Dodgers win wild one; San Francisco, Chicago and Houston in <b>...</b> Milton Bradley threw a tantrum -- and a bottle -- all before the Los Angeles Dodgers strengthened their hold on the NL West lead with a wild victory.


N Koreans storm Beijing mission About 40 people, thought to be North Koreans, are reported to have stormed the Canadian Embassy in Beijing in an apparent attempt to win asylum.


Indonesian police say Jakarta embassy bomber identified by DNA Indonesian police say DNA tests have successfully identified a suicide bomber involved in a deadly attack this month on the Australian embassy in the capital, Jakarta.


Taliban Attack Afghan Government Office 29 September 2004 -- Afghan police said Taliban militants attacked an Afghan government office early this morning and launched a gun battle that left four attackers and three Afghan troops dead.


Putin promises 2bn dollars to subsidize medicines under Russian <b>...</b> Russia is to allocate 2bn dollars to reduce prices of medicines within the framework of the implementation of the monetary benefits programme, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with representatives of India #39;s business circles in


China seeks to strengthen cooperation links with Zimbabwe China has reiterated its support forthe government of Zimbabwe #39;s President Robert Mugabe by dispatching a high level official to attend the national conference of Mugabe #39;s ruling party.


Hungarian Referendums Fails 6 December 2004 -- Preliminary official results show that voters failed to approve a referendum on whether to give ethnic Hungarians living outside the country the right to become Hungarian citizens.


Oil prices ease on hopes of Nigeria breakthrough LONDON : Oil prices fell slightly in opening deals on hopes of an easing of tensions in Nigeria #39;s key oil producing region, traders said.


Conoco Wins \$2 Billion LUKOIL Stake ConocoPhillips said on Wednesday it was seeking 20 percent in Russia #39;s LUKOIL in a far-reaching alliance opening the way for the two oil majors to tap vast reserves in northern Russia and Iraq.


Motorola realigns mission Motorola Inc. Tuesday sliced about 1,000 jobs at its Schaumburg headquarters, Deer Park and elsewhere while posting hundreds of new jobs to strengthen its mission to produce seamless mobility products.


Cendant offers \$1bn for Orbitz Travel company Cendant, the owner of Avis and Budget car hire firms, is in advanced talks to buy travel website Orbitz for \$1bn. Orbitz was started by five US airlines in 2000 and floated on Nasdaq for \$300m in December 2003.


IBM says its superfast supercomputer is No. 1 Technology giant IBM will announce today that it has built the world #39;s most powerful supercomputer, surpassing the performance of a machine in Yokohama, Japan.


PalmSource unveils Cobalt OS PalmSource finally unveiled its new OS, version 1.1 of Palm OS Cobalt, as  quot;the first PalmOS designed specifically to support phones quot;.


AMD 2500 Socket A CPUs Compared SuperPuppy writes  quot;Hardcoreware.net has rounded up three 2500 Socket A processors from AMD. An AthlonXP, based on the Barton core (this particular one predates the locked multipliers we #39;ve been seeing lately


United boss praises Rooney debut Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has said that Wayne Rooney #39;s first game for the club was as good as any debut he has ever seen.


Error margin remains small for Cowboys They made five sacks and got strong play from a rookie cornerback forced into action when a starter was hurt. Several big pass plays were made, the kickoffs were good, and the punting was solid.


McNair out of hospital, questionable for Sunday Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair was released from the hospital Tuesday morning after a two-night stay with a bruised sternum. McNair was injured late in the Titans #39; 15-12 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday.


Ransom Payments Seen Fueling Iraq's Hostage Crisis (Reuters) Reuters - The release of two Italian aid workers\in Iraq has raised hopes other hostages may soon be freed, but\reports that a large ransom was paid may only feed the\burgeoning hostage crisis.


Bigley looks set to be freed in Iraq (AFP) AFP - The kidnappers of Briton Ken Bigley in Iraq have posted a message suggesting they will free him, his brother said in a television interview.


Forty-four North Koreans storm Canadian embassy in Beijing (AFP) AFP - Forty-four North Korean men, women and children scaled the walls of the Canadian embassy in Beijing in a likely bid for political asylum, an embassy spokesman said.


Ransom Payments Seen Fueling Iraq's Hostage Crisis  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The release of two Italian aid workers  in Iraq has raised hopes other hostages may soon be freed, but  reports that a large ransom was paid may only feed the  burgeoning hostage crisis.


Passenger attacks pilots with axe A man is arrested after attacking two pilots and a passenger with an axe on an internal flight in Norway.


Tourists freed in Peru coca siege Police in Peru storm an ancient Inca temple to free foreign 19 tourists taken hostage by coca growers.


Microsoft and Amazon join forces against scammers Amazon and Microsoft have joined forces to launch a legal crackdown on alleged phishers and spammers. The companies have filed a joint federal lawsuit against a Canadian company, Gold Disk Canada, accusing it of spoofing.


Stocks Cautious Amid High Oil Prices NEW YORK Sept. 29, 2004 - US stocks are seen in a cautious mood at the open as investors take on board a persistently high oil price and reflect on Tuesday #39;s poor consumer confidence reading.


Conoco, Lukoil form alliance US oil major pays nearly \$2B for 7.6 of Russian firm, partnership eyes projects in Russia, Iraq. MOSCOW (Reuters) - US oil major ConocoPhillips and Russia #39;s Lukoil announced Wednesday they would form a strategic


Q amp;A: Why UK radio groups want to merge The agreed merger between two of the UK #39;s biggest commercial radio groups, Capital Radio and GWR, signals an era of change in the radio industry.


Microsoft blames spammers for Hotmail charges In a move which Microsoft claims will help fight spammers, MSN Hotmail users are facing charges if they want to access the email service via the Outlook email client.


Buying Viagra over the Internet could give you a heart attack! Doctors are warning people not to buy the anti-impotency drug, Viagra, over the internet, because they have found conclusive evidence that it is usually fake and could lead to a number of side effects, including a heart attack.


Aussies ready for Sachin On Wednesday morning Sachin Tendulkar was at the Brabourne stadium, to egg on his Mumbai teammates. Not only did he have a chat with the Mumbai captain and coach and see the practice session through, but also


Spears, Stosur Advance in Korea Open (AP) AP - American Abigail Spears advanced to the quarterfinals of the Korea Open on Wednesday with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 win over second-seeded Shinobu Asagoe of Japan.


Fuel Rods Turned into Weapons, North Claims North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su-hon, currently attending the UN general assemblys annual ministerial meeting, disclosed on Monday that the North has reprocessed 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods into weapons-grade.


Relief for Euro Disney; Challenges Loom (Reuters) Reuters - Euro Disney shares leapt on Wednesday\after the French theme park operator clinched a long-awaited\deal to restructure its debt, but analysts say big challenges\loom for Chairman Andre Lacroix.


Mortgage Applications Rise Last Week -MBA (Reuters) Reuters - New applications for U.S. home loans\rose last week along with mortgage refinancings as 30-year\mortgage rates eased to their lowest levels in six months, an\industry group said on Wednesday.


Relief for Euro Disney; Challenges Loom  PARIS (Reuters) - Euro Disney shares leapt on Wednesday  after the French theme park operator clinched a long-awaited  deal to restructure its debt, but analysts say big challenges  loom for Chairman Andre Lacroix.


Conoco Wins \$2 Billion LUKOIL Stake  MOSCOW (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips said on Wednesday it was  seeking 20 percent of Russia's LUKOIL in a far-reaching  alliance which opens the way for the oil majors to tap vast  reserves in northern Russia and Iraq.


Stocks Seen Steady Ahead of Oil, GDP Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks looked to open little  changed on Wednesday, a day after staging a late rally on heavy  machinery maker Caterpillar Inc.'s CAT.N raised sales  forecast, but high oil prices will remain on investors' minds  ahead of U.S. crude inventories data.


Disney's Iger Says Pixar Deal Unlikely  LONDON (Reuters) - Disney DIS.N President Robert Iger  said on Wednesday that a new deal between the media  conglomerate and Pixar Animation Studios PIXR.O was  "unlikely" and that it had been approached to buy UK media  assets.


Oil prices ease on Nigerian talks Oil prices fall on news of Nigerian peace talks but analysts expect the price to remain close to the \$50 mark.


Computer Associates to Cut Workforce -WSJ  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Computer Associates International Inc.  CA.N will lay off about 5 percent of its work force in an  attempt to cut costs, the Wall Street Journal reported on  Wednesday.


Mortgage lending at 12-month low Mortgage lending slows to its lowest level in a year in August, but credit card spending continues to boom, Bank of England figures show.


Deutsche Post Sees a Big DHL U.S. Loss  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's Deutsche Post AG said  losses at its U.S. express and logistics business will be 200  million euros (\$246.1 million) greater than expected this year,  sending its shares down over 4 percent.


Strike halts Assam tea production A one-day strike by tea workers in India's north-eastern state of Assam brings work in 800 tea gardens to a halt.


World Bank Urges Poor Countries to Improve Investment Climates The World Bank wants the governments of poor countries to do more to improve their investment climates, action it described as central to economic growth and poverty reduction.


Russia, India get Windows XP Starter Edition Russia has now become the fourth country to join Microsoft #39;s Windows XP Starter Edition Pilot Program. The Windows XP Starter Edition Pilot Program was first announced back in August and included Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.


Test of Time In work designed to halt the trade of illegal ivory, Samuel Wasser of the University of Washington and his colleagues have begun collecting elephant DNA from tissue sample and from dung.


Arsenal, Facing Rosenborg in Europe, Loses Gilberto (Update1) Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva will miss the team #39;s second Champions League group game against Norwegian champion Rosenborg on Wednesday with a back injury, ruling him out for at least a month.


Monaco strike early against Depor Mohammed Kallon and Javier Saviola scored a goal each as Monaco beat Deportivo La Coruna 2-0 in Group A of the Champions League. Kallon and Saviola scored inside the first 10 minutes, but there was not to


IRURETA HITS OUT AT REFEREE Deportivo La Coruna coach Javier Irureta was fuming at referee Stefano Farina after his side slipped to a 2-0 defeat in Monaco on Tuesday night.


Blair denies he led Britain to war with false justification Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday denied leading Britain into war on a false prospectus, despite intelligence on the threat posed by Iraq being wrong.


Video Cameras at Movies Would Be Crime (AP) AP - Using video cameras to record films in movie theaters would become a federal crime punishable by up to six years in prison under a bill passed Tuesday by the House.


Web board craigslist makes a name for itself (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Craigslist is a giant Internet bulletin board where people buy and sell their stuff, trade humor and political wisdom, look for dates, seek home repair advice, share their poetry and often just rant. Some call the site a public forum. Others call it a classified market. Many call it an obsession.


