US, South Korea fail to hammer out deal over troop cut timetable (AFP) AFP - The United States and South Korea failed to hammer out a deal over a timetable for the planned reduction of US troops here, with Seoul asking for the cut to be delayed, officials said.


Researchers to Probe Algae on Lake Shore (AP) AP - Researchers are going scuba diving in Lake Michigan later this month to try to learn why an increasing amount of stinky green algae is accumulating on the shore.


Ga. Science Museum to Suspend Operations (AP) AP - After years of declining attendance and contributions, the Science and Technology Museum of Georgia is suspending operations this weekend.


30,000 More Sudanese Threaten to Cross to Chad - UN  GENEVA (Reuters) - Some 30,000 Sudanese, victims of fresh  attacks by Arab militia inside Darfur, have threatened to cross  into Chad, already stretched with 200,000 refugees from the  conflict, the United Nations said Friday.


'Miracle baby' home raid in Kenya Kenyan police seize 10 children from an evangelist's  home and quiz his wife over child-trafficking  allegations.


DaVita to acquire Gambro #39;s US clinics for \$3.1bn NEW YORK, December 7 (newratings.com) - DaVita Inc (DVA.NYS) has agreed to acquire Gambros dialysis clinics in the US for \$3.1 billion in cash, a Bloomberg article said today.


Teens Claim to Set New TV-Viewing Record GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A pair of teenagers who spent more than two straight days publicly glued to a television set say they have set a new world record for uninterrupted TV viewing...


Al-Sadr Followers Offer to Leave Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Followers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Friday they were prepared to hand control of the revered Imam Ali Shrine to top Shiite religious authorities, and Iraq's interim prime minister said he would not storm the holy site.    The moves came after a day and night of fighting in Najaf that killed 77 people and wounded 70 others, as al-Sadr militiamen mortared a police station and U.S...


Neuros II 20GB HDD music player Reg Review The world's first easily upgradeable MP3 device?


Bioenvision Files for Drug OK in Europe (Reuters) Reuters - Bioenvision Inc. (BIVN.O) said on\Friday it has submitted an application to European regulators\to market its experimental leukemia drug.


India cuts duties as inflation hits new high (Reuters) Reuters - India's wholesale price inflation surged to a new 3-1/2-year high of 7.96 percent in the week ended August 7 due to higher energy and manufactured product prices, prompting the government to slash duties on steel.


U.S. Softball Team Posts Shutout No. 7 (AP) AP - Cat Osterman struck out 10 in six innings, Crystl Bustos homered and the United States completed a perfect run through the preliminary round with a 3-0 win over Taiwan on Friday, setting up a U.S.-Australia showdown in the semifinals.


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


NBC relies on storytelling for continuity The seven-hour time difference between here and Athens creates strange viewing patterns in NBC's all-Olympics-all-the-time world. As host Bob Costas said in signing off Wednesday at midnight Boston time (7 a.m. Athens time):  quot;Good night, good morning . . . take your choice. quot;


This weekend on TV, radio TODAY AUTO RACING 1 p.m. -- NASCAR Busch Series Cabela's 250 qualifying at Brooklyn, Mich., Speed Channel 3 p.m. -- NASCAR Nextel Cup GFS Marketplace 400 qualifying at Brooklyn, Mich., TNT LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL 1 p.m. -- World Series: Midwest vs. Southeast at Williamsport, Pa., ESPN 5 p.m. -- World Series: Latin America vs. Canada at Williamsport, Pa., ESPN2 8 ...


Russia blocks bid by US Russia is one of the biggest, most powerful men's volleyball teams in the world. Already well aware, the United States received another reminder.


Late surge lifts US past Aussies The Mason's Union membership cards should be arriving any day now, but while they wait for them to be distributed, the United States men's basketball team was able to concoct a winning formula by relying on their unquestioned athletic superiority over the Australians yesterday.


Story has familiar ring The United States Boxing team isn't fighting its opponents any more. It's fighting self-doubt.


Fencer Smart can't find winning touch Twice Keeth Smart charged, his opponent attacked and both lights went off. Twice, Smart was left standing on the strip, helmet in hand, after American losses.


Finally, events are in track spotlight After a week of swimming, gymnastics, synchronized diving, and beach volleyball, the Olympic menu will offer a steady diet of its bread-and-butter sport beginning this morning.


Cannons' Gill fit for playoffs The Boston Cannons lost their last regular-season game but it really didn't matter. They had already clinched a spot in the Major League Lacrosse playoffs. What mattered was that attackman Conor Gill went down with a left knee injury in the fourth quarter and was out for the rest of the game.


Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball: Suspended Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen for two games and fined him an undisclosed amount for his comments to the media regarding umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. Major League Owners: Voted to extend the contract of Bud Selig, commissioner, for three years through 2009. Chicago (NL): Signed INF Neifi Perez to a minor league contract and assigned ...


A winning situation Pleasantly Perfect lost his last race, but that didn't diminish his standing as the top handicap runner in the country. It will take more than one defeat to knock the horse who won the \$4 million Breeders' Cup Classic in October and the \$6 million Dubai World Cup in March off his perch. He has a chance to get back ...


Entries just can't keep pace As expected, none of the four United States entries survived yesterday's second set of Olympic rowing semifinals, leaving just four boats -- the men's and women's eights, the men's double sculls and the women's quadruple sculls -- going for medals this weekend, five fewer than in Sydney four years ago.


Peirsol golden in beating field, controversy By the time Aaron Peirsol made his last turn and headed into the final 50 meters of the 200 backstroke, he had a body-length lead and was chasing his own world record en route to his second gold of the Games.


Israel court orders barrier reply Israel's High Court orders the government to respond to a World Court ruling on the West Bank barrier.


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


Report: Johnson  amp; Johnson in talks to buy Guidant Johnson  amp; Johnson (JNJ), the drug and health care products company, is reportedly in advanced negotiations to buy Guidant (GDT), a leading maker of devices to treat heart and circulatory illnesses, for more than \$24 billion.


Stunt pilots to hook falling stardust sample A piece of the Sun is set to fall to Earth and be captured by Hollywood stunt pilots in a tricky mid-air manoeuvre, NASA announced on Thursday.


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


Seiko Epson unveil updated micro flying robot Seiko Epson have unveiled their latest wireless flying micro-robot named the FR-II. The successor to the FR robot the latest micromechatronic contraption has a number of improvements. It is 2.3g heavier than the original FR at 12.3g but does away with the ...


Gateway spreads out at retail Gateway computers will be more widely available at Office Depot, in the PC maker #39;s latest move to broaden distribution at retail stores since acquiring rival eMachines this year.


For Peirsol, a DQ, a wait  amp; a reward ATHENS -- The celebration had begun for Aaron Peirsol. He had just become the fifth person in Olympic history to win both backstroke events, adding the 200-meter race to his 100 win from earlier in the week.


Woodgate to join Real after passing medical MADRID, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Newcastle United defender Jonathan Woodgate will sign for Real Madrid after passing a medical on Friday, joining the Spanish club on a four-year deal for a reported 20 million euros (\$24.74 million).


Judge rejects injunction by organizers over use of Olympic symbols The local issue of Playboy remained on newsstands Friday, after a judge rejected a request for a temporary injunction filed by Athens Games #39; organizers over the magazine #39;s use of Olympic symbols in a photo spread.


Greeks deny failed drug test reports ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Olympics officials say they are unaware of any team member failing a drugs test after media reports that the International Olympic Committee had found a Greek competitor had taken banned substances.


Fergie #39;s View: Norwich Sir Alex Ferguson faced another nail-biting few days this week as ten of his depleted squad went out on international duty.


USA plays inspired, but falls to No. 1 Hungary in water polo ATHENS, Greece  With flag-waving, chanting Hungarians creating a chaotic atmosphere at the Olympic Aquatic Center yesterday morning, a young water polo team from the United States discovered something about itself.


Men #39;s C2 Canoe Double: Slovakian twins repeat as gold medallists ATHENS, 20 August - Slovakian twins Pavol and Peter HOCHSCHORNER won their second consecutive gold medal in the Men #39;s C2.


S.Korea, US End Troop Cut Talks Without Agreement SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States closed a round of defense talks in Seoul on Friday aimed at scheduling a reduction of US troops on the Korean peninsula without agreeing on the timeline of the realignment.


China: Deadly Bird Flu Strain Found in Pigs Chinese scientists say they have discovered a deadly strain of the bird flu virus in pigs. Speaking at an international conference on avian flu and SARS in Beijing Friday, Chinese animal research facility official, Chen Hualan said the deadly H5N1 virus ...


Korea #39;s tortured reckoning with collaborators It has only just begun and already South Korea #39;s program of historical reckoning of the often brutal Japanese occupation and colonization has produced its first victim. With no small amount of irony, it was the chairman of the governing ...


China hands out  quot;green card, quot; winning acclaim of foreigners BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- China is granting some foreigners permanent residence in the country with a  quot;green card, quot; a credit card-sized photo ID that was revealed to the public at a press conference here Friday.


Earnings alert: Novell sees weakness in IT spending Plus: Salesforce reports rise in profit...Nortel to lay off 3,500...Intuit posts loss while revenue rises...BEA earnings rise amid internal turmoil.


Briefly: Mitsubishi expands solar production roundup Plus: KDE updates Linux desktop...EA to take World Cup soccer to Xbox...IBM chalks up two health care wins.


Oracle puts patches on a schedule Following Microsoft's lead, software maker opts to issue fixes on a monthly timetable. But does that make customers more secure?


Oil Tops \$49 On Renewed Iraq Violence LONDON (Reuters) - Global oil prices raced to fresh highs on Friday, carrying US crude close to \$49.16 a barrel up 46 cents, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from China and India.


This unconventional IPO has a familiar ring Google, like so many dot-coms before it, came roaring out of the IPO gate Thursday priced at the low end of expectations and promptly surged in value as investors piled onto the much-hyped share offering.


Scandal-hit Nortel to make worker cuts NORTEL Networks plans to slash its workforce by 3500, or ten per cent, as it struggles to recover from an accounting scandal that toppled three top executives and led to a criminal investigation and lawsuits.


Before the Bell- Rouse Co. shares jump 32 percent NEW YORK, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Shares of The Rouse Co. (RSE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) jumped before the bell after General Growth Properties Inc. (GGP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 2 US shopping mall owner, on Friday said it would buy Rouse for ...


Update 1: Mylan Comments on Icahn Clearance Mylan Laboratories Inc., the largest US maker of generic drugs, cautioned investors Friday that Thursday #39;s jump in share price was likely driven by investor Carl Icahn #39;s clearance to buy a large amount of company stock and fails to reflect  quot;negative ...


