Sprint, SBC Set Hot Spot Pact Sprint (FON:NYSE - news - research) and SBC Communications (SBC:NYSE - news - research) set a plan that will give their customers access to both companies #39; Wi-Fi Internet service hot spots.


Krispy Kreme #39;s hot streak cools The niche doughnuts that rose quickly in popularity are feeling the weight of the low-carb craze and mass marketing. By Deb Kollars and Edie Lau -- Bee Staff Writers.


Internet crackdown leads to over 100 arrests In what is being called the largest global crackdown ever conducted, the US Department of Justice #39;s  quot;Operation Web Snare quot; has led to over 100 arrests.


Hackers go Phishing for Online Bankers That email from your bank may be more than a friendly enquiry. It could be the hook of a Phisher, the new breed of Internet fraudster intent on stealing money by tricking customers into divulging online account details.


Athens gay scene out for the Games In the international party atmosphere of the Olympic Games, the Greek gay scene is finally coming out of the closet. After decades in the shadows of a macho society, the


UN Envoy Begins Final Mission to Darfur, Sudan Before Security <b>...</b> The senior United Nations envoy to Sudan today began his last mission to the war-torn Darfur region ahead of next week #39;s meeting of the Security Council, which will decide whether the Government is making good on commitments to restore security and disarm


UN: Most Terror Attacks Cost Under \$50G The al-Qaida (website - news) terror network spent less than \$50,000 on each of its major attacks except the Sept. 11 suicide hijackings and one of its hallmarks is using readily available


Revenge Is Indeed Sweet Dirty Harry had it right: Brain scans show revenge really might make your day. Planning revenge sparks enough satisfaction to motivate getting even - and the amount of satisfaction actually predicts who will go to greater lengths to do so, report Swiss researchers who monitored people's brain activity during an elaborate game of double-cross.


Sprint and SBC announce Wi-Fi roaming pact Customers of Sprint and SBC Communications will be able to use both companies #39; wireless Internet connections with less hassle under a reciprocal deal announced Friday.


US cracks down on cybercrime WASHINGTON The Justice Department has announced that more than 150 people have been arrested, charged or convicted in the past three months in a crackdown on criminal activity on the Internet.


#39;A jaw grown in the shoulder #39; A man who lost his jawbone to cancer has enjoyed his first solid meal in nine years after having a new bone grown under his shoulder blade and then transplanted to his face, reports The Times, London.


Friday Olympic Preview: How will Marion do? Daily diversions: Birgit Fischer won her first Olympic gold medal in flat-water kayaking as a teenager in 1980 for East Germany. In Athens, at 42 and the single mother of two teenagers, she goes for her eighth gold medal.


Stunning comeback puts Russians into volleyball final Russia came back from two sets down and saved seven match points against Brazil in the semi-finals of the women #39;s volleyball on Thursday for a spectacular win that put them into their second straight Olympic final.


Focus: Crisis in Darfur The situation continues to deteriorate in western Sudan more than 18-months after a rebel uprising provoked a harsh government response.


Siemens warns of ear damage from mobile phone tunes DSSELDORF, GERMANY - Careful -- some mobile phone tunes could be hazardous to your health.


VeriSign dealt another legal blow in ICANN suit VeriSign Inc. lost another round in its battle against the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on Thursday when a U.S. federal judge dismissed the company's antitrust claims, filed in an amended complaint.


Credit Bureaus Shun Popular Identity Theft Weapon Little by little, a weapon against identity theft is gaining currency - but few people in the United States know about it. It's called the security freeze, and it lets individuals block access to their credit reports.


'Virtual Girlfriend' Demands Sweet Talk and Gifts HONG KONG (AP) -- She needs to be coddled with sweet talk and pampered with gifts, but you'll never see her in the flesh. A Hong Kong company has developed a "virtual girlfriend" for new cell phones with video capability...


Record Companies Raided Over Mobile Ringtones TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's anti-monopoly agency raided several top record companies Thursday on suspicion they illegally blocked other firms from offering music ringtone services to mobile phone users.    Fair Trade Commission official Toshihiko Oizumi said investigators suspect more than 10 companies violated Japan's fair trade laws by preventing the Japanese mobile phone operators from offering the service...


University to Hand Out Blackberry Devices COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- The University of Maryland business school plans to give Blackberry wireless devices to all full-time MBA students this fall, an effort to make students technologically savvy and aware that a key to business is being able to access people and information at all times...


Linux Desktop KDE Plans Google Style Search Linux Desktop KDE Plans Google Style Search\\Open-source Linux desktop environment KDE developers have announced plans to make searching for files on the KDE desktop more simple by adding a Google-style search feature. CNet reports that the next version of KDE, which will either be called 3.4 or 4, and is ...


RocketInfo Partners with Canadian Press, Helps Nascar RocketInfo Partners with Canadian Press, Helps Nascar\\Rocketinfo Inc., news search engine announced yesterday that it has formed a key reseller alliance with the Canadian Press (CP), one of the top-rated multimedia news agencies in the world. CP plans to expand their media monitoring services by offering clients access to the ...


Oil Rebounds After Iraq Pipeline Attack Oil prices rose on Friday as a sabotage attack on Iraqi oil infrastructure reignited concern about the reliability of crude exports from the country despite a peace deal to end an uprising in Najaf.


US Second-Quarter GDP Downgraded The US economy grew more slowly in the second quarter than first thought amid shrinking corporate profits and higher imports, the government said on Friday in a report


Deutsche Bank Arm in Multi-Million Dollar Payout The brokerage unit of Deutsche Bank has voluntarily agreed to pay almost \$90 million in compensation to settle allegations of misconduct, US regulators announced Friday.


Stocks Open Higher on Economic News Stock prices are slightly higher after the latest reading on economic growth. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 1 point in today #39;s early going.


Sprint, SBC join forces on Wi-Fi Sprint said on Friday it has made a deal that will let it nearly double the number of places it offers short-range wireless Internet connections.


ECONOMY WEEKAHEAD-All Eyes on US Jobs Report US jobs data will be the biggest show in town next week as speculation mounts as to whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in September.


UN sees dire pollution in North Korea SEOUL The forests in North Korea are depleted, its rivers and streams are filled with runoff from factories and the country #39;s reliance on coal energy has created severe urban air pollution, the United Nations said on Friday in its first report on the


Rogge says no to duplicate golds International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said on Friday that the IOC had rejected South Korean requests for the awarding of duplicate gold medal to South Korean Yang Tae-Yong, who lost the men #39;s all-around gymnastics gold to American Paul


Athletics: Greek celebration is not meant to be ATHENS As the sprinters walked out for the final of the men #39;s 200 meters, the crowd in the packed Olympic Stadium began to boo.


Athletics: Korzeniowski takes final walk into record books ATHENS Robert Korzeniowski #39;s long road came to an end on Friday with an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic 50-kilometer race walk title.


Italy voices outrage at execution of hostage ROME Italy expressed disgust and outrage on Friday after an Italian journalist held hostage by a radical Islamic group in Iraq was executed.


RealNetworks Gets in Content Business RealNetworks survived the dot-com collapse and an assault from Microsoft. Now it's trying to remake itself into a provider of paid Internet content.


US Consumer Index Up from Early August (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. consumer sentiment surpassed\expectations in late August after declining earlier in the\month as oil prices eased from record highs and security fears\abated, according to sources who saw a survey on Friday.


Treasuries Slide as GDP Slows, Not Slumps (Reuters) Reuters - Treasuries prices shed early gains on\Friday after U.S. data confirmed the economy slowed markedly\last quarter, but overall the numbers were not quite as weak as\bulls had been betting on.


Sprint, SBC in Short-Range Wireless Roaming Deal (Reuters) Reuters - Sprint Corp. (FON.N) said on  Friday\it made a deal that will let it nearly double the number of\places it offers short-range wireless Internet connections.


Bush Seeks  #36;2 Billion in Hurricane Aid (AP) AP - President Bush will ask Congress for  #36;2 billion to help victims of Hurricane Charley, the White House said Friday.


Polls show Bush slighly ahead of Kerry (AFP) AFP - Three US opinion surveys show President George W. Bush pulling slightly ahead of John Kerry, his Democratic contender in the November 2 election, but by a small enough margin that both men are still locked in a statistical dead heat.


Track Chiefs Scold Local Fans Over Jeers  ATHENS (Reuters) - The governing body of world athletics  Friday condemned the behavior of local fans who delayed the  start of the men's 200 meters final with deafening boos and  whistles.


Greenspan-Aged Population to Hit Finances  JACKSON HOLE, Wyo (Reuters) - Rising pressure on U.S.  finances from an aging population make it vital quickly fix the  social safety net with such steps as raising the age for full  retirement benefits, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan  said on Friday.


Interbrew Ambev Buy Wins Shareholder OK  BRUSSELS/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Shareholders gave their  blessing on Friday for Belgium's Interbrew INTB.BR to buy  Brazil's AmBev AMBV4.SA ABV.N in a deal valued at about 8  billion euros (\$9.7 billion) that will create the world's  largest brewer.


Zimbabwe Convicts Alleged 'Mercenary' Leader  HARARE, Zimbabwe (Reuters) - A court in Zimbabwe Friday  convicted the British leader of an alleged coup plot against  the government of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea on weapons  charges, but acquitted most of the 69 other men held with him.


Greenspan Urges Pension Benefit Cuts Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday that the country will face "abrupt and painful" choices if Congress does not move quickly to trim the Social Security and Medicare benefits that have been promised to the baby boom generation.


Howard in election 'spamming' row Australia's PM John Howard faces criticism over using unsolicited e-mails for his election campaign.


Belgian Grand Prix, Friday With rain forecast for Saturday, Friday needed to be a solid, hard-working opening day at Spa; Fernando finished ninth fastest, with Jarno sixteenth.


Belgian GP: A race with lots at stake For the Renault F1 Team, the objective of the weekend is to strengthen second place in the championship, while Michael Schumacher will be looking to win the title.


Paris Hilton to Publish 198-Page Memoir NEW YORK - Paris Hilton is trying on a new outfit: a hard cover. The model-reality TV star is publishing a 198-page memoir, "Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose," (Fireside)...


Russia Blames Terrorism for Downed Jet MOSCOW - One of two Russian airliners that crashed nearly simultaneously was brought down by a terrorist act, officials said Friday, after finding traces of explosives in the plane's wreckage. A Web site connected to Islamic militants claimed the action was connected to Russia's fight against Chechen separatists...


Greenspan Warns on Baby Boomer Benefits JACKSON, Wyo. - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday that the country will face "abrupt and painful" choices if Congress does not move quickly to trim the Social Security and Medicare benefits that have been promised to the baby boom generation...


UK's famous immigrants go online The National Archives puts the official records of some of Britain's most famous immigrants on its website.