Fannie Mae undergoes ex-employee testimony Fannie Mae, the US largest government-ruled mortgage lender, sees the continuation of the investigation on possible accounting violations and possible next weeks testimony of its former employee at a Congressional hearing.


Deutsche Post Sees a Big DHL US Loss Germany #39;s Deutsche Post AG said losses at its US express and logistics business will be 200 million euros (\$246.1 million) greater than expected this year, sending its shares down over 4 percent.


IBM Claims Fastest-Computer Title A US contender appears poised to recapture the supercomputer speed title from the Japanese world champion, Wednesday #39;s Wall Street Journal reported.


UPDATE 1-Euro Disney deal brings relief but challenges loom Euro Disney (EDLP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) shares leapt on Wednesday after the French theme park operator clinched a long-awaited deal to restructure its


House of Fraser losses narrow House of Fraser has posted narrower first-half losses on improved gross margins and announced a new partnership deal with Barclaycard to manage its customer account cards.


Whitehall settles federal investigation for \$13 million CHICAGO Whitehall Jewellers Incorporated has agreed to pay 13 (m) million dollars to settle a lawsuit and a federal investigation into fraud charges.


Computer Associates to Cut Jobs by 5 Pct. (Reuters) Reuters - Software maker Computer Associates\ on Wednesday said it would cut 800 jobs, or 5 percent of\its work force, to pare costs amid stiff competition in\software and services.


IBM supercomputer may be the world's fastest (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - IBM is expected to announce today that it has built a supercomputer that could qualify as the world's fastest machine.


Microsoft unveils Windows XPSE in Hindi The Windows XP Starter Edition (XPSE) is a low-cost, version of Windows XP, meant for emerging markets. NEW DELHI: Microsoft has announced the upcoming release of Windows XP Starter Edition (XPSE), a new version of Windows XP for emerging markets.


Asteroid to Come Closest to Earth Since 12th Century, NASA Says Toutatis, a mountain-sized asteroid, will today come the closest to the Earth since at least the 12th century, giving scientists an opportunity to gather data about it, NASA said on its Web site.


Are Sun and Microsoft forming an unholy alliance? The Internet went all abuzz last week when a report by Todd Bishop of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer posited that Microsoft was keeping open its legal options against licensees of OpenOffice.


MMS to replace texts as mobile money spinner Multimedia messaging service (MMS) is rapidly taking over from short messaging service (SMS), but operators must undertake major infrastructure upgrades to cope with the technology #39;s increased traffic demands or risk alienating customers with poor service


McNair let out of hospital Titans QB Steve McNair was released from a Nashville hospital after a two-night stay for treatment of a bruised sternum. McNair was injured during the fourth quarter of the Titans #39; 15-12 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday.


No sign of revival for struggling Deportivo Bad luck and bad refereeing were the explanations offered by an out-of-form Deportivo Coruna for Tuesday #39;s 2-0 defeat at Monaco in the Champions League.


Around the AL  RHP Pedro Astacio was suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount for intentionally throwing at a batter against the Yankees.


Italian hostages #39; release gives hope to Bigley family The brother of British hostage Kenneth Bigley today said he had been encouraged by the release yesterday of the two Italian aid workers.


Another 1.6 inches of snow dusts valley BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents opened fire on a busload of laborers traveling toward a US military base in Tikrit on Sunday, killing 17 of them and capping a week of violence that left at least 80 Iraqis and 20 US soldiers dead.


Border surveillance plan unveiled The UK government will store electronic records of people entering the UK in effort to tighten border control.


Israel Kills 3 Palestinians in Big Gaza Incursion (Reuters) Reuters - Israeli forces killed three\Palestinians, including two teenagers, on Wednesday after\storming into the northern Gaza Strip for the third time in as\many months to quell Palestinian rocket fire into Israel.


Saudi extra barrels wrong kind of crude LONDON - The worlds oil refiners are unimpressed by Saudi Arabias boost to production capacity that would only swell supplies of sour, high sulphur crude while they hanker for sweet oil.


Computer Associates to Cut Workforce -WSJ Computer Associates International Inc. (CA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will lay off about 5 percent of its work force in an attempt to cut costs, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.


Bank of America Begins Deployment of Cisco VoIP Phones CHARLOTTE - Bank of America is deploying some 180,000 Cisco Internet Protocol-based telephones across its 5,800 branches and enterprise centers in a major deployment of Voice over IP technology from Cisco.


Asteroid (4179) Toutatis to Pass Closely By Earth on Wednesday <b>...</b> Toutatis, a potato-shaped asteroid about 4.6 km (3 miles) in its longest extent, will pass within 1,550,000 km (963,000 miles) of the Earth #39;s center on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - reaching its closest approach at 13:35:28 GMT (06:35:28 PDT).


MLB: Montreal Expos to Relocate to Washington Major League Baseball has decided to relocate the Montreal Expos to Washington, DC The widely expected announcement is to be made later Wednesday, by city officials.


Kallon #39;s fine form continues Mohammed Kallon #39;s fine start to his Monaco career continued on Tuesday when the Sierra Leonean scored his first ever Champions League goal.


Mitsubishi Shareholders Demand Changes (AP) AP - Mitsubishi Motors Corp. shareholders approved a move Wednesday enabling the scandal-plagued Japanese automaker to raise cash through a share offering, but demanded the company clean up its image and improve its product offerings to turn its lagging business around.


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


Shirking the blame? IT had been a long time coming, but Tony Blair has finally conceded that the evidence about Iraqs weapons of mass destruction was wrong, and he has apologised, to an extent.


Tamil Tiger rebel leaders to travel to Europe Tamil Tiger rebel leaders were set to travel to Europe for talks on Sri Lanka #39;s stalled peace process, as fears that the island nation could slide back into war fester, a senior guerrilla official said.


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


Interceptor System Set, But Doubts Remain What the Bush administration had hoped would be a triumphant achievement is clouded by doubts, even within the Pentagon, about whether a missile defense system that is on its way to costing more than \$100 billion will work.


NATO Awards Missile Work To Lockheed An international group led by Lockheed Martin Corp. received a \$3 billion contract yesterday to develop a program that will eventually replace the Patriot missile system.


Defense Department Tests Blimp Pentagon police said the Defense Department is testing a security blimp -- equipped with surveillance cameras. The white blimp has been spotted this morning over the Pentagon and the Capitol building.


Video Cameras at Movies Would Be Crime Using video cameras to record films in movie theaters would become a federal crime punishable by up to six years in prison under a bill passed Tuesday by the House.


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


Pitcairn Women Back Their Men Ahead of Sex Trial  SYDNEY (Reuters) - A group of women on Pitcairn Island in  the South Pacific are standing by their men, who face underage  sex charges, saying having sex at age 12 is a tradition dating  back to 18th century mutineers who settled on the island.


Intel Tops Government List of Best Commuter Benefits
\

 By Tom Doggett

 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Intel, Fannie Mae and Cisco Systems\top the U.S. government's list of FORTUNE 500 companies that\have the best commuting benefits for their employees.


Retooled Varsity Group Set to Return to Nasdaq Shares of Varsity Group Inc., the online bookseller that rose to prominence during the e-commerce boom only to stumble badly, will return to trading on the Nasdaq National Market this morning.


Corvis Will Change Name To Broadwing Corvis Corp. said yesterday it will change its name to Broadwing Corp., a move that reflects the Columbia company's reinvention from a maker of fiber-optic equipment to a provider of telecom services.


Mountain-sized rock passes Earth The giant Toutatis asteroid passes by the Earth on Wednesday at distance of less than 1.6 million km.


Italy 'paid \$1m to free hostages' A senior Italian politician says ransom of \$1m was paid for the release of two hostages held in Iraq.


Bahrain dissolves rights watchdog Bahraini authorities close a non-governmental human rights watchdog whose director has been detained.


Military talks on Kashmir glacier The Indian and Pakistani military are to discuss troop withdrawals from the Siachen glacier, the world's highest battleground, India says.


The Solar System's Deflector Shield is Up A breeze of interstellar helium atoms is blowing through the solar system. Thankfully, we have our shields up! The solar system's deflector shield is a giant magnetic bubble called "the heliosphere." It's part of the sun's magnetic field.


Blair Denies Going to War Erroneously BRIGHTON, England - Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday denied leading Britain into war on a false prospectus, despite intelligence on the threat posed by Iraq being wrong.    In his speech to the Labour Party's annual conference Tuesday, Blair acknowledged that intelligence that Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons was wrong...


Bush Visiting Florida to Survey Damage CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush is eyeing Florida's 27 electoral votes, but after being battered by four hurricanes in six weeks the state's voters are more interested in weather forecasts than the shifting political winds.    Bush was surveying hurricane damage Wednesday in Lake Wales, Fla., a fast-growing swing area in the center of the states, on his way to Miami and a debate against Democratic presidential rival John Kerry the following night...


Clashes Break Out in Heart of Baghdad BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces raided suspected insurgent hideouts in the heart of the capital Wednesday, sparking clashes along a main Baghdad thoroughfare...


1,500 Imperial Oil jobs leaving Toronto Imperial Oil Ltd. says it will shift its head office to Calgary from Toronto, with the move to the Alberta oilpatch affecting 1,500 employees and expected to be completed by next August.


Ready For \$10M Space Try (CBS/AP) SpaceShipOne was set to return to space Wednesday, in nearly a carbon copy of its historic flight in June, when it became the first privately-funded manned vehicle to go into space.


Browns' Winslow Needs Second Operation (AP) AP - Browns rookie tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. needs a second operation on his right leg and will miss the remainder of this season.


North Korean Refugees Seek Asylum in Canadian Embassy A total of 45 North Korean refugees tried to seek asylum in the Canadian Embassy in Beijing on Wednesday, with one person arrested by police and 44 others succeeding, paving the way for their deportation to South Korea.


* Norway seriously concerned over factional killings Sept 29, Colombo: The Norwegian government has expressed serious concern over the political killings in Sri Lanka. Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo Hans Brattskar made this statement when he met SP Tamilselvan


IBM reclaims top supercomputer crown for U.S. For the first time since 2002, Japan's Earth Simulator is not the most powerful supercomputer on the planet.


Computer Associates to Cut Jobs by 5 Pct.  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Software maker Computer Associates  CA.N on Wednesday said it would cut 800 jobs, or 5 percent of  its work force, to pare costs amid stiff competition in  software and services.


Stocks Seen Flat; GDP, Oil Data in Focus  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks looked to open little  changed on Wednesday after staging a late rally in the previous  session, with investors focused on key economic and oil data as  crude drifts near \$50 a barrel.


