Delta pilots choose pay cuts Delta Air Lines #39; pilots Thursday overwhelmingly approved a \$1 billion package of concessions that cuts their pay by nearly a third but may pull the financially beleaguered carrier from the brink of bankruptcy.


Another search beta for Microsoft The kinks have not yet been ironed out of Microsoft Corp #39;s web search engine, but the company has gone ahead with another beta launch of MSN Search that showcases many of the bells and whistles rivals launched incrementally well after they were mature.


Europes ticket to the moon Monday night will mark the beginning of Europes space exploration, as a tiny spacecraft will start orbiting the moon. On Monday, SMART-1 (the acronym stands for Small Missions for Advanced Research and


Oddworld Stranger renamed, dated Xbox exclusive Oddworld Stranger is now known as Oddworld Stranger #39;s Wrath, Electronic Arts advised this week, claiming that the revised title  quot;better reflects the spirit of the game quot;.


Video games the answer to society #39;s happiness It #39;s almost the end of the semester and many male students are turning to video games, instead of the Internet, to relieve some much built-up stress.


BOFH: The hostage's guide to lift imprisonment Episode 39 Stay calm, conserve bodily fluids


Orange opens 24-0 lead, rolls in laugher Hakim Warrick scored 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out five assists to lead No. 6 Syracuse to a 104-54 rout Thursday of Northern Colorado in the first round of the Coaches vs.


Leaders join Arafat funeral procession Hundreds of Arab and Muslim leaders and officials participated Friday in the funeral procession of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Cairo.


Teen flies in plane #39;s landing gear A homeless teenager who hid in the landing gear of a passenger plane survived a 700-kilometre flight across south-western China but his companion fell and probably died, state media reported on Friday.


Otellini to become Intel #39;s CEO Intel Corp. #39;s board of directors on Thursday tapped Paul Otellini, who has been with the company for 30 years, to replace Craig Barrett as chief executive officer in May.


Target soars, but misses estimates MINNEAPOLIS -- Target reported a 78 percent jump in third-quarter earnings on Thursday on strong revenue growth and the sale of its Mervyn #39;s discount chain, but it just missed analyst estimates.


Hong Kong Shares Close Higher Hong Kong stocks closed at a fresh eight-month high Friday, boosted by a cut in local interest rates and overnight gains on Wall Street.


Northwest ships Beaujolais to Detroit But wine stores, restaurants and bars can #39;t sell the wine from France before 12:01 am Thursday. By Joel Smith / The Detroit News.


GM, Ford offering safer SUVs NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. are expanding the use of anti-rollover technology on their popular sport/utility models, addressing a major safety risk for the vehicles.


Wells to allow online transfers to other account holders (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - In the latest sign that Americans are taking more of their finances online, Wells Fargo on Monday will start allowing its customers to transfer up to  #36;1,500 a day to another Wells Fargo account holder at no charge.


Microsoft #39;s Google-killer arrives with a  #39;whuh? #39; Google #39;s executives might be sleeping a little easier this weekend after Microsoft unveiled its much-hyped new search engine. It #39;s fast, slick, and comes with a raft of interesting new features: confounding


Dell closer to using AMD chips Dell president and chief executive officer Kevin Rollins indicated that the company is considering including Advanced Micro Devices processors in its server roster in the foreseeable future.


Hit game taking over the streets Millions of Britons have a guilty secret. They are spending their spare hours immersed in an underground world of LA gangs and gun-ridden ghettos.


Defendant: Microsoft source code sale was a setup A 27-year-old Connecticut man facing felony economic espionage charges for allegedly selling a copy of Microsoft #39;s leaked source code for \$20 says he #39;s being singled out only because the software giant and law enforcement officials can #39;t find the people


Microsoft issues one fix in monthly security update In sharp contrast to last month #39;s barrage of critical patches, Microsoft has offered up just one  quot;important quot; fix for users to implement in its scheduled round of security updates for November.


#39;Halo 2 #39; is worth the wait How do you top a battle between Marines and an alien religious cult fighting to the death on a giant corona in outer space? The next logical step is to take that battle to Earth, which is exactly what Microsoft


Red Hat establishes Chinese operation Linux distributor Red Hat Inc has established a new presence in China to promote the use of open source software in the country, following up on plans announced back in January.


Sharapova lives up to expectations LOS ANGELES--Although Maria Sharapovas picture is in newspaper ads and billboards around Los Angeles, tennis teen queen said she usually could go shopping incognito.


New Goodison contract for Moyes Everton manager David Moyes has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2009. The 41-year-old Scot has steered the Toffees to third place in the Barclays Premiership table despite last


Holiday CD showdown: Full press is on (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Eminem, Destiny's Child, Snoop Dogg, Lil' Jon and Chingy face off with new albums next week as the record industry gears up for the make-or-break holiday season.


Local Muslims reflect on Palestine and peace It signals the possibility of peace in the Middle East, they said, with the appointment of a new leader to replace the 75-year-old head of the PLO.


Train Accident in Philippines Leaves 10 Dead, 100 Wounded The number of deaths related to a train derailment yesterday in the Philippines has been increased to ten. 100 people were injured as well.


Iraq Group Claims Kidnapping Of American 12 November 2004 -- Al-Jazeera television is reporting that Iraqi insurgents have kidnapped a US citizen who worked at a Baghdad airport.


29 Die in Mine Accident in China 29 people have been found dead after a methane gas explosion in a coal mine in Henan, central China. According to the New Chinese News Agency, the explosion occurred in the city of Lushan at Xingsheng Coal mine on Wednesday (November 10).


Falluja a  #39;Big Disaster, #39; Aid Needed - Red Crescent Aid agencies called on US forces and the Iraqi government to allow them to deliver food, medicine and water to Falluja on Friday and said four days of intense fighting had turned the city into a  quot;big disaster.


PeopleSoft board prepares for worst (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - In the final days before shareholders decide on Oracle's takeover bid for rival software maker PeopleSoft,  PeopleSoft is bracing for the worst. Oracle officials say they won't know until shortly before a  Nov. 19 deadline if a majority of PeopleSoft shareholders support the  #36;8.8 billion offer.


Stock Futures Flat Ahead of Data; Dell Up  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures pointed to a flat  market open on Friday,  pausing after the previous day's big  rally, as Wall Street awaits key economic data, though gains by  computer maker Dell Inc. DELL.O in overseas trading following  its earnings report could help technology stocks.


Oil Holds Near 7-Week Lows on U.S. Weather  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices held steady on Friday near  7-week lows on forecasts for colder-than-normal weather in the  U.S. Northeast.


The \$100 PC: How do we get there? Steve Ballmer says the world needs a really cheap computer, but Mike Ricciuti warns that cheap doesn't come easy.


Sen. McCain Threatens Baseball Over Steroids  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Commerce Committee Chairman  John McCain on Saturday threatened to introduce legislation  requiring more stringent drug testing if Major League Baseball  does not impose tougher rules on steroid use by January.


Hewlett-Packard takes a new approach to software The company extends a deal with open-source Java software maker JBoss in an effort to compete with IBM.


European Shares Extend Multi-Year Highs  LONDON (Reuters) - European stock markets scaled near-2-1/2  year highs on Friday after strong overnight gains on Wall  Street as the euro held off from mounting another assault on  \$1.30 and as oil prices traded below \$48 a barrel.


Sixth-Ranked Syracuse Opens Hoops Season with Easy Win  SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Sports Network) - Hakim Warrick netted 19  points and Syracuse roared out to an early 24-0 lead as the  sixth-ranked Orange opened their 2004-05 season with a 104-54  pasting of Northern Colorado in the opening round of the  Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at the Carrier Dome.


No. 12 Mississippi State Tops Fairfield in Basketball Opener  BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sports Network) - Ontario Harper finished  with a career- high 17 points to lead 12th-ranked Mississippi  State to a 53-49 win over Fairfield in the Coaches versus  Cancer Classic at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.


Dollar Slides Versus Yen  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar fell two thirds of a percent  against the yen to within sight of seven-month lows and edged  toward recent record lows against the euro on Friday as worries  persisted about the U.S. current account deficit.


Palestinian Mourners Await Arafat's Arrival The coffin of Yasser Arafat, draped with the Palestinian flag, was bound for Ramallah in the West Bank Friday, following a formal funeral on a military compound near Cairo.


Cell phones take iPod challenge Backers say new mobile music services will be big in Europe, but admit U.S. could be a problem.


No. 3 Auburn Downs Tennessee for SEC Title  ATLANTA (Sports Network) - Jason Campbell threw for a  career-high 374 yards along with three touchdowns as  third-ranked Auburn stated its case for a spot in the Orange  Bowl with a 38-28 victory over No. 15 Tennessee in the  Southeastern Conference Championship at the Georgia Dome.


Music strikes up at Venice opera Venice's Fenice Opera House hosts its first performance since it was gutted by fire in 1996.


#36;350,000 Siphoned From Democrats' Senate Campaign Fund (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times - WASHINGTON  #8212; The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recently discovered that dozens of contribution checks  #8212; some for as much as  #36;25,000  #8212; were diverted from its coffers to a private bank account, officials said Thursday.


Robot Helps NASA Refocus on Hubble Because of the Canadian robot named "Dextre," in less than a year, NASA has gone from writing off the Hubble to embracing a mission that will cost up to \$1.6B and approach in complexity the hardest jobs the agency has ever undertaken.
-The Washington Post


Intel Names 30-Year Veteran CEO Intel Corp. named President Paul S. Otellini as its next chief executive officer, for the first time choosing a non-engineer to run the world's largest computer-chip maker.-Bloomberg News


GM, Ford Embrace New Systems  For SUV Stability General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. said yesterday that they are rushing to adopt a new safety technology called electronic stability control, and together they will make such systems standard on most of their large and mid-size sport-utility vehicles by the end of next year.


GAO: Social Security Numbers Vulnerable Identity thieves can snare Social Security numbers from a potpourri of public records, especially those maintained by state and local governments, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.


AOL Aims to Lead Internet Travel Purchases Aiming to put itself in the vanguard of the Internet travel business, America Online will invest an undisclosed amount in an upstart that threatens to lure customers away from the industry's most dominant players, such as Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity.


Hopes for Eid Solution to Afghan Hostage Crisis  KABUL (Reuters) - Three U.N. workers held by militants in  Afghanistan were in their third week of captivity on Friday  after calls from both sides for the crisis to be resolved ahead  of this weekend's Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr.


Marvel Sues 2 Cos. Over Role-Playing Game Marvel Enterprises Inc. is suing two firms behind a computer superhero role-playing game it claims allows players to make virtual characters that are too similar to "The Hulk," "X-Men" and other heroes in the comic book company's stable.


