Furcal Expected to Get Concurrent Sentence (AP) AP - Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal is expected to plead guilty in Atlanta traffic court Thursday to his second drunken driving charge.


Atapattu cracks hundred to lead Sri Lanka to 293-6 (AFP) AFP - Skipper Marvan Atapattu hit a sparkling hundred to lead Sri Lanka to 293-6 in the last day-night league match against Pakistan at Gaddafi stadium here.


IPod puts Apple #39;s net far ahead of forecasts Apple Computer has announced that its fourth-quarter profit more than doubled because of continued strong sales of iPod music players, beating Wall Street estimates by a wide margin despite a shortage of semiconductors used in its computers.


Finland First, US Second in Economy Survey The Nordics fared well because of their long-held ideals of keeping corruption clamped down and respect for contracts, rule of law and dedication to one-on-one business relationships.


Bank of America Net Up on Consumer, Fleet Bank of America Corp. (BAC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 3 US bank, on Thursday said third-quarter profit rose 29 percent, helped by its purchase of FleetBoston Financial Corp.


Coventry Health to Buy First Health Coventry Health Care Inc. on Thursday said it agreed to buy rival health plan First Health Group Corp. for \$1.8 billion in stock and cash as it looks to expand its geographic reach and keep pace with rivals.


Shares of low-cost carrier ATA jump on merger talk Shares of ATA Holdings Corp. (ATAH.O: Quote, Profile, Research) jumped as much as 22 percent on the Nasdaq on Thursday morning after a Wall Street Journal report that America West


Deal will bring supplies to Baja California site WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- An arm of Shell International announced Thursday a 20-year deal to provide 500 million cubic feet of liquid natural gas per day to a receiving terminal Sempra Energy is developing.


UPDATE 3-Winnebago earns up on diesel mobile-home demand Recreational vehicle maker Winnebago Industries Inc. (WGO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) reported stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings on Thursday as more people


Update 1: Alitalia Reports Heavy Losses Struggling Italian carrier Alitalia said it lost euro620 million (US\$767 million) in the first half of the year, almost double the airline #39;s euro315 million (US\$360 million) losses for the same period the previous year.


Chinese textile makers concerned at petition against their <b>...</b> Chinese textile manufacturers saidThursday they are  quot;highly concerned quot; by a petition posted by United States textile industry to limit Chinese textile products in the US market.


McTeer to head Texas A amp;M System The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas is in line to be the next chancellor of the Texas A amp;M University System. Robert D. McTeer Jr.


Crew Blasts Off for Space Station A Russian rocket carrying two cosmonauts and one US astronaut launched successfully Thursday on a mission to the International Space Station.


Trojan Tries To Hack It Like Beckham Infected computers can be used as  quot;zombies quot; to send spam or launch attacks on Web sites. Spreading Trojans via chat rooms is not unusual.


#39;Google #39; Your Cluttered Computer Online search-engine leader Google is targeting the computer hard drive with software that promises to scour the clutter of documents, e-mails, instant messages and other stored files.


Music industry wins court ruling against song-swappers UK record companies today fired the opening salvo in their legal battle with music fans who illegally share tracks on the internet, winning a court order to obtain the names and addresses of 28 people alleged to have given away tens of thousands of tracks


Dell Rides Wave to Consumer Gadgets Consumers buy Dell products directly from the company rather than through retail stores. That has allowed Dell to gobble market share for PCs, laptops and servers and become the No.


Brit cuffed in US net sex investigation Police in Austin, Texas, want to question a Yorkshire man over allegations that he had sex with a teenage girl he met in an internet chatroom.


Mac Users Get MS Office 2004 SP 1 The pack addresses several stability issues with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Entourage and Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications for Office 2004.


Burt Rutan: Building  #39;Tomorrowland #39; One Launch at a Time MOJAVE, California -- Nobody can claim that Burt Rutan, the innovative aerospace designer, doesnt have his head in the cloudsand his eyes focused on the stars.


Rockets nip Kings as NBA travels to China Hometown hero Yao Ming scored 14 points to lead the Houston Rockets to an 88-86 win over the Sacramento Kings Thursday night in the first ever NBA game played in China.


Ecclestone: No more talks Bernie Ecclestone says he #39;s not prepared to negotiate his offer to promote the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The race was given provisional status on the 2005 Formula One calendar, pending successful


Astros look to pull in even in Game 2 ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Fresh off a convincing win in Game One of the National League Championship Series, the St. Louis Cardinals will try to use another favorable pitching matchup Thursday when they meet the Houston Astros in Game Two.


Gregan re-signs with ARU Australian captain George Gregan has re-signed with the Australian Rugby Union for three years, the ARU and the ACT Brumbies said Thursday.


Suicide Bombs Kill 5 in Baghdad #39;s Green Zone Two suicide bombers killed five people, including three US nationals, on Thursday in one of the bloodiest attacks inside Baghdad #39;s fortified Green Zone, and America #39;s top enemy in Iraq claimed responsibility.


Cargo Plane Crashes in Eastern Canada A firefighter walks past a large section of a Boeing 747cargo plane owned by MK Airlines of Britain at the Halifax International Airport on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004 in Canada.


Bombs Rock The  #39;Green Zone #39; BAGHDAD (CBS) Two explosions rocked Baghdad #39;s heavily fortified Green Zone in quick succession Thursday, killing five people, at least three of them Americans, according to reports.


Video: Kidnapped Turkish Driver Beheaded CAIRO, Egypt Oct. 14, 2004 - A man identified as a Turkish truck driver kidnapped in Iraq was beheaded in a video shown on an Islamic Web site Thursday.


Israeli commander  #39;emptied rifle #39; into girl AN Israeli army company commander has been suspended from duty while superiors investigate claims he fired 20 bullets into the prostrate body of a 13-year-old Palestinian girl.


Former Haitian Soldiers Vow to Provide Security in Port-Au-Prince Former Haitian soldiers who fought to oust former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide say they intend to provide security to help stop street violence in the capital, Port-au-Prince.


Mourning for submariner spans an ocean HALIFAX - Navy Lieut. Chris Saunders was honoured as a joyful father and a fearless sailor yesterday by mourners on both sides of the ocean following last week #39;s tragic fire on HMCS Chicoutimi.


A night of back-and-forth jabs, stereotyping, quips (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - In their final debate Wednesday night, President Bush and Sen. John Kerry didn't only thrust and parry for 90 minutes. They also displayed their strategy for the next 19 days.


NY AG to Sue Insurers for Manipulation  NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eliot  Spitzer is launching a suit against several prominent  participants in the insurance industry, including AIG and  broker Marsh   McLennan Cos. MMC.N, charging they engaged in  market manipulation, Spitzer's office said.


Confusion Over Vote Count in Landmark Afghan Election  KABUL (Reuters) - Confusion surrounded the start of vote  counting in Afghanistan's landmark presidential poll on  Thursday, with some election officials saying the tally had  begun but others adamant it had not.


Copper Slide Continues  LONDON (Reuters) - Copper prices declined a further 2  percent on Thursday on selling by hedge funds that has toppled  the key industrial metal off 16-year peaks hit on Monday.


Iraq Nuke Sites Were Stripped by Experts-Diplomats  VIENNA (Reuters) - The removal of Iraq's mothballed nuclear  facilities took around one year and was carried out by experts  with heavy machinery and demolition equipment, diplomats close  to the U.N. said on Thursday.


New Somali President Calls for Peacekeepers  NAIROBI (Reuters) - Somalia's new president, Abdullahi  Yusuf, called on the world to send peacekeepers to disarm the  militias that rule his anarchic country while pledging his help  to fight international terrorism.


Ghanaian Cargo Jet Crashes in Canada, Seven Dead  OTTAWA (Reuters) - A Ghanaian-registered Boeing 747 cargo  jet crashed and burned on take off from Halifax airport in  eastern Canada on Thursday, killing all seven crew on board,  police said.


Russia Finishes Building Iran Nuclear Plant  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and Iran said Thursday they had  finished construction of an atomic power plant in the Islamic  Republic -- a project the United States fears Tehran could use  to make nuclear arms.


Pricing, Europe Weigh on GM Results General Motors Corp.'s third-quarter earnings rose 3.5 percent, but the company's automotive business lost \$130 million primarily because of heavy losses in Europe and lower production and intense pricing pressure in North America.


Oil prices rise yet again in US The price of crude reaches a new high in the US,  driven up by official data showing a decline in heating oil stocks.


Union agrees to Karstadt job cuts Struggling German department store KarstadtQuelle reaches agreement with its main union to cut 5,500 jobs,  a move which should help save  it 760m euros.


Copper takes another hammering Copper prices fall for the second day running amid fears of falling demand from key markets in China and the US.


Networks Rescues Nokia Growth at Nokia Corp. #39;s (NYSE: NOK - message board) Networks division continues to keep company net sales afloat, with the Finnish vendor today predicting healthy times ahead for the cellular infrastructure market.


UPDATE 5-Coventry Health to buy First Health for \$1.8 bln Coventry Health Care Inc. (CVH.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday it agreed to buy rival health plan First Health Group Corp.


Jordan denies 'secret US prison' Jordan demands proof of a claim that senior al-Qaeda suspects are being held at a secret US base in the country.


Els miffed at PGA stance Els said the American-based Tour wants him to play in more events, but he considers himself a global golfer.  quot;I think they need to understand that I think the golfing world has changed


Sven #39;s men shape up their Owen way DON #39;T think the Sven-Goran Eriksson formation team will keep performing the quickstep despite their cavalier style against Azerbaijan.


Kumble #39;s magic stumps Aussies Chennai: Anil Kumble wove his magic over the strong Australian batting line up with a deadly seven for 48 to bundle out the visitors for 235 and give his team an opportunity to level the series after the opening day of the second cricket Test on Thursday.


Davenport back on top of the world Lindsay Davenport has taken over as world number one on the WTA rankings list, following her 6-4, 6-2 win over Dinara Safina at the Kremlin Cup in Russia.


Ex-soldier, rebel  amp; warlord sworn in Somalia President : A former soldier, rebel and warlord was sworn in today as the new President of Somalia in the latest attempt to unite the nation under a Central Government for the first time since 1991.


Google search becomes personal Google has released a tool that lets people search documents, e-mails or spreadsheets stored on a PC.


Nokia grows phone market share in better-than-expected quarterly <b>...</b> Nokia has announced its third quarter results, beating expectations and growing market share, but showing a decline in revenues from mobile phones after a price cuts pushed through in the previous quarter.


New crew blasts off for space station BAIKONUR, KAZAKHSTAN - A Russian-US crew lifted off on a two-day journey to the international space station, where their first priority will be to fix a broken generator.


Ginepri ousts Srichaphan at CA Trophy American Robby Ginepri advanced to the quarterfinals of the CA Trophy with a 6-2, 6-1 win Thursday over fifth-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand.


