Group nears deal for casinos - report SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- A group led by privately held Colony Capital is close to reaching an agreement to buy the Atlantic City Hilton and three other casinos in the Chicago area and Mississippi for about \$1.


Bothell priest an abuse victim, he says The parishioners at St. Brendan Catholic Church in Bothell got a shock this weekend: Instead of delivering a typical sermon, the Rev.


IBM appeals Roma ruling BIG BLUE has asked the Swiss High Court to block attempts by the Roma people to sue them for crimes against humanity. The Roma, descendants of those who were processed in Nazi death camps allegedly using IBM #39;s


S. Williams #39;s Boots Are Made for Walkin #39; Serena Williams delivered a carefully scripted message during her first-round match at the US Open: Her presence hasn #39;t diminished, even if her ability has.


Maddux wins No. 302, gives Baker 1,000th victory as manager Greg Maddux pitched the Chicago Cubs into the lead in the NL wild-card race and gave Dusty Baker a win to remember. Maddux threw seven shutout innings for his 302nd career win, Baker got his 1,000th victory


Oil Slides, Najaf Peace Deal Struck NEW YORK - Oil prices fell for the fifth day in a row last week after word of a peace deal in the embattled Iraqi city of Najaf raised hopes of more reliable oil shipments from the energy-rich country and encouraged a run of profit-taking by big money


Hollinger report filed in court TORONTO -- A special committee of Hollinger International, which was instrumental in ousting Conrad Black as head of the Chicago-based newspaper company, filed its final report in an Illinois court yesterday.


Tyson trimmed on earnings warning CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- Tyson Foods shares dropped more than 8 percent Monday after the poultry producer cut its profit outlook for fiscal 2004, citing poor grain hedging and weaker demand for chicken and beef, as well as higher material costs.


Schwab sells Soundview to UBS Charles Schwab announced early Tuesday it has reached a deal, as expected, to sell its Soundview Capital Markets unit to Swiss bank UBS for \$265 million in cash.


Sales chief ousted just over a year after being hired LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -- Following a wave of declining quarterly sales, Manugistics Group has fired its top sales and marketing executive a little more than a year after he was hired, the company disclosed in a regulatory filing Monday.


Report: Real estate issues complicate Target talks Discussions about a possible acquisition by Minneapolis-based Target Corp. of Canada #39;s Hudson #39;s Bay Co. (HBC) continue, though  quot;complicated quot; real estate issues are bogging them down, according to a report published at www.


Intel Evolves Chipmaking Technology Intel (Quote, Chart) has built a new chip with 500 million transistors using the latest advancements in nanotechnology, the company said Monday.


AMD to demonstrate dual-core chips Aiming to deflate archrival Intel, Advanced Micro Devices this week will show off its dual-core chips, which will start to trickle out toward the middle of next year.


Circuit City Partners With Verizon Consumer electronics retailer Circuit City Stores Inc. on Monday said each of more than 570 Superstores in the United States will feature a Verizon Wireless store, following an exclusive agreement with the communications provider.


Some won, some lost, but Greece triumphed over all ATHENS - We owe them an apology, oh yes we do. The Greeks pulled off the Olympic Games after we said they did not have a prayer, and now there #39;s but one way to make it right: The Summer Games belong here


Retired Britons die in plane crash in Australian outback Two British-born tourists were killed yesterday when their light plane crashed in an exclusive wilderness park in a remote part of Western Australia.


NASA to Announce New Class of Planets (AP) AP - Astronomers have discovered four new planets in a week's time, an exciting end-of-summer flurry that signals a sharper era in the hunt for new worlds.


Asian Stocks Mostly Lower on Tech Worries  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian shares were mostly lower on  Tuesday, pulled down by technology stocks following worries  about a sales forecast from bellwether Intel Corp. and  unexpectedly flat industrial output in Japan.


Oil Flat After Drop, More Losses Seen  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices held steady on Tuesday  after falling 2 percent a day earlier and were set for further  falls in anticipation of higher U.S. crude stocks despite  concerns over disruptions to Iraqi oil flow.


NASA to Announce New Class of Planets Astronomers have discovered four new planets in a week's time, an exciting end-of-summer flurry that signals a sharper era in the hunt for new worlds.    While none of these new bodies would be mistaken as Earth's twin, some appear to be noticeably smaller and more solid - more like Earth and Mars - than the gargantuan, gaseous giants identified before...


France Not Immune to Radical Islam Threats (AP) AP - France is seen by many Americans as a reluctant ally, at best, in President Bush's war on terror. But a new hostage crisis has made clear that the Gallic nation, with western Europe's largest Muslim population, is not immune to threats from radical Islam.


Terror fears hang over Australian election (AFP) AFP - A former US presidential adviser has warned Australia is at increased risk of a Spanish-style attack ahead of the October 9 election, citing the opposition's plan to withdraw troops from Iraq.


Kerry Plans to Respond to Bush Speech (AP) AP - Hours after George Bush is to accept the Republican Party's nomination for re-election in New York on Thursday night, Democrat John Kerry plans to respond at Ground Zero of the presidential campaign  #151; Ohio.


Republicans to Show Softer Side at NY Convention (Reuters) Reuters - Republicans hope to show voters a\softer side on the second day of their convention on Tuesday,\with first lady Laura Bush and movie star turned California\Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger taking center stage.


Top Officials Briefed on Pentagon Probe (AP) AP - Two high-ranking Defense Department officials have been briefed by FBI agents investigating a Pentagon analyst suspected of passing U.S. secrets about Iran to the Israeli government, officials said Monday.


MSN Music gears up to play Microsoft Corp. long ago proved itself a dominant force in the software industry. But does a company known for PC operating systems and productivity software have the chops to make it in the music biz?


Twinkies maker in crisis There #39;s an old saying in the business world when a sale seems all but assured: It was as easy as selling Hostess Twinkies. That may no longer be true.


UBS Buys Schwab Unit for \$265 Mln Swiss-based banking giant UBS AG has agreed to buy Charles Schwab Corp. #39;s capital markets unit for \$265 million in cash, making UBS a leading


FTSE 100 dips after bank holiday break The FTSE 100 has dipped on its return from a three-day break after a slide on Wall Street, but power companies have risen after a multi-billion-pound asset sale by National Grid Transco.


Consumer spending up According to Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group,  #39;Consumer spending rebounded on the strength of rebate-induced auto sales.


Tyson Foods cuts annual-profit forecast SPRINGDALE, Ark. - Tyson Foods Inc. reduced its forecast of annual profit yesterday because of higher costs for feed grain and a drop in beef and chicken prices.


ADB President Tadao Chino Resigns The president of the Manila-based Asian Development Bank on Tuesday announced his resignation from the multilateral bank, effective next year.


Teck to take writedown related to troubled Australian gold miner Teck Cominco Ltd. yesterday said it would take a \$52-million after-tax writedown in the third quarter related to its stake in Sons of Gwalia Ltd.


US tech execs more optimistic about spending: Study New York, August 31: US technology executives are increasingly optimistic about the business climate, although plans for increased technology spending remain modest, according to a study released on Monday.


FCC asks high court to rule on broadband The federal government is challenging an appeals court ruling that, officials fear, would stifle the expansion of cable broadband services by burdening the providers with new regulations.


Advanced Micro Plans to Show New Chip Ahead of Intel Advanced Micro Devices plans to demonstrate its version of a new approach to processor design on Tuesday, with a chip that is expected to offer faster computing and relatively less power consumption.


Onkyo #39;s DVD Changer Spins a New Tune Choosing a DVD player used to be simple: progressive scan or no progressive scan? These days, even the DVD players on sale for \$29 at Wal-Mart feature progressive scanning.


Skype available for Mac OS X Skype Technologies SA has launched the beta version of Skype for Mac OS X. The software can be downloaded for free and is available immediately.


Despite all the hype, tech IPOs aren #39;t tops Five years from now, when you are on a television quiz show, the category is  quot;Public Companies, quot; and the question is  quot;What was the biggest IPO of 2004, quot; you #39;ll be able to answer with supreme confidence: not Google, but Genworth Financial.


VITAL SIGNS At Risk: Sugary Drinks Linked to Weight ugar-sweetened soft drinks pack plenty of calories, but drinking them does little to make a person feel full. That may explain why a study has found that women who drink a lot of sugary beverages stand a higher chance of gaining weight.


VITAL SIGNS Update: The Evidence on Revenge Mounts he evidence is increasing that revenge in fact brings pleasure. In the latest study, players who were unfairly treated in a game involving money, trust and cooperation got a measurable kick out of punishing their partners.


Lawyer says sprinter did not know about test Athens -- Greek sprinter Costas Kederis did not know he was expected for a doping test, his lawyer said after the disgraced athlete testified to a public prosecutor probing the scandal that rocked Greece on the eve of the Olympics.


Prospective jurors grilled Prospective jurors in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case were asked their feelings on racial prejudice, interracial relationships, marital infidelity and justice for the rich and famous


Douglas cut, then lands with Eagles Just a week after releasing their all-time sack leader, Tony Brackens, the Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday cut three-time Pro Bowler Hugh Douglas, leaving them without their starting defensive ends from last season.


Dallaglio set to quit England: report London - England captain Lawrence Dallaglio is set to quit the national team and bring his international career to an end, press reports said here on Tuesday.


Maddux hurls, hits and scores MONTREAL -- The Montreal Expos felt they got robbed because of a missed call from home plate umpire Ted Barrett. Greg Maddux pitched seven shutout innings and helped himself with two hits and a run batted


Hostages plead: Lift headscarf ban Two French journalists kidnapped in Iraq have pleaded for Paris to meet their captors #39; demands and reverse a ban on Muslim headscarves for girls in public schools.


Sharon to speed up Gaza pullout Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon unveiled on Tuesday an accelerated timetable for his planned pullout of the Gaza Strip and said it should win parliamentary approval in early November.


Thatcher #39;s wife lands at Heathrow The wife and children of Mark Thatcher, who is charged over an alleged coup plot, have landed in the UK on a flight from South Africa.


China to deport Australian activist China has deported an Australian activist and his American colleague after they campaigned for an improvement in human rights in Tibet by unfurling a banner in Beijing, it was reported today.


Stop croc water swimming: coroner THE public still did not appreciate how frighteningly dangerous crocodiles were, even after the fatal mauling of a German tourist two years ago, a coroner said today.


South Africa ponders bid to grill Thatcher The request is from Equatorial Africa over alleged ties to a plot to oust the president. CAPE TOWN -- South Africa is considering a request by Equatorial Guinea to question Mark Thatcher about his alleged


Intel to cut Prescott leakage by 75 at 65nm Intel has pledged to reduce drastically leakage effects in its 65nm process, having punched out its first device containing over 500m transistors using the technology.