Is Microsoft using 'Halo 2' to thwart Xbox hackers? Hundreds of Xbox owners with modified consoles say they've been banned from the Xbox Live service in the past few days. \


LIDAR Laser Radar Finding More Uses If you've ever been pulled over for speeding, you may already know something about LIDAR. A laser-based radar system, LIDAR can tell if you're speeding by bouncing a light beam off your car and seeing how quickly it returns. From an airplane or a satellite, LIDAR can calculate the distance to the ground, and by repeating the process millions of times as it flies over, map the lay of the land.


Falluja Battle Erupts, Unrest Spreads Elsewhere  FALLUJA (Reuters) - A battle erupted near a mosque in  northwest Falluja on Friday just hours after U.S. Marines said  insurgents were now trapped in the south of the city.


Dutch raid Kurd 'training camp' Dutch police arrest 29 in a raid on a suspected training camp of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party.


Bavaria bans teacher headscarves The German state of Bavaria is the latest federal states to ban Muslim school teachers from wearing headscarves.


Palestinians Flood Arafat Compound Before Burial  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Thousands of mourners  converged on Yasser Arafat's compound in chaotic scenes on  Friday before their revered leader was to be buried in the  place where Israeli forces trapped him until his final days.


Photo: Are mod chips getting gamers into trouble? Mod chips such as the Xecuter allow the Xbox to perform unauthorized tricks.


Sports Buzz Curt Schilling is again a runner-up. In AL Cy Young voting released Thursday, the Red Sox star finished second to Minnesota #39;s Johan Santana.


Comeback establishes James as Cavs #39; leader CLEVELAND - His team was trailing by 19 points, the home crowd was booing and there was only a quarter left for LeBron James to make things right.


Stocks to Watch  DELL INC. DELL.O:


Norway peace bid for Lanka ends without breakthrough Colombo: Norway #39;s latest bid to salvage Sri Lanka #39;s faltering peace process ended without a breakthrough Friday but the government and the rebels have pledged to continue to uphold a fragile truce.


Report: PeopleSoft prepares for proxy fight with Oracle UNDATED The Wall Street Journal reports PeopleSoft is getting ready for a proxy fight at its annual meeting next spring over the Oracle takeover bid.


Record results for Dell in third quarter Dell continued to outpace the rest of the IT industry in the company #39;s third quarter with sizzling growth in shipments, revenue, and net income adding up to the best quarter yet for the hardware supplier.


Dell  #39;going to add #39; AMD CPUs to product line - CEO Getting a little chilly down there, Satan? Yes, infernal ice-skating may soon become possible, following Dell CEO Kevin Rollins #39; admission that the computer giant is close to signing up AMD as a processor supplier.


A brand new way to cell  #39;24 #39; By early next year, viewers could be watching their favorite shows on their cell phones. Consider this: Fox is teaming with Verizon Wireless to create and distribute  quot;24: Conspiracy, quot; 60-second


Everton tie up Moyes until 2009 Everton manager David Moyes has signed a new contract that will keep him at Goodison Park until 2009. The 41-year-old Scot, who joined Everton from Preston in March 2002, has guided the Merseysiders to third place in the Premiership this season.


Japan accuses Chinese sub of entering its waters TOKYO - Japan lodged a formal protest with Beijing Friday after concluding a Chinese nuclear submarine spent time in Japanese waters without identifying itself, says a report.


UN Envoy Decries Excessive Violence in Moving Sudanese Refugees The United Nation #39;s envoy to Sudan has criticized the Sudanese government for using what he says is  quot;too much violence quot; to relocate thousands of people displaced by the conflict in Darfur.


Car Blast Kills 2 in West Bank - Emergency Service (Reuters) Reuters - A car exploded near the West Bank\city of Ramallah on Friday, killing two people, an Israeli\emergency service said.


US: No acquisitions on horizon at Coke Speaking to analysts and investors yesterday the CEO of soft drinks giant The Coca-Cola Company said there were no immediate plans for any major acquisitions.


BSkyB gains 62,000 new subscribers beating estimates LONDON - BSkyB has beaten analyst forecasts to add 62,000 new subscribers in its first quarter, but the figure is less than half the 170,000 it added during the same period last year.


Nikkei, Hang Seng rally smartly MUMBAI: Asian markets were up in early trades on Friday. While Tokyo Nikkei gained 119.90 points at 10966.22, Hong Kong #39;s Hang Seng index was up 147.


For Arafat, Oslo Remained Symbol of Hope (AP) AP - Norway's capital could not have been further removed from the chaos and bloodshed of the Middle East. Yet it was as a result of top-secret meetings here that two veteran warriors decided it was time to talk peace.


SMART-1 arrives at the Moon It #39;s been a long trip, but Europe #39;s first Moon mission is finally nearing its goal. SMART-1, launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) way back on 27 September 2003, will go into orbit around the Moon on 15 November.


Dell answers the question I don #39;t know how many times I #39;ve heard the question asked of Dell Computer and, similarly, I don #39;t know how many times I #39;ve heard the same answer.


Former Microsoft Workers Charged With Stealing Software Four ex-Microsoft employees were charged with stealing \$32 million worth of software from the software company and selling it online to software retailers.


New deal for Moyes Everton manager David Moyes has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2009. Moyes, 41, has steered the club to third in the Premiership table despite last season #39;s narrow escape from


With president #39;s resignation, civil rights group again in turmoil ATLANTA -- The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is in turmoil again -- this time with the resignation of its president, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth.


Athens Olympics cost \$15.2bn THE Athens Summer Olympic Games cost host country Greece nearly 9 billion euros (\$15.23 billion), Greek Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis said today, citing definitive figures.


Dozens killed in Chinese mine blast At least 33 miners have been killed in a coal mine blast in central China, officials said on Friday. Thursday #39;s accident at the Xinsheng coal mine in the central province of Henan also left six people injured.


Japan Lodges Protest With China Over Sub (AP) AP - Japan lodged a formal protest with Beijing on Friday after determining that a nuclear submarine that entered its territorial waters without identifying itself belonged to China.


US should not have hyphenated ties with India, Pakistan : New York, Sep 23 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the US should not have a  quot;hyphenated relationship quot; between India and Pakistan as ties with New Delhi had its own dynamics and ought to develop independent of the geopolitical compulsions that led


Charges threat to US market chiefs THREE senior officials running one of Americas junior stockmarkets could face civil charges relating to its options market, following a probe by US watchdog the Securities and Exchange Commission.


An Eye on Movie Theater Pirates Eager to curb camcorder piracy at the cinema, Hollywood studios demonstrate a device that would detect bootleggers' recorders in the dark. Xeni Jardin reports from Hollywood.


Curbing Your Enthusiasm Can technology save us from a pre-emptive war on sex, should the Bush administration choose to wage one? I sure hope so. Commentary by Regina Lynn.


These Speakers Go to 11 No, really, they do. Logitech's Z-5500 speaker set cranks up the sound for computers, game consoles and home theaters. By Leander Kahney.


End of the Road Is Nowhere The trek down the Great River Road ends in an anticlimax of old shacks and weathered boats, but that doesn't mean the trip is disappointing. Michelle Delio reports from Venice, Louisiana.


Longing for a Blogging Candidate Although blogs like Daily Kos have demonstrated some possibilities of the medium, political candidates haven't bought into them, and probably won't anytime soon. By Daniel Terdiman.


Science's Next Big Score Forget matchmaking. Researchers should use social networks to land matching funds. By Bruce Sterling from Wired magazine.


Male Contraception Gets a Boost Scientists successfully inject male monkeys with a protein that renders the chimps temporarily infertile. The research may provide a new birth-control option for men in the next decade.


Cocoa drops as Ivory crisis cools World cocoa prices drop as production in the Ivory Coast resumes following several days of unrest and mob violence.


Virgin 'seeking Indian airline' Richard Branson says his Virgin Group is talking to a number of Indian airlines about taking a 49 stake in some carriers.


Coke CEO: the company may face tough times. Earnings targets <b>...</b> Coca-Cola Co., the worlds top soft-drink maker, has lowered its long-term earnings and sales targets on key markets slump. The companys CEO E. Neville Isdell promised Cokes investors an improvement


Jobs: Pixar #39;s  #39;Incredibles #39; Derails  #39;Polar Express #39; Steve Jobs must love superheroes. Though earnings from The Incredibles, the latest release from Pixar Animation Studios (nasdaq: PIXR - news - people ), did not make it into the company #39;s most recent quarterly


Pilots Playing Ball, Sign Delta Pact NOVEMBER 12, 2004 -- The union representing Delta Air Lines #39; pilots yesterday announced its membership had widely approved an agreement that cuts the carrier #39;s labor costs by \$1 billion annually.


Euro zone growth slows sharply Euro zone economic growth slumped to its slowest pace for more than a year in the third quarter, prompting economists to warn the European Central Bank (ECB) against any monetary tightening in the near term.


FAA tries to identify source of ice that struck house KENT, Wash. -- Investigators are trying to identify the source of chunks of ice that smashed through the roof of a house in this Seattle suburb last week, landing on the bed of a 7-year-old girl.


Blockbuster bids for Hollywood A saga involving a campaign to turn Hollywood Video #39;s Wilsonville-based parent company private turned into a cliffhanger on Thursday when rival Blockbuster Inc.


Carrier marks 75th anniversary amid union protest With healthy profits and a bankruptcy reorganization nearing completion, Hawaiian Airlines marked its 75th anniversary Thursday with a festive ceremony at its Honolulu airport ticketing lobby.


Retail Sales Up Slightly as Expected (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. retail sales rose modestly as\expected last month, but the underlying message from the\consumer was strong at the start of the fourth quarter after\record oil prices failed to deter shoppers.


FedEx Ordered to Repay U.S.  #36;29 Million (Reuters) Reuters - FedEx Corp.'s  express air\shipping unit has been ordered by the U.S. government to repay\ #36;29 million in excess funds received under an act established\after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the company said on Friday.


Oil Up from 7-Week Lows on U.S. Weather (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices perked up from 7-week lows on\Friday on forecasts for colder-than-normal weather in the U.S.


Treasuries Deflated, Consumption Holds Up (Reuters) Reuters - Treasuries prices trimmed overnight\gains on Friday after data on U.S. retail sales showed\underlying strength in consumption heading into the  fourth\quarter.


Opera Software triples third-quarter loss Opera Software, the maker of the No. 3 Web browser, reported a third-quarter net loss Friday that was more than three times greater than the year before, despite an increase in revenue.


Red Hat opens office in China Red Hat on Thursday announced the opening of its first office in China, in the capital Beijing. The company said it will be working with industry partners such as HP, IBM, Intel and Oracle, as well as with


Is Microsoft using  #39;Halo 2 #39; to thwart Xbox hackers? Microsoft appears to be using its smash  quot;Halo 2 quot; game as a vehicle to crack down on mod chips and other hacks of its Xbox video game console.