United signals it may end pensions United Airlines has signaled that it may terminate and replace employee pension plans, a move its parent company says is needed before it can emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.


Layoffs at Fleet THE LAYOFFS at Fleet seem to be a microcosm of the economy as a whole. Good, higher-paying, full-time jobs, presumably with benefits, are replaced by lower-paying, part-time jobs that may not have the same health care plans.


Industry report Delta Air Lines Inc. #39;s plan to restructure some of its debt outside of bankruptcy has raised concerns among credit analysts who say the move could be tantamount to defaulting on the money the struggling carrier owes.


Apple recalls 28,000 PowerBook batteries Apple Computer Inc. Thursday morning launched a voluntary worldwide 15-inch PowerBook G4 battery exchange program to deal with 28,000 potentially faulty units.


Computer Experts Vie in Hacking Contest (AP) AP - Armed with laptops, modems, hard disk drives and sandwiches, 12 computer experts hunkered down Friday for a seven-hour contest to find the best hacker in tech-savvy Singapore.


Pakistani Islamists rally against custodial killing, raids on seminaries (AFP) AFP - Thousands of Islamists demonstrated across Pakistan after Friday prayers against the death of a cleric in detention over suspected links to Al Qaeda and against raids on seminaries.


Report: Bush Spent Nearly  #36;46M in July (AP) AP - A fresh wave of ads pushed President Bush's spending to nearly  #36;46 million for July, the Republican's highest level since he launched the first ad blitz of his re-election campaign in March, a campaign finance report filed Friday shows.


Judge Maintains Peirsol Broke Rules  ATHENS (Reuters) - The swimming judge who disqualified gold  medal winner Aaron Peirsol at the Athens Olympics is standing  by his claim that the American backstroker broke the rules.


Annan Vows to Protect U.N. Staff from Attacks (Reuters) Reuters - Those behind the "cold-blooded murder"\of 22 people at the United Nations office in Baghdad one year\ago must be held to account, no matter how long it takes to\find them, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday.


General Growth to buy Rouse for \$7.2bn In the latest big deal among US real estate companies, General Growth will pay \$67.50 per share in cash for each share in Rouse, a premium of 33 per cent over its closing stock price of \$50.61 in Thursday New York Stock Exchange trade.


Qantas to raise fuel surcharge AUSTRALIAN airline Qantas has upped its prices for the second time in three months, blaming rising oil prices, while budget airline Ryanair insists it will not impose fuel surcharges on customers.


File-sharing firms record a win The film and music industries yesterday again lost a legal battle to hold file-sharing companies liable for copyright infringement, setting up an expected confrontation in the Supreme Court.


Chinadotcom #39;s Text-Messages Suspended Chinadotcom Corp. said Friday that China #39;s state-controlled wireless carrier fined the company \$160,000 and suspended its text-message services on charges that the cell-phone service provider #39;s Go2joy unit charged inactive users and switched customers #39; ...


Report: FDA to relabel antidepressants Agency wants to learn if drugs can lead to suicide in young people; most major drugmakers impacted. NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration is expected to call for changes to labels for antidepressants to reflect a new agency analysis ...


Apple recalls laptop batteries In cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Apple has voluntarily recalled some of its laptop batteries. The batteries in question are found in 15-inch PowerBook G4 (Aluminum) laptops. The recall is a result of four reports that the ...


Brazil tribe prove words count When it comes to counting, a remote Amazonian tribespeople have been found to be lost for words. Researchers discovered the Piraha tribe of Brazil, with a population of 200, have no words beyond one, two and many.


Researchers spot XP SP2 security weakness Security researchers believe they have discovered a weakness in the new security given to Windows XP by the recently unveiled Service Pack 2 (SP2).


Somebody else #39;s spam A FEW WEEKS back I spent three days locked up in a room full of Internet experts, pioneers, and thinkers to contemplate the question of how to prevent what the conference #39;s convenors grandly called the  quot;Internet meltdown quot;. I was hoping for a particularly ...


Finally sync your BlackBerry with your Mac Research In Motion couldn #39;t be bothered to ever get around to doing this themselves, but Information Appliance Associates has just come out with some software which should finally let Mac users satisfy their CrackBerry addictions. There #39;s no support ...


Judge Maintains Peirsol Broke Rules ATHENS (Reuters) - The swimming judge who disqualified gold medal winner Aaron Peirsol at the Athens Olympics is standing by his claim that the American backstroker broke the rules.


Woodgate joins Real Madrid England international defender Jonathan Woodgate passed his medical and will sign a four-year contract with Real Madrid on Saturday, the Spanish giants said.


Live on Sky Sports 2, 5pm (KO 5.15pm) This is, in my opinion, one of the biggest games Manchester United have played for years. It may sound strange ahead of what is only the second game of the season, but don #39;t think this is one they can afford to lose.


Race driver killed in crash Race car driver Tommy Baldwin was killed in a crash at Thompson International Speedway during a Featherlite modified race.


Tanks encircle shrine in US blitz on rebels UNITED States tanks today encircled the sacred Imam Ali shrine in the Iraqi city of Najaf, after an intense bombardment of rebel positions overnight.


Bombings Hit Kathmandu, as Blockade Starts to Affect Prices The Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, has been hit by bomb blasts on the third day of a blockade called by Maoist rebels. Nepalese business leaders are calling for a cease-fire between the government and the rebels.


Kazaa Owner Cheers File-Swapping Decision (AP) AP - The distributor of file-swapping giant Kazaa on Friday welcomed a U.S. court's ruling that two of its rivals are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works shared online by their users.


Violence in blockaded Kathmandu as Nepal agrees to meet Maoists halfway (AFP) AFP - Maoist rebels who have cut off Kathmandu for three days attacked security forces and bombed buildings inside the Nepalese capital, as the government partially agreed to guerrilla demands for lifting the blockade.


Stocks Set to Fall Amid High Oil Price  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks are poised to fall for a  second-straight day on Friday on concerns the economy and  corporate profits will slow after crude futures touched another  record and inched toward \$50 per barrel.


Weak El Nino Seen Affecting U.S. This Fall, Winter (Reuters) Reuters - A weak El Nino, the weather anomaly\that distorts wind and rainfall patterns worldwide, is expected\to develop and affect the United States this fall and winter,\U.S. government weather experts said on Thursday.


Treasuries Yields Near Recent Lows  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yields on U.S. Treasuries held near  recent lows on Friday as oil topped \$49 a barrel, threatening  the outlook for both the economy and stocks.


Magna Int'l Names Mark Hogan as President  TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's Magna International MGa.TO,  the world's seventh-largest auto-parts supplier, named Mark  Hogan as its president on Friday and said he will be based in  Detroit.


Khan crushes Stilianov British boxer Amir Khan outpoints European champion Dimitar Stilianov in style.


Advanced Neuromodulation takes stake in Cyberonics CHICAGO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANSI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday said it took an equity stake in Cyberonics Inc. (CYBX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and initiated discussions about combining the two companies.


Enter your e-mail: Well, here #39;s the next development in the fee-based music download wars: RealNetworks is selling songs for 49 cents apiece through labor day, undercutting the ITunes Music Store #39;s price by 50 cents.


You don #39;t use a yardstick to measure grit ATHENS, Greece  Grit is now available in an economy size. It can be found in Carly Patterson, and in spades.


Five more suspended by weightlifting body ATHENS -- Weightlifting #39;s aggressive pursuit of drug cheaters will continue even if it jeopardizes its future in the Olympics, its top official said yesterday after six more positive doping cases in what is again becoming the Games #39; dirtiest sport. Five ...


Emmons wins gold in prone rifle American Matt Emmons won the gold medal Friday in the 50-meter prone rifle competition with a score of 703.3.


Russia Welcomes Georgian Troops #39;Pullout from South Ossetia In its statement issued on August 20 Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed Georgia #39;s decision to pull out its extra troops from the South Ossetian conflict zone.


Bomb Blasts Hit Kathmandu, as Rebel Blockade Continues The Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, has been hit by bomb blasts on the third day of a blockade called by Maoist rebels. Nepalese business leaders are calling for a cease-fire between the government and the rebels.


Crude oil nears \$50 a barrel Oil prices continue to climb, with a record of \$48.98 reported overnight for US light crude. While prices have fallen back to \$48.56 a barrel, with Brent crude oil at \$44.43, crude seems destined to climb to \$50 a barrel for the first time.


Treasuries Yields Near Recent Lows (Reuters) Reuters - Yields on U.S. Treasuries held near\recent lows on Friday as oil topped  #36;49 a barrel, threatening\the outlook for both the economy and stocks.


Khan moves into quarter-finals (AFP) AFP - Teenage boxer Amir Khan moved into the quarter-finals of the Olympic lightweight division with a storming points win against European champion Dimitar Stilianov of Bulgaria.


Kallis, Boucher boost South Africa in Colombo one-dayer (AFP) AFP - Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher slammed half-centuries as South Africa posted a competitive 263-9 in the first one-dayer against Sri Lanka at the Premdasa Stadium here.


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


Oil Tops \$49 Amid Iraq Supply Worries Crude oil prices passed \$49 per barrel today, striking fresh record levels amid heightened concern about supplies in Iraq.


World is  #39;in more danger #39; PAKISTAN #39;S president has warned that the war on terror has made the world a more dangerous place. Gen. Pervez Musharraf said the world was  quot;absolutely quot; less safe because military action had done nothing to tackle the causes of terrorism.


Greek athlete fails test A spokesman for Greece's Olympic team confirms that a Greek athlete has failed a dope test.


Sadr May Have Escaped Najaf Mosque-Iraq Official  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr  may have escaped the U.S.-led military siege of the Imam Ali  Mosque in Najaf, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said on Friday.


Scientists Say Risk of Water Wars Rising STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The risk of wars being fought over water is rising because of explosive global population growth and widespread complacency, scientists said on Friday.


British Considering Protest of Peirsol #39;s Gold Medal Victory ATHENS, Aug. 20 -- The British Olympic Association is considering whether to bring its protest of an American swimmer #39;s gold medal-winning performance before an international arbitration panel, potentially keeping alive a fiasco that ...


Suzuki advances to semis Japan #39;s world open-weight champion, aiming to make up for compatriot Kosei Inoue #39;s shock loss in a lighter men #39;s division, defeated Yury Rybak.


Jake White #39;s Springboks Are On the Cusp of a Historic First On Saturday against the Wallabies, they will accomplish what no previous Bok team has managed - winning the Tri-Nations despite losing both away matches.


Peres demands early Israeli elections Israel #39;s opposition leader, Shimon Peres, today called for early elections that would effectively rule his party out of joining a coalition to prop up the prime minister, Ariel Sharon.


