Computer, TV Merger Begins SBC said it signed a 10-year, \$400 million agreement with Microsoft to provide next-generation television services using Microsoft #39;s TV internet protocol television edition software platform.


ConocoPhillips hikes stake in Lukoil to 10 percent MOSCOW ConocoPhillips has upped its stake in the Russian oil giant Lukoil to ten percent. That #39;s according to a Lukoil official.


Humans Were Born to Run, Scientists Say Humans were born to run and evolved from ape-like creatures into the way they look today probably because of the need to cover long distances and compete for food, scientists said on Wednesday.


Time for Red Sox to say goodbye to Pedro? So Pedro Martinez slipped off to Tampa for a brief, none-too-secret rendezvous with George Steinbrenner. Was this supposed to make Theo Epstein and the Red Sox brass jealous?


Big 12 North still a mess OK, maybe one more.  quot;How many Big 12 North teams does it take to pull a float in a bowl parade? quot;. Colorado, the team that spent most of the offseason giving the conference a black eye, is 6-4


A look around the Big Ten Can the Bagers bounce back from last week #39;s debacle? Will Noah Herron maintain his momentum against Illinois? Will Minnesota be home for the holidays?


India Offers Kashmir Talks, Pulls Troops India #39;s prime minister offered Wednesday to hold unconditional talks on Kashmir  quot;with anyone and everyone quot; as his country began withdrawing troops from the divided Himalayan region as a goodwill gesture to rival Pakistan.


Fatah movement demands causes of Arafats death The Palestinian Fatah Movement threatened to boycott the upcoming presidential elections unless the cause of Yasser Arafat #39;s is revealed.


EBay Outlines Policy on Racist Language (AP) AP - Following complaints, eBay has announced a new policy regarding use of racially offensive terms in its listings.


Lewis: Kmart Profit Lets CEO Do  #39;More With More #39; Aylwin Lewis is smiling. He #39;s the president and chief executive of Kmart Holding (nasdaq: KMRT - news - people ), which posted its fourth straight quarterly profit on Wednesday.


IBM Introduces  #39;World Community Grid #39;; Public Invited to Donate <b>...</b> Yesterday, a biotech company in Australia announced they would be sharing their line of embryonic stem cells to an  quot;open source quot; research community -- for the good of mankind, at no cost.


Haan bows out as China suffer World Cup heartbreak Disconsolate China coach Arie Haan stepped down after his team suffered an embarrassing early exit from World Cup qualifying despite thrashing Hong Kong 7-0.


Rapper Snoop Dogg works out with top-ranked Trojans LOS ANGELES -- Rap artist Snoop Dogg donned football gloves and a red University of Southern California sweat suit Tuesday to run through drills with the top-ranked Trojans football team.


Lightning Get Rings in Private Ceremony (AP) AP - It should have been an occasion for the Tampa Bay Lightning to bask one more time in the glow of winning the Stanley Cup.


Deutsche Telekom sells remaining 7.3 pct stake in SES Global (AFP) AFP - Deutsche Telekom said it had sold its remaining 7.3 percent stake in SES Global, the world's leading satellite operator, for approximately 345 million euros (449.5 million dollars).


War on landmines 'shows success' The number of people killed and injured by landmines last year fell, says a report - but there are still thousands of victims.


Consumer Prices Surged 0.6 Percent in October Pushed by higher energy prices, US consumer prices rose in October, the Labor Department said today. The seasonally adjusted consumer price index rose 0.6 percent in October, the largest gain since May.


Update 1: ConocoPhillips Hikes Stake in Lukoil ConocoPhillips has increased its stake in Lukoil to 10 percent, an official in the Russian company said Wednesday, positioning the US oil giant to claim a seat on the board of the world #39;s No.


First step a go in shooting down missiles A team in California led by Boeing Co. successfully completed the first laboratory trial of a system to destroy ballistic missiles just after they are launched.


Culpepper Ahead in Pro Bowl Voting  NEW YORK, (Sports Network) - Minnesota Vikings quarterback  Daunte Culpepper is ahead of all players in voting for the 2005  Pro Bowl, while Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb is one of three  Eagles in the top-10.


Jo-Ann Stores Threading Water Sales are flat for the company, but the valuation still appears to be fair.


Bombings at Two Buenos Aires Banks Kill 1 (AP) AP - Homemade bombs exploded in two Buenos Aires banks before they opened Wednesday, killing a security guard, police said.


Bombs Hit Three Argentine Bank Branches, One Dead

 By Mary Milliken

 BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) - Bombs exploded at threebanks in the Argentine capital on Wednesday, including twobranches of U.S. giant Citibank, killing one security guard andinjuring a bomb squad officer, officials said.


Piracy funds terror, <cite>Guardian</cite> lesson tells schools Balanced discussion of copyright issues begins


Snow prods Europe on economic growth US Treasury Secretary John W. Snow began a European tour yesterday, aiming to highlight the need for stronger economic growth in Europe as Washington tries to blunt criticism over massive


Hollinger sells Jerusalem papers Hollinger International yesterday announced a \$13.2m (7.2m) deal to sell the Jerusalem Post, leaving the one-time media powerhouse and former owner of the Daily Telegraph with just a handful of assets in North America.


China Sees Heavy Investment in Argentina in Decade China and Argentina signed accords on Tuesday that could bring nearly \$20 billion in investment from the Asian giant over the next 10 years for the capital-starved Latin American economy.


Debt Quality Boosts Credit Agricole in 3Q Lower bad loan provisions helped Credit Agricole SA #39;s third-quarter profit to rise 71 percent, the French bank said Wednesday.


Cisco buys IT management start-up Cisco Systems signed an agreement on Wednesday to acquire network management start-up Jahi Networks for \$16 million. Jahi, a San Jose, Calif.


Two More IE Holes Surface Security researchers are warning of another pair of vulnerabilities in Microsoft Corp. #39;s Internet Explorer browser affecting users on fully patched Windows XP Service Pack 2 systems.


iPass Introduces New Flat-Rate Pricing Plans for US Wi-Fi Hotspot <b>...</b> REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- iPass Inc. today announced new monthly and annual flat-rate subscription plans for use of the Company #39;s US Wi-Fi connectivity.


Angels Outfielder Guerrero Claims MVP Award Anaheim Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero claimed the American League MVP award on Tuesday, turning what was supposed to be a tight race into a runaway victory.


Tiger looking for his first win in Japan Miyazaki - Tiger Woods will be looking for his first win in Japan when he tees off on Thursday in the Dunlop Phoenix golf tournament.


Pinball: Argos can score off the field OTTAWA (CP) - The Toronto Argonauts have the green light to score off the field this week. Argos head coach Pinball Clemons was asked during the Grey Cup coaches #39; news conference Wednesday if he would allow


Buenos Aires banks bombed Banks in Buenos Aires were today hit in series of explosions that left a security guard dead. Two branches of Citibank and a Banco Galicia branch in the Argentinian capital were targeted in the attacks.


UN envoy discusses Fallujah fighting with Iraqi president 17 November 2004 - The top United Nations envoy for Iraq today discussed the situation in Fallujah with Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar, focusing on humanitarian conditions in the town and the impact of the hostilities on the civilian population


Iraqi Man's Slaying Dominates Arab Media (AP) AP - The chilling video of a U.S. Marine shooting and killing a wounded and apparently unarmed man in Iraq dominated the Arab world's media Wednesday, overshadowing the slaying of a British aid worker who had been kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents.


Evolution made humans marathon runners We are born to run. According to new research, our bodies are highly evolved for running long distances, an ability that allowed our ancestors to conquer the African savannahs.


ABC Says Sorry Over  #39;Monday Night Football #39; Intro Youd think that the people tuning in to watch the Eagles face the Cowboys on Monday night wouldn #39;t have a problem seeing a naked woman on TV.


Pacific Rim Nations Meet on Trade, Security (AP) AP - Top ministers from 21 Pacific Rim nations convened high-level talks on free trade and global security Wednesday, while police battled university students protesting the summit and a weekend visit by President Bush.


Next-gen Net addresses move ahead Nokia yesterday demonstrated streaming video over mobile phones using IPv6, the slow-building successor to today's Internet addressing system. Broadband Blog


Group aims to smooth kinks out of Linux Four Linux companies start a global effort to homogenize one version of the open-source operating system.


FX Platform FXall Launches Money Market Service  LONDON (Reuters) - Multi-bank currency trading platform  FXall has launched a money markets service, the company said on  Wednesday.


Putin Says Russia Working on New Nuclear Systems  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is working on new nuclear missile  systems that other powers do not have in order to protect  itself against future security threats, President Vladimir  Putin said on Wednesday.


A Price As Good As Gold Kist The chicken company, formerly a cooperative, is now making money as a for-profit corporation.


No Jamboree for Gymboree The company's latest earnings met analysts' estimates but uncertainty still lingers.


Zale Keeps Its Luster The company turned in a wider Q1 loss but is still on track for a profitable year.


Economy Expands Despite Rising Oil Prices Rising energy costs drove up US consumer prices a larger-than-expected 0.6 percent in October, while industrial output and housing starts rebounded strongly from the prior month.


Pilgrim Baxter Founders Agree to \$160 Million Settlement The honor of paying the stiffest penalty in the long-running mutual fund trading scandal goes to former investment advisers Harold Baxter and Gary Pilgrim.


Experimental Jet Just Misses Mach 10 An experimental NASA jet has flown at just under 10 times the speed of sound, a record that is a step forward for the plane and its experimental scramjet engine.


Software Gives Parents Chance to Snoop As part of three-pronged, anti-piracy attack launched Tuesday, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) plans to release free software to help parents determine what movie and music titles their children have stored on a computer, along with any


Bidding war for  #39;Virgin Mary sandwich #39; MIAMI - A decade-old grilled cheese sandwich bearing what could be the image of the Virgin Mary is garnering intense interest on an internet auction site.


Rival engines catch up with Google GOOGLE, the world #39;s number one search engine, has lost its edge. That #39;s the considered view of software engineers who have been testing an early version of Microsoft #39;s MSN Search service, released last week.


Paris confident it can win bid for 2012 Summer Olympics Paris is confident of maintaining its status as the odds-on favourite to host the 2012 Olympic Games, citing widespread political backing, strong financial support, affordable tickets and 80 per cent of venues within 10 minutes reach.


Ringing true Some players don #39;t attend the private ceremony, called a  quot;joke quot; by an angry Tim Taylor. By TOM JONES, Times Staff Writer.


PM unveils gift of peace, a knot in the wrapping Prime Minister Manmohan Singh waves as Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad claps during a public rally in Srinagar on Wednesday. Reuters. SRINAGAR: Less than a week after announcing a troop cut, the biggest confidence


Putin: Russia Developing New Kind of Nuclear Missile Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country is developing a new type of nuclear missile. Mr. Putin spoke at an annual meeting of the armed forces #39; senior leadership.


