, its first effort.


WENGER RULES OUT GUNNERS EXIT Arsene Wenger has made it clear that he is still totally committed to Arsenal, despite reports of interest from Real Madrid. The Gunners are keen to persuade their manager to pen a new long-term contract in


Williams ordered to pay back Dolphins \$8.6 million Arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled Friday that Williams owes the Dolphins \$8.6 million for breaching his contract, an NFL spokesman says.


Ricky Williams ordered to repay Dolphins MIAMI (Sept. 24, 2004) -- Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams was ordered to repay the team more than \$8.6 million for breaching his contract when he suddenly quit before training camp.


Architect of Indias nuclear bomb dead Raja Ramanna, architect of Indias nuclear weapons programme, died early on Friday. He was 79. As director of the government-run research centre in Mumbai, Ramanna headed the team that built and tested Indias first atomic bomb in Pokhran in 1974.


Commentary: Is Outsourcing On The Outs? (BusinessWeek Online) BusinessWeek Online - The announcement sent ripples of anxiety through the tech world. On Sept. 15, J.P. Morgan Chase  amp; Co.  said that it was terminating a seven-year,  #36;5 billion technology-outsourcing deal with IBM. For many, it's an article of faith that corporations will gradually hand off ever more of their technology operations to big service providers such as IBM, Accenture , and Electronic Data Systems . Yet here was the nation's second-largest bank taking its tech back because it was strategically too important to be left to an outsider. ...


Rumsfeld: U.S. Troops Can Leave Before Iraq Peaceful (Reuters) Reuters - The United States does not have to\wait until Iraq "is peaceful and perfect" before it begins to\withdraw military troops from that troubled country, Defense\Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Friday.


Armitage: No Plans for Partial Iraq Election (Reuters) Reuters - Iraq's elections in January should\encompass the entire country, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State\Richard Armitage said on Friday, differing from comments by\Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that some violent areas could\be excluded.


India, Pakistan Leaders Hail New Chapter in Ties (Reuters) Reuters - The leaders of India and Pakistan on\Friday hailed a new era in often-fraught relations between the\two nuclear rivals and agreed to study a joint pipeline project\and pursue solutions to the Kashmir conflict.


EU Nations Ban Phthalates From Toys (AP) AP - European Union governments on Friday permanently banned chemicals used to soften plastic from being used in toys, saying they are harmful to young children who put toys in their mouths.


Jiabao Vows to Support Russia for WTO (AP) AP - Visiting Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao promised support Friday for Moscow's bid for World Trade Organization membership, as the two countries discussed building a pipeline to transport Russian crude to China.


Iraqi prime minister to seek election reassurances from UN chief (AFP) AFP - Iraq's interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said he would seek an explanation from UN chief Kofi Annan for his attitude to Iraq's elections when they meet on Friday at the United Nations.


Armitage: No Plans for Partial Iraq Election  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iraq's elections in January should  encompass the entire country, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State  Richard Armitage said on Friday, differing from comments by  Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that some violent areas could  be excluded.


India, Pakistan Leaders Hail New Chapter in Ties  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The leaders of India and Pakistan on  Friday hailed a new era in often-fraught relations between the  two nuclear rivals and agreed to study a joint pipeline project  and pursue solutions to the Kashmir conflict.


Controversial French Author Francoise Sagan Dies  PARIS (Reuters) - French author Francoise Sagan, who shot  to fame with her first novel "Bonjour Tristesse" at the age of  18 and courted controversy throughout her life, died on Friday,  a hospital spokesman said. Sagan, who was 69, was an icon of  1950s intellectuals and lived the Bohemian lifestyle she  portrayed in her writing. She was a longstanding friend of late  President Francois Mitterrand and was convicted of taking drugs  and for tax evasion.


Kumar #39;s indictment for fraud may not hurt CA SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - This week #39;s federal grand jury indictment of former Computer Associates International Inc.


Blue Chips Inch Up, Oil Rise Caps Gains US blue-chip stocks rose slightly on Friday as government data showed better-than-expected demand in August for durable goods other than transportation equipment, but climbing oil prices limited gains.


Celestica selling power-systems division to C amp;D Technologies TORONTO (CP) - Celestica Inc. is selling its power-systems business to C amp;D Technologies, a Pennsylvania-based company which will keep the 160 people employed at the division as part of a strategic expansion of its own business.


Delta chief customer service officer retires Delta Chief Customer Service Officer Vicki Escarra will retire on Oct. 1 after 31 years with the Atlanta-based airline. Escarra said she wanted to spend more time with family.


Big Gulp? Neck ribs may have given aquatic beast unique feeding <b>...</b> The fossilized neck bones of a 230-million-year-old sea creature have features suggesting that the animal #39;s snakelike throat could flare open and create suction that would pull in prey.


HP drops Itanium workstations SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Hewlett-Packard Co. has stopped selling workstations based on Intel Corp. #39;s Itanium 2 microprocessor, a company spokeswoman confirmed today.


Biggest Collision in the Universe Summary - (Sep 24, 2004) An international team of scientists have discovered one of the most powerful events since the Big Bang: a collision between two galaxy clusters, which is smashing millions of stars into each other.


Is Google ogling a browser? If the rumors-- some now reaching fever pitch-- are to be trusted, Google is cooking up a whole slew of products and technologies that could unseat Microsoft.


Added Security With Strong Authentication VeriSign and RSA Security intro security tools that could help combat the upswing in E-commerce threats. By Thomas Claburn. It #39;s hard to say what #39;s growing faster, security threats or security solutions.