Bomb blasts hit Kathmandu Suspected Maoist rebels today shot and wounded a policeman and detonated two powerful bombs in Kathmandu as the blockade of the Nepalese capital entered its third day.


Is Israel planning to attack Iran? JERUSALEM Ariel Sharon may be on the warpath again and the target is Iran. In the past, the Israeli prime minister has focused attention on Iran by claiming that it presents the greatest threat to Israel. More than once, defense officials in Jerusalem ...


UN: Chad Could See More Darfur Refugees GENEVA Aug. 20, 2004  Tens of thousands more refugees might flee Sudan #39;s Darfur region into neighboring Chad because of persistent attacks and rapes by Arab militias, the United Nations said Friday.


US warplanes strike Falluja: Report FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP)  US forces launched two airstrikes today on the troubled Iraqi city of Falluja, hospital officials and witnesses said.


Israeli court orders reply for Hague JERUSALEM The Israeli Supreme Court ordered the government to produce a statement in the next 30 days that assesses the ramifications of a nonbinding ruling by the International Court of Justice in the Hague that declared the Israeli security barrier ...


Cleric #39;s Aides: Kidnapped Journalist Will Be Freed Baghdad, Iraq -- Some of Muqtada al-Sadr #39;s aides in Iraq say kidnappers have promised to release a Western journalist, perhaps as early as Friday.


Women Lay Claim to  #39;Miracle Children #39; Three women sensationally turned up yesterday at the Nairobi CID headquarters and laid claim on some of Archbishop Deya #39;s  quot;miracle babies. quot; ...


Court to hear medal appeal  Britain will find out on Saturday whether its equestrian medals will be upgraded.


Guatemala to pay paramilitaries Guatemala's government agrees to pay millions of dollars to former paramilitaries, who some accuse of war crimes.


Particle collider edges forward Physicists take a key decision on the technology to be used in the International Linear Collider, one of the grand scientific projects of the 21st Century.


Oil Futures Rise to Record as Iraq Fighting Threatens Exports Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil futures rose to a record, surpassing \$49 a barrel in New York, on concern clashes in southern Iraq between US troops and Shiite Muslim militiamen may cut exports.


General Growth Properties to acquire Rouse for \$12.6 bn NEW YORK, August 20 (New Ratings)  General Growth Properties Inc (GGP.NYS), the second-largest shopping mall operator in the US, has agreed to buy Rouse Company (RSE), in a cash and debt assumptions deal worth about \$12.6 billion.


Cyberonics #39; Shares Jumps on Stock Buy Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc. reported Friday that it purchased 3.5 million shares of Cyberonics Inc., taking a 14.9 percent stake in the Houston-based medical device maker, and expressed an interest in combining the two companies.


United set to drop pension plans United Airlines has said it will very likely terminate its four employee pension plans and replace them with less generous benefits. United said the drastic move was needed to attract the financing that would allow it to emerge from bankruptcy.


Magna Int #39;l Names Mark Hogan as President TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada #39;s Magna International (MGa.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s seventh-largest auto-parts supplier, named Mark Hogan as its president on Friday and said he will be based in Detroit.


Dim Reality at Sharper Image Shares of Sharper Image (SHRP:Nasdaq - news - research) were under pressure Friday after the company unexpectedly predicted it will lose money in its third quarter and was downgraded by JP Morgan.


Lottery for Longshore Jobs Draws More Than 300,000 Description: Union and shipping company officials at the Port of Los Angeles held a lottery Thursday to fill 300,000 longshore jobs. More than 300,000 people applied for the dangerous but lucrative jobs. Results of the lottery will be posted on the Web ...


Prehistoric Desert Town Found in Western Sahara (Reuters) Reuters - The remains of a prehistoric town\believed to date back 15,000 years and belong to an ancient\Berber civilization have been discovered in Western Sahara,\Moroccan state media said on Thursday.


Eta rebels explode peace hopes ETA triggered a series of explosions across Spain yesterday in a show of force by a faction within the Basque terrorist organisation opposed to a peace deal with the Socialist Government.


Ghana leader looks set to win second term Accra - Ghana #39;s leader, John Kufuor, is expected to win a second and final four-year term when voters in the world #39;s second-biggest cocoa grower choose their leader in a presidential election on Tuesday.


Software Doesn't Break Laws... ... People do. Or at least that's what two makers of file-sharing software argued successfully in federal court, shifting the balance in the Internet piracy wars away from the Hollywood and the RIAA. -washingtonpost.com


Web Sites Agree to Be Accessible to Blind In one of the first enforcement actions of the Americans with Disabilities Act on the Internet, two major travel services have agreed to make sites more accessible to the blind and visually impaired.


Blunt Talk on Union Web Site Spotlights Frustration Over Labor Relations Changes Ron Ault, the president of the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, describes himself as "a very plain-spoken person." He isn't kidding.


Nokia taps Coke exec to refresh brands The hope is that Keith Pardy will put some fizz back in the company's market share stats.


Cherry Readies Linux Keyboard \$50 device will feature hot keys designed for the alternative operating system.


Japan Court Ex-Chess Champ Fischer Can Be Deported (Reuters) Reuters - A Tokyo court on Friday rejected a\request by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer to have\Japanese authorities halt procedures to deport him, Kyodo news\agency reported.


Software Doesn't Break Laws... (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - What do file-sharing companies and the National Rifle Association have in common?  A common legal argument, that's what.


Stocks Near Flat as Oil Price Hits Record  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on  Friday as investors worried high crude prices will hurt the  economy and corporate profits, but oil production companies  like Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM.N and ChevronTexaco Corp. CVX.N  got a boost as the price of crude inched toward \$50 per barrel.


New Blast Rocks Texas Natural Gas Unit  HOUSTON (Reuters) - A new explosion rocked an underground  natural gas storage site early Friday, sending a fireball into  the sky and prompting the evacuation of homes near the blaze,  which has raged since early Thursday.


Iraqi Police Enter Najaf Shrine, Arrest Militiamen  NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi police took control of the  Imam Ali Mosque in the holy city of Najaf on Friday after  entering the shrine and arrested some hundreds of militiamen,  Interior Ministry and an Iraqi government source said.


Japan Court Ex-Chess Champ Fischer Can Be Deported  TOKYO (Reuters) - A Tokyo court on Friday rejected a  request by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer to have  Japanese authorities halt procedures to deport him, Kyodo news  agency reported.


Second Explosion Rocks Texas Gas Facility MOSS BLUFF, Texas - A second explosion in less than 24 hours rocked a burning underground gas storage facility early Friday, prompting authorities to expand an evacuation zone around the site.    The fire at Duke Energy's Moss Bluff natural gas facility intensified overnight, an official said...


U.S. Women Beat Spain in First Real Test ATHENS, Greece - Seriously challenged for the first time in these Olympics, the U.S. women's basketball team fought through foul problems and long stretches of frigid shooting to clinch first place in its preliminary group with a 71-58 victory over Spain on Friday...


Stocks Up Despite Oil Nearing \$50 a Barrel NEW YORK - Stocks edged higher in early trading Friday as investors tried to uncouple share prices from skyrocketing oil costs, even as crude reached new highs and neared \$50 per barrel.    A barrel of light crude was quoted at \$49.33, up 63 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange, continuing a climb that has sent new intraday highs with every quote...


An Elusive Peace in Najaf The standoff is driven by Moqtada Sadr's political ambitions. But how good is his poker game?


File Sharing Companies Ruled Not Liable A federal appeals court yesterday ruled that two developers of file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the copyrighted content their users swap online.


Update 1: Cyberonics #39; Shares Jump on Stock Buy Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc. reported Friday that it purchased 3.5 million shares of Cyberonics Inc., taking a 14.9 percent stake in the Houston-based medical device maker, and expressed an interest in combining the two companies.


Kmart #39;s store sales might cost jobs Report: Retailer could terminate as many as 1,200 positions stemming from stores sold to Home Depot.


WPP Profit Rises; Company Ponders Bid for Grey Global (Update5) Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- WPP Group Plc, the world #39;s second- largest advertising and marketing company, said first-half profit rose 11 percent as demand increased in the US and Asia, and reiterated it #39;s looking into buying Grey Global Inc.


Flaws and a Delay for XP SP2 Just one day after Microsoft delayed the delivery of its Windows XP Service Pack 2 (XP SP2) update for the Professional Edition, a German research firm announced the discovery of two security flaws in the application.


RealNetworks Doesn #39;t Rock NEW YORK - It #39;s never a smart move to pick a public fight with Apple Computer, and it #39;s doubly unwise if that fight involves the iPod in some way.


BlackBerry in sync with Mac OS X Software developer Information Appliance Associates announced on Thursday the release of an application synchronising Research In Motion #39;s BlackBerry devices with Apple #39;s Mac OS X.


Nokia taps Coke exec to refresh brands Nokia is bringing in a Coca-Cola executive to take over brand management as part of its plan for regaining market share.


Probe expanded into Greek sprinters #39; crash, coach #39;s past The state drug agency asked for a warrant Friday to search a warehouse belonging to the coach of two disgraced Greek sprinters who withdrew from the Olympics after they missed a doping test.


Rathbone is  #39;like Gregan #39; AUSTRALIAN coach Eddie Jones rates winger Clyde Rathbone a potential successor to Wallaby captain George Gregan as the pair reach Test career milestones tonight against South Africa in Durban.


Two more Americans fail to master Olympic boxing style No chance, Dad. The best amateur boxers know just how to move and exactly when to pounce -- and three Americans who failed to match that style are out of the Olympics.


USA women #39;s basketball team pulls away to beat Spain Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - The US women #39;s basketball team continued its impressive play at the Olympics, pulling away from previously-unbeaten Spain for a 71-58 victory on Friday.


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


Holes found in Windows XP update Security firms are starting to find loopholes and bugs in the SP2 security update for Windows XP.


Search Engine Forums Spotlight Links to this week's topics from search engine forums across the web: How Do You Compete With the Fortune 500s - Google Prices Stock at \$85 Per Share - MSN Block-Level Link Analysis - Slickest Link Building Tricks - Your Message to New SEOs - How To Handle AdWords With Thousands Of Keywords


Amazon to Purchase Chinese Retailer Joyo.com Amazon to Purchase Chinese Retailer Joyo.com\\Amazon.com agreed to buy Joyo.com which is China's largest online retailer of books, music and videos. The agreed purchase will be at \$75 million for Amazon to enter the world's second largest populated Internet market.\\Amazon will pay \$72 million in cash and assume employee stock ...


Court Rules File Sharing Legal Court Rules File Sharing Legal\\A federal appeals court has upheld a controversial decision which ruled that file sharing software such as Kazaa, Morpheus or Grokster are indeed legal. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Los Angeles ruled on Thursday that peer-to-peer software developers were not liable for any ...


