Abbas Calls on Palestinians to Drop Armed Struggle  GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said his  people should drop their weapons in the struggle for a state,  marking out a clear change of strategy for peace with Israel  after Yasser Arafat's death last month.


Miller Grows Up to Become the Hero Skiing Needs  SESTRIERE, Italy (Reuters) - With six victories already  this season, including a record-equalling triumph in every  discipline, Bode Miller is dominating the World Cup circuit and  rival Kalle Palander believes the American's emergence at the  top is just what the sport needs.


Gunmen Kill 4, Seize Weapons in Russia's Caucasus  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Islamic militants killed four anti-drugs  unit members and seized more than 170 submachine guns and  pistols on Tuesday in an attack on the unit's offices in  Russia's volatile Caucasus region.


Mercosur Leaders Meet, Assess Trade Bloc A decade after Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay sealed a trade deal amid grandiose visions of transforming South America into a single economic bloc, officials representing the Mercosur nations are returning amid mounting criticism to the same colonial Brazilian town where the historic agreement was signed.


Trade Gap Widens, White House Blames Oil  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade gap widened nearly 9  percent in October to a record \$55.5 billion as sky-high oil  prices helped propel imports into new territory, while  industrial output rose as expected in November.


Maxwell House Price Perks Up 14 Percent  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coffee lovers are digging deeper into  their pockets for their daily fix of the black brew.


Verizon: No Imminent Plan for Sprint Bid  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc. has  eyed a potential acquisition of Sprint Corp. FON.N, but has  no imminent plans to make a bid, people familiar with the  situation said on Tuesday.


Stocks Rise After Fed Hikes Rates  NEW YORK (Reuters) -  U.S. stocks extended their gains  slightly before stabilizing on Tuesday, after the Federal  Reserve hiked interest rates by an expected quarter-point,  while technology stocks were sparked by a report that Veritas  Software Corp. VRTS.O would be taken over.


Dollar Trims Gains After Fed Hikes Rates  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar pared gains on Tuesday  after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the fifth  time this year, as expected, but quashed hopes for more  aggressive rate tightening.


Veritas Rises on Symantec Merger Report  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Veritas Software Corp. VRTS.O  shares jumped 9 percent on Tuesday on a report that security  software company Symantec Corp. SYMC.O would acquire it for  \$13 billion.


Microsoft launches desktop search tool US software company Microsoft has launched a beta version of its MSN Toolbar Suite, with desktop search functionality that can help users find documents, media files or e-mail messages on their PCs.


Hollywood Steps Up Fight Against Online Piracy The major Hollywood studios today said they are escalating their fight against online piracy by pursuing civil and criminal legal actions against the operators of computer servers that help


Cuts in Carbon Dioxide Emissions Urged The world #39;s chief climate scientist on Tuesday disputed the US government contention that cutbacks in carbon dioxide emissions are not yet warranted to check global warming.


Stocks Rise, Dollar Slips After Fed Move  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rallied, bonds erased  losses and the dollar pared gains on Tuesday after the Federal  Reserve raised U.S. interest rates for the fifth time this year  and left its policy and inflation stance unchanged.


Verizon Unlikely to Bid Now for Sprint  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc. VZ.N  has no imminent plans to bid for Sprint Corp. FON.N, people  familiar with the situation said on Tuesday, lifting a  potential obstacle to Sprint's bid for Nextel Communications  Inc. NXTL.O.


Trade Gap Widens to Record \$55.5 Billion  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade gap widened nearly 9  percent in October to a record \$55.5 billion as sky-high oil  prices helped propel imports into new territory, the government  said on Tuesday, while a second report showed industrial output  rose in November, as expected.


GE Sees 2005 EPS Growth of 10-15 Percent  BOSTON (Reuters) - Diversified manufacturer General  Electric Co. GE.N said on Tuesday it expects earnings to grow  between 10 percent and 15 percent in 2005, boosted by strong     growth from its financial and energy units.


BlackBerry Maker's Patent Suit Upheld  TORONTO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court upheld  a patent infringement finding against BlackBerry e-mail device  maker Research In Motion Ltd. RIM.TO on Tuesday, but struck  down part of the ruling and sent it back to a lower court for  further proceedings.


Verizon Considering Bid For Sprint The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Vodafone has given Verizon Wireless the green-light to make a bid to buy Sprint.  quot;Verizon Communications Inc.


Appeals court: RIM violated patents update A federal appeals court affirmed that Research In Motion has infringed on holding company NTP #39;s patents but can continue selling its products in the United States pending a district court #39;s decision.


Veritas Shares Jump on Report of Talks With Symantec (Update5) Veritas Software Corp. shares rose as much as 13 percent after the New York Times said Symantec Corp. is in talks to buy the company for more than \$13 billion, in what would be the second-biggest deal ever in the software industry.


MPAA taking aim at server operators in war on piracy The major motion picture studios launched an international offensive against online piracy on Tuesday as the MPAA announced scores of lawsuits on four continents and criminal


Fujifilm FinePix F450 Attracts Praise from Outside Camera Circle The Fujifilm FinePix F450 attracted the attention of some popular magazines this month. Fortune named the digital camera one of the Top 25 Best Products of the Year


US has no contact with Hamas, spokesman says The United States on Tuesday rejected the saying that it had held contacts with Hamas as a leader of the radical Palestinian group has claimed.


London court backs probe into Iraqi civilian death A London court on Tuesday backed anindependent inquiry into an Iraqi civilian allegedly killed by British soldiers but ruled out judicial reviews into five other civilian deaths in southern Iraq.


P.E.I. nudist resort gets nod to add campground in Green Gables country (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - CAVENDISH, P.E.I. (CP) - A stark transformation is underway in the land of pinafores and gingham, thanks to Prince Edward Island's only nudist resort.


AP: Air Pollution a Top Priority for Bush (AP) AP - President Bush will make air pollution a top priority in Congress early next year, starting with "an aggressive push" to build support for his pollution-cutting plan, senior administration officials said Saturday.


Ex-Nazi's Fate Uncertain After Ruling (AP) AP - A former Nazi concentration camp guard whose appeal of a deportation order was turned down by the U.S. Supreme Court is not in good health and doesn't fully comprehend the legal issues, his lawyer said Tuesday.


BlackBerry Maker #39;s Patent Suit Upheld A US appeals court upheld a patent infringement finding against BlackBerry e-mail device maker Research In Motion Ltd. on Tuesday, but struck down part of the ruling and


Stocks End Higher After Fed Rate Hike  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended higher on Tuesday,  after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates as expected and  said inflation was in check and the economy is growing at a  moderate pace despite a rise in energy prices.


RIM Patent Suit Partly Upheld  TORONTO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court upheld  a patent infringement finding against BlackBerry e-mail device  maker Research In Motion Ltd. RIM.TO on Tuesday, but said  part of an earlier court ruling was flawed and sent the case  back to a lower court.


CORRECTED: Veritas Capital to Buy DynCorp Units  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Private equity firm Veritas said  on Sunday it agreed to acquired DynCorp International LLC,  which provides aviation maintenance, personal security and  training for law enforcement agencies and the U.S. government,  for \$850 million.


US Fed boosts key interest rate to 2.25 percent US Federal Reserve decided Tuesday to raise the federal funds rate, which commercial banks charge each other on overnight loans, by one-quarter percentage point to 2.25 percent from 2 percent.


Sprint-Nextel Deal Could Impact Kirkland, Wash.-Based Nextel <b>...</b> Dec. 11--A marriage of Nextel Communications and Sprint could mean significant change for Kirkland-based Nextel Partners as well. Sprint and Nextel Communications are reportedly close to a deal that would create the third-largest US wireless carrier.


Zafi worm purports to be Christmas greeting com December 14, 2004, 12:26 PM PT. A new variant of the so-called Zafi worm surfaced Tuesday, disguised to appear as a Christmas greeting.


Saudi Beheaded for Shooting Countryman (AP) AP - A Saudi man was beheaded Tuesday for fatally shooting a countryman, the Interior Ministry said.


Mashal to BBC: US, EU in touch with Hamas Hamas representatives are in touch with leaders from the United States and the European Union, even though Hamas appears on the countries #39; lists of terror organization, according to Hamas political leader Khaled Mashal.


Alberta says no to public inquiry into Calgary voting scandal (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - EDMONTON (CP) - Alberta will not hold a public inquiry into allegations that voting fraud took place during Calgary's civic election in October.


Diamondbacks Sign Shortstop Clayton  PHOENIX (Sports Network) - The Arizona Diamondbacks signed  free agent shortstop Royce Clayton to a one-year contract on  Tuesday. Financial terms were not released.


Blue Jays Sign Third Baseman Koskie  TORONTO (Sports Network) - The Toronto Blue Jays signed  free agent third baseman Corey Koskie to a three-year contract  on Tuesday with an option for 2008.


Abbas Calls on Palestinians to Drop Armed Struggle  GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called on  Tuesday for his people to pursue negotiations instead of  violence in the struggle for a state, marking out a change of  strategy for peace with Israel after Yasser Arafat's death.


GE Sees 2005 EPS Growth of 10-15 Percent  BOSTON (Reuters) - General Electric Co. expects earnings  per share to grow between 10 percent and 15 percent in 2005,  boosted by strong energy and financial businesses, the  diversified manufacturing and services company said on Tuesday.


Googles library project makes books available online Google Inc., a web-search services leader, will offer books and documents online from four universities and the New York Public Library.


Sony and Samsung to share basic technology patents Sony Corp. and Samsung Electronics have announced that the companies have agreed to share patents on basic technologies to speed up product development and avoid adding to a growing number of cross-border patent disputes.


Bonds Stroll Higher as Fed Stays Measured  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices climbed on  Tuesday after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a  quarter percentage point as expected and its post-meeting  statement offered few surprises.


Female Suicide Bombers: Dying to Kill As a spate of suicide bombings around the world in recent years has shown, the face of terror is increasingly female.


Blockbuster Cancels Late Fees You have to give Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI) credit for trying. The company has not sat idly by while a changing competitive landscape slowly chips away at its core movie rental business.


Merck plans further cost cuts By Christopher Bowe and Andrew Jack in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Merck has quickened the pace of its restructuring with plans to cut a further 700 jobs, targeting about \$3bn in savings by the end of 2008


Google plans giant online library stack Well, boot up, bibliophile. That vision took a big step toward becoming reality this week, as Internet search-engine firm Google and five big libraries announced plans to create a giant online reading room.


MSN vs. Apple  #39;Spotlight #39; For purposes of comparison, many people are sizing up MSN #39;s new desktop search program and toolbar suite against Google #39;s previously released desktop search program.


Bills Place Euhus on Injured Reserve (AP) AP - The Buffalo Bills placed rookie Tim Euhus on injured reserve with a right knee injury Tuesday, the second tight end the team has lost this season.