Microsoft removes key feature from Longhorn Microsoft has decided to remove a key feature of its next major Windows operating system, codenamed Longhorn, in order to keep its 2006 shipping deadline intact.


AMD shows off fourway dual core CPU server CHIP FIRM AMD said it is demonstrating a fourway Opteron server using dual processor cores. 90 nanometre technology and silicon on insulator (SOI) technology.


History beckons as China prepares grand Olympic coming out party BEIJING : As the Olympic flame leaves Athens, the eyes of the sporting world are turning towards Beijing. When China hosts the games for the first time in 2008, it will cap an extraordinary 30-year journey


Volz escapes charges as Fulham get shakes Moritz Volz will escape punishment for accidently kicking a pensioner in the head during Fulham #39;s 4-3 defeat at Portsmouth last night.


Open is nerve center Jennifer Capriati can #39;t ever remember cramping in the middle of a tennis match. She can recall being so nervous during a warmup that she


Douglas back with the Eagles It appears the Eagles are continuing on a quest to reunite some of the old gang for one gigantic Super Bowl run. Hugh Douglas, one of the team #39;s most popular players during his five seasons


Braves stun Giants in ninth There #39;s a never-say die attitude floating around the Braves #39; clubhouse and it was displayed yet again Monday afternoon at Turner Field.


Militants Give France Another Day Militants holding two French journalists hostage in Iraq extended their deadline by another 24 hours, Al Jazeera reported. The kidnappers threaten to kill the journalists unless France agrees to remove a ban on headscarves in schools.


Darfur: Seeking the truth - Special Series on Sudan The United Nations has called Darfur the home of the worst humanitarian disaster in the world and the publicized statistics regarding events within the past 18 months in this western region of the Sudan are horrific.


REBEL SHEIK ORDERS END TO FIGHTING August 31, 2004 -- BAGHDAD - Rebel Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has told his militia to end attacks on US and Iraqi government forces, aides said yesterday.


Libya seems honest about nuke programme-UN report The UN nuclear watchdog said in a confidential report circulated on Monday that Libya appears to have been telling the truth in its declarations on the covert atomic weapons programme which it agreed in December to abandon.


Fear of violence grips B #39;desh on day of mass strikes Dhaka, Aug 30. (PTI):Fear of violence gripped Bangladesh as the country #39;s two major parties faced-off on the streets today to protest the deadly grenade attack on the main opposition rally which killed 20 people and injured more than 300.


Japanese Bank Ends Citigroup #39;s Reign The High Court in Japan has approved the unification negotiations of UFJ Holdings and Mitsubishi group thereby paving the way for the world #39;s largest bank.


China #39;s heroes welcomed in Beijing Athletes who won China its highest-ever Olympics gold medal tally were greeted like heroes when they returned Tuesday, with flag-waving fans cheering wildly at the airport.


Israeli army foils suicide attack at Erez Crossing The Israeli army said it foiled early Tuesday morning a suicide bombing attack by a Palestinian at Erez Crossing on the northern tip of Gaza.


France Redoubles Diplomatic Effort to Save Hostages (Reuters) Reuters - France redoubled its diplomatic efforts\on Tuesday to save two French reporters held hostage in Iraq\ahead of a new deadline to scrap a school headscarf ban, as the\Islamic militant group Hamas called for the men's release.


Onkyo's DVD Changer Spins a New Tune (PC World) PC World - Here's a hands-on look at the moderately priced, multiformat DV-CP802.


Maddux Wins No. 302, Baker Wins No. 1,000 (AP) AP - Greg Maddux pitched the Chicago Cubs into the lead in the NL wild-card race and gave Dusty Baker a win to remember. Maddux threw seven shutout innings for his 302nd career win, Baker got his 1,000th victory as a manager and Chicago beat the Montreal Expos 5-2 on Monday night.


Retailers Are Cool To Linux (TechWeb) TechWeb - Market-research firm Venture Development Corp. says a survey of retail IT execs shows that just 2 of point-of-sale systems use Linux, far less than expected.


UBS Buys Schwab Unit for \$265 Mln  GENEVA/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Swiss-based banking giant UBS  AG has agreed to buy Charles Schwab Corp.'s capital markets  unit for \$265 million in cash, making UBS a leading player on  the U.S. Nasdaq exchange, the companies said on Tuesday.


Sox preying upon Angels Growing up near Camp Pendleton as the son of a Marine gunnery sergeant, Dave Roberts learned all about baseball in Southern California. He played for UCLA before he wound up across town as the center fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, keenly aware that losing a Freeway Series to the Angels was tantamount to a Hollywood star turning an acting ...


Patriots' Neal trying to pin down the NFL It had been seven years since Stephen Neal played football, and now he had to play at the highest level, against men who had dedicated their lives to the sport. Safe to say, his challenges were different from those of his teammates. Much different. Even in the locker room.


Dollar Weaker Vs Euro on Data Uncertainty  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar eased from the previous day's  three-week high versus the euro on Tuesday as investors grew  cautious ahead of a series of key economic data due from the  United States this week. Recent U.S. data have been sending  mixed signals about economic recovery, contradicting upbeat  comments from Federal Reserve officials and fanning uncertainty  over the U.S. interest rate outlook.


Notables The Expos have made seven errors in their last two games. Brad Ausmus of the Astros hit his first home run since July 25, a span of 59 at-bats.


First-rate at second Just minutes after the Red Sox acquired him last December from the Rockies, Mark Bellhorn declared that he planned to wage an all-out effort to win the job as the starting second baseman. Little did he know the Sox would sign Pokey Reese a week later and all but hand Reese the job. And few observers seemed to believe that ...


Douglas cut, then lands with Eagles Just a week after releasing their all-time sack leader, Tony Brackens , the Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday cut three-time Pro Bowler Hugh Douglas , leaving them without their starting defensive ends from last season.


Hawaiian punch: US finds time for Ching Bruce Arena pushed the right buttons in the United States national team's last match, against Jamaica in Kingston Aug. 18. Brian Ching and Cobi Jones entered the match with the US trailing in the second half, then combined for the tying goal, which could go far in advancing the team to the next round of qualifying for the 2006 World ...


Hitting some new heights At East Providence (R.I.) High, where he starred for four years at running back and linebacker, Jamie Silva said he played football at only one speed:  quot;all-out. quot;


Greenhorn no longer In the Deutsche Bank field of 156 golfers, many are well-known, but a lot are far removed from the spotlight. Meet one of those unheralded golfers: PGA Tour rookie Roland Thatcher. He's 27 years old and ranks 187th on the money list with \$154,644, having made the cut in six of his 16 starts. His best finish came two weeks ...


Open is nerve center Jennifer Capriati can't ever remember cramping in the middle of a tennis match. She can recall being so nervous during a warmup that she thought her feet would stick to the court, but never needing medical assistance to quell that sinking physical feeling.


Defeatist attitude missing Teryn Ashley had a smile on her face despite her straight-set opening-round loss to 12th-seeded Ai Sugiyama . For the third time this year, the Brookline, Mass., native found herself in the main draw of a major tournament, this time making her debut at the US Open.


Chinese athletes cash in on gold How much is an Olympic gold medal worth? For China's newest sports stars, fresh from triumph in Athens and idolized by a sports-crazy public, the country's ongoing rush to capitalism means they can cash in like never before.


Today's schedule Amateur baseball: Yawkey League playoffs -- South Boston vs. Somerville at Ronan Park, Dorchester, 7:30 p.m.


Brazil appeals for gold Brazilian sports officials blamed inadequate security for a defrocked priest's bizarre attack on the Olympic marathon leader, and said yesterday they will appeal to world track authorities for a duplicate gold medal.


Profits increase as Bayer revamps German drugs and chemicals giant Bayer reports second quarter profits at the top end of market expectations, as it continues to revamp its business.


Bank units here; jobs scattered Bank of America's four units still headquartered in Boston actually are scattered throughout the country, executives said, one more sign that the jobs and influence the city expected from the bank's \$48 billion merger with FleetBoston Financial Corp. have not yet materialized.


N.Y. firm to take winner of Fan Pier bid private Only weeks before the sale of Fan Pier closes, the ownership of the new development team is changing.


Shoppers open wallets Shoppers spent more freely in July, raising hopes that June's economic lull would not last.


Prices of oil drop despite sabotage Oil futures dropped by nearly \$1 per barrel yesterday despite more sabotage of Iraqi oil infrastructure, reinforcing the view among traders that prices had risen too fast earlier this summer.


Haemonetics buys blood products line Haemonetics Corp. acquired Harvest Technologies Corp.'s Bloodless Surgery Station line, in an effort to expand its surgical blood salvage products and to enter the surgical patient management market. Haemonetics said it paid an undisclosed amount of cash to buy Plymouth-based Harvest Technologies' Bloodless Surgery Station, which is an integrated product for blood conservation and surgical blood salvage. The Braintree maker ...


Interstate Bakeries falls on auditor report warning Interstate Bakeries Corp. , maker of Wonder bread and Hostess Twinkies, said yesterday its auditors' report may raise questions about its ability to continue as a going concern, sending its shares tumbling more than 42 percent. The company said in a statement that its annual report would again be delayed because of uncertainty over whether it will ...


Canada wins fight with US on wheat The World Trade Organization's top court handed Canadian wheat farmers another victory yesterday in their fight against US charges they are unfair traders.


Mylan vows to refile generic drug case Mylan Pharmaceuticals vowed yesterday to refile what it says will be a stronger federal complaint against the Food and Drug Administration over a ruling that has forced the company to compete with so-called  quot;authorized generics. quot;


Mutual fund assets fall 2 percent in July US mutual fund assets fell 2 percent to \$7.4 trillion last month, as declining equity markets reduced the value of stock funds, according to a survey conducted by the Investment Company Institute.


SEC chief urges Congress to defer to board on options The US Congress should stay out of the debate over expensing stock options and let the Financial Accounting Standards Board handle it, US Securities and Exchange Commission chairman William Donaldson said.


Heroes get warm welcome BBC Sport's Dan Warren joins the fans as they welcome home Team GB from the Olympics.


First round of Pak-India bus talks concluded NEW DELHI: The first round of the two days talks on Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service between Pakistan and India was concluded today (Tuesday) in New Delhi.


United States should rethink its role in the Middle East What a sad story. When innocent children become targets - Palestinian and Israeli children who don #39;t have bombs strapped to them, who are sitting inside homes or on buses - and we accept this without protest


NHS 6.2bn computer system probed Government spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, is to investigate a 6.2bn programme to install a computer system at the NHS.


Cooking up a digital future The future kitchen gadgets that could make life easier in the kitchen, say MIT researchers.


Onkyo's DVD Changer Spins a New Tune Here's a hands-on look at the moderately priced, multiformat DV-CP802.