Launch of Canadian manned space mission on hold TORONTO - One of two Canadian teams competing for a \$10-million US-prize has delayed the launch of its rocket. The rocket launch was set to take place in Kindersley, Sask.


Sun, Microsoft Move Focus Of Linux Battle To Leader Red Hat Sun and Microsoft are using a common strategy to attack a common enemy--Red Hat. Sun President Jonathan Schwartz fired a major counteroffensive against Linux nemesis Red Hat by unveiling hefty discounts on


New Haven architect to design Adriaen #39;s Landing science center A design for a futuristic glass building with a giant plasma video screen landed Cesar Pelli the job as architect for the new science center at Adriaen #39;s Landing.


BearingPoint wins \$229M DHS contract SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - The US Department of Homeland Security this week awarded BearingPoint Inc. a \$229 million IT contract to help consolidate and manage the agency #39;s vast financial resources and assets.


McDowell and Price share Heritage lead, as Monty and Poulter miss WOBURN, England (PA) -- And so there were two. After the second round Friday, Padraig Harrington and David Howell are the only members of the European Ryder Cup team left in the Heritage Tournament at Woburn.


The passion of the athlete Shawn Green is a vital player in the Los Angeles Dodgers #39; run toward the playoffs. The All-Star first baseman hit a two-run, ninth-inning home run Sunday to lift the Dodgers to a 7-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies.


KU to release information on Perkins #39; contract Kansas University officials will release the contract of Athletic Director Lew Perkins during a press conference Friday evening. Todd Cohen, a KU spokesman, said Perkins and Chancellor Robert Hemenway will


Mobile phone workers kidnapped in Iraq Kidnappers seized six Egyptians and four Iraqis working for the country #39;s mobile phone company in two separate incidents, authorities said.


US official: Saddam trial won #39;t start this year The war crimes trial of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein won #39;t begin any time soon because deteriorating security is hampering information-gathering in the case, a senior US official said Friday.


No stopping locusts Dakar - Funds are being offered to assist north and west Africa in the fight against the worst locust plague in more than a decade, but the cash may be too little, too late for Mauritania, which has been invaded for a second time since August.


Lawsuits Besiege Fannie Mae on Accounting (Reuters) Reuters - Fannie Mae , under fire from\regulators, is facing a groundswell of lawsuits from\class-action specialists for billions of dollars in stock\losses stemming from the company's faulty accounting.


U.S. Economy Seen on Solid Footing  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for U.S. durable goods fell  unexpectedly in August but beat forecasts once transportation  equipment was stripped out, government data showed on Friday in  evidence the economy is again pumping strongly.


Boston Scientific Recalls Ear Implant  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Boston Scientific Corp BSX.N said on  Friday it has recalled an ear implant the company acquired as  part of its purchase of Advanced Bionics in June.


Gov #39;t reaches agreement to lend oil An agreement has been reached to lend 1.7 million barrels of oil from the government #39;s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to two companies whose refineries were running short of crude


AP-Italy-Alitalia Alitalia, Unions Ink Deal to Split CompanyDS Ext. Head.: Alitalia, Unions Sign Deal to Split the Italian Airline in Two to Stave Off Bankruptcy.


Cdn X Prize team postpones launch KINDERSLEY, Sask. (CP) -- A Canadian team of engineers competing in an international race to put civilians into space has postponed its first stab at the \$10-million prize.


New Haven firm gets nod for center (Hartford-AP Sept. 24, 2004 1:00 PM)_ A New Haven architect has been chosen to design the new Science Center to be built at Adriaen #39;s Landing in Hartford.


Nedved hangs up international boots The 32-year-old European footballer of the year said this month that he would not return to the national squad until he had fully recovered from a knee injury.


Cash fears worry Mosley Motorsport boss Max Mosley has warned Formula One team owners they need to take radical measures to drag the sport out of a financial crisis.


Ferrero and Santoro face off next ALICANTE, Spain -- Paul-Henri Mathieu pulled off a remarkable 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory against Spanish No. 1 Carlos Moya to give France a 1-0 lead on the opening day of their Davis Cup semifinal on Friday.


Murphy fired as Rockets #39; broadcaster Former NBA star Calvin Murphy, who faces trial on charges of sexually abusing five of his daughters, was fired Friday as the Houston Rockets TV analyst.


Atomic Agency calls on Pyongyang to again allow inspections South Korean company sold materials that can be used in chemical weapons to North Korea. Vienna (AsiaNews/Agencies) - By a unanimous resolution of its 137-member general conference in Vienna today, the International


HP discontinues its Itanium workstations Hewlett-Packard, one of the most aggressive promoters of Intel #39;s Itanium family of processors, is 86ing its line of workstations that use the chips.


Powell Releases Military Aid to Colombia (AP) AP - Secretary of State Colin Powell has concluded that Colombia has met congressional requirements for protection of human rights, thereby freeing  #36;32.5 million in military aid funds, the State Department said Friday.


Ontario to open nine new MRI sites, buy back more private testing facilities (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty burnished his credentials as a guardian of medicare Friday, announcing nine new or expanded MRI clinics, while pursuing plans to bring for-profit MRIs into the public fold.


Kerry, Bush Clash Over Iraq and Allawi (AP) AP - Clashing over Iraq, Sen. John Kerry said Friday that President Bush's policies made the war against terror harder to win and "let Osama bin Laden slip away." Bush chastised his Democratic rival for questioning the motives of Iraq's interim prime minister.


