7 More Managers Fired Over Nortel Accounting The company announced the firings on Thursday along with a restructuring plan that included layoffs of about 3,500 employees.


Tokyo Stocks Treading Water  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks spent Friday morning  treading water as worries over record-breaking oil prices and  their possible impact to the global economy overshadowed  renewed hopes that Japan's economy is still on track for  sustained growth.


Apple Powerbook G4 Batteries Recalled Thousands of rechargeable batteries for use in Apple #39;s Powerbook G4 laptop are being recalled. The batteries can overheat, posing a fire hazard. However, no injuries have been reported.


Another medal, two records ATHENS -- Attention, ladies and gentlemen. For his next act, Michael Phelps will break an Olympic record, hurry to the warm-down pool for a swim, run to the locker room, pull on a warm-up suit, walk out to the pool deck and take part in ...


Day 6 Roundup: China back on winning track After two days of gloom, China was back on the winning rails on Thursday with Liu Chunhong winning a weightlifting title on her record-shattering binge and its shuttlers contributing two golds in the cliff-hanging finals.


ATHENS 2004/Inoue crashes out ATHENS-In one of the biggest shocks in Olympic judo history, defending champion Kosei Inoue was defeated by Dutchman Elco van der Geest in the men #39;s 100-kilogram category Thursday.


20 Years Later,  #39;the Next Mary Lou #39; Takes Her Place After months of carrying around the pressure to win an Olympic all-around gymnastics title, after being dubbed the next Mary Lou Retton so long ago, Patterson finished her floor exercise Thursday and nearly floated off the floor, leaping ...


Athens Olympics Games: Expensive and Over-Hyped Olympics? JEDDAH, 20 August 2004  First, let me make it clear that I have always enjoyed watching the Olympic Games on television ever since I was a child. The problem nowadays is that the Olympics have been turned into gigantic business proposition both for the ...


Owen given warm welcome at first Real Madrid session MADRID, Aug 19 (Reuters) - England striker Michael Owen was given a warm welcome by his new Real Madrid team mates and waiting fans on Thursday when he took part in his first training session since joining the club last week.


Latham on the mend Federal Labor leader Mark Latham is up and walking around this morning and his office says there is every indication he will leave hospital in the next 48 hours.


'Oil Shock' Has Some Economists Worried With growth slowing in China, Europe and Japan, some worry that rapidly escalating prices will trigger a self-reinforcing spiral of falling demand.


Sen. Kennedy Flagged By Secret No-Fly List Sen. Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy said Thursday that he was stopped and questioned at airports on the East Coast five times last March.


United Says Pensions' Termination Likely Cash-strapped UAL Corp., parent of United Airlines, continues efforts to further cut costs and emerge from bankruptcy.


After Months of Hoopla, Google Debut Fits the Norm In the stock #39;s first day of trading, investors bought, sold and flipped shares at a furious pace, with the price ending just above \$100 - 18 percent above where it started.


Update 1: Qantas Says Oil Prices Will Boost Charges Australian flag carrier Qantas on Friday raised fuel surcharges on domestic and international tickets, blaming the skyrocketing price of crude oil prices.


US press hit by new circulation figures scandal The company behind the Dallas Morning News agreed on Monday to hand back \$23m (12.5m) to advertisers after admitting circulation figures for the daily and Sunday editions had been inflated.


US rates on 30-year mortgages down to a 4-month low WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The average interest rate of 30-year mortgages in the United States declined to the lowest level in four months this week, US mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported on Thursday.


One, two, ... er, too many Researchers claim to have solved the mystery of the people who simply do not count. It could be because they are lost for words.


Americans Carly Patterson, Michael Phelps Win Gold (Update10) Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Carly Patterson became the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in the women #39;s all-around gymnastics competition since Mary Lou Retton in 1984, while US swimmer Michael Phelps won a fourth gold medal in Athens.


Khorkina #39;s Final Act Centers on Bitterness THE other competitors eagerly chatted with their coaches using high-pitched voices in need of WD-40; Svetlana Khorkina hardly spoke at all as she overemoted like a silent film star while glaring and sulking as usual, even topping herself ...


Spectre of closure haunts the Uffizi One of the world #39;s greatest art museums, the Uffizi gallery in Florence, may be forced to close by huge government spending cuts, the Italian heritage minister said yesterday.


NYMEX Crude Strikes Record \$48.90  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - NYMEX crude oil futures struck  another record at \$48.90 a barrel on Friday before the  prompt-month expiry, as surging violence in Iraq sparked fresh  concerns over supply disruptions.


Loss Widens at Wet Seal et Seal Inc., a retailer of clothing for young women, said yesterday that its second-quarter loss widened after the company recorded a \$75.5 million expense to write down the value of certain assets.


Earnings Climb 62 at Hormel Foods he Hormel Foods Corporation posted a 62 percent increase in quarterly profit yesterday, though higher grain costs kept profit below analysts #39; expectations.


Agfa-Gevaert, Photo Pioneer, to Sell Film and Lab Business RUSSELS, Aug. 19 - Agfa-Gevaert, one of the oldest names in the photography business, said on Thursday that it was selling its consumer film and photo labs business to the team running it to focus on its more profitable medical imaging and ...


World #39;s lightest flying micro-robot unveiled BEIJING, Aug.20(Xinhuanet) -- The world #39;s lightest flying micro-robot has been developed by Japan #39;s Seiko Epson Corporation.


FINA rejects protest over Peirsol #39;s reinstatement ATHENS, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- FINA, the swimming #39;s world governing body, has rejected protest from national federations of Britain and Austria over American Aaron Peirsol #39;s reinstatement after he was disqualified in the 200m backstroke final at the ...


Indian doubles pair crash out India #39;s hopes of an Olympic tennis gold medal evaporated last night when Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi lost 6-2, 6-3 to Germany #39;s Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler in the doubles semi-finals.


American Patterson takes women #39;s all-around gymnastics gold ATHENS, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- American Carly Patterson, runner-up in the 2003 Worlds, took the women #39;s individual all-around gymnastics gold medal with 38.387 points at the Athens Olympics here Friday evening.


Missed target Unfavorable exchange rates and fear of terrorism are keeping many would-be spectators at home. ATHENS-An uninformed spectator stumbling into the Athens Olympic Sports Complex on Wednesday night could have been forgiven for ...


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Athens, Greece -- LeBron James snuck behind Australia #39;s zone defense in the fourth quarter and quickly made eye contact with Stephon Marbury, who lobbed the ball high above the rim. James catapulted into the air and jammed it home with both hands.


Liverpool set for flurry of transfers Rafael Benitez could continue the flurry of activity at Anfield before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.


Minister #39;s poll triumph puts him in line to be Pakistan #39;s next PM Three weeks after surviving an assassination attempt, Pakistan #39;s finance minister, Shaukat Aziz, confirmed his place as the country #39;s next prime minister, after coasting to victory in a byelection.


US Airways Asks Pilots for Pay Cut  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US Airways UAIR.O, struggling to  avoid a second bankruptcy, has asked pilots for a 16.5 percent  pay cut, USA Today reported in its Friday editions.


Global LCD Oversupply to Peak in Q3  SEOUL (Reuters) - A global oversupply of large-sized liquid  crystal displays (LCDs) is forecast to peak in the third  quarter of this year, but it will balance out by the fourth  quarter, a U.S.-based research firm said on Friday.


United Warns It May Jettison Pension Plans to Stay Afloat United Airlines said the termination of its four employee pension plans was needed to attract the financing that would allow it to emerge from bankruptcy protection.


File-Sharing Sites Found Not Liable for Infringement A court ruled that the distributors of software used by millions of people to exchange music files over the Internet cannot be held liable for aiding copyright infringement.


Google shares surge in first day after IPO price cut NEW YORK, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Shares of Google Inc. closed sharply higher Thursday on their first day of trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market after the company cut its IPO (initial public offering) price Wednesday.


Nortel cutting 3,500 jobs, fires 7 executives Nortel Networks is eliminating 3,500 jobs and has fired seven more top executives as it struggles to deal with an accounting scandal that has prompted a criminal investigation.


Words may limit ideas According to the Telegraph, the Pirah  quot;have little social structure, no art, and they barter instead of using currency. Their language is limited to just 10 consonants and vowels. quot; The only words they have for numbers are  quot;one, quot;  quot;two quot; and  quot;many. quot; ...


Do-it-yourself phishing kits found on the internet, reveals Sophos Sophos experts have discovered that do-it-yourself phishing kits are being made available for download free of charge from the internet.


Phelps wins fourth gold at Athens Olympics ATHENS, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Michael Phelps won his fourth gold medal at the Olympic Games in the men #39;s 200m individual medley here on Thursday.


Tourists award gold to Athens ATHENS (Reuters) - The Olympic hosts are winning rave reviews after the first week of the Athens Games, with foreign visitors expressing delight with the friendly, clean and well-organised Greek capital.


NFL ROUNDUP Flutie Eases Back in After Knee Surgery an Diego Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie participated yesterday in his first full practice since having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Aug. 5.


Determined Davenport continues winning streak NEW YORK, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Top seed Lindsay Davenport recovered from a set down to battle past American compatriot Lilia Osterloh 4-6 6-4 6-1 in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Thursday.


Blast rocks Nepal police post KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Maoist guerrillas have set off a bomb at an empty police post near Kathmandu, police say, and the Nepali capital remains cut off by land for the third day due to a rebel blockade call.


Global LCD Oversupply to Peak  SEOUL (Reuters) - A global oversupply of large-sized liquid  crystal displays (LCDs) is forecast to peak in the third  quarter of this year, but it will balance out by the fourth  quarter, a U.S.-based research firm said on Friday.


Dollar Hits Fresh 4-Week Low Versus Yen  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar hit a fresh four-week low  against the yen on Friday on stronger-than-expected Japanese  data and as Tokyo stock prices showed resilience in the face of  weaker U.S. peers.


OPEC Chief: Concerned with Oil Price Rise  JAKARTA (Reuters) - OPEC President Purnomo Yusgiantoro said  on Friday he was concerned with the continuing rise in global  oil prices, but the cartel had not yet seen a cost-driven  increase in inflation.


EA Video Game 'Madden' Tops 1.3 Million First Week (Reuters) Reuters - "Madden NFL 2005," the latest\version of Electronic Arts Inc.'s (ERTS.O)  pro football video\game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first\week of release, the company said on Thursday, citing internal\figures.


Japan #39;s Topix Index Gains; Retailers Led by Daiei Inc. Advance Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese retail stocks rose as Daiei Inc. surged on optimism a possible investment by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. may help it avoid going to a government bailout agency.


Stunt pilots to aid NASA in catching a piece of the sun Moonlighting Hollywood stunt pilots and NASA scientists are teaming up to snatch a returning space capsule in midair over central Utah next month.


