US Stock Futures Fall; Coca-Cola, Tribune Drop on Forecasts US stock-index futures dropped after Coca-Cola Co., Xilinx Inc., and Tribune Co. said sales or earnings will miss forecasts. Profits and outlooks are falling short and that will disappoint


Russia #39;s Gazprom rallies anew Russian gas company Gazprom rallied again Wednesday as investors said the upcoming easing of share ownership rules would make it a must-have stock in emerging markets portfolios.


Alitalia pursues rescue talks with unions MILAN - Alitalia headed into eleventh-hour talks with unions today, a putative deadline for clinching plans to avoid bankruptcy, after winning a key deal with pilots.


Businesses #39; Inventories, July Sales Up The Commerce Department said that stocks of unsold goods increased by 0.9 percent in July, down from a 1.1 percent rise in June. Sales, meanwhile, rose by 0.6 percent in July - three times the 0.2 percent increase registered in the previous month.


Unemployment falls as earnings rise The number of people claiming unemployment benefit last month fell by 6,100 to 830,200, according to the Office for National Statistics.


That Picture Could be a Virus Microsoft, the software giant has issued a patch so that users can view pictures in the JPEG format without the risk of getting their computers infected.


Bush Requests NASA Storm Aid President Bush on Tuesday asked Congress for \$126 million to help NASA repair the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which was damaged by recent hurricanes.


Radcliffe was carrying leg injury LONDON, England -- Paula Radcliffe has revealed that a leg muscle injury affected her preparations for the Athens Olympics where she was forced to drop out of the marathon and 10,000 meters after starting as hot favorite.


South Korea Says Blast in North May Have Been Dam Project Intelligence officials in South Korea say the mysterious blast in North Korea may have been from a hydro-electric dam project, as Pyongyang claims.


Politicians debate Hong Kong poll results Chinese officials lauded the comfortable majority of the Beijing camp in Hong Kong #39;s election as a vote for prosperity, but the city #39;s leading liberal said yesterday China should not doubt the popular desire for democracy.


Government warns of net dangers A more joined-up approach to net safety is needed if government is to get the message home to citizens.


Amazon releases A9 search engine Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. officially moved into the search engine market with the unveiling late Tuesday of its Internet search engine, A9.com.


July business inventories up more than expected Businesses saw inventories rise in July and sales picked up, the government reported Wednesday. The Commerce Department said that stocks of unsold goods increased 0.9 in July, down from a 1.1 rise in June.


Hurricane Ivan Threatens NASA Facilities Workers evacuated Tuesday from the low-lying New Orleans plant where they have been scrambling to prepare external fuel tanks for the shuttles.


Drogba faces UEFA punishment Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has urged European football #39;s governing body, UEFA, not to punish star striker Didier Drogba for taunting Paris Saint-Germain fans on Tuesday.


Yankees bounce back After ending a career-worst five-game losing skid last week, the right-hander held the Kansas City Royals to three hits in eight innings Tuesday night, pitching the New York Yankees to a 4-0 victory.


High-Tech Industry Has Lost 400,000 Jobs By ALLISON LINN    SEATTLE (AP) -- The U.S. information tech sector lost 403,300 jobs between March 2001 and this past April, and the market for tech workers remains bleak, according to a new report...


Peerbot Search Engine Offers Searching by Favicon Peerbot Search Engine Offers Searching by Favicon\\You know what favicons are? They're little teeny icons that show up on the address bar in at least Opera, Mozilla, and Internet Explorer. You can get information on what they are and how to put them together at ClickFire .\\Peerbot ( http://www.peerbot.com ) ...


Organic SEO: Patience For Long Term Ranking Results Organic SEO: Patience For Long Term Ranking Results\\When does long term SEO show ranking results? It takes time for optimization to produce targeted traffic to your website. Organic SEO requires time to take effect, just as it takes time for your web pages to start showing up in the search ...


British Airways cancels 966 flights in next three months (AFP) AFP - British Airways said it planned to cancel almost 1,000 flights in the next three months.


Sudanese rebel movement says peace talks have collapsed (AFP) AFP - One of two rebel movements engaged in peace talks with Sudan's government mediated by the African Union (AU) said the negotiations over the Darfur region had collapsed and could be suspended for weeks.


Industrial Production Nearly Stalls  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. industrial output barely edged  up, gaining a less-than-expected 0.1 percent in August, the  Federal Reserve said on Wednesday.


J.P. Morgan Cancels IBM Outsourcing Deal  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - J.P. Morgan Chase   Co. JPM.N said  on Wednesday it was canceling a \$5 billion outsourcing deal  with IBM Corp., IBM.N and planned to rehire about 4,000  workers who had been transferred to IBM under the pact.


Global Markets: Oil Dips After OPEC Hike  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil supply fears eased slightly on  Wednesday as OPEC hiked production quotas by 1 million barrels  a day, balancing risks from Hurricane Ivan that has temporarily  closed 60 percent of Gulf of Mexico crude output.


GOP nominee vows to be non-partisan as CIA chief (Chicago Tribune) Chicago Tribune - Under sometimes sharp questioning from Democrats, Republican Rep. Porter Goss told a Senate committee Tuesday that his past partisan views and strong support for an intelligence agency that many consider deeply flawed will not stand in the way of needed reforms if he is confirmed as director of central intelligence.


Pac-10 Commissioner Wants Votes Public (AP) AP - The commissioner of the Pac-10 Conference called Monday for coaches to make their votes public after California was dropped below No. 6 by six voters in the final poll.


Oracle beats the Street, reaffirms guidance Oracle Corp., the world #39;s second-largest software firm, beat the Street with its first-quarter results after Tuesday #39;s market close thanks to stronger sales of its database software.


Gap wants to dress boomer women In the second half of 2005, Gap Inc. plans to launch its first new chain in a decade, a specialty clothing retailer aimed at women over 35 years old, according to a published report Wednesday citing Gap Chief Executive Paul Pressler.


Microsoft And Polycom Strike Desktop Conferencing Pact Microsoft and Polycom Inc. disclosed plans to integrate their products to give PC users new options for audio and video conferencing.


Yankees widen their lead Jason Giambi made his first start since July 23, Mike Mussina pitched three-hit ball for eight innings, and the New York Yankees beat the host Kansas City Royals, 4-0, to increase their AL East lead to four games over the Boston Red Sox.


Tigers look to the future Manager Alan Trammell keeps talking about this year. About scoring some runs, winning some games. But really, this is all about next year for the Detroit Tigers, especially now


Abductions in Iraq a big business Groups tied to Abu Musab Zarqawi claim a major car bombing Tuesday, taking Westerners as hostages. By Howard LaFranchi. BAGHDAD - When a disciplined group of uniformed men kidnapped two Italian aid workers


59 left dead after attack on Iraqi police Iraqi police suffered two massive blows in attacks that left at least 59 people dead and more than 120 injured. The major attack - a car bomb blast near a Baghdad police station - was claimed by an al Qaida-linked terror group.


UK plays down Mideast talks LONDON: Talk about a Middle East peace conference in London early next year is  quot;premature, quot; a spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair said last night.


Empire manufacturing up sharply in September Business at factories across New York state improved at an accelerated pace in the past month according to the Empire State Manufacturing Survey posted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Buffalo.


Delta Eyes Retired Pilots Deal Retired pilots may fly planes for Delta Air Lines as part of an interim agreement as the pilots union seeks to head off Delta #39;s potential bankruptcy deadline.


European Union willing to cut Airbus aid The European Union says if Washington will reduce aid to the Boeing Co., it #39;s willing to accept cuts in subsidies for Airbus Industries.


Mozilla fixes browser bugs The Mozilla Foundation has fixed 10 security bugs in its open-source Mozilla and Mozilla Firefox browsers and Thunderbird e-mail reader, with the release of new versions of all three products this week. Some of the vulnerabilities could allow attackers to run malicious code on a user's PC via a malicious e-mail, a specially crafted vCard or a malformed graphic on a Web site, project leaders said.


Mozilla fixes browser bugs The Mozilla Foundation has fixed 10 security bugs in its open-source Mozilla and Mozilla Firefox browsers and Thunderbird e-mail reader, with the release of new versions of all three products this week.


Sauber signs Villeneuve Jacques Villeneuves determination to return to racing has secured him a place in the 2005 paddock. The 33-year old Canadian has signed a two-year contract with Sauber, which will come into effect on the 1st of November 2004.


Cash has ACL tear in her left knee AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Shock will be without their leading scorer for the remainder of the season. Prior to their 82-71 victory over the New York Liberty on Tuesday, the Shock placed Swin Cash


Holders Porto held to draw Porto, Portugal (Sports Network) - Champions League play began Tuesday and Groups G and H featured few surprises, as Valencia, Inter Milan and Chelsea all emerged victorious.


Al-Zarqawi claims responsibility for Baghdad, Baqouba operations <b>...</b> Some 74 Iraqis were killed in Iraq yesterday while other 154 were injured, most of them are victims of a booby trapped car explosion in Baghdad and an attack in Baqouba, Abu Mus #39;ab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for, fighting in al-Ramadi between the


Israel Kills 10 in W. Bank #39;s Deadliest Day Since 2002 Raiding Israeli forces killed six Palestinian militants and four civilians on Wednesday, the highest single-day Palestinian death toll in the West Bank for more than two years, witnesses and medics said.


Hitachi Readies 100GB Notebook Drives Higher-capacity hard drives will be available by the end of the year.


Judges Postpone Milosevic Trial for Month (AP) AP - Stalled by reluctant witnesses and an uncooperative defendant, judges in Slobodan Milosevic's war crimes trial adjourned the proceedings for a month Wednesday to give the former Yugoslav president's court-appointed lawyers time to prepare their case.


J.P. Morgan Cancels IBM Outsourcing Deal (Reuters) Reuters - J.P. Morgan Chase   Co.  said\on Wednesday it was canceling a  #36;5 billion outsourcing deal\with IBM Corp.,  and planned to rehire about 4,000\workers who had been transferred to IBM under the pact.


Gap to Launch Store for 'Boomer' Women (Reuters) Reuters - Gap Inc.  on Wednesday said it\plans to test a new store concept next year aimed at women over\age 35, and named Gap brand president Gary Muto to oversee the\development.


U.S. Stocks Open Lower, Coca-Cola Weighs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened lower on Wednesday  as Coca-Cola Co. KO.N upset sentiment by warning earnings for  the rest of the year would lag expectations, while concerns  about Hurricane Ivan and its effect on crude prices continued  to weigh on investors.


Bush-Yawar firm on Iraq poll date BAGHDAD: The presidents of Iraq and the United States pledged yesterday there would be no delay to landmark elections on January 30 despite a flare-up of violence that left about 100 dead in three days.


Gap to Launch Store for 'Boomer' Women  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Gap Inc. GPS.N on Wednesday said it  plans to test a new store concept next year aimed at women over  age 35, and named Gap brand president Gary Muto to oversee the  development.