World's Tallest Bridge Inaugurated (AP) AP - Thundering fighter jets streamed the blue, white and red of the French tricolor as President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday dedicated the world's tallest bridge, a skyway span dwarfing the Eiffel Tower by more than 50 feet.


Hawks Waive McCoy; Activate Ivey (Reuters) Reuters - The Atlanta Hawks waived center\Jelani McCoy Tuesday and activated guard Royal Ivey from the\injured list.


Iran May Negotiate With U.S. Over Nukes (AP) AP - Iran is willing to talk with the United States about a nuclear program that Washington alleges is aimed at secretly acquiring the bomb, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Monday. The White House, however, rejected the idea.


Syria: Bomb shows Israel does not want peace DAMASCUS: Syrian Information Minister Mehdi Dakhlallah said Tuesday that the bombing of a car belonging to a member of the Palestinian movement Hamas in Damascus showed Israel continued to reject peace.


Cognos launches financial consolidation applications In response to the latest external reporting requirements from the Feds, Cognos announced this week three additions to its suite of financial applications targeted at the enterprise office of finance.


Hawks Waive McCoy; Activate Ivey  ATLANTA (Sports Network) - The Atlanta Hawks waived center  Jelani McCoy Tuesday and activated guard Royal Ivey from the  injured list.


Group seeks calendar, scheduling app interoperability The new Calendaring and Scheduling Consortium has unveiled plans to create standards to make it easier for computer users to share calendars and related information with people outside their companies.


Toshiba to use perpendicular recording in new drives Toshiba said today that it is close to commercializing a new data storage technology, called perpendicular recording, that could significantly increase the capacity of hard-disk drives.


Gaudi's cathedral gets help from Dassault, IBM The Sagrada Familia Foundation, which has been working on the cathedral since Gaudi's death in 1926, is using software to make virtual replicas of the models and plan the work needed to finish the structure.


Zafi worm variant hides behind Christmas cheer Zafi.D, a new version of the Zafi e-mail worm, is spreading Christmas wishes along with its malicious code, and has been rated a medium threat by antivirus software companies.


Report: Symantec eyes \$13B Veritas acquisition Symantec's reported interest in purchasing Veritas for \$13 billion is in keeping with the company's expansion plans, analysts say.


Oracle faces daunting challenges integrating PeopleSoft As Oracle embarks on one of the software industry's largest acquisitions in history with its \$10.3 billion purchase of PeopleSoft, it needs to show it can chew what it has bitten off.


Europe uses grid to create new megacomputer If the new grid computer were considered a single supercomputer, it would rank behind supercomputers BlueGene/L and Columbia in the U.S. and the Earth Simulator in Japan.


ICANN enters negotiations on .mobi, .jobs domains ICANN has begun commercial and technical negotiations with the applicant registries, bringing the number of domains in this second stage of evaluations to four. The other two are the .post and .travel domains.


Ask a Premier 100 IT Leader: Shelley McIntyre Shelley McIntyre, vice president of business technology services, IT at The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, answers readers' questions about developing new skills and leveraging legacy experience in today's job market.


Court lifts RIM injunction, but finds infringement A U.S. appeals court issued a mixed ruling Tuesday in a patent dispute between Research in Motion(RIM) and NTP, upholding a decision that RIM infringed upon patents held by NTP, but vacating an injunction ordered by a lower court and sending the case back for further deliberations.


Oracle user group to welcome PeopleSoft users OAUG (Oracle Applications Users Group) president Patricia Dues said today that the organization is in the midst of plans to support PeopleSoft users and the PeopleSoft user group.


Microsoft testing new e-mail subscription service Microsoftis testing a new subscription Hotmail service that includes 2GB of e-mail storage and a copy of Outlook 2003 to access the service from the desktop.


Ask Jeeves to unveil desktop search tool Ask Jeeveswill launch a test version of its desktop search tool on Wednesday, following the launch of similar tools by rivals Microsofton Monday and Google in October, and ahead of expected entries from America Online(AOL) and Yahoo.


Zafi variant hides behind Christmas cheer A new version of the Zafi e-mail worm is spreading Christmas wishes along with its malicious code, according to antivirus software companies.


Cisco branches out with WAF services Cisco Systems on Tuesday introduced the Cisco File Engine Series, a line of appliance-based solutions utilizing WAFS (wide area file services) technology designed for branch office consolidation.


Zafi Worm Hides Behind Christmas Cheer New variant offers holiday greetings before infecting your PC with a virus.


Ask Jeeves Previews Desktop Search Tool Company joins heavyweights Google, MSN, and others in desktop search fray.


US trade gap widens further in October WASHINGTON: The US trade gap widened nearly 9 per cent in October to a record \$US55.5 billion (\$NZ79.13b) as sky-high oil prices helped propel imports into new territory, while industrial output rose as expected in November.


Toshiba to use perpendicular recording in new drives DECEMBER 14, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Toshiba Corp. said today that it is close to commercializing a new data storage technology that could significantly increase the capacity of hard disk drives.


Intel Still Straining To judge by the shift in the headlines, the processor war is nearly over. Who #39;s in? Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD). Out? Intel (Nasdaq: INTC).


ICANN Gives the Nod to Two New Domains One domain,  quot;.mobi, quot; will be set up for websites trying to work with the restrictions of Internet surfing on cell phones.


Grid Pioneers To Launch Company The creators of the widely-used Globus Toolkit have formed a company to provide commercial software, services and support for the open source software that has become the de facto standard for grid computing.


Microsoft, Fujifilm team on digital prints Fujifilm #39;s Get The Picture Online service will be available starting this week through Windows XP #39;s updated Online Print Wizard, MSN Photos and Microsoft Digital Image Suite.


Iraqi PM says trials of Saddam #39;s top lieutenants to begin next <b>...</b> The trials of top figures in Saddam Hussein #39;s ousted administration will begin next week, interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said Tuesday, but Saddam will not be among them.


Vikings' Tice on Bubble After Latest Loss (AP) AP - The Minnesota Vikings were convinced they wouldn't end this season like they did the last, when a 6-0 start was wiped out by a 3-7 finish. Well, they could be right  #151; this season might be worse.


IRAQ: 2nd Car Bomb in 2 Days Kills 7, Elections in Jeopardy BAGHDAD, Iraq - For the second time in two days, a suicide bomber attacked Baghdad #39;s Green Zone early this morning killing seven Iraqis.


Philippine movie legend who ran for President, dies DEADLY floods, a bomb blast - reports on these were no match for news of this movie legend #39;s illness and death in the Philippines.


Pinochet stalls arrest with request to drop charges SANTIAGO (AFP) - Lawyers for Augusto Pinochet stepped up efforts to stop the former Chilean dictator from appearing in court to face charges of murder and kidnapping during his 1973-90 rule.


Fed Raises Interest Rate to 2.25 Percent  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve pushed U.S.  interest rates up by a modest quarter-percentage point on  Tuesday and expressed confidence that inflation could be kept  at bay by slowly lifting credit costs from rock-bottom levels.


Trade Gap Widens, Industrial Output Up  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade gap widened nearly 9  percent in October to a record \$55.5 billion as sky-high oil  prices helped propel imports into new territory, the government  said on Tuesday, while a second report showed industrial output  rose in November, as expected.


Verizon Unlikely to Bid Now for Sprint  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc. VZ.N  has no imminent plans to bid for Sprint Corp. FON.N, people  familiar with the situation said on Tuesday, toppling a  potential obstacle to Sprint's \$37.8 billion bid for Nextel  Communications Inc. NXTL.O.


Court Rules RIM Infringed on NTP Patent TORONTO - A US appeals court ruled Tuesday that Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry e-mail device, infringed on another company #39;s patent - but sent the case back to a lower court for some of the claims to be reconsidered.


Report: Symantec in talks to acquire Veritas Software Symantec Corp. #39;s reported interest in acquiring Veritas Software Corp. for more than \$13 billion would represent the computer security giant #39;s biggest step yet beyond its core


Akron Odd Team Out As Bowl Season Begins (AP) AP - There's the GMAC Bowl, the Emerald Bowl and the Champs Sports Bowl. And there's the Continental Tire Bowl and the Insight Bowl and the MPC Computers Bowl.


Companies step up monitoring of internal networks (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Companies that have spent billions on cyberdefenses to thwart intruders are now addressing an even bigger threat: employees. Many are investing in software that monitors sensitive content inside corporate networks, say security analysts and venture capitalists.


Google borrows books from leading libraries Books from some of the world #39;s largest academic libraries are to be scanned and made instantly searchable by Google. The internet search engine has revealed plans to scan the whole of Michigan and Stanford


New Internet worm disguised e-Christmas card Internet security experts have warned of a new virulent email worm particularly successful in infecting computers as it is disguised as a multilingual electronic Christmas card.


Microsoft patches spell happy holidays com December 14, 2004, 2:32 PM PT. Microsoft managed to give a small holiday gift to network administrators this month: No critical patches.


Study: Linux the Safest Out There Linux is more secure than most commercial software, which confirms what its proponents already knew. A four-year study released today by Coverity, reports Linux has a low bug count, making the code more stable and secure.


Google, Others Strive to Enrich Web with Books (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc. wants to save you a trip\to the library. The search engine that revolutionized how\people use the Internet has teamed up with some of the world's\greatest libraries to put their books in your living room.


Senor Moment? The Mets are close to signing Red Sox free agent Pedro Martinez to a long-term deal. All that #39;s left for Pedro is passing the physical and being fitted for a batting helmet that can cover his entire body.


Compiled by Page 3 With real life news reading funnier than made-up comedy bits, the Late Night kings are loving every minute of it. Page 3 #39;s top shelf team (OK, it #39;s one dude out on the west coast, but he #39;s still top shelf) compiled


Blue Jays sign third baseman Koskie Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - The Toronto Blue Jays signed free agent third baseman Corey Koskie to a three-year contract on Tuesday with an option for 2008.


Farrior gets Steelers #39; vote as top defensive player James Farrior has already gotten one teammate #39;s vote as the NFL #39;s top defensive player this season. Make that a lot of votes.


Roda will not extend Vloet Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Sports Network) - Dutch club Roda JC announced Tuesday that coach Wiljan Vloet will not be back next season.


Case of Fumbles Afflicts Giants' Barber (AP) AP - Not only are the New York Giants in a tailspin that mirrors last season, Tiki Barber once again is finding it tough holding onto the football.


Desktop Search Tool Ups the Ante, Says Microsoft (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) launched its beta version of a new tool that allows users to search from many places on the desktop -- such as Windows, Outlook and Explorer. The MSN Toolbar Suite takes advantage of Microsoft's dominant Windows operating system to provide an ever present search tool to mine for data on a computer's hard drive or information from the Web.