American Greetings Reverses Year-Ago Loss  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Greeting card maker American Greetings  Corp. AM.N on Wednesday posted a quarterly profit, reversing  a year-earlier loss, as licensing income and lower costs offset  flat sales.


But subsidy would remain until early next year, says Nduom The Minister of Energy, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, has said government policy on the subsidy of ex-pump prices of petroleum products would remain unchanged


World Bank Says Improving Climate for Investments Improves Lives <b>...</b> The World Bank says nearly half the world #39;s population lives on less than \$2 a day. In its annual World Development Report, which draws upon surveys of 30,000 firms in more than 50 developing countries, the


Euro Disney stock rallies on rough rescue ride with creditors Shares in theme park Euro Disney rallied strongly by 9.38 percent in early trading on Wednesday in relief that a roller-coaster ride to obtain creditor backing for rescue refinancing had ended safely.


House of Fraser Seals Barclaycard Deal Department store group House of Fraser was today poised for a 25 million boost from a partnership with Barclaycard to run its store card scheme.


Freescale announces dual-core PowerPC processor While much has been made of efforts by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Intel Corp. to bring dual-core processors to PCs and servers, Freescale Semiconductor Inc.


City official: Expos will move to DC next year Major League Baseball has chosen Washington, DC as the new home of the Montreal Expos, a city official has told The Associated Press.


Israeli Gaza incursion BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip Israeli tanks, armored vehicles and troops have pushed into northern Gaza in a raid aimed at militants who have fired rockets at Israeli towns.


Sri Lanka rebels seek Europe help A delegation of Tamil Tiger rebels has left Sri Lanka for a three week tour of Europe aimed at putting pressure on the government to resume peace talks.


I #39;m not the first bowler to get smashed: Kasprowicz PACEMAN Michael Kasprowicz believes it is a matter of time before some other poor bowler suffers the same extraordinary fate inflicted on him during one disastrous over, which has turned the summer upside down.


Chargers are manufacturing their own luck The rains came, and the Chargers at times acted as if they #39;d never been wet in a bathtub. But they once again managed to miss slipping on the bar of soap, and the parade kept on going through the afternoon into the night.


Opposition asks govt to provide security to Indian team in B #39;desh: India News: New Delhi, Dec 6 : Voicing serious concern over the death threat to members of the Indian Cricket team, Lok Sabha members belonging to the opposition NDA today asked the government to provide fool proof security to the members of the Indian


IBM Claims Its Supercomputer Is World #39;s Fastest The two-year reign of the massive Earth Simulator as the fastest supercomputer in the world appears to be nearing an end. IBM executives on Wednesday will announce that one of the new machines in its Blue


#39;No blandness #39; after radio merger Capital Radio and GWR #39;s merger will not mean any standardisation of programming, the stations insist. With 55 local analogue radio stations, 93 digital stations and a national frequency, the new group will broadcast to 18 million people.


ASML, Carl Zeiss settle patent dispute with Japan #39;s Nikon for 145 <b>...</b> AMSTERDAM (AFX) - ASML Holding NV said it and its lens partner Carl Zeiss SMT have reached a binding settlement in their patent dispute with Nikon Corp whereby they will pay the Japanese company in total 145 mln usd.


Update 1: Neimen Marcus Selling Zeppelin for \$10M What do you get for that special someone who has just about everything? How about a personal zeppelin? The 12-seater could be yours for a mere \$10 million from the 2004 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.


Microsoft Unveils Windows XP for India (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. announced Wednesday that it would offer a low-cost, localized version of its Windows XP operating system in India to tap the large market potential in this country of 1 billion people, most of whom do not speak English.


Mountain-sized rock passes Earth The giant Toutatis asteroid passes by the Earth on Wednesday at distance of less than 1.6 million km. This is roughly four times the distance from the Earth to the Moon and closer than this 4.6km-wide rock has come to us since at least the 12th century.


Fake viagra sold over the web from Malta-British scientists A study carried out by doctors from the University of London showed that 50 percent of the Viagra sold over the Internet was fake.


Microsoft to Release Third Open-Source Project MicrosoftWatch: The Redmond software firm is set to make available more of its code under an open-source license on Tuesday. Microsoft is preparing to release a third piece of code under an open-source license


Court battle over begins over real owner of Bonds #39; 700th home run <b>...</b> SAN FRANCISCO The legal battle over who is the real owner of Barry Bonds #39; 700th home run ball begins this morning in Superior Court.


Dodgers score five runs in ninth for crucial victory LOS ANGELES -- Milton Bradley snapped. Then, aided by the horrendous Colorado Rockies bullpen, the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off perhaps their most improbable victory of the season.


I Steal Your Heritage Paperwork bores me. Usually I don't fill it out. But in jail, you don't have a choice.


U.S. Economic Slowdown Was Less Abrupt (Reuters) Reuters - A slowdown in U.S. economic growth\during the second quarter of the year was not as sharp as\previously thought, the Commerce Department reported on\Wednesday, partly because businesses built up inventories at\the strongest rate in four years.


Economy Grows at 3.3 Percent Rate in 2Q (AP) AP - The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 3.3 percent in the spring, the government reported Wednesday. That was significantly better than a previous estimate but still the weakest showing in more than a year.


Fannie Mae Washington Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein will be online to talk about the investigation into accounting practices at Fannie Mae.


2Q Economic Growth Pegged at 3.3 The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 3.3 percent in the spring, the government reported Wednesday. That was significantly better than a previous estimate but still the weakest showing in more than a year.


Computer Associates Announces Restructuring Computer Associates International Inc. announced a restructuring plan Wednesday that would reduce its work force by 800 people worldwide, saving the business software maker \$70 million annually once the plan is fully implemented.


Pay dispute ends in South Africa South Africa's wage dispute ends after unions representing public sector workers accept a revised government offer.


X-43A Scramjet Primed for Mach 10 NASA -- Riding like the tip of a spear on its modified Pegasus booster rocket, NASA's third X-43A hypersonic scramjet research vehicle took to the skies today for a captive-carry flight, remaining attached to its B-52B mothership aircraft.     Serving as a final in-flight check-out of the research vehicle and booster rocket combination prior to the actual launch and free-flight, the successful mission paves the way for launch day, tentatively scheduled for later this Fall...


Flight Controller Readies Shuttle for First Flip NASA -- A decade in Mission Control for native Texan Steve Walker has seen him help steer the Space Shuttle to historic destinations. Among them were the Russian Mir Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station...


Cabinet Members Promote Healthier Eating Habits By MARYCLAIRE DALE    PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Three U.S. Cabinet secretaries fanned out across the country Tuesday to promote healthier lifestyles, especially among the nation's snack-filled, exercise-starved youth...


Foundation Awards Annual 'Genius Grants' By TARA BURGHART     CHICAGO (AP) -- When Rueben Martinez became a barber in the Los Angeles area, his love of literature inspired him to lend out books for customers. He noticed that few books made their way back to him...


'Greenhouse' Gas Found Rising Over Antarctica BY KOZO MIZOGUCHI    TOKYO (AP) -- A group of Japanese researchers has found that carbon dioxide levels over the Antarctica rose by over 2.6 percent from six years ago - the first such detection of an increase in a "greenhouse" gas above the southern continent, group members said Tuesday.    Many scientists fear carbon dioxide, produced by burning fossil fuels and other industrial processes, may be causing global warming by trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere...


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


Economy grows at 3.3 rate in Q2 The US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.3 in the spring, the government reported Wednesday in the final revision to second-quarter gross domestic product.


Imperial Oil moving HQ to Calgary TORONTO and CALGARY - Imperial Oil Ltd. will pull up its Toronto roots and move its head office to Calgary within the year, ending a long-term commitment to run its oil and gas operations out of Eastern Canada.


Microsoft unveils Windows XP for India Microsoft Corp. announced Wednesday that it would offer a low-cost, localized version of its Windows XP operating system in India to tap the large market potential in this


Large Asteroid Will Make Its Closest Approach to Earth Wednesday  quot;This is the closest Toutatis will come for another 500 years, and its orbit is very well known, quot; said Dr. Don Yeomans of NASA #39;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif.


PalmSource Introduces Cobalt 6.1 for Smartphones PalmSource has introduced Palm OS Cobalt 6.1, an enhanced version of Palm OS Cobalt. Designed to accelerate the development of next-generation Palm Powered smartphones and wireless devices, Palm OS Cobalt


44 Apparent N. Korean Asylum Seekers Enter Canadian Embassy in <b>...</b> Diplomats in Beijing say at least 44 people claiming to be North Koreans have stormed the Canadian embassy in an apparent bid for asylum.


IBM Says Blue Gene Breaks Speed Record By ELLEN SIMON    NEW YORK (AP) -- IBM Corp. claimed unofficial bragging rights Tuesday as owner of the world's fastest supercomputer...


Microsoft Unveils Windows XP Operating System for India By RAJESH MAHAPATRA    NEW DELHI (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) announced Wednesday that it would offer a low-cost, localized version of its Windows XP operating system in India to tap the large market potential in this country of 1 billion people, most of whom do not speak English...


Arsenal faces must-win game against Rosenborg to reach knockout <b>...</b> The Gunners have one more chance to prove they can cut it in Europe. Arsenal needs to beat Norway #39;s Rosenborg at Highbury on Tuesday to guarantee a place in the knockout stage of the Champions League.


British Hostage in Iraq Begs for Release (AP) AP - The Arab news network Al-Jazeera on Wednesday broadcast footage of British hostage Kenneth Bigley pleading to British Prime Minister Tony Blair to work for his release.


John Kerry Explains War Funding Vote (AP) AP - On the eve of a foreign policy debate with President Bush, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said in an interview that his explanation of why he voted in favor of additional funding for the war in Iraq before voting against it was "one of those inarticulate moments" in the campaign.


Families of Iraq War Dead Target Bush in Ads (Reuters) Reuters - Angered by President Bush's policy\in Iraq, a group of military families whose relatives died\there is targeting the president in new television ads to be\aired ahead of the Nov. 2 election.


Typhoon Meari Hits South Japan, Triggers Floods  TOKYO (Reuters) - A record eighth typhoon swept through  southern Japan on Wednesday, killing at least two people,  triggering floods and strong winds that forced the evacuation  of tens of thousands.


Microsoft Set to Ask Judge to Suspend Penalties  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp is ready to ask a judge  on Thursday to suspend penalties imposed on it for violating  antitrust law by using the monopoly of its Windows operating  system to hurt competitors.


World bank urges poor countries to improve investment climates The World Bank wants the governments of poor countries to do more to improve their investment climates, action it described as central to economic growth and poverty reduction.


