Commercial Demand, Europe Drive PC Sales (AP) AP - Worldwide shipments of personal computers grew nearly 12 percent in the third quarter, driven by strong European sales and rising commercial demand, according to IDC, a research company that tracks shipments.


India's most wanted bandit killed in jungle shootout after a 30-year run (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MADRAS, India (AP) - India's most wanted bandit, accused of murdering police officers, slaughtering elephants and kidnapping a movie star, was killed Monday in a jungle shootout with police after more than three decades on the run, authorities said.


IBM Net Flat; Says Confident on Outlook  NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.  IBM.N on Monday posted a flat quarterly net profit, weighed  down by a legal settlement, but the world's largest computer  company sounded a confident outlook and its shares rose 2.3  percent after-hours.


Gas Tops \$2/Gallon, 2.9 Cents from Record  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The average weekly retail price for  U.S. gasoline topped \$2 a gallon to reach the third-highest  level ever recorded by the government, the Energy Department  said on Monday.


News: New Google tool for searching computers a privacy risk on shared PCs The Associated Press By Anick Jesdanun


US Retail Gasoline Prices Rise; Diesel Sets Record (Update1) The average US retail price for regular-grade gasoline rose 4.2 cents the past week to \$2.035 a gallon and diesel reached a record as crude oil rallied to an all- time high.


UH MBA grad takes over as Kmart CEO A graduate of the University of Houston #39;s master of business administration program has taken over the reins of Kmart Corp. as president and CEO.


Star Gas down on Pacific Exchange; warns of bankruptcy NEW YORK (Dow Jones/AP) _ The stock of Star Gas Partners LP plunged 80 percent Monday after the distributor of heating oil and propane said its inability to pass on the full impact of high heating oil prices to customers may lead to bankruptcy.


MCI to Write Down Asset Values by \$3.5 Bln in 3rd Qtr (Update2) MCI Inc., the second-largest US long- distance telephone company, will write down its assets by \$3.5 billion in the third quarter, reflecting their reduced value as calling prices tumble and demand declines.


UPDATE 1-IMF says Iraq has place for basic economic program Iraq #39;s government has the capacity to proceed with a basic economic program, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday, even as authorities struggle to contain violence before elections set for January.


Cricket-Merriman says Kenyan cricket can learn from the Zimbabwe <b>...</b> NAIROBI (AFP) - Australian cricket board chairman Bob Merriman said that the probe into racism in Zimbabwean cricket should serve as an impetus for Kenya in resolving its own internal conflicts.


EU ministers fail to resolve issue of transit camps FLORENCE: Interior ministers from France and Spain on Monday shot down a German proposal to set up transit camps in North Africa to process asylum seekers before they reach Europe.


Nationality saved captured Aussie A JOURNALIST kidnapped in Baghdad was probably released because he was Australian and there was no hatred of Australians in the country, Iraq #39;s national security adviser said today.


Briefly: RIM touts BlackBerry with Wi-Fi roundup Plus: HP to sell Voltaire's InfiniBand switch...PC shipments up, but revenue less so, study says...BEA mobilizes corporate data.


Tech Job Cuts Leap 60 Announced job cuts in the technology sector soared 60 in the third quarter to 54,701, the highest figure since the fourth quarter of 2003 (82,328).


Space Station Astronaut to Vote From Orbit CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Oct. 18, 2004 - The space station #39;s newest astronaut will cast his ballot in the presidential election from 225 miles up, with NASA #39;s help.


HP #39;s Hall responds to Schwartz #39;s claims While in Sydney last week for a sales conference and to visit local customers, Sun Microsystems #39; president and COO Jonathan Schwartz made a number of statements (Computerworld Online October 13, CW October 18, p4) regarding the strategies of its


Siemens Wins Malaysian 3G Deal Siemens has been working with Malaysia mobile-phone carrier Maxis since 1995 as a supplier of 2G/GSM mobile technology. As of June 2004, Maxis had 5.12 million customers, giving it over 40


BoSox Lead Yankees 2-1 After Three Innings Boston Red Sox #39;s David Ortiz is congratulated after scoring against the New York Yankees in the frist inning during game 5 of the ALCS Monday, Oct. 18 2004 in Boston.


Relieved Australia take break A Test match that had looked to be building up into a great climax was ruined yesterday by a six-hour downpour that forced the final day to be abandoned without a ball bowled.


Costa, Corretja, Fish advance at Madrid Masters Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - Spanish favorites Albert Costa and Alex Corretja highlighted Monday #39;s opening round winners at the Masters Series Madrid.


Germany, Poland Fail to Resolve WWII Fight (AP) AP - Top lawmakers from Poland and Germany failed Monday to bridge differences over World War II reparations claims that are weighing on relations between the two former enemies and new European Union partners.


IBM Net Flat; Says Confident on Outlook  NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.  on Monday posted a flat quarterly net profit, weighed down by a  legal settlement, but the world's largest computer company  sounded a confident outlook and its shares rose 2.3 percent.


Recent Polls on the Presidential Race (AP) AP - Results of recent polls on the presidential race. Listed above each set of results is the name of the organization that conducted the poll, the dates, the number interviewed, whether they were adults, registered voters (RV) or likely voters (LV) and the margin of error (MoE). Results might not total 100 percent because of rounding.


U.S. Stocks Gain as Oil Falls  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed higher on Monday  after a drop in oil prices eased worries about high energy  costs, although disappointing earnings from diversified  manufacturer 3M Co.MMM.N curbed gains on the blue-chip Dow.


Levi Strauss Scraps Dockers Sale  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Levi Strauss   Co. said on Monday  it has scrapped plans to sell its Dockers brand because  potential buyers would not meet the company's price for the  casual clothing line it had considered spinning off as part of  a turnaround plan.


Democrats Signing Up More New Voters The Democrats appear to be gaining the upper hand in the battle to sign up new voters in the all-important swing states, an Associated Press analysis suggests.    The AP analysis of the most up-to-date figures from across the country found that, in every state where complete data is available, the Democrats have registered more new voters than Republicans...


Google's New PC Search Tool Poses Risks NEW YORK - People who use public or workplace computers for e-mail, instant messaging and Web searching have a new privacy risk to worry about: Google's free new tool that indexes a PC's contents for quickly locating data.    If it's installed on computers at libraries and Internet cafes, users could unwittingly allow people who follow them on the PCs, for example, to see sensitive information in e-mails they've exchanged...


BoSox Lead Yankees 2-1 After Five Innings BOSTON - The Boston Red Sox held a 2-1 lead over the New York Yankees after five innings of play Monday in Game 5 of the ALCS.    After singles by Orlando Cabrera and Manny Ramirez in the first off Yankees starter Mike Mussina, David Ortiz added another single to make the score 1-0...


Woolworths Has 16.6 Stake in Australian Leisure, Extends Offer Woolworths Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest grocer, increased its stake in takeover target Australian Leisure  amp; Hospitality Group to 16.


IT Jobs Dwindle in US, Offshore Hiring To Surge Challenger, Gray  amp; Christmas reports that the US information technology industry lost 54,701 jobs in the July through September quarter, which is an increase of 14 percent from the same quarter last year.


Japan Should Be Part of Aircraft Talks, EADS Says (Update1) Talks between the US and European Union to rework the terms of government aid to aircraft makers should include Brazil, Canada and Japan, said Philippe Camus, co- chief executive of European Aeronautic, Defense  amp; Space Co.


Ortiz keeps Red Sox alive with timely home run in Game 4 10:12 pm: This is it. If the Red Sox are ever going to do something, it #39;s got to be now. It #39;s the bottom of the fifth inning in Game 4. Two outs.


Glazer in position for takeover The spectre of a Manchester United takeover by American businessman Malcolm Glazer edged closer last night when sources close to the multi-millionaire said that he could trigger a


Zims status never under threat: ICC INTERNATIONAL Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani and chief executive Malcolm Speed on Sunday said that Zimbabwe*s Test status was never under threat even though the Zimbabwe Cricket Union


Indonesian court to try Ba #39;ashir next week The South Jakarta district court will begin next week to try Indonesian Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba #39;ashir who was allegedly implicated in deadly terror acts in the country, a court official said on Monday.


Yakubu makes Spurs suffer Tottenham Hotspur wasted chances and the opportunity to move into fourth place after displaying typical weaknesses at Fratton Park last night.


Bill #39;s Henry to retain starting role when healthy Once healthy, running back Travis Henry will regain his job as the Buffalo Bills starter despite Willis McGahee #39;s strong debut on Sunday.


Broken JI spawns even more deadly menace THEY are the men who keep counter-terrorism experts awake at night, only too aware that a strike is being plotted even as you read this report.


Vonage and Boingo Wireless to market VoIP together Boingo Wireless and Vonage Holdings Corp., announced a relationship to bring VoIP services to the market bundled with wireless offers.


Bono #39;s iPod NEW YORK - Rock band U2 has cut a deal with Apple Computer to sell custom iPods promoting the band #39;s forthcoming album. Sources close to the group say the U2 edition of the popular digital music player will


Published by the group of companies Maxis Communications Bhd targets to launch its third-generation (3G) mobile services in the first quarter of 2005, but it expects the number of subscribers to be less than 100,000 during the first year due to the expensive handsets.


FilePlanet Daily Download Half-Life 2 Goes Gold (PC) Ladies and gents it #39;s official! Half-Life 2 goes gold and expected November 16! Almost six years to the date that Half-Life went gold, VUGames confirms that Valve #39;s Half-Life 2 has


JBoss Brings Open Source to BPM JBoss has released a new version of its open-source business process management application, called  quot;jBPM. quot; It is the latest evidence that the open-source provider is serious about pushing


Smaller Boxes, Bigger Plans For IBM Storage IBM #39;s new four-year storage strategy, laid out last week, came with a few surprises. First, the talk was all about gee-whiz hardware and lower costs, not related services.


Baby, you can network my car com October 18, 2004, 4:37 PM PT. SAN FRANCISCO--Fasten your seatbelts--the next stop for the MP3 revolution is your car. That was the consensus of a group of mobile electronics executives


Q amp;A: Red Hat exec talks of challenges to open-source OCTOBER 18, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - The biggest challenge for the open-source community is that there are too few open-source developers, according to Michael Tiemann, vice president of open-source affairs at Red Hat Inc.


Actional, Westbridge Merge Actional and Westbridge have merged, bringing Westbridge #39;s security infrastructure expertise to Actional #39;s existing Web services management platform.


Micron To Build Chip Production Plant in China Micron ranks fourth in the Chinese chip market, trailing Hynix, Samsung and Infinitron, according to a report from the consulting firm CCID.


Red Sox stay alive in ALCS David Ortiz #39;s drive into the right-field bullpen set off a frenzy at Fenway and gave the Boston Red Sox a shot at pulling off the greatest comeback ever.


