Yahoo Upgrades Its E-Mail Service Portal says DomainKey use will protect users from ID theft and phishing scams.


#39;Milkfloat #39; motor on road to success When the Liverpool footballer Harry Kewell parked his  quot;greenmobile quot; beside his team-mates #39; sparkling Ferraris and Aston Martins he was teased mercilessly over his choice of wheels.


Students for security For the second year, the Department of Homeland Security awarded more than a hundred math, science and engineering students full tuition and a monthly stipend to pursue academics aimed at improving the nation's security. Security Blog


Dell Looking For Bigger Blade Share Just as some analysts believe the market for blade servers is about to heat up, Dell (Quote, Chart) moved forward with its most significant modular server, unveiling the PowerEdge 1855 for powerful computing at a lower cost.


VITAL SIGNS Reactions: Your Posture, a Telltale Fright Sign The brain reacts more powerfully to the body language of a person in a posture denoting fear than it does to a fearful facial expression, according to a study released yesterday.


Ohio EPA plan to revise clean-air rules criticized Some environmentalists believe Ohio is backsliding on requirements for modernizing coal-fired power plants, factories, and other major air pollution sources simply by making state rules consistent with what is mandated by a US Environmental Protection


Odds on London shorten as 2012 bids submitted THE odds on London winning the right to stage the 2012 Olympic Games shortened to 3-1 from 7-2 yesterday as the five rival cities delivered their bid documents to the IOC.


Iran to suspend uranium enrichment The United States, which has been pressing for tough UN action against Iran, has not yet given its position on any deal, saying today it was waiting for word from Britain, Germany and France, the nations negotiating with Tehran.


Lewis Says Bengals Player Was Spit On (AP) AP - Coach Marvin Lewis said one of his Cincinnati Bengals was spit on during a 17-10 victory in Washington, and he hopes the NFL does something to crack down.


Fighting Across Iraq Kills More Than 50 (AP) AP - U.S. soldiers battled insurgents northeast of Baghdad on Monday in clashes that killed more than 50 people. Some guerrillas were said to be "fighting to the death" inside Fallujah, where American forces struggled to clear pockets of resistance.


Chip Makers Set Sights on Digital Video Recorders Devices seen as good entry point to consumer electronics market.


Kjus edges Maier in World Cup giant slalom Norwegian Lasse Kjus returned to the hill where he won a world championship and tore through the second run with the fastest time Saturday to win a his first World Cup giant slalom


RFID Tags May Not Reduce Drug Counterfeiting Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, said it would begin shipments of the tagged medication this week. Pfizer, the maker of Viagra, said it would begin shipping RFID-tagged bottles by the end of next year.


EDS posts 3rd-qtr loss on Navy contract charge Electronic Data Systems Electronic Data Systems which had delayed its quarterly earnings several times, said on Monday it lost \$153 million in its third quarter after taking a loss on a large Navy contract.


AMCC to Lay Off 150 Applied Micro Circuits Corp. (AMCC) (Nasdaq: AMCC - message board) is laying off 20 percent of its staff following a disappointing quarter, officials announced today after the stock markets closed.


CalPERS goes after  #39;egregious #39; exec pay The California Public Employees #39; Retirement System wants to rein in what it calls abusive compensation practices in corporate America and hold directors and compensation committees more accountable for their actions.


Not To Be Outfeatured, Yahoo Adds E-mail Storage Yahoo is now providing 250 megabytes of e-mail storage for users of its free e-mail service, up from 100 MB. The company also unveiled an anti-spam authentication technology called DomainKeys


Beckham claims he trusts on the capability of Owen David Beckham, the English midfielder of Real Madrid, recognized the important role played byhis compatriot and teammate, Michael Owen, and acknowledged he hasnever had doubts about his performance.


Ramsey to start for Redskins in Philly Ashburn, VA (Sports Network) - Washington Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs said Monday that Patrick Ramsey will start at quarterback this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.


Big East to be one 16-team division in 2005-06 The Big East basketball conference will merge into one 16-team division in 2005-20006, but only 12 schools will participate in the post-season basketball tournament.


Bush Names Campaign Manager to Head GOP (AP) AP - President Bush's choice to head the Republican Party said Monday he hopes to extend the GOP's grip on power in Washington.


Investigation Underway Into Whether Marines Killed Unarmed Iraqi Marine commanders in Iraq are investigating an incident in which Marines fighting in Fallujah apparently shot and killed a severely wounded and unarmed Iraqi in a mosque in the city.


U.N. OKs Iran Deal to Suspend Enrichment (AP) AP - The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency Monday endorsed Iran's agreement to suspend all uranium enrichment within a week, the key element of a deal worked out with European countries.


US SEC files fraud charges against tycoon Conrad Black The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit accusing the newspaper tycoon Conrad Black and his former top deputy of defrauding shareholders of Hollinger International Inc.


Sears: Boeing Ex-CFO Pleads Guilty In Air Force Hire Michael Sears says he dunnit. The former chief financial officer at Boeing (nyse: BA - news - people ) pleaded guilty Monday to illegally hiring a top Air Force procurement officer.


Oracle Doesn #39;t Want to Take It Higher With Oracle #39;s (ORCL:Nasdaq - news - research) \$24-a-share offer for PeopleSoft (PSFT:Nasdaq - news - research) set to expire late Friday night, the database giant has thrown cold water on the notion that the price could go higher.


Colombian Drug Kingpin Transported to U.S. (AP) AP - A founder of a Colombian drug cartel that became the world's chief supplier of cocaine in the 1990s was transported to a Florida jail Saturday after being extradited from Colombia.


NASA Delays Mach 10 Flight NASA mission controllers decided to delay the flight of their supersonic X-43A aircraft until Tuesday after instrument trouble caused them to miss their planned Monday launch.


Pentium 4 Reaches the Speed Limit As expected, Intel has introduced a 3.8GHz Pentium 4 processor in what could represent the end of an era for the chip maker. The Pentium 4 570 processor at 3.8GHz will have the fastest clock speed of any processor


Grokster launches a legal Net radio Grokster, one of the best-known P2P services (at least one of the best-known by the RIAA  amp; co), has taken yet another step in its path to make its P2P service to please the record labels by teaming up with a start-up called Mercora to provide an artist


Red Bull saves 300 British jobs - and Coulthard may make 301 The new formula one team rose from the ashes of Jaguar Racing when the energy drink maker announced yesterday its long-awaited takeover of the British team, which was put up for sale by Ford two months ago.


Cardinals #39; Isringhausen has surgery St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - St. Louis Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen underwent successful left hip surgery on Monday. Isringhausen is expected to be at full strength in six-to-eight weeks and ready for the start of spring training.


Mets buy out Leiter #39;s contract New York, NY (Sports Network) - The New York Mets bought of the contract of pitcher Al Leiter on Monday, making him a free agent. Leiter -- who went 10-8 with a 3.21 earned run average in 30 starts in 2004


I couldn #39;t let team down He refused the offer of a rest in order to lead his players on the controversial visit to the crisis-torn nation. Vaughan and the 14-man squad are due to arrive in Namibia this morning for


UN orders Ivory Coast arms ban ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- The UN Security Council has voted to impose an immediate arms embargo on the Ivory Coast. The 15-member council also vowed to punish key government and rebel leaders with additional


Track inspected hours before crash THE track where a passenger train crashed in south-east Queensland today, injuring more than 100 people, was inspected just hours beforehand, rail authorities said.


France #39;s Chirac Says UK Won Nothing from Bush Support French President Jacques Chirac said in a newspaper interview on Tuesday that Britain has gained nothing from its support for the United States-led invasion of Iraq.


Dutch to launch manhunt THE HAGUE: Dutch authorities will launch an international manhunt for the alleged Syrian leader of a Dutch-based terrorist group responsible for the murder of a filmmaker, and similar groups of homegrown radicals are believed operating in the Netherlands


Slugger Bonds Wins Record Seventh NL MVP (AP) AP - Barry Bonds won his record seventh NL MVP award in a walk. Capping a season filled with suspicion and success, the San Francisco Giants left fielder became the oldest player to become the MVP of a major North American professional league. The 40-year-old received 24 of 32 first-place votes and 407 points Monday in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America to earn the award for the fourth straight season.


Aruba targets wired network security Grid architecture aims to protect corporate networks from interior security threats.


Computers Keep Oklahoma No. 2 in the BCS (AP) AP - Computers prefer Oklahoma over Auburn and Southern California. The Sooners held on to second place in the Bowl Championship Series standings Monday, staying ahead of third-place Auburn because of a stronger computer ranking.


Holmes Likely Out Again for Chiefs (AP) AP - Priest Holmes will likely miss next Monday night's game against the New England Patriots with sprained knee ligaments, the same injury that kept him out of Kansas City's loss to New Orleans on Sunday's loss to New Orleans.


Chelsea go for the jugular (AFP) AFP - Chelsea's drive to claim the club's first English title in half a century gathered pace as Newcastle were blown away by a late four-goal blitz at Stamford Bridge.


World Leaders Issue Praise for Powell (AP) AP - World leaders saluted Secretary of State Colin Powell on Monday, with some expressing regret at the departure of a figure who had sought international consensus through his multilateralist views. All said they hoped for constructive ties with his successor.


Kazaa Faces Piracy Charges in Trial Australia #39;s record company lawyers are attempting to have Kazaa #39;s owners, Sharman Networks, declared liable for copyright breach and loss of earnings in the civil case now underway.


Chip Makers Set Sights on Digital Video Recorders (PC World) PC World - Devices seen as good entry point to consumer electronics market.


Apple releases AirPort 4.1 (MacCentral) MacCentral - Apple on Monday released AirPort 4.1, an update to the drivers for its wireless networking hardware running under Mac OS X v10.3. AirPort 4.1 is available for download from the Software Update system preference pane, and more information is available online.


Tokyo Stocks Advance in Early Trading (AP) AP - Tokyo stocks opened slightly higher Tuesday following Wall Street's modest gains. The dollar was up against the Japanese yen.


Gaudio no match as regal Federer reigns Roger Federer #39;s luminous talent can lighten up the gloomiest of days, and so it was on a decidedly dark and dreary opening to the Masters Cup that the Swiss world No1, who was unbeaten when he won the title here last year, shone brightly as ever with a 6-1


F1 Red Bull #39;s takes over Jaguar The American dream of Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz has become reality with his purchase of Jaguar. The Austrian billionaire has been involved in Formula One for a decade


Anxious week for striker RANGERS striker Nacho Novo will know by Friday whether he can face Celtic in Saturday #39;s vital Scottish Premier League game at Ibrox.


United warned Glazer will fight Manchester United have been warned that they are still not safe from the take-over plans of Malcolm Glazer by Keith Harris, the City financier who could yet lead a supporters


Paris, N.Y. Submit Bids The five cities looking to host the 2012 Summer Games submitted bids to the International Olympic Committee on Monday.