India #39;s Pratima, four others suspended for doping : Five weightlifters, including India #39;s Pratima Kumari, were Thursday suspended by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) for failing drug tests conducted at the Olympic Games Thursday, reports Xinhua.


Reds with a Spanish spine Rafael Benitez would not have imagined a more troubled introduction to his debut Premiership season following Michael Owen #39;s shock transfer. NANTHA KUMAR examines the tough transition period at Liverpool.LIVERPOOL Football Club were not the only party ...


Going extra innings Ten years ago, Bud Selig was commissioner of a sport shut down in a bitter labor dispute and headed for the darkest period in its long, illustrious history.


White House pays tribute to UN envoy killed in Iraq WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The White House on Thursday paid tribute to United Nations envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello who was killed in the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad one year ago.


OPEC Chief: Concerned with Oil Price Rise (Reuters) Reuters - OPEC President Purnomo Yusgiantoro said\on Friday he was concerned with the continuing rise in global\oil prices, but the cartel had not yet seen a cost-driven\increase in inflation.


Oil Marches Toward  #36;50, Weighs on Stocks (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices marched toward  #36;50 a\barrel on Friday, weighing on Asian stock markets as investors\fretted over the impact of high energy costs on corporate\profits, consumer spending and economic growth in general.


Stocks Dip as Oil Soars; Google Shines (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks slid on Thursday, ending\four days of gains as oil prices continued their march higher,\but Google Inc. (GOOG.O) created a buzz as shares of the\Internet search company surged on their debut.


Gap Profit Off, Sees More Store Closings (Reuters) Reuters - Gap Inc. (GPS.N), the largest U.S.\specialty apparel retailer, on Thursday reported a 7 percent\decline in quarterly profit, meeting lowered forecasts, after\summer clearance sales drew surprisingly small crowds.


Google shares soar 18 percent on first day In the stock #39;s first day trading, investors bought, sold and flipped shares at a furious pace, with the price ending just above \$100 -- 18 percent higher than where it started.


Nortel Will Cut Workforce by 10 Percent TORONTO, Aug. 19 -- Nortel Networks Corp. said Thursday it will slash its workforce by 3,500, or 10 percent, as it struggles to recover from an accounting scandal that toppled three top executives and led to a criminal investigation and lawsuits.


Qantas Boosts Flight Surcharges as Fuel Prices Soar (Update2) Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Qantas Airways Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest airline, increased a surcharge on all tickets as the cost of jet fuel soared to a record. Qantas shares rebounded from a three-month low.


Appeals Court Ruling Favors File-Sharing SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 19 -- The makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for copyrighted works swapped online by their users, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday in a blow to the entertainment industry.


Nordstrom #39;s profits up 62; stock falls Nordstrom Inc. #39;s second-quarter profit surged 62 percent on sales of fashions such as tweed jackets and ponchos, but the company missed analyst expectations, sending its shares down in after-hours trading yesterday.


Brokerage Gets Fine, 1-Month Ban on Opening New Accounts NEW YORK, Aug. 19 -- National Securities Corp., a Seattle brokerage firm, has agreed to a one-month ban on opening mutual fund accounts and must pay \$600,000 in fines and restitution to settle allegations that its employees helped ...


Ohio sues Best Buy, alleges deceptive sales practices Best Buy Co., the biggest electronics retailer in the nation, was sued yesterday by Ohio #39;s attorney general, who accused the company of deceptive sales practices such as repackaging used merchandise and selling it as new.


NASA prepares to catch a falling star sample NASA #39;s three-year effort to bring some genuine star dust back to Earth is set for a dramatic finale Sept. 8 when Hollywood helicopter pilots will attempt a midair retrieval of a descending space capsule.


Americans playing it cool in the pool ATHENS  Michael Phelps might receive his last gold medal of the Athens Olympics in a way no one would envision.


Anno Captures Japan #39;s 6th Judo Gold; Inoue Fails to Win Medal Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Noriko Anno, four-time world champion, won Japan #39;s sixth judo gold medal Thursday, defeating China #39;s Liu Xia in the women #39;s 78-kilogram class.


Patterson makes it an all-around sweep for US Two decades later, it #39;s time to make room for Carly Patterson as America #39;s next reigning champion of Olympic women #39;s gymnastics.


Manning Does His Part to Start a Controversy HARLOTTE, Aug. 19 - Eli Manning was handed his first chance to prove he could be a starting quarterback in the NFL Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. If Manning #39;s performance was any indication, the Kurt Warner era with the ...


Dismal weather takes control of NEC AKRON, Ohio -- Golf was supposed to be the headliner Thursday at Firestone Country Club in Akron. What turned out to be the featured performer, instead, was a nasty line of weather that made golf secondary to a lot of other things.


Thursday #39;s Golf Capsules Stewart Cink made five birdies on his first 10 holes and led by one shot over Rod Pampling before the rain-delayed first round of the NEC Invitational was suspended by darkness Thursday.


Sports: Yankees 13 Twins 10 MINNEAPOLIS The New York Yankees coughed up a 9-to-3 lead before rallying in the ninth inning to beat Minnesota 13-to-10.


Standoff Continues with Militant Cleric in Najaf Fighting continues in Najaf even though Iraq #39;s Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has made a final call to Shi #39;ite militants to lay down their weapons and leave the holy Imam Ali shrine in Najaf. Militants threaten to kill a Turkish hostage and missing American ...


Russia Accuses Georgia of Violating Cease-Fire Government forces battled separatists for strategic areas near South Ossetia #39;s main city as Georgia sought the upper hand in some of the worst fighting in the breakaway region since a war more than a decade ago.


Hungary Crisis Deepens as Prime Minister Quits Moving to end a political crisis with its government coalition partner, Hungary #39;s Socialist Party has announced that Prime Minister Medgyessy is no longer head of the government and that it plans to nominate his replacement next week.


Google Up in Market Debut After Bumpy IPO (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc. shares jumped 18\percent in their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday,\after a scaled-down  #36;1.67 billion IPO marked by missteps and\lackluster market conditions.


Google Up in Market Debut After Bumpy IPO  NEW YORK/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Google Inc. shares jumped 18  percent in their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday,  after a scaled-down \$1.67 billion IPO marked by missteps and  lackluster market conditions.


Google #39;s Auction Loosens Wall Street #39;s Grip on High-Priced IPOs Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc. #39;s share sale has put Wall Street on notice: The old way of doing business may be ending.


The Aftermath Of Charley: The Most Expensive States To Insure Your Home There are always trade-offs to every place people choose to live. If you live in New York, it #39;s too expensive. If you live in Montana, it #39;s too remote. If you live in Florida, you #39;re going to be slammed with hurricanes all the time.


Paul Hamm #39;s example PAUL HAMM #39;S fall and rise are what make the Olympics so much more than a sports event. The US gymnast who spun despair into gold on Wednesday gives hope to the whole human endeavor by defusing the word  quot;loser. quot; ...


All-American girl ATHENS -- That was then and this is now. That was there and this is here. So which is a bigger moment? Mary Lou Retton #39;s  quot;No-Fault Vault quot; that produced America #39;s first Olympic all-around gold medal in women #39;s ...


Security Officials Relieved, Vigilant ATHENS, Aug. 19 -- Worried about the potential for a terrorist catastrophe, Greece is spending about \$1.5 billion on security for the Olympic Games. The biggest threats so far? Foreign journalists and a Canadian guy dressed in a tutu.


Google Up in Market Debut After Bumpy IPO NEW YORK/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Google Inc. shares jumped 18 percent in their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday, after a scaled-down \$1.67 billion IPO marked by missteps and lackluster market conditions.


US Airways asks pilots for 16.5 cut in pay Struggling US Airways (UAIR) has asked its pilots to accept a 16.5 pay cut while giving them the chance to recoup some of the money by flying more.


Daiei shares soar as Wal-Mart confirms interest in ailing retailer TOKYO : Shares in ailing Japanese retailer Daiei Inc. jumped 16 percent after US giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. confirmed it was interested in aiding the firm #39;s revival.


FDA to Inspect Boston Scientific Stent Plant -WSJ NEW YORK (Reuters) - The US Food and Drug Administration expects to inspect Boston Scientific Corp. #39;s Galway, Ireland factory in the  quot;near future quot; as part of its probe into the company #39;s coronary stent recall, the Wall Street Journal said on Friday.


BofA lays off 1,000 at Fleet Boston, MA, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Bank of America has issued pink slips to 1,000 Fleet Boston employees across the Northeast and Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said he would investigate.


Tokyo Stocks Flat in Late Trade  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks were flat in afternoon trade  on Friday as worries about record high oil prices took the edge  off investors' appetite for recently battered high tech issues  such as Sharp Corp


Chevron to appeal pipeline ruling ChevronTexaco, America's second-biggest oil company,  is to appeal a court ruling ordering it to pay damages from a pipeline leak, reports say.


Hong Kong police look into prank e-mail service (AFP) AFP - Hong Kong police said they were investigating an Internet service that posts bogus e-mails to unwitting recipients claiming to be from the police and other official organisations.


Militants Bomb Two Churches in Mosul (AP) AP - Militants bombed two churches Tuesday in Mosul, wounding three people in a coordinated attack apparently aimed at stirring trouble between religious groups in this ethnically diverse northern city.


Insiders Get Rich Through Google IPO The biggest individual winners are the top three executives, Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt as each make \$41 million.
-The Washington Post


Researchers Turn to Adult Stem Cells Biotech firms face skepticism as they try to show that their research can work as medicine and as a business. -The Washington Post


China Declares War on Electronic Porn Even for authoritarian rulers, the decree that plugged-in Chinese must be back on the sexual straight and narrow by Oct. 1 will not become reality easily.


Mars Exploration Rovers Driving Into the Sunset The Mars rovers fuel their instruments by following the sun and as their energy budget gets tighter during the winter, their terrestrial drivers get more skilled at driving towards the light.


Microsoft Patches the Patch Windows XP Service Pack 2 gets a 'hotfix' for VPNs, part the never-ending process of software development.


Apple Remote Desktop 2 Reviewing Apple Remote Desktop 2 in Computerworld, Yuval Kossovsky writes,  #147;I liked what I found. #148; He concludes,  #147;I am happy to say that ARD 2 is an excellent upgrade and well worth the money. #148; Aug 19


Braves Edge Dodgers 6-5 (AP) AP - Johnny Estrada homered, drove in three runs and started Atlanta's go-ahead rally in the ninth inning, and the Braves beat Eric Gagne and the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 Thursday night.


Yankees Blow Lead but Beat Twins 13-10 (AP) AP - Gary Sheffield homered twice and keyed a four-run rally in the ninth inning Thursday night, sending the New York Yankees to a seesaw, 13-10 win over the Minnesota Twins.


Manning Decent in Debut but Giants Lose (AP) AP - Although the spotlight was on Eli Manning, Jake Delhomme shone the brightest.