Mutu agent #39;s shock at drug claim Adrian Mutu #39;s agent claims the Chelsea striker is  quot;absolutely shocked quot; at reports that he failed a drugs test. Newspaper allegations suggest that Mutu tested positive during a random check at Chelsea in September.


Oklahoma, No. 2 in Both Polls, Opens Third in BCS Ranking The Bowl Championship Series released its initial ranking yesterday, based on a formula revised in the off-season to help ensure that the consensus No.


Gilly rejects  #39;pressure #39; ADAM Gilchrist flew to Singapore last night for a mid-tour holiday urging people to stop fretting about the pressures that have swamped him on the Indian tour.


Belarus KGB Arrests U.S. Internet Specialist (Reuters) Reuters - An American citizen specializing\in the Internet was arrested by the Belarus KGB for allegedly\mishandling funds, Belarus authorities reported on Monday.


Iraqi Government #39;s Peace Talks With Falluja Break Off The chief negotiator for the city of Falluja said Monday that he had called off peace talks with the Iraqi government on the orders of guerrillas who control


Sharon resists calls for vote on Gaza ARIEL SHARON, the Israeli Prime Minister, yesterday used the threat of early elections in an attempt to swing recalcitrant members of his Likud party behind his plan to evacuate all the Jewish settlements in Gaza.


Report: Macedonia workers beheaded Two Macedonian construction workers kidnapped south of Baghdad have been beheaded, and the group claiming responsibility accused the men of working as spies for US forces in Iraq, the Arab television network Al-Jazeera has reported.


Indonesian court rules terrorism trial to start next week JAKARTA - The trial of Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir on terrorism and criminal charges will begin on Oct. 28. An Indonesian court has confirmed the date and says a panel of five judges will be appointed for the trial.


Muslims held after Spanish raids Judicial sources said Monday #39;s operations had foiled a planned bomb attack on the High Court. The interior ministry said further arrests could be made imminently, as police moved against what was described as an active Islamic militant group.


Spain Arrests 7 in Suspected Terror Plan (AP) AP - Police arrested seven people Monday in nationwide raids targeting a suspected Islamic terror ring that was reportedly preparing for an attack.


Locust Likely to Descend on West Africa Again (Reuters) Reuters - The desert locust infestation that\descended on West and Central Africa this year is likely to\return in 2005 and officials will have to be better prepared to\avoid major damage to crops, experts said on Monday.


Bush, Kerry Exchange Bitter Words on Iraq (AP) AP - President Bush and Democratic rival John Kerry traded biting accusations over the war in Iraq on Monday as early Florida voting produced scattered complaints that stirred memories of the state's chaotic 2000 recount.


Colts crush Titans The Titans, led by a backup quarterback and employing three straight on-side kicks, banged out three touchdowns and a field goal to own the opening quarter 24-17 in the RCA Dome today.


Gore: Bush Deceived Public on Iraq (AP) AP - Al Gore on Monday accused President Bush of intentionally deceiving the public about the reasons for invading Iraq and said he is so ideologically driven that he refuses to admit  #151; or even learn from  #151; his mistakes.


Intel Cuts Prices on Laptop Computer Chips Intel Corp. INTC.O cut prices on its chips for mobile computers by as much as 34 percent this week, a move that could lower PC prices from the likes of Dell Inc.


Scientists: New planets may take longer It may take much longer than scientists have thought for violent turbulence to turn grains of space dust into new planets. A NASA telescope recently discovered evidence that


Maxis set to roll out 3G in 2005 MOBILE phone operator Maxis Communications Bhd expects to roll out its third generation (3G) technology in the local market from the first quarter of next year.


Westbridge Merger Is Where The Actional Is Actional Corp. and Westbridge Technology Inc. on Monday announced the merger of the two companies, reflecting consolidation in the Web services market, as vendors try to provide a broader product portfolio to a larger customer base.


ICC: Test status for Bangladesh and Zimbabwe is safe LAHORE: The International Cricket Council yesterday said that a review of the structure of the sport was never aimed at taking away the Test status of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.


Turf trip tempting for Board Ouija Board, the winner of both the English and Irish Oaks this season, was yesterday confirmed as a definite runner at the Breeders #39; Cup meeting at Lone Star Park in Dallas on Saturday week.


Gold Fields chief calls 4.5bn bid  #39;inadequate #39; The chief executive of Gold Fields, the South African gold producer, yesterday said he would urge the board to turn down an \$8.1billion (4.


Australian Oil-Related Stocks Drop; Australian Leisure Rises Australian oil-related stocks fell, led by Woodside Petroleum Ltd., after crude futures had the biggest decline in more than a month.


Insurance scandal spreads to Britain By James Daley in London and Katherine Griffiths in New York. The UK regulator for the insurance industry has said it attempted to launch investigations into several of its member firms earlier this year, after


Stewart: Kmart Exec Shuffle May Benefit Firm Martha Founded Can #39;t keep a good woman down. Well, a woman with good taste, anyway; and more specifically, the company she founded. Shares of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (nyse: MSO - news - people ) trading on the New


Pressure eases on rates as housing begins to cool YET more evidence emerged yesterday that British interest rates have either peaked, or are extremely close to doing so. House prices fell at their steepest pace in nine years in the three months to September.


MCI to Write Down Asset Values by \$3.5 Bln in 3rd Qtr (Update3) MCI Inc., the second-largest US long- distance telephone company, will write down assets by \$3.5 billion in the third quarter, reflecting their reduced value as calling prices tumble and demand declines.


Check Point beats forecasts in Q3 Check Point CEO Gil Shwed, dressed in his usual black shirt and smiling as his custom, had every reason to be cheerful at yesterday #39;s press conference.


Dollar hit by investment fears THE dollar was weaker yesterday, although off its lows, after the release of capital flows data that suggest foreign demand for US assets could be waning.


Ford: Automaker Inks Deal With Sirius Satellite Radio  quot;Thrilled quot;: Not everyone feels that way on Monday. But not everyone is Sirius Satellite Radio (nasdaq: SIRI - news - people ) Chief Executive Joseph Clayton.


US firm awarded extended contract for Antarctica work AUCKLAND, Oct 19 (AFP) - A company that supports the US science programme in Antarctica has been awarded a 546 million dollar extension to its contract, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) said in a statement Tuesday.


US media executives rattled by Disney #39;s \$140m deal Media executives in Hollywood and on Wall Street are nervously watching a court case involving Walt Disney that will test whether directors can be held responsible


Deadline for Black Watch to assess risk of operation BRITAINS military forces have had less than ten days to assess the risks of sending The Black Watch battle group to fill in for US Marines south of Baghdad, it was confirmed yesterday.


Allawi vows steps to fight terrorism Iraq is  quot;working 24 hours a day to ... stop the terrorists, quot; interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said Monday. Iraqis are pushing ahead with reforms and improvements, Allawi told


Indian police kill country #39;s  #39;most wanted #39; bandit Police in southern India say they have killed the country #39;s most wanted bandit, Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, in a shootout. Veerappan, who is believed to have had ties with Tamil militants and accused of more


Karzai leads vote count A doctor helping organise Afghan elections died on Monday along with four other civilians when an explosion tore through their vehicle, police said.


Peru Shining Path Head Faces Nov. 5 Retrial  LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - Peru will launch on Nov. 5 a  civilian retrial of Abimael Guzman, head of the Maoist-inspired  Shining Path rebel group that waged a brutal insurgency in the  1980s and 1990s, officials said on Monday.


UN Assembly Panel Backs Morocco on Western Sahara  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A U.N. General Assembly  committee dealt a heavy blow on Monday to Western Sahara's  hopes for a referendum on independence and energized Morocco's  push for new talks on the territory's future status.


French editor quits in Israel row The head of news at a state-run French radio station resigns after an outcry over his criticism of Israel.


Muslims held after Spanish raids Police hold seven suspected Islamic militants after raids across Spain, judicial sources say.


Yankees Lead BoSox 4-2 After Six Innings BOSTON - Derek Jeter hit a bases-loaded double to give New York a 4-2 lead over Boston after six innings of play Monday in Game 5 of the ALCS as the Yankees tried again to close out Boston at Fenway Park.    Jeter's bases-clearing hit in the sixth off Boston starter Pedro Martinez with two outs gave New York a 4-2 lead...


Intel Cuts Prices on Laptop Computer Chips  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. INTC.O cut prices  on its chips for mobile computers by as much as 34 percent this  week, a move that could lower PC prices from the likes of Dell  Inc. DELL.O and Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ.N


PC Shipments Rise 12 Pct Worldwide in 3rd Quarter  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Shipments of personal computers  in the third quarter rose 12 percent, driven by strong  corporate demand and ongoing strength in Europe, the Middle  East and Africa, a market research firm said on Monday.


Yanks, BoSox Tied 4-4 After 10 Innings (AP) AP - Jason Varitek hit a sacrice fly and David Ortiz launched a massive solo homer in the eighth as Boston rallied to tie New York 4-4 after 10 innings of play in Game 5 of the AL championship series Monday.


Tavarez Breaks Hand After Leaving Game 4 (AP) AP - St. Louis righty Julian Tavarez broke his left hand during a dugout tantrum in Game 4 of the NL championship series, and it was uncertain Monday when the reliever would pitch again.


Infineon Executives Guilty of DRAM Price-Fixing Four executives at German memory vendor Infineon Technologies AG and its US subsidiary have pled guilty to charges of illegally setting prices for PC memory chips, the US Department of Justice announced Thursday.


Iverson ejected in pre-season victory over Raptors (AFP) AFP - Allen Iverson was ejected from the bench in the second quarter before his Philadelphia 76ers teammates rallied for a 108-103 victory over Toronto in a National Basketball Association preseason game.


Ex-New York Rangers Cheerleader Sues (AP) AP - A former captain of the New York Rangers skating cheerleading squad sued the owner of Madison Square Garden on Monday, saying she was fired after she told fellow cheerleaders she was sexually harassed by an MSG staff member.


Seahawks' Wistrom Suffers Broken Knee  KIRKLAND, Wash. (Sports Network) - Seattle Seahawks  defensive end Grant Wistrom will miss the next four-to-six  weeks due a fracture in his left knee.


Oklahoma, No. 2 in Both Polls, Opens Third in B.C.S. Ranking Though it is early, the B.C.S. revisions have not quite worked out as planned. Southern California and Miami were ranked as the top two teams.


Jets' Edwards Avoids Bulletin Board Material Even before the hype could begin for Sunday's game between the Jets and the New England Patriots, Coach Herman Edwards was insisting upon a measure of caution.


Without Mutombo, Knicks Hope the Center Will Hold The Knicks are keeping their eyes fixed on Vin Baker and Nazr Mohammed, fervently hoping they can provide 48 quality minutes and a few blocked shots between them.