Analysis: #39;Great sage grouse controversy #39; boils down to science The advocates and lobbyists on both sides of the great sage grouse controversy in the West were claiming to have science on their side Friday after the Bush administration


PBL to Invest in Macau Hotel, Casino Kerry Packer #39;s media and gambling empire will invest US\$163 million (euro126 million) for a 28 percent stake in a luxury hotel and casino in Macau, Packer #39;s company said Tuesday.


Microsoft takes the lead over Palm OS for the first time According to a recent report by Gartner, Microsoft has taken the top spot for the first time in handheld shipments. Microsoft #39;s Windows CE has had a long lasting


Take control of your desktop chaos com November 15, 2004, 4:38 PM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been enterprise directories for several months, but for many IT managers, ERP (enterprise resource planning


McAfee Battles Spyware With Enterprise Add-On McAfee on Monday announced an add-on to its enterprise anti-virus software that boosts spyware protection for businesses. Called McAfee Anti-Spyware Enterprise Edition Module, the add-on integrates with McAfee #39;s


Stem Cell Research Offered Free of Charge Mel 1 is based on a cell that can grow exact copies of itself, and which can be used to make any kind of cell in the human body. Once established, a cell line can be grown in the laboratory indefinitely.


Security Firm Finds 10 Major Vulnerabilities in SP2 Finjan Software, a provider of proactive secure content management solutions for enterprises, announced today 10 serious security vulnerabilities discovered by Finjans Malicious Code Research Center (MCRC) in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) operating


Netherlands wins field hockey trophy The Netherlands beat Germany 2-0 to win the Womens Field Hockey Champions Trophy. The win earned the country some compensation for losing the gold-medal showdown at the Athens Olympics.


Isringhausen has hip surgery, should be ready for spring training Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen had successful surgery on his left hip Monday and should be fully recovered in time for spring training.


Leiter takes buyout, becomes free agent Mets left-hander Al Leiter filed provisionally for free agency Friday, awaiting a decision by the team on its \$10 million option. New York has until Nov. 15 to exercise the option or elect to pay a \$2 million buyout.


Mike Selvey There is a sense of symmetry about Michael Vaughan and his England team dragging themselves off to Namibia and thence Zimbabwe with all the gloom of heretics on their way to the Tower, on the same day that London #39;s 2012 Olympic bid had a champagne bottle


Oracle Slams PeopleSoft Board on Takeover (AP) AP - Business software maker Oracle Corp. attacked the credibility and motives of PeopleSoft Inc.'s board of directors Monday, hoping to rally investor support as the 17-month takeover battle between the bitter business software rivals nears a climactic showdown.


Study: Chemicals Linger in Environment (AP) AP - The chemicals go down the drain, but in the environment they remain. Researchers have found that a complex brew of everyday compounds  #151; from products as ubiquitous as shampoo, bug spray and even that morning cup of coffee  #151; lingers in Minnesota waters even after they're showered off or dumped down the sink.


Cornell Scientists Produce Simulated Quake (AP) AP - With a sudden shudder, the ground collapsed and the pipe pushed upward, buckling into a humped shape as Cornell University scientists produced the first simulated earthquake Monday at their new  #36;2.1 million research facility.


Cricket: India fights Ganguly ban Sourav Ganguly files an appeal against a two-match ban imposed for time-wasting.


UPDATE 2-Fannie Mae estimates profit fell 9 percent US mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae (FNM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday estimated its third-quarter profit fell 9 percent, but delayed formally reporting


CalPERS Votes to Toughen Merger Policies SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The nation #39;s biggest public pension fund, with a stock portfolio of \$167 billion, voted Monday to toughen its policies against multimillion-dollar  quot;golden parachutes quot; for executives who engineer corporate mergers.


Some tax refunds still owed The IRS is holding \$211,000 in tax refunds for 300 people in the Richmond area. The largest local check is for \$15,094. The average is \$704.


Cornell researchers make the earth move to study quake forces With a sudden shudder, the ground collapsed and the pipe pushed upward, buckling into a humped shape as Cornell University scientists produced the first simulated earthquake


Talks With Pakistan on Kashmir Making Progress: Manmohan NEW DELHI, 15 November 2004 - Talks with Pakistan on the dispute over Kashmir were progressing well and the two sides were working toward a mutually acceptable solution, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said yesterday.


Europe, Islam #39;s New Front Line: The Netherlands Description: In the Netherlands, the recent murder of controversial filmmaker Theo Van Gogh by a Muslim extremist has revealed a climate of mistrust and fear between Muslims and traditional Dutch society.


Seahawks Do Some Soul Searching Over Loss (AP) AP - Last summer, the Seattle Seahawks were a trendy pick to reach the Super Bowl. As they keep reminding themselves, that goal remains attainable. Yet one day after their second loss to NFC West rival St. Louis, everyone from coach Mike Holmgren down was asking the same question.


Web Still in Early Days, Tech Leaders Say (Reuters) Reuters - The Internet is only in\its early adolescence with a raft of improvements on the\horizon, and the venture capitalists who helped fund the early\boom are opening their wallets again, technology industry\leaders said on Monday.


Microsoft sues spammers for sending unsolicited mail (AFP) AFP - US software giant Microsoft Corp has sued a group of  quot;spammers quot; who it accuses of sending unsolicited e-mails promoting pornography to millions of its customers, documents showed.


SEC Charges Black with Fraud  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Newspaper tycoon Conrad Black and his  top lieutenant were charged by regulators on Monday with  siphoning more than \$85 million from the company they ran, and  they face a move to bar them from serving as officers of a  public company.


No. 1 USC Tops UCLA for Orange Bowl Trip (AP) AP - UCLA held Heisman Trophy contender Matt Leinart in check, but Reggie Bush had two long touchdown runs, Ryan Killeen kicked five field goals and No. 1 USC held off UCLA 29-24 Saturday to virtually lock up a trip to the Orange Bowl for the Bowl Championship Series title game.


Angels renew Molina, not Ortiz CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Anaheim Angels exercised catcher Bengie Molina #39;s contract option on Monday, but not that of pitcher Ramon Ortiz.


What #39;s wrong with the Seahawks? As they keep reminding themselves, that goal remains attainable. Yet one day after their second loss to NFC West rival St. Louis, everyone from coach Mike Holmgren down was asking the same question.


New Israeli-Palestinian ties buoy peace hopes -UN Israeli-Palestinian cooperation since Palestinian President Yasser Arafat #39;s death has helped buoy hopes for a revived West Asia peace process, the top UN envoy for the Middle East said.


NBA-James Inspires Cavaliers to Fourth Straight Win  NEW YORK (Reuters) - LeBron James recorded 33 points to  guide the Cleveland Cavaliers to their fourth straight win, a  99-88 victory over the Golden State Warriors Monday.


US watchdog accuses Black of fraud Conrad Black #39;s legal woes piled up yesterday when the United States #39; financial watchdog filed a civil lawsuit against him, alleging that the former Daily Telegraph tycoon used the company, Hollinger International, as a  quot;personal piggybank quot;.


Amex mounts lawsuit over  #39;cards cartel #39; American Express yesterday said it was seeking  quot;billions of dollars quot; in damages from Visa and MasterCard over alleged  quot;illegal and anticompetitive practices quot;.


Eisner, on Stand, Describes the Courting of Ovitz Michael D. Eisner, the chief executive of the Walt Disney Company, played down his decades-long relationship with the former Disney president Michael S. Ovitz


Debt Doubles at Agency that Insures Pension Plans The federal agency that insures pension plans said yesterday that its deficit, already at the highest in its history, had doubled in its last fiscal year, to \$23.


Wrigley swallows \$1.5bn Life Savers Kraft, the struggling American food group, yesterday announced the \$1.5bn (810m) sale of its Life Savers and Altoids confectionery division to the chewing gum business Wm Wrigley Jr.


UK #39;s HSBC eyes Federated #39;s card operations -report British bank HSBC (HSBA.L: Quote, Profile, Research) is interested in buying the \$3 billion store and credit card operations of US retailer Federated Department Stores Inc.


Bermuda Firm Is Subpoenaed in Inquiry Into Insurers Investigations into the sale of insurance that can smooth out volatile earnings have widened significantly, as Ace Ltd., a big Bermuda insurer with extensive operations in the United


Defence talks add to French rift with Germany France and Germany are set for a new clash on industrial policy this week over a possible defence deal which would involve 23,000 jobs in the UK.


Regis Joins Hair Club For Men MINNEAPOLIS -- Regis Corp. is acquiring Hair Club for Men and Women, the company made famous by commercials with founder Sy Sperling.


More Than 400 Iowans Haven #39;t Received Tax Refunds DES MOINES, Iowa -- Federal officials say more than 400 Iowans who haven #39;t received their 2003 federal tax refunds still have a chance to claim them.


US markets flat US stocks closed near the unchanged mark on Monday as investors took a breath following significant gains in the market so far this month.


NASA delays launch of super fast jet NASA, on Monday, reported its plans to delay the launch of its recently created super fast jet or  quot;scramjet quot; that is expected to reach high speeds of 7,000 mph in a matter of few minutes.


Collaborating on Mission Moon Ahmedabad, November 15: Even 35 years after Neil Armstrong first put his foot on the moon, the Earths natural satellite remains a mystery to man.


BEA Releases Enhanced Beehive Open-Source Framework LAS VEGASBEA Systems Inc. has made significant progress in the development of the Apache Beehive component model, which is designed to help accelerate the development of Web services and SOA (service-oriented architecture) applications.


LeBron Scores 33, Cavs Win Four Straight Cleveland Cavaliers #39; LeBron James, left, shoots over Golden State Warriors #39; Jason Richardson in the third quarter of Cleveland #39;s 99-88 win Monday, Nov. 15, 2004, in Cleveland.


Battle for Mediocrity  Don Kings Heavyweight Extravaganza 11.15.04 - By JB Reather -reathercox.net - Battle for Supremacy? Battle for Mediocrity was more like it. With four heavyweight bouts on the card, I naively expected to see at least one exciting fight in this heavyweight smorgasbord.


New Jersey Nets McGrady shook off a right hip injury to score 14 points and former Net Jimmy Jackson added a season-high 18 as Houston erased an early deficit en route to an easy 80-69 triumph over New Jersey.


Despite Rout, Auburn Remains 3rd Wheel Auburn gained a measure of respect in the eyes of Associated Press pollsters for its 24-6 rout of Georgia on Saturday, but it wasn #39;t enough to vault the Tigers ahead of Oklahoma for second in the Bowl Championship Series standings.


Club remains interested in re-signing veteran southpaw The Mets surprised no one Monday evening when they announced they had declined the \$10 million option on Al Leiter #39;s contract, leaving the veteran southpaw available


Macedonia #39;s prime minister resigns Macedonian Prime Minister Hari Kostov resigned Monday over a minority party dispute and Parliament is expected to decide on the resignation Thursday.


Griffin Gets Good News Th Redskins' defense receives good news on Cornelius Griffin's MRI exam of a hip injury, and the defensive tackle might play Sunday against the Eagles.