Agassi Moves Into Legg Mason Quarters (AP) AP - Andre Agassi breezed into the quarterfinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Kristian Pless on Thursday night.


Trend plans mobile antivirus in 05 Trend Micro Inc is planning to release antivirus software aimed at the mobile carrier and handset maker markets next June, an executive said as the firm launched a free antivirus-antispam package aimed at the end user.


Yankees' Closing Acts Resolve All Plot Twists It was a surreal and stomach-turning night for the Yankees against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, and when it ended, it was also a successful night.


Bugel's Fine Line Redskins assistant head coach Joe Bugel returns to  turn his new group of "Dirt Bags" into a mirror image of his "Hogs" of the 1980s.


Fields Treasures Job After missing all of the Carolina Panthers' 2004 Super Bowl season with Hodgkin's disease, linebacker Mark Fields appreciates every second he spends on the field.


Davis Starts Anew Virginia Tech defensive end Jim Davis is ready for a big senior season after missing all of last year with a torn pectoral muscle.


Owens, Lewis Face Off After an offseason of verbal jousting when wide receiver Terrell Owens shunned the Ravens for the Eagles, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Owens take it to the field on Friday.


Hewitt Doesn't Miss Athens Australian Lleyton Hewitt is disappointed at the timing of the Olympics as it related to the tennis schedule and is happy he skipped the Games.


Improved Pitching Has the Keys Finishing on an Upswing As the season winds down for the Frederick Keys, Manager Tom Lawless is starting to enjoy the progress his pitching staff has made this season.


Bowe Re-Enters Ring Fresh from being released from federal prison last May, former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe has set up his first comeback bout for Sept. 25


April trial date set for Australian accused of murdering British tourist (AFP) AFP - An Australian mechanic will stand trial  next April over the outback murder three years ago of British tourist Peter Falconio, court officials said.


Kean Leaving Drew U., No N.J. Run Planned (AP) AP - The chairman of the Sept. 11 commission, former New Jersey Gov. Thomas H. Kean, will retire as president of Drew University in the spring, the school announced Thursday. Kean will have spent 15 years at the liberal arts school in Madison.


Kerry Legal Team Member Is Issued Citation (AP) AP - A member of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's national legal team received a citation on accusations he solicited a prostitute, but the aide said it was the result of a misunderstanding.


Five Killed in U.S. Bombing of Iraq's Falluja  FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - A U.S. bombing raid on the  restive Iraqi town of Falluja, west of Baghdad, overnight  killed five people and wounded six, a hospital doctor said on  Friday.


Kerry attacks 'Vietnam tactics' John Kerry accuses George W Bush of using a front group to launch attacks on his Vietnam war record.


Stocks little changed on IBM, J amp;J news Stocks are little-changed in early trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down five points in today #39;s early going. Losing issues on the New York Stock Exchange hold a narrow lead over gainers.


Day Seven preview: Athletics begins Latest updates as Denise Lewis prepares her bid for heptathlon gold.


Key US forces to stay in Germany The US military says it will keep its European command in Germany amid plans for a broader pull-out.


Anarchists Emerge as the Convention's Wild Card New York police consider self-described anarchists the unknown factor in whether the Republican convention demonstrations remain under control.


Yankees Blow Lead but Beat Twins 13-10 MINNEAPOLIS - Gary Sheffield homered twice and keyed a four-run rally in the ninth inning Thursday night, sending the New York Yankees to a seesaw, 13-10 win over the Minnesota Twins.    Down 9-3 and minus Gold Glove center fielder Torii Hunter after he crashed into the fence, the Twins came back and almost swept the three-game series between AL division leaders...


Producer Sues Over 'Rings' Trilogy Profits LOS ANGELES - Pay up, Frodo. So says Saul Zaentz, a Hollywood producer who has sued New Line Cinema for \$20 million in royalties from the blockbuster "Lord of the Rings" trilogy...


Jackson's Lavish Lifestyle Put on Display SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The elegant life of Michael Jackson was put on display in a courtroom Thursday when defense attorneys showed videotaped scenes from last year's raid on the pop star's lavish Neverland estate...


U.S. Struggles to Win Muslim Hearts, Minds The Bush administration is facing growing criticism that it has failed to move aggressively enough in the war of ideas against al Qaeda and other Islamic extremist groups over the three years since the 9/11 attacks.


Court verdict: WTC terror attacks were two occurrences for <b>...</b> A New York court ruled that the World Trade Center terrorist attacks were two separate event, meaning leaseholder Larry Silverstein stands to collect up to \$2.2 billion from nine insurers.


South Korea in growth spurt South Korea's economy grew faster than expected in the second quarter, but growth is still held back by poor domestic demand.


'Madden' Week No. 1 Game Sales Top 1.3 Million (Reuters) Reuters - "Madden NFL 2005," the latest\version of Electronic Arts Inc.'s pro football video game\franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week,\giving a strong kick-off to one of EA's top sellers, the\company said on Thursday.


'Madden' Week No. 1 Game Sales Top 1.3 Million  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Madden NFL 2005," the latest  version of Electronic Arts Inc.'s pro football video game  franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week,  giving a strong kick-off to one of EA's top sellers, the  company said on Thursday.


'We're Done' Can be Predicted Before 'I Do' By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay Reporter    HealthDayNews -- It seems the seeds of divorce are sown long before a couple recites their wedding vows.    New research shows certain relationship skills -- or the lack of them -- can predict whether two people are headed for marital bliss or a painful breakup...


Dietary Supplement Industry Hops on Low-Carb Diet Trend By ALICIA CHANG    (AP) -- Stroll down any pharmacy aisle these days and you'll find that the low-carb craze has invaded the \$20 billion dietary supplement industry.    From multivitamins to starch blocker pills, loosely regulated supplements are popping up in the burgeoning low-carb market dominated by food companies...


San Diego Zoo's Baby Panda Celebrates First Birthday On his first birthday Thursday, giant panda cub Mei Sheng delighted visitors by playing for the first time in snow delivered to him at the San Diego Zoo. The cub has become quite a little celebrity since his birth a year ago. He is only the second panda born in the United States to survive to his first birthday.


Google, Now Much Wealthier, Enters New Phase Google Inc. (GOOG) will have plenty to celebrate at its annual company summer picnic Friday - its debut as a public company gave it an immediate cash infusion of \$1.16 billion, not to mention all the millionaires it made of employees and insiders.


U.S. Chain Store Sales Rise  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. chain store sales rose in the  week ended December 4, as average sales were generally ahead of  last year, but customer counts were down, a report said on  Tuesday.


Guidant Shares Up on J J Deal Report  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Shares of medical device maker Guidant  Corp. GDT.N jumped on Tuesday after a report saying the  company was in advanced talks to be acquired by health products  maker Johnson   Johnson JNJ.N for more than \$24 billion.


U.S. Plane Launches Airstrike in Fallujah (AP) AP - U.S. forces launched an airstrike Friday in the troubled Iraqi city of Fallujah, witnesses said. A U.S. plane fired at least one missile into an industrial area of the city, located 40 miles west of Baghdad, witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.


Rebels Explode Two Bombs in Katmandu (AP) AP - Suspected rebels shot and wounded a policeman and detonated two powerful bombs in Katmandu on Friday as the guerrilla blockade of the Nepali capital entered its third day. No one was injured in the explosions.


GOP Convention Delegation More Diverse (AP) AP - Republicans point to record levels of diversity among delegates to their upcoming convention, though the GOP isn't close to matching the makeup of the U.S. population overall or the Democratic delegation that met last month in Boston.


Kathmandu hit by 'rebel' blasts Suspected Maoist rebels in Nepal explode two bombs in Kathmandu, on the third day of a blockade of the capital.


India weightlifters test positive Pratima Kumari and Sanamacha Chanu become the first Indians to fail a drugs test at an Olympics competition.


Braves Edge Dodgers 6-5 LOS ANGELES - Johnny Estrada homered, drove in three runs and started Atlanta's go-ahead rally in the ninth inning, and the Braves beat Eric Gagne and the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 Thursday night.    In a matchup of division leaders, the Dodgers had scored twice in the eighth to tie it 5-5...


Stocks Open Flat  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed in  early trade on Tuesday, as a report of a possible \$24 billion  takeover of cardiovascular device maker Guidant Corp. GDT.N  by Johnson   Johnson JNJ.N and easing oil prices provided  support.


Nortel Turns a Tiny Corner The Canadian telecom equipment maker has issued its first post-accounting-scandal financial update. So far, so good ...


Crude Oil May Rise From Record on Supply Threats (Update1) Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil futures in New York will probably rise next week, after setting records every day except one since July, on concern that shipments will be curtailed as demand grows, a Bloomberg survey of traders and analysts showed.


Qantas raises fuel surcharge Qantas Airways has raised its fuel surcharge on domestic and international tickets by \$4 and \$7, respectively, because of the high price of oil.


Tokyo Stocks Flat in Late Trade Retailers such as Ito-Yokado got a lift after government data showed activity in Japan #39;s service sector rose in June as a wide range of businesses including retailers and restaurants enjoyed a recovery in customers.


Update 4: Two Firms Cleared of Swapping Violations In a judicial blow to the entertainment industry, a federal appeals court ruled that makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works their users swap online.


United wants out United Airlines told a federal bankruptcy court it likely would have to terminate its employee pension plans and replace them with leaner retirement benefits in order to survive.


Jury holds Texaco liable for 1955 leak SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW ) -- A jury has ordered Texaco to pay \$15 million to finish the cleanup of a 1955 gas pipeline spill in a small town in Montana, and to pay \$25 in punitive damages, according to published reports.


Delta fare plan now seems fair Delta Air Lines #39; decision to reduce fares out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is good news for the region, but the key will be whether the airline is committed to sustaining the reasonable rates.


Apple Recalls 28,000 PowerBook Batteries Apple notes that the model and serial numbers are located on the label on the bottom of the battery, and can be viewed by removing the battery from the computer. Apple is providing an online form for consumers to begin the battery recall ...


High-Speed Internet Shouldn #39;t Be Delayed Back in the go-go days of the tech boom, there was a lot of talk about fast Internet connections enabling consumers to do all manner of useful and fun things, from online banking to viewing movies online. Well, guess what? Despite the following tech bust, ...


AT amp;T keeps expanding Net-phone service The Bedminster-based company yesterday said it was pushing into 21 new markets with the service, AT amp;T CallVantage, and extending an introductory rate offer until Sept. 30. In addition, the company is offering in-home installation of up to five ...


Agassi waltzes into Washington quarter-finals Top-seed Andre Agassi easily advanced to the quarter-finals of the Washington ATP tournament overnight, with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Kristian Pless.