Allawi urges world to help Iraq Iraq's interim PM Iyad Allawi appeals to world leaders at the UN to help Iraq "defeat the forces of terrorism".


U.S. Officials Differ on Iraqi Elections WASHINGTON - Top U.S. officials differed Friday over key details of planned Iraqi elections in January, including the unresolved issue of whether all Iraqis will be able to vote and who will protect them from their country's worsening violence...


Kerry, Bush Clash Over Iraq and Allawi PHILADELPHIA - Clashing over Iraq, Sen. John Kerry said Friday that President Bush's policies made the war against terror harder to win and "let Osama bin Laden slip away." Bush chastised his Democratic rival for questioning the motives of Iraq's interim prime minister...


Sniper Said to Admit Guilt in 2nd Slaying McLEAN, Va. - Teenage sniper Lee Boyd Malvo plans to drop all appeals of his conviction and life sentence for one of 10 killings in October 2002, and will admit guilt in a second slaying, his lawyer said Friday...


Hurricane Jeanne Targets Fla. East Coast FORT PIERCE, Fla. - Floridians scrambled to board their homes and stock up on groceries and gas - again - as Hurricane Jeanne churned westward Friday and threatened to become the fourth hurricane to pound the state in the last six weeks...


Six Egyptians Kidnapped in Baghdad Gunmen abducted six Egyptians working for Iraq's mobile phone company, seizing two in a bold raid on the firm's Baghdad office and the others outside the capital, officials said Friday, the latest in a string of kidnappings that have underscored the country's fragile security.


Business software firms shed more jobs Commerce One and Manugistics cut staff, as software makers grapple with industry upheaval.


HP discontinues its Itanium workstations The Intel chip, once expected to dominate the server market and even creep into PCs, takes yet another knock.


Patriots Establish Web Site in Chinese (AP) AP - How do you explain a quarterback sneak in Chinese? How about a blitz, an onside kick, or a fair catch?


Group Abandons Work on Anti-Spam Standards The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has shut down the MARID working group, which was attempting to develop a Sender ID standard.


Nedved quits international scene Czech Republic midfielder Pavel Nedved has announced he is quitting international football to concentrate on his club career with Juventus.


Kahne grabs Dover Busch Motorsport.com. Kasey Kahne grabbed the Bud pole for the Stacker 200 Saturday at Dover International Speedway. It marks Kahne #39;s second consecutive pole (he also started


Arbitrator: Williams must pay Dolphins An arbitrator has ruled that Ricky Williams owes the Miami Dolphins \$8.6 million US in the wake of his retirement just before the start of camp, an NFL spokesman said.


Sudan: UNHCR Boss Urges Sudan to Give Darfur Autonomy Ruud Lubbers, the head of the UN refugee agency UNHCR, has urged the Sudanese government to give autonomy to the western Darfur region to help end a rebellion there which has led to massive reprisals by Arab militias against black African villagers.


W. Virginia Expects Tough James Madison (AP) AP - When Miami bolted the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference, West Virginia had a vacancy on its schedule and found a replacement in James Madison.


Roddick Hits Record Serve in Voltchkov Thrashing  CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - U.S. number one Andy  Roddick broke his own fastest serve record as he overwhelmed  Belarus's Vladimir Voltchkov in the opening match of their  Davis Cup semifinal Friday.


Florida Moves Up Home Game Versus Kentucky  GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Sports Network) - The start time of  Saturday's college football game between 16th-ranked Florida  and Kentucky at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville was  moved from 6 p.m. (et) to 11:30 a.m. (et).


Divac Sidelined with Back Problem  EL SEGUNDO, California (Sports Network) - Los Angeles  Lakers center Vlade Divac is not expected to be ready for the  start of training camp due to a herniated disc in his lower  back.


New Microsoft set-top box ready to roll Though MSN TV2 is the successor to the original WebTV devices, the new box is a vast departure from its predecessors.


Four Los Alamos lab workers fired over security, safety lapses Four laboratory workers were fired from their jobs at the Los Alamos National Laboratory because of their roles in several recent security and safety incidents in the facility.


CA looks to move on after Kumar's indictment Even as Sanjay Kumar, the former CEO of Computer Associates, was indicted on accounting fraud charges and CA signed agreements with federal officials to avoid prosecution, some users said they're not giving up on the company's software.


HP drops Itanium workstations HP's decision is a setback to the Itanium 2 microprocessor, which Intel at one point had billed as a future industry standard.


BearingPoint wins \$229M DHS contract BearingPoint won a \$229 million contract to build an ERP-like system to manage the Department of Homeland Security's financial resources and assets, which were inherited from 22 different agencies.


Commerce One runs out of cash Software maker Commerce One Inc., seen as a poster child for the dot-com bust, is down to its last \$300,000 in operating cash, has laid off most of its staff and expects to file for bankruptcy.


PeopleSoft not perfect on J.D. Edwards deal, CEO says In his keynote speech at PeopleSoft's Connect 2004 user conference, CEO Craig Conway acknowledged that the company made what he called well-intentioned errors in its efforts to assimilate the J.D. Edwards user base.


EBay shelves plan to axe Half.com unit Citing user concerns, eBay has dropped plans to close its Half.com unit in mid-October and move the online used merchandise store's buyers and sellers onto eBay's main site.


E-Biz sites hit with targeted attacks, extortion threats IT security vendors and analysts reported an increase in the number of cyberattacks being targeted at specific companies doing business online. An ongoing denial-of-service attack against payment processor Authorize.Net is a prime example.