N.Y. Starts Manning Giants Coach Tom Coughlin looks to turn around a skid where his team has lost three of their last four games by starting Eli Manning this Sunday against the Falcons.


Podlesh Is Bright Spot Maryland punter Adam Podlesh's success has been one of the few positives in a year marred by an inconsistent offense that ranks 103rd nationally.


Taylor and Rockets Rally Past Nets 80-69 (AP) AP - Maurice Taylor, left on the court despite picking up three early fouls, made three straight shots to snap Houston out of an early offensive funk in the Rockets' 80-69 victory Monday night over the New Jersey Nets.


SEC Charges Black with Fraud (Reuters) Reuters - Newspaper tycoon Conrad Black and his\top lieutenant were charged by regulators on Monday with\siphoning more than  #36;85 million from the company they ran, and\they face a move to bar them from serving as officers of a\public company.


Dollar Wins Respite as Oil Prices Skid (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar ticked up on Tuesday,\extending its rebound from the previous day's seven-month low\versus the yen after a sharp fall in oil prices led traders to\scale back their bloated dollar-selling positions.


Mexico's Ex-Ruling Party Wins Two Races (AP) AP - Mexico's former ruling party, trying to fight its way back to the presidency, overwhelmingly won two gubernatorial elections Monday and held razor-thin leads in two other races.


NBA-James Inspires Cavaliers to Fourth Straight Win (Reuters) Reuters - LeBron James recorded 33 points to\guide the Cleveland Cavaliers to their fourth straight win, a\99-88 victory over the Golden State Warriors Monday.


Abercrombie   Fitch Lawsuit Said Settled (AP) AP - Both sides in an employment discrimination suit against Abercrombie  amp; Fitch Co. reported agreeing to a multimillion dollar deal that would settle accusations the clothing retailer promoted whites at the expense of minorities.


Dollar Wins Respite as Oil Prices Skid  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar ticked up on Tuesday,  extending its rebound from the previous day's seven-month low  versus the yen after a sharp fall in oil prices led traders to  scale back their bloated dollar-selling positions.


CORRECTED - US stocks rise slightly, Intel offsets jobs data In NEW YORK item headlined  quot;US stocks rise slightly, Intel offsets jobs data, quot; please read in paragraph 12,  quot; ... By Friday afternoon, the euro was at \$1.3458, a new record high against the dollar, according to Reuters data.


Disney tells court of early Ovitz tensions Roy Disney yesterday told a courtroom that he had sensed Michael Ovitz was not performing well as Walt Disney president within weeks of the Hollywood power broker joining the company in late 1995.


X-43 scramjet test delayed LOS ANGELES: NASA has delayed a planned flight of an unmanned hypersonic jet designed to reach a record speed of Mach 10 (11,200km/h).


Cavs earn fourth straight win Ilgauskas had 10 of his 16 points in the final eight minutes and LeBron James added 33 as the Cavaliers ran their winning streak to four games with a 99-88 triumph over the hapless Golden State Warriors.


Mitterrand  #39;ordered phone taps to keep love child secret #39; ONE of the darkest chapters in Frances past resurfaced yesterday as a notorious bugging scandal, dubbed the French Watergate, came to trial more than 20 years after Franois Mitterrand allegedly ordered the first of more than 150 illegal phone taps.


Peace in Straits hard to achieve, but essential When the leaders of the People #39;s Republic of China insist that the pre-condition for the peaceful resolution of the decades-long face-off across the Taiwan Strait can only be  quot;one China, quot; they are making it quite clear that  quot;unification, quot; and not peace


Stewart-Striet enters golf hall of fame CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Marlene Stewart-Streit was inducted Monday into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Also inducted were Tom Kite, Isao Aoki and Charlie Sifford, the first African-American so honoured.


Pension Agency #39;s Deficit Hits Record Struggling under a cascade of bankruptcy filings in the airline and steel industries, the government #39;s pension insurance agency said yesterday that its deficit has more than doubled in the past year -- to \$23.


Update 3: Tokyo Stocks Decline in Midday Trading Tokyo #39;s key stock index edged lower Tuesday morning as investors took profits from hefty gains the day before. The dollar was up against the Japanese yen.


Beckham puts Hollywood on hold David Beckham revealed yesterday he has been offered film parts, but that the leading role he craves most involves England. Beckham is granted his footballing wish tomorrow when he


Bonds wins record seventh MVP San Francisco Giants left fielder, Barry Bonds, won his record seventh National League MVP award in a walk. At the age of 40, he also became the oldest player to become the MVP of a major North American professional league.


Britain planning to ban smoking in most public places (AFP) AFP - Britain is to ban smoking in most public places, according to reports ahead of the launch of an ambitious goverment effort to legislate its way to better public health.


French bugging trial begins Twenty years after the event, 12 men appeared in court yesterday accused of running an illegal eavesdropping operation for Franois Mitterrand - supposedly aimed at combating terrorism, but in fact seeking to preserve some of the late French president #39;s


N. Korea offers remains it says are Yokota #39;s During a week of talks, Pyongyang sticks to its argument on the fate of 10 missing Japanese. Japanese delegates returned from Pyongyang on Monday with what North Korea says are personal belongings of missing


Tung issues caution over referendum on elections Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa () yesterday warned lawmakers against backing a legislative motion calling for a referendum on direct elections, saying it would damage the territory #39;s  quot;harmonious atmosphere.


Volunteers Keep an Eye On the People Next Door Backers of a law to create public order councils in Moscow's 676 subdistricts describe the measure as a kind of neighborhood watch that will involve ordinary people in the fight against terrorism, crime, public drunkenness and vandalism.


Trial of Peru Rebel Leader Collapses The first public trial of Shining Path rebel leader Abimael Guzman fell apart on Monday as the second of the three judges presiding over the case stepped down citing a conflict of interest.


Novell #39;s Antitrust Suit Points to Continued Dominance of Office NOVEMBER 15, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Novell Inc. last week filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging that Microsoft Corp. illegally tried to eliminate competition in the desktop applications market in the mid-1990s.


Kerry Packer, Stanley Ho Form Asian Casino Venture (Update2) Kerry Packer, Australia #39;s richest man, has bought a stake in Stanley Ho #39;s latest Macau casino development and the two have agreed to set up a joint venture to expand in Asia.


Verizon and Sprint to Cut Fee For Transferring Cell Numbers Verizon and Sprint wireless customers will get a small break on their bills soon. The companies have decided to eliminate or reduce a 40-cent-per-line monthly charge imposed to allow customers


IRS refund checks There are almost 90,000 undelivered income tax refund checks. More than 6,000 of those are in New York. The Internal Revenue Service says it needs the taxpayers correct addresses to get them their refunds.


HSBC said keen on US card operations HSBC is interested in buying the \$3 billion (1.6 billion pound) store and credit card operations of US retailer Federated Department Stores (FD.


Oil prices continue fall in Asia Crude oil futures prices fell sharply Tuesday on growing expectations that a (northern hemisphere) winter supply crisis will be averted and as union leaders canceled a strike in major exporter Nigeria.


NASA Makes Second Attempt at Jet Record Nasa engineers are making a second bid today to launch an unmanned hypersonic jet designed to reach a record speed of Mach 10, or 7,000mph.


Adobe beefs up Acrobat SOFTWARE maker Adobe has upgraded its flagship desktop publishing products, giving powerful new features to not only the authors of electronic documents but also their recipients.


EPA Says Enforcement Shows Results The Environmental Protection Agency released an annual report on Monday that showed enforcement actions in the last fiscal year would eliminate a billion pounds of pollution from the nation #39;s air, land and water.


Half-Life 2 #39;s Real Battle If the video game industry is beginning to rake in revenue that rivals the movie industry, it #39;s also beginning to accumulate Hollywood-like headaches.


Sifford celebrates historic entry into Hall of Fame With an emotion-charged speech that had people in the audience alternately laughing and wiping tears from their eyes, Charlie Sifford made his long overdue entrance into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday night.


Boller #39;s Solid Play Quiets Ravens #39; Boo Birds This should be a rather pleasant week for Kyle Boller, the oft-criticized Baltimore Ravens quarterback. He will face the usual round of questions about his performance


Bears lose Urlacher for 4-6 weeks SPORTS NETWORK - Chicago Bears Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher is sidelined 4-6 weeks because of a lower left leg injury. Urlacher, 26, hurt the leg during Sunday #39;s 19-17 overtime win at Tennessee and underwent


Wrigley buys Life Savers, other Kraft candy brands CHICAGO - Candy and gum maker Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. said Monday that it agreed to buy a number of candy brands, including Life Savers and Altoids, from Kraft Foods for \$1.


Eagles Lead Cowboys 42-21 After 3 Quarters (AP) AP - Terrell Owens caught his third touchdown pass of the game and the Philadelphia Eagles took a 42-21 lead over the Dallas Cowboys after three quarters Monday night.


Envoy Cites Chance for Peace in Mideast (AP) AP - The top U.N. envoy in the Middle East said Monday there is a new opportunity for peace, citing recent statements from the Israeli and Palestinian leadership as well as President Bush.


Verizon and Sprint to Cut Fee For Transferring Cell Numbers (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Verizon and Sprint wireless customers will get a small break on their bills soon. The companies have decided to eliminate or reduce a 40-cent-per-line monthly charge imposed to allow customers to transfer their phone numbers to new carriers.


Pension  Agency's  Deficit Hits Record Struggling under a cascade of bankruptcy filings in the airline and steel industries, the government's pension insurance agency said Monday that its deficit has more than doubled in the past year -- to \$23.3 billion.


Iraq Gained \$21 Billion Illicitly, Senate Panel Says Iraq illicitly earned an estimated \$21.3 billion by circumventing United Nations sanctions between 1991 and 2003, according to estimates released Monday by a U.S. Senate panel.


Abraham Leaving Energy Department Spencer Abraham joined the exodus from President Bush's  Cabinet yesterday, submitting his resignation as energy secretary after four years of running a department that faced a series of high-profile challenges.


Flyi Delays Buying Airbus Jets  Flyi Inc., parent of struggling low-cost carrier Independence Air, yesterday announced plans to delay acquisition of 10 new Airbus jets, a money-saving move the company hopes can help avert a bankruptcy filing.


Top CIA staff quit US spy agency Two top CIA officers quit amid reported disputes with the recently-appointed boss of the US spying agency.


Train crashes in north Australia More than 150 people are injured when a high-speed train derails in the Australian state of Queensland.


Half-Life 2's  Real Battle If the video game industry is beginning to rake in revenue that rivals the movie industry, it's also beginning to accumulate Hollywood-like headaches.
-The Washington Post


Defending Nobody The Wizards can point to their defense as the main reason why they have lost four of their last five games.