From smugglers to the government, many experts see rampant crude <b>...</b> Few of Nigeria #39;s many corruption scandals draw more notice these days than that of the MT African Pride, an oil-smuggling ship that inexplicably disappeared four months ago while in the custody of the country #39;s navy.


NEWS SNAP: Natl Grid Sells Gas Assets For GBP5.8 Bln LONDON (Dow Jones)--UK power and gas system operator National Grid Transco PLC (NGT.LN) Tuesday said it will return GBP2 billion, or 65 pence a share, to its shareholders after selling four


Economists: Mortgage rates will help sustain home demand despite <b>...</b> US home prices at record levels don #39;t signal a national price  #39; #39;bubble #39; #39; because low mortgage rates and prospects for improved job growth will help sustain demand, housing-industry economists said.


ADB Head Chino to Resign, Japan Recommends Kuroda as Successor Asian Development Bank President Tadao Chino today expressed his intention to resign and Japan said it will recommend Haruhiko Kuroda, an adviser to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, to succeed him.


US TECH EXECS #39; OPTIMISM IS UP August 31, 2004 -- US technology executives are increasingly optimistic about the business climate, although plans for increased technology spending remain modest, according to a study released yesterday.


Trade Your Wallet for Wireless People fed up with the proliferation of credit cards, IDs and key cards that fill their wallets to bulging may soon have an alternative.


Skype dials up beta software for Mac OS X Skype Technologies SA, of Luxembourg, Tuesday released a beta version of its free Internet telephony software for Apple Computer Inc.


AMD demos first dual-core processor Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) has demonstrated the company #39;s first dual-core microprocessors at its Austin, Texas, office, the company said Tuesday.


Delay Linux migration, advises experts Businesses should delay switching to Linux until IT managers can give a better business case for adoption, says research. And although Linux is still seeing double figure growth, following support by IBM, HP


Novell restructures away from NetWare NOVELL HAS been playing management musical chairs as it distances itself as a purveyor of NetWare and transforms itself into a flogger of Linux and high end systems.


Data Center Markup Language (DCML) Organization Transitions to <b>...</b> The DCML Organization has announced a decision to move its technical and marketing activities to OASIS, organized as a new OASIS Member Section.


Rugby-Dallaglio calls time on international career  quot;I have decided to announce my decision to retire from international rugby with England with immediate effect, quot; he told a news conference at Twickenham on Tuesday.


Premiership: Pompey win thriller Portsmouth won a seven-goal thriller at Fratton Park against Fulham, Aiyegbeni Yakubu netting a hat-trick. The home side were 4-3 winners in the end, although Fulham had earlier pulled back two goals after going 3-0 down very early on the match.


Baker is man of 1,000 wins a-flied out for Biddle in the 5th. b-flied out for Ayala in the 8th. c-singled for Mercker in the 9th. E--TBatista (13), JRivera (3).


Sharon wants to speed up Gaza plan - sources Jerusalem - Israel could begin withdrawing from occupied Gaza early next year under an accelerated timetable that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plans to present to lawmakers of his Likud party on Tuesday, political sources said.


Loans to Vietnam South Korea will provide \$21 million in long-term low rate loans to Vietnam to help the Southeast Asian nation build an advanced environmental infrastructure, according to the Ministry of Finance and Economy.


Election Overseers Want Big Win Administrators are hoping that the victor in this year's presidential election will win by a wide margin. A close race, they fear, will result in more charges of voter fraud and demands for recounts. Kim Zetter reports from Washington.


Bush Forms Civil Liberties Board An executive order issued Friday night creates an agency to safeguard privacy and civil rights laws, but critics see problems with the apointees and the apparent lack of power. By Ryan Singel.


Astronauts Weigh Acceptable Risk In the quest for a cheaper route to space, astronauts competing for the X Prize are willing to take risks. But some wonder if blasting off in an untested rocket ship suspended from a giant balloon is taking things too far. By Dan Brekke.


Trade Your Wallet for Wireless If calling, text messaging, web browsing and video filming aren't enough for you, your cell phone may soon be able to perform another function as well: paying for lunch. But is it secure? By Laila Weir.


Cops Put Brakes on Bike Protest The creator of Bikes Against Bush planned to use his Wi-Fi-Bluetooth-SMS-bike combo to spray anti-Bush messages on city streets. But police intervene before he could start. Cyrus Farivar reports from New York.


E-Vote Recount Rule in Dispute Officials in Florida are once again up in arms over recount procedures. The latest imbroglio follows a controversial ruling on touch-screen voting machines that was delivered days before a statewide primary. By Jacob Ogles.


The Giants of Anime are Coming The three titans of Japanese animation are all about to unleash monster new films. Watch your back, Shrek. By Charles C. Mann from Wired magazine.


Mini Supercomputers, Power Misers Using low-power chips, parallel processing and innovative architecture, Orion Multisystems introduces personal supercomputers that can plug into a wall socket.


Putting Nature on the Pill Wildlife managers are looking to contraception as a way to control nuisance animals.


In Iraq, a Quest to Rebuild One More Broken Edifice: Science The most unlikely element in one Iraqi nuclear physicist's quest may be his decision to undertake it in the first place.


But Sweetie, You Love Lima Beans Psychologists were studying false memories when they stumbled on a surprisingly easy target for manipulation: foods.


Using X-Ray Vision, He Keeps His Eye on the Bacteria Dr. C. Erec Stebbins talks about using a nearly 100-year-old investigative tool to identify the bacterial proteins that cause disease.


Month by Month, a Tiny Baby's Hard-Won Pounds Somewhere between 6 and 9 months of age, she stopped gaining weight and I started worrying.


Cows munch on light aircraft (AFP) AFP - When Tony Cooper and Lisa Kingscott left their four-seater light plane parked in a field to have lunch with friends nearby, they paid little attention to the cows quietly grazing nearby.


Defiant Sharon sets out Gaza plan Israeli PM Ariel Sharon pushes ahead with an accelerated plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip despite opposition.


Rooney set for Man Utd Wayne Rooney arrives at Man Utd's training ground for a medical ahead of a 25m move from Everton.


Mbeki pushes for DR Congo peace SA President Thabo Mbeki is to resume talks with a former rebel leader who pulled out of the DR Congo government.


Eritrean 'hijackers' go on trial The trial begins in Sudan of 15 Eritrean asylum seekers charged with hijacking a Libyan plane.


Taiwan cancels military exercise \Taipei cancels a military exercise in the Taiwan Strait after China apparently does the same.


Fresh bid to ban Jenin film fails Israel's High Court defeats a new bid to ban a documentary about Israel's invasion of Jenin refugee camp.


No evidence of hijack bid found before jet explosions MOSCOW -- Russia's transport minister, citing a  quot;black box quot; recording from one of two planes that crashed minutes apart last week, said yesterday there was no evidence of a hijacking attempt or any other disturbance before explosions aboard the jetliners.


Hostage crisis unites France behind headscarf ban PARIS -- French critics and defenders of a ban on Muslim headscarves in schools united in support of the law yesterday, pledging to stand firm against militants holding two French journalists hostage in Iraq who want the law revoked.


Summary: Karzai Sworn in As Afghan Leader THE CEREMONY: Hamid Karzai was sworn in for a five-year term as Afghan president after winning the country #39;s first vote for head of state.


Milosevic Opens His Defense Case THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic opened his defense at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal Tuesday, starting the long-delayed second half of his trial on charges of genocide and other war crimes in the Balkans.    Milosevic began by complaining to the judges that he was allotted only four hours to make his opening statement, while prosecutors were given three days to outline their case when the trial began in February 2002...


Sharon Presents Gaza Withdrawal Timetable JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon presented a detailed timetable for a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip to his Likud Party on Tuesday, and warned party rebels that the plan "will be implemented, period."   Sharon said that on Sept. 14, he would seek Cabinet approval for initial compensation payments to Jewish settlers willing to leave voluntarily...


National Grid Transco to sell British gas networks for 5.8 billion <b>...</b> National Grid Transco, the Britain-based deliverer of energy, announced it has agreed to sell four of its gas distribution networks to consortia in cash deals worth 5.8 billion pounds (8.


Asian Development Bank President to resign in 2005 The President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Tadao Chino, Tuesday announced that he would resign on 31 January 2005, more than six years after he took the position.


Orion puts  #39;super #39; into the personal computer .Orion Multisystems said it would have two models of its Orion Cluster Workstation available at the end of the year that use up to 96 chips in a desktop-sized machine.


Iraqi education official killed The top education ministry official in the oil-rich northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk has been assassinated by unknown assailants.  quot;Ibrahim Ismail was killed on the main road as he was heading to the technological


Longhorn #39;s range shrunk for greater speed Microsoft is shaking up its plans for the next version of Windows to get the software off the drawing board and into PCs by the end of 2006.


Lawrence Dallaglio factfile 1995: In October, takes over Wasps captaincy when Rob Andrew leaves for Newcastle. Makes Test debut in November, coming on as a replacement for Tim Rodber against South Africa at Twickenham.


Hitachi, Matsushita, Toshiba to jointly make large LCD panels (AFP) AFP - Japanese hi-tech giants Hitachi, Matsushita and Toshiba said they have agreed to jointly produce large liquid crystal display (LCD) panels for flat-screen televisions with one billion dollars in fresh investment.


'Trek' on DVD: A logical choice (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Trekkers can finally get the ultimate Star Trek enterprise, a complete DVD set of the 1960s series' first season.


Rooney set for Man Utd Man Utd reach an "outline agreement" to sign Wayne Rooney, as Everton press for the "best available deal".


Hewlett-Packard: a wannabe Kodak? Analysis Photos and printing dominate marketing strategy


Big Drops In The Indexes, But Slip In Trading Volumes The five people trading shares Monday mostly sold. For example, a mere 62 million shares of the Nasdaq-100 tracking stock were traded.


Apple unveils iMac G5 Just unveiled at Apple Expo Paris, the machine is indeed an all-in-one device that integrates the system into the display unit as per the original iMac but to an extent discarded with the second-generation,  #39;angle-poise #39; design.


AMD to demo  #39;8-socket #39; dual-core Opteron box AMD will make the first public demonstration of a system build out of its dual-core processors today, the result of a strategy first made public almost a year ago.


Switching to Linux picks up steam About a third of businesses plan to migrate at least some Windows machines to Linux, according to a recent survey, but adoption will continue to slow and cautious, as companies evaluate a maze of economic factors.


EMC Expands NAS Offerings EMC (Quote, Chart) is expanding its network-attached storage (NAS) offerings with two new midrange options and a high-end product.


Greeks earn gold for holding a safe, exciting Olympics As the Summer Olympics in Athens approached, fear and concern overwhelmed any sense of anticipation and excitement. Would terrorists use the occasion to attack civilians in such a large gathering ?