Furcal gets concurrent sentence on second impaired driving charge Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal, who is serving a 21-day jail sentence for being arrested while on probation, pleaded guilty Thursday to his second drunk driving charge.


Rice, Al huddle on receiver #39;s options After listening to Jerry Rice spend two days talking about his desire to move on to a team that will better utilize his services, the Oakland Raiders got the message Wednesday.


7 killed in crash of cargo jet in Canada OTTAWA - A Boeing 747 cargo jet registered in Ghana crashed and burned on take-off from Halifax airport in the eastern Canadian province of Nova Scotia on Thursday, killing all seven crew on board, police said.


G.M.'s Earnings Are Weak; Plans to Cut 12,000 Jobs in Europe General Motors lowered its forecast for the entire year only hours after announcing plans to cut 12,000 jobs in Europe by 2006.


Trojan Uses Beckham to Entice According to anti-virus firm Sophos, there are quite a few messages posted about pictures of Beckham with a woman in an enticing position.


Google intros desktop search tool The long-rumoured Google desktop search is now available for download from desktop.google.com. The new beta application allows users to index and search their emails, documents, Web history and instant messenger chats.


Southwest Airlines Third-Quarter Profit Increases Southwest Airlines Co. reported a 12 percent jump in profit today, as its decision to buy fuel in advance helped insulate the low-cost carrier from rising fuel prices.


Trade Deficit Surges; Jobless Claims Up The U.S. trade deficit, propelled by a record foreign oil bill, surged to \$54 billion in August, the second highest level in history.


5 Killed as 2 Bombs Explode Inside Baghdad Green Zone Three American civilians were killed in a brazen attack that punctured any illusions of a safe haven in the capital.


Rockets Nip Kings As NBA Travels to China SHANGHAI, China - Hometown hero Yao Ming scored 14 points to lead the Houston Rockets to an 88-86 win over the Sacramento Kings Thursday night in the first ever NBA game played in China.    The Rockets' Brad Miller led the scoring with 19 points, but it was the Houston center who garnered the most attention...


Stocks Fall on GM Earnings, Higher Oil NEW YORK - A disappointing earnings report from General Motors Corp. and another rise in crude oil prices sent stocks lower Thursday as investors grew even more nervous about the economy...


Blasts Kill Five in Baghdad's Green Zone BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents penetrated Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone and set off bombs at a market and a popular cafe Thursday, killing five people, including three Americans, the U.S. military said, in a bold attack on the compound housing the U.S...


Blasts Kill Seven in Baghdad's Green Zone BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents penetrated Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone and set off bombs at a market and a popular cafe Thursday, killing seven people, including two Americans, the U.S. military said, in a bold attack on the compound housing the U.S...


Liberty Media's Live Sellout Donald Trump and QVC learn that live television may promise plenty but deliver slowly.


Nokia Profit Drops But Sees Strong Sales Nokia, the world #39;s biggest cell phone maker, reported lower third-quarter earnings on Thursday after cutting prices to claw back market share, but said sales were strong as it enters the key Christmas season.


Shell Eastern Trading Signs Gas Supply Deal with Russias <b>...</b> Russian gas company, Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd, said it has signed a deal to supply Shell Eastern Trading Ltd with LNG over a 20 year period for the North American market, the AFX news agency reported on Thursday.


Toshiba to make chips for Xilinx TOKYO: Toshiba said on Thursday it would make programmable microchips for Xilinx from the first quarter of the 2005 calendar year, in a deal seen helping shield the Japanese firm from fluctuations in global demand.


Toshiba to Fab Xilinx FPGAs Marking what the companies believe is the beginning of continued cooperation in next-generation manufacturing technology, Toshiba Corp.


Fla. to Begin Everglades Overhaul Project (AP) AP - The state plans to start eight projects related to Everglades restoration, including building reservoirs that could ease suburban flooding and environmental damage from hurricanes, officials said Thursday.


Good sportsmanship, or dissent? As the first day of the second Test between India and Australia in Chennai progressed, umpire David Shepherd #39;s face progressively turned deeper shades of mauve -- and the heat in Chennai had nothing to do with it.


ON SOCCER Beckham apologizes for intentional foul David Beckham #39;s remarkable goal in England #39;s 2-0 victory over Wales has been overshadowed by the controversy over whether he picked up a second yellow card on purpose.


Russia Completes Construction of Nuclear Power Plant in Iran G-8 countries, consisting of the seven largest industrialized countries and Russia met regarding Iran #39;s nuclear program. Iranian Deputy Prime Minister Gulariza Aghazade, the head of Iran #39;s atomic energy program


Nigeria Strike Expected to End Thursday Nigerian labor leaders say they will end a four-day old general strike called to protest rising fuel prices in Africa #39;s largest oil-producing nation.


Ballot counting begins in Afghanistan Counting of ballots began in Afghanistan Thursday, five days after the country #39;s first direct elections for president, the BBC reported.


Burt Rutan: Building 'Tomorrowland' One Launch at a Time (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - MOJAVE, California nbsp;-- Nobody can claim that Burt \Rutan, the innovative aerospace designer, doesn't have his head in the \cloudsand his eyes focused on the stars.


Expedition 10 Crew Successfully Launches Into Space (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A fresh space station crew and one visiting cosmonaut are on\their way to the International Space Station (ISS) after their Soyuz rocket\pierced the skies above Kazakhstan during a flawless launch today.


UK ranked eleventh in competitive economies THE UK is the 11th most competitive economy in the world, according to the World Economic Forums rankings. Finland topped the rankings as the most competitive economy, for the third time in the last four years.


AmWest in talks to buy ATA, report says America West Airlines is in talks to buy all or part of ATA Holdings Corp., parent of ATA Airlines, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night on its Web site.


Toshiba to make image-processing chips for US firm Xilinx TOKYO, Oct 14, 2004 (Kyodo via COMTEX) -- Toshiba Corp. said Thursday it has been entrusted with manufacturing high-end image-processing semiconductor chips for US chipmaker Xilinx Inc.


Crude climbs ahead of inventory data SAN FRANCISCO (AFX) -- Crude-oil futures climbed back toward \$54 a barrel, with traders eagerly awaiting weekly petroleum data to find out how the recovery in the Gulf of Mexico has affected US oil and natural-gas inventories.


A toll with appeal ALL that was missing was a nice kiss on the bottom. Bracksie #39;s Government is forking out a lazy \$300 million so Macquarie Bank and Leighton Holdings, the victorious consortium in the Mitcham-Frankston tollroad


Google Releases Desktop-Search Tool Google has released Google Desktop Search, which enables users to search their desktop computers using the same technology as Google #39;s online-search tool.


Halo 2 Xbox game leaks over the Net According to reports, copies of the eagerly awaited Halo 2 Xbox game made an impromptu debut last night on Usenet groups and pirate sites.


Englishman arrested for assaulting child Austin police are working with overseas officials to bring charges against an English man for sexual assault of a child, a second-degree felony.


Halo 2 leaked, Microsoft reacts angrily Halo 2, Microsoft #39;s most prized Xbox asset and its biggest hope for success this Christmas, has been leaked onto the Internet just days after developer Bungie officially completed work on the game and announced that it had shipped it off to manufacturing


FOOTBALL: UNITED #39;S FANS GET ALL SHIRTY MANCHESTER United fans have been urged to boycott official club merchandise in a bid to thwart Malcolm Glazer #39;s planned 800million takeover of the club.


Ginepri Ousts Srichaphan at CA Trophy VIENNA, Austria - American Robby Ginepri advanced to the quarterfinals of the CA Trophy with a 6-2, 6-1 win Thursday over fifth-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand.


Montoya to be summoned by FIA over conduct Formula One #39;s governing body will summon Juan Pablo Montoya to a meeting in December to explain his conduct, motor sport sources said today.


Atlanta #39;s Furcal Pleads Guilty To Second DUI Atlanta, GA -- Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal pleaded guilty on Thursday to his second drunken driving charge. The 2000 National League Rookie of the Year is currently serving a 21-day jail sentence


Rice wants more action, here or somewhere else After spending part of his 42nd birthday Wednesday reiterating his dissatisfaction with his shrinking role with the Raiders and expressing his desire to play somewhere else, Jerry Rice scheduled an evening meeting with owner Al Davis to discuss the state


A new, innovative way to fight crime Crime has been a serious social problem for a long time.  Many crime-fighting methods have been tried, from more police on the streets to education to family values but none have been able to totally eliminate the problem.


Google offers desktop search engine Known for its Internet search engine, Mountain View-based Google Inc. on Thursday announced a beta desktop search application that it says enables users to search their e-mail, files, web history, and chats.


Indymedia seizures: a trawl for Genoa G8 trial cover-up? Injunction sought to prevent export of journalists' data


BT sets heavy mob on <cite>El Reg</cite> Distraught staff receive counselling over unpaid bill


Consumer, privacy groups demand seat at Kazaa trial To prevent public interest issues being overlooked


Music firms win 'pirates' ruling The UK music industry is granted a court order forcing ISPs to reveal the names of alleged illegal file-sharers.


Glazer #39;s bid  #39;close to collapse #39; MALCOLM Glazers bid to takeover Manchester United was rumoured to be close to collapse following a dramatic fall in the club #39;s share prices.


Google Unveils Desktop Search, Takes on Microsoft  MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (Reuters) - Google Inc. GOOG.O on  Thursday rolled out a preliminary version of its new desktop  search tool, making the first move against its major  competitors in the race to provide tools for finding  information buried in computer hard drives.


Starbucks Expanding Custom CD Service to 45 Stores  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp. on Wednesday said  customers will be able to make custom music CDs at 45 of its  U.S. coffee shops by later this month, the first step in a plan  to expand the service nationwide.


iMac, iPod, iConquered The iPod digital music player is flying off store shelves faster than ever, prompting the media to conclude that Apple is no longer just a quirky little computer maker from Silicon Valley. -washingtonpost.com


Google Releases Desktop Search Tool Google released a free tool today that lets people simultaneously search the Web and their personal computers for information, a move analysts described as a potential blow to rivals. -The Washington Post


China pledges stable money policy Chinese leaders have closed a key economic meeting with pledges to maintain stable fiscal and monetary policies in 2005 and keep a tight lid on fixed-asset investment.


Machinists union votes not to strike against Pratt  amp; Whitney HARTFORD, Conn. -- Union workers on Sunday voted overwhelmingly against going out on strike at jet engine manufacturer Pratt  amp; Whitney, and the company #39;s final contract offer now goes into effect at midnight.


China Resources To Issue 57.97M Shrs For Supermarket Buys HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--China Resources Enterprise Ltd. (0291.HK) said it will issue 57.97 million new shares to its parent China Resources (Holdings) Co.