In Greece, an Inside Track for Some Costas #39; nerves are on edge. It #39;s 10:45 am, and he can #39;t get his usual frappe, a coffee-and-milk concoction that #39;s one of Greece #39;s most popular picker-uppers. Twenty-five-year-old Costas is working at the cafe in the Olympic Village international zone for ...


US gymnasts double the gold ATHENS, GREECE - Twenty years ago in Los Angeles, it was Mary Lou Retton and the vault without fault.


Yankees beat Nathan to avoid Minny sweep Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Gary Sheffield tied the game in the ninth inning with his second homer of the game and Hideki Matsui singled home Alex Rodriguez with the go-ahead run, as the New York Yankees rallied for a 13-10 victory over the ...


Braves get a win off Gagne LOS ANGELES -- It wasn #39;ta save situation. But the Braves made sure Eric Gagne enjoyed a second consecutive depressing night, with some help from Johnny Estrada, who enjoyed another successful evening in his native state.


Woods near top of soaked NEC AKRON, OHIO - Tiger Woods was cruising at one of his favorite courses before a pair of dropped shots cost him a share of the lead at the weather-delayed WGC-NEC Invitational on Thursday.


Two Wounded in Second Bomb Blast in Nepal Capital KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Two people were wounded after a second bomb exploded in Nepal #39;s capital on Friday, the third day of a blockade of the commercial center called by Maoist rebels.


Darfur plan  #39;difficult #39; The United Nations is seeking to disarm both rebels and government-backed militias in Darfur, a senior UN official says.


Typhoon Megi slams into northern Japan TOKYO (Reuters) - Typhoon Megi has killed one person as it slammed ashore in northern Japan, bringing the death toll to at least 13 and cutting power to thousands of homes before heading out into the Pacific.


Hungary #39;s ruling Socialist Party dumps PM BUDAPEST, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Hungary #39;s ruling Socialist Party said Thursday that it accepted Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy #39;s resignation and has named a candidate for the post.


ANALYSIS-China Uses Deng Xiaoping Centenary to Laud Reform BEIJING (Reuters) - The architect of China #39;s dramatic economic reforms. A benevolent leader who rehabilitated millions purged in the chaotic 1966-76 Cultural Revolution. A military genius. An avid bridge player. A family man.


Nikkei Ends Flat, Oil Concerns Weigh  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks ended flat on Friday as  worries about record-high oil prices took the edge off  investors' appetite for recently battered technology issues  such as Sharp Corp.


Oil Near \$49 on Mounting Iraq Violence  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Global oil prices rallied to fresh  highs on Friday with U.S. crude approaching \$49, driven by  escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from  China and India.


Yen Hits 4-Week High Versus Dollar  TOKYO (Reuters) - The yen hit a fresh four-week high  against the dollar and edged up against the euro on Friday as  stronger-than-expected Japanese data gave the currency a  belated boost.


IMF's Rato Sees World GDP 4.6 Percent  MADRID (Reuters) - IMF Managing Director Rodrigo Rato sees  world economic growth of "around 4.6 percent" in 2004 and 2005,  according to an interview published in a Spanish newspaper  interview on Friday.


Olympics boosts WPP growth WPP, the world's third largest advertising services group, has reported 15 growth in profits in the first half of the year.


Blogging Across America (PC World) PC World - Who needs postcards? Use high-tech ways to stay in touch while you're\ traveling.


Oil Near  #36;49 on Mounting Iraq Violence (Reuters) Reuters - Global oil prices rallied to fresh\highs on Friday with U.S. crude approaching  #36;49, driven by\escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from\China and India.


Google stockowner for a day: a memoir One week ago, I submitted a bid for Google Inc. stock that overestimated the eventual auction price of the computer search company #39;s initial public offering by nearly 30 percent. But I sold my shares shortly ...


Oil Near \$49 as Iraq Violence Escalates  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Global oil prices raced to fresh  highs on Friday with U.S. crude approaching \$49, driven by  escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from  China and India.


Stent recalls could hit inventory The three recalls of Boston Scientific Corp. cardiac stents since July 2 affected many more units than the company has previously disclosed, raising concerns among stock analysts about future inventory levels.


Google gets a bounce, ends its first day up 18 percent Shares of Google leaped \$15.34, or 18 percent, to \$100.34 on the Nasdaq exchange yesterday in an opening day of trading that harkened back to the wild run-ups of the dot-com era.


Google stockowner for a day: a memoir If only the rest of my investments worked out this way. One week ago, I submitted a bid for Google Inc. stock that overestimated the eventual auction price of the computer search company's initial public offering by nearly 30 percent. But I sold my shares shortly after Google stock began trading yesterday and still walked away with a nice profit, ...


Oil prices flare up amid Iraq violence WASHINGTON -- Crude futures plowed to a new high near \$49 a barrel yesterday as the threat of sabotage to Iraqi oil infrastructure loomed larger than promises from Baghdad to boost exports in coming days.


State's consumer confidence rises Consumer confidence in Massachusetts jumped to its highest level in more than two years as an improving outlook on the economy and job market sparked consumers' spirits.


United Airlines likely to end pension plans UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, trying to attract financing to exit bankruptcy, said it probably will terminate and replace all its pension plans.


Where's the WiFi? Park's developer wants to know Ten years ago, Boston real estate developer Norman B. Leventhal spearheaded the transformation of a grungy Financial District garage into a park that's become a downtown oasis.


Nortel Networks to cut 3,500 TORONTO -- Nortel Networks said yesterday it will slash its workforce by 3,500, or 10 percent, as it struggles to recover from an accounting scandal that toppled three top executives and led to a criminal investigation and lawsuits.


FDA approves lung cancer drug WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved a cancer drug made by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer in patients who have undergone chemotherapy.


Notebook: Six weightlifters caught using steroids ATHENS  Weightlifting #39;s governing body isn #39;t about to give up its aggressive pursuit of drug cheaters, even if it jeopardizes the sport #39;s future in the Olympics, the group #39;s top official said yesterday after six more ...


Britain target Beijing gold British badminton star Nathan Robertson has set his sights on Olympic gold in Beijing following his silver medal with Gail Emms at the Athens Games.


Eli Manning outplays Warner in 1st NY start CHARLOTTE, NC  Eli Manning stepped to the line, pointing out the defense just like brother Peyton.


Major League Baseball News The Yankees had to venture into improbable territory Thursday night to avoid their first sweep by the Twins since 1991. But like they #39;ve done so many times this season, the Yankees found the heroes to turn lemons into lemonade, winning 13-10.


Al-Sadr is sent  #39;final call #39; BAGHDAD, Iraq - Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi issued a  quot;final call quot; yesterday for Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to agree to a new set of conditions issued by the government and end his rebellion.


Peres calls for early general election The leader of the opposition Labour party in Israel, Shimon Peres, has called for an early general election.


Kathmandu hit by  #39;rebel #39; blasts Suspected Maoist rebels in Nepal have set off two bombs in Kathmandu, on the third day of a blockade of the capital.


Power struggle also to blame for Sudan violence KHARTOUM, Sudan - The violence in Sudan #39;s western province of Darfur, where more than 30,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced, is widely portrayed as an ethnic-cleansing campaign by Arab militias ...


Typhoon leaves 18 missing or dead in Japan, South Korea The casualty toll from a typhoon that has lashed South Korea and Japan this week has reached at least 18 dead or missing.


Hungarian Parliament to Elect Premier on Sept. 6, Kovacs Says Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Hungary #39;s parliament will elect a new prime minister on Sept. 6 to succeed Peter Medgyessy, who is quitting after the junior coalition partner withdrew its confidence, outgoing Socialist Chairman Laszlo Kovacs said on state ...


Mbeki urges reform of global agencies His call came at the end of his opening address to the ministerial conference of the grouping of 114 developing nations.


New flaws found in Microsoft security (AFP) AFP - Internet security experts have found two "flaws" with Microsoft Corp's long-awaited security update for its Windows XP operating system, but the software behemoth insists that the new SP2 is secure.


An IPO Afterglow in Googleland The most hyped new issue since Netscape chalked up a very tidy gain on its first day of trading. Peace reigns in the Valley ...


Nortel Networks to cut 3,500 TORONTO -- Nortel Networks said yesterday it will slash its workforce by 3,500, or 10 percent, as it struggles to recover from an accounting scandal that toppled three top executives and led to a criminal ...


Oil barrels toward \$50 Next stop, fifty bucks. Analysts said crude futures could climb that high today, pushed to the psychological barrier of \$50 US a barrel by speculative buying amid escalating threats to Iraq #39;s oil infrastructure.


Qantas Boosts Flight Surcharges as Fuel Prices Soar (Update5) Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Qantas Airways Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest airline, increased a surcharge on all tickets as the cost of jet fuel soared to a record. Qantas shares rebounded from a three-month low.


Delta #39;s debt plan raises concerns; US Airways labor deal due Delta Air Lines #39; plan to restructure some of its debt outside of bankruptcy has raised concerns among credit analysts who believe the move could be tantamount to defaulting on the money the struggling carrier owes.


Nikkei Ends Flat, Oil Concerns Weigh TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks ended flat on Friday as worries about record-high oil prices took the edge off investors #39; appetite for recently battered technology issues such as Sharp Corp.


Peer-to-peer networks win ruling Companies providing software that helps music and movie lovers trade files with each other can #39;t be held financially responsible for copyright theft resulting from the trading, a federal court in Los Angeles ruled yesterday.


Zurich Financial nearly doubles profit Swiss insurance giant Zurich Financial Services has reported a first-half net profit of \$US1.5 billion (\$A2.1 billion), up 93 per cent from \$US752 million (\$A1.05 billion) in the same period last year, and roughly in line with analysts #39; expectations.


Bank of America puts name on Celebrity Series of Boston A day after laying off hundreds of Fleet bank workers, Bank of America received a boost of positive publicity from the arts world.


United  #39;likely #39; to end pensions For the first time, United Airlines has acknowledged that it is  quot;likely quot; to terminate its pension plans, a move the carrier said it needs to attract financing to emerge from bankruptcy.


Nordstrom profit soars in quarter, but not enough for Wall St. Nordstrom reported a strong second-quarter profit as it continued to select more relevant inventory and sell more items at full price.


Amazon to purchase Chinese on-line retailer Amazon.com Inc. has agreed to buy Joyo.com, China #39;s largest on-line retailer of books, music and videos, for \$75-million (US) to gain access to the world #39;s second-biggest Internet market.


Mike #39;s mailbag I got lots of mail this week about my Tuesday column about the Windows XP Service Pack 2 update from Microsoft.


Pilots prepare for mid-air catch of Genesis capsule LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- When a capsule from NASA #39;s Genesis spacecraft appears in the sky above the Utah desert on the morning of Sept. 8, it will have withstood more than three years in space and will contain samples of the ...


