French forward Youri Djorkaeff joins Blackburn French forward Youri Djorkaeff joined Blackburn on a short-term deal Tuesday. The 36-year-old former World Cup winner, who has been a free agent since his contract with Bolton expired


Turin Unveils Mascots as Countdown Begins Italy revved its marketing engine on Tuesday with the unveiling of two frosty-faced mascots for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Meet Neve and Gliz: a grinning snowball and an upbeat


Assassination Of Hamas Leader In Syria Sparks Calls For Revenge Israeli diplomatic and other missions abroad have raised their alert levels in response to threats after the assassination of Hamas terrorist Iz a Din al-Sheikh Khalil in Damascus Sunday.


Virgin Mobile update hits shares (FT.com) FT.com - Shares in Virgin Mobile fell back below July's float price on Tuesday as analysts and investors interpreted a trading update from the company as a surprise revenue warning.


Cheetahs Flourish on Spanish Plain (Reuters) Reuters - Stalking teddy bears and towels\before retiring to harass the family dog, 12-week-old cheetah\cub Bunjee was blissfully unconcerned by the cameras trailing\him around the Heidenreichs' house.


Memo to Carly - HP customers need help! Letters I ordered ProLiant servers, but all I got was this lousy fan


Rooney Needs to Make Up Ground Wayne Rooney will have to improve considerably on his showing last season if he is to make an impact at Manchester United, according to the Actim Index.


Britain's combative Blair refuses to apologise for Iraq conflict (AFP) AFP - A combative Prime Minister Tony Blair refused to apologise for taking Britain into the Iraq war, as he rallied his governing Labour Party to unite and win a third straight term in a general election likely to take place in 2005.


INTERVIEW: Sony Chases Rivals in Image Chip Race  TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp., the world leader in video  equipment, finds itself in the unusual position of playing  catch-up in the next battleground for technology used in  cameras, video recorders and phones.


Sudan's government, rebels call on world to provide 300 million dollars in aid (AFP) AFP - Representatives of the Sudanese government and the southern rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) urged the world community to provide 300 million dollars (244 million euros) in aid to cover emergency needs.


Kerry, Bush Votes Could Affect State Races (AP) AP - State Sen. Neil Schuerer is a small-town lawmaker not accustomed to rubbing shoulders with world leaders. But the Republican shared the stage with Dick Cheney during a recent campaign appearance in which he was given a few minutes to talk to the crowd before the start of the vice president's speech.


Greek Plane Diverted to Ireland After Bomb Threat  DUBLIN (Reuters) - A Greek plane heading for New York from  Athens made an emergency landing in Ireland on Tuesday after a  bomb alert -- the second such incident in three days.


Indian probe of 'mad cow blood' India orders an investigation into reports it may have received contaminated blood from Britain.


Consumer Confidence Dips on Job Worries NEW YORK - Job worries helped push consumer confidence down in September for the second consecutive month, a New York-based private research group said Tuesday.    The Consumer Confidence Index fell 1.9 points to 96.8 from a revised reading of 98.7 in August, according to The Conference Board...


Americans Forces Strike Fallujah BAGHDAD, Iraq - American forces bombed a suspected hide-out used by the militant group of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Fallujah on Tuesday, and the military said its frequent strikes have taken a toll on the leadership of the Jordanian-born terror leader's network.    But in a sign of strength, dozens of militants - some waving banners of al-Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad group - drove freely through the streets of another central Iraqi city, Samarra, where U.S...


Upgrades, staffing costs squeeze British IT budgets A U.K. survey finds little money left over for new investment, and that Linux is not leaving its mark on the desktop.


With RFID, corporate might makes right Retail powerhouses such as Wal-Mart gather in Baltimore to push development of controversial tagging technology.


Dell, Topspin tout InfiniBand clusters Dell's new servers, which use 96-port TS270 switch and other networking equipment, will be available by Oct. 31, Dell said.


Oil Is Steady After Reaching Record \$50.47 on Supply Concern Oil futures were little changed after touching a record \$50.47 a barrel on concern Nigerian rebels will follow through on threats to cut shipments from the fifth-largest supplier to the US.


UPDATE 1-Delta to cut employee pay 10 pct, CEO declines pay Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said it will reduce executive and employee pay by 10 percent starting in January and its CEO will go unpaid for


Motorola Makes Cuts, Focuses On Wireless In a move designed to hone in on its wireless business and reduce operating costs, Motorola is handing out 1,000 pink slips and will take a charge of \$50 million.


Why are oil prices so high? LONDONUS crude prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange hit fresh record highs on Tuesday, hitting \$50.47 a barrel, up nearly 55 percent from the start of the year.


Centene expands into Missouri, Kansas markets Centene Corp., the parent company of West Allis-based health maintenance organization Managed Health Services Insurance Corp., said Tuesday that it has agreed to buy two FirstGuard health plans serving a total of 136,000 members in Missouri and Kansas for


SEC focusing on drug makers The Securities and Exchange Commission is scrutinizing biotechnology companies as part of a wider effort to ensure that companies don #39;t mislead investors


Amazon and Microsoft Join in Lawsuit Against Spammers The joint lawsuit was filed yesterday in federal court in Seattle against Gold Disk Canada and its principals -- Barry, Eric and Matthew Head -- and accuses them of misusing Microsoft #39;s Hotmail


-Posted by dan.farber  10:50 am (PDT) Former Microsoft senior vice president Brad Silverberg and some ex-BEA executives are teaming up to launch an open-source company that aims to become the Dell of the softwareindustry.


Freescale unveils dual-core PowerPC architecture Freescale, Motorola #39;s semiconductor subsidiary until July of this year, announced first details about its dual-core core strategy for the e600 PowerPC platform.


AT amp;T Offers IM, Email and Text Messaging On The Go At an affordable device price of \$99 (after \$30 mail-in rebate) with unlimited messaging plans starting at only \$17.99 per month, Ogo provides customers with a wireless messaging device priced for the typical consumer.


Mascots for Turin Winter Olympics Unveiled (AP) AP - Cartoon characters named Neve and Gliz, representing a ball of snow and a block of ice, are the mascots for the 2006 Turin Olympics.


Founding father Gerry Snyder feels city government let Expos down MONTREAL (CP) - Ask a dozen Montreal Expos fans why the team is on the verge of departure after 35 years of existence, and you #39;ll get a dozen different answers.


Porto experience is no advantage says Chelsea #39;s Mourinho Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes he has no advantage over new Porto boss Vitor Fernandez despite having led the Portuguese side to Champions League victory last season.


NBA, NBRA Approve Collective Bargaining Agreement (Reuters) Reuters - The NBA has entered into a new\five-year collective bargaining agreement with the National\Basketball Referees Association (NBRA), thus eliminating the\possibility of having replacement officials work the upcoming\season.


Top al-Qaida man dies of heart attack The alleged top al-Qaida operative in Lebanon, who was arrested 10 days ago after authorities uncovered a plot to bomb embassies of Italy and Ukraine, and kill diplomats, died of a heart attack Monday, hospital officials and the Interior Ministry said.


McAfee updates target 'phishing' New versions of SpamKiller and personal firewall aim to hook phishers, as online fraud continues to grow.


NBA, NBRA Approve Collective Bargaining Agreement  NEW YORK (Sports Network) - The NBA has entered into a new  five-year collective bargaining agreement with the National  Basketball Referees Association (NBRA), thus eliminating the  possibility of having replacement officials work the upcoming  season.


PalmSource's BlackBerry effort bears fruit The company plans to make available an API that lets Palm OS-powered devices work with BlackBerry wireless e-mail services.


Tech industry struggles with age-old conundrum The silver-haired set is a growing yet elusive demographic for IT product engineers and Web site designers.


NBA Ratifies Referees Five-Year Contract NBA referees have entered into a five-year collective bargaining agreement with the league, removing the possibility of having replacement officials work the upcoming season.


Oil surges to \$50.47 a barrel Oil prices soared to a new record above \$50 yesterday as uncertainties over Nigerian output heightened worries of a severe supply disruption ahead of winter.


Branson reaches for the stars Strapped in, flat on their backs, passengers will accelerate to 4000km/h in just 25 seconds. For no more than five minutes they will float about, 130km above planet Earth.


Intel Launches Next-Gen Chip After 10 years in the making and multiple delays, Intel released its state-of-the-art 64-bit Itanium microprocessor on Tuesday. The microprocessor, which is designed for servers and workstations, is based


Tennis: Spain and the US will square up in Seville for Davis Cup <b>...</b> BARCELONA, Spain : Spain will play the United States in the Davis Cup final in Seville on December 3-5, Spanish tennis federation president Agusti Pujol said.


Browns #39; Suggs cleared to play Cleveland Browns running back Lee Suggs may be ready to play his first game of the season Sunday. Suggs, who had been expected to start at running back this season, missed the first three games because of a neck injury.


Two Italian, two Iraqi hostages released in Iraq Two Italian aid workers have been released, three weeks after being kidnapped in Baghdad. Also free are two Iraqis abducted at the same time.


Protesters interrupt Blair speech Tony Blair #39;s keynote speech to the Labour party conference in Brighton was twice interrupted today. The first interruption came from a lone protester against the war in Iraq, while the second was from pro-hunt demonstrators.


Unease in Gulf, Nigeria makes oil, financial markets jittery THERE is eerie nervousness in oil and financial markets amid fears over oil supply as prices are edging towards \$50 (around Rs 2,298) a barrel mark.


Mexico-Based Cemex To Buy RMC  quot;This is the right acquisition at the right time for Cemex, quot; says Lorenzo Zambrano, chairman and chief executive of Cemex.


American Financial to Buy Office Space American Financial Realty Trust on Tuesday agreed to acquire 252 commercial properties from Bank of America NA for a total price of about \$570 million excluding unspecified transaction expenses.


Colonial BancGroup buys Union Bank Colonial BancGroup of Montgomery, Ala., Tuesday agreed to acquire Union Bank of Florida in in Sunrise, Fla. Under terms of the deal Colonial BancGroup will acquire Union Bank


Hackers Exploit Microsoft's JPEG Flaw (AP) AP - In a harbinger of security threats to come, hackers have exploited a newly announced flaw in Microsoft Corp. programs and begun circulating malicious code hidden in images that use the popular JPEG format.


Rocket Plane to Attempt Space Flight (AP) AP - A test pilot in a stubby rocket plane will try to climb more than 60 miles over the Mojave Desert and punch through the atmosphere Wednesday in the first stage of a quest to win a  #36;10 million prize meant to encourage space tourism.


Half Of Online Viagra Bogus Half of the Viagra sold over the Internet -- often via spam-style blastings that plague mailboxes worldwide -- is fake, a British researcher said Tuesday.


San Francisco at San Diego, 10:05 PM SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- After one final day off, the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants resume their quest to reach the postseason when they begin a three-game series.