Cendant to buy Orbitz for \$1.25B Travel and real estate conglomerate Cendant Corp. said Wednesday it will buy travel Web site Orbitz Inc. for about \$1.25 billion, making it the No.


IBM says supercomputer breaks speed record NEW YORK - IBM is claiming unofficial bragging rights as owner of the world #39;s fastest supercomputer. IBM says its still-unfinished  quot;BlueGene System quot; can sustain speeds of 36 teraflops.


US economy grew faster than estimated A slowdown in US economic growth during the second quarter was not as sharp as previously thought, the Commerce Department reported today.


Delta to chop pay 10 percent Workers at struggling Delta Air Lines will see their pay cut by 10 percent, their health care premiums go up and their vacation time trimmed under a cost-saving plan announced Tuesday.


Tuning in to Digital Radio The proposed merger of GWR and Capital comes at a pivotal point for the radio industry as the digital revolution gathers pace. Broadcasters have frequently stated how


Disney president says deal with Pixar unlikely NEW YORK A Walt Disney executive says it #39;s  quot;unlikely quot; the company will strike a new distribution deal with Pixar Animation Studios.


US Air may slash exec payroll US Airways plans to cut its executive payroll by 20 percent, reducing pay and benefits for its 3,000 managers and eliminating positions, said a newspaper report Wednesday.


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


Typhoon Meari Hits South Japan, Triggers Floods A record eighth typhoon swept through southern Japan on Wednesday, killing at least two people, triggering floods and strong winds that forced the evacuation of tens of thousands.


Garang confirms he is not supporting rebelling;Khartoum denies <b>...</b> The Sudanese minister of state for foreign affairs, Najib al- Kheir Abdul Wahab, denied the consent of his government to give self rule to Darfur; noting that it will ask for explanations from the UN Higher Commissioner for Refugees over his statements to


Microsoft brings XP starter software to India The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant on Wednesday announced a year-long pilot program to start shipping the Windows XP Starter Edition to India in early 2005.


Will JpegOfDeath Help Slay Microsoft? A patch has been issued for the JpegOfDeath hole. But so what? No one believes every single user of Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer is going to apply it, and this means the door is wide open for hackers.


Report: Russia to OK Kyoto Ratification (AP) AP - The Russian Cabinet will approve ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, the Interfax news agency reported Wednesday.


Cendant to Buy Orbitz for  #36;1.25 Billion (Reuters) Reuters - Travel and real estate heavyweight\Cendant Corp.  said on Wednesday it will buy travel Web\site Orbitz Inc.  for about  #36;1.25 billion, making it\the No. 2 online travel agency.


Economic Growth Reported Above Forecast  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. economic growth during the  second quarter of the year was stronger than previously  thought, the Commerce Department reported on Wednesday, partly  because businesses built up inventories at the strongest rate  in four years.


Global Markets: Shares Rise, Bonds Fall  LONDON (Reuters) - European stock markets rose, bonds fell  and the dollar gained moderately against the euro after revised  data showed the second quarter slowdown in the U.S. economy was  less abrupt than initially thought.


Agere to Cut 500 Jobs, Book Charges  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Communications chip maker Agere  Systems Inc. AGRa.N on Wednesday said it will cut 500 jobs  and sell or close a plant in Florida that employs 600 people in  order to reduce costs amid slowing sales.


US growth figures revised upwards The US economy grew more quickly than previously thought in the three months to June, official figures suggest.


Private Rocketship Launches Today Michael Melvill, who earned commercial astronaut's wings by piloting SpaceShipOne's history-making flight earlier this year, was selected to fly the first X Prize flight Wednesday.


ConocoPhillips Buys Stake in Lukoil MOSCOW Sept. 29, 2004 - In a deal paving the way for future joint ventures, US oil giant ConocoPhillips on Wednesday won an auction with a bid of nearly \$2 billion for the Russian government #39;s 7.6 percent stake in Russia #39;s Lukoil the world #39;s No.


Crude prices stay above \$50 for second day SINGAPORE -- Oil lingered above the \$50 per barrel threshold in Asian trade today, breaching the mark for the second straight day ahead of key US crude stockpile data.


Regulators Question Fannie Mae Accounting Description: Fannie Mae, the nation #39;s largest source of financing for home mortgages, faces accusations of pervasive accounting problems.


IBM #39;s BlueGene Now World #39;s Fastest Computer 36.01 Teraflops. Yeah, that #39;ll just about do it. What  quot;it quot; is, I don #39;t know, but I #39;m sure the well dressed geeks at IBM are blue with pride after their BlueGene/L computer surpassed the speed of NEC #39;s Earth Simulator.


New Toshiba notebooks highlight long-running trend Toshiba #39;s new desktop-replacement multimedia notebooks, introduced on Tuesday, are further evidence that US consumers still have yet to embrace the mobility offered by Intel #39;s newer mobile processors.


New ETFs on the Block More exchange-traded funds gives your itchy trading finger more reasons to scratch.


Microsoft brings XP starter software to India Hindi version of Windows XP costs just \$36, as the software giant aims for gains in the populous nation.


IBM claims supercomputer speed crown An IBM supercomputer still under development has set an unofficial new world speed record during testing, the company announced on Wednesday.


Computer Associates to Fire 800, Trim Product Line (Update3) Computer Associates International Inc., the software maker operating under government oversight after an accounting scandal, will fire 800 workers, or 5 percent of its employees, as the company trims its product line.


Capital and GWR agree on terms of 711m merger deal LONDON - Capital Radio and GWR have agreed the terms of their proposed 711 merger, which will create the UK #39;s biggest radio company controlling 40 of the radio advertising market.


Germany #39;s Deutsche Post takes 38 per cent stake in Unipost of <b>...</b> German mail giant Deutsche Post said Tuesday it is taking a 38 per cent stake in Spanish postal company Unipost. Deutsche Post did not disclose the price of the stake in Barcelona-based Unipost


India to get Windows XP Starter Edition ANOTHER COUNTRY is to be offered Microsoft #39;s Windows XP Starter Edition, according to Associated Press. India - a country of over one billion souls - will be offered the cut down version of Windows XP using one of its official languages, Hindi.


Yahoo pages to get touch-up Yahoo on Thursday plans to let visitors test-drive its new home page and My Yahoo personalization site in preparation for a full relaunch this fall.


New Toshiba notebooks highlight long-running trend Toshiba Corp. #39;s new desktop-replacement multimedia notebooks, introduced on Tuesday, are further evidence that US consumers still have yet to embrace the mobility offered by Intel Corp.


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


Nintendo share price rises as DS impresses markets Shares in Nintendo rose on the Tokyo Stock Exchange at the start of this week, as continued uncertainty about certain key aspects of Sony #39;s PSP plans tipped analysts in favour of the forthcoming DS handheld.


Arsenal #39;s Gilberto out for month with back injury Arsenal #39;s Brazilian midfielder Gilberto will be out for at least a month with a back injury, the English champions said on Tuesday.


DC scores the Expos; Norfolk mayor praises local bid Major League Baseball officials will announce today that the Montreal Expos are relocating to Washington, Mayor Paul D. Fraim said Tuesday night.


Candlestick looms, maybe, as a real Monster Park Bee Staff Writer. SANTA CLARA - The 49ers have struck a deal to transform Candlestick Park into  quot;The Monster, quot; but San Francisco voters might have the final say on whether the beastly moniker sticks.


Typhoon strikes Kyushu, injuring 13; 3 missing TOKYO - Typhoon Meari landed on Kyushu on Wednesday morning and was moving northeast in Miyazaki Prefecture at 4 pm, bringing heavy rains and strong wind to southern and western Japan and causing the evacuation of residents and some injuries.


Defectors in Beijing swamp embassy  quot;Forty five people made an attempt in the afternoon, quot; a South Korean diplomat in Beijing said.  quot;We have sent staff to the Canadian Embassy to find out their identities and purposes of entry.


Network Physics adds to management line Network Physics has introduced a new distributed architecture for its network management and performance line aimed at helping enterprises ensure the integrity and security of the entire applications infrastructure.


Mmo2, Lucent to launch 3G mobile network in summer  #39;05 HONG KONG (CBS.MW) -- UK wireless operator Mmo2 (OOM) (UK:OOM) said it will launch Europe #39;s first  quot;super-fast quot; third-generation (3G) mobile broadband data network in the summer of 2005 at mmO2 #39;s subsidiary, Manx Telecom on the UK #39;s Isle of Man.


Yahoo #39;s Redesign Embraces RSS As part of its site revamp launched on Tuesday, Yahoo Inc. further embraced XML syndication technology by mixing feeds from Weblogs and other sites more prominently into its My Yahoo service.


Survey Shows Musicians Are All For Selling Music Over The Internet A new survey has found that more musicians are embracing the internet as a way of reaching new fans. A study by an American research company, Pew Internet, suggests that some musicians do not agree with the


Chinese computer science major sentenced for Internet porn (AFP) AFP - A Chinese university student in eastern Zhejiang province was sentenced to a year in jail for selling pornography on the Internet.


Egypt to Host Summit on Iraqi Elections (AP) AP - Iraq's government is planning a conference in late November to promote political stability and seek support for upcoming elections, but U.N. officials say they're worried about the timing and lack of a clear agenda.


U.N. Wants African Monitors in Darfur Camps (Reuters) Reuters - African monitors should deploy in\camps for the almost 1.5 million displaced by the conflict in\Darfur and should also monitor police to help build trust with\the local community, the United Nations said on Wednesday.


Homicide rate fell to lowest level in more than 30 years last year: StatsCan (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The national homicide rate dropped to its lowest level in more than 30 years last year, says Statistics Canada.


Kerry-Bush rules of engagement leave little room for debate (AFP) AFP - Officially the US presidential election is not a war, but Republicans and Democrats have drawn up what looks suspiciously like rules of engagement for the televised debates between George W. Bush and John Kerry.


Lycos Europe shuts down  quot;the love quot;. Lycos Europe has taken down their  quot;Make Love Not Spam quot; campaign. After a short but popular campaign the company decided to stop their mission.


Israel Kills 6 Palestinians in Gaza, W.Bank Raids  JABALYA, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed six  Palestinians including three teenagers on Wednesday as they  thrust deep into Gaza to quell rocket fire into Israel and  raided two West Bank cities in search of wanted militants.


Nigerian Oil Delta Rebel Awaits 11th Hour Talks  ABUJA (Reuters) - A rebel fighting for autonomy in  Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta arrived in the capital for  talks with President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday on terms to  end violence that helped to push crude prices to record highs.


Cisco to sell high-end routers with Fujitsu The deal comes as Cisco pushes to develop a market for CRS-1, a new line of routers aimed at telephone, wireless and cable companies.