FOOTBALL: YAK DOES TRICK FOR POMPEY PORTSMOUTH striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu fired a stunning hat-trick in a seven-goal thriller at Fratton Park last night. Pompey claimed their first Premiership win of the season - but they didn #39;t half make it difficult for themselves.


Gartside: Big Sam stays at the Reebok Bolton chairman Phil Gartside insists manager Sam Allardyce - linked with the vacant Newcastle post - is going nowhere. According to reports, the St James #39; Park outfit have identified Allardyce as a successor


A picture-perfect Olympics Those who watched NBC #39;s coverage of the Athens Games -- and that #39;s 200 million viewers, representing 85 percent of US households -- have their personal  quot;Olympic Moments.


Fall from Olympus: Athens to Beijing Given the low expectations for success, the International Olympic Committee might well feel vindicated for returning the Olympic Games this year to their birth country.


National Grid Transco sells four gas networks for 5.8 bn NEW YORK, August 31 (New Ratings) - National Grid Transco Plc (NNG.ETR) has reportedly agreed to sell half its gas distribution networks for about 5.


Apple Expo: Apple intros 17-, 20-inch G5 iMac Apple #39;s senior vice-president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, took a cue from his boss, CEO Steve Jobs, as he unveiled one more thing at the end of his keynote to kick off this week #39;s Apple Expo in Paris: a G5 iMac that includes the entire system


Hitachi, Toshiba, Matsushita form LCD joint venture THREE JAPANESE GIANTS will team up to create a company to manufacture and sell LCD panels into the flat panel TV market. Hitachi, Toshiba and Matsushita hope to get the JV rolling by January 2005.


Oil Falls as Hedge Funds Rush to Exit World oil prices fell again on Tuesday as Iraq restored oil exports and hedge funds continued the rush to take profits from record highs.


Baseball Today (AP) AP - Anaheim at Boston (7:05 p.m. EDT). Curt Schilling (16-6) starts for the Red Sox, 4 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East.


France intensifies efforts to secure hostages' release (AFP) AFP - The French government intensified efforts to secure the release of two journalists held hostage by Islamic militants in Iraq, a day after they were shown on Arabic television pleading for their lives.


Dollar on Back Foot as Data Tests Loom  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar turned tail from the previous  day's three-week high versus the euro on Tuesday as investors  grew cautious ahead of key economic data from the United States  later in the week.


Arsenal cheers surge in profits Profits at Premiership champions Arsenal soar and the club says construction of its new stadium is running ahead of schedule.


Intel #39;s 65nm chip will make laptops go further Intel has built a fully functional 70Mb static random access memory (SRam) chip with more than half a billion transistors, using 65nanometer (nm) process technology.


Apple #39;s New iMac Computer Is All Display Apple Computer unveiled, after a two-month delay, its new iMac desktop computer on Tuesday which integrates disk drives and processors into a flat display less than two inches thick.


AMD plans to show chip before Intel SAN FRANCISCO Advanced Micro Devices has brought forward a demonstration of its version of a new approach to processor design, with a chip that is expected to offer faster computing and relatively less power consumption.


Hitachi, Matsushita, Toshiba to form LCD venture Three of Japan #39;s largest electronics companies, Hitachi Ltd., Toshiba Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., have reached a basic agreement to create a joint venture to manufacture and sell LCD


Samsung to add payment function to cell phones Samsung and Koninklijke Philips Tuesday said they are teaming up to incorporate Near-Field Communication technology in future cell-phone models from Samsung, giving users the ability to use their phones to make payments.


Opera to launch browser for Windows Mobile Norwegian browser developer Opera Software ASA has developed a product to run on Microsoft Corp. #39;s Windows Mobile operating system, with plans to ship demonstration versions


Skype launches Apple flavour Skype launched a version of its Internet telephony service for users of Apple computers on Tuesday, as it battles a growing number of competitors offering voice-over-IP (VoIP) products.


Computer Maker Unveils New Printers, Cameras, TVs and Music Player At a Miami event, timed to coincide with the MTV Video Music awards (which HP is sponsoring), HP CEO Carly Fiorina discussed how the new products support consumers in a world that is increasingly


World #39;s first plastic magnet created LONDON: Scientists at the University of Durham in UK have created the world #39;s first plastic magnet to work at room temperature.


Microsoft teams up with industry partners for online SP2 <b>...</b> Windows XP Service Pack 2 was designed by Microsoft to provide proactive protection for Windows XP. Service Pack 2 has three main focus areas: Stronger security settings.


Lycos Europe buys Tiscali Sweden Spray Network AB - a subsidiary of Lycos Europe - has become the latest outfit to buy one of Tiscali #39;s unwanted ISPs. Spray has agreed to cough up 13m (8.


The Pentagon #39;s Troubling Role arely two months before the presidential vote, Missouri #39;s secretary of state has suddenly announced that he will allow military voters from his state - one of the most pivotal in the election - to e-mail ballots from combat zones to the Defense Department


Guinness recognises jet record The Guinness Book of Records has officially recognised the world speed record set by Nasa #39;s X-43A hypersonic aircraft earlier this year.


Volz in the clear over injury to fan Fulham full-back Moritz Volz will not face police action after he collided with a pensioner during the Premiership match with Portsmouth at Fratton Park.


Williams is looking dangerous Serena Williams, dressed to intimidate in denim and boots, warms up for her first-round match at the US Open. Picture:Reuters. Serena Williams delivered a carefully scripted message during her


UPDATE 1-Voeller takes charge at Roma Former Germany coach Rudi Voeller took charge of AS Roma on Tuesday following the resignation of Cesare Prandelli. Voeller flew into Rome and immediately assumed control of the Serie A team #39;s training session.


CBC terms show from Athens a success #39; Despite a post-Perdita hangover and a 16 per cent drop in prime-time TV ratings from the last Olympics, CBC is claiming victory at the Athens Games.


Douglas returning to Eagles #39; nest Earlier in the day, soon after he was released by the Jaguars, Hugh Douglas was musing about his chances of returning to the Eagles.


Giambi to Return to Yankees; White Sox Waive M. Jackson The five-time all-star has not played since July 23. He had a benign tumor diagnosed last month. Giambi is hoping to again play before the regular season ends.


Twin bus explosions in southern Israel kill 12, wound more than 40 Two buses exploded almost simultaneously in southern Israel on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 44, rescue officials said.


Putin Defends Chechnya Policy at Talks Russian President Vladimir Putin defended his stance on Chechnya during talks with Germany #39;s Gerhard Schrder and France #39;s Jacques Chirac on Tuesday after both questioned him on the matter.


12 Killed, 20 Hurt In Twin Bus Attacks In Israeli City Dubai, August 31 (NNN): At least 12 people were killed and 20 others injured in a suspected twin suicide bombing attack on two buses in the southern Israeli city of Beersheva on Tuesday, according to reports reaching here.


After ceasefire, Sadr looks to elections The rebel cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered his Mahdi Army militia to halt attacks on coalition and Iraqi Government forces, as aides said he was ready to join the US-backed political process.


Deadly typhoon hits Hokkaido A large and powerful typhoon that has left eight people dead blew out into the Sea of Okhotsk Tuesday evening after hitting Hokkaido, the Meteorological Agency said.


No hint of election terror threat: Howard Prime Minister John Howard says he has not received any warning that terrorists might carry out a Madrid-style attack during the election campaign, but he is  quot;hoping and praying quot; it doesn #39;t happen.


Foreign Investors Wary on Bangladesh Political violence and general strikes following a recent grenade attack on an opposition rally may frighten foreign investors away from Bangladesh unless the situation is quickly resolved, a government official said Tuesday.


Prayers mark Diana #39;s anniversary Prayers have been said for Princess Diana outside Kensington Palace on the seventh anniversary of her death in a Paris car crash. Father Frank Gelli led a short open-air service outside her former central


Iraq Militants Kill 12 Nepali Hostages-Web Site  BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - A militant Iraqi group said it  had killed 12 Nepali hostages and showed pictures of one being  beheaded and others being gunned down in the worst violence  against captives since a wave of kidnappings erupted in April.


Suicide Bombings on Two Israeli Buses Kill 15  BEERSHEBA, Israel (Reuters) - Palestinian suicide bombers  killed at least 15 people in simultaneous attacks on two  Israeli buses on Tuesday, breaking a long lull in such violence  and potentially disrupting an Israeli plan to pull out of Gaza.


Apple's New iMac Computer Is All Display (Reuters) Reuters - Apple Computer unveiled, after a\two-month delay, its new iMac desktop computer on Tuesday which\integrates disk drives and processors into a flat display less\than two inches thick.


US Consumer Confidence Tumbles in August (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. consumer confidence fell sharply\in August, breaking four straight months of gains, as a\slowdown in job creation and rising oil prices weighed on\sentiment.


Copernic Desktop Search Takes Aim at Microsoft (Reuters) Reuters - Privately held Copernic\Technologies on Tuesday released free desktop search software\ahead of expected offerings from Microsoft Corp.  and\others in a move some see as a test of the product's market\viability.


Midwest Business Growth at Slower Pace (Reuters) Reuters - Business activity in the U.S. Midwest\expanded in August for a 16th straight month but at a slower\pace than expected, as pricing pressures mounted, a report\showed on Tuesday.


Treasuries Up on Consumer, Industry Data (Reuters) Reuters - Treasury debt prices climbed  and\10-year yields moved to a new five-month low on Tuesday after\an August survey of regional U.S. industry proved weaker than\expected while consumer confidence was shaken.


Hamburg Court Delays 9/11 Trial by One Week  HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - A German court ordered on  Tuesday a week's delay in the trial of Mounir El Motassadeq, a  Moroccan accused of aiding the Sept. 11 attacks, allowing time  to brief a replacement for a defense lawyer hurt in an  accident.


Stocks Unchanged, Intel Weighs on Nasdaq (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks were little changed on\Tuesday as a sharp drop in consumer confidence in August\stirred fresh doubt about the economy and expectations for\Intel to pull in its quarterly revenue forecast weighed on\technology stocks.


Anxious France Accelerates Bid for Iraq Hostages  AMMAN (Reuters) - An anxious French government accelerated  its diplomatic bid to save two French reporters held hostage in  Iraq on Tuesday as a fresh kidnapper deadline neared for Paris  to scrap a ban on Muslim headscarves in schools.


Divided France Unites Over Hostages (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times - PARIS  #8212; Muslim women in head scarves, journalists in jeans and senators draped in tricolored sashes rallied here Monday in support of two French hostages held in Iraq by kidnappers demanding that France repeal a new ban on the Islamic head scarf in public schools.


Abraham #39;s down Knee sprain to keep No. 1 scoring defense #39;s best pass rusher out against 11-1 Steelers, winners of 10 in a row. BY KEN BERGER.