Carriers to  Cut Fee for Number Transfer Verizon and Sprint have decided to eliminate or reduce a 40-cent-per-line monthly charge imposed to allow customers to transfer their phone numbers to new carriers.
-The Washington Post


American Collapses American blows a 17-point lead and loses, 82-76, in overtime to Virginia Commonwealth in a Preseason National Invitation Tournament first-round game.


Airlines Focus On In-Flight Entertainment After battling the budget airlines on fares, the traditional carriers are now trying to match their rivals' in-flight entertainment offerings.
-Keith L. Alexander


Big East Sets Schedule The Big East Conference announces its schedule plans for next season when it expands to 16 teams. The conference will retain a one-division regular season structure.


Boller Silences Critics Much maligned quarterback Kyle Boller should have a pleasent week after playing one of the best games of his career in Sunday's 20-17 overtime win over the Jets.


Microsoft to expand operations in India Microsoft Corp. said Monday that it will continue to expand its software development operations in India as it opened a new campus near Hyderabad.


FLYi Shares Advance After Amending Deal Shares of FLYi Inc. soared in Monday trading after the parent of low-cost Independence Air said it reworked an agreement with Airbus SAS to delay delivery of several aircraft in an effort to preserve its cash liquidity.


MACY #39;S WEST ON THE ROMANCE OF THE TRADITIONAL STORE  quot;Some of the nostalgia stuff that people hark back to is lore and not fact. quot;. ON REACHING YOUNGER SHOPPERS  quot;They say that kids don #39;t want to shop where their parents shop.


Australian Dollar Rises Before Central Bank Governor #39;s Speech The Australian dollar rose to its highest in 8 1/2 months against the US currency on speculation Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Ian Macfarlane will signal the bank intends to raise its key rate of interest.


Some Car Seats Do Poor Job Of Preventing Whiplash After testing dozens of seats to see how well they protected an average-size male dummy, the Institute for Highway Safety concluded that more than half of the seats did a poor job of preventing whiplash.


UPDATE 1-Beckham and Owen target England records England captain David Beckham has denied reports that he plans to retire from international soccer after the 2006 World Cup and says his aim is to beat the appearance


Deacons top GW in opener WINSTON-SALEM - First round matchups in tournaments are supposed to be nothing more than a cake walk for a highly-ranked team. But the second-ranked Demon Deacons of Wake Forest knew Monday night #39;s season-opening


Wireless to Drive Internet Growth, Tech Leaders Say (Reuters) Reuters - Wireless services will\lead the next growth phase of the Internet as venture\capitalists who helped fund the early boom open their wallets\again, industry leaders said Monday.


Crash line had regular checks By staff writers and wires. THE track where a passenger train was derailed in Queensland today, injuring more than 100 people, was inspected just hours before the crash, it has emerged.


UN Security Council off to Africa for Sudan meeting UNITED NATIONS - Ambassadors from the UN Security Council will head to Kenya on Tuesday for a rare meeting outside New York aimed at pressing for an end to Sudans long-running civil war and the separate crisis in Darfur.


Namibians go to the polls Namibians voted Monday to choose a successor to the only leader they have ever known, and election officials said the first of two days of voting for the president and parliament started smoothly.


Nigerian labour group whip up support for fuel strike LAGOS (AFP) - The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and a coalition of civil society groups on Monday stepped up efforts to whip up support for a planned general strike, called to protest rising fuel prices in the oil-rich west African country.


1,540 Pounds of Cocaine Hidden in Squid Peruvian anti-drug agents seized almost 1,540 pounds of cocaine destined for the Mexico that was hidden inside of a shipment of squid, police said Monday.


Internet leaders ponder U.S. tech policies Silicon Valley luminaries worry about government's stance on stock options, outsourcing, research and education.


FLYi Shares Up After Amending Airbus Deal Shares of FLYi Inc. soared in Monday trading after the parent of low-cost Independence Air said it reworked an agreement with Airbus SAS to delay delivery of several aircraft in an effort to preserve its cash liquidity.


NZD Firms Despite Greenback #39;s Gains The New Zealand dollar bumped up another notch to three week highs on Tuesday despite the US dollar #39;s gains, the local currency hitching a ride with the stronger Australian dollar.


Beckham not retiring after all England captain David Beckham hopes to reach 100 caps for his country and play on beyond the World Cup in Germany in 2006. The Real Madrid star was reported to be considering retirement after that tournament


Wireless to Drive Internet Growth, Tech Leaders Say  MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (Reuters) - Wireless services will  lead the next growth phase of the Internet as venture  capitalists who helped fund the early boom open their wallets  again, industry leaders said Monday.


Giants Say It Is Time to Start Manning Kurt Warner, sacked 24 times in the past four Sundays, never sensed his demotion coming, either. Giants Coach Tom Coughlin called Warner into his office shortly


Japan Considers Sanctions Vs. N. Korea (AP) AP - Japan on Tuesday warned it would consider sanctions against North Korea after accusing the communist country of failing to properly investigate the fates of Japanese citizens it kidnapped years ago.


New Search Related Patents Keeping up with newly issued patents for search-related technology can help you spot emerging trends and potentially new competitors to the existing major web search players.


Digital Gamble It #39;s buying biz news site MarketWatch, betting big on online content. But will its free offerings hurt its fee-based products?


SEC Files Civil Suit Against Former Hollinger Executives The Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday filed a civil lawsuit alleging that media baron Conrad M. Black fraudulently diverted millions of dollars from Hollinger International Inc.


American Express Sues Rivals American Express said it was suing Visa USA and MasterCard International, along with eight banks, for damages stemming from anticompetitive practices that prevented American Express from issuing cards through US banks.


Disney #39;s Eisner Defends Ovitz Hire Walt Disney Co. chief executive Michael D. Eisner had been on the witness stand for about half an hour on Monday when the subject of former Disney president Michael S. Ovitz finally came up.


Time to Tackle the Pension Crisis With its \$23 billion shortfall double any previous deficit, the government #39;s Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. needs fixing -- fast.


Can Solaris 10 Make Sun Shine Again? Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy celebrated his 50th birthday on Nov. 13 -- and two days later his company hit another milestone.


UN Finds No Nuclear Bomb Program in Iran In its most positive assessment of Iran in two years, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported yesterday that it had found no evidence the nation had a nuclear weapons program and that


Owens Runs Wild as Eagles Destroy Cowboys  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Terrell Owens scored three touchdowns  and the Philadelphia Eagles amassed 35 first-half points on the  way to a 49-21 drubbing of the Dallas Cowboys in Irving, Texas,  Monday.


Sharapova Sinks Serena in Thrilling Final  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Teen-ager Maria Sharapova capped  her stunning year by overcoming an injured Serena Williams,  4-6, 6-2, 6-4, in the final of the season-ending WTA Tour  Championships Monday.


Congress Probes Insurance Industry Scandal (AP) AP - Congress is examining the scandal rippling through the insurance industry, with its largest brokerage accused of bid rigging and price fixing amid high-level resignations, employee layoffs and guilty pleas by some executives.


NBA Wrap: James Inspires Cavs to 4th Straight Win  NEW YORK (Reuters) - LeBron James recorded 33 points to  guide the Cleveland Cavaliers to their fourth straight win, a  99-88 victory over the Golden State Warriors Monday.


ATP Players to Get Approved Nutritional Supplements  HOUSTON (Reuters) - The ATP, organizers of the men's tour,  will unveil a partnership deal with a pharmaceutical giant  Tuesday to provide approved nutritional supplements to players  next season.


Europe's Mission to Moon Nears Lunar Orbit (AP) AP - A dishwasher-sized spacecraft on Europe's first mission to the moon was set to enter lunar orbit, a key milestone in its 13-month trip into space, the European Space Agency said.


Firefighters hurt by BA jet fumes Five firefighters are injured dealing with an incident on a London-to-Boston BA flight at a US airport.


Tennis: Sharapova wins finale Maria Sharapova beats Serena Williams 4-6 6-2 6-4 in the Tour Championships final.


Online ads on track to hit record; Dow buys MarketWatch SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Google extended gains from last week, even though the company #39;s float is set to more than double Tuesday.


AmEx Charges Rivals for Damages American Express (AXP ) wasted no time in capitalizing on a recent government case that successfully found card-association giants Visa USA and MasterCard International guilty of antitrust violations.


FDA Criticizes Viagra Ads, Prompting Pfizer to Halt Them New advertising for Viagra that depicts men who take it as devilish drew criticism from the Food and Drug Administration, leading its maker, Pfizer, to say yesterday that it would discontinue the campaign.


Eisner takes the stand:  #39;I was not in this alone #39; Walt Disney Co. CEO Michael Eisner tried to turn back years of criticism Monday by insisting that he was neither rash nor selfish in hiring friend Michael Ovitz as president in October 1995.


IRS seeking local residents due refunds The Internal Revenue Service is looking for 1,096 Alabama taxpayers, including dozens from the Decatur area, whose income-tax refund checks could not be delivered.


Blumenthal to testify before Congress about insurance laws (Hartford-AP, Nov. 15, 2004 10:20 PM) _ Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is heading to Washington tomorrow and says he plans to tell Congress to stay out of the insurance brokerage industry.


Top Researchers Ask Web Users to Join Science Grid  NEW YORK (Reuters) - IBM and top scientific research  organizations are joining forces in a humanitarian effort to  tap the unused power of millions of computers and help solve  complex social problems.


Nepal Maoists call for mediation The top Maoist rebel leader in Nepal  renews a call for international mediation to resume peace talks with the government


Yahoo Mail to use Domainkeys Washington: EarthLink Inc. and Yahoo Inc. have said they would begin tests of a new anti-spam technology that encodes digital signatures into customers #39; e-mail as a way to separate legitimate messages from unwanted spam.


Dell, Microsoft Team For  #39;One-Click #39; Management Dell (Quote, Chart) and Microsoft (Quote, Chart) continued their joint efforts to automate the data center with a deal to bundle management software that triggers changes with one mouse click.


HP #39;s Compaq X PC Uses New Pentium 4 Hewlett-Packard has announced the next iteration in its Compaq X gaming PC line, which uses the new 3.8-GHz Pentium 4 570. The launch of Intel #39;s new chip was expected, the last entrant in Intel #39;s single-core processor line.


Federer beats Gaudio in Masters Cup opener : Top-ranked Roger Federer of Switzerland, returned to action after missing three weeks with a torn thigh muscle and defeated Gaston Gaudio of Argentina 6-1, 7-6 (4) in the first round of the ATP Masters Cup championships.


Eagles embarrass hometown Cowboys CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Donovan McNabb threw three of his four touchdown passes to Terrell Owens as the Philadelphia Eagles pasted the Dallas Cowboys 49-21 victory at Texas Stadium on Monday.


MOTOR RACING: COUL FOR BULL DAVID COULTHARD is set to join a short list to drive for the new Red Bull team. The Scot is looking for a drive after McLaren axed him.


Beckham denies early retirement rumors : David Beckham ruled out early retirement today and said he turned down a  quot;good part quot; in a Hollywood movie.  quot;I #39;ve never said that I wanted to go into movies.