Basketball: U.S. Women Win After a Tough Test  ATHENS (Reuters) - The unbeaten U.S. women's basketball  team had their sternest test of the Olympic tournament so far  Friday, needing an eight point run in the third quarter to pull  away and beat Spain 71-58.


FDA Sees Changes to Antidepressant Labels  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug  Administration plans to update antidepressant labels to reflect  studies that suggest a link between the drugs and suicide in  youth, according to documents released on Friday.


Holes found in Windows update Security firms are starting to find loopholes and bugs in the SP2 security update for Windows XP.


Is Netflix Doomed? A Netflix mailer may be black and white and red all over, but that's not the only punch line.


Iraqi Police in Control of Najaf Shrine, According to Reports Hundreds of militiamen were arrested today when police entered the Imam Ali Mosque, but rebel Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr was not found, Iraqi officials said.


Avian flu 'discovered in pigs' Scientists in China say they have discovered the highly virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu in pigs.


Advanced Neuromodulation takes stake in Cyberonics CHICAGO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANSI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday said it took a 14.9 percent equity stake in Cyberonics Inc. (CYBX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , expressing interest in combining the two companies, ...


Mylan Explains Trading Surge That #39;s what Mylan Laboratories (MYL :Nasdaq - news - research) sort of did Friday in addressing a surge in trading volume Thursday.


Nordstrom shares are hammered after earnings miss CHICAGO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Shares of Nordstrom Inc. (JWN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) dropped 9 percent early on Friday after the luxury retailer missed Wall Street #39;s earnings target and forecast disappointing profits for the current quarter.


Dollar Rises; Traders Drop Bets Currency to Reach One-Month Low Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar climbed against the euro after some traders abandoned bets that a slowdown in growth reflected in economic reports this week would push the US currency to a one-month low.


Ohio sues Best Buy for alleged unfair business practices YESTERDAY THE STATE OF OHIO sued Best Buy for alleged unfair and deceptive business practices. Ohio state is claiming the company repackaged used goods and sold them as if they were new, as well as not honouring rebates, refunds, exchange programs and ...


Holes found in Windows XP update Barely hours after home users started securing their PCs with a key update for Windows XP, security experts have found ways around it.


Probe Set to Return with Sun Sample Aug. 20, 2004  A small science satellite dispatched to just beyond Earth #39;s magnetosphere returns to the home planet next month to deliver a most unique package: particles of the sun.


Greek Athlete Tests Positive for Drugs ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek pride was dealt another blow Friday when one of their athletes failed a drugs test at the Olympics just 48 hours after its two top sprinters pulled out of the Games in a doping scandal.


Fergie undecided over Ronaldo Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is still unsure whether to field Cristiano Ronaldo in Saturday #39;s Premiership clash against Norwich.


Israel Faces New Pressure Over Security Barrier The Israeli government is facing new pressure over its controversial West Bank security barrier, which the World Court has ruled is illegal and should be dismantled.


Japan Court Ex-Chess Champ Fischer Can Be Deported TOKYO (Reuters) - A Tokyo court on Friday rejected a request by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer to have Japanese authorities halt procedures to deport him, Kyodo news agency reported.


UN Official Warns of  #39;Spiral of Violence #39; Following Burundi Massacre The United Nation #39;s top peacekeeping official says there is  quot;real danger quot; of a new war in central Africa following the massacre of Congolese refugees in Burundi.


Latham to be released from hospital Mr Latham is due to leave St Vincent #39;s hospital in Sydney after being treated for pancreatitis. Mr Latham says he is feeling much better and expects to be back at work next week.


Google Shares Jump 18 In NASDAQ Debut Google Shares Jump 18 In NASDAQ Debut\\Google stock shares rose 18 percent in their NASDAQ stock market debut yesterday, after a scaled-down \$1.67 billion IPO marked by missteps and lackluster market conditions. Google co-founder Larry Page and chief executive Eric Schmidt showed up at the Nasdaq stock market as Google ...


Yahoo Now Powers OptusNet of Australia and New Zealand Yahoo Now Powers OptusNet of Australia and New Zealand\\Yahoo Search now powers the search engine results for OptusNet, Australia's second largest Internet service provider. The Age reports that Optus signed an agreement with Yahoo's Australia and New Zealand divisions where in Yahoo! Search Technology will power  the OptusNet dialup ...


Lithuanians face US NBA stars in Olympic basketball showdown (AFP) AFP - A struggling United States basketball team coming off two narrow escapes and a epic loss faces its toughest Olympic test yet Saturday against unbeaten Lithuania, which is playing like the team to beat for gold.


Iran Urges Meeting on Iraq 'Catastrophe' (AP) AP - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami called on Muslim countries Friday to hold an urgent meeting to discuss the "catastrophe" in Iraq, particularly the 2-week standoff in the holy city of Najaf.


Feds Subpoena Fannie Mae -Source  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators investigating Fannie  Mae's accounting practices have sent subpoenas to the No. 1  U.S. mortgage finance company in connection with the probe, a  source familiar with the matter said on Friday.


Anadarko to Sell Gulf Assets for \$1.3 Bln  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Anadarko Petroleum Corp. APC.N has  agreed to sell oil properties in the Gulf of Mexico to Apache  Corp. APA.N and a royalty interest to Morgan Stanley Capital  Group Inc. for a total of \$1.31 billion as part of its plan to  slash debt and buy back stock, the company said on Friday.


Kerry touts job-creation plans (AFP) AFP - Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry promised to help boost US job growth and take a harder line on alleged abuses by China as he touted his economic plan.


Scalpers Sell Athens Tickets at Face Value  ATHENS (Reuters) - The Athens 2004 Games which will have a  place in history as the Olympics' homecoming may also be  remembered as the Games that redefined a ticket scalper's job.


Japan Court: Bobby Fischer Can Be Deported  TOKYO (Reuters) - A Tokyo court on Friday rejected a  request by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer to have  the Japanese authorities halt procedures to deport him, his  lawyer said.


Champions League matches in Group A Liverpool: 22-Chris Kirkland; 17-Josemi, 23-Jamie Carragher, 4-Sami Hyypia, 6-John Arne Riise; 18-Antonio Nunez, 8-Steven Gerrard, 14-Xabi Alonso, 10-Luis Garcia; 7-Harry Kewell, 5-Milan Baros.


Sony's TV Plans Take Shape New 46-inch LCD is just one of eight flat-panel models launched this week.


Beyonce's Hair Is Worth Millions (AP) AP - Beyonce reportedly makes up to  #36;4.7 million for just 10 days of work a year  #151; and that's just her hair. But she has to inform L'Oreal of "any radical change to her hair any concert tour may necessitate" and keep it in excellent condition, according to The Smoking Gun Web site, which has posted the contract between the singer and the cosmetic giant.


Sony's TV Plans Take Shape (PC World) PC World - New 46-inch LCD is just one of eight flat-panel models launched this week.


Airline Stops Three-Day Weekend Bookings (AP) AP - British Airways said Friday it has stopped taking bookings for the three-day weekend at the end of August because of a threatened strike over pay by check-in staff and baggage handlers.


Midway Could Be Viacom Acquisition Target (Reuters) Reuters - Media conglomerate Viacom Inc.\(VIAb.N) is considering expanding into the video game business\and could acquire publisher Midway Games Inc. (MWY.N),\according to a regulatory filing on Friday by Viacom chief\Sumner Redstone, who owns a controlling stake in Midway.


Qantas, Jetstar fares rise with oil Qantas domestic and international air fares will rise by \$4 and \$7 respectively from next week as the airline lifts its fuel surcharge to offset soaring oil prices. Despite posting a record annual net profit of \$648.40 million on ...


Rouse Co. to be sold for \$7.2 billion Another of Greater Baltimore #39;s marquee companies will soon have out-of-state ownership, as Chicago-based General Growth Properties Inc. announced Friday morning it will buy the Rouse Co. for \$7.2 billion.


Advanced Neuromodulation initiates merger talks with Cyberonics NEW YORK, August 20 (New Ratings)  Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc (ANSI.NAS) has acquired a 14.9 equity stake in Cyberonics Inc (CYBX), while initiating talks for combining the two companies.


Midway Could Be Viacom Acquisition Target  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Media conglomerate Viacom Inc.  VIAb.N is considering expanding into the video game business  and could acquire publisher Midway Games Inc. MWY.N,  according to a regulatory filing on Friday by Viacom chief  Sumner Redstone, who owns a controlling stake in Midway.


Apple recalls 28,000 PowerBook G4 batteries Apple has recalled 28,000 of the batteries used in its 15in aluminium PowerBook G4 laptop computers sold earlier this year in the US and via its online and retail stores, after receiving four reports of the batteries overheating.


Deakes takes a walk into history The 27-year-old took out bronze in the men #39;s 20km walk -- winning Australia #39;s first Olympic medal for walking in almost 45 years.


Harmison strikes twice for dominant England LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Steve Harmison took two cheap wickets to leave West Indies reeling on 54 for three on the second day of the fourth test at The Oval on Friday after England #39;s wagging tail had pushed the hosts to 470 all out.


Us Grand Prix Is Back The United States Grand Prix is to return to the MotoGP calendar next year after an 11-year absence.


UN remembers Iraq staff, a year after bombing GENEVA: Tears flowed as the United Nations marked the first anniversary yesterday of the bombing that shattered its Baghdad headquarters.


PM: Australia aims to keep good relations with both US, China Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Friday that Australia #39;s policy is aimed at keeping good relations with both the United States and China.


Dell's Secret Earnings Engine The company gets its highest profit margins from a conspicuously old economy business.


Confusion Surrounds Seizure of Iraqi Mosque  NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - The fate of a radical Shi'ite  rebellion in the holy city of Najaf was uncertain Friday amid  disputed reports that Iraqi police had gained control of the  Imam Ali Mosque.


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


Militants Remove Arms From Najaf Shrine BAGHDAD, Iraq - Militiamen loyal to rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Friday removed their weapons from the revered Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf as part of an arrangement aimed at ending a 2-week-old anti-U.S. uprising centered on the holy site...


U.S. Women's Basketball Team Beats Spain ATHENS, Greece - The U.S. women's basketball team got just what it wanted against Spain - a victory and a test...


Stocks Up Despite Oil Nearing \$50 a Barrel NEW YORK - Stocks edged higher in early trading Friday as investors tried to uncouple share prices from skyrocketing oil costs, even as crude reached new highs and flirted with \$50 per barrel.    A barrel of light crude was quoted at \$48.97, up 27 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange after setting a new intraday record earlier in the session at \$49.40...