Nokia's Back on Top (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - After a dismal start to 2004, Nokia (NYSE: NOK - News) is finally reasserting its dominance in the cell-phone market, proving, once again, why it's good to be the top dog in your industry.


Iraq War Crime Trials Could Begin Next Week Iraq #39;s interim government says war crime trials of members of the former regime of Saddam Hussein could begin as early as next week.


Iraq War Crimes Trials to Begin Next Week Iraq will bring top figures of Saddam Hussein  #39;s ousted regime to court next week for the first time since they appeared before a judge five months


Turkey Movie Theater Fire Injures Dozens ISTANBUL, Turkey - A fire broke out at a movie theater during a gala premiere Tuesday night, injuring dozens of people - none seriously, officials said.


Indian train crash kills 35 At least 35 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a train crash in India. Many of the injured are in a critical condition in an army hospital and the death toll is expected to rise.


France Unveils World #39;s Tallest Bridge MILLAU, France -- French citizens and officials are celebrating a roadway bridge considered to be the world #39;s tallest. The Millau bridge -- the world #39;s tallest traffic bridge -- in Millau, France.


Study: Linux Is Still Cheaper Than Windows (PC World) PC World - Cost of ownership savings range from 19 percent to 36 percent over three years.


Report: Symantec in Talks With Veritas (AP) AP - Symantec Corp.'s reported interest in acquiring Veritas Software Corp. for more than  #36;13 billion would represent the computer security giant's biggest step yet beyond its core businesses of defending against viruses and thwarting hackers. Investors weren't impressed, though, and Symantec's shares plunged 16 percent.


NCAA Grants Waiver to Oklahoma's Dvoracek (AP) AP - Oklahoma's Dusty Dvoracek had been granted a medical hardship waiver by the NCAA, which will allow the defensive tackle who was kicked off the team in September to play a fifth season with the Sooners.


Studios Step Up Fight Against Online Piracy (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The major Hollywood studios today said they are escalating their fight against online piracy by pursuing civil and criminal legal actions against the operators of computer servers that help transmit illegally copied movie files across the Internet.


Climate Change Impact? Look in Your Backyard (Reuters) Reuters - To witness the impact\of a warming planet, one need not make a costly trip to the\melting Arctic ice cap. Proof of climate change is right there\in most people's backyards, scientists said on Tuesday.


Christians Aiming to Boost Religion (AP) AP - Emboldened by their Election Day successes, some Christian conservatives around the country are trying to put more Christ into Christmas this season.


Rich Need to Do More on Environment -World Bank (Reuters) Reuters - The World Bank on Tuesday chastised\rich countries for not giving enough to fund global\environmental protection and warned that overall progress in\meeting global environmental targets was "alarmingly slow."


Bush Detractors Plan Quiet Rejection (AP) AP - No buttons, signs or unusual dress will distinguish the protesters from the thousands who will line the inaugural parade route next month, but at a set time, they say they will demonstrate against President Bush  #151; by turning their backs on the chief executive.


Inauguration Gives GOP Fund-Raising Chance (AP) AP - The GOP is hoping to capitalize on President Bush's swearing-in ceremony next month, offering donors special inaugural packages that include access to lawmakers, a parade and galas.


What Next for NASA? O'Keefe Leaves in Good Stead, But Agency Remains Troubled (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - The resignation Monday of NASA Administrator Sean \O'Keefe comes at a time when the agency has a budgetary window of opportunity to \flex its space exploration muscle, but must still deal with an agenda of thorny \issues.


Cuts in Carbon Dioxide Emissions Urged (AP) AP - The world's chief climate scientist on Tuesday disputed the U.S. government contention that cutbacks in carbon dioxide emissions are not yet warranted to check global warming.


Lunar Ice: 'Cold Traps' Eyed for Exploration (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - BOULDER, COLORADO -- Think \  of it as some sort of extraterrestrial axiom: Look for places on a celestial \  body where the Sun doesn't shine.


Scientists Warn of Global Warming Results (AP) AP - Scientists warned Tuesday that a long-term increase in global temperature of 3.5 degrees could threaten Latin American water supplies, reduce food yields in Asia and result in a rise in extreme weather conditions in the Caribbean.


New bridge raises French pride higher than Eiffel The Tarn River valley road bridge, the world's tallest, creates a direct route between Paris and the coast.


Love and money reshape family in China From arranged matches to the 8-minute date in the span of one generation. Part 1of three in the series 'The Family Revolution.'


Why Brazil is reluctant to air its 'dirty' past After two decades of civilian government, Brazil is unwilling to take former officers of the dictatorship to task.


U.S. Cuts Risky Ground Convoys in Iraq by Expanding Airlifts The Air Force is sharply expanding its airlifts of equipment and supplies to bases inside Iraq to reduce the amount of military cargo normally hauled in ground convoys.


NYSE Traders Go Wireless with Help of IBM  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Stock Exchange and  International Business Machines Corp. IBM.N on Tuesday  introduced a new wireless system that will ensure more  efficient processing and tracking of stock trades.


Google, Others Strive to Enrich Web with Books  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google Inc. wants to save you a trip  to the library. The search engine that revolutionized how  people use the Internet has teamed up with some of the world's  greatest libraries to put their books in your living room.


RIM Patent Suit Partly Upheld  TORONTO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court upheld  a patent infringement finding against BlackBerry e-mail device  maker Research In Motion Ltd. RIM.TO on Tuesday, but said  part of an earlier court ruling was flawed and sent the case  back to a lower court.


Gaudi's Cathedral Gets Help from Dassault, IBM  PARIS (Reuters) - Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi's  unfinished Sagrada Familia cathedral is nearing completion  faster with the help of software from France's Dassault  Systemes and IBM, Dassault said on Tuesday.


Studios Step Up Fight Against Online Piracy The major Hollywood studios today said they are escalating their fight against online piracy by pursuing civil and criminal legal actions against the operators of computer servers that help transmit illegally copied movie files across the Internet. -washingtonpost.com


Court Finds RIM  Violated Patent; Case Continues A U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday that Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry e-mail device, infringed on another company's patent  --  but sent the case back to a lower court for some of the claims to be reconsidered.


Europe's heatwaves 'soon routine' The heatwave which killed thousands in Europe in 2003 could soon seem cool, UK climate scientists say.


LuaLua spoils Liverpool's Christmas cheer (AFP) AFP - Portsmouth's Lomana LuaLua scored an injury time equaliser to earn a point against Liverpool in a 1-1 draw at Anfield which will hamper the home side's attempts to get in touch with the leading clubs during the Christmas programme.


UN Envoy Says 10,000 Peacekeepers Needed for Sudan  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations will  recommend up to 10,000 peacekeepers for Sudan if Khartoum and  southern rebels sign a landmark peace agreement to end a  21-year-old civil war, a senior U.N. envoy said on Tuesday.


Verizon to enter wireless consolidation fray? Verizon Communications Inc. may be getting into the wireless consolidation game with published reports indicating that the telecommunications provider, which controls 55 percent of No.


Court Upholds RIM Patent Infringement, Sends Case Back for Further <b>...</b> The three-year patent dispute between BlackBerry device maker Research In Motion Ltd. and patent holding company NTP Inc. isn #39;t over yet.


NO MORE LATE FEES! If you #39;re tired of paying late fees forDVD and video rentals, Blockbuster says you don #39;t have to do that anymore. As of January first, Blockbuster says it will change its policy on late fees.


United, Pilots Reach Tentative Contract Deal The pilots union at United Airlines on Tuesday said its negotiators have reached a tentative contract deal with the bankrupt No. 2 US airline.


Hollywood to sue P2P servers The US film industry is preparing to sue server operators in the United States and Europe that help relay movie files across file-sharing networks, a source familiar with the movie studios #39; plans said.


Researchers Find Fewer Bugs In Linux The newest version of Linux sports far fewer bugs than the average commercial code, a group of former Stanford University researchers said Tuesday.


Last-gasp LuaLua denies Reds Liverpool were left stunned as Lomana LuaLua grabbed a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser to earn Portsmouth a 1-1 draw at Anfield. Goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, back in the side with Chris Kirkland injured, looked


Angulo #39;s lenghty ban UEFA have banned Valencia midfielder Miguel Angel Angulo for seven games after he was sent off during a Champions League match against Werder Bremen.


Simeone loaned to Racing Club Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - Argentine midfielder Diego Simeone is leaving Atletico Madrid for his native Racing Club Avellaneda.


Cleveland signs infielder Hernandez for 1-year Cleveland Indians: Preparing for their first season in 11 years without perennial gold glove winner Omar Vizquel, the Indians added some defensive insurance for their infield Tuesday.


HERM TIPS HIS CAP TO FARRIOR PITTSBURGH - Few members of the Jets are surprised to see their former linebacker and first-round draft pick James Farrior excel with the Steelers, least of all Herman Edwards.


Fire in movie theatre, 130 injured MORE than 100 people were hospitalised with smoke inhalation after a major fire today during the premiere of a horror film at a movie complex in an Istanbul shopping mall.


25 dead in India rail accident NEW DELHI - At least 25 people are feared killed and more than 50 hurt after two Indian Railway trains collided head-on in the Hoshiarpur District of Punjab State about 350 kilometers north of New Delhi on Tuesday.


PLO chief calls again for end to armed intifada Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas reiterated calls for his people to drop their weapons in the struggle for a state. a clear change of strategy for peace with Israel after Yasser Arafat #39;s death.


Hamas claims EU and US in contact with group LONDON: The United States and the European Union are in contact with Palestinian militant group Hamas despite having listed it as a terrorist organisation, a Hamas leader said in an interview broadcast on Monday.


Job Search Service Finds Careers for Bloggers Job Search Service Finds Careers for Bloggers\\Well, I knew all of this blogging, typing, reading and sitting at home for a year learning about blogging would pay off one day! Blogger-Jobs.com, a Web site launched last month by veteran weblogger Jeremy Wright and www.recruiting.com, provides a recruitment service that matches ...


News: Source: Hollywood to sue server operators behind BitTorrent, eDonkey The Associated Press By Alex Veiga


Infocus: WEP:Dead Again, Part 1 This article is the first of a two-part series that looks at the new generation of WEP cracking tools for WiFi networks, which offer dramatically faster speeds for penetration testers over the previous generation of tools. In many cases, a WEP key can be determined in seconds or minutes.


Verizon #39;s Sprint Bid Faces Hurdles If the deal were completed, it would vault Verizon Wireless -- currently the No. 2 wireless company in the US -- into the top position with more than 65 million customers.


Survey: Employers looking to hire in 2005 Beloit area employers expect to hire at a healthy pace during the first quarter of 2005, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.


