Intel Express Reply to AMD A fortnight after AMD launched its super fast 64-bit processors, FX55 and 4000, Intel has responded with the launch of a chipset for power PC users and gamers.


Funding problems led to Beagle failure A new report into the failure of the Beagle mission to Mars has concluded that the failure can be linked to the Government #39;s failure to commit money early enough.


Mazda Plans Hybrid Version of Tribute SUV Using Ford Technology Reuters. Mazda intends to launch a hybrid SUV using technology from Ford, which owns 33.4 of the Japanese automaker. Through our partnership with Ford, we are now proceeding with the development of a hybrid


Baghdad car bomb kills five A car bomb explosion killed five people and injured 10 others outside the ministry of education in the al-Azamiah neighborhood in northern Baghdad Tuesday.


Dutch PM leads tributes to Van Gogh AMSTERDAM - Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has led tributes to film director Theo van Gogh, who was assassinated in Amsterdam on Tuesday morning.


Australia mulls Telstra bulk sale CANBERRA Australia #39;s government wants to sell its 51 percent stake in Telstra in a single public offering, Finance Minister Nick Minchin said.


Nokia, Philips to Test German Bus Fare Payment System (Update1) Nokia Oyj, the world #39;s biggest maker of mobile phones, and Royal Philips Electronics NV, Europe #39;s third-largest semiconductor maker, will next year test a system in Germany allowing people to pay for bus fares using handsets.


Mazda will make a hybrid SUV TOKYO Mazda Motor, Japan #39;s fourth-largest carmaker, said Tuesday that it was entering the market for fuel-efficient gasoline-electric vehicles, sharing technology with Ford Motor to catch up with its larger rival, Toyota Motor.


Development of Shenzhou VI makes headway A general director of China #39;s space program says the development of the Shenzhou VI, which is to be launched next autumn, is progressing smoothly.


Chinas Muslims to the rescue of Henans Hui minority Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Unconfirmed reports say that Muslims from across China are trying to get to Nanren where minority Hui Muslims have clashed with majority Han Chinese.


Asia ; Local Buddhist chief beheaded in Thailands restive south They left a leaflet in handwritten Thai saying this was in revenge for the innocent Tak Bai victims, an officer said of the attackers.


VW and unions begin a new round of talks HANNOVER, Germany Senior negotiators from Volkswagen and its main union entered another round of negotiations on Tuesday as they worked to reach a cost-cutting contract and head off the first comprehensive strike at the automaker #39;s factories in western


US audits find fewer business tax cheats, data show The push by the head of the US tax agency for quick completion of audits of big corporations - a move criticized by many longtime agency auditors - has led to a sharp drop in the discovery of tax cheating at the 11,000 largest businesses, according to new


CA ships Ingres r3 database for Linux As expected, Computer Associates (CA) is now shipping the Ingres r3 database for Linux following last summer #39;s announcement it would be available under an open source license.


Aston Villa charged over Beattie approach Aston Villa have been charged with allegedly making an illegal approach for Southampton striker James Beattie. The Premier League said on Tuesday the charge relates to comments made by Aston


Ukrainian CEC announces results of presidential elections RBC, 02.11.2004, Kiev 15:55:11.Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich has won 40.22 percent support during the recent presidential elections, according to the results announced by the Ukrainian Central Elections Commission after 95.


Car explosion in Baghdad kills at least five Iraqis A car bomb exploded on Tuesday outside the Education Ministry in central Baghdad, killing at least five people, including two women.


Yahoo executive to head up Blinkz Mark Opzoomer, former head of Yahoo Europe, will be the new CEO of Blinkx, a San Francisco company whose search engines scout the Net and the desktop alike.


Macromedia contributes to eBay Stores Macromedia has announced a special version of its Contribute website editing application designed to simplify the creation and customisation of eBay Stores.


Glen proves he #39;s the Boss on magic mare EMOTIONAL Glen Boss admitted he put too much pressure on himself talking up Makybe Diva #39;s chances before the Melbourne Cup yesterday.


Aston Villa Football Club charged over Beattie approach Aston Villa Football Club have been charged by the Premier League over an alleged illegal approach for James Beattie. Southampton lodged a complaint over the approach which was believed to have come in the summer from the Midlands club.


NBA Rundown - Coach stands up for player There aren #39;t many NBA coaches who would publicly side with a player, as opposed to management, in a contract dispute. But then, there aren #39;t many coaches like San Antonio #39;s Gregg Popovich, who has the luxury


Downturn hits UBS earnings A SLIDE of 20 in revenues from equity and bond trading knocked UBS #39;s third-quarter financial earnings back sharply. Only a strong performance by its 56-owned Swiss industrial holding company Motor-Columbus


Ex-ABC Exec to Head Yahoo Media Division Yahoo Inc. (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday named Lloyd Braun, a former chairman of Walt Disney Co. #39;s (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) ABC Entertainment Television Group, as


Report: AOL to cut 700 jobs Time Warner #39;s America Online unit is getting ready to fire more than 700 workers next month as part of a cost-cutting effort to combat declining subscriber numbers, according to a published report.


Diamondbacks pick Backman The Arizona Diamondbacks and new manager Wally Backman know that sometimes you have to go backward to go forward. The rebuilding Diamondbacks, coming off a 51-111 season, hired Backman on Monday, completing


Norway #39;s Riga embassy to reopen after alert Norway plans to reopen its embassy in Riga on Wednesday after a two-day closure spurred by security fears that spread across the Nordic and Baltic region, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.


First female British soldier dies in Iraq Britain has reported the first death of one of its female soldiers in Iraq, although the circumstances remain unclear, Sky News reported Tuesday.


Singapore #39;s investment in Radio Frequency Identification paying <b>...</b> SINGAPORE : A government-initiated plan to upgrade the technology used by logistics players is paying off. The plan involves getting industry players to develop tags using Radio Frequency Identification or RFID technology.


Hoddle to Join West Brom This Week, Papers Say: Soccer Roundup Glenn Hoddle will this week succeed Gary Megson as manager of West Bromwich Albion, the Sun and Daily Mirror reported. Hoddle, who was fired by Tottenham in September 2003, will take


Family  #39;Devastated #39; by Woman Soldier #39;s Iraq Death The brother of the first British female soldier to die in Iraq since the war began said today her family were trying to come to terms with her death.


AOL employees get fired for Christmas Washington - America Online is preparing to fire over 700 workers in early December, with many of the cuts coming from its northern Virginia headquarters, The Washington Post newspaper said Tuesday.


BAA Reports Strong Net Profit in 1st Half BAA, the world #39;s largest airport operator, said Tuesday it is on target for strong annual passenger growth after reporting a 17.


Shares fall 7.1 percent in Tuesday #39;s pre-open SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Shares of National Semiconductor fell more than 7 percent in pre-open trading Tuesday after the analog chipmaker lowered its fiscal second-quarter financial targets due to weak demand and high inventory.


Tree ring study links warming to drought TUCSON - A new study shows a possible connection between a past climate warming and drought in what is now the US West. The width of tree rings over the past 1,200 years show that western  quot;megadroughts quot; between


Europeans want portable music, not video - survey Only 13 per cent of Europeans are interested in portable video players, according to a survey from Jupiter Research. The market research group surveyed 5,000 consumers in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden


Beijing plans tough doping regime China is promising the toughest Olympic drug testing regime yet when Beijing hosts the 2008 Games. An Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) delegation including John Coates, Grant


Cal jumps into fourth in new BCS rankings While USC remained comfortably atop the Bowl Championship Series standings released Monday, the bigger news involved movement in Northern California.


American, several others kidnapped BAGHDAD - An American civilian, a Nepalese man and at least two Arabs were abducted Monday by a band of gunmen who stormed a Baghdad home with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and a machine gun mounted atop a pickup truck.


Liberals retable pot bill Adding a dash of cash to sweeten the pot, the Liberal government has retabled its much-maligned marijuana bill. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler reintroduced the cannabis reform package


UPDATE 1-Slot machine maker IGT beats estimates Slot machine maker International Game Technology (IGT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said adjusted quarterly earnings beat Wall Street estimates, but net profit fell on charges for the early repayment of debt.


CA Airs Wireless Manager Officials at Computer Associates (Quote, Chart) announced the availability of an application aimed at simplifying and strengthening Wi-Fi networks.


Farina fears tough draw will hurt Socceroos AUSTRALIA has been drawn against Germany and Argentina in what looms as the last FIFA Confederations Cup. Socceroos coach Frank Farina, who was at yesterday #39;s draw in Frankfurt, expressed mixed emotions about being drawn in the tougher of the two groups.


India hoping for consolation win India go into the final Test against Australia desperate to restore pride after losing the series in Nagpur. Captain Sourav Ganguly is still missing for the home side, who may ask Sachin Tendulkar to take


Ukrainian CEC announces elections results: Yushchenko overtakes <b>...</b> Ukrainian PM Viktor Yanukovich has received 40.03 of the vote (10,807,068 votes), and Viktor Yushchenko has 39.16 (10,572,530) in the Ukrainian presidential election.


Reports conflict about Arafat #39;s illness PARIS - Conflicting reports emerged Tuesday about the seriousness of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat #39;s illness, as a fifth day of medical tests began at a French military hospital that specializes in blood disorders.


Talks Could Again Boost Oracle #39;s PeopleSoft Bid Wells Fargo Securities raised the target price on PeopleSoft (nasdaq: PSFT - news - people ) to \$26, following Oracle #39;s increased bid of \$24 per share for the enterprise software company.


PG amp;E Profit Falls in Third Quarter PG amp;E Corp. said third-quarter net income declined from the year-ago period, when earnings were boosted by revenue collected by its key unit to repay costs related to the California energy crisis.


Lord Hanson: a swashbuckling risk-taker For a man whose name hung above the door, James Hanson was remarkably unsentimental about the company he had built from scratch. As a champion of shareholder value, he believed that all assets were up for sale (or at least, should be).


Forest Says Drug Trial Misses Goal Forest Laboratories Inc. (FRX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said its experimental hypertension drug failed to meet all its goals in an effectiveness study, an outcome that will delay development and may lead to a new trial.


Philips, Nokia trial contactless payments An RFID-based trial involving Philips, Nokia and a Frankfurt-based public transport authority hints of a future where ticketing is merely a matter of swiping ones handset.


Firefox up, IE down p2pnet.net News:- The Firefox 1.0 browser, slated for release on November 9, has been given yet another boost by news that it #39;s continuing to lay heavy pressure on Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer.


Messaging Anti Abuse Working Group Just how much is spam and malicious email attempts costing you and your staff, clients and partners? That is a big question. And for many who run their business solo -- difficult to assess the true costs to themselves and their customers.


Makybe Diva becomes first mare to win Australia #39;s biggest horse <b>...</b> Defending champion Makybe Diva won the \$4.2-million Cdn Melbourne Cup on Tuesday to become the first mare in the 144-year history of Australia #39;s most famous horse race to win twice.