Italian hostages in Iraq released Two female Italian hostages seized in Baghdad three weeks ago have been freed on Tuesday and are safe, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says.


Olympics: Powerful moments stir emotions at Paralympic Games ATHENS : As the Athens Paralympics drew to a close 1,001 moments, each more poignant and powerful than the last, rise to the surface in the search for the defining image of these unforgettable Games.


Bishops chide Spain over same-sex marriage The Spanish government #39;s plans to legalize same-sex marriage was lambasted by the Roman Catholic Church, the BBC reported Tuesday.


Briefly: Dell, Topspin tout InfiniBand clusters roundup Plus: Ex-HP exec joins StreamServe board...Credit union beefs up database security...Computer scientists slam e-voting machines.


Upgrades, HR costs squeeze British tech budgets A U.K. survey finds that little money is left over for new IT investment and that Linux is not leaving its mark on the desktop.


Motorola Plans To Cut 1,000 Jobs Motorola Inc. plans to eliminate 1,000 jobs in the spinoff of its semiconductor unit, the company said Tuesday in a filing with government regulators.


RIM releases new BlackBerry in U.S., European markets The new model of Research In Motion's popular BlackBerry e-mail device includes a quad-band phone and Bluetooth.


Internet fails to shine for 'silver surfers' The Modern Maturity set is a growing yet elusive demographic for IT product engineers and Web site designers.


Italian, Egyptian Hostages Freed in Iraq Two female Italian hostages seized in Baghdad three weeks ago were set free on Tuesday along with kidnapped Iraqis and Egyptians in a flurry of releases, but


Euro Disney Strikes Restructuring Deal Euro Disney SCA said Tuesday its lenders have agreed unanimously to extend a debt plan designed to keep the troubled theme park operator afloat.


Gunfight At The Artery Wall NEW YORK - Today at the UBS Global Life Sciences Conference, AtheroGenics was met with pointed skepticism over trial results for its drug, AGI-1067.


Virgin Group Enters US Online-Music Market The online digital-music business became a little more crowded as Richard Branson #39;s Virgin Group launched a music Web site in the US The Virgin Digital service sells songs for 99 cents each


Former BEA Execs, VC Heavyweights Launch Open-Source Startup It appears something positive has emerged from the recent mass exodus of executives from BEA Systems. On Tuesday, three former BEA executives, with the help of two venture-capital heavyweights, launched a


#39;Dolly #39; scientist seeks human clone licence The British scientist who created Dolly the sheep, has applied for a licence to clone human embryos in the hope of finding a cure for motor neurone disease.


PalmSource Smartens Up OS for Mobile Phones Analysts said the smartphone enhancements hold the potential to bring PalmSource into an expanding market that still has room despite early inroads by Symbian and Microsoft.


RFID Deadlines Intensify Need To Manage Product Information Enterprises face dual 2005 deadlines relating to RFID and supply-chain data synchronization. Those that haven #39;t moved forward with a product-information-management strategy will be under-prepared to realize RFID #39;s value.


Toshiba Trumps iPod with 60 GB Rival All three models to be released use a 1.8-inch hard drive that can hold up to 2,500, 5,000 and 15,000 pieces of music, respectively.


Sports briefs for September 28, 2004 US gymnast Paul Hamm planned to return to the United States on Wednesday after resting in Lausanne, Switzerland, for a day following his 11 1/2-hour session before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.


Rooney Up and Running Ninety-six days after his last competitive game Wayne Rooney was handed his Manchester United debut in tonights Champions League clash with Fenerbahce.


The emergence of the past captains began when the PGA of America Pros: Fits the recent profile (44, past PGA champion, fiery Ryder Cup player); the job is his if he wants it. Cons: Might be too young to be willing to burn two years of play on tour.


China: Paralympic powerhouse Athens - Runner-up to the United States by a handful of gold medals at the Athens Olympics, China was the big winner at the Paralympics.


Cougars may be 1-3, but they aren #39;t hurting from lack of exposure Pardon me if this is disjointed, but I #39;ve just returned from a hugging party and ... well ... I #39;MA LITTLE WOUND UP!!! 1. Quarterback John Beck #39;s throwing motion is as effortless and aesthetically pleasing as Manny Ramirez #39;s swing.


Kidnapped CNN producer released in Gaza An Israeli Arab who works as a producer for CNN was released Tuesday, a day after he was abducted at gunpoint from a van on a busy street of Gaza City, relatives and Palestinian police said.


Blair defends war, urges Labour Party to close ranks and fight for <b>...</b> Prime Minister Tony Blair tried Tuesday to heal divisions over the Iraq war and unite his Labour Party to fight for a historic third term in power, acknowledging that intelligence used to justify the invasion was wrong but insisting the world was safer


Nigerian Militia Threatens Armed Struggle Militiamen trying to wrest control of the oil-rich Niger Delta threatened on Tuesday to launch a full-scale armed struggle #39; #39; on petroleum-pumping operations in Africa #39;s


Lebanese police release detained sisters of dead Al-Qaida detainee Police on Tuesday released two sisters of the alleged al-Qaida leader in Lebanon who died of a heart attack in custody, security officials said.


Motorola Cuts 1,000 Jobs Motorola (Quote, Chart) said it would cut 1,000 jobs, a move prompted by the spinout of its Freescale Semiconductor (Quote, Chart) subsidiary.


UPDATE 1-Snow says no risk of sharp US slowdown Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Tuesday that, notwithstanding weaker consumer confidence, he did not think the US economy was at risk of a slowdown.


Windows JPEG Exploit Ventures into the Wild The first example of a working program designed to exploit a bug in Microsoft #39;s GDI librarywhich allows malicious code to be run simply by viewing a JPEG imagehas been found in the wild.


HP Shutters UDC Hewlett-Packard has decided to break up its Utility Data Center (UDC) program, according to company spokespeople. A long-term initiative dating back to the late 1990s, the UDC program aimed to provide enterprises


Rooney scores twice in ManU debut Teenager Wayne Rooney has scored twice in the first 28 minutes of his debut for Manchester United in their Champions League Group D match against Fenerbahce of Turkey at Old Trafford.


Expos to DC announcement could come later this week Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Professional baseball appears ready to make a return to the nation #39;s capital, as an announcement could come later this week that the Montreal Expos will be relocated to Washington, DC for the 2005 season.


Icy couple to be the faces of 2006 Winter Games The organisers of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics unveiled the event #39;s mascots on Tuesday, a friendly snowball called Neve and her playful ice cube partner Gliz.


Palestinian gunmen free CNN producer kidnapped in Gaza strip Palestinian gunmen have released an Israeli Arab producer working for the CNN television network who was kidnapped yesterday in the Gaza Strip.


Sudan Asks UN to Verify Darfur Refugee Returns Sudan has asked the United Nations to help verify reports that 190,000 refugees from the conflict-hit western Darfur region have voluntarily returned to their homes, the UN refugee agency chief said on Tuesday.


Report: PC Sales Growing as Economy Rebounds (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - New statistics from IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker show that commercial \demand for PCs is rising in tandem with the growing economy, with PC shipment \growth in the second quarter the highest since mid 1999.


All I Want for Christmas Is a  #36;10 Million Zeppelin (Reuters) Reuters - Baby Boomers, this Christmas season\unleash your inner child and empty your bankbook with\jewel-encrusted Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head toys at  #36;16,000 a\pair.


Lockheed's MEADS Wins \$3 Bln Contract  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A transatlantic venture led by  Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT.N on Tuesday won a \$3 billion  contract to design and develop the Medium Extended Air Defense  System (MEADS), which is slated to replace Patriot missiles in  the next decade, the venture said on Tuesday.


Cendant Nears Deal to Buy Orbitz Travel Site The deal would end a daring experiment by the nation's airlines, which created Orbitz as a competitor to Expedia and online ticketing sites like it.


Delta CEO forgoes salary, details pay cuts; Pilots OK retirement <b>...</b> ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Inc. #39;s chief executive said Tuesday he is giving up his six-figure salary for the rest of the year as he detailed a 10 percent pay cut that will affect senior officials, administrative staff and ticket and gate agents.


Amazon.com, Microsoft sue spammers,  #39;phishers #39; Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have filed several lawsuits in various Seattle courts aimed at computer spammers and  quot;phishers quot; who use a look-alike Amazon.


UPDATE 1-Centene shares rise on acquisition, forecast Centene Corp. (CNC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , which sells Medicaid government health insurance plans, on Tuesday said the acquisition of two new health plans would add to 2005 earnings, pushing its shares up 13 percent.


Branson #39;s Virgin Group creating  #39;21st-century airline #39; in Nigeria Virgin Group boss Richard Branson has signed an agreement with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to launch a new airline in the African country that will be majority owned by Nigerian investors.


Vendor Consortium Works On Common Architecture For Defense Dept Defense wants to remake the armed services, and one of the critical tools would be a global, common networking architecture for US forces.


Half of Internet Viagra Could Be Fake - Study As many as half of the Viagra anti-impotence pills sold on the Internet could be counterfeit, British scientists said on Tuesday. They analyzed samples of Viagra sold


Titans #39; McNair released from hospital McNair spent the past two nights in the hospital after bruising his breastbone late in the Titans #39; 15-12 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday.


Security Measures Failed to Spot Protesters A multi-million pound security operation today failed to prevent dramatic protests marring Tony Blairs Labour conference speech.


Older People Turn to Internet to Find Love (AP) AP - Sensuous, intellectual woman, 5'3, adventurous, pretty and open, seeks a life partner who is sexy, highly intelligent and cheerful. How old is this woman? In her early 60s. That's the profile Mary Bellis Waller, now 64, posted on two Internet dating sites during her search for a companion.


Amazon.com, Microsoft Sue Phishers (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) -- two Washington state companies with a massive \presence online -- have teamed up to fight what is fast becoming the No. 1 scourge on the Internet.


Study: CDs Still Overshadow Digital-Music Downloads (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - The CD will remain the most popular music format in Europe until at least the end of the decade, when digital-music downloads will start to pose a challenge to the CD's dominance, according to a new study.


AOL Targets Mobile IM (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - America Online is seeking help with efforts to push its messaging services into the mobile realm, enlisting the help of handheld-device manufacturers while introducing a developer program focusing on the company's Instant Messenger (AIM) applications.


Budget Version of Windows Headed for Russia (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) will release a low-cost version of Windows for the Russian market in an attempt to combat the country's pirated software problem and growing Linux adoption.


Palm Produces Smartphone OS (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - PalmSource has taken the wraps off of its latest smartphone software platform, launching OS Cobalt 6.1 with an eye on drawing more licensees and developers to the company's operating system and improving the performance of converged voice/data devices.


The CRM Money Pit - Part 5 (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Over the course of this series, CRM Daily is looking at areas that tend to develop into financial black holes for companies launching or updating a CRM project.