Tigers #39; Monroe facing theft charge in Charlotte County Detroit Tigers outfielder Craig Monroe was arrested for allegedly stealing a \$29.99 belt from a department store, a records clerk at Charlotte County jail said Tuesday.


Insiders Get Rich Through IPO (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Google's Wednesday initial public offering, despite its failure to price as high or sell as many shares as the company had hoped, still made a host of existing stockholders instant millionaires and billionaires.


Google AdWords Dynamic Keyword Insertion Google AdWords Dynamic Keyword Insertion\\Just another tip on improving conversion rates with Google AdWords. When search words appear in a Google ad they are bolded. A good way to improve click through rate (and thus lower price per click) is to place keywords in the ad.\\Sometimes it may not be ...


Pakistan to rest speed duo Skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq said he #39;d likely rest Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami for Tuesday #39;s limited-overs match against an Australian Chairman #39;s XI as Pakistan continues to ease its pace bowlers into the tour.


Movie Studios Lose In Case Against File-Sharing Apps The decision is likely to force the industry to take the more costly and less-popular route of going directly after file-swappers.


BHP had talks on India steel MINING giant BHP Billiton has confirmed it held preliminary talks with the Government of India #39;s Orissa state and Korean steel maker Posco about options for its iron ore business on the sub-continent.


Ceradyne shares surge on Army contract award NEW YORK, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Shares of Ceradyne Inc. (CRDN.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , a maker of ceramic body armor, surged to an all-time high on Friday on news that the company has won a US Army contract worth up to \$461 million.


Bush hasn #39;t decided on tax reform-Treasury #39;s Snow WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush has not decided on whether wholesale changes to the US tax code would be a focus of administration policy if he won a second term, US Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Friday.


Alcatel Spreading DSL Wealth in China Building on a longstanding relationship, Alcatel (Quote, Chart) will help China Telecom deploy 1.3 million DSL (define) lines, the latest in a slew of recent industry deals from emerging markets.


Microsoft HotFixes Flaw In XP Fix Microsoft has released yet another hotfix #39;to fix a newly discovered problem in its XP Service Pack2 (XP SP2) release.


Washing your hands with soap could damage the environment Washing your hands with soap may clean them for you, but according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, toxic chemicals used in hand soaps, cleaners and other personal care products to kill germs are deposited and remain ...


Greek athlete tests positive Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - A member of the Greek Olympic team has tested positive for a banned substance, this according to a news bulletin released by the Hellenic Olympic Committee on Friday.


Scalpers Sell Athens Tickets at Face Value ATHENS (Reuters) - The Athens 2004 Games which will have a place in history as the Olympics #39; homecoming may also be remembered as the Games that redefined a ticket scalper #39;s job.


Peschier wins gold in kayak Benoit Peschier was aggressive and precise while a British medal hopeful was timid when the French dominated the men #39;s slalom Olympic kayaking on Friday.


Aussie woman takes 500 time trial in the velodrome ATHENS (AP)  Anna Meares of Australia won the gold medal Friday in the 500-meter time trial with a world-record time of 33.952 seconds.


Detroit Tigers Team Report - August 20 Detroit comes into tonight #39;s tilt on a winning note after Bobby Higginson homered twice to lead the Tigers to an 8-4 pasting of the Chicago White Sox.


Anaheim Angels Team Report - August 20 (Sports Network) - The Anaheim Angels try to make it three straight wins this evening when they start a three-game set with the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.


Maoist rebels bomb Nepalese capital KATHMANDU - Suspected Maoist rebels exploded two bombs in Kathmandu on Friday, the third day of their blockade of Nepal #39;s capital city.


Japan Court: Bobby Fischer Can Be Deported TOKYO (Reuters) - A Tokyo court on Friday rejected a request by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer to have the Japanese authorities halt procedures to deport him, his lawyer said.


PM clarifies Downer #39;s ANZUS comments MAXINE MCKEW: The Prime Minister has gently steered his Government back onto the official diplomatic line about Australia #39;s military obligations to America.


News: Download.Ject-style worm spreads via IM A Download.Ject-style worm which spreads through instant messages is spreading across the Net, according to intrusion prevention firm PivX.\


Taiwan's Economy Expands at Fast Pace (AP) AP - Taiwan's economy expanded at its fastest pace in four years during the second quarter as the global economy recovered, boosting foreign trade and increasing manufacturing output, the government said Friday.


Advocate Or Promoter? (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - As the second employee of InfoSpace, Jean-Remy Facq saw the value of his stock inflate and then collapse. Now he's suing in federal court in Seattle for a  #36;4.5 million refund of 1999 federal income tax. He's just one of 200 tech workers who have hired Seattle tax lawyer/CPA Brian G. Isaacson in the hope his novel theories will help them slash old (and sometimes unpaid) tax bills from their exercise of stock options for shares that later tanked.


Crushing the Little Guys (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - In 1999 a wave of novice broadcasters tried to start several thousand new "low-power" FM radio stations, fledgling outfits that would fill gaps in the FM radio band. One group sought a license to air Baptist homilies in Connecticut, another for jazz in Oklahoma, another for Vietnamese talk shows in Minnesota.


Cheapware (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Craig Murphy has had enough. As chief technology officer at Sabre Holdings, which runs the world's largest airfare and ticketing network, Murphy has spent millions of dollars on database and other software from companies like Oracle. But last year, when Sabre was building a new computer system for online shoppers, Murphy took a flyer on a database program from a little-known company in Sweden that charges only  #36;495 per server computer, versus a  #36;160,000 list price for Oracle. Guess what? The Swedish stuff works great. ...


Greek Athlete Tests Positive for Drugs  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek pride was dealt another blow on  Friday when one of their athletes failed a drugs test at the  Olympics just 48 hours after its two top sprinters pulled out  of the Games in a doping scandal.


General Growth to Buy Rouse for \$7.2 Billion A Chicago developer of regional shopping malls said today it will buy Maryland's The Rouse Co. for about \$7.2 billion.


Baseball must clean up its act B aseball #39;s dirty little secret is leaking out all over now. Steroids known as the  quot;clear quot; and the  quot;cream quot; have gushed into the news, staining the reputations of stars such as Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi, and


General Growth Set to Buy Rouse for \$7.2B COLUMBIA, Md. Aug. 20, 2004  General Growth Properties Inc., a Chicago-based developer of regional shopping malls, said Friday it will buy the Rouse Co. for about \$7.2 billion. The deal will provide it with more leverage in negotiations with top ...


Best Buy sued for  #39;ripping off #39; consumers Giant US electronics retailer Best Buy has been sued by the State of Ohio over alleged unfair and deceptive business practices.


Insurance giant Aetna to buy Columbia company for \$250 million (Hartford, Connecticut-Dow Jones/AP) Aug. 20, 2004 - Health-insurance giant Aetna says it #39;s agreed to buy Strategic Resource Company of Columbia for \$250 million.


BlackBerry in Sync with Apple Mac fans now can sync their BlackBerry devices with their PCs using software from Information Appliance Associates. The BlackBerry platform has developed a broad following in the enterprise, delivering wireless access to e-mail and ...


NASCAR driver killed Veteran NASCAR driver Tommy Baldwin was killed in a wreck at Thompson International Speedway in Conn. Thursday night.


Jamaica #39;s Fuller joins Portsmouth LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Jamaica striker Ricardo Fuller has joined Portsmouth from Preston North End on a two-year contract, the Premier League club said on Friday.


Chicago White Sox Team Report - August 20 (Sports Network) - The Chicago White Sox were handed an 8-4 setback by the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. Bobby Higginson homered twice to lead Detroit.


Georgian troops pull out from conflict zone after intense fighting MOSCOW, Aug. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- All Georgian troops have withdrawn from the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone following a week-long battle between the two sides, Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze said on Friday.


US Hostage in Good Health - Jazeera Tape DUBAI (Reuters) - A US hostage in Iraq Micah Garen, appearing on a videotape, has called on the United States to stop the bloodshed in the Iraqi city of Najaf, Al Jazeera television said Friday.


Marrying the Ideal to the Real (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Rajiv Laroia was handed a dream assignment at Lucent's Bell Labs in 1997: Invent a way to put a broadband Internet in the sky. Don't worry about existing cell phone systems, just do it right.


Stocks Higher as Oil Eases  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks traded slightly higher on  Friday, even as oil flirted near the \$50-per-barrel mark,  suggesting that investors were snatching up beaten-down shares  and growing confident that oil prices may be leveling off.


Tigers' Craig Monroe Facing Theft Charge (AP) AP - Detroit Tigers outfielder Craig Monroe was arrested for allegedly stealing a  #36;29.99 belt from a department store, a records clerk at Charlotte County jail said Tuesday.


Stocks Higher As Oil Nears \$50 a Barrel NEW YORK - Stocks moved slightly higher Friday as investors tried to uncouple share prices from skyrocketing oil costs, even as crude reached new highs and flirted with \$50 per barrel.    A barrel of light crude was quoted at \$48.90, up 20 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange after setting a new intraday record earlier in the session at \$49.40...


Militants Remove Arms From Najaf Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Militiamen loyal to rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Friday removed weapons from the revered Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf in a step aimed at ending the 2-week-old uprising centered on the holy site.    Iraq's highest Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, agreed to take control of the shrine, which al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia turned into a stronghold and refuge during their fight with U.S...


NFL Game Tackles Competition Madden NFL 2005 sells more than 1.3 million copies in its first week. Also: Viacom considers buying Midway Games   hellip;. China Mobile sanctions Go2joy mobile messaging unit   hellip;. and more.


Google shines on second day Shares of Google are on the way up again on their second day of trading.


Dollar Up Vs. Most Except Yen  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rose against almost every  one of its main counterparts except the yen on Friday, as  technically focused investors shifted positions and considered  the implications of spiking oil prices.


N.C. Co. Develops Germ-Fighting Clothes (AP) AP - Deep in the Atlantic Ocean, undersea explorers are living a safer life thanks to germ-fighting clothing made in Kinston.


Brazil Tribe Has Great Excuse for Poor Math Skills (Reuters) Reuters - Some people have a great excuse for\being bad at math -- their language lacks the words for most\numbers, U.S.-based researchers reported on Thursday.


Strong growth for Linux servers End-user adoption of Linux servers for enterprise workloads hosting ISV applications and databases is ramping up rapidly, with newly published data indicating that uptake of the operating system has doubled over the past year.


Apple Recalls PowerBook Batteries Both the CPSC and Apple advised G4 customers affected by the fault to contact Apple immediately. Apple said it has made provision to supply replacement batteries free of charge by arrangement with the battery #39;s South Korean manufacturer, ...