Van Nistelrooy certain to face Sparta Prague - Ferguson Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says striker Ruud van Nistelrooy will definitely return to the starting line-up for the Champions League Group D clash at home to Sparta Prague on Wednesday.


Rush rules himself out of race for Welsh job Ian Rush has ruled himself out of becoming the new Wales manager, instead opting to stay on as boss of English League Two side Chester City.


Eight dead in Iraq car bombing spree on US election day BAGHDAD, Nov 2 (AFP) - At least eight people were killed in a car bombing spree across Iraq Tuesday that targeted symbols of the US-backed government, while hundreds of residents fled the rebel-held city of Fallujah after a night of air raids.


Dutch filmmaker who criticized Islam slain in Amsterdam A filmmaker who is a relative of the painter Vincent van Gogh was slain in an Amsterdam street Tuesday after receiving death threats over a movie he made criticizing the treatment of women under Islam.


Baghdad Car Bomb Kills at Least 5 and Leaves Up to 29 Wounded A car bomb exploded today near the Ministry of Education in a busy Baghdad commercial area, killing at least five people and wounding up to 29, officials said.


Iran could agree to six month uranium enrichment suspension TEHRAN, Nov 2 (AFP) - Iran is prepared to suspend uranium enrichment for a maximum of six months during negotiations with European countries, but will never agree to permanently halt the practice, one of its top nuclear negotiators said on Tuesday.


Verizon Wireless Won #39;t Oppose Nextel Swap Verizon Wireless said on Tuesday it would not oppose a plan that would give Nextel Communications Inc. (NXTL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) valuable new wireless airwaves, sending Nextel #39;s shares up more than 3 percent.


NHL players meeting to discuss lockout Members of the NHL Players Association are meeting in Toronto today to discuss the seven-week-old hockey lockout. Some 70 to 80 player reps are expected at the meeting, who will then brief their teammates back home.


Like a Rolling Stone, Tabuse makes Suns roster Its official: Yuta Tabuse is the first Japanese player to make an NBA team. The Suns put the 5-foot-9 guard on the active roster, part of the 14-man roster submitted to the NBA on Monday afternoon.


Yahoo Hires Former ABC Programmer for Post Online giant Yahoo Inc. has hired a former ABC television programmer to head its media and entertainment division. Lloyd Braun, who was behind shows such as  quot;The Sopranos quot; on HBO and  quot;Lost quot; on ABC, will try


Nextel, Verizon Set Aside Differences Nextel agreed not to oppose Verizon Wireless #39; use of the term  quot;push-to-talk quot; when marketing a competing walkie-talkie service.


Google Apple desktop search p2pnet.net News:-  quot;We intend to do it, quot; Google chief executive Eric Schmidt told a University of California-Los Angeles conference, recently.


Samsung, Philips, HP form group to devise consumer APIs SAN JOSE, Calif. - Samsung, Philips, HP, the Digital TV Industry Alliance of China (DTVIA) and Access on Monday (Nov. 1) announced the formation of the Universal Home Application Programmer Interface (UHAPI) Forum.


Ponting eyes winning finish Ricky Ponting is confident of his team winning the Mumbai Test and ending the series as it began -- on a victorious note. Australia #39;s skipper himself has a point to prove in India, where he scored 17 runs


Mystery thickens over Irish gold medallist Offices of Ireland #39;s equestrian governing body were broken into overnight after the theft in England of a doping test sample from the horse that helped Ireland win its only Olympic gold medal in Athens.


Idle Badgers move up in polls Madison, WI (U-WIRE) -- Despite not playing this weekend, the Wisconsin football team (5-0 Big Ten, 8-0 overall) moved up in both the Associated Press Poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.


Analysts: Arafat Treatment Seen as Sign of France #39;s Friendship <b>...</b> Palestinian officials say Yasser Arafat #39;s health has improved since Friday, when he arrived in France for treatment for a still-mysterious illness.


Conrad Black resigns as chairman, CEO and director of Hollinger <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Conrad Black stepped aside Tuesday as chairman and chief executive of Hollinger Inc., the Toronto holding company which has voting control over newspaper operating company Hollinger International.


The Fox Cometh For the sixth month in a row, the market share of open source browsers Mozilla and FireFox and Apple #39;s Safari browser have grown, slowly eroding Microsoft Internet Explorer #39;s (IE) market share in the process.


Singh set to join golfing greats Vijay Singh will become the first player since 1950 to win 10 titles in a year if he triumphs in the elite 30-man Tour Championship in Atlanta.


Volkswagen workers stage marches as  #39;difficult #39; pay talks continue Automaker Volkswagen AG and Germany #39;s biggest industrial union said Tuesday they have made some progress in difficult pay negotiations, but were cautious on prospects of a quick deal in talks that were marked by worker protests.


Hollinger Inc. Chief Executive Conrad Black Resigns (Update1) Hollinger Inc., the company that controls the publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times, said Conrad Black quit as chairman, chief executive and a director.


AOL Cutting More Than 700, Most in Virginia America Online (website - news - quote) reportedly is preparing to fire more than 700 employees in early December - mostly at the company #39;s Northern Virginia headquarters.


Walgreen posts higher Oct. sales, Rite Aid lags Walgreen Co. (WAG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the top US drugstore chain, on Tuesday reported higher October sales, but growth at rival Rite Aid Corp.


Emerson #39;s profit, sales grow in fourth quarter, fiscal year Growth in its network power and industrial automation businesses contributed to a 28 percent jump in profit in the fourth quarter for Emerson, the company said Tuesday.


Rush rules himself out of Wales manager #39;s job Former Wales and Liverpool striker Ian Rush has ruled himself out of succeeding Mark Hughes as manager of Wales. Rush was only appointed manager of English fourth division side Chester


Indians to play for pride The fourth and final Test match between India and Australia begins in Mumbai on Wednesday. The Indians will be playing for some pride, while the Australians are hoping to sweep the series 3-0.


Irish Equestrian Body #39;s Office Burglarized; Horse Sample Stolen Ireland #39;s Equestrian Federation said its offices were broken into last night, hours after the International Federation for Equestrian Sports said a sample from the horse Waterford Crystal


Controversial columnist, gifted filmmaker  quot;A professional adolescent, a die-hard reactionary, quot; is how Theo van Gogh (47) used to characterise himself. The Dutch film director and newspaper columnist who was


Verizon, Nextel Resolve Legal Disputes Verizon Wireless said Tuesday it won #39;t oppose the Federal Communications Commission #39;s decision to grant Nextel Communications Inc.


Playboy Posts a Profit for Latest Quarter Playboy Enterprises Inc. on Tuesday said it rebounded to post a third-quarter profit as advertising rose sharply at the company #39;s flagship magazine.


Dynegy to Acquire Exelon Power Assets Energy company Dynegy Inc. on Tuesday said it will by some of the power generation assets of Exelon Corp. for \$135 million in cash plus debt assumption.


UBS Net Falls on Investment Banking; Fund Unit Gains (Update1) UBS AG, Europe #39;s biggest bank, said third-quarter profit fell 1 percent as gains from managing funds for millionaires cushioned a drop in investment-banking earnings.


Dealing Unit becomes more likely Still five months shy of opening up their eighth major league campaign, the Arizona Diamondbacks are already working on their fourth manager.


League not expected to act immediately The long-awaited missive from erstwhile tailback Ricky Williams, officially seeking reinstatement to the league, arrived Monday at NFL offices.


Albion deny Hoddle offer West Brom have not reached agreement to offer Glenn Hoddle the manager #39;s job despite reports of high-level talks. The former Tottenham and England boss was said to have spoken with Albion chairman Jeremy Peace over the weekend and been offered the post.


Intl Game Tech Posts Lower 4Q Profit International Game Technology, the world #39;s largest designer and manufacturer of casino slot machines, said Tuesday that fourth-quarter profit declined year-over-year due to a \$77 million charge for the early redemption of the company #39;s senior notes


Europeans favour music for portable gadgets Music will continue its reign as the prime mover of European gadgets, according to Jupiter Research. A survey of 5,000 consumers from Britain, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain and Italy, revealed that devices


Makybe Diva repeats Melbourne Cup win Makybe Diva became the first mare to score a repeat victory in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday, after which her trainer Lee Freedman said that she could be pointed to


Cuper appointed Mallorca coach Argentine Hector Cuper signed a three-year deal with struggling Spanish first division side Real Mallorca. Cuper #39;s task is to turn around the fortunes of the club currently second from bottom of the Primera Liga.


Pistons open new NBA season CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Detroit Pistons begin defending their title on Tuesday when they kick off another NBA season with a home game against the Houston Rockets.


Gateway to Buy Back Shares From AOL Computer maker Gateway Inc. on Tuesday said it agreed to buy back about \$316 million of its stock from Internet provider America Online Inc.


Exelon to sell power generation assets to Dynegy Exelon Corp. (EXC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said it would sell some of its Sithe power generation assets to Dynegy Inc.


Chalone to Go Private Yesterday, shares of Chalone Wine Group (Nasdaq: CHLN) rose some 13 following the announcement that 46 owner Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), after months


Not Everyone Likes Those Do-It-All Gadgets When it comes to digital gadgets, Europeans are not impressed by do-it-all devices that play songs and films, keep track of appointments and play video games, a new survey on Monday said.


UPDATE 1-Cuper returns to take charge of Mallorca Primera Liga strugglers Real Mallorca have persuaded former coach Hector Cuper to rejoin the club as a permanent replacement for Benito Floro, who was sacked last week, the club said on Tuesday.


New Zealand beat Bangladesh by 138 runs in one-dayer  Cricket-Australia a tough test for Pakistan batsmen, says coach November 2, 2004 09:14:15 KARACHI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Pakistan #39;s batsmen will need to be mentally tough in Australia this month to combat the likes of Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie


Clarke: Goodenow the problem Bob Clarke returned Monday from a vacation in Calgary where he was visiting his son and decided to weigh in on a couple of serious issues - the lockout and the status of Jeremy Roenick.


American, Nepalese and Filipino confirmed kidnapped, two Iraqis <b>...</b> BAGHDAD, Nov 2 (AFP) - An American, Filipino and Nepalese and at least one Iraqi working for a Saudi company were among a group of people kidnapped at gunpoint from their Baghdad offices on Monday, a US embassy spokesman said Tuesday.


Clashes in al-Ramadi, 15 Iraqis killed in Tikrit, new bombardment <b>...</b> The American forces continued their air bombardment of Falluja yesterday at dawn resulting in several being killed and injured. Witnesses said that one of the killed is the driver of a rental car whose car


Suspected insurgents behead official in revenge for deaths of 85 <b>...</b> : Search teams have found the body of a local official beheaded by suspected Muslim insurgents as revenge for the deaths of 85 rioters in southern Thailand last week, police said.