Death Toll from Israel #39;s Gaza Offensive Rises to 100 Israeli air strikes killed five Palestinians in Gaza Thursday as the Palestinian death toll rose to 100 in a 16-day-old army offensive aimed at crushing militants behind rocket salvoes into Israel.


IBM, Cisco aim to protect networks The companies expand a security alliance to help businesses keep worms and viruses from getting onto their networks.


Study links cell phones, tumors Swedish research institute finds that 10 or more years of cell phone use may increase the risk of acoustic neuroma, a noncancerous tumor.


AT T creates local Net telephony plan Telecommunications giant tries to attract consumers who make few long-distance calls with a \$20-per-month local plan.


Wi-Fi Successor Called High-Speed Hype, for Now Intel touts WiMax, but analysts say it likely won't go beyond niche applications.


Google's New Program Searches Hard Drives (AP) AP - Online search engine leader Google Inc. is setting its sights on the computer desktop with a new software program that promises to scour through the clutter of documents, e-mails, instant messages and other files stored on hard drives.


National Foods says worth up to \$A6.65 per share SYDNEY: Australian dairy group and takeover target National Foods Ltd said today that New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra #39;s \$A1.6 billion bid is too low and its shares are worth \$A6.11 to \$A6.65 each.


Google Unveils Desktop Search, Takes on Microsoft (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc.  on\Thursday rolled out a preliminary version of its new desktop\search tool, making the first move against its major\competitors in the race to provide tools for finding\information buried in computer hard drives.


Dell targets iPod Mini with new MP3 player (MacCentral) MacCentral - Dell Inc. took the wraps off its holiday lineup on Thursday, showing new printers, plasma televisions and music players that will soon be available through its Web site.


Nokia Posts Drop in 3Q Earnings, Sales (AP) AP - Nokia OYJ reported a 20 percent drop in third-quarter profits on Thursday, citing disappointing mobile phone sales that will likely put a damper on fourth-quarter results as well.


Edward C. Baig: Personal Tech - Microsoft makes multitasking entertaining (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - On Tuesday at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, Bill Gates showcased the third iteration of the couch-potato software that fuels Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, MCE 2005 for short. It's the version Gates insists will lift these entertainment-oriented (and often pricey) machines into the mainstream.


PeopleSoft: Oracle's Offer Is Inadequate (AP) AP - Oracle Corp.'s  #36;21-per-share hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft Inc. isn't good enough for shareholders to accept, PeopleSoft director A. George "Skip" Battle said Wednesday.


iMac, iPod, iConquered (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - For Apple Computer, will 2004 be remembered as a transformative year?


IBM, Cisco in enterprise security tie-up IBM Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc. unveiled product updates that will tie technology from the two companies more closely together in an effort to secure customer networks from worms and viruses.


Nokia profit falls 20 percent on price cuts Nokia Corp. reported a 20 percent decline in net profit for the third quarter on Thursday, due largely to cuts it made in the prices for its mobile phones. The Finnish handset manufacturer predicted that earnings would fall again in the fourth quarter.


Paris city authority hedges bets on Linux move PARIS -- The city of Paris intends to reduce its dependence on software suppliers with "de facto monopolies," but considers an immediate switch of its 17,000 desktops to open source software too costly, it said Wednesday.


'Trustworthiness' still a goal for Microsoft January 15, 2005 -- a Saturday -- will almost certainly pass quietly on the bucolic Redmond, Washington, campus of Microsoft Corp. But for those in the field of information technology security, who often make a sport of following the company's struggles to secure its products, the date is certain to attract some notice: it's the third anniversary of a now-famous internal Microsoft e-mail dubbed the "Trustworthy Computing" memo.
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SBC Case Study: Crate   Barrel
What sold them on improving their network? A system that could cut management costs from the get-go. Find out more.


Study: Mobile phone use increases brain tumor risk Ten or more years of mobile phone use can dramatically increase the risk of developing a benign tumor on the auditory nerve, according to a study conducted by the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.


Study Details Mobile Phone Dangers Long-term use increases the risk of developing tumors, new research indicates.


Starbucks Serves Up Digital Music In-store CD burning service will be installed in coffeehouses in Seattle and Texas.


Google Desktop Search Launched Google released a new Google Desktop Search tool today that allows people to scan their computers for information in the same way they use Google to search the web. Its ease of use, plus how it enhances the Google search experience, make it a compelling product to use.


A Closer Look At Privacy And Desktop Search Google's new Google Desktop Search tool raises a number of search privacy issues. In this article, we'll look at some of the usual specters of search privacy plus some new things people should consider.


Iraq Nuke Sites Were Stripped by Experts-Diplomats (Reuters) Reuters - The removal of Iraq's mothballed nuclear\facilities took around one year and was carried out by experts\with heavy machinery and demolition equipment, diplomats close\to the U.N. said on Thursday.


Bill Bryson regrets demise of Britain's red phone boxes (AFP) AFP - Bill Bryson, the American author who enjoys a cult following in Britain, lamented the demise of the red telephone box in his adopted homeland and its replacement by  quot;shower stalls quot;.


U.S.: Baghdad Blasts Kill Four Americans (AP) AP - Four Americans killed in bombings in the Green Zone in Baghdad on Thursday were all employees of the private U.S. security firm DynCorp, a U.S. official said Thursday.


First results in historic Afghan vote put Karzai in lead (AFP) AFP - The first results released in Afghanistan's presidential election put President Hamid Karzai in the lead after 7513 votes were counted in the northern province of Kunduz, Afghanistan's electoral commission said.


Germans Reject NATO-Afghan Proposal (AP) AP - Germany's defense minister rejected a U.S proposal to have NATO take over the U.S.-led military mission in Afghanistan, saying Wednesday that his country wants to focus on stabilization.


Google Desktop Search Has Launched Google Desktop Search Has Launched\\Google quietly launched its Google Desktop Search today and a slew of bloggers have tested it, reviewed it, and are currently testing it, including yours truly. Google Desktop is a frightfully fast application which searches desktop documents, web browser history, and chat room conversations (in AOL's ...


Google Wants to Improve Web Browsers Google Wants to Improve Web Browsers\\Google yesterday responded to the buzz over Gbrowser.com, the mythical Google powered web browser that bloggers and forums have been buzzing over. In a statement to the Indian press, Google said that it was engaged in developing technology that was aimed at bringing about improvements ...


Expired Domain Names - Whos Getting Rich On Them? Expired Domain Names - Who's Getting Rich On Them?\\There is an interesting discussion at Cre8asite forums, I hadn't seen before in a search engine related forum about the number of companies that are buying up expired domains and putting Google adsense ads them. Google has a page for domain parking ...


Football: Man U takeover doubt US tycoon Malcolm Glazer's plans for a controlling interest in Man Utd are reportedly close to collapse.


News: Undead IE bug rises from grave Recent updates to IE contain a serious regression that leaves systems once more vulnerable to a flaw fixed more than two years ago, according to security researchers.\


Google Introduces Search Program for Hard Drives Online search engine leader Google introduced a new software program today that promises to scour through the clutter of files on hard drives.


Nokia Says Profit Will Keep Falling as Prices Drop (Update5) Nokia Oyj, the world #39;s largest mobile- phone maker, said profit may drop for a second straight quarter. Earnings fell 20 percent in the three months ended in September because the company cut prices to regain market share.


Mortgage rates sink on jobs report NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Mortgage rates edged lower as a weak employment report pointed to a softer economy, Freddie Mac reported Thursday.


US Treasuries get a boost from data, rising oil Treasury debt prices climbed on Thursday as higher jobless claims, a widening trade deficit and record high oil prices gave the market a positive tilt.


Merck #39;s Missing Vioxx Study NEW YORK - Should Merck have conducted a bigger trial to test the safety of its arthritis drug Vioxx? Merck (nyse: MRK - news - people ) pulled Vioxx from the market two weeks ago, but questions about the


Jobs Report Causes Mortgage Rates To Fall MCLEAN, Va. -- Mortgage rates have eased with help from last week #39;s disappointing government numbers on new jobs. The mortgage company Freddie Mac reports that 30-year fixed-rate mortgages now average 5.74 percent, down from 5.82 in last week #39;s survey.


Munro, Morris Face Off in NLCS Game 2 (AP) AP - The Houston Astros put their hopes in a pitcher untested in the postseason when they give Pete Munro the ball to start Game 2 of the NL Championship series on Thursday, one night after dropping the opener to the St. Louis Cardinals 10-7.


Court orders ISPs to identify song-swappers The British music industry has won a crucial High Court decision that forces Internet service providers to hand over the identity of people accused of using the Internet to swap free songs.


IBM, Cisco forge enterprise security tie OCTOBER 14, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - IBM and Cisco Systems Inc. unveiled product updates that will tie technology from the two companies more closely together in an effort to secure customer networks from worms and viruses.


NetSuite 10.0 Makes CRM Fantasies a Reality NetSuite, Inc., today announced NetSuite 10.0, delivering new capabilities that have never before been available in a business application -- whether delivered as an Internet service or an on-premise solution.


Which bugger did it? Microsoft - and indeed Bungie - can #39;t be happy. Reports are sweeping the inform-o-tron superhighway that the comeplte code for Halo 2 has leaked onto the net, through newsgroups and file sharing networks.


MLB Playoffs: Yankees Take 2-0 Lead in Series Over Red Sox In Major League Baseball playoff action, the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 3-1 Wednesday night to take a two games to none lead in the best of seven American League Championship series.


Warne equals Test wicket record Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne equalled Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan #39;s record for Test wickets Thursday when he removed Indian opener Yuvraj Singh on the opening day of the second Test.


Montoya to be summoned by FIA over conduct Formula One #39;s governing body will summon Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya to a meeting in December to explain his conduct, motor sport sources said on Thursday.


Williams to face Klitschko for title The man who derailed Mike Tyson #39;s comeback will get a shot at the heavyweight title. British fighter Danny Williams, who stopped Tyson in the fourth round on July 30 in Louisville, will fight WBC champion Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine on Dec.


Pakistani Forces Rescue Chinese Hostage Pakistani tribal elders hold a meeting to discuss the release of Chinese engineers in Barwand of South Waziristan, Pakistan along Afghanistan border on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2004.


6 US Troops Die in Three Bomb Attacks Anxiety grows as a holy month approaches. Iraqi premier gives an ultimatum to Fallouja to turn over a militant. By Ashraf Khalil. BAGHDAD - Six US soldiers were reported killed in attacks here and in the


Ginepri Ousts Srichaphan at CA Trophy (AP) AP - American Robby Ginepri advanced to the quarterfinals of the CA Trophy with a 6-2, 6-1 win Thursday over fifth-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand.