Researchers Spot XP SP2 Security Weakness Microsoft believes that any hacker looking to exploit this issue would have to rely on considerable help from users. The company said an attacker would need to first entice the user to visit a specific Web site and then entice them to drag ...


Reports criticize DHS for lack of progress on IT AUGUST 20, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - As the debate about adding a national intelligence director proceeds, two government reports are shedding new light on an existing dilemma: If DHS CIO Steven Cooper can #39;t wrestle the agency #39;s sprawling bureaucracy into ...


Yahoo fixes two flaws in mail system News.com: Yahoo fixed two flaws in its free mail system that could have allowed a malicious user to read a victim #39;s browser cookies and change the appearance of some pages, Yahoo said Thursday.


Massu beats Dent to reach gold medal match Nicolas Massu beat Taylor Dent of the United States 7-6 (5), 6-1 Friday in the tennis semifinals to move within one victory of giving Chile its first Olympic gold medal in any sport.


Swansong for Gebrselassie Gebrselassie has already won everything under the sun. Twice an Olympic champion, in Atlanta and Sydney, the 10,000m legend has dominated the event for nearly ten years. By the time of Atlanta 1996, Gebrselassie was already the reigning world record ...


Meares, Hoy win cycling gold in record times Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Track cyclists Anna Meares of Australia and Chris Hoy of Great Britain won time trial gold medals Friday afternoon with record times.


Sadr #39;s aide denies entering of Iraqi police into Najaf shrine BAGHDAD, Aug. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- A top aide to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr denied a government announcement that Iraqi police entered Imam Ali shrine in Najaf on Friday, Al-Jazeera TV channel reported.


Syrian, Algerian arrested over Madrid train bombings A Syrian and an Algerian have been arrested in Spain in connection with the March 11 Madrid train bombings, the Spanish interior ministry said.


Second Chance on Lone Star Matt Richey weighs in on Lone Star Steakhouse's roundtrip from \$22 to \$33 back to \$22.


EU's incoming antitrust chief says honorary degree won't affect view of Gates (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union's incoming antitrust chief said Friday she thought Microsoft chairman Bill Gates was doing a "good job" when she awarded him an honorary degree eight years ago as head of a Dutch business school.


Iraqi footballers' fury at Bush Iraq's Olympic footballers attack President Bush, accusing him of exploiting their success.


Venezuela audit 'confirms' result Venezuelan officials say first results of an audit of the vote on President Chavez's rule show no fraud.


Napster Founder Introduces New File Sharing Service In yet more file sharing news, NME is reporting that Napster founder Shawn Fanning is planning another legal music download service that will reportedly have an almost limitless amount of tracks.


Thunderbird 1.0 takes on Entourage, Eudora Weeks after the launch of its Firefox 1.0 Web browser, the Mozilla Foundation on Tuesday is set to release version 1.0 of its Thunderbird e-mail client.


Analysts spot slump in LAN switch market But the overall market should still show growth over the year, researchers say.


Rouse Jumps on General Growth Buyout Commercial real-estate developer Rouse (RSE ) agreed to be acquired by General Growth Properties (GGP ), the No. 2 US shopping-mall owner, in a \$12.6 billion deal, which includes the assumption of \$5.4 billion of existing debt. Terms: \$67.50 cash per ...


Stocks in Motion: Wet Seal Shares of Wet Seal (WTSLA:Nasdaq - news - research) were among the Nasdaq #39;s losers Friday after the company posted a wider-than-expected second-quarter loss, warned that third-quarter results would be weaker than expected, and said that it is considering ...


Berlusconi hair mystery revealed by Italian surgeon (AFP) AFP - The mystery of Silvio Berlusconi's rapper-style bandana was explained when plastic surgeon Piero Rosati told the Milan daily Corriere della Sera that he had performed a hair transplant operation on the Italian prime minister.


Xbox to Stop Making Some Sports Games (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox video game business will lay off 76 workers and stop making some sports games, the company said.


Birders Flock to See Rare, Lonesome Falcon (Reuters) Reuters - Hundreds of U.S. bird-lovers have\flocked to a New England resort island to catch a glimpse of a\rare falcon that appears to have made a wrong turn, ended up\half a world away and may never find its way home.


Oil Producers Emerging to Sell at Record Prices LONDON (Reuters) - Oil producers are emerging to lock in record high prices for their future crude output, but activity is modest as firms still fear calling a premature end to this year #39;s stunning price rise, traders said on Friday.


Dollar Up Vs. Most Except Yen NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rose against almost every one of its main counterparts except the yen on Friday, as technically focused investors shifted positions and considered the implications of spiking oil prices.


Soft Demand for TFTs Affects Prices TFT LCD panel prices are expected to fall significantly for larger area 17 inch and 19 inch panels for LCD TVs, but the cost of products in the shops is still seen as a barrier to high volume consumer demand, according to ...


New Download.Ject Attack Hits IM Networks The Download.Ject malware attack has resurfaced, using the popular AIM and ICQ (define) instant messaging networks to spread itself.


Carly Patterson, Paul Hamm help define these Games Quick, what athlete defines the Olympics more than any other? Bruce Jenner? Maybe. Carl Lewis? Possibly. Jesse Owens? Could be. Mark Spitz? Nice choice.


Hoy wins gold by a whisker Cyclist Chris Hoy today secured Britain #39;s second gold medal of the Games by winning the men #39;s 1km time trial in a new Olympic-record time.


Bombs explode in Nepal capital KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal #39;s embattled government has offered to meet a demand by Maoist rebels to end their blockade of the capital after the guerrillas set off two bombs in and around Kathmandu.


Prints lead to two Madrid arrests Algerian Abdelkrim Beghdali, 41, and Syrian Safwan Sabagh, 41, were arrested days after the 11 March attacks but released because of lack of evidence.


UAL, Creditors Agree to 30-Day Extension (Reuters) Reuters - UAL Corp.'s (UALAQ.OB) United Airlines\on Friday said it has agreed with its creditors committee to a\30-day extension on the period in which it can file an\exclusive bankruptcy reorganization plan.


NFL Suspends Saints' Hodge for 4 Games (AP) AP - New Orleans Saints linebacker Sedrick Hodge has been suspended for four games by the NFL for violating its substance abuse policy.


Swimming: Shibata Wins Women's 800m Freestyle  ATHENS (Reuters) - Japan's Ai Shibata prevailed in a sprint  finish to win the women's 800 meter freestyle gold medal at the  Athens Games Friday.


Webb Ousted in Prelim Alan Webb is outmaneuvered and outrun as he failed to make it out of the preliminary round in the 1,500 meters.


U.S. Soccer Team Fights Past Japan 2-1 THESSALONIKI, Greece - Abby Wambach will never score an easier goal. From one foot away, she tapped the ball into the net and put the United States into the Olympic semifinals...


Stocks Move Higher As Oil Prices Decline NEW YORK - Stocks moved slightly higher Friday as investors tried to uncouple share prices from skyrocketing oil costs, helped in afternoon trading by falling oil prices that had earlier reached new highs and flirted with \$50 per barrel.    A barrel of light crude was quoted at \$48.42, down 28 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange after hitting a record intraday high earlier in the session at \$49.40...


Nature and Nurture, the Recipe for Olympic Gold Olympic champions have their parents to thank for their physiology #151;but no one is born a world-record holder. That also requires training, nutrition, desire, and determination.


Maine Program Asks Sea-Kayakers to "Leave No Trace" In this week's TravelWatch column, National Geographic Traveler geotourism editor Jonathan B. Tourtellot examines a stewardship program that keeps Maine's ocean islands untrampled.


Airfares to rise as cost of fuel reaches record Air passengers are set to pay for record oil prices as airlines move to increase ticket prices. Qantas said yesterday it would increase the fuel surcharge it includes in the cost of tickets and Air New Zealand is expected to follow.


The Rouse Co. sold for \$12.6 billion General Growth Properties is going mall shopping, as it announced plans Friday to buy shopping mall owner The Rouse Co.


UAL, creditors agree to extend exclusivity 30 days CHICAGO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - UAL Corp. #39;s (UALAQ.OB: Quote, Profile, Research) United Airlines on Friday said it has agreed with its creditors committee to a 30-day extension on the period in which it can file an exclusive bankruptcy reorganization plan.


Anadarko to sell Gulf of Mexico shelf properties for \$1.3B Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has agreed to sell its Gulf of Mexico shelf properties in two deals that total \$1.312 billion.


Highland buys Tremont Boston in four-hotel deal worth \$227M The 322-room Tremont Boston was sold to Highland Hospitality Corp., a Virginia-based real estate investment trust that purchased the hotel along with three others for \$227 million from Wyndham International Inc.


US #39;s Snow-dollar to remain top reserve currency DES MOINES, Iowa, Aug 20 (Reuters) - High foreign ownership of US debt is  quot;a healthy situation quot; and the dollar will remain the world #39;s preferred reserve currency, Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Friday.


NASA Recruits Stunt Pilots To Catch Sun Capsule NASA has enlisted the aid of Hollywood stunt pilots to retrieve a space capsule as it falls to Earth. The Genesis probe has collected tiny particles of the sun -- a stream of charged atoms known as  quot;solar wind quot; -- from a region located about ...


Canon unveils new digital camera quartet Canon is today adding four new digital cameras to its range, including the launch of flagship professional and entry-level models in its PowerShot series.


Phelps wins duel with Crocker ATHENS, Greece -- American Michael Phelps won the gold medal Friday in the 100-meter butterfly with an Olympic-record time of 51.25 seconds.


Security for Olympics Successful, Greek Defense Minister Says Greece #39;s defense minister says his country #39;s security preparations for the Athens Olympics have been so successful that it is now in a position to advise China, the host of the 2008 Summer Games, on how to avoid terrorist attacks. But the minister says ...


Not Roddick, but Fish reaches finals ATHENS, Greece - Despite early disappointment in the Olympic tennis tournament, the US by was treated by Mardy Fish to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Fernando Ganzalez in the semifinal match.


USA women pass first big test: Spain ATHENS  The USA women #39;s basketball team sailed through their first three games as though they were on a Mediterranean cruise, trouncing opponents by more than 30 points a game.


Father of crew chief killed in crash Thompson, CT (Sports Network) - Tom Baldwin, 57, father of Nextel Cup driver Kasey Kahne #39;s crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr., was killed in a crash at the Thompson International Speedway. He was driving in a Featherlite modified race on Thursday night.


Confusion Surrounds Seizure of Iraqi Mosque NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq #39;s interim government said it had defused a Shi #39;ite rebellion in Najaf on Friday without a shot being fired, but rebel militiamen denied police had seized the city #39;s sacred Imam Ali Mosque from their control.