Briefly: Good Technology supported by HP, Samsung roundup Plus: RIM touts BlackBerry with Wi-Fi...HP to sell Voltaire's InfiniBand switch...PC shipments up, but revenue less so, study says.


McNealy: Microsoft integration work slow going The job of linking products from Sun Microsystems and Microsoft is "more complicated" than envisioned, Sun's CEO says.


Dell extends lead in PCs The computer maker is pulling further ahead of second-place rival Hewlett-Packard, according to new third-quarter shipment figures.


Pension deal bites into IBM profit The tech bellwether racks up a healthy rise in net income for the third quarter, despite taking a hit from a legal settlement.


Broadband to get power boost in Big Apple EarthLink plans to begin testing power line broadband connections in Manhattan in November.


Good Technology supported by HP, Samsung The company announces a new version of its wireless messaging and data access software.


MCI takes financial charge for Q3 MCIon Monday announced an approximately \$3.5 billion charge against its third-quarter financial results to reflect a decrease in the value of the company's assets.


Gartner ITxpo spotlights security, wireless Enterprise IT executives attending this week's Gartner Symposium ITxpo  in Orlando, Fla., got a peek at several forthcoming products for security, CM (content management), wireless, and SOAs (service-oriented architectures).


Wavelink introduces all-in-one Wi-Fi management In preparation for the coming tidal wave of Wi-Fi-enabled devices, Wavelink on Monday introduced Wavelink Managed Security, an integrated platform for the management of IEEE 802.11x networks, devices, and security.
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MCI to Record  #36;3.5 Billion in Charges (Reuters) Reuters - MCI Inc. , the No. 2 U.S.\long-distance company, said on Monday it would record noncash\impairment charges of about  #36;3.5 billion in the third quarter,\mostly for property, plant and equipment.


Businesses keep Q3 PC growth on track PC shipments have started to ease off, as expected, but the worldwide PC market remained fairly strong in the third quarter, according to research from IDC and Gartner Inc. released Monday.


IBM Net Flat; Sees Strong Fourth Quarter  NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.  IBM.N on Monday posted a flat quarterly net profit, weighed  down by a legal settlement, but said fourth-quarter results  would be better than expected, and its shares rose 2.3 percent.


A Look at Lawsuits, Voting Problems (AP) AP - Many states are facing legal challenges over possible voting problems Nov. 2. A look at some of the developments Monday:


Marsh Reveals What's at Stake in Probe  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Marsh   McLennan Cos. revealed what's  at stake in the probe into its behavior by New York Attorney  General Eliot Spitzer, saying it generated \$845 million of fat  fees from a practice at the center of a bid-rigging scandal.


Analysts Expect Strong Google Quarter  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Analysts who follow Google Inc.  GOOG.O expect the Web search leader to report strong gains in  third-quarter revenue and earnings on Thursday when the  notoriously tight-lipped company announces results for the  first time as a public company.


TI Profit Up on Cellular, TV Chip Sales  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Texas Instruments Inc. TXN.N,  the largest maker of chips for cellular phones, on Monday said  record demand for its handset and television chips boosted  quarterly profit by 26 percent, even as it struggles with a  nagging inventory problem.


Dollar Inches Up as Oil Prices Ease  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar edged up on Tuesday as weaker  oil prices helped it to recover losses made on data showing  overseas demand for U.S. assets may have stalled. U.S. light  crude traded around \$53.21, easing from a fresh record high of  \$55.33 hit in New York and helping to keep the dollar away from  near eight-month lows hit overnight.


Astros recover from Oswalt #39;s poor start Roy Oswalt was one worry the Houston Astros hadn #39;t counted on against the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL championship series. The league #39;s only 20-game winner.


Ontario to look at splitting OSC while pushing for single national <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - The Ontario Securities Commission #39;s days may be numbered as both police officer and judge in cases of financial-market wrongdoing.


rebels pin hopes on Bevan Zimbabwe #39;s rebels are pinning their hopes on Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers #39; Association, the England players #39; union, as a last resort in their battle with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union.


Pompey #39;s Yakubu Gets The Better Of Spurs Portsmouth deservedly beat Tottenham 1-0 at Fratton Park on Monday night as their forwards Yakubu and Lomana LuaLua came out on top against the previously watertight Tottenham defence.


Death threat to Aussie reporter AN Australian journalist has told how he was threatened with death by militants who captured him in Iraq. John Martinkus was interrogated for more than 20 hours after the group kidnapped him outside a Baghdad hotel.


Aussie journalist seized in Iraq, interrogated for over 20 hours An Australian journalist was interrogated for more than 20 hours after being seized outside a Baghdad hotel, his employer said yesterday.


Head of french radio RFI resigns due to anti-Israeli argument Alain Menargues, deputy director-general in charge of news at the French state-owned Radio France International (RFI), has resigned.


IN THE SPOTLIGHT MICHAEL EISNER The reflection in the rear-view mirror to be afforded by a trial due to open in Delaware on Wednesday will not be a pretty sight. It is expected to show in slow motion, during a hearing expected to last four


Singapore probes China firm Singapores white-collar crime unit on Friday launched an investigation into the financial scandal at China Aviation Oil (CAO), the Chinese jet-fuel importer that revealed this week the loss of US\$550 million in derivatives trading.


Credit Suisse to unveil revamp Credit Suisse will on Monday announce a wide restructuring that will integrate its volatile Credit Suisse First Boston investment banking operation much more closely into the parent


Detroit City Council passes modified measure to create black <b>...</b> The City Council passed a modified version of a controversial plan to use public funds to create a black business district in the city.


Rice traded to Seahawks for 7th-round pick A living legend #39;s next chapter will be in Seattle. FOXSports.com has learned that the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks have agreed to a trade for Jerry Rice, the greatest receiver in football history.


Scientists: New planets may take longer It may take much longer than scientists have thought for violent turbulence to turn grains of space dust into new planets. A NASA telescope recently discovered


Iraq to Widen Arms-for-Cash Program BAGHDAD, 19 October 2004 - Buoyed by the apparent success of a Baghdad arms-for-cash program, Iraqs interim government yesterday announced plans to extend it to all of the country ahead of scheduled January elections.


India's Most Wanted Bandit Killed in Shootout (Reuters) Reuters - India's most wanted bandit,\Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, was killed Monday in a shootout with\police who have for years been hunting the smuggler who killed\more than 100 people and kidnapped a movie star.


Bush Wants Cargo Planes to Aid Sudan (AP) AP - President Bush on Monday told the Pentagon to make two U.S. transport planes available to aid African peacekeeping forces seeking to end a humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of western Sudan.


Kerry Appeals to Haitian Immigrants in French (Reuters) Reuters - Democratic presidential nominee\John Kerry, condemned by some Republicans as "French looking,"\promised on Monday to help Haitian immigrants in Florida,\saying: "Je vais aider les Haitiens."


India's Most Wanted Bandit Killed in Shootout  BANGALORE, India (Reuters) - India's most wanted bandit,  Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, was killed Monday in a shootout with  police who have for years been hunting the smuggler who killed  more than 100 people and kidnapped a movie star.


Techs Lead Tokyo Stocks Higher  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average was up 0.81  percent by mid-morning on Tuesday with gains on Wall Street and  a slip in crude oil prices encouraging investors to scoop up  bargains following seven straight days of losses.


A New Look at How Planets Are Formed New infrared observations of the disks of dust and rock around young stars reveal that many planets apparently form in an environment more violent and chaotic over a longer period of


IBM Shark Sales Sink IBM last week announced new high-end and midrange systems that executives said could double the company #39;s market share in external disk by 2008 (see IBM #39;s New Shark Tale).


US stocks gain as oil falls US stocks closed higher on Monday after a drop in oil prices eased worries about high energy costs, although disappointing earnings from diversified manufacturer 3M Co.


MCI writes down value of telephone network by \$3.5 billion <b>...</b> MCI Inc. plans to write down the value of its assets by \$3.5 billion to reflect the decreased worth of the company #39;s telephone network as its consumer business shrinks.


Iamgold Falls as Gold Fields Takeover Thrown in Doubt (Update1) Iamgold Corp. shares fell 8.5 percent after South Africa #39;s Gold Fields Ltd. received an unsolicited takeover bid, threatening to scuttle its plan to acquire the Canadian gold producer.


GM to cut 430 British jobs, union says A union said that General Motors Corp. plans to cut about 430 jobs at its British Vauxhall operation as part of sweeping cutbacks around Europe.


Dollar takes a tumble THE dollar reversed yesterday #39;s modest gains to open more than half a US cent weaker today, weighed down on news Axa Asia Pacific had knocked back a takeover proposal from its French parent.


Ernie Els Interview Editors Note: Following his record-setting six victory in the World Match Play championship, Ernie Els sat down with the media and discussed his accomplishment.


Probe clears Zimbabwe The International Cricket Council has found no signs of racism in Zimbabwe following a probe into the southern African country. An ICC hearing was held after 15 white players were sacked by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union.


Rice could be headed north to join Seahawks The disgruntled receiver asked for a trade last week, and Holmgren confirmed Monday the Seahawks were looking into ways to acquire him from the Oakland Raiders.


Olympic heroes on parade in London Britains 2004 Olympic and Paralympic medallists will take part in a parade through central London this lunch time. Beginning near the Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly at around 1.30pm, the parade - which includes


Portsmouth vs Tottenham match preview I don #39;t know about you, but this season really doesn #39;t feel like it #39;s started yet. You just about get into the groove of a couple of matches in a row, and then some sodding international match pops up and that #39;s it - everything goes on hold for two weeks.


Israeli Demolitions Deemed Excessive Israeli troops have destroyed hundreds of houses and left thousands of Palestinians homeless in the southern Gaza Strip in operations that far exceeded military security


Iran prepared to suspend some nuclear activities TEHRAN, Iran - Iran said yesterday it is prepared to suspend some nuclear activities but would not surrender its right to enrich uranium.


PM talks up Indonesia ties PRIME Minister John Howard today reassured Indonesia that Australia was unlikely to launch a pre-emptive attack on its nearest neighbour to take out a terrorism target.


Villagers hold Nigeria oil plants Representatives of a remote community in southern Nigeria's Delta region take over three oil installations.


Sony to Open More Stores, Worrying Others (AP) AP - Few people took notice when Sony Electronics Inc. opened a tiny storefront last year here at South Coast Plaza, a swanky mall south of Los Angeles. As it turns out, the small store would represent a big change in how Sony sells its televisions, DVD players and other gear.


New Modem May Offer On-Road Connectivity (AP) AP - A top networking gear producer plans to offer a speedy new cellular technology that's an alternative to DSL and cable Internet access with the added advantage of being available on the road.


Online Resources To Buy N.J. Firm (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Online Resources Corp., a McLean Internet banking and bill payment company, agreed to buy Incurrent Solutions Inc. of Parsippany, N.J., for  #36;15 million in cash and stock.