Chilean police, students clash in run-up to Asia-Pacific summit SANTIAGO (AFP) - Chilean anti-riot forces fired tear gas and water cannon at student protesters, three days before President George W. Bush #39;s arrival for a weekend Asia-Pacific summit.


Analysis: Israel hand seen in Ivorian clash New allegations that Israeli arms dealers helped the army of Ivory Coast attack a French military base look likely to reignite long-tense relations between Israel and France.


The Plot Thickens: Testing European Tolerance BRUSSELS: The killing of controversial Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh by a suspected Islamic extremist and the subsequent spate of retaliatory attacks on Muslim targets are a damaging blow to relations between European Union #39;s 15 million Muslims and their


KMart to Buy Sears in \$11.5 Billion Deal  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Discount retailer Kmart Holding Corp.  KMRT.O will buy department store operator Sears, Roebuck    Co. S.N in a \$11.5 billion deal unveiled on Wednesday,  creating the third-largest U.S. retailer.


Stocks Up on Sears Deal, But Gains Lag   NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Wednesday after news  of an \$11.5 billion retailing deal and solid earnings from  computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ.N, but a rise in oil  prices caused stocks to trim gains.


Wife of Ex-Enron Chief Stock Sale Probed  HOUSTON (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors are investigating  whether the wife of former Enron Corp. ENRNQ.PK Chairman Ken  Lay illegally sold shares in the company just before it went  bankrupt, a lawyer for Lay said on Wednesday.


Wife of Ex-Enron Chief Stock Sale Probed (Reuters) Reuters - Federal prosecutors are investigating\whether the wife of former Enron Corp.  Chairman Ken\Lay illegally sold shares in the company just before it went\bankrupt, a lawyer for Lay said on Wednesday.


US lawmaker charges BNP Paribas may have stood by in Iraq oil-for-food swindle (AFP) AFP - France's BNP Paribas received hundreds of millions of dollars from the scandal-plagued UN Oil-for-Food program in Iraq, while possibly ignoring rampant abuses in the program, a top US lawmaker charged.


Anorexic Girls Bond on Web to Dismay of Doctors (Reuters) Reuters - An underground subculture of\teenage girls who bond over their eating disorders and glorify\bone-thin celebrities has surfaced on the Internet, in a\growing trend that experts say frustrates treatment.


UK 'needs more foreign workers' The UK must lure foreign talent if it is to compete with the growing economic challenge of countries such as India and China, the government warns.


United Loses Nelsen Ryan Nelsen, the defensive force behind D.C. United's MLS championship run this season, will not return to the club.


UPDATE 4-Kmart to buy Sears in \$11.5 billion deal Discount retailer Kmart Holding Corp. (KMRT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) will buy department store operator Sears, Roebuck  amp; Co.


SBC Inks Deal with Microsoft for IP TV Although telcos need to position themselves as strong competition to cable operators and VoIP providers, IDC #39;s Amy Harris questioned whether SBC #39;s effort will pay off.


DoCoMo to launch 5 new 3G FOMA cell phone models TOKYO - NTT DoCoMo Inc said Wednesday it has developed five new models for the 901i series of 3G FOMA cell phone handsets, featuring an enhanced audio system, and will market one model, the SH901iC, nationwide Nov 26 with other models to follow.


Aquilini buys half of Vancouver Canucks VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Local businessman Francesco Aquilini bought half of the Vancouver Canucks from American John McCaw.


Russia rebound with four-goal win Russia rebounded from last month #39;s 7-1 thrashing by Portugal with a morale-boosting 4-0 win over Estonia in a World Cup qualifier in Krasnodar on Wednesday.


One killed in Buenos Aires bank attacks Bombs have exploded at three banks in the Argentine capital, two owned by US giant Citibank, killing one man and injuring a bomb disposal expert - but police said the identity of the attackers remained a mystery.


White House reacting cautiously to Putin nuclear missile remark WHITE HOUSE The White House is reacting cautiously to Vladimir Putin #39;s announcement that Russia #39;s developing an entirely new nuclear missile.


Over 60 Iraqi policemen kidnapped after training in Jordan More than 60 Iraqi policemen were kidnapped by unknown gunmen after the officers finished a training course in Jordan, said Iraqi police.


Ukranian Pro-Democracy Group Protests (AP) AP - KIEV, Ukraine  #151; Their name means "It's Time." Their slogan shows a ticking clock, and their ability to bring thousands of students to the streets is spooking the government as the country prepares for Sunday's pivotal presidential election.


FCC Reviews 'Desperate Housewives' Football Promo  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Communications  Commission on Wednesday reviewed complaints about ABC's steamy  "Desperate Housewives" promotion before "Monday Night Football"  and while the agency's chairman expressed disappointment, it  was not clear whether government would tackle the network.


Appeals Court Doubt Tobacco Penalty  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A divided U.S. federal appeals court  panel on Wednesday expressed skepticism about whether the  government had the authority to force cigarette makers to pay  billions of dollars in past profits as part of its racketeering  case against the industry.


Heating Oil Price Drops for 2nd Week  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The average price U.S. consumers pay  to warm their homes with heating oil declined for the second  week and inventories of distillate fuel are expected to start  rising later this month as more refineries ramp up their  operations, the government said on Wednesday.


House Panel Questions Role of French Bank (AP) AP - Lawmakers are questioning whether a French bank failed to comply with U.S. money-laundering laws, possibly helping Saddam Hussein manipulate the  #36;60 billion U.N. oil-for-food program. The bank denies any wrongdoing.


Kmart to Buy Sears in \$11.5 Billion Deal  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Discount retailer Kmart Holding Corp.  will buy department store operator Sears, Roebuck   Co. in a  \$11.5 billion deal unveiled on Wednesday, creating the  third-largest U.S. retailer.


SBC, Microsoft Ink  #36;400M Internet TV Deal (AP) AP - SBC Communications Inc. will use a Microsoft Corp. software system to transmit television over high-speed Internet connections like the ones SBC will offer after replacing the local arteries of its copper telephone network with fiber-optic cables.


Palestinian Inquiry Probes Arafat's Death (AP) AP - Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia ordered an inquiry Wednesday to determine the cause of death of former leader Yasser Arafat.


SBC Plans Nationwide VoIP Rollout (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - SBC Communications (NYSE: SBC) is jumping on the voice over Internet (VoIP)\bandwagon with the launch of service in selected markets and a proposed\nationwide rollout designed to help the company keep pace with the\competition.


NTT DoCoMo Launches Wi-Fi 3G Cell Phone (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Japan's NTT DoCoMo (NYSE: DCM) has launched a Wi-Fi/cellular phone that telecom industry analysts say is the first of its kind.


LG Handset Receives Digital Video (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - LG Electronics, the South Korea-based wireless handset manufacturer, has launched the first terrestrial DMB (digital multimedia broadcast) cell phone.


Microsoft To Beef Up Interoperability with Vintela Investment (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) has become a minority investor in Vintela, a Utah-based maker of software that allows the Windows operating system to communicate with other software types, such as Unix, Linux or Mac OS.


Researchers Cruise in Purdue Data Cave (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - High-performance computing and artificial intelligence software may blast through barriers in data management to create a so-called "data cave," like the one Tom Cruise uses to catch crooks in the movie "Minority Report".


Product Review: SMC 2804WBRP-G Wireless Barricade G Router (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - SMC's new 802.11g wireless router likely will spark considerable interest because of its inclusion of a USB print server. This feature is attractive to residential households or small businesses that would like to use a single printer across multiple computers.


Pacific Rim Nations Meet on Trade, Security Top ministers from 21 Pacific Rim nations convened high-level talks on free trade and global security Wednesday, while police battled university students protesting the summit and a weekend visit by President Bush.


Bombings at Two Buenos Aires Banks Kill 1 Homemade bombs exploded in two Buenos Aires banks before they opened Wednesday, killing a security guard, police said.


Roses in the Pig Sty Whenever an entire industry is beset by scandal, look for the participants who are clean.


Abkhazian police defiant Police in Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region refuse to take orders from the government.


(10) Virginia Tech 16 (9) Miami 10 MIAMI Virginia Tech reigns in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The tenth-ranked Huskies won the ACC title outright today with a 16-to-10 victory over ninth-ranked Miami.


Oil prices flounder after US inventory data LONDON (AFP) - Oil prices see-sawed, failing to sustain a brief rally on news of a surprise fall in US distillate stockpiles, including heating fuel, and an unexpectedly small increase in crude inventories.


Credit Agricole third-quarter profit jumps 70 pct on lower <b>...</b> PARIS (AFP) - French bank Credit Agricole posted a better-than-expected 70.9 percent surge in third-quarter net profit thanks to lower provisions and despite an overall decline in revenues.


Virgin Mary sandwich toast of bidders The eBay auction of a cheese sandwich said to bear the image of the Virgin Mary has drawn cheesy spoofs, including victuals meant to resemble the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.


MGS 3: Snake Eater cooks up retail It #39;s been three years since the last all-new Metal Gear Solid game, MGS 2: Sons of Liberty, hit the PlayStation 2. In that time, there have been various remakes of installments from the series, including: Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, which was basically


Spain to ramp up security with 35,000 police for Madrid Games bid MADRID (AFP) - Spain will draft some 35,000 police to beef up security, according to a dossier handed to the International Olympic Committee who were mulling the specifics of Madrid #39;s 2012 Olympic bid.


NBA finals preview? Wolves vs. Pistons Reigning league MVP Kevin Garnett has picked up where he left off last season for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The same cant be said for the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons.


Iran  #39;has blueprint for nuke #39; Vienna - Equipped with black-market blueprints of a nuclear bomb and some weapons-grade uranium, Iran is defying the United Nations by secretly continuing supposedly suspended activities as it presses ahead with plans to have atomic arms by next year, an


Politics-Ivory Coast: South Africa Attempts to Diffuse Tensions South African President Thabo Mbeki is engaged in political fire-fighting in the Ivory Coast, where fears of a full-scale civil war between government and rebel forces loom large.


Linux keeper, SpikeSource CEO talk up open source (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - SANTA CLARA, CALIF. -- Accommodating large patch sets in Linux is expected to mean forking off of the 2.7 version of the platform to accommodate these changes, according to Andrew Morton, lead maintainer of the Linux kernel for Open Source Development Labs (OSDL).


If Oracle Backs Off, PeopleSoft Could Rebound (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Oracle's (Nasdaq: ORCL) promise to step away from its pursuit of PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT) if less than 50 percent of the company's shares are tendered by Friday may not be the last word in the deal.


Stocks Gain on Sears Deal, But Trim Gains  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks advanced on Wednesday  after Kmart's plan to buy Sears in an \$11.5 billion  deal was  announced and computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ.N posted  solid earnings, but higher oil prices prompted some investors  to sell equities.


NASD Calls for Soft Dollar Deal Limits  BOSTON (Reuters) - The NASD on Wednesday submitted  recommendations to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission  to limit the use of soft dollar deals and increase disclosure  about such practices.