Ashcroft heralds success in Net crime crackdown In what was billed as the biggest federal crackdown ever on Internet crime, the Justice Department announced Thursday it arrested or convicted more than 150 people across the country.


Intel gives Centrino chip a Wi-Fi boost The upgrade enables the chip to also connect to less common 802.11a and 802.11i versions of Wi-Fi. SAN FRANCISCO: Intel Corp. said it has upgraded the wireless networking capabilities of its Centrino line


Big shuttle repairs not possible Space shuttle astronauts will fly next year without the ability to repair in orbit the type of damage that destroyed the Columbia vehicle in February 2003.


Fischer paddling for a record ninth gold and 24 years #39; domination Australian kayaker Kate Barclay can #39;t recall the first of eight Olympic gold medals won by German rival Birgit Fischer, whom she raced in the K4 500 final on Friday.


Deakes to assess his technique Nathan Deakes #39;s coach says the Olympian #39;s technique will be reassessed following his disqualification from the 50-kilometre walk in Athens.


Aziz elected Pak PM amid boycott by Oppn President Pervez Musharraf #39;s loyalist Shaukat Aziz was elected as Pakistan #39;s Prime Minister in a National Assembly vote boycotted by the opposition in protest of the speaker #39; decision not to permit their jailed candidate Javed Hashmi to take part in the


Greenspan Warns on Baby Boomer Benefits Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday that the country will face  quot;abrupt and painful quot; choices if Congress does not move quickly to trim the Social Security and Medicare benefits that have been promised to the baby boom generation.


Update 1: United Steelworkers OK BF Goodrich Pact About 3,400 union workers at three BF Goodrich Tire Manufacturing plants in Indiana and Alabama have approved a new contract after working about 15 months without one.


Colleges approach Windows service pack warily College students returning to school this fall will find that many of their information systems departments - like business operations - are taking a go-slow approach to Microsoft #39;s big anti-hacker upgrade, Windows Service Pack 2.


Intel unveils tri-mode Wi-Fi for Centrino Intel launched its  #39;Callexico 2 #39; tri-mode Wi-Fi adaptor for notebook PCs yesterday, as anticipated. The part, which will ship as the ProWireless 2915ABG, adds 802.


Oracle extends offer for PeopleSoft again Oracle yesterday extended its controversial bid for enterprise resource software provider PeopleSoft, while both companies await the final judge #39;s ruling in the Department of Justice (DoJ) anti-competition case.


IBM to acquire content mgmt firm Venetica IBM aims to gain more gain insight and information in this arena, as many companies have implemented numerous content management systems.


Bananas could power Aussie homes Australian engineers have created an electricity generator fuelled by decomposing bananas, and hope to build a full size fruit-fired power station.


Will Paula be her own worst enemy? The biggest challenge facing Paula Radcliffe as she prepares for the 10,000m may be dealing with the pressure she puts on herself.


Protest Planned in Athens for Powell #39;s Arrival The Greek government on Friday urged protestors planning demonstrations against the arrival here of United States Secretary of State Colin Powell not to mar the hitherto


AS Roma coach resigns to be near sick wife As Roma #39;s new coach Cesare Prandelli has resigned, just two weeks before the start of league play, citing the need to be near his sick wife, the team announced Friday.


Terrorism blamed for one Russian plane crash, Islamic group claims <b>...</b> MOSCOW : Russia said terrorists were behind a passenger jet crash as an Islamic group proclaiming support for rebels in Chechnya claimed responsibility for the downing of that and another plane.


Greenspan-Aged Population to Hit Finances (Reuters) Reuters - Rising pressure on U.S.\finances from an aging population make it vital quickly fix the\social safety net with such steps as raising the age for full\retirement benefits, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan\said on Friday.


U.S. Furious as Hamm Asked to Give Back Gold Medal  ATHENS (Reuters) - U.S. Olympic chiefs accused world  gymnastics officials of putting "outrageous and improper  pressure" on gold medallist Paul Hamm to give his medal to a  South Korean rival.


U.S. Stocks Flat After GDP, Consumer Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks were flat on Friday after  reports showed U.S. economic growth in the second quarter  matched economists' forecasts and consumer sentiment picked up  above expectations in late August.


Stocks Open Higher After Economic Growth Report Stock prices opened slightly higher today after the latest reading on U.S. gross domestic product.


Crude Oil Rises for First Session in Six on Iraq Supply Concern Crude oil futures rose for the first time in six sessions on concern that a cease-fire in Najaf, Iraq, won #39;t eliminate attacks on oil facilities in the Middle East #39;s fifth-biggest oil producer.


Eyetech Awaits FDA Panel Vote Eyetech (EYET:Nasdaq - news - research) did not open for trading Friday because a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee is meeting to review the small New York-based biotech #39;s experimental eye disease drug.


NatFoods looks at opportunities in new products National Foods is using a strategy of new product releases to reinvigorate a stagnating dairy sector. Picture:Michele Mossop. National Foods, fresh from posting a 14 per cent rise in profit


The man who grew a new jaw on his back after doctors rebuilt his jaw by growing another one on his back. Four weeks after the pioneering operation, the man was able to tuck in to a sausage sandwich .


IDC: Server Market Continues Overall Growth The worldwide server market continued to expand in the second quarter, analyst firm IDC said in a report Friday that mirrored findings by Gartner Inc.


Rooney requests Everton transfer The striker is currently at the centre of a bidding war between Manchester United and Newcastle, after scoring four goals for England in Euro 2004.


Heartbreak for Deakes Sloping off: Nathan Deakes walks with one foot off the ground after his disqualification from the men #39;s 50km walk. Photo: AP Picture:MARK BAKER.


Phillips leads US winners In winning the Olympic title on his first jump Thursday with the fifth-longest in 108-year Olympic history, Phillips took himself and American long jumping out from the lengthy shadow of four-time long jump gold medalist Carl Lewis and world record holder


Sour Grapes as Another US Boxer Bites the Dust The US boxing team sucked on sour grapes after being left with just one gold medal prospect in the Olympic boxing tournament Friday.


Group claims responsibility for air crashes A rescuer carries the recorder found in the wreckage of a Russian Tupolev Tu-154, one of two planes to crash after taking off from the same airport 40 minutes apart.


Age to strain US finances-Greenspan Fed chief says quick fix for social safety net programs vital to avoid more painful steps later. JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (Reuters) - Rising pressure on US finances from an aging population make it vital to quickly


Canadians bike, row to medals Mountain biker Marie-Helene Premont of Chateau-Richer, Que. captured the silver on a tough and sun-baked course in the suburbs of Athens today, finishing behind winner Gunn-Rita Dahle of Norway.


Jaguar to Cut Output Amid Slack Demand British carmaker Jaguar will cut production by some 15,000 units over the rest of 2004 amid slack demand, a Jaguar spokesman said on Friday.


United Steelworkers OK BF Goodrich pact About 3,400 union workers at three BF Goodrich Tire Manuafacturing plants in Indiana and Alabama have approved a new contract after working nearly 15 months without one.


Thomson Corp. to buy e-learning company KnowledgeNet The Thomson Corp. of Stamford, Conn., will acquire KnowledgeNet Inc., a privately held live e-learning company, and merge it with its enterprise learning business, Thomson NETg.


BlackRock Gets a Piece of Met In the asset management industry, the corporate structures can get confusing -- and the numbers huge. BlackRock (NYSE: BLK), for example, is a large asset management firm with \$314 billion under management.


FDA to Review Eyetech, Pfizer Eye Drug A US advisory panel on Friday will review data on an experimental drug that is injected into the eye to stop vision loss in elderly patients at risk of going blind.


Sportfishing bad for stocks Despite a long-held belief that recreational fishing does not have a serious impact on fish stocks, a paper published this week in Science suggests otherwise.


Windows update harbors AMD conflict A problem in the Service Pack 2 update for Windows XP may keep owners of AMD-based computers from using the long-awaited security package, according to Microsoft.


UN: N. Korean Environment in Poor Shape SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea #39;s forests are depleted, its rivers and streams are filled with runoff from factories and a reliance on coal energy has created severe urban air pollution, the United Nations said Friday in its first report on the communist


Sun claims Opteron sales outpace Itanium SEQUENTIAL server revenue at Sun Microsystems has grown faster than the overall market, the firm claimed today. Citing a Gartner Dataquest report, Sun claimed that in the second calendar quarter of this year


Siemens 65 Series Bug could cause Hearing Damage Siemens mobile has warned users about a software-related defect in its 65 product series, the C65, CX65, M65, S65 and SL65 may cause an extremely loud melody when the battery is run down causing your connection to be lost.


Hamm #39;s legacy should be for Olympic ideal Even though he has fled the perceived hostile atmosphere of Athens and the Olympic village for more friendly terrain in the United States, there is still time for Paul Hamm to do what #39;s right.


Rooney demands transfer from Everton Wayne Rooney, the Everton striker, has submitted a transfer request to the club, prompting a fight among major Premiership teams to sign the teenager.


Routine day for Michael Schumacher Ferrari may have ended the opening day of the Belgian Grand Prix with the third and eighth fastest times, but there is no panic at the Italian team as the day was routine setup work ahead of Sunday #39;s 44-lap Grand Prix.


African Taekwondo Athlete Hospitalized ATHENS, Greece - A taekwondo competitor from the Central African Republic was hospitalized for precautionary tests Friday after being knocked out during a preliminary bout.


Court ruling tightens net on Pinochet FORMER Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is a step closer to being tried for atrocities committed under his 1973-1990 regime after a court stripped him of immunity from prosecution.


Opposition slams Pakistan PM vote ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- The appointment of a close ally of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as the country #39;s new prime minister has been criticized as showing the  quot;rule of oppression.


TV: Iraq Group to Free 7 Employees of Kuwait Firm Iraqi kidnappers of seven employees of a Kuwaiti company said in a video statement on Thursday they would release the captives once their employer halted operations in Iraq, Al Arabiya television reported.


Art for effluent society? Rubbish LONDON: A bag of rubbish was thrown away at London #39;s Tate gallery after a cleaner assumed it was just that -- a bag of rubbish.


London judge seeks explanation after Indian deported despite court order (AFP) AFP - A High Court judge in London demanded an explanation from the Home Office as to how a failed asylum-seeker was deported from Britain despite a court order preventing the move.


Survey: Consumers Cautious on U.S. Economy (AP) AP - Consumers became a bit more optimistic toward the end of the August but still felt more cautious on the U.S. economy than they did a month ago, according to survey by the University of Michigan.


Hewlett-Packard's new iPod highlights new product offerings (AFP) AFP - Tech giant Hewlett-Packard unveiled its own branded iPod music player as in introduced a revamped lineup of ditigal consumer products.


