Hewitt gives Australia 2-0 lead Lleyton Hewitt ruthlessly disposed of Moroccan Mehdi Tahiri in their Davis Cup relegation tie at Perth #39;s Royal Kings Park to become Australia #39;s most successful singles player.


Matsui 1-for-5 as Yankees clinch 10th straight playoff spot NEW YORK - Hideki Matsui singled in the eighth inning for his only hit on Thursday as the Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 7-3 to clinch a playoff spot for the 10th season in a row.


Red Sox rally, but come up short To paraphrase an old saying, when you keep going back to the bullpen, eventually it #39;s going to come up dry. That #39;s what happened to the Red Sox on Thursday night, when


Russia Calls for Extradition of Terror Suspects Russia is calling for a crackdown on terrorists who seek political asylum to avoid prosecution, including the speedy extradition of terror suspects.


Birds of prey Maybe now's the time for Papa Jack to break out his signature T-shirts, emblazoned with his rally cry:  quot;Somebody gotta pay. quot;


Aiming to call his own shots It won't be long before speculation of Charlie Weis's future employment will begin trickling out. He is a fascinating figure -- an offensive coordinator who has worked for Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, the guy who took Tom Brady to two Super Bowls in three years. Weis had stomach surgery and nearly lost his life in the summer ...


Burks is back for a fond farewell Rarely have the Red Sox made a more ceremonial roster move than the one they made yesterday in activating Ellis Burks from the disabled list. The move gave Burks and Sox fans a chance to bid each other farewell before he retires after the season. Burks, 40, launched his prolific, 17-year career in the majors with the Sox in 1987.


Notables Yankees righthander Kevin Brown had the pins removed from his broken left hand, and will throw a bullpen session today.


Lowe down for count after Tejada's home run When Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada smacked Derek Lowe's 2-and-2 delivery over the left-field wall in the fifth inning last night for a three-run home run, Lowe stared at the ground and nodded. Up to that point, he had staged a battle with Orioles hitters that went back-and-forth through four innings -- one that appeared primed to go much longer.


Leskanic shows signs of rebound After the 2001 season, Curtis Leskanic had surgery to repair a rotator cuff tear on his right shoulder -- one season after the veteran reliever had been named the Milwaukee Brewers' Newcomer of the Year. The righthander did not pitch in the major leagues in 2002, after aggravating the shoulder at the Double A level.


Yankees seal playoff spot Derek Jeter hit a leadoff home run, Jon Lieber pitched into the eighth inning, and the New York Yankees clinched their 10th consecutive trip to the postseason with a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays yesterday at Yankee Stadium.


NFL games on TV CLEVELAND (2-0) vs. NY GIANTS (1-1) When/where: Sunday, 1 p.m., at East Rutherford, N.J. TV: Ch. 4. Last season: Did not meet. Comments: Coming off an impressive performance in which he threw for 232 yards and a touchdown in a 20-14 Giants win over the Redskins, quarterback Kurt Warner will try to add to his comfort level against the injury-depleted ...


Is there a doctor in the house? As bruising and violent as most Sundays are around the NFL, it's hard to top last week's for physical pain.


But seriously folks Months away from the time of the season when it is considered admirable to give and not receive, we are locked into a pattern of generosity. Mostly because the teams that are getting the points just aren't worth supporting. Of course, giving points is always a risky proposition early in the season as you try to assess teams; consider last ...


Arrington out 2-4 weeks Pro Bowl linebacker LaVar Arrington underwent arthroscopic surgery in his right knee for a lateral meniscus tear yesterday and will probably be out 2-4 weeks, leaving the Washington Redskins, the league's top-ranked defense, without one of its most dangerous players.


Nuggets proffer Rodman comeback Dennis Rodman is thinking about a comeback, and the Denver Nuggets are giving him a shot. The 43-year-old former NBA rebounding champion briefly participated in a pickup game at the Nuggets' facility earlier this week but had to cut short the workout because of an ingrown toenail. General manager Kiki Vandeweghe told Rodman he was welcome to return once the ...


Freshmen are doubling Merrimack's NE-10 fun A 3-0 start is not necessarily indicative of how a team's season will play out. But Northeast-10 Conference opponents beware: Merrimack is no fluke.


Key New England games HARVARD (1-0) vs. BROWN (1-0) When/where: Tomorrow, noon, at Providence. TV/radio: YES, WWZN (1510 AM), WHRB (95.3 FM). Last season: Harvard won, 52-14. Comments: Harvard has an overwhelming lead in the all-time series, 73-28-2, and has won the last four meetings. The Crimson crushed Holy Cross last weekend, 35-0. Sophomore RB Clifton Dawson led the attack, rushing for 184 yards ...


Lester set to go Three plays. That's been the sum total of Larry Lester's contribution to Boston College's 3-0 start. Lester was shelved for the first two games of the season when he partially tore his left posterior cruciate ligament on the first play of BC's first preseason scrimmage. He returned to the field for last week's 27-7 victory over Big East foe Connecticut.


Familiar refrain as Singh leads Just when Vijay Singh thinks he can't play better, he does. Just when it seems he can't do much more during his Tiger Woods-like season, he does that, too.


Morrissey keeps GDA on the run A good subplot can be one of the most intriguing parts of a sports story. Sammy Sosa chasing Mark McGwire while the Cardinals chased the Cubs. Shaq and Kobe feuding while the Lakers ran off three consecutive championships.


Chinese GP, Friday Alonso thirteenth and Villeneuve fifteenth following a busy opening day at the Shanghai cirucit.


Bank of America bases unit in Hub  Bank of America Corp. confirmed yesterday it will locate its wealth management division in Boston and said it will move about 100 high-level jobs here.


Battle royale  The Residences at Battery Wharf have not yet been built. But even though the formal sales campaign does not begin until next week, 14 of the 104 luxury condos on the former Bay State Lobster site in the North End are already sold.


Putnam cuts deal with big investor In an unusual deal with the nation's most powerful public pension fund, Putnam Investments yesterday pledged new disclosures and other protections intended to win back the trust -- and business -- of investors who fled the beleaguered firm after its market-timing fraud case last year.


GE pledges to meet rules of disclosure in SEC pact General Electric Co. yesterday agreed to a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which accused the company of failing to provide shareholders with enough information about the retirement perks provided to former chief executive Jack Welch.


When giants collide Those of us who lead regular lives, who live in regular houses, not mansions, who drive Tauruses, not Jaguars, can at least take some satisfaction in watching the super-rich spit at each other over their toys.


Bush says US will tap emergency oil supplies WASHINGTON -- Oil prices inched closer to \$50 a barrel yesterday even as the Bush administration offered to tap the nation's emergency stockpile of crude on behalf of refiners whose supply was disrupted by Hurricane Ivan.


'Global' vision for MCI  Facing persistent speculation that MCI Inc. is positioning itself for a sale, the telecommunications company's chief executive, Michael D. Capellas, insisted yesterday he has ''no intention quot; of breaking the company into pieces that could attract several buyers.


Halliburton planning to restructure troubled KBR unit, may look to sell it HOUSTON -- Halliburton Co. said yesterday that it is restructuring its troubled engineering and construction subsidiary, KBR, and would consider selling or spinning it off should the division's stock performance fail to improve once asbestos litigation is resolved.


In August Fed planted seed for more rate hikes WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve policy makers suggested ''significant quot; increases in short-term interest rates probably would be needed to keep inflation from becoming a problem, according to minutes of their August meeting that were released yesterday.


Expo Center lays off half of sales staff  Half of the sales staff at the Bayside Expo  amp; Executive Conference Center, a private meeting hall on the Dorchester waterfront, got pink slips last week, leaving the center with just two employees in charge of generating business.


Fannie Mae leaders face possible ouster  WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators have raised the possibility of removing the management of mortgage giant Fannie Mae after finding accounting problems they described yesterday as more serious than those that brought the ouster of top executives at rival Freddie Mac .


European Shares Dip on Swiss Re Woes (Reuters) Reuters - Swiss Re led European shares lower on\Friday, but Dutch conglomerate Philips helped limit market\losses as a chip sales warning was not as bad as feared.


Philips Warns on Chip Sales (Reuters) Reuters - Europe's top consumer electronics\group Philips cut the forecast for its closely watched chip\unit on Friday and predicted a significant slowdown for the\semiconductor industry next year.


ANDREW KANTOR A couple of weeks ago there was a big announcement in the computing world: Linux Standard Base 2.0 was released. Huh? you might ask.


Japan to Seek Missile Info at Talks with N.Korea Japan will seek an explanation at weekend talks with North Korea on activity indicating Pyongyang may be preparing a missile test, although Tokyo does not think a launch is imminent, Japan #39;s top government spokesman said.


106 mainland enterprises listed outside mainland market By the end of August 2004, a total of 106 Chinese mainland enterprises had been listed on stockmarkets outside the mainland, an official from China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said here Friday.


Anti-terrorism ads delayed by Labor: PM Prime Minister John Howard has accused Labor of holding up the release of new anti-terrorism advertisements urging Australians to be more safety conscious on public transport.


Airbus Drops Microsoft Ruling Objections  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Airbus has withdrawn its challenge to  a European Union antitrust ruling against Microsoft Corp. only  days after the aircraft maker's intervention became public, the  Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources.


Wyeth, Pfizer Fall on Downgrades  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Wyeth WYE.N and Pfizer  Inc. PFE.N fell on Monday after Merrill Lynch downgraded the  drugmakers and U.K. regulators issued tougher warnings on the  type of popular depression drugs sold by the companies.


Dollar Firms, Bearish Sentiment Lingers  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rose on Monday in a  retracement from last week's steep losses, but dealers said the  bias toward a weaker greenback remained intact.


Cadbury Says Annual Results to Be at Low End of Range (Update3) Cadbury Schweppes Plc, the maker of 7Up and Dr Pepper, said 2004 earnings will be at the low end of forecasts as demand in the US and Europe stagnates, days after Coca-Cola Co.


Oracle extends PeopleSoft offer ORACLE has extended its hostile bid for PeopleSoft for the 12th time, pushing the tender offer through to October 8. Oracle said in a press release that about 23.


Rival Technologies Vie for 'Green' Car of Tomorrow (Reuters) Reuters - Carmakers presented new-age automobiles\at the Paris car show on Thursday that could give much-hyped\fuel cells a run for their money in the coming market for\vehicles that do less damage to the environment.


McDowell and Monty endure tough start The morning after the night before was not quite so successful for Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie and overnight leader, Ireland #39;s Graeme McDowell.


One clear reason to hang with Blue Jays By the time the Blue Jays arrive home following the longest road trip of the year, next weekend #39;s season-ending three games against the Yankees will likely amount to nothing more important than exhibitions in late March.