Brief: Iomega to cut workforce by 25 in restructuring The San Diego-based maker of data storage products said in a statement that it plans to cut 145 regular and temporary personnel worldwide, and will incur restructuring charges of between \$5 million and \$7 million.


HP's Fiorina: Sometimes IT spending is a 'bad thing' Speaking to financial analysts at the Banc of America Securities Investment Conference yesterday, HP Chairman and CEO Carly Fiorina downplayed hopes that corporate budget surpluses would drive IT spending increases in the fourth quarter.


Brunell Gets Some Work Quarterback Mark Brunell practiced Friday for the first time this week, taking about a third of the snaps on his strained hamstring to keep alive his chances of playing Monday night.


Mark Logic envisions Open Content Architecture Mark Logic this week introduced its Open Content Architecture strategy for enabling enterprise customers to unify and manage unstructured content and other types of enterprise information.


HP drops Itanium workstations Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has stopped selling workstations based on Intel Corp.'s Itanium 2 microprocessor, a company spokeswoman confirmed Friday.


Treasuries Drop, Hope Fades for Fed Pause  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury debt prices eased on  Friday, boosting short-term yields as hopes faded the Federal  Reserve might slow the pace of interest rates hikes.


Red Hat opens losing propaganda offensive against Sun Opinion Tiemann's diaper must be changed


Bose SoundDock The new Bose SoundDock, available exclusively on the Apple online store, brings your music to life while charging your iPod or iPod mini through its docking connector. Bose technology produces room-filling sound on a wide stereo sound stage from your iPod. Comes complete with remote. Sep 24


Morningstar Is Under SEC Microscope The cause of the investigation does not look serious, but its too soon to say for sure. By Kristen French. September 24, 2004- Regulatory investigations are hardly a surprise in the securities industry anymore.


Austin high school band marches onto eBay If you #39;ve been on the Internet looking to rent a 250-member marching band, you #39;d better hurry. Bidding on eBay ends Saturday for the James Bowie High School band.


PM, Pervez address Kashmir issue After 57 years of hostility and mutual suspicion, India and Pakistan today made a new beginning in their relations when they decided to consider all possible options for a peaceful negotiated settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue and explore the


Business software firms shed more jobs Software companies Commerce One and Manugistics each announced on Friday plans to cut staff, the latest round of layoffs in a dismal business-software market.


Google Conforms to Chinese Censorship (AP) AP - Google Inc.'s recently launched news service in China doesn't display results from Web sites blocked by that country's authorities, raising prickly questions for an online search engine that has famously promised to "do no evil."


Da Vinci Project Pushes Back Launch Summary - (Sep 24, 2004) The da Vinci Project, a Canadian team of amateur rocket scientists, has pushed back the launch date of its Wildfire rocket.


Stadler leads SAS Championship Cary, NC (Sports Network) - Craig Stadler shot a seven-under-par 65 on Friday to take the first-round lead of the SAS Championship at Prestonwood Country Club.


Here Comes the Sun (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - No, the U.S. is not on the verge of a solar revolution, and sunshine won't provide the country with "energy independence" anytime soon. But solar power is gaining momentum, and based on current trends, that momentum will probably continue to build.


Thin Glaciers Get Thinner in Antarctica - Report (Reuters) Reuters - Some of Antarctica's glaciers are\melting faster than snow can replace them, enough to raise sea\levels measurably, scientists reported on Friday.


Chills, Fright But Nothing Paranormal at UK Seance (Reuters) Reuters - Suddenly the darkened room seemed\intensely cold, some people felt a sense of presence and others\were so terrified they had to leave.


Experts Hail Birth of Baby to Ex-Cancer Patient (Reuters) Reuters - Medical experts Friday hailed the birth\of the first baby born to a woman after an ovarian tissue\transplant as a highly significant achievement that could help\thousands of cancer patients become mothers.


Can you say 'offshore' anymore? Politically charged phrase disappearing as firms cook up new terms to describe sending work to cheaper labor markets.


US Airways asks court to impose 23 percent pay cut US Airways chief executive Bruce Lakefield said Friday the airline would, as expected, ask a bankruptcy judge to impose temporary pay cuts on its union workers to conserve cash during the slow fall travel season.


Judge strikes UAL #39;s pension assessment from record CHICAGO : The judge overseeing United Airlines #39; bankruptcy case struck a controversial pension-related brief from the record, in the latest development in the row over United #39;s underfunded pension plans.


Update 1-Lockheed wins \$6.4 bln US satellite project Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) has been chosen to lead a \$6.4 billion Navy satellite project aimed at boosting US forces #39; communications capabilities tenfold, the Pentagon said Friday.


Ask Jeeves The ability to edit, categorize, and annotate saved searches and the history list puts a new spin on browser bookmarks. Special search functions help tame wild and woolly search results; you can also share results by e-mail.


Monaco-Lyon clash highlights Ligue 1 weekend Two goals ahead. Ten minutes to play. Surely Paris Saint-Germain would finally win its first game this season? No ... this is PSG we #39;re talking about.


PM asks whats the way out? General says I will get back NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 24: At their first meeting here this morning, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh popped the question to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.


IM upstarts vie for interoperability Although Microsoft and IBM offer IM products for the enterprise, smaller challengers are staking out valuable territory with a commitment to interoperability. This week both Antepo and Jabber will unveil new IM offerings that bolster standards support and security.