McCain Joins Bush to Rein In Groups (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - President Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) joined forces yesterday to seek legal action to reduce the influence of "527" political organizations, but the two remained in disagreement over whether Bush should condemn a television ad by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attacking John F. Kerry's Vietnam service.


FBI Helps Probe of Blast at Stem-Cell Lab (Reuters) Reuters - FBI agents are helping investigate an\explosion at a Boston-area laboratory specializing in stem-cell\research, and a newspaper said on Friday the blast was caused\by a pipe bomb.


Treasuries Tick Down on Economic Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasuries prices ticked lower in thin  trade on Friday as the latest U.S. economic data proved to be  not as poor as bond bulls were betting on.


Jaguar confirms cut in production The Ford-owned carmaker is to cut production at its three UK plants by 11 because of poor sales in the US.


U.S. Women Top Russia to Make Hoops Final ATHENS, Greece - Sheryl Swoopes made three big plays at the end - two baskets and another on defense - to help the United States squeeze out a 66-62 semifinal victory over Russia on Friday. Now, only one game stands between the U.S...


Russia Blames Terrorism for Downed Jet MOSCOW - One of two Russian airliners that crashed nearly simultaneously was brought down by a terrorist act, officials said Friday, after finding traces of explosives in the plane's wreckage. An Islamic militant group claimed responsibility for the attack in a Web statement...


Stocks Climb on Positive GDP Figure News NEW YORK - A sluggish gross domestic product reading was nonetheless better than expected, prompting investors to send stocks slightly higher Friday on hopes that the economic slowdown would not be as bad as first thought.    The 2.8 percent GDP growth in the second quarter, a revision from the 3 percent preliminary figure reported in July, is a far cry from the 4.5 percent growth in the first quarter...


Technology Key to RNC's Protective Net The Republican National Convention kicks off on Monday in the Big Apple and while politics is the main focus, technology will play an important role in securing the event. -washingtonpost.com


Microsoft to show off team-development tools Ultimately, the package will compete with collaborative-development tools from IBM's Rational unit.


Windows update harbors AMD conflict Microsoft says SP2 may not work on computers powered by chipmaker's 64-bit processors.


Microsoft wrestles with SP2, looks to the future With Windows XP Service Pack 2 out the door, Microsoft turns its sights to the next operating system.


U.K.'s NHS licenses Sun's Java Desktop System LONDON -- The U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) said this week that it purchased 5,000 licenses for Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Java Desktop System (JDS) as an alternative to Windows, in a move that could potentially open the door for greater use of the open-source software by the health agency.


Greenspan urges reforms to keep pension system solvent (AFP) AFP - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan called for prompt action to keep the US retirement system solvent in the face of strains from the aging population.


Stocks Up in Light Volume Ahead of Convention  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks gained on Friday after  reports showed U.S. economic growth in the second quarter  matched economists' forecasts and consumer sentiment picked up  above expectations in late August, but volume was feather light  ahead of the upcoming Republican convention in New York City.


HP unveils cavalcade of consumer products (MacCentral) MacCentral - Hewlett-Packard Co. is unveiling a broad new line of consumer electronics products and peripherals, including its first plasma and LCD TVs, new inks that purportedly print long-lasting photos, new paper, a clutch of printers and multifunction devices, and a home theater projector with an integrated DVD player.


U.S. Furious at Proposal That Hamm Return His Gold  ATHENS (Reuters) - U.S. Olympic chiefs reacted furiously  Friday to a suggestion gold medallist Paul Hamm should give his  medal to a South Korean rival under a plan floated by world  gymnastics officials.


Shaukat Aziz elected as Pakistani prime minister despite boycott (AFP) AFP - Pakistan's parliament rubber-stamped the president's choice of prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, despite an opposition boycott and angry protests.


Survey: Consumers Cautious on US Economy NEW YORK Aug. 27, 2004 - Consumers became a bit more optimistic toward the end of the August but still felt more cautious on the US economy than they did a month ago, according to survey by the University of Michigan.


Conoco Looking at Lukoil ConocoPhillips (COP:NYSE - news - research) will seek to buy up to a quarter of Russian oil giant Lukoil, Reuters reported Friday, citing an industry source familiar with the matter.


Greenspan Floats Higher Retirement Age An aging population will put significant stresses on the budget deficit over the next three decades, a problem that could be solved by raising the retirement age, Federal Reserve Chief Alan Greenspan said in a speech Friday.


HP Debuts Its Own IPod Hewlett-Packard #39;s online store, HPshopping.com, this week introduced the  quot;Apple IPod from HP, quot; the company #39;s long-awaited version of the IPod.


Oracle Extends Offer for PeopleSoft - Again The Department of Justice took Oracle to court in May, claiming that its acquisition of PeopleSoft would create a duopoly between it and market leader SAP in the enterprise applications market.


ICANN STILL CAN, SAYS COURT A US District Court Judge has dismissed the anti-trust and conspiracy claims made by the .com and .net registry, VeriSign, against the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names  amp; Numbers (ICANN).


Novell presses RP to begin shifting to Linux Novell Asia has urged the Philippine government to take a closer look at Linux, citing that adopting the open source operating system would be crucial to safeguarding the security and integrity of its computer networks.


RealNetworks Promotion Sells 1 Million Songs RealNetworks could lose \$2 million from below-cost sales -- but will give its service a huge boost, quot; says Forrester Research analyst Rebecca Jennings.


Microsoft to show off team-development tools Microsoft next month plans to distribute an updated beta version of its Visual Studio 2005 development tool that includes the first fruits of the company #39;s ambitious initiative for team development.


Paul Hamm, In Keeping Medal, Misses Opportunity The moment when Paul Hamm hit his high bar routine was one of the most electrifying sports moments Ive ever seen. I cant recall seeing something that I immediately felt was so outstanding


NOW SILVER - McFarlane wins third medal for Ja The Dominican Republic #39;s Felix Sanchez hugs Jamaica #39;s Danny McFarlane (right) after the men #39;s 400 metres hurdles final at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games yesterday.


Stealing great art not all it #39;s painted to be The works can be almost impossible to sell, they can end up dumped in the strangest places, you can #39;t trust anyone. It #39;s enough to make a thief scream, writes Sarah Lyall.


Bryant Trial Begins After months of legal wrangling, potential jurors for the Kobe Bryant trial began arriving at the Eagle, Colo. courthouse Friday.


O's Lose 10th Straight The A's use home runs by Erubiel Durazo and Eric Chavez to finish a four-game sweep of the crumbling Orioles, 9-4, on Thursday.


Preston Heads Home Preston, Md. ended its run through the Little League World Series with a 3-1 loss to Thousand Oaks, Calif., in a U.S. semifinal game Thursday.


Harland surges to bronze Georgina Harland comes from 14th place on the final run to win a bronze in the women's modern pentathlon.


Check Fridays and Mondays for weekly team updates and match <b>...</b>  quot; I admit it, most of my notes for this game considered of  quot;IY Shannon quot; and  quot;Mr. and Mrs. Dan Boxx. quot; Oh, and looking up the United States all-time record for Olympic finals played in cities called  quot;Athens... quot;. by Dan Loney. There #39;s only one story this week


Buzz on USC keeps forgetting football The No. 1 Trojans look to change the subject away from eligibility rulings and rape allegations. The preseason buzz out of USC has had little to do with football.


Greenspan-Aged Population to Hit Finances  JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (Reuters) - An aging U.S. population  will strain public finances and hurt the economy without swift  fixes to the social safety net, such as raising the age for  full retirement benefits, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan  Greenspan said on Friday.


Olympics Wrap: Another Doping Controversy Surfaces  ATHENS (Reuters) - Olympic chiefs ordered Hungarian hammer  gold medallist Adrian Annus Friday to submit another doping  sample or risk losing his medal, while another of his  compatriots was stripped of a medal for failing a test.


African Union Force Seen as Main Hope for Darfur  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Days before a U.N. deadline for  Sudan to disarm and prosecute those responsible for violence in  the country's Darfur region, nations are looking to the African  Union rather than any U.N. sanctions to curb further killing.


U.S. Economy Grew at Slower Pace Than Expected The economy struggled under an increasing trade deficit and a slowdown in consumer spending, the Commerce Department said today.


Spa, Free Practice 1  2: F1 ducks the shower With heavy skies weighing over the Ardennes forest, action was the order of the day on track, with Davidson then Raikkonen going fastest. Renault is also optimistic.


Group protests naming center for Moreno A new Catholic migrant outreach center named for former Diocese of Tucson Bishop Manuel D. Moreno is drawing protests from a support group for victims of clergy abuse.


Traces of Explosives Found in Wreckage of Russian Jet An Islamic extremist group claimed its fighters had hijacked the planes to avenge the deaths of Muslims in Chechnya.


UPDATE 2-Greenspan-Aging US population to strain finances An aging US population will strain public finances and hurt the economy without swift fixes to the social safety net, such as raising the age for


Ford to Cut Jaguar Car Production by 15,000 Units (Update1) Ford Motor Co., the world #39;s second- biggest carmaker, plans to cut production of Jaguar cars by 15,000 units this year to trim losses at its European luxury-vehicle unit.


Interbrew, Ambev Complete Combination BRUSSELS, Belgium Aug. 27, 2004 - Belgium #39;s Interbrew SA and Brazil #39;s Ambev completed their planned \$11.4 billion combination Friday after shareholders of both companies approved the deal that creates the world #39;s largest brewer by volume.


Microsoft overhauls Longhorn plans just in In order to get the next update of its operating system out on time, Microsoft will delay some planned feature improvements, sources close to the company said Friday.


FBI Helps Probe of Blast at US Stem-Cell Lab FBI agents are helping investigate an explosion at a Boston-area laboratory specializing in stem-cell research, and a newspaper said on Friday the blast was caused by a pipe bomb.


Brief: Siemens warns of ear damage from loud mobile tune AUGUST 27, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - DUSSELDORF, Germany -- Siemens AG warned yesterday of a software defect in a range of mobile phones that could cause hearing damage.


Lewis a no-show, but enters not guilty plea Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis did not appear at his arraignment Friday, but his lawyers entered a not guilty plea on charges in an expanded drug conspiracy indictment.


Explosives find confirms terror link EXPLOSIVES have been found in the wreckage of one of the two Russian airliners that crashed near-simultaneously this week. The confirmation that at least one of the aircraft was brought down by a terrorist


Art museums balance access against security By Christopher Andreae  Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor. Since  quot;The Scream quot; by Norwegian angst-artist Edvard Munch was stolen by armed robbers last Sunday, the media have been asking every art expert in sight, Why does this keep happening?


Gun-toting Rwandans invade Whitsundays RWANDAN President Paul Kagame has created a diplomatic storm in north Queensland after bringing his own team of armed guards to an international business conference.


Microsoft overhauls Longhorn plans To get next version of Windows out on time, company to delay some planned features, sources say.