Movie industry sues more than 100 people for helping with online <b>...</b> LOS ANGELES Hollywood is trying to stamp out computer networks that let people swap movies online. Movie studios filed copyright infringement lawsuits today against more than 100 operators of computer servers


Nextel To Offer Yahoo Services On Handsets Nextel Communications Inc. on Wednesday said it plans to offer Yahoo Inc. products and services over the Nextel wireless network. Under the deal, Nextel subscribers will be able to log into


Affordable Gifts In a round-up of affordable holiday gifts, Julio Ojeda-Zapata writes in the St. Paul Pioneer Press,  #147;The iTunes cards, in \$15 and \$25 denominations, are good for the purchase and download of individual tracks. Get the cards at local Apple retail stores and at Target, Best Buy, Circuit City and CompUSA stores, or snag them online at store.apple.com or Amazon.com. The online Apple store offers paper or electronic gift certificates good for iTunes purchases, too. #148; Dec 14


Bears Place Tucker on Injured Reserve (AP) AP - The Chicago Bears placed guard Rex Tucker on injured reserve with a hamstring injury on Tuesday and signed safety Jason Shivers from the St. Louis Rams practice squad.


Dudek #39;s last minute mistake costs Liverpool Liverpool, England (Sports Network) - Portsmouth striker Lomana LuaLua took advantage of a last minute mistake by Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek to salvage a 1-1 draw at Anfield Tuesday.


French president inaugurates world #39;s tallest bridge French President Jacques Chirac inaugurated Tuesday the world #39;s tallest bridge, the viaductof Millau of 270 meters above ground.


In Chile, pace of justice quickens By Danna Harman  Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor. First a Chilean court stripped immunity from leaders of the country #39;s 17-year  quot;dirty war quot; last month.


14 executed bodies found in Mosul MOSUL: The bodies of six young men, all shot in the head as if executed, were discovered in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Tuesday, bringing the total of such corpses found to 14 in two days.


Can the European Stability Pact survive? The European Commission is giving up on its attempts to hold France and Germany to account for repeatedly breaching the financial rules governing the 12 countries that use the euro, effectively


RIM Patent Suit Partly Upheld A US appeals court upheld a patent infringement finding against BlackBerry e-mail device maker Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM.TO: Quote, Profile


Google to put books from great libraries on internet More than a million books at Oxford University #39;s expansive Bodleian Library, including rare first editions, are to be scanned by the search engine Google and posted online for readers around the world.


Hollywood steps up battles to squash web piracy Hollywood movie studios on Tuesday stepped up their fight against internet piracy by pursuing lawsuits against people in the US and Europe who operate servers that relay


SuperSonics Activate Kutluay (AP) AP - The Seattle SuperSonics activated guard Ibrahim Kutluay before Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, and placed guard Mateen Cleaves on the injured list with a strained left shoulder.


Reds make a move: Prospect for veteran Ortiz The Reds big trade came on Tuesday, one day after the Winter Meetings ended, when the club obtained starting pitcher Ramon Ortiz from the Anaheim Angels in exchange for pitching prospect Dustin Moseley.


Allawi accused of rushing trials for Saddam #39;s aides War crimes trials against senior lieutenants of Saddam Hussein will start in Baghdad next week, the interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said yesterday.


World #39;s tallest bridge will let drivers fly to the Med FRANCE ran out of superlatives as it joined in rare unison to praise the spectacular new - British-designed -otorway bridge across the Tarn valley at Millau, which was opened by President Chirac yesterday.


Report: Symantec in Talks With Veritas SAN JOSE, Calif. - Symantec Corp. #39;s reported interest in acquiring Veritas Software Corp. for more than \$13 billion would represent the computer security giant #39;s biggest step yet beyond its core businesses


Time Warner Raising Broadband Speeds (AP) AP - As part of an ongoing race in the cable industry, Time Warner Cable is raising the speed of its broadband Internet offerings to 5 and 8 million bits per second without increasing prices.


Google Bets Big on Bringing Libraries to Web Google Inc. said on Tuesday it would digitize some of the world #39;s most important libraries in a bold effort that could profit the company by attracting more viewers to its site -- and its ads.


A Quarter of Bird Species in Danger of Extinction The Stanford study involved analysis of all 9,787 species of birds alive today, and of the 129 species that have gone extinct recently, to produce one of the most comprehensive databases ever compiled on the state of one class of animals.


Samsung, Sony Sign Sweeping Patent Deal Some key technologies will not be included in the deal. Sony and Samsung will not share patented technology related to Sony #39;s Digital Reality Creation (DRC) and PlayStation architecture or to


Worm alert rises Security specialists at both McAfee Inc. and Trend Micro have raised their risk assessment on the recently discovered W32/Zafi.dMM, also known as Zafi.


ICANN Clears Way for Mobile, Job Domain Extensions Because of speed restrictions, mobile devices often have trouble downloading Web pages that are designed to provide the optimum experience for high-speed Internet users.


Microsoft Patches WINS Vulnerability, Plugs Three Holes In SP2 Microsoft on Tuesday laid out five new security bulletins, including three that address problems in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), the massive security update rolled out in October, and one that fixes a vulnerability made public several weeks ago.


Banks Warned Against On-Line Fraud Dangers (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. banks should use more than a\single password to identify on-line customers to prevent fraud,\bank regulators said on Tuesday in recommendations that\underscore growing concern about theft over the Internet.


Angels agree to deal with Byrd, trade Ramon Ortiz to Reds ANAHEIM - The Anaheim Angels agreed to a \$4.5 million, one-year contract with right-hander Paul Byrd on Tuesday, and traded pitcher Ramon Ortiz to the Cincinnati Reds for a minor league pitcher.


World Cup remains Ukrainian star striker Shevchenko #39;s ambition Andriy Shevchenko has won almost every major honour in soccer. Yet there #39;s still one major gap in his resume - playing in the World Cup.


Indians, Hernandez finalize 1-year deal The Indians have added an infielder and brought back their closer, but their pursuit of a starting pitcher has not gone according to plan.


Bears place Tucker on injured reserve LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Chicago Bears placed guard Rex Tucker on injured reserve with a hamstring injury on Tuesday and signed safety Jason Shivers from the St.


Iraq War Crimes Trials to Begin Next Week A suicide car bomber killed seven people at a Green Zone checkpoint early Tuesday. Meanwhile, trials against the top figures in Saddam Hussein #39;s ousted regime will begin


UK far-right party leader arrested on charge of inciting racial British police have arrested the leader of the far-right British National Party (BNP) Tuesday, accusing him of inciting racial hatred.


Iraqi wins court battle over death in British jail THE family of an Iraqi civilian who was beaten to death allegedly by British soldiers while in their custody won a landmark case in the High Court yesterday that will have


U.N. Troops Fight Way Into Gang-Held Haitian Slum  PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) - U.N. troops, backed by  armored vehicles and helicopters, fought their way into a  lawless slum in the Haitian capital on Tuesday in their first  attempt to end a killing spree by warring street gangs.


Bush honours controversial trio US President George W Bush awards medals to three men closely involved in the invasion and occupation of Iraq.


Blunkett denies fresh visa claims The home secretary denies new claims he fast-tracked a second visa for his former lover Kimberly Quinn's nanny.


After His Star Turn, Martnez Exits Stage Left The current tales of the Red Sox have them winning the World Series, then doing weird things to reconfigure their championship team. Hello, David; bye bye, Pedro.


Chiefs Overtake Titans in Wild Finish A phantom penalty, followed by a 9-yard touchdown catch by Eddie Kennison, lifted the Kansas City Chiefs past the undermanned Tennessee Titans, 49-38.


Jets Try to Keep Faith and Control Their Fate Coach Herman Edwards is concerned about what his players' dismal showing against one of the N.F.L.'s elite portends for the Jets' hopes of making the playoffs.


RIM Patent Suit Partly Upheld  TORONTO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court upheld  a patent infringement finding against BlackBerry e-mail device  maker Research In Motion Ltd. RIM.TO on Tuesday, but said  part of the earlier court ruling was flawed and sent the case  back to a lower court.


Blockbuster Ends Late Fees, Sees Flat '05  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Blockbuster Inc. BBI.N on Tuesday  said it would eliminate late fees on movies and games in the  latest attempt to jump-start a rental business being hammered  by competition ranging from online companies to discount  retailer Wal-Mart.


Verizon unlikely to bid now for Sprint, sources say Verizon Communications has no imminent plans to bid for Sprint, people familiar with the situation said Tuesday, lifting a potential obstacle to Sprint #39;s bid for Nextel Communications.


Manpower survey: Moderate hiring early next year Tampa Bay area employers expect to hire at a moderate pace during the first three months of 2005, based on the results of a quarterly survey by Manpower Inc.


Update 6: Cold Weather Raises Oil Prices 2 Percent Oil prices rose 2 percent Tuesday on the back of a rally in heating oil and natural gas futures that was supported by colder weather in the Western Hemisphere.


Martin Says Canada Certainly #39; Would Fund New Bombardier Plane Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin pledged to help Bombardier Inc., the world #39;s No. 3 aircraft maker, develop its largest-ever plane should the company go ahead with the \$2 billion project next year.


Bill Gates elected to Berkshire Hathaway board Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate run by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, on Tuesday said it elected Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, to be a director.


Nortel posts loss of 6 cents per share NEW YORK -- Nortel Networks Corp. reported a loss of 6 cents per share in the third quarter and predicted lower sales for 2004 than in 2003 on Tuesday, providing some of its first concrete figures for the


Icahn Supports Blockbuster-Hollywood Deal Billionaire investor Carl Icahn on Tuesday weighed into the bidding fray for Hollywood Entertainment Corp. (HLYW.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , saying he supports a merger between the No.


United reaches tentative deal with pilots United Airlines, the bankrupt carrier, on Tuesday made its first progress in efforts to achieve a second round of labour cost cuts when it said it had reached a tentative agreement


Repco Buys Alesco #39;s Auto Business for A\$89.5 Million (Update2) Repco Corp., the largest retailer of car parts and accessories in Australia and New Zealand, agreed to buy Alesco Corp. #39;s automotive division for A\$89.5 million (\$68 million).


Top libraries to go online in deal with Google Students take note - endless journeys to the library could become a thing of the past thanks to a new multimillion-pound scheme to make classic texts available at the click of a mouse.


Ask Jeeves Jumps Into Desktop Search Ask Jeeves Inc. on Tuesday joined competitors in announcing plans to release a desktop search application that would list information from a user #39;s PC along with web-search results.


Hollywood to sue net film pirates The US movie industry has launched legal action to sue people who facilitate illegal film downloading. The Motion Picture Association of America wants to stop people using the program BitTorrent to swap movies.