More Troops May Be Needed in Ivory Coast -Mbeki  THE HAGUE (Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbeki  said on Wednesday it might be necessary to send more troops to  Ivory Coast to quell tension unless there is a deal soon  between the government and rebels.


Taking care of business They don #39;t call it the Grand National Drunk for nothing. Temptations abound during Grey Cup Week and it #39;s easy for players on both sides to get caught up in all the hoopla.


French soldiers group slaps Gbagbo with wrongful death suit LILLE, France, Nov 17 (AFP) - A French soldiers #39; advocacy group on Wednesday filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo for an air strike November 6 that killed nine French peacekeepers.


Australian Train Derails, Injuring 100 in Queensland State More than 100 people were injured, at least two critically, when a passenger train derailed in Australia #39;s north-east, Queensland Rail chief executive Bob Scheuber said.


GIs Find Belongings of Once-Missing Marine (AP) AP - U.S. troops have recovered personal effects of a U.S. Marine who was once feared beheaded by Iraqi insurgents after disappearing from his unit, U.S. officials said.


Oil Up as Winter Heating Supplies Fall  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices abruptly ended a losing  streak on Wednesday, jumping nearly \$1 after a U.S. government  report showed heating oil stockpiles down 16 percent from last  year ahead of winter.


USDA Tests Another Louisiana Field for Soy Rust (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Agriculture Department\expected test results late Wednesday on whether soybean rust\had infected another Louisiana field, the sixth in a week, a\spokesman said.


NASA Calls Off Launch of Black Hole Hunter (AP) AP - With just hours left in the countdown, NASA called off the launch Wednesday of a spacecraft that will hunt for emerging black holes.


Revamped art museum 'like teacup' The architect behind New York's revamped Museum of Modern Art likens it to a Japanese teacup.


Leading Democrat Senator Won't Block Confirmation of Gonzales President Bush's nominee for attorney general, Alberto R. Gonzales, was all but guaranteed Senate confirmation today.


Africa Lobbies for More AIDS, TB, Malaria Funds (Reuters) Reuters - African leaders lobbied the\Global Fund for Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria for more money\on Wednesday to solve a cash crunch but were told a new round\of funding was likely to be delayed by several months.


Sears, Kmart match could pinch rivals, experts say The coupling of Martha Stewart housewares and Kenmore #39;s appliances could make the combination of Kmart Holdings Corp (KMRT.O: Quote, Profile, Research


Aussie dollar reaches nine-month high On the cross rates it was at 60.1 euro cents, 81.29 Japanese yen, 42.17 pence sterling, and 1.105 New Zealand dollars. On Wall Street stocks have jumped on news of a merger between retailers Kmart and Sears


Crude futures bounce around \$46 per barrel range Crude futures prices traded near two-month lows on Wednesday after the US government reported that commercially available oil supplies increased for the eighth straight week.


Oil slides on supply fears NEW YORK: Oil prices extended a streak of losses last night as dealers anticipated that strong Opec output and recovering production in the US would boost lean stockpiles in time for peak winter heating demand.


Analysis: China #39;s risks in investing in Argentina China could be Argentina #39;s next best friend, especially at a time when the country is facing more enemies than allies as it is now.


Wife of Enron Founder Under Investigation The wife of Enron founder Kenneth Lay is under federal investigation for possible insider trading because she arranged for the Lay family foundation to sell half a million shares of Enron Corp.


Beat this for speed: Mach 10 Imagine travelling from Los Angeles to New Delhi in little over an hour. Or completing a round of the globe in five hours flat. On Tuesday, NASA moved the concept of dream planes closer to reality as its hypersonic


Expert explains grilled cheese miracle #39; #39; Brace yourself. There may be a less-than-miraculous explanation for that image of the Virgin Mary a Florida woman says appeared in her grilled cheese sandwich.


NTT DoCoMo To Launch New Mobile Phone Models Three of the five new NTT DoCoMo models are equipped with Sony #39;s FiliCa contactless IC card technology that enables the handsets to function as electronic money.


Pulp Fiction writer sues Microsoft Always in the courts for something, this time its writer and consultant to games makers Roger Avary who is involved in legal action with Microsoft.


Cambridge SoundWorks gives digital music a spin Home theater company Cambridge SoundWorks is helping consumers tackle the time-consuming task of converting CDs into digital files.


NASA calls off launch of black hole-hunter CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- With just hours left in the countdown, NASA called off the launch Wednesday of a spacecraft that will hunt for emerging black holes.


Seagate Hatches 400GB Barracuda Seagate announced today the availability of a 400 gigabyte (GB) Barracuda 7200.8 model for high-end PC #39;s and entry-level servers.


Two More Internet Explorer Holes Discovered Firefox fortune hunters <nobr>CNET News.com</nobr>


Nokia Demos IPv6 Mobile Looking to the future of the internet, voice over IP, streaming video, and other applications, Nokia has developed a prototype handset that supports Mobile Internet


No World Cup for China China has been denied a second straight trip to the World Cup finals despite a 7-0 victory over Hong Kong, failing to advance in qualifying when Kuwait won Asia #39;s Group Four by one goal.


Moscow details its 2012 Olympic bid Moscow has promised tight security, more than a dozen new sports facilities, mid-range hotel rooms and improvements in the city #39;s smog-belching traffic if it hosts the 2012 Olympic Games.


Tigers sign closer Percival DETROIT (SportsTicker) - The Detroit Tigers are willing to take a chance on aging closer Troy Percival. By George Nikitin, AP. The Tigers on Wednesday signed the 35-year-old Percival, who had spent his entire


NBA Roundup: Sonics fly high again in Philly PHILADELPHIA - Wide open or contested, the Seattle SuperSonics hit three-pointers from all over the court. Ray Allen scored a season-high 37 points, Rashard Lewis had 21 and Vladimir Radmanovic added 20, leading


Bomb explosion at banks kills one in Argentine One person was killed, another injured when three bombs exploded in a branch bank of US Citibank on Wednesday. A private guard of the bank died and a policeman was injured


Blair and Chirac to Hold Downing St Talks Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac will hold talks in London tomorrow - with Downing Street insisting their differences over Iraq and the UK-US relationship need not be a barrier to progress on other issues.


Powell calls on Israel to enable Palestinian elections FM Shalom, who met US secretary in Washington, said Israel would do all that it can to enable elections, as long as it would not harm our security.


The threat at home European elites, like American elites, are having trouble understanding the recent American elections. How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?


Britain, Ireland Launch 'Final' N.Irish Peace Push (Reuters) Reuters - The British and Irish prime ministers\presented bitterly divided Northern Ireland politicians on\Wednesday with what their governments insist is their final\plan for restoring home rule in the province.


EBay Agrees to Limit Racial Slurs on Auction Site (Reuters) Reuters - Internet auction house eBay Inc.\said on Wednesday it would limit the use of racial slurs after\U.S. city officials complained the offensive terms were being\used to advertise lawn jockeys and other antiques.


Pink locusts swarm over Cairo (AFP) AFP - Swarms of locusts descended on Cairo and around the fertile Nile Delta, but the authorities insisted the insects posed no serious threat to agriculture.


Militant Wanted in Pearl Abduction Killed (AP) AP - An Islamic militant wanted in connection with the murder of American Journalist Daniel Pear was killed in a shootout with police, according to Pakistani authorities on Wednesday, who also announced the arrest of a suspect in the deadly bombing near the U.S. Consulate in Karachi two years ago.


Garcia, Jimenez Favorites at Home for Cup (AP) AP - Chomping on a cigar, his unruly ponytail flowing from his cap, Miguel Angel Jimenez smiled as he said, "Buenos dias" to the clubhouse guard at the Real Club de Golf.


Economy Expands Despite Rising Oil Prices  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Surging energy costs drove up U.S.  consumer prices a hefty and larger-than-expected 0.6 percent in  October, while industrial output and housing starts rebounded  strongly from the prior month.


Thompson Resigns from East Carolina Post  GREENVILLE, N.C. (Sports Network) - East Carolina head  football coach John Thompson announced his resignation,  effective at the end of the season, on Wednesday.


CORRECTED: Cocoa Drops, Metals Jump on Weak Dollar  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cocoa prices sank on Wednesday as  exporters in top-grower Ivory Coast kept up with the arrival of  the new crop, which was halted several times this month by an  outbreak of civil violence and a farmers strike.


Ticket Process Begins The Expos seek deposits from fans who had registered for season tickets, although the process begins a day earlier than expected.


Founders of Pilgrim-Baxter fund settle charges of improper trading WASHINGTON The two founders of the Pennsylvania-based Pilgrim-Baxter mutual fund family have agreed settle regulators #39; charges of improper trading.


Applied Materials 4th-Qtr Profit Rises to Highest in Four Years Applied Materials Inc., the world #39;s biggest maker of semiconductor-production equipment, said fourth- quarter profit rose to its highest level in four years on demand from chipmakers for new machines.


Britain, Ireland Launch 'Final' N.Irish Peace Push  DUBLIN (Reuters) - The British and Irish prime ministers  presented bitterly divided Northern Ireland politicians on  Wednesday with what their governments insist is their final  plan for restoring home rule in the province.


Microsoft Swings at Novell Microsoft is offering new migration tools to tempt NetWare users to move to Windows Server 2003. Along with the tools comes a promise that NetWare customers will get online training and unlimited technical support via newsgroups.


Sun Microsystems to give away new operating system HOPING to attract more developers worldwide, Sun Microsystems is giving away its latest operating system, Solaris 10, after spending years of development and investing roughly 500 million dollars into the software.


Urbina #39;s future in doubt after Tigers sign Percival The Detroit Tigers have said improving their bullpen was their No. 1 priority this off-season. To that end, they have signed free-agent closer Troy Percival away from the Anaheim Angels.


Verplank, Tway to represent US SEVILLE, Spain -- South Africa will underline their strength in depth if Trevor Immelman and Rory Sabbatini can retain their title at the WGC-World Cup of Golf at Seville #39;s Real Golf Club.


Defender one of six available in expansion draft Defender Antonio de la Torre will celebrate his 27th birthday Thursday as a member of the Rapids. Where he #39;ll celebrate next year is anyone #39;s guess.


Rapper practices with USC football team USC #39;s football team may be in the hunt for one of the two coveted spots in the national championship game, but that doesn #39;t mean the Trojans aren #39;t trying to enjoy the ride to a possible Orange Bowl berth.


Argentina: Bank bomb blasts kill one A series of bombings ripped through three banks in downtown Buenos Aires Wednesday killing one security guard and injuring a member of the bomb squad.


Taiwan Takes Active Role at APEC Meetings in Chile Representatives of 21 Pacific Rim economies are in Santiago, Chile for preliminary meetings leading up to this weekend #39;s meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.