#39;Psst...want the tools to be a cybercriminal? #39; Some websites are now offering surfers the chance to download free  quot;phishing kits quot; containing all the graphics, web code and text required to construct the kind of bogus sites used in internet phishing scams.


Nortel goes under the knife again WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- The latest corporate overhaul by Nortel Networks will shear the company of all its manufacturing operations and leave it with 70 percent fewer workers than it had four years ago.


American claims Khorkina crown ATHENS -- With a dazzling routine on the floor, American Carly Patterson staked her claim last night as the new queen of gymnastics. Patterson, 16, spoiled Russian superstar Svetlana Khorkina #39;s final chance at Olympic gold in gymnastics #39; premier event and ...


Turnabout fair play for Peirsol On a night when a disqualification was posted, protested, counterprotested twice and ultimately tossed out, the American swimmers claimed their largest medal haul of the meet so far.


Woods #39; No. 1 is safe for now Tiger Woods lost the lead to Stewart Cink yesterday but his world ranking is safe for the moment. Free from the burden of trying to make the Ryder Cup team, Cink looked at ease on a marathon day at the NEC Invitational that ended with ...


Phelps on way to great 8 That #39;s the goal now, with two events remaining in what already has been a grueling Olympic schedule for this 19-year-old US swimming star.


Weight of drugs felt Weightlifting #39;s aggressive pursuit of drug cheaters will continue even if it jeopardizes its future in the Olympics, its top official said yesterday following six more positive doping cases in what is again becoming the Games #39; dirtiest sport. Five ...


Olympic diary: Day seven British support in the badminton arena on Thursday caught everyone by surprise, not least the Chinese.


Olympic Notes Costs for the Athens Olympics are climbing again, expected to top \$8.5 billion US because of the massive security and overruns in the last-minute scramble to get venues ready, a government official said yesterday.


Let gymnasts be kids, not athletic lab rats DAY 6: Canadian sprinter Macro-man (Nic Macrozonaris) told a news conference yesterday that he had a dream in which he won the 100-metre sprint in 9.83 seconds. He has never broken 10 seconds flat.


#39;Peg psychologist helps Ford focus ATHENS -- Of the 10,000 athletes in the Athens Olympics, David Ford may be the only one who brought his own personal psychologist.  quot;Probably, quot; Roger Friesen said.


Stop that blame game ATHENS -- Adam van Koeverden has a message for his fellow Canadian athletes -- quit whining about circumstances you can #39;t control.  quot;You can #39;t fall into a corner and cry and say the Canadian sports system has let me down. You have to do things for ...


US tanks  #39;encircle Najaf shrine #39; American tanks have reportedly encircled the Imam Ali shrine in the Iraqi city of Najaf, after intensively bombarding rebel positions overnight.


Annan vows to protect UN staff from attacks GENEVA - Those behind the  quot;cold-blooded murder quot; of 22 people at the United Nations office in Baghdad one year ago must be held to account, no matter how long it takes to find them, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday.


Pakistan hunts for key Al Qaeda figure ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistani security forces are hunting a Libyan Al Qaeda leader whom senior intelligence officials see as a possible key to finding Osama bin Laden and others in the terrorist ...


Oil price hits new high on Iraq violence In the SINGAPORE story headlined  quot;Oil hits new high on Iraq violence quot; please read in the 13th paragraph .... as its imports in the first seven ...


Improved Latham to leave hospital Federal Labor leader Mark Latham will leave hospital on Saturday at midday after being given the all-clear by doctors.


Blogging Across America Who needs postcards? Use high-tech ways to stay in touch while you're traveling.


Virtual veins give nurses a hand \A virtual reality hand, complete with vital veins, that "feels" could help trainee nurses practice their jabs.


Court stops Shrek 2 bootlegs London's High Court imposes an injunction against 12 defendants accused of bootlegging copies of Shrek 2.


When a Bridge Becomes a Lifeline Fifteen years after an earthquake damaged San Francisco's Bay Bridge, engineers are attempting to replace it with a stronger span. The project is said to be the most ambitious in state history. Part 1 of 2. By Amit Asaravala.


Cell Phone Users Are Finding God Mobile phone owners are blessed with more than just free weekend minutes, as religious institutions and telcos roll out new services to help the observant practice their faith. By Elizabeth Biddlecombe.


Finding Nemo by Microchip Armed with tagging devices and satellite tracking, marine scientists follow hundreds of sea animals around the Pacific Ocean, monitoring everything from location and depth to speed and water temperature. By Randy Dotinga.


US: Time Running Out in Airbus-Boeing Row  PARIS (Reuters) - The United States said on Tuesday it may  soon take legal action in a trade row over government help for  Airbus and Boeing, particularly as the European aircraft maker  was seeking support for a new project. Washington and Brussels  have so far resisted launching legal action at the World Trade  Organization (WTO) in their battle over allegations of illegal  subsidies to the aviation rivals, but that option may now be  just weeks away.


Campaign Game Mimics Real Life A new simulated election game that lets you play campaign manager to a presidential candidate is both thrillingly and disturbingly similar to real-world politics. A review by Jason Silverman.


Stem Cells Rise in Public Opinion More Americans know about stem cell research, and more approve of it this year than in 2001, according to a new Harris Poll. By Kristen Philipkoski.


Waiting For Google NEW YORK - Benjamin Franklin, that annoying know-it-all, famously said,  quot;Never put off until tomorrow that which you can do today. quot; ...


Court rules two software firms not liable for file-share claims San Francisco (AP) -- Grokster Ltd. and StreamCast Networks Inc. are not liable for the swapping of copyright content through their file-sharing software, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday in a blow to movie studios and record labels.


Swiss Re, Zurich peg Charley costs LONDON (CBS.MW) - The costs of Hurricane Charley in Florida to the insurance industry were becoming clearer on Thursday after two major Swiss insurers estimated their claims stemming from the storm last week.


State #39;s hospitals can get money if illegal immigrants give status During the next four years, hospitals in the state of Washington could be reimbursed nearly \$13 million for emergency care they provide to uninsured illegal immigrants.


AMD #39;s new budget processors AMD #39;s new Sempron range of desktop and notebook CPUs is targeted squarely at Intel #39;s competing Celeron family.


Italy #39;s Brugnetti Upstages Perez in 20km Walk ATHENS (Reuters) - Italy #39;s former world champion Ivano Brugnetti returned to the limelight to upstage favorite Jefferson Perez and win the Olympic men #39;s 20km race walk on Friday.


Late surge lifts US past Aussies ATHENS -- The Mason #39;s Union membership cards should be arriving any day now, but while they wait for them to be distributed, the United States men #39;s basketball team was able to concoct a winning formula by ...


For starters, Eli makes case CHARLOTTE - Kurt Warner may still be the favorite to start the regular-season opener for the Giants. But Eli Manning isn #39;t making Tom Coughlin #39;s decision very easy.


ACC game gets home BLACKSBURG -- Jacksonville, Fla., will be the home for the ACC #39;s first two championship games in football in 2005 and  #39;06, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Thursday.


Youngsters Ready to Make Mark in Track A new wave of talent will be on display when track and field takes center stage at the Olympic Games.


Sporadic gunfire in Najaf after aide says radical cleric orders fighters to leave Najaf shrine NAJAF, Iraq (AP) Sporadic gunfire echoed through Najaf on Friday after a night of heavy US bombing that saw radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr order his fighters to hand control of a revered Najaf ...


Bombs Explode in Nepal Capital as Rebel Siege Bites KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Suspected Maoist guerrillas set off two bombs in and around Nepal #39;s capital on Friday, wounding two people as the commercial center remained cut off for a third day by a rebel-imposed blockade.


Cleric prays #39; for freelancer #39;s freedom Rogue Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr has called for the release of an American freelance journalist with New England roots who was seized in Nasiriyah Friday.


Darfur humanitarian crisis easing, UN says KHARTOUM, Sudan  While violence remains a major concern, the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region is easing and large-scale deaths from malnutrition and disease are likely to be averted as international assistance pours in, UN ...


Australia #39;s Howard rules out snap election while rival still ill SYDNEY : Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he would not call a snap general election while opposition leader Mark Latham was ill as he wanted to beat him fair and square.


Plant operators grilled by safety panel probing Japanese nuclear plant explosion TOKYO The operators of a Japanese nuclear plant say there was no evidence of danger at the plant before a deadly explosion this month.


All-American girl That was then and this is now. That was there and this is here. So which is a bigger moment? Mary Lou Retton's  quot;No-Fault Vault quot; that produced America's first Olympic all-around gold medal in women's gymnastics 20 years ago in Los Angeles? Or Carly Patterson's  quot;Dream Beam quot; here last night that clinched the second?


Message loud and clear A funny thing happened as Orlando Cabrera triumphantly rounded the bases after he knocked in Johnny Damon with his walkoff double off the Green Monster in Tuesday's 5-4 thriller over the Blue Jays. In the stands, Cabrera's wife, Eliana, noticed during the celebration her cellphone ringing. And ringing. And ringing.


Atlanta rallies to top Dodgers Johnny Estrada homered, drove in three runs, and started Atlanta's go-ahead rally in the ninth, and the Braves beat Eric Gagne and the Dodgers, 6-5, last night in Los Angeles.


Selig gets three-year extension Baseball commissioner Bud Selig received a contract extension through 2009 yesterday as owners praised his 12-year reign, but dissension surfaced among teams in the decision to launch a World Cup tournament.


New York averts sweep by Twins Gary Sheffield homered twice and keyed a four-run rally in the ninth inning last night, sending the New York Yankees to a seesaw 13-10 win over the Minnesota Twins at Minneapolis.


For Colvin, it's hip hip hooray For so long, linebacker Rosevelt Colvin couldn't do what he wanted, couldn't play football. Now, he feels he can do whatever his coach wants him to.


Help is on the way Former English Premier League rivals Steve Howey and Joe-Max Moore are expected to be available for the Revolution's regular-season stretch run.


Lawyers ask to seal Bryant interview EAGLE, Colo. -- Defense attorneys argued in a court filing that Kobe Bryant's statements to investigators after the basketball player was accused of rape last summer should be kept secret because it is not certain they will be used in his trial.


Cink gets drop on soggy NEC field Free from the burden of trying to make the Ryder Cup team, Stewart Cink looked at ease yesterday at the NEC Invitational in Akron, Ohio. The marathon day ended with his name atop the leaderboard.


Defeat for GB canoeists British canoeists Nick Smith and Stuart Bowman are out of the men's C2 doubles.


Upbeat De Bruijn Fastest in 50 Freestyle Heats  ATHENS (Reuters) - Inge de Bruijn, two of her three Olympic  titles already lost, showed her determination to cling on to  the last when she posted the fastest time in the 50 meters  freestyle heats in Athens on Friday.