Music Sales on the Web to Hit Jackpot - Survey (Reuters) Reuters - Selling songs over the Internet in\Western Europe will explode to a 3.5 billion euros a year\market by 2009, a new survey found on Tuesday.


Consumer Confidence Plummets in August (AP) AP - Consumer confidence, which had been on the rise since April, declined unexpectedly sharply in August, a private research group said Tuesday.


UK Sends Senior Minister to North Korea for Talks  LONDON (Reuters) - British junior foreign office minister  Bill Rammell will go to North Korea next month in the  highest-level visit to the isolated Communist state by a UK  official, London said on Tuesday.


Linux Doesn't Make Sense for Desktops (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Longhorn's woes may open a door for Linux #151;a very tiny door #151;but Linux just isn't a good choice for desktops. Instead, desktop Linux proponents should wake up and switch to the Mac OS.


Veritas Buys Email Backup Company KVault (Reuters) Reuters - Veritas Software Corp. , the\leading storage software provider, said on Tuesday it agreed to\acquire email backup company KVault Software Ltd. for  #36;225\million in cash.


California Strike Hits Albertsons' Profit (Reuters) Reuters - Albertsons Inc. , the No. 2\U.S. grocer, on Tuesday reported a substantial drop in its\quarterly profit as heavy promotions to revive its Southern\California sales after a strike bit into its profit.


Consumer Confidence Skids Lingering concerns about the job market, geopolitical turmoil and soaring energy prices did unexpected harm to consumer confidence in August, according to a report from an independent economic watchdog.


Crude Oil Drops as Threats to Supply From Iraq, Russia Diminish Crude oil futures fell close to a one- month low on expectations a cease-fire in southern Iraq will reduce the sabotage of oil pipelines and supplies from Russia will increase.


Harrah #39;s East Chicago in sale talks Harrah #39;s Entertainment and Caesars Entertainment Tuesday confirmed they have been in discussions with potential buyers for four properties, including an affiliate of Colony Capital.


Gas lines in Britain to be sold LONDON National Grid Transco, the owner of Britain #39;s power and natural gas grids, said on Tuesday that it would sell half of its gas-distribution networks for 5.


Alcoa in group buying Australia pipeline for \$1.3B Alcoa Inc. is part of a three-company consortium that will buy a major natural-gas pipeline in Australia for \$1.3 billion. The consortium, which includes Diversified Utility  amp; Energy Trusts (DUET) and Alinta


India Offers Tax Concessions to Exporters The government offered tax concessions to exporters and proposed the creation of free trade zones in a plan unveiled Tuesday aimed at doubling India #39;s share of global trade in five years.


UBS Buys Schwab Unit Swiss banking giant UBS says it will acquire Charles Schwab #39;s (SCH ) brokerage unit, SoundView Capital Markets, as well as the Capital Markets Division of Schwab for \$265 million in cash.


Alitalia directors, unions scramble amid bankruptcy threat ROME : Alitalia directors and union delegates worked on thrashing out a rescue plan for the Italian flag carrier which has warned it could go bankrupt within a month.


Big setback for Merck cholesterol drug High doses of Zocor provide no benefits in preventing new problems in heart attack patients: study. MUNICH (Reuters) - Merck #39;s anti-cholesterol drug Zocor suffered a setback after a major study found high


B of A #39;s Lewis in Boston to explain job moves Bank of America Corp. #39;s top executive will be in Boston this week to counter critics who claim the bank has broken job commitments it made during its acquisition of FleetBoston Financial.


Germany Raises 2004 Deficit Forecast to 3.7 of GDP (Update2) Germany raised its forecast for this year #39;s budget deficit, saying declining tax income and increased spending on the unemployed will push the shortfall further beyond European Union limits for a third straight year.


Treasuries Rise After Manufacturing and Confidence Indexes Drop US Treasury notes rose, heading for their biggest monthly gain since September, after reports today showed declines in consumer confidence and a slowdown in manufacturing.


New Apple Gets Shined Up (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Hoping to boost recently slackening sales of its flagship product, Apple Computer Inc. is using the dog days of summer to unveil the redesigned iMac, opening the curtain on its popular desktop computer at the Apple Expo in Paris.


US Consumer Confidence Tumbles in August  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence fell sharply  in August, breaking four straight months of gains, as a  slowdown in job creation and rising oil prices weighed on  sentiment.


Comet Research Pioneer Whipple Dies (AP) AP - Fred L. Whipple, a pioneer in astronomy who proposed the "dirty snowball" theory for the substance of comets, has died. He was 97.


Oil Down Nearly \$8 in 8 Days, Funds Exit  LONDON (Reuters) - World oil prices fell sharply again on  Tuesday as Iraq restored oil exports and hedge funds continued  the rush to take profits from record highs.


Midwest Business Growth at Slower Pace  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Business activity in the U.S. Midwest  expanded in August for a 16th straight month but at a slower  pace than expected, as pricing pressures mounted, a report  showed on Tuesday.


Networks decided long ago not to air the GOP's first night (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - ABC, CBS and NBC plan to devote exactly the same amount of prime time - three hours spread over three nights - to this week's Republican National Convention as they gave to last month's Democratic National Convention.


Laos Defends Dam Project Against Environmental Critics (Reuters) Reuters - Communist Laos defended a\billion-dollar hydro-electric project on Tuesday against\activists who insist Indochina's biggest dam will be a social\and environmental disaster for the tiny, impoverished nation.


Houston #39;s return will have to wait a little longer It #39;s no surprise that the Knicks have a roster move to announce today. Penny Hardaway #39;s strained right hamstring is forcing him to go on the injured list for at least two weeks, maybe a month.


WTO OKs Sanctions Vs. U.S. in Trade Row  GENEVA (Reuters) - The European Union and its allies got  the go-ahead on Tuesday to slap potentially heavy sanctions on  U.S. goods in a row that could stir trade tensions ahead of the  U.S. elections.


Treasuries Up on Consumer, Industry Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury debt prices climbed  and  10-year yields moved to a new five-month low on Tuesday after  an August survey of regional U.S. industry proved weaker than  expected while consumer confidence was shaken.


National Parties Eye Fla. Senate Primary (AP) AP - Florida voters went to the polls Tuesday to pick candidates hoping to fill retiring Democratic Sen. Bob Graham's seat, with polls showing a close race between Republican hopefuls Mel Martinez and Bill McCollum. Betty Castor was leading the field of three prominent Democrats.


Locust Swarms Munch Crops Near Senegal's Capital (Reuters) Reuters - Smoke rises from burning\tires in the corners of Oumar Sakho's fields Monday as a swarm\of mating, yellow desert locusts munches through his water\melons not far from Senegal's capital.


Stocks Unchanged, Intel Weighs on Nasdaq  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on  Tuesday as a sharp drop in consumer confidence in August  stirred fresh doubt about the economy and expectations for  Intel to pull in its quarterly revenue forecast weighed on  technology stocks.


Florida supreme court hears case on feeding tube for brain-damaged woman (AFP) AFP - Florida's Supreme Court heard arguments in the right-to-die case of a severely brain-damaged woman whose feeding tube was removed but later reinserted after state Governor Jeb Bush intervened.


California Strike Hits Albertsons' Profit  NEW YORK (Reuters) -  Albertsons Inc. ABS.N, the No. 2  U.S. grocer, on Tuesday reported a substantial drop in its  quarterly profit as heavy promotions to revive its Southern  California sales after a strike bit into its profit.


Nepal hostages 'killed in Iraq' An Arabic website posts images of what it says are the executions of 12 Nepalese citizens taken hostage in Iraq.


Hollinger Panel Says Its Owners Took Cash  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former Hollinger International Inc.  HLR.N Chief Executive Conrad Black and other controlling  shareholders used more than \$400 million of corporate funds for  personal perks including private jets and club memberships,  according to a report filed on Tuesday.


WTO Approves Sanctions Against U.S. The European Union and its allies got\the go ahead on Tuesday to slap potentially heavy sanctions on\U.S. goods in a row that could stir trade tensions ahead of the\U.S. elections.


Consumer Confidence Falls in August Consumer confidence, which had been on the rise since April, declined unexpectedly sharply in August, a private research group said Tuesday.


China Olympians return as heroes Crowds of well wishers greet the Chinese Olympic team, returning home with a record number of medals.


Iran arrests dozens 'for spying' Dozens of people are arrested in Iran for spying on its nuclear activities, and passing details to its "enemies".


Hollinger executives 'took \$400m' Media group Hollinger International says senior executives, including former chief Conrad Black, took \$400m of its money.


China to suspend share flotations The Chinese Government is to suspend all share flotations for a month in order to try to stop a stock market slide and revive interest in future floats.


Notebook: Rice shines again on Monday night The Monday night stage still belongs to Jerry Rice, and the Seahawks receiver proved it last night. Rice caught the game #39;s opening touchdown, then made a fantastic catch in traffic in the fourth quarter that


First Night, Single Theme for Double Term: Sept. 11 Speaker after speaker at the Republican convention summoned Sept. 11 in service of an overriding theme: the nation will be safer under President Bush.


GPWC support banks #39; ruling  quot;Today #39;s judgment seems indeed to be a turning point in the future of Formula One, quot; it read. GPWC also said the London High Court #39;s ruling would  #39;benefit the sport #39;s long-term stability.


12 Nepalese Reportedly Executed in Iraq A video purporting to show the killings of Nepalese kidnapped in Iraq was posted on a Web site linked to militants.


GOP Delegates Boo Moore at Convention NEW YORK - Already a box office sensation, filmmaker Michael Moore got another loud reception Monday at the Republican National Convention. This time, it was boos...


Double win for DiGrassi! Brazilian Lucas di Grassi scored his first two wins yesterday in Thruxton in the British F3 championship.


3 Killed As Gaston Lashes Va. With Rain RICHMOND, Va. - An area of about 20 blocks of downtown Richmond was roped off and was being condemned Tuesday after the remnants of Tropical Storm Gaston flooded the city and other parts of central Virginia with a foot or more of rain...


Stocks Mixed on Consumer Confidence Drop NEW YORK - Stocks were narrowly mixed in light trading Tuesday as disappointing consumer confidence figures overshadowed another slide in oil prices.    The plunge in the Conference Board's consumer confidence index, which fell to 98.2 in August from 105.7 in July, raised concerns on Wall Street that oil prices, while now falling, have already damaged the economic recovery...


Cal was robbed The University of California should be playing the University of Michigan in the Rose Bowl on New Year #39;s Day, reveling in Cal #39;s first return to Pasadena #39;s sacred turf since 1959.


Republicans Assail Kerry at Convention NEW YORK - Republicans belittled Democratic Sen. John Kerry as a shift-in-the-wind campaigner unworthy of the White House on Monday, opening their national convention four miles from Ground Zero of America's worst terrorist attack...