LA #39;s Green sits out game The Los Angeles Dodgers #39; struggle to hold off San Francisco in the National League West is nothing compared to the individual trial of star first baseman Shawn Green.


Cougars vow running game will have bite This is the game, Brigham Young #39;s offense vows, the running game actually will make a positive contribution.  quot;We feel confident, quot; said left tackle Eddie Keele.


Phils bring out brooms in Florida It wouldnt have been a proper ending to the Phillies wacky season at Pro Player Stadium without the teams swapping leads like playing cards and going an extra inning to figure out the winner.


Sony to Launch Latest Gran Turismo Software in Dec (Reuters) Reuters - Sony Corp. said on Friday it\would launch the latest version of its blockbuster racing game\software "Gran Turismo" in December in a potentially strong\boost for holiday sales of its PlayStation 2 console.


EU Likely to Clear Oracle Deal-Source (Reuters) Reuters - Oracle Corp is likely to win clearance\from the European Commission for its hostile  #36;7.7 billion\takeover of rival software firm PeopleSoft Inc., a source close\to the situation said on Friday.


Autumn bargains at the Reg Mobile Shop Site offer Including the Nokia 6310i and HP iPAQ h5550


EU Likely to Clear Oracle Deal-Source  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Oracle Corp is likely to win clearance  from the European Commission for its hostile \$7.7 billion  takeover of rival software firm PeopleSoft Inc., a source close  to the situation said on Friday.


County #39;s economic forecast outshines national The future of the economy looks strong for San Diego County but less promising for the nation as a whole, according to two economic reports released yesterday.


PUC fines Cingular \$12 million California #39;s Public Utilities Commission yesterday fined Cingular Wireless a record \$12 million for violating state law by failing to tell customers that its network was overburdened, then


Sony players to be compatible with MP3s Electronics giant Sony has reversed its position on the formats playable by its range of digital music players. The company has announced its new devices will now be able to play music tracks in the MP3 format


Countdown begins With the countdown at T-minus five days and counting, SpaceDev founder Jim Benson says his small Poway company is ready to usher in a new era in space exploration.


Golf: World number 1 Singh leads PGA Pennsylvania tournament FARMINGTON, United States : Vijay Singh, showing no signs that a week off has slowed him down, shot an eight-under-par 64 to take a three-stroke lead in the weather-disrupted 4.2 million-dollar PGA Tour event here.


Boston #39;s amusing muse of sports talk One in an occasional series about the Boston Red Sox and their 86-year quest to win it all. BOSTON - It comes up just shy of bloodcurdling, but this one man, this one sports-radio czar, has


The flying Elvises Not by decree but by unanimous approval, the Yankees moved on yesterday, all but ignoring the postseason position they had just secured.


BASEBALL STRIKE REPRIEVE? Japan #39;s baseball players are likely to decide not to strike again with club representatives set to accept their demand to allow a new league team from next season.


Iraq mortar explosions wound two Five mortars have exploded near the Italian embassy in Baghdad, wounding two Iraqi women and damaging homes, an Iraqi neighbour whose building was hit says.


2 Egyptians seized in Baghdad BAGHDAD - Two Egyptian employees of a mobile phone company were seized when gunmen stormed into their Baghdad office, the latest in a series of kidnappings in the country.


Chicago Fed Sees '05 GDP Down at 3.3 Pct  CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. economic growth is expected to  slow in 2005 due to rising interest rates and high crude oil  prices, according to a forecast of participants at a Federal  Reserve Bank of Chicago conference released on Monday.


Signs of listless economy persist In a sign of persistent weakness in the US economy, a widely watched measure of business activity declined in August for the third consecutive month.


Billionaire club grows, Forbes finds Bill Gates remains keeper of top berth, while Waltons sweep list #39;s fourth through eighth spots. By Madlen Read. NEW YORK -- It looks like the US billionaire #39;s club isn #39;t quite as exclusive as before.


MGM to co-produce with Sony after takeover MGM, the beleaguered Hollywood studio currently being acquired by a consortium of buyers led by Sony Pictures, will continue to co-produce movies as a private company once the takeover is complete.


Cadbury sees results at lower end of targets The world #39;s biggest confectioner, Cadbury Schweppes, says its full-year results will be at the lower end of target ranges after a wet summer hit soft drinks sales in Europe.


Long-necked sea monster resurfaces after 230 million years Scientists on Thursday announced the fossil discovery of a very odd creature that swam the oceans 230 million years ago. It looked sort of like a dinosaur, but actually was another type of reptile.


Virus writers focus on image bug A critical weakness found in many Microsoft programs looks like it is about to be exploited by virus writers. The bug only came to light last week, but code is now circulating that could be used to attack vulnerable machines.


Japan #39;s baseball clubs avert second strike Japan #39;s weekend baseball games will go ahead after club owners averted a second players #39; strike by promising to add a new team next season.


UK #39;s Straw Backs Russia #39;s Call for UN Terrorism Resolution UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw says he supports Russia #39;s call for the United Nations Security Council to compose a list of wanted terrorists, in a resolution that would ease the extradition


Subsidy battle heats up PARIS The chief executive of Boeing, Harry Stonecipher, insisted Thursday that he was trying to prevent a trans-Atlantic dispute over subsidies for Airbus by demanding an end to government aid programs for the rival aircraft manufacturer.


Microsoft escalates fight aginst Hotmail spam Microsoft has fired another broadside against the spammers with nine new lawsuits against companies that send illegal unsolicited email to Hotmail accounts.


The heat is on FreeiPods.com FreeiPods.com is a service that offers users free iPod music players if they sign up for promotions and refer users to the services.


Australia takes 2-0 lead as Hewitt takes record Get INQ7 breaking news on your Smart mobile phone in the Philippines. Send INQ7 BREAKING to 386. PERTH, Australia -- Fairytales didn #39;t come true for a badly-outclassed Morocco as Australia raced to 2-0 lead


WEATHER DELAYS BRITAIN #39;S DAVIS CUP BID Great Britain #39;s stormy recent Davis Cup history continued today with bad weather delaying their World Group play-off against Austria in Portschach.


Hostage agony takes toll on family Desperate but unanswered pleas to release a British hostage threatened with death in Iraq have taken their toll on his family and put pressure on UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.


Stonecipher pushes to end Airbus aid The chief executive of Boeing Co. says his efforts to end government aid programs for rival aircraft manufacturer Airbus SAS are intended to head off a wider trans-Atlantic dispute over subsidies that could end up at the World Trade Organization.


Wet Summer Dampens Cadbury Profits Confectionery group Cadbury Schweppes today said it was expecting full-year profits towards the lower end of hopes after a difficult summer for its European drinks business.


West Indies aiming to regain lost pride London, September 24: Having defied all predictions, West Indies will seek to clinch their first major title in over two decades when they take on an equally determined England in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy on Saturday.


Wall St. Seen Flat at Open as Oil Eyed  LONDON (Reuters) - Wall Street was expected to start little  changed on Friday as investors continue to fret over the impact  of high oil prices on earnings, while Boeing BA.N will be  eyed after it reiterated its earnings forecast.


Putin: State Firms Can Bid for YUKOS  MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin gave his  blessing on Friday for state energy firms to bid for oil major  YUKOS' assets if bailiffs put them up for sale to recover a  huge back-tax bill.


Yukos could be sold to state firm Russian President Vladimir Putin throws a question mark over the future of Yukos, saying state-owned companies should be allowed to buy the oil firm's assets.


Putin: State Firms Can Bid for YUKOS President Vladimir Putin gave his blessing on Friday for state energy firms to bid for oil major YUKOS #39; assets if bailiffs put them up for sale to recover a huge back-tax bill.


Martha Stewart strikes deal for new show MUMBAI: She may be about to serve a five month jail sentence for having indulged in insider trading but that is not stopping Amercian media icon Martha Stewart from innovating for the future.


Airbus  #39;set to unveil Dreamliner rival #39; AIRBUS is close to ending the increasingly fevered speculation over whether it will launch a new aircraft in direct competition to the new Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner.


Cadbury Says Annual Results to Be at Low End of Range (Update4) Cadbury Schweppes Plc, the maker of 7Up and Dr Pepper, said 2004 earnings will be at the low end of forecasts as demand in the US and Europe stagnates, days after Coca-Cola Co.


Glaciers Quicken Pace to Sea A number of massive glaciers in the West Antarctic are sliding into the ocean at an accelerating rate and raising sea levels, according to new data released Thursday.


Rants  amp; Raves Like many others, I was completely screwed by the FreeiPods.com scheme ( quot;IPod Promoters Feel the Heat, quot; Sept. 23, 2004).


S. Africa #39;s Mbeki wraps up Ivory Coast peace talks with four <b>...</b> ABIDJAN (AFP) - South African President Thabo Mbeki wrapped up a four-day peace-making trip to the Ivory Coast, saying that all parties in the divided west African nation have agreed to four proposals including key political reforms to put the country


EU Still in Talks with Oracle (Reuters) Reuters - The European Commission is still in\talks with Oracle Corp  over its plan to take over\rival software firm PeopleSoft Inc. , but aims to take\a decision before the end of October, a Commission spokeswoman\said on Friday.


Virus writers focus on image bug Security experts warn that virus writers could be preparing to create havoc using a bug in the way that Windows handles images.


First-place Juventus wins in Italian league Juventus came back from an early deficit to beat Lazio 2-1 Sunday and restore its four-point lead in the Italian league. By Paco Serinelli, AFP.


Sri Lanka says Tamil Tiger killings undermine peace bid (AFP) AFP - The Sri Lankan government said a wave of killings blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels was undermining confidence in the peace process which has been stalled since April 2003.


FA Cup: Third round draw - joy for Yeading and Exeter The great big fat bullies from across the playground enter the FA Cup arena at the third round stage, for which the draw was made yesterday (December 5).


Israeli Woman Killed in Attack on Gaza Settlement  GAZA (Reuters) - A Palestinian mortar bomb slammed into a  house in a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip on Friday,  killing a woman and fueling settler anger over Prime Minister  Ariel Sharon's plan to pull Israelis out of the area.


Ukraine's PM Taken to Hospital After Egg Attack  KIEV (Reuters) - Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, a  leading candidate in Ukraine's presidential election, was taken  to hospital on Friday after a protester threw an egg at him in  nationalist western Ukraine, reporters said.


Journalist Breaks Into Queen's Scottish Palace  LONDON (Reuters) - A journalist posing as a workman entered  a private area of Queen Elizabeth's official Scottish residence  in the latest breach of royal security, the newspaper behind  the stunt said on Friday.


Haiti struggles for flood relief Waters begin to recede but aid agencies in Haiti struggle to bring supplies to people hit by tropical storm Jeanne.