Italy's 'Two Simonas' Freed, Jubilation at Home (Reuters) Reuters - The release of two Italian women aid\workers in Iraq was greeted with joy and relief on Tuesday\following three weeks of anguish in Italy over their abduction.


Bombs hit US, British targets in Turkish cities (AFP) AFP - Four bombs that went off simultaneously in separate Turkish cities targeting British and US interests caused material damage and left one man slightly injured, Anatolia news agency reported.


Niger Delta rebel leader to meet president, says will not destroy oil sites (AFP) AFP - The head of a separatist movement in Nigeria's southern oil-rich Niger Delta, Mujahid Dokubo Asari, announced on Tuesday evening that he would meet President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abuja on Wednesday.


North Korea should stop boasting and return to negotiating table: US (AFP) AFP - The United States urged North Korea to stop boasting about its nuclear weapons capability and return to the negotiating table to resolve the nuclear crisis in the Korean peninsula.


Bush Increases Lead Over Kerry in Latest Pew Poll (Reuters) Reuters - President Bush's lead over\Democratic nominee John Kerry increased to eight points in a\Pew Research Center poll released on Tuesday, compared to a\slight three-point lead in a poll conducted last week.


Senate Candidate Chides Staffer for E-Mail (AP) AP - A Republican Senate candidate in South Carolina has reprimanded a campaign staffer for a derogatory comment she made about lesbians in an e-mail.


Prosecutor Accuses Former Liberia Leader (AP) AP - The top prosecutor for Sierra Leone's war crimes court on Monday accused former Liberian President Charles Taylor of recruiting fighters in the country he once led and working to destabilize other West African nations. A spokesman for Taylor denied the allegations.


Italy's 'Two Simonas' Freed, Jubilation at Home  ROME (Reuters) - The release of two Italian women aid  workers in Iraq was greeted with joy and relief on Tuesday  following three weeks of anguish in Italy over their abduction.


Argentine Teen Kills Three in School Shooting  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) - A 15-year-old schoolboy  armed with a pistol killed three fellow Argentine students and  wounded six on Tuesday in a school shooting that shocked a  country unaccustomed to such violence.


Greek Plane Diverted to Ireland After Bomb Threat  DUBLIN (Reuters) - A Greek plane carrying more than 300  people on board and heading for New York from Athens made an  emergency landing in Ireland on Tuesday after a bomb alert --  the second such incident in three days.


2 Abducted Italian Women Freed in Iraq After 3 Weeks Two Italian women held hostage in Iraq for three weeks were freed today, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy announced.


Athletics Struggle Down the Stretch OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland Athletics are used to pressure-packed pennant races...


Mexican State Recruits Cats to Fight Rats MONTERREY, Mexico - Health authorities in the northern state of Chihuahua said Tuesday they are recruiting hundreds of cats to fight hundreds of thousands of rats.    Chihuahua state officials say they hope to collect as many as 700 felines and send them to Atascaderos, an isolated farm village in the rugged Tarahumara mountains, a region where officials estimate there are about a half million rats...


Crude Oil Prices Approach \$50 a Barrel LONDON - Oil prices hovered near \$50 per barrel Tuesday after a Saudi Arabian oil official said the world's largest petroleum exporter would raise its production capacity by nearly 5 percent in a bid to calm markets.    Light sweet crude for November delivery was up 16 cents at \$49.80 per barrel in late morning trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, retreating from the \$50.47 high reached in overnight electronic trade...


Medtronic Must Pay Inventor \$109 Million, Jury Says (Update3) A US jury told Medtronic Inc., the world #39;s biggest maker of spinal implants, to pay at least \$109 million to an inventor for violating contracts and infringing his patents.


Motorola Picks A Smart Fight NEW YORK - Like a boxer shedding pounds to get to his fighting weight, Motorola is trimming down to take on the mobile phone market, shedding jobs and spinning off divisions.


SEC says it charges former NextCard execs of fraud The US Securities and Exchange Commission said on Tuesday it brought fraud and insider trading charges against former top executives of bankrupt credit card issuer NextCard Inc.


Athletics Struggle Down the Stretch (AP) AP - The Oakland Athletics are used to pressure-packed pennant races. It's their sub-par September that's the shocker.


McNair Out of Hospital, Resting at Home (AP) AP - Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair was released from the hospital Tuesday morning after a two-night stay with a bruised sternum.


Security researchers say JPEG virus imminent A Trojan horse that exploits a recent critical flaw in Microsoft Windows #39; handling of JPEG images has been posted to several newsgroups, but it has no way to spread, security experts said Tuesday.


Space station launch delayed again The launch of the Russian spacecraft carrying a replacement crew for the international space station was delayed for the second time in two weeks Tuesday, raising questions about whether


Oracle Puts Pressure On Microsoft The vendor brings its E-Business Suite to North America to go against Microsoft #39;s ERP software. By Laurie Sullivan. With the first phase of the high-profile PeopleSoft Inc.


Yao Thinks Chinese Players Need More Work (AP) AP - Yao Ming believes his teammates on the Chinese national team need to get stronger and smarter in order to compete for a medal at the 2008 Olympics, though he wouldn't go so far as to endorse the solution offered by Del Harris.


Woods in 2000 Is Standard of Greatness (AP) AP - Vijay Singh has one month to put the final touches on what already is a masterpiece.


Blair Battles Own Political Party on UK Iraq Policy Description: NPR #39;s Alex Chadwick talks to Colin Brown, deputy political editor for the United Kingdom #39;s Independent newspaper, currently covering the British Labour Party Conference.


Sportsview: Eagles Have Attitude, Talent (AP) AP - The Philadelphia Eagles had talent. Now they have swagger and personality, too.


Schiavone, Farina Elia Win in Belgium (AP) AP - Two seeded Italians  #151; No. 5 Francesca Schiavone and No. 6 Silvia Farina Elia  #151; won first-round matches Tuesday at the Gaz de France Stars.


Singh, Woods Have Ties to 84 Lumber (AP) AP - Appearance money is not allowed on the PGA Tour, but there were murmurs when the field at the 84 Lumber Classic in Pennsylvania originally included Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods, a rare 1-2 punch in a fall tournament.


Briefly: .Mac customers suffer e-mail glitches roundup Plus: IBM launches business research group...Verbatim to make discs with HP labeling feature...SWsoft teams with Acronis to boost virtual servers...Dell, Topspin tout InfiniBand clusters.


IBM launches business research group New center pits supercomputing, advanced math, data mining and management consulting against business problems.


SWsoft teams with Acronis to boost virtual servers Firms sign joint development, marketing deal for integrated product expected next year.


Security researchers say JPEG virus imminent Trojan horse that exploits flaw in how Windows handles JPEG images may be low risk, but it's a bad omen.


Verbatim to make discs with HP labeling feature The same laser that writes your latest music mix will etch a label onto the other side of special discs.


Artisoft to buy IP telephony vendor Vertical Artisoft Inc. has agreed to acquire Vertical Networks Inc. for as much as \$19 million in cash in a deal that will create a vendor of IP (Internet Protocol) telephony software for call centers, medium-sized businesses and large enterprises.


Gov't panel: No cybersecurity mandates needed WASHINGTON - Now is not the time for the U.S. government to mandate cybersecurity standards to private industry, despite significant threats and a lack of understanding by many company executives, a panel of government officials said Tuesday.


RPT-Ballard shares jump on US delivery, sector survey Ballard Power Systems (BLD.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) shares rose 20 percent on Tuesday on news it had delivered fuel cell-powered vehicles for a US Department of Energy program while an upbeat survey on the fuel sector


Oracle Brings Scaled-Down Enterprise Suite to America Shoring up its fourth-quarter applications revenuesand its small and midmarket business strategyOracle Corp. announced Monday the North American version of its E-Business Suite Special Edition.


Coach Mourinho to face former squad with Chelsea London, England (Sports Network) - Disappointing Porto will meet a confident Chelsea side led by its former coach at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday as Matchday 2 continues.


Prospect of no NHL season causing carnage in Canada TORONTO: The prospect of a winter without icehockey continues to send shockwaves across Canada but the labour dispute between National Hockey League (NHL) owners and players has caused barely a ripple in the United States.


Protesters disrupt rallying call Prime Minister Tony Blair faced angry protests as he urged his party to set aside its differences over Iraq and seize the chance of an historic third term in power.


Google Adwords Traffic Estimator Explained Google Adwords Traffic Estimator Explained\\Google added this great feature that helps AdWords customers figure out an estimated level of traffic that they should expect to see based on the CPC value and keyword phrase. But ad features are added, it adds an additional level of complexity for the end user. ...


Consumer confidence declines again in September Continued job worries resulted in an unexpected decline in consumer confidence in September, the second consecutive monthly dip, a New York-based private research group said Tuesday.


Industry watchers view ConocoPhillips as favourite in Lukoil <b>...</b> When the Russian government #39;s 7.6 per cent stake in Lukoil - the world #39;s No. 2 oil company by reserves - is auctioned Wednesday in the country #39;s biggest privatization, industry watchers aren #39;t expecting any surprises.


Microsoft Cools Hotmail Features NEW YORK - Love reaching your Hotmail account from your Outlook inbox? Soon you #39;ll have to pay for the privilege of doing it. In a bid to rein in spammers, software giant Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people


AT amp;T and IXI launch OGO IXI Mobile and AT amp;T Wireless have launched a text-centric device aimed at those who keep their fingers moving, and a surprising price.


Dolly doc to try cloning humans The Scottish scientist who created the world #39;s first cloned sheep says he plans to seek permission to clone human tissue. Ian Wilmut, who works at the Roslin Institute


Yahoo pages to get touch-up com September 27, 2004, 5:02 PM PT. There #39;s no doubt the Internet will continue to make its mark in the world of business and technology.


IPC President Upbeat About Athens Paralympics Phil Craven, head of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) told a press conference he was very upbeat about the Games.


Coming soon: Awesome 4some, starring Vijay Singh NEW DELHI: Local golf fans are in for a treat: For the first time ever, the sport #39;s top-ranked player will be in India. Vijay Singh, who recently dethroned Tiger Woods as No.


Beijing 2008 Gets New Sponsors Anheuser-Busch and Legend Group have both signed on as sponsors of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Its the first time Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser, has sponsored a Summer Olympics outside


Blair apologises for Iraq intelligence, not war British Prime Minister Tony Blair has remained defiant at a Labour Party annual conference, but admitted that some mistakes had been made over the war in Iraq.


Last two Egyptians  #39;set free #39; THE last two Egyptian telecom employees held hostage in Iraq had been freed, Al-Arabiya television reported today, quoting its own correspondent.


Motorists Could Face \$2/gal Gasoline Soon  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drivers could again face \$2 a  gallon gasoline now that crude oil has topped a record \$50 a  barrel, government experts said on Tuesday.