Gateway delivers its first BTX motherboard PC Gateway Inc. released the specifications Friday for a retail desktop PC based on a new motherboard design that should help cool high-end processors and graphics cards.


CAO seeking help from CNPC for oil crisis China Aviation Oil or CAO has appealed to China National Petroleum Corporation or CNPC to prevent the aviation oil supply shortage in the 100 airports it serves.


Industry groups propose alternative to copyright bill WASHINGTON -- A group of 17 companies and organizations this week offered an alternative to a U.S. Senate bill that would allow artists and entertainment companies to sue firms that market products that "induce" copyright violations.


Aziz elected Pakistani premier Former finance minister Shaukat Aziz has been elected as Pakistan #39;s prime minister in a rubber-stamp parliamentary vote boycotted by the entire opposition.


French anti-Jewish violence jumps, reasons unclear The number of anti-Semitic attacks in France has more than doubled over the past year, with most of them committed for vague reasons rather than ideology, France #39;s interior minister said in an interview published on Friday.


News: Japanese banks deploy biometric palm scanners Japanese banks are turning to a new biometric identification system, based on the unique nature of the patterns of veins in our palms.\


News: Filipino mobe users scammed over virus scare Unscrupulous Filipino phone shops are cashing on recent stories about mobile phone viruses to flog worried punters services they don't need.


Mercedes A-Class Hits European Target (AP) AP - DaimlerChrysler AG Friday said it has orders for more than 50,000 of its new Mercedes A-Class models in western Europe, meaning it has already reached the sales target for 2004.


Jackson Visits Darfur to Resolve Crisis (AP) AP - American civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson visited the conflict-torn region of Darfur on Friday, urging the Sudanese government and African rebels to end the crisis that has killed thousands of villagers and driven more than a million from their homes.


Hewlett-Packard Unveils iPod Clone (AP) AP - Hewlett-Packard Co. unveiled its own version of the iPod portable music player Friday, showing the fruits of a groundbreaking partnership it had previously announced with Apple Computer Inc.


Siemens Cites Problem With New Phones (AP) AP - Siemens AG said Friday it anticipates unspecified additional costs from a software problem with new mobile phones that has led retailers to suspend sales.


Pakistan Parliament Elects New PM (AP) AP - Pakistan's parliament elected Shaukat Aziz, the former finance minister and a close ally of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, as prime minister on Friday. The opposition boycotted the vote.


Stolen Egyptian Artifact Returned Home (AP) AP - An artifact stolen from an Egyptian temple in 1990 and held by Christie's auction house in New York for the last two years arrived in Egypt on Friday, an airport official said.


Procter   Gamble CEO Gets \$3.5 Mln Bonus  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Procter   Gamble Co. PG.N, the maker  of Tide laundry detergent and Pampers diapers, on Friday said  its top executive earned a base salary of \$1.7 million this  year and received other compensation including a \$3.5 million  bonus based on the company's strong performance.


Dollar Extends Gains After Economic Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar strengthened against major  European currencies in largely technical trading on Friday  after two U.S. economic reports matched or beat market  expectations.


Greenspan warns on ageing threat Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan warns that prompt action is needed to fund pensions for the ageing US population.


Paul Hamm Asked to Give Up Gold Medal ATHENS, Greece - World gymnastics officials asked Paul Hamm to give up his gold medal as the ultimate show of sportsmanship, but the U.S. Olympic Committee told them to take responsibility for their own mistakes and refused even to deliver the request...


Greenspan Cautions on Baby Boomer Benefits JACKSON, Wyo. - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday that the country will face "abrupt and painful" choices if Congress does not move quickly to trim the Social Security and Medicare benefits that have been promised to the baby boom generation...


Wambach has Midas touch in final PIRAEUS, Greece -- It was a good two hours after FIFA president Sepp Blatter put an Olympic gold medal around the neck of US forward Abby Wambach and the significance of winning the final hadn #39;t truly sunk in yet.


African Union Force Seen as Main Hope for Darfur Days before a UN deadline for Sudan to disarm and prosecute those responsible for violence in the country #39;s Darfur region, nations are looking to the African Union


Pak. parliament elects Aziz as new PM : Opposition lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote on Friday that unanimously elected Shaukat Aziz as Pakistan #39;s new prime minister after their candidate, a jailed opposition leader, was barred from attending the proceedings.


Moro rebels welcome dropping of charges vs Murad et al. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commended the government Friday for dropping the charges against its accused members in connection with the twin deadly bombings in Davao City airport and wharf last year.


OSI shares tumble after disappointing forecast Shares of OSI Systems Inc. (OSIS.O: Quote, Profile, Research) tumbled more than 18 percent on Friday, the day after the security screening company reported higher fourth-quarter


US Govt investigating cyber crimes worth \$215 mn The US Justice Department #39;s crackdown on cyber crime has brought to light illegal activities, including credit-card fraud, to the tune of over \$215 million and resulted in dozens of arrests, a senior official said.


Nokia, Vodafone push for mobile Java standards The world #39;s largest mobile phone manufacturer and Europe #39;s largest wireless operator have launched an initiative to simplify Java standards for mobile devices in a move aimed


UN: N. Korean Environment in Poor Shape North Korea (news - web sites) #39;s forests are depleted, its rivers and streams are filled with runoff from factories and a reliance on coal energy


Police Say Pipe Bomb Damaged Building WATERTOWN, Mass. -- Watertown police say it was a pipe bomb that broke windows at the offices of a biological research company in Watertown early Thursday morning.


Rebel leader claims responsibility for attacks in India #39;s restive <b>...</b> A rebel leader claimed responsibility for two bombings in India #39;s restive northeastern state of Assam, as authorities tightened security Friday -a day after a string of attacks killed four people and left scores wounded.


Timeline of Case Against Kobe Bryant (AP) AP - Timeline of the sexual assault case against Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant:


U.S. Warplane Drops Bombs on Fallujah (AP) AP - A U.S. warplane bombed the restive city of Fallujah on Friday, witnesses said.


Stocks Up in Light Trade  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Friday after  reports showed U.S. economic growth in the second quarter  matched economists' forecasts and consumer sentiment picked up  above expectations in late August, but volume was feather light  ahead of the upcoming Republican convention in New York City.


VW Management's Pay Freeze Offer Spurned  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Volkswagen management has offered to  freeze its own pay for two years in a bid to gain workers'  support for an austerity drive, but union mediators dismissed  the move as a "distraction tactic."


Modern Pentathlon: Voros Wins Women's Gold  ATHENS (Reuters) - Hungary's Zsuzsanna Voros won the gold  medal in the women's modern pentathlon in Athens Friday to add  the Olympic title to her three world championships.


N Korean leader's lover 'dead' The favourite consort of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is rumoured to have died, according to media reports.


Another iPod, This One From HP The company rolls out many new products, including its version of the iPod. Also: Sprint and SBC let customers use both companies' wi-fi connections   hellip;. Regulators approve a generic form of an antinausea drug   hellip;. and more.


Microsoft to show off Team tools Ultimately, a Visual Studio package will compete with products from IBM's Rational unit. Coders will get a peek next month.


Sun, Dell Lead Server Sales Low-cost Linux and Windows servers are outselling Unix models, Gartner analysts say.


Update 2: United Steelworkers OK BF Goodrich Pact More than 3,000 union workers at three BF Goodrich Tire Manufacturing plants in Indiana and Alabama have approved a new contract after working about 15 months without one.


Westmoreland to buy rest of Roanoake Valley project Westmoreland Coal Co. (WLB.A: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Friday it will buy the 50 percent stake it does not already own of the Roanoke Valley Power Project, or ROVA, in


Bush Administration Cracks Down on Internet-Related Crimes The government calls it  quot;Operation Web Snare quot;, catching criminals who do business online. They #39;ve been working since June and today announced dozens of arrests for crimes that cost victims millions of dollars.


ISPs slam Ofcom broadband ruling UK internet service providers (ISPs) have reacted with dismay to the publication of a direction statement from telecoms regulator Ofcom, which they say leaves BT free to levy high charges on the wholesale digital subscriber line services it leases to them


Oracle Extends Bid for PeopleSoft Oracle has extended its \$21-per-share tender offer to PeopleSoft #39;s shareholders, which was due to expire this week. The new deadline is September 10th.


Online Travel #39;s Narrowing Horizons After some four months of waiting for both the Google (GOOG ; ranked hold; recent price: \$108) IPO and our subsequent initiation of coverage on the shares to be completed, I, like many Americans this time of year, am thinking about one thing -- travel.


Rooney signing could influence title race - Wenger Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Manchester United #39;s title challenge would be strengthened by the signing of England striker Wayne Rooney.


Modern Pentathlon: Voros Wins Women #39;s Gold Hungary #39;s Zsuzsanna Voros won the gold medal in the women #39;s modern pentathlon in Athens Friday to add the Olympic title to her three world championships.


Islamic group claims Russian plane crashes An Islamic group has claimed that it hijacked two Russian planes that crashed earlier this week, killing at least 89 people. The statement was posted on a website which usually carries Islamic militant statements.


Palestinians swear by Mahatma ABU DIS, West Bank: Palestinians and Israelis rallied under the shadows of the West Bank barrier on Friday, vowing to follow in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi by pursuing a peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict.


Regulating hate speech on the internet remains difficult, experts say (AFP) AFP - As the court case between US Internet giant Yahoo and a French group trying to halt the online sales of Nazi memorabilia entered a new phase this week, experts gathered here stressed how difficult it was to regulate hate speech on the Internet.


Sun, Dell Lead Server Sales (PC World) PC World - Low-cost Linux and Windows servers are outselling Unix models, Gartner analysts say.


Powell Praises Najaf Peace Agreement (AP) AP - Secretary of State Colin Powell on Friday praised the peace deal that ended fighting in Iraq's holy city of Najaf and said the presence of U.S. forces in the area helped make it possible.


Jacobson Lifts Ryder Cup Hopes with Sparkling 65  MUNICH (Reuters) - Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson made his bid  for a last-gasp Ryder Cup debut with a spectacular  seven-under-par 65 in the BMW International Open second round  on Friday.


Guantanamo hearing postponed A hearing at Guantanamo Bay for a man accused of being an al-Qaeda paymaster is postponed.


Presidential Campaign to Nov. 2, 2004 (Reuters) Reuters - The following diary of events\leading up to the presidential election on Nov. 2.


Update 2: Interbrew Shareholders Back Ambev Move Shareholders of Belgian brewer Interbrew SA on Friday backed the planned \$11.4 billion combination of their family company with Brazil #39;s Ambev in a deal that would form the world #39;s largest brewer by volume.