San Andreas shoots up more than gaming sales charts A new world power has arisen to stun the masses with its might. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the latest addition to the Grand Theft Auto series on Playstation 2, will blow the minds of gamers.


Trojan targets UK online bank accounts Virus writers have created a new Trojan horse capable of helping crooks to break into the accounts of British internet banking customers.


Rebels Shun Ivory Coast Talks as Exodus Goes On (Reuters) Reuters - Rebels from Ivory Coast shunned peace\talks in South Africa as hundreds more foreigners prepared on\Friday to leave the former French colony in the wake of days of\mob violence.


Wi-Fi superchip threatens Bluetooth Bluetooth specialist CSR has packed a triple-mode a/b/g Wi-Fi adapter into a single ultra-small chip, complete with multiple antennas ready for 802.


Oddworld Gets Wrathful November 11, 2004 - Electronic Arts announced today that the next game in the Oddworld series, until now known as Oddworld Stranger, is now officially titled Oddworld Stranger #39;s Wrath.


AOL Enters the Online Travel Market (PC World) PC World - New service will compete with sites like Travelocity.com and Expedia.


Chuck stops here AUSTRALIA #39;s elite cricketers can relax because the game #39;s suspect bowlers, including Muttiah Muralitharan, may be exposed rather than cleared by proposed new laws that have stunned the sport.


Payless Posts Profit on Cost Control (Reuters) Reuters - Retailer Payless ShoeSource Inc.\ on Friday posted a quarterly profit, as lower\advertising and payroll expenses and other cost savings offset\decreased sales.


Opera Software Triples Third-Quarter Loss (AP) AP - Opera Software, the maker of the No. 3 Web browser, reported a third-quarter net loss Friday that was more than three times greater than the year before, despite an increase in revenue. Its shares fell 6.5 percent.


Gunfire Greets Arafat #39;s Coffin Upon Arrival in Ramallah Volleys of gunfire greeted a military helicopter carrying Yasser Arafat #39;s coffin as it landed Friday at the late Palestinian leader #39;s West Bank compound, which has been overrun by tens of thousands of mourners.


New peace hope in post-Arafat era ONE OF Yasser Arafat #39;s least-admired roles in the last few years was as the constantly cited excuse for international futility in Middle Eastern peace efforts.


10 killed in Philippine train wreck MANILA At least 10 people were killed and almost 100 were injured when a train derailed and plunged down a slope in the Philippines early Friday, officials and radio reports said.


Seoul tests not linked to weapons VIENNA South Korean nuclear experiments that were revealed earlier this year produced minute amounts of plutonium and near-weapons-grade uranium but there was no evidence linking them to an attempt to make nuclear arms, the UN atomic monitoring agency said


Indonesian island quake kills 16 An earthquake registering 6.0 on the Richter scale has shaken a remote island in eastern Indonesia, killing 16 people and injuring dozens more, a government official says.


You #39;ll be back, Arnie tells Japan HE was last in Japan as the Terminator, while he was away he became the Governator, and now he #39;s back as ... what, the Promotivator?


Dutch raid  #39;Kurd training ground #39; Dutch police say they have raided a suspected paramilitary training ground for Kurdish militants in the southern Netherlands, arresting 29 people.


Arafat Eulogized as Keeper of Palestinian Dream In the international online media, Yasser Arafat is receiving gentler treatment in death than he usually received in life. Arafat was a  quot;truly great leader, quot; said the Jakarta Post in Indonesia.


Hostage in Iraq might be Charlotte man BAGHDAD, Iraq - A contractor who left Charlotte to work in Iraq is feared to be in the hands of insurgents. Dean Sadek lived on Hanna Court near Sharon Amity Road in east Charlotte before he moved overseas


Vanuatu affirms Taipei link SYDNEY Vanuatu #39;s new diplomatic ties with Taiwan remain in place, a spokesman for Prime Minister Serge Vohor said on Friday, contradicting a claim by China that his South Pacific island government had renounced links with Taipei.


Retail Sales Up Slightly as Expected  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales rose modestly as  expected last month, but the underlying message from the  consumer was strong at the start of the fourth quarter after  record oil prices failed to deter shoppers.


Coffin Is Carried Through Surging Crowd Ahead of Burial Earlier, in Cairo, presidents, kings and potentates from across the Arab world and beyond paid their last respects to the Palestinian leader.


Djibouti Refuge Shelters Endangered Cheetahs (Reuters) Reuters - Working with cheetahs, the world's\fastest land animal and now an endangered species, is a bit\different from treating cats and dogs, but Bertrand Lafrance\felt he had little choice.


Global Markets: European Shares Climb  LONDON (Reuters) - European stock markets scaled near-2-1/2  year highs on Friday as oil prices held below \$48 a barrel, and  the euro held off from mounting another assault on \$1.30 but  hovered near record highs against the dollar.


FedEx Ordered to Repay U.S. \$29 Million  CHICAGO (Reuters) - FedEx Corp.'s FDX.N express air  shipping unit has been ordered by the U.S. government to repay  \$29 million in excess funds received under an act established  after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the company said on Friday.


Stocks Seen Flat Are Oil Edges Higher  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures got a slight boost  on Friday after a report showed U.S. retail sales rose in  October, but the market still looked to open flat, pulling back  from the previous day's rally as oil prices nudge higher.


Oil Up from 7-Week Lows on U.S. Weather  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices perked up from 7-week lows on  Friday on forecasts for colder-than-normal weather in the U.S.  Northeast.


Texas Comptroller Eyes Governor's Race (AP) AP - Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn's reputation as a watchdog for the health and education of Texas children is summed up in a needlepoint decoration in her office: "One Ticked Off Grandma." Strayhorn may try to add another job to her resume  #151; governor.


Treasuries Deflated, Consumption Holds Up  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasuries prices trimmed overnight  gains on Friday after data on U.S. retail sales showed  underlying strength in consumption heading into the  fourth  quarter.


Report: Equity Firms Stalk Adelphia  NEW YORK (Reuters) - A group of private equity firms is  courting bankrupt cable firm Adelphia Communications Corp.  ADELQ.PK with a view to making a joint bid for its assets,  the New York Times reported on Friday, citing executives  involved in the auction.


New Reg newsletter redefines choice paradigm Site news All the news - just how you like it


Payless Posts Profit on Cost Control  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Retailer Payless ShoeSource Inc.  PSS.N on Friday posted a quarterly profit, as lower  advertising and payroll expenses and other cost savings offset  decreased sales.


The Leonid Meteor Shower 2004: Modest Peak Expected Nov. 16-19 (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Next week brings us the \  return of the famous Leonid Meteor Shower, a meteor display that over the past \  several years has brought great anticipation and excitement to sky watchers \  around the world.


SunTrust Restates Results Over Bad Loans  NEW YORK (Reuters) - SunTrust Banks Inc. STI.N, which  fired three executives over its accounting for bad loans, on  Friday restated first-half profit higher by \$25.1 million,  slightly more than it had forecast, to fix the errors.


Opportunity Rover to Pack Up and Leave Crater (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - NASA's Mars \rover Opportunity nbsp;will back its \way out of a nbsp;crater it has spent four months exploring after reaching terrain nbsp;that appears \too treacherous to tread. nbsp;


Post-Election Blues, Driven Ever FWD Into the Past Forty-eight percent of the nation is still sad and upset about the defeat of John Kerry, and you know so because they won't stop forwarding the same few links, cartoons and manifestoes to you, over and over again, as if it were 1998 and the Web were still new and you cheerfully opened every e-mail you received.


Ancient bear made early migration Brown bears migrated south through North America much earlier than first thought, new research suggests.


Web of fury over police pictures \The Devon and Cornwall Constabulary is taken to court by its own officers because it is publishing their photos on the internet.


Long on Cash, Short on Ideas What's holding companies back? Can anything be done to rev up their investment spending?


UN creates Internet governance working group Preparations are in full swing for the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) later next year.


ICANN domain transfer policy takes effect The new transfer policy for inter-registrar domain names went into effect on Friday, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) said.


Hopes rest on issue of leadership PALESTINIAN leaders stepping into the power vacuum left by the death of Yasser Arafat face one of the most daunting challenges in their people #39;s troubled history.


AOL sets sail into travel search market America Online Inc. (AOL) is aiming to get a piece of the travel search market, announcing plans Friday to introduce a new Web-based property to compete with the likes of Travelocity.com and Expedia Inc.


US marines find Syrian driver kidnapped with French reporters in Iraq (AFP) AFP - US marines have found alive in the restive Iraqi city of Fallujah the Syrian driver who was taken hostage with two French journalists almost three months ago, a military spokeswoman said.


17 dead, over 100 injured as powerful earthquakes hit eastern Indonesia (AFP) AFP - A succession of powerful earthquakes rocked eastern Indonesia, killing at least 17 people, injuring more than 100 others and destroying hundreds of homes.


AOL Enters the Online Travel Market New service will compete with sites like Travelocity.com and Expedia.


Dollar Ignores Data, Creeps Lower vs. Yen  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar dropped against the yen on  Friday, as the market ignored a mostly positive report on  October U.S. retail sales and remained focused on the record  U.S. current account deficit.


Chaotic Scenes at Arafat Compound Before Burial  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Thousands of Palestinian  mourners flooded into Yasser Arafat's compound and mobbed his  coffin after it arrived for burial on Friday in the area where  Israeli forces trapped him until his final days.


Hopes for Solution to Afghan Hostage Crisis  KABUL (Reuters) - Three U.N. workers held by militants in  Afghanistan were in their third week of captivity on Friday  after calls from both sides for the crisis to be resolved ahead  of this weekend's Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr.


Buddhist Teacher Killed, Two Bombs Hit Thai South  BANGKOK (Reuters) - Gunmen on motorcycles shot and killed a  Buddhist martial arts teacher and two bombs wounded at least 10  people in Thailand's restive south on Friday in apparent  revenge for the deaths of 85 Muslims, police said.


UN Iran Report Held Up as Nuke Freeze Talks Stall  VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog has held up a  new report on inspections in Iran while Tehran and the EU's  "big three" try to break a deadlock in talks aimed at freezing  Iran's uranium enrichment program, diplomats said on Friday.


Online Holiday Shopping Sales Increase Sharply in 2004 Online Holiday Shopping Sales Increase Sharply in 2004\\The latest holiday online sales forecast numbers are up and running with predicitions all having online sales rise, anywhere from 19 to almost 30 over results from 2003. comScore Networks predicts that online consumer spending for November and December will total between \$15.1 ...


Google and Mozilla Firefox Working Together Google and Mozilla Firefox Working Together\\Google have hosted a customized Internet Explorer search page for many years now specially designed to act as sidebar search. And with the launch of the first final release of the very popular Mozilla Firefox browser, we now have a custom page specially designed for ...