Europe Left Cold By Portable Video European consumers want music not video or games on their portable gadgets. According to Jupiter Research only a lowly five per cent of people would like a music player which could also play films.


Warne Breaks Thumb, Will Miss Final Cricket Test Against India Shane Warne, Test cricket #39;s leading wicket-taker, will miss the fourth and final Test match against India in Mumbai tomorrow after breaking his right thumb while practicing his batting, a Cricket Australia statement said.


Palestinian People #39;s front claims responsibility for Tel Aviv <b>...</b> Abu Ali Mustafa groups, the military wing of the People #39;s Front For The Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed responsibility for the Palestinian Tel Aviv operation which resulted in killing four Israelis and injuring more than 40.


American, Nepali and Arabs kidnapped in Iraq  quot;They stormed the villa with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. They had no chance, quot; said a policeman. A company guard was killed in the attack.


US Stocks Rise on Optimism About Election; Nextel Advances US stocks gained on optimism the US presidential election will produce a clear winner, acting as the catalyst to lift share prices the rest of the year.


Dynegy to buy Exelon assets DALLAS (CBS.MW) -- Dynegy Inc. said Tuesday it will buy Exelon subsidiary ExRes SHC for \$1.05 billion in a deal that expands the Houston company #39;s power generation business in the New York state market.


Cisco to power Indian Ethernet One of India #39;s leading telecommunications providers will use Cisco Systems #39; gear to build its new Ethernet-based broadband network.


Macrovision Takes a Hit Investors in digital copy protector Macrovision (Nasdaq: MVSN) are smarting this morning, after a 2 pre-earnings-announcement run-up in their stock #39;s price turned into a 6 rout in the announcement #39;s aftermath.


Germans Use Nokia Phones In Wireless Ticket Trial The world #39;s top mobile phone maker Nokia said on Tuesday its phones would be used in a project to test wireless public transport fares in Hanau, near Frankfurt in Germany, beginning early next year.


PalmOne to make Microsoft WindowsMobile Treo? First that team wins that thing, now thisPalmOne (PalmSources biggest customer and maker of the Treo 650) appears it really might be planning to use Microsofts WindowsMobile OS in its Treo line of SmartPhones.


10 Red Sox Players File for Free Agency World Champion Boston Red Sox team member Derek Lowe, second from left, picks confetti from the hair of Jay Leno as Mike Timlin, far left, Alan Embree, David Ortiz and Dave Roberts, far right, look on during their visit to the Tonight Show with Jay Leno


Filipino abducted in Iraq (7:42 pm) MANILA -- A Filipino who was among four people abducted in Iraq is believed to be an accountant working for a Saudi Arabian company catering food to American troops, sources said Tuesday.


We want Kerry It signalled this in no uncertain terms when oil prices fell below US\$50 (\$83) mark on Monday. US light crude dipped to US\$49 at one point before ending at US\$49.


BJ Services Shares Fall on 4Q Results Shares of BJ Services Co. fell more than 5 percent Tuesday morning after the oilfield service provider reported fourth-quarter results and issued a 2005 outlook that fell short of analyst expectations.


Intel Unveils  #39;Extreme Edition #39; for Power Users With a maximum data throughput improvement of up to 33 percent between the CPU and system memory (compared with an 800 MHz system bus), the Extreme Edition #39;s 1066 MHz bus can enable faster frame rates for both gaming and video editing.


WHO #39;S AFRAID OF THE GUNNERS? WHAT is in store for the English and European top guns in the Champions League this week? THE main thing we can say about Arsenal is that opponents are no longer afraid of the Gunners.


1st female UK soldier dies in Iraq The first female British soldier has died in Iraq, according to the Ministry of Defence. Staff Sgt. Denise Michelle Rose of the Royal Military Police #39;s Special Investigation Branch


Oil prices go down. But for how long? With the US presidential elections approaching, world oil prices appear to be going down. New York #39;s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, fell 26 cents to 49.


UPDATE 2-MBIA 3rd-qtr earnings fall 2.3 pct, stock off MBIA Inc. (MBI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , a leading US bond insurer, on Tuesday reported a 2.3 percent drop in third-quarter earnings as investor demand


Dynegy inks \$1B deal to buy Exelon assets Houston-based Dynegy Inc. has agreed to buy ExRes SHC Inc., the parent company of Sithe Energies and Sithe Independence LP, from Chicago-based Exelon Corp.


US job cuts exceed 100,000 again Job-cutting continued across the country at a breakneck pace in October, according to the monthly survey by Challenger, Gray  amp; Christmas Inc.


Yahoo Desktop Search Will Be a Reality Yahoos CEO Terry Semel told an investment conference yesterday that Yahoo too would be putting out a desktop search tool for searching computer desktops and harddrives using the backbone of Yahoo Search Technology.


Benitez on Spanish return Liverpools new manager left the Valencia team in fine shape after two championships in three seasons, but insisting he was the victim of internal politics at the Mestalla that undermined his position.


Ford decides to stay in rallying Ford #39;s recent success in the World Rally Championship seems to have tipped the Detroit company into staying in the WRC for four more years.


Arafat #39;s condition is improving, aide says PARIS -- Yasser Arafat #39;s health is improving, one of his aides said Tuesday, repeating that tests have ruled out leukemia as the cause of the Palestinian leader #39;s health problems.


Report: UAE president dead at 86 The president of the United Arab Emirates, who helped forge a federation from seven Persian Gulf states and ruled it since its creation, has died, Abu Dhabi TV said.


Protester killed during Sichuan demonstration At least one man was killed in a protest in China #39;s southwestern province of Sichuan, a resident said, in the second violent demonstration to hit rural China in the past week.


AOL layoffs due next month update America Online is expected to cut more than 700 jobs from its work force next month, as the online giant continues to struggle with declining subscriber numbers, according to a source familiar with the plans.


Verizon Wireless Won #39;t Oppose Nextel Swap Verizon Wireless on Tuesday withdrew its opposition to a plan that would give Nextel Communications Inc. (NXTL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) valuable new wireless airwaves


Update 2: Clorox Profit Declines on Restructuring The Clorox Co., the maker of Clorox bleach, Brita water filters and other consumer products, Tuesday posted a 5 percent drop in profit for its latest quarter as it restructured some operations.


Ryanair 2nd-Quarter Net Rises 15 on New-Route Sales (Update8) Ryanair Holdings Plc, Europe #39;s largest low-cost airline, said second-quarter profit rose 15 percent as the carrier cut fares less than it expected and added routes.


PalmSource Names Jean-Louis Gassee Chairman of the Board PalmSource today announced Jean-Louis Gassee has been appointed Chairman of the PalmSource Board of Directors. Gassee, 60, was appointed to the Company #39;s Board of Directors in May 2002.


IGT posts lower quarterly profit, record yearly income Slot machine maker International Game Technology said Tuesday that fourth-quarter profit declined 50 percent from the same period a year earlier as a result of the early redemption


Job cuts ease in October: report US planned job cuts eased in October but remained above the 100,000 level for the second month in row, a report said Tuesday. Employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray  amp; Christmas Inc.


Stocks in Motion: BJ Services Shares of BJ Services (BJS:NYSE - news - research) were among the NYSE #39;s losers Tuesday, falling 5 after the company posted fourth-quarter earnings and sales that fell below Wall Street expectations and warned on 2005.


Nokia Unveils Near Field Communication Product Nokia #39;s new Near Field Communication product will turn mobile phones into wireless wallets, the company says. It is conducting trials of the new technology in Germany, involving wireless ticketing with a transportation authority.


SCO not sure pro-SCO site is a good idea Legal concerns of all things have caused The SCO Group to rethink it plans to launch a pro-SCO propaganda web site meant to counter the popular Groklaw site.


Saturn Moon Titan #39;s Landscape Alien, Familiar The solar system #39;s smoggiest orb appears to have landscapes both foreign and familiar, say geologists who are sorting through the first up-close peek at Saturn #39;s planet-sized moon Titan.


Ford Makes Four-Year Commitment Ford made a four-year commitment to the world rally championship Tuesday, ending fears that they could pull out of that series as well as Formula One.


FERGIE SEEKING HOME COMFORTS Manchester United #39;s performance was so bad at Portsmouth on Saturday that Sir Alex Ferguson would give himself a game against Sparta Prague if he was picking a team purely on merit.


Int #39;l Game Tech Posts Lower Profit International Game Technology #39;s fourth-quarter profits declined 50 percent, hit by early redemption of senior notes, but the world #39;s largest maker of slot machines and other gambling devices


SCO has second thoughts about Groklaw alternative NOVEMBER 02, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - The SCO Group Inc. is reconsidering its plans to launch an alternative to the Groklaw.net Web site that had been scheduled to go live this week, a company spokeswoman said yesterday.


Yahoo at work on desktop search Internet company Yahoo announced yesterday that it is at work on a desktop search product. The offering would allow people to search their own PCs as easily as they can currently search the internet.


Toshiba Third Party Memory Module Failure Toshiba has announced a worldwide Recall/Exchange Program on specific models of Toshiba notebook PCs. Under certain conditions, the subject component, provided to Toshiba by third-parties and installed in


Hoddle still favourite for Baggies post Glenn Hoddle remains favourite to become West Broms new boss but the appointment is not a done deal. The former England chief is believed to want the job and woke up this morning to headlines suggesting it was in the bag.


Thai local official beheaded in revenge for deaths of 85 Muslims A local Buddhist official was beheaded by suspected Muslim insurgents as revenge for the deaths of 85 rioters in Thailand #39;s mainly Muslim south last week, police said Tuesday.


Int #39;l Game Tech Posts Lower Profit International Game Technology #39;s fourth-quarter profits declined 50 percent, hit by early redemption of senior notes, but the world #39;s largest maker of slot machines and other gambling devices said Tuesday that its annual income set a new record.


Verizon, Nextel Reach Settlement Verizon Wireless and Nextel Communications today announced they have reached an agreement to resolve all of their legal disputes, including the contentious 800 MHz realignment that gives Nextel coveted 1.9 GHz spectrum.


Forest Labs #39; new hypertension drug disappoints in efficacy study NEW YORK, November 2 (newratings.com) - Forest Laboratories Inc (FRX.NYS) witnessed a decline in its share price this morning, following the news of disappointing efficacy study results for the company #39;s new hypertension drug.


Update 1: Bond Prices Are Mostly Lower at Midday The price of the Treasury #39;s 10-year note was down 1/16 point, or 63 cents per \$1,000 in face value, while its yield rose to 4.10 percent from 4.09 percent late Monday.


Beagle 2 Just Didn #39;t Have the Money to Succeed Summary - (Nov 2, 2004) A new report by the UK House of Commons science and technology select committee pins the blame for the loss of the Beagle 2 lander on a lack of early money.


China tightens grip on Internet freedom The Chinese government has closed 1,600 internet cafes and fined operators a total of \$12 million for letting children access porn websites and play violent games, the government said, according to wired.