Report: Japanese court dismisses request to halt deportation of chess legend Bobby Fischer TOKYO Japan #39;s main news agency reports a Tokyo court has dismissed a request to stop the deportation proceedings against fugitive chess master Bobby Fischer.


Australian opposition leader to leave hospital SYDNEY: Mark Latham, leader of Australia #39;s opposition Labor party, will leave hospital today and plans to be back at work next week after suffering an inflammation of the pancreas just months out from a general election.


Sensei's World (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Walk the hilly campus of Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, Calif. and you enter the fabulous world of the international nonprofit. The three-year-old school has so far put about  #36;300 million into its 103 suburban Orange County acres, and this is still a work in progress. As of this fall, only 400 students will meander among the rich, Romanesque architecture.


U.S. Vets Make Case for Kerry in Vietnam (AP) AP - Vietnam veterans supporting John Kerry for president made their case Friday in the heart of what was once enemy territory.


Group Finds Ancient Ships Off Italy Coast (AP) AP - Archaeologists exploring the bottom of the sea off the island of Capri have found the wrecks of three ancient ships that once plied the Mediterranean between Rome and northern African colonies.


EU commissioner admits Gates link The EC's new competition commissioner admits that she once gave an honorary degree to Bill Gates, founder of the firm that is battling Brussels on anti-trust issues.


Phelps Wins 100-Meter Butterfly American Michael Phelps won the gold medal Friday in the 100-meter butterfly with an Olympic-record time of 51.25 seconds.


Maker of disposable RFID tags gets millions The Swedish Industrial Development Fund has invested about \$4 million in Cypak, which makes throwaway RFID tags.


Best Software strategizes for midmarket dominance For a company that owns two of the most widely used midmarket software packages for sales and contact management, Best Software Inc. has been a fairly low-key competitor in the market over the past few years.


Mood Mixed Among Darfur Rebels Ahead of Talks (Reuters) Reuters - A Sudanese rebel commander\in a camp in Darfur tells his troops he is hoping for peace.\But just a few hours march away, young men say they are\convinced Sudan wants to drive them off the land.


Two Blasts Rock Market in Ukraine Capital, 13 Hurt (Reuters) Reuters - Two blasts rocked a wholesale market in\the northern suburbs of Ukraine's capital Kiev on Friday,\wounding 13, two seriously, an Emergencies Ministry official\said.


Yanks' Giambi Gets Groin Strain Treatment (AP) AP - Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi is getting treatment for a strained left groin and might resume running outdoors next week.


Guilty plea from N.B. man who allegedly planned shooting spree rejected (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - A New Brunswick man who was allegedly planning a shooting spree before it was thwarted by a friendly dog was sent back to jail Friday after prosecutors refused to let him plead guilty to weapons charges.


Pirates' Wells to Miss 2nd Straight Start (AP) AP - Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Kip Wells will skip his second straight start after tests Friday indicated rest would help his injured elbow.


Phelps Captures Fifth Gold, Seventh Medal  ATHENS (Reuters) - Michael Phelps clinched his fifth gold  medal and became the first man since Mark Spitz to hold four  individual Olympic swimming titles when he won the 100 meter  butterfly final Friday.


Sadr Militia Still Controls Iraq Shrine -Witnesses  NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Shi'ite fighters appeared still to  be in control of a holy shrine in Najaf on Friday after Iraq's  interim government said it had overcome a bloody uprising by  seizing the Imam Ali mosque without a shot being fired.


US E-Commerce Sales Rise in Second Quarter (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. retail sales over the Internet\rose 0.9 percent in the second quarter of 2004 and gained 23.1\percent compared with the same period last year as consumers\continued to turn to e-commerce to make purchases, a government\report showed on Friday.


Italian deputies drowned out in mobile phone clampdown: report (AFP) AFP - Thwarted so far in his attempts to clamp down on mobile telephone use among deputies, the speaker of the Italian parliament has hit upon a sophisticated way of getting tough, a weekly newspaper reported.


Death Watch (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Soka University in Japan trains students for government employment exams and touts their success. Might a presence of followers in the civil service be of more than spiritual use to Soka Gakkai? Consider this case from the files of the Tokyo civil courts.


UAL, creditors agree to 30-day extension CHICAGO - UAL Corp. #39;s United Airlines Friday said it has agreed with its creditors committee to a 30-day extension on the period in which it can file an exclusive bankruptcy reorganization plan.


Mall Retailers Trim Estimates Some shoddy reports trickling in Thursday night threw a wrench into an otherwise uneventful second-quarter earnings season for retailers. At least one analyst thinks its a harbinger, as consumers get cautious about spending money on anything that isn #39;t ...


Highland Buys Four Hotels From Wyndham Highland Hospitality Corp. a lodging real estate investment trust, said Friday that it bought four hotels from Wyndham International Inc. for \$227 million, plus closing adjustments.


Apple Recalls 28,000 G4 Laptop Batteries Apple announced a recall of some 28,000 lithium-ion rechargeable batteries used in the 15-inch model of its PowerBook G4 laptops. The computer maker said the batteries could overheat, creating a fire hazard. They will be replaced at no ...


Google #39;s ups and downs Google #39;s long-awaited public offering finally made it to the street, but the search is still on for Microsoft #39;s Windows update.


AMD To Add  #39;Strained Silicon #39; To Processors Advanced Micro Devices will add  quot;strained silicon quot; to its microprocessor lineup this quarter, a company spokesman confirmed Friday, an esoteric technique used to improve performance.


Phelps adds yet another gold Michael Phelps collected his fifth gold medal of the Games with victory in the men #39;s 100 metres butterfly today.


America #39;s great hope in 1,500 can #39;t make it out of first round Alan Webb, who was supposed to end America #39;s streak of mediocrity in middle-distance races, got outmaneuvered and outrun as he failed to make it out of the preliminary round in the 1,500 meters.


US women #39;s soccer through to semifinals Thessaloniki, Greece (Sports Network) - The United States women #39;s soccer team advanced to the final four of the Olympics with a narrow 2-1 victory over Japan Friday.


Chad: Hepatitis E Breaks Out As More Refugees Threaten to Cross Border The deadly viral infection Hepatitis E has broken out among refugees from Sudan #39;s Darfur region at two camps in eastern Chad and may have passed into the local community, aid workers said on Friday.


Briefly: Gmail delivered to desktops roundup Plus: Maker of disposable RFID tags gets millions...Mitsubishi expands solar production...KDE updates Linux desktop...EA to take World Cup soccer to Xbox.


Oil Falls from  #36;49, Iraq Violence Peaks (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices hit fresh highs on Friday,\lifting U.S. crude above  #36;49 a barrel, driven by escalating\violence in Iraq and unabated fuel demand growth from China and\India.


Bills' McGahee Said to Ask for Trade (AP) AP - Running back Willis McGahee has asked the Buffalo Bills to trade him if he is not their starter on opening day, a source told The Associated Press on Friday.


Golfer Thatcher Leads at Reno-Tahoe Open (AP) AP - Mark Calcavecchia briefly took the lead Friday before a double bogey left him one stroke behind leader Roland Thatcher after the first round of the rain-delayed Reno-Tahoe Open.


Thirty-three injured when Air Portugal plane dives to avoid collision (AFP) AFP - A TAP-Air Portugal airliner dived sharply to avoid a mid-air collision with a smaller aircraft just before landing on the mid-Atlantic Azores islands, slightly injuring 33 people.


Three Indicted in Raising Funds for Hamas (AP) AP - A look at the three men charged with financing terrorist activities in Israel:


Giving Voice to A Billion Things (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - When Robert Poor looks at the world, he sees 50 billion embedded microcontrollers, the workhorse chips inside cars, traffic lights and air conditioners, doing their jobs in splendid isolation. Then he imagines what will happen when they all can talk to one another.


Japanese Court Dismisses Fischer Request (AP) AP - A Japanese court dismissed a request to halt deportation proceedings against fugitive chess legend Bobby Fischer, his lawyers said Friday.


C-USA Officials Vote on League Title Game (AP) AP - Conference USA athletic directors have voted unanimously to recommend holding the league's inaugural football championship game in 2005.


Militants Remove Arms From Najaf Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Militiamen loyal to rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Friday removed weapons from the revered Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf in a step aimed at ending the 2-week-old uprising centered on the holy site.    Al-Sadr's followers remained in control of the walled shrine compound, but kept their guns outside...


Stocks Edge Higher As Oil Prices Fall NEW YORK - Stocks moved slightly higher Friday as investors tried to uncouple share prices from skyrocketing oil costs, helped in afternoon trading by falling oil prices that had earlier reached new highs and flirted with \$50 per barrel.    A barrel of light crude was quoted at \$48.15, down 55 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange after hitting a record intraday high earlier in the session at \$49.40...


Nortel: Nowhere To Go But Up NEW YORK - It certainly sounds like bad news when a company fires seven executives for financial malfeasance, lays off 3,500 employees and advises investors that it expects sluggish market growth for the year. But for Ontario-based Nortel Networks, it #39;s ...


Unions  #39;close to BA deal #39; Union negotiators today claimed they were close to agreeing a pay deal with British Airways to avoid a bank holiday strike and the resulting travel chaos.


Rouse Co. to be sold for \$7.2 billion Rouse Co., the Baltimore-based real estate investment trust that owns the Mall St. Matthews, is being sold to Chicago-based General Growth Properties Inc. for \$7.2 billion, according to a report in the Baltimore Business Journal.


Chinadotcom Gets Sanctions From China Mobile Communication NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Chinadotcom Corp. (CHINA) said government-controlled China Mobile Communications Corp. imposed sanctions on its Go2joy mobile applications unit for alleged offenses in its business practice.


Bank of America quiet regarding local layoffs While they have been quick to say how much customers will enjoy doing business with Bank of America now that it has taken over Fleet branches, bank officials have had little information to offer about how jobs will be impacted by the ...


NASA turns to stunt pilots to snag solar stardust PASADENA, CALIF. - Two helicopter stunt pilots from Hollywood will try to snag a capsule of stardust in midair, NASA has announced.


Ancient Mask,  #39;Olympic #39; Ring Found in Thracian Tomb SHIPKA, Bulgaria (Reuters) - A Bulgarian archaeologist has unearthed an ancient gold mask and a ring featuring an  quot;Olympic quot; rower in what he called an unrivalled find in the study of classical antiquity.


Broadband Use Passes Dial-Up Just over half of US Internet users now connect through broadband, according to a new survey. Nielsen/Netratings reports that in July, 51 percent of Internet users had DSL, cable, or other fast connections, up dramatically from 38 percent in ...