Google plotting Explorer rival? Clues point to the company developing a series of Web features -- including a Web browser. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Move over Bill Gates.


Private Canadian Spacecraft Launch on Hold A Canadian team #39;s bid to launch the country #39;s first manned spaceship is on hold, although the aspiring astronauts have not given up their attempt to win a \$10 million prize.


Ryder hero Montgomerie fails to make Heritage cut Colin Montgomerie will never forget September 2004 but his accountant may not look at it so fondly. Monty had the glory of holing the winning putt at the Ryder Cup but by the traditional


Australia take 2-0 lead Sydney: Lleyton Hewitt crushed Mehdi Tahiri 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 on Friday to claim one of the proudest records in Australian tennis and give his country a commanding 2-0 lead over Morocco in their Davis Cup World Group play-off.


Tennis: France Takes 1-0 Lead in Davis Cup France has taken a 1-0 lead over Spain in the Davis Cup tennis semifinals in Alicante, Spain, thanks to Paul-Henri Matthieu #39;s surprise win over former French Open champion Carlos Moya.


Mayfield wins pole in Dover Jeremy Mayfield won the pole in qualifying Friday at Dover International Speedway, putting behind him a wreck that seriously damaged his championship hopes in the Nextel Cup series.


Liverpool #39;s G force: Can it be Alonso? LIVERPOOL - All of a sudden, a promising future under new manager Rafael Benitez has turned dismal after Steven Gerrard #39;s broken foot.


Family appeals for release of UK hostage The family of Kenneth Bigley, the British hostage being held in Iraq, has made a direct appeal for his release to the militants who abducted the 62-year old-engineer.


Israeli woman killed in Palestinian mortar attac An Israeli woman was killed yesterday after Palestinian militants fired a mortar shell at a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip, provoking further anger among settlers over Prime


Maskhadov denies involvement in school seizure : Chechen rebel leader, Aslan Maskhadov, purportedly denied his involvement in the Russian school hostage-taking in a statement released on Friday and said another rebel chief, Shamil Basayev, should stand trial for staging it.


Putin calls for establishment of new international security system Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday said on Friday that terrorism is a common threat to the international society, and a new international security system should be created


Bashir: To face terror-related charges next week JAKARTA - Prosecutors will file terror-related charges against the cleric accused of heading the group behind the Bali bombings, in a case seen as a test of Indonesia #39;s willingness to go after militants.


Hunt for Jakarta bombers converges on W. Java JAKARTA - Several  #39;quick-action #39; police teams have converged on Indonesia #39;s West Java region to hunt down the top two masterminds of the recent Jakarta blast.


Muslim Council joins fight for hostage #39;s life A delegation from the Muslim Council of Britain is flying to Baghdad in a desperate attempt secure to release of hostage Kenneth Bigley.


Oil Prices Hit New Record High Crude oil prices closed at a new record high, extending the recent rally to seven sessions, as traders weighed the impact of the Energy Department #39;s decision to use the nation #39;s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to offset lost production as a result of


Fannie Mae Shares Drop 13 Pct. in 3 Days WASHINGTON Sept. 24, 2004 - Shares of Fannie Mae fell again on Friday, capping a three-day slide of more than 13 percent, as investor concerns widened after a government regulator accused top executives


A Fixer-Upper A solid majority of Americans tell pollsters they think the country is headed in the wrong direction. But as the congressional campaigns got underway in earnest this September, it seemed all


US blue chips skid as oil keeps rising NEW YORK : US shares ended mostly lower Thursday as oil prices kept moving higher despite news that US strategic reserves may be tapped to ease supply concerns.


NASA Genesis Space Sample Shipped to Calif. Lab Scientists in California on Friday began examining for the first time samples of solar wind particles collected by the spacecraft Genesis, which crashed earlier this month in the Utah desert when its parachutes failed to open on


Samples from Genesis Capsule Sent to Lab The first solar-wind samples recovered from the crashed Genesis space capsule will be examined by researchers in California. The Genesis crashed earlier this month into Utah #39;s west desert.


Google conforms to Chinese censorship Google #39;s recently launched news service in China doesn #39;t display results from Web sites blocked by that country #39;s authorities, raising prickly questions


Roddick and Fish propel US to 2-0 lead over Belarus Charleston, SC (Sports Network) - Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish each posted singles victories Friday to give the United States a 2-0 lead over Belarus in their best-of-five Davis Cup semifinal.


Nedved Quits Czech Republic Juventus playmaker Pavel Nedved has officially announced his retirement from international football, a decision hed been flirting with for months.


Ahead Pushes Nero Digital Format for DVDs (PC World) PC World - Deal with ESS Technology will add support for Ahead's variant of the MPEG-4 video format on DVD players.


It's Final: No WiFi In "Grantsdale" Chipset (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Intel Corp. has decided not to enable the wireless access-point functionality in its Intel 915/925X "Grantsdale" chipset, a company spokesman confirmed Friday afternoon.


Roddick Smacks Voltchkov With a Record 155mph Serve Fireballing American Andy Roddick improved his service serve mark blasting a record 155 mph serve in a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, win over Vladimir Voltchkov Friday earning the United States a 1-0 early lead lead over Belarus in the Davis Cup semifinals World Group.


AC Milan need better efforts Rome, Italy (Sports Network) - AC Milan must improve its play in order to repeat last season #39;s Serie A triumph. So far the Rossoneri have four points after three matches, but have conceded an alarming four goals.