Converged Home Entertainment Standard Mooted The Universal Home Application Programmer Interface Forum is working on a specification for analog and digital television designed to enable the creation of middleware and application software


When in Rome, moan It was the nadir of a love affair, at the Stadio Olimpico in Roma on Sunday, that had endured much during its existence, but was perhaps not prepared for a midweek surrender at Juventus in a season that has so far seen more than its fair share of turmoil


UN says security worsening in Darfur, relief work hampered GENEVA : Humanitarian organisations expressed alarm over worsening security in Sudan #39;s conflict-wracked Darfur region, where the UN refugee agency has been forced to cancel several missions.


Cries of election corruption Ukraine #39;s presidential election ended in a dead heat calling for a runoff, while thousands of protesters on Monday alleged fraud in the west, and international monitors


Oracle seeks to clinch PeopleSoft with extra \$1bn LARRY ELLISON, the chief executive of Oracle, has raised his offer to buy PeopleSoft by more than \$1 billion, marking what could be the final salvo in a 17-month bidding war.


Verizon Wireless Won #39;t Oppose Nextel Airwaves Swap (Update3) Verizon Wireless and Nextel Communications Inc. said they resolved disputes over airwaves and trademark names, ending a 15-month legal battle between the two US mobile-phone providers.


Nokia, Good Technology Ink Smartphone Deal NEW YORK - Nokia is developing a smartphone that will incorporate Good Technology #39;s GoodLink wireless e-mail service, a deal that should broaden Good #39;s penetration and boost its market share against leader Research in Motion.


Yahoo! Building Desktop Search, More Personalization Portal player Yahoo! will compete with Google and MSN in the desktop search arena, CEO Terry Semel told an audience at a Morgan Stanley investor conference.


New Nokia 3230 And 6020 Camera Phones Nokia has introduced three new phones at their Mobility Conference, the 7710 widescreen multimedia smartphone, the 3230 megapixel smartphone and the 6020 camera phone.


Mixed Emotions for Sparta Coach Straka made the surprising admission on the eve of the Champions League match between the two sides at Old Trafford. He said: Manchester United are great.


Arafat #39;s doctors rule out leukemia Relaying doctors #39; first official statement regarding ailing Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat #39;s health, a PA spokeswoman said Tuesday that hospital medical staff had ruled out leukemia as a cause for his deterioration in health, and said his


Nextel and Verizon Settle Legal Disputes Nextel Communications Inc. and Verizon Wireless are settling all legal disputes between them, removing a key challenge to a federal decision to clear up interference between cell phones and emergency response


Forest Labs Hypertension Drug Falls Short Shares of Forest Laboratories (FRX:NYSE - news - research)slipped Tuesday after the company said a test of an experimental blood pressure drug didn #39;t meet all of the study #39;s goals.


SPAM vs spam To some Britons, especially those 50 and older, it #39;s a word forged from  #39;spiced #39; and  #39;ham #39; to represent,  quot;pink, chopped ham and pork rammed into square tins, quot; as the UK #39;s The Guardian story describes it.


Blinkx Names Former Yahoo Europe Exec to CEO Post Privately held desktop search provider Blinkx on Monday said it named Mark Opzoomer, former managing director of Yahoo (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) Europe, as its chief executive effective immediately.


Iraqi Rebels Bomb Baghdad Ministry, Hit Oil Sector Rebels bracing for a US-led assault on their Falluja and Ramadi strongholds showed their muscle Tuesday with a bloody car bombing in Baghdad, strikes on oil pipelines and several attacks on Iraqi security forces.


Tenet Healthcare #39;s Loss Narrows in 3Q NEW YORK - Tenet Healthcare Corp. said Tuesday its loss narrowed in the third quarter, as the operator of acute-care hospitals significantly reduced its loss from continuing operations.


China Shuts Down 1,600 Internet Cafes China has closed 1,600 Internet cafes and fined operators a total of \$12 million for letting children play violent games and for other violations, the government said Saturday.


Filmmaker Who Criticized Islam Slain A filmmaker who was the great-grandnephew of the painter Vincent Van Gogh was shot and stabbed to death on an Amsterdam street Tuesday after receiving death threats over a movie he made criticizing the treatment of women under Islam.


Iran Considers EU Compromise Proposal Representatives from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom met with Iranian officials twice in October in an effort to head off a possible diplomatic showdown over its nuclear program.


RPT-UPDATE 2-Slot machine maker IGT beats estimates Slot machine maker International Game Technology (IGT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings, as casinos bought


Bayer Drug Can Be Combined With Others German drug maker Bayer AG said Tuesday that early-stage trials of an experimental cancer treatment showed no significant safety concerns when used in combination with other drugs.


Yahoo Moving on Desktop Search; Semel Says He Will Stay Yahoo is ready to engage in combat with rival Google by offering a new desktop search tool to help people find information on their computer hard drives.


Sauber switch to Michelin tyres for 2005 The Sauber Formula One team will use Michelin tyres next year after six seasons racing with Bridgestone. Sauber #39;s decision, announced in a statement on Tuesday, leaves Bridgestone


DirecTV Posts Wider Third-Quarter Loss Satellite television provider DirecTV Group Inc. said Tuesday that charges for the revaluation of certain satellites led to a sharply widened third-quarter loss.


Gassee: PalmSource Names Apple Ex-Exec To Replace Benhamou PalmSource (nasdaq: PSRC - news - people ) said Tuesday that it named Jean-Louis Gassee, 60, as chairman. He #39;ll take the mantle from the retiring Eric Benhamou, 48--who also has the chair at 3Com (nasdaq: COMS - news - people ).


Former Yahoo top exec to head start-up Blinkx This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web Services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


Sauber switch to Michelin tyres Formula One outfit Sauber will switch to Michelin tyres next season after six seasons using Bridgestones. The Swiss team #39;s move means Ferrari are the only top team contracted to Bridgestone although Jordan and Minardi both used them in 2004.


Police investigating theft of Olympic drug test sample DUBLIN, Ireland The investigation into whether Ireland #39;s only medal winner from the Athens Olympics had a banned substance in his system has taken a twist.


Official: Cuper Signs With Mallorca Hector Cuper is Mallorcas coach for the second time in his career after that he signed a three year deal with the Balearic club in Barcelona today.


Ferguson ready to unleash Ruud Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is confident bringing Ruud van Nistelrooy back into the side will help his side triumph over Sparta Prague.


Sudanese troops surround camps Sudanese soldiers have taken up positions near refugee camps in the crisis-torn Darfur region sparking fears that tens of thousands of homeless people could be forcibly moved.


Slain filmmaker Theo van Gogh:  #39;a champion of free speech #39; AMSTERDAM, Nov 2 (AFP) - Theo van Gogh, the maverick Dutch film maker killed in the street here on Tuesday, was a controversial figure who seemed to delight in provocation and had a penchant for portraying difficult subjects on screen.


Does PeopleSoft Deal Make Sense for Oracle? Oracle says its latest bid to purchase PeopleSoft is its  quot;best and final offer. quot; At \$24 per share, Oracle #39;s offer is higher than PeopleSoft #39;s 24-week high.


Fresh tax claims hit Yukos Shares in Yukos, the Russian oil group beset by difficulties, dropped sharply yesterday after reports that the authorities had launched fresh tax claims against it, totalling up to \$7 billion.


BJ Services profit jumps 42 percent on drilling surge HOUSTON -- BJ Services Co., which provides oil-pumping services, Tuesday posted a 42 percent jump in profit for its latest quarter, but warned that fiscal 2005 estimates would fall below Wall Street #39;s expectations.


Australia will field its best XI: Po MUMBAI: Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Tuesday sounded a warning that the Indians should not become complacent thinking that the Australians would take it easy after winning the series, saying, We are here to win and will play our best XI


Sudan Army Surrounds Darfur Refugee Camps The Sudanese army and police surrounded several refugee camps in the war-torn region of Darfur on Tuesday and denied access to humanitarian groups, the United Nations said.


Gateway to repurchase stock from America Online Computer maker Gateway Inc. Tuesday said it has agreed to repurchase stock held by America Online Inc. for \$316 million. AOL, which is a unit of media and entertainment company Time Warner


Conrad Black quits Hollinger Inc. TORONTO Conrad Black stepped aside today as head of the Toronto-based holding company that has voting control over Chicago-based newspaper publisher Hollinger International.


IE Dominance Threatened by the Fox In addition to showing a penchant for alternatives to Internet Explorer, the latest data also suggest that Mozilla is becoming the preferred option for those seeking to abandon Microsoft.


Toshiba Joins Recall Parade, Blames Bad Memory Toshiba on Monday issued a recall for faulty memory modules that were used in over two dozen of its laptop models. The recall potentially affects some 600,000 notebook computers.


US Stocks Gain on Optimism About Election; Nextel Advances US stocks gained on optimism the US presidential election would produce a clear winner, acting as the catalyst to lift share prices the rest of the year.


Playboy Posts Profit, Shares Rise Playboy Enterprises Inc. (PLA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the adult entertainment company, on Tuesday reported a third-quarter profit, reversing a year-earlier loss


Mainframes Power BMC Revenue Mainframe products played a big role in BMC Software #39;s second-quarter earnings for its fiscal year 2005, which ended Sept. 30.


Immucor CEO Is Subject of Criminal Probe Immucor Inc. on Tuesday said president and chief executive Gioacchino De Chirico will step aside as CEO while the company investigates a criminal probe into De Chirico and an Italian subsidiary.


No-frills profit boost for Ryanair No-frills airline Ryanair posted a forecast-beating jump in half-year profit after its low fares drew in summer passengers and was surprisingly upbeat on the full year, boosting its shares.


Nokia extends messaging options in handsets Nokia Corp. said deals with Visto Corp. and Good Technology Inc. to expand the messaging options on its handsets. Nokia has a similar agreement with Visto and Good rival Research In Motion Ltd.


Spam back on the menu Spam, the luncheon meat which valiantly sustained the country #39;s war effort only to suffer so cruelly at the hands of Monty Python, is being relaunched in the UK.


Nokia Extends Series 60 Capabilities With smartphones gaining in popularity, Nokia has committed to beef up the capabilities of its Series 60 platform to embrace more multimedia features.


Probe into theft of sample CAMBRIDGESHIRE police are investigating after a urine sample belonging to an Olympic gold medal winning horse was apparently stolen.


Dagenais attends NHLPA meeting TORONTO (CP) - Montreal Canadiens winger Pierre Dagenais, who made headlines last week when he said he #39;d accept a salary cap if it settled the NHL lockout, showed up Tuesday at the NHL Players #39; Association meeting.


Video Shows Beheading of Japan Hostage - Web A group led by al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi showed the beheading of Japanese hostage Shosei Koda in Iraq while he was lying on top of a US flag in an Internet video posted on Tuesday.


AOL to 700 Staff: You #39;ve Got No Job Senior AOL officials declined comment, and those who would discuss the matter would only do so anonymously, citing tomorrow #39;s pending release of third quarter earnings by Time Warner, America Online #39;s parent.