F1: BAR sets pace in China BAR's Anthony Davidson and Jenson Button set the pace at the first Chinese Grand Prix.


Chechen leader condemns Basayev Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev must be tried over the Beslan massacre, rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov says.


Halliburton may sell troubled KBR Halliburton will restructure and may even sell  its controversial KBR subsidiary, which is mired in overcharging scandals in Iraq.


HSBC bank to go carbon neutral HSBC is the first big bank to commit to going carbon neutral as it seeks to reduce its environmental impact. Starting in 2005, it will plant trees, reduce energy use, buy green electricity and trade carbon credits to cut carbon dioxode flows.


Astros Rally Past the Giants With one swing of the bat, Lance Berkman revived the Houston Astros' playoff hopes - and gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a much-needed reprieve. Berkman hit a three-run homer off Dustin Hermanson, highlighting a five-run ninth inning that sent Houston to a 7-3 win over San Francisco on Thursday night...


Aircraft fuel workers strike at London #39;s Heathrow Airport Aircraft fuel workers at London #39;s Heathrow Airport, one the busiest international airports in the world, started a 48-hour walkout over a pay hike row Friday.


Hackers work out SP2 JPEG virus AS WE PREDICTED last week after a weekend free time, hackers have come up with a method of exploiting the latest hole in Microsoft Windows.


Life without internet almost impossible  study Web portal Yahoo and media agency OMD unveiled the findings of an Internet Deprivation Study examining consumers #39; media habits and their emotional connection to the internet.


No dodging a tough personal decision Players have missed games for silly reasons. Just look at a few days off earned by the Cubs. Kicking an electric fan in the dugout -- Cubs reliever Kyle Farnsworth was lost for 22 games.


Sharapova Sets Up China Semifinal with Kuznetsova  BEIJING (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova  swept into the semi-finals of the China Open on Friday when  opponent Jelena Jankovic retired hurt in the first set with an  ankle injury.


Aggadan scores at Belmont Aggadan beat Personal Touch by three-quarters of a length to win yesterday's \$60,000 allowance feature for older horses at Belmont Park.


Today's schedule Pro baseball: New York Yankees vs. Red Sox at Fenway Park, 7 p.m. College field hockey: Fairfield at Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.; Castleton St. at Becker, 4 p.m.; UMBC at Maine, 5 p.m.; Providence at UNH, 7 p.m.


Three question to Jacques Villeneuve at Shanghai The Renault F1 Teams latest signing was invited to the official FIA Press Conference this afternoon.


Three questions to Fernando Alonso in Shanghai The Renault F1 Teams Spanish ace was a guest at todays FIA Press Conference. Here are the best bits


Finding what works for handling piggy bank (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Personal finance software programs are the computer industry's version of veggies: Everyone knows they're good for you, but it's just hard to get anyone excited about them.


Trendy retailers get dressed for work (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - There's a new tier of retailers hawking officewear to young professionals.


EU Still in Talks with Oracle  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission is still in  talks with Oracle Corp ORCL.O over its plan to take over  rival software firm PeopleSoft Inc. PSFT.O, but aims to take  a decision before the end of October, a Commission spokeswoman  said on Friday.


Dollar Weakens in Yo-Yo Trade  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar drifted within recent ranges  against the euro on Friday, while moving away from a five week  high versus the yen, as investors remained uncertain about the  near-term outlook for the U.S. economy amid high oil prices.


Glaciers Quicken Pace to Sea Antarctic glaciers are moving faster as they melt, bringing more ice into the oceans and causing sea levels to rise, according to a new study. By Stephen Leahy.


Stem Cells May Open Some Eyes Scientists turn embryonic stem cells into retinal cells for the first time. The groundbreaking work could be tested to treat human blindness in two years if all goes well. By Kristen Philipkoski.


Campus Life Comes to Second Life Teaching online isn't unusual, but professors are taking advantage of Linden Lab's 3-D metaverse to shape meeting spaces to their needs and provide an added dimension to learning. By Daniel Terdiman.


Ins and Outs of Teledildonics Gina Lynn discovers remote (how shall we say this?) 'interaction' technology with the Sinulator and finds herself on the cutting edge of cybersex.


Forgotten Remembers to Surprise The Forgotten plays by all the rules expected from paranormal thrillers to deliver a nice punch, hold the melodrama. By Jason Silverman.


Retailer Gets Out the Green Votes Patagonia, a seller of outdoor equipment, says it wouldn't have a business if the wilderness were paved over. So the company launches a voter-education initiative on its website to support environment-friendly candidates. By Louise Witt.


Ovarian Transplant: First Birth In a breakthrough that doctors say gives hope to many women who've become infertile after cancer treatments, a woman who received an ovarian tissue transplant gives birth to a healthy baby girl.


Ireland Blocks Calls to Stop Scam In an effort to stem dialup modem fraud, Ireland blocks phone calls to 13 locations, including several South Pacific islands and the entire nation of Mauritania. Operators must verify numbers dialed to these locations before connecting the calls.


Congress extends President #39;s tax cuts The House and Senate last night overwhelmingly voted to extend three tax cuts aimed at the middle class along with a bevy of business-tax breaks, sending President Bush a


Halliburton may sell troubled KBR Halliburton said it will restructure and may even sell its Kellogg, Brown and Root subsidiary, the business at the root of recent controversy.


Sony-led consortium inks MGM purchase deal: Business India Los Angeles, Sep 24 : After months of wrangling, a consortium led by Sony Corp has signed a definitive deal to buy the famous Hollywood studio MGM, Xinhua reports.


Forbes lists 400 Americans with most billions, millions The Bay Area #39;s super rich had mixed financial results over the past year with the exception of Google #39;s top executives, whose wealth soared thanks to their company #39;s recent initial public offering.


Italian airline company seeks domestic partner Struggling Italian airline Alitalia is set to seek one of three domestic partners to help it claw backmarket share, Alitalia #39;s Chairman and CEO Gianfranco Cimoli said on Thursday.


Davidson sets the pace in Shanghai Anthony Davidson has stolen the limelight from Formula One #39;s race drivers by setting the benchmark in both practice sessions for the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.


Janszen says film has foibles Although ESPN #39;s new movie, Hustle, is based on the Dowd Report, which documented Pete Rose #39;s gambling habits and led to his ban from baseball, former Rose associate Paul Janszen says there are some things the movie doesn #39;t get right.


Japan baseball players avert 2nd strike Japan #39;s professional baseball players averted a second strike this weekend after team representatives softened their stance Thursday and agreed with management that a club may be added next season.


Haiti struggles for flood relief Floodwaters in Haiti are starting to recede as aid agencies struggle to bring relief to thousands of people in the wake of tropical storm Jeanne.


Iraq Kidnapping Business Continues Unabated The Iraqi kidnapping business continued unabated today with the abduction of two Egyptians in Baghdad. There was still no word of the fate of Briton Ken Bigley - or two Italian women whom websites claim have been beheaded.


Top Indian nuclear scientist dead A top Indian nuclear scientist and the scientific mastermind behind the country #39;s first atomic test, has died in the western city of Bombay (Mumbai).


Fifth embassy bombing suspect arrested Indonesian police say they have a fifth person in custody, who is believed to be linked to the bombing of Australia #39;s embassy in Jakarta.


Wyeth, Pfizer Fall on Downgrades (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Wyeth  and Pfizer\Inc.  fell on Monday after Merrill Lynch downgraded the\drugmakers and U.K. regulators issued tougher warnings on the\type of popular depression drugs sold by the companies.


Sanjay Kumar pleading not guilty On Wednesday, former CEO of the US biggest software maker Computer Associate Sanjay Kumar was charged in the indictment for securities fraud in the company.


Business Digest A closely watched gauge of future business activity fell in August for a third consecutive month, evidence that companies and consumers continue to navigate an uncertain economic climate.


Alitalia Says Unions Agree to Plan to Split Company (Update2) Alitalia SpA said eight of its nine biggest unions agreed to a plan to split Italy #39;s biggest airline in two, enabling the carrier to receive a loan to stay in business.


Long-necked hunter found in China The remains of a 230-million-old marine reptile with fangs and a long neck have been unearthed in southeast China. The creature #39;s 1.7m-long neck was almost twice as long as its trunk which measured less than one metre in length.


Code to exploit Windows graphics flaw now public Well, if you haven #39;t patched your PC yet, now is the time. A sample program hit the Internet on Wednesday, showing by example how malicious coders could compromise Windows computers by using a flaw in the


Apple Power Mac G5 Last year, only the highest-end Power Macs were dual-processor. Now, all Power Macs are, including the entry-level 1.8-GHz model. The 2.5-GHz G5 processors use a new heat-pipe system


Beatles demand \$15mn for online rights - report The Beatles are asking \$15mn for six months #39; exclusive rights to sell their catalogue online, according to a News.com report. If true, such a high premium would almost certainly price the world #39;s biggest selling


Liverpool Football Club May Receive Bid From Hollywood Producer Liverpool Football Club may receive its third offer of investment in six months after a Hollywood producer said he is considering a bid for English soccer #39;s most successful team.


Scientists discover fossil of new, long-necked dinosaur A newly discovered fossil might be the remains of one of the first stealth hunters, a swimming dinosaur that could use its long neck to sneak up on prey and strike without warning.


S.F.'s LookSmart acquires bookmark storage service (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - San Francisco Internet search company LookSmart has bought Furl.net, a small Massachusetts Web site that allows users to save and share bookmarks and copies of Web pages.


Two Egyptians kidnapped in Iraq GUNMEN stormed a mobile phone company office in Baghdad and seized two Egyptian employees, Government officials said today. The kidnapping happened last night in the upscale Harthiya neighborhood, said Interior


Warlord Will Be Tried for Beslan - Chechen Rebel Chechnya #39;s rebel leader said on Friday that warlord Shamil Basayev would go on trial for the mass hostage-seizing at a Russian school that ended with more than 320 people being killed, half of them children.


North reported to be preparing missile launch South Korea and US intelligence sources have detected unusual activity in North Korea believed linked to possible preparation for a missile test, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday.


Sudan appreciates Chinese supporting stance at Security Council KHARTOUM, Sep 23, 2004 (SUNA) -- The State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nagib Al-Khair Abdul-Wahab, photo has expressed appreciation of the Sudanese government and people to the stance of China in support of Sudan in the Security Council.


US Airways Seeks Court Approval To Cut Union Pay - Report US Airways will ask a bankruptcy court judge to impose emergency pay cuts of 23 percent on its major unions, according to a newspaper report late on Thursday.


U.S. Stocks Set for Steady Open  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks looked set for little  change at the open on Friday as losses in previous sessions  were seen leveling off, but high oil prices and their possible  effect on corporate profits and consumer spending remain a  worry for investors.