Oil Sets New Record Over \$50 Oil prices raced to new record highs above \$50 on Tuesday, despite a pledge by OPEC producer Saudi Arabia to increase production, as rebel threats against Nigerian oil facilities threatened to inflict further strain on global supplies


Trump Casinos: Decide on Debt Deal Soon Donald Trump #39;s casino company expects to decided in the next couple of weeks whether it can reach a new debt restructuring deal with bond holders, sell assets or whether Trump will take the company private, executive vice president


Amazon, Microsoft team against online fraud Amazon.com, the world #39;s largest online retailer, and Microsoft, the world #39;s largest software developer, announced Tuesday the filing of several lawsuits against phishers and spammers.


Lowe #39;s Sees Profit Rising in 2005, 2006 Home improvement retailer Lowe #39;s Cos. (LOW.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said it expects diluted earnings per share to rise in both 2005 and 2006 as it benefits from increased remodeling and home ownership.


Attackers Target Microsoft Jpeg Flaw Attackers have posted a malicious Jpeg image file to Internet newsgroups that distribute pornography. The infected Jpeg file attempts to exploit a critical vulnerability Microsoft announced and issued a patch for on Sept.


Yahoo Takes RSS Mainstream Yahoo #39;s (Quote, Chart) public embrace of the RSS content syndication format took a major leap forward with the release of a revamped My Yahoo portal seeking to introduce the technology to mainstream consumers.


Silva out for a month ARSENAL #39;S Brazilian World Cup winning midfielder Gilberto Silva is set to be out for at least a month with a back injury, the Premiership leaders said.


Another two Egyptian hostages freed in Iraq The last two Egyptian workers of an Egyptian telecom company kidnapped earlier this month in Iraq were released, Dubai-based Al Arabiya television said on Tuesday.


WebSideStory Rises in Delayed IPO Shares of WebSideStory Inc. jumped nearly 17 percent in their trading debut Tuesday after the Web statistics firm - making its second try in four years to go public - boosted the size of the deal and priced in the middle of its expected range.


Russian Space Launch Delayed Again Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov and US astronaut Leroy Chiao were due to leave on October 11th aboard a Soyuz space craft to replace the current crew.


Munich Set to Approve Linux Despite Patent Worries More than a year after the German city of Munich declared its landmark intention to abandon Microsoft Windows in favor of upstart rival Linux, its councillors are finally ready to go ahead with the plan.


Rooney scores three in Man U #39;s 6-2 victory over Fenerbahce MANCHESTER, England - In his debut for Manchester United, Wayne Rooney scored three goals as the English side defeated Turkey #39;s Fenerbahce 6-2 Tuesday in the second rotation of the Champions League.


Candlestick Park Gets New Name SAN FRANCISCO -- It #39;s a sign of the times for Forty-Niner fans, who are getting used to major changes. The team confirmed Monday that naming rights to the stadium have been sold to Monster Cable Products Inc


Critics don #39;t faze Mourinho Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has insisted that he would not be concerned if the Blues became the most disliked club in the country - as that would only make them even stronger.


PREVIEW-Bayern need improvement against Ajax, says Makaay Bayern Munich #39;s Dutch striker Roy Makaay warned his team they needed to raise their game if they were to trouble Ajax Amsterdam in their Champions League encounter on Tuesday.


Microsoft to charge for WebDAV Hotmail access To curb spam, getting your Hotmail via Outlook/Express won #39;t be free much longer ... posted 12:49pm EST Tue Sep 28 2004 - submitted by Christopher R. Anderson.


Munich set to approve Linux More than a year after the German city of Munich declared its landmark intention to abandon Microsoft Windows in favor of upstart rival Linux, its councilors are finally ready to go ahead with the plan.


Italians Schiavone, Farina Elia post first-round wins in Belgium Hasselt, Belgium (Sports Network) - Seeded Italians Francesca Schiavone and Silvia Farina Elia led Tuesday #39;s parade of first-round winners at the inaugural Gaz de France Stars tennis event.


Cavs sign Scott Williams Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - The Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday signed veteran forward/center Scott Williams. As per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.


In Party Speech, Blair Admits Political Cost of Iraq Mistakes Prime Minister Tony Blair acknowledged today that there had been a decline of public trust in his government over the military campaign in Iraq and he offered


Second Bomb Threat Plane Lands Safely A bomb-threatened Olympic Airways plane landed safely at Shannon airport today after being diverted to Ireland following a warning telephoned to an Athens newspaper.


Oil prices set new records above \$50 LONDON: World oil prices surged into new record territory above \$50 a barrel Tuesday as traders took fright at a multitude of supply threats, including unrest in Nigeria and recent hurricanes.


Delta CEO declines own salary for remainder of year In calling for a 10 percent staff pay cut, Delta Air Lines Inc. CEO Gerald Grinstein announced Tuesday he will decline his own salary for the remainder of the year.


Calpine Prices Senior Secured Notes Calpine Corp. added more high-yield bonds to its debt load Tuesday after pricing a \$785 million deal into the market. The company - which has been criticized by market analysts in the past because of its frequency


Munich set to approve Linux despite patent worries SEPTEMBER 28, 2004 (REUTERS) - More than a year after Munich declared its intention to abandon Microsoft Windows in favor of open-source rival Linux, city councilors are finally ready to move ahead with the plan.


EPCglobal: Users to get RFID progress update SEPTEMBER 28, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Corporate users facing mandates to adopt radio frequency identification technology will get a chance at this week #39;s EPCglobal US Fall Conference in Baltimore to gauge how much progress vendors, service providers


Out of the rough Here are some rantings from the world of professional golf. Sort of. Vijay Singh has won eight times on the PGA Tour in 2004. He has set the


Ragged Federer moves up World number one Roger Federer struggled through an unexpectedly tough opening win on Tuesday night against outsider Nicolas Thomann, finally grabbing a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) victory at the \$550,000 Thailand Open.


Monaco 2-0 Deportivo La Corua: FT Report MONTE CARLO, September 28 (Champions League) - It may not have been as emphatic as last year #39;s victory against the same opposition but Monaco pulled off another famous win at the expense of Deportivo La Coruna in a Champions League Group A match on


Bayern routs Ajax behind Makaay hat-trick; Juve beats Maccabi Tel <b>...</b> Bayern Munich shrugged off some indifferent early season form as a Roy Makaay hat-trick helped them to a 4-0 win over Ajax Amsterdam in their Champions League Group C match at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday.


Funding, interest up Although Paralympic sports have been integrated with the Olympic movement in countries such as Canada, Germany and Great Britain for some time, Paralympic athletes #39; roles in the USA still are growing.


Leafs veteran Alex Mogilny undergoes another hip surgery TORONTO (CP) - Winger Alexander Mogilny of the Toronto Maple Leafs has undergone successful arthroscopic surgery to his left hip for the second time in a year.


Goodbye Candlestick When the Seahawks visit San Francisco in November, they won #39;t be going to Candlestick. The stadium is now known as Monster Park.


The twin challenges in Palestine and other Arab countries The Palestinian intifada marked the completion of its fourth consecutive year yesterday, and, not surprisingly, Palestinian street anger is directed these days at both the Israelis for their brutal occupation and at Yasser Arafat #39;s incompetent and often


Nigeria separatist to meet president The head of a separatist movement in Nigeria #39;s southern oil-rich Niger Delta has announced that he intends to meet President Olusegun Obasanjo.


US consumer confidence falls in September NEW YORK - US consumer confidence slipped in September as job concerns resulted in a second consecutive monthly decline, the Conference Board said Tuesday.


Knee injury ends Grossman #39;s season A knee injury has knocked Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman out for the rest of the 2004 season. Grossman was hurt Sunday while running for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 27-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.


Italy celebrates as women go free TWO female Italian aid workers were released by their Iraqi captors overnight after three anguished weeks as hostages, sparking scenes of joy at their homes and relief among world leaders.


Motorola to shed 1,000 jobs Telecoms equipment maker Motorola said that it is cutting 1,000 positions globally as it completes the spin-off of its former chip unit, now known as Freescale Semiconductor.


Trump offered \$US400m for casino stake An internet casino operator said it is offering Donald Trump \$US400 million (\$561.25 million) for a stake in his ailing casino company.


Google may gain on ad sales, IPO firms #39; analysts say Shares of Google Inc., the world #39;s most-used Internet search engine, may continue to rise as the company boosts advertising revenue, research analysts at securities firms that underwrote


Creator of Dolly the Sheep Aims To Clone Human Embryos According to geneticist Ian Wilmut, who used cloning to create Dolly the sheep,  quot;We owe it to the people who suffer from motor neuron disease and are going to suffer from it in


UPDATE 2-Bayern thrash Ajax as Makaay nets hat-trick Bayern Munich #39;s Dutch striker Roy Makaay hit a hat-trick as they romped to a 4-0 victory over Ajax Amsterdam in Champions League Group C on Tuesday.


Mogilny has arthroscopic surgery on hip Team general manager John Ferguson Jr. said the procedure was performed by Dr. Marc Philippon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center at St.


Titans Lose To Jacksonville Wide receiver Derrick Mason of the Tennessee Titans says the team just is not playing well right now. Fred Taylor ran for a one-yard touchdown with nine seconds left for the victory.


United Rentals Sees 3Q Goodwill Charge Equipment rental company United Rentals Inc. on Tuesday said it will likely report a non-cash charge in the third quarter to write down the goodwill of its suffering traffic control business.


DaimlerChrysler and Bombardier settle dispute over Adtranz sale Automaker DaimlerChrysler AG and transportation company Bombardier Inc. have settled a dispute over the 2001 sale of railcar maker Adtranz, the companies said Tuesday.


Stocks Set to Open Higher Stocks were set to open higher Tuesday, with the blue-chip Dow industrials aiming to push back above 10,000 mark. Oil prices remain in focus, with crude reaching above \$50 a barrle in premarket trading.


Cendant near \$1.2B deal to buy Orbitz Source says travel and real estate giant is close to reaching agreement to acquire travel Web site. PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Travel and real estate company Cendant Corp.


Adtranz price slashed 30 as Bombardier settles with <b>...</b> MONTREAL (CP) - Bombardier Inc. will get a \$209-million-US reduction in the price it paid DaimlerChrysler AG in 2001 for the German company #39;s rail equipment division.


Schwarzenegger OKs Ban on Paperless Voting (AP) AP - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law requiring that all electronic voting machines produce paper records of every ballot cast, beginning in 2006.


US House Passes Bill Targeting Net Song Swappers (Reuters) Reuters - Users of Internet "peer to peer"\networks, already dodging lawsuits from the recording industry,\could face up to three years in prison under a bill passed by\the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.


For schools, Apple offers special iMac G5, eMac (MacCentral) MacCentral - Apple has a habit of quietly releasing special Macintosh models for schools and colleges. There were, for example, the Power Mac 5000 line and the G3 All-in-One Mac for education (both of which resembled early and somewhat pedestrian precursors to the original iMac).