Netflix Sticks to Guns in Online DVD Rental Fight (Reuters) Reuters - Online DVD renter Netflix Inc.\ on Monday pledged to stick to a costly plan to double\its subscriber base by next year despite a price war with rival\video chain Blockbuster Inc. that analysts warn could\threaten its future.


Gartner ITxpo spotlights security, wireless (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Enterprise IT executives attending this week's Gartner Symposium ITxpo  in Orlando, Fla., got a peek at several forthcoming products for security, CM (content management), wireless, and SOAs (service-oriented architectures).


Update: Study shows software vendors, users at odds over licensing (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Software publishers and users are at odds about software licensing, according a study released Monday.


IBM Net Flat; Sees Strong Fourth Quarter (Reuters) Reuters - International Business Machines Corp.\ on Monday posted a flat quarterly net profit, weighed\down by a legal settlement, but said fourth-quarter results\would be better than expected, and its shares rose 2.3 percent.


Scientists: New Planets May Take Longer (AP) AP - It may take much longer than scientists have thought for violent turbulence to turn grains of space dust into new planets.


Scientist Envisions Small-Scale Hydropower (AP) AP - A scientist says the United States could more than double its hydropower supply by harnessing the energy of smaller streams.


MCI to Take \$3.5 Billion Charge in 3rd Quarter MCI Inc. reported Monday that it will take a \$3.5 billion non-cash charge in the third quarter to reflect the severe downturn in its consumer long-distance telephone business.\
-The Washington Post


Online Resources to Buy N.J. Firm Online Resources Corp., a McLean Internet banking and bill payment company, agreed to buy Incurrent Solutions Inc. of Parsippany, N.J., for \$15 million in cash and stock.
\-The Washington Post


Anglicans Criticize U.S. Church on Gays (AP) AP - An Anglican church commission on Monday urged the U.S. Episcopal Church not to elect any more gay bishops and called on conservative African bishops to stop meddling in the affairs of other dioceses.


Gagliano aide had misgivings about sponsorships, inquiry told (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The political interference in the federal sponsorship program was so pervasive that it even prompted complaints from Alfonso Gagliano's former right-hand man, a public inquiry was told Monday.


GM cuts 430 jobs as Ford plans new plant Britain #39;s motor industry suffered a day of mixed fortunes yesterday with news of fresh job losses balanced by a 115m investment on Merseyside.


FSA monitors investigation into US insurance industry BRITAIN #39;S main financial regulator yesterday confirmed it is monitoring developments in a high-level probe into corruption in the US insurance industry.


Property market faces up to 12 months of stagnation Home buyers and owners were warned yesterday by two separate surveys of the property market that house prices were continuing to fall.


Disney shareholders to get their day in court Walt Disney Co. shareholders are to finally get their day in court, seven years after suing the company for allegedly wasting corporate assets by buying out the contract of former president Michael Ovitz for 140 million dollars.


Future for Kraft is less sweet Kraft Foods last night posted a 3.8 drop in quarterly profit, weighed down by higher marketing spend and increased costs for cheese, coffee and other materials.


Cairn owes millions to India The British oil exploration firm Cairn Energy may owe the Indian government more than \$6.9m (3.8m) in a dispute over an Indian oilfield, the company said yesterday.


Cards, Astros Scoreless After Four Innings (AP) AP - Houston starter Brandon Backe was perfect through four innings of Game 5 of the NL championship series Monday night, and the game was scoreless because St. Louis' Woody Williams was pretty stingy, too.


Rams, Bucs Tied 7-7 After First Quarter (AP) AP - The St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Bucs both got off to a fast start Monday night, scoring on their first possessions and they were tied 7-7 after the first quarter.


Cisco, Microsoft bridge security gap Cisco Systems and Microsoft have announced a collaborative effort designed to bridge a divide between their emerging network access-control architectures.


Half-Life 2 is Gold We #39;ll give you a moment to sit down, take a breath, or catch a breath, or whatever you need to do. But yes, it #39;s as true as it can be, as we received official word from Vivendi Universal Games just moments ago.


For the Red Sox, a Series of Trials and Teases The Yankees wanted to swat it before it become a downright menace, a phalanx of mosquitoes, bearing the West Nile Virus of baseball, which is a shift in momentum.


Beltran and Pujols Playing  #39;Can You Top This? #39; Houston Astros center fielder Carlos Beltran and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols meet near the batting cage before every game of the National League Championship


Rams, Bucs Tied 7-7 After First Quarter St. Louis Rams wide receiver Torry Holt heads for the endzone for an opening drive touchdown receiption from Quarterback Marc Bulger during the opening drive of the Rams against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in St.


Troops Await Decision on US Back-Up Plea British soldiers are waiting today to learn if they will be ordered to relieve US troops in Iraq. US military commanders have asked their British allies for help outside their normal areas of operation.


UN accuses Israel of excessive force during Gaza offensive A United Nations official has accused Israel of  quot;gross violations quot; of international law in a recent offensive in which more than 100 Palestinians died in the northern Gaza Strip.


Passing Game Stalls The Redskins are still waiting for quarterback Mark Brunell to get into gear. Brunell on Sunday produced one of the least productive games of his 12-year NFL career.


Ruffin Grabs Attention Forward Michael Ruffin is impressing Wizards coaches with his rebounding and rough play under the basket.


Groh Warns Defense Upset by his team's embarrassing showing against Florida State, Virginia Coach Al Groh has told his starting defenders they will have to earn back their jobs in practice this week.


Nikkei Up 1.16 Pct; Fujitsu Jumps  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei stock average rose 1.16  percent by midday on Tuesday as gains on Wall Street and a slip  in crude oil prices encouraged investors to scoop up bargains  following seven straight days of losses.


Israeli Demolitions Deemed Excessive Israeli troops have destroyed hundreds of houses and left thousands of Palestinians homeless in the southern Gaza Strip in operations that far exceeded military security requirements during the past four years, the New York-based organization Human Rights Watch said in a report issued Monday.


Brazil and UN Try to Solve Nuke Impasse

 By Andrei Khalip

 RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - The United Nations andBrazil moved on Monday to break a months-long deadlock overinspections to verify Latin America's largest nation is notdiverting enriched uranium for weapons.


Peru's Shining Path Leaders to Face Trial Peru plans to hold a new trial next month before a civilian court for imprisoned Shining Path founder Abimael Guzman and 17 other top leaders of the Maoist insurgency, court officials said Monday.


Web services outfits merge com October 18, 2004, 8:32 AM PT. This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web Services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


A Blackberry for WLANs is fruit of RIM research Research In Motion (RIM) is demonstrating a new model of its Blackberry handheld device, the Blackberry 7270, that integrates Support for both voice and data capabilities on 802.


DOA Ultimate goes gold Xbox Live-enabled version of Tecmo #39;s premiere fighting game series bounces off to the factory, will store shelves later this month.


In Return, P. Johnson Signs With the Ravens Wide receiver Patrick Johnson was smiling when he walked into the Baltimore Ravens #39; locker room after practice on Monday afternoon.


African leaders reject foreign intervention in Darfur conflict Calling the bloody humanitarian crisis in Darfur an  quot;absolute African issue, quot; Sudan #39;s president and four African counterparts rejected all foreign intervention Monday.


Veerappan killed, Jaya pats STF Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has congratulated the STF for their  #39;sterling achievement #39; in killing forest brigand Veerappan.


Insurers Feel Pressure, Drop Commissions In the four days since New York Attorney General Eliot L. Spitzer alleged that brokers and corporate insurance carriers were engaged in bid-rigging and secret payoffs


Bond Sales Feed Worries On Sept. 9, as it must frequently do, the US government turned to Wall Street to raise a little cash, and Paul Calvetti bet that demand for \$9 billion worth of long-term Treasury bonds would be  quot;huge.


Disney Heads to Court in Georgetown GEORGETOWN - Walt Disney company officials will appear in the Court of Chancery in Georgetown starting Wednesday. Shareholders are suing Disney and former president Michael Ovitz.


Ford to Offer Sirius Radio as an Option in More Cars The Ford Motor Company plans to announce on Monday that it will offer Sirius Satellite Radio in more of its cars and trucks and that it will begin installing the satellite


After a long, messy process, a planet is born Earth-size planets form around other stars in a process that #39;s considerably longer and more violent than previously believed, a team of astronomers using NASA #39;s Spitzer Space Telescope announced Monday.


Micron Technology to Build Chinese Factory US memory chip maker Micron Technology Inc. plans to build its first factory in China, to assemble and test semiconductors, the company said Monday.


Large Binocular Telescope Dedicated in Arizona A troubled, 20-year journey to create the world #39;s most powerful optical telescope is nearing an end, with astronomers hoping to begin using the instrument to look for heavenly breakthroughs early next year.


Intel Slashes Notebook Computer Chip Prices If you #39;re in the market for a new notebook computer it #39;s your lucky day, Intel has announced a major price cut on its chips for mobile notebooks.


Telescope Can See a Future PHOENIX -- A troubled, 20-year journey to create the world #39;s most powerful optical telescope is nearing an end, with astronomers hoping to begin using the instrument to look for heavenly breakthroughs early next year.


Thank heaven for Arsenal, the sunshine boys IF IT wasn #39;t for Arsenal - thank heaven not for little girls but for Arsenal, Maurice Chevalier would have crooned had he cared for the beautiful game - the Premiership might already be in the process of being re-named.


Sooners Bumped Back By BCS The voters say Oklahoma is still the number-two team in the nation. The computers say otherwise. The Sooners check in at third in the initial edition of the BCS standings, taking a backseat to a Miami team


LONDON CALLING TO THE IOC The national and international promotion of London #39;s bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games began yesterday with 200,000 people lining the streets of the capital and partying in Trafalgar Square.


Johnson had two picks vs. Ole Miss KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Defensive back Brandon Johnson, who had two interceptions for Tennessee (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP) at Mississippi, was suspended indefinitely Monday for violation of team rules.


Camby locks onto puck fans Marcus Camby is a hockey fan. He wasn #39;t happy when his hometown Hartford Whalers bolted to North Carolina in 1997. But the Denver Nuggets center realizes the NHL lockout can benefit his team.


Souness to act on foul-mouthed Bellamy London - Newcastle manager Graeme Souness was to study video evidence before deciding whether to punish Craig Bellamy who was caught by TV cameras abusing him after being substituted during Sunday #39;s 1-1 draw with Charlton.


Models steal Masters spotlight But fashion models turned as many heads as the tennis by replacing the traditional ball boys and girls on the main court. Costa, ranked 50th, claimed a 6-2 5-7 7-5 victory to advance to a second meeting with top-seeded Tim Henman.


No Longer A Rumour... In a move likely to raise many eyebrows and many hopes around the Emerald City, the Seattle Seahawks have acquired Jerry Rice from the Oakland Raiders for a conditional seventh-round draft pick.