Data from doomed sun probe sent to California NASA crews Thursday shipped to California the first bits of recovered scientific data from the Genesis probe crash in Utah #39;s west desert earlier this month, according to a NASA news release.


Microsoft goes after bulletproof  quot;spam host quot; Microsoft Corp is suing a company it claims provides so-called  quot;bulletproof quot; web hosting to spammers. A company attorney said it is the first time anybody has been sued for allegedly providing spam  quot;support services quot;.


Apple row goes to core of online music Bill Thompson grew up on John, Paul, George and Ringo and bought all their records. Now he #39;d like them to give something back.


Universe evolved at a pace much slower than formerly thought The evolution of the universe may have been much slower than previously thought, British scientists have revealed. A team of scientists lead by Dr.


High cost of Forssell injury Still reeling from the news they are to lose their top striker for the news, Birmingham City could also find themselves involved in a wage dispute with Mikael Forssell #39;s employers Chelsea.


Hustle #39;s #39; director knew little about Rose He had a solid script, he says, and a total lack of personal expertise with its subject matter, which he says saved him  quot;a lot of time.


Morgan Still Eyeing Reds Despite Hollywood Interest Millionaire building tycoon Steve Morgan still wants to buy into Liverpool despite fresh speculation of US interest in the club. Morgan, the clubs third largest shareholder, was


Eto #39;o on target African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto #39;o Fils has found his scoring touch with two goals in Barcelona #39;s 4-1 win over Real Zaragoza on Thursday.


Health workers fear deadly epidemic in Haiti Bodies, dirty water spreading disease. Medical supplies have started to run out and panicked residents are fighting for provisions.


Putin urges Iran to yield to IAEA demands By Reuters, Thursday <b>...</b> Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Iran on Friday to heed the demands of the UN nuclear watchdog after Tehran defied the United Nations by going ahead with its uranium enrichment programme.


Another palace intruder London - A journalist posing as a workman managed to breach security at Queen Elizabeth #39;s official residence in Scotland, less than two weeks after an intruder climbed onto Buckingham Palace in London, police said on Friday.


Top Indian nuclear scientist passes away Eminent physicist and doyen of India #39;s nuclear program Raja Ramanna died Friday morning at the age of 79 in a hospital in Mumbai in west India following an intestinal problem.


Airbus Withdraws Microsoft Backing-Source  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Airbus EAD.PA has withdrawn a filing  which gave support for Microsoft MSFT.O in an antitrust case  before the European Union's Court of First Instance, a source  close to the situation said on Friday.


Putin: State Firms Can Bid for YUKOS  MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin gave his  blessing on Friday for Russian state energy firms to bid for  oil major YUKOS's assets if bailiffs put them up for sale to  recover a huge back-tax bill.


ID Biomedical Gets U.S. Flu Drug Deal (Reuters) Reuters - ID Biomedical Corp.  \signed a 10-year U.S. distribution deal for its Fluviral drug\that could reap sales of  #36;2.3 billion and help U.S. authorities\fill a flu vaccine shortage, the company said on Monday.


Putin denies nationalization plans for Yukos, but state firms can <b>...</b> LONDON, September 24 (newratings.com) - Vladimir Putin has denied speculations about the government #39;s plans to re-nationalize the beleaguered oil giant, OAO Yukos Oil Company (YUSA.


Halliburton may dump KBR unit Houston #39;s Halliburton is considering selling its KBR unit, the object of numerous investigations, persistent losses and ongoing bankruptcy.


Airbus Withdraws Microsoft Backing-Source Airbus (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) has withdrawn a filing which gave support for Microsoft (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) in an antitrust case before the European Union #39;s Court of First Instance, a source close to the


Samples From Genesis Craft Sent to Calif. SALT LAKE CITY - The first solar-wind samples recovered from the crashed Genesis space capsule have been sent to researchers in California.


Mosley hopes for full grid in 2005 Motorsport.com. FIA President Max Mosley believes that the three teams with an uncertain future will survive the current problems and that there will be 20 cars on the grid in 2005.


Latest suitor lines up Liverpool FC Hollywood film executive Mike Jefferies could become the fourth suitor to bid for Liverpool this year. BBC Business News Online looks at the latest courting of one of the world #39;s most famous football clubs and global brands.


Militant Chechen Rebel Leader to Go on Trial for Masterminding <b>...</b> Chechnya #39;s rebel leader says militant Shamil Basayev will go on trial for masterminding the hostage siege in Beslan after fighting in the breakaway Russian republic comes to an end.


Five Malaysian sailors in Spratly bird flu scare KUALA LUMPUR : Five Malaysian navy sailors have been hospitalised for bird flu tests after possibly coming into contact with diseased birds while patrolling the disputed Spratly islands, officials said on Friday.


Planes to be banned from flying low over London #39;s landmarks Aircraft will not be allowed to make low-level flights over key London landmarks under new anti-terrorism rules which are to become effective on Oct. 27, the British government said on Friday.


Tiny Sensors That  Can Track Anything They're small, smart and vigilant, the sort of miniature technology that science fiction writers once dreamed of. But the battery-powered, wireless sensors sometimes known as "smart dust" are here, and they're making their way into the electronic fabric of our lives. -The Washington Post


IBM to Open Office in Fairfax County, Creating 1,200 Jobs International Business Machines Corp. plans to open a new office in Fairfax County that will create 1,200 government contracting jobs in the county, according to sources familiar with the deal.


Microsoft Sues Web Hoster, Others Over Spam
\

 SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. filed nine new lawsuits\against spammers who send unsolicited e-mail, including an\e-mail marketing Web hosting company, the world's largest\software maker said on Thursday


Gates Tops Forbes List of Richest in U.S. -- Again
\

 NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Nasdaq may be well off its highs\of the dot-com era, but tech tycoons still top the list of the\wealthiest Americans.


Long-necked hunter found in China The remains of a 230-million-old marine reptile with fangs and a long neck are unearthed by fossil hunters in southeast China.


Silicon sensors could save lives German scientists are working on tiny portable sensors that can spot health problems very early.


U.S. Envoy: Sudan Could See Somali-Style Anarchy  NAIROBI, Kenya (Reuters) - Sudan risks falling into  Somalia-style anarchy if peace talks aimed at ending separate  crises in Darfur and the south fail and embolden more factions  to take up arms, the top U.S. envoy to Sudan said Friday.


Iraq's kidnapping crisis deepens Two Egyptians are seized in Baghdad as anguish mounts in the UK and Italy over their kidnapped nationals.


Missing tanker found in Nigeria One of two oil tankers that went missing laden with crude oil has been found, says the Nigerian navy.


Chicago Fed Sees '05 GDP Down at 3.3 Pct (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. economic growth is expected to\slow in 2005 due to rising interest rates and high crude oil\prices, according to a forecast of participants at a Federal\Reserve Bank of Chicago conference released on Monday.


Turkish Captive in Iraq Tells of Fearful Struggle to Hold On A young Turkish journalist, Zeynep Tugrul, was freed last week by kidnappers in northern Iraq after four days of terror and hope.


Big boss is watching Wireless companies are rolling out new GPS services for employers that can track the physical location of mobile workers.


Iran Expects OPEC to Leave Quotas Steady (Reuters) Reuters - OPEC ministers will concentrate on quota\compliance rather than cutting official production ceilings to\combat falling oil prices when they meet in Cairo this week,\Iran's oil minister was quoted as saying on Monday.


Readers love mobiles in church; hate mobiles on planes Letters: More from the Reg postbag


Update 1: Russia Doesn #39;t Intend to Nationalize Yukos The Russian government does not intend to nationalize the Yukos oil company, but state-owned organizations will be able to bid if the embattled company #39;s assets are put up for auction, President Vladimir Putin said Friday.


Alitalia reaches deal with unions to split firm Italy #39;s loss-making Alitalia has reached a deal with its unions to split the state-controlled airline in two, helping secure the company #39;s immediate future and opening the way for partial privatization.


Can Lara finally come good? England facing West Indies in the final: who would have thought that ten days ago? Well, here we are, and looking at the pre-match odds published at bet365, we are in for mighty tight contest.


Journalist breaks into residence of Queen LONDON - A journalist posing as a workman was able to gain access to a private area of the Queen #39;s official Scottish residence in the latest breach of royal security in Britain.


Prosecutors say they expect to charge alleged head of Jemaah <b>...</b> JAKARTA, Indonesia Indonesian prosecutors say they #39;ll file terror-related charges against a cleric accused of heading the group behind the Bali bombings.


New EU Panel to Study Safety of Herbal Medicines (Reuters) Reuters - The safety of herbal medicines, which\are widely used on the basis of scant scientific evidence, is\to be investigated by a new panel of European experts.


BOFH: What to do when the Boss gets touchy-feely Episode 32 Inappropriate behaviour


Viacom in China Tie-Up with Beijing TV (Reuters) Reuters - Media conglomerate Viacom Inc.\said on Friday it struck a second Chinese program producing\partnership and could form as many as two others, including a\movie-making tie-up, in the months ahead.


Stocks to Watch Friday  The aircraft maker and defense contractor's chief executive  backed its previous earnings forecast for the year.


Stocks Set to Open Flat; Oil Eyed  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks were set to open flat on  Friday, with investors expecting the market to stem recent  losses, while high oil prices fueled concerns of slowing  corporate profits and consumer spending.


Harmony will try to block Gold Fields-Iamgold deal Harmony Gold Mining Corp. (HARJ.J: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday that if Gold Fields Ltd. (GFIJ.J: Quote, Profile, Research) shareholders approve a proposed deal with Iamgold Corp.


Oil Holds Above \$48 Despite SPR Loans  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil's advance wavered a little on Friday  as the U.S. government prepared to lend out some strategic  crude stocks, but traders said the amounts were small and that  supply worries remained.


Fiorina: Sometimes IT spending is a 'bad thing' Not expecting a rush of IT spending during the last three months of 2004, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina said Thursday that IT buyers have become smarter and more discriminating in their IT purchasing than they were just five years ago, and that they now realize that technology spending can sometimes be a "bad thing."


Telecom Italia buys mobile stake Telecoms giant Telecom Italia is expected to pay 20bn euros (\$26.7bn; 13.8bn) for the 44 it does not already own of its mobile arm.


Iomega backs away from DCT, cuts jobs Iomega Corp. will cut its workforce by 25 percent and end development of its DCT (Digital Capture Technology) product line in a restructuring aimed at cutting costs and returning to profitability, the company announced Thursday.


Oil Holds Above \$48 Despite SPR Loans Oil #39;s advance wavered a little on Friday as the US government prepared to lend out some strategic crude stocks, but traders said the amounts were small and that supply worries remained.