Stocks Up on Caterpillar, Oil Companies  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks staged a late rally on Tuesday  after Caterpillar Inc. CAT.N, the world's largest maker of  heavy equipment, raised its revenue outlook, and shares of  energy and metal producers rose on higher commodity prices.


Caterpillar Sees 25-30 Pct. Revenue Rise  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Caterpillar Inc. CAT.N, the world's  largest maker of heavy equipment, boosted its 2004 revenue  outlook on Tuesday, citing strong demand.


SpaceShipOne Going for X Prize Wednesday By JOHN ANTCZAK    MOJAVE, Calif. (AP) -- A test pilot in a stubby rocket plane will try to climb more than 60 miles over the Mojave Desert and punch through the atmosphere Wednesday in the first stage of a quest to win a \$10 million prize meant to encourage space tourism...


Exploring the Final Frontier NASA -- When the National Research Council recommended Solar System exploration goals for 2000-2010, the number one priority was sending a probe to explore Pluto and an area just beyond it known as the Kuiper Belt.     NASA plans to make that goal a reality...


Storm Stress Hitting Many Floridians By JILL BARTON     WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- It's not just roofs that have come apart and walls that are falling down...


New defense consortium aims for greater systems interoperability The Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium, an international group of 28 defense-oriented companies, hopes to create a network-centric framework that allows a variety of communications and information systems and sensors to interact globally.


EPCglobal: Users to get RFID progress update IBM, HP, Sun and Manhattan Associates head the list of vendors launching new products and services at this week's EPCglobal U.S. Conference 2004 in Baltimore.


Munich set to approve Linux despite patent worries More than a year after the German city moved to abandon Microsoft Windows in favor of Linux, city councilors are finally ready to vote on the switch.


Government panel says cybersecurity mandates not needed Despite real threats and little sense of urgency by many company executives, now is not the time for the U.S. government to mandate cybersecurity standards to private industry, a panel of of government officials said.


Bank of America to deploy 180,000 IP phones Bank of America has unveiled plans to eventually put an IP phone on every employee's desktop -- a three-year, corporatewide IP telephony rollout that involves about 180,000 phones.


Compuware readies tools for Microsoft apps development It targets application performance, code quality and security.


Dell introduces new compact desktop PC It's the first Dell PC to feature a multiformat expansion card reader.


I2 sets up software development operation in Beijing Composite applications require user interface work in native language, company says.


Network emulator eases WAN pain Company says replicating network latency, bandwidth and packet loss problems enables better lab testing.


Microsoft open sources Web authoring application SAN FRANCISCO - Continuing its flirtation with open source, Microsoft Corp. on Monday posted the code of a little-known collaboration application to open-source development site SourceForge.net.


Turner to Provide Content for Net TV Company SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Akimbo Systems Inc., a startup that plans to deliver video over the Internet to television sets, has signed a deal for mainstream content from Time Warner Inc...


US consumer confidence slips for second straight month: job <b>...</b> Job worries helped push consumer confidence down in September for the second consecutive month, the Conference Board reported Tuesday.


Delta Air cutting some wages 10 ATLANTA Delta Air Lines is cutting the pay of executives, administrative staff and ticket and gate agents by 10 percent, increasing the shared cost of health care coverage and making changes to retirement benefits as part of its turnaround plan.


Motorola cutting 1,000 jobs Motorola Inc. announced Tuesday plans to cut 1,000 jobs worldwide and take a charge of \$50 million for severance benefits. The job cuts are part of a restructuring resulting from the spin off of its semiconductor division into Freescale Semiconductor.


Update 1: Jury Orders Medtronic to Pay \$110 Million A federal court jury on Tuesday ordered a Medtronic subsidiary to pay about \$110 million in a dispute between the company and a doctor who invented some of its spinal fusion technologies.


Microsoft, Amazon Team Against Phishers Seattle-area neighbors Amazon.com and Microsoft today announced the filing of several lawsuits in connection with spoofing and phishing scams that deceive consumers and misuse Amazon #39;s brand name.


JoS. A. Bank 3Q Profit Rises 19 Percent Men #39;s apparel retailer Joseph A. Bank Clothiers Inc. on Monday reported third-quarter profit climbed 19 percent as results benefited from growth in catalog and Internet sales.


13 Things We Can Expect From Ric Virgin CEO Richard Bransons Virgin Space Ship Enterprise Is Set To Set The World On Fire. We Dose Him With Cold Water With Our Rundown Of Things To Expect With The Launch Of Virgin Galactic.


JPEG Exploit Hits Usenet, Worm Close Behind An exploit attacking the most recent Windows bug is circulating on Usenet, security experts said Tuesday, that crashes machines, yet another indicator that attackers will chase the vulnerability until they #39;ve launched mass mailing-style worm-based attacks


Yahoo Working On New Design Yahoo unveiled new versions of its Front Page and My Yahoo, showcasing enhancements in design and functionality to both. Beta versions of both pages will be rolled out on a phased basis beginning today.


Health Highlights: Sept. 28, 2004 About half the Viagra sold on the Internet could be fake, according to University of London researchers. The scientists used near infrared (NIR) microscopy to check the ingredients of various samples of Viagra that were purchased online.


EPCglobal One Year Later Sept. 27, 2004This week EPCglobal US, the US chapter of EPCglobal, holds its second annual user conference and celebrates EPCglobals anniversary, as well as its own.


Soccer: Rooney guns down Turks with hattrick on Man United debut MANCHESTER, England : Wayne Rooney opened his Manchester United career in spectacular fashion, scoring a hattrick as his new team thrashed Turkish champions Fenerbahce 6-2 in a Champions League Group D tie.


ARON ON COWBOYS: Dallas plays better, but still scraping out wins IRVING, Texas - They never trailed and didn #39;t have any turnovers. They made five sacks and got strong play from a rookie cornerback forced into action when a starter was hurt.


Sparta Prague 1-2 Lyon: FT Report Sylvain Wiltord #39;s second half goal gave Olympique Lyon a 2-1 win over Sparta Prague on Tuesday and handed the French side their first win in Group D of the Champions League.


Just in time the Cubs put it all together in win over Reds A message on a dry-erase board greeted the Cubs in their clubhouse Monday and explained how they should approach the final days of the regular season.


Coming soon Awesome foursome, starring Vijay Singh NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 28: Local golf fans are in for a treat: For the first time ever, the sports top-ranked player will be in India.


Lyon find their Sylvain lining REVITALISED former French international striker Sylvain Wiltord hit the winner in Lyon #39;s 2-1 Champions League victory at Sparta Prague in a virtuoso display contrasting sharply with his fruitless time at Arsenal.


Nigeria #39;s oil rebels fuel fears of global shortage A revolt in the African state is threatening to disrupt the country #39;s most important export. Christian Allen Purefoy reports from Lagos on the latest conflict driving up the price of crude.


Palestinian PM Urges Tactical Rethink in Conflict Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie marked the anniversary of a Palestinian uprising against Israel on Tuesday by calling on both sides to rethink tactics that have brought four years of bloodshed.


Iraq: Italian Hostages Released ROME (CBS) The Arab television network Al-Jazeera announced that two Italian hostages were released Tuesday in Iraq. Italian news reports said Premier Silvio Berlusconi has confirmed the release.


Clear Channel Selects Fox to Supply Radio News Clear Channel Radio, the largest US radio station chain, has selected Rupert Murdoch #39;s Fox News Radio as the main news supplier for about 100 of its news/talk stations, the companies said on Monday.


News: House votes to make video cameras in movie theaters a federal crime The Associated Press By Ted Bridis


Infocus: Defeating Honeypots : Network issues, Part 1 The purpose of this paper is to explain how attackers behave when they attempt to identify and defeat honeypots, and is useful for security professionals to deploy honeypots in a more stealthy manner.


Report: French Hostages in Iraq to Be Freed Soon (Reuters) Reuters - A man Al Arabiya television said was\negotiating the release of two French journalists held hostage\in Iraq said on Tuesday he met the two Frenchmen and that an\agreement had been reached to free them soon.


Italy Rejoices As Hostages Released (AP) AP - A relieved Italy broke into celebration after two Italian aid workers kidnapped in Iraq three weeks ago were released Tuesday, arriving home hours later aboard a private jet.


U.S. Official Sees No N.Korea Talks Before U.S. Vote (Reuters) Reuters - North Korea has apparently decided\against holding six-party talks on dismantling its suspected\nuclear arms programs until after the Nov. 2 U.S. presidential\election, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday.


Drivers, those who heat with oil, to feel the most pain from crude oil hike (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - With the price of crude oil continuing its summertime climb to hit a record high of  #36;50 US per barrel this week, Canadian consumers are feeling the pinch at the gas pumps and gearing up for a winter of high heating oil costs.


Wavering Voters Anti-Iraq, Wary of Kerry (AP) AP - In an election where most voters have already chosen sides, the presidency could be decided by a small slice of America in the mushy middle  #151; wavering voters who are more likely than others to question President Bush's honesty and think the war in Iraq was a mistake.


Tough Quarter for Circuit City Circuit City (CC:NYSE - news - research) Monday said same-store sales fell 4.3 in the third-quarter, attributing the decline to decreased promotions as well as weaker sales of music and movie software and wireless products.


Observers Foresee Snags in U.S. Election (AP) AP - Problems loom for the presidential election including voting equipment changes that could delay the outcome past Nov. 2, a group of international observers said Tuesday in a report.


Lawmakers Optimistic on Spy Agency Overhaul (Reuters) Reuters - Key lawmakers said on Tuesday they\were optimistic of quick approval by Congress for reforms of\the U.S. intelligence services including a powerful new\director, despite disputes between the Senate and the House of\Representatives.


Report: French Hostages in Iraq to Be Freed Soon  DUBAI (Reuters) - A man Al Arabiya television said was  negotiating the release of two French journalists held hostage  in Iraq said on Tuesday he met the two Frenchmen and that an  agreement had been reached to free them soon.


AmerisourceBergen to Boost Flu Vaccine AmerisourceBergen Corp. (ABC) said on Monday it has signed a 10-year agreement with ID Biomedical Corp. (IDB) of Canada to distribute ID Biomedical #39;s flu vaccine in the United States.


U.S. Official Sees No N.Korea Talks Before U.S. Vote  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea has apparently decided  against holding six-party talks on dismantling its suspected  nuclear arms programs until after the Nov. 2 U.S. presidential  election, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday.


Falluja faces 'decisive action' Iraq's interim prime minister says decisive military action may soon be carried out in the rebel city of Falluja


'American Taliban' Seeks Commuted Sentence SAN FRANCISCO - John Walker Lindh asked President Bush on Tuesday to commute his 20-year prison sentence for aiding the Taliban.    His lawyer, James Brosnahan, said that Lindh was fighting alongside the Taliban in a civil war against the Northern Alliance, that he is not a terrorist and that he never fought against U.S...