Lackluster Els Slips Behind Drummond at Wentworth  VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Defending champion  Ernie Els trailed unheralded Briton Scott Drummond by one hole  midway through their first-round match in the World Match Play  Championship at Wentworth on Thursday.


American Ginepri Crushes Paradorn in Vienna  VIENNA (Reuters) - Number five seed Paradorn Srichaphan was  crushed 6-2, 6-1, by Robby Ginepri in the second round of the  Vienna Trophy on Thursday.


New Tax Law Changes Will Impact Everyone Several important new tax laws that have passed Congress during this fall #39;s pre-election period. Two major tax laws have been approved: the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 and the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 .


Davenport Gets Top Spot, Dementieva to Face Kuznetsova  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Lindsay Davenport will take over the  world number one spot from Amelie Mauresmo when the rankings  are released next week after brushing aside Dinara Safina 6-4,  6-2, on Thursday to reach the Kremlin Cup quarter-finals.


Typhoon Shows F1 That Three Can Go Into Two  LONDON (Reuters) - Why take three days over something that  can be done perfectly well in two, particularly if you want to  cut costs and give fans more for their money?


NY to Sue Some Insurers for Manipulation  NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eliot  Spitzer is launching a suit against several prominent  participants in the insurance industry, including AIG and  broker Marsh   McLennan Cos. MMC.N, charging they engaged in  market manipulation, Spitzer's office said.


Oil Hits New Highs as Winter Stocks Fall Oil prices roared to fresh record highs\on Thursday as the U.S. government reported another fall in\heating fuel stocks ahead of winter.


Spitzer Targets Insurance Brokerage Industry New York state officials say they expect two insurance company executives to plead guilty in a corruption probe into bid-rigging in the insurance brokerage industry.


Spitzer Accuses Insurance Industry of Rigging Bids Brokers required to provide competing bids to customers have been taking payoffs from insurance companies resulting in widespread corruption in the industry, New York's Attorney General charged today.


KarstadtQuelle, Union Reach Agreement (AP) AP - Struggling German retailer KarstadtQuelle on Thursday agreed with employee representatives on a cost-cutting plan that will include eliminating some 5,500 jobs, or 12 percent of its work force, and a three-year pay freeze.


National Bank gets buyer interest in Irish banks SYDNEY: National Australia Bank Ltd., the country #39;s biggest bank, said yesterday it had received several  quot;expressions of interest quot; in its two Irish banks but no decision has been made to sell the assets.


US 30-, 15-year mortgage rates fell in latest week Interest rates on US 30-year and 15-year mortgages have moved lower following last week #39;s disappointing jobs report that suggested economic growth had slowed, mortgage finance company Freddie Mac said on Thursday.


Macquarie trumps with \$2.6b road bid A consortium led by investment bank Macquarie Bank won aA\$2.5 billion (\$2.68 billion) contract yesterday to build Australia #39;s longest toll road, edging out a rival bid led by Transurban Group.


Auditors reviewing Alitalia first-half loss ROME: Italian airline Alitalia said yesterday that its first half loss was 620 million euros (\$NZ1.14 billion), a higher-than-expected result owing to one-off expenses from a broad restructuring.


Becks in FAKE romp with Spanish prostitute Gossip-seekers eager to dig up dirt on David Beckham risk ending up at a website that infects their computer with an insidious virus called Hackarmy.


Google search becomes personal The net giant has released a preliminary version of a desktop program that will search computer hard drives, as well as the web.  quot;We think of this as the photographic memory of your computer, quot; said Marissa


Dell releases iPod mini rival, announces Linux alliance Dell will introduce Thursday a small music player to compete with Apple #39;s iPod mini. The new Pocket DJ 5 offers one GByte more memory, but is priced \$50 less than Apple #39;s market dominating player.


NetSuite Urges Users to Upsell ASP NetSuite this week unveiled the latest version of its hosted applications suite with a focus on  quot;upsell quot; and e-commerce functionality.


Halo 2 Pirated Word is flooding the internet this morning that copies of the highly anticipated Halo 2 have been pirated and are appearing on newsgroups and peer-to-peer networks as of Wednesday night.


Yao Thrills Capacity Crowd at First China NBA Game Yao Ming #39;s Houston Rockets squeezed past the Sacramento Kings on Thursday in the first NBA game to be played in China, a country the fast-growing basketball league deems a potential marketing mecca.


Just One Piece Missing from England Jigsaw Having effectively decided all but the final piece in his England jigsaw, Sven-Goran Eriksson at least finds himself confronted with a wealth of potential selection options.


Man United Takeover Talks Break Down Takeover talks between two of Manchester United #39;s biggest shareholders and Malcolm Glazer appear to have broken down. It is believed the US businessman has failed to reach a deal with John Magnier and JP McManus


Blasts rock Baghdads Green Zone, 5 killed Iraqi anti occupation rebels broke into Baghdad #39;s Green Zone area and detonated 2 bombs at a market and a cafe Thursday, killing five people, including three American soldiers, the US military said, in a bold attack on the building housing the US and


Mixing of votes begins in Afghanistan Mixing of the votes cast for the first-Afghan presidential elections began in parts of the country this morning, a spokesman of the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) said Thursday evening.


BellSouth Closes Sale of Some Assets (AP) AP - BellSouth Corp. said Thursday it has completed the sale of some if its Latin American assets and will use the proceeds to help pay for Cingular Wireless LLC's  #36;41 billion purchase of AT amp;T Wireless Services Inc.


HP rakes in .Net dough Company has brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in consulting revenue related to Microsoft's .Net software in the past two years.


Supply News Rattles Energy Futures Oil prices have moved above \$54 a barrel after the government reported a decline in the supply of distillate fuel, which includes heating oil.


Abbey National Shareholders OK Takeover Shareholders in Abbey National PLC voted overwhelmingly Thursday to approve the bank #39;s acquisition by Santander Central Hispano of Spain.


Linux hurricane sinking SCO SPEAKING AT the Etre conference in Cannes, the darling of the IT industry and president and CEO of SCO, Darl McBride warned everyone in sight about the risk of not protecting their intellectual property from open source  quot;bandits quot; -or so the journos that


Sun, Nvidia Design Professional Graphics Alliance Sun Java Workstations are designed to support simultaneous 32-bit and 64-bit computing with no compromises in performance, allowing users to maintain their existing x86 infrastructure


Glazer #39;s United bid in doubt after share slump Manchester United #39;s share price has fallen dramatically amid rumours about the collapse of a deal between the club #39;s prospective owner Malcolm Glazer and its major shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus.


Manninger faces six months out with injured shoulder Austrian goalkeeper Alex Manninger could be out for the rest of the season after dislocating his shoulder at the end of his team #39;s 3-3 draw with Northern Ireland in their World Cup qualifier on Wednesday.


Early Christmas present for Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo had plundered a double against Russia and the Portuguese teenager grinned like he had just received an early Christmas present.


Assessment of Yukos Unit Fluctuates (AP) AP - An independent assessor valued Yukos' main production unit at  #36;14.7 billion to  #36;17.3 billion on Thursday, the same day a news agency reported that a controlling stake in the business could be sold for just over  #36;4 billion.


First Phase of Nigeria Strike Due to End Thursday (Reuters) Reuters - A general strike in Nigeria which has\raised fears over oil supply from the world's seventh largest\exporter, will likely end its first phase on Thursday, union\leaders said.


Chinese hostage rescued, another killed, as Pakistani troops raid kidnappers (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - CHAGMALAI, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistani special forces attacked kidnappers holding two Chinese engineers near the Afghan border, killing all five of the al-Qaida-linked militants led by a former prisoner of the U.S. compound in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. One of the hostages survived while the other was killed in Thursday's raid.


Oil Hits Highs as U.S. Winter Stocks Fall  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices roared to fresh record highs  on Thursday as the U.S. government reported another fall in  heating fuel stocks ahead of winter.


Lynne Cheney Upset With Kerry Over Remark (AP) AP - Lynne Cheney accused Sen. John Kerry of pulling a "cheap and tawdry political trick" after he discussed her daughter's sexuality in his debate with President Bush. In response, Elizabeth Edwards suggested Mrs. Cheney might feel "a certain degree of shame" because her daughter is a lesbian.


Nokia Profit Drops But Sees Strong Sales  HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nokia NOK1V.HE, the world's largest  cell phone maker, reported lower third-quarter earnings on  Thursday after cutting prices to claw back market share, but  said sales were strong as it enters the key Christmas season.


Coventry Health to Buy First Health  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Coventry Health Care Inc. CVH.N on  Thursday agreed to buy rival health plan First Health Group  Corp. FHCC.O for \$1.8 billion in stock and cash as it looks  to expand its geographic reach and keep pace with rivals.


Treasury Moves to Avoid Piercing Debt Limit The U.S. Treasury Department tapped into a federal employee pension fund Thursday as a stop-gap measure to keep the government below its \$7.384 trillion borrowing limit, Treasury Secretary John Snow said in a letter to Congress.


US rivals back on campaign trail George W Bush and John Kerry go into the final three weeks of campaigning after their last TV debate.


Blasts Kill Five in Baghdad's Green Zone BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents penetrated Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone and detonated explosives at a market and a popular cafe Thursday, killing five people, including four Americans, in the first bombing inside the compound housing the U.S. and Iraqi government headquarters...


Trade Deficit Soars, Jobless Claims Up WASHINGTON - The U.S. trade deficit, propelled by a record foreign oil bill, surged to \$54 billion in August, the second highest level in history...


Spitzer Targets Insurance Brokerage Industry ALBANY, NY -- New York state officials say they expect two insurance company executives to plead guilty in a corruption probe into bid-rigging in the insurance brokerage industry.


UPDATE 6-Coventry Health to buy First Health for \$1.8 bln Coventry Health Care Inc. (CVH.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday agreed to buy rival health plan First Health Group Corp. (FHCC.


Jobless claims rise by 15,000 The number of people filing initial claims for US jobless aid rose more than expected to 352,000 last week, a government report showed Thursday.


Soccer Star Beckham Latest Virus Subject The Internet is abuzz with malicious messages that claim David Beckham has been caught on film in a compromising position. Those who click on the Web links in such messages do not see pictures


UK Music Industry Wins High Court Decision The UK music industry has scored a legal victory with a High Court ruling that requires Internet service providers to provide names and addresses of British citizens who share copyrighted music over peer-to-peer computer networks.


A  quot;psychological war quot; Phil Jackson called his relationship with Kobe Bryant a  quot;psychological war quot; in his diary The Last season: A Team in Search of its Soul, which will be released next month.


Cardinals BCS-worthy,  #39;Canes under the radar Heading into the Orange Bowl to take on Miami is not easy for any team, especially on a Thursday night, but expect the athleticism and experience of the Louisville Cardinals to make tonight #39;s game very competitive.