Roots of terrorism  #39;ignored #39; LONDON: Pakistan #39;s President Pervez Musharraf, in London for talks yesterday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, said the world is  quot;absolutely quot; less safe because it is failing to tackle the core causes of terrorism.


PM backs violent game inquiry Tony Blair said children need protecting from violent video games, blamed for the murder of a schoolboy.


Tories to sign up online recruits The Tories are to recruit members online rather than making people join the party through local associations.


AB faces more competition from SABMiller in China London #39;s SABMiller has agreed to buy the Chinese brewing business of Australia #39;s Lion Nathan for US\$154 million, it said Wednesday.


Treasuries Slip as NY Industry Rebounds Treasuries prices slipped on Wednesday after a survey of regional US manufacturing showed a sharp recovery in early September, countering signs of softness elsewhere in the economy.


Fleming, suppliers settle SEC claims WASHINGTON -- Grocery wholesaler Fleming Cos. and some of its suppliers and their employees have agreed to settle Securities and Exchange Commission claims of accounting fraud.


OFT urged to investigate  #39;rip-off #39; iTunes The Consumers #39; Association has accused iTunes - the music download service from Apple - of ripping off UK punters by charging them 20 per cent more than European counterparts.


EU extends ban on Asian poultry imports The European Union said Wednesday it had extended a ban on imports of chicken meat and pet birds from several Asian countries hit by avian flu to March 31 next year.


Austrians silence jibbering supermarket trolleys In brief A victory for humanity


Clash of the Tech Titans (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The Internet's biggest players are preparing for all-out war, adding new weapons to their arsenals in hopes that they can offer the best full suite of digital services to future Net users.


Hitachi Readies 100GB Notebook Drives (PC World) PC World - Higher-capacity hard drives will be available by the end of the year.


Workers to Wield Linux RFID Devices (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - RFID deals are really flying at the Frontline show. In one agreement, Linux handheld terminals will come together with wireless emulation for the enterprise. Through another, three IT firms will support Beaver Street Fisheries' bid to move RFID a step beyond mere compliance.


Rain Brings Back Bad Memories for Vols (AP) AP - Playing in the rain against Florida brings back some bad memories for Tennessee.


Coca-Cola Warns on Profits, Shares Drop  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co. KO.N on Wednesday said  earnings for the rest of the year would lag Wall Street  expectations because of weakness in key markets, further  highlighting the divergent fortunes of the world's largest soft  drink maker and its top rival, PepsiCo Inc. PEP.N.


OPEC Lifts Oil Output Quotas One Mln Bpd  VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC on Wednesday lifted oil supply  quotas by one million barrels a day, four percent, in a renewed  bid to force down stubbornly high world crude prices.


PacifiCare to Buy American Medical  CHICAGO (Reuters) - PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. PHS.N  said on Wednesday it agreed to buy American Medical Security  Group Inc. AMZ.N for \$502 million, in a bid by the health  insurer to broaden into the individual and small-business  markets.


Martha to hold news conference NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Martha Stewart set a news conference Wednesday to discuss  quot;matters related to her sentencing. quot;. It was not immediately clear what would be discussed specifically at the news conference


Kerkorian and MGM, Off Again On Monday, Kirk Kerkorian sold Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. for the third time. As a Hollywood reconciliation story, that means Kerkorian has bought and sold the venerable movie studio more times than Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton.


HBOS opts to reject making bid for Abbey LONDON HBOS said on Wednesday that it would not bid for Abbey National, clearing the way for Santander Central Hispano #39;s 8.7 billion takeover of the No.


JPMorgan to absorb 4,000 IBM workers NEW YORK -- JPMorgan Chase  amp; Co. plans to undo a technology outsourcing deal with International Business Machines Corp., taking back about 4,000 employees and contractors from the computer giant.


Intercontinental Boss Steps Down InterContinental Hotels today said it had begun the search for a new chief executive after a change in strategy forced out present boss Richard North.


BA cancels 1,000 Heathrow flights British Airways today announced the cancellation of almost 1,000 flights over the next three months in an effort to ease congestion at Heathrow, one of the world #39;s busiest airports.


iTunes referred to consumer watchdog The Consumer Association has today complained to the UKs Office of Fair Trading that downloading tracks from Apples iTunes costs UK consumers more than their counterparts in France and Germany.


Hitachi to release 100GB hard drives for notebooks Hitachi announced it would be shipping 2.5in hard drives with capacities up to 100GB for notebook computers by the end of 2004. The Travelstar 5K100 and E5K100 hard drives


As an NHL lockout looms, Canada cooly outduels Finland, 3-2 TORONTO Midway through the third period, with the outcome of the World Cup of Hockey still in doubt, the public-address system played a clap-along song with a chorus about  quot;the good old hockey game.


Drogba Can Be Our Henry - Lampard Frank Lampard believes Didier Drogba can do for Chelsea what Thierry Henry has done for Arsenal. The 26-year-old Ivory Coast striker Drogba scored twice as Chelsea opened their Champions


Arsenal have  #39;grown up #39; Patrick Vieira believes Arsenal are a more mature outfit as a result of the European heartbreak they have suffered over recent seasons.


Pakistan set up India ICC showdown LONDON, England -- Pakistan beat Kenya by seven wickets in the ICC Champions Trophy Pool C match at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Wednesday.


Soccer: Larsson leaves Celtic a calling card as Barca rolls We do not have to believe every cynic who says that all the great players are mercenaries who flit like butterflies through the big money clubs of the Champions League.


SportsNetwork Game Preview (Sports Network) - Javier Vazquez hopes to put the brakes on a personal three- game losing streak this afternoon when the New York Yankees close out their three-game set with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.


EU assembly to describe Darfur crisis as genocide By Reuters <b>...</b> The European Parliament is set to call violence in Sudan #39;s Darfur region  quot;tantamount to genocide quot; later this week, echoing strong statements from the United States and toughening the EU stance.


Russians wary of Putin #39;s actions MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin says he will fight anti-Russian attacks by consolidating security agencies and further tightening political control over the country.


Opec Ups Quotas At Vienna Summit Opec has raised its output quotas in an attempt to bring oil prices below \$40 a barrel. The cartel of leading oil producers says it will pump another million barrels of crude a day, bringing total output to 27 million barrels a day.


Hitachi readies notebook Serial ATA hard drives Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST) this week said it will ship a line of Serial ATA hard drives designed for notebook usage in Q4.


Novell set to fly with cross-platform management Novell Inc has released a new version of its ZENworks management software for Linux as it moves towards a common management interface for Linux, Windows, Unix and NetWare.


DEVICES: T-Mobile Germany revealed SDA and SDA Music Smartphones Today, T-Mobile Germany officially revealed the launch of the SDA and the new SDA Music Smartphones, based on Windows Mobile 2003.


Out of control in Oakland THERE IS no excuse for the behavior exhibited by a few Oakland A #39;s fans and some members of the Texas Rangers baseball team that sent a player to jail and left a spectator with a broken nose.


Blackburn step up chase for Hughes LONDON, England -- Blackburn Rovers have made an official approach to talk to Welsh national manager Mark Hughes about the vacant job at Ewood Park.


FA Cup semifinals to be played in Cardiff London - This season #39;s FA Cup semifinals will be held at Cardiff #39;s Millennium Stadium, the Football Association said on Wednesday.


InterContinental Hotels eases out CEO InterContinental Hotels, the world #39;s biggest hotelier, has eased out chief executive Richard North to make way for a career hotelier with brand-building skills to drive forward the business.


Sony to mass produce flattest screens Sony will begin mass production of full-colour organic light emitting diode (Oled) displays next year. It is considering using the technology across a range of the company #39;s portable devices with screen sizes up to 10in (25cm).


MLB Notes: Twins top Chisox, open 11 1/2 game lead Nearing a third straight division title, Johan Santana and the Minnesota Twins aren #39;t short on motivation. Their rivals, the fading Chicago White Sox, gave them a little more.


Cardiff to host FA Cup semi-finals Cardiff #39;s Millennium Stadium will host this season #39;s FA Cup semi-finals as well as the final. It will be the first time the venue has hosted the semi-finals, with Old Trafford and Villa Park having been favoured in recent years.


Car bomb kills 2 south of Baghdad BAGHDAD A car bomb exploded in a town south of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing two people and wounding 10, the latest in a spate of attacks that have killed some 150 people in the last four days.


Sri Lanka handball team vanishes The 23-strong Sri Lankan handball team disappears while on an exchange visit to Germany.


Sharon Doesn't Plan to Follow 'Road Map' JERUSALEM - Israel will not follow the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan and could remain in much of the West Bank for an extended period after it withdraws from the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in a newspaper interview published Wednesday.    Sharon's comments were his most detailed yet on his long-term vision for the region...


Coast Guard Shuts Gulf of Mexico Ports (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Coast Guard shut five ports on\Wednesday in the Gulf of Mexico coast states of Alabama,\Florida and Mississippi as Hurricane Ivan churned nearer.


SP2 Users Insulated From JPEG Flaw Microsofts monthly security bulletin has uncovered a critical buffer overrun vulnerability that exists in the processing of JPEG image formats.


IETF knocks back Microsoft anti-spam plan The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has turned down Microsoft #39;s technical contribution to the Sender ID proposal. A combination of Microsoft #39;s Caller ID and a domain authentication scheme devised by


Polls: Bush Trails Kerry in New York (AP) AP - President Bush got a convention bounce even in heavily Democratic New York but still trailed rival John Kerry, two statewide presidential polls said Wednesday.


JPMorgan to Absorb 4,000 IBM Workers (AP) AP - JPMorgan Chase  amp; Co. plans to undo a technology outsourcing deal with International Business Machines Corp., taking back about 4,000 employees and contractors from the computer giant.


Barry makes political comeback in Washington (AFP) AFP - Marion Barry, the former mayor of Washington who was caught taking cocaine, has made a new political comeback in the US capital.


Iraq seeks EU, NATO help to keep elections on track (AFP) AFP - Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar called on NATO and the European Union to do more to help stabilize his war-ravaged country ahead of elections which he hopes can be held as planned in January.


Cell chip development 'almost done' - Toshiba chief Massively parallel processor to 'change the world', apparently


Clash of the Tech Titans The Internet's biggest players are preparing for all-out war, adding new weapons to their arsenals in hopes that they can offer the best full suite of digital services to future Net users. -washingtonpost.com


J.P. Morgan Cancels IBM Outsourcing Deal
\

 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - J.P. Morgan Chase   Co. <JPM.N> said\on Wednesday it was canceling a \$5 billion outsourcing deal\with IBM Corp., <IBM.N> and planned to rehire about 4,000\workers who had been transferred to IBM under the pact.


China beer sale buoys Lion LION Nathan has delivered on its promise to deal with competitive pressures in China, selling its business in the world #39;s biggest beer market for a higher than expected \$US154 million (\$219 million).