Peru Coca Growers Briefly Hold Tourists Coca growers protesting government plans to eradicate their cocaine-producing crop briefly held a group of European tourists visiting Inca ruins in the Andean city of Cuzco Tuesday, police said.


Briefly: Alvarion expands wireless broadband in China roundup Plus: .Mac customers suffer e-mail glitches...IBM launches business research group...Verbatim to make discs with HP labeling feature.


Caterpillar Boosts 2004 Sales View Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. on Tuesday raised its full-year sales expectations, as stronger demand in North and South America fueled a sharp increase in global machine and engine sales.


Motorola sends 1,000 drones packing Motorola plans to axe 1,000 workers across a number of business units, hoping to reduce costs as it refocuses on its wireless business.


Investment Firm Sells All MCI Shares The investment firm which said it may buy more than half of MCI Inc. #39;s shares has now sold all of its holdings in the telephone company for a quick profit, raising doubts about whether the courtship was sincere or designed to stoke interest in the stock.


Microsoft, Amazon file phishing, spamming lawsuits SEPTEMBER 28, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. today said they have filed one joint and several separate lawsuits against companies and individuals accusing them of trying to defraud


SEC Accuses Former NextCard Executives Securities regulators are suing the management team behind the rapid rise and fall of online credit lender NextCard Inc., alleging the company #39;s top executives cooked the books and then scrambled to sell their stock before the ruse unraveled into


Oil soars above US\$50 to a new high CRUDE oil prices surged past US\$50 a barrel for the first time yesterday to a new record high, raising concerns that higher energy costs could slow the global economy next year.


Vermeil's Friends Back Troubled Coach (AP) AP - Since his Kansas City Chiefs fell to 0-3, Dick Vermeil has gotten phone calls and e-mails sending words of encouragement.


Raptors Coach Doesn't See Carter As Issue (AP) AP - Vince Carter wants out of Toronto, but new Raptors' coach Sam Mitchell doesn't think it will be an issue when training camp opens next week.


Branson reaches for the stars in latest venture LONDON - Britain #39;s Sir Richard Branson reinforced his reputation as an entrepreneurial showman by announcing a US\$100 million (S\$170 million) plan to take well-heeled passengers, with him possibly being among the first, for a sub-orbital ride into space.


#39;JpegOfDeath #39; Using Windows Weakness To Spread Trojan Security firm F-Secure warned that the latest Windows vulnerability appears to be attracting more than the typical interest among the hacking community and that given the speed at which the


Half Of Online Viagra Bogus often via spam-style blastings that plague mailboxes worldwide -- is fake, a British researcher said Tuesday. Dr. Nic Wilson of the School of Pharmacy


PalmSource Targets Smartphones Looking to compete with the likes of Symbian and Microsoft, PalmSource is unveiling its new operating system geared specifically for the creation of smartphones.


Oracle looks beyond big-ticket contracts This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half. Oracle has begun selling business applications software to small companies in conjunction


When the Sun lost its heat Locked away in fossils is evidence of a sudden solar cooling. Kate Ravilious meets the experts who say it could explain a 3,000-year-old mass migration - and today #39;s global warming.


Users Hamper Information Security Employees still pose the biggest corporate security threat, while IT systems are the main corporate security focus, reports audit and business advisory firm Ernst  amp; Young in its latest Global Information Security Survey.


Chicago Bears Sign QB Chad Hutchinson (AP) AP - The Chicago Bears signed former Dallas quarterback Chad Hutchinson to a two-year contract Tuesday as insurance after Rex Grossman was lost for the season with a knee injury.


American Express Cship: Woods eyes fourth title after Vijays <b>...</b> LONDON: Three-times winner Tiger Woods bids for a third successive title at this weeks WGC-American Express Championship in Kilkenny, Ireland.


Time now for boring Arsenal LONDON - Entertaining football in the Premiership, boring in the Champions League. That is the key to Arsenal #39;s success, insists Robert Pires.


New Raptors coach doesn #39;t think Carter will be a distraction Vince Carter wants out of Toronto, but new Raptors #39; coach Sam Mitchell doesn #39;t think it will be an issue when training camp opens next week.


Hope lingers at Olympic Stadium as Expos set for possible last <b>...</b> MONTREAL (CP) - A large crowd is expected at Olympic Stadium for what may be the last home game for the Montreal Expos on Wednesday night, but who knows if the mood will be that of a party or a funeral?


Twins-Yankees Game Postponed by Rain (AP) AP - The game between the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees on Tuesday night was postponed by rain.


Misgivings from Jordan on Iraq vote King Abdullah II of Jordan said in an interview published Tuesday that he thought it was impossible under  quot;the chaos which Iraq knows today quot; to go ahead with elections there scheduled for January, and that if the vote were held  quot;the extremists quot; would win.


Two Arrested in Death of US Journalist Two Chechen men suspected of taking part in the murder of American journalist Paul Klebnikov have been arrested, police said Tuesday, and one commentator cited his interviews with a rebel leader as a possible motive.


US forces launch airstrikes in Fallujah, Sadr city US forces launched Tuesday a series of air strikes on Fallujah and Sadr city northeast of Baghdad. Residents in Fallujah say that US aircrafts launched two rounds of attacks on the city, but the US military


3-1 Notre Dame Unfazed by Being Unranked (AP) AP - Only one other time has Notre Dame been 3-1 and unranked.


Dottie Pepper to Join Golf Channel Next Year (AP) AP - Two-time major champion Dottie Pepper is moving to the broadcast booth next year, signing a contract with The Golf Channel to be a lead analyst for its tournament coverage.


San Francisco's Candlestick Renamed Monster Park  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Candlestick Park, home of the San  Francisco 49ers NFL team, was renamed "Monster Park" on Tuesday  in a \$6 million deal with an electronics cable company.


Cell phone talker arrest refuels etiquette debate Cell phones in public are annoying--when other people use them. But how do we tackle the problem?


High oil prices may slow US economy, won't cause recession: experts (AFP) AFP - The surge in crude-oil prices to 50 dollars a barrel is likely to hold back the US economy but probably not cause a recession, analysts say.


Cendant Near Deal to Buy Orbitz  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Travel and real estate heavyweight  Cendant Corp. CD.N is nearing a deal to buy online travel  site Orbitz Inc. ORBZ.O, which is controlled by the top five  U.S. airlines, for about \$1.2 billion in cash, a source close  to the talks said on Tuesday.


Delta to Cut Wages 10 Percent  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc. DAL.N said on  Tuesday it will cut wages by 10 percent and its chief executive  will go unpaid for the rest of the year, but it still warned of  bankruptcy within weeks unless more cuts are made.


Cendant in talks to buy Orbitz for \$1 billion Cendant Corporation, the travel and property services company that owns Avis and Budget, is in talks to acquire Orbitz.com, an online travel company, in a deal valued at around \$1 billion.


Virginia Gets New Tech Chief After nearly three years as deputy secretary of technology for the commonwealth of Virginia, Eugene Huang next week will step up to be Gov.


When staff can be more dangerous than hackers COMPANIES here more concerned with preventing computer viruses from attacking them, are neglecting their biggest information security threats - their employees and business partners.


The Moog Synthesizer Makes a Comeback A growing number of contemporary musicians and techno enthusiasts have reignited interest in the Moog, which can synthesize any sound imaginable.


Report: Cendant near deal to buy Orbitz Shares of Orbitz (ORBZ) jumped more than 25 in after-hours trading Tuesday on reports that the travel and real estate company Cendant (CD) is close to an agreement to buy the online travel site for about \$1.


Caterpillar boosts 2004 revenue forecast Shares of Caterpillar (CAT) jumped more than 3 Tuesday after boosting its 2004 revenue outlook Tuesday, citing continued strong demand.


SourceLabs Gets Venture Funding  quot;There is clearly a lot of pent-up momentum, quot; says SourceLabs #39; Cornelius Willis.  quot;Companies want to get off of proprietary technology, but have been hesitant because of the lack of support.


Sun Expands RFID Testing, Tools After setting up an initial RFID test center in Dallas last May, Sun Microsystems Inc. will follow up with a similar facility somewhere in Scotland, said Vijay Sarathy, group marketing manager for RFID at Sun.


Hamm, attorneys argue to keep gold An exhausted but relieved Paul Hamm will take today to relax in Lausanne, Switzerland, then fly home to the USA on Wednesday, hoping to leave the past and start concentrating on the future.


7 hostages released by Iraqi captors but violence continues Iraqi kidnappers released two Italian aid workers and five other hostages Tuesday, raising hopes for at least 18 foreigners still in captivity.


Blair unveils a 10-point policy plan as he sets out vision for <b>...</b> Tony Blair pledged to create an  quot;opportunity society quot; in which everyone had  quot;an equal chance to succeed quot; yesterday as he outlined the policies he would introduce if Labour wins an historic third term in power.


Disbelief as Chechens held for Russian editor #39;s murder Russian police claimed yesterday that one of the country #39;s most brutal and enigmatic contract killings - the drive-by shooting of the American journalist Paul Klebnikov in July - had


VIEW: Islam and Turkeys EU membership Ijaz Hussain In its ardent desire to be part of Europe, modern Turkey jettisoned its Islamic character in favour of secularism about eight decades back; was in denial of its rich Islamic past and broke ranks with the Muslim world in its quest for a European identity.


Offshore company offering US\$400M to bail out Trump Hotels  amp; <b>...</b> An Internet casino operator said Tuesday it is offering Donald Trump \$400 million for a stake in his ailing casino company. Casino Fortune, a Trinidad-based company, said it has approached


Hicks Muse pays \$194 million for ConAgra unit DALLAS ConAgra Foods will get 194 (M) million dollars for selling its minority interest in Swift Foods to Dallas-based Hicks, Muse, Tate and Furst.


Viagra bought online  #39;often fake #39; Half of men buying the impotence drug Viagra online are getting counterfeit tablets, study findings suggest. Dr Nic Wilson from the University of London tested Internet-sold samples using a new technique that accurately spots the ingredients of tablets.


BoSox #39;s Astacio, Yanks #39; Halsey suspended NEW YORK - Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Astacio and New York Yankees pitcher Brad Halsey were each suspended Tuesday for three games and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball after being ejected from Bostons 11-4 win over the weekend.


North Korea should stop boasting and return to negotiating table <b>...</b> The United States urged North Korea Tuesday to stop boasting about its nuclear weapons capability and return to the negotiating table to resolve the nuclear crisis in the Korean peninsula.


NIGERIA: Militia group vows to attack oil workers if firms stay in <b>...</b> PORT HARCOURT, 28 Sep 2004 (IRIN) - An ethnic militia group in Nigeria #39;s southeastern oil region vowed on Tuesday to attack oil workers there unless their companies shut down operations within three days.


High flyers aiming for the stars Some of the country #39;s richest businessmen said yesterday they couldn #39;t wait to splash their cash on the first commercial flights into orbit.