Israeli Troops Kill Four Arab Terrorists Near Gaza Military Camp Israeli troops shot and killed four Arab terrorists in separate incidents in and around the northern Gaza Strip. Israel Radio reports Israeli troops shot and killed two terrorists who managed to slip across


Another typhoon near Japan, 260 flights cancelled TOKYO - Another strong typhoon was approaching Japans southwestern-most prefecture of Okinawa Tuesday morning, causing the cancellation of 260 domestic flights, authorities said.


German border police convicted over Sudanese death FRANKFURT - Three German border policemen who suffocated to death a Sudanese asylum seeker they were trying to deport received nine month suspended jail terms from a German court on Monday.


#39;Why Does the War Keep Chasing Us? #39; Dinka men once danced in a green field here in Darfur. A weave of drum rhythms would rise with the smoke of their twilight bonfires.


Porter will adjust his exchange rate Look for the exhibition-season substitution habits of Milwaukee Bucks coach Terry Porter to change soon. Coach Terry Porter says he will start to change his substitution pattern.


Typhoon approaches mainland Japan The Japanese mainland is under threat from another typhoon - the second in less than two weeks. Typhoon Tokage has been lashing the southern Okinawa islands with heavy rain and winds gusting above 140 kilometres an hour.


Darfur rebels use human shields same mistake in the country #39;s east, where tensions are rising along the border with Eritrea. crises. The United States has called the violence in Darfur genocide.


Newcastle and Charlton battle to draw EUROPEAN FOOTBALL: Newcastle climbed just one place to eighth instead of five spots to fourth because of a 1-1 tie with Charlton. Rangers beat Motherwell 2-0.


Jailed lifestyle guru Stewart finds fellow inmates nice Things arent so bad at Camp Cupcake after all, according to Martha Stewart, who has posted her first public comments to supporters since she began serving a five-month prison sentence ten days ago for lying about a stock sale.


Ford to expand Sirius satellite radio offerings Ford Motor Co. said Monday it will begin offering Sirius Satellite Radio as a dealer-installed option in four more vehicles by year #39;s end and is targeting up to 20 vehicle


Bid to be the world #39;s biggest gold firm Harmony Gold Mining Co, South African gold firm, has made a \$8.2 billion bid to acquire its much bigger rival -- Gold Fields. If the acquisition or the merger goes through, it would create the world #39;s largest gold producing company.


AXA rejects takeover bid as stock falls AXA Asia Pacific shares dropped 44 cents or 10 per cent in early trading this morning following an announcement the group had terminated talks with its French parent AXA SA over a proposed minority buyout deal.


Barcelo Crestline to Acquire Missouri-Based Hotel Group Barcelo Crestline Corp., a privately held McLean hotel company, said yesterday it plans to acquire a Missouri-based firm that is one of the country #39;s largest independent owners and operators of hotels.


VERITAS extends its reach, support and solution sets with Volante Sydney, Australia, October 19, 2004 VERITAS Software, the leading provider of enterprise storage software, has signed an Elite Partnership agreement with leading Australian owned IT Company, Volante.


Rumors of Shakeup in Military-Ruled Myanmar (Reuters) Reuters - Months of tension in Myanmar's junta\appeared to break into the open on Tuesday amid rumors Prime\Minister Khin Nyunt may have been arrested, Thai officials and\diplomats said.


Official: Border Terror Fears Overblown (AP) AP - The new head of Mexico's federal police force said Monday he doesn't see the U.S.-Mexico border as a terror target and that while terrorists may try to use this country to sneak into America, there's no evidence they have yet done so.


Three Germans Sentenced for Refugee Death (AP) AP - Three German border police officers were sentenced to nine months probation for the 1999 death of a Sudanese refugee.


Fla. Senate Candidates Have Opposing Views (AP) AP - Republican Mel Martinez, hoping to become the first Cuban-American senator, criticized his opponent Monday for saying she would not have voted for the war in Iraq "knowing what I know now." The first debate between Martinez and Democrat Betty Castor comes as a new poll found Castor had erased the small gap between them.


Brazil says nuclear deal reached UN nuclear inspectors abandon demands for unlimited access to Brazilian facilities, the country says.


The man who killed Veerappan It is perhaps appropriate that the man who has killed the most-wanted brigand in the country should be called K Vijay Kumar. The 1975 batch police officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre had volunteered in 2000


Yield on Bonds and baseball: dropping? The slugger #39;s testimony on steroid use raises sharp questions about integrity of baseball and all pro sports. By Mark Sappenfield  Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.


Oil fall greases Wall St rise A SHARP drop in oil prices helped US stocks post modest gains on Wall Street overnight. Investors who had sold stocks as oil prices climbed reversed course and started buying as the cost of crude declined.


Now, Yanks are on hot seat All the heat and pressure are on them for a change now, and if they lose the next two games and this playoff series to Boston, we may witness two unique phenomena simultaneously: the reversal of an 84-year-old Curse and George Steinbrenner #39;s head


Insurance Investigation Widens to Include a Look at Costs The New York attorney general is pursuing reports of payoffs that may increase coverage costs for tens of millions.


Iraq's Allawi Extends Arms-For-Cash Plan BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi announced plans Monday to extend a cash-for-weapons program for Shiite fighters in Baghdad's Sadr City to cities nationwide in an attempt to disarm the country.    In Fallujah, the focal point of the Sunni rebellion, hopes that peace talks could resume there quickly were dashed when the city's chief negotiator, Sheik Khaled al-Jumeili, ruled out restarting talks soon despite his release Monday from U.S...


Astros Beat Cards 3-0 to Take NLCS Lead HOUSTON - On a night when pitching suddenly took over the NL playoffs, someone was bound to get a hit. Fortunately for the Houston Astros, Jeff Kent stepped up...


Yanks, BoSox Tied 4-4 After 13 Innings BOSTON - The New York Yankees and Boston were tied 4-4 after 13 innings Monday night with the Red Sox trying to stay alive in the AL championship series.    Boston tied the game with two runs in the eighth inning on David Ortiz's solo homer, a walk to Kevin Millar, a single by Trot Nixon and a sacrifice fly by Jason Varitek...


Terrorist Zarqawi Swears Allegiance to Bin Laden The U.S. intelligence community considers authentic a message on an Islamic Web site in which Abu Musab Zarqawi was announced to have sworn his network's allegiance to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, a senior administration official said on Monday.


African Town Compromise A much-debated plan to create  quot;African Town quot; in Detroit got the go-ahead from the city council Monday, but this resolution is different from the one that some called unconstitutional.


Sources: Few details to be ironed out While a swap had not yet been consummated Monday evening, there is mounting circumstantial evidence that Oakland Raiders wide receiver Jerry Rice will be dealt to the Seattle Seahawks before the league #39;s Tuesday trade deadline.


Sudan says Darfur rebels using human shields Sudan #39;s security chief has said rebels in the western region of Darfur have drawn army fire and aerial bombardment on to Darfur villages by using them as cover and as bases for military operations.


Politicians enter fray as Opel workers drive wildcat strikes into <b>...</b> Workers at German car maker Opel halted production at a factory in Bochum for a fifth consecutive day yesterday in protest at plans by US parent General Motors (GM) to slash thousands of jobs in Europe.


Panel delays latest ALH bid WOOLWORTHS went on a shopping spree last night, trying to grab 20 per cent of pubs owner Australian Leisure  amp; Hospitality in its bid to thwart rival Coles Myer.


Dell extends lead in PCs com October 18, 2004, 4:57 PM PT. ZDNet #39;s survey of IT professionals in October kept upgrading hardware at number two on the businesses radar throughout the year.


Watchdog: TSA overpaying Boeing for airport security contract WASHINGTON An internal audit found the Transportation Security Administration overpaid Boeing on a contract to install explosive detection equipment at commercial airports.


Astros Beat Cards 3-0 to Take NLCS Lead (AP) AP - On a night when pitching suddenly took over the NL playoffs, someone was bound to get a hit. Fortunately for the Houston Astros, Jeff Kent stepped up.


AMD, Intel Stick with Speed for Gamers Both AMD and Intel are preparing to unveil new, ultra high-end processor refreshes later this month that will push the 3.5 GHz mark.


Amd64 Journeys to Shangri-La with Mark Knopfler SUNNYVALE, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) -ct. 18, 2004  - (NYSE:AMD) today announced that guitar superstar Mark Knopflers latest album Shangri-La was recorded in high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz


Red Sox Stay Alive with Epic 14th-Inning Win David Ortiz drove in three runs, including the game winner in the bottom of the 14th inning, to lead Boston to a rallying 5-4 victory over the New York Yankees which kept the Red Sox #39;s postseason hopes alive Monday.


Savor Beltran while he #39;s hot HOUSTON -- The attitude of every team in the postseason is: concentrate on today and let tomorrow take care of itself. That would be a good strategy for baseball-watchers, too, especially when they watch Carlos Beltran.


USC, Miami atop first BCS rankings When the Bowl Championship Series committee set out in the summer to reorganize the formula by which the BCS standings are calculated, it decided to give more weight to the human polls than the computer rankings.


One player suspended, another dismissed by Fulmer Defensive back Brandon Johnson, who had two interceptions for Tennessee at Mississippi, was suspended indefinitely Monday for violation of team rules.


Jets' Edwards Avoids Bulletin Board Material Even before the hype could begin for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots, Jets Coach Herman Edwards was insisting upon a measure of caution.


Red Sox Extend Season David Ortiz saves the Red Sox for the second straight game, singling home the winning run in the 14th inning to give the Red Sox a 5-4 win to force Game 6 in New York.


Astros Take Lead Jeff Kent ends a pitcher's duel with a three-run homer in the ninth Monday that lifts the Astros over St. Louis, 3-0, for a 3-2 edge in the NLCS.


Seattle Acquires Rice Seattle Coach Mike Holmgren confirmed rumors on Monday, trading for the disgruntled Jerry Rice from the Oakland Raiders.


Rams and Bucs tied after three quarters Will Heller caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Brian Griese that lifted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into a 21-21 tie with the St. Louis Rams after three quarters on Monday night.


PM rules out extra troops for Iraq Australia was unlikely to extend its role in Iraq but would keep its troops in the war-torn nation until the job was done, Prime Minister John Howard said.


About 260 air flights cancelled because of Typhoon Tokage TOKYO, October 19 (Itar-Tass) - About 260 air flights have been cancelled in Japan on Tuesday because of Typhoon Tokage, which currently rages in the country #39;s south.


Indian minister hits out at textbook praising Hitler (AFP) AFP - An Indian minister said a school text-book used in the violence-prone western state of Gujarat portrayed Adolf Hitler as a role model.


PlayStation 3 chip to debut in IBM desktop Sony revealed new details on Monday on the chip that will power the next PlayStation and said development is on track to deliver products based on the chip next year.