UPDATE 2-US mortgage applications fall last week-MBA New applications for US home loans fell last week from a four-month high even as 30-year mortgage rates declined to their lowest level since late March, an industry group said on Wednesday.


BTG hits Amazon, Netflix and others with patent suit LONDON - BTG PLC, a London-based firm that focuses on intellectual property and technology commercialization, said Wednesday that it has filed suit against Amazon.com Inc., Barnesandnoble.com LLC and two other Internet companies for infringing on patents related to the tracking of users on the Web.


Apple UK rip-off claim p2pnet.net News:- Britain #39;s Consumers #39; Association wants to know why Apple charges its UK users 17 more for downloads that those in the rest of Europe.


Microsoft patches  #39;critical #39; JPEG exploit Microsoft has issued a patch to fix the security flaw, and urges its customers to use a new utility to locate the computer applications that are vulnerable.


Eastman rebuffs Sendra jibe European middleweight champion Howard Eastman has stepped up his war of words ahead of his fight with Spain #39;s Jorge Sendra on 24 September.


Israeli Troops Raid Nablus, Jenin, Kill 11 Palestinians Palestinian medical sources and witnesses say Israeli forces killed at least 11 Palestinians during raids in two West Bank cities Wednesday.


Three Beheaded Bodies Found in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq Sept. 15, 2004 - Security forces discovered three beheaded bodies Wednesday on a road north of Baghdad, and a car bomb exploded in a town south of the capital, killing two people amid a surge


Amazon Unveils Its Search Engine A9.com is designed to compete with existing search sites, including Google.


Spain's SCH Wins British Bank for  #36;16 Bln (Reuters) Reuters - Spanish bank Santander claimed\victory for its 8.7 billion pound ( #36;15.6 billion) agreed\takeover of Britain's Abbey National after its most likely\rival, UK bank HBOS, pulled out of the race.


Airbus Sees Mobile Phone Use on Planes in 2006 (Reuters) Reuters - European planemaker Airbus reported\progress on Wednesday in plans to allow passengers to use\mobile phones in flight, beginning in 2006.


Toyota to Make Hybrid Cars in China (AP) AP - Toyota Motor Corp. will begin making its ecologically friendly hybrid model in China by the end of 2005, the first overseas assembly for the company's Prius vehicle.


PIMCO Adviser in  #36;11.6 Mln SEC Settlement (Reuters) Reuters - The PIMCO mutual fund group's\adviser and two affiliates will pay  #36;11.6 million to settle\U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges involving\improper "revenue-sharing" payments to brokers, said a source\familiar with the case on Wednesday.


OPEC Lifts Oil Quotas  VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC on Wednesday lifted oil supply  quotas by one million barrels a day, four percent, in a renewed  bid to force down stubbornly high world crude prices.


Industrial Production Nearly Stalls  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. industrial output growth nearly  stalled last month as production cuts at mines and utilities  nearly swamped a solid performance in factories, a report from  the Federal Reserve showed on Wednesday.


Spain's SCH Wins British Bank for \$16 Bln  LONDON/MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish bank Santander claimed  victory for its 8.7 billion pound (\$15.6 billion) agreed  takeover of Britain's Abbey National after its most likely  rival, UK bank HBOS, pulled out of the race.


PIMCO Adviser in \$11.6 Mln SEC Settlement  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The PIMCO mutual fund group's  adviser and two affiliates will pay \$11.6 million to settle  U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges involving  improper "revenue-sharing" payments to brokers, said a source  familiar with the case on Wednesday.


Tribune Won't Meet Wall St. Expectations  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Publisher and broadcaster Tribune Co.  TRB.N on Wednesday said third-quarter earnings would lag Wall  Street estimates, hurt by lower-than-expected political  advertising at its television stations.


Treasuries Sag on Signs of Resilience  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasuries prices slipped on Wednesday  after a survey of regional U.S. manufacturing showed a sharp  recovery in early September, countering signs of softness  elsewhere in the economy.


Russia Rebuts U.S. Criticism of Putin's Shake-Up  ASTANA, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - Russia curtly told the  United States to stay out of its business Wednesday after U.S.  criticism, echoed by the European Union, of President Vladimir  Putin's plans for radical change that will boost Kremlin power.


Mac OS X Tip of the Week: Custom Labels Don #146;t like the names Apple created for the colors used in the Color Labels feature? Then just create your own. Find out how on the Apple Pro/Design/ site  #151; it #146;s the first of a weekly series of Mac OS X killer tips. Sep 15


Can You Say Cursed? Despite watching the Cubs and Red Sox surge the past two months, Michael Wilbon says they're both cursed and neither is going to the World Series.


How to rip from vinyl or tape So, you have five hundred tapes and albums of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and the like, and want then on your computer? Well, you could spend hundreds of dollars replacing music you already paid for once with CDs. Or, instead of paying twenty bucks per album, you could spend twenty cents per album to convert your tapes and vinyl to CD and rip those. Read more for how.    Also, the instructions below will allow you to defeat any copy protection. Period. Just substitute "cheap CD walkman" for "stereo." Caution- doing this in the United Statesor other parts of the world may be a felony. Those in less corrupt, more civilized parts of the world need not fear.    Or alternately, you can make CDs of your own band.


OPEC Ministers to Discuss Oil Production Oil ministers of the 11-member Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries meet Wednesday in Vienna to discuss the possibility of raising production, which could lower world oil prices.


Alitalia pursues rescue talks with Italian unions MILAN : Alitalia headed into eleventh-hour talks with unions to clinch plans to avoid bankruptcy, after winning a key deal with pilots.


For iTunes, it pays to be French com September 15, 2004, 7:35 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.


Xerox Outlines Services Push NEW YORKA day after ditching its tagline  quot;The Document Company, quot; Xerox Corp. sought to drive home the company #39;s new focus on services.


Arab-owned Israeli team faces up to Souness #39; Newcastle But the match has another compelling storyline: the Magpies #39; little-known UEFA Cup opponent is an Israeli club, Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin, with a rare mixture of Jews and Arabs.


McKenzie Expected to Re-Join Packers A Green Bay Packers defense that played magnificently in Monday night #39;s season-opening triumph at Carolina should get significantly better today, when cornerback Mike McKenzie is to join the


Rays hand Sox second straight loss The Red Sox lose back-to-back games for the first time in more than five weeks, after a 5-to-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Rookie Scott Kazmir outpitched Pedro Martinez to lead Tampa Bay.


Blazers, Nets reportedly discussing Kidd trade The New Jersey Nets and the Portland Trailblazers have discussed a trade involving superstars Jason Kidd and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, according to a published Internet report.


Airbus Sees Mobile Phone Use on Planes in 2006  LONDON (Reuters) - European planemaker Airbus reported  progress on Wednesday in plans to allow passengers to use  mobile phones in flight, beginning in 2006.


North Korea's claim about mysterious blast might be true: Seoul (AFP) AFP - Communist North Korea's claim that a huge and mysterious explosion was caused by a civil engineering project might be true, according to South Korea's intelligence agency.


Bad timing for Bibby firing If you weren #39;t convinced Southern California athletic director Mike Garrett was clueless about basketball when he hired Henry Bibby, you probably should have gotten the message when Garrett fired Bibby on Monday.


OPEC Lifts Oil Quotas to Drop Crude Price  VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC on Wednesday lifted oil supply  quotas by one million barrels a day, four percent, in a renewed  bid to force down stubbornly high world crude prices.


Mozilla Fixes Browser Bugs (PC World) PC World - Ten security flaws found in Firefox browser, Thunderbird e-mail client.


Stocks Down on Coke Warning  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were lower on Wednesday  after a profit warning from Coca-Cola Co. KO.N renewed  investors' doubts about earnings growth in the second half of  the year.


Viduka #39;s double lights up Riverside IT CAN only be coincidence that the power failure that ensured the closure of concession stands throughout the Riverside Stadium brought such a ravenous display from three centre forwards whose hunger has been questioned.


Altered Reality of Foreign Investing Globalization's changed how the world's markets interact -- and how your portfolio fares.


Ukraine Rivals OK Vote Reforms for Rematch (AP) AP - Ukraine's political rivals agreed early Tuesday on legislation to ensure a fair vote during the rerun later this month of the fraud-ridden presidential runoff but remained divided on constitutional amendments trimming presidential powers.


Hurricane Ivan Roars Toward Gulf Coast NEW ORLEANS - Stragglers streamed toward higher ground Wednesday on highways turned into one-way evacuation routes and surf started eroding beaches as Hurricane Ivan roared toward the Gulf Coast with 135 mph wind and its outer bands darkened the sky.    Ivan could cause significant damage no matter where it strikes, as hurricane-force wind extended up to 105 miles out from the center...


Kerry: Bush Policies Full of Bad Choices DETROIT - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry attacked the Bush administration as the "excuse presidency" on Wednesday, charging that the president stood by while jobs disappeared and the middle class lost ground.   "This president has created more excuses than jobs...


Lion Nathan #39;s \$200m sell-off triumph Australia #39;s second-largest brewer yesterday announced an agreement to sell its three Yangtze River Delta breweries to an SABMiller-China Resources Enterprises joint venture for \$219 million.


JP Morgan ends IBM outsource deal JP Morgan Chase  amp; Co. said Wednesday it was canceling a \$5 billion outsourcing deal with IBM Corp. and planned to rehire about 4,000 workers who had been transferred to IBM under the pact.


PacifiCare #39;s American Medical merger worth \$502M PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. will pay \$502 million to buy all outstanding shares of common stock of American Medical Security. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Cypress-based PacifiCare will pay \$32.


Drogba the destroyer as Chelsea fire early JOSE MOURINHO began his latest campaign as he finished the last one - a winner - as his new club Chelsea thrashed French strugglers Paris Saint Germain 3-0 in Paris in their opening match of the tournament on Tuesday.


Villeneuve back in frame as Trulli departs Renault THE Renault team have parted company with Italian driver Jarno Trulli with three races in the 2004 world championship still to go.


Ponting doesn #39;t think much of Kiwis or winning  #39;myth #39; RICKY PONTING believes the game #39;s watchers have fallen for the  quot;myth quot; that New Zealand know how to rattle Australia.


Pakistan cruise to victory Pakistan today continued the trend for one-sided matches in the opening week of the ICC Champions Trophy by completing an emphatic victory over Kenya between the showers at Edgbaston.


Blackburn move in on Hughes The Football Association of Wales have confirmed that they have received an approach for Mark Hughes from Blackburn. Wales manager Hughes yesterday revealed, via his representative, that he is keen to return


UPDATE 2-Top seed Moya stunned by qualifier in Beijing Top seed Carlos Moya got blown off court by a French teenager playing his first ATP Tour match at the rain-it China Open on Wednesday.


NAC Breda #39;s Tamas Peto banned for 10 games for doping NAC Breda won #39;t appeal a 10-game ban on Hungarian midfielder Tamas Peto by the Dutch Soccer Association as punishment for alleged doping, the team said Wednesday.