Firefox Burning Up Internet Explorer Market Share  quot;Firefox #39;s gains are clearly accelerating, quot; WebSideStory Chief Marketing Officer Rand Schulman said.  quot;Much of it has to do with the release of Firefox #39;s version 1.0 on November 9, after several months of offering a preview version.


Internet worm disguises itself as e-Christmas card HELSINKI - Internet security experts are warning about a mass-mailing worm with the subject line  quot;Merry Christmas quot; or  quot;Happy Holidays.


Yahoo! Goes Mobile on Nextel Yahoo! Inc. is going mobile on Nextel Communication Inc. handheld devices. A new partnership between the companies puts Yahoo! e-mail, instant messaging, games, news and more in Nextels products.


ATR Urges  #39;Buy #39; of Apple; Targets \$78 Price American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu has initiated coverage of Apple Computer (AAPL) with a  #39;buy #39; recommendation, and a 12-month target of US\$78 per share.


IDC: mobile phone market growth to slow down in 2005 The global mobile phone marketis expected to see a slow down in market growth due to the lack ofadditional catalysts, US high tech market research firm IDC warnedon Tuesday.


IBM  amp; AMD Team Up on Strained Silicon IBM and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are jointly developing a new method for implementing strained silicon technology. to improve performance on processors from both companies as early as next year.


Benitez Wont Blame Dudek Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was loyal to goalkeeper Jerky Dudek, refusing to blame his goalkeeper for the fumbled cross that enabled Portsmouth to snatch a last-gasp equaliser through Lomana LuaLuas header at Anfield on Tuesday night.


Tennis: After mixed year, Roddick drops his coach Two of tennis #39;s strongest personalities have officially parted ways, as Andy Roddick and his high-profile coach, Brad Gilbert, announced that they had stopped working together by way of their own web sites and then made no further commen.


Ice Hockey: Talks fail to breach NHL labor deadlock TORONTO : The National Hockey League slid closer towards losing a season to a labor dispute for the first time, as players rejected a new bid by management to end a three-month lockout.


Former Kan. Junior College Coach Indicted WICHITA, Kan. Dec 14, 2004 - A former junior college basketball coach was indicted on charges that he provided false academic information about his athletes to Division I schools looking to recruit the players.


Right-hander was key part of 2002 World Series win A weekend in Anaheim apparently in search of a reliever netted the Reds a starter from the local big league club. General manager Dan O #39;Brien announced Tuesday that


Bears #39; Tucker done for the season LAKE FOREST, Illinois (Ticker) - Coming off their worst offensive performance of the season, the Chicago Bears placed guard Rex Tucker on injured reserve with a strained hamstring.


MLBPA files grievance for Neagle CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The MLB Players #39; Association filed a grievance Tuesday on behalf of pitcher Denny Neagle after his contract was terminated by the Colorado Rockies.


Chiefs win shootout with Titans The Kansas City Chiefs played their kind of game on Monday night in Tennessee, and they wound up pulling out a victory over the Titans in the offensive shootout.


War crime trials will start next week War crimes trials will begin next week for some of Saddam Hussein #39;s most senior deputies, Iraq #39;s prime minister, Ayad Allawi, said yesterday.


Abbas calls for end to violence Mahmoud Abbas, the favourite to succeed Yasser Arafat as Palestinian leader, has called on his people to stop fighting Israel. Mr Abbas said Palestinians had a legitimate right  quot;to express their rejection of the occupation by popular and social means quot;.


Vodafone Denies Reports of Sprint Takeover Talks Vodafone, the UK-based telecom company that co-owns Verizon Wireless, denies that it is involved in a bid to take over US telco Sprint.


Blockbuster Ends Late Fees, Sees Flat  #39;05 Blockbuster Inc. (BBI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said it would eliminate late fees on movies and games in the latest attempt to jump-start a rental business


Google to put library books online WASHINGTON - Google wants to save you a trip to the library. The search engine that revolutionized how people use the internet has teamed up with some of the world #39;s greatest libraries to put their books in your living room.


LuaLua stifles Anfield cheers STEVEN GERRARD stood and watched in disbelief, his hands on his hips, as his Liverpool team-mates contrived to undermine his latest rescue act by conceding an inexplicable


Bettman rejects proposal; counteroffer turned down TORONTO -- The NHL rejected last week #39;s proposal by the players #39; association and then had its own counteroffer turned down Tuesday during a 3-hour negotiating session.


France and Germany escape EU deficit doghouse BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Union executive body dropped disciplinary action against serial deficit offenders France and Germany, ending a three-year standoff that left the eurozone #39;s budget rules crippled.


Apple Supplier Toshiba Builds 80 GB  #39;Perpendicular #39; Drive Perpendicular recording places bits of data end-to-end, instead of using the traditional method of storing them flat on the disk surface.


Gilbert returns serve Tennis coach Brad Gilbert has hit out at the decision by world number two Andy Roddick to sack him as a mentor. Roddick released a statement earlier this week saying he and Gilbert had parted ways but the


NHL Rejects Union Plan, Talks End Without Contract (Update2) Contract talks broke off today between the National Hockey League and its locked-out players union, leaving the sport a step closer to wiping out its whole season.


Dozens injured in Turkish cinema fire A fire in a Turkish cinema injured dozens of people attending a film premiere on Tuesday, but no one was killed, the state-run Anatolian news agency said.


The symbol of unity and peace made from the earth of Israel If you live in France, are a Muslim sympathizer, speak Arabic and have access to satellite television, you are probably a fan of al Manar broadcasts.


Blockbuster Ends Late Fees, Sees Flat '05 (Reuters) Reuters - Blockbuster Inc.  on Tuesday\said it would eliminate late fees on movies and games in the\latest attempt to jump-start a rental business being hammered\by competition ranging from online companies to discount\retailer Wal-Mart.


NHL, Players' Union Reject New Proposals (AP) AP - The NHL rejected last week's proposal by the players' association and then had its own counteroffer turned down Tuesday during a 3 1/2-hour negotiating session.


Server operators sued in bid to stymie online file-sharing Hollywood movie studios on Tuesday sued scores of operators of computer servers that help relay digital movie files across online file-sharing networks.


Sony, Samsung bolster alliance, agree to share 24,000 patents Sony Corp., the world #39;s second-largest consumer electronics maker, and Samsung Electronics Co., the world #39;s second-largest chip maker, said Tuesday they have agreed to share about 24,000 patents, fortifying an alliance between two of Asia #39;s biggest


Wells Finalizes 2-Year Deal With Red Sox (AP) AP - David Wells could be back on the Yankee Stadium mound on opening day. With Pedro Martinez headed to the New York Mets and Curt Schilling's recovery from ankle surgery taking longer than expected, the Red Sox's newest acquisition might start the season opener against his former team at Yankee Stadium.


Report: Roddick replaces Gilbert with Goldfine World No. 2 Andy Roddick replaced coach Brad Gilbert with US Davis Cup assistant coach Dean Goldfine, a Washington television station WUSA-TV reported.


Angels Agree to Byrd Deal, Trade Ortiz Atlanta Braves starter Paul Byrd works in the fourth inning against the New York Mets in Atlanta, in this Aug. 1, 2004 file photo.


Browns Place Faine on Injured Reserve (AP) AP - The Browns placed center Jeff Faine on injured reserve Tuesday, the 18th player and ninth starter Cleveland has lost for the season.


Afghanistan: Where the enemy is a flower KABUL In his inaugural address last week, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan laid out his priorities for the next five years. Chief among them was stopping the country #39;s growing drug trade.


Grizzlies' Burks Breaks Right Pinkie (AP) AP - Memphis Grizzlies reserve guard Antonio Burks will be sidelined at least six weeks with a broken right pinkie finger.


Former Kan. Junior College Coach Indicted (AP) AP - A former junior college basketball coach was indicted on charges that he provided false academic information about his athletes to Division I schools looking to recruit the players.


EU Moving Close to Deal on Turkey Talks (Reuters) Reuters - On the eve of a landmark summit at\which EU leaders will decide on opening membership talks with\Turkey, the final elements of a compromise package on the terms\for the negotiations was emerging.


Cuba Protests U.S. Christmas Lights with a Message  HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba has demanded that the United States  take down Christmas lights in front of its mission in Havana's  busy sea-side drive because they include a reference to jailed  dissidents, the top U.S. diplomat in the country said on  Tuesday.


Oracle says PeopleSoft merger ready to roll by January It may be one of the software industry's largest acquisitions to date, but Oracleexpects to work out its merger plans with PeopleSoftby the end of the year and will "hit the ground running in January," according to Oracle President Charles Phillips.


49ers Place Plummer on Injured Reserve (AP) AP - San Francisco cornerback Ahmed Plummer, who hasn't played since Oct. 17, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday because of bulging disc in his neck.


Choice rich, time poor Its getting easier and more practical to take your photos without lm. In the second of our ve-part series on high-tech objects of desire, David Derbyshire looks at some of the best options for photographers


McKenzie: I #39;ve got a news flash for both sides We #39;ve heard from the NHL and the NHLPA, so now let #39;s get a broader perspective. What we are going to see in the next little while is an increase in the rhetoric, which will get cranked up to an unbelieveable level.


Martin defends record in year-end interviews Prime Minister Paul Martin was eager to touch on a number of issues, from missile defence to taxes to same-sex marriage, when he sat down for his annual year-end interview on Tuesday.


MPs demand wider investigation MPS who kept Baha Mousa #39;s case in the public eye last night demanded a wide-ranging investigation into all allegations of brutality by British troops.


EU Moving Close to Deal on Turkey Talks On the eve of a landmark summit at which EU leaders will decide on opening membership talks with Turkey, the final elements of a compromise package on the terms for the negotiations was emerging.


PeopleSoft customers, employees weigh deal Oracle may be celebrating its long-awaited union with PeopleSoft, but a day after the landmark deal not everyone is happy. Among the people likely to be looking at the \$10.3 billion merger with some trepidation


Airlines headed for \$US5b loss this year GENEVA: International airlines are heading for a near \$US5 billion (\$NZ7.12 billion) loss this year, largely due to a rise in oil prices, the industry #39;s global body said on Tuesday.


RIM Can Still Win NEW YORK - At first glance it may look like the US Federal Appeals Court handed wireless handheld maker Research In Motion a resounding defeat in its long-fought patent litigation with NTP, the company set up to protect the patents of inventor Thomas


Check out the world #39;s leading libraries on Google Google is adding the books and papers owned by some of the world #39;s leading libraries to its database in the latest step of its mission to make every piece of information available online.


MSN Desktop Search is quite capable It now feels amazing how we have lived without this particular feature since ages now. Google introduced desktop searching to the world in spite of the fact lesser-known products existed since a long time.


Wells finalizes deal while Red Sox ponder rotation With Pedro Martinez headed to the New York Mets and Curt Schilling #39;s recovery from ankle surgery taking longer than expected, the Boston #39;s newest acquisition might start the season opener against his former team at Yankee Stadium.