Russia chose rebate figure to sell Yukos unit: Dresdner MOSCOW : A top Western bank asked to value Yukos #39;s core asset said the Russian government chose the lowest price possible for a planned sale of the oil giant #39;s crown jewel in a move that has shaken investors.


Update 2: Spitzer Sues Marsh  amp; McLennan, AIG New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer sued insurance giants Marsh  amp; McLennan, American International Group and several others Thursday, alleging policy brokers have been taking payoffs from insurance companies to steer corporate clients their way rather


Google searches India -- for employees Editor #39;s Summary: Google is searching India -- for white collar IT workers. Google gurus Sergey Brin and Larry Page are touring cities -- including hi-tech hubs Bangalore and Hyderabad -- looking to hire engineers and online sales and support workers.


Russia LNG Project in N. American Deal A consortium led by Royal Dutch/Shell Group that is developing gas reserves off Russia #39;s Sakhalin Island said Thursday it has struck a US\$6 billion (euro4.


Sony Ericsson sees profits treble Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson today reported that it had more than trebled third quarter pre-tax profits, but the market leader, Nokia, reported a 20 fall.


Drug Stocks Continue to Slide Drug stocks continued to slide on the week toward new 52-week lows as a few bright spots were eclipsed by losses in large-cap stocks.


Stock Options: Pause to Reload Was this a crack in the defenses, or was it a calculated retreat to more favorable ground for what is shaping up to be the decisive battle on employee stock options?


Nortel transfer of Montreal plant to Flextronics delayed TORONTO - Nortel Network #39;s ongoing work on its financial restatements means the transfer of its Montreal manufacturing facility to Flextronics will be delayed until early 2005.


Ex-Rite Aid officer gets 10-year jail term HARRISBURG, Penn. - A former Rite Aid Corp. vice chairman was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in prison for his part in an accounting scandal that brought the US drug store chain near bankruptcy.


Cypress Semiconductor #39;s 3Q Profit Down Cypress Semiconductor Corp., which makes computer and communications chips, on Thursday said third-quarter profit dropped as demand dried up throughout the industry.


New Crew En Route To Space Station Leroy Chiao has ever flown in a Soyuz spacecraft, before, but the three lifted off early Thursday from Kazakhstan en route to the International Space Station.


Google expands search to desktop In a move that beats competitors Yahoo, Microsoft, America Online and Ask Jeeves to the starting gate, Internet search giant Google (GOOG) on Thursday announced a program enhancement


Stolen  #39;Halo 2 #39; hits pirate sites Microsoft threatened severe penalties Thursday for those who circulate a stolen copy of  quot;Halo 2, quot; the hotly anticipated Xbox game set to go on sale next month.


Starbucks launches first of  quot;music bars quot; for CD burning SEATTLE, United States : Coffee shop giant Starbucks said it was launching the first of its  quot;music bars quot; where customers can listen to digital recordings and burn their own CDs.


NetSuite 10.0 Debuts NetSuite has released the 10.0 versions of its NetSuite, NetSuite Small Business, and NetCRM products, all of which are generally targeted at the small and medium-sized business (SMB) segment.


Lava Gases May Give Clues to Eruptions Visitors line a sidewalk with chairs and cameras as they watch a small steam emission from Mount St. Helens, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2004, at the Coldwater Ridge Visitors Center at Mount St.


Truth Wizards: They know a lie when they hear it WASHINGTON Can you always tell when somebody #39;s lying? If so, you might be a wizard of the fib. A California psychology professor says there #39;s a tiny subculture of people that can pick out a lie nearly every time they hear one.


Dell Moves Full Steam Ahead In Consumer Electronics Dell Inc. on Thursday continued its push beyond the PC into consumer electronics with the introduction of a mini-version of its digital music player that will compete with Apple Computer Inc.


Paris city authority hedges bets on Linux move The city of Paris intends to reduce its dependence on software suppliers with  quot;de facto monopolies, quot; but considers an immediate switch of its 17,000 desktops to open source software too costly, it said Wednesday.


Motorola Turns Cell Phone into Credit Card Motorola plans to carry out a trial of cell phones incorporating MasterCard #39;s PayPass contactless payment technology. The cell phones will enable customers to make payments by positioning


IBM Offers Disk-Storage Servers IBM is aiming to take a larger share of the \$60 billion data-storage market with the introduction of two new disk-storage servers.


Beckham gets backing of Eriksson Sven-Goran Eriksson has urged David Beckham to think twice before admitting to any on-the-field indiscretions. The England midfielder has come under fire for revealing that he deliberately got booked against Wales.


NBA: Yao Ming Thrills Hometown Fans During Exhibition Game National Basketball Association star Yao Ming of China thrilled his hometown fans with 14 points to lead the Houston Rockets to an 88-86 win over the Sacramento Kings in Shanghai.


Glazer Quest for United Falters Malcolm Glazers bid for Manchester United is dead in the water after major shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus told the American there was no basis for a deal.


Pakistan down Sri Lanka in dress rehearsal Lahore, Pakistan - Pakistan foiled a sparkling hundred by Sri Lankan skipper Marvan Atapattu in a moral-boosting win over Sri Lanka here on Thursday ahead of the tri-series cricket final between the two sides.


Aragones Fights Pans, Blames Pitch With the nations media raining heavy criticism down upon him, Spain coach Luis Aragones chose to pin a galling nil-nil UEFA World Cup qualifying result with Lithuania on the large playing surface.


Greek police detail security threats during Olympic games Greek authorities dealt with more than 700 security scares during the Athens Games, including a bomb hoax before the opening ceremony and a propane leak at a luxury hotel that was hosting hundreds of representatives from major Olympic sponsors.


Mark Martin to To Retire After 2005 Season CONCORD, NC (Oct. 14, 2004) - Roush Racings Mark Martin announced today that next season will be his last racing for the NEXTEL Cup.


Cole suspension cut by two games Andy Cole #39;s six-game suspension over last month #39;s brawl at West Bromwich was cut to four on Thursday after an appeal to the English Football Association.


Sharon Offers a Date for Settler Withdrawal From Gaza Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said today that he wanted to begin withdrawing Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip next May or June and complete the pullout within three months.


Zimbabwe forces on high alert for treason verdict HARARE - Zimbabwe said it had put its security forces on high alert to deal with what it said was an opposition plan to unleash violence on Friday when a court is due to pass judgment in the treason trial of its leader.


Iraq donors conference winds up in Japan A two-day meeting of Iraq #39;s donors has wound up in Tokyo with all those involved indentifying the ongoing insurgency as the biggest obstacle to the country #39;s reconstruction.


Vote counting begins 5 days after Afghan presidential election Vote counting started Thursday in Afghanistan #39;s landmark election, widely expected to install US-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai as the war-ravaged country #39;s first popularly chosen president.


FCC adopts rules for broadband over power lines MANHASSET, NY - The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday (Oct. 14) to modified its rules to open the door to the widespread deployment of broadband access over power lines.


Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Met 2003 Goals Mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac last year met the government-set goals for making home ownership affordable, but only because three unusual multibillion-dollar deals were counted toward the targets, officials said Thursday.


Hollinger International to refile  #39;looting #39; case against ex-CEO CHICAGO - Newspaper publisher Hollinger International Inc. said Thursday it intends to refile the bulk of its dismissed case against ousted CEO Conrad Black and associates, intent on winning back hundreds


California #39;s finance director resigns after 11 months A decision by the state #39;s tightfisted finance director to step down has fueled speculation inside the Capitol about a possible shift on spending issues by Gov.


Dell gets down to CE business ZDNet #39;s survey of IT professionals in October kept upgrading hardware at number two on the businesses radar throughout the year.


Apple flogs new gear as gossip grows At a briefing in Dublin on Monday, Apple UK  amp; Ireland executives were on hand to discuss about two years #39; worth of Apple products and services, including iTunes, the iPod, the new iMac G5 (which recently launched in Ireland) and the firm #39;s suite of iLife


Martinez may step up a spot for a Game 5 Pedro Martinez could be back on the mound for the Boston Red Sox sooner than the New York Yankees expected. After throwing 113 pitches in a 3-1 loss in Game 2 on Wednesday night, Martinez said he #39;d be willing


Andy Cole #39;s ban reduced Fulham striker Andy Cole has had his three-match suspension reduced to one by the Football Association after a successful appeal. Cole had been suspended for a total of six games after incidents in the away


Schilling will not start Game 5 of ALCS Boston ace Curt Schilling will not start Game 5 of the AL Championship Series Sunday because of a dislocated tendon in his right ankle.


Sony unit posts gains, but Nokia struggles Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications exceeded market expectations on Thursday when it reported that net profit rose 45 percent in the third quarter, but Nokia #39;s third-quarter report indicated the market leader was still struggling to get back on track.


Competitiveness #39;s 800-Pound Gorillas NEW YORK - The World Economic Forum looks at countries #39; competitiveness through both ends of the economist #39;s telescope--the macro end and the micro one.


Hollinger International to refile case against Conrad Black CHICAGO Hollinger International told a federal judge in Chicago today that it intends to refile the bulk of its case against ousted CEO Conrad Black that was dismissed last week.


Starbucks Expanding Custom CD Service to 45 Stores Starbucks Corp. SBUX.O on Wednesday said customers will be able to make custom music CDs at 45 of its US coffee shops by later this month, the first step in a plan to expand the service nationwide.


American billionaire Malcolm Glazer #39;s controversial bid for <b>...</b> We sent Murdoch packing and gave Magnier and McManus a bloody nose. If Glazer wants a fight, we will give him one. quot;. That was the reaction of Jules Spencer, chairman of the Independent Manchester


Cardinals Demonstrate How to Build a Sturdy Lead With Heavy Lumber In this era of wild-card entries and best-of-five-game playoff series, a talented team can stroll through the regular season, fire its manager, pick up its pace and find


Cole appeal nets ban reduction London, England (Sports Network) - An appeal by Fulham to the English Football Association was successful on Thursday. The FA scaled back its original ban on Andrew Cole from six matches to four.


Iraq Blasts Kill 4 US Workers in Breach of Baghdad Compound Four American contractors providing security for the US Embassy were among at least 10 people killed in two blasts inside Baghdad #39;s Green Zone, prompting the US-led military coalition


Ex-Soldiers Vow to Bring Order to Haiti Capital Ex-soldiers who helped topple former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Wednesday vowed to end escalating street warfare in the Haitian capital while


Memorable Moments of Presidential Debates (AP) AP - The debates of 2004 may be remembered more for pained facial expressions than ringing words. Is there one line that will survive the week, never mind the ages?


Kentucky Sen. Bunning in Flap Over His Health (Reuters) Reuters - Kentucky's largest newspaper on\Thursday urged Republican Sen. Jim Bunning to answer questions\about his mental health because his behavior as he seeks a\second term is troubling voters.