Police check  #39;curse #39; on Sharon ISRAELI police have begun investigating several death threats made against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in recent days over his plan to evacuate Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip.


Losing sight of the countryside Migration to urban centres is exacerbating problems in the countryside, the World Urban Forum is told.


J.P. Morgan cancels IBM outsourcing contract The termination of the \$5 billion deal stands in opposition to a trend toward more IT outsourcing.


Nokia, NEC test IP multimedia interoperability Two industry heavyweights have completed interoperability tests of a new technology designed to drive the convergence of voice, data, and video services over wireless and fixed infrastructure based on the Internet Protocol.


Empire State survey climbs to 28.3 from August #39;s 13.2 WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Factory activity in the New York region accelerated in September, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Wednesday.


IMF says markets at most resilient in 3 years The global financial system is at its most resilient since the equity bubble burst in 2001, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday, despite rising interest rates, heightened security and higher oil prices.


Software bug raises spectre of  #39;JPEG of death #39; Flawed software code used by numerous Microsoft applications to render images mean that a specially constructed image file could hijack a computer or spread a virus.


Nestle Waters ponders Perrier sale ... or outsourcing (AFP) AFP - Nestle Waters said it might sell Perrier, the iconic French mineral water, while keeping options including a mooted outsourcing on tap.


News: World's largest ID theft felon faces 14 years' jail A former New York computer help desk technician yesterday pleaded guilty to playing a key part in what prosecutors reckon is the largest identity theft case to date.\


Lebanese boycott mobile phones for three hours in protest at high costs (AFP) AFP - Professional bodies and trade unions vowed to continue actions to force the government to cut mobile phone rates following a third boycott of cellular lines, reckoned to be among the costliest in the world.


Sudanese Peace Talks Hit Impasse (AP) AP - Peace talks between the Sudanese government and two rebel factions from the troubled Darfur region hit an impasse, and the sides agreed to break for at least three weeks before resuming efforts, one rebel faction said Wednesday.


Mickelson Says Equipment Change Won't Hurt Ryder Cup  BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) - Masters champion  Phil Mickelson defended his commitment to the U.S. Ryder Cup  cause on Wednesday as scrutiny over his decision to switch  equipment before golf's biggest team event intensified.


Oracle Shares Gain Amid Tech Decline  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Shares of software maker Oracle Corp.  ORCL.O rose as much as 8 percent in early trading on  Wednesday, a day after the company posted strong quarterly  profit fueled by steady demand for its flagship database  products.


Windows 2000 to get its last major update Microsoft will not be developing a fifth service pack for Windows 2000, but will issue a single security update called Update Rollup, which is due in mid-2005.


Maryland Court Rejects Electronic-Voting Challenge (Reuters) Reuters - Maryland's highest court has\rejected a challenge to the state's electronic voting system\and upheld a ruling that touchscreen-style voting machines\provide a reasonable level of ballot security.


Top Seed Moya Stunned by Qualifier in Beijing  BEIJING (Reuters) - Top seed Carlos Moya got blown off  court by a French teenager playing his first ATP Tour match at  the rain-hit China Open on Wednesday.


Montgomerie Multi-Tasks in Europe's Cause  BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) - Colin Montgomerie is  playing team leader, confidant and chief cheerleader to  Europe's Ryder Cup squad this week -- and he is thriving on the  challenge.


BA to Axe Almost 1,000 Heathrow Flights  LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways Plc, Europe's  second-biggest airline, is to cancel almost 1,000 flights out  of London's Heathrow airport in the next three months to ease  the congestion that led to travel disruptions.


Martha Stewart Asks to Begin Prison Sentence as Soon as Possible NEW YORK - Martha Stewart (search) announced Wednesday at a press conferecne that had decided to surrender for prison as soon as possible, citing the need  quot;to put this nightmare behind me.


Jpmorgan Chase and Ibm Announce Changes to Technology <b>...</b> NEW YORK  amp; ARMONK, NY - (BUSINESS WIRE) -ept. 15, 2004  -organ Chase  amp; Co. (NYSE: JPM) and IBM today announced JPMorgan Chases plans to reintegrate the previously outsourced portions of its technology


Coca-Cola warns second-half earnings will fall short of <b>...</b> The Coca-Cola Co. says its third-quarter per-share results will drop at least 24 per cent because of poor weather in Europe and problems executing its business strategy in North America.


Kerr-McGee to stop Savannah #39;s sulfate pigment production Kerr-McGee Corp. plans to shut down its Savannah, Ga., pigment sulfate production, resulting in charges of \$75 million to \$85 million in the third quarter.


Update 2: Reynolds American Issues Earnings Guidance Reynolds American Inc., created by the recent merger of RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. and the US businesses of Brown  amp; Williamson Tobacco Corp.


Delta pilots agree to talk on retirements Delta Air Lines #39; pilot union has agreed to negotiate the early retirement issue that the company says could lead it into bankruptcy if it is not settled by the end of this month.


FUTURES MOVERS The Gulf Coast girded Wednesday for the arrival of Hurricane Ivan, as petroleum and natural-gas producers shut in output from offshore installations in anticipation of the category four storm.


OLED screens brighten Sony handhelds Sony may be puling its Clie handhelds out of the US and Europe, but that doesn #39;t mean the company has lost all faith in the handheld market.


iTunes pricing unfair, says British consumer group British consumer watchdog group Consumers #39; Association, publishers of Which? magazines and books, on Wednesday announced that they #39;ve written to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) alleging that Apple may be


Another Patch Job from Microsoft SEATTLE -- Microsoft released a patch for its latest  quot;critical quot; rated security flaw affecting its Windows, Office and developer tools software programs, the company said Tuesday.


Visual Studio Aims At Structuring The Software Development Process Visual Studio 2005 Team System will try to include features that make it more likely that what the developers know in their hearts also is visible to managers.


The Beatles Sue Apple Computer Giants Apple are facing the biggest legal payout in history as they once again battle their courtroom nemesis, also named Apple.


Mayhem, for fun I admit to being skeptical that the Teen-rated Burnout 3: Takedown, from Criterion Games and Electronic Arts, was going to be just another street-racing title.


Three Nacional players suspended after nightclub altercation Lisbon, Portugal (Sports Network) - CD Nacional suspended three players who were arrested following an altercation at a Portuguese nightclub early Monday morning.


Dulko reaches quarters; Sugiyama, Rubin bounced in Bali openers Bali, Indonesia (Sports Network) - Seventh-seeded Argentine Gisela Dulko moved into the quarterfinals, while third-seeded Japanese Ai Sugiyama and 2003 Bali runner-up Chanda Rubin were a pair of opening-round losers Wednesday at the \$225,000 Wismilak


Report: Decision could come today Art Howe has been given the option to leave as Mets manager immediately or manage until then end of the season and then be fired, a high-ranking club official has told Michael Kay of ESPN Radio 1050 in New York.


Iran May Curb Nuke Work (CBS/AP) Iran has agreed in principle to temporarily stop some suspect activities that its critics allege are meant to make nuclear weapons, as it seeks to blunt censure at an upcoming UN meeting, diplomats said Tuesday.


Susilo well ahead in Indonesian presidential race: opinion polls By Channel NewsAsia #39;s Indonesia Bureau Chief Haseenah Koyakutty. JAKARTA : Former army general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is being tipped to win next Monday #39;s Indonesian presidential election by a handsome margin.


DUP sets out demands ahead of Kent talks Visual proof of IRA decommissioning; a list of all IRA weapons destroyed; a complete end to republican paramilitary activity, and fundamental changes to the Good Friday agreement are all demands being made by the Rev.


Martha Stewart Asks Judge Jail Me Now (Reuters) Reuters - Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart said on\Wednesday she wants to serve her prison sentence for lying over\a suspicious stock sale as soon as possible so she can put her\"nightmare" behind her.


UK Shares Including HBOS Rise; Abbey National, Cadbury Fall UK shares including HBOS Plc advanced after the country #39;s fourth-biggest bank dropped out of the running for Abbey National Plc.


Update 1: JPMorgan to Rehire Outsourced Workers JPMorgan Chase  amp; Co. says it will rehire 4,000 workers whose jobs it had outsourced to IBM, bucking a corporate trend in information technology.


Update 4: Alitalia Holds Crucial Talks With Unions Near-bankrupt Alitalia held crucial contract negotiations with unions representing flight attendants and ground staff Wednesday in a last-minute attempt to save the state-controlled airline from collapse.


Kerr-McGee to Cut Production at Plant Kerr-McGee Chemical LLC said Wednesday that it will stop producing titanium dioxide pigment sulfate at its Savannah, Ga., plant by the end of September, affecting a quarter of the work force there.


Jets Re-Sign Guard Brent Smith (AP) AP - The New York Jets re-signed guard Brent Smith on Wednesday, less than a week after the team cut him.


Assad and Mubarak call for total Lebanese sovereignty (AFP) AFP - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, called for Lebanon's sovereignty to be respected, rejecting international condemnation of Damascus' interference in its smaller neighbour's politics.


Consumer watchdog hits out at iTunes pricing The Consumers #39; Association (CA) has accused Apple of taking too big a bite out of UK music lovers #39; money. It has asked the Office of Fair (OFT) to investigate the potential breach of competition law.


Mozilla Previews FireFox 1.0 (Article Central) The Mozilla Foundation is set to release a preview of FireFox 1.0, the latest version of the open source Web browser.


Bears Eyeing Playoffs After Beating Vikes (AP) AP - The day after Chad Hutchinson pumped some life into their offense and their season, the Chicago Bears were actually talking about making the playoffs  #151; despite a 5-7 record.


Vieira:  #39;We #39;ve learned a lot #39; Patrick Vieira declared Arsenal have grown up in European terms after coming of age in their hard-fought Champions League victory against PSV Eindhoven.


Oracle Shares Gain Amid Tech Decline (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of software maker Oracle Corp.\ rose as much as 8 percent in early trading on\Wednesday, a day after the company posted strong quarterly\profit fueled by steady demand for its flagship database\products.


Italy's Garbin Upsets Rubin in Indonesia (AP) AP - Italy's Tathiana Garbin upset American Chanda Rubin 6-1, 6-4 Wednesday in the first round of the Wismilak International.


Martha Stewart Asks Judge Jail Me Now  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart said on  Wednesday she wants to serve her prison sentence for lying over  a suspicious stock sale as soon as possible so she can put her  "nightmare" behind her.


Industrial Output Growth Nearly Stalls  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. industrial output growth nearly  stalled last month as production cuts at mines and utilities  nearly swamped a solid performance in factories, a report from  the Federal Reserve showed on Wednesday.


Dollar Rallies Vs Euro After Data Gains  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rallied across the board on  Wednesday in a technical rebound after two U.S. economic  reports prompted dealers to unwind large bets against the  currency.