Top Saddam aides to go on trial from next week BAGHDAD - Saddam Husseins top henchmen will start going on trial for crimes against humanity next week, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said yesterday, as he warned violence would increase after Iraqs landmark elections in January.


Blair to lead talks on Turkey #39;s EU entry Tony Blair will have a showpiece start to Britain #39;s presidency of the European Union next year, overseeing the beginning of membership talks with Turkey.


TCS COP 10 Coverage: Climate Confusion The current debate over climate change runs the gamut from C to shining C. It #39;s about climate. It #39;s about catastrophe. It #39;s about consensus.


Blockbuster Eliminates Late Fees As of January first, you won #39;t have to pay those dreaded late fees at Blockbuster stores. Movie and game rentals will still have due dates, but if you need to keep it an extra day or so, you can do it stress-free.


Nortel loses about \$250 million US in third quarter, half due to <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Nortel Networks released preliminary financial results Tuesday showing the technology company lost about \$250 million US in the third quarter, about half of that due to the starup costs of a major contract in India.


Lewis Tapped to Become Chairman of BofA Chad K. Gifford is retiring earlier than initially expected as chairman of Bank of America, a title he gained when the bank acquired FleetBoston Financial Corp.


Chartered Semi Lowers 4Q Outlook Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. on Tuesday lowered its fourth-quarter expectations as it becomes the latest chip maker to express concerns about weaker demand from customers.


Yahoo! wraps up carrier deals with Nextel account Yahoo! Inc. launched a package of Internet-based wireless applications for Nextel Communications Inc. subscribers, the companies announced Tuesday.


Ask Matt A: If you #39;ve seen the legions of music lovers walking around with white ear buds dangling from their ears: you #39;ve witnessed the iPod revolution.


Report: Transition to 3G Wireless Networks Could Be Bumpy Wireless vendors are committed to building 3G systems despite the fear that users will turn up their nose at all the extra bandwidth.


Jockey Club drops Fallon inquiry The Jockey Club suffered the latest in a series of setbacks yesterday when it dropped a planned inquiry into whether Kieren Fallon brought racing into disrepute over articles published in the News of the World in March.


D'backs to Continue Johnson Trade Efforts (AP) AP - The Arizona Diamondbacks haven't given up on trading Randy Johnson, managing partner Ken Kendrick said Tuesday.


Continental Top Execs Face Concorde Probe (AP) AP - French prosecutors summoned Continental Airlines' top two executives for questioning in the investigation of the July 2000 crash of a supersonic Air France Concorde, two lawyers said Tuesday.


Japanese Manufacturers Less Upbeat in Dec. (AP) AP - Japanese companies were less upbeat in December than they were three months ago, amid recent data indicating that the world's second-largest economy may be losing steam, a key government survey showed Wednesday.


Danes win auction for Irish banks The sale of National Australia Bank #39;s Irish businesses reached a surprise conclusion yesterday when Denmark #39;s Danske Bank clinched a 967m takeover.


Merck To Increase Job Cuts, Further Reduce Spending Merck reduced its 2004 forecast by 50 cents to 55 cents because of lost revenues. The move followed the recall of Vioxx from the global market on September 30th, due to its association with increased risk of heart attacks.


Attendants vote to authorize strike Flight attendants at US Airways Monday voted to strike if the carrier throws out a labor contract in order to secure \$150 million in job, wage and benefit reductions.


Players, Owners Reject Plans to End NHL Lockout Hopes of saving the National Hockey League season all but vanished Tuesday when players and team owners rejected proposals to end the labor dispute.


Spaniard banned from Europe VALENCIA midfielder Miguel Angel Angulo has been banned for seven matches by UEFA following incidents in their Champions #39; League match with Werder Bremen last week.


Egypt and Israel sign US-brokered trade agreement Israel and Egypt signed a trade deal yesterday that could ensure thousands of Egyptian jobs and secure the two countries #39; often problematic relations.


Gates: Buffett #39;s Pal Bill Elected To Berkshire #39;s Board Trump...and not Donald, this time. Berkshire Hathaway (nyse: BRKa - news - people ) on Tuesday said it elected Bill Gates to its board of directors.


Las Vegas Sands Prices Its IPO at \$29 Las Vegas Sands Corp. priced its initial public offering at \$29 per share Tuesday night, up dramatically from the company #39;s previous targets.


Flight attendants rally at White House Airline employees, rallying outside the White House, accused the Bush administration Tuesday of siding with airline managers who the attendants said are claiming financial


Nortel Has Third-Quarter Loss of 6 Cents on Costs (Update2) Nortel Networks Corp., which is restating results back to 1999, said it had a third-quarter loss of 6 cents a share because of expenses related to job cuts and a wireless contract in India.


Oracle President To Meet With PeopleSoft Execs Wednesday Phillips foresees completing the takeover by Dec. 30 and seeks to allay customer and reseller worries. By Charles Babcock. Oracle president Charles Phillips will journey up the road to PeopleSoft Inc.


Microsoft Issues Five Bulletins on Windows Flaws Microsoft has released five Security Bulletins warning of several vulnerabilities that put computers running Windows at risk of attack.


Martinez says he #39;s heading to Mets CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Star pitcher Pedro Martinez confirmed on Tuesday that he #39;s leaving the Boston Red Sox to join the New York Mets.


Union files grievance over Rockies #39; termination of Neagle _ The baseball players #39; union is challenging the Colorado Rockies #39; decision to terminate the contract of Denny Neagle. The Rockies cut the pitcher loose last week -- after he was cited for soliciting a prostitute in suburban Denver.


Members of Saddam #39;s regime to face trial next week, Allawi says In a surprise announcement Tuesday, Iraq #39;s interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi promised that former officials in Saddam Hussein #39;s regime will go on trial next week, before elections scheduled for January.


End attacks on Israel, says Abbas MAHMOUD Abbas, the interim Palestinian leader, has called for an end to armed attacks against Israeli targets in an attempt to mark out a new strategy for peace in the wake of Yasser Arafats death.


US denies contacts with Hamas The United States denied it had held contacts with Hamas as a leader of the radical Palestinian group has claimed.  quot;We don #39;t conduct business with designated terrorist organisations.


Lead, arsenic in imported herbal remedies - U.S. study (Reuters) Reuters - More than a dozen "Ayurvedic" herbal remedies imported from India and Pakistan were found to contain harmful levels of the heavy metals mercury, lead and arsenic, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.


3 People Seduced by the Bloody Allure of the Ring Clint Eastwood's drama about a grizzled boxing trainer and a spunky young fighter is the best movie released by a major Hollywood studio this year.


No more late fees at Blockbuster in 2005 Continued pressure from rival Netflix is obliging Blockbuster to stop charging late fees. This could remove up to \$300M in revenues per year.


Shapiro: We Still Want Clement Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro said Tuesday that he remains hopeful of signing free-agent pitcher Matt Clement.  quot;We #39;ll ride this out to the end, quot; Shapiro said, adding that he has already offered more


Players, Owners Resume Talks on Steroids (AP) AP - Lawyers for baseball's players' association and owners resumed talks Tuesday aimed at a new agreement to toughen rules on steroid testing.


Browns' Faine Placed on IR  BEREA, Ohio, (Sports Network) - The Cleveland Browns  Tuesday placed center Jeff Faine on injured reserve with a left  ankle injury.


Vodafone shares hit by fear of pressure to fund US bid VODAFONE shares fell nearly 3 per cent yesterday on fears that the mobile phone group could come under pressure from its US partner to provide \$25 billion (13 billion) to help to finance a bid for Sprint.


Viva Las Vegas Sands IPO Las Vegas Sands Corp. #39;s initial public offering received a frothy reception from investors hungry to bet on another casino company.


Nortel Has Third-Quarter Loss of 6 Cents on Costs (Update3) Nortel Networks Corp., which is restating results back to 1999, said it had a third-quarter loss of 6 cents a share because of expenses related to job cuts and a wireless contract in India.


No. 1 LSU Beats No. 13 Minnesota, 75-67 (AP) AP - Seimone Augustus scored 22 points to lead top-ranked LSU past No. 13 Minnesota 75-67 in a matchup Tuesday night of Final Four teams from last season.


Oracle, PeopleSoft  #39;Already Talking #39; on Transition Oracle Corp. hopes to close its buyout of PeopleSoft Inc. within two weeks and have a new management organization in place for the combined companies sometime in January, Oracle co-president Charles Phillips said Tuesday.


Linux: Fewer Bugs Than Rivals Linux advocates have long insisted that open-source development results in better and more secure software. Now they have statistics to back up their claims.


Mother in photos survived tsunami A Swedish woman pictured running into the Asian tsunami to save her children survived with her family.


FA to run word Cech PETR CECH faces a hefty FA fine after reports that he accused ref Graham Poll of cheating. The Chelsea keeper told a newspaper in his native Czech Republic he suspected Poll of being an Arsenal


Valencia midfielder Angulo banned seven matches Valencia midfielder Miguel Angel Angulo has been banned for seven matches by UEFA following incidents in their Champions League match against Werder Bremen last week.


China will upgrade weapons technology if EU lifts arms embargo (AFP) AFP - China is ratcheting up pressure for the lifting of its EU arms embargo to remove the stigma of sanctions but also because it needs the technology to upgrade its existing systems, analysts say.


Concorde crash  #39;due to US firm #39; A French legal inquiry into the July 2000 Concorde crash near Paris has placed much of the blame on the American carrier, Continental Airlines.


Australia Minister Doesn't Want IAEA Post (AP) AP - Australia's foreign minister said Wednesday that the United States had asked him to challenge International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei for the top job at the U.N. nuclear watchdog, but he had declined.


N.Korea: Japan Sanctions Would Be War Declaration  TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea warned Japan on Wednesday  that it would treat economic sanctions as a "declaration of  war" and threatened to try to exclude Tokyo from six-party  talks on Pyongyang's nuclear arms programs.


Fed Panel Lifts Rates and Says More Increases Are Probable As expected, the central bank raised the federal funds rate on overnight loans by a quarter point, to 2.25 percent.


US Central Bank Boosts Interest Rates Again The American central bank, the Federal Reserve, Tuesday raised short-term interest rates for the fifth time in six months. Even with the quarter point increase short-term rates are a still-very-low 2.25 percent.


Airlines  #39;end 2004 \$5bn in red #39; The world #39;s airline industry is set to rack up losses of almost \$5bn (2.6bn, 3.6bn euros) this year, global airline body AITA has forecast.


Jobs Survey Mixed Bag Overall, the results of the latest Manpower Employment Survey suggest that US employers plan to increase hiring after the new year.