Phelps on Track for Sixth Gold  ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps, one more Olympic title  to the good, aims to hoist his gold medal tally to five when he  takes on fellow American Ian Crocker in the 100 meters  butterfly final on Friday.


Late Bogies Hurt Woods at Rainy NEC Invitational  AKRON, Ohio, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Tiger Woods returned to  form at one of his favorite venues before a pair of dropped  shots cost him a share of the lead at the weather-affected  WGC-NEC Invitational on Thursday.


AL Wrap: Paul, Guerrero, Erstad Homers Guide Angels  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Josh Paul, Vladimir Guerrero and Darin  Erstad hit multi-run homers to lead the Anaheim Angels to a  10-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St Petersburg on  Thursday.


Job Cuts Rise Further in Nov. - Report  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Planned job cuts at U.S. firms climbed  during November, a report said on Tuesday, in a further sign of  sluggishness in the labor market.


Sheppard makes semi-finals Britain's Alison Sheppard coasts into the women's 50m freestyle semi-finals.


Productivity Growth Slows; Store Sales Dip  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. business productivity grew more  slowly in the third quarter than first thought, a government  report showed on Tuesday, while chain store sales fell in the  crucial shopping week after Thanksgiving.


U.S. Warplanes Bomb Iraq's Falluja Again (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. warplanes attacked targets\in Iraq's Sunni Muslim city of Falluja for a second time on\Friday, witnesses said.


European diplomats ask to meet detained activists in Maldives (AFP) AFP - European nations have requested the Maldives authorities to give them access to activists detained after last week's pro-democracy demonstrations, diplomatic sources said.


Kerry defends Vietnam record, challenges Bush (AFP) AFP - Democratic Senator John Kerry accused President George W. Bush of using a front group to do the "dirty work" of attacking his Vietnam War record.


'Soft Money' Groups Face New Ground Rules (AP) AP - Interest groups spending big donations on ads and voter outreach in the presidential race will face new limits after the fall election under rules approved by federal regulators. Campaign watchdogs criticized them as too little, too late.


N.Korea Says U.S.-S.Korea War Games Undermine Talks  SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Friday annual war  games staged by the United States and South Korea were  undermining six-party nuclear talks and forcing it to raise the  "quality and quantity" of its own military deterrent.


Oil Swamps Stocks, Supports Bond Prices  LONDON (Reuters) - European stocks slipped and the dollar  softened on Friday as the rise in crude oil prices toward \$50 a  barrel raised the prospect of slower economic growth, which  supported bond prices.


Oil Near \$49 as Iraq Violence Escalates  LONDON (Reuters) - Global oil prices raced to fresh highs  on Friday carrying U.S. crude close to \$49 a barrel, driven by  escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from  China and India.


Oil Near \$49 as Iraq Violence Escalates LONDON (Reuters) - Global oil prices raced to fresh highs on Friday carrying US crude close to \$49 a barrel, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from China and India.


Qantas slaps new fuel surcharge on fares SYDNEY (Reuters) - Qantas Airways, Australia #39;s biggest airline, says it will raise ticket prices for the second time in three months to help tackle rising fuel costs, just a day after posting a record annual profit.


File-sharers win court case TWO FILE SHARING companies have been told by a court that they are not liable for people in their networks swapping illegal content.


Nikkei Ends Down, Oil Worries Weigh TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks ended slightly lower on Friday as worries about record-high oil prices took the edge off investors #39; appetite for recently battered technology issues such as Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd.


Texaco to appeal Sunburst ruling ChevronTexaco, ordered to pay more than \$41 million to more than 75 Sunburst residents who filed a pollution-liability suit, will file a motion for a new trial in the next month, a company spokesman said.


Apple #39;s flaming batteries recalled MUCH LOVED music firm Apple has had to recall more than 28,000 rechargeable batteries that it jacks into its aluminium 15-inch PowerBook G4 because they may overheat.


Oracle has patch day DATABASE COMPANY Oracle is trying to liven up the sleepy and dull database industry by having a patch day.


Reversal of fortune: Upon review, go ATHENS - Aaron Peirsol was reminded last night of a lesson he probably learned as a child: It doesn #39;t pay to make the umpire angry.


Deakes wins bronze in 20km walk Australian walker Nathan Deakes has won the Olympic bronze medal in the 20 kilometre walk, Australia #39;s first walking medal in almost half a century.


Davenport advances in Cincinnati Mason, OH (Sports Network) - Lindsay Davenport shook off a sluggish start to rally for a three-set victory over unheralded Lilia Osterloh at the inaugural Western  amp;amp;amp; Southern Financial Group Women #39;s Open.


Bengals brace for old teammate Dillon FOXBORO, Mass.  New England Patriots running back Corey Dillon darted up the middle, bounced off one tackler, then made it a point to crash into two more defenders. It hardly mattered to Dillon that this training camp session ...


Sadr Militia in Contacts to Hand Over Najaf Shrine NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Top aides of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr prepared to hand over control of a holy shrine at the center of a crisis in Najaf on Friday to representatives of Iraq #39;s top ayatollah, a Sadr spokesman said.


Peacekeepers in S. Ossetia will disarm militia TSKHINVALI. Aug 20 (Interfax) - Russian peacekeepers deployed in South Ossetia plan to collect weapons from militia units in Ossetian and Georgian villages in the self-proclaimed republic.


Bomb Blasts Rock Kathmandu Nepal #39;s Maoist rebels opened fire and set off bombs at a government office in Kathmandu Friday, the third day of a blockade of the capital by Maoist rebels.


'Deal nearer' in BA strike talks Talks to avoid a crippling strike at British Airways are set to resume on Friday with unions and the airline "hopeful" of reaching a deal.


MForma buys FingerTwitch (TheDeal.com) TheDeal.com - The Kirkland, Wash., cell-phone game maker will use some of its  #36;19 million to buy wireless specialist FingerTwitch Inc.


Kazaa owner takes heart from US copyright ruling Sharman Networks, parent company of the peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing software Kazaa, is rejoicing at the US court ruling that found two similar P2P programs, Grokster and Morpheus, do not violate US copyright law. However, the company concedes that the ...


United: Pension end is likely United Airlines said termination and replacement of all of its pension plans  quot;likely will be required quot; for the company to exit bankruptcy and attract financing.


300,000 seek 3,000 dockworker jobs LOS ANGELES  Longshore union and port shipping officials yesterday sifted through 300,000 applications submitted as part of a special lottery for 3,000 lucrative temporary dockworker jobs at the nation #39;s largest port complex.


Apple recalls 28,00 PowerBook batteries due to fire hazard Apple is recalling 28,000 PowerBook batteries after it was discovered that the batteries could overheat, posing a fire hazard.


So you want to be a cybercrook... According to security firm Sophos, the kits allow users to design sites that have the same look and feel as legitimate online banking sites that can then be used to defraud unsuspecting users by getting them to reveal the details of their financial ...


Partisan Feud Deepens Over History Body The ruling and opposition parties on Friday continued to lock horns over the establishment of a committee to explore the truth of the nation #39;s modern history a day after Uri Party leader Shin Ki-nam resigned because of his father #39;s ...


Four Indonesian political parties form National Coalition JAKARTA Aug 19 - Four Indonesian political parties - Golkar, Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP), United Development Party (PPP) and Peace and Prosperity Party (PDS) - declared a national coalition on Thursday in their bid to form a good ...


Clean-up works on Norfolk Broads The Norfolk Broads are on their way to getting a clean bill of ecological  health after a century of stagnation.


A Bridge Suspended in Controversy When an earthquake knocked down a section of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, engineers vowed to make a stronger span. But years later, that plan is still mired in controversy. Part 2 of 2. By Amit Asaravala.


Techies Praised for E-Vote Work At a meeting of technologists developing new standards for e-voting systems, the head of the nation's new elections commission lauds computer scientists for the work they're doing on the nation's behalf. By Kim Zetter.


The War Room Inside the fully immersive proving ground where tomorrow's soldiers are being trained by coalition forces of the Pentagon, Hollywood and Silicon Valley. By Steve Silberman from Wired magazine.


Game Mixes Racing and Role Play In Street Racing Syndicate, a video game scheduled for release at the end of the month, players can test their role-playing mettle in the illegal street-racing scene without the nasty risk of going to jail. A review by Chris Kohler.


Google Stock's Wacky Debut After a false start that makes the search giant's stock appear to soar, the company's IPO on the Nasdaq settles down to a more reasonable price, just north of \$100 per share.


File-sharing systems in legal win A US court has ruled that file-sharing firms are not responsible for what users do with their software.


Talks to resume in BA dispute Talks to avoid a crippling strike at British Airways will resume on Friday  with unions and the airline "hopeful" of reaching a deal.


Asian Stocks: Japan #39;s Topix, Taiwan #39;s Taiex Climbed This Week Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Japan #39;s Topix stock index rose for the first week in three. Retailers such as Ito-Yokado Co. gained after a government report showed service industries expanded more than economists forecast in June, suggesting a pickup in ...


Navistar #39;s profit more than triples Navistar International Corp., the world #39;s fourth-largest truckmaker, said profit in the fiscal third quarter more than tripled as truck sales rose and retirement and medical costs declined.


Chief economist leaving Bank One Diane Swonk, for years one of the most visible executives at Bank One, said Thursday she #39;s resigning as its chief economist as of Sept. 30.


Microsoft SP2 release delayed by security threats within pack In a series of continuing twists, Microsoft has now announced that their Internet release of Service Pack 2 will be delayed in light of serious complaints from current users who have installed it.


Lycoris 1.4 integrates Windows apps support Running Windows applications on a Linux desktop has become a little easier with the release of PowerPak 1.4 by Linux vendor Lycoris. Following a deal with software developer CodeWeavers in June, Window-to-Linux software has been integrated with Lycoris #39; ...


Eolas patent on Web plug-in technology rejected The controversial Eolas Technologies patent looks like it is about to be rescinded by the US Patent Office. The office has confirmed that it has rejected all of the 10 patent claims that it re-examined.


Patterson has golden glow ATHENS - Mary Lou Retton left her phone number for Carly Patterson. Call me, she said, after the Olympic all-around competition.


Brugnetti upsets the field to win 20km walk Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - The first official track event took place this morning and Italy #39;s Ivano Brugnetti won the men #39;s 20km walk at the Summer Olympics in Athens.


Engelsman, Lenton surge to 50m semis Australians Michelle Engelsman and Libby Lenton have both qualified for the women #39;s 50 metres freestyle semi-finals at the Athens Olympics.


Woodgate to Face Stringent Medical Jonathan Woodgate #39;s medical with Real Madrid is by no means a formality, despite the confidence of Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd.


Ain #39;t over till it #39;s over MINNEAPOLIS - Gary Sheffield insists George Steinbrenner is the only person who could tell him to rest his ailing left shoulder, but you can be sure that wasn #39;t on The Boss #39; mind last night. Not after Sheffield once again injected life ...