Kerry Courts Jews With Hebrew Stickers (AP) AP - John Kerry boasts of flying an Israeli jet and calls out in Hebrew during Florida campaign stops, trying to keep the state's large Jewish population from straying to President Bush.


Nikkei Up One Percent, Fujitsu Jumps  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei stock average rose 1.16  percent by midday on Tuesday as gains on Wall Street and a slip  in crude oil prices encouraged investors to scoop up bargains  after seven straight days of losses.


TSA Deal Overpaid Boeing, Report Says Boeing Co. received at least \$49 million in excessive profits on a \$1.2 billion contract to supply explosives-detection systems to hundreds of the nation's airports, the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general reported Monday.


Barcelo Crestline to Acquire Missouri-Based Hotel Group Barcelo Crestline Corp., a privately held McLean hotel company, said yesterday it plans to acquire a Missouri-based firm that is one of the country's largest independent owners and operators of hotels.


Regulator Stops Sale Of Thrift Federal regulators have rejected the second of two suitors for Independence Federal Savings Bank, leaving the money-losing District institution pursuing a strategy to survive as an independent thrift.


Watergate Co-op Owners Win Ruling A Delaware judge ruled yesterday that co-op owners at the Watergate East were within their rights when they voted this summer to reject the offer of a D.C. developer to purchase property as part of a plan to convert the Watergate Hotel into more luxury co-ops.


A New Trial of Celebrex, and Questions on Its Timing Pfizer said that it would sponsor a major clinical trial of Celebrex, its prescription arthritis pain medication, to assess the cardiovascular benefits of the drug.


3M Posts Higher Profit The results for the current quarter came in slightly below expectations and the company sounded a note of caution on the global economy.


Pfizer Says It Will Do Study of Possible Benefits of Celebrex Pfizer said today that it would sponsor a major clinical trial of Celebrex, its prescription arthritis pain medication, to assess the cardiovascular benefits of the drug.


Microsoft math: dual core licensed as one chip Siding with chip makers, Microsoft said it won't charge double for its per-processor licenses when dual-core chips come to market next year.


Intel's dual-core Xeon due in 2006 A competing chip from rival Advanced Micro Devices will likely arrive several months earlier.


IBM pushing wireless through partnerships The computing giant is stepping up its wireless efforts through partnerships, looking to sell to municipalities, hospitals and colleges.


Search Marketing Off the Beaten Track Opportunities for effective, inexpensive search marketing are abundant when you and 'think outside the (Big Search) box' and look to vertical or specialized content sites.


Gold Fields, Harmony dominate JSE Gold miners Harmony (HAR) and Gold Fields (GFI) dominated activity on the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa (JSE) on Monday, with the former taking a knock after announcing a hostile bid for the latter.


Germany: Opel cuts over 10,000 auto jobs Workers at Opel auto plants in Bochum walked out Thursday as soon as the parent company, General Motors, announced it was cutting 10,000 jobs in Germany.


IBM #39;s 3rd-Quarter Profit Beats Analysts #39; Predictions I.BM, a barometer of trends in the computing business, delivered a solid quarterly performance yesterday that pointed to modest if uneven improvement in the corporate technology sector.


Technology ; PC Shipments Rise 12 Pct Worldwide in 3rd Quarter Good growth in notebook shipments during the back-to-school season coupled with desktop replacements among businesses and consumers sustained another strong quarter in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, IDC said.


Hammons merger eyed John Q. Hammons is cooperating with a proposal by a Spanish company to take over the hotel magnates public business in a deal worth an estimated \$64 million.


Yum executive quits for Kmart Yum! Brands Inc. operations chief Aylwin Lewis has resigned from the Louisville restaurant company to become president and chief executive officer of discount retailer Kmart.


Rams 28, Buccaneers 21 Looks like the Greatest Show on Turf is in high gear -- on offense and defense. Torry Holt caught two long touchdown passes and Adam Archuletta returned a fumble 93 yards Monday night, keying the Rams #39; 28-21 victory over Tampa Bay.


Firefox Gets Ready for Ad Splash (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Mozilla is kicking off a campaign to promote Firefox and its supporters in a New York Times advertisement. Meanwhile, downloads keep climbing for Web browsing alternatives to Internet Explorer.


Karnataka CM compliments STF on killing Veerappan Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh on Tuesday expressed happiness over the gunning down of forest brigand Veerappan, saying his menace had ended.


Karzai leading in Afghan polls PESHAWAR, Oct 18: Afghan President Hamid Karzai continued to maintain his lead over his rival candidates in the presidential elections.


Boston Beats Yanks 5-4 in 14 Innings BOSTON - Just like the game that seemed it would never end, Boston's season just won't end. David Ortiz's RBI single on the 471st pitch of the game with two outs in the 14th inning capped a second straight amazing comeback in less than 24 hours Monday night and gave the Red Sox a 5-4 victory over the New York Yankees in the AL championship series...


Drop in oil prices spurs rally in stocks A sharp drop in oil prices gave Wall Street a modest relief rally yesterday, with stocks edging higher on news that oil production had soared during the month of September.


Small Business, Ill-Defined You may not have heard my name mentioned, but I was a hot item of discussion during the Bush-Kerry debates. How can that be, given that the words  quot;Allan Sloan quot; passed the lips of neither Kerry nor Bush?


Healthy house prices in Scotland Property prices in Scotland are still looking healthy, despite the steepest fall in nine years across the rest of the UK. The latest survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors shows that while


Stretching out Jonathan Neal, 24, bought a \$400,000 condo in Northwest this past summer, while high housing prices have forced many of his friends to live with their parents.


Businesses keep Q3 PC growth on track PC shipments have started to ease off, as expected, but the worldwide PC market remained fairly strong in the third quarter, according to research from IDC and Gartner released Monday.


Hoping for a miracle on grass The Red Sox trotted out Berge Avadanian to make the ceremonial  quot;Play Ball quot; announcement before Game 5 of the American League Championship Series last night at Fenway Park.


Houston now in control HOUSTON - From the start, Game 5 of the National League Championship Series was unlike any of the previous four. But in the end, it was decided by another home run, this one from Houston #39;s Jeff Kent with


ACC Unveils New Football Division Names, Logo Conference expansion means many things: new schools, new rivalries, new divisions and, as it turns out, a new logo. The ACC -- which this year added Miami and Virginia Tech, and next year welcomes Boston College


Car Navigation Units Keep Business Trips on Course In-car navigation systems in rental cars have made navigating unfamiliar cities much easier for business travelers who drive rather than fly.


I.B.M.'s 3rd-Quarter Profit Beats Analysts' Predictions I.B.M. delivered a solid quarterly performance that pointed to modest if uneven improvement in the corporate technology sector.


MCI Planning to Write Down Phone Assets MCI said it planned to take a \$3.5 billion charge in the third quarter to better reflect the loss in value of its phone and data networks, mirroring similar steps by AT T and Sprint.


Telstra Corp. Appoints Akhurst to Head Sensis Advertising Unit Telstra Corp., Australia #39;s largest phone company, appointed Bruce Akhurst as chief executive of its Sensis publishing and classified advertising arm, as part of its third executive shuffle in two years.


Powell Tells Paper U.S. Working on Iraq Election (Reuters) Reuters - The United States is doing\everything it can to put in place conditions that will allow\Iraqis to conduct elections due by Jan. 30, Secretary of State\Colin Powell said in an interview published on Tuesday.


Shares Edge Higher as Price of Crude Oil Drops Sharply By The Associated Press. A sharp drop in oil prices gave Wall Street some relief yesterday, with stocks edging higher on news that oil production soared in September.


Fast-Food Chains #39; Executive Is Appointed Chief of Kmart Less than 18 months after emerging from bankruptcy protection, Kmart announced yesterday that it was replacing its president and chief executive with an outsider whose background is in the fast-food restaurant business.


Shares in Hospice Company Plunge Shares of Odyssey Healthcare, which provides hospice care for people nearing death, plunged yesterday after the company reduced its profit forecasts and announced that the Justice Department


SBC offering \$2 Wi-Fi access WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- SBC Communications said Monday it will offer high-speed wireless access for \$2 a month to customers of the company #39;s DSL Internet service.


Tavarez Breaks His Hand in Outburst In what must now be considered an epidemic, yet another pitcher involved in this postseason has broken his non-throwing hand during a tantrum that followed a poor performance.


Rams 28 Buccaneers 21 ST. LOUIS Marc Bulger threw an early fourth-quarter 36-yard touchdown pass to Tory Holt as the St. Louis Rams held off the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-to-21.


After two decades, Veerappan saga ends (update): India News: Chennai, Oct 19 : Tamil Nadu #39;s security forces were triumphant Tuesday after dramatically killing forest brigand Veerappan, ending a gory criminal saga as well as the country #39;s longest manhunt.


Kent Gives Astros 3-2 Series Lead Over Cards  HOUSTON (Reuters) - Jeff Kent's three-run homer in the  ninth inning gave Houston a 3-0 win over the St Louis Cardinals  Monday to move the Astros within one game of reaching the World  Series for the first time in their 43-year history.


Raiders Trade Rice to Seahawks Jerry Rice, the most productive receiver in N.F.L. history, got his wish Monday night when the Oakland Raiders traded him to the Seattle Seahawks.


Profit-taking pushes oil prices downward Oil prices fell sharply yesterday in what traders described as a wave of profit-taking after futures hit a new high above \$55 a barrel and after gasoline futures fell sharply on indications of declining demand.


Macquarie Bank trading halt MACQUARIE Bank Ltd announced a suspension of trading in its shares after the market closed today. Paterson Securities adviser Michael Heffernan said the trading halt could be related to two issues - the


US Airways to boost number of flights US Airways, operating in bankruptcy, will increase service from Charlotte, NC, and Philadelphia and spread flights during the day, boosting its schedule 7 percent without adding aircraft.


Update 6: Ace, AIG End Commissions Eyed in Probe The company at the center of a probe into insurance brokerage fees says it took in more than \$1.2 billion in incentive payments over the past 18 months and that its decision to stop using such fees will reduce operating income.


IBM profits hit by \$320m pensions settlement Technology industry bellwether IBM has reported a healthy rise in net income in the third quarter, but its overall results were hampered by a \$320m legal settlement related to its employee pension plan.


Sainsbury takes profit hit to boost sales Sainsbury says it will take a 550 million pound hit to profits this year as it invests to boost sales and reverse falling market share.


MCI to write down assets of \$3.5 billion as sales fall MCI, the second-largest US long-distance telephone company, will write down assets by \$3.5 billion in the third quarter, reflecting their reduced value as calling prices tumble and demand declines.


ESCALADE TOPS  #39;HOT #39;-ROD LIST The flashy Cadillac Escalade EXT, the favorite ride of rappers and movie stars, is the newer-model vehicle car thieves are most likely to steal, according to a study released yesterday.