Google plans to bring libraries online Google is back with another project that will help users find priceless information on the Internet, via Googles Print Program.


Microsoft Enters Desktop Search with MSN Toolbar Suite The MSN Toolbar Suite is built on the current Windows security and privacy model. Microsoft officials said the tool respects the privacy of multiple users on a single PC by using the Windows


MPAA targets BitTorrent BitTorrent is a wonderful way to download files with greater reliability than other conventional means, but of course that means that it is used greatly for piracy... apparently.


Hopes Dim As Players, Owners Reject Plans to End Lockout NHL Players Association President Bob Goodenow gestures while speaking at a press conference after meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman at the NHL offices in Toronto, December 14, 2004.


Red Sox wish Pedro well As far as the Red Sox are concerned, there are no hard feelings for Pedro Martinez. Team president/CEO Larry Lucchino says he, principal owner John Henry


French Report on Concorde Crash Blames Debris and Structural Flaw A metal strip dropped on the runway by a Continental Airlines plane was a major element in the crash of an Air France Concorde jet near Paris in July 2000, but a previously


Family wins inquiry into killing of prisoner son THE family of an Iraqi civilian allegedly unlawfully killed by British troops while in custody won a human-rights ruling yesterday, which opens the way for an independent investigation into his death.


Comet mission set for 2005 launch Nasa gives details of a space mission to crash a projectile into a comet and peel away its outer skin to look inside.


Sharks respond to magnetic lines Hawaiian scientists provide hard evidence to support the theory that sharks navigate with a biological compass.


G.M.-Fiat Talks Fail to Resolve Rift Over Partnership Agreement The high-stakes standoff between General Motors and Fiat over the terms of a 2000 partnership moved a step closer to the courtroom on Tuesday.


Not Everybody Loves Raymond When Raymond Gilmartin became chairman of the drug maker Merck, it was close to introducing several new medicines. Now, the company is in crisis.


Nortel reports loss in Q3, sees pickup in Q4 Amid continuing problems with the release of its financial statements, Nortel Networksreported a loss for this year's third quarter, coupled with a drop in sales from the second quarter, but added that it expects improvements in fourth-quarter revenue.


Microsoft issues five bulletins on Windows flaws Microsofton Tuesday released five Security Bulletins warning of several vulnerabilities that put computers running Windows at risk of attack.


Sun refreshes development tools line Refreshing its development tools arsenal, Sun Microsystems on Tuesday revealed plans for upcoming versions of Java Studio Creator and is unleashing upgrades to the NetBeans open source platform and Java Studio Enterprise.


Intellisync to give push e-mail capability for low-cost phones The wireless airwaves may get a bit more crowded next year following the announcement that Intellisync's goAnywhere technology, unveiled this week, will give users of low-cost feature phones the same push e-mail capability that is now only available on pricier smart phones.


Ask Jeeves to boost search site with portal features Ask Jeevesis actively looking at strengthening its flagship search engine Web site with features, services and technologies found elsewhere in its online network.


Microsoft Issues Five Bulletins on Windows Flaws Desktops, servers affected, but no vulnerabilities deemed critical.


First Look: Service Speeds Wireless Info Gathering Pocket Express makes it easier and faster to get the info you need on connected handheld.


For Sprint and Nextel, the Struggle Is Ahead which could come as early as today - they will have completed the easy part. The harder part, industry executives and analysts


German Carmakers Catch Hybrid Fever Caught off guard by the success of Toyota #39;s hybrid Prius model, German carmakers are racing to catch-up. DaimlerChrysler and GM announced plans on Monday to jointly produce hybrid technology for their cars and trucks.


German recycling violates EU law Parts of Germany #39;s complex can and bottle recycling system violate European Union law, according to a ruling yesterday by the European Court of Justice, the EU #39;s highest court.


Court Upholds Patent Ruling Against Maker of BlackBerry A United States appeals court upheld a finding of patent infringement against Research In Motion Ltd. yesterday, but struck down part of the ruling and sent it back to a lower court for further proceedings.


Blockbuster to scrap late fees Blockbuster, the video rental company, yesterday said it plans to eliminate late fees as the chain struggles to stem the decline in the film rental market.


Pearson sells 743m stake in Spanish media group Pearson, the publishingand business informationgroup, insisted it remained committed to financialnewspapers in spite of its decision tosell a controlling stake


Not Everybody Loves Raymond Finding people who like the way he has run Merck, the giant drug maker, is much harder. Mr. Gilmartin has been chairman of Merck since November 1994.


Bobcats Edge Hornets, 94-93 (Overtime) (AP) AP - Emeka Okafor hit a pair of free throws with 5 seconds left in overtime to give Charlotte's new NBA team a win over its old one as the Bobcats pulled out a 94-93 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night.


Mexico 'Dirty War' Tale Ends Happily, Victim Found  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Aleida Gallangos met her brother in  Washington last week for the first time since he was kidnapped  by Mexican police 30 years ago, closing one chapter in the  annals of Mexico's "dirty war" on a rare joyous note.


Knicks Defeat Nets, 87-79 (AP) AP - Jamal Crawford scored 30 points in a game otherwise defined by offensive ineptitude  #151; such as the New York Knicks holding the New Jersey Nets without a basket for 15 minutes  #151; in an 87-79 victory Tuesday night.


Google to scan universities #39; library books By Paul Taylor in New York and Chris Nuttall in San Francisco. Google, the leading service for finding information on the internet, yesterday set out ambitious plans to become a catalogue and digital library for world literature.


NHL labour talks hit roadblock after sides reject each other #39;s <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - The NHL season isn #39;t dead yet, but it is on its last legs. The cautious optimism accompanied by last week #39;s offer by the NHL Players #39; Association was replaced by doom and gloom Tuesday as both


Martnez #39;s Being a Met Rests on a Physical Exam Pedro Martnez went on television in the Dominican Republic yesterday to say what many in New York were waiting to hear and confirm what the Mets would not.


Good News (Wells), Bad News (Schilling) Almost two months after defying the Curse of the Bambino and only one day after saying goodbye to Pedro Martnez, the Boston Red Sox kept moving on yesterday by welcoming the living embodiment


76ers 110, Nuggets 102 Allen Iverson had 31 points and 10 rebounds, and reserve Willie Green scored all of his season-high 17 points in the final 16 minutes, helping the Philadelphia 76ers overcome an 18-point second-half deficit in a 110-102 victory over the Denver Nuggets on


Stocks Open Higher in Tokyo on Key Survey (AP) AP - Tokyo stocks edged higher Wednesday morning as a key economic survey came within expectations. The dollar was up against the Japanese yen.


Saddam officials to be put on trial next week Iraq said yesterday it had captured a top foreign-based supporter of the anti-government insurgency and would begin to try former figures of Saddam Hussein #39;s regime next week.


Taliban suspects arrested Information from a man caught in a vehicle loaded with explosives led to the arrests of two senior Taliban military commanders believed to be responsible for a series of terror attacks in southern Afghanistan, an official said yesterday.


Fire Breaks Out in Turkish Movie Theater A fire broke out at a movie theater during a gala premiere Tuesday night, injuring dozens of people - none seriously, news reports said.


Australia boosts anti-terror defences with new maritime security zone (AFP) AFP - Australia is to boost its defence against terrorism by creating a 1000-nautical mile security zone around its coast to protect its shipping, ports and oil rigs from attack, it was reported here.


Philippoussis Given Wildcard for Sydney International  SYDNEY (Reuters) - Former Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up  Mark Philippoussis has been given a wildcard entry for next  month's Sydney International.


Martnez's Being a Met Rests on a Physical Exam If Pedro Martnez passes Wednesday's physical, he is expected to be introduced in a news conference at Shea Stadium on Thursday.


Good News (Wells), Bad News (Schilling) The left-hander David Wells passed a physical and was introduced at a Fenway Park news conference, and the timing could not have been more striking.


For the Red Sox, Loyalty Is a Dish Not Served at All There is too much of the one-sided version of the story going around, especially in Boston, now that Pedro Martnez has said he is on his way to Shea Stadium.


Martnez Leaves Fans Betwixt, Between BOSTON, Dec. 14 - Most New Englanders are walking around with more cheer and about \$20 less in their pockets this holiday season. They are reliving the gift of their dreams - a Red Sox world championship highlight video on DVD.


Goalie Battles Toughest Foe Bowling Green's starting goaltender, the senior captain Jordan Sigalet, was found to have multiple sclerosis.


Added Cargo Flights to Cut Down on Risky Truck Convoys The Air Force is expanding its airlift of equipment to Iraq to reduce the amount of military cargo hauled over land routes.


Eskimos Seek to Recast Global Warming as a Rights Issue The Inuit of the Arctic plan to seek a ruling from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that the U.S. is threatening their existence.


Wrenching Tale by an Afghan Immigrant Strikes a Chord "The Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini, a previously unknown son of an Afghan political refugee, has captivated reading groups across the country.


Software Sector Finally Enters a Merger Phase There could be no more striking evidence of the trend toward consolidation in the computer software industry than the news of the last few days.


Court Upholds Patent Ruling Against Maker of BlackBerry A United States appeals court upheld a finding of patent infringement against Research In Motion Ltd., which makes the BlackBerry data device.


Flawed Device Places F.D.A. Under Scrutiny The F.D.A.'s oversight of a defibrillator may reveal shortcomings in its regulation of medical devices.


October Trade Gap a Record, Up 9 in Month The trade deficit hit another record high in October, with imports outpacing exports by \$55.46 billion. The 9 percent increase from September was higher than expected


France and Germany Get Deficit Reprieve The European Commission froze its threat of fines against France and Germany on Tuesday, granting the two biggest economies in the euro zone an extra year to bring down their bloated budget deficits.


McLeish says Novo ban is a tit-for-tat action ALEX McLeish, the Rangers manager, last night accused the Scottish Football Association of administering  quot;tit-for-tat quot; punishment after Nacho Novo was given a three-match ban for his part in an incident during the controversial Old Firm match last month.


Browns continue to pluck Ravens Quarterback Jeff Garcia and center Jeff Faine were placed on injured reserve, and the Browns continued to pluck talent from the Baltimore Ravens in a flurry of roster moves Tuesday.


31 dead in passenger train collision in India Two trains collided head-on yesterday in northern India, killing at least 31 people in a crash that the railway minister called  quot;brutal murder quot;.


No. 13 Louisville Tops N.C. A T, 85-51 (AP) AP - Larry O'Bannon scored a season-high 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead No. 13 Louisville to an 85-51 victory over North Carolina A amp;T on Tuesday night.


Tokyo Stocks Edge Up  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average edged up 0.26  percent by midsession on Wednesday after the Bank of Japan's  quarterly "tankan" survey showed a weakening of corporate  sentiment that was in line with expectations.