Palestinian commission to investigate Arafat #39;s cause of death RAMALLAH, West Bank The Palestinian prime minister has ordered an investigation into the cause of Yasser Arafat #39;s death. A statement from Ahmed Qureia #39;s (AHK #39;-mehd kuh-RAY #39;-uhz) office says a commission will


Security Council members arrive in Nairobi ahead of session on <b>...</b> 17 November 2004 - Members of the United Nations Security Council arrived today in Nairobi ahead of a two-day meeting devoted to the civil conflicts engulfing Sudan, including the crisis in the western region of Darfur and the long-running war in the


After Saint Colin, an unprincipled doctor Saint Colin is no more, and like many a consecrated counterpart there was always more plaster to the man than marble. Gone is the administration  quot;moderate, quot; and while radicalism is not necessarily


EG coup plans aired in court Pretoria - Nick du Toit and Simon Mann were the masterminds of a planned coup in Equatorial Guinea, and Sir Mark Thatcher, who has denied involvement, was financially implicated.


Fears for policemen #39;s lives There were fears tonight for the lives of 31 Iraqi policemen who were kidnapped as they returned from a training camp in Jordan. They were abducted on Sunday when gunmen stormed the hotel they were staying


Summit demands clean loos for all Laugh all you want, say public hygiene experts at the World Toilet Summit, but the importance of having loos you can use is no joke.


Kmart, Sears Join Forces Plus, Hewlett-Packard's marginal margins, Yahoo! courts singles, and hyper growth equals one hot IPO.


SBC to use Microsoft software SAN ANTONIO SBC Communications will use a Microsoft software system to transmit television over high-speed Internet connections. Those are like the ones San Antonio-based SBC will offer after replacing the


Applied Materials Signals Caution Applied Materials (AMAT:Nasdaq - news - research) posted sharply higher net income in its fiscal fourth quarter but said it had seen demand decelerate recently.


US FDA: Pfizer #39;s Contraceptive Can Weaken Bones The US Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) on Wednesday ordered a strong, new warning for Pfizer Inc. #39;s injectable contraceptive called Depo-Provera, saying it could permanently weaken bones.


Yahoo upgrades its email service Yahoo #39;s email service has begun to use the company #39;s DomainKeys authentication technology, almost a year after Yahoo first unveiled this antispam project.


Sharp Unveils Blu-Ray Disc Recorder with Hard Drive, DVD Sharp #39;s new recorder has a dual Blu-ray disc/DVD tray to allow digital dubbing in six directional combinations to and from the hard drive, Blu-ray discs, and DVDs, including the ability to dub five DVDs (4.7 GB) onto a single Blu-ray disc (25 GB).


Afghan militants to decide fate of UN hostages Kabul: A murky Taliban splinter group which has held three UN workers hostage in Afghanistan for three weeks said it would decide on their fate Wednesday, as the US military expressed hope they would be released.


ATP Tour to Give Nutritional Supplements (AP) AP - The ATP Tour will supply players with nutritional supplements checked by a WADA-affiliated laboratory starting next season.


Microsoft, Dassault Systemes in Strategic Alliance  PARIS (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O, the world's  largest software maker, and France's Dassault Systemes  DAST.PA have forged a global, 5-year strategic alliance to  deliver Dassault's 3D software to firms using the Microsoft  software platform.


Cocoa Drops, Metals Jump on Weak Dollar  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cocoa prices sank on Wednesday as  exporters in top-grower Ivory Coast kept up with the arrival of  the new crop, which was halted several times this month by an  outbreak of civil violence and a farmers strike.


Stocks Rise on Sears, HP; Oil Trims Gains  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed higher, reviving  their recent rally on Wednesday after Kmart's plan to buy Sears  in a \$10.85 billion deal was announced and computer maker  Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ.N posted solid earnings, but a rise  in oil prices capped session gains.


Student group grabbing Ukrainian spotlight ahead of presidential election (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Their name means "It's Time." Their slogan shows a ticking clock, and their ability to bring thousands of students to the streets is spooking the government as the country prepares for Sunday's pivotal presidential election.


Percival Joins Tigers  DETROIT (Sports Network) - The Detroit Tigers have signed  free-agent closer Troy Percival. According to a source, the  deal is for two years and worth \$12 million.


NASA Scramjet Breaks Aviation Speed Record Description: The scramjet is a new plane that can fly at nearly 10 times the speed of sound. NASA conducted a successful test-flight Tuesday.


Presse Economique / Technologique SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 17, 2004--AMD (NYSE:AMD) a clbr aujourd #39;hui le premier anniversaire de son alliance stratgique avec Sun Microsystems, Inc.


NASA Delays Swift Launch Launch of NASA #39;s Swift spacecraft has been delayed at least 24 hours due to a concern with Range Command-Receiver Decoder equipment on the launch vehicle.


SDForum: Open source becoming first option Enterprises that in the past may have been leery of open source alternatives to commercial software have opened up to the concept, panelists said on Tuesday at an SDForum conference entitled  quot;Open Source - Entering the Mainstream.


FCC to review steamy intro to  #39;Monday Night Football #39; WASHINGTON - The US Federal Communications Commission is reviewing whether the steamy locker-room opening to ABC #39;s Monday Night Football this week warrants a full-blown investigation.


Chirac, Blair hope to put bad blood behind them British officials were on diplomatic tenterhooks as they awaited the arrival on Thursday of French President Jacques Chirac for a two-day state visit to Britain.


Seattle Starting LB Out for Season (AP) AP - Seattle Seahawks linebacker Anthony Simmons will have season-ending surgery to repair a broken left wrist.


Hornets' Davis Out With Inflamed Disc (AP) AP - Hornets guard Baron Davis will miss at least five games after being put on the injured list Wednesday because of an inflamed disc in his lower back.


Top Judges Have Doubts on Tobacco Penalty  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A divided U.S. federal appeals court  panel on Wednesday expressed skepticism about whether the  government had the power to force cigarette makers to pay  billions of dollars in past profits as part of its racketeering  case against the industry.


Update 12: Kmart Acquires Sears in \$11 Billion Deal A resurgent Kmart, home of the blue light special, is buying the once-dominant Sears department store chain in a surprising \$11 billion gamble it is counting on to help both better compete with Wal-Mart and other big-box retailers.


US Stocks Rise as Sears, Kmart Gain; Technology Shares Climb US stocks rose as Kmart Holding Corp. #39;s \$11 billion offer for Sears, Roebuck  amp; Co. lifted retailers and Hewlett-Packard Co.


Cisco To Acquire Network Management Vendor Cisco Systems on Wednesday said it plans to acquire Jahi Networks, a privately held network management appliance vendor, in a \$16 million deal.


Can #39;t say I didn #39;t tell you so Previously, I have asked what happens to the software industry if enterprises expect to acquire their software for free via open source.


Plenty of Blame to Go Around in Monday Night Meltdown Sometimes you have to wonder what the geniuses at the major network sports divisions are imbibing or inhaling when they make critical decisions about what we watch.


Haristeas double hands Greece much-needed victory Two first-half goals from Werder Bremen striker Angelos Haristeas helped Greece secure a 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan on Wednesday and kickstart their World Cup qualifying campaign.


Chilean police arrest 120 demonstrators against globalization <b>...</b> Around 120 protesters were arrested here Wednesday after they crashed with police in a rally against globalization and US President George W. Bush, who will arrive here for


New push to stop child soldiers New report shows commitment by 85 countries to end the practice - but enforcement still lags.


Redskins Audition Ramsey As Offense Chief (AP) AP - The fans' constant chants for Patrick Ramsey were a source of locker room humor among the Washington Redskins over the last few weeks, including one running gag involving Ramsey's wife.


Identity politics: Is a Christian or Kurd 'a Turk'? Multiculturalism is stirring a bitter public debate about national identity in Turkey.


Putin woos Ukraine with a Russian common market The choice in Sunday's presidential election: move closer to Europe or Russia?


Hokies Take It One at a Time (AP) AP - No. 15 Virginia Tech is all alone in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with three games left, including one against Virginia and another against Miami.


Dollar Sags to Record Low Vs Euro  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar dropped to an all-time low  against the euro on Wednesday ahead of a G20 finance ministers'  meeting as analysts fretted that officials would do little to  stem the currency's fall.


Seattle Starting LB Out for Season Seattle Seahawks linebacker Anthony Simmons will have season-ending surgery to repair a broken left wrist.


Microsoft's Bill Gates in Paris to seal UNESCO partnership, meet Chirac (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - PARIS (AP) - Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates signed a co-operation agreement with UNESCO on Wednesday to improve access to computers, the Internet and information technology training in developing countries.


Gannon No Longer Wearing Neck Brace (AP) AP - Rich Gannon no longer needs a bulky, plastic brace to protect the broken vertebra in his neck.


Treasuries Stage Rally Despite Inflation  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices rallied on  Wednesday as inflation gains excluding food and energy, one of  the Federal Reserve's preferred price measures, proved less  dramatic than bond bulls had feared.


MPAA Fights Film Swapping with Suits and Software The real question is whether the movie industry, unlike the recording industry, can provide an answer to P2P that is as convenient and valuable to users.


EBay Agrees to Limit Racial Slurs on Auction Site Internet auction house eBay Inc. said on Wednesday it would limit the use of racial slurs after US city officials complained the offensive terms were being used to advertise lawn jockeys and other antiques.


Percival agrees to two-year deal with Tigers Free agent Troy Percival and Detroit agreed Wednesday on a two-year contract, giving the Tigers two closers for their bullpen. Percival, 35, was 2-3 with a 2.90 ERA and 33 saves last season with the Anaheim Angels, who made no attempt to re-sign him.


Arsenal reserve goalkeeper Graham Stack charged with rape Arsenal reserve goalkeeper Graham Stack was charged Wednesday with raping a 21-year-old woman at his home in London. The offence was alleged to have taken place in Beckenham, southeast London, on Sept.


Indias leader makes peace overtures in Kashmir INDIA withdrew about 1,000 troops from Kashmir yesterday as Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister, made his first visit to the disputed territory since coming to power.


World mourns murder of Hassan Australia joined the world yesterday in mourning the apparent murder of Iraqi aid worker Margaret Hassan. British-born Mrs Hassan, 59, headed CARE International #39;s work in Iraq, a position funded by CARE Australia


New Nuclear Weapon to Surpass Others, Putin Says President Vladimir V. Putin, meeting with Russia #39;s defense officials and military commanders here, said today that the country would soon deploy new nuclear missile


Bank bomb blasts kill one A series of bombings ripped through three banks Wednesday in downtown Buenos Aires killing one security guard and injuring a member of the bomb squad.


Arms embargo imposed on Ivory Coast Villagers have to drink dirty well water in Ivory Coast #39;s Northern areas controlled by the rebels, Nov. 15, 2004.The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Monday to impose an immediate arms


Giants Know It's Not All Up to Eli (AP) AP - Two days into the Eli Manning era, the New York Giants really aren't expecting the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft to turn their season around, at least by himself.