Joy in Italy as hostages freed : Two Italian women aid workers and their two Iraqi colleagues abducted in Baghdad have been freed after difficult negotiations, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told a delighted parliament today.


Nader Supporters Lose Supreme Court Appeal (AP) AP - The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a last-ditch bid to put Ralph Nader on Oregon's election ballot.


Supreme Court to Review Taking Property for Development (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court said on\Tuesday that it would decide whether the government can take a\person's home or business for a private development project\intended to boost tax revenues and revitalize a local economy.


Tourist Hostages Freed from Inca Temple in Peru  LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - Peruvian special forces on Tuesday  freed 20 foreign tourists who were briefly taken hostage by  protesting coca growers in an Inca temple in the southern city  of Cuzco, police said.


Unrest hampers Haitian flood aid The UN asks for extra forces to police storm-hit Gonaives, amid a breakdown in law and order has collapsed.


X-Prize craft set for space shot The race for the \$10m Ansari X-Prize begins in earnest on Wednesday as SpaceShipOne prepares to rocket to more than 100km above the Earth.


Crude Oil Prices Surpass \$50 Per Barrel Crude oil surpassed \$50 a barrel for the first time and analysts said Tuesday that prices could keep rising because of a sharp rise in global demand, tight supplies and threats to output in petroleum-producing nations such as Iraq and Nigeria.    Homeowners and energy-intensive industries could feel the sting from high oil prices worsen as seasonal demand picks up this winter, and there is already evidence that the supply disruptions caused by Hurricane Ivan are making it more costly to drive...


Kidnappers Release Seven Hostages in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq - Kidnappers released two female Italian aid workers and five other hostages Tuesday, raising hopes for at least 18 foreigners still in captivity. But insurgents showed no sign of easing their blood-soaked campaign against the U.S...


UPDATE 1-Trump casinos aim to set restructuring course soon Donald Trump #39;s casino company expects to decided in the next couple of weeks whether it can reach a new debt restructuring deal with bond holders, sell assets or whether Trump will take the company private, executive vice


Mets Beat Braves 2-1 to Open Twinbill (AP) AP - Gerald Williams and Eric Valent hit solo home runs to give the New York Mets a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday.


Warning over fake Viagra Half the Viagra tablets sold on the internet may be fakes, the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester was told yesterday by London University researchers who have developed a way of identifying imitations.


Microsoft Makes Its Third Contribution To Open-Source Site Microsoft Corp. has contributed its FlexWiki collaboration tool to SourceForge.Net, the third release from the software giant to the open-source development site, both organizations said Tuesday.


FIFA to Take Action Against France, Italy, Netherlands for not <b>...</b> The International Football Federation says it will pursue disciplinary action against France, Italy and the Netherlands for not handing down tough penalties against players who use drugs.


Four dead in Argentine high school rampage A high school student wielding a 9mm pistol shot and killed four classmates and wounded five more today in Argentina #39;s worst school rampage, police said.


Twins-Yankees Game Postponed by Rain The game will be made up as part of a Wednesday doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium.


McNair Our of Hospital Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair is released from the hospital Tuesday morning after a two-night stay with a bruised sternum.


Edelin Ruled Ineligible Syracuse point guard Billy Edelin has been declared ineligible for the first semester of the academic year because he does not meet NCAA academic eligibility requirements, school officials said Tuesday.


Astacio, Halsey Suspended Red Sox pitcher Pedro Astacio and Yankees pitcher Brad Halsey were each suspended Tuesday for three games and fined an undisclosed amount.


O's-Blue Jays Postponed The Baltimore Orioles-Toronto Blue Jays game for Tuesday night has been canceled and rescheduled for Wednesday as part of a doubleheder.


Red Hat hates money, which makes it better than Sun Letters Reg shill disgusts free software fans


Google Shares Hit New High  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Shares of newly public Google  Inc. GOOG.O on Tuesday hit a new high and posted  their  largest single-day percentage gain after five investment banks  issued bullish reports on the leading Web search provider.


Clashes as Iran Islamic fund fails One person was killed and 18 injured in clashes in Iran linked to the collapse of an Islamic loan fund, Iranian state TV reports.


Briefly: Tech firms rally against copyright bill roundup Plus: .Mac customers suffer e-mail glitches...Alvarion expands wireless broadband in China...IBM launches business research group.


Cell phone talker's arrest stirs etiquette debate Public chatter on mobile phones is annoying--when other people use them. But how do we tackle the problem?


Simpsons swallowed whole by DVD of the future Imagine getting more than a dozen seasons of Homer and Bart all on one disc. Or, sure, you could back up a terabyte of corporate data.


Mercury Interactive unveils a tool to let users, not just IT, test applications In an effort to reduce the cycle time between application design and testing and when the application is put into production, Mercury Interactive introduced this week Mercury Business Process Testing. The application will be part of the Mercury Quality Center suite of applications.


Branson #39;s tilting trains hit by technical snag LONDON: In an unfortunate coincidence for Britain #39;s favourite entrepreneurial billionaire-showman, the promise to offer the world #39;s first commercial space flights in less than three years, has hit its first stumbling block a dismal transport record back


MS Fights SourceForge, Loses, and Gives Gift GotDotNet? Depends on who you talk to. Microsoft #39;s answer to SourceForge has been as trouble-free as a baby. Who #39;s been dropped.


His house damaged by Hurricane Jeanne, Singh pulls out of AmEx COUNTY KILKENNY, Ireland (PA) -- Hurricane Jeanne has led to world No. 1 Vijay Singh pulling out of this week #39;s WGC-American Express Championship at Mount Juliet.


Offensive Linemen Looking for Redemption ATHENS - Daniel Inman went home to North Carolina this weekend and tried to get away from football. It didn #39;t work.  quot;The whole time I was at home, I was thinking of this game, quot; Daniel Inman said.


Players have fun in new 4-on-4 league When Randy Gumbley called Rick Dudley last month, the founder of the Original Stars Hockey League asked the former NHL Florida Panthers general manager to be commissioner.


qualifiers to deplete MLS In the battle between Major League Soccer and the national teams of several players over the coming weeks, there will be likely few winners.


Embattled Blair pushes for third term Here we are again .. my toughest week yet since the last one ... and before the next one, said the ever-embattled but resolute British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the start of a


Argentine teen shoots dead four classmates A 15-year-old youth opened fire on classmates at his school in southern Argentina, killing four students and injuring five others, authorities said.


First Look: LCD Adds a Dimension to the Desktop Sharp's LL-151-3D offers stereoscopic mode for viewing 3D models, but it'll cost you.


Telecom Italia buys mobile stake Telecom Italia is poised to pay 20bn euros for the 44 stake it does not already own of its mobile unit TIM.


Google shares hit new high, analysts bullish Shares of newly public Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday hit a new high and posted their largest single-day percentage gain after five investment


Mourinho: No love lost when we play old team Porto LONDON: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists there will be no love lost when he comes face to face with Porto, the Champions League winners he quit.


Gibbs bothered by questionable Monday night calls Apparently even a Hall of Fame coach doesn #39;t get a break from the officials. Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs on Tuesday reviewed the tape of the previous night #39;s loss to the Dallas Cowboys and determined he was on the wrong side of  quot;two awful calls.


Ratliff signs extension with Portland Portland, OR (Sports Network) - The Portland Trail Blazers signed center Theo Ratliff to a five-year contract extension on Tuesday.


Google Shares Hit New High (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of newly public Google\Inc.  on Tuesday hit a new high and posted  their\largest single-day percentage gain after five investment banks\issued bullish reports on the leading Web search provider.


First Look: LCD Adds a Dimension to the Desktop (PC World) PC World - Sharp's LL-151-3D offers stereoscopic mode for viewing 3D models, but it'll cost you.


Sun Expands RFID Testing, Tools (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Its next test center will be in Scotland, the company said at EPGglobal, where it also announced its first RFID toolkit and an RFID warehouse management solution.


UC Berkeley slows speed of light to improve networking Optical fiber can deliver data fast, sometimes too fast. Slowing light might make some networking bottlenecks vanish.


New avian flu cases confirmed in Thailand, human transmission <b>...</b> Sep 28, 2004 (CIDRAP News) - Thailand #39;s avian influenza outbreak is drawing widespread international attention with the confirmation of two more human cases, one of which opens the possibility of human-to-human transmission.


Plane diverted to Ireland AN Olympic Airways plane bound for New York with 295 passengers aboard was being diverted to Shannon airport in Ireland after an Athens newspaper received warning of a bomb on board, a company spokesman said.


Jordan #39;s king: Iraq elections impossible PARIS -- The Jordanian monarch said in an interview published Tuesday that elections in Iraq are impossible in the current chaos and that he sees no chances of improvement in the short term.


New Toshiba notebooks highlight long-running trend SAN FRANCISCO - Toshiba Corp.'s new desktop-replacement multimedia notebooks, introduced on Tuesday, are further evidence that U.S. consumers still have yet to embrace the mobility offered by Intel Corp.'s newer mobile processors.


Web Gaming Changes Social Interactions Not so long ago, in a galaxy not so far away, Chip Collier was on a mission. "I really gotta stop bleeding and dying," the 24-year old said as he slouched in front of his computer in his ninth-floor Chicago apartment. "I'm really horrible about not paying attention to my battle fatigue."


Former Foes Russia, Turkey Eye Era of Warmer Ties  ANKARA (Reuters) - Russia and Turkey, putting to rest  lingering Cold War tensions, said Monday it was time their  political ties caught up with their booming economic links.


Survey: Net File-Sharing Doesn't Hurt Most Artists Most musicians and artists say the Internet has helped them make more money from their work\despite online file-trading services that allow users to copy songs and other material for free, according to a study released on Sunday.


UPDATE 1-Coeur throws in towel on Wheaton bid Coeur d #39;Alene Mines Corp (CDE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) admitted defeat on Tuesday in its \$1.8 billion bid to acquire Canadian gold and silver miner Wheaton River Minerals Ltd.


UPDATE 1-Hicks Muse pays \$194 mln for ConAgra #39;s Swift stake ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said private equity firm Hicks, Muse, Tate  amp; Furst Inc. exercised its option to buy the company #39;s minority stake


Neiman Marcus unveils 2004 Christmas Book Neiman Marcus on Tuesday unveiled its 2004 Christmas Book, which features an extraordinary array of gifts from a his and her bowling alley to a 230-foot-long Zeppelin.


Cloning hope for neurone disease The scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep has applied for a licence to clone human embryos in the hope of using stem cells extracted from them to unravel the mysteries of motor neurone disease.


IXI MOBILE JOINS FORCES WITH AT amp;T WIRELESS TO LAUNCH OGOT Redwood City, CA, 28 September 2004 - IXI Mobile and its IXI-Connect OS software have been selected by AT amp;T Wireless for Ogo, AT amp;T Wireless #39; hip, new mobile messaging device.