Barclays seeks more S. African business Barclays, the British bank that left South Africa in 1986 after apartheid protests, may soon resume retail operations in the nation.


EU still in talks with Oracle BRUSSELS--The European Commission is still in talks with Oracle over its plan to take over rival software company PeopleSoft but aims to make a decision before the end of October, a Commission representative said Friday.


Philips Cuts Chip Sales Forecast on Waning Demand (Update2) Royal Philips Electronics NV, Europe #39;s third-largest maker of semiconductors, reduced its third- quarter chip sales forecast as demand wanes, joining companies including Texas Instruments Inc.


US Treasuries little changed before data 0125 GMT -- Treasury prices little changed in Asia as market awaits further economic data to back up upbeat economic assessment by the Federal Reserve.


Sony Moves to MP3 In a strategic move, electronics giant Sony has announced that some of its new music player models will now feature direct support for MP3 audio files.


France awards contract for secure Linux system A five-company consortium has been awarded a 7 million three-year contract by the French Ministry of Defence to build a Linux-based multi-level secure operating system.


Florida company offers trips simulating space travel A company plans to offer airplane flights that simulate weightlessness in space. Zero Gravity Corp. starting Oct. 9 will offer twice-a-month, \$2,950 flights on planes that carry 27 passengers


AUSSIES OFF TO A FLYER Australia have all but assured they will remain inh the Davis Cup World Group after opening up a commanding 2-0 lead over injury-hit Morocco on Friday.


Beslan: Vow to put rebel on trial A Chechen rebel leader is vowing to bring to justice warlord Shamil Basayev over the Beslan school hostage-taking that ended with the deaths of more than 300 people, according to a posting on a Chechen rebel Web site.


Man intruding Queen #39;s Scottish residence identified as journalist The intruder who entered British Queen Elizabeth II #39;s official Scottish residence and caused a security scare was a reporter from the London-based Sunday Times newspaper, local media reported Friday.


Man denies plot to blow up plane Sajid Badat, 25, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday via video link from a top security jail where he is being held. He pleaded not guilty to an accusation  quot;that between January 1, 1999 and November 28, 2003


Palestinians Shell Gaza Settlement; 1 Dead Palestinian militants fired two mortars at a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip on Friday, killing a 24-year Israeli woman and enflaming settler anger at Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.


ZIMBABWE: Mujuru sworn in a vice president HARARE, 6 December (IRIN) - Joyce Mujuru was sworn in as Zimbabwe #39;s first woman vice president on Monday. Her path to the vice presidency was cleared by a ZANU-PF congress resolution at the weekend, which


First Baby Born After Ovarian Tissue Transplant (Reuters) Reuters - A Belgian woman has given birth to the\first baby born after an ovarian tissue transplant, a medical\breakthrough that brings hope to young cancer patients whose\fertility may be damaged by treatment.


U.S.: No 'Quick Fixes' in Sudan Situation (AP) AP - It may take up to two years to disarm the Arab militia in the Darfur region of western Sudan and secure the vast region for the return of 1.2 million people who fled the violence there, a senior U.S. diplomat said Friday.


Internet Emerges As Potent Terror Tool The images coming out of the latest hostage crisis in Iraq - capped by dramatic video of British captive Kenneth Bigley begging for his life - have transfixed Britons, left governments looking helpless, and revived a classic dilemma about whether to negotiate with terrorists.


EBay Reverses Half.com Decision EBay Inc. announced Thursday that it will keep its Half.com subsidiary open indefinitely, scrapping previous plans to shutter the e-commerce site in mid-October.


West Antarctic glaciers speed up Many glaciers in West Antarctica have substantially increased their rate of shrinkage compared with the 1990s.


Positive Charge for Rosetta Detecting ions, or charged particles from either solar wind or comet tails, is one goal for the comet-chasing space probe, Rosetta.    Astrobiology Magazine -- The Ion and Electron Spectrometer (IES), one of three NASA instruments aboard the European Space Agency (ESA) Rosetta comet orbiter, successfully underwent an intensive commissioning exercise that qualified it for operation during the next decade...


Gates Richest American 11th Year In A Row Washington, Sept. 24 (NNN): William  #39;Bill #39; Henry Gates, founder of software giant Microsoft, continued to be the richest man in America for the eleventh year in a row, according to Forbes magazine.


Kumar pleads not guilty to CA fraud charge Former Computer Associates International Inc CEO Sanjay Kumar yesterday pleaded not guilty to charges that he was involved in CA #39;s multibillion accounting fraud and then tried to cover up the scam from federal investigators.


Rookie fastest ANTHONY DAVIDSON set the early standard by going quickest in the first-ever practice session at the Shanghai International Circuit.


Serena, Sharapova advance to China Open semis Serena Williams breezed into the China Open semifinals Friday when Russia #39;s Nadia Petrova retired with an injury during the second set of their quarterfinals match.


Butt handed three-match ban by UEFA Newcastle United midfielder Nicky Butt has been handed a three-match European suspension by UEFA for his straight red card dismissal against Israel #39;s Bnei Sakhnin last week.


MLB works to appease Angelos (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - If Major League Baseball can negotiate a settlement with Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, it could announce next week the Montreal Expos' new home is Washington, D.C.


Grand Slam Starlets Clash for Russian Bragging Rights  LONDON (Reuters) - More than just a battle for Russian  bragging rights, Saturday's Beijing semi-final between Maria  Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova promises to be an enthralling  encounter and a fascinating clash of cultures.


Russia to Allow State-Owned Firms to Bid on Yukos Assets President Vladimir Putin said Friday, the government has no plans to seize the embattled oil giant, but if its assets are sold, anyone, including government organizations, will be able to bid.


Alitalia, Unions Sign Deal to Split Company Italy #39;s troubled Alitalia airline has reached a deal with eight of nine unions to split the state-controlled firm in two in a plan to stave off bankruptcy.


Morningstar Faces Possible SEC Civil Suit Morningstar Inc., the mutual fund and stock research provider, on Friday said it may face US Securities and Exchange Commission civil charges over incorrect data it published about a mutual fund.


Wal-Mart fires back Wal-Mart Stores Inc. began a statewide offensive Thursday to counter widespread criticism of the company #39;s wages and benefits, expansion plans and effects on communities.


Cingular Wireless fined \$12.1 million over early termination fees SAN FRANCISCO Cingular Wireless will have to pay millions of dollars in fines because of the steep fees it charged its customers who wanted to end their contracts early.


West Antarctic glaciers speed up The glaciers in West Antarctica have substantially increased their rate of shrinkage compared with the 1990s. US-Chilean teams report to the journal Science that the glaciers are losing 60 more ice into the


Catastrophic loss for unencumbered standards Most IT Managers won #39;t question the importance of security, but this priority has been sliding between the third and fourth most important focus for companies.


Google Browser on Its Way? With a series of events being strung together, rumors about Google building a browser are running amok. Speculation about the Google browser intensified after its recent hiring spree.


Hubble Finds Most Distant Galaxies Yet US scientists working with images from the Hubble Space Telescope have identified what may turn out to be some of the earliest star-forming galaxies.


Mars Rover Missions Extended Again NASA has decided to fund the missions of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars for an additional six months -- as long as the craft continue to operate.


Transcript: USA Team After the Draw Q. Andy, how do you feel about playing first? Would you like to get it all started right away? ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. Absolutely. Either way I would have beencomfortable with it.


Tennis: Storm delays Britain #39;s Davis Cup match in Austria PORTSCHACH, Austria: Thunder, lightning and incessant rain delayed the start of the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie between Austria and Great Britain.


Virenque climbs into spotlight one last time Flashy as ever, Richard Virenque has climbed off his bike on the stage of the most famous music hall in Paris to bring the curtain down on his 14-year career.


Blues Strikers Must Deliver - Bruce Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce is urging his remaining strikers to grasp the nettle and fill the massive void left by the injured Mikael Forssell.


ENGLAND MUST DO WITHOUT DYER Newcastle midfielder Kieron Dyer seems certain to miss England #39;s World Cup qualifiers next month after it was revealed that his hamstring injury could take another four weeks to repair.


American League Game Summary - Tampa Bay At New York Bronx, NY -- Jon Lieber continued his September hot streak by pitching into the eighth inning and Derek Jeter hit a solo homer, helping New York clinch a playoff berth for the 10th straight season with a 7-3 win over Tampa Bay in a much-awaited makeup


AU to deploy 5,000 troops in Darfur The African Union is to decide early October whether it will send 3,000- to 5,000 troops to the troubled region Darfur to help stop the violence there, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said.


Durable Goods Fall as Aircraft Orders Off (Reuters) Reuters - Orders for long-lasting U.S. durable\goods slipped unexpectedly in August as demand for civilian\aircraft plunged, but the data beat expectations once\transportation was stripped out, government data showed on\Friday.


Demand for Big-Ticket Goods Drops in Aug. (AP) AP - Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket goods dropped in August, largely weighed down by a sharp decline in demand for commercial airplanes.


Morningstar Faces Possible SEC Civil Suit (Reuters) Reuters - Morningstar Inc., the mutual fund and\stock research provider, on Friday said it may face U.S.\Securities and Exchange Commission civil charges over incorrect\data it published about a mutual fund.


Durable Goods Fall as Aircraft Orders Off  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting U.S. durable  goods slipped unexpectedly in August as civilian aircraft  demand plunged, but beat forecasts once transportation was  stripped out, government data showed on Friday.


Flat Opening Seen After Durable Goods  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were set to open flat on  Friday after news of a drop in durable goods orders last month  did little to sway investor sentiment that remained focused on  higher oil prices.


Philips Warns Sees 2005 Slowdown  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Philips, Europe's top consumer  electronics group, cut the sales forecast for its closely  watched chip unit on Friday and predicted much smaller growth  for the semiconductor industry next year.


Bush to tap oil reserve to counter Ivan delays The Bush administration plans to release oil from the nation #39;s emergency stockpile to make up for supply disruptions caused by Hurricane Ivan - the first time in nearly two years the reserve has been tapped.


Durable Goods Orders Dip in August Orders to US factories for big-ticket goods dropped in August, largely weighed down by a sharp decline in demand for commercial airplanes.


Barclays #39; South African plan boosts share price LONDON, September 24 (newratings.com) - Barclays Plc (BCY.FSE) witnessed a robust rally in its share price this morning, after the company disclosed its plans to buy a controlling stake the South African retail banking company, Absa, yesterday.


Fed Makes It Three Hikes in a Row The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter point on Tuesday as widely expected, saying growth  quot;appears to have regained some traction.