Stocks Open Little Changed  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened flat on Friday as  Wall Street pulled back after a big rally in the previous  session, with shares of computer maker Dell Inc. DELL.O  higher after reporting strong earnings late on Thursday.


Intel #39;s next CEO brings different focus Intel said Thursday that President Paul Otellini will become its next CEO -- a change that could help the No. 1 chipmaker overcome recent missteps.


Oil rose slightly, supplies increased Crude oil rose slightly on Friday to \$47.57 per barrel compared to yesterday fall on expectations for inventories to be lifted. December crude oil was at \$47.


Retail Sales Up Slightly as Expected US retail sales rose modestly as expected last month, but the underlying message from the consumer was strong at the start of the fourth quarter after record oil prices failed to deter shoppers.


Fedex to repay \$29m to US government Fedex Corps express air shipping unit has been ordered by the US government to repay \$29m in excess funds received under an act established after the Sept.


Bank restatement shows higher first-half profit NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- SunTrust Banks Inc. on Friday said third-quarter profit rose 11 percent and reported a restated profit for the first half of 2004, as expected.


US Stock-Index Futures Rise on Retail Sales; Dell Advances US stock-index futures gained after a government report showed sales at retailers in October, excluding autos, rose more than expected.


Update 2: French Gov #39;t May Link EADS With Thales The French government plans to merge Airbus parent EADS with defense company Thales to create a new European giant to rival Boeing Co.


BSkyB sees profits rise after strong subscriber growth LONDON : British satellite broadcaster BSkyB said profit rose by 16 percent in the first quarter as the group enjoyed strong subscriber growth in the run-up to the key Christmas trading period.


AOL Enters the Online Travel Market America Online is aiming to get a piece of the travel search market, announcing plans to introduce a new Web-based property to compete with the likes of Travelocity.


Nation likely to be 3rd largest trading power China is likely to become the world #39;s third largest trading power by the end of 2004, said the Ministry of Commerce. According to a report jointly published on Friday by the ministry


New York's Spitzer Says May Sue Insurer (Reuters) Reuters - New York Attorney General Eliot\Spitzer will file a lawsuit as early as Friday against an\insurance company, the second suit stemming from his sweeping\probe into bid-rigging in the industry, Spitzer told Reuters on\Friday.


Consumer Sentiment Improves in November (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. consumers have grown more\cheerful so far this month as the hotly contested presidential\election drew to a close and job prospects seemed to improve,\according to a survey released on Friday.


Microsoft search engine thwarted by glitches on first day As first assault on Google #39;s leading position in the market, Microsoft #39;s newly launched search engine encountered some technical problems on its first day.


Microsoft scoffs at  #39;10 new XP SP2 flaws #39; According to the security company, the flaws mean that  quot;attackers can silently and remotely take over an SP2 machine when the user simply browses a web page quot;.


Google #39;s Gmail Gains Integration With MS Outlook Google #39;s still-not-released-to-the-public free Gmail e-mail service adds POP3 support, letting users send and receive messages from Microsoft Outlook clients.


Warm Warnings If more evidence was needed that global climate change is occurring - and having serious consequences - it arrived in force this week.


MS staff stole \$32.4M in software p2pnet.net News:- Four ex-Microsoft employees from the Seattle-area have been charged with stealing software worth \$32.4 million from the company.


Halo 2 brings in \$125 million for Microsoft on its first day Microsoft Corp. said sales of its Halo 2 video game, the sequel to the best-selling title for its Xbox video-game machine, topped 2.4 million in North America, generating \$125 million on its first day.


CA updates spyware-zapper Moving to capitalize on a recent acquisition, Computer Associates International Inc. this week released an updated version of its home spyware-zapping software, and began selling a corporate


Sharapova, Mauresmo Roll While Serena Struggles at WTA <b>...</b> It can #39;t be easy for former No. 1 Serena Williams, struggling to get back into tennis shape, and seeing countrywoman Lindsay Davenport battering 0-and-1 an opponent that the younger Williams sister barely edges 7-6(3), 7-5.


A major step in the battle for Formula One The battle for control of Formula One, the company which holds commercial control of Formula 1 racing, took a major turn on Friday when the High Court in London rejected an appeal by Formula One Holdings against a court action being held in the United


NJ ref a key part of Ruiz-Golota Andrew Golota was on his absolute best behavior when he challenged Chris Byrd seven months ago at Madison Square Garden. His  quot;Foul Pole quot; persona was a no-show.


Sauber to launch C24 in Malaysia The Sauber Petronas team will be launching its new C24 chassis in Kuala Lumpur on January 11 2005, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Petronas #39;s involvement in Formula 1. The Malaysian oil and gas corporation began its association with Sauber in 1995


Oregon State at Stanford Notes: Oregon State must contend with Stanfords unorthodox 3-4 defense. The Cardinal are OSUs only opponent that uses the 3-4 as their basic set.


John Waggoner:Investing - Feel bullish? Try a fund company (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - If, through some cruel twist of fate, disco ever comes back, you'd want to invest in companies that make puffy shirts. And if the bull market is really back, then the best place to be is in the stocks of companies that manage mutual fund companies.


Arnold hits Tokyo on trade mission Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today and with representatives of the auto and electronics industries through-.


Chief of Army to investigate KKK scandal THE image of soldiers dressed as the Ku Klux Klan betrayed the Australian Army #39;s commitment to a  quot;fair go quot; and destroyed the memory of black and white soldiers who fought together in war, the Department of Defence said yesterday.


FedEx Ordered to Repay U.S. \$29M
\

 CHICAGO (Reuters) - FedEx Corp.'s <FDX.N> express air\shipping unit has been ordered by the U.S. government to repay\\$29 million in excess funds received under an act established\after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the company said on Friday.


New Data Shows Slowdown in Euro-Zone Growth New data shows third-quarter slowdown in euro-zone growth


New York's Spitzer Says May Sue Insurer  NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eliot  Spitzer will file a lawsuit as early as Friday against an  insurance company, the second suit stemming from his sweeping  probe into bid-rigging in the industry, Spitzer told Reuters on  Friday.


Consumer Sentiment Improves in November  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumers have grown more  cheerful so far this month as the hotly contested presidential  election drew to a close and job prospects seemed to improve,  according to a survey released on Friday.


For Kerik, a Blunt New Yorker, a Complex Washington Task The job of homeland security secretary seems exceedingly more complex than anything that Bernard B. Kerik has faced.


Probe arrives at Moon's gateway European spacecraft Smart is set to enter into orbit around the Moon on Monday.


The Election That Never Ends ... Online In the real world, campaign 2004 ended last week with John Kerry's concession to President Bush.  But online, the lost cause lives on in the form of conspiracy theories and collective mourning. -washingtonpost.com


Bush Pressuring G.O.P. to Approve Intelligence Bill President Bush sought to stem a near- rebellion by members of his own party by forcefully endorsing the bill.


UN Iran Report Held Up as Nuke Freeze Talks Stall (Reuters) Reuters - The U.N. nuclear watchdog has held up a\new report on inspections in Iran while Tehran and the EU's\"big three" try to break a deadlock in talks aimed at freezing\Iran's uranium enrichment program, diplomats said on Friday.


French Gov't May Merge EADS With Thales (AP) AP - The French government plans to merge Airbus parent EADS with Thales, the country's largest defense company, to create a new European giant to rival Boeing Co., a leading financial daily reported Friday.


Activists Storm Parliament in Rebel Georgia Region  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Supporters of a candidate in a disputed  presidential election in the separatist Georgian region of  Abkhazia stormed government buildings on Friday, Russia's  Interfax news agency reported.


Consumers More Upbeat in Early November  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumers have grown more  cheerful so far this month as the hotly contested presidential  election drew to a close and job prospects seemed to improve,  according to a survey released on Friday.


Intel Names 30-Year Veteran as Its First Non-Engineer CEO Intel Corp. named President Paul S. Otellini as its next chief executive officer, for the first time choosing a non-engineer to run the world #39;s largest computer-chip maker.


Stocks Open Little Changed US stocks opened flat on Friday as Wall Street pulled back after a big rally in the previous session, with shares of computer maker Dell Inc.


EADS to make bid for Thales PARIS, Nov 12 (AFP) - The European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Company (EADS) will soon launch a bid for French defence electronics group Thales in a deal orchestrated by the French government, which owns just over 15 percent of EADS and 31 percent of


Siemens plans to delist shares from New York Stock Exchange FRANKFURT : German electronics giant Siemens is planning to de-list its shares from the New York Stock Exchange because of the high costs of maintaining a listing on Wall Street.


New York #39;s Spitzer Says May Sue Insurer New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer will file a lawsuit as early as Friday against an insurance company, the second suit stemming from his sweeping probe into bid-rigging in the industry, Spitzer told Reuters on Friday.


AUSTRALIA: CCA could sell underperforming units Coca-Cola Amatil, the leading Australian soft drinks group, is looking for an improvement from its South Korean and Indonesian units and may exit those businesses if one is not forthcoming.


Have your say - Microsoft v Google Times Online tried Microsoft #39;s new search engine, and it broke. Here #39;s a selection of reader experiences with the new service.


Browser War II: Revenge of Netscape Itsa safe bet that smiles are showing up on Netscape devotees faces as Internet Browser War II broke out this week. They were a forgotten bunch, these loyalists, nursing their aging, once-dominant Netscape


Probe arrives at Moon #39;s gateway European spacecraft Smart 1 is at the Moon #39;s gateway, the region beyond which the probe is tugged more strongly by lunar gravity than by the Earth #39;s.


Finjan Software warns of ten new vulnerabilities in Windows XP SP2 Finjan Software, the leading provider of proactive secure content management solutions for enterprises, announces today 10 serious security vulnerabilities discovered by Finjan #39;s Malicious Code Research Center (MCRC) in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2


Gmail users soon able to check e-mail via Outlook Web search leader Google said Wednesday it will soon make it possible for users of its Gmail service to check their e-mail via Microsoft Outlook or on certain handheld devices such as mobile phones.


Red Hat pushes Linux further into China The leading Linux publisher Red Hat is heading east opening its first business centre in China #39;s Beijing. The centre will offer Red Hat Academy training free to students and will work in partnership with Tsinghua


Trojan logs e-banking habits Security experts say they have discovered a Trojan horse that records e-banking user details and Web surfing habits. Antivirus company Sophos is warning that the Banker-AJ Trojan is targeting online customers


Gronholm has narrow Australia lead PERTH, Australia -- Finland #39;s Marcus Gronholm holds the early lead after the first stage of the Rally of Australia. Double world champion Gronholm #39;s Peugeot was fastest around the 2.34km city circuit in the


Athens staged costliest Games This year #39;s Olympic Games in Athens cost nearly nine billion euros (\$11.5 billion), almost double the amount forecast a year before the opening ceremony, the Greek finance minister said on Friday.