HP Strikes Up its iPod Hewlett-Packard (HPQ:NYSE - news - research) unveiled a new line-up of consumer products Friday aimed at the back-to-school and holiday shopping season, including its own branded version of Apple #39;s (AAPL:Nasdaq - news - research) iPod digital music player


Drug Giant to Release Trial Results on Web GlaxoSmithKline agreed on Thursday to post the results of all clinical trials of its drugs, both positive and negative, on the Internet.


Ashcroft Heralds Success in Net Crime Crackdown  quot;America #39;s justice community is dedicated to stopping economic crimes before they spread through the online community, quot; Attorney General John Ashcroft said as he announced the results of  quot;Operation Web Snare quot; at a Washington news conference.


Oracle Re-extends PeopleSoft Bid. Oracle again extended its tender offer for PeopleSoft to Friday, Sept. 10 at midnight, Eastern Standard Time. Oracle is offering \$21 per share or about \$7.


SBC, Sprint deal doubles Wi-Fi customers #39; hot spot access Through a deal with rival SBC Communications Inc., Sprint Corp. will almost double the number of places subscribers can wirelessly log on to the Internet at high speeds, according to a report from the Kansas City Business Journal.


Gateway PC keeps it cool Gateway on Friday unveiled a PC designed to stay cool even when handling applications that use a lot of power. The 700GR computer features Intel #39;s balanced technology extended, or BTX, architecture, in which


HP Enters Consumer-Electronics Market Hewlett-Packard blasted into the consumer-electronic market on Friday with its most significant product launch of the year, unveiling new televisions, digital cameras, photo printers, notebooks and desktop PCs.


USOC upset over FIG #39;s attempt to pressure Hamm The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has rejected a request by FIG, the international gymnastics federation, to deliver a letter to all-around champion Paul


Raikkonen Posts Fastest Time at Belgian Grand Prix Practice Finnish Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen has posted the fastest time on the first day of practice for this week #39;s Belgian Grand Prix, where Michael Schumacher can capture the drivers #39; title for the year.


Iraq refuse to wear black armbands in bronze medal match Iraq #39;s footballers have refused to join their Olympic bronze medal opponents Italy in donning black armbands as a mark of respect for murdered Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni.


Price hike for business broadband Small net firms warn they could be hit hard by BT's decision to raise prices for business broadband.


Bush Acknowledges Iraq 'Miscalculation' WASHINGTON - President Bush, undertaking a heavy campaign schedule in key states in the run-up to the Republican National Convention, acknowledges a "miscalculation" about what the United States would encounter in post-war Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.    In an interview with The New York Times, Bush said for the first time that he made a "miscalculation of what the conditions would be" after U.S...


Stocks Up Despite Sluggish GDP Reading NEW YORK - A sluggish gross domestic product reading was nonetheless better than expected, prompting investors to send stocks slightly higher Friday on hopes that the economic slowdown would not be as bad as first thought.    The 2.8 percent GDP growth in the second quarter, a revision from the 3 percent preliminary figure reported in July, is a far cry from the 4.5 percent growth in the first quarter...


Construction accident in Detroit kills one, critically injures <b>...</b> One worker was killed and three critically injured on Friday when a platform fell as they attempted to repair a highway overpass, police said.


Americans Block Hamm Letter The United States Olympic Committee have refused to pass on an official letter to all-round gymnastic champion Paul Hamm requesting him to return his gold medal.


Rough patches for XP update Microsoft's security-minded SP2 update to Windows XP finally makes it out the door, but not without stumbling.


Ravens' Running Back Lewis Pleads Not Guilty (Reuters) Reuters - Baltimore Ravens star running\back Jamal Lewis was not in the court room for his arraignment\on Friday, but pleaded not guilty through his lawyers on drug\charges.


Free Online Legal Service Launched (AP) AP - A nonprofit that helps the poor with legal services launched a free Web site Friday to help people navigate the state and federal courts in California.


Chirac hits out at international community's inaction in Middle East (AFP) AFP - French President Jacques Chirac sharply criticized the international community's failure to help put an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying the world should "impose" peace talks.


Peru Photo Exhibit a Powerful Reminder (AP) AP - The walk through the decaying seaside mansion is a grim reminder of the political carnage that wracked Peru over two decades and killed nearly 70,000 people. The photos stare from peeling walls in a stark chronicle of the bloodbath.


HP to tempt holiday shoppers with sights and sounds PC giant unveils consumer electronics strategy, including iPod music player, high-definition TVs and PCs that record TV shows. \


Ravens' Running Back Lewis Pleads Not Guilty  ATLANTA (Sports Network) - Baltimore Ravens star running  back Jamal Lewis was not in the court room for his arraignment  on Friday, but pleaded not guilty through his lawyers on drug  charges.


Novelty mice chase after kids Logitech releases computer mice in ladybug and football models that are sized for smaller hands.


Gateway PC keeps it cool Game-friendly desktop PC uses fans and a wind tunnel to bring down the temperature and the noise.


S.Africa Says Eq. Guinea Wants to Quiz Thatcher  CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) - Equatorial Guinea has  asked South Africa for permission to interview Mark Thatcher,  arrested this week on suspicion of involvement in a coup plot  against the leader of the oil-rich country, officials said  Friday.


Former financier Armstrong pleads innocent to fraud Former investment adviser Martin Armstrong pleaded innocent Friday to new charges that he bilked investors out of nearly \$3 billion.


PM Pledges Russia Will Meet Oil Goals Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov pledged Friday that Russia would keep meeting its oil export commitments to China, an apparent reference to fears that a cut in production at the beleaguered Yukos oil company could harm Beijing.


Jaguar puts brake on production LUXURY carmaker Jaguar is slashing production levels for the rest of this year by 11 to make up for a shortfall in sales. The Ford-owned car marque is bringing in the cuts - a reduction of 15,000 cars - as


Fannie Mae to expand securities disclosures US mortgage finance company Fannie Mae on Friday said it would make public information about some securities it issues to comply with new Securities and Exchange Information rules.


Westmoreland agrees to NC deal Colorado Springs-based Westmoreland Coal Co. (AMEX: WLB) will buy LG amp;E Energy #39;s 50 percent stake in a North Carolina power project for \$125 million.


Chico #39;s: A Retailing Steamroller Shopping at women #39;s clothing stores is an acquired taste. The way I see it, you either embrace the experience and help your significant other shop till she drops or you mope around


Supermarket workers in Pierce County approve pact SEATTLE - Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 376 in Pierce County approved a three-year contract Wednesday night that will affect 4,500 people who work for Albertsons, Safeway and Kroger-owned QFC and Fred Meyer.


Sprint, SBC In Hotspot Roaming Deal Sprint and SBC Communications Friday announced a two-way roaming deal that will enable the customers of each vendor to access the hotspots run by the other.


UK Broadband Pricing Adjustment: Competition or Crisis? With reports of more than a quarter increase in the price to provide broadband services, the smaller ISPs reportedly claim that the Ofcom moves will create a noncompetitive market, benefiting


Gateway Rolls Out Cool but Quiet Desktop Gateway Inc. is rolling out a new desktop computer aimed specifically at the retail market featuring the new BTX design that improves cooling and noise reduction capabilities.


#39;iPods r us #39; claims HP Hoping to make a big bang in consumer electronics, Hewlett-Packard is to unveil its long-awaited HP-branded iPod, along with its first televisions, an entertainment hub and the usual array of new printers and cameras, sources said.


Dahle takes Olympic gold in mountain bike Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Gunn-Rita Dahle of Norway captured the gold medal on Friday in the women #39;s mountain bike competition at the Summer Olympics in Athens.


Abramovich faces UEFA inquiry over CSKA links UEFA is to investigate the links Roman Abramovich has to CSKA Moscow after the Russian club was drawn in the same Champions League group as Chelsea.


Jury Selection in Kobe Bryant Trial DENVER - Potential jurors in the rape trial of NBA star Kobe Bryant are filing into the Eagle County Courthouse in Colorado today, ready to fill out questionnaires that could determine if they become a part of this high profile trial.


NYC Mayor Says Hotels Full During Convention Time (Reuters) Reuters - New York City's hotels are full for\the last week of August, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on\Friday, boosting his claim that next week's Republican National\Convention will provide an economic boom to the city.


Fire Retardant Found in Puget Sound Orcas (AP) AP - Fire retardants used worldwide in manufacturing vehicle parts and computers have been found in Puget Sound orcas, raising new concerns about the long-term health of the region's killer whales, a new Canadian study shows.


GOP Delegates to See One Version of NYC (AP) AP - Among the cultural attractions recommended by city tourism officials for Republican National Convention delegates are the popular Museum of Modern Art, the iconic Guggenheim museum and the stately Whitney.


NYC Mayor Says Hotels Full During Convention Time  NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City's hotels are full for  the last week of August, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on  Friday, boosting his claim that next week's Republican National  Convention will provide an economic boom to the city.


Treasuries Inch Up on Slower Growth  CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices inched up on  Friday as improved consumer sentiment failed to overshadow  slower second-quarter growth, while flight-to-safety buying  emerged before next week's Republican convention in New York.


Chico's: A Retailing Steamroller The women's clothing and accessories retailer continues to produce impressive results.


Only names have changed in BCS scam of a system a monopoly turning a tidy profit by cleaning up messes without dithering over who gets hurt along the way. This season #39;s victims were Auburn and California.


Kroger Workers OK New 3-Year Contract Grocery store chain Kroger Co. said Friday that its grocery and meat employees in the Seattle area approved a new three-year labor contract.


Harland sprints in for bronze Trailing in 14th position before the final discipline - a three kilometre run - Harland, world No.1, made up 49 seconds on her nearest rival to snatch the bronze medal in dramatic circumstances.


Huggins back at Cincinnati Bob Huggins was reinstated as men #39;s basketball coach at the University of Cincinnati. Huggins, 50, was suspended with pay in June after he was arrested for driving under the influence.


Teacher sentenced for slapping Schroeder An unemployed teacher has been given a four-month suspended sentence and ordered to perform community service for slapping German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in the face at a Social Democrat party event in May.


HP cues iPod Hewlett-Packard brands its own version of Apple's music player and introduces a line of consumer products.


Credit Issuers Shares Dented by Kerry Plan Financial companies were under scrutiny Friday after Sen. John Kerry vowed to push for legislation that would curb credit card fees and protect homebuyers from unfair lending practices.


Oracle extends PeopleSoft takeover bid Oracle Corp. has extended its \$7.7 billion hostile takeover bid for Pleasanton #39;s PeopleSoft Inc. until Sept. 10. Redwood City-based Oracle #39;s previous offer would have expired at 9 pm Friday.