U.N. Nuclear Inspectors Ready to Return to Iraq (Reuters) Reuters - U.N. inspectors, barred from most of\Iraq since last year's invasion, are ready to return to probe\the disappearance of equipment that could be used in atomic\weapons, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday.


Iraq N-Sites Were Stripped Methodically-Diplomats  VIENNA (Reuters) - The mysterious removal of Iraq's  mothballed nuclear facilities continued long after the U.S.-led  invasion and was carried out by people with access to heavy  machinery and demolition equipment, diplomats said on Thursday.


Abbey directors feel shareholders #39; wrath Directors of banking giant Abbey National today faced harsh criticism from shareholders angry at the decision to sell out to Spain #39;s largest bank.


Starbucks Serves Up Digital Music Starbucks will begin rolling out next week the in-store CD burning service it announced in conjunction with Hewlett-Packard back in March.


Jail deaths charges recommended Twenty-eight US soldiers face possible charges over the deaths of two prisoners in Afghanistan, the Army says.


Summit boosts sea life protection Greater protection to great white sharks and other big fish are among successes to emerge from the world species summit.


Qatar ruler ousted by son returns The emir of Qatar receives his father back to the country for the first time since ousting him in 1995.


Irish Claim 2nd Title Notre Dame goalkeeper Erika Bohn seals the Irish's second NCAA championship with a save in penalty kicks to lift them to a 4-3 victory over North Carolina on Sunday.


NetSuite Retools With Analytics and a Recommendation Engine NetSuite, a growing provider of on-demand CRM and ERP capabilities, has released Version 10 of its application suite, introducing a range of new analytical capabilities aimed at improving management visibility and customer profitability.


UPDATE 1-Els recovers after slow start, Goosen seals record Defending champion Ernie Els recovered from a sluggish start to lead Briton Scott Drummond by two holes with two to play after a rainswept opening day


Kerry's Mention of Cheney's Gay Daughter Sparks Sharp Reaction Republicans raised questions about John Kerry's motives; Democrats countered that the G.O.P. was throwing up a smokescreen.


Sharon Offers a Date for Settler Withdrawal From Gaza The Israeli prime minister said today that he wanted to begin withdrawing settlers from Gaza next May or June.


420-Pound Teen to Get Free Gastric Bypass HOUSTON - Two doctors and a hospital offered a free gastric bypass to a 420-pound teenager after another medical center canceled the procedure because his insurance would not pay for it.    Doctors at Obesity Surgery Specialists said 16-year-old Brandon Bennett needs the operation for a chance at a healthy life...


Ankle Keeps Schilling From Planned Start BOSTON - Boston ace Curt Schilling will not start a possible Game 5 of the AL championship series Sunday because of an injured right ankle, though it's possible Schilling could return later in the series.    Derek Lowe will start in his place - unless the schedule is pushed back by rain that is forecast for Game 3 on Friday night...


Stocks Slip on GM Earnings, Higher Oil NEW YORK - Investors sent stocks falling sharply Thursday as crude oil prices surged near \$55 per barrel and General Motors Corp. issued a disappointing earnings report...


Bush Says Debates Highlight His Record LAS VEGAS - President Bush said Thursday the trio of prime-time debates with Sen. John Kerry demonstrated he is running on his record - and his opponent away from his own - even as the Republican campaign acknowledged that Kerry had gained from the confrontations viewed by tens of millions of Americans...


Some 28 U.S. GIs Face Afghan Abuse Cases WASHINGTON - Up to 28 U.S. soldiers face possible criminal charges in connection with the deaths of two prisoners at an American-run prison in Afghanistan two years ago, the Army announced Thursday...


Fallujah Delegation Suspends Peace Talks BAGHDAD, Iraq - A delegation from the insurgent stronghold Fallujah suspended peace talks with the government Thursday because of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's "impossible" demand to hand over terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the city spokesman said.    Allawi warned Wednesday that Fallujah must surrender al-Zarqawi and other foreign fighters or face military attack...


FCC eases high-speed network rules The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday made more of the local phone companies #39; high-speed fiber networks free from competition rules.


Hollinger to Appeal Racketeering Suit Dismissal Newspaper publisher Hollinger International Inc on Thursday said it will continue to pursue legal action against former chairman Conrad Black, despite being dealt a setback last week.


Audited, unaudited results  Cap on variation in net profit <b>...</b> THE variation in the net profit after tax figure between unaudited and audited results of companies should not exceed 10 per cent or Rs 10 lakh, whichever is higher.


Many Amphibians Threatened Worldwide (AP) AP - Eye of newt and toe of frog may one day be gone from witches grog. Indeed, not just frogs and newts but amphibians in general are rapidly becoming threatened worldwide, a new study shows.


New Mini Retail Store Design CUPERTINO, CaliforniaOctober 14, 2004Apple today unveiled its new  quot;mini quot; retail store, a stunning all-new design featuring stainless steel walls and seamless white floors and ceilings.


Lava Gases May Give Clues to Eruptions (AP) AP - Monitoring the gases emitted by lava from Mount St. Helens might provide clues to future eruptions, a British volcano expert reported Thursday.


Learning 2nd Language Changes Brain Anatomy -Study (Reuters) Reuters - Being bilingual produces changes in the\anatomy of the brain, scientists said on Wednesday in finding\that could explain why children are so much better than adults\at mastering a second language.


Japan Fumes Over Whales as U.N. Meeting Winds Up (Reuters) Reuters - Japan was fuming over the failure of\its bid to expand trade in whale products and Africa swapped\blows over ivory Thursday as a U.N. meeting on trade in wild\plants and animals wrapped up.


Iraqi leader backs January poll Iraq's interim president says Ghazi al-Yawar the 30 January poll must go ahead, despite continuing violence.


Lava Oozes Out of Mount St. Helens (Reuters) Reuters - Lava has begun to ooze out of\Washington state's Mount St. Helens, building up the lava crust\in the volcano's crater, government scientists said on\Wednesday.


Boeing 747 cargo jet crashes in eastern Canada A Boeing 747-200 aircraft with seven crew members aboard crashed Thursday at Halifax International Airport. All seven aboard the jet, which is owned by MK Airlines Ltd.


Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations 33 Palestinians, 23 of whom are civilians, including 7 children and a mentally disabled man, were killed by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).


IBM, Cisco aim to protect networks com October 14, 2004, 8:58 AM PT. Cyber threats, chiefly viruses like NetSky and Sasser, make security an ongoing concern as it holds steady over software infrastructure as the third top priority.


iTunes Music Store Downloads Top 150 M CUPERTINO, CaliforniaOctober 14, 2004Apple today announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 150 million songs from the iTunes Music Store, marking another major milestone for the online music business.


Eagles Clobber Packers Donovan McNabb sets a career high with five touchdown passes and an Eagles' team-record 464 yards as Philadelphia outclasses the Packers, 47-17.


Rage Against the Machine : Why Voting Doesn't Work and What You Can Do About It. I was sitting in a bar listening to the presidential  quot;debate quot;, thinking the same thought I always do when listening to politicians.  nbsp;Why must I choose between two people that I don't like?  nbsp;Since I live in New York, where Democrats usually win the electorate, should I even bother voting?  nbsp;Are my votes even counted? It's always easy to blame the current President for the nation's current problems, and I'll admit that I'm often tempted to blame Bush.  nbsp;But the reality is that he is not to blame.  nbsp;The blame can be placed squarely on us, the citizens, and on our unwillingness to reform an outdated voting system.


Market Underestimates Dell Consumer Electronics Credit Suisse First Boston maintained an  quot;outperform quot; rating for Dell (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ) after the company expanded its line of consumer electronics (CE) products.


SCO To Launch Legal Issues Web Site Prosco.net is in part a response to the popular Groklaw site, which was started last year in the wake of SCO #39;s multibillion-dollar suit versus Big Blue.


NBA: No Plans to Change 3-Point Shot The NBA has no plans to change its rules for the 3-point shot, though it will proceed with an experiment for its developmental league in which all field goals will be worth


Study Links Mobile Phones, Benign Tumors (AP) AP - A new Swedish study suggests that people who use a mobile phone for at least 10 years might increase their risk of developing a rare benign tumor along a nerve on the side of the head where they hold the phone.


FCC Approves Fiber-Optic Broadband Rules (AP) AP - Federal regulators approved new rules Thursday aimed at making high-speed Internet available to more Americans  #151; but critics complained the move will hinder competition in broadband services and keep prices high.


FCC Backs Bells on Fiber Phone Line Sharing Limits (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. regulators on Thursday said big\local phone companies will not have to share new fiber-optic\lines built for high-speed Internet and other services,\spurring one carrier to speed roll-out plans.


Apple Under Scrutiny as Music Competition Rises (Reuters) Reuters - Apple Computer Inc.  may\have sold more than twice as many of its iPod digital music\players in its most recent quarter than its signature Mac\computers, but competitors are turning the up the heat in the\nascent online music industry.


Novell Pledges To Protect Open Source Against Legal Claims (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Novell (Nasdaq: NOVL) has pledged to use its patent portfolio to protect the company's open-source software and proprietary offerings against potential legal attacks based on intellectual-property rights.


Almost One in Four Businesses Pirate Software (PC World) PC World - Violations appears to be commonplace, even though professionals agree it is risky.


Sun Micro Posts Narrower Quarterly Loss (Reuters) Reuters - Network computer maker Sun\Microsystems Inc.  on Thursday posted a narrower\quarterly loss as revenue rose year over year for the second\consecutive quarter after three years of declines, sending\shares slightly higher.


Apple unveils location of six mini stores (MacCentral) MacCentral - At a private viewing in Palo Alto, Calif., Apple Computer Inc. on Thursday unveiled its new "mini" retail store design. The new stores will be opening this Saturday at 10 a.m. in Palo Alto, CA; San Jose, CA; Santa Rosa, CA; Tukwila, WA; Bridgewater, NJ; and Rockaway, NJ.


Intel Cancels Top-Speed Pentium 4 Chip  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. INTC.O on Thursday  canceled plans to introduce its highest-speed Pentium 4 chip  for desktop computers, marking another in a string of  unexpected product changes, cancellations and recalls at the  world's largest computer chip maker.


Apple Under Scrutiny as Music Competition Rises  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc. AAPL.O may  have sold more than twice as many of its iPod digital music  players in its most recent quarter than its signature Mac  computers, but competitors are turning the up the heat in the  nascent online music industry.


FCC Backs Bells on Fiber Phone Line Sharing Limits  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Thursday said big  local phone companies will not have to share new fiber-optic  lines built for high-speed Internet and other services,  spurring one carrier to speed roll-out plans.


Underwear Heart Monitor to Warn of Strokes  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A group of 33 firms, including Nokia  and Philips, have unveiled the prototype of a portable heart  monitor that would use sensors woven into underwear to warn  patients before they suffer a stroke.