Ex-Yugoslav Head Milosevic Begins Defense THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic opened his long-delayed defense at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal Tuesday, describing the battles of his Serbian people as self defense against internal rebellions and external attacks by Islamic warriors.    Milosevic, charged with genocide and crimes against humanity in the Balkans, portrayed the Serbs as victims rather than aggressors: victims of a plan supported by the United States and Europe to break up Yugoslavia, of an attempt to wipe out Croatia's Serb minority, and of a Saudi-financed plot to create an Islamic state in Bosnia...


Twin Bus Blasts in Southern Israel Kill 12 JERUSALEM - Two buses exploded almost simultaneously in southern Israel on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 44, rescue officials said, in the first major Palestinian attack inside Israel in nearly six months.    Israel's Channel Two television said the blasts were carried out by Palestinian suicide bombers, but the report could not immediately be confirmed...


Gaston's Rain Sparks Emergency in Virginia RICHMOND, Va. - A state of emergency was declared as Tropical Storm Gaston poured nearly a foot of rain on central Virginia, flooding streets with several feet of rushing water that floated cars and trucks and smashed them into buildings...


It's SQL, but not as you know it Site Offer Save a whopping 50 on definitive MySQL guides


12 Nepalese Reportedly Executed in Iraq DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A Web site linked to an Iraqi militant group showed a video of what was purported to be the killing of 12 Nepalese workers by militants who had kidnapped them.    The Nepalese Foreign Ministry said it could not confirm the report of the hostages' deaths...


Schwarzenegger, Laura Bush to Speak Today NEW YORK - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, first lady Laura Bush, Sen...


Several Killed in Israeli Bus Bombings JERUSALEM - Two buses exploded in southern Israel on Tuesday, killing several people and wounding many others, Israeli rescue officials said, in what appeared to be the first suicide bombing inside Israel in nearly six months.    Police reported a third blast, but no further details were immediately available...


Consumer Confidence Plummets in August Consumer confidence, which had been on the rise since April, declined unexpectedly sharply in August, a private research group said today.


12 Nepalese Reportedly Executed in Iraq DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A Web site linked to an Iraqi militant group showed a video of what is purported to be the killing of 12 Nepalese workers by militants who had kidnapped them.    The Nepalese Foreign Ministry said it could not confirm the report of the hostages' deaths...


W.T.O. Authorizes Anti-Dumping Sanctions on U.S. The W.T.O. decided today to authorize sanctions against the United States in response to illegal antidumping rules.


Albertson's Second-Quarter Profits Drop The fall in earnings was due to the continuing impact of the company's California labor dispute and increased payments to health and welfare plans to fund deficits.


Gambro Sells U.S. Kidney Clinics Unit  STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish kidney-care company Gambro AB  has signed an agreement to sell its U.S. clinics business to  dialysis firm DaVita Inc. for \$3.05 billion in cash, Gambro  said on Tuesday.


Credit Dings = Insurance Woes A few problems on your credit report can boost your auto insurance premiums.


Copernic Desktop Search Takes Aim at Microsoft  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Privately held Copernic  Technologies on Tuesday released free desktop search software  ahead of expected offerings from Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O and  others in a move some see as a test of the product's market  viability.


Sharon Presents Gaza Pullout Timetable Description: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon presents a detailed timetable for Israel #39;s withdrawal from most of the Gaza Strip.


Sadr #39;s men wait for call to fight NAJAF: Since his Shi #39;ite militia put down their weapons and ended their uprising in Najaf last week, Abdul Sahib has slept in a different house every night, hiding from revenge-seeking residents.


Man Utd sign Rooney MANCHESTER United have finally got their hands on Wayne Rooney after nearly a week a tense negotiations concluded with the club agreeing a transfer fee with his current club Everton.


Serena courts rebel image SERENA Williams showed she had learnt from the Andre Agassi school of fashion yesterday, donning denim in her first-round match. Teaming the pleated skirt with a midriff-baring studded black vest and matching


West Brom acquires Inamoto Bromwich, England (Sports Network) - West Bromwich signed Japanese international Junichi Inamoto to a 2 1/2-year contract on Tuesday.


Gutierrez named Michigan #39;s starting QB While it seemed likely during the preseason that Gutierrez would win the job, coach Lloyd Carr insisted two other quarterbacks - Clayton Richard and Chad Henne - had a shot.


France #39;s AXA Faces Poll Delay In Australian Unit Buyout MELBOURNE (Dow Jones)--France #39;s AXA SA (AXA) faces a six-week delay in its attempt to move to full ownership of its Australian insurance subsidiary, with the Australian


Keep low profile, US citizens urged Afghan police officers stand guard as a firefighter fights a fire after an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday, Aug. 29, 2004.


New Apple Gets Shined Hoping to boost recently slackening sales of its flagship product, Apple Computer Inc. is using the dog days of summer to unveil the redesigned iMac, opening the curtain on its popular desktop computer at the Apple Expo in Paris. -washingtonpost.com


Your Personal Data Is Often at Risk As Ken Solomon read the letter last month from a company whose software he had bought, one sentence set off alarms: "Your credit or debit card information may be at risk."


Publication of Personal Information Probed The Secret Service is investigating the publication of personal information about GOP convention delegates on  a Web site, prompting complaints from the American Civil Liberties Union that the government is infringing upon the free-speech rights of political dissidents.


Convention Boasts State-of-Art Technology The Republican National Convention has more than 40,000 miles of cabling to operate high speed computer systems, telephone lines and live television broadcasts.


Handheld Computers Aid Convention Security Submachine gun, check. Semiautomatic pistol, check. Personal digital assistant, check. In addition to their usual weaponry, some officers responsible for securing federal buildings at the Republican convention are armed with devices like handheld computers.


Microsoft Taking on Apple's Music Store Microsoft Corp., hoping to take a bite out of Apple Computer Inc.'s highly popular online music service, is gearing up to launch its own Web site for selling songs over the Internet.


Hitachi, Matsushita, Toshiba in LCD Venture Japan's Hitachi Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and Toshiba Corp. struck a deal to jointly make displays for flat-screen televisions, starting as early as July 2006, the companies said Tuesday.


Jet record marked by Guinness The Guinness Book of Records recognises the world speed record set by Nasa's X-43A hypersonic aircraft in March.


'No evidence' for cloning claim Experts cast doubt on claims that a scientist has made embryos from dead people's tissue.


Harrah #39;s, Caesars looking to sell four casinos LAS VEGAS Harrah #39;s Entertainment and Caesars Entertainment are in negotiations to sell four casinos, in a move that could help reduce merger antitrust concerns.


Stocks Open Higher; Wall Street Cautious US stocks opened slightly higher on Tuesday as oil prices slipped with a lightly staffed Wall Street remaining cautious during the Republican party convention in New York amid heavy security and concerns of possible attacks.


Ratan Tata, Kumarmangalam may head revamped Board of Trade New Delhi, Aug. 31 (PTI): The revamped Board of Trade could be headed by renowned industrialist Ratan Tata, or former CII Secretary General Tarun Das.


Gateway Casinos controlling shareholders sell 25 of casino <b>...</b> BURNABY, BC (CP) - Major unitholders of the Gateway Casinos Income Fund are selling half their controlling stake in one of Western Canada #39;s biggest casino operators.


Intel 65-nanometer chip to use less power Intel #39;s 65-nanometer process technology will not be very different from its 90-nanometer process technology, which should help make for a smoother transition between the two manufacturing techniques in 2005, according to an Intel manufacturing executive.


VERITAS to Acquire E-mail Archiving Leader KVS; Accelerates <b>...</b> MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Aug. 31, 2004 -- VERITAS Software Corporation (Nasdaq:VRTS) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire KVault Software Limited (KVS), the


Hitachi, Toshiba, Matsushita Launch \$1B Joint LCD Venture Hitachi, Toshiba and Matsushita have reached a basic agreement to jointly establish a company they are currently calling the JV, to manufacture and sell LCD panels for flat-panel TVs, with operations to commence in January.


Opera browser to come to Windows Mobile Norwegian browser specialists Opera Software announce a version of their browser for Microsoft #39;s Windows Mobile platform is forthcoming.


TechBrief: Chip firms invest in nanotech Advanced Micro Devices and Infineon Technologies, which already have chip plants in Dresden, plan to invest E170 million over the next five years in a center for nanotechnology research there.


Voeller: I #39;m Ready Rudi Voeller has arrived in Rome to sign a contract that will tie him to his former club, Roma. The German coach stated that he is ready for the new challenge and he will do his best in this new adventure.


NASA to Announce Discovery of New Class of Planets By JOSEPH B. VERRENGIA    (AP) -- Astronomers have discovered four new planets in a week's time, an exciting end-of-summer flurry that signals a sharper era in the hunt for new worlds...


Life on Mars: A Definite Possibility This much is known: At some point in Mars's past, at least one region of the planet was drenched in water. Ancient Mars provided a habitat suitable for life as we know it. What kind of organism might have lived there? And is life lying dormant there still, just waiting for things to warm up a bit?


US Consumer Confidence Tumbles in August US consumer confidence fell sharply in August, breaking four straight months of gains, as a slowdown in job growth creation and rising oil prices weighed on sentiment.


Media Mogul Black  #39;Lined his Pockets Every Day #39; Not once or twice, but on dozens of occasions Hollinger was victimised by its controlling shareholders as they transferred to themselves and their affiliates more than US dollars 400 million (22 M) in the last seven years, according to the report


USA: Interstate Bakeries delays filing full-year report US food company Interstate Bakeries has said that it has had to delay filing its fiscal year report. The company had previously obtained an extension to last Friday for filing its Fiscal 2004 Form 10-K with


Veritas to buy maker of e-mail storage tools Veritas Software announced Tuesday that it plans to acquire KVault Software in a move designed to expand its e-mail storage and archiving offerings.


China Olympians return as heroes They were greeted at Beijing airport by a senior party leader, a brass band and a traditional drum and cymbal troop, as well as crowds of well-wishers.


Voeller set to coach Roma Former Germany coach Rudi Voeller has revealed he is close to taking over as Roma coach, following the resignation of Cesare Prandelli.


Rusty to retire after 2005. Former NASCAR Nextel (Winston) Cup Champion Rusty Wallace has confirmed that he will retire from the sport after the 2005 season during a much-awaited press conference in Daytona Beach on Monday.


Suburbia's Just Another Name for Fat City By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay Reporter    HealthDayNews -- Do sprawling communities translate into expanding waistlines? Absolutely, according to a new study that adds to a growing body of evidence that suburban living makes people fat.    A Boston University researcher found that people who live in spread-out communities are heavier than their city-bound counterparts...


Short Film Shows Virus Going in for the Kill By RICK CALLAHAN    INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Using a creature as hideous as any big-screen sci-fi monster, scientists have produced a one-minute horror movie starring a menacing, spidery virus swooping in on a hapless blob of bacteria.    While the shape-changing virus is clearly the villain, the bacterium is E...