Nokia, Vodafone Join Forces To Simplify Mobile Phone Software Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia Corp and British mobile operator Vodafone Group PLC said they would collaborate to simplify mobile phone software using the Java computer language, paving


Scott Knaster Releases New Book,  quot;Hacking iPod  iTunes quot; Scott Knaster, author of 11 books about computers and technology, has released his newest book, Hacking iPod  iTunes. The book explores tips and tricks relating


McGinley keeps Ryder Cup rivals at bay Paul McGinley #39;s BMW International Open second round four-under-par 68 on Friday left him sharing 11th place four strokes away from leader Miguel Angel Jimenez and


Radcliffe #39;s Day of Destiny Paula Radcliffe arrived at the Olympic Stadium tonight determined to bury the ghost of Sundays marathon by winning a medal in the 10,000metres final.


Archer linked to coup plot It has become known as the  quot;Wonga List quot;, an incendiary document said to disclose the identities of the rich and influential public figures who bankrolled the alleged coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea.


Al-Qaeda-related terrorism still poses as great a threat as ever 27 August 2004 - Despite international efforts, the threat from al-Qaeda-related terrorism remains as great as ever but the nature of that threat has changed, according to the first report from the monitoring team dealing with United Nations sanctions


PM Pledges Russia Will Meet Oil Goals (AP) AP - Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov pledged Friday that Russia would keep meeting its oil export commitments to China, an apparent reference to fears that a cut in production at the beleaguered Yukos oil company could harm Beijing.


Hargrove calls on NDP to leave Quebec to Bloc, form leftist alliance (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MONTREAL (CP) - The New Democratic Party should leave Quebec to the Bloc Quebecois and work with the sovereigntist party in the House of Commons in a leftist alliance, the head of the Canadian Auto Workers said Friday.


Bush on top ahead of Republican convention, despite Iraq, economic woes (AFP) AFP - US President George W. Bush campaigned in Florida ahead of his party's convention, on top in the polls but battered by negative economic news and a situation in Iraq he admits he miscalculated.


Steroid rage Swift, decisive action can save baseballs image New York Yankee Jason Giambi was outted as a cheat last week by the San Francisco Chronicle. The paper obtained federal grand jury testimony that Giambi admitted what most people already believed: hed taken


HP rolls out new consumer electronics Hewlett-Packard Co., one of the top private employers in Greater Sacramento, on Friday rolled out an array of new products to expand into consumer digital-entertainment and digital-photography categories, including a home theater computer and its own


Former Financier Pleads Not Guilty to New Charges Former financier Martin Armstrong pleaded not guilty to expanded charges of fraud on Friday, just days after he challenged a contempt order that has kept him imprisoned for more than four years.


Bonds trade flat, dollar mixed Treasury prices trim early gains as GDP fails to surprise; greenback gains against the euro. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Bond prices trimmed earlier gains and traded mostly flat Friday after US economic data proved


Stocks Up Despite Sluggish GDP Reading A sluggish gross domestic product reading was nonetheless better than expected, prompting investors to send stocks slightly higher Friday on hopes that the economic slowdown would not be as bad as first thought.


NASA: Space Shuttle Fixed Last year a chunk of the foam damaged a wing of the Columbia, leading to the breakup of the shuttle high over Texas. NASA is aiming for three shuttle flights in 2005.


Abdallah wins first US women #39;s taekwondo medal Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Nia Abdallah won the first United States medal ever in women #39;s taekwondo Friday, fighting her way through three rounds before falling in the under-57kg gold medal match and earning a silver.


Sport Fishing Puts Bite on U.S. Fish Stocks, Study Says Catches of dwindling U.S. marine fish stocks by recreational anglers now rival those of commercial fisheries, claims a new report.


Drug-Discovery Plan to Tap, and Help, Africa Forests An ambitious drug-research project in Madagascar aims to tap the botanical knowledge of traditional healers while helping to protect the country's rain forests.


US economic growth brakes to 2.8 percent pace in second quarter (AFP) AFP - The US economy braked harder than first thought in the second quarter, skidding to a 2.8 percent annual growth rate as consumers gripped their purses, a government report showed.


NBA boss vows future US teams to work more on global rules (AFP) AFP - Future United States Olympic teams of National Basketball Association stars will have more training with international rules before arriving at the Games, NBA commissioner David Stern said.


Cheney's Plane Avoids Collision (AP) AP - A military plane carrying Vice President Dick Cheney came within almost half a mile of a small private plane over Bridgeport, Conn., last month, forcing the pilot to take evasive action, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday.


New aviation system makes flying safer, pollution free: Technology India: Washington, Dec 7 : Scientists are now developing a new aircraft scheduling system using computer models which, would not only make air travel safer but would also curb the pollution.


Avalon faces axe as Microsoft dismembers Longhorn Exclusive WinFS, new GUI face 'decoupling'


New Printers, TVs, iPod at Core of HP Digital Push Mike McGuire, an analyst with Gartner G2, said HP #39;s moves are born both out of innovation and market necessity, and that the company still faces stiff competition from the likes of consumer electronics giant Sony.


Economic growth stalls in US THE US economy braked harder than first thought in the second quarter, skidding to a 2.8 per cent annual growth rate as consumers gripped their purses, new figures showed overnight.


DOJ Accuses Six With Crippling Rivals #39; Web Sites Among the more than 150 cybercrime arrests and convictions announced Thursday by the Department of Justice was an original: the nation #39;s first case alleging denial of service attacks against competitors to knock them offline.


Microsoft revamps its plans for Longhorn update In order to get the next update of its Windows operating system out the door, Microsoft will delay some of the key improvements that had been planned.


VeriSign antitrust claim against ICANN rebuffed VeriSign has suffered a legal setback in its courtroom battles with Internet governing body ICANN over its controversial Site Finder service.


UK Broadband Pricing Adjustment: Competition or Crisis? A mandated price cut in so-called local loop unbundling in the UK, a requirement for UK providers to offer broadband service, and an allowed price increase for wholesale broadband products has


IGF ask US #39;s Hamm to Give up the Gold ATHENS, Greece - The controversy over American Olympian Paul Hamm #39;s gold medal in the all-round men #39;s gymnastics has headed back into headlines as the International Gymnastics Federation (IGF) has asked Hamm to  quot;voluntarily quot; give back the medal.


ATHENS OLYMPICS 2004 / Crawford leads US sweep in 200 Each time the runners approached the starting blocks, the chants would begin again, a defiant show of support for their fallen hero.


Towns Celebrate and Hope Amir Can Strike Gold Amir Khans victory sparked scenes of celebration tonight in the two towns where the boxing sensation lives and trains. Family and friends in Bolton and Bury heaped praise on the


National defence top priority: Shaukat Aziz ISLAMABAD: The Newly elected Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Friday vowed to ensure good governance in the country which would give priority to merit and ability in all fields.


British Airways cancels additional flights LONDON, August 27 (New Ratings) - British Airways (BAI1.FSE) announced its plans today to cancel 24 additional flights in the next few days.


#39;Assam blasts aimed at sparking panic #39; A spate of bombings which killed six people and injured scores in the past two days is aimed at triggering panic in the revolt-hit Indian state of Assam, an official said yesterday.


Chirac hits out at international community #39;s inaction in Middle <b>...</b> PARIS : French President Jacques Chirac sharply criticized the international community #39;s failure to help put an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying the world should  quot;impose quot; peace talks.


Briefly: OSDL hires lawyer, opens China office roundup Plus: Oracle gives PeopleSoft shareholders more time...Cisco reports access control server flaws...Toshiba tinkers with Wi-Fi for TV.


Microsoft revamps its plans for Longhorn update To get next version of Windows out on time, company says it will delay some planned features.


OSDL hires lawyer, opens China office The lab home of Linux founder Linus Torvalds hires an intellectual-property attorney and says hello to Beijing.


Ex-Palm CEO Yankowski to head Majesco Carl Yankowski replaces Jesse Sutton as CEO of the game publisher.


Jury Selection Begins in Kobe Bryant Rape Case (Reuters) Reuters - Hundreds of prospective jurors in\the high-profile Kobe Bryant rape case turned up on Friday for\jury selection in a trial of the star athlete that lawyers said\is shaping up to be full of rancor.


U.S. Tribunal Charges Suspected Al Qaeda Accountant (Reuters) Reuters - A\Sudanese man described as an al Qaeda paymaster was formally\charged on Friday with conspiring to commit terrorism.


'Dream Team' Out of Gold Race After Loss to Argentina  ATHENS (Reuters) - Argentina upset three-times defending  champions the United States 89-81 in their semi-final at the  men's Olympic basketball Friday.


Jury Selection Begins in Kobe Bryant Rape Case  EAGLE, Colo. (Reuters) - Hundreds of prospective jurors in  the high-profile Kobe Bryant rape case turned up on Friday for  jury selection in a trial of the star athlete that lawyers said  is shaping up to be full of rancor.


Update 1: PM Pledges Russia Will Meet Oil Goals Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov pledged Friday that Russia would keep meeting its oil export commitments to China, an apparent reference to fears that a cut in production at the beleaguered Yukos oil company could harm Beijing.


Mercury continues product offensive with new mid-size car called <b>...</b> Ford Motor Co. #39;s Mercury brand, in the midst of launching six new vehicles over the next four years, will call its new entry-level sedan the Milan and try to use the car to attract a younger buyer.


HP #39;s iPod Leads Product Rush With its enterprise division still reeling from its financial woes, HP (Quote, Chart) announced today 25 new consumer products it hopes will reinvigorate its brand.


UN: N. Korean Environment in Poor Shape Aug. 27, 2004 - NAIROBI, Kenya Urgent investment is needed in North Korea to deal with severe environmental problems that have depleted the country #39;s forests, contaminated water supplies and polluted the


Brain Study Shows Why Revenge is Sweet  quot;A person who has been cheated is left in a bad situationwith bad feelings, quot; said study co-author Ernst Fehr, director of the Institute for Empirical Research in Economics at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.


Toxins Accumulate in Arctic Peoples, Animals, Study Says For several decades researchers have studied toxin levels in Arctic peoples and wildlife and tracked pollution sources. Peter Ross is a marine mammal toxicologist with the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Sidney, British Columbia.


Deakes agony as curse strikes JANE Saville was the first person to reach fellow Australian heartbreak walker Nathan Deakes when he was disqualified with a medal in sight in the Olympic 50km race yesterday.


Chelsea denies conflict of interest in Champions League grouping Chelsea has denied there is any conflict of interest in its being grouped with Russian side CSKA Moscow in the Champions League. The two sides were drawn Thursday in Group H, along with titleholder Porto and Paris Saint-Germain.


Men #39;s Triathlon Hamish Carter pulled away from Bevan Docherty on the final lap of the triathlon, giving New Zealand a 1-2 finish in the endurance race.


Khan fights his way to boxing final Britain #39;s teenage boxing sensation Amir Khan tonight won his semi-final fight in Athens and guaranteed himself at least a silver Olympic medal.