Kabul Museum's "Lost" Treasures: Photographs More than 22,000 antiquities survived 25 years of turmoil in Afghanistan in a secret vault. The discovery that they are safe and intact is a ray of hope in the quest to restore Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage. <b>Photo gallery.</b>


Did Humans Jog to Their Destiny? The emergence of modern humans may be tied to the evolution of running, a new study suggests, a new study suggests.


Climate Researchers Toast Vintners' Grape Harvest Records While oenophiles may pore over grape harvest records in search of the perfect vintage of wine, a team of French scientists and historians are raising their glasses in a toast to the insight the records yield on past climate.


Could Kinsey's Sex Research Be Done Today? When Alfred Kinsey's sexual-behavior studies were published half a century ago, the United States was shocked. The topic remains so sensitive that some scientists think Kinsey would not have been able to do his work today.


Fear Is Spread by Body Language, Study Says Menacing body posture can be as threatening as a frightening facial expression, according to new research. The finding may explain how fear spreads.


Disney Relaunches Muppets on Web Site (AP) AP - Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and their pals are starring in their own Web site  #151; the first in a series of new creative efforts launched by The Walt Disney Co. since buying the Muppets in April.


How "Jesus Lizards" Walk on Water Scientists have figured out how so-called Jesus lizards are able to scurry across the surfaces of ponds and streams.


Calstrs pension fund sees \$23.1 billion shortfall Calstrs, the third largest US pension fund, faces a \$23.1 billion funding shortfall and many other public pension funds may face similar gaps, the deputy chief executive of the third largest US pension fund said on Friday.


Poland withdraws support for EU patent plan Opponents of the proposal say Poland's move delivers a serious blow to attempts to make software patentable in Europe.


Shape-shifting robot shows off its moves Plus: eBay outlines policy on racist language. News.com Extra


RCMP Commissioner signed papers approving B.C. legislature raids (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - VICTORIA (CP) - The RCMP in British Columbia sought the written approval of the top Mountie in Canada before conducting a raid on the B.C. legislature last December, documents obtained from a federal Access to Information request show.


US Seeks Jail for Man in Advance-Fee Stocks Scam (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. prosecutors said on Wednesday\they are asking a judge to jail a former Miami, Florida, man\accused of setting up a half-dozen boiler-room financial scams\that faked Web sites and government documents.


Sorenstam Still Queen of LPGA Mountain (AP) AP - Having won more than  #36;2 million each of the last four years, surely Annika Sorenstam could afford to hire someone to paint the inside of her summer home in Lake Tahoe.


Applied Materials Profit Up  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Applied Materials Inc. AMAT.O,  the largest producer of chip-making equipment, on Wednesday  said demand for advanced manufacturing tools pushed quarterly  profit and sales higher, but warned that chip oversupply would  lead to lower orders and sales in the current quarter.


PBHG Funds Founders Banned from Industry  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The founders of PBHG mutual funds  agreed to pay \$160 million in restitution and civil fines and  to be banned for life from the securities industry to resolve  allegations they facilitated improper trading in the funds,  regulators said on Wednesday.


SEC Delays Annual Report Filing Deadline  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange  Commission said on Wednesday it was postponing by one year a  deadline for large corporations to speed up filing of  annual  and quarterly financial reports with the SEC.


Stocks close up on retail merger but off highs on oil price <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Stocks finished higher Wednesday but well off highs of the day, as a runup in the price of oil cooled investor response to a merger between US retail giants Kmart and Sears, Roebuck and strong economic data.


Inflation Spike, Oil Price Hike Temper Rise in Stocks That enthusiasm was tempered somewhat today when the Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.6 percent in October, the biggest increase since June and


Washington Cold-Shoulders Europe on Currencies European complaints over a strengthening euro are falling on deaf ears in Washington, where officials see a weaker dollar as a key to unwinding global economic imbalances, analysts say.


Oil slips under \$46, awaits expected US stockbuild SINGAPORE: Oil prices extended losses to fall below \$46 Wednesday ahead of weekly US data expected to show fuel stocks rising in time for peak winter demand.


Burst: Microsoft policy led to critical e-mails #39; destruction Software giant Microsoft Corp. developed policies to destroy internal e-mails and other documents crucial to ongoing lawsuits, according to a motion filed by a California software company.


Iran May Seek to Mate Missile, Nuclear Warhead-US (Reuters) Reuters - The United States has seen\information suggesting Iran is working on the technology to\deliver a nuclear warhead on a missile, Secretary of State\Colin Powell said on Wednesday.


TiVo Users to Still See Many Ads  NEW YORK (Reuters) - TiVo Inc.TIVO.O, maker of digital  television video recorders, will next year add ways for viewers  to see advertising and corporate logos even as they try to skip  commercials, the company said on Wednesday.


MPAA Introduces P2P  #39;Spyware #39; The Motion Picture Association of America has opened a second front in its war against online sharing of movies, offering a free program that will detect the presence of peer-to-peer file-sharing software and downloaded songs or movies.


Four vendors team up on new standardized Linux NOVEMBER 17, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Four small Linux vendors have joined together to create a new Linux Standard Base 2.0-compliant binary set that they hope will attract independent software vendors and hardware makers to port their wares to the new code


Seagate Offers Record 400 GB Hard Drive Seagate #39;s native SATA interface technology with Native Command Queuing (NCQ) allows the Barracuda 7200.8 to match the performance of 10,000-rpm SATA drives without sacrificing capacity


Prehistoric reptile didn #39;t lay eggs: study LONDON - A prehistoric reptile gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs, fossil evidence suggests. Scientists weren #39;t sure if the ancient reptiles, called sauropterygians, hatched from eggs on land like sea turtles or were born alive in the water.


Let #39;s Bring Racism into Football...or not With the ill-tempered England - Spain game in Madrid at the Bernebau drawing to a close, and England currently 1-0 down; what are the mindless Spanish supporters doing?


Marijuana charges against Nuggets #39; Anthony dropped Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Denver forward Carmelo Anthony had marijuana charges dropped by the city district attorney Wednesday.


Parcells Has Run Out of Answers What does Bill Parcells do now? The Dallas Cowboys #39; coach has been unable to coax inspired play out of his downward-spiraling team, and now the situation has become truly desperate in the aftermath


Bombs explode at Bueno Aires banks BUENOS AIRES - Two homemade bombs have exploded at two banks in Buenos Aires, killing a security guard. The explosions occurred near ATM machines in branches belonging to Citibank and Banco Galicia, shattering windows and the building facades.


France #39;s vision is not ours BEFORE ARRIVING in London this morning for his state visit, President Chirac took pains to ridicule Tony Blairs vision of building a bridge between Europe and America.


New push to stop child soldiers A report released Wednesday shows commitment by 85 countries to end the practice - but enforcement still lags. By Mike Crawley  Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor.


Rams Hold Another Physical Workout (AP) AP - It worked for the St. Louis Rams last week, so Wednesday was another good day for full-contact scrimmaging.


Big Lots Posts Wider Third-Quarter Loss (AP) AP - Big Lots Inc., the country's largest closeout retailer, Wednesday posted a wider loss for its latest quarter, as charges for the prepayment of debt and liabilities from its former KB Toys Inc. unit hurt its bottom line.


Williams standing firm in dispute with Ottawa over offshore revenues (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams came out swinging again Wednesday in his ongoing dispute with Ottawa and Prime Minister Paul Martin over the province's claim to offshore oil revenues.


TiVo Users to Still See Many Ads (Reuters) Reuters - TiVo Inc., maker of digital\television video recorders, will next year add ways for viewers\to see advertising and corporate logos even as they try to skip\commercials, the company said on Wednesday.


Bush Presents Awards for Arts, Humanities (AP) AP - Musicians, composers and authors were among the more than two dozen people Wednesday honored with National Medal of Arts and National Humanities awards at the White House.


Sun to offer utility pricing for desktops Thin-client Sun Ray product hasn't taken off yet, but Sun hopes subscription pricing will boost its popularity.


Iran May Seek to Mate Missile, Nuclear Warhead-US  MANAUS, Brazil (Reuters) - The United States has seen  information suggesting Iran is working on the technology to  deliver a nuclear warhead on a missile, Secretary of State  Colin Powell said on Wednesday.


Study: Fill Gov't Science Posts Faster (AP) AP - Presidential appointments to senior science and technology posts should be filled more quickly and without regard to political affiliation, a new report from the nonpartisan National Academies urged Wednesday.


Colts Could Be Missing 2 Starting Guards (AP) AP - The Indianapolis Colts could be without their starting guards Sunday against Chicago.


Hot Topic 3Q Earnings Sink 18 Percent (AP) AP - Mall-based retailer Hot Topic Inc., Wednesday reported an 18 percent decline in profit for the latest quarter, blaming weak Halloween sales.


Kobe Bryant Rape Case Could Be Headed to California  DENVER (Reuters) - Attorneys for the Colorado woman who  accused Kobe Bryant of rape are considering suing the  basketball star in his home state of California because of a  strict cap on damages in Colorado, they said on Wednesday.


Kobe Bryant Rape Case Could Be Headed to California (Reuters) Reuters - Attorneys for the Colorado woman who\accused Kobe Bryant of rape are considering suing the\basketball star in his home state of California because of a\strict cap on damages in Colorado, they said on Wednesday.


Percival Signs With Tigers Free agent Troy Percival and Detroit agree Wednesday on a \$12 million, two-year contract, giving the Tigers two closers for their bullpen.


Quebec government abandons plans for gas-powered electricity plant (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - QUEBEC (CP) - The Quebec government ditched plans for the province's first gas-powered electricity plant Wednesday in the face of intense opposition from local residents and environmental groups.


Georgia Tech Lineman Also Wrestles (AP) AP - So far, football is working out just fine for Joe Anoai. He's starting at Georgia Tech as a sophomore. His team will likely get an invitation to its eighth straight bowl game.


Oil Up as Winter Heating Supplies Fall Oil prices abruptly ended a losing streak on Wednesday, jumping nearly \$1 after a US government report showed heating oil stockpiles down 16 percent from last year ahead of winter.


US Congress Moves to Reinstate Internet Tax Ban Congress moved toward reinstating a ban on Internet-access taxes after the Senate on Wednesday tweaked a measure it had previously passed with hopes the House of Representative would take it up.


Lampert: Architect of Sears-Kmart Deal Compared To Buffett In the hubbub of Wednesday #39;s Kmart (nasdaq: KMRT - news - people ) and Sears Roebuck (nyse: S - news - people ) merger stunner, one name has quietly moved to the fore: Edward Lampert, chairman at the Big Red K and a Sears shareholder.


Insurance officials propose new brokerage disclosure rules State insurance commissioners from across the country have proposed new rules governing insurance brokerage fees, winning praise from an industry group and criticism from


End to pillow talk on American flights Cash-strapped American Airlines Wednesday said it is trying to take some of the fluff out of its costs: so the world #39;s largest carrier is eliminating pillows on its planes.