Microsoft, Amazon Take A Phishing Trip Microsoft and Amazon.com are taking action against e-mail spammers and phishing scam perpetrators, but even two of the most powerful Internet companies on earth will find this fight to be tough going. -washingtonpost.com


Hostage Bigley shown in new video Al-Jazeera screens a video showing British hostage Kenneth Bigley accusing Tony Blair of ignoring his plight.


WHO bid to cut maternal deaths The World Health Organization is spearheading a campaign to reduce the numbers of women who die in childbirth.


Golf: Woods reveals Cup ambition Tiger Woods wants to be a playing vice-captain in the next US Ryder Cup team.


After Dark, the Stuffed Animals Turn Creepy Overnight guards and scientists at the American Museum of Natural History often feel glassy eyes on them.


Neiman Marcus Selling Zeppelin for \$10M DALLAS - What do you get for that special someone who has just about everything? How about a personal zeppelin? The 12-seater could be yours for a mere \$10 million from the 2004 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.    Other gifts in the book include a \$1.7 million winged submarine, jeweled Mr...


British Hostage Pleads to Tony Blair BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Arab news network Al-Jazeera on Wednesday broadcast footage of British hostage Kenneth Bigley pleading to British Prime Minister Tony Blair to work for his release.    The footage showed a sobbing Bigley talking from behind bars of what appeared to be a prison cell...


Fox Orders Pilot Starring Barenaked Ladies LOS ANGELES - Fox Broadcasting Co. has ordered a pilot for a variety show starring the Barenaked Ladies that will feature the playful rock group performing music and comedy skits along with guest actors...


Neimen Marcus Selling Zeppelin for \$10M DALLAS - What do you get for that special someone who has just about everything? How about a personal zeppelin? The 12-seater could be yours for a mere \$10 million from the 2004 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.    Other gifts in the book include a \$1.7 million winged submarine, jeweled Mr...


Cendant-Orbitz Link Seen As Online Powerhouse The deal, if consummated, would give Cendant the technology it needs to shed its dependence on an aging system and business model that it #39;s relied upon to distribute airfares and hotel reservations.


Mourinho keeps low profile on return to Porto Jose Mourinho, worried at threats from Porto fans who still resent his departure, is keeping a low profile for Chelsea #39;s final Champions League Group H match against his former side on Tuesday.


Woods Unsure About Tee Time With Injury (AP) AP - Defending champion Tiger Woods said Wednesday he injured his back sleeping on a plane last week and will not know until before his tee time whether he can play in the American Express Championship.


Better Browser Now The Best Except for times when I use one online database that supports Microsoft #39;s (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) dismal excuse for a browser, I never have much use for the blue lower-case  quot;e quot; on my desktop.


AT amp;T Launches The Messaging OGO Bluetooth based Personal Mobile Gateway (PMG) devices developed by IXI Mobile are not exactly new, having been on the Italian market for some time as the NeoFone and NeoChat devices, but with AT amp;T Wireless #39; roll out of a new PMG device named OGO, you


Federer Survives Shaky Outing, Roddick On Tap Today at ATP Bangkok Roger Federer didn #39;t have his best in his first outing since his win at the US Open, but survived into the second round at Bangkok Tuesday, defeating France #39;s Nicolas Thomann 6-4, 7-6(4) in the quest for his 10th title of 2004.


Tendulkar bats, but hopes look slim Sachin Tendulkar, left, has a friendly chat with Shane Warne during yesterday #39;s practice session at Mumbai #39;s Brabourne Stadium.


Latham stuck between rock and a higher place It was an ebullient Mark Latham who leapt to the stage and yelled out  quot;love you, babe! quot; to his wife Janine Lacy. Classic Latham.


DNA tests identify embassy suicide bomber Indonesian police said yesterday that DNA tests had identified a suicide bomber involved in a deadly attack this month on the Australian embassy in Jakarta.


Economic Growth Reported Above Forecast (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. economic growth during the\second quarter of the year was stronger than previously\thought, the Commerce Department reported on Wednesday, partly\because businesses built up inventories at the strongest rate\in four years.


Germany Boosts Borrowing to New Record (AP) AP - The German government will take on an extra 14 billion euros ( #36;17.23 billion) in debt this year because the country's economic upturn so far has failed to boost tax revenue, taking new borrowing to a record level, the finance minister said Wednesday.


Conoco Wins \$2 Bln Russian LUKOIL Stake  MOSCOW (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips said on Wednesday it was  seeking 20 percent of Russia's LUKOIL in a far-reaching  alliance that opens the way for the oil majors to tap vast  reserves in northern Russia and Iraq.


Oil Holds at \$50  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices held at \$50 a barrel  Wednesday ahead of weekly U.S. inventory data that is expected  to show a decline in crude stocks after Hurricane Ivan hit Gulf  of Mexico production.


Blue Chips Flat on GDP, Oil Remains Focus  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips were unchanged on  Wednesday, as investors were little swayed by a positive  government report on economic growth and worried that higher  oil prices will dampen corporate profits.


Conoco forges alliance with Lukoil MOSCOW ConocoPhillips won 7.59 percent of the Russian oil giant Lukoil for \$1.988 billion on Wednesday in a largely symbolic auction that still ranks as the Russian government #39;s most lucrative post-Soviet privatization.


Nikon to get 145 million in patent case Nikon, the world #39;s biggest maker of equipment used to etch computer-chip circuits onto silicon wafers, said on Wednesday that it would get \$87 million from its European rival ASML Holding to settle a patent suit dating back to 2001.


After a skeptical greeting, Google shares climb NEW YORK Wall Street, which forced Google, the Internet search engine, to sharply lower the price of its shares in its initial public offering in August, has now decided that the company is worth a lot more today than it was then.


Mortgage lending hits 12-month low The chances of another rise in interest rates faded today as mortgage lending slowed to its lowest level for a year during August.


Microsoft, Amazon Take a Phishing Trip Amazon.com and Microsoft Corp., the twin peaks of the Seattle area #39;s technology community, are joining forces to attack the tide of spam and fraudulent e-mail messages that clog in-boxes


Asteroid to make closest pass in 651 years A giant asteroid will make a close brush by Earth Wednesday -- at least close by asteroid standards. The 4.6-kilometre-long Toutatis will come within 1.5 million kilometres of Earth.


S3 ramps GammaChrome 3D production VIA #39;s graphics chip subsidiary, S3, will see its GammaChrome 3D part appear in retail boards in the Far East in Q4, the company #39;s CFO said today.


Popular Games end on sombre note The lights at Athens #39; Olympic stadium turn red to signify the handover of the Paralympic Games to the host city, Beijing. Photo: AFP.


Sachin gifted me a bat: Pagnis MUMBAI: Sachin Tendulkar #39;s 204 for Mumbai against Australia in 1998 is now a Brabourne legend, but it was Amit Pagnis who began the assault on the Aussie attack in the game, especially Shane Warne.


A #39;s are fit to be tied Hudson lit by M #39;s, Angels pull even The A #39;s fell from sole possession of first place and have five games to reassume exclusive control of the American League West.


Usual favorites picked in CCHA; WMU 7th In what is becoming as predictable as Groundhog #39;s Day, Michigan and Michigan State again topped the preseason polls at the Central Collegiate Hockey Association #39;s media day Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena.


Celebrations after release of Italian aid workers taken hostage in <b>...</b> DAVID HARDAKER: Celebrations have continued in Italy overnight following the homecoming of the two Italian aid workers who were taken hostage in Iraq three weeks ago.


Seagate seeks system builder support for 100GB notebook drive Ideal for barebone laptops, apparently


ConocoPhilipps wins stake in Russia's Lukoil for nearly  #36;2 billion US (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MOSCOW (AP) - In a deal paving the way for future joint ventures, U.S. oil giant ConocoPhillips has won an auction with a bid of nearly  #36;2 billion US for the Russian government's 7.6 per cent stake in Russia's Lukoil - the world's No. #160;2 oil company by reserves.


Head of China Oil Co. Hails Project Launch (AP) AP - The president of China's biggest oil producer hailed the beginning of construction on a pipeline from Kazakhstan to China on Wednesday, calling it "a bridge of friendship" between his energy-hungry nation and the oil-rich Central Asian country.


IBM says its supercomputer in Rochester breaks speed record For three years running, the fastest supercomputer had been NEC #39;s Earth Simulator in Japan. That was seen as a big challenge for the US computer industry.


US economy increases 3.3 percent in second quarter The US economy grew at an annualized rate of 3.3 percent in the second quarter of this year,significantly better than a previously estimated growth rate of 2.8 percent, but


Update 1: Cendant to Buy Orbitz for \$1.25B in Cash Hotel franchisor Cendant Corp. agreed to buy online travel company Orbitz Inc. for about \$1.25 billion. The \$27.50 a share cash offer, which has been approved by boards of both companies but still needs regulatory


Update 1: American Greetings Returns to Profit in 2Q Licensing income helped boost American Greetings Corp. to a profit in its second quarter, even though sales at the greeting cards maker were flat.


New ALH bid tipped AFTER almost three months of inaction, investors are betting Australian Leisure  amp; Hospitality is finally in play after private equity group Newbridge trumped rival bidder Bruandwo #39;s offer.


RPT-Global economy revs up to 30-year high growth-IMF The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday revised up its 2004 world growth forecast to 5 percent, the highest level in three decades, but said sharply


Consumers take fright as rate rises bite Consumers are feeling the pinch after five interest rate rises in less than a year, with a slowdown in the rampant housing market, ebbing consumer morale and a drop in retail sales, data show.


Microsoft #39;s Russian Carrot Pity Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT). For all the grief we give the company about its failure to plug security holes in its software, its historical problems with the blue screen


Hear William Shatner #39;s sensational version of Pulp #39;s  #39;Common <b>...</b> The CD will remain the most popular music format till the end of the decade, according to a new survey. The report also states that Europe will buy over 570m worth of digital downloads in 2009, but technology


Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium Created 28 major companies announced their formation of the Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium, (NCOIC), an industry-wide consortium, with the goal of recommending a unified approach that would enable sensors, communications and information systems to


Jackson Joins Kerry Campaign As Adviser (AP) AP - Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson joined the campaign of Sen. John Kerry on Wednesday as a poll showed support for the presidential candidate slipping among black Americans, a critical Democratic constituency.


Sombre end to glorious month But instead of climactic celebration of what was a wonderful event, the party and fireworks were cancelled out of respect for the seven children killed when their bus crashed on the way to the Games on Monday.


Chelsea v FC Porto Live SSP2 KO 19.45pm Poor old Mourinho.rich, suave, the world at his feet.but unloved. His team are unloved as well. Chelsea have become the team every fan wants to get beaten.