Bombardier sacks its chief executive Canadian train and plane manufacturer Bombardier Inc fired its chief executive officer on Monday and its share price dropped to record lows.


GM-Fiat Talks Fail to Resolve Rift Over Partnership Agreement The high-stakes standoff between General Motors and Fiat over the terms of a 2000 partnership moved a step closer to the courtroom on Tuesday.


North California Grocery Union Sets Talks Deadline Unionized Northern California grocery workers union set a Sunday deadline for contract talks and said they would hold a strike vote next week if necessary.


One in Four Bird Species May Die Out This Century By the end of the century one in 10 species of birds in the world will be extinct and a further 15 percent will be on the brink of extinction.


FISCHLER: Cost-certainty is still the crux of this NHL malaise Is the NHL season over because of the league #39;s rejection of the union offer - and vice versa? But the sands are flowing through big-league hockey #39;s hourglass.


Israel offers early troop withdrawal Israel is prepared to withdraw troops from Palestinian areas well ahead of a planned pullout from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank next summer, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said.


Council Continues Debate The D.C. Council continued to debate late Tuesday night over legislation that would clear the way to build a new baseball stadium for the Nationals in Southeast.


Living the High Life The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering whether speedskating athletes should be allowed to use oxygen-deprived chambers designed to build endurance.


Murky Future for Tice His contract status, public comments regarding the now-filled Washington Huskies job and another disappointing season have Vikings coach Mike Tice on thin ice.


Rebels Target Erickson Ole Miss has received permission from the San Francisco 49ers to speak with head coach Dennis Erickson.


United Airlines nears deal on more cost cuts United Airlines, the bankrupt carrier, yesterday made its first progress in efforts to achieve a second round of labour cost cuts when it said it had reached a tentative agreement


Pig Emissions Part of Global Warming (AP) AP - Pig manure in Chile will keep neon lights glowing on Tokyo's Ginza in years to come. It's a grand north-south tradeoff to slow global warming: You reduce your "greenhouse gas" emissions so I don't have to cut back on mine.


Comet mission set for 2005 launch Nasa scientists have been giving details of a space mission to crash a projectile into a comet, peeling away its outer skin in order to look inside.


Szczerbiak Scores 28 Points; Wolves Beat Blazers Wally Szczerbiak, Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell were productive in Minnesota #39;s 100-89 win over Portland. Szczerbiak scored a season-high 28 points in helping Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders earn his 400th career victory.


At Least Five Dead in Another India Train Accident An express train ran into a jeep in southern India on Wednesday, killing five people, a day after two passenger trains collided head-on in the north of the country.


Turkish captain foils EU #39;s would-be defenders As a young man, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was a gifted footballer; but not quite good enough to turn professional. So he concentrated on politics instead.


F. Poe dies from effects of stroke MANILA Fernando Poe Jr., the popular actor who challenged President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the presidential elections this year, died early Tuesday.


The Knicks Make It Seem Like Old Times For half of the first quarter, the Nets looked like the team that had dominated the Knicks for the past three seasons. But with Jason Kidd still limited to 20


Tokyo Stocks Edge Up (Reuters) Reuters - Japan's Nikkei average edged up 0.26\percent by midsession on Wednesday after the Bank of Japan's\quarterly "tankan" survey showed a weakening of corporate\sentiment that was in line with expectations.


Merger Puts Nextel at Crossroads Daniel F. Akerson says the decisions he made as chief executive of Nextel Communications Inc. were all about survival. The choices facing the company in recent weeks, he adds, are a matter


U.N. Troops Fight Way Into Gang-Held Haitian Slum (Reuters) Reuters - U.N. troops, backed by\armored vehicles and helicopters, fought their way into a\lawless slum in the Haitian capital on Tuesday in their first\attempt to end a killing spree by warring street gangs.


Timberwolves 100, Trail Blazers 89 Wally Szczerbiak scored a season-high 28 points, including the 5,000th of his career, to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 100-89 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.


Bobcats 94 Hornets 93, overtime CHARLOTTE, NC Charlotte #39;s new team beat the old one, with the Bobcats outlasting the New Orleans Hornets 94-to-93 in overtime.


Pacers Top Hawks 108-97 in OT (AP) AP - Jamaal Tinsley scored a season-high 29 points and the Indiana Pacers snapped a seven-game losing streak Tuesday night, beating the Atlanta Hawks 108-97 in overtime.


At Least Five Dead in Another India Train Accident  NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An express train ran into a jeep in  southern India on Wednesday, killing five people, a day after  two passenger trains collided head-on in the north of the  country.


US rate now 2 to choke inflation WASHINGTON - The US Federal Reserve Board late yesterday boosted short-term interest rates for the fifth time in a row, warning of higher rates next year as it abandons easy money to head off inflation.


Wolfensohn May Step Down From World Bank (AP) AP - James Wolfensohn said Sunday he anticipates bowing out in 2005 as World Bank president and not serving a third five-year term, but would do whatever shareholders ask of him.


Powell, Gov. Bush Prepare for Asia Trip (AP) AP - Secretary of State Colin Powell and President Bush's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, are leading a team of experts traveling to South Asia to get a close-up look at the devastation.


CBM talks focus on notification of tests: Up gradation of hotlines <b>...</b> ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: The second round of Indo-Pakistan talks on nuclear confidence-building measures (CBMs) that began here on Tuesday zeroed in on formalization of pre-notification of missiles


Blast in Kandahar Wounds at Least Three Afghans (Reuters) Reuters - A huge explosion rocked the southern\Afghanistan city of Kandahar on Wednesday and at least three\Afghan soldiers were wounded, the city's police chief said.


Hollywood Sues Computer Server Operators (AP) AP - Hollywood movie studios on Tuesday sued scores of operators of computer servers that help relay digital movie files across online file-sharing networks.


Google Move Could Commercialize Libraries (AP) AP - The Internet company that famously promised to "do no evil" is on a new mission to digitize the collections of some of the nation's leading research institutions and establish a massive online reading room.


Fed Raises Benchmark A 5th Time Federal Reserve officials raised a key short-term interest rate yesterday for the fifth time this year, and indicated they will gradually move rates higher next year to keep inflation under control as the economy expands.


Airlines #39; losses expected to hit \$4.8bn Geneva - The world #39;s major airlines were expected to rack up about \$4.8 billion (R27.3 billion) in losses this year and would climb back to profit next year only if oil prices fell, the top industry body said yesterday.


Transport costs lift UK inflation to 1.5 London - Britain #39;s inflation rate hit its highest level in five months in November, pushed up by air fares and surging utility bills, official figures showed yesterday.


Washington Passes Amended Ballpark Bill (AP) AP - The District of Columbia Council approved an amended financing plan for a ballpark for the Expos, adding provisions that major league baseball is likely to reject and could jeopardize the proposed move of the franchise.


Google to Scan Books From Big Libraries (AP) AP - Stacks of hard-to-find books are being scanned into Google Inc.'s widely used Internet search engine in its attempt to establish a massive online reading room for five major libraries.


Ont. set to increase minimum wage for second time in as many years (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - The 400,000 people who work for minimum wage in Ontario should not be left solely at the mercy of governments to get a raise, said Labour Minister Chris Bentley.


China Restrained in Response to Taiwan Poll (Reuters) Reuters - China offered a measured response on\Wednesday to Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's party suffering\an election setback over the weekend, but warned that his push\for formal independence would exacerbate tensions.


Google to add searches on printed books Written by Net 4 Nowt As part of its effort to make offline information searchable online, Google Inc. has announced that it is working with the libraries of Harvard, Stanford, the University of Michigan, and


Firefox ad readied as market share increases The Mozilla group expects to run a thank-you ad in the New York Times by Christmas as new market share numbers showed continued progress against Microsoft.


Video Games Go Hollywood at Live Awards Show (Reuters) Reuters - The stars of the video\game industry came out in force on Tuesday night to honor their\peers for creative excellence -- taking a page from the\Hollywood playbook with red carpets, glittering gems and a live\nationwide broadcast.


Verizon Backs Off From Possible Sprint Bid (AP) AP - Verizon Communication Inc.'s wireless partner on Tuesday distanced itself from discussions on a potential bid for Sprint Corp.


Roddick fires coach Gilbert Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (Sports Network) - World No. 2 Andy Roddick fired coach Brad Gilbert this past weekend, just 1 1/2 years after forming a partnership.


Pacers Top Hawks 108-97 in OT Atlanta Hawks forward Antoine Walker (8) fouls Indiana Pacers center Jeff Foster, left, on a drive during the fourth quarter, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2004, at Philips Arena in Atlanta.


Egypt and Israel in landmark trade deal The deal is a trade pact that will enable Egypt to export goods to the US duty free - as long as they have a minimum percentage made in Israel.


Pakistan and India hold talks to avert nuclear catastrophe Pakistan and India have held talks on giving advance warning of ballistic missile tests and other steps to avert any dangerous misunderstanding.


Microsoft Issues Five Bulletins on Windows Flaws (PC World) PC World - Desktops, servers affected, but no vulnerabilities deemed critical.


American Indians Set to Manage U.S. Bison Refuge (Reuters) Reuters - American Indians are poised to take a\step back into history when they begin managing portions of the\nearly 100-year-old National Bison Range in Montana, officials\said on Tuesday.


Voter Turnout in Colo. a Record 87 Percent (AP) AP - Colorado's voter turnout in November's general election that featured hotly contested presidential and Senate races was 87 percent  #151; a record for the state.


Students Show Mixed Science, Math Scores (AP) AP - U.S. eighth-graders are gaining on their peers across the globe in science and math, but fourth-graders are being passed as their test scores remain stagnant, according to an international review of school performance.


Blast in Kandahar Wounds at Least Three Afghans  KABUL (Reuters) - A huge explosion rocked the southern  Afghanistan city of Kandahar on Wednesday and at least three  Afghan soldiers were wounded, the city's police chief said.


Calif. Seeks to Create More Solar Homes (AP) AP - California could have 1 million buildings producing solar energy by 2018, with half of all new homes powered by the sun, administration officials said as they outlined ways to meet one of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's more ambitious campaign promises.


Group Releases Mouse Brain Genome Data (AP) AP - The Allen Institute for Brain Science has released a major chunk of data from its mapping of the mouse brain genome, hoping the information will help researchers understand how the human brain works.


Ballpark Deal in Doubt The D.C. Council approved a measure late Tuesday night that dramatically restructures Mayor Anthony A. Williams's deal with baseball to build a stadium.


Practice Rink Plans Set A \$42.8 million training facility for the Capitals receives approval from the Arlington County Board on Tuesday and will be built at the Ballston Common Mall.


BU Bests Michigan Chaz Carr scores 14 of his game-high 16 points in the second half and BU hands Michigan its first home loss of the season, 63-52.