PARALYMPICS SOMBRE CLOSING CEREMONY Instead of the fireworks and all night partying that usually accompanies such an event, it was a scaled back closing ceremony for the Athens Paralympics in tribute to seven teenagers killed in a bus crash on their way to the Games.


Fans to vote on Candlestick Park renaming San Francisco #39;s iconic Candlestick Park, the home of the San Francisco 49ers, was renamed Monster Park on Tuesday in a \$US6 million deal with an electronics cable company.


Argentina: Teenage shooter slays three An Argentine student opened fire on his classmates Tuesday killing four of them in the southern Argentina city of Carmen de Patagones.


Ex-CIA Chief Gates Warns on Cyberterror Cyberterrorism could be the most devastating weapon of mass destruction yet and could cripple the U.S. economy, former CIA Director Robert Gates said at a terrorism conference Saturday.


Dolly Creator Applies for Cloning License (AP) AP - The creator of Dolly the sheep, the world's first mammal cloned from an adult, applied for a human cloning license Tuesday to study how nerve cells go awry to cause motor neuron disease.


Winemaker Tests Marriage of Wine and Song (AP) AP - Plants like being talked to, right? Well, Spanish researchers want to know if yeast used to age sherry grows better with music loosely based on its own DNA.


California Quake Area a Seismic Hot Spot (AP) AP - The area of the San Andreas fault where a magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck Tuesday is a seismic hot spot that has produced similar temblors every two or three decades and, as a consequence, is among the most-monitored quake sites in the world.


BayStar begins selling SCO stock Investment fund sells hundreds of thousands of shares, but still has major stake--and voice--in SCO's future.


Slowing the speed of light to improve networking Optical fiber can deliver data fast, sometimes too fast. Slowing light might make some networking bottlenecks vanish.


Cendant nears coup for US online travel group Cendant, the American travel group that owns car rental shops Avis and Budget, is close to acquiring online travel agency Orbitz.com in a deal said to be worth more than \$1 billion.


EU nominee defends business record, promising to be impartial BRUSSELS Neelie Kroes, the Dutch candidate to be the European Union #39;s powerful new competition commissioner, defended her nomination in hearings at the European Parliament on Tuesday, insisting that her past membership on company boards did not imply a


Blair rallies support for 2012 London 2012 Olympic bid leaders yesterday insisted that the capital has a realistic chance of winning the right to host the next but one summer games despite starting the campaign behind the clear favourites, Paris.


Seven foreign hostages released is all smiles as released hostages Simona Torretta (R) and Simon Pari celebrate as they arrive at Ciampino Airport in Rome September 28, 2004.


Celtic receive double boost with Sutton in and Stam out CELTIC face a tall order in tonights Champions League match against AC Milan in Italy, but the Scottish champions were given encouragement yesterday when striker Chris Sutton declared himself fit for action.


Former BEA executives launch open source company Three former BEA Systems Inc. executives who left earlier this year have resurfaced as founders of a Seattle startup that plans to begin integrating and supporting a variety of open source server software next year.


Small Wineries Find Ally Supporters of interstate shipping of wine from producers to consumers see their cause as a contest between David and Goliath: mom-and-pop wineries and connoisseurs of the grape vs. powerful liquor wholesalers.


Freescale announces dual-core PowerPC processor SHANGHAI - While much has been made of efforts by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Intel Corp. to bring dual-core processors to PCs and servers, Freescale Semiconductor Inc. announced Tuesday at a conference in Frankfurt, Germany, details of a dual-core PowerPC processor designed for embedded applications, such as networking and storage.


U.S. House approves tougher law against file trading SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that could allow criminal charges to be brought against individuals who participate in file-swapping Web sites or networks.


ETA Sets Off Bombs Across Spain; No Serious Injuries  MADRID (Reuters) - The Basque separatist group ETA set off  a series of bombs across Spain Monday, but no one was seriously  injured in the resurgence of violence by the outlawed  guerrillas, Spanish officials and media said.


Breeding Captive Elephants Is Difficult (AP) AP - Elephants in zoos are living as long as those in the wild, but their population in captivity is dwindling because it is so difficult to breed them, according to studies released Friday.


Kidnappers Release Seven Hostages in Iraq (AP) AP - Kidnappers released two female Italian aid workers and five other hostages Tuesday, raising hopes for foreigners still in captivity. But insurgents showed no sign of easing their blood-soaked campaign against the U.S. presence in Iraq, staging a show of defiance in Samarra and striking twice with deadly force in Basra.


Cuba, Russia Agree to Condemn Terrorism (AP) AP - The top diplomats for Russia and Cuba condemned all forms of terrorism Tuesday and renewed Russia's call last week to expand the war against the global scourge.


Sudan Warns of Tribal War in Darfur (AP) AP - A top Sudanese official on Tuesday defended an accused ringleader of Arab militia attacks on African villagers as a legitimate tribal leader and warned any attempt to go after such men could ignite warfare that would tear the country apart.


Australian men jailed for firebombing Asian restaurants (AFP) AFP - Two young Australian men have been jailed for more than two years for firebombing three Asian restaurants in a series of racist attacks earlier this year.


Militant Youths Shut Three Oil Flowstations Crude oil production in the country has again been disrupted after militant youths, numbering about 200, stormed and forcefully shut down three flowstations in the swamp of Rivers State.


Edwards Appeals to Women on Terror Issue (AP) AP - Vice presidential candidate John Edwards on Tuesday sought to blunt growing support for President Bush among women voters and others concerned about national security by campaigning with a Sept. 11 widow in two states that suffered losses in the terrorist attacks.


Traditional treatments 'do work' Scientific tests on a range of traditional remedies have shown they have "real benefits", researchers say.


Rocco DiSpirito Is Out at Union Pacific Union Pacific, once the jewel in Rocco DiSpirito's crown, will close at the end of the year.


Mets Beat Braves 2-1 to Open Twinbill ATLANTA - Gerald Williams and Eric Valent hit solo home runs to give the New York Mets a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday.    Williams broke a scoreless tie in the third with his fourth home run, a deep drive to center off Paul Byrd...


White House Opposes Sections of 9/11 Bill WASHINGTON - The White House came out Tuesday against parts of a Senate intelligence reorganization bill, saying they would create "a cumbersome new bureaucracy" for coordinating the activities of 15 spy agencies under a national intelligence director.    Meanwhile, one of the leaders of the Sept...


Delta To Cut Wages, CEO Forgoes Pay Delta Air Lines is to cut wages by 10 percent and its chief executive will go unpaid for the rest of the year, but it still warned of bankruptcy within weeks unless more cuts are made.


Jury in Klesch Litigation Returns Verdict in Favor of Liberty <b>...</b> ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Liberty Media Corporation announced that the jury in Klesch  amp; Company Ltd.


Yankees' El Duque Has Tired Shoulder (AP) AP - A week before the playoffs begin, the New York Yankees are worried about the health of another starting pitcher. This time, it's Orlando Hernandez.


New Toshiba Notebooks Use Intel Desktop Chips Toshiba #39;s new desktop-replacement multimedia notebooks are further evidence that US consumers have yet to embrace the mobility offered by Intel #39;s newer mobile processors.


The Worst Things About Tokyo 1. The toilets. What is that thing, you say? Well, its not a urinal, but rather what is known in English as a squat-toilet. It might seem hard to believe, but many people in Japan prefer using these floor holes to a standard Western toilet.


Giants #39; Hermanson suspended NEW YORK (Ticker) - The San Francisco Giants may have to continue their quest for the postseason without their closer. Major League Baseball on Tuesday suspended righthander Dustin Hermanson three games and


Hearing Set in Bonds Baseball Lawsuit (AP) AP - A court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in the dispute over who is the rightful owner of the ball Barry Bonds hit for his 700th home run.


Fan Sues for Barry Bonds' 700th Home Run Ball  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - As the often-quoted Hall of Fame  catcher Yogi Berra might say: "It seems like deja vu all over  again."


Yen Near 6-Week Low Vs Dollar  TOKYO (Reuters) - The yen was cornered near a six-week low  against the dollar on Wednesday as record-high oil prices  dampened investors' outlook on the Japanese economy ahead of  the Bank of Japan's survey on business sentiment.


Development: Donor Neglect Deadly - Oxfam The world #39;s poorer nations are paying a heavy price in human lives for the failure of the rich to provide the resources they promised to fight global hunger and poverty, humanitarian agency Oxfam said in a report released Sunday.


UPDATE 2-Solectron net loss narrows on strong revenue Contract electronics manufacturer Solectron Corp. on Tuesday posted a narrower quarterly loss, helped by a 23 percent rise in revenue but issued a forecast at the low end


Microsoft unveils simplified version of WindowsXP in Asia World #39;s leading software developer Microsoft has announced that it will promote its cheaper and simplified version of WindowsXP in Russia and soon launch a series of marketing


Notes: Rain washes out game Bag it. The Blue Jays and Orioles got rained out on Tuesday night, bowing to nature #39;s demands. The game will be made up on Wednesday as part of a doubleheader, starting at 3:05 pm ET.


Italian women arrive home from Iraq after hostage ordeal ROME : Two female Italian aid workers arrived back in Rome after being released from a three-week hostage ordeal in Iraq, sparking scenes of joy at their homes and relief among world leaders.


City sees overhaul as precursor to sale, leaving group focused on <b>...</b> P amp;O staked its immediate future as a ferry operator on the burgeoning freight market yesterday as it blamed the death of the booze cruise for the need to axe one-fifth of its workforce.


Former NatWest bankers fear  #39;unfair trial #39; if extradited to US By James Daley in London and Katherine Griffiths in New York. Three former NatWest bankers who are fighting extradition to the US over their alleged involvement in a 4m fraud linked to the collapse of Enron


Older People Turn to Internet to Find Love (AP) AP - Sensuous, intellectual woman, 5'3, adventurous, pretty and open, seeks a life partner who is sexy, highly intelligent and cheerful. How old is this woman? In her early 60s. That's the profile Mary Bellis Waller, now 64, posted on two Internet dating sites during her search for a companion. Waller was a pioneer of online dating among people her age, and thousands of others age 60 and older are also turning to the Internet to find romance.


Hackers Target Microsoft's JPEG Flaw (AP) AP - In a harbinger of security threats to come, hackers have exploited a newly announced flaw in Microsoft Corp. programs and begun circulating malicious code hidden in images that use the popular JPEG format.


Patent Concerns Unlikely To Nix Munich Linux Plan MonkeyDev writes  quot;Yahoo is reporting that Munich is ready to move forward with plans to  #39;abandon Microsoft Windows in favor of upstart rival Linux.


Future DVDs could hold 1TB of data Future DVDs could hold about one hundred times the capacity that current discs can hold. That would mean about 472 hours of film on one disc the size of a current DVD disc.