Sauber to launch new F1 car in Malaysia Sauber will unveil their 2005 Formula One car in Kuala Lumpur on January 11, the Swiss-based team said on Friday. Sauber are sponsored by Malaysian oil company Petronas, whose backing


Japanese all-stars rally for baseball win over major leaguers The San Diego reliever gave up a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday and the Japanese all-stars rallied for a 3-2 walkoff win over the touring major leaguers in Game 7 of an eight-game exhibition series.


Syracuse rolls in tournament Hakim Warrick had 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to lead No. 6 Syracuse to a 104-54 victory over Northern Colorado Thursday night in the first round of the Coaches vs.


After Chaotic Procession, Arafat Is Laid to Rest on West Bank Yasir Arafat was laid to rest in a marble-and-stone grave today in Ramallah, on the West Bank, after his flag-draped coffin was carried through a crowd of chanting Palestinians


EU struggling to reach Iran deal Tehran: Iran failed last night to give a definitive answer to an EU demand it freeze sensitive nuclear activities or face referral to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions, a diplomat familiar with the talks said.


Earthquake rocked Indonesian island killing 16 Magnitude 6.0 earthquake shook an Indonesian island having killed 16 and injuring dozens. The information was received from the official report of the government of the country.


Saks 5th Avenue Names President, COO (AP) AP - High-end retailer Saks Inc. on Friday said it named Andrew Jennings as president and chief operating officer of Saks Fifth Avenue.


October U.S. Games Sales Up 35 Percent  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Video game sales rose 35 percent in  the United States in October, analysts said on Friday, as the  blockbuster criminal adventure "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas"  sold more than 2 million units in just five days of release.


AOL Aims to Lead Internet Travel Purchases (AP) AP - Aiming to put itself in the vanguard of the Internet travel business, America Online will invest an undisclosed amount in an upstart that threatens to lure customers away from the industry's most dominant players, such as Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity.


Retail Sales Increase, Autos Lose Luster (AP) AP - Consumers lost a little of their enthusiasm for auto purchases last month but spent like mad in a number of other areas including clothing and gasoline, the Commerce Department reported Friday.


AOL Searches for Ad Dollars in New Travel Site (Reuters) Reuters - America Online on Friday said it plans\to launch an online travel tickets comparison site available to\non-subscribers, as part of a long-term strategy to bolster\services for consumers who don't actually pay them for monthly\service.


Marathon RePorter extends USB, FireWire, more (MacCentral) MacCentral - Marathon Computer on Friday introduced its RePorter Port Extender. The spherical device features a flat front face with two USB Type A ports, a FireWire 400 port, a FireWire 800 port, audio in through a 1/8-inch stereo mini jack and audio out through a 1/8-inch stereo mini jack. The device connects to a Mac or PC using a single 1.5-meter cable that splits apart into one-foot lengths. The Marathon RePorter is shipping now and costs US #36;59.


Blue Titan adds reliable messaging to SOA tool (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Attempting to fine-tune its software for use in business-critical applications, Blue Titan Software on Monday is unveiling Network Director RM (Reliable Messaging), a tool for policy distribution and messaging in SOAs (service-oriented architectures).


Oil Prices Hold Near 7-Week Lows  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices held steady near 7-week lows  on Friday on forecasts for colder-than-normal weather in the  U.S. Northeast.


SunTrust Restates First-Half Results  NEW YORK (Reuters) - SunTrust Banks Inc. STI.N, which  fired three executives over its accounting for bad loans, on  Friday restated first-half profit higher by \$25.1 million, more  than it had forecast, to fix the mistakes.


Spitzer Plans to Sue Insurer New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer will file a lawsuit as early as Friday against an insurance company, the second suit stemming from his sweeping probe into bid-rigging in the industry, Spitzer told Reuters Friday.


AOL Paddles Into Crowded Travel Pool America Online dipped its toe into the onrushing online travel business Friday with an investment in closely held Kayak. AOL didn #39;t disclose details of the multiyear marketing-and-technology agreement.


Pixar Shares Jump to Record High on Results Shares of Pixar Animation Studios Inc. on Friday rose to a record high, a day after the company posted a 70 percent quarterly profit increase, driven by strong home video sales for  quot;Finding Nemo quot; and  quot;Monsters, Inc.


Shortfall sparks downgrades, overshadows Q4 results SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Agilent Technologies Inc. saw its shares fall more than 12 percent Friday after the testing and measurement equipment maker disclosed a first-quarter forecast that failed to meet analysts #39; expectations.


BSkyB 1st-Quarter Net Increases 3, Adds Subscribers (Update4) British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc, Rupert Murdoch #39;s UK pay-television company, said fiscal first- quarter profit rose 3 percent as it gained more subscribers than analysts expected.


TXU to Take Eight Power Plants Offline Energy company TXU Corp. on Friday said it plans to mothball eight natural gas-fired power plants representing a quarter of its Texas capacity in an effort to save about \$20 million in annual expenses.


The Fool's Look Ahead A mouse, a house, and your tax-planning spouse all factor huge in the week of earnings that lies ahead.


PPC Options Pay-Per-Click - Just the words send a chill up and down my spine. It used to be that this PPC feature was an end-all to cure any search engine listing woes, to get the ranking we felt we were denied, and to


European Craft To Probe Possibility of Moon Colonies Instead of using a chemical rocket, SMART-1 fires a stream of electrically charged atoms of Xenon gas. A similar idea was used by the makers of Star Trek as part of the Starship Enterprise #39;s propulsion system.


Police break up European piracy ring Greek and British police in a joint operation cracked an illegal software sales ring, arresting two people and seizing thousands of pirated software programs, Greek police said on Friday.


More XP SP2 security holes? p2pnet.net News:- Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) has ten unpatched vulnerabilities, says Finjan Software.  quot;Microsoft, however, ardently disputed the claims and said that they were  #39;potentially misleading and possibly erroneous #39;, quot; says a TechWeb story.


Dell  AMD? In 2003, AMD launched the Opteron, a server chip that made the argument for 64-bit processing without ditching 32-bit investments.


IBM #39;s Big Blue back on top as world #39;s fastest computer IBM #39;S Big Blue has helped the US reclaim the title of the world #39;s fastest supercomputer for the first time in three years.


NASA explores space system companies A partnership between The Boeing Company and Northrop Grumman Corporation has been created to compete for NASA #39;s Crew Exploration Vehicle for Project Constellation, a planned


GoldenEye: RA Goes Gold Electronic Arts has announced that the anticipated next installment of the Bond series, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, has gone gold. The game will put players in the role of an aspiring 00 agent dismissed from MI6


UPDATE 1-FIFA bans Mutu worldwide after cocaine positive test FIFA has extended the seven-month ban on ex-Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu for drug abuse worldwide. The Romanian international was banned by the English Football Association (FA


Old Lady running well, Inter Milan held back by X syndrome The Turin powerhouse, nicknamed  quot;Vecchia Signora quot; by its fans, enters Sunday #39;s 12th round of Serie A with an impressive 9-1-1 record and a six-point lead over second-place AC Milan, the defending champion.


Hines speeds toward NHRA title in Pro Stock Bike On genetics alone, Pro Stock Bike rider Andrew Hines was destined to win a championship. He just didn #39;t expect one in his second full season and definitely not at 21 years old, adding


Report: NHL not losing as much as it claims New York, NY (Sports Network) - While it is definitely losing money, the National Hockey League isn #39;t as bad off as it claims, according to a published report in Forbes Magazine.


A Fool Looks Back Chips, soda, release dates, and interest rates -- all had more than a bit part to play in the market's theatrical production this past week.


Dutch to Withdraw Troops from Iraq in March  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch cabinet has decided to  bring home the 1,350 Dutch troops in Iraq in March next year,  confirming a decision first made in June, the Dutch news agency  ANP cited Defense Minister Henk Kamp as saying on Friday.


Mine blast kills 33, injures 6 in Henan Thirty-three people were confirmed dead in a gas explosion, which also injured six, at a coal mine in Central China #39;s Henan Province on Friday, according to local safety authorities.


Seoul May Ban North Korea College Web Site South Korea may ban access to a Web site of North Korea #39;s Kim Il-sung University to stop the communist state #39;s ideology from spreading among the South #39;s Internet-savvy young, an official said on Friday.


Activists Storm Parliament in Rebel Georgia Region  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Supporters of a candidate in a disputed  election in the separatist Georgian region of Abkhazia stormed  government buildings on Friday, Russia's Interfax news agency  reported.


Leaders pay tribute to Arafat Yasser Arafats formal military funeral in Cairo was a sombre and dignified occasion.


Call for more Darfur peacekeepers More peacekeepers are needed in Sudan's Darfur region to protect refugees, a top UN envoy says.


EU weighs Iranian nuclear reply EU countries analyse an Iranian response to EU pressure for it to halt plans to enrich uranium, officials say.


Voters show they want more say in growth issues (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Voters are sending mixed signals about how they want their communities to grow, embracing strict controls in some places and rejecting them in others.


Greek, British Police Break Illegal Software Ring  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek and British police in a joint  operation cracked a multi-million illegal software sales ring,  arresting two people and seizing thousands of pirate high-tech  software programs, Greek police said on Friday.


Bush to Meet With Latin American Allies President Bush is tacking on visits with two Latin American allies to his trip to Chile for a gathering of Asia-Pacific leaders later this month.


Santana Unanimous Pick for AL Cy Young As joyous fans celebrated by honking car horns in Caracas, Johan Santana sounded overwhelmed. He became the first Venezuelan to win a Cy Young Award, and not only that, he was a unanimous choice.


Anheuser Sells CCU Stake for \$299 Million

 SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - Leading U.S. brewer AnheuserBusch <BUD.N> sold its 20 percent stake in Chile's biggestbrewer CCU <CCU.SN> for \$299 million in an auction on theSantiago Stock Exchange on Friday.


Oil Little Changed as US Inventories Expected to Meet Demand Crude oil futures were little changed after yesterday falling near a seven-week low on expectations an increase in imports and inventories will ensure US refiners have enough for winter heating oil production.


AOL, Kayak to Build Travel Search Site America Online has partnered with and taken a minority investment in travel search player Kayak Software. The two will build an AOL-owned travel search site, to launch in early 2005, which will be powered by Kayak #39;s technology.


Payless ShoeSource Swings to 3Q Profit Payless ShoeSource Inc., the nation #39;s largest shoe retailer, posted a third-quarter profit on Friday compared with year-ago losses, due to improved margins and lower payroll costs.


US stock futures flat ahead of data US stock futures pointed to a flat market open on Friday, pausing after the previous day #39;s big rally, as Wall Street awaits key economic data, though gains by computer maker Dell Inc.