AS Roma names Del Neri as coach to replace Voeller AS Roma on Wednesday signed Luigi Del Neri as its new coach to replace Rudi Voeller, who resigned last Sunday. The club reported that Del Neri traveled to the training camp of Trigoria shortly


Mayor  #39;led Pitcairn #39;s boys #39; in sex PITCAIRN Island mayor Steve Christian will go on trial today accused of leading  quot;the boys quot;, a group of seven men who allegedly spent 30 years sexually abusing underage girls on the tiny Pacific outcrop.


Govt braces for bird flu Theresa Torres, Reporter. Sharing its neighbors fears of a bird-flu pandemic after the first probable case of human-to-human infection was reported in Thailand, the Philippine government on Wednes


PM notes lack of vision OPPOSITION Leader Mark Latham had failed to outline a plan for future management of the national economy in his speech at Labor #39;s campaign launch yesterday, Prime Minister John Howard said.


Moscow arrests two in Forbes slaying Moscow police arrested two Chechen men in connection with the murder of US journalist Paul Klebnikov, the Moscow Times reported Wednesday.


Kerry says he will use Bush debate to counter Republican distortion (AFP) AFP - Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry admitted that the Bush campaign has run a successful campaign portraying him as indecisive but said he would use a looming presidential debate to set the record straight.


Stocks Mixed on Latest GDP Reading NEW YORK - Stocks were mixed in early trading Wednesday as investors digested a jump in the second-quarter gross domestic product and kept a close eye on oil prices that still hovered near \$50 per barrel.    Investors saw the Commerce Department report, which said the nation's GDP grew 3.3 percent from April to June, as a mix of good and bad news...


Official: MLB to Move Expos to Washington WASHINGTON - Richard Nixon was president and man was still making trips to the moon the last time the word "Washington" appeared in the major league baseball standings.    On Opening Day, April 4, 2005, look for the nation's capital to return...


SpaceShipOne blasts off com September 29, 2004, 7:06 AM PT. MOJAVE, Calif.--A specialized plane carrying a suborbital spacecraft took off shortly before 7:15 am PDT in an attempt to complete the first phase in the race to privatize space travel.


Montgomery Doping Hearing Set for Early November World 100 meters record holder Tim Montgomery will appear before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in San Francisco in the first week of November for a hearing over a possible life ban for doping.


178 NHL Players Now in Europe (AP) AP - Buffalo Sabres center Daniel Briere agreed to a deal Wednesday with SC Bern of the Swiss league, becoming the latest NHL player to head to Europe.


Woods Doubtful for World Championship Tournament  THOMASTOWN, Ireland (Reuters) - Three-times winner Tiger  Woods could miss the WGC-American Express Championship at Mount  Juliet with a shoulder injury, he said on Wednesday.


Montgomery Doping Hearing Set for Early November  LONDON (Reuters) - World 100 meters record holder Tim  Montgomery will appear before the Court of Arbitration for  Sport (CAS) in San Francisco in the first week of November for  a hearing over a possible life ban for doping.


Olympic Champion Henin Still Suffering from Virus  LONDON (Reuters) - Olympic champion Justine Henin-Hardenne  is still suffering from a mystery virus which has plagued her  for much of this year.


ConocoPhillips to make \$2 billion equity investment in Lukoil Houston-based oil company ConocoPhillips and Russia #39;s largest oil producer, Lukoil, jointly announced Wednesday in Moscow that ConocoPhillips will become a strategic equity investor in Lukoil.


Developing countries urged to improve investment climate Financial Times, 29 September 2004 - Developing countries must take action to reduce corruption and cronyism in order to improve investment climates and promote growth and poverty reduction, the World Bank said yesterday.


Prizes, Profit Could Fuel Private Space Race On Wednesday September 29, a private company in California plans to launch a craft known as SpaceShipOne into near-earth orbit in an attempt to win the so-called  quot;Ansari X-Prize.


Buying Viagra over the Internet could give you a heart attack! LONDON: Doctors are warning people not to buy the anti-impotency drug, Viagra, over the internet, because they have found conclusive evidence that it is usually fake and could lead to a number of side effects, including a heart attack.


HP Trials Built-To-Order PCs to Reduce Risk  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - U.S. computer company Hewlett-Packard  said on Wednesday it was expanding a built-to-order system for  personal computers and other high volume computer products,  similar to rival Dell.


National League Game Summary - Colorado at Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Steve Finley #39;s two-run single capped a five-run ninth inning, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium in the second contest of a four-game series.


Time for tea, while a nation decides AFTER one of the most important speeches of his life, British Prime Minister Tony Blair was still fighting to reunite his New Labour Party yesterday as the war in Iraq continued to haunt his leadership.


Ross Fitzgerald: Overexposed, overwrought and overboard NO one has said it yet, but John Howard is looking more and more like Paul Keating, circa March 1996. Keating won the seemingly unwinnable election in 1993 against John Hewson, then crashed three years later.


Next Round of Six-way Talks Unclear North Koreas Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Su-heon created another stir as he asserted on Monday (Local Time) that Pyongyang has reprocessed and weaponized 8,000 spent plutonium fuel rods.


French negotiator claims hostage releases close PARIS, Sept 29 (AFP) - Paris on Wednesday remained tight-lipped about the fate of two French journalists abducted over a month ago in Iraq following the release of up to 10 hostages there, including two Italian female aid workers.


Arrest warrant issued for suspects in Klebnikov murder MOSCOW. Sept 29 (Interfax) - A Moscow court has issued an arrest warrant for two Chechens suspected of involvement in the murder of Paul Klebnikov, a prominent American journalist and editor-in-chief of the Russian edition of Forbes magazine.


Global economy set for best growth in 30 years: IMF (AFP) AFP - The world economy, powered in part by China, will grow this year at its briskest pace in almost three decades -- five percent -- before losing steam in 2005 in the face of higher oil prices, the IMF said.


ConocoPhillips takes 7.6 stake in Russia #39;s Lukoil NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- US stock futures are pointing to a mixed open Wednesday as the positive impact of a report showing stronger-than-expected second-quarter growth in the US economy was offset by concern oil could surge above \$50 a barrel on inventory


India, China have improved invt climate The World Bank has called upon the governments of poor countries to work for improving their investment climates as done by India and China, saying it was central to economic growth and poverty reduction.


Orbitz stock soars on Cendant deal Shares of Internet travel firm Orbitz Inc. surged after it agreed to be acquired by Manhattan-based Cendant Corp. for about \$1.25 billion.


PF Chang #39;s China Bistro 3Q Revenue Rises PF Chang #39;s China Bistro Inc. on Wednesday said its third-quarter revenue rose 29 percent on increased sales, customer traffic and prices.


ASML, Carl Zeiss Pay Nikon \$145M Nikon Corp. will soon see a \$145 million influx, thanks to a memorandum of understanding with ASML Holding NV and Carl Zeiss SMT AG.


Delta pilots back, executive payroll cut Delta Air Lines says its pilots union decided to get back retired pilots of the company in order not to cancel flights as Delta already suffers huge losses.


Private rocketship begins quest for \$10 million X Prize The first private manned rocket to reach space soared toward the edge of the atmosphere on Wednesday in a bid to earn the \$10 million Ansari X Prize.


Stocks Are Higher on Latest Economic Growth Reading Stocks rose today as investors digested a jump in the second-quarter gross domestic product and kept a close eye on lower oil prices.


Martha Stewart Is Said to Serve Time in West Virginia Martha Stewart has been ordered to serve her sentence for lying about a stock sale at the federal prison in Alderson, W.Va.


Rocky Mountain Heads Toward Highs High-powered profit growth has investors dipping into this mall-based confectioner.


CA to cut 5 percent of work force The planned elimination of 800 jobs is part of a restructuring plan that will cost \$40 million, the troubled firm says.


JPEG exploit could beat antivirus software Security experts say that attacks using image files could bypass established defenses.


IMF Predicts Strongest Growth in 3 Decades The global economy should register its strongest growth in three decades in 2004 despite soaring oil prices, which are expected to restrain the US expansion a bit, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.


Martha Stewart to Do Time in W.Va. Federal Prison NEW YORK - Martha Stewart (search) was ordered Wednesday to serve her sentence at the federal prison in Alderson, W.Va., according to source close to the case.


UPDATE 3-American Greetings posts profit, starts dividend Greeting card maker American Greetings Corp. (AM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday posted a quarterly profit, reversing a year-earlier loss, as licensing income and lower costs offset flat sales.


CA cutting 5 percent of workforce Computer Associates International Inc. (CA) plans to cut 800 positions worldwide, 5 percent of its workforce, in hopes of shaving US\$70 million annually off its operating costs.


Italians Rejoice Over Release of Aid Workers in Iraq Italians are rejoicing Wednesday after two female aid workers arrived home following three weeks of captivity at the hands of militants in Iraq.


Janet Jackson still holds TiVo title Sure, the device can record movies and anything else broadcast on TV. But apparently sex is what pushes the rewind button the most.


Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 to support Indian languages Red Hat Inc.'s Enterprise Linux 4 products, scheduled for release early next year, will support five Indian languages, reflecting the growing importance of the Indian market, according to an executive of the Raleigh, North Carolina-based Linux company.


CA cutting 5 percent of workforce Computer Associates International Inc. (CA) plans to cut 800 positions worldwide, 5 percent of its workforce, in hopes of shaving \$70 million annually off its operating costs.


Tougher File-Trading Bill Moves Forward Controversial plan could force file swappers to face criminal charges.


Apple Unveils Logic Pro 7 Logic Pro 7, the next major release of the award-winning professional music creation and audio production software, will change the way musicians and audio engineers worldwide compose, record, edit and mix music in any studio environment. In addition to more than 100 workflow enhancements, breakthrough new software instruments, new mastering plug-ins and support for Apple Loops, Logic Pro 7 also debuts distributed audio processing, a revolutionary technology which allows audio pros to tap into a virtually unlimited number of Macs to expand available Digital Signal Processing (DSP) power. Sep 29


Apple Debuts Logic Express 7 Logic Express 7, a streamlined version of Logic, provides a basic set of professional tools for students, educators and advanced hobbyists at an affordable price. Sep 29


Introducing Two New Jam Packs Apple introduces two new Jam Packs for its GarageBand music creation software, giving musicians and aspiring musicians more Apple Loops and software instruments to create music. Jam Pack 2: Remix Tools makes it easy to produce compelling dance, hip-hop and electronica tracks, while Jam Pack 3: Rhythm Section offers songwriters a complete backing band for their rock, alternative and country music. Sep 29


Mac OS X Tip of the Week: Burning a CD from the Finder What do you do after you #146;ve loaded a blank CD (or a DVD) into your Mac? Find out on the Apple Pro/ site in the latest Mac OS X killer tip. Sep 21


ConocoPhillips buys big Lukoil stake ConocoPhillips has bought a major stake in Russia #39;s second largest oil producer OAO Lukoil Holdings. The Houston company, formed by a merger of Conoco and Phillips Petroleum, won


Earth in close encounter with giant asteroid Humankind got spied on by a huge space invader on Wednesday. An asteroid named for a Celtic god of war was to come closer to Earth this week than it has since 1353.