Holyfield loses third in a row A focused Hasim Rahman earned his way back into a heavyweight title shot with a fourth round stoppage of game Kali Meehan. Meehan, who was no match for  quot;The Rock quot;, weighed in


Morgan defends Zimbabwe tour ENGLISH cricket chief David Morgan yesterday provided a staunch defence of the one-day teams short tour of Zimbabwe, but insisted the players will not be politicised during their stay.


Charlie Sifford Is Right Where He Belongs ST. AUGUSTINE - The humbling, career-defining moment Charlie Sifford never truly believed could ever be his had arrived. Doors were being held open.


Militant leader in Afghanistan says group split over fate of UN <b>...</b> By STEPHEN GRAHAM Associated Press Writer KABUL, Afghanistan (AP). The purported leader of Taliban-linked militants holding three UN hostages in Afghanistan said his group is split over whether to  quot;get rid quot; of


France says Arafat medical file can be released to family France says the medical files of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat can be released upon demand to eligible parties, such as his family.


Glitch delays NASA #39;s X-43 test NASA will make a second attempt today to set an aviation speed record after an instrumentation problem forced the agency to scrap a planned flight test Monday.


China's Shadow Banks Illegal lenders are siphoning money from state-owned banks, but they may do more good than harm\


Federer races to opening win Roger Federer hadn #39;t played anybody for keeps in six weeks. So, even though he #39;d been routinely putting in four-hour training sessions after he arrived at Westside Tennis Club last week, a measure of apprehension lingered.


Cavs cruise to victory Cleveland Cavaliers claimed their fourth straight win with a 99-88 win over the Golden State Warriors. LeBron James led the scoring charts with 33 points, 21 of which came in the first half.


Owens Runs Wild as Eagles Destroy Cowboys (Reuters) Reuters - Terrell Owens scored three touchdowns\and the Philadelphia Eagles amassed 35 first-half points on the\way to a 49-21 drubbing of the Dallas Cowboys in Irving, Texas,\Monday.


An Afterthought for the A.C.C. Becomes Its Champ The No. 10 Hokies completed their inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference with the league's outright championship.


No. 1 insurer reportedly close to settling with SEC SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- American International Group #39;s shares gained Monday on optimism the world #39;s largest insurer is close to resolving regulators #39; investigations into so-called income-smoothing products it sold.


Merck heads to Capitol Hill BOSTON (CBS.MW) -- Pharmaceutical behemoth Merck heads to Capitol Hill Thursday to testify at a Senate hearing on whether the government should have forced the drugmaker to withdraw its Vioxx drug from the market before late September.


Microsoft to Work With GarageBand.com (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Music site will begin featuring some artists from the independent music Web site GarageBand.com in a deal both companies said is aimed at giving little-known musicians access to a broader audience.


Yahoo, EarthLink team to fight spam WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Yahoo and EarthLink said they are adding a feature that promises to reduce spam. Free! Sign up here to receive our Before the Bell e-Newsletter!


Dell announces new enterprise-class blade servers Dell has introduced its new PowerEdge 1855 blade servers, which it says combine enterprise-class features with increased density and lower cost than traditional Dell 1U rack servers to deliver an advantaged platform for data center computing.


Hu to stand firm on yuan-dollar peg at APEC as China tries to brake economy (AFP) AFP - China will loom large over an Asia-Pacific summit in Chile, with the United States hoping that Beijing will loosen a fixed yuan-dollar link and cool, but not freeze, its red-hot economy.


Top Researchers Ask Web Users to Join Science Grid (Reuters) Reuters - IBM and top scientific research\organizations are joining forces in a humanitarian effort to\tap the unused power of millions of computers and help solve\complex social problems.


Kraft Foods Will Sell Altoids And Life Savers to Wrigley Kraft Foods said yesterday that it had agreed to sell its Life Savers and Altoids brands to the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company for \$1.5 billion as part of a reorganization plan.


Business Briefs Markel Corp. said yesterday that state insurance departments had issued document requests or administrative subpoenas to several of its subsidiaries related to producer compensation arrangements.


Oil Edges Down, Microsoft Boosts Techs Oil prices touched 2-month lows near \$45 a barrel on Monday before taking back most of their losses, but the downward trend knocked energy company stocks lower and US stock indexes ended little changed.


UPDATE 3-Macquarie H1 profit jumps, upgrades outlook Macquarie Bank Ltd. (MBL.AX: Quote, Profile, Research) , Australia #39;s largest investment bank, beat expectations with a 17 percent rise in first-half profit on


Computers take liking to Sooners The Sooners held on to second place in the Bowl Championship Series standings yesterday, staying ahead of third-place Auburn because of a stronger computer ranking.


News in brief The Balkan republic of Macedonia lurched into fresh crisis yesterday when the Prime Minister resigned, blaming ethnic Albanians in his coalition government for hijacking the country #39;s political agenda.


Namibia Votes for New President WINDHOEK, Namibia - The southern African nation of Namibia voted on Monday for a successor to the only leader the country has ever known, and election officials said the first of two days of voting started smoothly.


Japan Considers Sanctions Vs. N. Korea Japan on Tuesday warned it might impose sanctions against North Korea after accusing the communist country of failing to properly investigate the fates of Japanese citizens it kidnapped years ago.


Europe blames US over weak dollar European finance chiefs take the US to task for allowing the dollar to slide, saying it puts Europe's economy at risk.


Bihar doctors rally over killing Striking doctors in the northern Indian state of Bihar are due to hold a rally in protest at the killing of a colleague.


Europe probe arrives at the Moon European Space Agency's Smart 1 probe is set to enter into orbit around the Moon on Monday.


Asian Shares Lower as Oil Fall Stalls  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian share markets saw light selling  in line with a slowing retreat in oil prices on Tuesday, while  the dollar steadied as officials in Europe and Japan fretted  about the U.S. currency's recent decline.


Men of Pitcairn were just following island customs, says Australian author (AFP) AFP - Best-selling Australian author Colleen McCullough has backed the Pitcairn Islanders convicted recently of raping teenage girls, arguing they were merely following the customs of the island community, it was reported here.


Half-Life 2's  Real Battle (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - If the video game industry is beginning to rake in revenue that rivals the movie industry, it's also beginning to accumulate Hollywood-like headaches.


Australian FM praises Powell as a great friend to Canberra (AFP) AFP - Outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell had been a great friend to Australia who helped fight terrorism in Asia, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.


China Plans to Have Over 100 Eyes in the Sky by 2020 (Reuters) Reuters - China plans to launch more than 100\satellites before 2020 to watch every corner of the country,\state-run China Central Television quoted a government official\as saying Tuesday.


Reid Poised to Be Senate Democratic Leader (AP) AP - Senate Democrats are changing management, their ranks reduced to a 74-year low and their longtime leader defeated for re-election back home.


Big payday for MarketWatch Dow Jones agrees to buy SF financial <b>...</b> MarketWatch Inc., one of San Francisco #39;s surviving Internet companies, hit a notable online payday Monday, as venerable Dow Jones  amp; Co.


Waiting for a refund check? IRS may be looking for you The Internal Revenue Service is looking for 2,955 New Jersey taxpayers whose refund checks totaling nearly \$2.6 million were returned to the government this year by the Postal Service as undeliverable.


OIL SLIDES TO \$46.85 A BARREL, A 2-MO. LOW Crude oil prices continued down their slippery slope yesterday, hitting a two-month low after Iran #39;s government took steps to dampen political tensions with the United States.


UPDATE: Casino Moguls Ho, Packer Roll Dice On Asia Deal SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Unable to repel an invasion of foreigners into the once tightly-controlled Macau gaming market, casino baron Stanley Ho has joined forces with Australia #39;s


Spitzer May Urge More Insurance Oversight in Senate Testimony New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer may tell a US Senate subcommittee today that federal oversight of the insurance industry is inevitable after his allegations of price manipulation and kickbacks.


UPDATE: US Hurricanes Fail To Flatten Australia #39;s Rinker SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Higher product prices and strong US building activity helped Australia #39;s Rinker Group Ltd. (RIN.AU) offset rising costs and Florida hurricanes to


NASA delays jet speed record test NASA has delayed the third and final test flight of an unmanned, hypersonic aircraft attempting to fly at 10 times the speed of sound.


RED BULL PUTS JAG IN F-ONE High-octane energy drink Red Bull thinks it can go faster on the racetrack than Jaguar. The beverage in the tiny can bought Jaguar #39;s celebrated Grad Prix team from Jaguar #39;s


Eagles, Owens embarrass Cowboys So much for making a fresh start in the second half of the season. Instead of new beginnings, the Cowboys battled the same old problems, this time getting slapped around by the Philadelphia


Bonds presumed innocent, and great MVP voters focus on slugger #39;s <b>...</b> In a season full of free passes, Barry Bonds just got one more. He received the 2004 National League Most Valuable Player Award on Monday because of something resembling the presumption of innocence, which


Warner #39;s benching shows that Rams made right choice Back here in Kurt Warner #39;s adopted home town, the varying opinions on the cause and effects of the meteoric rise and fall of his storybook football life always will be blurred under so many dreamy - and divergent - emotional clouds.


Cavaliers above .500 James had 33 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who moved above .500 for the first time in more than three years with their fourth straight victory, 99-88 over the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.


Sifford overcomes obstacles Charlie Sifford was still six years away from playing in his first PGA tournament in the United States, but they let him compete in Canada in 1955.


Phillies Notes  Phillies join hunt for Pavano The Yankees and Red <b>...</b> Even with signs pointing toward the Carl Pavano sweepstakes coming down to a bidding war between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, the Phillies have jumped into the mix.


UN finds no proof of nuclear weapons in Iran After nearly two years of investigation, the United Nations #39; nuclear watchdog said yesterday that it has not uncovered proof that Iran has


Europe probe arrives at the Moon The Smart 1 lunar probe has entered into orbit around the Moon, the first ever European mission to do so.


Sun to offer new Solaris as  #39;open-source #39; software It cost Sun Microsystems \$5 billion to develop Solaris, a powerful computer operating system used by governments and giant corporations worldwide.


Beckham ready to defy Real David Beckham insists he is ready to play a full 90 minutes for England in the friendly against Spain if Sven-Goran Eriksson asks him to defy his club Real Madrid.


BCS blunders By Will Llyod. It #39;s time for a new college football bowl system, because the Bowl Championship Series just isn #39;t working. Over the past couple of years, national titles have been split, teams


NBA Roundup Cavaliers 99, Warriors 88: LeBron James scored 33 points and Cleveland beat visiting Golden State last night to move over .500 for the first time in more than three years with its fourth straight win.