Citigroup Is Sued Over Alleged Interference A global investment fund manager has filed a civil suit against Citigroup, charging that the New York-based financial institution improperly interfered with the investment fund #39;s operations in Brazil, lawyers said Tuesday.


Stocks Move Up Despite Election Jitters Despite its nervousness over the presidential election, Wall Street extended its rally Tuesday, pushing stocks higher as investors welcomed a drop in oil prices past the \$50 per barrel level.


Nokia Adds RFID to Latest Handsets Nokia #39;s RFID system offers consumers access to browsing and text message services by touching tags that contain service shortcuts.


Good Technology, Nokia in cahoots Nokia today announced it is joining forces with Good Technology to extend its GoodLink software to Nokia business-optimized mobile devices such as the Series 90


Bowden lands a new GM job WASHINGTON The Washington-bound Montreal Expos have a general manager, at least for the time being. Former Cincinnati Reds GM Jim Bowden (BOH #39;-den) has been hired for the job.


Car bomb kills six in Baghdad Iraqi hospital officials say six people are dead from a car bombing that struck in northern Baghdad. An Iraqi official says the blast took place near the Ministry of Education.


Palestinian PM condemns Israeli raid in Nablus Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei condemned on Tuesday Israel #39;s operation in the northern West Bank town of Nablus, during which four Palestinians, including a child, were killed.


BMC posts profit on technology spending, expense cuts HOUSTON Houston-based BMC Software today swung to a second-quarter profit amid resurgent technology spending and cost cutting. In the quarter ended September 30th, BMC earned 12-point-seven (M) million dollars


NHLPA remains united in labour dispute CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Solidarity was the key word at Tuesday #39;s meeting between NHL Players #39; Association notables and executive director Bob Goodenow.


Warne out of Mumbai Australia #39;s champion leg-spinner Shane Warne has been sent home from India after breaking his thumb in training, ruling him out of the fourth Test in Mumbai, which begins on Wednesday.


The UAE names new energy minister The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has named Mohammed bin Al Dhaen Al Hamili oil minister, succeeding Obeid bin Saif Al Nasseri in a cabinet reshuffle approved by Supreme Council


Election Commission Stops Vote Count As Opposition Protests Ukraine #39;s Central Election Commission has suspended vote counting from the 31 October presidential election. The opposition says that #39;s because a complete count would reveal that its leader, Viktor Yushchenko


Oracle Says Latest PeopleSoft Bid Is  #39;Final Offer #39; An end to the takeover squabble between Oracle and PeopleSoft may not be in sight even though, in what it called a  quot;best and final quot; offer, Oracle upped its unsolicited bid by 14 percent, to \$24 per share.


Intel Unveils  #39;Extreme #39; Pentium 4 for Gamers The 3.46GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition includes 2MB of Level 3 cache and hyper-threading technology. The Intel 925XE Express chipset is an extension of the 915/925X Express chipset launched


Late funds hampered Beagle mission to Mars: MPs LONDON - The Beagle 2 space probe failed to land safely on Mars because the British government tried to fund the mission  quot;on the cheap, quot; a parliamentary committee has charged.


Apple Shares Rise to Highest Level in Four Years on iPod Demand Apple Computer Inc. shares rose to a four-year high, erasing the slump triggered September 2000 by a disappointing profit forecast, as demand for the iPod digital music player surges before the year-end holiday shopping season.


Gunners look for return to winning ways Arsenal are looking to haul themselves out of their first sticky patch of the season with a Champions League victory over Panathinaikos at Highbury tonight.


== Report: Jags #39; Leftwich to miss significant time with knee <b>...</b> Jacksonville, FL (Sports Network) - According to Tuesday #39;s edition of the Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback Byron Leftwich will miss at least four weeks and perhaps the rest of the season with a left knee injury.


More Red Sox declare free agency CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Ten members of the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox filed for free agency on Monday. Catcher Jason Varitek, shortstop Orlando Cabrera, pitchers Curtis Leskanic, Derek Lowe, Ramiro Mendoza


Parker receives multi-year contract extension from Spurs San Antonio, TX (Sports Network) - The San Antonio Spurs Tuesday signed point guard Tony Parker to a multi-year contract extension.


Ex-Computer Associates Execs, SEC Settle Two former executives of Computer Associates International, who have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud, have agreed to pay a total \$387,470 to settle related civil charges in a multibillion-dollar accounting scandal at the big


Hollinger Inc. Chief Executive Conrad Black Resigns (Update4) Conrad Black quit as chairman and chief executive officer of Hollinger Inc., the company that controls the publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times, preempting a court decision that may have ousted him as early as today.


Update 5: Tentative Deal Reached in Casino Strike Thousands of striking casino-hotel workers reached a tentative contract agreement that signals an end to a bitter, month-old walkout - the longest in Atlantic City casino history.


Macromedia Launches Software Version for eBay Stores Macromedia announced a customized version of its Contribute 3 software for eBay Store sellers. Contribute 3 for eBay will allow sellers to create and customize an eBay Store without requiring technical knowledge.


Report: Lehman named Ryder Cup captain West Palm Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Tom Lehman will be named the United States Ryder Cup captain for the 2006 matches, according to The Palm Beach Post.


Ford commits to long-term participation in WRC Ford of Europe today announced a major commitment to the World Rally Championship. The Company has entered into a four-year agreement with Malcolm Wilson #39;s British


Seau worried injujry could end season NEW YORK - Frustration was compounded by injury for the Dolphins as Junior Seau, Jason Taylor, Jay Fiedler, Randy McMichael and Marty Booker were among the players who had X-rays or were seen by doctors following the 41-14 loss to the Jets Monday night.


Pak wants better ties with SAARC states: PM KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said Pakistan wanted better relations with the South Asian nations and would do whatever possible to bring peace, security and progress in the entire region.


Dow, Nasdaq, S amp;P 500 Retreat on Exit Poll US stocks changed course suddenly on Tuesday as chatter on the Internet speculated that early exit polls show Sen. John Kerry leading the presidential election in key states.


A Firefox in IE #39;s Roost Web properties that design primarily for Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer (IE) are being put on notice. Various online sites are abuzz with data from WebSideStory, an Internet analytics firm, showing that Firefox


SCO Skips Legal Issues Web Site Red Monk #39;s Steve O #39;Grady told LinuxInsider that SCO #39;s decision shows a lack of understanding of what drives Groklaw.  quot;The value of Groklaw is the community itself, with people attending


Black: Quits As Hollinger Inc. CEO Ahead Of Investor Action  quot;Super Tuesday quot; in Toronto. Conrad Black gave up his titles as chairman and chief executive of Hollinger Inc. The holding company, based in Toronto, Canada, has voting control over newspaper publisher Hollinger International (nyse: HLR - news - people ).


Blogs Send Stocks Into Reverse US stocks reversed course suddenly on Tuesday and drifted lower as chatter on the Internet speculated that early exit polls had Sen. John Kerry leading the presidential election in key swing states.


Agilysys Posts 2Q Profit on Acquisitions Agilysys Inc., a supplier of electronic components and computer systems, said Tuesday that it swung to a profit in the fiscal second quarter as acquisitions contributed to strong sales growth.


Nokia launches tri-band 3220 camera phone with Near Field <b>...</b> HELSINKI, Nov 02, 2004 (AFX-UK via COMTEX) -- Nokia Corp launched today at its conference in Monaco a new tri-band Nokia 3220 camera handset equipped with a Near Field Communication (NFC) cover.


Nasa scientists find surface of Titan  #39;Very Alien #39; THE surface of Saturn #39;s moon Titan may be covered by thick drifts of combustible organic  quot;snow quot; floating on lakes of liquid methane or water and ammonia ice flows, NASA scientists said on Friday.


MORE DIVA MAGIC AT the halfway point of yesterday #39;s Melbourne Cup, Glen Boss admitted to a feeling of deja vu as he sat in 14th spot on favourite Makybe Diva.


Germany, Argentina hold no fear for Socceroos MATCHES against soccer powerhouses Germany and Argentina await the Socceroos at the Confederations Cup next year in what they hope will be a dress rehearsal for the 2006 World Cup finals.


Benitez calls for tackling clampdown LONDON (AFP) - Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has asked English referees to give his players greater protection from what he says are poor tackles.


Jags QB Leftwich sidelined with sprained knee JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Ticker) -- Byron Leftwich once played a college football game with a fractured shin. So will a sprained left knee put the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback on the sidelines?


Truth  amp; Rumors: Nov. 2, 2004 When aircraft problems forced the cancellation of Wally Backman #39;s trip last week to interview for the Mets #39; manager #39;s job, something told Backman to cancel a chance to be reunited with his former team.


Dutch filmmaker who criticized Islam is slain in Amsterdam <b>...</b> A Dutch filmmaker who got death threats after his movie sharply criticized how women are treated under Islam was stabbed and shot to death Tuesday on an Amsterdam street.


Baghdad Bomb Leaves at Least 6 Dead, Iraqi Police Say (Update3) A car bomb exploded outside Iraq #39;s Education Ministry in Baghdad, killing at least six people, while in Fallujah, west of the capital, US air strikes hit insurgent targets, US and Iraqi officials said.


Insurers #39; Losses Top \$21 Bln for Quarter US property and casualty insurers paid out \$21.3 billion for hurricane damage, mostly in Florida, during the third-quarter, according an industry group called ISO.


DirecTV Posts Loss, Blames Marketing DirecTV Group Inc. (DTV.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday posted a large quarterly loss as marketing and subscriber retention costs rose sharply, offsetting a 49 percent rise in new subscribers.


Update 6: Tentative Deal Reached in Casino Strike Thousands of striking casino-hotel workers reached a tentative contract agreement that signals an end to a bitter, month-old walkout - the longest in Atlantic City casino history.


Bagle Headlines October Viruses The latest Bagle variant was the most notable new virus in October, although the month was relatively quiet overall. Although it only emerged at the end of the month, the variant still proved pervasive enough


Hewitt holds off French talent Monfils in Paris Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt held off a strong fightback by French sensation Gael Monfils to move into the third round of the Paris Masters Series indoor tournament on Tuesday.


Captors set deadline for relief worker BAGHDAD, IRAQ - The captors of relief worker Margaret Hassan threatened to hand her over to a group that beheaded several hostages if British troops don #39;t leave Iraq, Al-Jazeera said Tuesday.


No Sorry from the Queen Queen Elizabeth II stopped short of apologizing for the Allies #39; bombing of Dresden during her first state visit to Germany in 12 years and instead acknowledged  quot;the appalling suffering of war on both sides.


Spansion Makes Splash in Flash AMD (Quote, Chart) and Fujitsu have embarked on a new line of advanced Flash memory to address an explosion of consumer electronics products, the companies said Tuesday.