Lara awaits date with destiny West Indies have been on the wrong end of some serious vitriol this summer, not least in the British media, where they have been accused of fecklessness, indiscipline and general lack of backbone.


Arsenal boss admits admiration for Man City #39;s SWP Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits he is keeping tabs on Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips. Wenger said:  quot;He is getting higher every year.


Israeli Woman Dies in Mortar Attack The Israeli military says a Palestinian mortar has slammed into a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip, killing a woman. The military says the mortar fell in the Neve Dekalim settlement, located in the southern part of the territory.


Police question wife of Noordin, declare new bombing suspect Police investigators have questioned a woman claiming to be the wife of Noordin Moh. Top, one of two Malaysian fugitives believed to have masterminded a series of bomb attacks across the country.


NASA: Space Station Running Low on Oxygen (AP) AP - Oxygen and food will be worrisomely low on the international space station by Christmas, and it's crucial that a Russian supply ship get there by then, a top NASA official said Friday.


Japan #39;s Koizumi to Reshuffle Cabinet on Monday (Update1) Japan #39;s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will reshuffle his Cabinet and pick key officials for the country #39;s ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Monday, said Shinzo Abe, secretary general of the party.


Mexican Man Stung to Death by 'Killer' Bees (Reuters) Reuters - A swarm of "killer" bees\stung one man to death and injured six other people, including\a 5-year-old, in a rampage in a park in northern Mexico,\emergency services said on Friday.


Shell pulls staff from oil region The Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell, withdraws hundreds of workers from oil facilities in Nigeria's troubled Niger Delta.


Briefly: Rice lab makes nano parts less toxic roundup Plus: TV chip company gets \$19 million...Oracle extends deadline on PeopleSoft bid...MLB sells game clips for 99 cents...TiVo hires marketing chief.


Rice lab makes nano parts less toxic Rice University researchers say they have figured out a way to reduce the potential toxicity of Buckyballs.


US stockmarket closes on a high US blue-chip stocks ended barely higher on Friday as a spike in oil prices to near record levels pared earlier gains and renewed concerns about the effect of high energy prices on consumer spending and corporate profits.


Ask Jeeves Personalizes Web Searching Personalized search is the next big idea in the world of search and Ask Jeeves got there first. With MyJeeves, you sign up to the free service, and you are then able to save any URL you #39;ve come across while searching.


Skipper Maldini stands tall as AC Milan look to halt slide ROME: AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini (pic) believes adversity will bring out the best in his faltering team when they visit high-flying Lazio tomorrow.


Arraignment continued until Oct. 8 COLFAX, Wash. -- Arraignment of two Seattle brothers facing charges in the slaying of a University of Idaho football player was continued Friday until Oct. 8. Lawyers for Matthew R. Wells II, 27, and James


Israeli Missile Hits Gaza Refugee Camp -- Witnesses An Israeli helicopter fired a missile into a Palestinian refugee camp in Gaza early on Saturday, wounding at least four people, witnesses said.


E-business sites hit with attacks, extortion threats A distributed denial-of-service attack that disrupted Web-based systems at credit card payment processing firm Authorize.Netearlier this week is indicative of a sharp increase in the number of cyberattacks being targeted at specific companies and driven by profit motives on the part of the hackers who launch them.


Ahead Pushes Nero Digital Format for DVDs Deal with ESS Technology will add support for Ahead's variant of the MPEG-4 video format on DVD players.


China #39;s Wen meets Putin MOSCOW - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday and told him that China is ready to provide  quot;feasible help quot; to Russia in the fight against terrorism, Itar-Tass news agency reported Friday.


Putin: Russia #39;s Fight Against Terrorism Will Not Sidetrack Reforms Russian President Vladimir Putin is defending his government #39;s efforts to strengthen and centralize control in the wake of several recent terrorist attacks.


News: Feds invite comment on Internet wiretaps  U.S. regulators open a public comment period on a plan to wire broadband and VoIP systems for law enforcement surveillance.\


Spotted Owl Seen Declining in Northwest (AP) AP - Fourteen years after coming under federal protection, the northern spotted owl continues on the decline in the Pacific Northwest, a study shows.


Sage Grouse Listing May Curb Natural Gas (AP) AP - Some wildlife experts want to make the greater sage grouse an endangered species icon. Its Western habitat, unfortunately, is atop some of the nation's largest untapped natural gas fields.


Iraq PM Asks UN States to Put the War Behind Them (Reuters) Reuters - Iraq's new prime minister, in\his debut appearance before the U.N. General Assembly, appealed\to world governments on Friday to put aside their differences\over the war and help Baghdad rebuild.


Sudan Security Foils New Sabotage Plot -- Agency (Reuters) Reuters - Sudanese authorities said Friday they\foiled another plot by an opposition Islamist party to kidnap\and kill senior government officials and blow up sites in the\capital, a news agency close to the government reported.


Muslim envoys off to Baghdad in bid to free British hostage (AFP) AFP - Britain's leading Muslim organisation dispatched two envoys to Iraq, hoping to help secure the release of a British engineer taken hostage by Muslim extremists eight days ago.


Egypt presses case for permanent seat on UN Security Council (AFP) AFP - Egypt pressed Africa's case for permanent seats on a reformed UN Security Council and said it deserved to be considered for a place itself.


Material RCMP passed to U.S. officials was used in Arar's deportation hearing (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Information the RCMP passed to U.S. officials in sloppy fashion was used in a hearing that resulted in Ottawa engineer Maher Arar's deportation to Syria, where he was imprisoned for months as a terrorism suspect.