Nokia Reports Lower Profits but Strong Sales Nokia, the world's largest\cell phone maker, reported lower third-quarter earnings on\Thursday after cutting prices to claw back market share, but\said sales were strong as it enters the key Christmas season.</p>


Study Links Mobile Phones, Benign Tumors A new Swedish study suggests that people who use a mobile phone for at least 10 years might increase their risk of developing a rare benign tumor along a nerve on the side of the head where they hold the phone.


PlanetOut Soars in Public Trading Debut PlanetOut Inc. showed a small gain in morning activity before shooting up more than 15 percent in recent trading, marking a successful initial public offering for the Web site operator while Thursday's second deal fell flat in its debut.


Dam threatens Montenegro river Environmental campaigners say plans for a dam in Montenegro will threaten a Unesco world heritage site.


'Eco' friendly fuel breakthrough British scientists are claiming a world first after finding a way to use hydrogen to fuel cars.


No. 16 N.C. State Beats Manhattan, 76-60 (AP) AP - Julius Hodge bounced back from a brief benching to finish with 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, helping No. 16 North Carolina State hold off pesky Manhattan 76-60 Sunday night.


"Motorcycle Diaries" Biopic of Young Ch #233; Guevara Before he became the Marxist revolutionary icon known as "El Ch #233;," Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was an ordinary Argentine medical student tired of school and itching to see the world.


Remembering Hurricane Hazel 50 Years Later Fifty years ago, Hurricane Hazel unleashed death and devastation from South Carolina to Canada. The powerful storm also spurred new hurricane research and monitoring methods.


"Sleeping Dragon" Fossil May Link Dinosaurs, Birds Paleontologists say they have discovered the fossil remains of a duck-size dinosaur species, previously unknown to science, that died while catching some z's.


Pinecone-Inspired "Smart" Clothes Expand, Contract Smart clothing that adjusts to body temperature and moisture is being developed by British researchers. Their inspiration: pine cones.


Damselfish Study May Help Improve Marine Reserves A tiny fish that no one eats or cares about may tell researchers a lot about the health of Caribbean coral reefs and where to focus conservation efforts.


Oxfam wants more rich-world action on global poverty LONDON (AFP) - Rich nations need to do much more to overcome global poverty, Oxfam said in a report aimed at influencing Britain #39;s turn at the helm of the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations.


Bush administration takes emergency steps to avoid debt ceiling (AFP) AFP - US President George W. Bush's administration weathered a pre-election mauling as it announced emergency measures to skirt a 7.38-trillion-dollar debt limit.


Palace Riled by Teacher's Secret Tape of UK Prince  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's royal family went on the  attack on Thursday after lawyers for one of Prince Harry's  former schoolteachers gave a court a secret tape they said  shows she helped him cheat on exams.


Briefly: Nortel pushes back Flextronics deal roundup Plus: HP rakes in .Net dough...Escend raises \$3 million...Hitachi cuts 10 percent of U.S. work force...Evite goes local with invitations.


Paris report: Open-source move could be costly A complete switch "would mean significant additional costs without improving the service provided," a French official says.


Intel kills plans for 4GHz Pentium Cancels release of desktop chip in shift away from megahertz towards cache tweaks to improve processor performance.


Portuguese Netsky rates a medium risk A Portuguese-sounding version of the virus has appeared in the wild. Be wary of mail from Manaus.


IBM, Cisco tackle security's weak link Companies expand security alliance to help businesses keep worms and viruses from getting onto networks.


Army Says Up to 28 G.I.'s Could Face Afghan Abuse Charges The Army's recommendation marked the completion of a nearly 2-year-old investigation into the deaths of two prisoners.


FCC eases high-speed network rules Agency gives phone companies more leeway in sharing connections. Also: Broadband over power lines gets green light.


Nortel pushes back Flextronics deal Company delays divestiture of manufacturing assets, as it focuses on its financial restatement.


Stolen 'Halo 2' hits pirate sites Microsoft vows to punish whoever stole the hotly anticipated Xbox game, due for release next month. \


Ankle Keeps Schilling From Planned Start (AP) AP - Boston ace Curt Schilling will not start a possible Game 5 of the AL championship series Sunday because of an injured right ankle, though it's possible Schilling could return later in the series.


21 cut down in Iraq gunfire BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) - At least 21 people, including 17 Iraqis working for the US military, were killed yesterday as a senior UN official warned that crucial elections could not be held in the current climate of violence.


NBA: No Plans to Change 3-Point Shot (AP) AP - The NBA has no plans to change its rules for the 3-point shot, though it will proceed with an experiment for its developmental league in which all field goals will be worth 2 points until the final five minutes of regulation and overtime.


FCC approves BPL interference rules The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday cleared the way for power companies to roll out broadband over power line service by approving a set of rules designed to limit interference to other radio frequency devices such as amateur radios.


Rockets Nip Kings As NBA Travels to China (AP) AP - Hometown hero Yao Ming scored 14 points to lead the Houston Rockets to an 88-86 win over the Sacramento Kings Thursday night in the first ever NBA game played in China.


Minnows Make It on Major Soccer Stage (AP) AP - Liechtenstein is on a roll. Andorra finally has won a game. And make no mistake, Albania looks like a threat.


Georgia Hits Road After SEC Home Game (AP) AP - The Georgia Bulldogs will celebrate homecoming on Saturday. Actually, it's more like a going-away party. After the No. 12 Bulldogs host lowly Vanderbilt, there will no more Southeastern Conference games at Sanford Stadium this season. And it's only mid-October.


Google preps desktop search application Google Inc. made a much anticipated move toward what many consider the newest frontier in the digital information search sector by announcing Thursday it is offering a test version of an application designed to let users search for information stored on their desktop computers.


Corretja Wins at Open De Moselle Tourney (AP) AP - Spain's Alex Corretja overcame Gregory Carraz of France 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 on Thursday in the second round of the  #36;446,050 Open de Moselle tennis tournament.


UK servers returned to media group by US feds Independent Media Center (Indymedia), the U.K.-based group responsible for running about 20 independent news Web sites, said that U.S. authorities returned its servers on Wednesday, but the group is still looking for answers as to why the two servers were seized last week.


Schilling Will Not Start Game 5  BOSTON (Sports Network) - Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling  will not start Game 5 of the American League Championship  Series against the New York Yankees, if it goes that far,  because of his ankle injury.


Yankees Will Start El Duque in Game 4  BOSTON (Sports Network) - The New York Yankees will start  Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez in Game 4 of the American League  Championship Series on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox.


Williams to Fight World Champion Klitschko in New York  LONDON (Reuters) - World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight  champion Vitali Klitschko will defend his title against  Britain's Danny Williams in New York on December 11, Williams's  promoter said on Thursday.


Yao Thrills Crowd at First China NBA Game  SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Yao Ming's Houston Rockets squeezed  past the Sacramento Kings on Thursday in the first NBA game to  be played in China, a country the fast-growing basketball  league deems a potential marketing mecca.


Intel Shelves Plans for 4-GHz P4 Company will break its promise to deliver a speedier chip, shifts focus to dual-core designs.


Almost One in Four Businesses Pirate Software Violations appears to be commonplace, even though professionals agree it is risky.


Dell Displays New TVs, Music Players Products coming this holiday season also include new photo printers.


New Study Links Mobile Phones With Benign Tumors By MATT MOORE     STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- A new Swedish study suggests that people who use a mobile phone for at least 10 years might increase their risk of developing a rare benign tumor along a nerve on the side of the head where they hold the phone.    In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, one of the researchers behind the preliminary study, Anders Ahlbom, said the results were surprising and need to be confirmed by more research...


Google's New Program Searches Personal Hard Drives Online search engine leader Google Inc. (GOOG) is setting its sights on the computer desktop with a new software program that promises to scour through the clutter of documents, e-mails, instant messages and other files stored on hard drives.


Schilling Out of  Game 5 Boston ace Curt Schilling will not start Game 5 of the ALCS on Sunday because of an injured right ankle. Derek Lowe will start in his place.


New York's Spitzer Sues Insurance Broker (Reuters) Reuters - New York Attorney General Eliot\Spitzer on Thursday sued Marsh   McLennan Cos., the world's No.\1 insurance broker, for steering unsuspecting clients to\certain insurers in exchange for lucrative payoffs, sending\Marsh's stock plummeting.


Google for your Desktop Search Google for your Desktop Search\\Google has been working on this one since some time now. We speculated in May that Google would be getting on with the Desktop Search in the coming months, and it is finally out in a beta release today. It is called Google Desktop Search and ...


Looking at Yahoo Local and Google Local Looking at Yahoo Local and Google Local\\I love New York City. More than any other city on the planet, New York is exciting, expansive and always interesting. As Earth's unofficial capital city New York is home to many of the world's largest entities, some even bigger than Donald Trump's ego. ...


Ex-Rite Aid Exec Sentenced to 10 Years (AP) AP - Former Rite Aid Corp. vice chairman Franklin C. Brown was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday for playing a leading role in an accounting-fraud scandal that drove the pharmacy retailer to lower previously reported earnings by  #36;1.6 billion more than four years ago.


Stocks End Lower as Insurers, Oil Weigh  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks slid on Thursday after New  York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer accused insurance broker  Marsh   McLennan Cos. MMC.N of fraud, and the fallout hit  insurers, including American International Group AIG.N.


Sun Micro Posts Narrower Quarterly Loss  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Network computer maker Sun  Microsystems Inc. SUNW.O on Thursday posted a narrower  quarterly loss as revenue rose year over year for the second  consecutive quarter after three years of declines, sending  shares slightly higher.


Jockeying for Top Senate Job Under Way (AP) AP - Democrat or Republican, whether for this fall or 2006, it's never too early to jockey for position in the Senate, especially if party leadership might be the prize.


Eli Lilly to Cut 575 U.S. Jobs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co. LLY.N said  Thursday it plans to cut 575 jobs, or a little more than 2  percent of its U.S. workforce, in a move to streamline its  operations.


Citigroup, Bank of America Post Profits  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc. C.N and Bank of  America Corp. BAC.N on Thursday posted double-digit gains in  third-quarter profit, driven by gains in consumer lending and  fees.


Coventry Health to Buy First Health  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Coventry Health Care Inc. CVH.N on  Thursday said it agreed to buy rival health plan First Health  Group Corp. FHCC.O for about \$1.8 billion in stock and cash  as it looks to expand its geographic reach and keep pace with  rivals.


Juniper Earnings Rise  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Network equipment maker Juniper  Networks Inc. JNPR.O on Thursday said quarterly earnings  rose, driven by good results in its mainstay routing and  security markets.