Roddick defends  #39;injured #39; stars FORMER world No.1 Andy Roddick today leapt to the defence of Paris Masters no-shows Roger Federer and Andre Agassi. Officials are furious with Agassi #39;s last minute withdrawal, arguing that the lucrative nine


CanWest Global earns \$62M for Q4, compared with \$45M loss last <b>...</b> WINNIPEG (CP) - Special gains from the sale of international assets helped CanWest Global Communications Corp. post a solid profit in the fourth quarter, reversing a big loss last year.


Intel Intros  #39;Extreme Edition #39; P4 Chip Gartner analyst Martin Reynolds said Intel, as the market leader, needs to keep  quot;moving people down the path quot; of new technologies.


Stolen papers linked to drug saga Documents stolen from the Equestrian Federation of Ireland were linked to the ongoing doping scandal surrounding an Olympic gold medal winning horse.


Halladay, Delgado top rankings It may not have shown in the standings, but it showed up in the stats. The last-place Blue Jays had the top-ranked pitcher and position player in the Major Leagues last season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.


EU: Israel Must Know There is No Power Vacuum in Palestinian <b>...</b> The European Union said Tuesday the Palestinian government remained fully in power, though President Yasser Arafat lies in a Paris hospital suffering from a serious, but undisclosed illness.


Queen to host German gala to rebuild war-bombed church BERLIN - Britain #39;s Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday began a three-day state visit to Germany highlighted by moves to forge deeper reconciliation over the World War II Anglo-American firebombing of Dresden in 1945.


Canada renews plan to decriminalise pot possession OTTAWA: The Canadian government signalled its intention on Monday to re-introduce legislation to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of marijuana.


Update 2: Immucor CEO to Step Aside During Probe Immucor Inc. said president and chief executive are under criminal investigation in Italy for alleged improper payments to a doctor, the maker of blood-testing equipment said Tuesday.


Update 2: Marsh Seeks Incentive Fees for Settlement Marsh  amp; McLennan Companies Inc., the insurance brokerage giant, is looking to collect about \$230 million in incentive fees at the heart of a bid-rigging probe by New York authorities as a way to help fund a possible settlement over the questioned fees.


Qualcomm #39;s Field Of Streams NEW YORK - If you build it, they will come... or so Qualcomm hopes. The wireless chip and technology vendor is betting that if it constructs a nationwide network to stream television over cell phones, cellular


Hewitt beats French teen Monfils to reach third round at Paris <b>...</b> Second-seeded Lleyton Hewitt defeated French teenager Gael Monfils 6-3, 7-6 (3) at the Paris Masters on Tuesday, then heaped praise on the former junior champion.


Jaguars quarterback out indefinitely Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich is out indefinitely after spraining his lateral collateral ligament in his left knee in Sunday #39;s 20-6 loss to Houston.


Parker signs long-term deal with Spurs Before last season, the San Antonio Spurs wanted to push Tony Parker aside to make room for Jason Kidd at point guard. This week the Spurs made a big commitment to the 22-year-old Frenchman: a six-year contract extension reportedly worth \$66 million.


Toyota cruising for car maker #39;s crown Toyota Motor Corporation said it was on track to expand global sales by more than 2per cent in the next two years, after shrugging off a 1.5per cent drop in quarterly profit.


Update 2: Insurers Suffer Record Catastrophe Losses The property insurance industry sustained record third-quarter losses this year after a series of storms, including a string of hurricanes, according to an actuarial firm #39;s preliminary estimate.


Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal ships Insomniac #39;s cheeky action sequel features online play, 2D side scrolling mini-games, and of course, more weapons. Sony today announced that Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal has shipped to retail outlets nationwide.


Netsky scoops gongs in Sophos October viral count ANTI VIRAL firm Sophos released its monthly figures for the top viral attacks detected during October. And out of the top 10 threats to peace, quiet, and to Windows operating systems, different variants of the Netsky pesky took six out of the 10 placings.


Martin, Jordan power Jets to victory For the first six games of the season, Curtis Martin single-handedly shouldered the running burden for the New York Jets. Martin hardly ever took a break in games, while his seldom-used backup fidgeted impatiently on the sideline.


Thailand Ablaze? The heavy handed approach by the Thai authorities in handling the protestors in Narathiwat province in Southern Thailand has undermined hopes of peaceful settlements for the ongoing violence


Computer maker Gateway to repurchase stock from America Online Computer maker Gateway Inc. Tuesday said it has agreed to repurchase stock held by America Online Inc. for \$316 million US. AOL, which is a unit of media and entertainment company Time


Nextel and Verizon Settle Legal Disputes NEW YORK - Nextel Communications Inc. and Verizon Wireless unexpectedly resolved a heated dispute Tuesday over a federal proposal to clear up interference between cell phones and emergency response radios


Playboy Posts Profit, Shares Rise Playboy Enterprises Inc. (PLA), the adult entertainment company, on Tuesday reported a third-quarter profit, reversing a year-earlier loss, on gains at its television


Update 1: IGT Posts Lower Quarterly Profit International Game Technology #39;s fourth-quarter profits declined 50 percent, hit by early redemption of senior notes, but the world #39;s largest maker of slot machines and other gambling devices said Tuesday that its annual income set a new record.


Insurers Lose \$21 Billion from Hurricanes including hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne -- contributed to \$21.3 billion in insured property loss claims, says actuarial firm ISO.


Nokia makes Good on business phones com November 2, 2004, 11:06 AM PT. Wired  amp; Wireless continues its reign as the top IT priority among IT managers due to widespread IP telephony deployment and other network infrastructure upgrades.


Raytheon board recommends annual election of directors The board of directors of Raytheon wants to shorten the terms for board members. The Waltham-based defense contractor is asking shareholders to approve annual elections


Qualcomm to Build Wireless Media Network Wireless chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday said it plans to build a national high-speed network to deliver video and audio programming


The bullish case for Kerry Market participants may think they #39;d prefer a Bush win, but Kerry might be better in the long run. By Alexandra Twin, CNN/Money staff writer.


Nokia phone adopts handwriting recognition The 7710 model features a touch screen, pen input, a digital camera, an Internet browser, a radio, video playback and streaming and recording capabilities, the company said.


PalmSource Drops on Analyst Downgrade PalmSource Inc. shares slipped more than 9 percent in Monday trading after an analyst downgraded the company on concerns that its future sales could be decimated if sister firm palmOne Inc.


Tennis: Henman on easy street Tim Henman yesterday qualified for the season-ending Masters Cup in Houston without hitting a ball. Henman needed to reach the quarter-finals in the defence of his Paris Masters title to be


Hairston undergoes ankle surgery Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jerry Hairston underwent successful ankle surgery, the club announced Tuesday.


Drugs in Sport: Break-in thickens Waterford plot A break-in at the offices of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland in the early hours of yesterday morning added another twist to the story of the horse Waterford Crystal, with whom Cian


Roundup: Purdue dubs Orton doubtful vs. Iowa Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton is questionable for Saturday #39;s game against Iowa with an injured left hip. Orton was injured in last week #39;s 13-10 loss at Northwestern.


Werder Bremen 5-1 Anderlecht: FT Report BREMEN, November 2 (Champions League) - Ivan Klasnic fired Werder Bremen closer to the next stage of the Champions League with a superb hat-trick against sorry Anderlecht on Tuesday night.


Report: Captors threaten to hand Margaret Hassan over to group An Arab television station says hostage Margaret Hassan is facing a new threat -- a possible transfer to a deadly militant group. Al-Jazeera television cites a newly-released videotape from the people currently holding Hassan.


UN: Violence in Darfur, Chad camps United Nations officials report security breaches in internally displaced people and refugee camps in Sudan #39;s embattled Darfur region and neighboring Chad.


Blast carnage in Iraq : A car bomb brought fresh carnage to the heart of Baghdad today, killing six people and wounding eight near the education ministry, officials said.


Exit Poll Talk Hits the Stock Market Blue chips fell on Tuesday in a sharp reversal that trimmed gains in other indexes as Internet sites suggested exit polls had Sen. John Kerry ahead of President Bush in key states in the US presidential election.


Ryanair profits soar to record Budget airline Ryanair today announced record half-year profits, but said it remained cautious about the rest of the year. The Dublin-based carrier said profits after tax


Firefox, Mozilla Loosen Internet Explorer #39;s Grip on Browsers Safari users number less than one percent of the US Web browsing populace, according to a new online study, but Microsoft #39;s dominance has slipped recently, as Internet


Ratchet  amp; Clank: Up Your Arsenal The third installment of the Ratchet  amp; Clank franchise incorporates new elements of gameplay not seen previously in the series, including online and offline multiplayer capabilities that will appeal to a wide variety of players.


Advocaat new Gladbach boss GERMAN side Borussia Monchengladbach today named former Dutch boss Dick Advocaat as their new manager. Advocaat, 57, signed a contract with the five-time German champions until June 2007 and takes over from Holger Fach who was sacked six days ago.


VW locked in tough talks as warning strikes continue HANOVER - Management at Volkswagen and union leaders were locked in tough wage talks Tuesday as thousands of workers at Europe #39;s largest car maker staged more warning strikes.


Immucor CEO subject of Italian criminal probe Norcross-based Immucor Inc. said Tuesday that its Italian subsidiary and its chief executive officer are the subject of a criminal investigation in Italy concerning alleged improper cash payments to a physician.


Raytheon Seeks to Change Board Election Raytheon Co. #39;s board of directors is recommending that shareholders approve annual elections for all board members to replace the current system of three-year terms.


NFC Device Payment Technology Gets Boost The idea of paying for things by swiping a cell phone near a payment terminal received another boost Tuesday with the announcement that Philips, Nokia and a German train company will launch trials of the technology early next year.


Firefox Is a Worthy Adversary Mozilla browser is less complete than Internet Explorer but is much more than just an anti-Microsoft statement. Is computing not making the progress it used to, or did I just read a story


Center fielder makes art of taking away home runs In a recent television commercial for Major League Baseball to promote the 2004 postseason, Twins center fielder Torii Hunter said it was a bigger thrill to take home runs away than hit them.


We #39;ll hand over Hassan to killer of Bigley, warns kidnap group THE kidnappers of British aid worker Margaret Hassan last night threatened to turn her over to the group which beheaded Ken Bigley if the British Government refuses to pull its troops out of Iraq.


Sudan Army Surrounds Darfur Camps, Aid Agency Says The Sudanese army and police surrounded camps holding internally displaced people in the south of Sudan #39;s troubled Darfur region Tuesday, blocking access to aid agencies, UN officials said.


Queen #39;s visit stirs Anglo-German past The queen, hoping to further reconciliation between Britain and Germany, has urged the two former World War Two foes to learn from history but not be obsessed by the past and to reject national stereotypes.


Yahoo! wants a slice of Desktop Search Market It is almost weird to see these big corporations trying to enter a field so soon one after the other that was ruled by small companies just few weeks ago.