SunTrust Banks Restates 1Q, 2Q Results SunTrust Banks Inc. on Friday reported an 11 percent rise in third-quarter earnings and said issues over accounting for bad loans led to the understatement of the company #39;s first- and second-quarter profit by \$25.


Moyes signs new deal Everton manager David Moyes has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2009. The 41-year-old Scot has steered the Toffees to third place in the Barclays Premiership table despite last


Peugeot Racing Quotes after SS5 PERTH, Australia -- Marcus:  quot;This has been a near-perfect start to the rally; we #39;ve had no problems at all. The car has been working well and we are pushing hard without taking unnecessary risks.


LEEDS TAKEOVER COLLAPSES The 25million takeover of soccer club Leeds United by an American consortium led by Sebastian Sainsbury has collapsed according to the BBC.


Woods ready to get into swing of new game  quot;I went through the same period back in end of  #39;97, all through  #39;98 and early  #39;99, quot; Woods said at a news conference Friday.


A New Era MILLIYET- Following Palestinian President Yasser Arafats death, the transition period is moving calmly, at least for now. There were concerns that a great political power vacuum would emerge


Leaders pay tribute to Arafat World leaders and Palestinian representatives gathered in Cairo Friday morning for Yasser Arafat #39;s military funeral service. The funeral came hours before chaotic scenes in the West Bank


Americans push deeper into Fallujah; Police in Mosul lose control <b>...</b> American forces Friday pushed deeper into the last remaining insurgent stronghold in Fallujah, and the Iraqi government rushed reinforcements


Georgia State Joining CAA a Year Early (AP) AP - Georgia State will join the Colonial Athletic Association next summer, a year earlier than first announced. In May, the school said it would leave the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2006. Now, the move to the CAA has been pushed up to July 1, 2005.


Greece's Olympic bill doubles Hosting the 2004 Olympics cost Greece 9bn euros, twice the original estimate, the country's finance minister says.


Red Hat Opens China Office Linux provider Red Hat has opened an office in Beijing, China, joining the ranks of technology companies hoping to participate in the rapidly expanding Chinese market.


Mancini Clashes With Milan Fan A curious incident occurred on Thursday which had Roberto Mancini and a Milan fan involved. Apparently a quarrel between the Inter coach and a rossonero fan nearly degenerated into a fight.


Ivory Coast strife could spread across West Africa, says UN The flare-up of violence in the Ivory Coast - which has seen 300 British troops sent in to evacuate British nationals -ould spread across West Africa and plunge the region back into conflict, a senior UN official has warned.


US forces try to corner militants in Fallujah FALLUJAH, Iraq - US forces pushed deeper into the southern reaches of Fallujah, cornering militants backed into smaller pockets of the city.


EU weighs Iranian nuclear reply Iranian negotiators have responded to a deal struck with EU nations last week about the Islamic state #39;s nuclear programme, reports say.


Study: Supercomputer clusters shortchange security Group says popular technique threatens U.S. security by sidelining other approaches more suited to decryption and the like.\
  Photo: IBM's unusual design\
 Photos: The fastest computer on Earth--for now\


Microsoft grabs lead in handheld market Handhelds that use Windows CE hold 48 percent market share worldwide, up from 41 percent a year ago. What's Palm to do?


AOL Doesn't Want Your Business The internet provider will cut broadband service to several southern states  Also: Greek and British police catch a software pirater   hellip;.  AOL to provide travel services to customers    hellip;. and more.


Britain Say 'Miracle Baby' Was a Fraud (AP) AP - An infertile Nigerian couple who believed a self-styled preacher's claim that their child was miraculously conceived were really the victim of greedy international child traffickers, a British judge ruled Friday.


Payless announces profit, stock surges Stock in Payless ShoeSource surged more than 15 percent this morning after the Topeka-based company posted a third-quarter profit compared with year-ago losses, due to improved margins and lower payroll costs.


Harmony Shareholders Approve New Shares (AP) AP - Shareholders of Harmony Gold Mining Co. on Friday overwhelmingly approved issuing new shares to fund the company's hostile takeover bid for Gold Fields Ltd.


Philippine train derails and plunges down slope, at least 12 dead (AFP) AFP - At least 12 people were killed and about 160 injured when a train derailed in the dark and plunged down a slope in the Philippines, officials said.


Finance ministers meet to settle dispute over offshore oil revenue (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Finance Minister Ralph Goodale sat down Friday with his counterparts from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia to try to work out a deal on the sharing of offshore oil and gas revenue.


Dell Contemplates AMD Chip Offerings Since its release in early 2003, AMD #39;s Opteron server CPU has made great inroads almost everywhere... except with Dell. The CEO of Dell, Kevin Rollins, says that may very well be about to change, as the company


Administration ignores global warming warnings Yes, we know you don #39;t like that news, but it #39;s science - good science from what we can tell. A new four-year international report by 300 scientists from the United States and seven other countries that was


Rights group: Hundreds missing in Chechnya A human rights group said Friday that 128 people from Chechnya were abducted in 2004 and are still missing, Interfax reported. Known as Memorial, the group also said 241 Chechen


Computer Glitch Changes Election Result (AP) AP - A hand recount of ballots cast using optical scanning technology gave a Democrat enough extra votes to bump a Republican from victory in a county commissioner's race.


Sponsor: Cost Savings Through Application Performance Management Try this interactive ROI Assessment tool


Blue Titan adds reliable messaging to SOA tool Attempting to fine-tune its software for use in business-critical applications, Blue Titan Software on Monday is unveiling Network Director RM (Reliable Messaging), a tool for policy distribution and messaging in SOAs (service-oriented architectures).


Nortel delays financial restatements again Nortel Networks Corp. indicated that it won't be waking from its financial nightmare anytime soon when it delayed on Thursday the release of its financial statements for the third time because it found additional problems with its revenue reporting for past results.


Heat is on...Oceans could rise by a meter by 2100 Global warming is melting the Arctic ice faster than expected, and the world #39;s oceans could rise by about a meter by 2100, swamping homes from Bangladesh to Florida, the head of a study said.


E-Mail Authentication Faces Hurdles Cost, different standards remain the key challenges in the fight to craft an antispam plan.


SBC Tunes Into IP-Based TV Company is developing a fiber network that will deliver TV and data to homes.


News: Anti-virus outfit defends job for VXer Czech company Zoner Software has explained why it employed a prominent former virus writer to develop anti-virus software on its behalf.


News: Say hello to the 'time bomb' exploit Prepare yourself for "time bomb" exploits that attack web-based systems at a pre-determined time.


Consumers Keep Spending, Latest Data Show  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumers shrugged off record  oil prices to lift spending at the start of the fourth quarter,  data on Friday showed, in an upbeat sign for growth that may  signal another Federal Reserve rate hike in December.


Space Station Crew to Redock Spaceship (AP) AP - The American-Russian crew manning the international space station will redock a spaceship later this month in preparation for spacewalks planned for next year, Russian Mission Control said Friday.


Jones Apparel: Does Barney's Mean Trouble? The fashion company continues to build and buy in the face of disappointing sales.


Intel appoints Otellini as CEO Intel #39;s board of directors has elected current president and chief operating officer Paul Otellini as its next chief executive, succeeding Craig Barrett, who was named new chairman of the board.


Proxy fight may ensue on Oracle-PeopleSoft saga Software maker PeopleSoft is girding itself for a proxy battle as part of its 17-month takeover battle with Oracle, indicating it fears its shareholders are tempted to sell to its rival.


Retail Sales Increase, Autos Lose Luster Consumers lost a little of their enthusiasm for auto purchases last month but spent like mad in a number of other areas including clothing and gasoline, the Commerce Department reported Friday.


Jones Apparel: Does Barney #39;s Mean Trouble? but investors haven #39;t been doing the same. Yesterday, shares of Jones fell approximately 3 following the announcement


Drama Queen's Co. Gets New CEO Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia names a new CEO, but will the big cheese ever learn?


Supersonic Search Engines During mid-tide, the volume of water thundering through Nova Scotia #39;s Minas Channel in the Bay of Fundy exceeds the flow from every river and stream on Earth.


Dell Warns Intel with Talk of AMD Inside Dell and Intel have danced this dance before, only this time the tune has changed.  quot;Historically Dell has done this because they aren #39;t getting the response they want from Intel and then Intel


Parsons: AOL Warns Subscribers Re Broadband Service An idea whose time has passed? America Online told broadband subscribers in nine southern states to seek a new high-speed carrier by Jan. 17.


New observations help Kuiper Belt lose weight Objects in the Kuiper Belt - the region beyond Pluto #39;s orbit where many comets originate - may be much smaller than astronomers thought, according to observations made with NASA #39;s Spitzer infrared telescope.


Leonid meteor shower to peak next week Next week brings us the return of the famous Leonid meteor shower, a display that has brought great anticipation and excitement to sky watchers around the world.


Hewlett-Packard takes another stab at software Hewlett-Packard is returning to a software market where it suffered one of its worst defeats. But this time, the company has open-source software as its ally.


First Verizon, Sprint 3G phone plans emerge Samsung Electronics will provide 3G-capable phones that work over Verizon Wireless #39; and Sprint #39;s emerging 1xEV-DO cellular data networks starting in the first quarter


Glazer forces out Man Utd directors Three directors of Manchester United have been ousted from the board after US tycoon Malcolm Glazer, who is attempting to buy the club, voted against their re-election.


Leeds to sell Elland Road as taekover deal collapses Leeds United, one of the great names in English soccer, said on Friday they were close to selling their Elland Road stadium after ending takeover talks with a British-American consortium.


Celtic v Inverness CT Celtic manager Martin O #39;Neill has rubbished talks of a crisis after his side came in for criticism recently. With the success he has had since his arrival he has become immune to having his team scrutinised following defeat.


Expos Release Ticket Plan Washington #39;s Major League Baseball franchise today began to unveil its plans to sell season tickets, ending two weeks of delays and marking the first tangible way for fans to connect with


Dawgs match up well with Auburn This week #39;s schedule may not be loaded with marquee matchups, but there are plenty of games Saturday with huge BCS implications.


=== Rangers re-sign Brocail === Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers announced Friday that they have re-signed right-handed pitcher Doug Brocail to a one-year contract.


Ruiz and Golota has the potential for one ugly heavyweight fight When John Ruiz gets in the ring, things usually get ugly. Put Andrew Golota in there with him, and things could get a lot uglier. That #39;s the possibility Saturday night when Ruiz defends his WBA heavyweight


Artest says he wanted time off for family Ron Artest says he wanted time off from basketball to spend more time with his family and to heal his banged-up body, not to promote a new rap album, according to a broadcast report.