American Express sues MasterCard, Visa, 8 banks American Express Co. has filed suit against Visa, MasterCard and eight major banks alleging anti-competitive practices. Banks named in the suit include Bank of America, US Bancorp, JP Morgan Chase, Capital


Snow urges faster growth in eurozone Sluggish growth in the eurozone is holding back the global economy, according to the US Treasury Secretary John Snow. Speaking during a visit to Dublin, he said the zone was growing at  quot;below its potential


Bush Seeks Limit on Malpractice Jury Awards (AP) AP - Limiting jury awards in medical malpractice lawsuits is President Bush's health care priority in his second term agenda, but there is strong disagreement over whether such caps would help contain rising costs.


Europe probe arrives at the Moon The Smart 1 lunar probe has entered into orbit around the Moon, the first ever European mission to do so.  quot;Europe has arrived at the Moon, we #39;re in lunar orbit, quot; said Professor David Southwood, director of science for the European Space Agency (Esa).


Ruiz #39;s manager Stone suspended The New York State Athletic Commission wasted no time taking action against Norman Stone, the bombastic manager of World Boxing Association heavyweight


Delgado draws interest from Yankees Even though the Yankees still owe Jason Giambi the bulk of his seven-year \$120 million contract and even though they have appeared intent on signing a relatively inexpensive backup player because of Giambi #39;s health, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman


Africa ; France airlifts evacuees from Ivory Coast Africa News, France on Monday was shutting down one of the largest evacuations in post-independence Africa - a five-day airlift that flew more than five thousand Westerners and others out of Ivory Coast.


Mr Palestine is dead Throughout last week, the name of Yasser Arafat dominated the news of the world. Arafat was the 75-year-old Palestinian leader who had ruled 40 years.


Japan Says China Apologizes Over Sub Intrusion  TOKYO (Reuters) - China has admitted that one of its  submarines accidentally intruded into Japanese waters last week  and has apologized for the incident, Japan's top government  spokesman Hiroyuki Hosoda said Tuesday.


Packer moves into Macau gambling Australian media tycoon and dedicated gambler Kerry Packer is investing \$163m in a gambling joint venture in Macau.


Slugging it out The smile on Manny Ramirez's face said it all. On the morning the Red Sox made their memorable Duck Boat romp through Boston -- perhaps the city's most famous excursion since Paul Revere's midnight ride -- Ramirez hardly could contain his joy after being named World Series MVP.


A hike in his play When former Jets linebacker Mo Lewis knocked the Patriots out of the Drew Bledsoe Era and into the Tom Brady Era, it began a renaissance of Patriots football, not unlike what happened with the advent of Joe Montana in San Francisco, Troy Aikman in Dallas, and John Elway in Denver.


Advice from a bear: panic Jeremy Grantham, Boston's most famous investing bear, exudes a kind of reassuring calm when he tells you that he has seen the stock market's future, and it's a train wreck.


Pitcher hopes not to miss target With Derek Lowe's days in Boston almost certainly numbered -- and Pedro Martinez's future here in question -- the Red Sox are expected to greet All-Star righthander Carl Pavano this week on Yawkey Way. Pavano plans to begin a tour of the top cities on his list in Boston.


Van Faasen tops in pay; Baker sees big leap William C. Van Faasen, chief executive of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, earned \$2.4 million last year, once again making him far and away the highest paid head of any of the state's big health insurers.


Sun to offer new Solaris as 'open-source' software It cost Sun Microsystems \$5 billion to develop Solaris, a powerful computer operating system used by governments and giant corporations worldwide. But in a concession to the radical new economics of computer software, Sun will distribute the latest version of Solaris free of charge, to anyone who wants a copy.


Four colleges double kicks Boston College and Connecticut in Division 1, Franklin Pierce in Division 2, and Wheaton in Division 3 share the distinction as New England schools with men's and women's soccer teams in the NCAA tournaments.


T-bill rates up Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills rose in yesterday's auction to the highest levels in more than three years.


Whither Microsoft? With Microsoft Corp. shareholders on the verge of collectively receiving \$32 billion in cash from the software maker's special \$3 dividend, investors are wondering what's ahead for one of Wall Street's most popular stocks.


Putnam cuts 100 more staffers Putnam Investments yesterday said it will dismiss another 100 employees in a cost-cutting move to reflect its smaller size after an employee-trading scandal cost it tens of billions in investors' funds.


Wrigley to buy Kraft candy brands for \$1.48b The world's dominant chewing gum maker is about to get sweeter. Looking to extend more of its marketing might from gum to candy, Wm. Wrigley Jr. said yesterday that it has agreed to buy LifeSavers and Altoids from Kraft Foods in a \$1.48 billion cash deal that refocuses Kraft's attention on its trademark supermarket products.


\$1.1b spent last year to care for state's uninsured, report says Hospitals, doctors, and health centers last year provided \$1.1 billion of medical care to Massachusetts residents without health insurance, according to a report that's part of a new push to cover the state's uninsured workers.


Deadly arms, simple tactics FALLUJAH, Iraq -- They carried surface-to-air missiles and armor-piercing bullets, but they wore plastic thong sandals and often died barefoot.


Scotland leans toward approving smoke ban OBAN, Scotland -- Retired nurse Carolyn Rowe carries vivid memories of cancer patients she treated and says their suffering drives her strong support for Scotland's plan to ban smoking in all enclosed public places.


UN is urged to enforce Sudan arms embargo, add sanctions NAIROBI, Kenya -- The UN Security Council should impose sanctions on Sudan's government and enforce an arms embargo on pro-government Arab militias accused of ethnic cleansing in the country's Darfur region, a human rights group and aid agencies said yesterday.


Ex-Kosovo rebels face first war crimes trial AMSTERDAM -- The first international war crimes trial of Kosovo Albanians began yesterday, with three former rebels accused of abducting and killing suspected collaborators and Serb civilians during the 1998-to-'99 conflict.


In Outback, cowboy hat may be history CANBERRA, Australia -- The sweat-stained felt hats worn by Australian cowboys, as much a part of the Outback as kangaroos and sun-baked soil, may be heading for the history books. They fail modern industrial safety standards.


Israel promises to aid Palestinian vote WASHINGTON -- Israel's top diplomat pledged yesterday to do ''everything that is needed quot; to ensure Palestinians can hold democratic elections in January -- including guaranteeing freedom of movement in the occupied territories -- but cautioned that the Palestinian people had to make a ''strategic decision quot; to swear off terrorism for the vote to move the Middle East peace process forward.


UN finds no proof of nuclear weapons in Iran PRAGUE -- After nearly two years of investigation, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said yesterday that it has not uncovered proof that Iran has a covert weapons program, although it could not rule out that Tehran was engaging in clandestine nuclear activities.


Blair urges Europe, US to work together LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, seeking to repair ties between the United States and Europe, urged Washington yesterday to reach out to its allies and not depend on military force alone in the global fight against terrorism.


Numb to the Numbers, Bonds Wins Another M.V.P. Award A 40-year-old left fielder for the San Francisco Giants, Barry Bonds won the National League M.V.P. for the seventh time over all.


New York and 4 Others Submit Bids for 2012 New York, Paris, London, Madrid and Moscow submitted their final bids to be host of the 2012 Summer Olympics.


Chen vows to press for UN bid under title of "Taiwan" (AFP) AFP - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has pledged to push for the island's inclusion in the United Nations under the name of  quot;Taiwan, quot; in a move certain to anger rival China, it was reported.


Putnam cuts 100 more staffers Putnam Investments yesterday said it will dismiss another 100 employees in a cost-cutting move to reflect its smaller size after an employee-trading scandal cost it tens of billions in investors #39; funds.


FireFox Cures the Web? Can a single browser made by no single company and without any real marketing dollars actually cure all of the webs woes? Probably not, but the team behind the increasingly popular FireFox browser are certainly going to make a run for it.


Yahoo! Storage Now 250 MB In an attempt to retain its free e-mail account users and keep its competitors, Google and Microsoft on their feet Yahoo will be increasing the storage size for free e-mail accounts to 250 MB.


Federer wins Tennis Masters Cup opener SPORTS NETWORK - World No. 1 Swiss Roger Federer got past eighth-seeded Argentine Gaston Gaudio in straight sets in Monday #39;s opening round-robin match at the \$3.


Coulthard given Red Bull lifeline David Coulthard could have a Formula One future in 2005 with the new Red Bull Racing team. Red Bull completed a takeover of Jaguar on Monday and are expected to retain the services of Christian Klien.


Giants hand it to Manning The  quot;future quot; is getting a chance to revive the presently struggling New York Giants. Two other teams also decided it was time for a change at quarterback, but the Buffalo Bills are not one of them.


Pitcher hopes not to miss target With Derek Lowe #39;s days in Boston almost certainly numbered -- and Pedro Martinez #39;s future here in question -- the Red Sox are expected to greet All-Star righthander Carl Pavano this week on Yawkey Way.


PRI wins 2 state races in Mexico; 2 uncertain Mexico City -- The country #39;s former ruling party remained locked in a duel with the party of President Vicente Fox in two state gubernatorial races late Monday, after winning two others over the weekend.


Iraq #39;s prime minister says leader and members of militant group <b>...</b> BAGHDAD, Iraq Iraq #39;s leader says there is now one less militant group operating in his country. Prime Minister Ayad Allawi (EE #39;-yahd ah-LAH #39;-wee) says key members of a group called Mohammed #39;s Army are under


Palestinian PM asks French for Arafat medical report Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia has formally requested that France publish the medical records of Yasser Arafat following his death last week, Quriea said Tuesday.


UN puts arms ban on Ivory Coast  quot;Do you think I am going to leave my country with no air defence? quot; Gbagbo said in an interview on. siding with the rebels in drafting the council text.


Japan Singles Courted by On-Line Matchmaker (Reuters) Reuters - Many Japanese singles are still singing\the "Wedding Bell Blues" despite the pending nuptials of an\imperial family member next year, so an Internet matchmaker is\aggressively courting heartache in the Land of the Rising Sun.


Red Bull refuse to speculate about drivers Red Bull Racing team boss Tony Purnell is refusing to speculate about their 2005 drivers, although it looks as if Christian Klien will be one of them.


Owens Runs Wild as Eagles Destroy Cowboys Terrell Owens scored three touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles amassed 35 first-half points on the way to a 49-21 drubbing of the Dallas Cowboys in Irving, Texas, Monday.


Crunch! Oof! Well, That's Physics In Nebraska, a scientist adds the vectors and delta-V's of Newtonian physics to the usual X's and O's of football.


Oh, Fine, You're Right. I'm Passive-Aggressive. While "passive-aggressive" has become an all-purpose label for almost any difficult character, it is a controversial concept in psychiatry.


A Submersible Robot Dives for Steamship Gold Finding the wreck of a 19th-century steamer in Florida has taken special technology and the results have been extraordinary.


Work Out Now, Ache Later: How Your Muscles Pay You Back No one knows for sure exactly what causes muscle soreness, but many scientists think that the delayed pain is caused by microscopic tears in the muscles.


Smart or Misguided? The Proactive Doctor For doctors, searching out disease before it appears can also carry risks.