Chelsea v Porto Defender Wayne Bridge is in contention for Chelsea after missing the weekend win at Middlesbrough due to a knock suffered in the draw against Tottenham.


Oil Falls from \$50 as Crude Stocks Swell  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices dropped from record highs  above \$50 a barrel on Wednesday as weekly U.S. inventory data  showed a surprise increase in crude stocks, easing fears over  stretched international supplies.


Oil Drops, Bulls Bail, Treasuries Fall  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury debt prices fell for a  second straight session on Wednesday, pressured by a wave of  profit-taking after repeated failures to break recent lows on  yields.


Agere to Cut Another 500 Jobs  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Communications chipmaker Agere Systems  Inc. AGRa.N on Wednesday said it will close a Florida plant  that employs 600 people if it cannot find a buyer by December  2005 and cut an additional 500 jobs amid slowing sales.


Centene Takes a Dose of Deal-Making The mergers and acquisitions continue apace in the managed care industry.


IBM Says Its Supercomputer Is World #39;s Fastest International Business Machines Corp. on Wednesday said it has developed the world #39;s fastest computer, putting it back on top after a Japanese supercomputer claimed the title some two years ago.


IMF: Oil, job outlook cloud US growth In its fall outlook, the global lender cuts estimates for US GDP growth for both 2004 and 2005. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US economic growth should pick up in the second half of 2004 but costlier oil and weak


Martha Stewart Headed for W.Virginia Prison-Source Homemaking icon Martha Stewart will serve her five-month jail sentence for lying about a suspicious stock sale at a minimum security prison in West Virginia, a source close to the case said Wednesday.


Higher sales lift PF Chang shares CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- Shares of PF Chang #39;s China Bistro jumped 7 percent in early trading Wednesday after the casual dining chain said sales jumped amid new store openings, higher traffic and a hike in prices.


Private Rocket Unofficially Reaches Space MOJAVE, Calif. Sept. 29, 2004 - After recovering from a wild corkscrew roll on its ascent, the first private manned rocket soared to space and returned safely to Earth on Wednesday in a bid to earn a \$10 million prize.


Mahendra elected India #39;s board chief Ranbir Mahendra was elected president of India #39;s national cricket board after edging out a powerful federal minister at an acrimonious election on Wednesday.


Bomb Attacks Target UK, US Interests in Turkey ANKARA, Turkey -- Four bombs went off in front of British and US interests in Turkey late Tuesday (28 September), causing damage but no casualties.


Microsoft's EU Battle Hits Public Court (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp.'s five-year legal battle in Europe moves into a public courtroom for the first time as the U.S. software giant tries to get the European Union's landmark antitrust ruling against it lifted.


Apple wants to expand music download service across Europe (AFP) AFP - Apple Computer is planning to expand its online music download service to more European countries, the company announced at the Popkomm music trade fair.


INTERVIEW: HP Tries Built-To-Order PCs (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. computer company Hewlett-Packard\said on Wednesday it was expanding a built-to-order system for\personal computers and other high volume computer products,\similar to rival Dell.


Microsoft launches low-cost Windows in India to woo first-time PC users (AFP) AFP - US-based Microsoft Corp will introduce a low-cost version of its Windows XP operating system in India in early 2005 in a bid to capture a market of millions of households.


IBM Says Its Supercomputer Is World's Fastest (Reuters) Reuters - International Business Machines Corp.\on Wednesday said it has developed the world's fastest\computer, putting it back on top after a Japanese supercomputer\claimed the title some two years ago.


Apple Plans EU Expansion of iTunes Next Month (Reuters) Reuters - Apple Computer is planning the next wave\of expansion for its popular iTunes online music store with a\multi-country European launch in October, the services chief\architect said on Wednesday.


3G chiefs choose AAC for mobile music delivery High Efficiency codec recommended to network, content providers


U.S. Military Beefs Up Security Ahead of Afghan Poll (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. forces in Afghanistan vowed on\Wednesday to bolster security in the volatile south and\southeast ahead of a landmark election, as Taliban guerrillas\bent on disrupting the poll launched a fresh wave of attacks.


Former Suspect in Swedish PM Murder Mystery Dies (Reuters) Reuters - The only man ever brought to trial\for the 1986 murder of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme died\on Wednesday, leaving the case an enduring mystery after almost\20 years.


Apple Plans EU Expansion of iTunes Next Month  BERLIN (Reuters) - Apple Computer is planning the next wave  of expansion for its popular iTunes online music store with a  multi-country European launch in October, the services chief  architect said on Wednesday.


Kerry Ties Hurt Some Democratic Senators (AP) AP - Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle hugged President Bush from one end of South Dakota to the other this summer  #151; in his own campaign commercials.


INTERVIEW: HP Tries Built-To-Order PCs  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - U.S. computer company Hewlett-Packard  said on Wednesday it was expanding a built-to-order system for  personal computers and other high volume computer products,  similar to rival Dell.


Eurofighter set to boost BAE in 2005 BAE Systems, the weapon system manufacturer, said on Monday that it was expecting a modest performance improvement in 2005, in part because of the results ongoing negotiations with the British government over the Eurofighter programme.


Stocks Higher on Latest GDP Reading NEW YORK - Stocks pushed higher Wednesday as investors digested a jump in the second-quarter gross domestic product and kept a close eye on oil prices that started to fall under \$50 per barrel.    Investors saw the Commerce Department report, which said the nation's GDP grew 3.3 percent from April to June, as fairly good news, with a few caveats...


Official: MLB to Move Expos to Washington WASHINGTON - Richard Nixon was president and man was still making trips to the moon the last time the word "Washington" appeared in the major league baseball standings. On Opening Day, April 4, 2005, look for the nation's capital to return...


British Hostage Pleads to Tony Blair BAGHDAD, Iraq - A British hostage pleaded for his government to save his life in a new video aired Wednesday on Arab television after the release of two Italian women and 10 other hostages. In Baghdad, U.S...


IMF: World economy set for strongest growth in 30 years The global economy should register its strongest growth in 30 years in 2004 despite soaring oil prices, which are expected to restrain the US expansion a bit, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.


IBM reclaims supercomputer crown for US SEPTEMBER 29, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - For the first time since 2002, Japan #39;s Earth Simulator is not the most powerful supercomputer on the planet.


ConocoPhilips gets stake in Russia #39;s giant MOSCOW Oil giant ConocoPhillips of the US is paying nearly two (b) billion dollars for a seven percent stake in Russia #39;s Lukoil.


#39;Soft patch #39; not so soft, as US economic growth revised higher WASHINGTON : The US economy #39;s  quot;soft patch quot; was not as weak as initial estimates, according to government data Wednesday showing a 3.3 percent pace of expansion in the second quarter.


CA cutting 5 of workforce SEPTEMBER 29, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Computer Associates International Inc. plans to cut 800 positions worldwide, 5 of its workforce, in the hope of shaving \$70 million annually off its operating costs.


Air Canada to Buy 45 Embraer Jets Air Canada (AC.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) (ACErv.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) has agreed to buy 45 regional jets from Embraer SA (EMBR4.


Black  amp; Decker Gets OK to Buy Tools Unit Black  amp; Decker Corp. received regulatory approval for its \$775 million cash acquisition of pump maker Pentair Inc. #39;s tools group, and expects the deal to close in early October, the power tools maker said Wednesday.


SpaceShipOne: A giant leap for high-tech vets? update MOJAVE, Calif.--A venture backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen got a jump Wednesday on rivals eyeing a \$10 million prize for the first privately funded junkets into space and back.


Amazon, Microsoft Sue Spammers Amazon and Microsoft have filed lawsuits against companies that used their names to commit fraud on the Internet. One suit accuses Gold Disk Canada of  quot;spoofing, quot; or sending e-mails that appear


Asteroid Comes Closest to Earth Since 12th Century, NASA Says Toutatis, a mountain-sized asteroid, came the closest to the Earth since at least the 12th century, allowing scientists to gather data about its trajectory and features, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.


Consortium Forms to Set Network Centric Communications Standards The Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium (NCOIC) formally introduced itself this week at a Tuesday (Sept. 28) press conference in Washington, DC The new group, consisting initially of 28 companies


3 Indian Female Weightlifters Banned for Life After Positive <b>...</b> The Indian Olympic Association has banned three female weightlifters and their coach for life after the athletes tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.


Group F: Wenger:  #39;Reyes is our Rooney #39; On Tuesday night everyone was talking about one Wayne Rooney, after the young prodigy inscribed a magnificent hat-trick on his Manchester Utd and Champions League debut.


Roddick betters Parmar AMERICAN Andy Roddick wasted little time in trouncing Britain #39;s Arvind Parmar 6-1 6-4 to advance into the second round of the Thailand Open today.


44 N.Koreans Break Into Canada #39;s Beijing Embassy A group of 44 North Korean asylum seekers used makeshift ladders to scale the fence and leap into the Canadian embassy in Beijing on Wednesday, officials said.


Intel No. 1 for helping workers with commutes (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - The federal government releases a list Wednesday lauding Fortune 500 firms that make a major effort to ease commutes for their employees, which helps ease traffic congestion and air pollution. Intel is No. 1 on the list of 69 companies to be designated as Best Workplaces for Commuters by the EPA.


China exports 73.4 mln cellphones in first seven months, doubling earnings (AFP) AFP - China more than doubled its export earnings from cellphones, shipping 73.4 million handsets overseas in the first seven months of the year, state media reported.


Jarvis slumps as debt deadline nears Shares in Jarvis have plunged by more than 20 per cent after the support services contractor warned that it may yet fall victim to its 230 million debt burden.


Support Linux Standard Base (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - LSB 2.0 represents the best chance to prevent Linux fragmentation.


Top Count Is Withdrawn in Tyco Retrial (AP) AP - Prosecutors have decided to abandon the charge of enterprise corruption, the top count against former Tyco International Ltd. executives L. Dennis Kozlowski and Mark H. Swartz, when the two are retried in January.


Federal Scientists Search for Lost H-Bomb (AP) AP - Spurred by what appear to be unusual radiation readings offshore, the U.S. government is sending a team of 20 scientists to try to find a hydrogen bomb lost off the Georgia coast in 1958.