Local PC sales remain strong AUSTRALIA and India have remained the stand out markets for PC growth in the Asia Pacific region, growing 30 and 19 per cent respectively in the third quarter, according to new research.


Detroit soft-pedals African Town plan The City Council backtracked Monday on its African Town economic empowerment zone, striking down a controversial proposal that loans be given only to black business applicants.


Microsoft, Cisco Partner on Security Improvements Microsoft and Cisco Systems today said they will share security and network health technologies in an effort to stop, isolate and eliminate viruses and other malicious software on Windows-based networks.


JBoss unveils workflow engine Open source company JBoss this week introduced a workflow engine that broadens the company #39;s middleware stack. JBPM 2.0 was developed with the open source project of the same name


Geologist monitors emissions for clues about volcanoes MOUNT ST. HELENS -- The plane is a speck of mica in the volcano #39;s plume. It cuts back and forth through the cloud, battling the updrafts, downdrafts and turbulent air currents that form over a hot, heaving crater.


Sony to start marketing mini PS2 in November and PSP in 1Q <b>...</b> Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) unveiled a slimmer and more lightweight version of its PS2 game console in Taipei last Friday, and the company will begin shipping the product in Taiwan on November 3. The


Wireless alternative to DSL mooted NETWORKING outfit Netgear said it is planning to release stuff using a wireless technology that #39;s an alternative to DSL and cable Internet access.


Powerline Ethernet Gets the Nod Broadband over powerline (BPL) got a boost from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last week, but even as the technology begins deployments, it #39;s unclear how much of a fight it will put up against DSL and cable.


Red Sox refuse to give up BOSTON - Patiently, David Ortiz fouled off the best fastballs and sliders Esteban Loaiza could throw. Through a 10-pitch at-bat, he refused to cave in, refused to let this series, this season die.


=== One-hit wonders by Backe and Kent give Houston NLCS lead === Brandon Backe #39;s arm and Jeff Kent #39;s bat have gotten the Houston Astros within a game of where the franchise has never been before - the World Series.


Manchester Utd confirm Glazer raises stake to 27.6 pct US sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer has raised his stake in Manchester United Plc to 27.63 percent from 25.3 percent, the Premier League club said on Tuesday, heightening speculation that he will bid for them.


Sims #39; play draws raves from coach TALLAHASSEE  Linebacker Ernie Sims earned a high number of  quot;Tomahawk Points quot; for his play against Virginia on Saturday.


Dolphins lead in turnovers DAVIE  As the lone offensive player remaining from the 1999 Dolphins, fullback Rob Konrad already was part of a unit that allowed the most returns for touchdowns in the NFL.


Mutu to assess options Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu is facing up to the realisation of what a positive drugs test could mean after he was relieved of his training obligations while the club investigate the case.


Glazer ups United stake again US businessman Malcolm Glazer has lifted his stake in Manchester United to 27.6 from 25.3, heightening speculation that he will bid for the world #39;s richest soccer club.


Horna will face Ferrero in Madrid Luis Horna will clash with Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Madrid Masters after a first-round win over Hicham Arazi. The Peruvian broke Arazi to win the first set and, although the Moroccan recovered from 5-2 to


Steelers QB stands tall IRVING, Texas - Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 25 passes and two touchdowns, leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 24-20 comeback win over the Dallas Cowboys.


Henman #39;s chance to shine at the top It is rare to see a British player #39;s name at the top of a draw sheet for any international tournament, let alone an ATP Masters Series event.


Lukashenko can keep power: Belarus officials A woman casts her vote at a polling station in Sivitsa, 70 kilometres from Minsk, October 17. AFP. MINSK (AFP) - Belarus officials said Monday that President Alexander Lukashenko handily won the right to seek


Karzai team believes victory  quot;secure quot; Afghanistan #39;s interim leader Hamid Karzai is certain to win the country #39;s landmark presidential election, his campaign spokesman said after early returns gave Karzai a commanding advantage.


Sharon stands firm on withdrawing settlers Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed yesterday not to yield to pressure by Jewish settlers to give up his plan to withdraw soldiers and settlers from the Gaza Strip and a portion of the West Bank.


Susilo told not to choose ministerial candidates from New Order <b>...</b> JAKARTA (JP): Political observer Bungaran Antonius Simanjuntak urged president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday not to choose ministerial candidates from the New Order regime to avoidtarnishing his government.


Holt Scores Two Touchdowns to Lead Rams Past Bucs (Reuters) Reuters - Torry Holt caught two touchdown\passes, including a 36-yard effort early in the fourth quarter\for the game-winning points, to power the host St Louis Rams to\a 28-21 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Monday.


Baseball-Red Sox Stay Alive with Epic 14th-Inning Win (Reuters) Reuters - David Ortiz drove in three runs,\including the game winner in the bottom of the 14th inning, to\lead Boston to a rallying 5-4 victory over the New York Yankees\which kept the Red Sox's postseason hopes alive Monday.


Scientists: New Planets May Take Longer This animation illustrates a massive collision between rocky, embryonic planets as big as mountain ranges. Such collisions form the basis of the planet-building process.


Back to front switches blamed for space probe crash It shouldn #39;t happen to a scientist: investigators have found that the \$250m (139m) Genesis space probe, which crash-landed in the Utah desert last month, failed because the switches designed to trigger its parachute were installed backwards.


RIM Intros Souped-Up BlackBerry for Mobile Enterprise Research In Motion is launching a new wireless BlackBerry in conjunction with its BlackBerry Enterprise Server software in an appeal to enterprise customers and developers of mobile-workforce applications.


Modem to Connect With Speedy Cellular Tech NEW YORK Oct. 18, 2004 - A top networking gear producer plans to offer a speedy new cellular technology that #39;s an alternative to DSL and cable Internet access with the added advantage of being available on the road.


Glazer Ups Man Utd Stake - Again His new acquisition - taking his holding from 25.3 to 27.63 - has heightened speculation he will soon make a definite takeover bid.


Israeli Forces Kill 6 Militants In Gaza Dubai, Oct. 19 (NNN): The Israeli military has claimed to have killed six Palestinian militants in separate incidents in and around Gaza.


US commander Franks denies hunt for bin Laden was 'outsourced' (AFP) AFP - A former commander of US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan has denied a claim by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry that US troop had  quot;oursourced quot; the hunt for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan's eastern border region of Tora Bora in the wake of the September 11 attacks.


Falluja hit by fresh air strikes US warplanes pound targets in the Iraqi city of Falluja in a continuing campaign against militants.


Hosts await drink-drive verdict A French court is to rule on a couple accused of failing to stop a drunk friend driving home and killing a family in a crash.


Newmont cleared in Indonesia Indonesian authorities find no traces of mercury pollution near US mining firm Newmont's Buyat Bay site.


Protests at GM job cuts to spread Staff at  General Motors are to hold protests across Europe at the company's plans to cut 12,000 jobs.


The A.C.C. Runs Deep and Strong This Season With the addition of the powerhouses Miami and Virginia Tech this year, there is little doubt that football has become the new money sport that drives the Atlantic Coast Conference. But the sport of champions in the A.C.C., for now, remains men's basketball.


Aerosols 'harm mother and baby' Air fresheners and aerosols can damage of the health of babies and their mothers, warn researchers.


Oil Slips But Holds Over  #36;53 (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. oil prices fell for a second session\on Tuesday on worries that high energy costs may crimp economic\growth, but crude remained firmly planted above  #36;50 a barrel on\persistent fears of a winter supply crunch.


Starters: Nothing was something Brandon Backe and Woody Williams pitched well last night even though neither earned a win. But their outings will show up in the record books.


Glazer spends 17M to up Man Utd stake The American millionaire yesterday splashed another 17million to buy a further six million shares to add to the 45m purchase he made late on Friday.


BCS rankings still rankling It didn #39;t take long. First poll, first controversy. Or at least mini-controversy. If you had taken the wisdom of the two human polls, the first Bowl Championship


Burma PM  #39;removed #39; THE secretive military government of Burma was at the centre of rumours today that the prime minister, the long-powerful General Khin Nyunt, had been removed from office, diplomats in Burma and senior officials in neighbouring Thailand said.


Europeans in Thrall of American Culture (AP) AP - They grew up listening to '70s soul, learning to break dance, wearing Nikes, watching the "Star Wars" trilogy again and again. For the French rap group IAM, the fascination with American culture started when they were kids.


Marines Vent Frustration in Western Iraq (AP) AP - The sound of the Black Hawk medical helicopter is an ominous sign for the Marines patrolling this forgotten western corner of Iraq that borders Syria. It means that one of them is seriously wounded or killed by their elusive enemy.


Bills Beat Dolphins, 42-32 (AP) AP - A.J. Feeley was the better quarterback early. Then Drew Bledsoe began to pick apart the Miami Dolphins' defense.


Asian Stocks Rise on U.S. Tech Advances  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Investors bought shares in Asian  exporters and electronics firms such as Fujitsu Ltd. on  Tuesday, buoyed by a favorable outlook from U.S. technology  bellwethers and a slide in oil prices.


Oil Slips But Holds Over \$53  TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. oil prices fell for a second session  on Tuesday on worries that high energy costs may crimp economic  growth, but crude remained firmly planted above \$50 a barrel on  persistent fears of a winter supply crunch.


Wakefield comes through in extra innings Tim Wakefield already had left Aaron Boone #39;s homer that won last year #39;s AL championship series far behind. Now he has a more pleasant playoff memory.


US to appeal against WTO ruling The United States will appeal a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling that US cotton subsidies violate international trading rules, charging that the verdict was based on erroneous findings.


Broker  quot;fees quot; from insurers a real crime The insurance industry offers lots of reasons why policies are so expensive: terrorism, hurricanes, the economy, rising medical costs, lawyers and frivolous lawsuits.


Celebrex Maker Will Examine Heart Risks With concern growing that a popular new class of arthritis medicine might increase a patient #39;s risk of heart attack and stroke, the maker of Celebrex -- one of the most widely sold drugs in


Housing Boom  #39;Over  #39; After Rate Hikes The house price boom has ended with values falling by their steepest for almost a decade, according to a national survey. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors says the decline in prices is the biggest


Study claims planets lead violent life Suggesting a necessary change to astronomy textbooks, astronomers announced Monday that planets form through a lengthier and more violent series of collisions


Astros launch into NLCS lead Houston - Jeff Kent sat alone in the dugout Monday, thinking forward and counting backward. As the sellout crowd of 43,045 screamed, waving white towels, the Houston Astros #39; second baseman began preparing for the biggest at-bat in the franchise #39;s history.


Shaq leaves Collier with a souvenir in Heat #39;s win Miami - The Atlanta Hawks got their first look at Shaquille O #39;Neal in a Miami Heat uniform Monday night as he cut through them like a human blowtorch.