Raw, Unprocessed Food Trend Catching On in U.S. Lunch crush is coming and the deli crew is busy making burgers, lime tarts and pizza dough. Things are really cooking - at least figuratively. In fact, none of the food being prepared at In The Raw will touch a flame or a griddle.


Veritas to buy maker of e-mail storage tools In KVault Software, Veritas is getting the No. 1 maker of e-mail retrieval tools, an analyst says.


Lenovo, IBM May Soon Reveal PC Unit Deal  HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's largest personal computer  maker, Lenovo Group Ltd., could announce as early as Tuesday  that it is buying control of IBM's PC-making business for up to  US\$2 billion, a source familiar with the situation said.


Briefly: Charter signs 3 phone deals roundup Plus: Open-source rival to Exchange released...Verizon sets up home in Circuit City...3i's Gagen resigns...Unify updates Java tool.


Chep changes pay off BRAMBLES #39; decision to overhaul its troubled Chep pallet business has paid off in spades by doubling second-half profit. Brambles posted an after-tax result of \$168 million for the June half, up from \$82 million for the same period last year.


WTO Approves Sanctions Against US in  #39;Byrd #39; Row The European Union and its allies got the go-ahead on Tuesday to slap potentially heavy sanctions on US goods in a row that could stir trade tensions ahead of the US elections.


Energy giant #39;s 2bn windfall ENERGY group National Grid Transco is to give shareholders a 2bn windfall after announcing the sale of four of its gas distribution networks today.


Harrah #39;s, Caesars looking to sell four casinos Harrah #39;s Entertainment (HET) and Caesars Entertainment (CZR) said Tuesday that they have begun negotiations to sell four casinos, in a move expected to reduce


Alitalia Pressures Unions to Accept Plan Italy #39;s struggling state carrier Alitalia met with labor unions Tuesday, trying to persuade them to accept a sweeping restructuring plan after announcing a further worsening of the airline #39;s financial situation.


Circuit City Hears Verizon #39;s Call Or it could be that double-digit declines in mobile phone sales in the first quarter suggested that they go with the country #39;s largest wireless service provider instead.


Day 2 in Kobe Bryant jury selection Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the Kobe Bryant rape trial will quiz 41 new potential jurors behind closed doors Tuesday, after questioning the same number a day earlier.


Don #39;t rule it out completely Incredulity and bewilderment greeted today #39;s suggestion that rugby #39;s World Cup winning coach Clive Woodward might be England #39;s next football saviour.


Voeller moves to Roma Roma have appointed former German national coach Rudi Voeller as their new boss. Voeller, who resigned his post with Germany after Euro 2004, has spent the day in the Italian capital discussing the move and


Not all QB questions answered Matt Gutierrez will start at quarterback for the University of Michigan on Saturday against Miami (Ohio). It #39;s right up there with  quot;dog bites man quot; on the surprise scale.


Moscow fears two more suicide bombers Russian security officials are concerned two female suicide bombers who downed two planes last week arrived in Moscow with two other women from Chechnya.


AOL testing Net phone service The online giant is quietly calling on beta testers to try out its take on VoIP.


Apple puts the squeeze on new iMac All of the new iMac G5 fits inside what the company calls an "enchanting" flat-screen display.


Apple unwraps new iMac G5s at Paris show The new iMac's screen is suspended above the desk like that of its predecessor, but its processor, hard disk and DVD drive are concealed behind the screen rather than in the base.


Opera to launch browser for Windows Mobile Norwegian browser developer Opera Software ASA has developed a product to run on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile operating system, with plans to ship demonstration versions to mobile phone operators and manufacturers in the coming weeks.


Sun readies app server upgrade Sun Microsystems is readying an upgrade to its enterprise-level application server and is touting new downloading figures as evidence of the companys growing presence in the application server market.


Apple unwraps new iMac G5s  PARIS -- Apple Computer Inc. will begin shipping its new iMac G5 desktop computer worldwide in mid-September, the company's top marketing executive said Tuesday.


Samsung develops high-capacity smart card chip Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has begun producing a smart card IC (integrated circuit) chip that the company claims contains a larger amount of erasable and programmable memory than those of competitors, it said in a statement on Tuesday.


Skype dials up beta software for Mac OS X Skype Technologies SA, of Luxembourg, Tuesday released a beta version of its free Internet telephony software for Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac OS X.
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Powered by IBMs most advanced 64-bit microprocessor (POWER5(tm)), p5 systems can run UNIX and Linux simultaneously. Learn more about eServer p5 systems.


AMD demos first dual-core processor Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) has demonstrated the company's first dual-core microprocessors at its Austin, Texas, office, the company said Tuesday.


Microsoft Taking on Apple's iTunes Music Store By ALLISON LINN    SEATTLE (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), hoping to take a bite out of Apple Computer Inc...


Handheld Computers Aid Republican Convention Security By HANNAH LOBEL     NEW YORK (AP) -- Submachine gun, check. Semiautomatic pistol, check...


Apple Unveils New IMac at Paris Expo Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) on Tuesday introduced its new iMac, the latest version of the consumer desktop computer that restored the company's fortunes as a force in personal computing.


Fujitsu Limited Ad-hoc-Mitteilung verarbeitet und bermittelt durch die DGAP. Fr den Inhalt der Mitteilung ist der Emittent verantwortlich. SAN JOSE, Calif.


Apple Unveils iMac G5 The new iMac G5, which begins shipping worldwide mid-September, features the high-performance G5 processor and a stunning new design that integrates the entire computer right into its 17- or 20-inch flat panel display. The iMac G5 packs a complete computer system into a mere two inches of depth  #151; the world #146;s thinnest desktop computer, with a G5 processor running up to 1.8 GHz. Aug 31


Apple Support Site Among Top 10 The Association of Support Professionals announced the winners of its seventh annual "Ten Best Web Support Sites" competition, showcasing excellence in online service and support. Apple was included in the 2004 list of winners, chosen by evaluating overall usability, design and navigation; knowledge base and search implementation; interactive features; and personalization. Aug 31


WTO authorizes sanctions against US for anti-dumping law (AFP) AFP - The World Trade Organisation authorized the European Union and seven countries to impose millions of dollars' worth of sanctions in retaliation for a US anti-dumping law, a diplomat said.


US Consumers Anxious About Lack of Hiring  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence retreated in  August while Chicago-area business activity slowed, according  to reports on Tuesday that added to worries the economy's patch  of slow growth may last beyond the summer.


Dollar Slumps After Weak U.S. Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar sagged on Tuesday as softer  U.S. data on Tuesday re-ignited worries that the world's  largest economy has yet to recover from its recent soft patch.


Iraqi Militants Kill 12 Nepali Hostages - Web Site  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A militant Iraqi group said it had  killed 12 Nepali hostages and showed pictures of one being  beheaded and others being shot dead, the worst mass killing of  captives since a wave of kidnappings erupted in April.


Zimbabwe tobacco crop falls again Zimbabwe's tobacco crop, one of the country's main exportable commodities, falls for the fourth year running.


India plans to help boost exports India unveils a package of trade incentives, aimed at helping the country grow its exports by 20 a year for the next five years.


Plato Gets Top Grade The company gets a boost from its Lightspan acquisition, but will future growth be slow?


Radio 4 revives Hitchhiker's game A Douglas Adams game is revived to mark a new Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy radio series.


India plans to help boost exports India has unveiled a package of trade incentives, aimed at helping the country grow its exports by 20 a year for the next five years.


Avalon, WinFS decoupled for Windows Shorthorn As we suggested on Friday, two mainstays of Windows Longhorn will be  #39;decoupled #39; from the 2006 release, with Microsoft dropping the WinFS storage and query system.


Apple Announces New iMac That Breaks Design Barriers Just like the iPod redefined portable digital music players, the new iMac G5 redefines what users expect from a consumer desktop, Schiller told the audience.


US IT spend to mark modest growth US IT spending will grow by seven per cent next year, according to a study out yesterday from IT analysts Forrester Research. Forrester predicts that spending on IT goods, services, and staff will remain at seven per cent over the next three years.


FrontBridge Fills Archiving Gaps FrontBridge Technologies put its best foot forward with an acquisition and the launch of a new managed service, the company said Monday.


Milosevic War Crimes Trial Resumes The trial of Slobodan Milosevic on war crimes charges has resumed in The Hague with the former Yugoslav president launching a spirited defense.


British Based Preacher Probed over Child Trafficking A Britain-based preacher who claims to perform miracles on barren women is being investigated in connection with an alleged child-trafficking ring that spans five countries, Kenyan police said today.


Sun sales tactic targets Linux Company will compensate its sales staff for selling non-Sun machines, as part of its effort to boost Solaris on x86 hardware.


Opera Lands on Windows Mobile Alternative browser will be available on portable devices running Microsoft's OS.


OPEC chief expects oil prices to ease from recent high levels By Channel NewsAsia #39;s Indonesia Bureau Chief Haseenah Koyakutty. JAKARTA : The head of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, says he expects global oil prices to come well off their current crippling highs.


Transco sells four gas networks National Grid Transco has sold half of its gas distribution networks for 5.8bn (\$10.4bn), it was announced today. The move has been welcomed by the gas and electricity regulator Ofgem, which said new competition in the sector could lower prices.


Harrah #39;s, Caesars in talks to sell casinos Harrah #39;s Entertainment Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Inc., both of Las Vegas, have begun talks to sell four casinos to a group led by Colony Capital LLC, according to media reports.


WTO OKs Sanctions Vs. US in Trade Row The European Union and its allies got the go-ahead on Tuesday to slap potentially heavy sanctions on US goods in a row that could stir trade tensions ahead of the US elections.


Outsourcing CEOs Get Big Pay Hikes NEW YORK - US companies that outsourced the most jobs in 2003 also offered well-above average pay increases to their chief executives, according to a new study released this morning.


Charter will add phone service Madison area cable provider Charter Communications is set to complete the  quot;telecom triple play quot; with the addition of phone service.


Intel Builds New Chips with 65 Nanometer Process Technology  quot;The achievement extends Intel #39;s effort to drive the development of new manufacturing process technology every two years, in accordance with Moore #39;s Law, quot; Intel said in a statement.


AMD Demonstrates 90nm x86 Dual-Core Processor AMD has been demonstrating the industrys first x86 dual-core processor at its Austin facilities on an HP ProLiant DL585 server powered by four dual-core Opteron processors manufactured on 90nm SOI process technology, the company announced today.


Cluster Workstations bring supercomputing to power users #39; desks Santa Clara, California start-up Orion Multisystems is trying to take the benefits of supercomputers and put them into a workstation for power users.