FDA Eases Rules on Drug Manufacturing (Reuters) Reuters - Drug makers will not need regulatory\approval for every change in their manufacturing processes\under new guidelines designed to prevent supply disruptions,\U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.


Merger Creates World #39;s Third-Largest Firm Piper Rudnick and the British law firm DLA have agreed to combine in the largest merger of law firms to date. The combined firm, which is to be known as DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, will have


Economic Growth Better Than Thought  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy grew faster in the  second quarter than previously thought as business inventories  rose at the strongest rate in four years, the government said  on Wednesday, a sign the soft patch was not as soft as feared.


Blue Chips Slip as Oil Stocks Weigh  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips slid back into the red  on Wednesday as oil company shares fell on a report showing an  unexpected rise in U.S. oil inventories last week, which drove  oil prices lower.


Computer Associates to Cut 800 Jobs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Software maker Computer Associates  CA.N on Wednesday said it would cut 800 jobs, or 5 percent of  its work force, to cut costs amid weaker demand and falling  prices for software and services.


Martha Stewart Going to W.Va. Jail-Source  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Homemaking icon Martha Stewart will  serve her five-month jail sentence for lying about a suspicious  stock sale at a minimum security prison in West Virginia, a  source close to the case said on Wednesday.


Orbitz: Travelzoo's Line in the Sand A smart investor pays \$1.25 billion for Orbitz. So what's Travelzoo worth?


Private Spacecraft Roars to Space and Back <I>SpaceShipOne,</I> the first privately built, manned vehicle to reach space, roared to space and back again this morning from a launch site in California's Mojave desert.


Penguin Tags Are a Drag -- Can Rubber Improve Them? Hoping to monitor penguins unobtrusively, scientists are testing a tag made of silicone rubber. Stainless steel tags used currently can impede the birds' ability to hunt.


Birding Column: Sweet Song of the Winter Sparrows Birding columnist Mathew Tekulsky considers the joys of sparrows wintering in his California backyard.


Nokia extends outsourcing deal with HP The deal is valued at about \$100 million, but the handset maker will be billed based on actual service consumption.


IBM #39;s Blue Gene Wins Fastest Supercomputer Honors IBM (Quote, Chart) secured the top spot in the rankings for world #39;s fastest supercomputer as Blue Gene/L ran at a sustained speed of 36.


Tense Moments During Trailblazing Private Space Flight MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA - In a mission that could herald a new era of space tourism, a privately built, three-person rocket ship flew to space and back today in a mission that frightened those who watched from the ground and on a live webcast.


IronPort Appliance Uses E-Mail Analysis To Fight Viruses New version of IronPort product draws on data from E-mail-monitoring network to quarantine viruses within minutes. By Thomas Claburn.


Reform to Rules for Putnam Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.), who led much of Congress #39; oversight of federal information technology during the past two years, has left the House Government Reform Committee and joined the Rules Committee.


Mets to revamp front office again NEW YORK - The New York Mets are revamping their front office for the second straight offseason, hiring Omar Minaya from the Montreal Expos to become the head of baseball operations.


Circuit City picks up AT T Net phone plan The retailer will sell CallVantage in many of its outlets and through its Web site.


Apple software to help garage bands jam "Jam Packs" expand features and portability for musicians mixing music on their Macs.


HD-DVD Standard Earns Approval Rewriteable version of the next-gen DVD format moves closer to mass production.


HSBC Group Chairman to Retire LONDON - David Eldon will retire next year as chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd. and the Hang Seng Bank, HSBC Group, one of the world #39;s largest banking and financial service organizations, said Monday.


Telecom Italia Poised for TIM Buyout Telecom Italia plans to use cash for a bigger-than-expected chunk of a 20 billion-euro (\$26.69 billion) buyout of its mobile unit TIM, a source close to the deal said on Monday.


Biometric gear to be deployed in hospitals and GPs' surgeries Early sighting of ID scheme budget-laundering


Magna subsidiary Decoma to close Toronto-area plant, post US\$36M <b>...</b> CONCORD, Ont. (CP) - Decoma International, a subsidiary of auto parts giant Magna International, is shutting down its anodizing plant just north of Toronto and posting \$36 million US in special charges for that move and restructuring in Europe.


News: Warspammer pleads guilty under anti-spam law A Los Angeles man who spewed porn advertisements from his car likely faces up to six months in jail.\


News: Ha, ha you're infected A new version of the infamous Bagle worm series is spreading widely across the net.


.Mac Increases Email  amp; iDisk Storage .Mac, the popular suite of Internet software and services, now offers both new members and its more than half million existing members 250MB of combined online storage for .Mac mailboxes and iDisk folders, perfect for sharing photos, movies and documents with family, friends and coworkers. Sign up now for a free 60-day trial. Sep 29


MP3 Creator Warns Tech Impasse Dooming Downloads (Reuters) Reuters - Rival technologies that baffle consumers\will run more companies out of business in the nascent music\download market than will head-to-head competition, one of the\lead creators of MP3 playback technology warned on Wednesday.


France Cautious About Purported Iraq Hostage Talks (Reuters) Reuters - France was torn between hope and doubt\about its two hostages in Iraq on Wednesday after a purported\French negotiator announced their imminent release but\officials insisted they knew nothing about his efforts.


Britain's Labour Party struggles to shift conference focus from Iraq (AFP) AFP - Britain's ruling Labour Party struggled to shift the pre-election focus to domestic politics, as Prime Minister Tony Blair faced renewed pressure over the fate of a British hostage in Iraq.


Lawyer for teen killed by police says door still open for criminal charges (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - The door is still open for criminal charges against a Toronto police constable who shot a teenager to death, despite an investigation clearing him, a lawyer for Jeffrey Reodica's family said Wednesday.


MP3 Creator Warns Tech Impasse Dooming Downloads  BERLIN (Reuters) - Rival technologies that baffle consumers  will run more companies out of business in the nascent music  download market than will head-to-head competition, one of the  lead creators of MP3 playback technology warned on Wednesday.


Rockets Kill 2 Israeli Boys; Raids Kill 6 Palestinians  SDEROT, Israel (Reuters) - Palestinian militants eluding an  army crackdown killed two Israeli children in a rocket attack  from Gaza on Wednesday and troops killed six Palestinians in  raids in the coastal strip and the West Bank.


Tussle at the Top Not so long ago many Western CEOs couldn #39;t even say what the renminbi was, much less whether it should appreciate. Today China #39;s currency, also known as the yuan, is all the buzz.


44 N.Koreans Break Into Canada's Beijing Embassy  BEIJING (Reuters) - A group of 44 North Korean asylum  seekers used makeshift ladders to scale the fence and leap into  the Canadian embassy in Beijing on Wednesday, officials said.


EU chiefs to discuss asylum camps European Justice and Home Affairs ministers are to start talks on whether asylum seekers could be processed outside the EU.


World growth highest since 1973 The world's economy should grow at its fastest rate in 30 years in 2004, despite rising oil prices, the IMF says.


Stewart to Serve Time in West Virginia NEW YORK - Martha Stewart, convicted of lying about a stock sale, has been ordered to serve her sentence at the federal prison in Alderson, W.Va.    Stewart had asked to serve her five-month sentence in Danbury, Conn., close to her 90-year-old mother and her home in Westport, or as a second choice in Coleman, Fla...


Stocks Are Mixed on Latest GDP Reading NEW YORK - Stocks were narrowly mixed Wednesday as investors digested a jump in the second-quarter gross domestic product, while keeping a close eye on falling oil prices.    Investors saw the Commerce Department report, which said the nation's GDP grew 3.3 percent from April to June, as fairly good news, with a few caveats...


Two Sentenced to Death for USS Cole Attack SAN'A, Yemen - A Yemeni judge sentenced two men to death and four others to prison terms ranging from five to 10 years Wednesday, the first convictions and sentences for the 2000 suicide bombing of the USS Cole, an attack blamed on Osama bin Laden's terror network.    Saudi-born Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who is in U.S...


Large Asteroid Safely Zooms By Earth Jet Propulsion Lab -- A mountain-sized asteroid made its closest approach to Earth at 6:35 a.m. Pacific Time (9:35 a.m...


Rocket Attack Kills Israeli Child An Israeli child was killed by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants on Wednesday, an Israeli rescue service said.


Foodland shares placed on trading halt SYDNEY: Shares in Australian grocery food chain Foodland Associated Ltd were placed in a trading halt on Monday after a takeover offer from Metcash Trading Ltd.


Briefly: Circuit City picks up AT T Net phone plan roundup Plus: Tech firms rally against copyright bill...Apple .Mac customers suffer e-mail glitches...Alvarion expands wireless broadband in China.


Crude Oil Price Hits \$50 Mark The Minister of Energy, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, has said government policy on the subsidy of ex-pump prices of petroleum products would remain unchanged even though crude oil price has topped the psychological milestone of \$50 per barrel last Tuesday for the


World Bank says RP suffers from poor image among foreign investors The countrys rich natural resources and skilled workforce, coupled with improved business climate, could turn the Philippines into an investment haven in Asia, but, so far, the trouble-plagued country has failed to communicate these qualities


Economic Growth Better Than Thought The US economy grew faster in the second quarter than previously thought as business inventories rose at the strongest rate in four years, the government said on


New charges for HealthSouth ex-CEO Scrushy faces fewer counts for role in accounting scandal after grand jury consolidates old charges. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal grand jury Wednesday consolidated charges against HealthSouth Corp.


Jamdat shares up 45 percent in first day of trade Shares of wireless game maker Jamdat Mobile Inc. (JMDT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) rose as much as 45 percent on Wednesday in their first trading day, boosted by investors betting


India Added To Windows XP Starter Edition Roster Designed as a result of Microsofts ongoing collaborations with international governments, Windows XP Starter Edition Pilot Program is part of Microsofts comprehensive commitment to enable individuals, communities and countries to gain access to the


Security Watch Letter: Inside the JPEG Virus The end of summer lull for viruses and worms continues. We #39;re still seeing new versions of RBots, and a new Bagle, but nothing with teeth.


Apple software to help garage bands jam Digital musicians will have a few new riffs for their virtual production boards, at least those using the latest Apple software. Apple Computer on Wednesday announced new versions of its pro and midrange digital


HD-DVD Standard Earns Approval The DVD Forum has approved the physical disc specifications for the rewritable version of HD-DVDs (High Definition/High Density-DVDs), taking the format an important step nearer to mass production.


Philadelphia Goes Wireless Since April, baseball fans attending San Francisco Giants home games at SBC Park have enjoyed wireless internet access if they bring a portable computer with them.