PRODUCT REVIEW: Microsoft search falls far short of Google Microsoft Corp. isn #39;t often an underdog in anything, so when the software powerhouse released its new search engine, I was anxious to give it a whirl.


Seagate Ships 400-GB Drive The 7,200-RPM drives are available in 200-GB, 250-GB, 300-GB and 400-GB capacity points, with either a native Serial ATA or parallel ATA interface.


Closer Percival OKs \$12M Deal With Tigers DETROIT Nov 17, 2004 - Free agent Troy Percival and Detroit agreed Wednesday on a \$12 million, two-year contract, giving the Tigers two closers for their bullpen.


WRAPUP 1-Ukraine stun Turks, Portugal reach 20-goal mark Andriy Shevchenko scored twice as Ukraine won 3-0 in Turkey on Wednesday to put them in with a great chance of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time.


Colts could be missing both starting guards Tupe Peko didn #39;t practice Wednesday because he hurt his right foot in last week #39;s 49-14 victory over Houston. Rick DeMulling has been limited in practice because of a bruised chest.


Kobe Bryant Rape Case Could Be Headed to California Attorneys for the Colorado woman who accused Kobe Bryant of rape are considering suing the basketball star in his home state of California because of a strict cap on damages in Colorado, they said on Wednesday.


REGION: EU warns Iran nuclear row could still go to UN STRASBOURG: The EU reiterated on Wednesday that an accord on Irans nuclear plans was a step in the right direction, but warned the row may still go to the UN Security Council if the deal is not rapidly implemented.


Guard killed in bomb attacks on Argentina banks BUENOS AIRES: Three bombs exploded at banks in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, killing one man and injuring another, police said. A booby-trapped package exploded Wednesday at a Buenos Aires branch of US-based Citibank, killing a security guard.


Dutch PM: EU must integrate immigrants better Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende urged the European Union to work harder on integrating ethnic minorities into European society, citing mounting tensions and a spate of reprisal attacks in his country following a murder allegedly committed by a


PLO chief vows crackdown on violence Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Mahmoud Abbas says officials will take steps to end lawlessness and violence in the Palestinian territories ahead of scheduled January 9 elections for president.


Congress Said Set to Back Mideast Trade (AP) AP - Congress will vote as early as February on a free trade agreement with Bahrain and stands ready to consider agreements with other countries in the Middle East, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee said Wednesday.


APEC Ministers Urge New Effort on Trade Talks (Reuters) Reuters - Pacific Rim trading nations\said on Wednesday they should pool their influence to breathe\new life into talks to free up world trade.


Lampert Keeps Low Profile As Kmart Chair (AP) AP - For the last year and a half, industry observers have speculated about Kmart Holding Corp. chairman Edward Lampert's plans since the troubled retailer emerged from bankruptcy. On Wednesday, they found out.


Navy Delays Presidential Helicopter Deal (AP) AP - The Navy has put off until at least January a decision on the contract to replace the aging Marine One presidential helicopter fleet, giving both prospective contractors more time to lobby for the prized job.


APEC Ministers Urge New Effort on Trade Talks  SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - Pacific Rim trading nations  said on Wednesday they should pool their influence to breathe  new life into talks to free up world trade.


Kmart, Sears To Merge Into One Company BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Two big stores are preparing for a mega-merger. Kmart Holding Corp. and Sears, Roebuck and Co. have decided to join forces.


The man behind the deal Eddie Lampert has built a reputation as one of the investing world #39;s savviest money managers. By Yuval Rosenberg, CNN/Money contributing writer.


Hot Topic 3Q Earnings Slip 18 Percent Teen clothing retailer Hot Topic Inc. said Wednesday that profit fell 18 percent in the fiscal third quarter as increased costs offset higher revenue.


USDA Tests Confirm Soy Rust in Florida Florida has found the highly contagious soybean rust fungus in one of its soybean fields on Wednesday, becoming the third infected US state in a week, state officials said.


First Americans may have crossed Atlantic 50,000 years ago In a discovery sure to set off a firestorm of debate over human migration to the western hemisphere, archaeologists in South Carolina say they have uncovered evidence that people lived in eastern North America at least 50,000 years ago - far earlier than


U.S. Seeks to Keep UBS Cup Streak Alive (AP) AP - The Americans have never lost the UBS Cup, which returns to South Carolina this week for the fourth competition in the Ryder Cup-style event.


Brazil Upset in Ecuador; China Eliminated Ecuador upset Brazil 1-0 Wednesday to send the World Cup champions to their first loss in qualifying for the 2006 tournament, and China was eliminated on the fifth tiebreaker despite a 7-0 victory over visiting Hong Kong.


Bush Wants to Get North Korea Nuclear Talks Going

 By Steve Holland

 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush plans to urge alliesat an Asia-Pacific summit in Chile this weekend to press NorthKorea to return to stalled talks over its nuclear weaponsprogram, senior U.S. officials said on Wednesday.


Iran May Seek to Mate Missile, Nuclear Warhead-US

 By Saul Hudson

 MANAUS, Brazil (Reuters) - The United States has seeninformation suggesting Iran is working on the technology todeliver a nuclear warhead on a missile, Secretary of StateColin Powell said on Wednesday.


USDA Tests Confirm Soy Rust in Florida  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Florida has found the highly  contagious soybean rust fungus in one of its soybean fields on  Wednesday, becoming the third infected U.S. state in a week,  state officials said.


U.S. Stocks Up on Kmart-Sears Deal  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks surged on Wednesday on  news of Kmart's plan to buy Sears, but the dollar sank,  touching a record low against the euro on worries over the wide  U.S. current account deficit and the strength of China's yuan  currency.


It was the language barrier NEW DELHI: With all the flap about whether India should get the veto or not, the real culprit here seemed to have been the language barrier.


Netflix Raises Subscriber Forecast After Price Cut (Reuters) Reuters - Online DVD rental company Netflix\Inc.  on Wednesday raised its subscriber and revenue\forecasts for the fourth quarter, saying a price cut had helped\draw new customers.


Official: Russia Not Cooperating in Probe (AP) AP - Russia is refusing to provide witnesses or information to the independent investigation into alleged corruption in the multibillion-dollar U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq, an official close to the investigation said Wednesday.


Intuit Posts 1Q Loss; Revenue Up 11 Pct. (AP) AP - Intuit Inc. posted a narrower net loss for its latest quarter as increased revenue from its QuickBooks accounting software helped boost results.


Canada calls for IMF to take hard look at yuan (AFP) AFP - Canada wants the International Monetary Fund to examine whether the Chinese yuan really is undervalued, giving it an unfair trade advantage, Trade Minister James Peterson said.


Racist Taunts Mar Soccer Match (AP) AP - Fans taunted black players on England's team Wednesday night during Spain's 1-0 victory in an exhibition game.


Snow chills market as dollar hits a fresh low THE dollar slipped to a fresh low against the euro yesterday after John Snow, the US Treasury Secretary, poured cold water on any suggestions of co-ordinated central-bank action to prop up the ailing greenback.


HP reports 27 rise in quarterly profits SAN FRANCISCO: Hewlett-Packard Co said on Tuesday its quarterly profit rose 27 as the computer and printer maker saw record revenues in every business and every region and fixed problems with its server and storage unit, sending shares higher by 8.


Sandy Spring Bancorp Lowers 2004 Outlook Sandy Spring Bancorp Inc., the parent company of Sandy Spring Bank, reported Wednesday that it cut its outlook for the year because the company to adjust its balance sheet to exit a leveraged position.


Scramjet breaks own speed record on final flight With a defiant streak across the sky, the fastest plane in the world broke its own speed record before plunging into the sea for the last time.


Donate Your PC #39;s Spare Time to Help the World IBM and officials from some of the world #39;s leading science, education, and philanthropic organizations Tuesday launched a global grid computing project aimed at harnessing unused global computing power to help solve a variety of health issues and other


Apple plans iTunes for Japan Apple Computer, the maker of Macintosh computers and iPod digital music players, plans to start a music download service in Japan by March 2005.


4 Linux Vendors Team Up for Standardized Linux In an effort to encourage software and hardware providers to support Linux Standard Base 2.0, four smaller Linux vendors are joining together to ensure their core binaries are compatible with each other and with the standard.


Web Hosting Through Windows Microsoft announced the Microsoft Solution for Windows-based Hosting Version 3.0 on Tuesday, touting it as a flexible, modular platform with new out-of-the-box services that enable users to roll out hosted offerings faster and cheaper.


Henman lives in hope after Roddick setback Wimbledon this ain #39;t. When it rains in SW19, herds of well-drilled young men rush forward with tarpaulins to protect the hallowed turf.


Keane nets 24th goal in win over Croatia DUBLIN: Tottenham striker Robbie Keane extended his Irish goal-scoring record with his 24th strike for his country as Ireland beat Croatia 1-0 in a friendly international on Tuesday.


Dungy:  #39;MNF #39; intro racially offensive If ABC hoped to generate a little bit more buzz for  quot;Monday Night Football quot; and  quot;Desperate Housewives, quot; its steamy intro to the Dallas-Philadelphia game sure did the trick.


Attorneys in suit against Bryant meet in federal court DENVER Attorneys for Kobe Bryant and the woman who accused him of sexual assault have met in Denver federal court to map out a preliminary schedule for the civil case.


Baseball: Anaheim #39;s Guerrero named American League MVP NEW YORK : Anaheim Angels right fielder Vladimir Guerrero was named baseball #39;s American League Most Valuable Player in his first year after jumping from the National League.


France  #39;hiding nothing #39; about Arafat AMID speculation over the cause of Yasser Arafat #39;s death, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier today said France had nothing to hide concerning the late Palestinian leader #39;s medical file.


Gulf war syndrome is genuine says law lords #39; inquiry Veterans of the 1991 Iraq conflict were jubilant yesterday as the head of an inquiry into illnesses among them agreed that they were victims of Gulf war syndrome and censured the government for having dismissed their plight.


Militant Wanted in Pearl Abduction Killed An Islamic militant wanted in the murder of American Journalist Daniel Pearl was discovered running a clothing shop near the Indian border and killed in a shootout with police, Pakistani authorities said Wednesday.


Oil prices rise on heating fears Oil prices rise again after US government data showed heating stocks remained 16 down on 2003 levels.


Miller #39;s podium-finish streak snapped BEAVER CREEK, Colo. -- Norway #39;s Lasse Kjus confirmed his return to fitness Saturday, capturing his first World Cup giant slalom win in eight years as American Bode Miller #39;s run of five podium finishes came to a crashing halt.


Football: Spain 1-0 England Asier del Horno's early goal gives Spain victory in an ill-tempered friendly.


On 38th Floor, a \$9 Million Sample Sale Pierre Berg's 38th-floor apartment in the Pierre hotel is a sumptuously furnished pied--terre in the sky. But, after 26 years, he is selling the five-room apartment.