Airlines #39; stocks sink again on tough news Already battered airline stocks took a further beating Thursday following a gloomy outlook from the head of American Airlines (AMR) and reports of disappointing August revenue industrywide.


Microsoft sues Web hoster over spam Microsoft has filed nine new lawsuits against those it says are responsible for spam, including a Web-hosting company that caters to people who send unsolicited e-mail, the software giant said Thursday.


Exploit code for JPEG flaw released Security experts warned on Wednesday that  quot;exploit code quot; has been released for the critical flaw discovered in the way Windows and other Microsoft products handle JPEG images (see our previous coverage).


Sony to Launch Latest Gran Turismo Software in Dec Sony Corp. said on Friday it would launch the latest version of its blockbuster racing game software  quot;Gran Turismo quot; in December in a potentially strong boost for holiday sales of its PlayStation 2 console.


Mortar shells hit Gaza settlement, woman killed Jerusalem, Sept. 24 (PTI): An Israeli woman was killed and another slightly injured today when Palestinian militants fired four mortar shells at the Neveh Dekalim settlement in southern Gaza Strip, army sources said.


Japan princess Masako makes rare public appearance Japanese Crown Princess Masako has made a rare appearance in public after months of seclusion as the palace released home videos of her two-year-old daughter.


NEWS FOCUSKoreans split on Japan #39;s Council bid When Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi traveled to New York early this week to address the United Nations General Assembly, his objective was clear: to pitch for UN reforms that would


Man poses as worker to get into palace at Holyrood AN intruder posed as a bogus workman in order to con his way into Holyrood Palace and get within yards of the Royal Apartments. Police were today hunting the man who succeeded in bypassing the palaces security


EU's Monti seeks Oracle-PeopleSoft decision by end-October (AFP) AFP - Outgoing EU competition commissioner Mario Monti wants to reach a decision on Oracle's proposed takeover of business software rival PeopleSoft by the end of next month, an official said.


Nepal introduces paternity leave The authorities in Nepal decide to grant paternity leave to government employees.


Ivan Returns, Dumps Rain in Texas, La. HOUSTON (AP) -- Ivan's second foray into the United States came with little wind but plenty of the rain that became the 3-week-old system's calling card as it raked the Caribbean and eastern United States, while Floridians braced for another possible pounding as Hurricane Jeanne appeared to be gearing up for a weekend landing.


Dogs Are Able to Sniff Out Cancer It has long been suspected that man's best friend has a special ability to sense when something is wrong with us. Now the first experiment to verify that scientifically has demonstrated that dogs are able to smell cancer.


Newly-Discovered Dinosaur May Have Been Stealth Hunter By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID     WASHINGTON (AP) -- The strike would have come out of nowhere: One second the fish was swimming placidly, no danger in sight, a moment later it was lunch...


Arctic Glaciers Are Thinning Faster Than Ever WASHINGTON (AP) -- Glaciers in Antarctica are thinning faster than they did in the 1990s and researchers have discovered an unexpected folded section deep beneath the ice cap, findings that may indicate the ice is less stable than had been thought.    Glaciers in West Antarctica are discharging 60 percent more ice into the sea than they are accumulating from snowfall, a research team led by Robert Thomas at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Wallops Island, Va., reports in Thursday's issue of the journal Science...


Putin: State firms can bid for Yukos assets President Vladimir Putin gave his blessing on Friday for Russian state energy firms to bid for oil major Yukos #39;s assets if bailiffs put them up for sale to recover a huge back-tax bill.


Congress extends tax cuts for years WASHINGTON - Congress overwhelmingly approved \$146 billion in middle-class and business tax cuts Thursday night, handing President Bush a big victory 40 days before the election.


Mandrake For The French The French Ministry of Defense has signed up Paris-based Linux vendor Madrakesoft SA and a consortium of companies to develop a highly secure Linux operating system for business, defense and government uses.


Fiorina: Sometimes IT spending is a  #39;bad thing #39; Not expecting a rush of IT spending during the last three months of 2004, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina said Thursday that IT buyers have become smarter and more


Story by editor  #39;Nicky Butt will miss Newcastle United #39;s next three European matches as punishment for his sending-off against Bnei Sakhnin in the Uefa Cup first-round tie.


Giants succumb to Astros #39; 5-run 9th Bee Staff Writer. SAN FRANCISCO - One mighty swing by the Houston Astros #39; Lance Berkman made a significant impact before 41,537 hushed spectators and a stunned band of Giants.


Two Egyptians kidnapped in Baghdad A senior official of an Egyptian mobile phone company says he does not think the abduction of two of the company #39;s employees in Baghdad last night was an act of political terrorism.


Sharapova Sets Up Semi-Final with Kuznetsova  BEIJING (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova set  up an intriguing semi-final showdown with fellow Russian  Svetlana Kuznetsova at the China Open after her opponent Jelena  Jankovic retired hurt Friday with an ankle injury.


EU chief seen as keen to push Oracle merger through BRUSSELS -- The European Commission has confirmed that it wants to reach a decision on Oracle Corp.s hostile bid for PeopleSoft Inc. before the end of October, prompting speculation that it will approve the merger.


Gamers Get a Look at PlayStation Portable Sony's upcoming gaming device earns mostly positive reviews from the crowd.


Precision Castparts to Sell Branches  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Precision Castparts Corp. PCP.N,  which makes jet engine components, on Friday said it will sell  its pump and valve businesses because they are not core  businesses.


Freddie Mac Cuts 2003 Profit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Freddie Mac FRE.N, the  second-largest U.S. home financing company, on Friday revised  its 2003 net income downward by \$75 million to provide for a  reserve for legal expenses, according to its annual report.


Stewart gets new five-year deal Martha Stewart, the lifestyle guru convicted of lying about a share sale, signs a new five-year contract with the firm that bears her name.


Tracking Online Marketing ROI Using CPA Tracking Online Marketing ROI Using CPA\\As the online advertising market is poised to grow nearly \$10 billion over the next six years, it's essential that we remember the importance of measuring the effectiveness of that spending. There's no point undertaking any marketing or advertising campaign unless you can measure its ...


Bill Gates Remains Atop List Of Richest: Forbes WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (AFP) - Bill Gates kept his ranking atop the richest people in the United States, boosting his worth to 48 billion dollars, but investor Warren Buffett edged closer, Forbes magazine said Friday.


Stewart gets new five-year deal Martha Stewart may be heading to jail, but the company that oversees her stable of books, magazines and television shows is staying loyal.


US Treasuries Fall as Durable-Goods Orders Top Forecasts US Treasury notes fell after a measure of durable goods orders rose more than forecast in August, adding to speculation the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at least once more this year.


EU chief seen as keen to push Oracle merger through The European Commission has confirmed that it wants to reach a decision on Oracle Corp. #39;s hostile bid for PeopleSoft Inc. before the end of October, prompting speculation that it will approve the merger.


Iomega backs away from DCT, cuts jobs Iomega Corp. will cut its workforce by 25 percent and end development of its DCT (Digital Capture Technology) product line in a restructuring aimed at cutting costs and


Closure of bread factory to cost jobs September 23, 2004 - Almost 130 people will lose their jobs next month when the company that makes Butternut Bread shuts its Chicago plant.


Reds the new FC Hollywood? LIVERPOOL seem set to become the target of a fresh takeover bid, from the clubs fourth suitor this year. A Los Angeles-based Liverpool-born Hollywood film executive has revealed he is ready to put together a new consortium to buy the club.


Chivas USA soccer club takes nontraditional direction in naming <b>...</b>  quot;This is a team that #39;s not going to stray far from its roots. Hopefully, we would all be bilingual, but practices would be conducted in Spanish.


Xbox Adds Video Chat Service (PC World) PC World - Microsoft looks to new games, online gaming service to boost sales.


Gamers Get a Look at PlayStation Portable (PC World) PC World - Sony's upcoming gaming device earns mostly positive reviews from the crowd.


Andrew Kantor: CyberSpeak - Linux takes a step (a small one) toward desktop acceptance (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Linux takes a step - a small one - toward desktop acceptance.


Calif. Air Board Prepares to Vote on Car Emissions (Reuters) Reuters - California pollution regulators\conducted a review on Thursday of a far-reaching proposal to\order the automobile industry to cut greenhouse gas emissions\from new cars and trucks sold in the state.


Hubble Lifts Fog on Early Universe (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Astronomers have found what they believe to be several of the earliest star-forming galaxies, in a detailed analysis of Hubble Space Telescope images released earlier this year.


TV Review: NOVA - Origins (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Providing television viewers a solid primer on everything from the birth of the universe to the variety of life in New York City's Times Square may seem like a daunting prospect, but a new miniseries to appear on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) succeeds in its attempt.


Durable Goods Fall as Aircraft Orders Off (Reuters) Reuters - Orders for long-lasting U.S. durable\goods slipped unexpectedly in August as civilian aircraft\demand plunged, but beat forecasts once transportation was\stripped out, government data showed on Friday.


Short-Term Treasuries Dumped (Reuters) Reuters - Treasuries prices turned lower in\choppy trade on Friday as speculators sold short-term notes\while a report on U.S. business investment contained enough\soft spots to support longer-dated debt.


Stocks Open Near Flat After Durable Goods  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened near unchanged on  Friday after durable goods data gave a mixed picture of the  economy and oil prices held above \$48 a barrel.


Boeing CEO: Jet Market Recovery Slower  BERLIN (Reuters) - Boeing Co. Chief Executive Harry  Stonecipher said on Friday the U.S. aircraft maker's archrival  Airbus was exaggerating the speed of recovery in the commercial  airplane market.


USAir Asks Court for 23 Pct Union Pay Cut  NEW YORK (Reuters) - US Airways Group Inc. UAIRQ.PK will  ask a bankruptcy court on Friday to impose emergency pay cuts  of 23 percent on unionized workers, in an effort to help the  No. 7 U.S. airline stay alive.


Morningstar Faces Possible SEC Suit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. securities regulators may file  suit against Morningstar Inc., a provider of mutual fund and  stock research, over incorrect data it published about a mutual  fund, the company said on Friday.


Gloomy View of Durables Data Sinks Dollar  CHICAGO (Reuters) - The dollar edged lower on Friday as  weakness in overall U.S. durable goods orders cast further  doubt on the economic outlook, although the headline number  masked underlying strength in demand, traders said.


Alitalia nears final union deal Alitalia reaches an agreement with all but one trade union over plans to split the troubled national Italian airline into two.


Images of Saturn reveal kinks, theft New images from the Cassini spacecraft reveal undulating kinks in one of the rings and theft of ring dust by a moon. The kinks are seen in greater detail than ever before and the thievery has been photographed for the first time.