Najaf Calm as Peace Deal Implemented Calm reigned in Najaf Friday, as Shi #39;ite militants abandoned the holy Imam Ali shrine in accordance with a peace deal brokered by Iraq #39;s top Shi #39;ite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.


Greenspan on America #39;s Age Wave The only things you can count on in life, or so the saying goes, are death and taxes. But when it comes to economics and government budgets, perhaps the only thing that #39;s for sure is demographics.


Greenspan: Change social safety net JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (CNNfn) - The US government must not promise benefits to aging baby boomers that it cannot afford, because that could mean painful future adjustments to taxes and spending, according to Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan.


Microsoft Sees  #39;06 Launch of  #39;Longhorn #39; Windows Upgrade Microsoft (MSFT:Nasdaq - news - research) on Friday made official its plans to release its next Windows upgrade in 2006, although the software will be missing one of its key features.


Thursday #39;s round-up It was another great night for the US track and field team as it upped its medal count to 18, just two short of the Sydney Games. The highlight was the sweep in the 200 meters.


Mourinho #39;s Chelsea Faces Porto in Champions League (Update1) Chelsea, soccer #39;s biggest-spending team, will play defending champion Porto in the group stage of European soccer #39;s Champions League, pitting Blues coach Jose Mourinho against the team he took to last year #39;s final.


Teenager Khan is through to final ATHENS, Greece -- Britain #39;s Amir Khan is now only one bout away from becoming the youngest Olympic boxing champion since Floyd Patterson won gold in 1952, after defeating Serik Yeleuov of Kazakhstan in the semifinals.


Bryant Trial Opens With Jury Selection EAGLE, Colo. Aug. 27, 2004 - Some 500 potential jurors began arriving at the courthouse here Friday, the first step toward choosing 12 people who will decide whether NBA star Kobe Bryant is guilty of sexually assaulting a resort worker last summer.


Sadr gives up Najaf shrine SHIITE militia leader Moqtada Sadr has ceded control of his shrine stronghold to representatives of the religious leadership following a deal with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to end weeks of deadly fighting that has devastated the Iraqi city of Najaf.


Italians wear black armbands to honor slain journalist killed in <b>...</b> Italian soccer players wore black armbands on their uniforms during the Olympic bronze-medal game against Iraq on Friday in honor of an Italian journalist killed by Iraqi militants.


Hamza quizzed over terrorism Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza, 47, of north London, is being questioned over allegations he supported terrorism. Detectives will explore whether he gave aid to terrorists, either through recruitment, finance or logistics.


350 security prisoners end two-week hunger strike Some 350 security prisoners at Shikma jail have ended their two-week hunger strike, Prisons Authority spokesman Ofer Lefler said Friday, as the United Nations expressed its concern


Argentina Completes Dream Team's Downfall (AP) AP - Bronze is the best the American men's basketball team can do, and the reason is simple: They were beaten by a better team, Argentina. Manu Ginobili scored 29 points to lead his nation to another victory over the country that used to dominate the sport, an 89-81 win in the Olympic semifinals Friday night.


VeriSign Suit Against ICANN Dismissed (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - A federal judge on Thursday dismissed an antitrust lawsuit brought by Internet registry firm VeriSign (Nasdaq: VRSN) against the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), handing VeriSign a second defeat in its dispute over the company's controversial SiteFinder service.


Sprint, SBC in Wi-Fi Deal (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - U.S. telecom carriers Sprint (NYSE: FON) and SBC Communications (NYSE: SBC) have announced a reciprocal deal, under which their customers will be able to use both companies' wireless Internet connections more easily.


Home Users Most Vulnerable to SP2 Flaw (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - One of the first flaws found in Windows XP SP2 -- which leaves a PC vulnerable through a drag-and-drop hole in Internet Explorer -- could be used by hackers for even greater mischief.


Oracle Extends Bid for PeopleSoft (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - While a U.S. District Court continues to weigh the legality of \Oracle's (Nasdaq: ORCL) attempted takeover of \PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT), Oracle has taken the necessary steps to ensure the offer does not die on the vine with PeopleSoft's shareholders.


Convention Protesters Eager to Begin (AP) AP - Jason Flores-Williams may despise President Bush, but he can't wait for him and his party to get here.


Democrats Come to Observe Convention (AP) AP - The Democrats have come to town to prick rhetorical balloons at the Republican National Convention.


Croatia erases 'fascist' tributes Croatian authorities take down two monuments honouring officials from the country's Nazi era.


Stocks Climb on GDP Reading in 2Q NEW YORK - A sluggish gross domestic product reading was nonetheless better than expected, prompting investors to send stocks moderately higher Friday on hopes that the economic slowdown would not be as bad as first thought.    The 2.8 percent GDP growth in the second quarter, a revision from the 3 percent preliminary figure reported in July, is a far cry from the 4.5 percent growth in the first quarter...


Argentina Completes Dream Team's Downfall ATHENS, Greece - Bronze is the best the American men's basketball team can do, and the reason is simple: They were beaten by a better team, Argentina. Manu Ginobili scored 29 points to lead his nation to another victory over the country that used to dominate the sport, an 89-81 win in the Olympic semifinals Friday night...


SABMiller to build China brewery; Interbrew, AmBev complete merger After losing out on a bid to buy China #39;s Harbin Brewery Group Ltd. to rival Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., Miller Brewing Co. #39;s owner SABMiller plc is planning to build an \$82.


HP to tempt shoppers with digital lifestyle PC giant unveils consumer electronics strategy, including iPod music player, high-definition TVs and PCs that record television shows. \


Hewlett-Packard #39;s new iPod highlights new product offerings MIAMI : Tech giant Hewlett-Packard unveiled its own branded iPod music player as in introduced a revamped lineup of digital consumer products.


Federal Court Dismisses VeriSign Claim Against ICANN  quot;The US federal court #39;s decision serves as another important affirmation of ICANN #39;s multistakeholder participatory model, and reaffirms the ICANN structure, quot; stated John Jeffrey, ICANN #39;s General Counsel.


OSDL hires lawyer, opens China office Open Source Development Labs, a Beaverton, Ore.-based consortium devoted to improving Linux, has hired an attorney to handle intellectual-property matters and has opened a branch office in Beijing, the group said this week.


Dream Team Beaten by Argentina 89-81 ATHENS, Greece Aug. 27, 2004 - The US men #39;s basketball team will go home from the Olympics without a gold medal for the first time since it began using NBA players after the Americans were beaten soundly by Argentina 89-81 in the semifinals Friday.


Annus horribilis Hungary #39;s hammer throw gold medallist, Adrian Annus, is embroiled in a drugs dispute with the IOC demanding that he give a fresh urine sample or lose his gold medal.


Irans Saei adds Athens gold to Sydney bronze TEHRAN (MNA) - Sydney bronze medalist Hadi Saei from Iran won the coveted gold of -68kg taekwondo tournament of 2004 Athens Olympic Games Friday.


DECOURCY: Rededicated Huggins back at Cincy CINCINNATI - His workday began Friday at 12:01 am ET. Bob Huggins made a couple of recruiting calls, one to a point guard who interests the Cincinnati Bearcats, another to a power forward.


Ayatollah Sistanis pivotal role in resolving Najaf crisis Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani, the great Shia marja taqlid (source of emulation) based in Najaf, returned to the city last Thursday in order to resume his pivotal role in resolving the Najaf crisis.


Al-Qaeda sanctions  #39;ineffective #39; UNITED NATIONS (BBC) -- A UN committee has found that sanctions imposed against al-Qaeda and the former Taleban have had little impact on the groups #39; operations.


Explosions kill four, wound 54 in India Two bus bombings and a series of other blasts yesterday killed four people and wounded 54 in a surge of violence that police blamed on separatist rebels in Indias insurgency-wracked Assam state.


Lebanon urged to hold free elections The United States, Germany and France called Friday for presidential elections in Lebanon to be free, based on the constitution and staged without foreign intervention, a


Will GMail change the way email marketing is done? Will GMail change the way email marketing is done?\\I read this great article online sometime back which made big sense in current scenario. A lot of people I know have started to use GMail as their primary mail service. And most of them do not move due to the much ...


Hewlett-Packard to Launch Latest Push Into Consumer Markets The company will unveil a range of products today including its version of the iPod digital music player that raises the stakes in a war between PC and electronics makers.


Vuitton Loses Dooney-Bourke Trademark Bid (Reuters) Reuters - Louis Vuitton on Friday lost a bag\battle to stop competitors from imitating its famous "LV" logo\style when a U.S. judge refused to order Dooney   Bourke to\stop marketing a line with its "DB" monogram.


Microsoft sets 2006 release for "Longhorn" operating system (AFP) AFP - Microsoft said it plans to broadly release the long-awaited update to its flagship Windows operating system, dubbed "Longhorn," in 2006.


Treasuries Slip in Thin Trade  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury debt prices were a  sliver lower on Friday, but trading was thin as many investors  took off for an early weekend before next week's Republican  convention.


Microsoft Scales Back Longhorn Plans Key feature of the upcoming OS will be cut so it will ship in 2006.


Oil Obsession Wanes on Wall Street Oil is now down almost 15 in a week. Isn #39;t this what people were complaining about two weeks ago when oil was marching toward \$50 a barrel?


Explosion investigated at Watertown biotech company Police were searching for suspects Friday after a pipe bomb exploded in the offices of a biotech company developing treatments for diabetes and liver disease.


Mobile makers get the message Mobile phones get smaller and lighter all the time. With the part count for the average mobile going down by 20-30 per cent every year, a phone bought five years ago now looks as old-fashioned as a 1950s wireless.


#39;Dream Team #39; Out of Gold Race After Loss to Argentina The US men #39;s basketball team was beaten by Argentina Friday, denying it an Olympic gold medal for the first time since 1992 when NBA players started competing.


US Olympic Officials Condemn New Assault on Hamm #39;s Gold Medal The US Olympic Committee says  quot;outrageous and improper quot; pressure is being put on gymnast Paul Hamm to give up his gold medal to a South Korean rival.


Running battles on Athens streets POLICE used tear gas today to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who lit fires, smashed windows and beat up journalists as they marched through Athens to protest a visit by US Secretary of State Colin Powell.


Liu Xiang makes history The 21-year-old Chinese claimed the gold medal of the showcase men #39;s 110m hurdles before a capacity crowd of 70,000 at the Olympic Stadium in the 28th Olympic Games here on Friday.


Italy firm on Iraq after  #39;barbaric #39; hostage murder Italy insisted Friday the killing of an Italian journalist in Iraq by Islamic kidnappers would not shake its resolve to keep troops in Iraq.


African Union Force Seen as Main Hope for Darfur (Reuters) Reuters - Days before a U.N. deadline for\Sudan to disarm and prosecute those responsible for violence in\the country's Darfur region, nations are looking to the African\Union rather than any U.N. sanctions to curb further killing.