#39;Blog #39; tops words of the year A four-letter term that came to symbolize the difference between old and new media during this year #39;s presidential campaign tops US dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster #39;s list of the 10 words of the year.


Missouri's Season of Hope Disappears (AP) AP - One miserable month has wiped away all the promise Missouri started with this season.


Climate change sceptics 'wrong' A new study claims to undermine the key argument used by people sceptical of climate change.


Kmart, Sears Merger Could Change Low-Cost Shopping CHICAGO -- Two companies famous for blue-light specials and monstrous catalogs are joining forces to become the third-largest retailer in the United States.


Wall Street stocks end higher on Kmart-Sears merger deal Wall Street stocks rose moderately Wednesday as investors cheered the merger deal that combined retailers Kmart Holding Corp. and Sears, Roebuck and Co.


Netflix Raises Subscriber Forecast After Price Cut Online DVD rental company Netflix Inc. (NFLX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday raised its subscriber and revenue forecasts for the fourth quarter, saying a price cut had helped draw new customers.


American yanks pillows Move to save hundreds of thousands of dollars on short-haul flights, decrease turn-around time. DALLAS, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Cost cutting at American Airlines may cost passengers some sleep as the airline has removed pillows on about half of its fleet.


Congress close to renewing ban on Internet access taxes Lawmakers revived a long-stalled effort Wednesday to block state and local governments from taxing Internet connections, in a last-minute agreement to ban the taxes until 2007.


Salvation Army Loses \$17,000 in Donations Since Target Refuses To <b>...</b> On Friday, we #39;ll begin to hear a familiar sound of the holiday season, the sound of bells ringing in the name of the Salvation Army.


Microsoft Rolls Out NetWare Migration Package Microsoft is campaigning for Novell NetWare users, again. This time Microsoft is wooing Netware users with a migration package that contains several incentives ranging from tools, prescriptive guidance, training


Microsoft Unveils Management Software November 16, 2004 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Software giant Microsoft (microsoft.com) announced on Tuesday that it has released version 3.0 of Microsoft Solutions for Windows-based Hosting, a management platform that includes tools for handling


Best game yet for the Xbox How do you top a battle between marines and an alien religious cult fighting to the death on a giant corona in outer space? The next logical step is to take that battle to Earth, which is


Spaniards #39; racism row intensifies The Spanish football federation were facing renewed and sustained criticism last night over the racist chanting directed at England #39;s black players - Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand and


Ireland blanks Croatia in friendly DUBLIN - Robbie Keane scored off a Damien Duff cross to give Ireland a 1-0 victory over Croatia in an exhibition soccer match Tuesday.


Arsenal keeper Stack charged with rape Arsenal footballer Graham Stack was today charged with raping a 21-year-old girl at his home, Scotland Yard said. The 23-year-old goalkeeper, who is on loan at Millwall, was charged following the alleged rape


City dropping drug charge against Nuggets star DENVER - The city attorney has decided to drop a minor drug charge filed last month against Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony. Anthony was charged with possessing less than one ounce of marijuana, a petty


Soccer: Klinsmann tastes first home win against hapless Cameroon LEIPZIG, Germany : Jurgen Klinsmann enjoyed his first home win as German manager with his team defeating ten-man Cameroon 3-0 in a friendly match.


Real Salt Lake trades for Kreis in first player move Real Salt Lake obtained its first player in Major League Soccer Wednesday, trading for Dallas forward Jason Kreis in exchange for future considerations.


Quarterback controversy rages as Lions get back to work for <b>...</b> OTTAWA (CP) - Casey Printers pronounced himself fit to play Wednesday, but whoever fits into the BC Lions #39; plans at starting quarterback for the Grey Cup remained anyone #39;s guess.


Demonstrations mark opening of APEC summit in Chile SANTIAGO - High level talks on free trade and global security got underway in the Chilean capital, as ministers from 21 Pacific Rim countries convened for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit.


Russia researching new missile systems Without getting into details of the missiles or their capabilities, Putin links their development to a response to the threat of international terrorism.


Arafat receives parting shots after death Former President Bill Clinton suggested in print that Yasser Arafat  quot;..simply couldn #39;t make the final jump from revolutionary to statesman...it would be different if the end of violence took Palestine out of the headlines and instead he had to worry about


UN Council Wants Sudan Peace Deal by End of Year (Reuters) Reuters - The U.N. Security Council, on a\high-profile visit to the Kenyan capital, expects Sudan and its\southern opposition on Thursday to promise to complete by Dec.\31 a comprehensive peace agreement ending a 21-year civil war.


Lawyers Meet in Kobe Bryant Civil Suit (AP) AP - Kobe Bryant's attorneys have identified about 125 potential witnesses to testify in the civil lawsuit filed against him by the woman who accused him of sexual assault, attorneys told a judge Wednesday.


Shawn Fanning downloading again Boston #39; Northeastern University dropout Shawn Fanning, who tapped out the code to Napster in 1999, is back in the music downloading game.


Microsoft Accused of Destroying E-Mails (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. developed policies stressing the systematic destruction of internal e-mails and other documents crucial to lawsuits it has faced in recent years, a California software company alleges.


Russia Developing New Nuclear Missile (AP) AP - Russia is developing a new nuclear missile system unlike any weapon held by other countries, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday, a move that could serve as a signal to the United States as Washington pushes forward with a missile defense system.


Column: Modified Vintage Cars Get Hot  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Car buyers, tired of designs that roll  off the assembly line, are shifting gears to decades past.


Pistons Coach Brown Returns to Bench (AP) AP - Detroit Pistons coach Larry Brown returned to the bench Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing two weeks due to hip surgery.


Padres Sign Jackson and Garcia to Minors (AP) AP - The San Diego Padres signed infielders Damian Jackson and Jesse Garcia to minor league contracts Wednesday and invited them to spring training.


US to tackle Afghan drugs trade Washington announces a major new initiative to try to tackle the production of illegal drugs in Afghanistan.


SAIC Said Near Deal to Sell Telcordia (AP) AP - Science Applications International Inc. on Wednesday neared an agreement to sell its telecommunications software company, Telcordia Technologies Inc., to two private equity firms for  #36;1.35 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter.


Bush Pardons Turkeys After 'Tough Contest' (AP) AP - The race was close, tough, sometimes bitter, but "now's the time for healing," President Bush said in sparing the lives of two White House turkeys.


Euro at fresh high as Snow dashes hopes of currency intervention The dollar slumped to a fresh all-time low against the euro yesterday as John Snow, the US Treasury Secretary, poured cold water on hopes of intervention to stem its decline.


Update 6: Hewlett-Packard Shares Up on Earnings News Hewlett-Packard Co. #39;s shares rose more than 4 percent Wednesday as investors reacted to its report a day earlier that earnings rose 26.5 percent in the fourth quarter, led by record revenue growth across all of the computer giant #39;s business units


Burst.com says Microsoft destroyed evidence Top managers at Microsoft Corp. told employees to destroy evidence contained in old e-mail during 2000, even as the company faced several antitrust lawsuits at the time, court documents filed by Burst.


Iran strikes another nuclear deal I ran has agreed to suspend its nuclear programs while it continues negotiations with European nations on the future of those efforts.


Mitsubishi secures \$1.23b aid deal: report Scandal-hit Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors will likely to get 100 billion yen (\$AU1.23 billion) in additional aid from three group firms, a report has said.


Virgin Mary Cheese Sandwich Bids on eBay (Nov. 17) -- The grilled cheese sandwich bearing the likeness of the Virgin Mary is back on ebay. A woman says she made the sandwich ten years ago.


Netscape aims beyond Firefox com November 17, 2004, 5:02 PM PT. This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


Wife of Enron's Lay Investigated (Reuters) Reuters - Federal prosecutors are investigating\whether the wife of former Enron Corp.  Chairman\Kenneth Lay illegally sold shares in the company just before it\went bankrupt, a lawyer for Lay said on Wednesday.


Margaret Hassan Margaret Hassan, who has been murdered aged 59, devoted more than 30 years of her life to helping the disadvantaged people of Iraq.


#39;I only wish my dead comrades were here to hear this verdict #39; An independent inquiry called on the Ministry of Defence yesterday to admit the existence of Gulf War syndrome and set aside millions of pounds to compensate sick veterans.


Kidlow captures first victory LAKE LOUISE -- Both Bode and Picabo did it here first. Now Lindsey Kidlow can add her name to the list of American skiers who claimed their first World Cup downhill victories on the slopes of the Canadian Rockies.


Militant Wanted in Pearl Abduction Killed (AP) AP - An Islamic militant wanted in the murder of American Journalist Daniel Pearl was killed Wednesday in a shootout with Pakistan police who were trying to arrest him, officials said.


U.N. Urges Temporary Bottom-Trawling Ban (AP) AP - The U.N. General Assembly urged nations Wednesday to consider temporary bans on high seas bottom trawling, disappointing scientists and some countries seeking an immediate halt to the destructive fishing practice.


NM Governor Want UC to Manage Los Alamos LOS ANGELES - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson urged the University of California on Wednesday to fight to keep its contract to manage the nation #39;s top nuclear laboratory.


Percival to visit Tigers Troy Percival will indeed be visiting Detroit. What happens from there is anyone #39;s guess. Agent Paul Cohen confirmed to MLB.com on Monday that the free agent closer will


Indian troops leave Kashmir A thousand Indian troops withdrew from the disputed territory of Kashmir yesterday in a goodwill gesture aimed at fostering a new peace in the province.


Apec ministers urge new effort on trade talks SANTIAGO, Chile - Pacific Rim trading nations said today they should pool their influence to breathe new life into talks to free up world trade.


Bombs in Buenos Aires Kill One Bombs detonated at three banks in downtown Buenos Aires Wednesday resulting in the death of one security guard and in leaving another person injured.


Marijuana Charge Dropped Against Anthony (AP) AP - Prosecutors dropped a marijuana possession charge against Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday, saying it would be tough to get a conviction after a friend claimed the drug was his and not Anthony's.


Brazil Upset in Ecuador; China Eliminated (AP) AP - Ecuador upset Brazil 1-0 Wednesday to send the World Cup champions to their first loss in qualifying for the 2006 tournament, and China was eliminated on the fifth tiebreaker despite a 7-0 victory over visiting Hong Kong.


Wife of Enron's Lay Investigated  HOUSTON (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors are investigating  whether the wife of former Enron Corp. ENRNQ.PK Chairman  Kenneth Lay illegally sold shares in the company just before it  went bankrupt, a lawyer for Lay said on Wednesday.


Democrat Slams Kerry on Hispanic Outreach (AP) AP - A Democrat whose organization spent about  #36;6 million to get out the Hispanic vote criticized John Kerry's campaign effort Wednesday and said Democrats risk becoming a permanent minority if they don't do a better job.