Supah Blitz heads Florida Million card at Calder The last time Supah Blitz raced at Calder he was beaten a dozen lengths in the Memorial Day Handicap. When he returns Saturday for the \$200,000 Carl G. Rose Handicap, the onetime local


State of Virginia, not Florida, setting pace As expected, two teams from the same state sit atop the Atlantic Coast Conference football standings with less than a month to play.


Indonesian island hit by deadly quake JAKARTA, INDONESIA - At least 16 people died after an earthquake and a succession of aftershocks shook Alor Island in eastern Indonesia on Friday.


Journalists condemn Israel for Vanunu arrest The International Federation of Journalists today accused the Israeli authorities of  quot;a disgraceful abuse of democracy quot; in re-arresting nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu.


Bush hails Blair as  #39;visionary leader #39; The alliance between Britain and America is stronger than ever, President George W Bush has said following two days of talks with Tony Blair.


United directors ousted by Glazer US sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer has three Manchester United directors ousted from the board after voting against their re-election.


Iraqi Insurgents Shoot Down U.S. Army Helicopter Earlier today, insurgents attacked an American patrol in southern Baghdad, killing one American and wounding three others, the miiltary said.


Wild Crowds, Gunfire Force Hasty Arafat Burial  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - A chaotic crush of mourners  filling the air with gunfire forced a hasty burial of Yasser  Arafat on Friday in the finale to a tumultuous life as the  trailblazer of Palestinian nationalism.


Expos Release Plan Washington's baseball team begins to unveil its plans to sell season tickets, marking the first tangible way for fans to connect with the team.


Tech Stocks Edge Higher, Lifted by Dell  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose slightly on Friday,  boosted by computer maker Dell Inc. DELL.O, but gains were  small as Wall Street took a breather after Thursday's rally.


Palestinian Minister to Israel: We Want Peace  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - A Palestinian cabinet  minister told Israel on Friday "we want peace" and urged the  Jewish state to pull back troops from Palestinian cities to  assist elections after Yasser Arafat's death.


Recchi Signs Conditional Deal to Play in Finland  PITTSBURGH (Sports Network) - Pittsburgh Penguins forward  Mark Recchi has signed a contract to play with TPS Turku of the  Finnish Elite League if the NHL season is canceled.


Artest Back in the Lineup for Pacers Ron Artest is cleared by his coach to play for the Pacers on Friday night after being benched for two games for asking for time off because of his busy schedule.


Chaos as thousands swarm Arafat burial By Philippe Naughton, Times Online, and Stephen Farrell in Ramallah. Yassir Arafat was laid to rest in the West Bank city of Ramallah today amid a chaotic send-off from the people he had led as fighter and figurehead for almost four decades.


Microsoft probing reported flaws in Windows XP SP2 Microsoft Corp. Thursday said it is investigating claims that several new vulnerabilities have been found in Windows XP Service Pack 2 by security firm Finjan Software Inc. in San Jose, Calif. Finjan on Tuesday announced that it had found as many as 10 "serious" flaws in SP2.


World oil prices rise modestly; to decline further NEW YORK, November 12 (newratings.com) - Crude oil prices were volatile this morning, briefly rising on concerns regarding potential crude export disruptions in Nigeria due to a nationwide strike.


Air Borne: Delta pilots okay \$1bn in concessions CHICAGO: Pilots at Delta Air Lines have ratified a concession package that will save the carrier \$1bn a year, in a move the company hopes will buy it time to recast outside of bankruptcy.


Survey says Microsoft overtakes Palm Microsoft overtook PalmSource in the third quarter as the world #39;s biggest operating system for handheld computers, a survey showed Friday.


Quest For The Thanksgiving Soda GASTONIA, NC -- Last year, the Jones Soda Co. rolled out, to much fanfare, the noxious-sounding product Turkey  amp; Gravy Soda. It flew off shelves faster than free antacids on the day after Thanksgiving, and


MSN #39;s Latest Search Beta Launched Microsoft #39;s (Quote, Chart) MSN released the latest version of its homegrown search technology on Thursday (beta.search.msn.com), offering multiple ways to narrow results, including providing local results and natural language search.


Marvel Sues over City of Heroes The lawsuit claims South Korea-based NCSoft and San Jose-based Cryptic Studios violated Marvel #39;s trademark characters in their game City of Heroes.


Ruiz, Golota Has Potential to Be Ugly In this photo released by DKP, boxing promoter Don King, center, poses in New York, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2004 with the eight heavyweight boxers that will do battle in New York City #39;s Madison Square Graden on Staurday, Nov. 13.


Sharapova wins in fine style Maria Sharapova and Amelie Mauresmo opened their challenges at the WTA Championships with emphatic victories in Los Angeles. Mauresmo crushed Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 6-0 in 54 minutes, extending the Frenchwoman #39;s


Leeds deny Sainsbury deal extension Leeds chairman Gerald Krasner has laughed off suggestions that he has granted Sebastien Sainsbury a seven-day extension to conclude a 25million takeover deal.


Rangers ride wave of optimism IT IS doubtful whether Alex McLeish had much time eight weeks ago to dwell on John Donnes famous meditation that No man is an Island.


Washington-Bound Expos Hire Ticket Agency WASHINGTON Nov 12, 2004 - The Expos cleared another logistical hurdle in their move to Washington on Friday, announcing an agreement with Ticketmaster to handle ticket sales.


NHL #39;s losses not as bad as they say: Forbes mag NEW YORK - Forbes magazine says the NHL #39;s financial losses weren #39;t nearly as bad as stated by the league over the last two years.


Resistance Rages to Lift Pressure Off Fallujah BAGHDAD, November 12 (IslamOnline.net  amp; News Agencies) - As the US military continued Friday, November 12, their massive sweep of Fallujah, resistance attacks were remarkably intensified across the war-torn country, in an effort to alleviate the


Militants vow to avenge Arafat death Militants convinced Israel poisoned Yasser Arafat have vowed revenge attacks on the Jewish state and warned the new Palestinian leadership against any compromise as Arafat was brought home for burial.


Dollar Ignores Data as Slump Continues  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar slumped across the board on  Friday, as dealers shrugged off positive U.S. economic data  amid concerns about the currency's shaky fundamentals.


US Stocks Rise, Led by Technology Shares; Dell Advances US stocks rose, led by technology shares after Dell Inc. #39;s chief executive officer said demand at the world #39;s No. 1 personal-computer maker is healthy.


Microsoft grabs lead in handheld market Microsoft has a firm grip on the handheld software market, winning the lead in shipments for the first time, a new report from Gartner shows.


Spitzer seen suing Universal Life Resources NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who is probing bid-rigging in the insurance industry, expects to file suit against health insurance consultant Universal Life Resources as early as Friday, a spokesman for his office said.


Marvel Sues City of Heroes Dev, Publisher November 12, 2004 - Marvel is suing City of Heroes publisher NCsoft and developer Cryptic Studios reports a recent article in USA Today.


Serena Wins Ugly, Agassi Passes on Masters Cup Benchwarming It can #39;t be easy for former No. 1 Serena Williams, struggling to get back into tennis shape, and seeing countrywoman Lindsay Davenport battering 0-and-1 an opponent that the younger Williams sister barely edges 7-6(3), 7-5.


Keller loaned to Southampton for one month Southampton, England (Sports Network) - American international goalkeeper Kasey Keller has been loaned to Southampton for one month.


Spitzer Expects to Sue Universal Life  NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eliot  Spitzer, who is probing bid-rigging in the insurance industry,  expects to file suit against insurance consultant Universal  Life Resources as early as Friday, a spokesman for his office  said.


Cybercriminals infiltrating U.K. companies Businesses need to screen potential employees more carefully, report says.


Global warming poses threat to animal life in the Arctic Rising temperatures in the Arctic will likely increase the region #39;s biodiversity as new species are drawn to the extreme north, but in a dramatic paradox many animals unique to the region, such as polar bears, risk extinction.


Glazer has revenge on Man Utd board Three Manchester United directors lost their seats on the Old Trafford board tonight as Malcolm Glazer exacted revenge for his stalled takeover bid.


Fallujah fighting rages American troops are facing resistance in rebel strongholds in northern Fallujah despite claiming they have trapped the insurgents in the south of the city.


NY #39;s leaders  amp; Arabs split Yasser Arafat is as much a polarizing figure in death as he was in life, drawing criticism from political foes but praise in the streets of Brooklyn #39;s Arab enclaves.


Charitable Donation Rules Are Changing The new tax act adds some complications to contribution requirements.


Pacers' Artest Back in the Lineup  PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - Indiana Pacers forward Ron  Artest will be back in the lineup for Friday's game versus  Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center.


Prosecutor Asks for Eight Years for Berlusconi An Italian prosecutor asked a court on Friday to sentence Silvio Berlusconi to eight years in jail for bribing judges as the prime minister's four-year corruption trial reached its closing stages.


US Airways Seeks Court OK to Nix Contracts US Airways (UAIRQ.OB:OTC BB - news - research) wants a federal judge to tear up contracts with three of its unions, reduce retiree health benefits and cancel its remaining defined-benefit pension plans.


Aggregators: Changing the way you book travel online For many travelers, booking a vacation online is like going on a virtual scavenger hunt. They pick up a hotel at one site, search two others for a good airfare, and then turn to two more to compare rental car costs.


FedEx told to repay \$29M in 9-11 aid FedEx Corp. #39;s express air shipping unit was ordered to repay \$29 million in emergency financial aid granted by the US government after the Sept.


Forbes Medi-Tech Lifted by EU #39;s Reducol Approval Forbes Medi-Tech Inc. hit a milestone on Friday, winning European approval for the use of its cholesterol-lowering ingredient, Reducol, in milk-based drinks in the European Union.


Romney calls for Turnpike chairman to resign in wake of Big Dig Gov. Mitt Romney called on Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Chairman Matthew Amorello to resign on Friday, citing ongoing management troubles


Kelly: Southwest CEO Slams  #39;Anticompetitive #39; Law About-face: Southwest Airlines (nyse: LUV - news - people ) Chief Executive Gary Kelly did a 180-degree turn Friday. The carrier #39;s policy toward a federal law limiting its service from Dallas had been, well, the absence of policy: Official neutrality.


China to Invest \$10 Bln Over Two Years in Brazil (Update2) China pledged to invest \$10 billion in Brazil over the next two years as the two countries strengthen economic and trade ties. China agreed to invest in railroads, ports, steel mills


Windows CE surpasses shipments of Palm OS for the first time Market research firm Gartner reported worldwide growth of PDA shipments for the third quarter of 2004, with Windows CE outpacing Palm OS installations for the first time.


Virtualization company moves wares to Windows After long delay, SWsoft is set to test Windows version of its software that subdivides single copy of OS to look like several.