Woods considered skipping Tour Championship Tiger Woods enjoyed his three-week honeymoon so much that he considered extending it for a full month and skipping this week #39;s Tour Championship.


Lehman to be named as Ryder Cup captain America will salute the reign of a new leader today when Tom Lehman is unveiled as captain for the 2006 Ryder Cup in Ireland. American newspapers reported last night that the 45-year-old, who


Automakers focus on disabled drivers at 38th motor show Automakers over the last decade have expanded their lineup of vehicles catering to the needs of disabled people and the elderly. A Toyota Motor Corp.


Prudential trounces estimates Prudential Financial Inc., the second largest US life insurer, said Tuesday its quarterly earnings more than doubled, helped by its acquisitions of Cigna #39;s retirement business and American Skandia.


Energizer CEO Paul Mulcahy to Retire Energizer Holdings Inc., which makes batteries and razors, on Tuesday said chief executive Paul Mulcahy will retire after the company #39;s 2005 annual meeting in January.


Nokia launches new camera phone with NFC Nokia, one of the largest mobile devices producer, has unveiled a tri-band 3220 camera phone with NFC or Near Field Communication functionality with support from Philips and Sony.


Nokia pushes hard into smartphone email Finnish mobile device giant Nokia said this week that it will support most widely used methods of pushing email and other information to its smartphones.


No goals but everyone happy as Valencia hold Inter Inter Milan were held to a goalless draw by Valencia on Wednesday but the result, earned by  quot;an almost perfect performance quot;, was enough to send the Italians through to knockout stage of the Champions League.


Chelsea lodge complaint with Uefa Chelsea have lodged a complaint with Uefa after up to 50 fans were barred from the ground in their Champions League clash with CSKA Moscow.


Favourite rewrites history MAKYBE Diva joined racings immortals with a commanding win in the\$4.6 million Melbourne Cup yesterday. Backed into 5/2 favouritism by a flood of money from around the country, she became the first mare to


Wenger Will Not Panic Arsene Wenger admitted his concern tonight after Arsenal had lost a lead for the third consecutive Champions League tie - but the Gunners boss insists there is still no reason to panic.


Liverpool boss confirms striker search November 3, 2004. Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has confirmed he is looking to bring in a new striker following the injury to summer recruit Djibril Cisse.


Lehman said to be next US Ryder captain Former British Open champion Tom Lehman will be the next US Ryder Cup captain, it was reported Tuesday. The Palm Beach Post said Lehman will lead the team at the 2006 matches in Kildare, Ireland.


UPDATE 1-Own goal gives Panathinaikos 1-1 draw at Arsenal Arsenal missed a chance to virtually guarantee themselves a place in the knockout stage of the Champions League when they were held 1-1 by Panathinaikos at Highbury on Tuesday.


Aid worker #39;s captors give 48-hour deadline for British troops to <b>...</b> DUBLIN : The kidnappers of aid worker Margaret Hassan threatened to hand her over to the group led by Iraqi militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a new video which also reportedly showed the British-Irish woman in a distressed state.


Black steps aside as chairman-CEO of Hollinger Inc. ahead of court <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Conrad Black has stepped aside as chairman, chief executive and a director of Hollinger Inc., a former Ontario mining company that he developed into the capstone of an international media edifice.


Apple Unveils iPod Suite Apple (AAPL:Nasdaq - news - research) unveiled two new editions of the iPod intended to spike sales of the portable music players in the crucial Christmas selling season.


Nokia to introduce PDA-like phone MONACO Nokia, the world #39;s largest maker of mobile phones, said Tuesday that it would begin selling a touch-screen hand-held device, a move that was seen as its first foray into the market for PDAs, or personal digital assistants.


Yahoo! Follows Google #39;s Lead Following quickly on Google #39;s heels, Yahoo! Recently announced they too would be releasing a Desktop Search tool. Whether this is the smart move or not remains to be seen.


Jeter, Wells each pick up first career fielding awards com. American League winners of the 2004 Rawlings Gold Glove Award were announced Tuesday evening. Detroit catcher Ivan Rodriguez won his 11th Gold Glove, while Toronto #39;s Vernon Wells and


Farina relishes two stern tests SYDNEY: National coach Frank Farina is relishing the prospect of Australia facing hosts Germany and two-time World Cup champions Argentina in their group at next years Confederations Cup.


Controversial Dutch filmmaker shot dead AMSTERDAM - Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, who had received threats over a controversial film he made about Islam, was shot and stabbed to death while cycling on an Amsterdam street, officials said Tuesday.


Latest back-tax bill raises Yukos debt to 9bn Yukos shares plunged 18 on the Russian exchange yesterday after reports that the oil firm has been hit with another back-tax bill, bringing its total debt to \$17bn (9.


Stocks: Rally continues despite election-day jitters NEW YORK Despite nervousness over the presidential election, Wall Street extended its rally on Tuesday, pushing stocks higher as investors welcomed a drop in oil prices to below \$50 per barrel.


Marsh puts fees in contingency fund NEW YORK Marsh  amp; McLennan, the insurance brokerage company being sued by the New York State attorney general for taking payments from insurers, has said that it plans to put about \$230 million of the fees into an account that may become part of a


Priceline Profit Rises But Shares Drop on Outlook Online travel agency Priceline.com Inc. (PCLN.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday quarterly profit rose on strong airline, rental car and hotel bookings.


And yet it melts Some people still think the world is flat. Others firmly believe that the sun rotates around the earth. In spite of all the evidence to the contrary, they cling to their opinions based on the naive realism


Cygan #39;s error puts Arsenal in another spot of bother ARSENAL are proving even more adept at throwing leads than pizzas. This was the third time in four Champions League matches that they have allowed two points


NBA: Injured knee slows Kidd #39;s departure Outside Continental Arena, the few Nets fans this preseason were greeted by excited radio play-by-play highlights of Jason Kidd #39;s spectacular feats from last year.


Film-maker is murdered for his art A DIRECTOR who outraged Muslims with a film about an abusive arranged marriage was murdered in the street yesterday. Theo van Gogh, 47, the great-grand nephew of the 19th century painter


Crude price fall continues OIL prices eased further below \$50 a barrel yesterday, extending a week-long bout of profit-taking that has cut more than \$5 from record-high crude ahead of the US presidential election.


Axis  amp; Allies marches off to retail TimeGate Studios #39; WWII strategy title lets players control any one of the major powers in a bid for world domination. Atari today announced that Axis  amp; Allies, developed by Kohan creators TimeGate Studios, has shipped to retail stores nationwide.


Jays #39; Wells captures first Gold Glove TORONTO (CP) - Outfielder Vernon Wells earned his first Gold Glove on Tuesday, becoming the seventh Toronto Blue Jays player to receive the award.


BLUELINES: European-bound NHLers labeled as scabs Does the H in NHLPA stand for Hypocrites? Ex-Rangers netminder Corey Hirsch thinks so. The goalie rips so-called  quot;union quot; members who #39;ve pushed him and more than a hundred others out of European jobs.


US turn to captain Lehman for Ryder Cup inspiration TOM LEHMAN, the former Open champion, is expected to be named today as the next United States Ryder Cup captain for the 2006 match against Europe in Dublin, according to reports in the American press.


UAE founder Sheikh Zayed dies President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheik Zayed bin Sultan al-Nayahan -- who united seven feuding sheikhdoms and used oil revenues to


Liverpool short of firepower for crucial encounter RAFAEL Benitez must gamble with Liverpools Champions League prospects tonight but lacks the ammunition to make it a fair fight.


Kidnappers threaten to hand Hassan to al-Zarqawi The kidnappers of British hostage Margaret Hassan have threatened to hand her over to an al-Qaida-related group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi unless their demands - including the


Black quits as Hollinger Inc. CEO Former newspaper baron Conrad Black resigned as chairman and chief executive of Hollinger Inc. on Tuesday, in an expected move designed to help him take the Canadian holding company private.


Time Warner #39;s AOL Unit to Cut 700 Jobs -Source America Online, the world #39;s largest Internet service provider, plans to lay off about 5 percent of its US work force as it faces an ever-dwindling subscribership, a source close to the company said on Tuesday.


Prudential Earnings More Than Doubled Prudential Financial Inc. (PRU.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 2 US life insurer, on Tuesday said its quarterly earnings more than doubled, helped by its acquisitions


Verizon and Nextel Agree to Drop Lawsuits Verizon Wireless and Nextel Communications, two of the country #39;s biggest cellphone operators, said yesterday that they planned to drop their lawsuits against each other.


Update 2: Ryanair Sees Profits Up Despite High Costs Higher passenger numbers helped Irish budget airline Ryanair increase earnings by 14.9 percent in the latest quarter despite rising fuel costs.


Axis  amp; Allies Ships World War II is in your hands with the launch of the real-time strategy game from Atari. Atari announced today that Axis  amp; Allies, the WWII-themed real-time strategy game for PC, has shipped to retailers nationwide.


Climax Peeks at Next-Gen Consoles November 02, 2004 - Independent developer Climax announced today the development of Avalon, a multi-vehicle shooter designed for next-generation consoles.


Editorial: The Ideal Prince A couple of years ago Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al-Nahyan, the emir of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) patronized the translation and publication of an old Islamic text about the ideal prince.


Apple disables iTunes plug-in com November 2, 2004, 4:35 PM PT. With the latest version of iTunes, Apple has disabled an add-on program that let people transfer songs off of their iPod.


Chelsea, Inter Milan Advance in Champions League (Update2) Chelsea defeated CSKA Moscow 1-0 to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, while Ronaldinho #39;s goal helped Barcelona beat six-time champion AC Milan.


CL Preview: Bayern host Juventus, Ajax face Maccabi Tel Aviv MUNICH/TEL AVIV, Nov 2 (SW) - Bayern Munich aim to take three points against Juventus on Wednesday, while Ajax Amsterdam travel to Israel to face Maccabi Tel Aviv in an attempt to stay in the race for the second round.


Chinese Government Distances Itself from Qians Anti-Bush <b>...</b> China #39;s government is playing down an editorial in an official newspaper that slammed President Bush #39;s foreign policy on the eve of US elections.


China Cordons Off Central Villages Following Ethnic Clashes Chinese troops have cordoned off villages in central China following fighting between ethnic groups that killed at least seven people.


Casino Workers Expected to Ratify Atlantic City Settlement The waiters, bartenders, room cleaners and cooks who struck seven Atlantic City casinos for a month will all but certainly approve a settlement tonight that will give them much of what they


beach hut sells for 100,000 At a time when property sales have fallen, a beach hut that measures 8ft by 14ft has been bought for 100,000. The one-room brick chalet at Sandbanks, Dorset, with an impressive view over


Internet Explorer keeps losing market share Although Microsoft Corp. still dominates the Web browser space, its Internet Explorer continues to lose market share to open-source rival Mozilla.