Rise in GOP Numbers May Impact Elections (AP) AP - Voters in recent surveys are more frequently describing themselves as Republicans, a shift that could affect November elections up and down the ticket if it continues.


Texas Challenger Links Opponent to Rather (AP) AP - A Texas congressional candidate has launched a television campaign ad linking his opponent to beleaguered CBS news anchor Dan Rather.


Hurricane Jeanne Targets Storm-Weary Florida  MIAMI (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people on  Florida's east coast were told to leave their homes once again  on Friday as deadly Hurricane Jeanne approached for what could  be a record fourth hurricane hit in a year on the storm-weary  state.


Sudan Security Foils New Sabotage Plot -- Agency  KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese authorities said Friday they  foiled another plot by an opposition Islamist party to kidnap  and kill senior government officials and blow up sites in the  capital, a news agency close to the government reported.


Israeli Missile Kills One in Gaza Camp -- Medics  GAZA (Reuters) - An Israeli helicopter fired a missile into  a Palestinian refugee camp in Gaza early on Saturday, killing  an elderly civilian man and wounding at least three people,  witnesses and medics said.


Stocks Close Mixed to Cap Losing Week NEW YORK - Bargain hunters kept Wall Street mixed Friday, allowing blue chips to rise despite a new record high for oil prices. But fresh warnings from semiconductor firms sent the tech sector falling, and the three major indexes ended the week substantially lower...


Teen Sniper to Admit Guilt in 2nd Slaying McLEAN, Va. - Teenage sniper Lee Boyd Malvo plans to drop all appeals of his conviction and life sentence for one of 10 killings in October 2002, and will admit guilt in a second slaying, his lawyer said Friday...


Elliott Smith CD Released Year After Death PORTLAND, Ore. - It's been almost a year since singer-songwriter Elliott Smith committed suicide, and fans and friends will be looking for answers as the posthumous "From a Basement on the Hill" is released...


Hurricane Jeanne Prompts Fla. Evacuations FORT PIERCE, Fla. - More than half a million residents of Florida's east coast were urged to evacuate - again - as Hurricane Jeanne churned westward Friday and threatened to become the fourth hurricane to pound the state in the last six weeks...


Via brings PCI Express to AMD-based computers Via Technologies announces new product that brings PCI Express input-output to computers running AMD chips.


Sony Embraces MP3 in Ploy To Please Public Microsoft #39;s WMA, Apple #39;s ACC, Sony #39;s Altrac and others -- compete in a variety of digital music devices, support for MP3 is becoming a required ingredient for any successful portable player.


Microsoft Files More Lawsuits over Spam Going after spammers rather than focusing merely on developing antispam technology is an important step, John Movina, spokesperson for the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email, said.


Red Hat exec takes Sun to task on open source update A top Red Hat executive has attacked the open-source credentials of its sometime business partner Sun Microsystems. In a Web log posting Thursday, Michael Tiemann, Red Hat #39;s vice president of open-source


Microsoft Issues Tool To Head Off JPEG Exploits Microsoft has issued a software tool that scans users #39; computers to help them find software that may be affected by a recently discovered vulnerability in the way many Windows programs process JPEG files.


Microsoft Won #39;t Give SP2 Security Fixes to Older Browsers  quot;The most secure version of Windows today is Windows XP with SP2, quot; Microsoft explained in a statement it issued.  quot;We recommend that customers upgrade to XP and SP2 as quickly as possible.


Space station needs supplies by Christmas CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Oxygen and food will be worrisomely low on the international space station by Christmas, and it #39;s crucial that a Russian supply ship get there by then, a top NASA official said today.


Rice, No. 5 Texas will run right at each other With his Texas team on a roll and a pivotal matchup with Oklahoma just three weekends away, Longhorns coach Mack Brown found himself looking for ways to keep his team focused on the present.


Yanks' Brown Long Shot to Pitch Sunday (AP) AP - Kevin Brown had "no problem" throwing in the bullpen Friday and is a "long shot" to pitch Sunday after breaking his non-pitching hand three weeks ago, New York Yankees manager Joe Torre said before the game against the Boston Red Sox.


No. 14 Utah Begins Defense of MWC Title (AP) AP - Utah hopes to rely on a more conventional approach against Air Force this year.


Stadler Leads SAS Championship by Two (AP) AP - Craig Stadler had the answers ready, as if he expected the questions.


Ichiro Makes Run at Historic Record  SEATTLE (Reuters) - Ichiro Suzuki, baseball's sang-froid  player, is racing to shatter an elusive record for hits in a  single season, aiming to bring glory to himself, the Seattle  Mariners and his country Japan.


U.S., France on Top in Davis Cup Semis  LONDON (Reuters) - Andy Roddick cracked a 155 mph delivery,  two mph quicker than his own fastest serve record, to help push  the U.S. into a 2-0 lead over Belarus in their Davis Cup  semi-final on Friday.


51 more billionaires on Forbes #39; rich list New York: It seems the US billionaires #39; club is not as exclusive as it once was. There are now 313 billionaires in the United States, a huge jump over the 262 counted last year, according to Forbes magazine


Philips warns that sales of its chips are stalling AMSTERDAM Philips Electronics, Europe #39;s third-largest maker of semiconductors, on Friday reduced its third-quarter chip sales forecast, saying demand is waning.