Debating the Evidence on Gulf War Illnesses Some outside scientists wondered whether a Department of Veterans Affairs panel was stretching thin data to tell veterans what they wanted to hear in the committee's recent report.


Microsoft Expands Operations in India Microsoft is significantly expanding its software development operations in India as it opens a new campus near Hyderabad, its second-largest campus after its headquarters in Redmond, Wash.


Unused PC Power to Run Grid for Unraveling Disease The World Community Grid will be introduced by I.B.M. to utilize the untapped computing power from personal computers to help unlock the genetic mysteries of diseases.


Fired Flight Attendant Finds Blogs Can Backfire A flight attendant got fired by Delta for posing in a provocative manner in her uniform on her blog, even though it didnt identify the airline.


UNDATED: 14 points a game. John Lucas III and Joey Graham combined to outscore Washington State and No. 6 Oklahoma State beat the Cougars to move Eddie Sutton into eighth place on the career coaching wins list.


On-Demand Movies at 30,000 Feet American Airlines is offering passengers a dozen on-demand movies, on-demand audio channels, video games, audio books, and newspapers.


Oracle Insists Bid for PeopleSoft Is Final as Deadline Approaches The chief financial officer of Oracle, Harry L. You, said that \$24 a share remained the company's "best and final'' offer for PeopleSoft Inc. in what may be the last week of a 17-month hostile takeover fight.


Conrad Black charged with fraud in US The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed filed civil fraud charges against both Lord Conrad Black and his former deputy at Hollinger International, David Radler.


FDA LAUNCHES INITIATIVE ENCOURAGING USE OF RFID TAGS TO REDUCE <b>...</b> The Food and Drug Administration announced an initiative to prevent theft and counterfeiting of prescription drugs through the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.


Packer #39;s PBL signs deal to build complex on Macau ELEANOR HALL: Australia #39;s most famous punter is making a push into the fast growing and lucrative Asian gaming industry. Kerry Packer #39;s media and casino company PBL has signed a joint venture deal with a leading


Verizon and Sprint to lower surcharge but winds up costing consumers tens of millions of dollars a year -- is being scaled back by two of the nation #39;s biggest cell phone carriers.


Visteon offers as much as year #39;s pay in buyout Visteon Corp., the second-biggest US maker of auto parts, is offering buyouts of as much as a year #39;s pay to US salaried workers to help cut costs.


Asian oil prices drop further on expectations of a mild winter SINGAPORE : Crude oil prices slipped further in Asian trade on Tuesday as the market increasingly turned to the view that winter in the northern hemisphere will be mild, dealers said.


ArvinMeritor posts \$153 million loss in quarter after unit sale Auto supplier #39;s shares rise after it says it will sell more companies that aren #39;t market leaders. By Jeff Green and Jeff Bennett / Bloomberg News.


CalPERS Plans to Tackle Abusive Executive Compensation SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 16, 2004 (SmartPros) California Public Employees #39; Retirement System (CalPERS) has a new plan  quot;to reign in abusive compensation practices in corporate America and hold directors and


Putnam Investments to Eliminate 100 Jobs Putnam Investments said Monday it will cut about 100 jobs, an announcement that came a week after parent company Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos.


Flight of X-43 delayed NASA delayed a test of its X-43 unmanned aircraft after its preflight checkout took longer than expected and pushed the takeoff bck until too late in the day.


CU at epicenter of efforts to help fight quake damage Inside a University of Colorado lab, simulated earthquakes rattle steel beams. Frequently, the beams shatter, mortar walls crumble and welds break.


LG One-Ups Rivals with World #39;s First Terrestrial DMB Handset LG Electronics revealed Monday that is has set a new technological benchmark by producing the world #39;s first terrestrial digital-media-broadcasting (DMB) cell phone that allows consumers to watch programs and use normal dialing functions simultaneously.


Paris is favorite for 2012 The five cities looking to host the 2012 Summer Olympics submitted bids to the International Olympic Committee, with Paris the front-runner to win next year #39;s vote.


Tigers stuck at No. 3 in BCS The Auburn football team crept closer to Oklahoma for the coveted second spot in the latest Bowl Championship Series rankings, which were released on Monday.


Lenox Rawlings The long trip began on a wide street last night. This was Jump Street. This was the origin of a journey the Wake Forest basketball team considers significant and potentially unforgettable.


Hall of Famer Sifford gets last laugh Charlie Sifford can laugh at everything now: The ugly names. The telephoned threats. The  quot;whites only quot; clause that remained in the pro tour #39;s bylaws until 1961.


THE BLAME GAME Herman Edwards did the only thing he could do yesterday to quell the fallout from the calamity that was the Jets #39; inexplicable 20-17 overtime giveaway loss to the Ravens on Sunday.


Arafat #39;s medical records may be released A spokesperson for the French Defence Ministry has said the medical records of the late Yasser Arafat can be released to certain parties, such as his family.


IRA can keep guns under British deal, claim Unionists The IRA will be allowed to keep 15 per cent of its weapons for  quot;self-defence quot; under secret plans to tempt republicans back into a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland, Unionists said yesterday.


IRS wants to return cash to 2,261 in state or as rare -s found money. But for 2,261 Pennsylvanians, the Internal Revenue Service has a message: We #39;ve got your cash. And it #39;s not chump change.


UK PRESS: HSBC Interested In \$3B Federated Card Ops LONDON (Dow Jones)--HSBC Holdings PLC (HBC) has expressed an interest in the \$3 billion store and credit card operations of Federated Department Stores Inc.


United flight attendants threaten strike over cuts United Airlines #39; flight attendants union said it will begin preparing for a strike in response to the airline #39;s proposal to cut jobs, employee pay and benefits as part of its effort to exit bankruptcy.


Model train maker Lionel files for bankruptcy protection Lionel LLC, a maker of model trains for more than 100 years, has filed for bankruptcy protection after a US jury found the company used designs for toy locomotives stolen from a rival.


Gold Fields accused of spying Harmony has accused Gold Fields of attempting to bribe an employee to  quot;spy quot; and provide information on Harmony #39;s take-over bid.


Moon probe slots into lunar orbit Europe #39;s first mission to the Moon, the unmanned probe SMART-1, has been safely placed in orbit around the Moon, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced on Tuesday.


Half-Life 2 is here Valve #39;s long-awaited shooter sequel available for paid download through Steam service; retail purchasers #39; copies authenticating online.


The Word on the Next iPod: Flash Apple (AAPL ) CEO Steve Jobs has always approached his job with the zeal and showmanship of a populist politician. Jobs has another attribute common to the political classes, namely that even when he says  quot;never, quot; you can never really be sure.


Rookie QBs all the rage In the NFL, where it doesn #39;t take long for one man #39;s soup du jour to become everyone #39;s flavor of the month, the latest recipe for success has arrived: Start a rookie quarterback.


WAKE FOREST 97, GEORGE WASHINGTON 76: Wake Forest moves on Defense -- a foreign concept to Wake Forest last season -- was the key in the Deacons #39; raucous, season-opening 97-76 men #39;s basketball victory Monday against George Washington at Joel Coliseum.


Spady #39;s kin outraged The parents of a Colorado State University student who died from acute alcohol poisoning in September said Monday they will not accept any money raised by a series of gelatin wrestling tournaments in Fort Collins that also promoted drinking.


UN orders Ivory Coast arms ban The UN Security Council has voted to impose a 13-month arms embargo on the Ivory Coast. Battles between government and rebel forces in the troubled African nation prompted the intervention


French president: Britain got little for supporting US in Iraq? <b>...</b> Britain got very little in return for supporting the US-led invasion of Iraq, and US policies make it all but impossible for anyone to act as a bridge between Washington and Europe, French President Jacques Chirac said in an interview published Tuesday.


Israel eases its stance on Gaza Strip Israel reversed course yesterday and said it might coordinate next year #39;s Gaza Strip pullout with the Palestinian Authority if the Palestinians crack down on militants, a sign that


NIGERIA: NIGERIA: Unions call off strike after 11th-hour govt <b>...</b> LAGOS, 15 November (IRIN) - Nigeria #39;s powerful trade unions on Monday called off a general strike planned for the next day after the government, in an eleventh-hour move, offered an almost 10-percent cut in the price of domestic fuels.


Ex-Kosovo rebels face first war crimes trial The first international war crimes trial of Kosovo Albanians began yesterday, with three former rebels accused of abducting and killing suspected


Snow: No Need to Cut War Spending  LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow  admitted on Tuesday that the United States budget deficit is  too big, but insisted there was no need to cut spending on the  "war on terror."


Baseball star used bum and tum jabs JASON Giambi had baseball at his feet when he was named the Major Leagues Most Valuable Player in 2000. The exceptional slugger attracted the attention of the New York Yankees, who offered a contract worth


BC, O'Brien wise to Owls The Temple Owls have a terrible record, but they are not a bad team. Syracuse found that out Saturday when Temple defeated the Orange, 34-24, at Philadelphia, and the Boston College Eagles, who visit Lincoln Financial Field this Saturday after upsetting West Virginia, had best heed the lesson.


Transactions BASEBALL Anaheim (AL): Exercised 2005 option on C Bengie Molina's contract; declined 2005 option on P Ramon Ortiz's contract; purchased P T.J. Stanton from Winnipeg (Northern). Milwaukee (NL): Purchased C Kelley Gulledge from Fargo-Moorhead (Northern). New York (NL): Declined 2005 option on P Al Leiter's contract. San Francisco (NL): Purchased P Oscar Montero from Winnipeg (Northern). Seattle (AL): Named Jeff ...


Today's schedule College hockey: MEN -- Wentworth at Suffolk, 6 p.m.; Boston College at Harvard, 7 p.m.; New Hampshire at Merrimack, 7 p.m.; AIC at Holy Cross, 7:30 p.m.; WOMEN -- Harvard at Brown, 7 p.m.


Glazer targets new takeover plan Malcolm Glazer is preparing a new bid to buy Manchester United, according to reports.


Vodafone satisfies investors by doubling dividend (FT.com) FT.com - Vodafone announced on Tuesday an aggressive doubling of its dividend and a further increase to its share buyback programme in a firm sign that the mobile operator has listened to shareholder demands to increase its cash payouts.


Vodafone doubles dividend Vodafone has doubled its half-year dividend to 1.91 pence, the top end of forecasts, and extended a full-year share buy-back programme after strong underlying results.


Wireless to Drive Internet Growth, Tech Leaders Say Wireless services will lead the next growth phase of the Internet as venture capitalists who helped fund the early boom open their wallets again, industry leaders said Monday.


Timber industry expects no change for northern spotted owl A timber-industry group that sued for a review of the threatened-species status of the northern spotted owl said yesterday it does not expect the bird to lose federal


No change on pitwall - Purnell  quot;He does not crave publicity, quot; Purnell told a news conference.  quot;Red Bull ... will employ professionals to run the team.


USC could hold key to opponent Third-ranked Auburn became a media darling Monday, but despite picking up ground in the Bowl Championship Series rankings, No. 2 Oklahoma remains in a better position to make the Orange Bowl.