Jacques Is Back, a Day After Ralf  SILVERSTONE, England (Reuters) - Former champion Jacques  Villeneuve trumped Ralf Schumacher's return from injury with  Formula One's comeback of the year on Wednesday.


Judge Denies Bush Effort to Speed Ruling (AP) AP - A federal judge on Wednesday denied a request to force the Federal Election Commission to act on complaints by President Bush's campaign against anti-Bush groups spending millions of dollars on ads in the presidential race.


Martha Stewart Asks to Begin Sentence Martha Stewart said Wednesday she has decided to surrender for prison as soon as possible, citing the need "to put this nightmare behind me, both personally and professionally."


Three Decapitated Corpses Found North of Baghdad  BAIJI, Iraq (Reuters) - The decapitated bodies of three  men, their heads strapped to their backs, were found dumped in  bags by a roadside north of Baghdad Wednesday, Iraqi police and  U.S. officials said.


Musharraf to retain his army post Pakistan's president is to stay on as head of the army, despite an earlier pledge to stand down by January.


Foreigner killed in Saudi capital A foreign man is shot dead near a shopping complex in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.


Wet weather hits Coca-Cola sales Coca-Cola, the world's largest maker of soft drinks, issues a profit warning, partly  blaming the impact of cold and wet weather in northern Europe.


Stewart Ends Appeal Effort, and Asks to Serve Sentence Soon Martha Stewart announced today that she had decided to begin her prison sentence "as soon as possible" for lying about a stock trade.


Yahoo! Tunes In to Musicmatch The portal giant rounds out its online music offerings and gets a backdoor to the desktop.


Hurricane Ivan Roars Toward Gulf Coast NEW ORLEANS - Stragglers streamed toward higher ground Wednesday on highways turned into one-way evacuation routes and pounding surf started eroding beaches as Hurricane Ivan roared toward the Gulf Coast with 135 mph wind.    Ivan could cause significant damage no matter where it strikes, as hurricane-force wind extended up to 105 miles out from the center...


Blair reveals some games 'unsuitable' for kids That's why the law already bans their sale to minors, Tony...


LogicLibrary buys bug catcher Software company plans to acquire BugScan, which makes software to automatically check for program errors.


HP grabs defense deal The deal with the Defense Logistics Agency could be worth as much as \$290 million for the computing giant.\


Tuning up for HDTV Future of television is coming into focus, revealing new vistas for the industry--but also some zits.


McCain Demands Accountability for Tanker Scandal Sen. John McCain on Monday demanded that the Pentagon turn over the e-mails of more than two dozen officials relating to a \$23.5 billion US Air Force tanker deal with Boeing Co.


Abbey exit leaves UK banks with smaller targets HBOS #39;s decision not to bid for rival Abbey Nationalleaves just smaller targets for large British banks to buy in the UK, bankers and analysts say.


Russian mishap threatens launch schedule The explosion of a small separation bolt aboard the Soyuz spaceship now being prepared for a trip to the international space station may delay that launch for five or 10 days, Russian


Follow the PSV Eindhoven way Now, it #39;s up to the rest to follow PSV Eindhoven #39;s example of halting Arsene Wenger #39;s lean, mean and well-oiled footballing machine.


Sugiyama dumped out by tour debutante Asian number one Ai Sugiyama and last year #39;s runner-up Chanda Rubin slumped to first round defeats at the Wismilak International on Wednesday.


Ankle injury rules McNamara out for month However, he twisted it badly when trying to prevent Barca from scoring their second goal at Celtic Park. Celtic said on Wednesday the defender would be out for between four and six weeks.


Children Return to Classes in Russia Children returned to classes in this grief-stricken southern Russian town Wednesday for the first time since heavily armed militants seized more than 1,200 hostages at


Amazon, Netflix Hit With Patent Suit British company claims four online retailers are using its patented technology.


Japan Girl Sentenced for Classmate's Death (AP) AP - A family court has sentenced an 11-year-old girl to a state-run juvenile correctional facility in eastern Japan for killing her classmate with a box-cutter, an official said Wednesday.


Poll: Kerry Holds Lead Over Bush in Minn. (AP) AP - Democratic candidate John Kerry leads President Bush, 50 percent to 41 percent, in a presidential poll of likely voters in Minnesota, according to results released Wednesday.


Stocks Lower on Coke, Oil, Goldman Survey  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday after a  profit warning from Coca-Cola Co. KO.N fueled concern about  corporate profits and a Goldman Sachs survey showed softening  corporate spending on technology.


Silverstein: WTC Leaseholder May Collect Up To \$4.6B A page, if not a chapter, has come to closure in the long dark saga of Sept. 11, 2001. A federal jury on Monday ruled that the assault on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center was in fact two occurrences for insurance purposes.


Briefly: LogicLibrary buys bug catcher roundup Plus: Think local, act Google...SanDisk to supply Samsung with miniSD...Hitachi unleashes 100GB notebook drives.


JPMorgan Chase cancels IBM outsourcing contract The termination of the \$5 billion deal stands in opposition to a trend toward more IT outsourcing.


Oracle Edges Past Estimates Analysts were expecting Oracle earnings of 9 cents per share with revenue of \$2.23 billion, according to Thomson First Call. New software license revenue came in at \$563 billion, meeting


UPDATE 3-PacifiCare to buy American Medical for \$502 mln PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. (PHS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday it agreed to buy American Medical Security Group Inc.


HP grabs defense deal Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday said it has won a contract worth \$290 million from an agency of the US Department of Defense. Under the deal, the company will work to build a single IT infrastructure for the Defense Logistics Agency.


Borland Adds Project-Management Features To CaliberRM Borland Software Corp. announced CaliberRM 2005 this week, a product designed to help software project managers take some of the guesswork out of software development.


The 35th Ryder Cup Matches, golf #39;s premier spectacle, finally <b>...</b> BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Seventy-eight years ago, and a week before the 1926 British Open Championship, Samuel Ryder offered a  quot;little garden tea party, quot; featuring champagne and chicken sandwiches for


Mourinho is back where he left off JOSE Mourinho has started his latest Champions League campaign the same way he finished the last one - as a winner -s his new club Chelsea thrashed French struggler Paris Saint


Bonds gets another crack at 700 Barry Bonds will take another shot at hitting his 700th home run as the San Francisco Giants play the middle game of their set with the Milwaukee Brewers.


UN war crimes tribunal delays Miloevic trial by nearly a month 15 September 2004 - The United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today adjourned the already long-running genocide trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Miloevic again, this time for almost a month, to allow his recently


Beslan children return to school Schools in the Russian town of Beslan reopened on Wednesday, two weeks after more than 1,000 people were taken hostage on the first day of term.


Microsoft Readies Media Center Updates Updated OS, new consumer products expected to be introduced next month.


Dogpile Search Engine Changes Name to Avoid Stink Dogpile Search Engine Changes Name to Avoid Stink\\Dogpile has changed its name to WebFetch in the UK and Europe to differentiate itself from the image of doggie doo, which the name Dogpile conjures up in the heads of more British and Europeans than it does in the US. PC Pro ...


U.K. Group Complains of Higher ITunes Cost (AP) AP - A consumer's group said Wednesday it has complained to government regulators about the cost of downloading music from Apple's iTunes system.


Microsoft Patch to Fix Security Flaws (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. announced Tuesday it has found a new security flaw with its Windows XP operating system and warned that an attacker could infiltrate other computers by persuading their owners to open a specialized graphics file.


Martha Stewart to Judge: Jail Me Now  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart said on  Wednesday she wants to start serving her prison sentence for  lying about a suspicious stock sale as soon as possible, so she  can put her "nightmare" behind her.


Officials: Tahoe Cleaner After Engine Ban (AP) AP - Lake Tahoe has seen a dramatic reduction in levels of burned and unburned gasoline products in its water since two-stroke, carburetor engines were banned in 1999, water quality officials said.


Bush and Kerry battle over science The US presidential candidates address major scientific questions put to them by the journal Nature.


Human genome hits halfway mark Four years after publishing a daft human genetic sequence, researchers reach the halfway point in producing the "gold standard" version.


A Computer With the IPod's Bloodlines Apple's new iMac G5 desktop computer was clearly designed to send a message to the world's iPod fans: "If you think our music player is great, you should check out our computers."


Survey Confirms It: Women Outjuggle Men Working women spend about twice as much time as working men on household chores and the care of children, a Labor Department study showed.


Martha Stewart to Judge: Jail Me Now Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart said on Wednesday she wants to serve her prison sentence for lying over a suspicious stock sale as soon as possible, so she can put her  quot;nightmare quot; behind her.


JPMorgan Chase cancels IBM outsourcing contract JPMorgan Chase announced on Wednesday that it will cancel its multiyear, \$5 billion outsourcing contract with IBM, bucking an industry trend that has seen IT outsourcing grow by dramatic proportions.


UPDATE 1-IMF says markets resilient, calm after rate rises The global financial system is at its most resilient since the equity bubble burst in 2001, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday, despite rising


Critical Flaws in Mozilla, Thunderbird The Mozilla Project has issued a warning for a series of  quot;highly critical quot; security holes in three of its core projects, including its flagship Firefox Web browser and the Thunderbird e-mail client.


Linux Standard gets upgrade Looking to avoid the costly fragmentation that stifled the Unix market, members of the Free Standards Group have announced a new version of a critical Linux standard that many of its proponents hope will cement the future for the open-source operating


Adobe announces Photoshop Elements 3.0 SEPTEMBER 15, 2004 (MACCENTRAL) - Adobe Systems Inc. today introduced Photoshop Elements 3.0, a major upgrade to its consumer-level photo editing application.


Hitachi #39;s Travelstar notebook harddrive upgraded to 100 GByte Hitachi increased the capacity of its Travelstar notebook harddrives. The consumer-targeted 5K100 and E5K100 for enterprise applications offer up to 100 GByte


UPDATE 1-Bangladesh win toss and field against Windies Bangladesh captain Rajin Saleh won the toss and chose to field in their Champions Trophy Pool B match against West Indies at The Rosebowl in Southampton on Wednesday.


Chelsea:  #39;No fear #39; factor in Europe IF a football team could be entered in that famous television programme Fear Factor, then Jose Mourinho would register Chelsea. Because if Chelsea are going to reach the final of the Champions League for the


Celtic captain McNamara ruled out by injury Celtic captain Jackie McNamara will be ruled out for at least a month due to an ankle ligament damage sustained in the Scottish champions #39; 3-1 Champions League defeat to Barcelona on Tuesd ay.


Madeira trio cleared to play PORTUGUESE first division soccer side Nacional Madeira has lifted a suspension order against three of its South American players for allegedly assaulting police officers, allowing them to play in Thursday #39;s UEFA Cup match against Spanish side Sevilla.


Analysis: Turkey, adultery, and the EU For weeks Turkey has been talking frenziedly about adultery. It #39;s nothing to do with the country #39;s sexual habits. There #39;s been nothing to indicate an upsurge in infidelity.