Mad Catz to release first game Accessory manufacturer Mad Catz Interactive has decided to create a dance game to go along with their dance pads. MC Groovz Dance Craze will be the first dance game Nintendo GameCube and should hit stores in time for the holiday season.


Google moves to your desktop Google #39;s latest service, Desktop Search, promises to be one of its most interesting innovations, and also one of its more controversial ones.


Bayern out for revenge against Juventus Munich, Germany (Sports Network) - Bayern Munich will try to avenge a 1-0 loss to Juventus from two weeks ago when it hosts the Italian side Wednesday in a Champions League Matchday 4 encounter.


Four Huskies suspended for unsanctioned summer play Four Washington players will miss the season opener against Seattle Pacific after being suspended for playing in unsanctioned summer games -- a secondary NCAA rules violation.


Queen  #39;reconciles #39; with Germany by dining at Nazi propaganda <b>...</b> The Queen #39;s  quot;reconciliatory quot; state visit to Germany was overshadowed yesterday by embarrassing revelations that the Berlin venue chosen to welcome her with an official banquet was


Villages set ablaze as ethnic riots break out in China Police and paramilitary troops were last night guarding villages in central China where ethnic riots involving thousands of people led to at least seven deaths and scores of injuries.


Marsh opens \$230m fund to appease Eliot Spitzer Marsh  amp; McLennan, the broker at the centre of America #39;s insurance scandal, is setting up a \$230m compensation fund as it tries to rescue its tarnished image.


Nokia phone adopts handwriting recognition Nokia on Tuesday announced it plans to start selling a new smart phone capable of handwriting recognition. The 7710 model features a touch screen, pen input, a digital camera, an Internet browser, a radio, video


The cosmic neighbours from hell Every day, somewhere in the universe, there #39;s an explosion that puts the power of the Sun in the shade. Steve Connor investigates the riddle of gamma-ray bursts.


Another Slide in IE #39;s Market Share New research from Web analytics firm WebSideStory said usage of Microsoft #39;s dominant Internet Explorer (IE) has dropped slightly.


Lack of cash blamed for Beagle 2 failure The loss of Britain #39;s Beagle 2 project can be traced to the Government wanting a Mars lander  quot;on the cheap quot;, and tensions with the European Space Agency, MPs said yesterday.


Mad Catz to Publish  #39;MC Groovz Dance Craze #39; Dance Game SAN DIEGO --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 2, 2004 -- Game To be Bundled with Nintendo-Licensed Beat Pad(TM) for the Nintendo GameCube(TM).


Ratchet  amp; Clank: Up You Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today the release of Ratchet  amp; Clank: Up Your Arsenal for the Playstation 2 console.


Injured Warne ruled out Mumbai - Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne was ruled out of the final Test against India starting on Wednesday after he suffered an injury during a training session.


Beni #39;s Raf luck RAFAEL BENITEZ returns to Spain tonight knowing there is far more at stake than Liverpools Champions League dreams. Benitez is back in his homeland for the first time since joining the Anfield


New Violence Hinders Relief Efforts in Western Sudan Even as peace talks continued in an effort to stanch the suffering in western Sudan, kidnappings, land mines and, most recently, a government crackdown on a camp


UAE president dies at 86 United Arab Emirates President and ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheik Zayed bin Sultan al-Nayhan died Tuesday, official television reports. He was 86.


Court-martial opens for accused 1960 #39;s Army deserter CAMP ZAMA, Japan A military court-martial is under way for Charles Jenkins, the Army sergeant who #39;s accused of deserting his unit in 1965 and defecting to North Korea.


President Musharraf #39;s bold initiative President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan has often embarked on an uncharted and unconventional way in expressing his views. His comments on the state of Islamic nations have earlier aroused a lot of interest among Muslims and non-Muslims.


Tentative Deal in Atlantic City Strike Striking Atlantic City casino workers on Tuesday said they have reached a tentative five-year labor deal that increases pay and benefits but fails to make their contracts expire at the same time as those of workers in Las Vegas


Intel unveils new chip platform Hoping to annihilate its rivals in Taiwan #39;s high-end gaming market, chipmaker Intel yesterday unveiled a new set of high-performance products targeting hardcore users craving for an optimized platform for media manipulation and realistic game-play.


Arctic ice to melt in summer this century unless greenhouse gases <b>...</b> The Arctic ice cover will completely disappear in summer by the end of this century unless carbon dioxide emissions are significantly reduced, according to a scientific study to be released next week.


AMD #39;s Spansion unveils new flash memory products Spansion LLC, the flash memory joint venture between Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) and Fujitsu Ltd., unveiled two products that introduce a new design into Spansion #39;s lineup and expand the density of its current products, the company said Tuesday.


Chelsea undefeated in Champions League Arjen Robben scored a slick first-half goal to give Chelsea a 1-0 away win over CSKA Moscow and a place in the Champions League knock-out stages.


Henman, Hewitt advance into Paris third round Holder Tim Henman launched his Paris Masters defense in style with a smooth 6-3, 6-4 victory over Thailand #39;s Paradorn Srichaphan on Tuesday.


Penalty miss allows Arsenal off the hook ARSENALS recent stumble continued when they were held to a draw by Panathinaikos in the Champions League last night, and the Greeks may have won had Angelos Basinas not missed a second-half penalty.


Florida State #39;s Thorpe suspended one game TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State suspended Craphonso Thorpe for Saturday #39;s game against Duke because the wide receiver has missed too many classes, Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden said Tuesday.


Kidnappers threaten to hand over British aid worker to Zarqawi Gunmen holding the kidnapped aid worker Margaret Hassan have threatened to hand her over to the terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi if their demands are not met within 48 hours.


Filmmaker Van Gogh Murdered Description: Theo van Gogh, is shot and stabbed to death Tuesday in Amsterdam. He had received death threats after the release of his film Submission, which is critical of the treatment of women under Islam.


Let history guide our future, Queen tells Germany The Queen urged Germany and Britain to  quot;learn from history, not be obsessed by it quot; in a speech in Berlin yesterday stressing that both countries should  quot;look beyond simplistic stereotypes quot;.


VW, unions hopeful of deal A deal seems to be taking shape in wage talks between Volkswagen and the IG Metall metalworkers union, the head of the works council at Europe #39;s biggest carmaker said Wednesday.


Thai chief is beheaded in revenge for Muslim deaths A VILLAGE chief in southern Thailand was beheaded in retaliation for the death last week of more than 80 Muslims involved in a protest.


Insurgents Blow Up an Iraqi Oil Pipeline Insurgents blew up a northern oil export pipeline on Tuesday, dealing a severe blow to the national economy, even as car bombs and gun battles across the country


Zarqawi takes credit for Japanese slaying The Iraqi militant group led by al-Qaida associate Abu Musab Zarqawi took credit on a Web site Tuesday for the beheading of a Japanese hostage, Kyodo reported.


US election reprieve for oil NEW YORK: Oil dropped below \$50 a barrel last night to the lowest price in more than a month, extending a \$6 slide from recent peaks as the US presidential election got underway.


FSU #39;s Thorpe gets one-game suspension Tallahassee, FL (Sports Network) - Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden has suspended senior wide receiver Craphonso Thorpe for the Seminoles #39; game against fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Duke on Saturday.


Bonds collects 12th Silver Slugger award Louisville, KY (Sports Network) - San Francisco leftfielder Barry Bonds won his record setting 12th Silver Slugger award on Tuesday.


Update 7: Tentative Deal Reached in Casino Strike In front of Bally #39;s Atlantic City, a discarded  quot;On Strike quot; sign was stuffed in a trash can. Absent from the famed Boardwalk were the conga lines of chanting and singing strikers.


Priceline.com Shares Drop After Third-Qtr Sales Miss Forecast Shares of Priceline.com Inc., a seller of discounted travel on the Internet, fell 6.8 percent in extended trading after the company reported third-quarter sales that were lower than analysts #39; estimates.


Long-haul lifts BAA to 363m profit BAA, Britain #39;s main airport operator, saw its first-half profits soar by 16 as demand surged among holidaymakers and business travellers for long-haul flights from Heathrow.


MPC unlikely to raise rates as underlying sales cool Bargain-hunting consumers shrugged off the impact of higher interest rates and a weakening housing market to give a boost to spending in Britain #39;s shops last month, the CBI said yesterday.


Q1 Labs tackles intrusion prevention Q1 Labs this week plans to release the latest version of its flagship software as well as add-on software that the company says enables its security management tool to not only detect security issues but also prevent them.


Avaya Adds Video Calling to IP Softphone Avaya announced on Monday that the integration between its IP softphone and Polycom #39;s ViaVideo II camera, first announced last December, is now at a releasable stage.


Melbourne Cup heroine eyes the Arc Makybe Diva strengthened her claim to be the finest staying racemare that Australia has seen when she won the two-mile Melbourne Cup for the second year running in the early hours of yesterday.


Tourists in a spin without Warne Australia #39;s apparently meticulous planning for their successful tour to India showed a flaw last night when it was confirmed that Shane Warne had a broken right thumb and would miss the fourth Test, which was due to start here in the early hours of this


Jeter Earns Gold Glove Award for the First Time Yankees SS Derek Jeter his first AL Gold Glove yesterday, taking over from teammate Alex Rodriguez, who had won it two straight years before moving to third base this year.


Venus Advances at Advanta Championships Venus Williams stretches for the ball during her first round match with Lisa Raymond at the Advanta Championships Tuesday, Nov 2, 2004 in Villanova.


Jaguars #39; Leftwich Has a Left Knee Injury Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich, who once played a college game in such pain from a leg injury that his teammates had to carry him to the line of scrimmage after a play, may not have


Anti-Muslim Dutch film maker killed AMSTERDAM, Nov 2: Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh, who recently made a controversial short film about women and Islamic culture, was shot and stabbed to death on an Amsterdam street on Tuesday, police said.


Arafat #39;s condition improves An aide to Yasser Arafat said yesterday that the Palestinian leader #39;s condition was improving after treatment by doctors in Paris.


DirecTV Reports Larger Q3 Loss DirecTV reported a net loss of just over \$1 billion in the quarter ended September 30th, compared to a loss of \$23 million in the same period last year.


Wal-Mart to open up to 15 stores in China next year Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world #39;s largest retailer, said it plans to open as many as 15 new stores in China next year, expanding in the world #39;s fastest-growing economy as the government lifts curbs on foreign store operators.


American Airlines restores flights to St. Lucia CASTRIES, St. Lucia - American Airlines has restored flights to St. Lucia five years after it pulled out of the Caribbean island. Prime Minister Kenny Anthony welcomed the crew and passengers of the inaugural


NHL players meet to coordinate message Seven weeks into their lockout with the National Hockey League, members of the NHL Players Association tried to smooth over their internal differences in Toronto on Tuesday.


American League Gold Gloves announced The American League Gold Glove awards were announced Tuesday and two went to the Seattle Mariners. Seattle second baseman Bret Boone and Seattle outfielder Ichiro Suzuki each were honored for the fourth time.