Suicide Bombings Kill 10 in Green Zone Insurgents hand-carried explosives into the most fortified section of Baghdad Thursday and detonated them within seconds of each other, killing 10 people and wounding 20.


Europe and Health Care Costs Hurt G.M. Earnings General Motors lowered its forecast for the entire year only hours after announcing plans to cut 12,000 jobs in Europe by 2006.


Arrogant, or Desperate? A Netflix policy has Bill Mann wondering -- is it because the company needs to, or it just can?


iTunes Music Store Downloads Top 150M Music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 150 million songs from the iTunes Music Store, marking another major milestone for the online music business. iTunes users are now downloading more than 4 million songs per week, a rate of over 200 million songs per year. Oct 14


Nintendo's Interactive Multiplex Nintendo mulls animated films and making its DS device an interactive tool in theaters.


More Flaws With Microsoft PC users might look at competitors after dealing with patches for patches.


Update 2: Northwest Airlines, Pilots Reach Deal Pilots for Northwest Airlines Corp. said Thursday negotiators have agreed to \$265 million in concessions. As part of the tentative agreement, Northwest managers agreed to \$35 million in concessions of their own.


Nortel pushes back Flextronics deal com October 14, 2004, 12:19 PM PT. Wired  amp; Wireless continues its reign at the top spot among IT priorities due to widespread IP telephony and wireless deployment.


Study finds amphibian population declining rapidly Australian scientists once marveled at an unusual frog that could turn off its gastric juices and brood its young in its stomach. But by 1981, the Southern gastric-brooding frog had completely disappeared.


Intel Shelves 4-GHz Pentium In Favor Of Other Projects The company #39;s planned 4-GHz design, already delayed once, will be scrapped in favor of hyperthreading, security, and on-chip memory improvements.


Apple Under Scrutiny as Music Competition Rises Apple Computer Inc. AAPL.O may have sold more than twice as many of its iPod digital music players in its most recent quarter than its signature Mac computers, but


Williams to Fight World Champion Klitschko in New York World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko will defend his title against Britain #39;s Danny Williams in New York on December 11, Williams #39;s promoter said on Thursday.


First round at Mallorca suspended with two sharing lead Mallorca, Spain (Sports Network) - Simon Khan stands at five-under par through 13 holes and holds a share of the lead during the first round of the Mallorca Classic.


Navy #39;s main foe is Army, but beating Notre Dame may be more <b>...</b> You can #39;t blame Navy fullback Kyle Eckel for saying the Midshipmen #39;s game Saturday with Notre Dame is more important to the players than the annual intraservice bloodletting with Army.


Trickle of Funds Frustrates Iraqi Ministers Fifty-seven nations and international organizations have concluded a two-day meeting in Japan devoted to raising funds for rebuilding Iraq.


Israel continues northern Gaza offensive; six killed in nighttime <b>...</b> Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip will be removed from their homes next summer, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pledged Thursday, and in the meantime he said Israel will broaden its military offensive there.


NFL Insider Six wins in a row have lifted the Green Bay Packers to the top of their division and into the NFC elite, which isn #39;t saying much.


Apple CEO Makes Appearance Since Surgery (AP) AP - Steve Jobs, the charismatic chief executive of Apple Computer Inc. and Pixar Animation Studios, is back on the job after undergoing cancer surgery.


COLTS-TITANS BOX Colts.com. HEAD COACH: Jeff Fisher, 11th season as Titans head coach, 11th season as NFL head coach (92-69, 97-73 including playoffs).


Go west, tech job hunter California was home to more than a quarter of new tech jobs posted in September, a recent study indicates.


Corel buys photo software maker Jasc The graphics specialist hopes to take a bite out of Adobe's Photoshop business with the acquisition. \


Sun Microsystems Narrows 1Q Loss Sun Microsystems Inc. on Thursday posted a narrowed first-quarter loss on a second consecutive quarter of sales growth. Sun released its results after the closing bell and shares rose 7 cents, or 1.8 percent, to \$4.


PlanetOut Soars in Public Trading Debut PlanetOut Inc. showed a small gain in morning activity before shooting up more than 15 percent in recent trading, marking a successful initial public offering for the Web site operator while Thursday #39;s second deal fell flat in its debut.


Intel Nixes Plans for 4-Gigahertz Pentium (AP) AP - In the latest change to its product lineup, Intel Corp. canceled plans Thursday to release a 4-gigahertz computer microprocessor, saying it would rely approaches besides faster clock speed to improve the performance of chips.


Intel Shelves Plans for 4-GHz P4 Company will break its promise to deliver a speedier chip, shifts focus to dual-core designs. Intel has confirmed its near-term plans for its desktop processors before it reaches the multicore era.


Amphibian Extinctions Sound Global Eco-Alarm -Study They may thrive on land and in water, but amphibians everywhere are in serious trouble and up to a third of species are threatened with extinction, a troubling new study said on Friday.


Moulds favors opening up Bills passing attack Receiver Eric Moulds is all for team owner Ralph Wilson #39;s suggestion that the Buffalo Bills open up their passing attack.  quot;I think we #39;ve got the players to open it up, quot; Moulds said, Thursday.


Bennett hits out at critics Australian rugby league coach Wayne Bennett yesterday slammed the perception that the Kangaroos would have to lose the Tri-Nations final for the tournament to succeed.


Google Tool Expands on Core Technology (AP) AP - Google Inc.'s long-awaited expansion of its search tools from the Internet to individual computers takes advantage of the company's core technology as well as a weakness in Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system.


Two Britons Feared Dead in Canada Plane Crash Two Britons are feared to have been killed in a cargo plane which crashed immediately after take-off in eastern Canada and burst into flames.


Intel Cancels Top-Speed Pentium 4 Chip Intel Corp. on Thursday canceled plans to introduce its highest-speed Pentium 4 chip\for desktop computers, marking another in a string of unexpected product changes, cancellations and recalls at the world's largest computer chip maker.


Sun Micro Posts Narrower Quarterly Loss Network computer maker Sun Microsystems Inc. on Thursday posted a narrower quarterly loss as revenue rose year over year for the second\consecutive quarter after three years of declines, sending shares slightly higher.


Britons would vote overwhelmingly for Kerry in US election: poll (AFP) AFP - British voters would turf President George W. Bush out of office in favour of John Kerry by an overwhelming majority if the November 2 US election was being held in their country, a poll said.


Coventry Health to Buy First Health (Reuters) Reuters - Coventry Health Care Inc.  on\Thursday said it agreed to buy rival health plan First Health\Group Corp.  for about  #36;1.8 billion in stock and cash\as it looks to expand its geographic reach and keep pace with\rivals.


Vote Counting Begins in Afghan Election (AP) AP - Vote counting started Thursday in Afghanistan's landmark election, widely expected to install U.S.-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai as the war-ravaged country's first popularly chosen president.


Austria #39;s Raich wins first slalom of season CBC SPORTS ONLINE - It wasn #39;ta great weekend for American Bode Miller in Beaver Creek, Colo. The World Cup overall leader wasn #39;ta factor for the second straight race and could only watch as Benjamin Raich


Kerry Lesbian Remark Angers Cheneys (AP) AP - Dick Cheney and his wife say they are angry at John Kerry for invoking their lesbian daughter during the final presidential debate. Kerry says he was just trying to say something nice about how the Cheneys have dealt with the issue and meant no offense.


Kerry: Bush Out of Touch, Out of Ideas, Out of Time (Reuters) Reuters - Democratic challenger John Kerry,\pumped up by polls showing he won all three debates with\President Bush, dismissed the Republican incumbent on Thursday\as out of touch, out of ideas and out of time.


Byrd Defends Dayton's Office Closure (AP) AP - The Senate's most senior member on Thursday defended Sen. Mark Dayton's decision to close his Washington office over concerns about a terrorist attack.


Israel to Pull Forces from Gaza Refugee Camp -Reports  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon  decided on Thursday that Israeli forces could withdraw from a  teeming refugee camp in northern Gaza, media reports said.


Death Toll from Israel's Gaza Offensive Rises to 100  GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli air strikes killed five  Palestinians in Gaza Thursday as the Palestinian death toll  rose to 100 in a 16-day-old army offensive aimed at crushing  militants behind rocket salvos into Israel.


Dollar Weakens on Expanded U.S. Trade Gap  CHICAGO (Reuters) - The dollar retreated on Thursday  following a report showing the U.S. trade deficit grew to the  second-highest level on record in August, stoking doubts about  U.S. economic growth.


Stocks Slip on GM Earnings, Higher Oil NEW YORK - Investors sent stocks falling sharply for a second straight day Thursday as crude oil prices surged near \$55 per barrel and General Motors Corp.'s earnings disappointed the market. The Dow Jones industrial average, having fallen 153 points over two days, dropped back below 10,000...


Study Links Mobile Phones, Benign Tumors STOCKHOLM, Sweden - A Swedish study suggests that people who use a cell phone for at least 10 years might increase their risk of developing a rare benign tumor along a nerve on the side of the head where they hold the phone.    In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, one of the researchers behind the preliminary study, Anders Ahlbom, said the results were surprising and more research is needed...


O'Reilly Says He's Ready to Fight Charges NEW YORK - Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly made a TV talk show appearance on what he said was "the worst day of my life" Thursday, vowing to fight sexual harassment charges by one of his producers.    Accuser Andrea Mackris spoke publicly for the first time, saying she felt threatened by her former boss, who filed a lawsuit charging the woman and her lawyer with extortion...


Injured Schilling to Miss ALCS Game 5 Turn BOSTON - Boston ace Curt Schilling will not start Game 5 of the AL championship series Sunday because of an injured right ankle, though it's possible he could return later in the series.    Derek Lowe will start in his place - unless the schedule is pushed back by rain that is forecast for Game 3 on Friday night...


Brief: West Virginia funds public grid computing effort The state of West Virginia is developing the first state-sponsored open public Internet grid computing effort. The tool will be used in such fields as biometrics and cancer research.


A rebounding L.A. department launches second PeopleSoft rollout Using lessons learned from a difficult implementation four years ago, the city of Los Angeles is finding an easier time in its second major rollout of PeopleSoft software.


Starbucks serves up music and CD-burning in its cafes Starbucks announced nationwide rollout of the Hear Music bar, which enables customers to listen to music from tablet PCs, burn the music on CDs in the stores and purchase the CDs with a credit card.


Intel shelves plans for 4-GHz Pentium 4 Intel won't release a 4-GHz version of its flagship Pentium 4 product, having decided instead to realign its engineers around the company's new design priorities, an Intel spokesman said today.  \\


OQO handheld PC fails to excite PC World reviewer says Windows XP-based handheld's poor design and performance make it tough to recommend.


Apple posts highest Q4 revenue in almost a decade Apple Computer's iPod music player helped the company increase revenue at a dizzying rate, leading to its highest fourth-quarter revenue in nine years.