Giants feel for Warner Nine games and a 5-4 record is hardly enough time for players to build an everlasting loyalty to a quarterback. So the Giants were not torn into factions by yesterday #39;s


SEC charges Black with fraud The US Securities and Exchange Commission accused Black and Radler of milking the US-based media group of at least \$85m in a complaint filed in US district court in Illinois.


Global auto-safety standards on way Auto regulators from the USA and other nations will meet Thursday in Geneva to sign off on the first-ever global safety standard for vehicles.


Snow: No Need to Cut War Spending (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow\admitted on Tuesday that the United States budget deficit is\too big, but insisted there was no need to cut spending on the\"war on terror."


Oil Down Again; U.S. Crude Stocks Seen Up (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices tiptoed lower on Tuesday,\marking a fourth day of losses as worries over potential supply\shortfalls ahead of winter faded and Nigerian unions called off\a strike that could have disrupted exports.


Ungrateful Bastards: Novel Sues Microsoft After Big Payoff Novell filed an antitrust lawsuit last week against Microsoft over alleged misdeeds that happened over 10 years ago. Novell said it planned to move forward with the lawsuit when it announced a settlement with Microsoft on other antitrust claims.


Dell debuts denser blade server Dell has announced a dense blade server designed for enterprises with space-tight, hard-to-cool data centres. The PowerEdge 1855 can pack as many as 10 blade servers in a 7U-sized


England friendly hit by Olympic row England #39;s friendly with Spain tomorrow night has been overshadowed by a row between Madrid and London Olympic officials. They have clashed over the use of the match to promote the Spanish city #39;s bid for the 2012 Games.


Nets need to score EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ Lawrence Frank preaches the value of defense so much that he #39;d probably be more comfortable giving a blocking forearm to the back than a handshake as a form of introduction.


Huskies upset Gophers in OT The Washington women #39;s basketball team played a thriller at Hec Edmundson Pavilion last night, coming from behind to defeat Minnesota in overtime 72-67.


Japan says China regrets submarine intrusion TOKYO -- China expressed regret today over what it called an accidental incursion by one of its submarines into Japanese waters last week, Japan #39;s foreign minister said, the first time Beijing has acknowledged the submarine was one of its own.


Sharapova Defeats Serena in WTA Final (AP) AP - Maria Sharapova overcame an early third-set mental lapse against an injured Serena Williams to win the WTA Championships 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 Monday night in a rematch of their Wimbledon final.


Am Exp suing for billions Fresh from a victory over its rivals in the Supreme Court, American Express now wants Visa and MasterCard to show it the money. American Express hired hot-shot lawyer David Boies, who headed


Quiz Eisner in shareholder suit Disney big cheese Michael Eisner took the witness stand for the first time yesterday in an ongoing shareholder lawsuit, defending his choice of ex-super talent agent Michael Ovitz as Disney #39;s No.


Microsoft #39;s Windows Update Services Looms On The Horizon Patch management is a particularly expensive burden for Microsoft Windows-based systems. While solution providers have profited from the services associated with installing patches, many businesses are starting


Russian Champ Sharapova Defeats Injured Serena at WTA Final Teenager Maria Sharapova defeated an injured Serena Williams 4-6 6-2 6-4 in the final of the season-ending WTA Tour Championships on Monday, moving the worlds first Russian champ to a career-high number four and winnings of \$1 million.


Zarqawi urges fighters to prolong battle Audiotape of Iraq #39;s most wanted man tells supporters to brace for more battles against US forces after Fallujah assault. DUBAI - An audiotape on an Islamist website Monday purportedly from Iraq #39;s most wanted


Sharapova Sinks Serena in Thrilling Final  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova  capped her stunning year by overcoming an injured Serena  Williams, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, in the final of the season-ending WTA  Tour Championships on Monday.


Mavs, Nash Doing Fine Without Each Other (AP) AP - Steve Nash's old spot is the only empty one in the Dallas Mavericks' locker room, a vacancy that's part tribute and part happenstance. Otherwise, there's little evidence that the Mavericks miss the floppy-haired point guard.


Blair hails 'remarkable' Powell (AFP) AFP - Prime Minister Tony Blair paid tribute to outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell, calling him  quot;a remarkable man quot; and a long-time  quot;good friend quot; of Britain.


Vodafone interim profits dip (AFP) AFP - British mobile telephone giant Vodafone reported a two percent fall in half-year underlying profits as the group added 7.4 million new customers.


Tourist's Guide To Driving Around Washington D.C. So you've decided that want to travel to The Capital of Teh Free World to see the sights, and possibly engage in a Constitutionally Protected Protest. You've also decided that it would more convenient, or less expensive, to drive. There are a few things you should be aware of before you come to our fine metro region.


Africa music star awaits verdict A Paris court is set to deliver its verdict on Congolese pop star Papa Wemba, accused of people-smuggling.


Howard states fourth term agenda \Australian PM John Howard will focus on beating terrorism and economic reforms, as he begins his fourth term.


Debt Doubles at Agency that Insures Pension Plans The federal agency that insures pension plans said that its deficit, already at the highest in its history, had doubled in its last fiscal year, to \$23.3 billion.


The Dollar Is Down, but Should Anyone Care? Most economists agree that the dollar will continue its post-election decline, but there are at least three schools of thought on the nations huge foreign indebtedness.


Bermuda Firm Is Subpoenaed in Inquiry Into Insurers Ace Ltd., a big Bermuda insurer, is being investigated for its role in selling insurance that can smooth out volatile earnings.


Who, Me? Stealthy? Peter Boneparth, the chief of Jones Apparel, agreed to buy Barneys for \$400 million. Analysts have questions about the deal.


From Behind the Scenes, Rice on Stage Administration officials said President Bush might name Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state as early as Tuesday.


F.D.A. Strengthens Warning on the Abortion Pill Federal drug regulators strengthened the warning label on the pill, RU-486, after the death of a woman who took the pill.


C.I.A. Churning Continues as 2 Top Officials Resign The head of the C.I.A.'s clandestine service and his deputy resigned their posts after clashes with advisers to Porter J. Goss.


Terror Informant Ignites Self Near White House A Falls Church man who worked as a federal informant set himself on fire hours after announcing his suicide attempt and citing his growing despondency over how the FBI managed his case.


Novell's MS complaint: we wuz robbed Analysis That antitrust filing in full - with added chocolate


Japan Families Vent Anger At N. Korea The families of Japanese kidnapped decades ago by North Korean agents lashed out at the secretive communist state on Monday, saying it had lied about the fate of their loved ones.


Workers breaking office shackles A survey shows that more workers are relying on technology to do their job while on the move.


Black, Radler defrauded shareholders, SEC claims The US Securities and Exchange Commission has accused Conrad Black and his Vancouver partner, David Radler, of defrauding Hollinger International Inc.


Brown attacks EU contract bias GORDON Brown will today challenge France and Germany to end the market-rigging which prevents British businesses from winning lucrative European Union contracts.


American Express sues Visa, MasterCard and 8 banks NEW YORK - Travel- and financial-services giant American Express Co. on Monday sued Visa and MasterCard as well as eight banks for damages stemming from anti-competitive practices that prevented American Express from issuing cards through US banks.


Oil Down Again; US Crude Stocks Seen Up Oil prices tiptoed lower on Tuesday, marking a fourth day of losses as worries over potential supply shortfalls ahead of winter faded and Nigerian unions called off a strike that could have disrupted exports.


Insurer feeling strain Straining under the looming pension crisis in the airline industry, the federal pension benefits insurer yesterday reported that its deficit more than doubled from a year earlier.


Pataki has reservation about taxes Gov. George Pataki yesterday vetoed a bill that would have taxed cigarettes and gasoline sold to non-Indians from reservations around the state, saying the measure went against his policy of negotiating voluntary solutions with tribes.


Harmony accuses Gold Fields of spying In the most dramatic development yet in Harmony #39;s all-out fight for Gold Fields, Harmony yesterday accused Gold Fields of having tried to buy bid secrets from a Harmony employee


PM: Foreign-Educated Muslims Behind Thai Unrest (Reuters) Reuters - Thai Muslims who\have studied Islam abroad are behind the spate of violence in\the far south which has claimed almost 500 lives since January,\Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Tuesday.


Europe #39;s moon probe safely in orbit Paris - Europe #39;s first mission to the moon, the unmanned probe SMART-1, has been safely placed in orbit, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced on Tuesday.


Dell pulls out blades in Paris Dell has belatedly joined its competitors in offering own-design blade servers with the launch in Paris on Monday afternoon of the PowerEdge 1855.


Rising Euro Worries EU Finance Ministers (AP) AP - European Union officials kept up pressure Tuesday on the United States to curb its deficits to help bolster the sagging dollar amid fears a strengthening euro would stifle Europe's fledgling economic recovery.


First pics: Red Bull Racing livery. The first livery design for the new Red Bull Racing team is  #39;in the can #39; - so to speak - following confirmation that the paintwork appearing on the team #39;s interim test car will resemble the famous drinks brand #39;s packaging.


Bad words, worse analysis When an analyst or play-by-play man does not take a stand against bad behavior by an athlete, coach or manager, he is endorsing it.


10 questions about the Eagles-Cowboys game How predictable was this? All the frustration from the pummeling in Pittsburgh was due to be taken out on somebody. And the way the Cowboys have played the past few weeks, they seemed like the perfect patsy for the Eagles.


Huskies Topple No. 14 Minnesota in OT Thriller SEATTLE - Junior Jill Bell and sophomore Cameo Hicks accounted for 10 of Washington #39;s 14 points in overtime Monday, leading the Huskies to a 72-67 overtime win over 14th-ranked Minnesota in the final game of the WBCA BTI Classic in Seattle.


NBA NOTES: James, Cavaliers finally pass .500 The second-year swingman dismantled the Warriors, posting 33 points - on 12-for-22 shooting, including 3-for-5 on three-pointers - and 12 rebounds in an 11-point win.


First Canadian in golf hall ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA. -- Marlene Stewart Streit, a trailblazer during her stellar career, made another piece of history last night with her induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame.


6 killed in India-administered Kashmir before PM #39;s visit Separatist guerrillas killed sixpeople, including two counter insurgents, in India-administered Kashmir even as security forces were put on high alert on the eve of Indian


Education by Murder Education by murder describes the slow and painful way people wake up to the problem of radical Islam. It took three thousand deaths to wake up Americans - or at least to wake up the half of them who are conservative.


India reserves plan can breach fiscal law - official (Reuters) Reuters - India could use its record-high foreign exchange reserves to fund infrastructure even if it breached fiscal targets set out by law, a senior government official said on Tuesday.


Bush's Foreign Aid Programs at Juncture (AP) AP - Amid the discord over administration foreign policy, President Bush has won wide acclaim for two initiatives: helping overseas AIDS victims and countries that adopt democratic reforms.