Gas prices top \$2 a gallon in state It's back: \$2 gasoline. After sliding steadily from late June through the Labor Day weekend, the average price for a gallon of self-serve unleaded gasoline in Massachusetts was back up to \$2.01 yesterday, according to the most recent survey by the American Automobile Association. The nationwide average also crossed over the \$2 threshold between Sunday and yesterday, AAA said.


Becoming a player Modell's Sporting Goods planned to open stores in New England at some point. But a year ago, when one regional chain closed 14 stores and another faced bankruptcy, Mitchell Modell, the New York chain's chief executive, decided the timing was now.


Bitter foes, investment bedfellows It may be the only thing Dick Cheney and John F. Kerry have in common: One elite Boston investment firm controls large slices of their family fortunes.


2 insurers drop disputed fees NEW YORK -- Two major insurance companies named in the New York attorney general's investigation into questionable sales practices have discontinued the use of incentive fees, which are at the center of the probe.


Airline to raise number of flights ARLINGTON, Va. -- US Airways Group Inc. , operating in bankruptcy, will increase service from Charlotte, N.C., and Philadelphia and spread flights during the day, boosting its schedule 7 percent without adding aircraft.


Mass. makes 1st technology fund loan Massachusetts awarded the first loan from its newly created \$25 million emerging technology fund to help Acusphere, a Watertown-based biotech company, renovate a Tewksbury building as a manufacturing facility. The granting of the \$2 million loan brought Senate President Robert Travaglini, a Boston Democrat, back together with former House Speaker Thomas Finneran, who recently took a job as president of ...


Hub consumer group joins AFL-CIO in AstraZeneca suit The AFL-CIO and a Boston-based consumer advocacy group sued AstraZeneca yesterday, accusing the drug manufacturer of deceptively selling doctors and patients on the idea that Nexium, the nation's most heavily advertised prescription drug, is an improved purple pill.


Banknorth sought other deals Banknorth Group Inc. solicited bids from several other large banks before deciding that a Canadian bank could acquire a majority stake in the company, chief executive William J. Ryan told analysts yesterday.


Oil prices fall on profit-taking after futures pass \$55 a barrel Oil prices fell sharply yesterday in what traders described as a wave of profit-taking after futures hit a new high above \$55 a barrel and after gasoline futures fell sharply on indications of declining demand.


Hirst restaurant sale makes 11m Fixtures and fittings from Damien Hirst's restaurant Pharmacy sell for 11.1, 8m more than expected.


Pragmatism at heart of Peres's efforts toward peace JERUSALEM -- From the podium of the Israeli Knesset last week, Shimon Peres, the engineer of the Oslo peace process and leader of the parliamentary opposition, lambasted Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's speech on the state of the nation. Minutes later, in a nearby conference room, he urged his Labor party colleagues not to vote against Sharon's program so as not ...


Iraq seeks to extend arms-for-cash BAGHDAD -- Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi announced plans yesterday to extend a cash-for-weapons program for Shi'ite fighters in Baghdad's Sadr City to cities nationwide in an attempt to disarm the country.


Censorship increasingly hits Russia's media MOSCOW -- When a hostage-taking at a school in southern Russia erupted in explosions last month, viewers who rushed to turn on state-run Channel 1 were treated to a film, ''Lady with a Parrot. quot; They wouldn't have fared much better on Channel 2, which stuck to a travelogue.


Indian police kill notorious bandit BANGALORE, India -- Police have shot dead India's most wanted bandit, Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, accused of chopping up many of the more than 100 people he killed, officials said yesterday.


S. Africa rejects Aristide allegation JOHANNESBURG -- South Africa yesterday dismissed accusations that it was allowing Haiti's ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to coordinate a violent uprising from exile in South Africa.


Afghan election worker, 4 others killed by bomb KABUL, Afghanistan -- A doctor helping organize Afghan elections died yesterday along with four other civilians when an explosion tore through their vehicle, police said. He was the first election worker to die in violence since the landmark vote.


Iran to halt some nuclear activities TEHRAN -- Iran said yesterday it is prepared to temporarily suspend some nuclear activities but would not surrender its right to enrich uranium.


A tale of romance for terror suspect BERLIN -- For the young men in what would later come to be called the Hamburg cell, Ramzi Binalshibh was a leader.


Belarus president says he won mandate to remain in power MINSK, Belarus -- President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus said yesterday that he won a mandate from voters to stay in power in a weekend referendum scrapping presidential term limits, but foreign observers said the vote was marred by violations and thousands of people protested the outcome.


Case study: Sensing out danger RAE Systems believes the government could do more to exploit sensor tools.


Digital Agenda: Homeland security--Companies profiting from fear (page 3) Multibillion-dollar security initiatives have given rise to a new industry seemingly overnight. A News.com special report.


Digital Agenda: Homeland security--Companies profiting from fear (page 2) Multibillion-dollar security initiatives have given rise to a new industry seemingly overnight. A News.com special report.


Digital Agenda: Homeland security--Companies profiting from fear Multibillion-dollar security initiatives have given rise to a new industry seemingly overnight. A News.com special report.


MCI says its asset values to be written down \$3.5 billion MCI Inc. plans to write down the value of its assets by \$3.5 billion to reflect the decreased worth of the company #39;s telephone network as its consumer business shrinks.


Sainsbury to Cut Headquarter Jobs, Halve Dividend (Update2) J Sainsbury Plc Chief Executive Justin King will cut one quarter of the company #39;s headquarters workforce and halve the dividend as he seeks to revive profit and regain customers lost to Tesco Plc and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.


House prices go on the slide HOUSE prices are falling at their fastest rate for nine years, according to one of the country #39;s most influential property studies.


Hub consumer group joins AFL-CIO in AstraZeneca suit The AFL-CIO and a Boston-based consumer advocacy group sued AstraZeneca yesterday, accusing the drug manufacturer of deceptively selling doctors and patients


Tennis: Defending champion Myskina sees off world number one <b>...</b> MOSCOW : Defending champion and French Open winner Anastasia Myskina advanced into the final of the 2.3 million dollar Kremlin Cup beating new world number one Lindsay Davenport of the United States here.


Galveston #39;s Jones now dishing to Shaq HOUSTON - Ball High grad Damon Jones can list a number of reasons why he signed with the Miami Heat during the offseason, but at the top of that list is one word -haq.


Notebook: Injured Wistrom will miss 4-6 weeks KIRKLAND - They had managed to avoid the injury bug, for the most part, for the first four games of the season. But misfortune finally caught up with the Seahawks the way it has with a bevy of other NFL teams.


Lubick challenges team in Holland #39;s absence Fort Collins - Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick takes it back. He didn #39;t mean to say in the preseason quarterback Justin Holland was the one player the Rams could not do without.


Heat scores style points at home exhibition MIAMI  Monday night #39;s 92-82 victory over the Atlanta Hawks provided Heat fans at AmericanAirlines Arena their first opportunity to offer thanks for the arrival Shaquille O #39;Neal.


Intel cuts prices on chips, laptop to sell cheaper Intel announced on Sunday the prices for its Pentium M processors by 34 percent. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker introduced lower prices on its Pentium M processors


Stocks rise as oil falls from record high A sharp drop in oil prices gave Wall Street a small relief rally Monday, with stocks regaining ground after falling earlier in the session.


WTO: EU sugar subsidies break trade rules The European Union has broken international trade rules by subsidizing sugar producers, the World Trade Organization ruled Friday.


Village mine poison case flaw AUSTRALIAN mining engineer Phil Turner will remain in prison, despite an Indonesian government report indicating the evidence against him is flawed.


Rams 16 49ers 6 ST. LOUIS Steven Jackson #39;s first 100-yard game led St. Louis past San Francisco 16-to-6. Jackson, the first running back taken in this year #39;s draft, ran 26 times for 119 yards on 26 carries.


Jets 29 Texans 7 EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ Chad Pennington returned from a three-game break to rest a strained right rotator cuff and helped the New York Jets beat Houston 29-to-7.


Bush vs. the Laureates: How Science Became a Partisan Issue Why is science seemingly at war with President Bush?


Those Brilliant Fall Outfits May Be Saving Trees As trees across the northern United States turn gold and crimson, scientists are debating exactly what those colors are for.


Doctors Behind Bars: Treating Pain Is Now Risky Business Dr. Frank Fisher's ordeal lingers as a cautionary tale of what can happen to doctors who treat pain aggressively.


From a Physicist and New Nobel Winner, Some Food for Thought As reflected in the talks at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, the history of physics is, like the universe, a story of expansion.


A Patient's Suicide, a Psychiatrist's Pain Sterile statistics don't shield a therapist from a sense of failure.


Mad Math: Bending Time With 'Primer' Director Shane Carruth, the director of "Primer," compares his film about engineers who build a time machine to his favorite branch of math.


Two wins in hand, two to go New England is at once sleepless, breathless, and full of hope. David Ortiz and the Red Sox just beat the Yankees in two extra-inning playoff games on the same calendar day. This century-long Sox-Yankee show, featuring themes of revenge and redemption, moves back to New York tonight.


Yankees are hoping latest sting doesn't prove fatal Before, it was a nuisance. Now, it has become a downright menace to the Yankees.


Lack of leadership hurting Damon The argument could be made that Johnny Damon was the most productive leadoff man in the majors this season. At least among men not named Ichiro Suzuki. It was trend that continued in the American League Division Series against Anaheim.


Schilling hoping start isn't a finish The way Curt Schilling saw last night's classic in the Fens, it was the 13th round of a 15-round heavyweight prizefight for the ages. Tonight, he represents Boston's great hope in Round 14.


Boston fades from view as Lowe looks ahead In Derek Lowe's dream scenario, a number of teams will vie for his services when he enters free agency this offseason. His only regret is that the Red Sox almost certainly will not be among them.


Francona had no second thought on lineup John W. Henry's hope for tonight in the Bronx?  quot;Let's hope it rains, quot; he said.  quot;Both teams need a day off. quot;


He's elated to be walking on air OK, it's official. There is now an established major league style, an etiquette, for those delightful occasions when one hits a walkoff homer in the postseason.


It was nothing to kick about There are three superb seasons under his belt, a couple of Pro Bowl berths speak volumes about his talent, and there's the matter of two Super Bowl rings. So when Richard Seymour tells you he's figured something out about this NFL business, you'd best listen.


Rams go long on Buccaneers Looks like the Greatest Show on Turf is in high gear -- on offense and defense. Torry Holt caught two long touchdown passes and Adam Archuletta returned a fumble 93 yards last night, keying the Rams' 28-21 victory over Tampa Bay.


Rice gets his wish: Raiders deal receiver to Seahawks Jerry Rice got his wish last night when the Oakland Raiders traded the NFL's most prolific receiver to the Seattle Seahawks.