Study: Learning to Run Propelled Evolution (AP) AP - No one has ever doubted that, in the beginning, primitive man learned to walk before he could run. But how about it taking three million years for that second part  #151; after the whole walking thing was already down? Or, when it finally happened, the idea that simply being able to run radically propelled our evolution as a species?


Assassination Is an Issue in Trade Talks As union activists have fallen by the hundreds in Colombia, labor rights groups and some members of the U.S. Congress have promised to do something about the violence.


Wis. Plans to Invest in Stem Cell Study (AP) AP - Gov. Jim Doyle announced plans Wednesday to invest nearly  #36;750 million to support human embryonic stem cell research and other medical experiments.


Percival to Sign With the Tigers The free-agent closer Troy Percival and the Detroit Tigers agreed Wednesday to a two-year, \$12 million contract.


EBay Eliminates Offense Verbiage from Listings Internet auction giant eBay is toughening its offensive-material policy by eliminating offensive words used as search criteria or in descriptions of items.


New Mexico governor backs UC as Los Alamos lab manager LOS ANGELES New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today endorsed the University of California to keep managing the Los Alamos National Laboratory.


Seagate Ships World #39;s Largest HD November 17, 2004 - Seagate Technology today announced that it has shipped the world #39;s largest PC hard drive to various retail outlets.


Percival to Sign With the Tigers The free-agent closer Troy Percival and the Detroit Tigers agreed Wednesday to a two-year, \$12 million contract, a move that will lead to Ugueth Urbina #39;s becoming a setup man or his being traded.


Intro still generating buzz, mostly negative If ABC hoped to generate a little bit more buzz for Monday Night Football and  quot;Desperate Housewives, quot; its risqu intro to the Dallas-Philadelphia game sure did the trick.


Agents Tell Players There #39;s Little New In NHL Lockout An NHL lockout that is nine weeks old will not end soon unless the owners show some willingness to negotiate, agents said after a meeting with the players union.


NASA Calls Off Launch of Black Hole-Hunter (AP) AP - With just hours left in the countdown, NASA called off the launch Wednesday of a spacecraft that will hunt for emerging black holes.


Sun invites outside involvement with Java 6 Sun puts very early versions of the source code on its Web site so Java programmers could better see and participate in its development.


Microsoft says IE updates possible Hedging slightly on its vow not to update browser before releasing Longhorn, Microsoft says it could release add-ons to freshen up IE.


Earnings alert: Salesforce quarterly revenue rises Plus: Write-downs widen DirecTV's loss...Time Warner net income slips...Cell phone unit shores up Verizon.


Salesforce.com posts 82 percent rise in revenue Subscription software maker reports jump in third-quarter sales, but sees growth slowing next year.


HP to tout Itanium SAP customers Hewlett-Packard says nearly 200 of its customers using SAP business applications have migrated to HP servers with Itanium inside.


Sun changing course on Itanium plans--again Sun doesn't want to bring its Solaris operating sytem to Intel's Itanium chip. This week.


Clinton due to open his library Ex-US leader Bill Clinton is to open his presidential library, housing millions of documents from his time in office.


Tired pair join to take on Wal-Mart UNTIL yesterday Wal-Mart virtually owned copyright on the term biggest in the world, when applied to retailers. But retailers Sears and Kmart have formed a shopping behemoth worth \$11 billion (5.9


US CREDIT-Kmart acquisition hits Sears credit Credit investors found it difficult to muster much joy over Kmart Holding Corp. #39;s (KMRT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) plan to buy Sears, Roebuck  amp; Co.


Europe Unlikely to Win US Agreement on Halting Euro #39;s Surge European officials, blaming US deficits for a surge in the euro, are unlikely to persuade Treasury Secretary John Snow to help support the dollar when the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers meet in Berlin.


Prices slump as stocks rise OIL prices extended heavy recent losses as United States government data showed crude stocks building for an eighth straight week ahead of winter.


Microsoft lures NetWare users with migration tools, support US software maker Microsoft has announced the availability of a combination of tools, prescriptive guidance, training and technical support for customers that are considering migrating from Novell NetWare to Microsoft Windows Server 2003.


Linux Core Consortium To Build Common Code Linux vendors from Europe, Asia, and North and South America have teamed up to create a common core implementation of the Linux Standard Base (LSB) 2.0.


Sun, Gingell Part Company Rob Gingell, until recently Sun Microsystems Inc. #39;s chief engineer and also a Sun fellow and vice president of the company, has severed his ties with Sun to join former colleagues at an up-and-coming technology company.


Henman has skills to flush Coria from baseline lair Two factors are in Tim Henman #39;s favour here today as the British No 1 attempts to defeat Guillermo Coria, of Argentina, to give himself a chance of advancing beyond the round-robin stage at the Masters Cup.


Ken Jones: Holyfield the warrior trapped in a world without end The morning after Evander Holyfield lost the undisputed heavyweight championship to Riddick Bowe on 13 November 1992 it was unanimously agreed by his management team that it was time to quit.


China beat Hong Kong 7-0 but still eliminated China beat Hong Kong of China 7-0 but were still eliminated from the Asian zone second stage World Cup qualifying tournament on Wednesday.


MRFIXIT: EASTER PARADE PUNTERS willing to risk a wager on Scotland tomorrow face a tougher test than usual. With Berti Vogts in charge, the safest punt was backing our opponents and we suffered some horrendous friendly


Soccer: Ukraine stun Turkey in World Cup qualifiers LONDON - Andriy Shevchenko scored twice as Ukraine won 3-0 in Turkey on Wednesday to put them in with a great chance of qualifying for the soccer World Cup for the first time.


Special to ESPN.com Oklahoma sports information director Kenny Mossman has a fresh, new story about quarterback Jason White that he #39;s dying to tell.


Suicide car bomb, clashes with insurgents leave at least 10 dead <b>...</b> A suicide attacker drove his bomb-laden car into a US convoy during fighting Wednesday in a northern town, where hospital officials said at least 10 Iraqis were killed amid a wave of violence across Iraq #39;s Sunni Arab heartland.


Russia developing new missile system MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Russia is developing a new type of nuclear missile system unlike those held by other countries, news agencies reported.


Gulf War Syndrome Acknowledgment Urged LONDON - A new report on Gulf War illness urges the British government to acknowledge that Gulf War syndrome is real and calls for compensation for veterans who became ill following service in the 1991 conflict.


Gates, UNESCO Sign Computer Access Deal (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates signed a cooperation agreement with UNESCO on Wednesday to improve access to computers, the Internet and information technology training in developing countries.


No. 19 N.C. State Rips New Orleans 92-58 (AP) AP - Julius Hodge led a balanced attack with 21 points, and No. 19 North Carolina State jumped on New Orleans early in a 92-58 victory Wednesday night in the first round of the BCA Invitational.


REVIEW: Microsoft Search Falls Far Short (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. isn't often an underdog in anything, so when the software powerhouse released its new search engine, I was anxious to give it a whirl.


More security hiccups for IE Researchers have found a trio of flaws in Internet Explorer--making almost 20 in total.


Japanese Co. Markets Dual-Network Phone (AP) AP - Japan's top mobile carrier has begun marketing a cell phone that can make Internet calls over Wi-Fi wireless networks in addition to regular ones.


Biometric pilot program to tighten U.S. borders Three U.S. border crossings have been outfitted with fingerprint readers and digital imaging equipment as part of the US-VISIT program.


Wibhu changes name, lands \$10.25 million Newly named AirTight Networks picks up funding, appoints new execs and board members.


SBC seeks new Net phone fees Company pursuing different wholesale access rates to its local phone network for Net phone providers.


Cisco buys IT management start-up Acquisition is expected to help Cisco Systems reinforce its network management offerings.


Burst.com Claims Microsoft Destroyed Evidence Top managers at Microsoft told employees to destroy evidence contained in old e-mail during 2000, even as the company faced several antitrust lawsuits at the time, court documents filed by Burst.


Sun changing course on Itanium plans--again com November 17, 2004, 5:03 PM PT. Organizations are replacing aging servers with newer more-powerful boxes, often Linux--based, and theyre also investing in storage.


27 killed in Iraq violence BAGHDAD: A suicide car bomber blasted an American convoy north of Baghdad as US troops battled insurgents west of the capital yesterday in a wave of violence that killed at least 27 people.


No. 11 Notre Dame Upends No. 6 Duke 76-65 (AP) AP - Jacqueline Batteast scored 17 points, including 10 during a decisive three-minute run in the second half, to lead No. 11 Notre Dame to a 76-65 victory over No. 6 Duke in a WNIT semifinal Wednesday night.


Manning and Giants in Line of Fire The players forming rookie quarterback Eli Manning's line of protection have not inspired much confidence lately, least of all among themselves.


An Alliance for the Scale to Battle a Common Foe The fact that neither Kmart or Sears has faired well against Wal-Mart may leave some people wondering if the combined company can do any better.


Kmart snaps up Sears for \$11bn The discount retailer Kmart announced yesterday an \$11bn (5.9bn) acquisition of Sears Roebuck, bringing two of the best-known names in American retailing under one roof.


Dollar melts but Snow stays firm The dollar plunged to an all-time low against the euro yesterday as the Bush administration signalled it was not prepared to take any action to prevent the slide.


Mitsubishi Buys Shares in Isuzu Motors A major Japanese trading company is investing in Isuzu Motors Ltd., a truckmaker allied with General Motors Corp. of the United States, to strengthen a partnership in Thailand.


Stadium on Calendar D.C. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp has set a vote on a plan to build a baseball stadium with public funds for Nov. 30.


FCC Rebukes ABC Michael Powell, chairman of the FCC, said Wednesday he was disappointed with ABC for airing a sexually suggestive opening to "Monday Night Football."


Chance for McCants Redskins wide receiver Darnerien McCants is happy to be back on the active roster and contributing again.


Reed Takes Offense Safety Ed Reed has made game-changing plays in three of the Ravens' last four wins, and has become a scoring threat from the defensive side of the ball.


Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines sinks teeth into retail The day after Half-Life 2 hit the market, the second game to be powered by developer Valve #39;s Source engine followed suit. Activision announced that Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines has shipped for the PC.


Sun previews next version of Java Sun Microsystems has posted a prerelease,  quot;snapshot quot; version of Java 2 Standard Edition 6.0, codenamed Mustang, which represents the next generation of the Java platform.


Kasprowicz strikes twice for Australia Fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz captured two wickets in four balls to help Australia restrict New Zealand to 67 for two at lunch on the opening day of the first test at the Gabba on Thursday.


Race jibes mar Spain #39;s win Defender Aitor del Horno scored in the ninth minute to earn Spain a 1-0 victory over England in their friendly at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.


Schaefer fired hours after 3-0 loss to Germany Cameroon fired coach Winfried Schaefer on Wednesday, just three hours after his team lost to Germany 3-0 in an international friendly, the country #39;s soccer federation said.