China #39;s Olympic flying start AS the excitement of the Athens Olympic Games fades, the build-up to Beijing 2008 is in full swing. The countdown to China began last weekend when Beijing #39;s mayor took possession of the Olympic flag at the Athens closing ceremony.


Senegal Draws Up Locust Battle Plan for West Africa Only a military-style operation with bases across West Africa can stop the worst locust invasion for 15 years destroying vital food supplies, Senegal #39;s President Abdoulaye Wade said Tuesday.


US Consumers Anxious About Lack of Hiring (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. consumer confidence retreated in\August while Chicago-area business activity slowed, according\to reports on Tuesday that added to worries the economy's patch\of slow growth may last beyond the summer.


Dollar Slumps After Weak U.S. Data (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar sagged on Tuesday as softer\U.S. data on Tuesday re-ignited worries that the world's\largest economy has yet to recover from its recent soft patch.


France Enters Hostage Crisis Talks (AP) AP - France intensified efforts Tuesday to save the lives of two journalists held hostage in Iraq, and the Arab League said the militants' deadline for France to revoke a ban on Islamic headscarves in schools had been extended.


U.N. Searches for Missing Aid Workers (AP) AP - U.N. workers searched by land and air Tuesday for eight Sudanese aid workers missing in rebel-controlled territory in the western Darfur region, officials said Tuesday.


SCH bank says Abbey move will not dilute industrial holdings (AFP) AFP - Leading Spanish bank Santander Central Hispano said that its hoped-for acquisition of British home-loan specialist Abbey National would not require asset sales, adding there was as yet no counter-offer.


Sikhs flock to Amritsar for Guru Granth Sahib anniversary (Reuters) Reuters - Hundreds of thousands of Sikhs congregated in the northern Indian city of Amritsar on Tuesday for the 400th anniversary celebration of the installation of the Sikh sacred book at the religion's holiest shrine.


Apple Unveils New iMac at Paris Show The new model, unveiled at the opening of the Apple Expo in Paris, upgrades the iMac line with the faster G5 processors already used in Apple's top-end Power Macs.


USTR to Comply After WTO Sanctions Threat  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration said it  would work with Congress to avoid U.S. exports being hit with  potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in new sanctions  approved on Tuesday by the World Trade Organization.


WTO rules for EU in US trade row The World Trade Organisation gives the EU and seven countries the chance to impose sanctions in retaliation for a US anti-dumping law.


Consumer confidence falls Consumer confidence, which had been on the rise since April, declined unexpectedly sharply in August, a private research group said Tuesday.


OPEC: Group Doing All It Can To Stabilize Oil Prices OPEC President Purnomo Yusgiantoro highlighted the impact of the current high oil prices, saying the direct contribution of the increase in global oil prices to the economic slowdown


Hollinger #39;s Black Victimized #39; Company, Report Says (Update1) Hollinger International Inc., publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times, said former Chief Executive Conrad Black and controlling shareholders victimized #39; #39; the company by transferring \$400 million of company funds to their own accounts.


UPDATE 2-Veritas to buy e-mail archive company KVault Veritas Software Corp. (VRTS.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , the largest independent US storage software provider, will buy e-mail backup company KVault Software Ltd.


Jewel-Osco impacted by Calif. strike Albertsons Inc., the No. 2 US grocer, Tuesday reported a substantial drop in its quarterly profit as heavy promotions to revive its Southern California sales after a strike bit into its profit.


SM amp;A shares tumble after revenue warning Shares of SM amp;A (WINS.O: Quote, Profile, Research) tumbled more than 20 percent on Tuesday, a day after the consultant to defense companies warned that its third-quarter and 2004 revenue would fall short as political events in


Investors squash units of Hot House Growers fund VANCOUVER - Investors sent units of Hot House Growers Income Fund down more than 35 per after the fund said it is suspending cash distributions.


Apple unveils worlds thinnest desktop in Paris PARIS, Aug 31 (AFP) - Apple Computer launched here Tuesday the newest version of its iMac model, which at two inches (five centimeters) is the world #39;s thinnest desktop computer, the company said.


Veritas to buy KVault Software in \$225m deal Veritas Software is to acquire email archiving firm KVault Software (KVS) to bolster its utility computing abilities. The traditional storage management giant will pay \$225m for KVS, which will be operate


Novell has new face under Linux, identity services Editor #39;s Summary: Novell announced this week it has reorganized internally to better focus on two development areas: Linux and identity services.


Open-source rival to Exchange released Netline Internet Service, an Olpe, Germany-based company that develops a competitor to Microsoft #39;s Exchange e-mail and collaboration server software, on Monday fulfilled a promise to release its product as open-source software.


UPDATE 2-Manchester United held 0-0 by Everton Manchester United were denied three times by the woodwork as they were held on Monday to a 0-0 home draw by Everton, the club whose England striker Wayne Rooney they hope to sign before Tuesday #39;s transfer deadline.


US, Iraqis Discuss Aid to Najaf, Baghdad BAGHDAD, Iraq Aug. 31, 2004 - US and Iraqi officials on Tuesday discussed ways to step up aid to Najaf and a war-battered neighborhood in Baghdad after rebel cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to end their uprising.


Cambodian Assembly Ratifies WTO Membership Cambodia has taken a major step into the international trading system, with the National Assembly approving membership in the World Trade Organization.


Copernic Unleashes Desktop Search Tool Copernic Unleashes Desktop Search Tool\\Copernic Technologies Inc. today announced Copernic Desktop Search(TM) (CDS(TM)), "The Search Engine For Your PC (TM)." Copernic has used the experience gained from over 30 million downloads of its Windows-based Web search software to develop CDS, a desktop search product that users are saying is far ...


State of Iraqi Oil Exports Unclear (AP) AP - The status of Iraq's crucial oil exports was mired in confusion Tuesday, with government and industry officials giving contradictory statements about whether oil was flowing or whether there were even oil tankers at the port here.


Opera Lands on Windows Mobile (PC World) PC World - Alternative browser will be available on portable devices running Microsoft's OS.


Hollinger Panel Says Owners Took Cash  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former Hollinger International Chief  Executive Conrad Black and other former executives looted the  company of more than \$400 million, using the company as a  "piggy bank" to pay for private jets and club memberships,  according to a report filed on Tuesday.


Hungarian Hammer Thrower Annus Will Not Return Gold  BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian hammer thrower Adrian Annus  is refusing to give back his Olympic gold medal after being  stripped of his title for failing to take a drugs test.


Stocks Fall as Intel Update Awaited  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Tuesday as a sharp drop  in U.S. consumer confidence in August stirred fresh doubt about  the economy and analysts lowered revenue forecasts for  technology bellwether Intel Corp. INTC.O


Crude Oil Little Changed After Falling on Rising Iraqi Output Crude oil futures were little changed after falling yesterday for the seventh day in eight as Iraqi exports rose and Russia said it would increase output this year.


All Eyes on Tokyo In the battle between Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi (Tokyo, Yen 106 trillion in assets) and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (Tokyo, Yen 94 trillion in assets) for UFJ (Tokyo, Yen 82 trillion in assets), the stakes include more than just UFJ #39;s assets.


Consumers Anxious About Lack of Hiring US consumer confidence sank in August while Chicago-area business activity slowed, according to reports on Tuesday that added to worries the economy #39;s patch of sluggish growth may last beyond the summer.


UPDATE 2-Forest says Alzheimer #39;s drug fails to meet goal Forest Laboratories Inc. (FRX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said its experimental treatment for Alzheimer #39;s disease failed to prove effective in a large clinical trial, sending its shares lower in after-hours trading.


Enron to begin US pipeline auction on Wednesday Enron Corp. (ENRNQ.PK: Quote, Profile, Research) begins the last major leg of its 2-1/2 year trip through bankruptcy on Wednesday when it kicks off an auction to sell its US gas pipelines, the company said.


Ex-Amvescap chiefs fined \$3.34m for funds scandal Three former employees at fund manager Amvescap yesterday agreed to pay penalties totalling \$3.34m (1.9m) to settle charges relating to the US mutual funds scandal.


UPDATE 3-Open Text profit weakens, stock down after hours Software maker Open Text Corp. (OTC.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) reported a weaker fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday and warned its current quarter will come


Public Officials Question Bank Of America Job Cuts Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri has joined a chorus of public officials questioning whether Bank of America broke commitments by ordering job cuts after its acquisition of FleetBoston Financial Corp.


Update 1: Six Flags Shares Up on Gates, Redskins Pressure from Microsoft chairman and shareholder Bill Gates over a sagging financial outlook and news that Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has bought nearly 9 percent of Six Flags, Inc.


Update 5: Schwab Sells Division to UBS for \$265M Backpedaling from a recent expansion, Charles Schwab Corp. is selling an institutional investment and research division to Swiss banking giant UBS AG for \$265 million, another step in the struggling stock brokerage #39;s push to regain its Main Street appeal.


Hudson #39;s Bay Has Second-Quarter Loss as Sales Fizzle (Update3) Hudson #39;s Bay Co., Canada #39;s biggest department store chain, said it had its first second-quarter net loss in seven years as unseasonably cool weather damped demand for summer clothing.


Nafta Backs Canada on Challenge of US Lumber Duties (Update2) The US may have to drop 27 percent duties on \$4.6 billion of Canadian lumber shipments after a trade tribunal ruled that the US lumber industry isn #39;t being harmed by imports from Canada.


New planets in a class of their own: astronomers WASHINGTON - Astronomers in the US say they #39;ve discovered a new class of planets orbiting stars outside our solar system. The two  quot;exoplanets quot; are small compared to earlier finds.


The supercomputer that fits into a screen just two inches thin They used to fill entire floors of buildings and were so costly only governments or large companies could afford them. Yesterday, Apple Computer showed just how far technology


Allchin on Longhorn: We #39;ve Had to Make Some Hard Trade-offs Jim Allchin, Microsoft group vice president for platforms, discussed Microsoft #39;s recent decisions on Windows  quot;Longhorn quot; development in a recorded message for Microsoft #39;s Channel 9 that was


Samsung Buys Into Digital Wallet Chips Samsung has ordered a chunk of Near Field Communication chips from Philips. Like DoCoMo #39;s FeliCa, these chips are primarily expected to be used in mobile banking applications, but can be used for tickets, electronic locks and more.


Skype takes VoIP software to the Mac Skype launched a version of its Internet telephony package for Mac owners on Tuesday, as it battles a growing number of competitors offering VoIP products.


Veritas to Buy E-Mail Company KVault Veritas Software Corp. (VRTS.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , the largest independent US storage software provider, said on Tuesday it will buy e-mail backup company KVault Software Ltd.


AMD Shows Off Dual-Core Microprocessor It said it has demonstrated a working version of the technology based on its Opteron chip. By Darrell Dunn. The shift to dual-core microprocessors continues to accelerate.