Eritreans being deported from Libya hijack plane to Sudan (AFP) AFP - Four Eritreans among a group being forcibly returned home from Libya hijacked their aircraft and forced it to land in Khartoum amid warnings from a human rights watchdog that Eritrean deportees face imprisonment or even torture.


Fumbled Baton Leaves Jones 0-For-Athens (AP) AP - A failed baton handoff doomed the U.S. 400-meter relay team, terminating Marion Jones' last chance for a medal at the Athens Games. An hour after she finished fifth in the long jump, Jones was unable to make the handoff to 100-meter silver medalist Lauryn Williams midway through the relay.


Zimbabwe Convicts Accused 'Mercenary' for Weapons  HARARE (Reuters) - A Zimbabwe court Friday convicted a  British man accused of leading a coup plot against the  government of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea on weapons charges,  but acquitted most of the 69 other men held with him.


Sudanese Militiamen Disarm, Say They Not Janjaweed (Reuters) Reuters - Five hundred Sudanese militiamen\in government service disarmed in western Darfur Friday at a\ceremony attended by U.N. envoy Jan Pronk, but denied they were\Arab Janjaweed irregulars blamed for killing, raping and\looting in Darfur aimed at African villagers.


Vatican returns Russian icon venerated by Pope John Paul to Moscow (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - ROME (AP) - The Vatican returned a Russian icon venerated by Pope John Paul to Moscow on Friday in a gesture aimed at improving strained relations with the Russian Orthodox Church and possibly clearing the way for a visit by the ailing pontiff.


'Dream Team' Out of Gold Race After Loss to Argentina  ATHENS (Reuters) - The U.S. men's basketball team was  beaten by Argentina and booed off the court by the crowd on  Friday as it was denied an Olympic gold medal for the first  time since 1992 when NBA players started competing.


Now It #39;s Official: US Growth Slowed US economic growth slowed more sharply in the second quarter than first thought as oil prices rose and the trade gap swelled, the government said on Friday in a report


Ashcroft Heralds Cybercrime Crackdown US Attorney General John Ashcroft heralded the success of Operation Web Snare, a multi-agency crackdown on cybercrime that led to the arrrest or conviction of more than 150 people for a variety


Microsoft lightens Longhorn Microsoft will indeed be trimming some things out of the initial release of the Longhorn client, the next version of the Windows desktop operating system.


HP Launches Ad Push for CE Products Looking to push its brand beyond the PC, Hewlett-Packard today launched a major product effort into consumer electronics, including the much-anticipated rollout of its HP-branded iPod music


Microsoft sets 2006 release for  quot;Longhorn quot; operating system WASHINGTON : Microsoft said it plans to broadly release the long-awaited update to its flagship Windows operating system, dubbed  quot;Longhorn, quot; in 2006.


Oracle Won #39;t Quit Last night, database maker Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) once again extended its \$7.7 billion offer for business software provider PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT).


Lebedeva makes amends in long jump Tatyana Lebedeva led a Russian 1-2-3 in the Olympic women #39;s long jump final as Marion Jones of the United States missed out on a medal.


Notable quotes Friday at the Athens Olympics  quot;I respect totally Paul Hamm and all the decisions he makes. If he says give back the medal, I respect it. Don #39;t give back the medal, I respect the decision.


Liu wins hurdles gold, equals world record Liu Xiang of China took the Olympic men #39;s 110 metres hurdles gold medal in a world record-equalling time of 12.91 seconds on Friday.


Olympics Wrap: Another Doping Controversy Surfaces Olympic chiefs ordered Hungarian hammer gold medallist Adrian Annus Friday to submit another doping sample or risk losing his medal, while another of his compatriots was stripped of a medal for failing a test.


Women #39;s 10,000m : XING wins gold for China ATHENS, 27 August - China #39;s Huina XING produced a sprint over the final 100m to destroy Ethiopia #39;s hopes of a medal sweep and claim her nation #39;s second Olympic gold medal of the night.


STREETWISE: Art? Nobody told the cleaner Paintings and other valuable works of art are stolen almost every day from galleries around the world, the most recent of course being Edvard Munch #39;s famous  quot;The Scream quot;.


US to Syria: Don #39;t interfere in Lebanese election BEIRUT: In the first such statement since President Emile Lahoud said he would stand for re-election as president earlier this week, the White House on Friday asked Syria


Treasury secretary expects Michigan to remain a manufacturing <b>...</b> US Treasury Secretary John Snow said he believes Michigan -hich has lost about 190,000 factory jobs during the past five years  -l continue to be a global manufacturing leader.


Update 1: Alitalia: July Revenues Below Expectations Struggling carrier Alitalia said Thursday that revenues were below expectations in July and August as domestic market share fell to 45 percent from about 50 percent last year.


Apple iPod from HP HP is to unveil a range of products including its version of the iPod digital music player. The company will roll out a 42-inch high-definition plasma television, a DVD home theater projector, new Photosmart printers and an entertainment notebook PC.


HP unveils its iPod, entertainment media center Hewlett-Packard (HP) is hot about what it considers a consumer revolution in digital media, and on Friday the company #39;s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


Sprint, SBC Forge Wi-Fi Pact Two telecom providers have come together in the name of Wi-Fi. Sprint and SBC Communications have signed a bi-lateral roaming agreement that will enable their customers more wireless access while on the go.


Russians sweep long jump medals, Marion Jones fifth Tatyana Lebedeva led a Russian medal sweep in the long jump, relegating Marion Jones to fifth place in her only individual event of the Athens Games.


Men #39;s Light (60kg) :Semifinals ATHENS, 27 August - Amir KHAN (GBR) faced his toughest test in the Olympic Games boxing tournament, when he faced and defeated Kazakhstani boxer Serik YELEUOV to reach the Light Weight (60kg) category final.


Islamist group may have downed Russian planes Dubai - An Islamist group has claimed that it hijacked two Russian planes that crashed this week, killing at least 89 people, and threatened more attacks, according to an Internet statement posted on Friday.


US Treasury #39;s Snow says health costs impede growth US Treasury Secretary John Snow on Friday is expected to renew his call for Capitol Hill action on President George W. Bush #39;s health care ideas


Abdallah falls in taekwondo final Nia Abdallah #39;s lack of international experience turned out to be her biggest asset in the Olympic taekwondo tournament.  quot;I don #39;t think anybody expected me to do anything here, quot; she said.


Second seed Dementieva hammered by Bovina in New Haven Second seed Elena Dementieva saw her hopes of a first title of 2004 end in double-quick time on Friday when she was hammered 6-1 6-1 by fellow Russian Elena Bovina in the semi-finals of the New Haven Cup.


Reactions Mixed to Federal Fraud Sweep Federal law enforcement may be heralding Operation Web Snare as the largest cyber-crime crackdown of its kind, but it is receiving mixed reviews on whether it will stymie the rise in Internet fraud.


Microsoft Scales Back Longhorn Plans Microsoft this week said it will sacrifice some key advances it had planned for Longhorn so it can deliver the successor to Windows XP in 2006.


Panthers, Pats Meet in Super Bowl Rematch (AP) AP - The last time the Carolina Panthers played the New England Patriots the Super Bowl was on the line. On Saturday night, they meet again with absolutely nothing at stake.


Editorial Pages Fight 'AstroTurf' With Listserv (Editor and Publisher) Editor and Publisher - NEW YORK For years, editorial page editors at newspapers across the country have battled "AstroTurf" -- form letters to the editor generated on political Web sites and by other means, then passed off as original submissions. The AstroTurf moniker came because the letters are considered fake grassroots initiatives. But The National Conference of Editorial Writers (NCEW) is taking the issue seriously.


Cubs, Astros Benches Clear After Dispute (AP) AP - Both benches cleared briefly in the second inning of Friday's game between the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs when Cubs catcher Michael Barrett began jawing with Astros' pitcher Roy Oswalt, five days after Oswalt hit him in the back with a pitch.


U.S. Furious at Proposal That Hamm Return His Gold  ATHENS (Reuters) - U.S. Olympic chiefs reacted furiously  Friday to a suggestion all-round champion Paul Hamm should give  his gold medal to a South Korean rival under a plan floated by  the governing body of world gymnastics.


Stocks Gain; Techs Ahead But Volume Thin  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Friday, helped by  reassuring consumer confidence data and a bounce in technology  stocks, but volume was extremely thin before next week's  Republican convention in New York City.


Oil Edges Up on Iraq, Gold Closes Lower  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Oil prices closed higher on Friday for  the first time in a week as worries lingered about  supply  disruptions from Iraq even after Thursday's deal between  Shi'ite religious dealers seeking peace in the city of Najaf.


Marketing Isn't for Problem Gamblers Harrah's, "the leader in responsible gaming," gets fined for mailing marketing materials to known problem gamblers.


Oracle launches business intelligence tools Oracle has launched a new set of business intelligence (BI) tools for its grid-enabled database technology. The BI 10g product has been separated out of Oracle #39;s existing application server software.


Oracle Won't Quit The database king extends its offer for PeopleSoft for the 10th time. Is there any profit left for investors?


HP Launches Latest Push Into Consumer Markets  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ.N on  Friday unveiled a range of products including its version of  the iPod digital music player that raises the stakes in a war  between PC and electronics makers for a spot in increasingly  digitized living rooms.


Russia Blames Terrorism for Downed Jet MOSCOW - Russian officials accused terrorists Friday after the wreckage of one of two crashed jetliners revealed traces of an explosive used in earlier attacks blamed on Chechen rebels, while an Islamic group claimed its suicide attackers brought down both planes.    At least one crash was "the result of a terrorist act," a spokesman for the Federal Security Service, Sergei Ignatchenko, told the ITAR-Tass news agency...


Gates: Longhorn changed to make deadlines Microsoft founder Bill Gates says things had to be removed to make the deadline. Also, employees in the search department fired up to take on Google. \


Allchin explains Longhorn's haircut A clear roadmap for Longhorn was more important than inclusion of an advanced file system, Jim Allchin tells CNET News.com.\


CSFB name may disappear: CEO LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Credit Suisse #39;s (CSR) CEO, Oswald Gruebel, said the Credit Suisse First Boston name may be scrapped but not immediately, AFX News reported.


Apple fans abuzz over new iMac Company maintains its famous veil of secrecy as faithful speculate about possible designs.


Microsoft cuts advances for 2006 Longhorn release Microsoft Corp. on Friday said it will sacrifice some key advances it had planned for Longhorn so it can deliver the successor to Windows XP in 2006.


HP unveils its iPod, entertainment media center MIAMI BEACH - Hewlett-Packard (HP) is hot about what it considers a consumer revolution in digital media, and on Friday the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina selected a chic club here in Miami Beach to unveil a raft of consumer electronic devices, including HP's version of Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod, and pledge her company's commitment to this market.