The Dot-Com Era #39;s Last Gasp: Commerce One Commerce One says it must lay off 56 employees, leaving it with 36 to operate its supplier relationship management business unit. Years of economic devastation have left Commerce One -- once


Collins Stewart raises 55m to help funding of Prebon buy The London-based brokerage Collins Stewart Tullett placed 55m of new shares yesterday to help fund the 69.5m purchase of the money and futures broker Prebon.


Astronomers Observe Collision of Galaxies, Formation of Larger <b>...</b> An international team of astronomers has obtained the clearest images yet of the merger of two distant clusters of galaxies, calling it one of the most powerful cosmic events ever witnessed.


The fish with a 100/kg price on its head set to win protector The humphead wrasse provides some of Hong Kong #39;s most expensive fish dishes, which, in a city with a strong tradition of luxury dining, is saying something.


Sage grouse listing may curb natural gas Some wildlife experts want to make the greater sage grouse an endangered species icon. Its Western habitat, unfortunately, is atop some of the nation #39;s largest untapped natural gas fields.


NFL Matchups: Two great coaches but two mediocre teams clash Someday Bill Parcells and Joe Gibbs will both be in the football Hall of Fame. For now, both are locked in the quest to resurrect two of the most storied franchises in history.


With focus on Iran, Brazil gets no favors RIO DE JANEIRO With Brazil hoping to begin operating a uranium enrichment plant by as early as year #39;s end, the International Atomic Energy Agency is intensifying efforts to reach an agreement that would guarantee its inspectors unimpeded access to the


Liberty Beat by Nat Hentoff The Most Evil Crime On my last visit to the Darfur area in Sudan, in June, I found a man groaning under a tree. He had been shot in the neck and jaw and left for dead in a pile of corpses.


Sudan Security Foils New Sabotage Plot -- Agency Sudanese authorities said Friday they foiled another plot by an opposition Islamist party to kidnap and kill senior government officials and blow up sites in the capital


Billionaires still playing catch-up with Gates Bill Gates remained atop the list of richest people in the United States, but investor Warren Buffett edged closer and Google #39;s founders are rising fast, according to Forbes magazine.


Jail-bound Martha nets \$2m Martha Stewart has had some good news just before she heads off to jail - a new contract from her company worth more than \$2ma year.


Collins Stewart buys rival broker in 133m deal Collins Stewart Tullett yesterday clinched a deal to buy rival money broker Prebon that will take the company #39;s market share close to leader Icap.


Summer puts dampener on Cadbury Schweppes Cadbury Schweppes, the soft drinks and confectionery giant, said yesterday that the wet summer had dampened sales of its soft drinks in Europe.


PSP to support MP3s The day after Sony said it would embrace the world #39;s top digital music format, it appears on the PSP #39;s official spec sheet.


Dinosaur long-necked for a reason: experts Fossilised remains found in southern China may hold the answer to a question that has long stumped palaeontologists: Just what is the purpose of the long neck on a group of predatory reptiles that roamed the earth millions of years ago?


No SP2 for Users of Old Windows Retrofitting SP2 to Windows 98 or Windows NT simply would not make much sense, argues Yankee Group #39;s Laura DiDio. Both operating systems are eight years old, and the PC and Internet worlds were much different places then.


Davis Cup Tennis: Darkness halts French bid for early 2-0 lead France was clinging to hopes of a 2-0 lead in its Davis Cup semifinal against Spain when darkness forced Juan Carlos Ferrero and Fabrice Santoro off the court in the fourth set of the second match Friday in Alicante, Spain.


Prem Preview: Manchester City-Arsenal What a difference a week makes! Seven days ago the popular wisdom was that if Manchester City failed to win their Saturday game manager Kevin Keegans job would be at risk.


Australia in for Davis Cup kill Australia is expected to clinch its Davis Cup relegation tie against Morocco in Perth today when doubles partners Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge take to the court.


Wengers Arsenal Mission Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has dismissed all talk of moving to Real Madrid and says he expects to sign a new deal with the Gunners soon.


Israeli Copter Strike Kills Palestinian An Israeli helicopter fired two missiles toward a crowd of Palestinians on the outskirts of a refugee camp early Saturday, killing a 55-year-old man and wounding five people, all civilians, hospital officials said.


New India-Pakistan ties hailed NEW YORK: The leaders of India and Pakistan yesterday hailed a new era in often fraught relations between the two south Asian nuclear rivals and agreed to study a joint pipeline project as part of closer economic ties.


Allawi safety claims  #39;out of touch with reality #39; say Iraqis Iraqis reacted with astonishment and derision yesterday to a claim made by the interim Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, before the US Congress that 14 or 15 out of Iraq #39;s 18 provinces  quot;are completely safe.


Darfur #39;s refugees face years in camps IT WILL take as long as two years to disarm the Arab Janjaweed militias that have carried out a campaign of genocide in the Sudanese region of Darfur, the top United States envoy to Sudan said yesterday.


Aid slow to reach desperate Haitians GONAIVES, HAITI - The lines grew longer and the people more desperate as flood victims in this city begged for food and clean water in order to survive another day.


Israeli Missile Kills One in Gaza Camp -- Medics (Reuters) Reuters - An Israeli helicopter fired a missile into\a Palestinian refugee camp in Gaza early on Saturday, killing\an elderly man and wounding at least three people, Palestinian\witnesses and medics said.


Israeli Missiles Kill 1 and Wound 5 (AP) AP - An Israeli missile strike killed one Palestinian and wounded five early Saturday, hours after militants killed an Israeli-American woman in the first deadly shelling of a Jewish settlement in Gaza in four years of fighting.