Can Microsoft Kill Google? To get back to what MSN #39;s new search means, start by thinking of ad dollars. As Foolish paid-search fan Rick Munarriz has pointed out many times, this is a big business, with plenty of room to grow.


Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks Next Friday Astronomers say the show should be a good one. They note, however, that predicting meteor shower intensity is not always an exact science.


AMD Climbs on Dell #39;s Server Chip Interest Shares of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD:NYSE - news - research) took a joyride Friday as news circulated that server giant Dell (DELL:Nasdaq - news - research) may adopt AMD #39;s server chip.


Microsoft Biting the Apple Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is waking up to the music. In the latest attempt to capture the fast-growing market of online music the big M is fighting to break the hold Apple #39;s (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPod has on the market.


Evolution trial lawyers make final pleas Lawyers fighting a court challenge of evolution disclaimers on textbooks told a federal judge in final arguments Friday that the goal was tolerance.


GAME REVIEW: Exciting  #39;Halo 2 #39; game shoots for perfection At the risk of breaking down its rough-and-rugged reputation,  quot;Halo 2 quot; for Xbox is the Mary Poppins of video games,  quot;practically perfect in every way.


Red Hat Revs Up China Operations One of the first initiatives for Red Hat Beijing will be to support Linux and open-source education by making the Red Hat Academy program freely available to students.


Novell sues Microsoft for sinking WordPerfect Company says software giant excluded app from market, but Microsoft says Novell's mismanagement caused WordPerfect to lose favor with consumers. \


Toshack #39;s big plans for Wales John Toshack will leave no stone unturned in his quest to build a Wales team capable of qualifying for the World Cup and European Championships.


Guillen would like to return to Angles Anaheim Angels: Outfielder Jose Guillen says he still feels emotional pain from being suspended the last eight games of the regular season and being dropped from the playoff roster.


Badgers ready for conference battle with Spartans Madison, WI (U-WIRE) -- After a convincing home victory over Minnesota last week, No. 4 Wisconsin (9-0, 6-0) launches the final leg of its 2004 campaign on the road against Michigan State (3-3, 4-5).


Take favorites UTEP, Ball State, Tulane While Georgia vs. Auburn is the marquee, must-watch game, we #39;re looking elsewhere for this week #39;s best opportunities. We found four, including Oklahoma, which may not let up on poor Nebraska until reaching triple digits.


Europe leverage seems limited in Mideast As the Palestinians #39; main donor and Israel #39;s top commercial partner, Europe could be a major player in pushing to restart the stalled Middle East peace process in the post-Yasser Arafat era.


European-Iran nuclear deal tottering A deal committing Iran to suspend activities that Washington says are part of a nuclear arms program was close to collapse Friday, with diplomats suggesting that Tehran had


#36;11.6B Bill for Athens Games May Climb (AP) AP - The bill arrived for the Athens Olympics on Friday  #151; about  #36;11.6 billion, and it might climb higher. The tally announced by the government was almost double the original estimate, making the games by far the most expensive in Olympic history. The 2000 Sydney Games cost  #36;1.5 billion and the 1996 Atlanta Games  #36;1.72 billion.


Pacers' Artest Back in the Lineup (Reuters) Reuters - Indiana Pacers forward Ron\Artest will be back in the lineup for Friday's game versus\Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center.


US shoppers splash out in October (AFP) AFP - Shoppers, the driving force of the US economy, splashed out with unexpected vigor in October as the job market showed signs of a revival, a government report showed.


Novell Files Additional Antitrust Suit Against Microsoft Less than a week after a collecting a \$536 million settlement from Microsoft Corp., Novell Inc. on Friday filed another lawsuit accusing the software giant of violating antitrust laws.


America's Largest Private Companies (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Editors: Shlomo Reifman and Samantha N. Wong\Researchers: Joshua Brandt, Fei Mei Chan, \Andrew T. Gillies, Soo Jeong, Edward Knudsen, \Artie Kwok, John Ray and Jody Yen\Programmer: Carl Subick


Spitzer Charges Universal Life with Fraud  NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eliot  Spitzer on Friday filed suit against Universal Life Resources  (ULR), charging the life and disability insurance broker with  taking fraudulent kick-backs for steering business to certain  insurers.


Stocks Resume Rally, Dell Boosts Techs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rallied further on Friday,  led by computer maker Dell Inc. DELL.O, a day after it  reported a higher quarterly profit and issued an optimistic  forecast.


Black Flags Are Deadly Signals as Cornered Rebels Fight Back The flags are the insurgents' answer to two-way radios, their way of massing the troops and concentrating fire on an enemy.


US FCC May Back Some Phone Network Sharing-Sources  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Competitive telephone carriers could  still serve small and medium-sized businesses by cheaply  leasing the big local telephone networks under rules being  drafted by U.S. communications regulators, sources familiar  with the matter said this week.


Target Can Aim High Target can maintain its discount image while offering pricier services and merchandise.


Kohl's Reconnects With Mothers The specialty department store chain goes back to basics to get in touch with its customer base.


Concur Wants to Track Your Travel Most companies need to keep tabs on travel   entertainment expenses. Concur thinks it has a better way.


Dutch Launch International Hunt for Syrian Suspect  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch authorities have launched an  international hunt for a Syrian man they believe is the leader  of a radical Muslim network, prosecutors said on Friday.


Rebel Leader Trial Descends Into Chaos -- Again  CALLAO NAVAL BASE, Peru (Reuters) - Peru's retrial of  Shining Path rebel leader Abimael Guzman turned into a farcical  mud slinging on Friday as one judge quit the case and the  prosecutor called on the two other justices to resign.


Activists Storm Parliament in Rebel Georgia Region  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Supporters of a candidate in a disputed  election in Georgia's separatist Abkhazia region stormed  government buildings on Friday and one protester was killed in  the melee, Russian media reported.


Electronic Arts faces overtime lawsuit Game giant sued for failing to pay overtime. Meanwhile, blog sparks flurry of complaints about work conditions in game industry.


Leaders hail Mid-East peace hope An independent Palestinian state could be established within four years, President George W Bush says.


Self-Destructing DVDS to Reach More People (AP) AP - The Christmas-themed movie "Noel" most likely won't be coming to a theater near you  #151; but if you miss it on cable, there's always the self-destructing DVD.


Prosecutor Seeks 8-Year Jail Term for Italy's PM (Reuters) Reuters - An Italian prosecutor asked a court on\Friday to sentence Silvio Berlusconi to eight years in jail for\bribing judges as the prime minister's four-year corruption\trial reached its closing stages.


The Election That Never Ends ... Online (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - John Kerry may have conceded his loss in the presidential election the day after the polls closed last week, but the blogosphere is still abuzz with charges of e-voting machine fraud and other conspiracy theories claiming that President Bush didn't fairly (or actually) win reelection.


T-Mobile in Wi-Fi Roaming Pact (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - T-Mobile has signed an agreement with six international wireless telephony companies to simplify roaming and billing arrangements for customers using Wi-Fi around the world.


Analyst: Open-Source CRM Not Yet a Contender (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Commercial open source CRM providers have established their presence in the CRM market in relatively short order, with at least four companies -- Sugar CRM, Ohioedge Anteil, Compiere -- setting up shop over the last year.


Security Firm Reports Ten New XP SP2 Flaws (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - A security firm says it has found 10 major security flaws in Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows XP Service Pack 2. The weaknesses could allow intruders to bypass many of the security measures implemented by the update.


No. 22 Alabama Edges Charlotte 101 (3OT) (AP) AP - Kennedy Winston scored a career-high 33 points and hit a 16-foot jumper with 20.5 seconds left in the third overtime to give No. 22 Alabama a 102-101 win over Charlotte on Saturday night.


PeopleSoft, Oracle: Like Red Sox vs. Yankees? (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - A great deal of speculation has surrounded Oracle's (Nasdaq: ORCL) 18-month attempt to acquire PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT).


Nigerian President Orders Price Reduction (AP) AP - Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo attempted to calm labor discontent Friday ahead of a planned general strike, saying he would order the reduction of kerosene prices.


Context Conference takes place during Macworld Expo (MacCentral) MacCentral - There's a new conference happening concurrently with this year's Macworld Conference  amp; Expo. It's called Context, and it's described a new series of events that "bring together marketing, creative services, and IT groups within an organization to explore the technical, artistic and sociological ramifications of data-driven, opt-in publishing." Context, created by IDG World Expo, has announced three conference tracks for its inaugural event, which happens from January 12 - 14, 2005 at the Moscone Center Esplanade in San Francisco, Calif.


Indigenous Groups Urge U.S. to Slow Arctic Thaw (Reuters) Reuters - Arctic indigenous peoples urged the\United States on Friday to join other nations in cutting\greenhouse gas emissions to brake an accelerating thaw of the\polar ice.


Official: Paige to Leave Education Post (AP) AP - Education Secretary Rod Paige intends to leave his Cabinet position, a Bush administration official told The Associated Press Friday.


Bush Sees Patriot Act Renewal As Key Goal (AP) AP - Attorney General John Ashcroft is leaving but the top issues for the Justice Department are the same heading into President Bush's second term: persuading Congress to renew key parts of the anti-terrorism Patriot Act and continuing fundamental reforms at the FBI.


Colorado May Be Blueprint for Democrats (AP) AP - On the campaign trail, Democrat Ken Salazar criticized President Bush, Iraq and the war on terrorism. But the soft-spoken moderate spent just as much time talking about family, faith and the spirituality of his home in Colorado's San Luis Valley.


BCS takes shape as USC, Auburn complete unbeaten seasons No. 1 USC wasn #39;t at its best, but Reggie Bush was and his two scintillating long TD runs helped the Trojans hold off UCLA 29-24 on Saturday.


Oil Eases as Supplies Offset Winter Fears  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices eased on Friday as swelling  crude stockpiles countered worries over a cold snap in the U.S.  Northeast that is expected to keep furnaces fired up until the  middle of next week.


Today #39;s business news Intel named President Paul Otellini as its next chief executive officer, choosing a non-engineer to run the world #39;s largest computer-chip maker for the first time.


Novell sues Microsoft over WordPerfect Novell Inc. on Friday filed an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp., accusing the software giant of unfairly eliminating competition for office productivity applications during the time Novell owned the WordPerfect word processing application and the Quattro Pro spreadsheet application.


Google doubles search index Google has doubled the number of Web pages it indexes from 4 billion to about 8 billion, according to a posting on the company #39;s Web site.


Police break illegal software ring Greek and British police in a joint operation have cracked a multi-million illegal software sales ring, arresting two people and seizing thousands of pirate high-tech software programs, Greek police say.


NASA Managers Available To Discuss Shuttle Return To Flight The top managers of NASA #39;s human and robotic programs are coming together to share their expertise as the agency prepares to return a safer Space Shuttle to flight.