S.E.C. Is Investigating Morningstar Over Data Morningstar is under investigation from the Securities and Exchange Commission for taking too long to correct inaccurate data it published regarding a single mutual fund.


Stock Options Hurt U.S. Competitiveness The failure to expense stock options is causing distortions and inefficiencies in U.S. labor and capital markets.


Buffett closing on Gates in rich list Forbes magazine has again ranked Bill Gates as the richest person in the US, worth to \$48 billion, but investor Warren Buffett has edged closer.


Boeing CEO: Jet Market Recovery Slower Boeing Co. Chief Executive Harry Stonecipher said on Friday the US aircraft maker #39;s archrival Airbus was exaggerating the speed of recovery in the commercial airplane market.


US durables down in August, underlying trend still strong Orders for durable goods, a key gauge of consumer and business demand, fell in the US by 0.5 per cent last month, a greater decline than the market expected.


CFO sold stock options Tim Howard, the Fannie Mae (FNM) chief financial officer at the center of a critical report on accounting problems at the mortgage investment company, has exercised


Airbus withdraws support for Microsoft in EU case European aircraft maker Airbus SAS has withdrawn its petition to intervene in the European Commission #39;s antitrust case against Microsoft Corp.


Sony accepts MP3 format Sony has seemingly changed its mind on the MP3 music format, deciding that all new players will be able to play MP3s. Before this decision all music players made by Sony used only the company #39;s proprietary ATRAC format, limiting users #39; choices somewhat.


A Cosmic Storm: When Galaxy Clusters Collide Astronomers have found what they are calling the perfect cosmic storm, a galaxy cluster pile-up so powerful its energy output is second only to the Big Bang.


Report: Internet surpasses TV as media choice A report from the Online Publishers Association (OPA) reveals that 45.6 of 18-54 year-olds will turn to the Internet, rather than the TV, as first choice for home entertainment.


Sport Shorts Cycling legend Eddie Merckx will be the guest of Israel Triathlon Championship in December. Merckx, a five-time winner of the Tour de France and four-time world champion, who is considered by many as the greatest


UPDATE 1-Safin and Andreev put Russia in command Marat Safin overpowered Danai Udomchoke 6-4 6-1 6-2 to give Russia a commanding 2-0 lead over Thailand in their Davis Cup World Group playoff tie on Friday.


Kim possible in first round Bee Staff Writer. On a warm, calm day in the foothills, Christina Kim splashed plenty of color onto The Ridge Golf Club in Auburn.


NRIs hope for positive Mush-Manmohan meet Indians living in the US are hoping for positive results after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf meets Indian Prime Minister Dr.


Shell evacuates staff from Nigerian conflict Multinational oil giant Royal Dutch/Shell has evacuated non-essential staff from two oil production plants in Nigeria where troops are fighting a major offensive against rebel militia, a spokesman said.


2 Egyptians Seized by Gunmen in Baghdad, Iraqi Police Say Two Egyptians were seized by gunmen in an overnight raid on their Baghdad office, the Iraqi police said today, adding to a rash of kidnappings of foreigners.


Airbus withdraws support for Microsoft in EU case European aircraft maker Airbus SAS has withdrawn its petition to intervene in the European Commission's antitrust case against Microsoft Corp., one week before the software maker is set to have a hearing in its appeal, a Microsoft representative confirmed on Friday.


Dell moves up on richest Americans list Michael Dell has moved up a spot on Forbes #39; annual list of the 400 richest Americans. Dell, founder and chairman of Round Rock-based Dell Inc.


US Aug. Durables Orders Rise 2.3 Ex-Transportation (Update4) Orders increased at US factories in August for a range of durable goods, including automobiles, metals and communications equipment, evidence manufacturing will help drive the economic expansion.


Update 1: SEC Investigating Morningstar Over Data Morningstar Inc., the firm that millions of investors rely on to rate the performance of mutual funds, is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to properly correct inaccurate data it published about a mutual fund.


Income for 2004 also revised lower for syn-fuel credits NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Hurricane damage in Florida and the Carolinas will cost Progress Energy more than \$300 million to clean up and will lower earnings for the year by about 18 percent, the utility said Friday.


Titanic merger of galaxy clusters revealed One of the hottest, most energetic mergers of two colossal galaxy clusters has been imaged in exquisite detail by an X-ray observatory in space, astronomers announced on Thursday.


Project penguin: Novell CIO Debra Anderson talks to vnunet.com Novell chief information officer (CIO) Debra Anderson was given the task of migrating all of the company #39;s 6,000 staff from Microsoft Windows to Novell Linux on the desktop.


Devil Dish: This blood #39;s for you US Olympic cyclist Tyler Hamilton owes someone in an Athens, Greece, laboratory a huge thank you. Hamilton, who was under suspicion by the International Olympic Committee for blood doping, will be able to


Montgomerie likely to miss Heritage cut Five days after making the putt that won the Ryder Cup, Colin Montgomerie looked set to miss the cut at a European PGA tour event.


Tennis: Sharapova Advances to China Open Semifinals Defending Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova of Russia has advanced to the semifinals of the China Open women #39;s tennis tournament in Beijing.


Britain, Austrian Davis Cup Tie Plagued by Rain A lightning storm has delayed the start of the Davis Cup World Group qualifying playoff between Austria and Great Britain in Portschach, Austria on clay.


Australian Football: Melbourne sidelined as Brisbane and Port <b>...</b> The Australian Football League Grand Final between Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide on Saturday marks an epoch for Australia #39;s favorite spectator sport.


Desperate Haitians await flood relief Haitians struggle to grasp a tin of food as a shipment of aid arrives in Gonaives, five days after floods inundated the city. Photo: AFP.


UN Official Urges Autonomy for Darfur The Darfur region of Sudan should be granted autonomy, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, said Friday. There has to be some clear partition of


Musharraf asks India to act on Kashmir NEW YORK India and Pakistan must tackle their decadeslong dispute over Kashmir  quot;head-on quot; and come up with new plans to finally resolve it, according to President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan.


Cleric linked to Qaeda to face terror charges JAKARTA Indonesian prosecutors will file terror charges against Abu Bakar Bashir, accusing the Muslim cleric of leading the Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah militant network, the attorney general #39;s office said Friday.


Putin calls for media to fight terror President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the media could not just be passive observers in the face of terrorist threats and called on journalists to use their work to advance the anti-terrorist cause.


China executes leader of baby-trafficking ring BEIJING - A Chinese court has executed a gang leader convicted of selling more than 200 baby girls, a newspaper reported today. Li Guoju was put to death yesterday by a court in the central city of Puyang, the Beijing Times reported.


Stocks Rise After Durable Goods Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose modestly on Friday  after durable goods orders for August, excluding transportation  orders, exceeded market expectations, but gains were capped as  investors focused on high oil prices.


Rate Hike Fears Flatten Treasuries  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Short-term U.S. Treasury yields  registered their biggest rise in a month on Friday as investors  reconsidered hopes the Federal Reserve might soon pause in its  rate hike campaign.


Cat Stevens to take legal action Ex-singer Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, says he has instructed lawyers after being refused entry to the US.


Holiday disaster for Golden Sun Holidaymakers with bookings at Golden Sun face being stranded abroad or with their holiday in ruins after the company goes bust.


Jeanne Threatens Fla., Ivan Pounds Texas Floridians braced for another possible pounding as Hurricane Jeanne appeared to be gearing up for a weekend landing, as Tropical Storm Ivan's second foray into the United States came with little wind but plenty of the rain.    Jeanne has already been blamed for 1,070 flooding deaths in Haiti...


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


That #39;s rich: Gates tops Forbes list once again com September 24, 2004, 7:23 AM PT. IT Management and Web Technology have been fighting neck-to-neck for the fifth spot for the last year.


Alitalia Reaches Deal With Most Unions On Split Alitalia has reached a deal with most of its unions to split the state-controlled airline in two, hoping the plan will secure its immediate future and open the way for partial privatization.


Fed poised to raise rates third time in  #39;04 WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve, wanting to keep inflation at bay, is expected to boost short-term interest rates today for the third time this year, a move that would come in the final stretch of the presidential campaign.


Philips lowers forecast for chip division Two days after announcing that the head of its semiconductor business will leave the company, Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV on Friday lowered its forecast for the chip division #39;s third-quarter sales.


IETF Disbands Anti-Spam Working Group The Internet Engineering Task Force has disbanded its working group tackling spam, saying it was deadlocked, in part, over troubles related to Microsoft Corp.


Genesis Mission Status Report The Genesis team has shipped its first scientific sample from the mission #39;s specially constructed cleanroom at the US Army Proving Ground in Dugway, Utah.


LG.Philips ramps sixth-gen TFT plant LG.Philips LCD has reported that mass production at its sixth generation thin-film-transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) plant in Gumi, South Korea, began last month.


Firms aim to tighten Linux security The project, valued at EUR7 million over three years and funded by the French Ministry of Defence, will be conducted by a consortium which includes Bertin Technologies, Surlog, Jaluna, Oppida and Mandrakesoft.


ProSafe Smart Switch The ProSafe Smart Switch line from NETGEAR is positioned between their unmanaged and fully managed switches and offers basic Web (browser) based management capabilities primarily for small to medium sized businesses.


Tennis: Davis Cup proves Hewitt #39;s home court PERTH, Australia Lleyton Hewitt broke a 56-year-old Australian Davis Cup record on Friday, helping the home side to a 2-0 lead over an injury-depleted Morocco in their World Group qualifier.


No approach from Real - Eriksson Sven-Goran Eriksson insisted on Tuesday that he had not been approached by Real Madrid to take over as their new coach. Sven-Goran Eriksson insisted on Tuesday that he had not been approached by Real Madrid to take over as their new coach.


Williams jealous of Lion record PORT Adelaide coach Mark Williams yesterday conceded he was wracked by jealousy watching the Brisbane Lions swoop from lower on the ladder to win the past two flags.


Lieber isn #39;t perfect, but he #39;s a perfect fit Jon Lieber is not all the way back from his Tommy John surgery of August 2002. His return to full strength is still months away.  quot;I still don #39;t feel 100, quot; Lieber said.


One Israeli officers is among three killed Israelis in the <b>...</b> The Palestinian groups yesterday carried out a joint operation at a military position near Mouraj settlement to the north of Rafah to the south of Gaza that resulted in killing three Israeli soldiers, one of them is an officer and wounding other two.


Oil Falls as US Stockpiles Expected to Recover From Hurricane Crude oil in New York fell for the first time in seven sessions on expectations that US stockpiles will rise in coming weeks as imports and production recover in the wake of Hurricane Ivan.


An Analysis of Microsoft #39;s MARID Patent Applications The IETF MARID working group has been slogging away all summer trying to produce a draft standard about e-mail sender verification.