Greek weightlifter tests positive ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece looks set to lose the first medal it won at the Athens Olympics after bronze-winning weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis failed a drugs test.


Hall defends 50m crown American Gary Hall has defended his Olympic 50m freestyle title in a hotly-contested race in Athens.


Harmison takes eight, England near clean sweep LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Steve Harmison took eight wickets against a hapless West Indies to leave England in sight of a seventh successive victory on day two of the fourth test at the Oval on Friday.


Cyclists find fast track as competition begins ATHENS, Greece -- Erin Mirabella of the United States predicted a fast track for the opening day of track cycling competition at the Olympic Velodrome on Friday.


America #39;s great hope in 1,500 has early exit, Devers squeaks into 100 semis Alan Webb, who was supposed to end America #39;s streak of mediocrity in middle-distance races, got outmaneuvered and outrun as he failed to make it out of the preliminary round in the 1,500 meters.


Sadr Militia Still Controls Iraq Shrine -Witnesses NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Shi #39;ite fighters appeared still to be in control of a holy shrine in Najaf on Friday after Iraq #39;s interim government said it had overcome a bloody uprising by seizing the Imam Ali mosque without a shot being ...


Putin Calls on Tbilisi, Tskhinvali for a Compromise Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed hope on August 20, that the Georgian and South Ossetian sides will show political will and follow undertaken commitments over ceasefire.


Prime Minister #39;s Expected Resignation Overshadows Hungary #39;s National Day BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Hungary #39;s ruling Socialist Party confirmed Friday, August 20, it had accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy and will shortly name a successor. The government crisis overshadowed Friday #39;s celebrations ...


2 held over Madrid train bombings Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- Police arrested two men on Friday in eastern Spain for alleged links to the Madrid train bombings last March, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman told CNN.


Super search Accoona.com launched in US and China The New Jersey-based Accoona Corporation, an industry pioneer in artificial intelligence search technology, announced on Monday the launch of Accoona.


Raiders, Cowboys Look to Improve Games (AP) AP - Mistakes defined Oakland's dismal 2003 season opener, and they showed up again in the team's exhibition opener: costly penalties and boneheaded decisions abounded.


Germany drops junta prosecutions Germany drops proceedings against ex-Argentine junta officials thought to be involved in the killing of Germans.


Is United Taking Aim at Retirees? The airline's plan to emerge from bankruptcy may include canceling its pension plans.


Deduct IRA Losses? In Some Cases If the market has made a dent in your retirement account, there are instances when you may deduct the losses.


Stocks stall at open NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Stocks stalled at the open Tuesday as investors shrugged off the impact of weaker crude prices and reports that Johnson  amp; Johnson is seeking to buy Guidant in a \$24 billion deal.


Contracting Riches For Nation's Capital The metropolitan Washington region is reaping the rewards of Uncle Sam's procurement spending, with last year marking the highest growth rate of federal contract dollars in the area since the Beltway Bandit days of the 1980s. -washingtonpost.com


Xbox to Stop Making Some Sports Games Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox video game business will lay off 76 workers and stop making some sports games, the company said.


Microsoft Shuts Sports Video Games Unit (Reuters) Reuters - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) has closed\a studio operation that made some of its sports video games,\cutting 76 positions, a spokeswoman said on Friday.


List of Foreigners Taken Hostage in Iraq (AP) AP - Insurgents in Iraq have kidnapped dozens of people in their campaign to drive out coalition forces and hamper reconstruction:


UAL, Creditors Agree to Extend Exclusivity 30 Days  CHICAGO (Reuters) - United Airlines on Friday said it has  agreed with its creditors' committee to a 30-day extension,  subject to court approval, of the period during which it can  exclusively file a bankruptcy reorganization plan.


NASA Researchers, Stunt Pilots Prepare for Genesis Probe's Return (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A team of NASA scientists, navigators and helicopter stunt pilots is ready to snatch a space sample canister out of the sky next month when the Genesis spacecraft returns to Earth.


Scan the Summer Sky for the Archer (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - On these late summer evenings \  after the Sun has set, look low in the south for the classical Archer, Sagittarius.


Kerry Stirs Gasoline Debate Amid Record Oil Prices (Reuters) Reuters - Crude oil prices near  #36;50 a barrel\spurred an attempt by John Kerry's campaign on Friday to\re-inject gasoline price concerns into the election-year\debate.


U.S. Stocks Gain as Oil Eases  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks made gains in light volume  on Friday as investors were encouraged about the prospects for  corporate profits after oil prices eased from their peak.


Sadr Militia Still Controls Iraq Shrine - Witness  NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Shi'ite fighters appeared to be in  control of a holy shrine in Najaf on Friday hours after Iraq's  interim government said it had overcome a bloody uprising by  seizing the Imam Ali mosque without a shot being fired.


Feds Subpoena Fannie Mae in Probe-Source  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regulators investigating Fannie  Mae's accounting practices have sent subpoenas to the No. 1  U.S. mortgage finance company in connection with the probe, a  source familiar with the matter said on Friday.


US arrests two Hamas 'racketeers' US authorities arrest two alleged members of Palestinian militant group Hamas on racketeering and terrorism charges.


FDA to Inspect Boston Scientific Stent Plant -WSJ (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration\expects to inspect Boston Scientific Corp.'s Galway, Ireland\factory in the "near future" as part of its probe into the\company's coronary stent recall, the Wall Street Journal said\on Friday.


Music Piracy Lawsuits Wend Through Court (AP) AP - A woman in Milwaukee and her ex-boyfriend are under orders to pay thousands to the recording industry. A man in California refinanced his home to pay an  #36;11,000 settlement. A year after it began, the industry's legal campaign against Internet music piracy is inching through the federal courts, producing some unexpected twists.


Saints' Hodge Is Suspended for Four Games (Reuters) Reuters - Linebacker Sedrick Hodge of\the New Orleans Saints was suspended for four games by the NFL\for violating the league's substance abuse policy.


Money Out of a Pipeline (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Martha and the Vandellas recorded A 1965 Motown classic that began: "Nowhere to run to, baby/Nowhere to hide." With the stock and bond markets not going much of anywhere, you may despair of finding any good liquid investment for your cash. Of course, you can tie up your money for long periods with hedge funds and their ilk, hoping for decent returns. But there are some good alternatives, particularly in the energy sector. In this issue, fellow columnist Richard Lehmann discusses royalty trusts, which focus on oil and gas extraction (see p. 206).


Oil Falls from Highs After Missing \$50  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices eased from new highs on  Friday as dealers pocketed profits from a long record-breaking  run after escalating violence in Iraq took U.S. crude close to  \$50 a barrel.


ACC Football Begins New Era With Miami (AP) AP - The Miami Hurricanes spent the last year preparing to move to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Are they ready? "The way I see it, we're just playing easier teams," defensive end Bryan Pata said. "We're going to dominate each and every game."


UAL, Creditors Agree to 30 Day Extension  CHICAGO (Reuters) - United Airlines on Friday said it has  agreed with its creditors' committee to a 30-day extension,  subject to court approval, of the period during which it can  exclusively file a bankruptcy reorganization plan.


Stocks Rise as Oil Retreats from High  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks gained ground in light  volume on Friday as investors were encouraged about the  prospects for corporate profits after oil prices fell from  their peak.


Treasuries Edge Down as Oil Retreat  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices edged lower on  Friday as oil prices retreated from record highs, but trading  was thin as a dearth of data prompted many investors to take  off for an early weekend.


Brazil finds true value of art The Brazilian government and a United Nations agency team up to help the country reap more financial rewards from its "creative industries".


Jobs cut in Credit Suisse reshuffle Credit Suisse today announced that up to 300 jobs will be lost in an overhaul of its troubled investment banking business. The company said its investment arm - Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) - would be


Phelps' Fourth Individual Gold Ties Spitz ATHENS, Greece - Mark Spitz, you've got company after all. Michael Phelps matched Spitz's record of four individual gold medals in the Olympic pool with a stirring comeback in the 100-meter butterfly, nipping rival and teammate Ian Crocker at the wall Friday night...


Militants Still in Control of Najaf Shrine NAJAF, Iraq - Militiamen loyal to rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr removed weapons from the revered Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf but remained in control of the holy site Friday amid efforts to end their 2-week-old uprising.    Fighters from al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia were inside the shrine but left their guns outside...


United Argues It May Terminate Pensions CHICAGO - United Airlines would be within its rights to terminate its employee pension plans but hasn't yet decided to do so, an attorney for the carrier said Friday, as two unions urged a judge to block a financing plan they say is predicated on the airline halting fund contributions.    The hearing came a day after the release of court papers in which United warned it "likely" will have to end those pension funds in order to secure the loans it needs to get out of bankruptcy...


Briefly: Linux release features Windows support roundup Plus: Gmail delivered to desktops...Chinadotcom mobile services suspended...Maker of disposable RFID tags gets millions...Mitsubishi expands solar production.


PostgreSQL 8.0 will run on Windows Open-source database to jump from beta testing to production within three months.


Linux release features Windows support Release makes use of technology from CodeWeavers to let customers run applications from Microsoft.


AMD using strained silicon on 90-nanometer chips Advanced Micro Devices(AMD) will implement the strained silicon manufacturing technique on its upcoming 90-nanometer processors as well as 130-nanometer processors released this quarter, an AMD spokesman said Friday.


Groups Meet to Discuss Climate Change New strategies to confront global warming took center stage in Buenos Aires on Monday, where thousands of environmentalists and government policy-makers gathered for an international conference on climate change.


Which Candidates Do Tech Companies Support? Technology employees are donating slightly more money to the Republican party.


Microsoft Sends XP SP2 Home OS security fix is being rolled out to users who have enabled Automatic Updates.


UAL, Creditors Agree to 30 Day Extension (Reuters) Reuters - United Airlines on Friday said it has\agreed with its creditors' committee to a 30-day extension,\subject to court approval, of the period during which it can\exclusively file a bankruptcy reorganization plan.


Analysts See Grim Future for Wet Seal (Reuters) Reuters - Wet Seal Inc. (WTSLA.O) may have little\choice but to close hundreds of its teen-oriented stores and\convert dozens more to its upscale Arden B. brand if it hopes\to stay out of bankruptcy, analysts said on Friday.


Fact and Comment (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - The news from Iran is grim. This islamic dictatorship--the biggest source of terrorist training and financing in the world and the nation that's doing all it can to stir up trouble in already combustible Iraq--is clearly on the cusp of becoming a nuclear power. The clerical fascists running the country have dropped just about all pretense of their atomic programs being energy-related only. Tehran announced in July that it had resumed making the centrifuges needed to produce highly enriched uranium, a key ingredient for nuclear bombs. ...