Two killed in bomb blast south of Baghdad A car bomb has exploded in the Iraqi town of Suwayra, south of Baghdad, killing two people and wounding 10, the Interior Ministry says.


UN input into Iraqi elections threatened by  #39;lack of security #39; Following on from yesterday #39;s horrific car bombing in Baghdad which claimed the lives of 47 people, the UN has warned that a  quot;lack of security quot; is undermining the world body #39;s efforts to assist in elections set for January.


Human genome hits halfway mark Four years after publishing a draft human genetic sequence, researchers reach the halfway point in producing the "gold standard" version.


UPDATE 4-PacifiCare to buy American Medical for \$502 mln PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. (PHS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday it agreed to buy American Medical Security Group Inc.


Nation/world briefs NEW YORK - Hurricane Ivan held its grip on oil markets Tuesday as shutdowns of production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and fears of storm damage drove crude prices higher.


Nokia licenses SD memory card technology, to join SDCA ESPOO, FinlandNokia Corp. has applied for membership in the SD Card Association and has signed a licensing agreement that enables the use of SD memory cards in its devices.


Dennis Semrau: Still at 699, Bonds draws mixed crowd He is a fantasy baseball general manager #39;s dream and an opposing pitcher #39;s worst nightmare. Arguably the finest player of his generation, Barry Bonds is a sure-fire Hall of Famer


Finucane inquiry would help secure closure, says Sinn Fein Sinn Fein are prepared to  quot;face up to the challenges quot; of tomorrow #39;s talks but the creation of an independent inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane would have gone a long way to preparing the way for final  quot;closure quot;, the party #39;s chairman has said.


Beslan rogue's gallery published A Russian newspaper shows photos of 30 corpses it says are militants responsible for the school siege in Beslan.


Ryanair may face Belgian courts Budget airline Ryanair is obliged to be taken to court under EU law if it fails to pay back illegal state aid for flying to Belgium's Charleroi airport.


Stewart  wishes to serve term now Martha Stewart, the lifestyle guru convicted of lying about the sale of shares she owned, wants to begin her five month jail sentence as soon as possible.


Five eye Sicilian bridge contract Five groups will compete for a contract to build a long-awaited bridge linking Sicily with mainland Italy, reports from Italy say.


Pet mummies given VIP treatment The recipes used by ancient Egyptians for mummifying animals were just as complicated as the ones they employed for dead people, new research suggests.


JP Morgan cancels \$5 bn outsourcing deal with IBM NEW YORK, September 15 (New Ratings) - JP Morgan Chase  amp; Company (JPM.NYS) has decided to cancel a \$5 billion IT infrastructure outsourcing agreement with International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), and plans to rehire about 4,000 employees


EU, US brace for turbulence at Boeing-Airbus talks BRUSSELS : The United States wants Europe to end all future government support for Boeing #39;s arch-rival in commercial plane-making, Airbus Industrie, or face legal action, a senior official said.


Wall St. Journal sets Saturday edition The Wall Street Journal said it will begin publishing a long-discussed Saturday edition, beginning in September of next year. The Journal said its Weekend Edition will be delivered at no additional charge


Gap Aims at Women Over 35 for New Store Gap Inc. (GPS) on Wednesday said it would test a new store concept next year aimed at women over age 35, and named Gap brand President Gary Muto to oversee the development.


Internet Group Shelves Microsoft Sender ID The Internet Engineering Task Force has raised concerns about Microsoft #39;s Sender ID anti-spam technolgy as an industry standard.


WRAPUP 1-Windies, Pakistan hammer home class gap The ICC Champions trophy ended its own version of the  quot;phony war quot; on Wednesday with comfortable victories for Pakistan and West Indies.


Rolyal Blues Cut Heynckes Loose With but three points from their first four league matches, Schalke 04 have axed coach Jupp Heynckes on the eve of their Uefa Cup opener against Metalurgs Donetsk.


Lighting Strikes High School Football Team, 40 Injured GRAPELAND, Texas -- At least one player is badly injured and others are hospitalized after lightning struck an East Texas high school football team.


Arab-Israeli team seeking to break through boundaries In the violent and volatile world of Israeli-Palestinian relations, a football club Bnei Sakhnin has become a beacon of some hope.


Quotes From Stewart #39;s News Conference  quot;I have decided to serve my sentence now to put this behind me, and get on with my life and living as soon as possible. quot; -Stewart.


Update 1: EU Clears Banco Santander Acquisition The European Union on Wednesday cleared Banco Santander Central Hispano SA #39;s acquisition of British bank Abbey National PLC for about \$14.


Lion gets premium for China venture MELBOURNE - Lion Nathan will pursue growth in its domestic market after selling its loss-making China business. Lion Nathan incoming chief executive Rob Murray, who takes over on October 1, said the company


JP Morgan Cancels IBM Pact JP Morgan Chase (JPM:NYSE - news - research) and IBM (IBM:NYSE - news - research) are getting a divorce, ending a \$5 billion computer outsourcing deal just two years after it began.


Dow Jones to Publish Weekend Wall Street Journal Dow Jones  amp; Co. Inc. on Wednesday said it would start publishing a weekend version of its Wall Street Journal business newspaper, and that the move would be modestly dilutive to its 2005 earnings.


Volkswagen, Union Make No Progress in First Wage Negotiation Volkswagen AG, Europe #39;s largest carmaker, and the IG Metall union said they made no progress in their first negotiating session on a new contract and it will be difficult to reach an accord.


UK Group Complains of Higher ITunes Cost A consumer #39;s group said Wednesday it has complained to government regulators about the cost of downloading music from Apple #39;s iTunes system.


Siemens SF65 to turn heads The German handset maker joins the ranks of swivel-inducing manufacturers with its new SF65, a megapixel-toting mobile phone with a clamshell design.


Collaboration platform extends to Web services Cordys, Inc. of Scotland, an integration and collaboration software vendor, announced today the availability of a new Web services platform.


Adriano Knows Inter Can Improve Inter Milan brace ace Adriano says that, despite a 2-0 victory over Bundesliga holders Werder Bremen on Tuesday, the San Siro side have yet to reach optimum form.


McKenzie returns to Green Bay  quot;Mike McKenzie is back here to play for the Packers, and that is where we are right now. We will take it one day at a time, quot; coach and general manager Mike Sherman said Wednesday.


Tennis: 3 Seeded Players Knocked Out of Wismilak Tournament Three seeded players have been knocked out of the first round of the Wismilak International tennis tournament in Nusa Dua, Indonesia, with third seed Ai Sugiyama leading the way.


Milwaukee Brewers Team Report - September 15 (Sports Network) - The Milwaukee Brewers continue a three-game series against Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants tonight at Miller Park.


Foreign National Shot Dead in Saudi Capital The Saudi Interior Ministry identified the foreigner as a Briton, and said he was killed Wednesday in a parking lot at a shopping center in eastern Riyadh.


Milosevic trial postponed The war crimes trial of Slobodan Milosevic is being put on hold for a month -- to give the former Yugoslav president #39;s court-assigned lawyers time to prepare a defense.


Stewart Asks to Serve Sentence Soon artha Stewart, saying that she wanted to  quot;reclaim her life, quot; announced today that she would surrender to prison authorities to begin her jail term as soon as possible instead of waiting for the outcome of an appeal of her case.


JP Morgan KOs \$5 Bln IBM Outsourcing Deal JP Morgan Chase  amp; Co. (JPM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , said on Wednesday it was scrapping a \$5 billion outsourcing deal with IBM Corp.


PIMCO Adviser in \$20 Mln SEC Settlement The PIMCO mutual fund group #39;s adviser and two affiliates will pay more than \$20 million to settle charges involving failure to disclose payments made to brokers for


Mozilla #39;s Firefox, the Next Big Browser? Gartner analyst David Smith told LinuxInsider that many of those who switch from dominant browser Internet Explorer do so because of security concerns.


Chechen envoy urges Putin to hold peace talks Chechen envoy Akhmed Zakaev on Tuesday urged Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, to hold peace talks or risk provoking further atrocities following the Beslan massacre.


NHL to Lock Out Players Thursday (AP) AP - The NHL will lock out its players Thursday, starting a work stoppage that threatens to keep the sport off the ice for the entire 2004-05 season.


Amazon Launches A9 Web Search Service (Reuters) Reuters - Amazon.com Inc.  unit\A9.com on Wednesday unveiled the new version of its Web search\service, the latest salvo in the cut-throat sector dominated by\Amazon partner -- and rival -- Google Inc. .


Report: China Firm Plans 3,000 Net Cafes (AP) AP - China's second-largest mobile phone company plans to open 3,000 Internet cafes by the end of the year, exerting stronger state control over a sector once dominated by private enterprise, state-run radio reported Tuesday.


Nets waive veteran guard Harris (AFP) AFP - The National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets waived 33-year-old guard Lucious Harris, whose 54 playoff games with the team tied the most in club history.


Russia Combines Oil and Gas (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - The invention of the American depositary receipt (ADR) was both a boon and a curse to U.S. investors. On the one hand, when foreign companies list their shares on U.S. exchanges, they make it a heck of a lot easier for the average investor to buy a piece of Nokia (NYSE: NOK - News), Cable  amp; Wireless (NYSE: CWP - News), or SAP AG (NYSE: SAP - News) than it would have been if she had to figure out how to buy shares on the Helsinki, London, or Munich stock exchanges. But on the other hand, there are the -- to put it politely -- "inefficiencies" of buying ADRs.


US vows to push Sudan resolution despite opposition (AFP) AFP - The United States said it will push for a vote on its UN resolution on the bloodshed in Sudan's Darfur region, and offered strong words in the face of a possible veto from China.


Marshall Coach Apologizes for Remark (AP) AP - Marshall coach Bob Pruett will not be reprimanded for calling the Ohio State football team "a bunch of Mandingos," a comment some thought could be offensive to blacks.


JP Morgan KOs  #36;5 Bln IBM Outsourcing Deal (Reuters) Reuters - J.P. Morgan Chase   Co. , said\on Wednesday it was scrapping a  #36;5 billion outsourcing deal\with IBM Corp., amid an overall plan to manage more of\its own technology services.


Industrial Output Growth Nearly Stalls  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. industrial output growth nearly  stalled last month as production cuts at mines and utilities  nearly swamped a strong performance at factories, a report from  the Federal Reserve showed on Wednesday.


JP Morgan KOs \$5 Bln IBM Outsourcing Deal  NEW YORK (Reuters) - J.P. Morgan Chase   Co. JPM.N, said  on Wednesday it was scrapping a \$5 billion outsourcing deal  with IBM Corp.IBM.N, amid an overall plan to manage more of  its own technology services.


Is She or Isn't She? Panda Gives Keepers the Runaround (Reuters) Reuters - A 20-year-old giant panda and mother of\13, including four sets of twins, has been giving her keepers\the runaround, pretending to be expecting yet again.