LG Philips LCD starts mass production of 6th-generation TFT-LCD <b>...</b> SEOUL (AFX) - LG Philips LCD Co Ltd, one of the world #39;s leading manufacturers of thin-film-transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCD), said its new sixth-generation TFT-LCD fabrication plant has started mass production of wide screens.


Netgear unveils 48-port Gigabit smart switch With the economy slowly turning up, upgrading hardware has been on businesses radar in the past 12 months as their number two priority.


Human Stem Cells Show Potential for Eye Repair (Reuters) Reuters - Corporate researchers working\outside controversial federal restraints said on Thursday they\had engineered human stem cells that they believe could be used\to repair eyes.


Staff fix needed at DIY website Screwfix.com, the internet home improvement service and part of the B Q chain, is freezing orders until more staff can be found.


A Touchy Debate Over Voting With the presidential election less than six weeks away, activists and security experts are ratcheting up concern over the use of touch-screen machines to cast votes.  -washingtonpost.com


Philips Warns on Sales, Sees 05 Slowdown  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Europe's top consumer electronics  group Philips PHG.AS cut the sales forecast for its  closely-watched chip unit on Friday and predicted much smaller  growth for the semiconductor industry next year.


Commerce One Announces Layoffs Internet software developer Commerce One Inc. on Friday said it laid off about 61 percent of its staff to conserve cash ahead of plans to close down its business, sending its stock plunging during morning trading.


MIT Works to Power Computers With Spinach "Eat your spinach," Mom used to say. "It will make your muscles grow, power your laptop and recharge your cell phone... " OK. So nobody's Mom said those last two things. But researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they have used spinach to harness a plant's ability to convert sunlight into energy for the first time, creating a device that may one day power laptops, mobile phones and more.


That's rich: Gates tops Forbes list once again Microsoft's leader brings home the gold medal for the 11th year running. Google's founders aren't doing too badly, either.


ID Biomedical Shares Up on Vaccine Contract Shares of ID Biomedical jumped after the company reported Monday that it signed long-term agreements with the three largest flu vaccine wholesalers in the United States in light of the shortage of vaccine for the current flu season.


Context Within Search and Optimization Context Within Search and Optimization\\A part of the problem in search engines relates to end users (you) expectations of what you will see in search results. I've run a few search query tests on the search engines recently. It's really an ongoing thing. I basically tested various wordings of the ...


U.N. Calls on N.Korea to Scrap Its Atomic Arsenal (Reuters) Reuters - The United Nations nuclear watchdog\Friday called on North Korea to give up any nuclear weapons it\may have and allow U.N. inspectors to return to verify that the\country's atomic program is peaceful.


N.Y. Times' Beijing aide held in China (Chicago Tribune) Chicago Tribune - Chinese authorities have arrested a New York Times news assistant on charges of leaking state secrets, and the newspaper has appealed to the "highest levels" of the U.S. government to help secure his release, a senior editor at the paper said Thursday.


U.N. Agency Demands N. Korea Scrap Nukes (AP) AP - A 137-nation meeting of the atomic watchdog agency demanded on Friday that North Korea scrap nuclear weapons ambitions and urged it to again allow agency inspectors to supervise its return to peaceful activities.


Visit to Washington blunts Kerry tactic (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said Thursday that Iraq's Ayad Allawi was sent before Congress to put the "best face" on a Bush administration policy that has gone wrong.


Congress delivers 146-billion-dollar tax cut (AFP) AFP - Congress overwhelmingly approved a 146-billion-dollar tax cut endorsed by both President George W. Bush and his rival John Kerry but criticized by some economists.


France pours cold water on Bush's sunny vision of Iraq (AFP) AFP - France, one of the harshest critics of the war that brought down Saddam Hussein, stressed it would not commit troops for Iraq despite appeals from the United States and United Nations.


Nigerian teacher flees Koran row A Christian teacher goes into hiding in the northern Nigerian city of Kano for offending her Muslim pupils, police say.


Shock as SA vagrant left to die An probe is launched after paramedics allegedly leave a homeless man in South Africa to die because he was dirty.


Eight More Seized in Iraq as Rash of Kidnappings Continues Besides hostage-takings by insurgent groups, many criminal gangs in Iraq have been kidnapping people for ransom.


Kerry Faults Bush for Pursuing Saddam PHILADELPHIA - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry faulted President Bush on Friday for pursuing Saddam Hussein instead of Sept. 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, a part of a Bush strategy he contended had made defeating terrorism more difficult...


'Sex and the City' Star Switches Roles NEW YORK - "Sex and the City" has taken on a whole new meaning for Cynthia Nixon. The actress, who just won an Emmy for her role as Miranda Hobbes in the hit HBO comedy, is in a relationship with another woman, a source who works with Nixon told The Associated Press on Friday...


Durable Goods, Lower Oil Lift Stocks NEW YORK - Stocks edged higher Friday as a dip in oil prices and a satisfactory report on durable goods orders cheered investors at the end of a losing week.    In late morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 27.14, or 0.3 percent, to 10,066.04...


Report: US Manufacturing Regains Some Strength Friday #39;s Commerce Department report says orders for most durable goods jumped 2.3 percent in the month. These figures exclude a decline in orders for civilian aircraft.


Middle class is richer because of these tax cuts A House-Senate conference committee Thursday agreed to legislation that will extend key components of the Bush tax cuts for up to six years.


Long-Necked Sea Monster Snuck Up on Victims A long-necked sea reptile that lived millions of years ago in what is now China may have used its stiff neck to sneak up on unsuspecting prey and suck them in, scientists said on Friday.


Two Linuxes for Newcomers This month I turn my attention back to Linux for newbies. Xandros Desktop and Lycoris Desktop/LX are two Linux distributions geared toward folks who aren #39;t gearheads.


Crying wolf over predator attacks It is one of the oldest conflicts between man and beast: farmers killing marauders such as wolves, lynxes, lions and leopards to defend their livestock from the predators.


Nicky Butt out for next three UEFA Cup games Newcastle midfielder Nicky Butt is ineligible for his club #39;s next three UEFA Cup matches because of a red card picked up in the 2-0 win over Israeli side Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin earlier this month.


It #39;s a four-gone conclusion THIS time last year the nation was all atwitter at the prospect of the Brisbane Lions winning three AFL premierships in a row. Could they?


Washington: Darfur peace is linked to peace in the south The American envoy to Sudan stressed that the political solution for the Darfur district crisis lies in Nivasha peace agreement with the southern rebels so as to end the central authority.


Hurricane Forces Football Postponement (AP) AP - Hurricane Jeanne forced the postponement of Saturday's football game between Illinois State and Florida Atlantic.


Economic Gauge Dips, Slowdown Continues (Reuters) Reuters - A leading index of the U.S. economy\dipped in the latest week, and a continued lack of growth in\the data shows no end in sight to the current slowdown, a\report showed on Friday.


Durable Goods Fall, Aircraft Orders Slump  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting U.S. durable  goods slipped unexpectedly in August as civilian aircraft  demand plunged, but beat forecasts once transportation was  stripped out, government data showed on Friday.


Stocks Inch Up After Durable Goods Report  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose modestly on Friday  after data showed durable goods orders for August, excluding  transportation orders, beat analysts' estimates, but oil prices  worried investors.


Lawyers Eat Into Freddie Mac's '03 Profit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Freddie Mac FRE.N, the  second-largest U.S. home financing company which has endured a  barrage of intense public scrutiny in over the past year, on  Friday revised its 2003 net income down by \$75 million to cover  a reserve for legal expenses, according to its annual report.


Firefox RSS Feature to Remain as Live Bookmarks Firefox RSS Feature to Remain as Live Bookmarks\\As per Ben Goodgers Blog, the RSS functionality introduced in the preview release version of Firefox is going to remain limited to what it is currently. It is not planned to replace any RSS extension or external feed readers for anyone. The only ...


Cautious Fed lifts rates but hints at pause WHILE the US presidential candidates spent much of the week making the usual promises to brighten Americans #39; future, policymakers who will probably play a bigger role in determining the quality of most lives were quietly going about their usual business.


EU to approve Oracle takeover - reports The European Union is set to approve Oracle #39;s hostile \$7.7bn takeover of enterprise apps vendor PeopleSoft, according to Reuters and the Financial Times , both of which cite unnamed sources.


Freddie, Fannie shares feel fresh pressure WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Freddie Mac fell Friday as the market digested news about the mortgage company #39;s earnings, which were restated lower for 2003.


Northland sells cranberry processing business to Ocean Spray <b>...</b> Wisconsin Rapids-based Northland Cranberries Inc. has agreed to sell its cranberry processing operations, including its Wisconsin Rapids plant and cranberry inventory, to rival Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc.


Code to exploit Windows graphics flaw now public com September 22, 2004, 4:17 PM PT. Most IT Managers won #39;t question the importance of security, but this priority has been sliding between the third and fourth most important focus for companies.


Firms aim to tighten Linux security ElectricNews: Mandrakesoft and several other Linux backers are to work together to build a version of the operating system that will be far more secure than previously available.


Golf: Monty brought down to earth with a bump WOBURN, England : Colin Montgomerie, the hero of Europe #39;s Ryder Cup slaying of the United States last weekend, came down to earth with a bump on Friday as he slumped out of The Heritage tournament.


Star cyclist Richard Virenque retires French cycling star Richard Virenque retired Friday, ending a career marked by his fierce mountain climbs but tainted by his part in the Tour de France #39;s worst doping scandal.


Blackhawks winningest head coach Billy Reay dead at the age of 86 CHICAGO (CP) - Billy Reay, who amassed more coaching wins than any other person in Chicago Blackhawks history, has died. He was 86.


Three Barcelona players suffer by serious knee injuries Three FC Barcelona defensive players have suffered serious knee injuries in the opening rounds of the Spanish league season, leaving coach Frank Rijkaard with only four healthy fullbacks.


San Francisco Giants Team Report - September 24 (Sports Network) - The two top teams in the National League West will begin a gigantic three-game series tonight, as the San Francisco Giants take on the Los Angeles Dodgers at SBC Park.


UN Refugee Chief Backs Darfur Autonomy Sudan may have to grant autonomy to Darfur to bring peace to the vast region where 1.4 million people have been displaced by fighting and 50,000 have died, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said on Friday.


Islamic rebel convicted MAKHACHKALA, Russia -- An ideological aide to Chechen rebel warlord Shamil Basayev was convicted yesterday of involvement in a 1999 raid in the southern Russian region of Dagestan.


Future Indonesian leader calls for national unity Jakarta (VNA) - In his first public statement since the second round of the Indonesian presidential run-off election, presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called for national unity and warned of difficulties facing the country.