Eli has his moments CHARLOTTE, NC - The Eli Manning Summer School took its first field trip last night, an outing designed to ramp up an educational process that is reaching a critical stage.


US track tries to turn the page ATHENS, Greece -- American Lauryn Williams pours down the track in the 100 meters, going faster and faster, smoothly pulling away from the pack, leg muscles bulging, arm muscles straining. She smiles while crossing the finish line, arms in the air. She ...


Yanks, Rangers have second thoughts on Loaiza MINNEAPOLIS - The Yankees have held discussions with the Texas Rangers about trading Esteban Loaiza for prospects, but both sides have reservations.


Garland, Sox can #39;t tame Tigers The White Sox are sending for pitching help, only the call isn #39;t going out to replace Jon Garland in the rotation -- not yet, anyway.


German Press Review: Dilemmas for Sharon and Scientists The difficulties faced by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon shared editorial space with the debate surrounding human cloning in the German press Friday.


Nepal rebels attack blockaded capital Maoist rebels have opened fire on the security forces and bombed a government building in the heart of Kathmandu amidst a blockade they have enforced on the Nepalese capital.


Pakistan #39;s PM-designate declared winner in two by-elections ISLAMABAD : Pakistan formally declared Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz the winner of two by-elections held to clear his path to the prime ministership.


Iraq's Sadr Prepares to Hand Over Najaf Shrine (Reuters) Reuters - A radical cleric prepared to hand\control of a shrine at the heart of a Shi'ite uprising in Iraq\to religious authorities on Friday, but still rejected demands\by the interim prime minister to disband his militia.


Iraq Abductors Vow to Free U.S. Journalist (AP) AP - A top aide to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who appealed to kidnappers to free a Western journalist, said Friday they had promised to release him. The pan-Arab television station Al-Jazeera reported Thursday that a militant group calling itself the Martyrs Brigade had abducted New York journalist Micah Garen and threatened to kill him within 48 hours unless U.S. pulled out of the wear-shattered city of Najaf.


Tokyo Stock Index Ends Lower, Dollar Down (AP) AP - Tokyo's main stock index ended lower Friday amid profit-taking of technology issues and concerns about soaring oil prices. The U.S. dollar was down against the Japanese yen.


Iraq's Sadr Prepares to Hand Over Najaf Shrine  NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - A radical cleric prepared to hand  control of a shrine at the heart of a Shi'ite uprising in Iraq  to religious authorities on Friday, but still rejected demands  by the interim prime minister to disband his militia.


Typhoon Megi Slams North Japan, Death Toll Hits 13  TOKYO (Reuters) - Typhoon Megi killed one person as it  slammed ashore in northern Japan on Friday, bringing the death  toll to at least 13 and cutting power to thousands of homes  before heading out into the Pacific.


Pakistan holds al-Qaeda suspects Police in the Pakistani city of Peshawar say they have arrested two foreign al-Qaeda suspects.


Death and Sorrow Stalk Sudanese Across Border Hundreds of new refugees from Sudan have poured into overwhelmed camps in Chad. This latest influx is an alarming barometer of the violence inside Darfur.


Al-Sadr Tells Militia to Turn Over Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Sporadic gunfire echoed through Najaf on Friday after a night of heavy U.S. bombing that saw radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr call on his fighters to hand control of a revered Najaf shrine to top Shiite religious authorities...


Kerry Takes Job Creation Message to N.C. CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry came to the heart of a conservative state hit hard by job losses over the past four years to tout his plan for curbing the export of jobs by cutting corporate taxes and enforcing trade agreements...


Argentina's Women Sail Into Hockey Semi-Finals  ATHENS (Reuters) - Top-ranked Argentina booked their berth  in the women's hockey semi-finals at the Athens Olympics on  Friday but defending champions Australia now face an obstacle  course to qualify for the medal matches.


Now free, Jenkins arrives to live on Japanese island with family US deserter and former Army Sgt. Charles Jenkins arrived Tuesday on a remote Japanese island, where he said he hoped to  quot;live my remaining days with my wife and children.


North Korea Urges Refugees to Return to 'Warm Home' (Reuters) Reuters - North Korea appealed to refugees who have\sought asylum in the South to return to the impoverished state,\avoiding for once labeling them "human scum" and saying a warm\home awaits them.


Kidnappers Set to Free US Journalist A top aide to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said today that kidnappers who abducted and threatened to kill a US journalist had promised to set him free.


Russian textbooks omit Soviets #146; dark chapters MOSCOW -- If you can judge a book by its cover, then the  quot;History of Russia and the World in the 20th Century quot; tells students that the Soviet past was all pride and glory: Three of four cover photos invoke Soviet propaganda.


Sharon and Arafat defy supporters  JERUSALEM -- Embattled leaders Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat rebuffed demands from their backers yesterday, holding steadfast to positions posing great political risk: Sharon insisted he will press on with efforts to pull out of Gaza despite a stinging rebuke from his party, while Arafat refused to sign reform legislation.


Pakistan hunts for key Al Qaeda figure  ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistani security forces are hunting a Libyan Al Qaeda leader whom senior intelligence officials see as a possible key to finding Osama bin Laden and others in the terrorist network's inner circle.


At ancient site, a very modern debate -- over traffic SALISBURY, England -- Whoever built Stonehenge, the 5,000-year-old circle of megaliths that towers over green fields in southern England and lures a million visitors a year, could not have planned for the automobile.


Doctors involved in abuse at Abu Ghraib, report  LONDON -- Doctors working for the US military in Iraq collaborated with interrogators in the abuse of detainees at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, profoundly breaching medical ethics and human rights, a bioethicist charges in The Lancet medical journal.


UN marks year since deadly bombing of Iraq headquarters  GENEVA -- The bombing that wrecked UN offices in Baghdad and killed 22 colleagues a year ago was agony for the United Nations, but terrorist threats won't deter it from helping the victims of conflict, Secretary General Kofi Annan said yesterday at a memorial.


North Korea Urges Refugees to Return to 'Warm Home'  SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea appealed to refugees who have  sought asylum in the South to return to the impoverished state,  avoiding for once labeling them "human scum" and saying a warm  home awaits them.


Sadr's aides urge militants to free kidnapped journalist BAGHDAD -- Top aides to firebrand Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on kidnappers yesterday to free a Western journalist they are threatening to kill unless US forces withdraw from the holy city of Najaf.


Media companies lose file-sharing case SAN FRANCISCO Grokster and StreamCast Networks are not liable for the swapping of copyright content like movies and music through their file-sharing software, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday, in a blow to film studios and record labels.


24-hour push for NI powersharing Talks to revive powersharing in Northern Ireland have entered a final 24-hour push as Britain and Ireland prepared to publish their painstakingly negotiated peace plans.


Apple recalls 28,000 overheating PowerBook batteries Apple is recalling about 28,000 batteries that shipped this year in its PowerBook G4 portable computers.


Failure in demand causes LCD sales slump IT #39;S OFFICIAL. People didn #39;t flock to buy LCD units in the second quarter which is disappointing news for manufacturers, which are now awash with the fancy thin film transistor glass.


Hochschorner brothers win C2 gold Pavol and Peter Hochschorner took the gold medal once again in pairs canoe slalom Friday, winning by more than 3 seconds.


Greek Police Hand Kenteris Crash Report to Prosecutor  ATHENS (Reuters) - Traffic police have handed their report  to Athens prosecutors on the motorcycle crash reported by  disgraced Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou,  a police source said on Friday.


Brit relay teams go through Britain's men's and women's relay teams qualify for their  4x100m medley finals.


Colombian Charged in Fla. With Buying Guns (AP) AP - A Colombian arms broker was charged with trying to buy  #36;4 million in grenade launchers, machine guns, other high-powered weapons and munitions for a leftist rebel group and promising 2 tons of cocaine as partial payment.


WHO and FAO kept in dark on bird flu virus found in pigs in China (AFP) AFP - UN health and agriculture officials in China said they were not informed by the government of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus being found in pigs, the first such discovery in the world.


30,000 More Sudanese Threaten to Cross to Chad -UN  GENEVA (Reuters) - Some 30,000 Sudanese, victims of fresh  attacks by Arab militia inside Darfur, have threatened to cross  into Chad, the U.N. refugee agency warned on Friday.


Jackson's Lavish Lifestyle Put on Display SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Michael Jackson's elegant home with its lavish playground for children was placed on display in a courtroom as defense attorneys showed a judge videotapes of a raid last year on the pop star's Neverland estate...


Nichols Won't Appeal State Convictions PONCA CITY, Okla. - Deciding at the last possible moment not to appeal his conviction, Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols brought his case to a final close, saying he hoped it would begin a "long-awaited healing process."   For Nichols, it means a life in prison with no further recourse...


Terror List Snag Nearly Grounds a Kennedy WASHINGTON - A top Homeland Security official has apologized to Sen. Edward M...


Sheffield, Yanks Rally for Win Over Twins The New York Yankees wasted a six-run lead and were about to get swept by the Minnesota Twins until Gary Sheffield saved them - just as he has so often this season. Sheffield homered twice and keyed a four-run rally in the ninth inning Thursday night, sending the Yankees to a seesaw, 13-10 victory in Minnesota...


Al-Sadr Aide: We Will Surrender Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Followers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Friday they were preparing to hand control of the revered Imam Ali Shrine to top Shiite religious authorities in a bid to end a two-week-old uprising in the holy city of Najaf.    Al-Sadr aide Ahmed al-Shaibany said he was on his way to the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric, to offer to present officials there with keys to the shrine...


Steroid scandal will be given lip service Do you assume this raging scandal will be enough to overhaul Major League Baseball #39;s laughable drug policy? If so, you must think Bill Clinton didn #39;t have sex with that woman.


Legal peer-to-peer services: Gimmick or Genius? Few in the tech world need an introduction to Napster #39;s founder, the college dropout whose revolutionary file-swapping technology shook the foundations of the \$11bn record industry.


Stocks to Open Lower on Oil Concerns NEW YORK - U.S. stocks are seen slightly lower at the open Friday as oil's latest push into record territory continues to unnerve investors...


Congo Pulls Diplomats Out of Burundi (Reuters) Reuters - The Democratic Republic of Congo has\pulled all of its diplomats out of neighboring Burundi\following the slaughter of Congolese Tutsi refugees there last\week, its foreign minister said on Friday.


Stocks to Watch on Aug. 20 (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks to watch: GOOGLE INC.\(GOOG.O) Google shares jumped 18 percent in their long-awaited\stock market debut on Thursday after a scaled-down  #36;1.67\billion IPO marked by missteps and lackluster market\conditions. The stock closed at  #36;100.34.