FDA OKs Some Heart Failure Therapies  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Cardiovascular device maker Guidant  Corp. GDT.N said on Wednesday U.S. regulators cleared the use  of its implantable heart failure therapies for a wider group of  patients.


UK OKs Taser Stun Guns for Some Police  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of stun gun maker Taser  International Inc. TASR.O soared on Wednesday after the  United Kingdom, which does not allow most police to carry guns,  said it approved use of its stun guns for some officers.


Five Stocks With Outstanding Returns Outstanding ROIC and market-beating performance go hand-in-hand for these stocks.


Stewart Asks to Serve Sentence Soon NEW YORK - Millionaire executive Martha Stewart announced Wednesday that she had decided to begin her prison sentence for lying about a stock trade as soon as possible. "I must reclaim my good life," she said, adding she hoped to be home in time to plant a spring garden...


NHL to Lock Out Players Thursday NEW YORK - The NHL will lock out its players Thursday, starting a work stoppage that threatens to keep the sport off the ice for the entire 2004-05 season.    The long-expected decision was confirmed by NHL owners Wednesday following a meeting in New York...


Stocks Sag on Coke's Gloomy Forecast NEW YORK - Stocks sagged Wednesday after beverage giant Coca-Cola Co. issued a gloomy forecast, and a lower-than-expected reading on industrial production for August threw the nation's broader economic outlook into question...


Three Bodies Found Headless Found in Iraq Security forces discovered three beheaded bodies Wednesday on a road north of Baghdad, and a car bomb exploded in a town south of the capital, killing two people amid a surge of violence that has left more than 200 dead in the past four days.


Novell takes potshot at Microsoft kettle Earlier this week, Novell boss Jack Messman lambasted Microsoft for being a \$60bn drain on the IT industry. His assertion is that Bill Gates et al have set back the evolution of the whole industry by gobbling


Werder Bremen #39;s Ismael claims unwanted record MILAN September 15 (SW) - Werder Bremens Valerian Ismael earned himself an unenviable place in Champions League record books after only five minutes of his teams 2-0 defeat at Inter when the French defender became the recipient of the fastest


#39;Batman #39; of Buckingham Palace dumped by his lover!: World News London, Sep.15 : Days after father #39;s right campaigner Jason Hatch spent five hours at Buckingham Palace ledge dressed as Batman, he has been dumped by girlfriend Gemma Polson, because he himslef doesn #39;t have time for their daughter.


Chipmakers on the chopping block? Study predicts that industry demands will crush 40 percent of today's semiconductor manufacturers.


Adobe expands push for video, photo hobbyists The company releases new applications aimed at amateur photographers and video shooters.


Man pleads guilty in massive credit info theft case A man charged in one of the largest identity theft scams in U.S. history pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and fraud in connection with identity documents Tuesday and could face up to 50 years in prison, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney David Kelley, of the Southern District of New York.


JP Morgan cancels \$5B outsourcing deal with IBM NEW YORK - IBM Corp. lost one of its highest-profile outsourced-IT clients on Wednesday, as JPMorgan Chase   Co. said it is canceling the remaining portion of a contract that was intended as a seven-year, \$5 billion deal.


OPEC boosting oil output by million barrels a day by Nov. 1 to <b>...</b> OPEC will increase its official oil production target by one million barrels a day later this year in a move widely viewed as more symbolic than significant, given that the cartel has been exceeding the new output limit all year.


Cendant To Complete Purchase Of Ramada Brand SEPTEMBER 15, 2004 -- The Cendant Hotel Group today announced that it will acquire the Ramada International Hotels and Resorts brand from Marriott International.


Amazon Launches A9 Web Search Service Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN.O: Quote, Profile, Research) unit A9.com on Wednesday unveiled the new version of its Web search service, the latest salvo in the cut-throat sector dominated by Amazon partner -- and rival -- Google Inc.


FDA OKs Some Heart Failure Therapies Cardiovascular device maker Guidant Corp. (GDT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday US regulators cleared the use of its implantable heart failure therapies for a wider group of patients.


Adobe expands push for video, photo hobbyists com September 15, 2004, 11:03 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.


From tiny acorns... It was far from vintage Arsenal. The swagger and confidence of the opening month of the Premiership campaign was some distance away, but most importantly they began their Champions League campaign with three points.


Ryder Cup highlights PGA #39;s charity and school outreach program On behalf of the 2004 US Ryder Cup Team, The PGA of America will distribute another \$2.6 million to player-designated charities as well as to the colleges and universities of their choice to help fund the  quot;Golf: For Business and Life Program.


Row erupts as Spain #39;s Aznar to appear before March 11 inquiry MADRID : A row erupted in Spain as members of the parliamentary inquiry into the March 11 Madrid train bombings voted to call former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar as a witness.


First impressions of Firefox 1.0 preview release First impressions of Firefox 1.0 preview release\\Firefox is my second choice for a web browser. Opera comes first. No doubts about that. But Firefox in itself is a pretty decent browser. My requirement from a browser has risen with my long time usage of Opera so I just cannot move ...


Immigration, police share data in trawl of 'crime hot-spots' Pretext  databases  mobile terminals. Yum.


Livewire: Back to School Means Back to Advergames (Reuters) Reuters - Back to school for many kids means\"back to Internet access" in classes where the best of\filtering software is not foolproof, particularly against\seemingly harmless Web sites used for invasive marketing.


NHL Lockout at a Glance (AP) AP - The NHL said Wednesday it was imposing a lockout of the players association, effective Thursday  #151; the day after the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement.


Owners Lock Out Players in Labor Dispute  TORONTO (Reuters) - NHL owners carried out their threat to  lock out players on Wednesday, shutting down the league after  the two sides failed to reach a new labor deal.


Exhausting Every Option A coalition of high-tech companies plays its latest gambit on trying to declaw options expensing.


Livewire: Back to School Means Back to Advergames  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Back to school for many kids means  "back to Internet access" in classes where the best of  filtering software is not foolproof, particularly against  seemingly harmless Web sites used for invasive marketing.


Boeing CEO pushes for halt to Airbus subsidies CHICAGO Boeing CEO Harry Stonecipher (STOHN #39;-sy-fer) stepped up his attack today on subsidies for Airbus on the eve of a US-European Union trade meeting.


Candidates Split on Stem Cells, Environment President Bush defended restrictions on stem-cell research on Wednesday and reaffirmed support for nuclear-arms development, but Democratic challenger John Kerry accused Bush of putting ideology over science.


Dealing with botched software projects Borland Software this week stood atop its soapbox preaching the evils of software projects gone awry, with projects beset by issues such as last-minute changes and differing perspectives on the potential success of development efforts.


Siemens SF65 Mobile Phone Digital Camera Siemens today unveiled the SF65 clamshell style mobile phone with a 1.3 megapixel camera, flash and four times zoom. The swivel style top end has a 16-bit internal colour display with a resolution of 128 x 160 pixels, and on the flip side the camera lens.


Golf: Europe go on charm offensive as Mickelson takes a day off BLOOMFIELD HILLS, United States : As Europe went on a charm offensive to win over the American fans, US captain Hal Sutton was coming to terms with Phil Mickelson #39;s decision not to practice.


Mets to fire Howe at the end of the season The New York Mets will make manager Art Howe the first casualty of their dismal 2004 campaign. The Mets officially announced Wednesday that Howe will be relieved of his duties when the season comes to a close


McKenzie Back With Pack GREEN BAY, Wis -- Packers coach and general manager Mike Sherman said Wednesday that cornerback Mike McKenzie will practice with the team.


Backup guard helps Nets win East twice New Jersey Nets: Backup guard Lucious Harris, who played a big part in helping the Nets win two Eastern Division titles, was waived Wednesday.


Killing of 10 Palestinians  quot;a great unforgivable crime quot;: Arafat Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat described the killing of 10 Palestinians by Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank towns of Nablus and Jenin on Wednesday as  quot;a great unforgivable crime.


Anwar fails to erase criminal record Malaysian rebel politician Anwar Ibrahim failed yesterday in a final court bid to erase his criminal record and to immediately rejoin active politics, leaving a royal pardon as his only way back.


Infocus: Examining a Public Exploit, Part 2 The purpose of this article is to analyze a public exploit in a lab environment, see the alerts generated by an intrusion detection system, and then do some packet analysis of the malicious binary in order to better understand what it does and how you may have been compromised. Part 2 of 2.


Inquiry finds "no single villain" in Scottish parliament cost overrun (AFP) AFP - An inquiry found  quot;no single villain quot; responsible for the cost overruns at Scotland's new parliament building which opened last week three years late and 10 times over budget.


Blackhawks Re-Sign Goalie Leighton (AP) AP - The Chicago Blackhawks re-signed goaltender Michael Leighton to a one-year contract Wednesday.


Martha Stewart to Judge: Jail Me Now  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Homemaking icon Martha Stewart on  Wednesday said she wants to start serving her jail sentence for  lying about a suspicious stock sale as soon as possible, so she  can put her "nightmare" behind her and be home in time to plant  her garden for spring.


Mickelson Skips Ryder Cup Fever by Taking Day Off  BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) - Twenty-three Ryder  Cup players went to work on their games on Wednesday at Oakland  Hills but one of the American trump cards was not among them.


Chile's Pinochet Hospitalized with Infection  SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - Former Chilean dictator Augusto  Pinochet was hospitalized in Santiago on Wednesday with acute  respiratory infection.


Diplomats: Europeans, U.S. Closer to Iran Nuke Deal  VIENNA (Reuters) - U.S. and European negotiators moved  closer to a deal on a resolution on Iran's nuclear program that  could trigger a November showdown, Western diplomats close to  the talks said Wednesday.


It's Not Exclusive, but It's Lucrative: Why Luxe Went Online Class has been transformed by technology and a consumer who is as well informed as she is impatient to have the latest gaud.


Is Amazon's A9 Benign? Search junkies can be psyched for a cool site, but will some features backfire?


Another Case for OracleSoft A blowout quarter is sullied by lower applications revenue, strengthening the case for a deal for PeopleSoft.


UPDATE 3-TXU says management looking at dividend policy TXU Corp. (TXU.N: Quote, Profile, Research) management is deciding whether to recommend that its board reevaluate the utility #39;s common stock dividend, which was


Gap plans new stores aimed at women over 35 San Francisco retailer Gap Inc. said Wednesday it will test a type of store next year for women over 35. The retailer says it will open as many as 10 new stores in two regions in the second half of 2005.


KSC cleans up, reopens After spending nearly 10 days cleaning up from the relentless pounding of Hurricane Frances, NASA #39;s Kennedy Space Center reopened Monday to all 14,000 employees.


NHL Lockout at a glance The NHL said Wednesday it was imposing a lockout of the players association, effective Thursday -- the day after the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement.


FIFA Announces New Dates for Kenya #39;s Qualifying Matches The International Football Federation has announced new dates for Kenya #39;s three qualifying matches for the 2006 World Cup tournament in Germany.