'Mean Creek': A familiar flow (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - This tiny shot-on-video downer hits theaters at the same time as a more deluxe home version of Martin Scorsese's career-making melodrama Mean Streets comes to DVD. The timing is probably coincidence, because Creek's anti-urban setting (largely a boat in rocky waters) has far more in common with several other well-known movies, which is part of its problem.


China Mobile Suspends Chinadotcom Mobile Services (Reuters) Reuters - Chinadotcom (CHINA.O) said on Friday\that its Go2joy mobile messaging unit has been sanctioned by\China Mobile (CHL.N), as part of a broad crackdown on\aggressive marketing by it and 21 other companies.


Stocks May Fall at Open, Oil Weighs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks are seen falling for a  second-straight day on Friday on concerns the economy and  corporate profits will slow after crude futures touched another  record in overnight trading.


Oil at New High Over \$49  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices raced to fresh highs on  Friday, carrying U.S. crude over \$49 a barrel, driven by  escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from  China and India.


Stocks to Watch on Aug. 20  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks to watch: GOOGLE INC.  GOOG.O Google shares jumped 18 percent in their long-awaited  stock market debut on Thursday after a scaled-down \$1.67  billion IPO marked by missteps and lackluster market  conditions. The stock closed at \$100.34.


Congo Pulls Diplomats Out of Burundi  KINSHASA (Reuters) - The Democratic Republic of Congo has  pulled all of its diplomats out of neighboring Burundi  following the slaughter of Congolese Tutsi refugees there last  week, its foreign minister said on Friday.


Brugnetti Strides to First Gold in 20km Walk  ATHENS (Reuters) - Italian Ivano Brugnetti strode to  victory in the first athletics final of the Athens Olympics on  Friday with a commanding performance in the men's 20km walk.


Bankruptcy Survivable, US Airways CEO Says  A "frustrated" chief executive of US Airways Group Inc. told employees yesterday that despite recent assertions from the airline's chairman, the carrier could survive a second bankruptcy filing -- but only with revised labor agreements.


Developing countries invest abroad Developing countries are starting to flex their financial muscles and invest overseas.


Union sets Eurostar strike date Eurostar workers will stage a 24-hour walk-out over a pay dispute on August 28, their union announces.


India orders Olympic dope probe Sports Minister Sunil Dutt says action will be taken after two weightlifters fail a drugs test at the Athens Olympics.


Lewis drops off pace Denise Lewis makes a stuttering start to the heptathlon, as fellow Briton Kelly Sotherton storms into second place.


China Mobile Suspends Chinadotcom Mobile Services  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chinadotcom CHINA.O said on Friday  that its Go2joy mobile messaging unit has been sanctioned by  China Mobile CHL.N, as part of a broad crackdown on  aggressive marketing by it and 21 other companies.


Have Blood, Will Travel The radiation astronauts encounter in deep space could put vital blood-making cells in jeopardy.


Two rebel infiltrators killed, separatists detained in Kashmir (AFP) AFP - Indian troops shot dead two rebels who had infiltrated into Indian Kashmir from the Pakistan-controlled zone, while two separatists and nine other people were detained in the region, officials said.


Stumbling over SP2 CNET News.com's Mike Ricciuti says Microsoft has no choice but to get the Windows XP update on solid footing--and soon.


McDonald's serves up film blitz McDonald's takes out ads in the UK to say a film about its food is "slick" and "well-made" - but unrealistic.


Google Closes Over \$100 After IPO Google Inc #39;s first day as a public company was branded a success by many yesterday. While shares failed to reach the \$135 heights anticipated over recent weeks, the IPO price of \$85 per share was boosted to over \$100 by the end of the day.


Nortel #39;s new chief gets down to business William Owens, the new chief executive of Nortel Networks Corp., is putting his personal stamp on the organization.


Auto-body chain settles fraud suit An auto-body repair chain with several locations in San Diego County agreed yesterday to pay \$5.8 million to settle a consumer fraud lawsuit alleging that it charged customers for work it never performed.


Kerry Takes Job Creation Message to NC CHARLOTTE, NC Aug. 20, 2004  Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry came to the heart of a conservative state hit hard by job losses over the past four years to tout his plan for curbing the export of jobs by cutting corporate taxes and enforcing ...


PUC delays decision to shift power costs here San Diego Gas  amp; Electric Co. customers won a reprieve yesterday when the state utilities commission delayed a decision that could shift \$1 billion in crisis-related power costs to local consumers and cause a major rate increase.


'Final Call' for Rebel Iraqi Cleric Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr rejected one of the government's two key demands, increasing the prospect of an intensified military attack against his militia.


Stumbling over SP2 People have Bill Gates all wrong. He doesn #39;t want to rule the world (or at least the computerized portion of it). And although he may secretly hope that all Linux source code spontaneously combusts, that isn #39;t his biggest wish.


Hollywood stunt pilots hope to snag a falling NASA craft PASADENA  To snag a spacecraft as it plummets to Earth after a three-year mission to collect bits of the sun, NASA has turned to Hollywood stunt pilots.


Global LCD Oversupply to Peak -Report SEOUL (Reuters) - Excess supplies of large liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are forecast to peak in the third quarter of this year, but will balance out by the fourth, a US research firm said on Friday.


Survey Notes Rise in US Broadband Users The number of Americans who get on the Internet via high-speed lines has now equaled the number using dial-up connections.


Napster Jumps on Chart Bandwagon Napster will be launching its own downloaded music chart on Virgin Radio at 7pm on August 29th. The chart will be compiled from the top 20 most popular tracks bought each week from Napster UK service. The chart will also include tracks that have been ...


Lindows halts stock release Linux supplier Lindows has announced it has called a halt to the initial public offering of its common stock after filing for registration in April.


DIY phishing kits found on the internet Do-it-yourself phishing kits are being made available for download free of charge from the internet, security watchers have warned.


EA game  #39;Madden #39; tops 1.3 million first week  quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts #39; pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said Thursday, citing internal figures.


Pool of utter mix-ups Athens -- Thursday night at the pool featured a disqualification, then a reversal of the disqualification, then protests of the reversal of the disqualification. Not to mention some nationalistic innuendo, a judge with a language barrier he couldn #39;t ...


US gymnast shines ATHENS, Greece -- In the biggest competition of her young life, Carly Patterson made a four-inch balance beam look as wide as a sidewalk. And she danced, leapt and tumbled her way across it Thursday to become only the second American to win ...


Brugnetti Strides to First Gold in 20km Walk ATHENS (Reuters) - Italian Ivano Brugnetti strode to victory in the first athletics final of the Athens Olympics on Friday with a commanding performance in the men #39;s 20km walk.


Have your say John Robertson today spoke of his pride at seeing son Nathan scoop an Olympic silver medal and insisted:  quot;We are definitely celebrating, rather than commiserating. quot; ...


IOA sets up committee to probe dope scandal Athens, Aug 20. (PTI):In a belated damage-control exercise, the Indian Olympic Association today announced setting up of a Committee to probe into the Olympic Games doping scandal and suggest stringent measures to curb the menace.


FACTBOX-Jonathan Woodgate factbox MADRID, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Factbox on England defender Jonathan Woodgate who will sign for Real Madrid on Saturday after passing a medical on Friday.


British canoe pair lose out ATHENS (Reuters) - Slovakian twins Peter and Pavol Hochschorner have paddled to a stunning victory in the men #39;s two man canoe to retain the title they won in Sydney.


World News  gt; Indians unfazed by Kathmandu blockade - but panic in India: Kanaiyalal Jiwanlal, a businessman from Valsad in Gujarat, has seen sectarian violence and a killer earthquake devastate parts of the western Indian state. Compared to such upheavals, the blockade of Kathmandu, called by Maoists, holds no terror for him.


Militants reportedly promise to free kidnapped Western journalist Garen BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) A top aide to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who appealed to kidnappers to free a Western journalist, said Friday they had promised to release him.


Israel given double warning over impact of West Bank policies JERUSALEM : The Israeli government was given a double warning over its policies in the West Bank as its top legal officer said it faced a real threat of sanctions over its controversial separation barrier and the United States condemned the latest ...


Tropical storm death toll hits 13 TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Tropical storm Megi swept over northern Japan on Friday, knocking over a street sign that killed one man, cutting off electricity to 123,000 homes and dumping heavy rains, officials said.


Pakistan prime minister-designate declared official victor in by-elections ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan #39;s election commission on Friday officially declared Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz victor in two by-elections, paving the way for him to become the next prime minister.


13 injured in plant fire in Japan TOKYO, Aug. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- Fire broke out Friday at a tire plant belonging to Bridgestone Corp. in Amagi, western Fukuoka Prefecture of Japan, leaving 13 people injured.


Twenty-Five Hurt as Azores Plane Avoids Collision (Reuters) Reuters - Twenty-five TAP-Air Portugal passengers\and crew were slightly injured when the plane made a hasty\maneuver to avoid a mid-air collision just before landing on an\island in The Azores on Friday, TAP said.


General Growth Properties to Buy Rouse  NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Growth Properties Inc.  GGP.N, the No. 2 U.S. shopping mall owner, on Friday said it  would buy Rouse Co. RSE.N for \$7.2 billion, expanding its  holdings of regional shopping centers and commercial property.


UAPB Gets  #36;2.5M Science Grant From NSF (AP) AP - The National Science Foundation has awarded a  #36;2.5 million grant to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to steer minority students into the sciences, math and technology.


Study: Development Endangers Coastal Bays (AP) AP - Maryland's coastal bays support a wide range of aquatic life but are threatened by intense development pressures, according to the first comprehensive study of the chain of shallow bays that separate Ocean City and Assateague Island from the mainland.


Oracle moves to monthly patching schedule Weeks after coming under criticism for sitting on patches for multiple holes in its database software, Oracle Corp. has announced that it is moving to a monthly patch release schedule.


Cherry to launch keyboard for Linux users Linux users in German-speaking countries and the U.K. will have an opportunity to buy keyboards specially designed for the open source operating system in late September, when Cherry GmbH launches what the company claims is the world's first Linux keyboard.


Virtual veins give nurses a hand \A virtual reality hand, complete with vital veins, that "feels" could help trainee nurses practise their jabs.


Bill Clinton Helps Launch Search Engine Former United States President Bill Clinton speaks at the conclusion of a forum titled New Thinking on Energy Policy: Meeting the Challenges of Security, Development, and Climate Change, at New York University in New York, Monday, Dec. 6, 2004.


General Growth Properties to Buy Rouse (Reuters) Reuters - General Growth Properties Inc.\(GGP.N), the No. 2 U.S. shopping mall owner, on Friday said it\would buy Rouse Co. (RSE.N) for  #36;7.2 billion, expanding its\holdings of regional shopping centers and commercial property.


Police Investigate Sex Play (Reuters) Reuters - German police are investigating a\Spanish theater troupe under obscenity laws after displays of\graphic sex and bestiality in a controversial play called\"XXX," authorities said on Friday.