UN Reports Mixed Progress in Fight for Sexual Health The United Nations says there has been some progress in improving sexual health and combating poverty around the world, but more funds are needed to meet goals the international community set 10 years ago.


World Bank in Caribbean to Assess Damage from Ivan The president of the World Bank says his staff is in the Caribbean to assess the damage caused there by Hurricane Ivan, and to ensure that the international financial community provides swift and coordinated relief.


Dodgers' Beltre Making Bid for MVP (AP) AP - Fans chant "MVP! MVP!" when Adrian Beltre comes to the plate late in games.


NFL Fines Broncos' Lynch for Hit on Hall (AP) AP - The NFL fined Broncos safety John Lynch  #36;7,500 on Wednesday for a hit he made against Chiefs receiver Dante Hall in the season opener.


Royals' Stairs Signs Contract Extension (AP) AP - Kansas City outfielder Matt Stairs signed a one-year contract extension Wednesday that will keep him under contract with the Royals through 2005.


Microsoft Not Trying To Hijack Anti-Spam Spec (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - The Internet Engineering Task Force, an organization devoted to \establishing standards for Internet architecture, has raised concerns \about Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Sender ID anti-spam technology as a technical \standard.


PlaylistMag.com iTunes, iPod Web site launches (MacCentral) MacCentral - PlaylistMag.com launched this week as a resource for digital music enthusisasts using a Mac or Windows operating systems. Edited by Christopher Breen, a Macworld columnist and author of the popular book Secrets of the iPod, PlaylistMag.com will feature free music downloads, playlists from musicians and celebrities, and a community forum where users can share their tips, tricks and even their own playlists with other digital music fans.


Sport-By-Sport Stoppages Chronology (AP) AP - March 31  #151; Player representatives of the Major League Baseball Players Association, in a 47-0 vote, authorize a strike to begin April 1. All 12 exhibition games for that day are canceled.


Oracle Earnings Beat Analyst Forecasts (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL), the world's second-largest software vendor, has beaten Wall Street analysts' expectations with its first-quarter results, due to strong sales of its \database software.


Hidden Costs of Online CRM - Part 2 (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Its cost is low, it delivers enterprise-level functionality, and it spares a company the ordeal of a time-consuming implementation project.


Some Voters Cast Ballots Before Election Day (Reuters) Reuters - Election day may be in November, but\some Americans will start casting ballots next week under early\voting laws that have reshaped the campaign landscape and\changed the most fundamental act of democracy.


World Bank Gives Peru Loan to Protect Machu Picchu (Reuters) Reuters - The World Bank said on Wednesday it\will lend Peru  #36;5 million to help preserve the country's\best-known cultural sites, including Machu Picchu and the\Sacred Valley of the Incas.


Israel Kills 10 People, Says Not Following Roadmap  JENIN, West Bank (Reuters) - Raiding Israeli forces killed  six Palestinian militants and four civilians on Wednesday, the  highest single-day Palestinian death toll in the West Bank for  more than two years, witnesses and medics said.


Pakistan President to Stay as Army Chief -Minister  ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf  will stay on as chief of the army staff beyond the date he  promised to give up the post, the information minister said on  Wednesday.


Taiwan President Makes Personal Appeal for UN Seat  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian  made his case for U.N. membership in an unusual satellite news  conference on Wednesday, saying his country was the victim of  "political apartheid" engineered by China.


Martha to judge: Send me to jail ASAP A tearful Martha Stewart announced today that she wants to begin serving her five-month prison sentence immediately so she can get back to  quot;life and living quot; as soon as possible.


Bridgeway, Founder Settle SEC #39;s Claims Mutual-fund adviser Bridgeway Capital Management Inc. and its president, James Montgomery, have agreed to pay almost \$5.2 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission charges of illegally overcharging


Industrial Output Growth Nearly Stalls US industrial output growth nearly stalled last month as production cuts at mines and utilities nearly swamped a strong performance at factories, a report from the Federal Reserve showed on Wednesday.


UPDATE 1-Taser says some UK police approved for stun guns Shares of stun gun maker Taser International Inc. (TASR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) soared on Wednesday after the United Kingdom, which does


German chipmaker Infineon to pay 160 million dollar antitrust fine WASHINGTON : German microchip giant Infineon Technologies agreed to plead guilty and to pay a 160 million dollar fine for participating in  quot;an international conspiracy to fix prices quot; US officials said.


Scientists map Chromosome 5 GENETICS experts reported today that they had mapped Chromosome 5 of the human genome, a coil of DNA linked to several rare but crippling disorders including spinal muscular atrophy.


Notebooks Store More: Hitachi Releases 100-Gigabyte Notebook Hard <b>...</b> Hitachi Global Storage Technologies was founded in 2003 as a result of the strategic combination of Hitachis and IBMs storage technology businesses.


Sony CLIE PEG-VZ90 Preview Infosyncworld has a preview of Sony #39;s new CLIE PEG-VZ90 PDA which features an OLED display.  quot; Its first new handheld is the CLIE PEG-VZ90, which also manages to take the crown as the first mainstream handheld


Beware India, Pakistan are on fire BIRMINGHAM, Sep 15: Pakistan sent a stern signal to the Indian camp as they thrashed Kenya by seven wickets in their first league match here on Wednesday.


Marlins #39; Burnett to miss next start Florida Marlins right-hander AJ Burnett will miss his next scheduled start because of elbow inflammation, an ailment that could hurt the team #39;s chances in the NL wild-card race.


US Says Israel Still Following Peace  #39;Road Map #39; The White House insisted on Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is committed to the US-backed road map Middle East peace plan, despite his comments in a newspaper interview that suggested otherwise.


Briton shot dead in Saudi capital Three suspected Muslim militants have gunned down a British man in the Saudi capital Riyadh, security sources and diplomats say. They said the gunmen, driving past in a car, shot the man


Putin #39;s power grab We have long maintained ambivalence toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. On the one hand, he is trying to pull his backward nation out of decades of communism-spawned doldrums to a take a leading place in the democratic world.


Americans Sentenced in Afghan Torture KABUL, Afghanistan - Three Americans - led by a former Green Beret who boasted he had Pentagon support - were found guilty Wednesday of torturing Afghans in a private jail and were sentenced to prison.    After a 7 1/2-hour session in a stuffy Kabul courtroom, the three-judge panel was unanimous in convicting the former soldier, Jonathan Idema, and his right-hand man, Brent Bennett, on charges of entering Afghanistan illegally, making illegal arrests, establishing a private jail and torturing their captives...


Britain Lawmakers Seek Security Review LONDON - In the second major security breach in London this week, five fox hunting enthusiasts stormed onto the floor of the House of Commons Wednesday to disrupt a debate on banning the centuries-old sport.    Guards hustled the men away, but the incident showed - as did the man dressed as Batman who scaled the walls of Buckingham Palace on Monday - the vulnerability of Britain's seats of power...


Abbas visits Damascus today to end tension, meets with Palestinian <b>...</b> A Palestinian delegation headed by the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization PLO Mahmoud Abbas is to start a visit to Syria today.


Suspended Hokies Tailback Enters Plea (AP) AP - Suspended Virginia Tech tailback Mike Imoh on Wednesday accepted the same agreement as quarterback Marcus Vick and pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge stemming from a night of drinking with underage girls.


Diplomatic storm after South Africa recognizes Western Sahara republic (AFP) AFP - South Africa formally recognized the pro-independence government in the annexed Moroccan territory of Western Sahara, prompting Rabat to recall its ambassador from Pretoria in protest.


Kerry Courts Blacks, Hispanics With Ads (AP) AP - John Kerry and his allies are intensifying their efforts to reach out to blacks and Hispanics with waves of new advertisements meant to energize two groups that historically side with the Democratic Party.


Martha Stewart Asks to Get Jail Over With  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Homemaking icon Martha Stewart on  Wednesday said she wants to start serving her jail sentence for  lying about a suspicious stock sale as soon as possible, so she  can put her "nightmare" behind her and be home in time to plant  her garden for spring.


Kerry Film Not Meant to Combat Attack Ads-Director (Reuters) Reuters - Director George Butler says he hasn't\seen the ads that attack U.S. presidential hopeful John Kerry's\record in Vietnam, noting that his documentary "Going Upriver:\The Long War of John Kerry," was well under way before the\commercials were first aired.


Stocks End Lower After Coca-Cola Warning  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks declined on Wednesday  after a profit warning from Coca-Cola Co. KO.N renewed worry  about corporate profits and a downgrade of the technology  sector by Goldman Sachs weighed on markets.


Treasuries Slip as NY Factories Rebound  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices sagged on  Wednesday as a rebound in regional manufacturing stoked  speculation the sector as a whole could be doing better.


U.N. Hopeful Iraqi Elections on Schedule (AP) AP - The United Nations is hopeful elections in Iraq can be held on schedule in January 2005 despite escalating violence  #151; but the level of U.N. electoral assistance will depend on security, the top U.N. envoy to Iraq says.


FDA Widens Heart Failure Therapy Pool  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Cardiovascular device maker Guidant  Corp. GDT.N said on Wednesday U.S. regulators cleared the use  of its implantable heart failure therapies for a wider group of  patients.


UK OKs Taser Stun Guns for Some Police  NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - The shares of stun gun maker  Taser International Inc. TASR.O soared on Wednesday after the  United Kingdom, which does not allow most police to carry guns,  said it approved use of its stun guns for some officers.


World in Brief The world must do far more to reduce greenhouse gases than merely meet the targets set in 1998 at the Kyoto environmental conference in Japan, Australias environment minister says.


Update 2: EU Is Willing to Cut Airbus Subsidies The European Union said Tuesday it will accept cuts in subsidies for Airbus Industries only if Washington reduces aid for its main trans-Atlantic competitor, Boeing Co.


Kerr-McGee to trim 100 jobs at Savannah facility OKLAHOMA CITY - Kerr-McGee Corp. plans to shut down its Savannah, Ga., pigment sulfate production, resulting in charges of \$75 million to \$85 million in the third quarter.


Infineon to plead guilty in memory chip case Germany #39;s Infineon Technologies AG has agreed to plead guilty to charges of price-fixing and pay a \$160 million fine as part of a US investigation into the computer-memory chip industry, US antitrust authorities said Wednesday.


Microsoft warns of critical vulnerability in JPEG images In its September security bulletin Microsoft has highlighted a  #39;critical #39; vulnerability in the processing of JPEG images across a huge swathe of its software products.


The New iMac: simpler, more user-friendly THE LATEST version of Apple #39;s iMac wowed Paris , but it takes its cues from the 1980s. Apple looked to the past to find the future of its iconic iMac desktop computer, the latest version of which was unveiled recently in Paris.


IBM Expands RFID Services IBM (Quote, Chart) has launched a suite of RFID (define) services for mid-market businesses and industrial sectors. The new services are geared for companies that typically employ 1,000 workers or less.